Friday of Week 6 Year 1

In today's Gospel, Jesus tells us: "If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. What gain, then, is it for a man to win the whole world and ruin his life? And indeed what can a man offer in exchange for his life? For if anyone in this adulterous and sinful generation is ashamed of me and of my words, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

From the Gospel, we can see a few key qualities of being a follower of Jesus:

1. If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. Here, a follower of Jesus chooses to renounce himself, takes up his cross, and follows Jesus. It is not enough to just renounce oneself, but one also needs to take up his cross and follow Jesus.
2. But anyone who loses his life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. Here, a follower of Jesus not only chooses to lose his life for Jesus' sake, He or she also chooses to do so for the sake of the gospel. Both Jesus and the gospel must be involved.
3. For if anyone in this adulterous and sinful generation is ashamed of me and of my words, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. Here, one must be willing to stand up for Jesus and His words. If one is ashamed of Jesus' words, especially those words which may seem difficult to understand or accept, then how can one stand up for Jesus?

So as we can see, being a follower of Jesus is not so simple. Anyone can claim to be a follower of Jesus, but claiming to be a follower of Jesus means nothing if there is no action or personal sacrifice. May we strive towards being true and genuine in following Jesus completely, and give glory to God in all we say and do.

Friday of Week 25 Year 1

What sort of leader would we want to follow? Quite likely, we would want to follow a leader who is important, or a leader who has a great track record, or a leader who is a winner, or even a leader who can produce results which could help or benefit us. How many of us would follow a leader who is going to be mocked, persecuted or even put to death? If we observe the the ways of the world, such a leader would only bring disaster to us, and should be avoided at all cost. However, as Christians what sort of leader do we really follow?

In today's Gospel, Jesus tells us: "'The Son of Man' he said 'is destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes and to be put to death, and to be raised up on the third day.'" From a worldly point of view such a leader would end up dead and would not benefit or help us. Moreover, such a leader would be raised up on the third day? The world would laugh and say that such a thing is ridiculous, illogical or impossible. But Jesus proved to all that He did die and He rose again, as His purpose as a leader was not to gain fame or recognition from the world, but to save us from our sins.

Today we as Christians are called by Jesus to follow His example and His leadership. We are called to take up our cross and follow Him. Ultimately, we have a choice: to follow the ways of the world and its ideas of leadership, or to follow the ways of Christ and His way of leadership. May we learn to lead the way He leads us and let Him be our help and guide.

Friday of Week 23 Year 1

It is easy for some of us to find fault with other people. One reason why some of us only know how to find fault with others is because some of us are insecure and unwilling to come to terms with one's own faults. So to try and cover up our own faults, we would project such faults on others. This stems from the fact that some of us are too proud or egoistic or even having some sort of inferiority complex, making it difficult for some of us to be humble enough to admit one's faults and change for the better.

In today's Gospel, Jesus admonishes us when He says: "Why do you observe the splinter in your brother’s eye and never notice the plank in your own? How can you say to your brother, "Brother, let me take out the splinter that is in your eye," when you cannot see the plank in your own? Hypocrite! Take the plank out of your own eye first, and then you will see clearly enough to take out the splinter that is in your brother’s eye."

Perhaps we need to take a good look at ourselves and discover whether we are willing and humble enough to admit our faults, before we look at others' faults. If we are aware of our faults and admit them, instead of trying to hide them or focus only in finding fault with others, then we would realise that, at the end of the day, we are all imperfect and we all need help to become better. Let us present our faults to God, asking Him to heal us and guide us, and give Him the glory.

Friday of Week 8 Year 1

In today's Gospel, we come across Jesus cursing a fig tree which had no figs on it. Some of us may initially wonder whether Jesus was acting irrationally or weird, since the Gospel tells us that Jesus felt hungry and seemed annoyed that He could not find any figs, only leaves, since it was not the season for figs. However, if we look carefully at the text, we would discover that Jesus was actually using symbolic language to mean Israel, especially the scribes and Pharisees, who had so stubbornly held to their ways of doing things and their self-righteous behaviour and attitude, instead of repenting and returning to God's ways.

If we look at ourselves, have some of us become like the scribes and Pharisees? Have we so stubbornly held to our ways of doing things and our self-righteous behaviour and attitude, instead of repenting and returning to God's ways. Have we been like the fig tree, which produces fruit only according to season, and at other times we can behave and do as we please? Let us be mindful, lest we end up like the fig tree, withered to the roots; because of our pride, prejudice, selfishness, lack of forgiveness, and stubbornness; as well as our refusal to truly, consistently and wholeheartedly do all things for the glory of God.

Friday of Week 30 Year 2

Is it okay to cure on a Sabbath day? The Sabbath day is supposed to be a day of rest and worship. But in the Gospel, Jesus seems to be not following the rules of the Sabbath day. Throughout Jesus' ministry, we see that Jesus does not choose a special place, occasion or time to help and to heal. Instead, as long as Jesus sees a need, He would do something about it regardless of whether it is a Sabbath day or not.

The lawyers and the Pharisees were those who faithfully observe the Sabbath law. However, by Jesus' action, He simply showed them that there’s an exception; that the law of the Sabbath can be broken, as long as there is a good and valid reason to break it. Jesus is showing the lawyers and the Pharisees that the observance of the Sabbath day should be superseded by a more important need, in this case, the need to heal the man sick with dropsy.

If you were in Jesus' situation, what would you do? Would you simply let the man suffer from his severe sickness even if you could actually do something to help him? Or would you heal the man just like Jesus did? May our faith in God be made more real, alive and dynamic, by living it with acts of love, mercy, compassion and kindness.

Friday of Week 16 Year 2

How loyal are we in our lives, when it comes to our family, our spouse, our workplace, in society, and even in a country? Are we loyal only when it befits us, and when things are not to our liking or not going our way, we run away or look for alternatives? It is easy for some of us to become disloyal, especially when we are more concerned only about ourselves, and perhaps our loved ones. But how many of us are willing to set aside our ego, our pride, our need for personal gratification, and remain loyal, come what may?

In today's reading, we are reminded: "Come back, disloyal children – it is the Lord who speaks – for I alone am your Master." The question we need to ask ourselves is this: are we willing to be loyal at all costs, through thick and through thin, and continue remaining loyal even when we face persecution or even death? When it comes to our relationship with God, would we remain loyal to Him, knowing that He will guide and help us no matter how tough the situation may be?

Friday of Week 12 Year 2

How many of us can really rely on our leaders or even kings and royalty in our country? If there is trouble and our country is on the verge of being overrun or conquered by enemy forces, would our leaders, kings or royalty be willing to stick with us and defend our country to the very end? Quite likely, our leaders, kings or royalty would flee, leaving others to defend our country as best we can. It seems as though one's own survival and personal interest takes precedence over the interest of the country, as far as some leaders, kings or royalty are concerned.

In today's reading, we see an example of a king who took more interest in his own survival, and not so much on the interest of the kingdom. In the reading: "...the king made his escape under cover of dark, with all the fighting men, by way of the gate between the two walls, which is near the king’s garden – the Chaldaeans had surrounded the city – and made his way towards the Arabah. The Chaldaean troops pursued the king and caught up with him in the plains of Jericho, where all his troops deserted. The Chaldaeans captured the king and took him to the king of Babylon at Riblah, who passed sentence on him. He had the sons of Zedekiah slaughtered before his eyes, then put out Zedekiah’s eyes and, loading him with chains, carried him off to Babylon."

From the reading, we see two examples where one's personal interest takes precedence. Firstly, King Zedekiah was not bothered about the city and more concerned about his own survival, and he made his escape with his fighting men. Then when the Chaldaen troops caught up with him in the plains of Jericho, his own troops deserted him, leaving him to his fate. This shows that at the end of the day, not everyone who claims to be our leaders have the interest of our city or country at heart, since at times, personal interest takes precedence. However, we do have a leader or king who would not desert or abandon us. That King is our loving God. Shouldn't we then pay more attention and hope on our loving God, knowing that He would protect and care for us, and not abandon us?

Friday of Week 9 Year 2

Being a Christian is never easy. Anyone who claims that being a Christian is easy is either not really living a Christian life, or they may be lying. This is because as Christians the ways of Christ quite often do not agree or do not comply with the ways of the world. For example, as Christians, we are told to love, even to love our enemies; but the world tells us to hate others, or try to put others down to lift ourselves up, and only love ourselves and be concerned only about ourselves.

When we do not follow the ways of the world, and instead follow the ways of Christ, what happens? Today's reading tells us: "You are well aware, then, that anybody who tries to live in devotion to Christ is certain to be attacked; while these wicked impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and deceived themselves You must keep to what you have been taught and know to be true; remember who your teachers were, and how, ever since you were a child, you have known the holy scriptures – from these you can learn the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus."

What does this mean to us? It means that following the ways of Christ is not going to be a bed of roses or a walk in the park. We will face many trials and tribulations, and as the reading tells us, we are certain to be attacked in some way. It also means that we must not let ourselves go astray, or give up and end up following the ways of the world. Instead, we must have faith in Christ Jesus, and remain steadfast in such faith. Are we willing to endure much challenges in the world, with hope and trust that Jesus will save us?

Friday of Week 9 Year 2

Among the Jews, the most common title for the 'Christ' was, 'Son of David.' In today's Gospel, the purpose why Jesus then said "The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand and I will put your enemies under your feet." (which is actually Psalm 110:1), is to show to the crowds and the Pharisees that the Christ was more than a descendant of David because David calls this descendant of his, “my lord.” This is to show that David views the Christ as his Lord and superior.

So what does it mean to acknowledge Jesus as Lord? To acknowledge Jesus as Lord means that we should owe our full submission and loyalty to Him. If we owe our full submission and loyalty to Him, then He is our Lord and the Master of our lives instead of the many earthly things such as: our passions, the love of money, alcohol, drugs, and so on; which may distract us or which we may pursue as if these things matter more and may have become like our "lord" instead of Jesus. The question we need to ask ourselves is this: do we really give to Jesus our loyalty? Or have we allowed ourselves to divert our loyalty to other 'lords'?

Friday of Week 6 Year 2

It is easy for us to give a lot of comments and suggestions for improvement or changes in church. But sometimes, such comments and suggestions are just that: merely comments and suggestions, without any commitment to take action or to offer oneself to see such comments and suggestions through. For example, some people like to comment or suggest that churches these days should have a funeral parlour, since more and more people these days live in flats, apartments or condominiums, where facilities for a wake may not be available. But when such persons are asked to form a committee and help raise funds, so that a funeral parlour could be constructed somewhere in the church grounds, such persons suddenly give all sorts of excuses, or back down from their suggestions. Are some of us all talk and no action?

In today's reading, we are told that "Faith is like that: if good works do not go with it, it is quite dead." Also, the reading tells us that "A body dies when it is separated from the spirit, and in the same way faith is dead if it is separated from good deeds." We say that we have faith; we believe in God; we recite the creed every Sunday; we call ourselves Christians; but is our faith merely words? Is our faith all talk but no or little action? Are we willing to do something about what we say, or are we merely blowing hot air?

Friday of Week 26 Year 1

How many of us are willing to take responsibility for what has happened, especially if something bad has happened? Some of us may do so, and learn from our mistakes and move on, but there are also those who refuse to admit they have done wrong and try to play the blame game and put the blame on others, or even find a scapegoat to take the blame, because they are more concerned about their pride and ego, instead of what is just and right.

In today's reading, Baruch reflected upon the disastrous events that had happened to the Israelites, especially the destruction of Jerusalem, and exile in Babylon. He came to a conclusion: "To us, the look of shame we wear today, we have sinned in the sight of the Lord, we have disobeyed Him, we had not listened to the voice of the Lord our God."

Everything that went wrong and all the disastrous events that happened, Baruch pointed the finger at himself and his people, instead of trying to put the blame on others. Are we willing to be humble and admit our mistakes, seek forgiveness from God and from others, while being willing to forgive others too, when they have wronged us? Are we willing to learn from our mistakes and wrongdoings, and let the Lord guide us so that we would become better?

Friday of Week 22 Year 1

We sometimes come across certain faithful who are stuck with doing things according to a certain previous parish priest's way of the past. Even though such ways of doing things are already outdated or no longer relevant in today's context, such faithful would stick to their belief that such ways are the only ways to get things done. But the reality is that things change, and what worked in the past would no longer work in the present or even in the future. For example, in the past, people, especially adults, were taught catechism on a one to one basis, before baptism is given; nowadays, people are taught through RCIA before they are considered for baptism.

In today's Gospel, Jesus speaks about not putting a new cloak to patch an old cloak, and using only new skins to store new wine. Jesus is telling us to move on from old ways to new and better ways of being disciples and of growing in relationship with God. He is telling us not to be like the scribes and Pharisees, who focused in only meticulously observing the law, but to refocus in the law of loving God and loving neighbour, which was the whole idea and purpose of the law in the first place. Jesus was showing us a new and better way of living, by living the way of love.

Sometimes we too could be guilty in following the ways of the scribes and the Pharisees, or the ways of certain faithful who are stuck in old ways. May we be humble and willing to change, so that we would be free to listen to God's voice again, and grow deeper in relationship with Him, while using new ways and methods to do His will and glorify Him..

Friday of Week 13 Year 1

I sometimes come across people who say they do not go to church any more because they have a problem with certain persons in church, or they think that the church is full of hypocrites, or they think that the church is full of sinners. Such persons think that only good people or saintly people should be in church, and everyone else is damned or condemned. But the reality is, the church is not a hotel for saints or even a museum for saints; it is a hospital for sinners.

In today's Gospel, we are reminded why Jesus came. Jesus came not to call the virtuous, but sinners. Just as Jesus came to call sinners, the church is also following Jesus' example to call sinners to come and be forgiven and strengthened, especially through the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Eucharist. So if the church is inviting all to come and abide in the Lord, especially sinners, let us not shun or avoid those who have sinned. Rather, let us learn to grow together as one family of God, and together grow in relationship with Him.

Friday of Week 11 Year 1

What do we look for in life? Do we look for wealth and property? Do we look for fame and popularity? Do we look for titles and admiration from others, especially our peers? While it is true that we need to have some of these worldly things to survive, how long would we be able to cling on to such things? When we return to the Lord, would we be able to bring such worldly things with us? Of course not! Such worldly things would need to be left behind, and would no longer mean anything to us. Then what is to become of us then?

In today's Gospel, Jesus said to his disciples, "Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and woodworms destroy them and thieves can break in and steal. But store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor woodworms destroy them and thieves cannot break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

The Gospel cautions us that treasures on earth are only temporary, whereas treasures in heaven are permanent. The strange thing is that some of us are making so much effort to store up that which is temporary, to the detriment of that which is permanent. Are we willing to have a change of heart, and make more effort to focus on that which is permanent, without neglecting our living needs while here on earth?

Friday of Week 7 Year 1

A true friend is always there to help, in both times of triumph and crisis. However, there are some friends who appear to be true friends, only to be exposed as those who are only there in fortunate circumstances. Such friends are known as fair-weather friends, where someone is a good friend when it is easy to be one and who stops being one when you are having problems, or someone who can be depended on only when everything is going well. Such fair-weather friends are often friends with us only for their advantage, benefit and convenience.

That is why, in today's reading, we are cautioned: "Let your acquaintances be many, but your advisers one in a thousand. If you want to make a friend, take him on trial, and be in no hurry to trust him..." The reality of life is such that we need to be careful when making friends, so as to not be taken advantaged of, or taken for a ride. May we be discerning and careful in choosing our friends, so that we may find true, dependable, intimate and loyal friends, and may we be true, dependable, intimate and loyal as well.

Friday of the 1st Week of Advent

I once sat next to a blind beggar and observed him as he was trying to beg for a few ringgit. I was quite amazed at how this blind beggar had developed a heightened sense of touch, hearing and smell, even though he could not see. Just by the sound of a coin dropping onto his bowl, he could decipher correctly how much it was. By feeling the paper money, he could tell a RM1 note from a RM5, RM10 or RM100.

Today’s Gospel tells us about two blind men following Jesus and crying out. They might not see Jesus, but their heightened sense of hearing led them to Jesus. When Jesus entered a house, they approached him there, since their heightened sense of hearing and smell helped them encounter Jesus directly. Not only that, when Jesus asked if they had faith in him to heal them, they responded positively. Because the blind men had complete trust and faith in Jesus, they were healed of their blindness and their sight returned.

What about us? Would we have faith and trust in Jesus to heal us, especially from our spiritual blindness? Even though we may be able to see clearly, we may be spiritually blind, especially when we sin, when we have ego and pride in our hearts. May we, like the beggars in today's Gospel, have complete faith and trust in Jesus, and be regular in going for confession and receiving Him daily at Mass, so that Jesus can heal us and enable us to physically and spiritually see clearly once again.

Friday of Week 27 Year 2

When it comes to learning music, such as learning to play the piano or guitar or violin, there needs to be study of theory and practical. Without theory, we may not understand or appreciate what constitutes acceptable or good music, and the practical aspect may be compromised. Theory without practice would not bring us anywhere, since we may know the theory of music, but we would not know how to play the instrument. Thus in music, both theory and practical are needed, so that we would be able to harmonise and improve our musical talent.

In today's reading, St. Paul emphasised faith in Jesus Christ over the blind practice of the Law. The blind practice of the Law without having faith in God would result in the meticulous keeping of  rules and regulations, just as one would only be blindly learning music theory without having a clue about why we are doing so and how we could put such theory to good and practical use. It becomes like a "monkey see, monkey do" situation. This would lead to a contradiction on what we say and do, compared to what we are supposed to believe in.

Thus, let us not just blindly follow rules or blindly have faith, but have some proper formation on our faith, so that we would have some understanding of what we believe in and why we believe. In doing so our faith in Jesus would grow and mature as we walk in His ways.

Friday of Week 17 Year 2

It is not easy for us to stand alone when it comes to upholding truth, righteousness and good principles. We may find ourselves isolated, shunned or even despised by those around us, since we have chosen to do what is right, instead of what is popular or agreeable to others. But if we look at our lives and purpose as Christians, are we called to be accepted and popular, and in doing so commit sin? Or are we willing to stick to following God's ways, even if it means being treated as an outcast, persecuted, or even face the possibility of being put to death?

In today's reading and Gospel, we see two examples of what it takes to stand alone for what one believes in and what is right. In the reading, the prophet Jeremiah was not accepted because he only had "bad" news for the people. Even though the priests and prophets in the Temple of the Lord wanted the prophet Jeremiah dead for what he said, the prophet Jeremiah refused to budge from saying what is right. The "bad" news the prophet Jeremiah told the people was for their own good, with hope that they would change their ways and return to the ways of God. In the Gospel, Jesus highlighted that a prophet is not accepted among his own people. He too had to stand alone in the face of rejection and even opposition.

But when we stand alone for what is just and right, we are actually not alone, since God is with us. May we remain steadfast in doing what is just and right, even if it means being alone in such a task, since what we do is not for our own gratification, but for the glory of God.

Friday of Week 16 Year 2

How loyal are we in our lives, when it comes to our family, our spouse, our workplace, in society, and even in a country? Do we seek only benefits, perks and advantages when it befits us, and when things are not to our liking or not going our way, we run away or look for alternatives? For example, if our spouse is stricken with a serious disease, would we remain loyal to him or her, or would we start looking elsewhere for gratification? When the company is facing difficult times, do we care only about ourselves and leave, looking for better prospects, or are we willing to stay and weather out the storm? When our country is going through turmoil and corruption, do we stay to do what is right and help rebuild the country, or do we run away and look for greener pastures?

It is easy for some of us to become disloyal, especially when we are more concerned only about ourselves, and perhaps our loved ones. But how many of us are willing to set aside our ego, our pride, our need for personal gratification, and remain loyal, come what may? Even when it comes to our faith, do we remain loyal when certain teachings or practices are not to our liking? Or do we run away and look for some other faith which benefits us?

In today's reading, we are reminded: "Come back, disloyal children – it is the Lord who speaks – for I alone am your Master." Ultimately, we need to choose where our loyalties lie. If we choose to remain loyal to God, then we need to come back to Him and walk in His ways. May we choose wisely and not end up following the dictates of our hearts, and in doing so, risk our eternal future.

Friday of Week 5 Year 2

Blind people may not be able to see, but at least they can still communicate reasonably well with others. A person who is deaf, on the other hand, may experience much frustration and challenges, since such persons depend on sign language to communicate, and sometimes such sign language may be challenging to interpret. Moreover, a person who is deaf may attempt to speak, and what is spoken may be not so comprehensible, since the inability to hear also affects the diction. This may lead to feelings of insecurity and embarrassment for the deaf person, since communication is much harder compared to blind persons.

That is why, in today's Gospel, Jesus took the deaf man who had an impediment in his speech, aside in private, away from the crowd, so that the deaf man would feel less insecure and embarrassed with his condition. Also, Jesus touched his ears and his tongue, and looked up to heaven to let the man feel and see that the healing powers were coming down from on high.

What can we learn from this? Quite often, we may have taken for granted the way we communicate, often using words. But the gospel account reminds us that in order to be understood, we must know what and how the other person can understand, and we must know how to use other forms of communication such as touch, body language and facial expression, to reach out to the other person. May we use our various senses wisely, so that the Good News could be effectively shared to all.