Saturday of the 1st Week of Lent

Are we able to forgive our enemies and those who have hurt us in one way or another? Jesus taught us to forgive in different parts of the Gospel, including today's Gospel. If we ponder on what it means to forgive, we would realise that forgiving is an act of our will, not our emotions. In the Our Father, we pray: “Forgive us our sins as we forgive others who sin against us.” When we pray in this way,  we are asking God to forgive us to the degree by which we forgive others; and it is the sign that we have received God’s forgiveness by our willingness to forgive others.

If we are able to forgive, we would save ourselves from restless nights and unnecessary anger and anxiety. Instead, we could channel our energies to more constructive things. If we find ourselves unable to forgive, it could be that God is not good enough for us. It could also be that God and His words do not occupy the first priority in our lives. Thus, let us set aside our pride and ego, and continuously choose to forgive, just as God forgives us.

Saturday of the 1st Week of Lent

I believe many of us like to pick and choose things in our lives. As children, our parents would pick and choose a kindergarten and primary school which they think and feel is best for us. When we look for clothing, we pick and choose something which fits us, and the colour and pattern of the clothing is something we like. Some of us are even particular about the food we eat, and we pick and choose certain types, flavour and quality of food.

One thing which we cannot pick and choose is when it comes to God's laws and customs. Today's reading reminds us: "Moses said to the people: ‘The Lord your God today commands you to observe these laws and customs; you must keep and observe them with all your heart and with all your soul." When it comes to God, we cannot pick and choose only that which is pleasant or easy to observe. God expects us to observe His laws and customs wholeheartedly, in fact, we are to do so with all your heart and all your soul.

Saturday of the 1st Week of Lent

Every once in a while, I come across people who seem to do things half-heartedly. It is as if the task is too difficult or complicated to do, even though in reality, the task is actually so simple that even a small child could have done it well. Such persons seem to drag their feet, or take their sweet time to get it done, but when their boss or superior comes along, they suddenly appear to be hard working or diligent, only to go back to their half-hearted routine once the boss or superior has left. Could some of us be guilty of such half-hearted attitude and behaviour?

In today's reading, "Moses said to the people: ‘The Lord your God today commands you to observe these laws and customs; you must keep and observe them with all your heart and with all your soul." While some of us could play games in front of authority, and then return to half-hearted ways, we cannot play games or behave half-heartedly when it comes to God. God expects us to observe His laws and customs wholeheartedly, in fact, we are to do so with all your heart and all your soul. Failing to observe such laws and customs wholeheartedly could lead to undesirable or even disastrous consequences. Are we willing to be humble and docile, and follow God's laws and customs, for our good and for His glory?

Friday of the 1st Week of Lent

Do any of us hold grudges in our hearts? Do we have an unforgiving attitude? Sometimes I come across people who come for confession and say that they are unable to forgive a friend or family member who has hurt them or betrayed their trust. Why are such people unable to forgive? Could it be because of their wounded pride? Could it be because their ego is preventing them from forgiving and reconciling? Whatever the reason is, we should remember that at some point of our lives, we too could have hurt others, and when that happens, do we seek forgiveness with humility and sincerity? Or do some of us think that we are ok, that we have done nothing wrong, and everyone else owes us an apology?

In today's Gospel, Jesus reminds us: "If your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven." The scribes and Pharisees were known to have a self-righteous attitude, thinking that everyone else are sinners and anyone who is not like them or follow their ways is condemned. Have some of us become like the scribes and Pharisees, expecting others to be humble and kow tow to us and follow our example? May we come to realise our folly, our self-righteous attitude, our pride and ego, and make amends with God and with others. Otherwise, we may find ourselves "thrown into prison... and will not get out till you have paid the last penny."

Thursday of the 1st Week of Lent

Many of us would have prayed to God for help, for things, for health, and for many other reasons. But if we consider for a moment what we are praying for: are we praying for our needs, or our wants, or to fulfil our desires? Is what we are asking for really good for us? Or is what we are asking for merely to satisfy our pride, our prestige or our ego? Sometimes what we are asking for may seem deceptively good, but in reality, in may turn out to be not so good for us after all.

In today's Gospel, Jesus assures us: "If you, then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" This assurance sounds like a blank cheque where God would give us anything which we ask, as long as it is good and we ask. But if we observe the text carefully, we would begin to understand that the word "good" does not refer to our interpretation or expectation of "good," but according to God's choice and providence. This means that God would, for His glory, give us what is good, not to satisfy our pride, ego or personal gratification. May we discern carefully what we ask for, and have full trust and confidence that God would grant us the good that we truly need, so that in all things, we would give Him the glory.

Wednesday of the 1st Week of Lent

Jews and Ninevites were sworn enemies during the time of the Prophet Jonah. The Ninevites (a.k.a. the Assyrians) were Israel's most hated enemy, as they were the ones responsible for wiping out the northern Kingdom of Israel, and continuing to harass the Southern Kingdom of Judah. And now Jonah, a Jewish prophet, was sent to this pagan nation to preach about destruction in 40 days time. Such a deed would have been revolting, shocking or disgusting to the Israelites. Just imagine: a Jewish prophet helping the enemy to repent and change their ways? Absolutely incomprehensible! But that is exactly what happened: Jonah went and warned the Ninevites about their impending disaster and doom, and today's reading tells us that the Ninevites actually repented with fasting, penance and prayer. Even more shocking, God actually relented and did not inflict on the Ninevites the disaster which He had threatened.

What does this tell us? God is impartial; God's mercy and compassion is for all, not exclusive or restricted only to a certain people or to a certain group. The Israelites thought that God would only care for them and destroy all others, but today's reading shows us otherwise. As long as we are willing to show our repentance by taking our penance seriously, God would be merciful to us just He had done for the Ninevites. Are we willing to learn from the Ninevites, and make every effort to repent and seek forgiveness, especially through the Sacrament of Reconciliation? May we not waste the many opportunities given to us to return to the Lord and walk in His ways.

Tuesday of the 1st Week of Lent

Throughout our lives, some of us would have asked our parents for something. When we ask for something, some of us could have sounded quite whiny and some of us even started using baby-like noises, hoping that our parents would give in to our requests. Sometimes, some of us may even start bargaining with our parents, promising to behave, do better in school, or some other thing, hoping to convince our parents that we deserve what we are asking for. But do we really need to do or say such things? When we ask God for things, help, healing or something else, would we resort to such tactics, hoping that God would give in to our wants and needs, just like how some of our parents may do?

In today's Gospel, we are reminded not to "babble as the pagans do, for they think that by using many words they will make themselves heard." Instead of having to sound whiny or say so many things to God, Jesus taught us a simple but significant prayer: The Lord's Prayer or the Our Father. If we observe the way the prayer is prayed, we are actually asking for things which would give God the glory. Also, we are asking that God would help us to change, to be more loving and forgiving, and that truth and justice would increase in the world. Perhaps when we pray the Lord's Prayer with sincerity and conviction, the Lord may grant us our wants and needs, since what we are asking for is not for our own personal glory, gratification or to boost our ego, but for the greater glory of God.

Monday of the 1st Week of Lent

We sometimes take for granted the small issues or matters in life. We think that such small issues or matters are insignificant or not worth too much of our effort or time. We sometimes hear of people telling us: "Don't sweat the small stuff." But sometimes, small issues could lead to big issues, if we do not deal with them, or take appropriate action, or throw caution to the wind and make necessary preparations. For example, you have a minor toothache, and the pain subsides. This does not mean that the toothache is no longer there. It simply means that the affected tooth is temporarily not giving you any pain, but the pain could flare up at any time, and sometimes the pain we experience could get worse compared to the first few times we experienced it. If we do not go to the dentist for proper treatment, we may experience even greater pain and discomfort.

In today's reading, the Israelites were reminded of the many small issues that needed to be observed. These many small issues are the dos and don'ts that helped the Israelites to learn how to love their neigbour as themselves, in an effort to "Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy." Likewise, in the Gospel, Jesus also talked about paying attention to the many small issues of Christian life, issues like feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked and visiting those in prison. If we do not pay attention to these small issues mentioned in the reading and the Gospel, if we become complacent and neglect them, if we procrastinate and think that we have plenty of time to act later, then we may suddenly find ourselves faced with a big issue, and that big issue could involve our eternal future. Are we willing to take the risk and lose it all? After all, there is a Malay saying: "sedikit-dikit lama lama menjadi bukit" (roughly translated as: "little by little a hill is formed"). Let us do our part today, even if it is little by little, and let our God guide us and help us grow closer to Him.

1st Sunday of Lent Year C

Most of us know that the ways of the world and the ways of God are different. For example, what the world sees as success is different from what God sees as success. According to the world, a person is successful if one has tremendous amounts of money, property and wealth, as well as power and popularity. People in the world would generally hardly take notice of you if you are poor, weak or unpopular, since in their mind, you would not have anything to offer them or you are of no use or advantage to them.

In today's Gospel, we see the contrast between the ways of the world and the ways of God. Jesus was tempted by the devil to succumb to possessions, power and popularity, all of which are worldly matters. The devil tried to tempt Jesus to change the stones into bread, which is the temptation to place ones trust in riches, possessions and objects, as if such things are all that matters in our lives. The devil tried to tempt Jesus with power, by giving the impression and illusion that if we are in control of our lives, control of organisations, or control of other people; basically if we are in control generally, then we would be somebody important. The devil also tried to tempt Jesus with popularity, by doing things or performing feats which would attract the crowd and make one seem famous. But as we would later note, Jesus did perform miracles but never to show off or to make himself popular.

Such temptations are certainly challenging to overcome, but Jesus rejected all these temptations because none of them could take away the fact that He is the Son of God. Jesus is showing us that God loves us no matter who or what we are. We do not need to prove our importance by acquiring riches, power and popularity. Being God's sons and daughters is all that we would ever want and need. In the first reading, Moses reminded the Israelites of their history and their identity. They were 'nobodies' or 'slaves.' But God gave them an identity by saving them, giving them a land which they could call home and made them His people. Without God they had no identity, no freedom, no riches, no importance. Only with God did they and us too become sombodies. Only with God would we find happiness and contentment.

Thus, if we are still caught up with the ways of the world, let us pray that we would learn to let go and let God be in control. Let us pray for God's grace to resist all forms of temptations, knowing that they can never grant us eternal happiness. What matters is we find happiness and everlasting life in our loving God.

Friday of the 1st Week of Lent

Each and every one of us have been given different choices throughout our lives. Ultimately, we are responsible and accountable for the choices we make. This also includes the choices we make on how we wish to live. We can choose to live as good Christians, observing humbly, consistently and joyfully God's command to love God and neighbour; or we can choose to live a worldly life, caring only for oneself and living a life away from God's loving care. Whatever the choice we make, we should be aware of the consequences and be prepared to face them.

One choice we make is mentioned in today's reading. In the reading, we choose whether we wish to be a wicked man or an upright man. It may seem obvious that most of us would want to be an upright man, but the reality is that there are people who think that they are upright but from their attitude, behaviour and actions, they are actually leaning more towards being wicked. How so? The reading tells us how a wicked man would live: "If the wicked man renounces all the sins he has committed, respects my laws and is law-abiding and honest, he will certainly live; he will not die. All the sins he committed will be forgotten from then on; he shall live because of the integrity he has practised." The reading also tells us how an upright man would die: "But if the upright man renounces his integrity, commits sin, copies the wicked man and practises every kind of filth, is he to live? All the integrity he has practised shall be forgotten from then on; but this is because he himself has broken faith and committed sin, and for this he shall die."

Ultimately, as the reading reminds us: "When the upright man renounces his integrity to commit sin and dies because of this, he dies because of the evil that he himself has committed. When the sinner renounces sin to become law-abiding and honest, he deserves to live. He has chosen to renounce all his previous sins; he shall certainly live; he shall not die." The question we need to ask ourselves is this: we call ourselves upright and we believe that we are so, but are we truly and consistently living an upright life? Let us be honest with ourselves and discover where we stand, so that we can do what is necessary and return to the Lord's ways, and live, not die.

Thursday of the 1st Week of Lent

There are times in life we may have bitten off more than we could chew. We think we can handle such things or situations, thinking that we are more than capable and do not need any help, even help from God. However, we sometimes get ourselves into a sticky, challenging or dangerous situation which we may find it difficult to get out of. When this happens, are we still going to stick to our guns, remain proud and try to work things out on our own? Or are we willing to humble ourselves and seek help from others and from God?

In today's reading, we come across Queen Esther who "took refuge with the Lord in the mortal peril which had overtaken her. She besought the Lord God of Israel..." Despite facing great danger or peril, Queen Esther was humble and willing to seek God's help and leave her fate in God's hands. What about us? Are we willing to follow Queen Esther's example and leave it in the hands of the Lord? Are we able to set aside our pride and let God be in control?

Wednesday of the 1st Week of Lent

How many of us really take our spiritual life or spiritual condition seriously? When was the last time you went for confession? How often do you go for Mass, seek spiritual direction, perform an examination of conscience, read the bible, pray, meditate, perform merciful acts of charity and other spiritual acts which help us grow in relationship with God? When we seem young, healthy, full of life and seem to have many things going good for us, some of us may have become preoccupied with enjoying life and striving to make a name for ourselves here on earth; but as we become more and more busy with earthly things, we may become more and more complacent or even indifferent with eternal things.

In today's reading, the people of Nineveh were warned by Jonah that their city was going to be destroyed after 40 days. Though their city was tremendously huge and took 3 days to cross it, everything would be wiped out. So what did the Ninevites and their king do? Did they scoff at such a warning and go about merrily with their lives? No. The Ninevites and their king proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, making effort to renounce their evil behaviour and the wicked things they had done. As a result, the reading tells us: "God saw their efforts to renounce their evil behaviour, and God relented: he did not inflict on them the disaster which he had threatened."

What about us? Are we still being complacent and continuing merrily with our lives? Are we aware of the state or condition of our soul? Let us not be caught off-guard and jeopardise our eternal future, but be proactive and make every effort to grow closer with God.

Tuesday of the 1st Week of Lent

Pride and ego are two things which we are often reminded to watch out for as we journey in this life. As Christians, we are cautioned not to allow pride and ego to fester in our minds and hearts, since many other sins have been committed in one way or another due to our pride and our ego. One area which some of us may be struggling to change and improve on is "forgiveness." Our pride and ego sometimes gets in the way, distorting our minds into thinking only of the unfairness, the hurt, the anger, the frustration and the giving up on the other person who has wronged us. We begin to think: "poor me" or "I am the victim, so why should I forgive so easily." But is this the kind of attitude that befits the life of a Christian?

In today's Gospel, Jesus taught us how to pray. In the "Lord's Prayer" or the "Our Father," we pray: "forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us." Do we realise what these words mean? Our pride and ego blinds us to the fact that forgiveness is not just a one way street. All of us have fallen in one way or another, we are not perfect and we make mistakes. We ask God to forgive us when we are at fault, but have we learnt to be humble and willing to forgive others as well? Let us take heed of what the Gospel warns us: "Yes, if you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours; but if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failings either."

Monday of the 1st Week of Lent

Whenever we are faced with difficult people or difficult situations, what do we do? Some of us may choose the easy path, though at times, that easy path may not necessarily be a good choice or even a wise choice for us and for the other person. Some of us may choose not to get involved and avoid the person altogether, thinking that it is better to avoid conflict and remain neutral and supposingly peaceful. But what should we as Christians do?

Perhaps the key to what we as Christians should do can be found in today's reading. The reading can be summarised into two important sentences: "Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy" and "You must love your neighbour as yourself." Instead of focusing too much on the minute details about what we should or should not do, some of which are mentioned in today's reading, let us ask ourselves sincerely: are we loving others as much as we love God and also as much as we love ourselves? Sometimes difficult people or difficult situations are there to teach us what it means to love, since we are loving not because it is convenient or beneficial to us, but because we choose to love just as God loves all and cares for all. Let us thus make every effort to remain holy and dependent on God, and follow God's example in being loving towards all.

1st Sunday of Lent Year B

Many of us can survive for some time without food, but how many of us can survive for a certain period of time without water? Our bodies are composed of quite a lot of water, and as we lose water through various ways, we need to replenish the water lost. Thus, water is essential to all life. We need water to drink, to cook, to clean ourselves, to wash our clothes and other things, to enable our trees, vegetables, flowers and other kinds of plants to grow and become fruitful, and even for animals both wild and tame to live and prosper. Most of us don't give much thought to or appreciate the need for water, but when we are deprived of water due to shortage and rationing, due to maintenance or repairs to the pipes, or due to some other reason, then we begin to realise how important water really is.

When we look at water, we realise that too little water is not a good thing. On the other hand, too much water is also not a good thing. Why so? Too much water could cause damage to crops and cause food prices to escalate. Too much water could also cause floods and even tsunamis which have happened in recent times and caused great destruction and lost of life. But if we ponder for a while, we can begin to realise that just as water can kill, it can also bring life.

Water seems to be the common theme in today's readings. In the first and second reading, we read of the flood waters which destroyed most of life on earth. In the gospel, we read of the Spirit driving Jesus into the wilderness, where water is scarce. When we look at the readings, we can see how too much water and too little water could be a bad thing. Too much water in the form of the flood waters caused death and destruction. Too little water caused much hardship and challenges to Jesus during His 40 days of being tempted by Satan in the wilderness. At the same time, we can also discover that the destructive power of water leads to salvation. In the story of Noah, God promises Noah that he will never destroy the world again with flood waters. At the end of Jesus’ experience in the desert, He proclaimed the Good News to all, with a message that will quench the thirst of everyone who long for the kingdom of God.

What about us? How does water affect us as we go through this season of Lent? During this season of Lent, water reminds us of our need for conversion and repentance, where we must die to our old ways of selfishness and sinfulness in the flood waters of purification; we must purify our intentions and face our temptations with courage, hope and trust, as we journey with Jesus into the wilderness of our lives. Water reminds us of our baptism and our constant need to remain "hydrated" with the Lord, as the second reading tells us: "That water is a type of the baptism which saves you now, and which is not the washing off of physical dirt but a pledge made to God from a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ..." Let us therefore take courage, knowing that we can continue to hope and trust in Jesus, as the second reading assures us: "Christ himself, innocent though he was, had died once for sins, died for the guilty, to lead us to God."

Friday of the 1st Week of Lent

Are there some among us who still harbour anger and hatred towards a brother or sister? Perhaps a family member or friend may have hurt us so badly that we find it extremely difficult to forgive, reconcile and move on. We begin a tirade of excuses, justifying our enmity with such people, and we behave as if we are the victim (even though, at times, we could be just as guilty by the way we behave). The question is: how can we continue to pray in church, and especially how can we pray the Lord's Prayer or Our Father, when we still have such rage and anger in our hearts?

Today's Gospel reminds us: "If you are bringing your offering to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, go and be reconciled with your brother first, and then come back and present your offering. Come to terms with your opponent in good time while you are still on the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the judge and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. I tell you solemnly, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny." Why are we still so stubborn, so obstinate, so unwilling to forgive, reconcile and move on? Are we allowing pride and prejudice to rule our minds and hearts? Let us think carefully and change our behaviour and attitude, while we have the time and opportunity to do so.

Thursday of the 1st Week of Lent

Whatever our needs and wants may be, are we asking God consistently and properly? Today's Gospel tells us: "If you, then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" We may begin to wonder, "How is it that I have been asking for this or that and yet God has not given me what I asked for?" Let us take a good look at ourselves for a moment... Are we asking God with the right intention and with humility? Or are we expecting God to do our bidding? Are we asking so that ultimately we would be glorifying His Name? Or are we asking only to glorify ourselves and look good?

Let us be reminded that God loves all of us and treats all fairly. Today's Gospel reminds us: "So always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that is the meaning of the Law and the Prophets." How willing and generous are we to love and treat others well, just as God loves and treat us fairly? Let us walk humbly and lovingly before God and behave justly and lovingly towards others, with hope that He will grant our needs for His glory.

Wednesday of the 1st Week of Lent

Each and every one of us is given lots of opportunities to change our lives and grow closer to God. God is not going to condemn us and throw us into hell straight away. It is through our own neglect and refusal to change that could eventually cause us to lose our heavenly reward. Some of us may think that we have plenty of time to change, and we procrastinate, thinking that our time is not up. However, are we trying to put the Lord to the test? Are we setting ourselves up for an eternity away from God? Ultimately, we have only ourselves to blame if we do not keep watch and prepare ourselves for any possibilities.

In today's reading, we read of the people and king of Nineveh making effort and changing their ways. We are told that "God saw their efforts to renounce their evil behaviour, and God relented: he did not inflict on them the disaster which he had threatened." What about us? Are we doing our part and renounce our evil behaviour, whatever that may be? Or have we become too proud and obstinate, refusing to change only to regret later?

Tuesday of the 1st Week of Lent

How do we pray? Some of us may pray the rosary or novena to Mother Mary. Some pray the Divine Mercy prayer. Some pray the Divine Office, or part of the Divine Office like Lauds (Morning Prayer) and Vespers (Evening Prayer). Others may be more inclined towards praise and worship. But when we pray in these ways, are we really praying, or could we be guilty of, as today's Gospel tells us, "babble as the pagans do, for they think that by using many words they will make themselves heard."

Jesus taught us a simple way of praying in today's Gospel, a prayer called the Our Father or Lord's Prayer. The challenge in this prayer is where forgiveness is concerned. We seek forgiveness from God for the many sins we have committed, but are we willing to forgive others too? People may have hurt us, angered us, or betrayed us but are we willing and humble enough to forgive them? Easier said than done, but if we call ourselves brothers and sisters in Christ, let us walk the talk and learn to love and promote love to all, forgiving, reconciling and moving on.

Monday of the 1st Week of Lent

The way we live our lives would give us a glimpse of what would happen to us ultimately when we die. Until then, we are given lots of opportunities to repent and change our lives. Are we taking such opportunities to grow closer to God and love our neighbour impartially?

Today's Gospel presents us with two final options: eternal life or eternal punishment. Most of us would want eternal life, but are we loving God and neighbour consistently and continuously that would lead us to eternal life? There are so many obstacles along the way, and a more challenging obstacle which we face is loving our neighbour, since we can see our neighbour daily. Loving our neighbour is indeed not an easy thing, as there are many aspects of loving our neighbour which we may have neglected. Today's Gospel gives us some examples of loving our neighbour: "I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.” We may have neglected to love our neighbour in some of these examples, and if we realise this, what are we doing about it? How can we say we love God, if we pick and choose how and whom we love? God is loving to all, regardless of who they are and what they have done. Are we doing the same?