Saturday of the 2nd Week of Lent

In the English language, black sheep is an idiom used to describe an odd or disreputable member of a group, especially within a family. The black sheep is the odd one out, whether he's a disgrace to the family or just doesn't seem to belong. The origin of the phrase comes from the rare presence in a flock of white sheep of a sheep with black fleece. For some families, a child who is a black sheep is seen as a bane and a burden of parents. Some parents may even resort to renouncing relationship with that child; while others may resort to punishment which may actually be just a way of venting out their frustrations on the child.

In today's Gospel, we come across another black sheep, the younger son. In the Gospel, the father gave in to his younger son's request for his share of the inheritance, but yet further on in the parable, we hear of the father waiting and looking out for him to return. The younger son came to his senses because he recalled how kindly his father treated his servants, and that was enough for him to return home to his father. Instead of seeing the younger son as a bane or a burden, the father was so happy to see his younger son again, and took him back to the household.

What does this mean for us? It means that even a black sheep is still welcomed back when he or she comes to his or her senses and wants to return. It also means that when we come across the odd one, the black sheep, the sinner, let us be the reflection of God's love to that person. May we be merciful, loving and forgiving to others, even when it comes to black sheep, just as God is merciful, loving and forgiving towards us.

Saturday of the 2nd Week of Lent

What is so different and unique about God that we Christians believe in? Unlike other so-called deities, who were often viewed as gods who are fierce-looking and who inflict judgement and punishment whenever people were unfaithful and do not offer them sacrifice from time to time, we believe in God who loves and forgives.

In today's reading we are told: "What god can compare with you: taking fault away, pardoning crime, not cherishing anger for ever but delighting in showing mercy?" Other so-called deities may be seen as fierce, vengeful and prone to meting out punishment, but our God takes fault away, pardons crime, does not cherish anger, and even delights in showing mercy. Since we have God who is merciful and who loves and forgives, what about us? Are we able to be just as merciful and love and forgive others, just as God is merciful and loves and forgives us?

Saturday of the 2nd Week of Lent

In certain ethnic groups, traditions and customs, the deity is seen as a being to be feared. Persons belonging to such ethnic groups or adhere to such traditions and customs would do all they can to appease the deity, by offering the best of their produce, or offer money, hoping that the deity could be "bribed" into leaving them in peace and harmony. Some such ethnic groups, traditions and customs may even have a practice of sacrificing an animal, or even to the extent of offering human sacrifices, hoping that the deity would be appeased.

However, today's reading paints us quite a different picture of God. In the reading, we are told: "What god can compare with you: taking fault away, pardoning crime, not cherishing anger for ever but delighting in showing mercy?" Unlike a deity that is fierce, vengeful and prone to meting out punishment, we have a God who takes fault away, pardons crime, does not cherish anger, and even delights in showing mercy. Thus, let us not be afraid of God, rather let us go to Him with humility and docility for forgiveness, comfort and guidance, knowing that He will not abandon us. Let us also delight in showing mercy towards others, just as God is continuously showing mercy to us.

Monday of the 2nd Week of Lent

When we sin, we would seek forgiveness from God and go for confession to clean our soul from the sin which clings to us. But when someone else has sinned against us, or hurt us, or has done something terrible or mean towards us, how do we respond? Do we show love, compassion and mercy towards the other person, regardless of how bad the person has wronged us? Or do we seek retribution or revenge, or even avoid or shun the person?

In today's Gospel, we are reminded: "Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged yourselves; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned yourselves; grant pardon, and you will be pardoned." It seems so easy for us to ask God for forgiveness and compassion towards us, but how easy it is for us to forgive and show others compasssion, just as God has done so for us? Are we willing to let go of our pride, hurt, ego and self-righteousness, and learn to forgive and love others, just as God loves and forgives us?

Friday of the 2nd Week of Lent

Intelligent, successful, and attractive people could seem intimidating. They force us to hold a mirror to ourselves, and by doing so, we could end up being disappointed, or jealous, or even inspired toward personal growth. When we allow ourselves to have feelings of insecurity, fear, concern and anxiety over an anticipated loss or status of something of great personal value, when we begin to feel intimidated by such persons, we begin to allow jealousy to take over us. When that happens, we begin to experience anger, resentment, inadequacy, helplessness and disgust. People get jealous for different reasons. Some are jealous in a joking or playful manner: they say they are jealous but they say it in jest. Some are jealous but they do not allow jealousy to get into their head and control them; instead they use their 'jealous' energies to do something positive or good. Others are jealous and allow their jealousy to control their thoughts, feelings and emotions.

In today's reading: "Israel loved Joseph more than all his other sons, for he was the son of his old age, and he had a coat with long sleeves made for him. But his brothers, seeing how his father loved him more than all his other sons, came to hate him so much that they could not say a civil word to him." From the reading, we can clearly see how jealousy can cause us to behave in a crazy manner. Just because Israel loved Joseph more, the other brothers hated him so much that they could not say a civil word to him. They even tried to kill him but fortunately, one of the brothers named Reuben had some sense and prevented them from doing so.

What about us? Are we allowing jealousy to control our lives and actions? Are we not aware that God has given each and every one of us different gifts, different abilities or talents, different purposes? May we keep jealousy at arms length and avoid ourselves from being infected by its poisonous embrace, and may we remain humble and grateful to God for making us who we are, as well as who others are, and in all things give Him the glory.

Thursday of the 2nd Week of Lent

How much do you really trust the people around you? Do you have absolute 100% trust and confidence in certain persons or even most persons? Do you have 75% trust and confidence? Or do you have little trust and confidence in others? Some of us may have put a lot of trust and confidence on a person or certain persons, but it is not easy to determine whether a person or certain persons would be trustworthy, dependable, loyal or reliable. We have seen cases of persons who turned out to be traitors or unreliable. So when we deal with persons, we are taking a risk, because we do not know what sort of persons we are dealing with and it takes much time to build trust and confidence towards such persons.

That is why today's reading reminds us: "The heart is more devious than any other thing, perverse too: who can pierce its secrets?" Also, the reading reminds us: "A curse on the man who puts his trust in man, who relies on things of flesh, whose heart turns from the Lord... A blessing on the man who puts his trust in the Lord, with the Lord for his hope." When we trust God, we know that He will care for us and not betray us, but trusting in people requires much discernment and care, to ensure that we are not taken for a ride, tricked or cheated. This does not mean we should avoid trusting people, but it means that our full trust and hope should be in the Lord, and when comes to trusting and confidence in people, Sirach cautions us: "Let those who are friendly with you be many, but let your advisers be one in a thousand. When you gain friends, gain them through testing, and do not trust them hastily. (Sir. 6:6-7)"

Wednesday of the 2nd Week of Lent

I remember a time when life was so much different in the old days. In those days, many of the things we are so used to having nowadays did not exist, or were still quite new and not so advanced in usage and function, or were even too expensive to own. For example, we are so used to handphones and things like texting, whatsapp, viber, skype, facebook and so many conveniences which have changed the way people communicate today. In the old days, handphones were too bulky to carry around easily, or in some places did not exist, and people could communicate only by using a dialing phone at home if they were fortunate to have one, or face to face.

While it may seem as if such ways of communicating back then were inconvenient, the good thing about then is that, to a certain extent, we could build better relationships and friendships as we communicated, since more often than not we communicated face to face, and we could get a better and clearer understanding of the other person, since we could also observe things like body language, facial expressions and other cues.

The problem is, as we progress and attain more and more conveniences, we begin to be less and less tolerant towards pain, suffering, waiting, discomfort and other experiences. But are such pain, suffering, waiting, discomfort and other experiences good or bad? Even though initially such experiences may seem to be bad, we could actually learn and benefit from them, since such experiences help us to slow down, to take care, and to look at life in a different way.

In today's reading, the prophet Jeremiah asked the Lord to deliver him from his adversaries and from suffering. Likewise in the gospel, James and John wanted the glory, but Jesus asked them if they could take the suffering as well. The suffering that the prophet Jeremiah endured, and the suffering that James and John would face, may seem bad, but actually we can see goodness in such suffering, since such suffering reminds us of who we are, and how much we really need to depend on God and in His care and providence. Such suffering is what is known as "redemptive" suffering, since it is through suffering that Jesus brought about redemption, not just our redemption, but also the redemption of the world. Are we prepared, as Jesus said in the Gospel: "to drink of the cup that I am going to drink?" Are we prepared to remain joyful and hopeful in the Lord, even though we experience pain, suffering, waiting, discomfort and other similar experiences?

Tuesday of the 2nd Week of Lent

As humans, personal hygiene is a very important part of living. If we do not keep our bodies clean, we could contract various diseases, we could smell or look dirty and unkempt, we could even be shunned or avoided by others due to the condition we are in. For example, in some countries where the weather is cold and some people do not bathe regularly, such persons would use quite a bit of perfume to hide their body odour, but the perfume used could in itself be overwhelming or nauseating for others. I recall some friends telling me that boarding a bus full of such people, or even if a few of such people are present, could be a choking experience, and these friends even commented that they would walk to their destination rather than taking the bus. In a similar way, our soul could become dirty and emit a nauseating stench when we sin, if we do not take care of our soul and seek forgiveness regularly through the Sacrament of Confession.

That is why, in today's reading, God is inviting us: "Come now, let us talk this over, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing to obey, you shall eat the good things of the earth. But if you persist in rebellion, the sword shall eat you instead." God is giving us many opportunities to change our ways, seek forgiveness, and get our soul clean again. The question is: are we still procrastinating or thinking that we have plenty of time to do so; or have we become proud, egoistic and arrogant, thinking that we do not need God and would prefer to remain dirty, soiled and reeking with stench? God is patient and merciful with us, but our time here on earth is short. Ultimately, whether we end up with God or away from God very much depends on us.

Wednesday of the 2nd Week of Lent

Jealousy and envy are two emotions which we need to be cautious and watch out for, since from jealousy and envy, many other sins could be committed. Envy means "to bear a grudge toward someone due to coveting what that person has or enjoys." In a milder sense, it means "the longing for something someone else has without any ill will intended toward that person." Jealousy means being "apprehensive or vengeful out of fear of being replaced by someone else." This causes one to be "watchful, " or "anxiously suspicious" towards others.

When we are jealous or envious, we could fall into the trap of trying to put other people down or even trying to get rid of them or destroying their reputation. We do such things because of our uncontrollable pride and ego, refusing to acknowledge the gifts and capabilities of others. In today's reading, we see an example of how jealous and envious the adversaries of Jeremiah were, even to the point of plotting: "'Come on,' they said, 'let us concoct a plot against Jeremiah; the priest will not run short of instruction without him, nor the sage of advice, nor the prophet of the word. Come on, let us hit at him with his own tongue; let us listen carefully to every word he says.'" Are we allowing jealousy and envy to consume us, making us commit hideous and heinous sins, all for our own temporary gratification, only to our eternal detriment?

2nd Sunday of Lent Year C

Do you really feel at home? Do you feel you have arrived at your final destination, that place which you would want to be, or is there something more? Many of us were taught that our home and final destination is heaven, but perhaps over the years, we may have become more and more attracted and comfortable with our temporary home here on earth. Life seems so much to offer, so many interesting things and attractions to see, enjoy and experience, that we sometimes forget or doubt about our final home and destination.

We must be cautious not to deceive ourselves into thinking that this life is a permanent one. Death can come at any time and in any form. The problem is, there are people who do not want to talk or think about death. They think that they could prolong their lives by gaining more wealth, property and power, as well as depending on so-called modern medicine. But death is a reality, we cannot avoid it, no matter how hard we try. All that we tried so hard to attain will be lost to us, as we cannot bring anything we have in this world into the next life. In today's Gospel, the three disciples followed Jesus up the mountain. They wanted to experience the event of Jesus' transfiguration indefinitely by wanting to build tents for all of them. But Jesus refused to allow them to do so and remain at this level, since the transfiguration points to Jesus' resurrection and the glory of heaven and is not actually the resurrection nor heaven. In the same way, we would not be able to appreciate and attain eternal life, if we put our confidence only in the present life as if it was permanent. Eternal life is to know God, to love him and be with him for all eternity, since God does not promise us a long life but eternal life. In heaven we will be able to see God face to face, without having to hide behind our fears and anxieties and God is the fulfilment of our every hope, dream and desire.

Today, let us ask God for His help and guidance, so that we would be willing and able to let go of our earthly securities and in the first reading be like Abraham who put his faith in the Lord. Let us also take heed of what St. Paul reminds us in the second reading, that "For us, our homeland is in heaven." May we patiently, humbly and joyfully walk in the ways of the Lord, and strive towards being with Him in heaven, our true and permanent home.

Friday of the 2nd Week of Lent

Let us consider for a moment... Is there anything in this world that we really own? Do we have sole, complete and eternal rights to things, persons and ideas? Some of us may think that we have total rights and total control over such things, persons and ideas, and we become quite possessive towards them, but do we really have such total rights and total control? When we die or are one day incapable of controlling such things, persons and ideas due to some sickness or due to some other reason, what would happen then?

In today's Gospel, we come across a parable of a vineyard. In this parable, Jesus was actually talking about the scribes and Pharisees. The owner of the vineyard is God, who is ever so patient, merciful and kind, giving the scribes and Pharisees plenty of opportunities to change and walk in His ways. But the scribes and Pharisees became quite possessive with their way of thinking and to them, only their way of rituals, sacrifices and other observances of their version of God's law would enable themselves and those who followed them to grow closer to God. Prophets were sent to try and change the attitude and behaviour of the scribes and Pharisees, but thy remained obstinate, refused to listen or change, and got rid of the prophets. Jesus is the son the land owner had sent, but the scribes and Pharisees once again refused to listen or change, and even plotted to get rid of Him. Ultimately, Jesus gave the scribes and Pharisees a stern warning that they would not only meet their wretched end like the tenants in the parable, Jesus even added: "I tell you, then, that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit."

What about us? Have we been like the scribes and Pharisees in one way or another? Have we been having "holier than thou" attitudes or become quite possessive with our position in church, possessive with our families and friends, or even tried to be possesive with God? Let us be reminded that our time here on earth is short, and make every effort to change our minds and hearts, so that we may produce good fruit and glorify God.

Thursday of the 2nd Week of Lent

There are some people in this world who think that riches is a blessing from God.  They begin to think that just because they are rich or someone is rich, they or that someone can do whatever they like and possibly get away with it. For example, we have come across people who are rich in material wealth and property, and think that they can buy their way to privileges and perks, or they think they are entitled to certain benefits reserved only for those who have the means. Some even become conceited and boastful, thinking that money, wealth and property are all that matters. So does this mean that being rich is wrong or sinful? No. It depends on one's attitude and behaviour, since we do come across people who are rich, but they live lives quite detached from the riches they have. In fact, some of these rich people use their riches not for themselves, but for charity and the benefit of mankind. Some even end up penniless at the end of their lives, because they had used up their riches to be of service to others less fortunate. If you are wealthy, what sort of person have you become?

In today's Gospel, we come across the story of Lazarus and the rich man. The rich man ended up in Hades not because he was a rich man per se, but because of his attitude or behaviour. The rich man was rich only for himself, since as the Gospel tells us, he: "used to dress in purple and fine linen and feast magnificently every day. And at his gate there lay a poor man called Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to fill himself with the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table." He knew that Lazarus was there, but he refused to take notice, he was only concerned about himself, and he did not lift a finger or at the very least get someone to help Lazarus out. After all, the rich man was enjoying himself to the fullest, and he did not want to have anything to do with others. It is only when the rich man ended up in Hades that he realised his folly, but by then it is too late.

What about us? Have we become like the rich man in one way or another? We may have wealth, some of us may be rich in other ways, such as riches in intellect, riches in talent, riches in abilities, but are we keeping such riches only for ourselves? Let us not become complacent, indifferent or have a "tidak apa" or "tidak peduli" attitude (roughly translated from Malay as "don't care" or "doesn't matter to me" attitude), but use our "riches" for the greater glory of God.

Wednesday of the 2nd Week of Lent

What do you look for in life? Some of us may be looking for riches, wealth and financial security. Some may be looking for continuous happiness with family and friends. Some may look for titles, recognition and power. Some may look for popularity among peers. But what about you? What are you really looking for?

In today's Gospel, we come across the mother of Zebedee's sons coming to Jesus and asking Jesus to give her two sons important positions in heaven. These two brothers were looking for power and prestige, even in heaven. It seems strange that these two did not ask Jesus themselves and got their mother involved, but if we consider for a moment their actions, we can understand why they did so, since some of us would do the same. What they did could be called a form of "intercessory syndrome," where a person feels more comfortable to ask another to ask the authority or important person instead of asking themselves. Some of us do the same by asking our father or mother to ask the other parent, instead of asking the other parent directly. In the same way, some of us do the same by preferring to ask Mother Mary instead of asking God or Jesus directly.

But Jesus response to their request is a lesson in service and humility. In the Gospel, Jesus teaches us: "You know that among the pagans the rulers lord it over them, and their great men make their authority felt. This is not to happen among you. No; anyone who wants to be great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be your slave, just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." To be great is to be a humble servant to all. This is quite in contrast with what the world thinks of greatness, and if we call ourselves disciples of Jesus, then we need to learn to shed away the ways of the world and put on the ways of Christ. May we learn to walk humbly before our loving God and let Him be our guide.

Tuesday of the 2nd Week of Lent

When we are performing a certain task, we should consider for a moment what is our true motive for doing so. Some of us may be doing things just to please others and hopefully receive admiration and some form of reward or praise from others. Some of us do things grudgingly because we are forced to do so or we feel the task is not what we wanted or expected. How many of us would perform a task without any expectation and with the intention of giving glory to God?

In today's Gospel, Jesus reminds us to be careful not to become like the scribes and the Pharisees. He cautions us: "The scribes and the Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses. You must therefore do what they tell you and listen to what they say; but do not be guided by what they do: since they do not practise what they preach... Everything they do is done to attract attention... The greatest among you must be your servant. Anyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will be exalted." This is where we need to be truthful to ourselves: are we in all we do trying to win some sort of popularity contest, or appear to be better than others? Let us check our pride and ego, and learn to walk humbly before our loving God, while doing our tasks for the glory of God.

Monday of the 2nd Week of Lent

Every once in a while, we come across people who seem to only know how to say bad things about others, or they condemn others for even the smallest matter, or they seem to only know how to bad mouth others. Some of these people may be doing such things because they have some sort of inferiority complex, thinking that others seem better than they are and they feel the need to put others down to satisfy their ego. Some people may be doing such things because they think that only they are blameless or holy and adopt a self-righteous attitude, and everyone else seems to be unable to measure up to their standards. What sort of person have you become at this moment?

In today's Gospel, Jesus admonishes us: "Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged yourselves; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned yourselves; grant pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and there will be gifts for you..." In a world where people seem to be interested only in themselves, we as Christians should follow Jesus' example and way of life in being loving, forgiving and generous with our time, talents and wealth towards others. Let us shed the ways of the world and remain close to Jesus, and let Him guide us in our conduct, behaviour and actions, so that in all things may God be glorified.

2nd Sunday of Lent Year B

Some cultures view high places such as the top of mountains, hills, above the trees and other similar places with much reverence, since they believe that high places are sacred places where the divine resides or where the divine might be encountered. Some cultures even build temples, build shrines, perform sacrifices, and many other things or rituals, in an attempt to establish communication or a connection with the divine.

In today's readings, we come across examples of high places where the divine is encountered. In the first reading, Abraham obeyed God's command and almost sacrificed his son Isaac to God on a mountain. In the Gospel, Jesus was transfigured on a mountain, and Peter, James and John were granted the privilege of experiencing the divine. But what is more important in these readings is not the mountain or some other high place, but what God did after that. What God did was to grant a gift far greater than the events which took place on the mountain.

In the first reading, Abraham obeyed God and was about to sacrifice his son as a gift to God, but God gave Abraham a far greater gift when He said: "because you have done this, because you have not refused me your son, your only son, I will shower blessings on you, I will make your descendants as many as the stars of heaven and the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants shall gain possession of the gates of their enemies. All the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your descendants, as a reward for your obedience." Likewise, in the Gospel, the disciples have the privilege of hearing God's voice: "This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him." Jesus is God's gift to all of us, and we do not need to go about offering sacrifices or climbing mountains or other high places in an attempt to be closer to God. We just need to listen to Jesus. And when we listen to Jesus and do whatever He tells us, we can be sure of God's help and providence, as St. Paul tells us in the second reading: "With God on our side who can be against us? Since God did not spare his own Son, but gave him up to benefit us all, we may be certain, after such a gift, that he will not refuse anything he can give."

Are we listening to Jesus? Are we doing our best to listen to Jesus in good times and also in bad? We sometimes feel as if Jesus is not speaking to us or helping us when we face tough times or difficult situations. But if we open our ears and also the ears of our hearts, we would be able to hear His soft but reassuring voice, inviting us to trust in Him and let Him be our guide. As we journey on in this season of Lent, let us not be distracted or give up, but focus on Jesus. Let us continue to seek Jesus, the greatest gift of all.

Friday of the 2nd Week of Lent

Jealousy can kill. People can commit hideous acts out of jealousy. Today's reading shows us a classic example of jealousy. In today's reading: "Israel loved Joseph more than all his other sons, for he was the son of his old age, and he had a coat with long sleeves made for him. But his brothers, seeing how his father loved him more than all his other sons, came to hate him so much that they could not say a civil word to him."

See how jealousy can cause us to behave in a crazy manner? Just because Israel loved Joseph more, the other brothers hated him so much that they could not say a civil word to him. They even tried to kill him but fortunately, one of the brothers named Reuben had some sense and prevented them from doing so. When we are jealous, we too could do crazy things, stupid things, only to realise our folly when it is too late. Some of us may even try to sweep our deed under the carpet, hoping that no one would notice and hoping that the deed would be forgotten. But no, the consequences of our jealousy will come back to haunt us in one way or another. When will we ever learn to be content and happy with who we are, what we have?

Thursday of the 2nd Week of Lent

Some people can be difficult to understand or comprehend. They may put on appearance and masquerade in one way, but the fact of the matter is they are not who we may think they are. There is more than meets the eye, and it takes much observation to figure out their true intentions. Sometimes they are so adept in cloaking their true self that many could be easily fooled by them. It takes a trained eye and a discerning heart to penetrate through their facade.

But though such people can fool others, they cannot fool God. Today's reading tells us: "The heart is more devious than any other thing, perverse too: who can pierce its secrets? I, the Lord, search to the heart, I probe the loins, to give each man what his conduct and his actions deserve." We can try to appear to be good, holy, respectable, etc., but God can clearly see whether we are genuine people or fake people. The question is: are we going to continue to portray a false image of ourselves for our own glory and win the admiration of others, or are we willing to come to terms with our true selves and walk humbly before God?

Tuesday of the 2nd Week of Lent

Throughout our lives. we will face many challenges and obstacles. We may commit sin, but we are constantly reminded to go for confession and do our best to be in good relationship with God and with all around us. Our God is patient and loving, even though at times, some of us may behave in such a manner which could make us wonder if we are doomed and condemned. However, until we die, we still have opportunities to seek forgiveness, reconciliation and move on.

In today's reading, God assures us: "Come now, let us talk this over, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing to obey, you shall eat the good things of the earth. But if you persist in rebellion, the sword shall eat you instead." Are we still refusing to walk in His ways? God has not given up on us, and we should not give up also. Let us choose to obey Him and let Him care for us.

Monday of the 2nd Week of Lent

Some people may be stingy with their time and finances when it comes to church and helping others. However, these people may not be so when it comes to their own needs. Sometimes I hear of some people asking the church for this, for that, but these same people are very reluctant to contribute a fair amount of time or money. During parties or functions, these people would rush for the best pieces or the largest quantity, only to throw away or pack home what they have grabbed, but it is unfortunate to note that these people would be so inconsiderate to either bringing very little to share, or they would not bring anything at all. Greed and selfishness seems to be their way of doing things.

Today's Gospel reminds us: "Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged yourselves; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned yourselves; grant pardon, and you will be pardoned. Give, and there will be gifts for you..." Some people may think that they can get away with their behaviour and attitude, but they fail to realise that they are answerable for what they have done. Let us learn to be responsible, loving and caring, just as we pray and hope for God to be loving and merciful towards us.