Saturday of the 5th Week of Lent

Are we willing to take risks when it comes to doing God's will? Some of us may be content on just being nominal Christians, thinking that attending Sunday Mass and perhaps getting involved in some church activities is more than enough. But how many of us are willing to go all out and do God's will, even when there are serious risks involved? How many of us are willing to lose our lives for the sake of the Gospel? It is easy to do the barest minimum as Christians, but are we willing to do more?

In today's Gospel, Jesus retreated to the countryside with His disciples, He could have decided to remain there. He could have gone on with His work of healing and teaching in a quiet way, and quite likely many people would have supported Him and kept Him safe. But Jesus knew that that was not the Father's will, so He moved out of His safety zone and comfort zone, and it is a move that will cost Him His life. Jesus was willing to give it His all in bringing salvation to all.

What does this mean to us? It means that whenever we intend to do God's will, we need to remember and be aware that it involves risk. It involves moving out of our safety zone and our comfort zone just as Jesus did, and do things which may cause us to be ridiculed, persecuted or even put to death. That is the reality of doing God's will, which quite often goes against the ways of the world. But it is only when we choose to move out that God moves in and becomes our help and guide, and we know that God will never abandon us.

Saturday of the 5th Week of Lent

As humans, we are the same in body parts and composition. We may not necessarily look the same, since we have different skin colour; different body shape and hair style; but deep down inside, we belong to one humanity. Our problem is we tend to distinguish ourselves from others based on language, social status, religion, ethnic group and much more, and we stubbornly hold on to such criteria. But is this the way God intends us to live from the beginning? Of course not! We are all part of humankind, and we should be united and loving with one another, not divisive and conceited.

In today's reading, Ezekiel tells us of how God will reunite His people who had been scattered, exiled and divided, into one people, and He would be their God and they would be His people. This reading reminds us, that ultimately, we should be one people under God. The question is: are we able to let go of our pride and ego; our divisiveness; and our prejudices; and strive towards being one people of God? It may seem difficult or impossible to achieve, but God can make straight out of crooked lines, and we should continue to trust in Him and walk in His ways, as we strive to remain as one.

Saturday of the 5th Week of Lent

Throughout history, humankind has been divisive in many ways. People divide themselves according to ethnic group, according to the colour of one's skin, according to the amount of wealth one has by differentiating the rich from the poor, according to the level of education or status in society, and much more. Such divisions lead to prejudice, discrimination, and unfair policies and practices, which often support one group at the expense of the other. However, this is not the way God intends us to live from the beginning. We are all part of humankind, and we should be united and loving with one another, not divisive and conceited.

In today's reading, Ezekiel tells us of how God will reunite His people who had been scattered, exiled and divided, into one people, and He would be their God and they would be His people. This reading reminded the Israelites and us too, that ultimately, we should be one people under God. We should be children of God, instead of being divisive and prejudiced against each other. But the question is, are we united as one people under God? To some extent we are, but we are not entirely united yet. In fact, at times, it seems as if we have become even more divided. Yet we should not give up hope or despair, since God will eventually unite us completely. We just need to have faith, trust in God's help and providence, and wait patiently for the Lord to gather us together into one.

Friday of the 5th Week of Lent

As Christians, doing good in this world is becoming more and more challenging and difficult to accomplish. This is because we are bound to stumble upon certain people who will criticise, find fault, belittle, or even persecute us no matter how big or small the good deed, gesture or task may be. Some people may even accuse us of trying to convert others or cause others to weaken their faith, just because we are doing some charitable task or work of mercy under the church. Perhaps in the past, the church may have had certain so-called Christians who caused Christianity to develop a bad name due to the counter-witnessing of such Christians. But as we know, every religion has had its share of good and bad followers. The question is: how do we help others to see our real purpose and good intention, so that they would come to know what being a Christian really means?

In today's reading, we see how the prophet Jeremiah was persecuted by his enemies just because he was speaking the truth. Likewise, in the Gospel, Jesus was persecuted because of certain words He said and for some, even the things He did were rejected. But did the prophet Jeremiah or Jesus back down from what they did or said? Did they stop what they were doing so as to pacify their enemies? No. Instead, they continued what they said and did, because they were trying to help others see and understand their real purpose and good intention, so that the world would come to know God who really loves us and God who invites us to remain in His love. Though we too may face trials and persecution, may we not give up or give in, but remain faithful in our witnessing, so that others may come to know what it really means to be a Christian, and give glory to God.

Thursday of the 5th Week of Lent

What is a contract? A contract, especially if we are referring to a business contract, is an agreement of a list of services being offered, certain terms and conditions to be met, the kind of compensation to be received such as money or goods in exchange, and the consequences to be faced if the contract is not fulfilled. Such a contract is often only for a certain period of time, and once the terms and conditions of the contract have been fulfilled, the contract would usually expire. But when it comes to God and us, God does not make contracts with us, but a covenant. The terms are stipulated by God and fulfillment of the covenant are carried out by God in His time.

In today's reading, God made a covenant with Abraham, where Abraham "shall become the father of a multitude of nations." This covenant is not for a limited period, but in perpetuity. When God makes a covenant, He keeps His word and He is faithful, even though we may not be so faithful to Him at times. God is willing to make a covenant with us humans, and keep His end of the bargain. We are invited to remain faithful to Him, but we are not forced to. We can choose to remain in His providence, or we could choose to go our own way. The choice is up to us, though it is advantageous for us to remain in His covenant. So let us always choose to remain with Him, so that we may continue to prosper, live and be happy.

Wednesday of the 5th Week of Lent

Are you a slave? Or are you free? You may be wondering: "What a silly question! Of course I am free! After all, I can move around, gather with friends, do many things without let or hindrance." But even though we may appear to be free, we could also be enslaved. How so? Some of us could be enslaved by a certain passion. For example, we may be enslaved by a passion to have the latest gadget or gizmo, and we could end up spending so much money trying to keep up, and even end up in debt. We could be enslaved by an addiction. For example, some of us could be addicted to smoking or drinking alcohol. Without a cigarette or two, or without a glass of whiskey or brandy, some of us may begin to feel jittery, restless and uncomfortable, since something seems lacking in us (that is, the nicotine or alcohol which we have become so dependent on). So are we really free?

Another form of slavery is when we sin. When we sin, we become slaves to evil. In today's Gospel, Jesus tells us: "I tell you most solemnly, everyone who commits sin is a slave. Now the slave’s place in the house is not assured, but the son’s place is assured. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed." Jesus is inviting us to be freed from our sin instead of being enslaved by it. But the problem is: how many of us are willing and humble enough to heed Jesus' words and be freed by Him from the slavery of sin, especially through the Sacrament of Reconciliation? Some of us seem to be procrastinating, thinking that we have plenty of time and make amends. Some of us just do not seem to bother or care about the consequences of allowing sin to remain in us. Are we going to allow the slavery of sin to continuously ensnare and poison us, until it is too late? Do we really want to be free in the first place?

Tuesday of the 5th Week of Lent

We sometimes come across certain words or messages which are difficult to accept or swallow. When we are confronted with such words, what do we do? Some of us may try to avoid the words altogether, thinking that they will go away or even be forgotten. Some of us may try to find ways and means to interpret the words so that they mean something else, or at the very least they sound a little more palatable to us. Some of us may take offence and begin to find ways to discredit the person uttering such words. But how many of us are willing to accept such word as a means to improve oneself; or to take heart such words; or even to take such words with a pinch of salt, especially if we are quite certain that such words do not apply to us, instead of over-reacting?

In today's Gospel, we see how the Pharisees were not able to understand or even misunderstood Jesus. This is because their minds were already so fixated and they refused to admit who Jesus is, even though they could clearly see who Jesus is from His words and deeds. These Pharisees even began to think of what to refute or retort, instead of taking the trouble or the effort to understand what Jesus was trying to tell them. When the heart is stubbornly closed, or when a person has become so proud, egoistic and arrogant, it is certainly very difficult to help a person to change or become better or grow closer to God. May we take caution and not end up becoming like the Pharisees, so that God may help us transform into something better.

Monday of the 5th Week of Lent

Have you ever noticed how some people are so easily duped with certain leaders and hang on to every word they say? Some of these folks are not necessarily simpletons, as some of them are quite highly educated, but when it comes to certain matters such as faith and religion, some of these folks prefer not to think carefully what the leader is saying, and blindly follow the instructions and pronouncements made by the leader, without even thinking or considering whether such words uttered by the leader are truth, or actual teaching of the faith, or they are merely rubbish meant to benefit the leader.

In today's reading, we come across two elderly men who had been selected from the people that year to act as judges. These elderly men were judges posing as guides to the people, and their hearts were filled with filled and uncontrollable lust, especially towards Susanna. Because of this, the reading tells us that these two men "threw reason aside, making no effort to turn their eyes to heaven, and forgetting its demands of virtue." Instead, they managed to have Susanna condemned to death via trumped up charges, and the people were so naive to listen to these judges without proper investigation, just like what some people do even today. But thankfully, God "roused the holy spirit residing in a young boy named Daniel who began to shout, 'I am innocent of this woman’s death!'" Daniel even added (perhaps in a mocking way): "Are you so stupid, sons of Israel, as to condemn a daughter of Israel unheard, and without troubling to find out the truth? Go back to the scene of the trial: these men have given false evidence against her." In the end, instead of Susanna, the two elderly perverted men were the ones condemned to death.

What about us? Do we just follow a leader blindly, regardless whether the leader is a religious or political one? Have we come to realise that sometimes a leader may be dishing out commands or instructions merely for his or her own benefit? May we not be so "stupid" or so easily duped into obeying blindly, but take caution in what certain leaders say, so that in all things, we glorify God.

Wednesday of the 5th Week of Lent

It is interesting to observe how some people would go through great effort to make sure that they are healthy and clean. Such people would go for regular checkups, eat healthy meals, go for regular exercise, and take baths regularly to keep clean. But how many of us make effort to keep our soul clean? Do we go for regular confession or do some of us only go twice a year during Lent and Advent? Are we not aware that sin enslaves us, and once we are enslaved, our eternal future is in jeopardy? It seems odd that some of us would go through so much trouble to keep our physical lives clean, and neglect or procrastinate in keeping our spiritual lives clean.

In today's Gospel, Jesus tells us: "I tell you most solemnly, everyone who commits sin is a slave. Now the slave’s place in the house is not assured, but the son’s place is assured. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed." Jesus is inviting us to confess our sins and have our souls cleaned, so that we would remain in His love and care. May we humbly and consistently go for confession and seek Jesus' help and guidance, so that our place in the house is assured.

5th Sunday of Lent Year C

It is interesting to observe the attitude of some people when they come for confession. Instead of confessing their sins, they begin a litany of condemnation of other people's faults, shortcomings or sins. When asked why they come for confession in the first place, I sometimes get amusing responses such as: "Oh, but you see Father, such and such a person is like this or like that" or "Wait Father, I am not finished yet..." or "I am ok Father, it is such and such a person who needs to change" and many other strange responses. We call such people self-righteous, since they seem to think that they are faultless and everyone else who do not measure up to their standards or expectations is wrong.

In today's Gospel, we come across a group of people who have an attitude of being self-righteous. We call these group of people the Scribes and the Pharisees. In the Gospel, we are told that a woman had been caught committing adultery. For the Jews, adultery is a big sin for which there is no tolerance and the penalty is death. It is also interesting to note that only the woman had been caught; what about the man, since it takes two to tango? These Scribes and Pharisees knew about Jesus' teaching on forgiveness, and they thought they had finally found an inescapable excuse to trap Him when they asked: “What have you to say?” If He granted her freedom, He would be undermining the law. If He observed the law and permitted her death, His preaching on God's mercy and forgiveness would be meaningless. It appeared as if the Scribes and the Pharisees had finally won. It is obvious that these religious leaders were using this woman for their own selfish reasons; they only wanted to put her down instead of helping her get up; and they were more interested in punishing sin than in preventing it. When pressed to give an answer, Jesus simply replied: "If there is one of you who has not sinned, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Bam! What an answer. The so called trap had been knocked out. Jesus was not telling them that the woman was innocent; instead He was challenging them: "Being sinners yourselves, do not be so quick to condemn others." Like the woman, they too were in need of God’s mercy and forgiveness. After hearing Jesus' words, the Scribes and the Pharisees knew that they themselves had been caught, and "they went away one by one, beginning with the eldest, until Jesus was left alone with the woman, who remained standing there."

What can we learn from this "drama minggu ini or this week's drama"? Jesus reminds us: "Judge not and you shall not be judged." Also, the Scribes and Pharisees only saw the woman's sin and her sinful past, and refused to give her another chance to change her life. On the other hand, Jesus saw in the woman not her sinful past but her saintly future. Jesus is urging us to learn to forgive others, instead of focusing only on their wrongdoings, their past failures, and making sure that everyone knows about them. When we pray the Our Father or the Lord's Prayer, may we truly and sincerely mean what we say, when we come to the part: "Forgive us our trespasses, just as we forgive those who trespass against us."

Friday of the 5th Week of Lent

One of the things we come to realise as Christians is we can never please everyone. Sometimes even doing a good deed or a charitable act in the name of the Church or identifying ourselves as Christians could lead to opposition from certain parties, especially if such parties may have had bad experiences with other Christians who did or said things which do not reflect the truth about Christianity. As in any religion, we have the good and the bad followers and leaders, and this challenges us to be more alert and more determined to show the true face of Christianity, with the hope that such opposition would see our real intention and purpose.

In today's Gospel, Jesus said: "If I am not doing my Father’s work, there is no need to believe me; but if I am doing it, then even if you refuse to believe in me, at least believe in the work I do." When minds and hearts of some people are hardened, it is quite difficult to get such people to change their attitude and perception about Jesus and about Christianity, but at least we try to help them realise that the deeds we do are for the good of all, and that people would come to know that we are Christians by our love.

Thursday of the 5th Week of Lent

Whenever we make a business contract with another person, we are actually coming up with an agreement of a list of services being offered, certain terms and conditions to be met, the kind of compensation to be received such as money or goods in exchange, and the consequences to be faced if the contract is not fulfilled. Such a contract could be broken by either party for a variety of reasons, and should that happen, legal or other measures may be taken. More often than not, the parties involved would prefer to see the contract carried out until such a time the conditions have been completed or the contract is no longer relevant and the parties involved agree to terminate mutually.

However, when God deals with us humans, He does not make contracts with us, but a covenant. The terms are stipulated by God and fulfillment of the covenant are carried out by God in His time. In today's reading, God made a covenant with Abraham, where Abraham "shall become the father of a multitude of nations." This covenant is not for a limited period, but in perpetuity. Naturally, Abraham would not get to see the covenant fulfilled completely in his life time. It is something which would go beyond the present and we see the covenant continuing even today. When God makes a covenant, He keeps His word and He is faithful, even though we may not be so faithful to Him at times. Even though God is omnipotent (all powerful) and omniscient (all knowing), He is still willing to make a covenant with us humans, and keep His end of the bargain. We are invited to remain faithful to Him, but we are not forced to. We can choose to remain in His providence, or we could choose to go our own way, but we know from our history that remaining in His providence is the way to go.

Today, God is inviting us to remain with Him, so that we may continue to prosper. Even though there are times we may have gone astray, God is always beckoning us to come back to Him. Let us make every effort to remain in His love, so that we may live and be happy.

Tuesday of the 5th Week of Lent

Gratitude and thankfulness are virtues which may be lacking in some of us nowadays. We may have become so used to getting things done, getting more things, getting what we want, or even getting it quickly, that we have forgotten the meaning of being grateful, being thankful, being patient, being content with what we have, and just being happy. Sometimes our thirst for more and more could lead us to fall into greed, pride, impatience, selfishness and other sins.

In today's reading, the Israelites lost patience on the way to the Promised Land. They spoke against God and against Moses, even though God had assured them that they would get there. These Israelites expected to reach their destination quickly, and they were not humble enough to let God lead the way. It was only when some of them were being bitten by the fiery serpents that they pleaded: "We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Intercede for us with the Lord to save us from these serpents."

When we are not willing to let God be in control and guide us, we too may experience a similar situation as the Israelites. Some of us think that we have a right to this or that, but we fail to realise that in the end, whatever we have and whatever we get is actually from God's providence. When we expect our rights to be met, we may one day find that we may have nothing left. Let us let God be our true guide and providence, for He knows what is best for us and He would give us what we need according to His time and His terms.

Monday of the 5th Week of Lent

Have you ever been unfaithful to your husband or wife? Hopefully most of us would say we have been faithful. If we are aware of what it really means to be married and are committed and determined to stay faithful, we would not allow our eyes to wander and look longingly at another man or woman. Even people who are not married could also fall into sin when we allow our eyes to wander and look longingly at another man or woman. This is where the danger of lust may creep in and we would have committed adultery in our hearts, even though we may not have actually done anything physically to the other person.

In today's Gospel, we come across the scribes and Pharisees who brought a woman along who had been caught committing adultery (or so it seems). Being caught committing adultery was already bad enough, but these scribes and Pharisees had malice in their hearts. They did not really care about the woman; to them, she had committed an unforgivable crime and to them, the only solution was to have the woman stoned to death. Not only were they determined to get rid of her, they also tried to make a big display of their so called piousness and holier-than-thou attitude and even humiliated her by making her stand there in full view of everybody. Using her as an example to all, and as a tool to try and trap Jesus, they tried to force Jesus' hand, because they knew that either way He answered, they were confident that he would be caught and trapped with His own words. It is ironic that the scribes and Pharisees had caught the woman, but as we know, it takes two to tango. What happened to the man? Didn't he get caught as well, or did he get away so easily? We do not know the full story about how only the woman was caught, but what we do know is Jesus saw through their evil intentions and their hypocrisy, looked up and said, "If there is one of you who has not sinned, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Bang! The scribes and Pharisees were caught. Jesus had turned the tables on them, and "they went away one by one, beginning with the eldest, until Jesus was left alone with the woman, who remained standing there." Then Jesus assured the woman with these words: "Neither do I condemn you... go away, and do not sin any more."

Ultimately, we need to ask ourselves: how faithful have I been in my relationship with another person and in my relationship with God? Have I committing adultery in my thoughts or even in my deeds? Have I become like the scribes and Pharisees, self-righteous and so easy to condemn others, but refusing to admit my failings, mistakes and sins? Our God is beckoning us to come back to Him and remain in His love. We choose to remain with Him, or we choose to condemn ourselves by going away from Him, through our attitude and our actions.

5th Sunday of Lent Year B

What does it mean to be great? What does it mean to be important? Some think that being great and important means having a title or a high position in society; some think it means having lots of wealth and property; some think it means having lots of influential friends and acquaintances; some think it means being popular or famous like movie stars or pop stars. But what about those people who are not in the limelight; those people who care for the sick, the unloved, the forgotten, the bedridden, the rejects of society; those people suffering crosses without grumbling; those people giving encouragement to others; those people who bring the love of God to others; those people who witness to Jesus in small ways? Are they great and important too? As Christians, what does it really mean to be great and important? Are we great and important only in the eyes of the world?

If we look at the life of Jesus, we can get some ideas of what it really means to be great as a Christian. In today’s Gospel Jesus says His hour has come, His hour of glory. Unlike what the world may think as glory, Jesus' glory is quite different: It is his passion and death! Why so? Because if a grain falls on the ground and dies it yields a rich harvest. The hour of glory for Jesus is his passion and death because when he is lifted up from the earth he will draw all men to himself. Jesus’ glory is not what the world thinks as glorious because the world does not see as God sees. Who would have thought that Jesus would have to suffer? Yet as the second reading reminds us, "He learnt to obey through suffering; but having been made perfect, he became for all who obey him the source of eternal salvation." This is greatness, not quite what the world sees as greatness, but greatness in God's eyes. It is for each and every one of us Christians to follow, as the Gospel reminds us: "Anyone who loves his life loses it; anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it for the eternal life. If a man serves me, he must follow me, wherever I am, my servant will be there too. If anyone serves me, my Father will honour him."

The question is: are we still looking for greatness in this world, greatness which is only temporary, an illusion? Or have we begun looking for greatness which is eternal? Sometimes we give glory to what seems strong and powerful, but God does not look at appearances, God looks at the heart. Do we give glory to what appears great or do we give glory to what truly is great? Let us not be complacent into thinking of what seems great but in reality is not so, but humbly, earnestly and consistently strive to discover the real meaning of greatness, and glorify God.

Friday of the 5th Week of Lent

When it comes to the truth, righteousness and fairness, we may sometimes face a situation where people whom we thought are friends may turn against us. Finding genuine friends who would stand by us is certainly not easy, since many a times, we come across people who are not really true friends, more likely acquaintances perhaps. When we are faced with such a situation, what do we do?

Jeremiah in today's reading faced such a situation. His so called "friends" disparaged him and watched for his downfall. Some of these "friends" were perhaps opportunists, being friends only when it suits them. However, the reading tells us: "But the Lord is at my side, a mighty hero; my opponents will stumble, mastered, confounded by their failure; everlasting, unforgettable disgrace will be theirs." Jeremiah had full trust and confidence that God would rescue him and keep him safe. What about us? If we are facing a similar situation like Jeremiah, would we be just as trusting and confident?

Thursday of the 5th Week of Lent

Whenever we experience a life-changing event, a part of us becomes different. We are no longer the person we were before. For example, when we were baptised, we were given a baptism name as a new identity, a new beginning, a child of God, and a member of a Christian community. Our old self dies and our new self emerges.

This was also the case with Abram, who God renamed as Abraham. God made a covenant with Abraham to be observed by him and his descendants. Notice here that it is God who takes the initiative and invites us to come closer to Him. God made the covenant with Abraham but He did not force it down Abraham's throat. Abraham had a choice; to follow or not to follow. Most of us would assume that it would be absurd for us to not follow, but it is indeed surprising that some of us choose not to follow. Sometimes, even our attitude, behaviour, way of life, etc. are indications of our choice of whether we want to be close to God or otherwise. Ultimately, we are given free will to choose. May we choose wisely as our choice would be for eternity.

Wednesday of the 5th Week of Lent

How many of us are willing to admit our mistakes or wrongdoing and give glory to God? Some of us may try to hide our mistakes by sweeping it under the carpet, hoping that no one would take notice or take action. Some of us may try to find a scapegoat and avoid taking responsibility. How many of us are willing to take responsibility, say sorry, reconcile and move on?

Today's reading tells us of King Nebuchadnezzar. Even though initially, King Nebuchadnezzar appeared to be quite arrogant and hard headed, and even had Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego thrown into the fiery furnace for defying his order to worship his gods, King Nebuchadnezzar was willing to admit that God is the One True God when he exclaimed: "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego: he has sent his angel to rescue the servants who, putting their trust in him, defied the order of the king, and preferred to forfeit their bodies rather than serve or worship any god but their own." This shows that King Nebuchadnezzar was not as arrogant or hard headed as initially thought.

What about us? Are we able to open the eyes of our hearts and recognise our strengths and failings? Are we humble enough to admit our wrongdoings, seek forgiveness and reconciliation, and move on while growing closer to God?

Tuesday of the 5th Week of Lent

Some people can never be satisfied. You give them an inch, and they want a yard. You give them a room, and they may try to take over your house. You accommodate to their demands, and they may gradually end up taking away your rights completely. Even then, they may still be unsatisfied.

Today's reading shows us how the Israelites lost patience and spoke against God and against Moses. Despite the many things done for them and the many things given to them, they were still not satisfied. When they were afflicted with fiery serpents, they begged Moses to intercede for them and they were rescued. However, did they learn their lesson? No. They became not satisfied over and over and over again. Did God give up on them? No. He continuously cared for them, no matter how ungrateful or dissatisfied they were.

What about us? Are we still not satisfied? Do we expect God and others to "kow tow" or adhere to our demands all the time? When will we ever learn to be grateful and thankful for what we have and what God has given us?

Monday of the 5th Week of Lent

Lust is a dangerous thing. It can lead people to commit lie, cheat, murder, and other hideous sins. The 2 elders in today's reading were filled with lust. They were so blinded with lust that all things proper, just, righteous, fair, and dignified were thrown out of the window completely. They were only determined to seduce Susanna and they were willing to try all sorts of dirty tricks to get their way. Unfortunately for them, Daniel was wise enough to trap them and condemn them with their own words.

We too could be guilty of lust. Even though we may not have committed the act directly, Jesus reminds us that looking at a woman with lust can even cause us to commit adultery in our hearts. Are we not satisfied, contend and faithful with our spouse? Let us be extremely cautious and not allow ourselves to fall into lust, lest we bring ruin upon ourselves.