Thursday of Week 26 Year 2

We sometimes come across persons who seem to be good to us or treat us well, and some of such persons become our friends. We treat them as friends but do such persons really treat us as friends without any terms or conditions, or do they treat us as friends only when it benefits them or is convenient to them? Such friends are known as fair-weathered friends, who only become friends when times are good, and when times are not so good, they may abandon us, or even persecute or betray us.

In today's reading, we come across examples of fair-weathered friends. Job’s friends had initially come to console him but they ended up telling him that he was being punished by God for doing wrong. Instead of being consoled by his friends, his friends persecuted him. When faced with such friends, what did Job do? Job responded to them by these words: "I know that my vindicator lives." Even though there seemed to be no sign that God cared for Job, yet Job had a spirit of abandonment to God, and had absolute confidence and trust in God.

What about us? When we are faced with difficulties or even persecutions in our lives as Christians, would we be willing to follow Job's example in having a spirit of abandonment to God, letting God take control? Would we allow such friends to influence us and cause us to ruin our relationship with God, or like Job would we persevere and trust in His providence? May we continue to do God's will with zeal and trust, and glorify Him with our efforts and with our lives.

Thursday of Week 23 Year 1

For some of us, our relationship with others could sometimes be seen as if it is some sort of barter trade. We do something for others, or we love others, but there are terms and conditions attached. We expect to receive something in return for what we have done for others. There's no such thing as a free lunch, seems to be the way things are for some. But as Christians, what sort of relationship should we be practising? Do we expect or do we feel entitled to receiving something in return just like others do?

In today's Gospel, Jesus tells us: "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who treat you badly." All these sound like insane things expected of us, but what Jesus is telling us is we need to go beyond basic humanity and love beyond how the world loves. This is because if we only love the way the world loves, with terms and conditions, then we are no different from the world. We as Christians are tasked to love just as God loves, and He loves all without fear or favour, and as the Gospel reminds us, He "is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked."

What does this mean to us Christians? It means that to love as God loves is indeed tough and challenging, since it goes beyond our human nature and the ways of the world. But when we do so, God's love will also grow in us, His love will strengthen us and comfort us, and the love of Christ will find a home in us. Are we willing to take up the challenge to love as God loves, trusting that God would help us to do so, and give Him all the glory?

Thursday of Week 20 Year 1

I sometimes wonder whether some of us have begun taking Mass or Holy Communion for granted. How many of us are properly prepared to come and participate at Mass, and receive Holy Communion properly and worthily? Do we observe important preparations such as the 1 hour fast before Holy Communion; and how many of us are regular for the Sacrament of Confession, in an effort to try receive Holy Communion in the state of grace? Do we assume that we have the right or entitlement to receive Holy Communion, come what may? Also, are we coming for Mass just for the sake of fulfilling the Sunday obligation?

In today's Gospel, which is about the Parable of the Wedding Feast, we could pick up three important "I's" for us to reflect on. The first I is Invitation. The Lord invites us every day to come to his banquet. He has it all prepared; but it is up to us to accept his invitation. We must be prepared to come when it is ready, instead of making all sorts of excuses or conditions. Are we willing to come with sincere and honest acceptance, at the moment he calls? The second I is Indifference. Those invited were indifferent. They ignored the invitation and went about their own businesses and works. They ignored the Lord. Just imagine, God Himself inviting us and then we have the audacity to say “No” to his invitation because we have other things to do. Have we become indifferent towards Mass and even indifferent in preparing before Mass? The third I is Inappropriate. Here, the concern is not so much on how we dress for the Eucharistic celebration, though this does not give us any excuse not to dress our Sunday best. The main concern here is more on how we are in Church: our inner disposition; whether our hearts are properly dressed. We may be physically present in church, but in reality some of us may actually be mentally absent.

The question that we need to ask ourselves sincerely is this: the Eucharistic celebration is like the Wedding Feast in today's Gospel. We are already invited to come to God's banquet, and we are expected to come and be properly disposed to come. But are we really ready and properly disposed to come? May we take seriously our inner disposition, lest we end up "bound hand and foot and thrown out into the dark, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth."

Thursday of Week 8 Year 1

It is easy for some of us to feel as if we are useless, or not good enough, or not capable enough, or some other reason. When we feel this way, we begin to think as if God had made a mistake in creating us, and some of us even think that we should not have been born. Some even go to the extent of having suicidal thoughts, and tragically some even go to the extent of making such thoughts a reality.

But today's reading reminds us that we are part of the works of the Lord, and that "the work of the Lord is full of his glory." Not only that, the reading reminds us: "How desirable are all his works, how dazzling to the eye! All things go in pairs, by opposites, and he has made nothing defective." This shows that God does not make a mistake and each of us are special and have got a purpose, which is ultimately to glorify Him. Perhaps we may not have fully realised our purpose, so let us not dwell in pity or even despair. Instead, let us focus on God and let Him guide us, so that in all we do we give Him the glory.

Thursday of Week 6 Year 2

How do we treat others in church? Do we treat all as equal, as brothers and sisters in Christ; or do we treat others according to the way they dress, or their appearance, or according to the their status or rank in society? In some churches, I have noticed that when a person is well dressed or has got a title or something, some treat such a person like a VIP. But when a beggar or shabbily dressed person comes to church, some may begin to form all sorts of thoughts and assume all sorts of scenarios, whether good or bad.

Today's reading warns us: "Can’t you see that you have used two different standards in your mind, and turned yourselves into judges, and corrupt judges at that?" Today's reading also tells us that "the right thing to do is to keep the supreme law of scripture: you must love your neighbour as yourself; but as soon as you make distinctions between classes of people, you are committing sin, and under condemnation for breaking the Law."

The question we need to ask ourselves is this: Are we segregating and treating people differently in church? Are we not all brothers and sisters in Christ, regardless of how we look or who we are? If we are continuing to treat people in such a manner, how different are we compared to the world? Are we followers of Christ, or have we allowed the ways of the world to corrupt us?

Thursday of Week 34 Year 1

From time to time, we may have found ourselves in a difficult or dangerous situation. When we are in such a situation, some of us may try to live in denial, thinking that such a situation is just our imagination, though the reality is that it is not. Some of us may even feel as if we have no way out and we may be tempted to give up or despair. How many of us are willing to put our full trust in God, knowing that He will do what is best for us?

Today's reading reminds us that with God, there is no problem too big, no situation too difficult or dangerous which He cannot help us out. In today's reading, Daniel had full confidence and trust in God's help and God saved him from the lions. This caused King Darius, who initially thought that there was no hope or way or solution to rescue Daniel, to joyfully exclaim: "He is the living God, he endures for ever, his sovereignty will never be destroyed and his kingship never end. He saves, sets free, and works signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth; he has saved Daniel from the power of the lions."

What does this mean to us? It means that if God is on our side and watching over us, there is no reason for us to fear. It also means that we must continuously and consistently trust in God, knowing that our salvation is in Him, and not in some other form or means. Let us therefore continue to build our relationship with Him and trust Him just as Daniel did.

Thursday of Week 31 Year 1

Some of us may think that losing something which seems small or insignificant may not be a big thing, especially when we have plenty to spare and we find that it is not worth worrying or fretting about such a lost. However, sometimes what seems small and insignificant could be just as important or serious. For instance, a small lump may seem insignificant, but if we are not careful and see a doctor for diagnosis and quick treatment if necessary, we may be in big trouble as that small lump may turn out to be malignant.

Today's Gospel shows us that, when it comes to saving us, God takes everything seriously, even what seems small and insignificant. He wants each and every one of us to be with Him, even if it is one sheep, or one drachma, or one whatever. Each and every one of us is important to God, and when we confess our sins and make more effort to return to His ways, "there is rejoicing among the angels of God over one repentant sinner." May we follow God's example and treat all things, big and small, with love and care, so that none would be lost.

Thursday of Week 26 Year 1

As Christians, we should never forget who we are and what God has done for us. When we forget who we are, we may end up doing and saying things which offend God and hurt others. That is why we need to be reminded as often as possible, especially through the reading of the scriptures, who we are and how we are supposed to live. When we read the scriptures, or when we hear it being read, are we moved with what we hear? Or have we begun taking the scriptures for granted; or even ignored its message and succumbed to distractions and attractions of the ways of world?

In today's reading, Ezra gathered the men, and women, and children, and read to them from the Torah. He stood, on a raised platform in the rebuilt Temple, and from morning until midday read the Torah, from beginning to end. The men, women, and children listened to their story, their family history, the laws which God had given them; and they discovered who they were. They raised their hands in the air, and proclaimed, “Amen, Amen” and they wept for joy. Why were they so moved?  Because they understood who they were and who God had called them to be.

What about us? Do we really understand who we are? Have we read the scriptures and finally understood what it means to be brothers and sisters in Christ? May we begin to understand and appreciate the significance of who we are, who we are called to be, and let the Lord be our help, providence and guide.

Thursday of Week 24 Year 1

Nowadays, we can get all sorts of comments, opinions and information about certain church teaching or certain church practices. But the reality is that truth and church teaching has to be definitive and absolute. Otherwise, we may end up in relativism, where anything and everything goes, as long as it fits in with a certain culture, society, or historical context. This is why those of us who are teachers of faith and morals, including clergy, religious and even lay persons, have a heavy responsibility to ensure that matters concerning faith and morals are taught faithfully according to what the church teaches, not according to one's preference, opinion or way of thinking.

In today's reading, St. Paul cautions us: "Take great care about what you do and what you teach; always do this, and in this way you will save both yourself and those who listen to you." Having an opinion or preference about a matter concerning faith and morals is fine, it is not wrong. But it becomes a problem one begins to treat one's opinion or preference as truth, and one begins to teach one's opinion or preference, instead of what the church teachers. Let us therefore be responsible in what we teach, and teach the truth, not what we like or prefer.

Thursday of Week 18 Year 1

In today's reading, "the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 'Because you did not believe that I could proclaim my holiness in the eyes of the sons of Israel, you shall not lead this assembly into the land I am giving them.'" If one were to read this out of context, one would think that God was not being fair to Moses and Aaron, especially since it was the Israelites that were being stubborn and difficult to deal with. But why did the Lord make such a drastic decision?

When we look at the reading, we would discover that the Israelites had been behaving like spoilt brats, complaining about being taken out of Egypt even though it was for their own good. Moses and Aaron, being leaders of the people, were supposed to remain calm and patient with the people, since God had assured all that He would eventually lead them into the land He is giving them. But in the reading, we can see that in Moses and Aaron's disgust and resentment with the complaints of the rebellious Israelites, Moses taunted them before he struck the rock twice to make water flow from it.
It seems like Moses had reached the limit of his tolerance and patience and had only harsh and heated words for the people. Such a response by Moses was intolerable to God, as his duty and responsibility was to be God's mouthpiece, and do what God instructed with humility and patience. Because of this, Moses and Aaron were punished by not being allowed to lead the people into the promised land.

What about us? Have we misused our duty and responsibility, instead of serving with humility and patience? May we come to realise that what God expects of us is obedience and patience, since He will know what to do with the people, and all that is expected of us is to do His will. May we not allow pride and arrogance to affect our tasks, and ultimately leave it in the hands of the Lord.

Thursday of Week 18 Year 1

I used to occasionally visit an elderly man who was homebound to give him Anointing of the Sick and Holy Communion. He was frail and bedridden but I observed that whenever he noticed I came, he would gather whatever strength he could to sit down for Holy Communion. One important thing that I noticed about him was he never complained why he was suffering; never did I hear him complain about anything. He carried his suffering without questioning God. Perhaps he knew that to suffer was part of him being a disciple of Jesus. Eventually, the elderly man died.

In today's Gospel, Jesus told Peter and the disciples that He must undergo suffering to accomplish His mission and Peter reacted with indignation. Perhaps Peter could not accept the fact that a powerful and influential person like Jesus would suffer. Perhaps Peter thought that Jesus was immune to suffering. But the reality is that Jesus was not exempted from suffering, and He went through it for it was part of His destiny and mission.

What about us? Would we follow the elderly man's example, and especially Jesus' example, in taking suffering as part of being a disciple? Would we be humble and willing to embrace whatever suffering that may come our way, to witness to Jesus and to give glory to God?

Thursday of Week 12 Year 1

I sometimes come across people who can come up with lots of suggestions and ideas, but the interesting thing is when such persons are asked whether they can follow through with such suggestions and ideas, they suddenly back away or give all sorts of excuses. For example, I sometimes hear of people saying that the priest should make more time for house visits, but when asked whether such persons are willing to help the priest identify houses which may need such visits, and where possible accompany the priest to such houses, such persons suddenly back down from their suggestions.

In today's Gospel, Jesus said to his disciples, "It is not those who say to me, "Lord, Lord," who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven." As Christians, are we merely making suggestions without taking ownership of them, or making a commitment to follow through such suggestions? Are we merely, as the Gospel says, saying "Lord, Lord," and refusing to do our part in sharing the Good News? May we walk the talk, not just utter words, since action speaks louder than words.

Thursday of Week 7 Year 1

It seems strange that each of us would go through much effort to smell good. We would bathe regularly, put on sweet-smelling perfume, and maintain good personal hygiene, so that we would not have embarrassing body odour or emit a stench. But how many of us are just as diligent in ensuring that our soul would "smell good," so to speak? When we sin, we are actually causing our soul to become dirty, and when we neglect to clean our soul by going for confession regularly, our soul may eventually have embarrassing "soul" odour or emit a stench.

In today's reading, we are reminded: "Do not say, "I have sinned, and what happened to me?" for the Lord's forbearance is long." At the same time, the reading also warns us "not to delay our return to the Lord, do not put it off day after day, for suddenly the Lord's wrath will blaze out" and it will be disastrous for us. May we be mindful and hardworking in keeping our soul clean, and make effort to follow God's ways, so that we would be better prepared to face Him when He calls us.

Thursday of Week 6 Year 1

In today’s Gospel, Jesus asks His disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" They respond to Him mentioning various prophets that represent important aspects of His mission, but nothing really captures who He really is. Instead of the kind of messiah the disciples thought Jesus was, Jesus tells them that He "must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days." This was something which Peter found difficult to accept. In his mind, he thought that Jesus would be some champion who would save the Jews from unjust authorities; not a suffering and dying Jesus. For this, Peter was criticised harshly by Jesus, even addressed as “Satan”, for he was “thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”

What about us? Some of us try to think of Jesus in good terms, but the reality is that Jesus came to save us from our sins, and also to teach us how to live as God intended, not according to our own way or our expectations. Are we willing to set aside our thoughts and expectations, and understand and do what God expects of us?

Thursday of Week 4 Year 1

Going forth and preach the Good News is a command Jesus has given to each and every one of us. This command is not to be taken lightly, as it is one of great urgency and importance. Today's Gospel reminds us of this great urgency and importance: "Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs giving them authority over the unclean spirits. And he instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff – no bread, no haversack, no coppers for their purses. They were to wear sandals but, he added, ‘Do not take a spare tunic.'"

Since we are called to go forth and preach the Good News, we should not allow ourselves to become distracted with all sorts of needs and wants, and lose our focus and concentration in our duty. Instead, we should depend on God's providence, so that we can be effective in bringing Jesus' message to others. Are we willing to trust in God's care and providence, and be faithful in our duty in preaching the Good News?

Thursday of Week 3 Year 1

Nowadays, most people are living busy lives, and with the cost of living going up, it seems as if there is hardly any time for anything else besides work and earning a living. In the midst of the chaos we experience in life, we also need to deal with family, friends and even members of our church community, especially when it comes to community gatherings within our housing area. The temptation some of us face is to avoid or rarely attend such community gatherings, giving all sorts of reasons and excuses, such as lack of time, busy with other life issues, and so on. But the reality of being a Christian is that we cannot isolate ourselves from the community, since being a Christian means being a community of believers, not just a personal relationship with Jesus.

The reading today reminds us of the need for us to be together in faith as a community in communion with God: "let us be sincere in heart and filled with faith, our minds sprinkled and free from any trace of bad conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us keep firm in the hope we profess, because the one who made the promise is faithful. Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works. Do not stay away from the meetings of the community, as some do, but encourage each other to go; the more so as you see the Day drawing near."

As the reading tells us, we should not stay away from our community gatherings, but make more effort to attend and encourage others to do the same. It is when we gather as a community that we learn to share our faith, and show love and concern towards others, especially with others in the community who may be in need. When we do so, then we are witnessing to others, by showing that we are Christians by our love.

Thursday of Week 26 Year 2

One reality of doing God's work or preaching the Good News is that we may face much opposition and persecution, even the possibility of being put to death. When we are faced with such opposition and persecution, what do we do? Do we slowly lose our zeal or even give up in our efforts? Do we run away and go only to places which seem safe or where we feel accepted? Do we pick and choose where we want to serve? Or are we willing to serve fervently and with much zeal, come what may?

In today's reading, Job’s friends had initially come to console him but they ended up telling him that he was being punished by God for doing wrong. Instead of being consoled by his friends, his friends persecuted him. When faced with such friends, what did Job do? Job responded to them by these words: "I know that my vindicator lives." Even though there seemed to be no sign that God cared for Job, yet Job had a spirit of abandonment to God, and had absolute confidence and trust in God.

What about us? When we are faced with difficulties or even persecutions in our lives as Christians, would we be willing to follow Job's example in having a spirit of abandonment to God, letting God take control? May we continue to do God's will with zeal and trust, and glorify Him with our efforts and with our lives.

Thursday of Week 24 Year 2

It is easy for some of us to become attracted and distracted by so called church teaching from various other sources. We sometimes lose focus on what is true, genuine church teaching, because the teaching we read or hear from such other sources appears to come from some so-called authoritative figure, or the teaching itself seems appealing to us, or such teaching seems to satisfiy our interpretation of what being church and being a follower of Christ means. But how do we know for certain whether such teaching is genuine or bona fide?

One way of ensuring that such church teaching is genuine is to read or hear such teaching from certified or official sources, and such teaching should jive or flow from the apostles, as St. Paul reminds us in today's reading: "Brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, the gospel that you received and in which you are firmly established; because the gospel will save you only if you keep believing exactly what I preached to you – believing anything else will not lead to anything." As we can read, St. Paul is telling us that he is the genuine authoritative figure, instead of listening to so called other authoritative figures who may only lead us astray.

So what does this mean to us? It means that we must be prudent and discern what we read or hear, and scrutinise the source of such teaching. This is to ensure that we do not lose our way in our faith, and we should also guide others so that they too will not lose their way. May we make every effort to ensure we read and hear only true and genuine teaching, and share such genuine teaching to all.

Thursday of Week 23 Year 2

What is a scandal? A scandal is an action or event regarded as morally or legally wrong and causing general public outrage. Scandals come in many forms, including embezzlements that have ruined the good name or good reputation of banks; politicians having affairs; aid for the poor and hungry being siphoned off by the rich and those in power; even wealth of certain nations being robbed by those in power, causing such nations to end up in serious debt and poverty. Even the church has seen its share of scandals, including sex abuse cases, power struggles, schisms, heresies, certain corrupted practices for material or temporal gain, and so on. When a scandal happens, the trust and confidence of those affected could be reduced, or even to the point of being lost completely.

In today's reading, St. Paul talked about a different kind of scandal. He warned about eating foods that are sacrificed to idols, which could cause a scandal among the faithful, especially those who are weak in their faith. Some of us may think that it seems hardly a scandal, but in those times and even today, it would be enough to cause another's downfall in the faith. This is why we must always remember that whatever we do or say is not a private affair, especially when it comes to witnessing as Christians. The consequences of our unwise and imprudent words and actions could spread farther and wider than we think. May we be alert and discern what we say and do, so that we say and do what is just and right, for the glory of God.

Thursday of Week 13 Year 2

In today's reading, the prophet Amos kept warning the Israelites of the impending doom which would happen to them if they did not change their ways and return to the Lord's path. But Amaziah the priest of Bethel, influenced the king of Israel into thinking that the prophet Amos was a fraud, a fake and a troublemaker. Not only that, Amaziah dared to challenge and chase away the prophet Amos, by saying: "Go away, seer; get back to the land of Judah; earn your bread there, do your prophesying there. We want no more prophesying in Bethel; this is the royal sanctuary, the national temple." By saying so, Amaziah was convinced that God would not allow anything to happen to the nation and to the temple, since he believed that God was with the nation and resided in the temple. But what Amaziah failed to realise is that it was God who had sent the prophet Amos to warn the Israelites, and that God was not confined only to the temple.

What can be learn from this? When we are proud and egoistic, we fail to listen and take heed of God's voice and warning. We begin to think that we are ok and nothing will happen to us. But we may realise when it is too late, that we had been only fooling ourselves into complacency and a false sense of security. May we learn to walk humbly in God's ways, take heed of His promptings, and let Him be our guide.