Housekeeping - 3rd Week of Lent

For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:

28 Feb 2016 - 3rd Sunday of Lent Year C
29 Feb 2016 - Monday of the 3rd Week of Lent
1 Mar 2016 - Tuesday of the 3rd Week of Lent
2 Mar 2016 - Wednesday of the 3rd Week of Lent
3 Mar 2016 - Thursday of the 3rd Week of Lent
4 Mar 2016 - Friday of the 3rd Week of Lent

Tuesday of the 3rd Week of Lent

What does it mean to forgive? To forgive means we are making a conscious, deliberate decision to release feelings of resentment or vengeance toward a person or group who has harmed you, regardless of whether they actually deserve your forgiveness. Forgiveness is the intentional and voluntary process by which a victim undergoes a change in feelings and attitude regarding an offence, lets go of negative emotions such as vengefulness, with an increased ability to wish the offender well. If we receive forgiveness from God, we must give it to others who hurt us.

This is where the unforgiving servant in today's Gospel did not get the point. He thought that he had been given a lucky break when his master felt so sorry for him that he let him go and cancelled the debt. Instead of following his master's example of generosity, charity and benevolence towards his fellow servant, he became arrogant and nasty, refusing to forgive the other servant who owed him way much less than what he owed his master, and even had the cheek to throw his fellow servant into prison till he should pay his debt. This caused his master to become furious and as the Gospel tells us: ""You wicked servant," he said "I cancelled all that debt of yours when you appealed to me. Were you not bound, then, to have pity on your fellow servant just as I had pity on you?" And in his anger the master handed him over to the torturers till he should pay all his debt."

What about us? Are we still like that wicked and unforgiving servant, expecting God and others to forgive us, but refusing to forgive others? As the Gospel also reminds and cautions us, we will be responsible and liable to repay our debts if we refuse to forgive others: "And that is how my heavenly Father will deal with you unless you each forgive your brother from your heart."

3rd Sunday of Lent Year C

Does anyone know what God looks like? Some of you may begin to think: this padre is asking a silly question: Of course no one has seen God and know what He looks like, since we would see God only when we are dead. But this does not stop people from having all kinds of perception of what God may look like and what He may be like. Some may see God as a really old person, since He has been around for a really long time. Some may see God as a fierce-looking and vengeful person, ever ready to judge us and punish us for the slightest mistake or error. But all these images seem to give us the impression that God is impersonal and distant from us, as if He has got nothing to do with us. But is this what God is really like?

In today's readings, we see quite a different picture of God. God is present here among us. He does not reveal himself only in spectacular and miraculous events, but in the daily events of our lives, sometimes, very ordinary events. In the first reading, God appeared to Moses and appointed him as His messenger to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses never expected to encounter God in the middle of the burning bush, since bush fires were natural and frequent in such a place where Moses was living and working at, but God chose to appear in the ordinary. In the same way, we never expect to encounter God in the ordinary events of our lives, but God is present everywhere and in whatever circumstance we are in. Moreover, God is compassionate, merciful and ever patient. In today's Gospel, Jesus tells us of the man who planted a fig tree. Even though the tree was not bearing fruit after all the hard work that had been put into it, the man patiently decided to wait and give the tree another chance. Our God is like that: He patiently waits for our repentance and looks on us sinners with compassion. God even sent Hs only Son to die for us so that we may be saved from our sins and so that we may have life.

Let us therefore be grateful and thankful that we have God who wants to maintain a relationship with us and guide and help us in our lives. We do not need to seek Him at high places or spectacular events, since He is with us everywhere. This means that we need to be willing to grow spiritually in His love, so that we would one day be with Him for all eternity.

Housekeeping - 2nd Week of Lent

For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:

21 Feb 2016 - 2nd Sunday of Lent Year C
22 Feb 2016 - Chair of Saint Peter, The Apostle - Feast
23 Feb 2016 - Tuesday of the 2nd Week of Lent
24 Feb 2016 - Wednesday of the 2nd Week of Lent
25 Feb 2016 - Thursday of the 2nd Week of Lent
26 Feb 2016 - Friday of the 2nd Week of Lent

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?

Chair of Saint Peter, The Apostle - Feast

In the corporate world, the focus is to make as much money and profit as possible with as little cost as possible. This would often involve fierce competition not only between rival companies, but even within the company itself, as management would try to squeeze out as much work as possible from employees, whereas employees would try to demand as much remuneration and perks as possible. We often hear terms like "it's a dog eat dog world" or "it's a jungle out there" or even "survival of the fittest" being used to describe the situation and environment of the corporate world.

In contrast, the church has got quite a different view or focus. In today's reading, St. Paul reminds us to "Be the shepherds of the flock of God that is entrusted to you: watch over it, not simply as a duty but gladly, because God wants it; not for sordid money, but because you are eager to do it. Never be a dictator over any group that is put in your charge, but be an example that the whole flock can follow." This way of life and way of thinking requires us to be a servant to all, instead of lording over others or trying to make ourselves look good.

As Christians, are we influenced to follow the ways of the world, or the ways of Christ? It is quite easy for us to lose focus in our daily lives and become more and more accustomed to the ways of the world, since we do need to survive in this world. But let us be reminded of our ultimate goal, and seek God's constant help and guidance, so that we would be able to grow closer to God and walk in His ways.

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.