reluctance

by

Thursday, 31 July 2014 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Ignatius Loyola, Priest (Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate the feast day of a great saint of the Church, namely that of St. Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus or also more commonly known as the Jesuit order, the largest and the most prominent religious order in the Church. This order had been at the forefront of the Church’s confrontation with the world and the forces of evil, and at the forefront of evangelisation efforts.

St. Ignatius Loyola and his fellow Jesuits worked hard to bring the word of God and the revelations of truth in God to many people across the entire world. He lived during a time of great difficulty both for the Church of God and for the faithful. The corruption of Satan and the evils of the world had entered into the Church, and the unintended consequence of that is how many people became disillusioned with the faith, but instead of trying to resolve the problem, they chose to take the shortcut out.

That was the Protestant ‘reformation’, a truly sad and difficult time for the Church and for all the faithful ones of God. So many of the faithful were led astray by the agents of the dark one into damnation and were lost forever. This was a defining moment when the unity of the Church and much of the opportunity to reunite the various segments of the faithful may be lost forever.

Yet, St. Ignatius Loyola and his faithful Jesuits fought hard to preserve the sanctity of mankind’s souls from the assault of the devil and the wicked. Tirelessly he worked so that countless peoples would be caught and snared back into the Church and into God’s hands, the same meaning meant by Jesus when He told of how the kingdom of heaven is like a fishing net with various fishes inside it.

St. Ignatius Loyola himself when he was young was an impetuous and hot-headed, wishing to seek glory and honour for himself as a knight. St. Ignatius Loyola was born from a noble and rich family in the Kingdom of Spain of that time, and decided to find glory and honour for himself by joining in wars and campaigns as a knight and mercenary in the employ of the king of Spain in his battles.

He was wounded in battle, and had to spend some time to recuperate from his health. During this time, he contemplated about his life and about his goal of glory and honour, and he found that it is not the way that he ought to take in life. Following this thoughts, and hearing God’s call, he decided to devote his life to a new cause, that is no longer for his personal glory and honour, but for the glory and honour of God alone.

This is therefore reflected in the motto of the Jesuits, which he founded together with several other saints, including the help of St. Francis Xavier the missionary. This motto is Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam, which literally means, ‘For the greater glory of God’. Therefore, St. Ignatius Loyola was determined that in his actions and in the actions of his brother Jesuits, all of them must be done for the greater glory of God, and no longer for the glory of self.

We too, brothers and sisters, are called like St. Ignatius Loyola and many other holy men and women of God. We too are called to be the workers of God’s glory and honour in this world. We should no longer be so concerned about our own glory and personal triumph, less than what we should indeed do to bring greater glory to our Lord’s Name.

We should let our Lord guide us in our lives, like a potter who moulds the shape of the pottery. Let the Lord shape us in our lives, that in all of our words, actions and deeds we may truly proclaim the Lord, and to all those who listen and see it, they know that we belong to God. St. Ignatius Loyola had shown us the way, and what remains is whether we do something to walk in the same way as he had done.

Let us all ask for the intercession of St. Ignatius Loyola, that we may also follow his examples and work together, giving ourselves wholly to what the Lord wants from us, and become the extensions of His hands in bringing His love and grace into this world. May God bless us all. Amen.

by

Saturday, 26 April 2014 : Saturday within Easter Octave (Scriptures Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Today’s readings show us that we no longer have to fear or doubt in the truth of God. For if we stand by God and keep strong our faith, devotion and love for God, we will have everything and God will stand by us and provide us with all that we need. When we doubt, that is the moment of weakness which Satan can use to undermine our faith and our devotion to God, to the point that we may succumb to despair and commit things undesirable and wicked before Him.

This Easter, we celebrate the triumph of God over those who had arrayed themselves against Him, the celebration of the triumph of the good over evil, and the celebration of hope of new life over the old life, one that is decadent and filled with wickedness and sin. This Easter is a celebration of liberation and freedom, of mankind freed from the bonds of sin for eternity by the sacrifice of Jesus our Lord, and through whose resurrection we are made whole once again.

It is very difficult for mankind to let go of the temptations and impediments that were in place on our way towards God. It is very difficult for men to let go these goodness and pleasures that the world in particular are offering us daily. It is very difficult for many of us to let go of our desires, of our prejudices, of our judgments, and of our wants, for we are naturally, a creature tainted by the desires of this world and the desires of our flesh.

It is difficult for us to keep our faith in God, precisely because we are always tempted by sin, and at all times, doubt and fear are always in our minds. We cannot be truly close and intimate with God all because of our lack of total commitment and devotion towards the Lord, because we are unable to commit a hundred percent our attention and lives to God. Instead, we like to dwell in the world and be corrupted by the concerns and things of this world that inevitably lead us to sin.

That is why the elders of Israel, the chief priests, and those in the Sanhedrin of the people of God, supposedly the most learnt and the most educated of the people, opposed vehemently and firmly the presence and the works of God through Jesus, even though they naturally should have been the ones who would first welcome the Lord when He came. Instead, they became His enemies, and became those who attempted to derail the good works of the Lord by opposing in every situation and opportunities, the works of Jesus.

They failed to see reason and the truth of God in Jesus because their hearts had been hardened by sin, by the concerns of this world. Being people of influence and in the positions of power and privilege, they had forgotten their place and role in leading the people of God towards the Lord. Instead, they honoured power and glory, and craved for the people’s respect and praise towards them and did not tolerate any rival to their power and influence, leading to a vicious jealousy and hatred that grew so much, to the point that they even failed to see the truth in the Lord Jesus Christ, and ended up opposing and murdering the very One who would have rescued them from death.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this Easter, we are invited to throw far, far away all these impurities and unworthy behaviours as those that had been exhibited by those who opposed the works of Christ, in the Pharisees and the elders of Israel. We have this perfect opportunity to deny first ourselves, and then the desires of our flesh to seek the pleasures of this world over the approval of God. Let us not waste this golden opportunity to make ourselves anew and dedicate ourselves to a change for the better.

This Easter, let us remember, that the Lord had given His all for us, His love and dedication to the point of death. The cross! Remember always the cross, and how the cross is the ultimate manifestation of God’s love for all of us! And also the empty tomb! Remember that empty tomb, which signifies the victory that God had won for us, to liberate us from the certain defeat of death, and He who had won for us this new life, where we have no more need to fear from sin or death, but forever be filled with the hope of eternal joy in He who loves us.

May the Lord therefore guide us in this Easter season, as we grow stronger and stronger in our faith, and deeper in our devotion and love for God, that we will first always be faithful to Him, and then also be loving and good children and members of God’s family, always showing the Lord to be at the centre of our lives and actions. Let us follow the footsteps of the Risen Lord and His Apostles, and let us all bring the light of Christ to all the peoples, beginning from ourselves, and to those around us, and to the whole world! Let us share the joy of Easter! God bless us all. Amen.

by

Tuesday, 1 April 2014 : 4th Week of Lent (Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Brothers and sisters in Christ, out of the Temple of the Lord comes water, gushing forth in great torrents, as seen by the prophet Ezekiel. This water is a symbol of many things, but one symbol that it represents is healing and cure, which is again represented in the Gospel today, in the healing of the sick and paralysed man in the pool of Bethzatha.

Thus from the Lord, out of His will and His love for us, came healing for all of us, the healing of our sickness and our worrying state, both of the body and the soul.  That was the reason why the Lord came to us, seeking us and wanting us to come back to Him, so that we may be healed of our afflictions, the afflictions of our souls, which is sin.

Yes, we are all, despite our healthy appearances, are always sick, and prone to this dangerous illness, that is sin, which eats away at the very core of ourselves and corrupt us, to cripple us and make us destroyed. But God is willing to accept us and our broken beings, the brokenness of our hearts, providing that we ourselves too are willing to accept Him.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus will ask us, just as He had asked the paralysed man, “Do you want to be healed?” This was the proof of His love and care for us, and He wants us all to be healed. But it all depends on us, whether we accept His offer for healing, and whether we say yes or no to that offer. We have to take the initiative to accept Him in our lives.

It is often that we either fear God and His punishment for our wickedness that we do not want to seek Him out even when we are in the great depth of darkness and sin. We are either ashamed of our sinfulness or are ignorant of it. That is why we do not seek the healing of the Lord and dwelled on instead in our wickedness and in our debauched way of life.

And indeed, we should follow what Jesus had told the sick man, that is to take up his mat and walk away from the place he had remained at for many decades of his life. Not to say that we have to literally pick up a mat and walk, but what I mean is that, we have to take initiative in our actions, that we may get out of our idleness and to be freed from the trap of darkness, with which the devil had managed to keep us held captive in the corruption of this world.

We must learn to be courageous to say no, no to the devil and to his temptations and approaches. We must learn to reject his offers of goodness and pleasure, knowing that these are temporary, and will lead to eternal damnation and suffering later on. And that is why we also at the same time must learn to be courageous to say yes to God.

Get rid of our fear, of our pride and our reluctance. Open our hearts and let God come in and dwell within them. Let God transform our beings that we may be truly children of God, who lives in the grace and favour of the Lord, no longer bound by the paralysis of the soul, that is the worldly pleasures and temptations that kept us affixed to our place on the ground like that of the sick and paralysed man healed by Jesus.

Let us all, brothers and sisters in Christ, seek healing in God, and ask Him for His forgiveness and mercy. Let the healing of Christ enter our soul, that we may be made pure again, free of sin and bonds that keep us from salvation in God. Say no to the devil, but say yes to the Lord! God bless us all. Amen.

 

by

Monday, 24 March 2014 : 3rd Week of Lent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

2 Kings 5 : 1-15a

Naaman was the army commander of the king of Aram. This man was highly regarded and enjoyed the king’s favour, for YHVH had helped him lead the army of the Arameans to victory. But this valiant man was sick with leprosy.

One day some Aramean soldiers raided the land of Israel and took a young girl captive who became a servant to the wife of Naaman. She said to her mistress, “If my master would only present himself to the prophet in Samaria, he would surely cure him of his leprosy.”

Naaman went to tell the king what the young Israelite maidservant had said. The king of Aram said to him, “Go to the prophet, and I shall also send a letter to the king of Israel.”

So Naaman went and took with him ten gold bars, six thousand pieces of silver and ten festal garments. On his arrival, he delivered the letter to the king of Israel. It said, “I present my servant Naaman to you that you may heal him of his leprosy.”

When the king had read the letter, he tore his clothes to show his indignation, “I am not God to give life or death. And the king of Aram sends me this man to be healed! You see he is just looking for an excuse for war.”

Elisha, the man of God, came to know that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, so he sent this message to him : “Why have you torn your clothes? Let the man come to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel.”

So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and stopped before the house of Elisha. Elisha then sent a messenger to tell him, “Go to the river Jordan and wash seven times, and your flesh shall be as it was before, and you shall be cleansed.”

Naaman was angry, so he went away. He thought : “On my arrival, he should have personally come out, and then paused and called on the Name of YHVH, his God. And he should have touched with his hand the infected part, and I would have been healed. Are the rivers of Damascus, Abana and Pharpar not better than all the rivers of the land of Israel? Could I not wash there to be healed?”

His servants approached him and said to him, “Father, if the prophet had ordered you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? But how much easier when he said : Take a bath and you will be cleansed.”

So Naaman went down to the Jordan where he washed himself seven times as Elisha had ordered. His skin became soft like that of a child and he was cleansed. Then Naaman returned to the man of God with all his men.

 

by

Thursday, 6 March 2014 : Thursday after Ash Wednesday (Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Brothers and sisters in Christ, carrying one’s cross is the thing which most of us did not want to do, and we refused to do so even after the Lord made it clear what He wanted from us. We prefer to enjoy the pleasures of this world rather than following the Lord, and we prefer the ways of Satan to the way of Christ.

The path of the Lord is not an easy one, and there will be lots of suffering and challenges, as Satan owns this world, and he works his plots and attacks against God and His people through that same world, the one where we are living at the moment. But even though the path of the Lord is not an easy one, at the end of the way is happiness and blessing, such as what God had promised His people in the first reading today, if they kept His commandments and walked in His ways.

On the other hand, the path of Satan appears to be an easier and a much better one, because it seems that this path has much fewer obstacles and challenges facing us, as compared to that of the path of the Lord. But the pleasures and happiness with which the devil had spiced up his path are not true happiness and joy. These are illusions and attempts to replicate true happiness that exists only in God.

And brethren, you all know what awaits at the end of the path of Satan, that is death, and not just the kind of death that we know of, but eternal death. That is because the Lord, as He also said to the people in the first reading, will withdraw His blessing and instead His curse will hang over the people should they fail to follow His commandments and disobeyed His will.

If we choose to follow the path of evil, and choose the apparently easier path, then we are dooming ourselves. That is because in doing so, we reject the Lord and His love, rejecting the blessing of eternal life which He had promised for all those who remain faithful to Him and those who dedicate themselves to Him. We certainly do not want ourselves to end up this way, do we not?

Perseverance is the key, brothers and sisters in Christ. If we are to receive the blessings of Almighty God, then we ought to persevere in our faith. We cannot take our faith for granted, and neither should we take for granted the salvation which God had promised us all who believe in Him. Our faith must be living and genuine, and we must keep in mind always, that our faith must indeed be like carrying the cross, our own crosses, imitating what Jesus had done as He went on His Passion to save us.

Yes, brethren, if we want to follow the Lord and walk in His ways, then we should be ready to bear the burden of being His faithful ones. There will be opposition and even mockery, and there will be those who will look down on us because of our choice. But if we are to persevere and keep strong our faith, then we will persevere. Shall we choose the easy way out, a good life in this world, and yet in the end, be thrown into eternal suffering?

It is not wrong, brothers and sisters, to enjoy our life in this world, but it also means that we cannot just enjoy and do nothing else. We cannot just enjoy the pleasures and happiness of this world, without doing anything in accordance to the will of God. In fact, the more we immerse ourselves in the joy of this world, the less likely we are to act in the way that is pleasing to God. We have to be always mindful of this and keep a steady balance in our life.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, it is imperative for us to carry our cross, not literally or figuratively, but to do what is right and what is according to the will of God, that we may endure together as one, the suffering of Christ, and therefore understand the love that God had for us all, so much that He gave us Himself and His own life, that we all may live.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, in this Lenten season, let us maximise the time and opportunity that we have, so that we may seek to devote ourselves more and more to the Lord, and if necessary, changing our ways that we may once again walk in the way of the Lord, and no longer following the devil into his rebellion. May God our Lord and our loving Father continue to bless us, watch over us, and protect us as we walk with Jesus His Son, towards our salvation and eternal glory. Amen.

by

Monday, 10 June 2013 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time (Scripture Reflection)

Dear brothers and sisters, peace be with all of you! God is with us and He will take care of us, all the days of our life. His blessings are always upon us, if we walk in His ways and reflect His teachings in our lives. He takes care of our needs, and we do not need to worry, because He is with us, He walks among us, and He never leaves us behind.

Today, we heard Jesus’ teachings on the mountain, which is commonly known as the Beatitudes, in which Jesus praised those who are humble, lowly and those who has done good in God’s Name, for the good of God’s people, and that they will gain great things in their life, because of what they had done, and because of the things they had gone through for the sake of God.

It is not easy brothers and sisters in Christ, to belong to Christ in our world today. There are too many temptations and persuasions from this world for us to deviate from Christ’s way, into a way that is the world’s. Why so? Because the world is full of violence, injustice, and hatred, which the devil perpetuates in this world, so as to keep mankind away from God, through his agents which are always at work in this world.

Peace, my brothers and sisters, is not an easy objective for us to obtain. True peace requires all of us to be able to sit side-by-side and embrace one another as brethren in love, and in complete harmony that is of the Lord, despite our backgrounds, despite our racial profile, despite the differences that are between us, in our thoughts and in our actions. But clearly, as all of you can see, there is too much darkness and hatred in our world, that hinder peace and those who work for the sake of peace.

There are those who perpetuate hatred and violence in our world today, in our own societies, for their own gain and benefit. Why, brothers and sisters in Christ? Surely people will want peace right? But if through the perpetuation of violence and hatred it allows some to continue to gain in their own agenda, in their own efforts, these people will not stop spreading lies and hatred to keep the people of God from achieving the true peace that is our aim.

Too often, it is ourselves that are to blame as well, whenever we failed to do the things that God wants us to do, as He clearly told His disciples on today’s Beatitudes. That we should be bringer of peace, of comfort and justice, and also as bearers of God’s faith to all mankind. Let us reflect into ourselves, whether we have done these things that the Lord wants of us.

When we see those among us in feud among themselves, hitting each other verbally and even physically, causing hurt to one another, are we courageous enough to be the peacemaker? Too often, we are concerned of losing our ‘face’ to others, especially to those who are fighting, so that we are more often content to be the silent bystander.

The same also happens when we see someone who is hungry, who is unloved, and who has been unjustly treated. Very often we want to have nothing to do with any of them, because if we do any good to them, we will be considered ‘uncool’ by our friends and those whom we know. But let us see, do we ask for the opinion of men while doing God’s work? No, right? We should not be accountable to men for things that we do for the good of those around us, and for the glory of God.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, as we reflect on today’s Beatitudes, let us reflect on our own lives, and make a new commitment to be like those whom Christ blessed for being faithful disciple of the Lord, by practising His commandments as peacemakers, and bringer of love and justice to everyone. Let us not be afraid to lift up our fingers to help others around us who suffer, and surely God will guide us and bless us when we love those who are least among us.

May God be with us and bless us, and make us ever more like Him, who is Love, and reflect in ourselves and our lives, the light of peace, love, justice, and harmony, to all mankind, and with all of them, praise our God who loves us and who wants to bless us all our days. Amen.