Romans 11 : 1-2,11-12,25-29
Luke 14 : 1,7-11
No matter how far we have gone in life or how much we have achieved, it is always necessary to remember our humble origins.
More so when we remember how little we had in the past and how much we have to struggle to become who and what we are today.
Remembering our humble origins would only make us realize that we cannot take anything for granted and that whatever blessings we have received from God also has to be shared with the unfortunate and the needy.
Remembering our humble origins would cultivate in us a humble heart and we also know that without God's blessings, we won't be who and what we are today.
That is essentially the teaching of Jesus in today's gospel, that anyone who humbles himself will be exalted, and vice versa.
So we are reminded that everything is a gift from God, for without His blessings we can't achieve anything, much less have anything.
In the 1st reading, St. Paul also reminds us that God never takes back His gifts and blessings or revokes His choice.
The Jews were chosen to reveal the Messiah, and we Christians are chosen to reveal God's gift of salvation to all peoples.
Hence the blessings we have received from God are not just for our sakes but for the sake of the proclamation of the Kingdom of God.
By who we are and with what we have, we are to proclaim the love of God and that is not an option.
That is our mission and it is an obligation, for which we will be held accountable.
So with humble hearts, let us remember that everything is a gift from God and we are called to share that gift.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
30th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 30-10-09
Romans 9 : 1-5 / Luke 14 : 1-6 (2025)
A telescope, as we know, gives an enlarged view of a distant object.
But that depends on which end of the telescope we are looking through.
Because looking through the wrong end would greatly reduce the size of the object.
Hence, the two different ends of the telescope give two completely opposite views of reality.
In the gospel, the Pharisees seemed to have looked through the wrong end of the telescope and they only saw a narrow, restrictive picture of reality.
They were like saying : To heal is to work, and to work is to violate the Sabbath. See for yourself, look through our telescope!
But when Jesus offers them a view from the other end of the same telescope, they were reluctant to see it ; they were silent, because for them there was only one way of looking through the telescope, there was only one way of looking at things and it was their way.
So we can imagine how frustrated and annoyed Jesus was with the Pharisees, to say the least.
Surely Jesus was anguished to see their obstinacy.
St. Paul, in the 1st reading shared the similar sentiments as Jesus, and he said that his sorrow was so great and his mental anguish so endless over his people's rejection of Christ.
Indeed, our obstinacy can cause frustration and anguish and even sorrow in others.
All because we stubbornly refuse to look at things from another point of view.
We only have to let go and ask God to help us see wider and clearer ; then we will become wiser.
A telescope, as we know, gives an enlarged view of a distant object.
But that depends on which end of the telescope we are looking through.
Because looking through the wrong end would greatly reduce the size of the object.
Hence, the two different ends of the telescope give two completely opposite views of reality.
In the gospel, the Pharisees seemed to have looked through the wrong end of the telescope and they only saw a narrow, restrictive picture of reality.
They were like saying : To heal is to work, and to work is to violate the Sabbath. See for yourself, look through our telescope!
But when Jesus offers them a view from the other end of the same telescope, they were reluctant to see it ; they were silent, because for them there was only one way of looking through the telescope, there was only one way of looking at things and it was their way.
So we can imagine how frustrated and annoyed Jesus was with the Pharisees, to say the least.
Surely Jesus was anguished to see their obstinacy.
St. Paul, in the 1st reading shared the similar sentiments as Jesus, and he said that his sorrow was so great and his mental anguish so endless over his people's rejection of Christ.
Indeed, our obstinacy can cause frustration and anguish and even sorrow in others.
All because we stubbornly refuse to look at things from another point of view.
We only have to let go and ask God to help us see wider and clearer ; then we will become wiser.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
30th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 29-10-09
Romans 8 : 31-39
Luke 13 : 31-35
To fall in love is a beautiful experience. To fall out of love is a lousy experience.
To be in love, however, requires more than just an experience ; it requires a decision.
Because true love and unconditional love requires a decision to be in love and to keep loving regardless of the situations and circumstances.
Indeed, to be in love requires a decision, which has to be renewed day by day, and hour by hour, and minute by minute.
But if falling out of love is a lousy experience, then unrequited love is indeed a very painful experience.
In fact, the bitterest tragedy in human life is to give your heart totally to the other party only to have it refused and broken.
That was the experience of Jesus as He laments over Jerusalem. For Jesus, it is not just unrequited love, but also they were going to kill Him if He were to continue with His journey of love.
So Jesus could have given up loving us because of the danger and the rejection. Why did He continue His journey of love all the way to the cross?
The 1st reading says it all. God did not spare His own Son but gave Him up to benefit us all.
So nothing can come between us and the love of Christ and nothing can ever come between us and the love of God made visible in Jesus Christ.
So what kind of response we are going to give to God's love for us depends on us now.
Whatever it is, we have to make a decision to respond to God's love or reject it outright.
We have to exercise our human freedom of choice. Human freedom is awesome. Yet it is also supremely wonderful when we freely decide to love God and love others.
Luke 13 : 31-35
To fall in love is a beautiful experience. To fall out of love is a lousy experience.
To be in love, however, requires more than just an experience ; it requires a decision.
Because true love and unconditional love requires a decision to be in love and to keep loving regardless of the situations and circumstances.
Indeed, to be in love requires a decision, which has to be renewed day by day, and hour by hour, and minute by minute.
But if falling out of love is a lousy experience, then unrequited love is indeed a very painful experience.
In fact, the bitterest tragedy in human life is to give your heart totally to the other party only to have it refused and broken.
That was the experience of Jesus as He laments over Jerusalem. For Jesus, it is not just unrequited love, but also they were going to kill Him if He were to continue with His journey of love.
So Jesus could have given up loving us because of the danger and the rejection. Why did He continue His journey of love all the way to the cross?
The 1st reading says it all. God did not spare His own Son but gave Him up to benefit us all.
So nothing can come between us and the love of Christ and nothing can ever come between us and the love of God made visible in Jesus Christ.
So what kind of response we are going to give to God's love for us depends on us now.
Whatever it is, we have to make a decision to respond to God's love or reject it outright.
We have to exercise our human freedom of choice. Human freedom is awesome. Yet it is also supremely wonderful when we freely decide to love God and love others.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Sts. Simon and Jude, Apostles, 28-10-09
Ephesians 2 : 19-22 / Luke 6 : 12-19 (2022 / 2024)
Not much is known about the two saints whose feast we celebrate today.
Simon was call ed Zealot probably because of his zeal for the Jewish independence before he was called by Jesus.
Jude or Thaddeus is the author of the letter in the New Testament in which he warned Christian converts against false teaching and immorality.
He is also venerated as the patron of "impossible cases"
Traditional sources had it that both of them were together in their missionary work in Persia and they were martyred.
Both of them also tell us something about the people Jesus chose to be His disciples.
Both of them, as well as the rest of the apostles, were insignificant people from insignificant backgrounds.
But both of them had a purpose in God's plan of salvation.
Both of them became zealous for Christ and for the Kingdom and they also became channels of God's grace for those who were seeking God's love and forgiveness, or when they seek God's help when their problems in life seemed hopeless or impossible even.
We may think that we are insignificant persons and hence we think we have no purpose in God's plan of salvation.
But let us ask for the prayers of St. Simon and St. Jude that we will discover our purpose in life and also our purpose in God's plan of salvation.
We may be insignificant but it does not mean that we are impossible. Because with God, everything and everyone is possible.
Not much is known about the two saints whose feast we celebrate today.
Simon was call ed Zealot probably because of his zeal for the Jewish independence before he was called by Jesus.
Jude or Thaddeus is the author of the letter in the New Testament in which he warned Christian converts against false teaching and immorality.
He is also venerated as the patron of "impossible cases"
Traditional sources had it that both of them were together in their missionary work in Persia and they were martyred.
Both of them also tell us something about the people Jesus chose to be His disciples.
Both of them, as well as the rest of the apostles, were insignificant people from insignificant backgrounds.
But both of them had a purpose in God's plan of salvation.
Both of them became zealous for Christ and for the Kingdom and they also became channels of God's grace for those who were seeking God's love and forgiveness, or when they seek God's help when their problems in life seemed hopeless or impossible even.
We may think that we are insignificant persons and hence we think we have no purpose in God's plan of salvation.
But let us ask for the prayers of St. Simon and St. Jude that we will discover our purpose in life and also our purpose in God's plan of salvation.
We may be insignificant but it does not mean that we are impossible. Because with God, everything and everyone is possible.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
30th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 27-10-09
Romans 8 : 18-25 / Luke 13 : 18-21 (2023)
The news of pregnancy usually brings about joy.
That is because pregnancy is a sign of fertility, a sign of new life, a new beginning, a new hope even.
The 1st reading used the analogy of pregnancy and birth-giving to express the Christian dimension of the hope of being freed from the slavery of sin.
And this hope is being fulfilled by the gift of the Spirit that brings about in us a new birth as children of God and first-fruits of the Spirit.
But this new life does not happen automatically or without effort on our part.
Just as a woman suffers the discomfort of pregnancy and the pain of childbirth, similarly if we want to live the new life of the Spirit, then struggle and suffering is inevitable.
Yet, we are reminded that what we suffer in this life can never be compared to the glory, as yet unrevealed, which is waiting for us.
Just as the gospel parables of the mustard seed and the yeast which will take time to grow and manifest, so will the fruits of the Spirit in our lives take time to grow and develop.
We need to be patient as the Kingdom of God slowly grows within us.
The news of pregnancy usually brings about joy.
That is because pregnancy is a sign of fertility, a sign of new life, a new beginning, a new hope even.
The 1st reading used the analogy of pregnancy and birth-giving to express the Christian dimension of the hope of being freed from the slavery of sin.
And this hope is being fulfilled by the gift of the Spirit that brings about in us a new birth as children of God and first-fruits of the Spirit.
But this new life does not happen automatically or without effort on our part.
Just as a woman suffers the discomfort of pregnancy and the pain of childbirth, similarly if we want to live the new life of the Spirit, then struggle and suffering is inevitable.
Yet, we are reminded that what we suffer in this life can never be compared to the glory, as yet unrevealed, which is waiting for us.
Just as the gospel parables of the mustard seed and the yeast which will take time to grow and manifest, so will the fruits of the Spirit in our lives take time to grow and develop.
We need to be patient as the Kingdom of God slowly grows within us.
Monday, October 26, 2009
30th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 26-10-09
Romans 8 : 12-17
Luke 13 : 10-17
The act of generosity and compassion is indeed a noble act.
But it is also an act which demands sacrifice, a sort of self-giving.
And it may also entail some risks, in that the act may not be appreciated, or it may be misunderstood.
When Jesus healed the woman who was bent double for 18 years, it was an act of compassion and a sign of the generosity of God's love.
That act was greatly appreciated by the woman who gave glory to God, and the people were overjoyed at the wonder that Jesus worked.
But His adversaries, on the other hand, criticized Him for breaking the Law, or the so-called Law.
Yet Jesus did not stop showing compassion or love just because of these criticisms.
Maybe we ourselves have experienced criticisms and ingratitude, and these may have weighed us down and bent us into indifference and apprehension.
But we are reminded in the 1st reading that what we have is not the spirit of slaves that bring fear into our lives.
What we have received is the Spirit that makes us children of God and with the Spirit, we bear witness to God's love in spite and despite the criticisms and the ingratitude or even the hostile reactions.
In doing so, we share in the sufferings of Christ, and when we share in the sufferings of Christ, we will also share in His glory.
Luke 13 : 10-17
The act of generosity and compassion is indeed a noble act.
But it is also an act which demands sacrifice, a sort of self-giving.
And it may also entail some risks, in that the act may not be appreciated, or it may be misunderstood.
When Jesus healed the woman who was bent double for 18 years, it was an act of compassion and a sign of the generosity of God's love.
That act was greatly appreciated by the woman who gave glory to God, and the people were overjoyed at the wonder that Jesus worked.
But His adversaries, on the other hand, criticized Him for breaking the Law, or the so-called Law.
Yet Jesus did not stop showing compassion or love just because of these criticisms.
Maybe we ourselves have experienced criticisms and ingratitude, and these may have weighed us down and bent us into indifference and apprehension.
But we are reminded in the 1st reading that what we have is not the spirit of slaves that bring fear into our lives.
What we have received is the Spirit that makes us children of God and with the Spirit, we bear witness to God's love in spite and despite the criticisms and the ingratitude or even the hostile reactions.
In doing so, we share in the sufferings of Christ, and when we share in the sufferings of Christ, we will also share in His glory.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
29th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 24-10-09
Romans 8 : 1-11
Luke 13 : 1-9
It is during this time of the year that there is a spike in the offering of prayers and Masses.
The reason for this is because of the exams - PSLE, 'N' level, 'O' level, 'A' level
Obviously the purpose of these prayers and Mass offerings is to ask for blessings that the students will do well and get good results.
Another spike in the offering of prayers and Masses will come about just before the results are out.
It is a yearly affair ; an annual pattern.
Yet after these prayer spikes, things seem to cool off almost instantly and life goes on as usual.
For those who received God's blessings, I wonder if there is also fervent thanksgiving.
But if fervent petitions are not followed by fervent thanksgiving, then we may be taking God's blessings for granted.
It may mean that we are only interested in the unspiritual things of achievements and satisfactions, but we forget about the spiritual things of thanksgiving and trust in the Lord.
But because the Spirit has already been given to us to help us look beyond the unspiritual, we now look to the life in the Spirit.
When we live and move in the Spirit, our lives will bear fruits of thanksgiving and holy love.
Luke 13 : 1-9
It is during this time of the year that there is a spike in the offering of prayers and Masses.
The reason for this is because of the exams - PSLE, 'N' level, 'O' level, 'A' level
Obviously the purpose of these prayers and Mass offerings is to ask for blessings that the students will do well and get good results.
Another spike in the offering of prayers and Masses will come about just before the results are out.
It is a yearly affair ; an annual pattern.
Yet after these prayer spikes, things seem to cool off almost instantly and life goes on as usual.
For those who received God's blessings, I wonder if there is also fervent thanksgiving.
But if fervent petitions are not followed by fervent thanksgiving, then we may be taking God's blessings for granted.
It may mean that we are only interested in the unspiritual things of achievements and satisfactions, but we forget about the spiritual things of thanksgiving and trust in the Lord.
But because the Spirit has already been given to us to help us look beyond the unspiritual, we now look to the life in the Spirit.
When we live and move in the Spirit, our lives will bear fruits of thanksgiving and holy love.
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