1 Cor 1:26-31 / Matthew 25:14-30
There is
this quote from an unknown Greek poet : "I shall walk this way but
once, therefore, whatever good I may do, let me do it now, for I shall
never walk this way again."
It is a
very profound reflection because it is so true that we only live this
life but once, there is no going back, and yet there is so much to give
to life and to learn from it.
Cardinal
John Henry Newman had this to say: God has created me to do Him some
definite service; He has committed some work to me which He has not
committed to another.
Indeed, as
we journey on in this life, there is so much to learn and there is so
much to give when we realized how much we have received.
Only if and when we realized how much we have received!
Otherwise we might just want to feel safe and secure by burying ourselves in the ground.
But that is not God's plan and purpose for us.
May we always remember that we walk this way once and will never walk this way again.
Whatever good we can do, whatever love we can give, let us do it now.
Let us not bury our lives in the ground and waste it away.
There is always the work of love to carry out, and we will not rest until our hearts find rest in the Lord.
Saturday, September 1, 2018
Thursday, August 30, 2018
21st Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 31-08-18
1 Cor 1:17-25 / Matthew 25:1-13
To be late for an appointment is rather careless, to say the least. To be late could mean that we don't really take care to be early for the appointment, or at least to be there on time.
And it may also mean that we don't take much into consideration how the other party feels about having to wait for us if we are late through our own fault.
More so if we have an appointment with someone of importance. All the more we will want to make sure that we will be ready and early for the appointment.
In the gospel parable, it was the bridegroom who was late. But it was the duty of the ten bridesmaids to wait for him.
The wise ones were careful to be prepared with extra oil for their lamps. The foolish and careless ones didn't consider the unexpected circumstance that the bridegroom would be late.
So to be wise is to be careful and to be ready for the unexpected. To be foolish is to be careless and not be bothered about unexpected situations. But whether wise or foolish, there are consequences for better or for worse, as the gospel parable tells us.
But to wise is not just about being careful and ready for whatever situations.
As St. Paul puts it in the 1st reading, wisdom is about understanding the cross as God's power to save.
The cross may look like foolishness, to the Jews an obstacle they cannot get over, to the Greeks madness, but to those who are called to faith, it is the power and wisdom of God.
It is not too late for us to understand the meaning of the cross, the power and wisdom that God grants through it, so that we will be careful and ready to meet the challenges of life.
To be late for an appointment is rather careless, to say the least. To be late could mean that we don't really take care to be early for the appointment, or at least to be there on time.
And it may also mean that we don't take much into consideration how the other party feels about having to wait for us if we are late through our own fault.
More so if we have an appointment with someone of importance. All the more we will want to make sure that we will be ready and early for the appointment.
In the gospel parable, it was the bridegroom who was late. But it was the duty of the ten bridesmaids to wait for him.
The wise ones were careful to be prepared with extra oil for their lamps. The foolish and careless ones didn't consider the unexpected circumstance that the bridegroom would be late.
So to be wise is to be careful and to be ready for the unexpected. To be foolish is to be careless and not be bothered about unexpected situations. But whether wise or foolish, there are consequences for better or for worse, as the gospel parable tells us.
But to wise is not just about being careful and ready for whatever situations.
As St. Paul puts it in the 1st reading, wisdom is about understanding the cross as God's power to save.
The cross may look like foolishness, to the Jews an obstacle they cannot get over, to the Greeks madness, but to those who are called to faith, it is the power and wisdom of God.
It is not too late for us to understand the meaning of the cross, the power and wisdom that God grants through it, so that we will be careful and ready to meet the challenges of life.
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
21st Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 30-08-18
1 Cor 1:1-9 / Matthew 24:42-51
When we have to keep watch and stay awake especially when we are guarding something precious, it is a heavy responsibility.
In the military, if a soldier is caught sleeping while on guard duty, he will be severely punished.
But it is not that we have to stay awake and keep watch all the time. If we were to do that, fatigue will set in and we will lose attention.
But when it is our turn to keep watch and stay awake, then we have to be on alert and be responsible for the duration of our watch.
So when Jesus tells us to stay awake and be on alert, He is asking us to be on the watch as to when He is telling us something and wants us to get it done.
We see that watchfulness and alertness in the 1st reading as St. Paul says that he never stopped thanking God for all the graces that the Corinthians received through Jesus Christ.
He kept thanking God for enriching the Corinthians with teachers and preachers and the strong witnessing to Christ by the Corinthians.
He further encourages them that God will keep them steady and without blame until the coming of Jesus Christ.
Learning from St. Paul, we know that by giving thanks constantly, we are already on the watch and alert for the coming of Jesus.
Let us be faithful and keep giving thanks and we will be rewarded by Jesus.
When we have to keep watch and stay awake especially when we are guarding something precious, it is a heavy responsibility.
In the military, if a soldier is caught sleeping while on guard duty, he will be severely punished.
But it is not that we have to stay awake and keep watch all the time. If we were to do that, fatigue will set in and we will lose attention.
But when it is our turn to keep watch and stay awake, then we have to be on alert and be responsible for the duration of our watch.
So when Jesus tells us to stay awake and be on alert, He is asking us to be on the watch as to when He is telling us something and wants us to get it done.
We see that watchfulness and alertness in the 1st reading as St. Paul says that he never stopped thanking God for all the graces that the Corinthians received through Jesus Christ.
He kept thanking God for enriching the Corinthians with teachers and preachers and the strong witnessing to Christ by the Corinthians.
He further encourages them that God will keep them steady and without blame until the coming of Jesus Christ.
Learning from St. Paul, we know that by giving thanks constantly, we are already on the watch and alert for the coming of Jesus.
Let us be faithful and keep giving thanks and we will be rewarded by Jesus.
Tuesday, August 28, 2018
The Passion of St. John the Baptist, Wednesday, 29-08-18
Jeremiah 1:17-19 / Mark 6:17-29
It is easy to stand with the crowd, but it takes courage to stand alone.
Such can be said of St. John the Baptist. He had the courage to break away from his priestly heritage (his father Zechariah was a priest) and to go off into the wilderness to live a solitary life.
When his time came to carry out his mission, he was the lone voice crying out in the wilderness, calling the people to repentance and baptized those who repented.
Shortly after he had baptized Jesus on the banks of the Jordan, John the Baptist had denounced king Herod, telling him that it was unlawful to marry his brother's wife.
No one dared to point that out to cruel and unpredictable king Herod, for fear of their lives. No one but St. John the Baptist who had the courage to stand alone for it.
And in the end, it was because king Herod who wanted to be with the crowd that St. John the Baptist was innocently beheaded.
But in the end, it goes to show who was the coward and who had the courage.
There are many various situations in life that we rather not face. But courage doesn't mean that we are not afraid; rather it means we face what we fear or dislike.
And courage doesn't always roar. Often it is just that little voice telling us to try again.
May St. John the Baptist pray for us that we will face the difficult people and the difficult situations courageously, even if we have to stand alone for it.
It is easy to stand with the crowd, but it takes courage to stand alone.
Such can be said of St. John the Baptist. He had the courage to break away from his priestly heritage (his father Zechariah was a priest) and to go off into the wilderness to live a solitary life.
When his time came to carry out his mission, he was the lone voice crying out in the wilderness, calling the people to repentance and baptized those who repented.
Shortly after he had baptized Jesus on the banks of the Jordan, John the Baptist had denounced king Herod, telling him that it was unlawful to marry his brother's wife.
No one dared to point that out to cruel and unpredictable king Herod, for fear of their lives. No one but St. John the Baptist who had the courage to stand alone for it.
And in the end, it was because king Herod who wanted to be with the crowd that St. John the Baptist was innocently beheaded.
But in the end, it goes to show who was the coward and who had the courage.
There are many various situations in life that we rather not face. But courage doesn't mean that we are not afraid; rather it means we face what we fear or dislike.
And courage doesn't always roar. Often it is just that little voice telling us to try again.
May St. John the Baptist pray for us that we will face the difficult people and the difficult situations courageously, even if we have to stand alone for it.
Monday, August 27, 2018
21st Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 28-08-18
2 Thess 2:1-3, 14-17 / Matthew 23:23-26
When it comes to observing religious duties, we like things that are straight-forward.
We like to know when are the days of obligation, when are the days of fasting and what to eat and not to eat and how much or how little can we eat.
These religious observations are important as an expression of our faith, and we should know if we had done our religious duties that is required of us.
What is also important are religious duties that cannot be measured or that cannot be spelt out straight-forward.
And these are what Jesus pointed out in today's gospel passage - justice, mercy and good faith.
And that is when being a disciple of Jesus gets rather difficult.
Because there is no measure for justice when it is understood as a loving tolerance to those who have done us wrong.
There is no measure for mercy when it is understood as an act of kindness to those who make mistakes.
And there is no measure for faithfulness when it comes to keeping our word and loyalty to others.
Where the letter of the law end, the spirit of discipleship begins.
Let us observe what the Church teaches and yet may we also have the spirit of discipleship - justice, mercy and faithfulness.
When it comes to observing religious duties, we like things that are straight-forward.
We like to know when are the days of obligation, when are the days of fasting and what to eat and not to eat and how much or how little can we eat.
These religious observations are important as an expression of our faith, and we should know if we had done our religious duties that is required of us.
What is also important are religious duties that cannot be measured or that cannot be spelt out straight-forward.
And these are what Jesus pointed out in today's gospel passage - justice, mercy and good faith.
And that is when being a disciple of Jesus gets rather difficult.
Because there is no measure for justice when it is understood as a loving tolerance to those who have done us wrong.
There is no measure for mercy when it is understood as an act of kindness to those who make mistakes.
And there is no measure for faithfulness when it comes to keeping our word and loyalty to others.
Where the letter of the law end, the spirit of discipleship begins.
Let us observe what the Church teaches and yet may we also have the spirit of discipleship - justice, mercy and faithfulness.
Sunday, August 26, 2018
21st Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 27-08-18
2 Thess 1:1-5, 11-12 / Matthew 23:13-22
People go to Church for many reasons. Besides going there to pray and to worship and thank the Lord, one of the things they would look for is good preaching.
And people would even go to different services in different churches just to hear something inspiring.
Which may be well and good. The question is, what happens after that is what really counts. After hearing the Good News of salvation, how do they respond?
In the 1st reading, St. Paul praised the Thessalonians for their response to the Good News of salvation.
They broke from idolatry and became servants of the living God, and they looked forward to the coming of Christ.
That was quite different from the scribes and Pharisees that Jesus was addressing to in the gospel.
They heard the Good News but what they did and how they acted were far from what it meant to be saved.
We have heard the Good News. It is not interesting news; it is not extraordinary news; it is not updated news.
It is the Good News of God's love for us, the Good News of salvation.
Let us act upon it, and then by the way we live our lives, others will believe we are saved.
People go to Church for many reasons. Besides going there to pray and to worship and thank the Lord, one of the things they would look for is good preaching.
And people would even go to different services in different churches just to hear something inspiring.
Which may be well and good. The question is, what happens after that is what really counts. After hearing the Good News of salvation, how do they respond?
In the 1st reading, St. Paul praised the Thessalonians for their response to the Good News of salvation.
They broke from idolatry and became servants of the living God, and they looked forward to the coming of Christ.
That was quite different from the scribes and Pharisees that Jesus was addressing to in the gospel.
They heard the Good News but what they did and how they acted were far from what it meant to be saved.
We have heard the Good News. It is not interesting news; it is not extraordinary news; it is not updated news.
It is the Good News of God's love for us, the Good News of salvation.
Let us act upon it, and then by the way we live our lives, others will believe we are saved.
Saturday, August 25, 2018
21st Ordinary Sunday, Year B, 26.08.2018
Joshua 24:1-2, 15-18 / Ephesians 5:21-32 / John 6:60-69
One of the things that make human beings unique from the rest of the other creatures is that we have logic and we also have emotions. In other words, we are rational as well as emotional.
Although we are rational and emotional beings, the relationship between logic and emotions are often inversely proportional. In other words, if we handle a situation logically, we are less likely to be affected emotionally. But when emotions run high, the logic goes way down and we can act illogically.
But it doesn’t necessarily mean that what is cut and dry logical is devoid of anything emotional. An example could be this:
Wife: I have a bag full of used clothing that I would like to donate.
Husband: Why not just throw in the trash? That would be much easier.
Wife: But there are poor starving people who could really use all the clothing.
Husband: Look, anyone who can fit into your clothes is not starving.
(Husband is recovering from a head injury)
The conversation was logical and rational but somewhere emotions got involved. Now if something that is logical and rational can trigger the emotions, then something that is illogical and irrational will all the more disturb our emotions.
Not everyone is that logical and rational all the time, but everyone has emotions. In fact, our primary emotions can be put into the acronym H.A.S: Happy, Angry, Sad.
So, everyone HAS emotions.
And these emotions are stirred especially when we are confronted with something illogical and irrational.
And as we read the gospel, that is what seems to come across between Jesus and His listeners.
Jesus had been saying that He is the bread of life and that the bread He gives is His flesh for the life of the world.
His listeners began asking questions like: How can this man gives us his flesh to eat? They were not amused by it, on the contrary, they were confused by it and even angered by it and hence they said: This is intolerable language. How could anyone accept it?
Jesus was aware of it, but instead of quelling and resolving the situation, He prodded His listeners further with a provoking question: Does this upset you?
And in the end, many of His disciples left Him and stop going out with Him. They were certainly not happy with His intolerable language. They were angry and sad that it had to come to such an end.
If such intolerable language could cause such an upset, we can imagine the consequence of intolerable actions and behaviour.
Well, actually, there is no need to imagine. The recent reports of abuse by the clergy in the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania, USA has left many bitter, upset and angry.
It came out at a time when we thought that everything was flushed out and healing and reconciliation can begin, and then came this report. Is there any more reason needed to leave the Church?
Not only are the people of God hurt by what was stated in the report, the members of the clergy are also hurt, just that they can’t say or do anything about it and neither can they leave the Church although it is not impossible to do so.
But recently one priest wrote about his feelings and reflections about the repercussions of the reports and the following are excerpts from what Fr. Jonathan Slavinskas wrote:
Every morning when I put my collar on I pray for a deeper awareness of the great responsibility and magnitude of what it represents. I am aware of my sinfulness and unworthiness to even touch it. Some days more than others it should probably burn me.
Having been a high school and college student when the scandal first broke in the Northeast, I probably should have questioned my sanity on why I would move forward with a response of “yes.” Nonetheless, I knew the constant scrutiny and the shadow that would be cast. I knew firsthand the eyes of suspicion that would follow from the moment the title “Father” would be used. I knew it wouldn’t be easy.
As each year passed from the first initial reports, I felt as though healing had begun and the Church could move forward learning from the past and focusing on transmitting the light of Christ in a new way.
This week I have been walking around with a heavy heart. I have been completely angry and frustrated as a result of the Pennsylvania abuse reports and the McCarrick situation. My continual prayer has been with the victims. These feelings of disappointment and sadness have brought a feeling of paralysis. My honest questioning of “why stick around” has run through my head.
As each news story continues, my heart is torn more apart as I hear about the pain that was perpetrated. As a result of grave sin, the collar has become the complete opposite of what it is supposed to represent. As I walked around with the collar today, I wondered how many people had been keeping up-to-date with it all. How many people would glance at my collar and simply wonder, “Is this one too?”
This morning, I didn’t want to put my collar on. I was ashamed. I was tired. I was angry. I didn’t want to be painted with the same brush that it has now come to represent.
This morning, as I visited sick parishioners in the hospital, I walked by a room with a woman standing outside. As I continued to the elevator, she came from behind, asking if I was a Catholic priest. I was ready to take the hit... but as I turned and said “Yes,” with tears in her eyes, she asked if I would anoint her 50-something-year-old brother who was actively dying with cancer. No matter what I have thought about the collar these past few days, she saw it as a sign of hope and the presence of Christ. If I decided not to wear it, her brother would not have received the Sacrament he needed and her entire family might not have experienced a sense of comfort in Christ as we gathered in prayer around him.
The collar is not about me. It is about Jesus Christ. It is about us remembering that we are not journeying alone while in this world. Again, I am certainly unworthy to wear it, but I realize I’m called to wear it not for myself, but for the sake of others. As I put it on, I now must remember that I must fight harder and stronger to grow continually into a holy priest of God, being a bridge and not an obstacle.
Just some excerpts from Fr. Jonathan Slavinskas about how the scandal had affected the Church and him.
Yes what had happened was intolerable, we are upset, angry and sad. Is there any more reason to continue to stay with the Church?
We have logic and emotions, and with that we have to make decisions.
For Fr. Jonathan Slavinskas, he decided to stay. For Joshua in the 1st reading, and for Peter and the rest of the Twelve, they too decided to stay.
As for us, we know that the Church is not perfect, from the clergy to those in ministry, right down to the ordinary laity.
Yes, we know all that, we can even feel all that. But in the end, what is our decision?
Let us believe that the message of salvation and eternal life are still proclaimed by the Church, and let us stay on in the mission of healing and reconciliation.
One of the things that make human beings unique from the rest of the other creatures is that we have logic and we also have emotions. In other words, we are rational as well as emotional.
Although we are rational and emotional beings, the relationship between logic and emotions are often inversely proportional. In other words, if we handle a situation logically, we are less likely to be affected emotionally. But when emotions run high, the logic goes way down and we can act illogically.
But it doesn’t necessarily mean that what is cut and dry logical is devoid of anything emotional. An example could be this:
Wife: I have a bag full of used clothing that I would like to donate.
Husband: Why not just throw in the trash? That would be much easier.
Wife: But there are poor starving people who could really use all the clothing.
Husband: Look, anyone who can fit into your clothes is not starving.
(Husband is recovering from a head injury)
The conversation was logical and rational but somewhere emotions got involved. Now if something that is logical and rational can trigger the emotions, then something that is illogical and irrational will all the more disturb our emotions.
Not everyone is that logical and rational all the time, but everyone has emotions. In fact, our primary emotions can be put into the acronym H.A.S: Happy, Angry, Sad.
So, everyone HAS emotions.
And these emotions are stirred especially when we are confronted with something illogical and irrational.
And as we read the gospel, that is what seems to come across between Jesus and His listeners.
Jesus had been saying that He is the bread of life and that the bread He gives is His flesh for the life of the world.
His listeners began asking questions like: How can this man gives us his flesh to eat? They were not amused by it, on the contrary, they were confused by it and even angered by it and hence they said: This is intolerable language. How could anyone accept it?
Jesus was aware of it, but instead of quelling and resolving the situation, He prodded His listeners further with a provoking question: Does this upset you?
And in the end, many of His disciples left Him and stop going out with Him. They were certainly not happy with His intolerable language. They were angry and sad that it had to come to such an end.
If such intolerable language could cause such an upset, we can imagine the consequence of intolerable actions and behaviour.
Well, actually, there is no need to imagine. The recent reports of abuse by the clergy in the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania, USA has left many bitter, upset and angry.
It came out at a time when we thought that everything was flushed out and healing and reconciliation can begin, and then came this report. Is there any more reason needed to leave the Church?
Not only are the people of God hurt by what was stated in the report, the members of the clergy are also hurt, just that they can’t say or do anything about it and neither can they leave the Church although it is not impossible to do so.
But recently one priest wrote about his feelings and reflections about the repercussions of the reports and the following are excerpts from what Fr. Jonathan Slavinskas wrote:
Every morning when I put my collar on I pray for a deeper awareness of the great responsibility and magnitude of what it represents. I am aware of my sinfulness and unworthiness to even touch it. Some days more than others it should probably burn me.
Having been a high school and college student when the scandal first broke in the Northeast, I probably should have questioned my sanity on why I would move forward with a response of “yes.” Nonetheless, I knew the constant scrutiny and the shadow that would be cast. I knew firsthand the eyes of suspicion that would follow from the moment the title “Father” would be used. I knew it wouldn’t be easy.
As each year passed from the first initial reports, I felt as though healing had begun and the Church could move forward learning from the past and focusing on transmitting the light of Christ in a new way.
This week I have been walking around with a heavy heart. I have been completely angry and frustrated as a result of the Pennsylvania abuse reports and the McCarrick situation. My continual prayer has been with the victims. These feelings of disappointment and sadness have brought a feeling of paralysis. My honest questioning of “why stick around” has run through my head.
As each news story continues, my heart is torn more apart as I hear about the pain that was perpetrated. As a result of grave sin, the collar has become the complete opposite of what it is supposed to represent. As I walked around with the collar today, I wondered how many people had been keeping up-to-date with it all. How many people would glance at my collar and simply wonder, “Is this one too?”
This morning, I didn’t want to put my collar on. I was ashamed. I was tired. I was angry. I didn’t want to be painted with the same brush that it has now come to represent.
This morning, as I visited sick parishioners in the hospital, I walked by a room with a woman standing outside. As I continued to the elevator, she came from behind, asking if I was a Catholic priest. I was ready to take the hit... but as I turned and said “Yes,” with tears in her eyes, she asked if I would anoint her 50-something-year-old brother who was actively dying with cancer. No matter what I have thought about the collar these past few days, she saw it as a sign of hope and the presence of Christ. If I decided not to wear it, her brother would not have received the Sacrament he needed and her entire family might not have experienced a sense of comfort in Christ as we gathered in prayer around him.
The collar is not about me. It is about Jesus Christ. It is about us remembering that we are not journeying alone while in this world. Again, I am certainly unworthy to wear it, but I realize I’m called to wear it not for myself, but for the sake of others. As I put it on, I now must remember that I must fight harder and stronger to grow continually into a holy priest of God, being a bridge and not an obstacle.
Just some excerpts from Fr. Jonathan Slavinskas about how the scandal had affected the Church and him.
Yes what had happened was intolerable, we are upset, angry and sad. Is there any more reason to continue to stay with the Church?
We have logic and emotions, and with that we have to make decisions.
For Fr. Jonathan Slavinskas, he decided to stay. For Joshua in the 1st reading, and for Peter and the rest of the Twelve, they too decided to stay.
As for us, we know that the Church is not perfect, from the clergy to those in ministry, right down to the ordinary laity.
Yes, we know all that, we can even feel all that. But in the end, what is our decision?
Let us believe that the message of salvation and eternal life are still proclaimed by the Church, and let us stay on in the mission of healing and reconciliation.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)