Monthly Archives: March 2017

Wednesday of the 2nd Week of Lent
Jeremiah 18:18-20 | Psalm 30(31):5-6,14-16 | Matthew 20:17-28

Listen to me, O Lord,
hear what my adversaries are saying.
Should evil be returned for good?
For they are digging a pit for me.
Remember how I stood in your presence
to plead on their behalf,
to turn your wrath away from them. (Jeremiah 18:19-20)

When we pray to God about our enemies, what do we say? Probably something along the lines of “take them away from me, Lord!” or even “smite them, Lord, that they may not trouble me again!”

Jeremiah too succumbed to this:

Then hand their sons over to famine,
abandon them to the edge of the sword.
May their wives become childless and widowed.
May their husbands die of plague,
their young men be cut down by the sword in battle.
Let cries re-echo from their houses as you bring raiders suddenly on them.
For they have dug a pit to catch me, they have laid snares to trap my feet. (Jeremiah 18:21-22)

But Jesus has a timely reminder for us:

You do not know what you are asking. (Matthew 20:22)

He bids us love our enemies, seeing them as our brothers and sisters who are temporarily separated from the eternal love of the Father.

In their shoes, facing the circumstances they do, might we not have done the same?

Over the past few days, I’ve heard a lot of condemnation, targeted at certain figures in our local diocese. I think some of it might be warranted, especially for those who may have tainted our community with financial scandal, in the pursuit of personal riches.

To be honest, it reminds me of the other apostles’ indignation with James and John in today’s Gospel, for their presumptive arrogance–somewhat justified, with a little self-indulgent crowing of “sinner! SINNER!”

But as I was writing the previous few paragraphs, and wondering what I would say next, I received a fortuitous WhatsApp request to participate in a local university survey–about my attitudes towards living and socializing with ex-convicts. It’s as if I’ve been sent a message about my own prejudices and judgmental tendencies.

I’ll be taking the survey after I finish this blog entry, but one mantra is already running around in my head:

My enemies are human too.
There, but for the grace of God, go I.

Lord, help me to judge less, and love more. Amen.

Tuesday of the 2nd Week of Lent
Isaiah 1:10,16-20 | Psalm 49(50):8-9,16-17,21,23 | Matthew 23:1-12

The scribes and the Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses. You must therefore do what they tell you and listen to what they say; but do not be guided by what they do: since they do not practise what they preach. (Matthew 23:2-3)

Mother Church is currently embroiled in a worldwide “pedophile priest” scandal. Who would’ve though those two words would ever come in conjunction, pedophile and priest?

I’ve encountered many folks online who “talk a good talk” about loving tolerance…then put others down with harsh words and an air of “superior intellect”.

The admins of the Catholics in Singapore Facebook group have seen fit several times to remind all participants to BNBR (Be Nice, Be Respectful). Surely us good Catholics have no need for such reminders?

We apparently do.

✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞

“Practise what you preach” is a common and just riposte against people whom we feel are hypocrites. It does not mean, however, that what they preach is wrong, especially when the words are from our Creator Himself:

Wash, make yourselves clean.
Take your wrong-doing out of my sight.
Cease to do evil.
Learn to do good,
search for justice,
help the oppressed,
be just to the orphan,
plead for the widow. (Isaiah 1:16-17)

All of us are tasked to share this command with others, even if we sometimes have trouble fulfilling it ourselves. Yes, it’s hard to swallow others’ condemnation for our failures, but that doesn’t mean the Word is defective, only that we are weak.

So when a priest we’ve known and respected for years turns out to have feet of clay, it’s upon us to be understanding and forgiving, and not ignore the Good News that he was preaching despite being in a state of mortal sin.

The Word is perfect; the Word is eternal; the Word is God Himself.

Let us not lose sight of this essential pathway to life, despite the weaknesses of the people charged with building it.

Amen.

Monday of the 2nd Week of Lent
Daniel 9:4-10 | Psalm 78(79):8-9,11,13 | Luke 6:36-38

The amount you measure out is the amount you will be given back (Luke 6:38)

There are times when I’m tempted to just do the minimum to get by, both at work and in faith matters. When I’ve followed through on that temptation, I invariably find that I get little benefit out of this. Yeah, it’s easy because I’ve done this before, but because I’m not putting 100% into it, I’m not getting anything new out of it either.

When I do put effort into what I do, when I choose to step outside my comfort zone, I always learn something new, and it’s usually worth the sweat.

In short, we get what we give, which is unfortunately better remembered locally as the trite phrase “you pay peanuts, you get monkeys”.

Lord, help me remember to always give my all, even when I’m tired and weary of the task I’m doing. Help me understand that You always want what’s best for me in Your time, and that I should remain strong and constant in my efforts because You are strong and constant in Your love. Amen.

2nd Sunday of Lent (Year A)
Genesis 12:1-4 | Psalm 32(33):4-5,18-20,22 | 2 Timothy 1:8-10 | Matthew 17:1-9

Today’s Gospel speaks of the Transfiguration of the Lord, and reminds us of our own Transformation at the end of days.

But to get to Transformation, we need to effect transformation. We need to mend our sinful ways, and to do that, we need to get out of the comfort zone that sin creates for us, the land of unbecoming lusts and retarding sloth.

In the first reading, God commanded Abraham to uproot himself, leave his family and friends, and journey into the unknown.

In the second, St. Paul reminds us to “bear the hardships for the sake of the Good News”.

Being true to the Word of Love and Life isn’t painless, nor is it impossible. We just need to set our minds on Christ, to love as He taught us to love, to live as He taught us to live.

Then, day by day, our souls will be gradually transfigured to “shine like the sun”, and we will one day see God face to face.

But the work starts here and now.

Lord, give us the strength to step out of our comfort zones, and take up our crosses, dying to ourselves to be more like You. Help us stay true to Your Hold Word, that we may one day be transfigured like You, and enter into Your Heavenly Kingdom, there to live with Father, Son and Spirit in one unending hymn of praise. Amen.

Saturday of the 1st Week of Lent
Deuteronomy 26:16-19 | Psalm 118(119):1-2,4-5,7-8 | Matthew 5:43-48

For if you love those who love you, what right have you to claim any credit? Even the tax collectors do as much, do they not? And if you save your greetings for your brothers, are you doing anything exceptional? Even the pagans do as much, do they not? (Matthew 5:46-47)

“Aiyoh, he’s such an a**hole! When he comes over, I’ll leave this parish!”

Harsh words about our parish priest-to-be, from someone who hadn’t had personal contact with him, but was relying on third-party reports and rumors.

I don’t know how my own interactions with him will go, but I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt ahead of time.

Perhaps we’ll end up clashing irreconcilably, or perhaps we’ll both give and take.

Or perhaps his “demands” will make me reevaluate long-standing choir practices that only have tradition and personal tastes behind them, without any firm liturgical justification.

Who knows? Only God.

I’ll find out for myself after Easter.

Heavenly Father, help me keep an open heart towards those I’ve yet to meet, and an open mind to everything You’ll teach me through them. For You know what I need most, and You’ve always been there even when I wasn’t paying attention. I ask for love and enlightenment in Jesus’ name. Amen.