The day is coming

I remembered a priest in his homily once said this throughout a person's life, he/she is busy chasing after wealth. His/Her priority in life is much more concern about this material world instead of putting God as their first priority. Some people might even think that they can growth so proud that they can go without religion. However, when people are approaching to their deathbed, regardless of whether because of old age or terminal illness or some other diseases, they don't want to see the best surgeon or doctor in the world, but to see the priest so that they can receive their last holy communion. The question here is this, why do we need to wait until the very end then only we start realizing that we actually need God? We need God not because we are in a hardship now, we need God not because we are in a misfortune situation. We need God is because He is our creator and savior. He creates us in His image and His likeness, we will go back to him one day.

In today's first reading, Malachi prophesied about "the day." This is the last day of all, the day the world ends, the day of fire, the day of Jesus' final coming, Judgment Day. "The day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble" (Mal 3:19). However, for those who fear God's name, on the last day "there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays" (Mal 3:20). These Christians will definitely need these healing rays because prior to the final day they will be manhandled, persecuted, arrested, betrayed, hated, and some will even be martyred (Lk 21:12-17). "By patient endurance" they will save their lives and receive the healing rays of Jesus' final coming (Lk 21:19).

If Jesus returned today and the world ended or if you died today, would you be among the proud and the evildoers or among those who respect, love, obey, and fear the Lord? Are you the persecuted or the persecutor? Are you living for Jesus or for yourself? Are you going to be thrown into the fire or healed by the "Son-shine"? 

In today's Gospel, how would you respond if someone prophesied that your church or place of worship would be destroyed? Jesus foretold many signs that would point to God's action in the world to purify and renew his people. To the great consternation of the Jews, Jesus prophesied the destruction of their temple at Jerusalem. The Jewish people took great pride in their temple, a marvel of the ancient world. The foretelling of this destruction was a dire warning of spiritual judgment in itself. They asked Jesus for a sign that would indicate when this disastrous event would occur. Jesus admonished them to not look for signs that would indicate the exact timing of impending destruction, but rather to seek and pray for God's intervention of grace and mercy. Jesus said there would be many signs of impending conflicts and disasters such as wars, famines, diseases, tidal waves, and earthquakes which would precede the struggles of the last days when God's anointed King would return to usher in the full reign of God over the earth. In that day when the Lord returns there will be a final judgement of the living and the dead when the secrets of every heart will be brough to light (Luke 12:2-3; Romans 2:16).

Jesus' prophecy of the destruction of the temple at Jerusalem was a two-edged sword, because it pointed not only to God's judgment, but also to his saving action and mercy. Jesus foretold the destruction of Jerusalem and the dire consequences for all who would reject him and his saving message. While the destruction of Jerusalem's temple was determined (it was razed by the Romans in 70 A.D.), there remained for its inhabitants a narrow open door leading to deliverance. Jesus said: "I am the door; whoever enters by me will be saved" (John 10:9).  Jesus willingly set his face toward Jerusalem, knowing that he would meet betrayal, rejection, and death on a cross. His death on the cross, however, brought about true freedom, peace, and victory over the powers of sin, evil, and death not only for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, but for all both Jew and Gentile alike who would accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Do you know the peace and security of a life submitted to the lordship of Jesus Christ?

Jesus warns his followers that they will be confronted with persecution, wickedness, false teaching, and temptation. The real enemy of the gospel is Satan whom Jesus calls a "murderer" and "father of lies" (John 8:44). Satan uses fear and hatred to provoke hostility in others towards those who follow Jesus Christ. And what is Jesus' response to this hostility and opposition? Love, truth, and forgiveness. Only love can defeat prejudice, intollerance, hatred, and envy. God's love purifies our hearts and minds of all that would divide and tear people apart. The truth is also essential for overcoming evil and tribulation in the world. Satan deceives and sin blinds the heart and mind. Only God's truth can free us from error and spiritual blindness. The gospel is God's word of truth and salvation. That is why Jesus tells his disciples to proclaim the gospel throughout the whole world (Mark 16:15), even in the midst of opposition and persecution.

Jesus tells his disciples that if theyendure to the end they will gain their lives  they will see God's salvation and inherit eternal life and happiness with God. Endurance is more than human effort and perseverance. It is a supernational gift of the Holy Spirit which enables us to bear up under any trial, temptation, and form of persecution. Endurance is strengthened with hope the supernatural assurance that we will see God face to face and inherit all the promises he has made. Jesus is our supreme model and hero who endured the cross for our sake (Hebrews 12:2). "God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Jesus willingly shed his blood for our sake and for our salvation and he calls us to lay down our lives for one another and to take up our cross in like manner (John 15:12-13; 1 John 3:16).

The word "martyr" in the New Testament Greek means "witness". The Book of Revelations says that "Jesus was the faithful witness ...who freed us from our sins by his blood" (Revelations 1:5). Tertullian, a second century lawyer who converted when he saw Christians singing as they went out to die by the hands of their persecutors, exclaimed: "The blood of the martyrs is seed." Their blood is the seed of new Christians, the seed of the church. The third century bishop, Cyprian said: "When persecution comes, God's soldiers are put to the test, and heaven is open to martyrs. We have not enlisted in an army to think of peace and to decline battle, for we see that the Lord has taken first place in the conflict." True martyrs live and die as witnesses of the gospel. They overcome their enemies through persevering hope and courage, undying love and forebearance, kindness, goodness, and compassion.

St. Augustine of Hippo wrote, "The martyrs were bound, jailed, scourged, racked, burned, rent, butchered and they multiplied!" Why is this the case? The Christian martyrs witnessed to the truth, joy, and freedom of the gospel, by their lives, their testimony, and by the shedding of their own blood for the name of Christ. Today we unfortunately witness many extremists and misguided individuals who will sacrifice their lives, and kill others in the process, out of hatred, revenge, prejudice, and envy. From a Christian point of view, they are not true martyrs because their sacrifice is not motivated by God's merciful love and forgiveness, truth and righteousness.

True martyrs pray for their persecutors and love their enemies. In their suffering and in their death they witness the truth of the gospel that "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Jesus gave his life for all who would accept him as their savior whether Jew or Greek, Christian or Muslim, agnostic or atheist. Satan seeks to destroy our faith through the fear of death and he incites others to persecute Christians for their faith in Christ. Martyrs who shed their blood for Jesus Christ win great victory, not only for themselves, but for the whole people of God. The martyrs overcome Satan by enduring suffering and death through their faith in Christ who died and rose for us. And through their witness many others recognize the victory which Christ won on the cross. The martyrs witness to the truth the truth of Jesus Christ and his power to overcome sin, fear, hatred, violence, and prejudice, and even death itself. What gives courage and confidence to the martyrs is the firm hope in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the promise of eternal life and and unending happiness with God.

 Martyrs who bear testimony to the joy and power of the gospel in the midst of daily challenges, contradictions, temptations and adversities which come our way as we follow the Lord Jesus. What will attract others to the truth and power of the gospel? When they see Christians loving their enemies, being joyful in suffering, patient in adversity, pardoning injuries, and showing comfort and compassion to the hopeless and the helpless. Jesus tells us that we do not need to fear our adversaries. God will give us sufficient grace, strength, and wisdom to face any trial and to answer any challenge to our faith. Are you ready to lay down your life for Christ and to bear witness to the joy and freedom of the gospel? Repent, go to Confession, love Jesus, suffer for Him, rejoice in the present, look forward to the future. "The day is coming" (Mal 3:19). Come, Lord Jesus!

Thank You Jesus, My lord, My Saviour.. I love you. (Prayer Meeting 13/11/2013)

As we can see in today's Gospel, all ten lepers stepped out in faith and cried out to Jesus for help; they were obedient to Jesus’ counsel to show themselves to the priests, and as a consequence they were healed of their disease. Yet of the ten men that were healed, only one distinguished himself – he was the only one who returned to Jesus to praise him and thank him for what he did. And to add irony to this story, this person was a Samaritan, despised by the Jews. The story illustrates two points. The first point is one which our present Pope is painstakingly trying to make in his homilies, in his interviews, in his catecheses - Pope Francis wants to present to the world a tender, loving and compassionate God who cast His nets wide – He extends His grace to all people. Jesus' love and mercy, his healing touch extends to both Jews and Samaritans alike, the insider and the outcast, believers and unbelievers, to both the grateful and the ungrateful. No one is excluded from the love of God.

 

But the gospel pays greater attention to the second point - a lesson in gratitude as displayed by the former Samaritan leper. When we were little children, learning our manners, one of the first habits our parents drilled into our heads was the habit of saying “please” and “thank you.” And then there were the constant reminders by the adults, “Did you say thank you?” which taught you an additional lesson – it’s not enough to whisper a silent prayer of thanksgiving, gratitude has to be audible and visible. Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone. It’s strange how we lose sight of these important habits when we grow old.

Gratitude is not about "looking at the bright side" or denying the realities of life. It’s not saying, ‘Thank God, it could be worse!’ Gratitude goes much deeper than that. The leper’s action reveals the heart of gratitude – it is treasuring Christ more greatly and savouring his power more sweetly, the power which heals, which liberates and finally, the power which saves. 

Notice that although the nine lepers were ‘cleansed’, only one earned the accolade of being ‘saved.’ Jesus tells him at the end of the story, “Your faith has saved you.” In Luke’s context, he is making a polemical point: Only the foreigner is grateful for the grace received and that is his salvation. The others think solely of the benefits received, physical healing and social acceptance; but neglected to pursue the path of well-ness right to its very end – salvation. This is certainly descriptive of most of us who search for a cure to our disease, longevity to life, a solution to life’s problems; but ultimately lose sight of the greatest gift of all, the reason for the Father having to send his Son – our salvation

No work of God's is more worthy of gratitude than salvation. But it often doesn’t feel that way, right? Selective forgetfulness is to be blamed for this. We have forgotten that before coming to know Christ, each of us lived in a self-imposed prison of guilt, spiritual blindness and sin. But Christ not only rescued us from the power and penalty of our sins, He also lifted us to the realm of grace. He delivered us from punishment and brought glory. He defeated death and won for us eternal life. He took away the threat of hell and gave us the hope of heaven. Gratitude is therefore keenly linked with memory – memory of the grace of salvation we have received from God and who continues to complete and perfect the work which He has begun in us. Gratitude should make us sing of salvation, talk of salvation. Thanking God for saving us should be the unceasing occupation of our lips.

When we are giving thanks always for all things to God the Father, then we recognise his power and his glory. And when we recognise the power and the glory of God, we can understand our own position as His servants. We begin to approach the menial tasks that are all a part of our jobs and responsibilities with a sense of contentment rather than a sense of obligation. Imagine a Church or a parish that follows the example of grateful former leper. Imagine serving in a culture of gratitude—not a culture of obligation, or guilt, or arrogance, or exclusion, or pride.

Gratitude isn't something that should pass from our minds with the passing of a season. It's an attitude, a God-centred response to circumstances that should pervade every season of our lives. Perhaps the most difficult time to be thankful is when we're in the midst of a setback, a challenge, or a trial. When the storm comes, giving thanks is rarely our first reaction. Being thankful for adversity is never easy, but it is always right. Our faith reminds us that the difficult times are the ones in which God seems to be most at work in our lives, strengthening our weak spots, comforting our hurts, and drawing us to greater dependence. A person cannot be complaining and thankful at the same time, nor can they worry about money or health or anything while being thankful. With gratitude comes joy, hope, peace and love.

The story of the ten lepers is a wonderful story of the infinite grace and mercy of our Lord and Saviour, one who gives us good gifts, even if we have ungrateful hearts. It is also a story which challenges us to place our trust in God, to follow his commands, and to see the wonderful rewards this brings us. The word ‘Eucharist’ comes from the Greek word, “eucharistia,” (εὐχαριστία) meaning to give thanks (for the good graces we have received).  And so we give thanks not just because God has healed us, he has liberated us from sin, fear and anxiety. We give thanks because of Sacrifice of the Cross re-enacted at every Eucharist has saved us and continues to make us whole – completing, bringing together and finishing the grand work of salvation which God has begun us. And I don’t know about you, but the prospect of being made whole, being healed, being liberated and being saved is enough to make me turn around, rush back again to Jesus, and say thank you, Jesus.  Thank you so much.

Terms of Repayment (Prayer meeting 4/11/2013)

There were once a priest said this "not many people can see the kingdom of God." It makes me ponder a while and reflect on this statement. Finally, I realized that is true. Not many people able to see and realized that God's kingdom is at hand. We tend to focus more on our earthy matters, because we think that the rewards is much more worthy for our priority in life. We tend to skip Sunday mass because we think job is much more important because the reward of it is money. I guess this is the matters that blured our vision to God. 

Most of you who knows me, know that working in the city of KL is no longer easy. I have to wake up early in the morning in order to beat the traffic. It will be quite tiring for me to travel up and down, yet I'm here to share with you my piece of reflection, my thoughts. Importantly, the good news of our lord Jesus Christ. I'm here to share with you not because I want God to reward me in certain things that I'm longing for, not because I want a great repayment from God, not because to show that I'm holy. In fact, I'm a poor sinner. I'm here today because of God's grace has given to me, it gives me strength to share my joy with you, my brothers and sisters who are presence here today.

In today's Gospel, Jesus is not against our being repaid for the good we do. His concern is when we will be repaid and by whom. Visiting "bomoh" or fortune teller, one may argue that the things that these fortune teller, whom they claim themselves as gods, speculate thing accurately. However, because of our human weaknesses and the greed that we have, we might not able to recognize whether that is god or devil. 

God the Father plans to personally repay us at our resurrection (Lk 14:14). Upon reading this, we might feel like God has paid for our service by using a layaway plan! Will our payment ever come? In His love, God does repay us to a certain extent during our time on earth. He begins His eternal repayment plan a bit early by "depositing the First Payment, the [Holy] Spirit, in our hearts" (2 Cor 1:22).

Once we receive the Holy Spirit, we serve Him with such devotion and power that the world opposes us. Next comes our second payment on earth. St. Teresa of Avila once remarked to God: "How true it is that whoever works for You is paid in troubles! And what a precious price to those who love You if we understand its value." (To read the fine print on the terms of this second payment, read Sirach 2:1, 2 Timothy 3:12, and James 1:2-4)

As always, the Lord wants to purify our motives for serving Him. If we serve Him to be repaid in the currency of this world, we should "expect no recompense from" the Father (Mt 6:1).

"Who has given a gift to Him that he might be repaid?" (Rm 11:35, RSV-CE) God does not owe us anything. Yet no one can outgive God. True, He might repay us with a lifetime of troubles. "Do not, then, surrender your confidence [in God]; it will have great reward" (Heb 10:35). "Look out that you yourselves do not lose what you have worked for; you must receive your reward in full" (2 Jn 8).

The Commemoration of all of the Faithful Departed (All Souls Day)

I had a wonderful evening by attending mass with my fellow CSS members (Francis, Valentine, Sebastian, Sherena and Joanne) in commemorating and celebrate all saints day together . 

It is very significant and appropriate that after the Solemnity of All Saints, the Liturgy has us celebrate the Commemoration of all of the Faithful Departed. The "communion of saints", which we profess in the Creed, is a reality that is constructed here below, but is fully made manifest when we will see God "as he is" (I Jn 3: 2).

It is the reality of a family bound together by deep bonds of spiritual solidarity that unites the faithful departed to those who are pilgrims in the world. It is a mysterious but real bond, nourished by prayer and participation in the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

In the Mystical Body of Christ the souls of the faithful meet, overcoming the obstacle of death; they pray for one another, carrying out in charity an intimate exchange of gifts.

In this dimension of faith one understands the practice of offering prayers of suffrage for the dead, especially in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, memorial of Christ's Pasch which opened to believers the passage to eternal life. 

It is a holy and pious thought to pray for the dead (2 Mc 12:44-45). Because those in heaven or in hell don't benefit from our prayers, this implies that not everyone immediately goes to heaven or hell after they die. Therefore, when we pray for the dead, we must be praying for people in some other place, usually called purgatory. It is a place of purging and purification.

In the New Testament, the Lord suggests the existence of some place other than heaven or hell. Jesus went to "preach to the spirits in prison," who "had disobeyed as long ago as Noah's day" (1 Pt 3:19, 20; see also 1 Pt 4:6). These passages may refer to a place after death other than heaven or hell, but we don't know if this place still exists. Paul mentioned the Corinthians' practice of having themselves baptized on behalf of the dead (1 Cor 15:29). The most likely translation of this passage implies there is some place other than heaven or hell.

Jesus taught that the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would not be forgiven "in this age or in the age to come" (Mt 12:32). Does this suggest that some sins can be forgiven after death? If so, there must be a place after death other than heaven or hell.

We know from early Christian art that the Church of New Testament times prayed for the dead. We should do likewise, for it is a holy and pious thought to pray for the dead and an act of faith in the resurrection of the dead.

Dear friends, may the traditional visit of these days to the tombs of our dear departed be an occasion to fearlessly consider the mystery of death and to cultivate that constant vigilance which prepares us to meet it serenely. The Virgin Mary, Queen of Saints… will help us.

The True Heroes (Solemnity of All Saints)

Today, it may seem out of place for the Catholic Church to speak about saints when the globalised world, enamoured by American culture, seems to pay greater attention to glorifying ghouls, ghosts, demons and villains. Where do we even begin if we wish to talk about saints? I guess it would be important to understand what a hero is, because saints are described as men and women who display heroic faith.

So, what is a hero? A hero, in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion. In other words, being a hero meant divine origin. They were men and women who were the stuff of gods. Later, with the demythologizing of the concept, hero (male) and heroine (female) came to refer to characters who, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, display courage and the will for self sacrifice—that is, heroism—for some greater good of all humanity. The separation of humanity from the divine had begun. In an ironic sense, heroes came to replace the vacuum that was left by the dearth of gods. The idea of human heroes became a defiance of divine providence and intervention.

But the traditional concept of a hero has suffered a greater blow in recent times due to popular culture. It is no longer novel to be just a hero – the story of gallant and noble hero who rescue the helpless maiden in distress has been told countless times. This is just too boring for a world that craves for innovation and the unfamiliar. Therefore, we are beginning to see emerging in cinematography, literature and music, a glorification of the bad, the demonic and the villainous, which were originally seen as the antithesis of heroism. Thus the anti-hero has been canonized in songs like, “I’m Bad, I’m Bad” by Michael Jackson, Vampires in the TV series, True Blood, Casper in the cartoons, the demon Hell Boy in comic books and witches and wizards in the Harry Porter stories.

The Catholic Church’s celebration of the feast day of saints, its continued practice and tradition of canonizing ordinary men and women as saints, certainly goes against the tide of this prevalent trend. Almost everyday of the liturgical year is dedicated to a saint. In other words, during an entire liturgical year, the Church provides us with so many heroic examples of faith and holiness. Pope John Paul II, during his tenure as pope, had canonized more saints than all his predecessors. When asked why he did so, his reply was this: “In a world that is faithless, we need more models of faith. In a world that is hopeless, we need examples of hope. In a world that is so full of violence and death, we need shining beacons of peace.” In other words, by venerating and honouring the saints, the Catholic Church restores to the concept of heroism, its original characteristic of being linked with the divine.

The statement “The glory of God is man fully alive,” which is attributed to St Ireaneus, taken out of context can be deceiving. It seems to imply that the way to glorify God is to just be yourself and follow your heart. Now, being yourself is very important — just look at what happens when you try to be someone else — but it’s important to remember that the only way to truly be yourself, a created being, is through and for the One who created you. The glory of God is man fully alive, but man fully alive is man glorifying God.

That’s who saints really are – they show all of us, not only Christians, what it means to be fully human, to be heroes and heroines. But unlike the humanized version of a hero or the recent aberration of the anti-hero, these Christian heroes are mirrors which allow us to see the goodness, the greatness and the love of God. They are like windows which allow the light of Christ to pass through them and shine through them. It isn’t their own light. They have no light of their own. Saints don’t have any ambitions to draw people to themselves. They are not saviours nor the source of light. The light which shines through them is that of Christ. And it is to Christ, that saints draw others.

Saints are not superhuman beings. They are not great spiritual experts or angelic beings who have gotten rid of their humanity. No. The saints are fully human just like you and me. The saints are heroic because their lives demonstrate that they are fully grounded in their own humanness. They are fully human because they are in touch with human pain and suffering. They undergo pain and suffering and yet emerge victorious because they have not allowed despair to overtake them. They truly understand the meaning of the beatitudes in today’s gospel: “How happy are the poor in spirit, theirs is the kingdom of heaven … Happy those who mourn: they shall be comforted …Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right: theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” They are fully human, because they have learnt the purpose of our earthly existence is to glorify God whatever may be the circumstances they find themselves in.

They have undergone trials, difficulties, loneliness, failure, pain, suffering, tears of frustration, and even death but they have not allowed these to make them hard and resentful. They have not allowed these experiences to define them. Ultimately, they have discovered that it is the love of God which surpasses all these things which defines them. These experiences have allowed them to learn how to be more patient and gentle. Because they have experienced pain and grief, they have know how to bring peace and comfort to others. They have also learned how to be satisfied with what they have and depend entirely on the providence of God.

These are the saints whose feast we celebrate today. They are ordinary persons who have learned how to be loved by God and to love others extraordinarily. At our baptism, we too were given the names of these saints so that we too may become like them one day. All this will not take place in a single day. Neither does it require us to have superhuman strength or powers. And yet, the lives of the saints remind us that sanctification and holiness is open to all of us. There is no need for great or even momentous display of miracles. The miracle can be seen every day of our lives, throughout our whole lives, where we will be reminded by the saints to die a little to our own selfishness, our pride, our self-absorption so that we can gradually allow the light of Christ to shine through us.

F.M.C

Are you ready for surprise?

Are you ready for surprise? 

I guess most of you would have agree that life is full of surprises. The question arises at every important transition. Are you ready? Are you ready to go to college? To start a new job? Perhaps, for a new marriage couple, are you ready to welcome a baby to your family? Facing the list of questions that we have, we may list out all the preparations and solution in the hope that we'll be able to handle to future that lies before us. But there are always surprises, both pleasant and unpleasant. Nothing can prepare first-time parents for the all-encompassing effects of sleep deprivation or for the overwhelming love that floods them when they gaze at their new born baby. The best advice you could receive about preparing for parenting is this: "Expect the unexpected." That way, you won't be disappointed.

In today's Gospel, a similar thing happen to the servants. They gird their loins. They light their lamps and listen for their master's knock. They keep dinner warm, and they're ready to hang up his cloak and wash his feet when he does arrive. They're expecting the expected, all set to serve their master as they have always done. Then comes the surprise. When they hear that knock and hurry to open the door, the master commends them for being ready. Then he tells them to sit down at the table. "Tonight I'm going to wait on you!"

Jesus' master-servant parables seem to extol the virtue of preparedness. But there is something deeper and even more important behind it. There is an element of surprise in the story of the master returning home at a late hour after attending a marriage feast. Will the master catch his servant sleeping rather than keeping watchful guard? And what about the reward promised for those who faithfully perform their duty, day in and day out, no matter what the circumstances?  The image Jesus uses here is a great wedding feast in which the master honors his guests by seating them himself and personally waiting on them. What a great reversal the master becomes a servant to show his geat respect and honor for his beloved guests!

This parable contains a lesson in faithfulness and a warning against sloth.Why is faithfulness so important to God? For one, it's the foundation for any lasting and meaningful relationship. Faithfulness or fidelity allows us to persevere in living out an unswerving commitment. The Lord is committed to us in a bond of unbreakable love and fidelity. That is what covenant means keeping one's word, promise, and commitment no matter how tough or difficult it gets. Faithfulness is a key character trait of God and one that he expects of us. Fortunately God gives the grace and strength to be faithful. He also rewards faithfulness.  Faithfulness demands consistency, a determination to stay the course and see the task to its completion.

God loves faithfulness. That is why we can always expect God to give us what he promises. In turn, God expects us to be faithful to him and to one another. How can we grow in faithfulness? God's grace shows us the way. When we are faithful in the little tasks and promises we make, we learn to be faithful in the bigger and more important responsibilities and tasks entrusted to us. Our reward is the Lord Jesus himself who shares with us his joy and friendship "well done good and faithful servant ..enter into the joy of your Master" (Matthew 25:21).

Yes, do all you can to be ready to carry out your responsibilities today. Do everything possible to make sure you are obeying God's commands and loving other people as he has loved you. But at the same time, be sure to hold your heart in readiness. God is full of surprises! He may give you an unexpected token of his love. He may fill you with the inspiration to do something that you don't usually do, like sharing your faith. He may call your attention  to one of his children who needs your comfort, your correction, or your prayer.

Don't limit what God can do for you, in you, and through you. Life with Him is full of surprises.

Persistence in prayer

I should consider myself being blessed for having the opportunity to participate in the "Alpha Camp" which organized by some of the parishes in the archdiocese few weeks ago. The main purpose of this camp is to share with us the tools of evangelization when we are involve in the campus ministry. I had the opportunity to meet up with friends and students from various universities. I still remember there is a particular session where we talk about prayer. This particular section really touch me the most when we discuss the necessity to pray each day. 

Most people believe in praying, but how many believe in praying always? Even those who believe that praying always is a good idea don't always believe it's a necessity, but Jesus does.

Does your life say you believe in "the necessity of praying always"? Do you pray the first thing in the morning? Do you try to center your day on the Mass? Do you pray the Angelus? Do you pray not only for people, but with them? Do you pray daily with your spouse and family? With these many times of formal prayer, you will be in touch with Jesus all day even when you're busy with the day's activities and can't give Him undivided attention. Thus you will be praying always.

People might argue by saying even though they pray everyday, but God still didn't answer their prayer. So no point of them spending their time in prayer. I guess most of us would have reach to this stage when we got frustration in our lives. We want God give us immediate answer. We want everything to be fast. We want everything to be instant. Our patient always limit us to certain extend that we want our problems to be solve instantaneously. I guess the impatient character that we have in our human nature often lead us to a wrong decision making in our life. 

In today's first reading, the reading tells us that praying always is a necessity, for some battles are won not only by prayer, but by praying always. For instance, Moses had to keep praying, or Joshua would not have defeated the Amalekites (Ex 17:11ff). Prayer is good, but may not be good enough. There is "the necessity of praying always." 

Yes, you may say even though I pray always, God still didn't answer my prayer. Living as a minority in the country, being powerless, God did not shield His light to His people even though the injustice thing had happened to His people.

In today's Gospel reading, what can a shameless and unjust judge pitted against a crusty and pestering woman teach us about justice and vindication in the kingdom of God?  Jesus tells a story that is all too true a defenseless widow is taken advantaged of and refused her rights. Through sheer persistence she wears down an unscrupulous judge until he gives her justice. Persistence pays off, and that's especially true for those who trust in God. Jesus illustrates how God as our Judge is much quicker to bring us his justice, blessing, and help when we need it. But we can easily lose heart and forget to ask our Heavenly Father for his grace and help.  Jesus told this parable to give fresh hope and confidence to his disciples. In this present life we can expect trials and adversity, but we are not without hope in God. The Last Judgment will reveal that God's justice triumphs over all the injustices perpetrated by his creatures and that God's love is stronger than death (Song of Songs 8:6). The just can look forward with hope to that day when they will receive their reward.

Jesus ends his parable with a probing question for us. Will you and I have faith the faith that perseveres to the end of time when Jesus returns in glory to judge the living and the dead?  Faith is an entirely free gift that God makes to us.  If we want to live, grow, and persevere in the faith until the end, then we must nourish it with the word of God and ask the Lord to increase it (Luke 17:5). When trials and setbacks disappoint you, where do you place your hope? Do you pray with expectant faith and confidence in God's merciful care and providence for you?