Pride, humility, trust in God. These are the themes that emerge for me from the readings and responsorial psalm this week. Pharisees were highly regarded in Jewish culture of that time, while tax collectors, on the other hand, are often thought to have cheated people, fattening their own pockets by charging them more than the required taxes and were despised [...]
Preparing the reflections was a very big task for me. I often felt stressed out as I feel that I am not equipped to write something that people will read or that I would be able to correctly showcase how reflections should be written. After reading the First and Second readings and the Gospel repeatedly, trying to get inspiration, and [...]
When was the last time you fell ill? What was that like? I recall when I contracted COVID-19. I felt so tired, as if I was weighed down by an unseen rock, unable to get out of bed, coughing, wishing it would end. It was hard even to pray. And when it finally subsided, all I thought was “Oh, [...]
There are some days that I feel that the injustice of this world requires a direct and forceful action from God. Why are the wars around the world still raging on? Why hasn’t hunger and poverty been eradicated despite all our technological advances? Why are we still living in the shadow of the pandemic? Why is my friend still not [...]
In the Gospel passage, Jesus gave us a practical suggestion to seek the treasure that will last. Yet, so often we are blinded by what is in front of us and that causes us to just cave in to that immediate gratification to satisfy ourselves. A nice car, a new phone or the next NETFLIX series and at times, in [...]
The first reading reveals how unscrupulous people treat the poor in the ancient times - ‘Lowering the bushel, raising the shekel, and tampering with the scales’ for financial gains. Fast forward 2000 years later, similar practices abound. The rich get richer and the poor continues to be poor. How is it that these situations persist? ‘Never will I forget a [...]
The first reading reveals how unscrupulous people treat the poor in the ancient times - ‘Lowering the bushel, raising the shekel, and tampering with the scales’ for financial gains. Fast forward 2000 years later, similar practices abound. The rich get richer and the poor continues to be poor. How is it that these situations persist? ‘Never will I forget a [...]
How do we feel when we have gone out of our way to help someone but see that our acts of kindness are soon forgotten or treated lightly? Even though the Israelites had witnessed amazing miracles which had been worked on their behalf, they forgot them very quickly and, worse, turned back to their familiar idols and gods of Egypt. [...]
In today’s Gospel, we hear Jesus challenging us to give up our possessions and desires and dedicate ourselves to the work of the Gospel. “Anyone who does not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple”- Luke 14:27. The call for us to take up the cross and follow Jesus is not something easily understood especially so [...]
“For everyone who exults himself will be humbled, and the man who humbles himself will be exalted.” Of all the ways others have described you, how many have described you as a humble person? His state was divine, yet Christ Jesus did not cling to his equality with God but emptied himself to assume the condition of a slave, and became as men [...]