February 24

In today’s gospel, the disciples of John question Jesus about fasting. They ask Jesus why his disciples do not fast like them. To this question, Jesus replied that they will fast when the “bridegroom is taken away from them”. His response may be puzzling to some of you. Who is this bridegroom Jesus is referring to?

After a deep and thorough reflection of his answer, it would come to your understanding that the bridegroom, in fact, symbolizes Jesus. Similar to how wedding guests celebrate the presence of the bridegroom and do not mourn by fasting, the disciples rejoice Christ’s presence on earth. When He is with them, how could they fast? It is a time of celebration and happiness with Him.¹ Jesus then insinuates that the time will come however when He will be taken away from them. When that moment comes, the disciples will then begin to fast.

Fasting is an integral part of the Lent season. It does not simply involve going without food for an extended period of time. It is about the spiritual development and harmony that it grants. When we fast or abstain from certain things, such as drinking in excess, we are strengthening the two cardinal virtues of temperance and prudence. We practice to restrain ourselves from unhealthy desires, feelings, or thoughts such as vanity, which in turn strengthens our virtue of temperance. We also perfect our ability to make the right decisions and strengthen our will, which cultivates prudence. Accordingly, these virtues help nourish our souls, and in turn, we become closer to God. Moreover, fasting gives us the opportunity to create balance and harmony in our lives where there is an excess or deficiency.

In our university lives, we are granted a lot of freedom and independence. This leaves room, however, for temptations such as not going to class, not cleaning our rooms, or eating too much junk food. Through fasting, we can restore balance by telling ourselves to either do more or less of something. If we do not spend enough time studying, then this Lent season might be a time for you to devote more of yourself to this. After reading this gospel, let us all take a moment to reflect on what we can each do to restore balance in our lives, and thus, grow closer to God.

Anita Sivabalan

February 23

Jesus said, “If any man would come after me, let him (A) deny himself and (B) take up his cross daily and (C) follow me.”

This was Jesus’ instructions to those who want to be his disciples. Just three simple steps, as easy as ABC, and you’ll be God’s disciples! Hmm… but wait, what does A, B, and C really mean?

As a university student who frequently looks up words in the dictionary, I was quick to apply this strategy for my bible study. So… according to Dictionary.com, (A) ‘to deny oneself’ means ‘to refrain from satisfying one’s desires or needs’. OK, that means no shopping for that designer handbag that I don’t actually need.

Next, what does it mean to (B) ‘take up my cross’? This question has been bugging me for as long as I can remember. To understand this phrase, we need to look at what happened when Jesus was crucified on the cross. When Jesus died on the cross, he gave up his life for you and for me – the amazing love, a total self-sacrifice. Likewise, by taking up our cross, we are called to sacrifice ourselves and our lives, totally and with love for God and his people.

For me, (C) ‘follow me’, is the easiest to understand. It means that we are called to imitate Jesus by loving unconditionally like he did, by forgiving our enemies, and by serving God and our neighbours.

So putting ABC together, how do we ‘deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him’? I propose that we first examine those desires that please ourselves but contradict God’s commandments of love e.g. the desire to gain acceptance from our friends by bad-mouthing a person, the desire to show our group members that we are angry by shouting at them, the desire to want to look cool by swearing etc. Then, let us take up our cross by sacrificing ourselves and our desires, and use our lives to serve God and man by imitating Christ’s unconditional love for all. Let us make ABC our goal as we journey to become better disciples of Christ especially during this Lenten season.

 

Constance Yuen

February 22 – Ash Wednesday

“See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!” With these words from today’s second reading Christ’s Church launches into its season of penance, its season of renewal and restrengthening, its season of Lent. And what a great season this is!

Growing up, Lent was always presented as a time for giving up something in order to get ready for Easter. This is certainly a good start when it comes to our Lenten observance, but if we truly immerse ourselves in the meaning of this time of transformation, we realize it offers us the opportunity for something far greater, something more fruitful, and ultimately something more satisfying. Yes, Lent is a period of fasting when we are asked to distance ourselves from the novelties and pleasures of the world, especially those things which distract us or deter us from living good, Christ-centered lives, or which distance us from God. But fasting should never become one single isolated obligation to avoid this kind of food or stop using that kind of technology; rather, it must become an attitude, a way of living that enables us to see ourselves and see our own lives in relation to that of Christ. We unite ourselves with his forty days in the desert and at the same time to the Passion we know will ensue, in the hopes that in doing so we will ready ourselves to celebrate the glory of the resurrection, just as he readied himself to enter into his Pascal Mystery, the mystery of our faith.

To do this, to truly unite ourselves with Christ, our Lenten journey must mirror the precepts of today’s Gospel: We must give alms, we must perform acts of mercy and charity, we must pray, we must fast; but in doing so, we are to beware of practicing our piety publicly. For it is the Lord we serve, it is him and him alone we imitate, it is he whom, as St. Paul reminds us, is working together with us this Lent. That, dear Newmanites, is the key. We do not work alone, we do not labour and toil and suffer and persevere in isolation: Christ is with us. We do this for him, with him, and in him, and so none of it no matter how difficult is done in vain. We deny ourselves not so that we may deaden ourselves to the world but so that in HIM we may be fully alive.

These ashes on our foreheads are a sign of that life. Yes, they signify penance and self-denial, but we do not do penance for penance’s sake, we do not deny ourselves for the sake of denying ourselves. We say “no” to ourselves only to more fully say “yes” to Christ. We place his cross on our foreheads in order to more fully welcome him into our hearts, to more fully integrate him into the business of our lives, and to demonstrate our commitment to spend these days with him constantly on our minds.

And so during this season of penance, of reconnecting with Christ in a meaningful way, let us deny ourselves, take up his cross, and follow him. May we fast with great gusto and zeal, may we intensify and rejuvenate our prayer lives, may we act with mercy and be charitable towards our neighbour, may we see the face of Christ in all those we meet, and may we imitate Jesus with great devotion, great faithfulness, and great humility, as he leads us towards the sorrow of Calvary and the joy that lies beyond. May God bless each of you as you journey through these forty days and await the sacred mysteries they anticipate. A blessed and fruitful Lent to you all!  – Julian Paparella

February 17

In today’s Gospel, the Lord asks us to “take up our cross” and follow him. Many of us will interpret this to mean that Jesus wants us to follow His teachings. This is true. However, there is another significant meaning to this call, as well.

When Jesus is asking us to deny ourselves and follow Him, He is asking us to let go of all our desires and wants, and follow his key teaching of loving one another as Christ has loved us. He wants us to forget our own problems, and understand that our family, friends, and loved ones need help, too. We should also consider the concerns of society and try to address these issues, and not only our own. When Christ tells us to bear our cross and follow Him, He wants us to give up our own troubles to the Lord, and work towards the greater good.

Connecting this gospel teaching to our student lives, Jesus is asking us to put aside our problems and stress about exams, papers, and disputes with others, to leave our comfort zones and open our eyes to the issues in other students’ lives and the issues on campus. However, He is not saying that we should completely forget our academic or individual problems. Rather, he is asking that in addition to these concerns, it is important to help other students in our efforts to achieve what’s best for society as a whole. In a time when there has been a lot of discourse over the events in and around campus, he wants us to set aside sometime from our busy lives to get involved with members in our community, discuss the issues peacefully, and work with others co-operatively to seek a solution.

Finally, the Lord asks two important questions: For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his life? I ask the same two questions: What happiness do you receive by solely concentrating on your concerns and desires, but failing to reach out a hand to the ones around you? Will it bring you closer to God? Lastly, what is greater than giving our lives to the Lord? As the One who gave us the gift of life, I see nothing more worth giving in return.

Anita Karen Siva

February 15

In today’s Gospel Jesus heals a blind man.

But what is truly peculiar about this passage is that the healing process had two actual steps.

Jesus asked the blind man: “Do you see anything?” This question can be seen in such a way that it is addressed to us who are blinded by the things of this world. Implying and making us wonder if our faith is strong enough to see Jesus in his light.

This gradual restoration of physical sight represents the idea that people only gradually acquire the spiritual “sight” to truly understand Jesus and Christianity. At first, we see it in a way that is similar to how the apostles and others saw Jesus: dimly and distorted, not comprehending his true nature and purpose. After more grace from God, through prayer, meditation and reflection however, full sight is achieved — just as grace from God can bring about full spiritual “sight”, if we allow it.

So it is important to realize that we are the ones that create the gap between ourselves and the graces that Jesus has to offer, we have to simply obey and have faith and leave the rest to God.

Today let us all pray to our Father to help us to see beyond our temporal difficulties, for although we have faith in him, our vision still lacks clarity. We pray to the Holy Spirit to lead us closer to the light of Jesus our Lord. Amen.

February 9

In Jesus’ time, Gentiles were considered “unclean” because they were not part of “God’s people”. They were uncircumcised, did not follow the Law of Moses, and were avoided by the Jews. In today’s Gospel, despite knowing that she’s a Gentile, a Greek woman dared to ask Jesus, a Jew, for a favor. With great love for her possessed daughter and great faith in the healing power of God, she fell down at Jesus’ feet and begged of him to cast the spirit away. Even after being dismissed by Jesus, with great courage and persistence, she continued to plead, even to the point of referring to herself as a ‘dog’. Jesus, amazed at the faith and love of the Gentile, cured her child.

Like the Greek woman, most of us are Gentiles. And like the Greek woman, we, too, are ‘unclean’ because of our sins. The Lord knows this. He knows who we are and yes, he even knows what we did last summer. He does not expect us to follow every religious rule like the Jews or to be completely free of sin. No. What he asks of us are only faith and love. Like what St. Paul said to the Galatians, “For when we are in union with Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor the lack of it makes any difference at all; what matters is faith that works through love” (Galatians 5:6).

Therefore, do not be discouraged by your sins. Continue praying persistently for God’s mercy and grace, and persevere in faith and love as he instructed us to.

Increase our faith, O Lord, and let this living faith manifests itself in works of love for you and for your people. Amen.

 

Constance Yuen 

 

 

February 3

In today’s gospel, Mark shares with us the story of John the Baptist’s execution. John had declared the marriage between King Herod and the wife of his brother, Herodias, unlawful. In other words, he was explaining that marrying the wife of another man is against God’s word. Due to this assertion, the King had him arrested. Herodias was also angered by John’s assertion and cunningly found a way to have him beheaded.

One aspect of the gospel upon which we should reflect is the remarkable courage that John gathers up to speak the truth and the law of the Lord, especially to the King, who was the most respected man in the land. He knew that he would have to face the consequences of telling the King that he was doing something wrong. Yet, without fear, he defended God’s word. Thus, John sets a good example for all of us to emulate.

We, too, should foster the virtue of courage within our hearts and act upon it, in and around campus, and with our family and friends. Especially on campus, where we may hear and witness things that are unlawful, it is our responsibility as followers of Christ to point out what is right to our peers, even if it is not widely accepted. For example, in common discourses about abortion, shouldn’t we stand up for the unborn, the voiceless, but most importantly, for what is right?

Despite all the consequences, such as the questioning we might receive from fellow classmates, it is important to know that we are taking one step closer in our journey to God by defending His Word. This is suggested when Mark mentions John’s ascension into heaven. By speaking the truth and pointing out what is right, we too will be remembered when we enter into the kingdom of God.

 

Anita Sivapalan

February 1, 2012

“Prophets are not without honour, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house…And he was amazed by their disbelief.”

Imagine returning home to your family one day and being ignored, or going back to visit your high school or CEGAP the year after you graduated and being completely forgotten, no one remembering you. Or attending a family function and being disregarded by your own cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. Imagine you returned to your hometown after months away with an important message for those you love, those you grew up with, those you know best and who know you best, and no one believed you.

This is the predicament in which Jesus finds himself in today’s Gospel. We see our Lord returning to his homeland, back to the place where he grew up, back to Nazareth. And how is he received? Not with jubilation, not with shouts of acclamation, not with songs of welcome but with a sense of jealousy, betrayal, and contempt. They know who he is, they know his mother, his father, his friends, and they find him unworthy of all the attention he’s garnered in the surrounding regions. There rejection is born of an insidious selfishness, a selfishness that results from envy, from narrow-mindedness, and from seeking to put ourselves and our human interests before God and his divine interests. And so we ask ourselves, in what ways are we Nazarenes? Do we ever treat those with whom we are most familiar with contempt or a lack of kindness? Perhaps our parents? Our siblings? Our roommates? Do we always show them the same respect that we show those with whom we are less familiar: our acquaintances, colleagues, and superiors? Or do we fall into the trap of the people of Nazareth and allow our emotions and irrationality to get the best of us, trapping us in our own self-absorption, and distancing us from God and our neighbour?

And so today, let us resolve to go out of ourselves, to reach out, to be free of selfishness, and to love. To love our family, to love our friends, but most importantly to love our Lord, who gives us these family and friends as precious gifts on this unfolding journey of life. Let us strive also for a strong, abiding faith, one firmly rooted in the Good News of Jesus Christ, and let us take as our model not the suspicion of the Nazarenes, but instead the faith of the Centurion, who “amazes” Jesus not by his lack of faith, but by his abundance of it. May the depth of our love and the strength of our faith truly be “amazing,” and allow us to be amazed by the wonders of the Lord Jesus, the source of all love and the summit of all faithfulness. God bless you.

Julian Paparella

January 27

When was the last time you killed someone? Never? Think again. For me, it was when I got angry at my housemate for being angry at me for no reason at all! Or at least, that’s what I think.

Anger is a subtler form of killing, though I would argue that anger as an emotion is only human. Some may argue that it is even evolutionarily engineered in us to help us protect ourselves and our family. However, anger taken to the extreme, such as physical violence, abuse, and even verbal threats, kills the relationship we have with that person. Moreover, like in my case, anger in one party fuels anger in another, which may render the reconciliation process more difficult later. A more useful approach would be to put ourselves in the other person’s shoes and try to understand why s/he is angry at us, no matter how incredulous it might seem to us at first.

So the next time you feel the beginnings of anger, stop yourself. Relax your facial muscles so that you don’t show signs of anger, and THINK. Try to understand the other person’s perspective. Don’t kill that special relationship both of you have been building all these while.

 

Constance Yuen

January 26, 2012

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.”

Christ and his teachings are light to me. They show me how to treat my neighbours, what to do in conflict, and what to prioritize in life. My life revolves around these teachings as I try my best, day after day, to follow them.

However, as much as Christ and his teachings are important to me, I always hesitate to talk about this Light to my friends, many of whom are atheists. Not being a good speaker, I worry that I may not be able to effectively talk about Christ without offending them. Hence, I resolve to show this light in me through my daily actions – through smiling, giving a helping hand, participating in community activities, lending notes to friends. After all, actions do speak louder words, right?

So join me in this endeavor to spread Christ’s light to our friends and university community. “For they will know we are Christians by our love” and I’ll add, by Christ’s light in us.

 

God bless.

 

Constance Yuen