20th Ordinary Sunday, Year C, 17.08.2025

Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10 / Hebrews 12:1-4 / Luke 12:49-53 

It is often said that we live in a small world, a small world in the figurative sense of the word. 

We will see how true this is when we realize, and are amazed, at how closely we are connected to each other. 

We may have a friend, who is related to someone else, who in turn is related to someone else, and then that someone else is also related to us. 

So, from being a friend, we suddenly realise that we are distant relatives. 

Indeed, this is a small world, and we are more closely connected than we think. 

With these close connections, then people's views and opinions spread faster and further. 

On a personal level, we can't deny that we can be affected by how others see us, and what they think of us. 

And we will be concerned and anxious about people's views and opinions about us, especially when it is not that pleasant.

In the 1st reading, the prophet Jeremiah's reputation was not favourable to the king’s leading men. 

They wanted to put him to death for disheartening the people with the so-called bad news. 

Even the king wasn't able to stop the leading men from throwing Jeremiah into the well. 

Such is the fate of a true prophet who proclaims the Word of God to those who are not willing to listen. 

In the gospel, what Jesus said would certainly disturb us, and make us wonder about what He meant. 

Jesus talks about bringing fire to the earth, and how He wished it were blazing already. 

Obviously, this fire is in the figurative sense, and it has a deeper meaning. 

It is a spiritual fire that burns away impurities and it is also a fire that enlightens. 

In our interactions and connections with family, relatives and friends, we are very much concerned about their views and opinions. 

Very often, the question that we ask ourselves is this: What will others say? What will people say? 

So yes, we are concerned about what others say and think about us. We are concerned about public opinion. 

So, we will go with the flow, we will conform, we will stay with the majority. 

But, the question is not “What will others say?”, or, “What will people say?” 

The burning question is this: What will God say? 

In order to hear what God will say, we will have to pray. 

In prayer, we will remember how Jesus responded to others, especially with their snide and disparaging remarks. 

When He was nailed to the Cross, the crowd taunted Him by saying: If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross and save yourself. 

And the other criminal also abused Jesus by saying: If you are the Son of God, save yourself, and us as well. 

But Jesus remained silent and did not do what they wanted Him to do. 

Jesus did what God wanted Him to do, and that is to bear with the abusing and disparaging. 

In listening to God, and obeying God, Jesus won salvation for us. 

The 2nd reading urges us with this: Let us not lose sight of Jesus, who leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection. 

May the fire of God's love enlighten us to listen to what He is saying to us.

And may we obey and follow Jesus, and walk with Him towards salvation.

19th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 16-08-2025

Joshua 24:14-29 / Matthew 19:13-15  

When we hear it being said that promises are made to be broken, then we know what is the attitude towards promises.

If promises are made to be broken, then is there any more meaning in making promises?

So whether it is a verbal or a written promise, it is meant to be kept.

When a promise is broken, the integrity and character of the person who broke the promise is revealed.

In the 1st reading, Joshua presented to the people a choice as they settled in the Promised Land.

More than just a choice, it is also a promise that they have to make.

Joshua said this: Choose today whom you wish to serve. As  for me in my house, we will serve the Lord.

The people answered: We have no intention of deserting the Lord and serving other gods. We too will serve the Lord, for he is our God.

So, promises have been made, and promises will be put to the test, and integrity and character will be revealed.

As we reflect on the commitment of a promise, may we also know that it is to people that we are making promises to.

And when we make promises to children, let us always keep to our promises.

That will show our integrity and character, and it will also build theirs.

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Friday, 15-08-2025

Apocalypse 11:19; 12:1-6, 10 / 1 Cor 15:20-26 / Luke 1:39-56 

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a great feast in the church. 

It is a Solemnity, and also a day of obligation, equivalent to that of the Sunday Mass. 

To some people, it may seem to be an occasion that is glorifying Mary. 

But for us who understand the meaning of this feast, we will know this:

Any honour, or veneration, or devotion to Mary must point to and lead us to Jesus Christ. 

So, the Assumption of Mary would make us recall the Ascension of Jesus into heaven. 

Jesus ascended into heaven and opened the gates of salvation, and Mary is the first receive the fullness of salvation. 

But Mary's entry into heaven does not mean that her mission is over. 

She still shares in the saving mission of Jesus in heaven. 

There she prays for us as the Mother of God and the Mother of the Church. 

Having faced the challenges and difficulties of life, especially in being faithful to God’s will on earth, Mary will pray for us as she knows that we would need God’s help in our journey of life and overcome the struggles and troubles of life.

Mary would also know that the evil one would tempt us to stray away from God and from heaven, but just as a mother would protect her children, Mary will also be with us to keep us close to Jesus and guide us to heaven.

Let us keep our devotion to Mary, and pray to her, that one day we will join her in heaven, and there together with her, we will praise and glorify God forever.

19th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 14-08-2025

Joshua 3:7-11, 13-17 / Matthew 18:21 - 19:1   

Every new leader will have to face this challenge or burden.

And that is, the new leadership will be compared with the previous leadership.

So, the new leader is often under some kind of psychological pressure to prove himself and his abilities.

Some new leaders will try to dismantle the structures of the old leadership in order to implement new directions.

Some new leaders might resort to some gimmicks to gain support.

In the 1st reading, as Joshua takes over the leadership from Moses, it is the Lord who assured him with these words:

This very day I will begin to make you a great man in the eyes of all Israel …

And the first thing that the Lord directed Joshua was the crossing of the Jordan river.

It was quite similar to how Moses lead the people across the Red Sea when the Lord parted the waters.

As it was with Moses, so it was with Joshua, that the Lord worked signs and wonders through them.

They only have to put their faith and trust in the Lord, and do what the Lord directed them to do.

May we too, put our faith and trust in the Lord when we are given responsibilities and tasks.

We don’t have to worry about proving ourselves or making an impression on others.

We just have to do what the Lord directs us and the Lord will show us the way.

19th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 13-08-2025

Deuteronomy 34:1-12 / Matthew 18:15-20   

No one likes to be left behind by others. It is a bitter depressing feeling.

More so when that person has been doing all the thankless work of getting the others together and getting them to move along.

For Moses, he had led the people in the desert for 40 years and he had to bear the brunt of their complaining and their demands.

And now, he had finally brought the people in sight of the land that God had promised them.

But as the Lord told him: I have let you see it with your own eyes, but you shall not cross into it.

We may have felt sorry for Moses, that despite the hardships that he went through, he could only see the Promised Land but could not step into it.

Moses may have felt that he was left behind.

But his true reward was in the Lord God. To be buried by the Lord God is to say that the Lord God has gathered Moses to go to his eternal reward.

The life and death of Moses tells us God does not forget those who faithfully carried out His will.

So, like Moses, let us not look at earthly rewards. And may the Lord our God be our eternal reward.

19th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 12-08-2025

Deuteronomy 31:1-8 / Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14   

We may at times wonder about what others think of us.

If we are curious and anxious enough to know, then we may resort to feedback.

But we won’t normally do that, because it can be rather embarrassing to ask people about their opinions on ourselves.

Nonetheless, we would be interested to know what others think about us.

But, a more important question to ask is what does God think about us?

And here, we are reminded again that the thoughts of God are not the thoughts of man.

How God see a person is also not how others see that person.

In the gospel, Jesus holds a child before His disciples and tells them that unless they change and become like little children, they will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

So, the one who makes himself as little as a little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

In the 1st reading, we see a glimpse of the greatness of Moses, as he accepted what the Lord God told him, that he would not cross the Jordan into the Promised Land.

We also see the greatness of Joshua as he humbly accepted the role of being the successor of Moses.

Their greatness was to let the Lord God lead them.

In that sense, they were like little children following and trusting their father.

When we do likewise, then we will realise that to be great is to be humble and little.

19th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 11-08-2025

Deuteronomy 10:12-22 / Matthew 17:22-27 

We want the good things of life. It is a human desire.

We are not asking for extreme pleasures or luxuries.

What we want is to live comfortably and have security in life.

So, what do we need to do to have the good things of life?

In the 1st reading, Moses said this to the people:

What does the Lord your God ask of you? Only this: to fear the Lord our God, to follow all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul, to keep the commandments and laws of the Lord that for your good I lay down for you today.

So, keeping the laws and commandments of the Lord God is not for His sake.

Rather, it is for our good. When we obey what the Lord God tells us, then we will have the good things of life, and we will be happy.

And when we are not demanding for too many good things, then the Lord our God will give enough, and we will be happy and contented.

In the gospel, Jesus was asked to pay the tax of the half-shekel.

Though He could have argued that He need not have to pay it, He choose not to offend the tax-collectors.

So, Jesus asked Peter to go catch a fish and there in the mouth of the fish was a shekel that paid the tax for both of them.

When we choose to do what the Lord wants of us, when we choose not to annoy others, or to irritate them, or to insult or offend them, then God will give us the good things of life.

When we walk in the ways of the Lord our God, it is certainly for our good, as well as for the good of others.