Friday after Epiphany, 09-01-2026

1 John 5:5-13 / Luke 5:12-16  

In the reality of life, we face sickness and diseases, and we have succumbed to them.

Even the healthiest among us get a cough and cold, to say the least.

As it is often said, health is wealth.

But more than that, health is life, and when we are reasonably healthy, we can have a good quality of life.

But for that leper in the gospel, or for that matter all the lepers during that time, the quality of life is down to zero.

And it was also the deep pain of loneliness and rejection that drained out all life in him.

Jesus came to give us life and life in its fullness.

Because the glory of God is man fully alive.

The 1st reading emphasized it deeper when it says that God has given us eternal life and this life is in His Son, and everyone who has the Son has life.

Jesus is our Life, and in times of pain and suffering, let us turn to Him for healing.

And of course, Jesus wants to heal us and give us the life of faith and hope.

So even in pain and suffering, in sickness and illness, when we have Jesus in our heart, we will be able to live life and give glory to God.

Thursday after Epiphany, 08-01-2026

1 John 4:19 - 5:4 / Luke 4:14-22   

It is a nice feeling to hear someone say something good and positive.

Even if that person saying it is an ordinary person without much or any credentials.

But when it is a person of a high status or high standing, the good things that he says are often well received and even applauded.

In the gospel, Jesus went to the synagogue in His hometown in Nazareth.

Then He stood up to read a passage from the prophet Isaiah.

And He won the approval of all as they were astonished by the gracious words that came from His lips.

But we know what came next. When His hometown people realized that Jesus was the son of a carpenter, they began to put Him down and scorned Him.

His gracious words don’t mean much to them because of His lowly status, even though Jesus told them that the prophecy is being fulfilled.

The 1st reading tells us that anyone who says “I love God” but hates his brother is a liar.

Let us remember that what we say should also express who we are.

We need to be sincere and honest in what we say.

We may not always have to say nice things, but let us also not say what is hurtful or what is false.

When we say that we love God, then may what we say be words of love to others.

Wednesday after Epiphany, 07-01-2026

1 John 4:11-18 / Mark 6:45-52  

There is no one who can say that he has no fear.

And fear respects no one.

Regardless of status, or reputation, or qualification, fear will begin to grip when there is uncertainty or danger.

In the gospel, Jesus made His disciples get into the boat while He sent the crowds away.

Then He went off into the hills to pray.

So Jesus was not with them in the boat, and they were having a difficult time rowing for the wind was against them.

Then in the fourth watch of the night, Jesus walked towards them on the water.

With the darkness of the night and the choppy waters, fear came upon the disciples, and they thought that they were seeing a ghost and they were terrified.

But when Jesus got into the boat with them, and the wind dropped, the disciples were utterly and completely dumbfounded.

The situation at sea and the adverse conditions tested them and they gave in to fear.

Jesus came into the world to show us God’s love.

The 1st reading tells us that in love there can be no fear.

But we are human, and we are insecure and we have our fears.

In times of uncertainty or danger, let us turn to Jesus who will protect us.

Jesus loves us and cares for us. Let us always remember that.

Tuesday after Epiphany, 06-01-2026

1 John 4:7-10 / Mark 6:34-44  

For those of us who cook sporadically, or try to cook, preparing a meal can be challenging.

Cooking a meal for just ourselves would already take quite a bit of time.

Cooking a meal for others would really stress us out.

But for some people, cooking is like a duck taking to the water.

And they can cook for even a gathering of people, depending on their ability and other cooking factors.

Still, they would be able to churn out good tasting food.

And they do it with love and passion.

In the gospel, Jesus saw the large crowd, and He took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and He taught them at some length.

Then it was getting late and the people were hungry, and so Jesus asked if the disciples could get them something to eat.

It was like asking the disciples to cook for the crowd of five thousand with just five loaves and two fish.

Then Jesus worked a miracle, and it was a miracle of love.

Jesus showed His love for the people and He looked to God for His providence.

When we are faced with a challenging and difficult task, let us look at the people with love and let us turn to God for His blessings.

Nothing is impossible as long as there is love for the people.

So the next time if we are asked to cook for a number of people, let us look at them with love and God will work a wonder of love for them and also for us.

Monday after Epiphany, 05-01-2026

1 John 3:22 - 4:6 / Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25  

The festive season is obviously over.

We have celebrated Christmas, and welcomed the New Year.

With the feast of Epiphany over, it is time to take down the Christmas decorations and keep the statues of the Nativity scene.

As much as all the feasts and festivities are over, some things must have changed.

We have experiences that have deepened and strengthened our faith.

Our faith is leading us to the mission, and the mission is to proclaim the Good News of God’s love.

It is the same mission that Jesus embarked on in the gospel.

With His light in our hearts, we go forth into the world, but we are not of the world.

The 1st reading tells us that those who of the world speak the language of the world, and the world listens to them.

The world listens to those who speak of efficiency, results, achievements, numbers and profits.

But we who are of God will speak the language of the Good News.

We speak of the dignity of the person and respect, forgiveness and healing, kindness and gentleness, patience and dependence on God’s providence and guidance.

May the Spirit of truth lead us to speak and act with love.

And may the Good News bring about God’s blessings on us and on the world.

Epiphany, 04.01.2026

Isaiah 60:1-6 / Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6 / Matthew 2:1-12

One of the practices during Christmas is to give presents. 

The presents can be quite a surprise as they are often wrapped. 

The purpose of giving gifts and presents during Christmas is to share the joy of Christmas with others. 

By and large, those presents are either food or accessories. 

When it is food, then it is usually chocolates or some festive biscuits or cookies or cakes. 

If we have received such gifts, then it is either the giver knows we have a sweet tooth. 

Or that the giver is wishing us an abundance of sweet and rich foods. 

When it comes to accessories, there is a wide variety.

It can come in the form of clothes, and it may mean that the giver is telling us to update our attire. 

Or it may be some kind of jewellery, and it may mean that the giver wants us to look nice and pretty and stylish. 

Or, it may be accessories and gadgets and whatever the giver thinks we might need. 

The main purpose of gifts is to thank the other person for the friendship, and so the gifts are signs of love. 

So, if we still have our Christmas presents with us, let us take a look at them again and see what the gifts are telling us. 

In the gospel, after Jesus had been born at Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of king Herod, some wise men came to Jerusalem from the east. 

They had seen a star as it rose, a unique star that pointed to the birth of the king of the Jews. 

The star beckoned the wise men to look for the newborn king and to pay Him homage. 

They had thought that the new born king would be found in Jerusalem. 

Instead, their arrival startled king Herod who was perturbed by the news. 

He then consulted the chief priests and the scribes, who told him that the king would be born in Bethlehem. 

But it seems that the chief priests and scribes were rather indifferent about the prophecy and they did nothing about it. 

So, king Herod used the wise men to get more information about the newborn king, as he had ulterior motives. 

So, the star that beckoned the wise men was not always there to lead them. 

But after leaving king Herod, the star appeared again and led the wise men to Bethlehem to where Jesus was. 

The wise men were delighted to see the star, but they were also surprised. 

They were surprised at the poor and humble place of the newborn king, which was a stable for animals and He was lying in a manger. 

And the parents were just poor and humble and ordinary people. 

So, did the wise men get it wrong, or did the star got it wrong? 

But when they saw the newborn baby, their eyes and their minds were opened. 

That is the new born king of the Jews, and they opened up their treasures and offered Jesus their gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. 

(There is this corny joke which said that those gifts were rather impractical. If it were the three wise women, and they would have brought milk powder, diapers and wet wipes.) 

But the feast of the Epiphany is not about being practical, or logical or reasonable. 

It is about a divine revelation, a revelation for us, a revelation for the Church, a revelation for the world. 

Those gifts were for a new born king. Those gifts have meaning, and they also have a revelation. 

The gold is a gift for the new born king. But the gold also reveals that the king is not just the king of the Jews, but the King of the universe, the King of all creation. 

The frankincense is to honour the new born king. But the frankincense also reveals the divine nature of the new born king, that is, Jesus is divine as well as human. 

The myrrh is a precious medicine. It also reveals that Jesus is the Saviour, and He came to forgive and heal our sins. 

Yes, gifts have a meaning, and they also have a revelation. 

There was one day when I was passing by a marketplace and there were a few of those makeshift stalls. 

I casually stopped by a stall selling accessories and gadgets, and I picked up a cute little radio with MP3 player. 

The lady saw me looking at it and she said, “Laylong, laylong, cheap cheap, clearance sale, buy la, buy la.”

I thought for a while and I wanted to buy it for my mother as a portable radio, as well as a Christmas present. 

Then, at the feast of Holy Family, I thought about family prayer and my mother. 

So, I recorded some prayers into the radio-MP3 player, so that my mother can pray with it. 

So, from a simple gadget, it became a gift and it became a revelation of how my mother could pray with me even though I may not be by her side. 

The feast of the Epiphany reminds us that while our thoughts are on the practical, the logical and the reasonable, God reveals His ways and His wonders in the simple, the humble and even the unusual. 

The wise men were truly wise as they were able to see the divine revelation in their gifts. 

May we to be wise enough to see God’s revelation in the gifts we have received from others.

3rd January, Weekday of Christmas Time, Saturday, 03-01-2026

1 John 3:29 - 3:6 / John 1:29-34  

To be able to see something would indicate that it exists in reality.

Of course, to be able to touch that thing would dispel the possibility that it is just an optical illusion.

Upon seeing something, then our reasoning would help to assess what it is and make an opinion about it.

When it comes to persons, we may be able to see the external features but we may not be able to immediately see the character and other aspects of a person.

In the gospel, when John the Baptist saw Jesus coming towards him, he immediately recognised Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

But it was certainly not by his own reasoning or assessment that he made that declaration.

As John the Baptist would testify later, he didn’t know about Jesus himself.

But the One who sent him to baptize with water had said to him:

The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and rest is the one who is going to baptize with the Holy Spirit.

We have received the Holy Spirit, and with the enlightenment and guidance of the Holy Spirit, we will be able to see what God wants us see.

Not only will we see what God wants us to see, He will also enlighten us and guide us to be witnesses of His love to those whom we are looking at.