4th Week of Easter, Saturday, 27-04-2024

Acts 13:44-52 / John 14:7-14

Criticisms are certainly not a proper way to address an issue.

Even though there is such a term called “constructive criticism”, yet there seems to be an ambiguity or a contradiction in that term.

And when criticisms are prompted by jealousy, then terrible things can be said and done.

In the 1st reading, that was what Paul and Barnabas faced.

Blasphemies were even hurled at them even though what they were doing was to preach the Word of God.

But criticisms always reveal the motives and the intentions of the critics.

Especially when critics are so engrossed in their jealousy, they will not be able to see anything good at all.

 

In the gospel, Jesus told Philip that to have seen Him is to have seen the Father.

But there were also the Pharisees and the scribes who saw Jesus as only a threat and a trouble-maker.

Let us remember that criticisms only reveal the dark side of the critic.

Let us ask the Lord for the grace to have eyes that will see without biasness and without being judgmental or jealous.

May we see the good in others and encourage them in their goodness.

That is one of the Christian ways of preaching the Good News.

4th Week of Easter, Friday, 26-04-2024

Acts 13:26-33 / John 14:1-6  

The language of the world is a language we are familiar with, because we hear it every day.

And that language forms ideas and concepts like efficiency, productivity, excellence, results, gains and profits.

But when we think about those concepts and ideas of the world, we may notice that there is one essential aspect that is missing.

And that essential aspect is the person; or collectively speaking, people are not that important in the dynamics.

In the language of Christianity, what is essential and important is the person, or people.

In the 1st reading, St. Paul says this: We have come to tell you the Good News.

The Good News is not about gains or profits. The Good News is about God’s saving love for humanity, God’s saving love for you and me.

In the gospel, Jesus tells us not to let our hearts be troubled.

Because we are distracted and disturbed by the ways of the world that makes us anxious and worrisome.

But Jesus tells us to trust in God and to trust in Him.

Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Let us speak the language of the Way, the Truth and the Life of Jesus.

That is the Good News that we can tell the world.

St. Mark, Evangelist, Thursday, 25-04-2024

1 Peter 5:5-14 / Mark 16:15-20  

St Mark the Evangelist is the traditional author of the Gospel according to Mark, and he is closely identified as (John) Mark that we heard about in the 1st reading, who was a disciple of St. Peter.

St. Mark is also closely identified as the cousin of Barnabas, who together with St. Paul were great missionaries in the Acts of the Apostles.

So St. Mark had connection with big names in the New Testament, but that was not why he became a big name in the Bible.

He was greatly involved in the missionary work of the early Church and he founded the Church in Alexandria.

He may have been recognized for his gift of writing and being a disciple of St. Peter, he wrote the gospel through the reflections and teaching of St. Peter.

So St. Mark was a missionary and a writer and he was also involved in the work of the early Church.

He may have discovered these gifts gradually but he knew what these gifts were for.

As the 1st reading says: Wrap yourselves in humility to be servants of each other, because God refuses the proud and will always favour the humble.

So in spite of being associated with big names in the Church and bestowed with gifts, St. Mark remained a humble servant of the Church.

So let us learn from St. Mark to be humble servants of God and to be humble servants to each other.

That is the first requisite for the proclamation of the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ.

4th Week of Easter, Wednesday, 24-04-2024

Acts 12:24 - 13:5 / John 12:44-50

The Church has many aspects that reveals something of its essence.

The Church can be seen as a hierarchy, as an institution, as an organization, as a community, etc.

But the essence of the Church is founded in the mystery of God.

God is the very essence of the Church, and God has revealed Himself to the Church and yet it is also an on-going revelation.

In the 1st reading, the Word of God continued to spread and to gain followers.

That is certainly not by human effort but by the power of God.

And it is in worship and prayer and fasting that God revealed through the Holy Spirit the mission He has for Barnabas and Saul.

And it is in the communion of prayer that the early Church sent Barnabas and Saul into the mission that God has shown them.

May we, as the Church, always understand the fundamental importance of prayer.

It is in the communion of prayer that God will reveal to us His plans for us.

God’s plan is for all peoples to be saved. Let us pray for God’s blessings that we will carry out the mission of salvation.

4th Week of Easter, Tuesday, 23-04-2024

Acts 11:19-26 / John 10:22-30   

When we think about what appeals to people, then it boils down to what people are attracted to.

People like to be entertained. People like the spectacular and the sensational.

It is also amazing how people would idolize some individuals like pop singers and movie stars.

Their fan club membership can even go to five figures, or more, depending on the popularity.

When tracing the beginnings of Christianity, the disciples went around preaching the simple message of the Good News.

As the 1st reading puts it: The Lord helped them, and a great number believed and were converted to the Lord.

And when Barnabas was sent to the church in Antioch, he could see for himself that God had given grace.

Christianity and its early missionary preachers did not try to appeal to peoples' desires or tried to attract people with anything spectacular or sensational.

It was by the grace of God that people believed and were won over to the Lord.

It is the Lord who calls us to be His disciples and we are sent to do the work of God by witnessing to the Good News of salvation.

Let us keep focused on the Lord as we carry out His work.

Let us also remember that the results are by the grace of God and not by our abilities.

4th Week of Easter, Monday, 22-04-2024

Acts 11:1-18 / John 10:1-10  

When reading the book of the Acts of the Apostles, there is one thought that might come to our minds.

The experience of God in the early Church seems to be so profound and it almost seems like a regular occurrence.

There was the vision of Peter which was accepted without question.

There was the vision of an angel standing in the man’s house, and the angel had a message for the man.

And then the Holy Spirit came down upon the group in the same way as it was at Pentecost.

So, in that passage of the 1st reading, the visions and signs of the spiritual seem to be like a normal and regular occurrence.

That make us wonder what happened to those visions and signs in today’s Church.

But a deeper question to reflect upon is how do we sense the promptings of God.

In the gospel, Jesus says that the shepherd calls out, one by one, to his own sheep and he leads them out.

As much as we want to hear the voice of our Good Shepherd, the world has too many loud and distracting voices and noises.

Hence, we need to get back to the silence of prayer and be still before the Lord.

Only then can we listen to the voice of our Good Shepherd and understand the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

Then we will be able to see the signs and wonders that God is showing us.

4th Sunday of Easter, Year B, 21.04.2024

Acts 4:8-12 / 1 John 3:1-2 / John 10:11-18 

Between God and human beings, there is one great and fundamental difference.

Basically and essentially, it is this: God is divine and we are only human. 

Reflecting further on this, it is God who created us and the rest of creation. We humans did not create anything at all. 

A human being cannot become God. Those who wanted to, or tried to become God, embarked on a quest for immortality, eternal youth, everlasting power, strength and might. 

But the history of humanity is splattered with such cases, and they are cases of futility. 

That is the truth, and it is an eternal and irrevocable truth. 

And we Christians bear witness to that truth by our faith. 

As we profess in the Creed, God is the Almighty Creator, and He is also our Father. 

And next comes the astounding truth, and that is God became man in Jesus Christ. 

That truth is a deep mystery that needs to be reflected and meditated upon, and it can only be done with the enlightening love from God. 

Jesus Christ is our Lord and God, He is our Saviour, and in today's gospel, He tells us that He is our Good Shepherd. 

That image of the Good Shepherd and the sheep will certainly help us to understand the loving relationship between Jesus and us. 

A Good Shepherd protects and takes care of His sheep. 

He will even lay down His life for His sheep when there is harm and danger. 

That is how much God loves us, even to the extent of dying for us in order to save us. 

And Jesus calls us to be His sheep and to follow Him. 

Jesus is the Good Shepherd who calls us to be His good sheep. 

And a good sheep listens to the voice of the Good Shepherd. 

This Sunday is also known as Good Shepherd Sunday, and the emphasis is on vocations to the priesthood, as well as to the religious life. 

A good sheep listens to the voice of the Good Shepherd. 

And a good sheep may also listen to a deeper call in the voice of the Good Shepherd. 

Jesus will not leave His Church without priests, priests who will listen to His voice. 

Because Jesus calls priests to lead the People of God in worship and prayer, and preach the Word of life and love. 

Priests are called by Jesus to celebrate the Eucharist, and to offer the sacrifice in memory of Him. 

The voice of the Good Shepherd is echoed in the voice of the priest, so that the People of God, the flock that belongs to the Good Shepherd, will walk in the way of salvation. 

So, Jesus has called those He has chosen to be His priests, and also those to the religious life. 

Jesus calls and He waits for their response. 

As for us, the People of God, let us also echo the call of a Good Shepherd to those He is calling. 

But whether the call is to be a priest, or a religious, the call is always to be a good sheep. 

And whether it is a priest, or a religious, or a sheep that belongs to the flock of Jesus, we are called to be like the Good Shepherd. 

The Good Shepherd laid down His life for us. 

Let us also lay down our lives to love and to serve others, and to help them listen to the voice of Jesus our Good Shepherd.

3rd Week of Easter, Saturday, 20-04-2024

Acts 9:31-42 / John 6:60-69  

To run a marathon for the first time would certainly require intense preparation.

Whatever it is, the objective is to finish that 42 km within a reasonable time.

But what if a person were to run a marathon without much preparation or know how long the distance is.

No doubt, it would seem rather futile to carry on especially when fatigue sets in, and the hope of finishing the marathon fades away with each stride.

For the disciples in the gospel, they had to decide whether to follow Jesus after hearing the teaching about Jesus as the “bread of life”.

Some couldn’t accept it and found it pointless to carry on following Jesus, and so they left.

For the Twelve, they too may have found it challenging to accept the teachings of Jesus.

But as Peter said: Lord, who shall we go to? You have the message of eternal life, and we believe and we know that you are the Holy One of God.

Whether it is unquestionable faithfulness or blind perseverance, the Twelve made their choice.

We too have to make our choice when faced with the difficult and challenging teachings of Jesus.

But if we believe that Jesus has the message of eternal life, then let us be faithful and persevere, and keep walking on.

God will reward us for believing, and for being faithful and persevering.

3rd Week of Easter, Friday, 19-04-2024

Acts 9:1-20 / John 6:52-59   

Angry people want to show how powerful they are.

So they will resort to hostile and violent means to threaten and make others submit to them.

They would even ask for authorization letters to justify what they are doing.

Such was the case of Saul in the 1st reading.

He was so bent on killing and slaughtering the Lord’s disciples, and he even got letters from those in authority to show that he was doing the right thing.

Human anger, hostility and violence cannot be stopped by human means.

But where human ability is limited, God will not let evil be unstoppable.

Saul was not only stopped by the power of God; it was also revealed to him that he was persecuting Jesus.

It was love that stopped Saul, and it was also love that spared and saved Saul.

And it is also with love that Jesus gives us His Body to save us and to give us life.

Sin, wickedness and evil can never prevail against the power of God’s love.

In receiving the Body of Christ, we also receive Jesus into our hearts, and we also receive the power of God’s love.

May the power of God’s love in us lead us to do what is good, what is right and what is loving.

3rd Week of Easter, Thursday, 18-04-2024

Acts 8:26-40 / John 6:44-51

There are many things in life that we don’t quite understand, or know what it is all about.

The laws and wonders of nature are certainly quite beyond our reasoning.

The complexity of human relationships are also a mystery to us.

And of course, God is a mystery that is beyond our comprehension.

In the 1st reading, the Ethiopian eunuch may have read that passage of scripture a couple of times.

He couldn’t quite understand the meaning until Philip came along and explained it to him.

He was so enlightened that he requested for baptism.

In the gospel, Jesus said that it is written in the prophets, that to hear the teaching of God and learn from it is to come to Him.

When there are aspects of the faith, or the Church, or our lives that we don’t understand, let us not get frustrated or flustered.

In God’s time and in God’s way, we will learn and be enlightened.

And then, we will come to Jesus with rejoicing hearts.

3rd Week of Easter, Wednesday, 17-04-2024

Acts 8:1-8 / John 6:35-40  

We don't usually accept mistakes or an unexpected turn of events that leave us fretting away and wondering what is going to happen next.

But history and the experience of our lives show us that many discoveries and movements have their origins from apparent accidents and mistakes and unexpected events, rather than from carefully planned programs and processes.

Such was the case with the discovery of penicillin.

Such was the case with the independence of Singapore.

Such was the case with the early Church in its first missionary movement.

Had the Christians not been persecuted in Jerusalem, they would not have gone to Samaria, at least not at such an early stage, to preach the good news about Jesus.

And the Good News needs to be spread because people need to know that besides the material world, there is also the spiritual world.

Besides material needs, there are also the spiritual needs.

Besides physical hunger, there is also a spiritual hunger which only God can satisfy.

Jesus came to do the will of His Father and that is to be the bread of life and to fill the spiritual hunger of people in the world.

So when things don't go our way, that is when God wants to show us His way.

That is when Good News is going to happen, so that we may see and be filled with it, and in turn share that Good News with others.

3rd Week of Easter, Tuesday, 16-04-2024

Acts 7:51 - 8:1 / John 6:30-35  

The world often determines standards of who we are and what we should be.

So high up on the scale are those who have powerful authority.

Up there would also be the super-rich, the famous, the influential, etc.

But we may come to see that those are mere externals.

Those externals do not tell us much about the character of the person.

In the 1st reading, the people who were ganging up against Stephen showed who they really are.

They found power in numbers, and they used it against Stephen, who was helplessly alone.

Stephen also showed his true character. He preached even when he knew he was risking his life.

And at the end of his life, his true character was expressed in forgiving his enemies.

Let us remember that it is not what we have or what we do that determines our character.

It is when we put on the person of Christ, that we will be formed into a person who will be like Christ.

And like Christ, we too will be loving and forgiving, kind and compassionate, truthful and humble.

3rd Week of Easter, Monday, 15-04-2024

Acts 6:8-15 / John 6:22-29  

We are often curious, if not attracted, by miracles and great signs.

More so, when we have a need, e.g. looking for a cure from an illness, looking for a way out from some financial difficulty, etc.

So if we heard about someone who is working miracles and great signs, we will certainly want to see if we can benefit from it.

In the gospel, the people had seen the miracle and the great sign of the multiplication of the loaves.

However, as Jesus had pointed out, the people had benefitted by having eaten all the bread they wanted to eat.

And the human desire would be to see what more can be gotten from Jesus.

So the people saw the miracle and the sign, but did not understand the meaning and purpose of it.

In the 1st reading, the people saw the miracles and the signs that Stephen worked.

But they saw it as a threat to their security. They too didn’t understand the meaning of the miracles and the signs.

Today’s readings remind us that God speaks to us in many ways, and also through signs.

Let us ask the Lord for the wisdom to discern those signs that come from Him.

When we understand the meaning of those signs, then we will also know what God is asking of us.

3rd Sunday of Easter, Year B, 14.04.2024

 Acts 3:13-15, 17-19 / 1 John 2:1-5 / Luke 24:35-48  

The act of eating is often seen as a casual act, and we won't think too much about it. 

But a number of processes are activated in the act of eating. The mouth opens with the help of the muscles so that we can put food into our mouth. 

The taste buds are activated, the jaw moves and the teeth chew the food, and after which the food is swallowed. 

Besides and before all that, we also choose what we want to eat, and also what we should not eat. 

But eating is not just about consuming food. Eating is an act of life. We eat to Live. 

Our stomach will tell us that we are hungry, and hence we need to eat something, otherwise we may end up with some health issues.

And going beyond that, there is the social dimension in eating. 

No doubt, a person can eat in solitude, but that would give the impression of loneliness. 

Because, when it comes to eating, there is a social and communal expression in it. 

Even with simple home cooked food that is eaten with family and friends, relationships are renewed and deepened. 

In other words, eating with others is a celebration of life and relationships. 

In the gospel, when the Risen Lord Jesus appeared to His disciples, they were alarmed and frightened. They thought they were seeing a ghost. 

Jesus greeted them with peace, and showed them His hands and side, and even ask them to touch Him. 

But they still could not believe it, and they stood there dumbfounded. 

So Jesus asked them for something to eat. They offered Him a piece of grilled fish which He took and ate before their eyes. 

That act of eating the grilled fish dispelled the fears and doubts of the disciples. 

That simple act of eating assured the disciples that Jesus is real and alive. 

But even before that, the two disciples had told their story of what had happened on the road, and how they recognized Jesus at the breaking of bread. 

So, it was earlier, at a meal setting, the Jesus had revealed Himself to the two disciples. 

Today, as we come for Mass, we are also going to partake of a meal. 

At Holy communion, we are going to receive the Body of Christ. 

It is Jesus Himself who prepared this sacred meal as He offers us the heart of all meals, and that is His Body. 

In receiving the Body of Christ, we receive life and love from the Risen Lord Jesus. 

We become the living members of His Body, and filled with love, we go forth to share that life and love. 

And this brings us to think about our family and whether we have family meals. 

We can say that a family that eats together will stay together. 

It may be difficult to have a family meal because of the business of our work and schedules. 

But it is so necessary, if we think that family life and relationships are important. 

It is also the same when it comes to Mass. If we think that our faith is important and necessary, we will come for Mass, and we will also invite others to come back for Mass. 

Because at Mass, when we partake of the Sacred meal at Holy Communion, Jesus will tell us that He is real and alive. 

And He will also have a revelation for us about ourselves. 

That as we have our family meals and other social meals, He will be present, and He will make each meal, a meal of life and love, a meal of forgiveness and reconciliation.

2nd Week of Easter, Saturday, 13-04-2024

Acts 6:1-7 / John 6:16-21  

The early church has often been held as an model for us to emulate. They were united in heart and mind and they shared their belongings with each other and no one was in need.

Furthermore, the presence of the apostles affirmed and strengthened the faith of the early church and they bore powerful witness to the Risen Christ and to the Good News.

Yet, in spite of this, all was not that perfect or rosy, for danger lurks even in safe places, and small issues can explode into nasty confrontations.

The 1st reading recorded the first crisis in the early church. There was tension between the Hebrews and Hellenists, and it was a tension within the community.

We may be surprised that this can happen in the early church. But as a matter of fact, this can happen to any church in any time in any place.

The possible cause of such crises may be found in today's gospel, as the disciples in the boat were caught in rough seas and strong wind.

And Jesus was not with them! And even when He came to them walking on the water, they became frightened.

Yes, there will always be crises in the Church and also in our own lives. More so when we begin to think that it is safe and we become complacent and indifferent in our faith. We take Jesus for granted.

But when crises start to explode and rock the Church and our lives, let us remember what Jesus said to the disciples in the boat.

"It is I. Do not be afraid." Yes, we must always turn back to Jesus. 

When we are not with Jesus, then we will surely be scattered.

But when we are with Jesus, then we will be united, even when there is tension and differences.

2nd Week of Easter, Friday, 12-04-2024

Acts 5:34-42 / John 6:1-15   

When we say that a product is tried and tested, it means that the product is good enough to be used.

That is certainly a good publicity for the product because it is a testimony for those who have used the product.

It may also mean that the product has quality and may have also withstood the test of time.

When it comes to a business enterprise or a religious movement, the gauge is not only how successful it is.

It must also stand the test of time, as well as how it overcomes setbacks and changes in leadership.

In the 1st reading, the wise and respected Gamaliel advised the members of the Sanhedrin to let the test of time determine the movement that had sprung up from the apostles.

His profound statement is this: If this movement of theirs is of human origin, it will break up on its own accord. But if it does in fact comes from God, you will not only be unable to destroy them, but you may find yourselves fighting against God.

In the 2000-year history of the Church, there were triumphant and glorious times as well as dark and terrible times.

But Jesus had promised that the gates of the underworld will not prevail against the Church.

Jesus is the Head of the Church as we are members of His Body.

May the promise of Jesus assure us of our faith and may we continue to be united with the Church in good times and in bad.

2nd Week of Easter, Thursday, 11-04-2024

Acts 5:27-33 / John 3:31-36  

The Bible is the sacred book of the Church.

It is divided into sections – the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Generally speaking, the Old Testament is about the prophecies of the coming of the Messiah, or the Saviour.

The New Testament is about the fulfillment of the prophecies in Jesus Christ.

The four Gospels are the important books of the New Testament, in which are the accounts of the life, ministry and teachings of Jesus Christ.

Reading the gospels would require attention and devotion as it is Jesus who is speaking to us.

Reading the gospels with attention and devotion will form our minds and hearts to understand the ways of God and His will.

May the Word of God be a lamp for our steps and a light for our paths.

And when we read the Word of God regularly and devoutly, we will be able to understand the ways of God.

And when we read the Word of God regularly and devoutly, God’s Word will be on our lips and our words will be life-giving and bear fruits of love.

2nd Week of Easter, Wednesday, 10-04-2024

Acts 5:17-26 / John 3:16-21  

It is said that the fruit of truth is freedom. 

In other words, the truth will set us free.

We certainly know what that means. 

When we speak and act with the truth, we will not be burdened by lies and falsehood.

In the 1st reading, the truth that leads to freedom is as literal as it can be.

The angel of the Lord opened the gates and as he led the apostles out, he told them to go to the Temple and tell the people all about the New Life.

As for the high priest and the Sanhedrin, they were told that the apostles were not in prison, though the prison was securely locked.

Yes, truth has the power to free and the truth will always prevail over sin and evil.

Because Jesus is the Truth and He is Lord and Saviour.

The ultimate truth is that God sent Jesus, not to condemn us, but to save us.

Let us always believe in that truth, and live our lives in the freedom of love.

2nd Week of Easter, Tuesday, 09-04-2024

Acts 4:32-37 / John 3:7-15  

Usually our lives are quite routine and most things and events happen as expected.

We wake up to the alarm, we have breakfast, we go to work, we go back home and have dinner and rest for the night.

Nothing much may surprise us, or is it that we have become numbed and indifferent to the little surprises of our lives.

In the gospel, Jesus tells us of one surprise that we often do not notice or wonder about.

And that is the wind. Sometimes it blows as a gentle breeze. Other times it blows as a thunderstorm.

At times it blows in one direction, and then without notice, it blows in another direction.

We can’t see it, but we can see where it is blowing and how it is blowing.

Jesus used the imagery of the wind to point to the reality and the mystery of the Holy Spirit.

And the Holy Spirit is manifested in the 1st reading by the life of the early Christian community.

The whole group of believers were united, heart and soul, and everything they owned was held in common.

We may think that it is surprising or even quite impossible.

But when the Holy Spirit moves, nothing is impossible or surprising.

And when we let the Holy Spirit move our hearts, then we will see the signs and wonders that God is showing us.

The Annunciation of the Lord, Monday, 08-04-2024

Isaiah 7:10-14; 8:10 / Hebrews 10:4-10 / Luke 1:26-38 

It is often said that Easter is the greatest feast of the Church, and for our faith as well.

In rising from the dead, Jesus conquered sin and death and revealed His divine identity - that He is the Son of God, and that He is Lord of the living and the dead.

Yes, Jesus is fully divine. Yet He is also fully human. Indeed, that is a mystery that needs to be often meditated upon.

Today's feast of the Annunciation of the Lord helps us to understand deeper the humanity of Jesus.

The angel Gabriel announced to Mary the good news of salvation and that the Son of God would be conceived in her by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Indeed, God becoming man and taking on human flesh in the womb of a woman is a mystery that is difficult to comprehend

Yet in His human nature, Jesus showed that God is with us, God is one of us, and that the offering of Himself on the Cross has become the one perfect sacrifice that took away the sins of the world and saved us.

Hence, in as much as Easter reveals the divinity of Jesus, the Annunciation reveals the humanity of Jesus as well as the dignity of human nature.

In our human nature, whatever sacrifices we make for the Lord is united in Jesus who will offer it to the Father as sacrifice for the salvation of the world.

Just as Mary offered herself for God's plan of salvation, may we also follow her in offering ourselves as servants of the Lord for the salvation of the world.

2nd Sunday of Easter Year B, 07.04.2024

 Acts 4:32-35 / 1 John 5:1-6 / John 20:19-31   

In our busy lifestyles, time is an important factor for us. 

There doesn’t seem to have enough time everyday to do the things we want to do. 

We may even cut down on our sleeping time to clear off some of the items in our to-do list for the day. 

But that may not be productive, and our health gets affected. We may end up getting more tired out, and we slow down, and we take more time to get other things done. 

So, the cycle goes on, we have things to do, we tire ourselves in order to get more things done, and we end up taking more time. 

And with that, we have become impatient and frustrated with delays and lateness, because time is wasted. 

When we order the food at the food stall, the food must be ready in 10 minutes, otherwise we will get agitated and frustrated. Hunger can lead to anger. 

When we order an item online, it must come within a couple of days, or better still, the next day. 

And this attitude may also creep into our spiritual life. We pray and we want our prayers to be answered immediately. 

And when we think that God is not listening to our prayers, or taking His time to answer prayers, then we get agitated, frustrated and disappointed. 

In the gospel, the disciples were huddled in fear in a room with the doors locked. 

Jesus was dead and buried, and their lives were also like dead and buried. 

Then suddenly, the Risen Lord Jesus came and stood among them, and greeted them with “Peace be with you”. 

It was a stunning moment for the disciples, but they were filled with joy. 

All the disciples were there in the room, except for one - Thomas. 

And when the disciples told him that they had seen the Risen Lord, Thomas refused to believe. 

He also demanded that he wants to put his finger and his hand into those wounds in order to believe. 

Eight days later, the Risen Lord Jesus appeared again to the disciples, and this time Thomas was with them. 

Thomas saw and he believed. He may not even need to touch those wounds to believe. 

We may wonder, why does it have to take 8 days later for the Lord Jesus appear again to His disciples. 

Couldn't He appear as soon as Thomas was with the disciples, or ASAP?

And by extension, we also wonder, why doesn't God answer our prayers immediately, or ASAP? 

Thomas had to wait 8 days to see the Risen Lord. With our busyness and urgency in life, we would like our prayers to be answered in 8 minutes, or 8 hours. 

8 days would seem too long because we don't like delays or to wait. 

But the number 8 has the biblical meaning of revelation. 

The 8th day means in God's time, and His will and His plan will be revealed to us and we will also be able to accept it. 

There was this occasion when I went to the hospital to visit a patient. The patient's daughter was there and she lamented about the problems and stress she was facing in life.

So, I gave her the Sacred Heart prayer card, and told her to send in a petition, or better still, to come for the Devotion to the Sacred Heart. 

She looked surprised, and she said that she heard about the Devotion to the Sacred Heart, but thought that it was not practiced anymore.

I shared with her that prayers have been answered, and she should pray for the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 

As I reflected about it, for that lady, it was the 8th day for her, a revelation for her,  as Jesus revealed to her His Heart. 

Let us continue to pray with faith and hope, and our 8th Day will come when Jesus will reveal His love for us. 

And then, like Thomas, we will exclaim “My Lord and my God”.

Saturday Within Easter Octave, 06-04-2024

Acts 4:13-21 / Mark 16:9-15

God often reveals Himself in the most unexpected situations and in the most unexpected persons.

We would usually think that the intelligent and the religious would know more about the ways of God and how He reveals Himself.

Yes, we need to know about how God has revealed Himself in the past.

But God’s ways and His thoughts are often not the ways of man or how man thinks.

In the 1st reading, the rulers, elders and scribes were astonished at the assurance shown by Peter and John, considering they were uneducated and lowly laymen.

But when these rulers, elders and scribes saw the man who had been cured standing by their side, they could find no answer.

But the answer is right before their eyes, just that they cannot accept the mysterious ways of God.

God often chooses the lowly and humble to reveal His ways and His plans.

But to be obedient to God, then we have to change our ways and our thinking.

Only when we are humble, then we will be able to understand the ways and the plans of God.

Friday Within Easter Octave, 05-04-2024

Acts 4:1-12 / John 21:1-14 

The name “Jesus” in Hebrew means “God saves” or “God is salvation”.

In Christianity, the name Jesus is a holy name, and it is used to address Jesus who is our Lord and Saviour.

That also means that the name of Jesus should not be used casually or disrespectfully.

We also use the name of Jesus to call upon Him in prayer, and it is also the simplest form of prayer, by repeating lovingly the name of Jesus.

But even outside of worship and prayer moments, the mention of the name of Jesus can be a subtle form of witnessing.

When we share with others our happy and heart-warming moments, instead of saying “lucky”, we can say that we thank Jesus for those blessings.

But at times we may think it is awkward and we rather leave religion out of our conversation.

In the gospel, the disciples knew quite well that it was the Lord Jesus who directed them to that miraculous catch of fish and prepared breakfast.

But none of them called out His name or address Him by His name.

In the 1st reading, Peter boldly proclaimed the name of Jesus.

And he even said that of all the names in the world given to men, that is the only one by which we are saved.

The name Jesus means “God saves”. May that name be always in our minds, on our lips and in our hearts.

Thursday Within Easter Octave, 04-04-2024

Acts 3:11-26 / Luke 24:35-48  

The act of eating is primary for the need of survival.

In other words, we eat to live.

But going beyond the need for survival, there is also another purpose.

The act of eating show that we are alive and hence we are able to eat without any external assistance.

And with that comes the social aspect of eating.

Food is enjoyed with good company, and even with simple food, relationships are renewed and deepened.

When the Risen Lord Jesus asked for His disciples for something to eat, they offered Him a piece of grilled fish.

He ate it before their eyes, and it was then they realized that Jesus was real and alive.

The Risen Lord Jesus ate earthly food to show His disciples that He was real and alive.

But the Risen Lord Jesus gives us heavenly food, the Bread of Life, which is His body, to tell us that He is alive and that He wants to live in us.

As we partake of the Body of Christ at Holy Communion, let us remember that it is not ordinary food that we are consuming.

It is the divine Bread of Life, Jesus Himself, and we eat of it so that we live, no more for ourselves, but for Jesus, and also to live in order to love and serve others.

Wednesday Within Easter Octave, 03-04-2024

Acts 3:1-10 / Luke 24:13-35  

In life, we don’t live by ourselves or be with ourselves alone.

The journey of life is a journey of encountering persons and starting relationships.

So, from the day we came into this world, we encounter persons, and we have our relationships with them.

We begin to experience living with others in a family, in a community and in a society.

In the journey to Emmaus, the Risen Lord Jesus came up and walked along by the side of the two disciples, but something prevented them from recognizing Him.

As they journeyed along to Emmaus, the two disciples began to share their experiences with Jesus.

From being strangers, the two disciples became friends with Jesus and eventually, they invited Him to be with them for supper.

And it was there that Jesus revealed Himself to them.

Jesus also wants to walk with us in the journey of life.

He comes in the form of persons who will help us understand the meaning and the direction of life.

Jesus always makes the first move when it comes to journeying with us.

Let us be open to persons who will help us grow to be better persons.

And let us also thank Jesus for sending us persons to help us know more about Him.

Tuesday Within Easter Octave, 02-04-2024

Acts 2:36-41 / John 20:11-18   

To address a person by the personal name would indicate that the relationship is personal.

Of course there are persons or acquaintances that we address by their names.

But it could be that we happen to know their names and hence we address them by their names.

The difference would be in the tone that is used to call the name.

In the gospel, when Jesus called Mary by name, she immediately knew it was Jesus.

It could be the familiarity of the voice, and it also could be the tone of the voice.

Her immediate response was in Hebrew “Rabbuni” (which means Master)

Mary’s response was in her native language, a language of the heart, and it was an intimate response.

When Jesus calls us, we will know it is His voice, because it has a tone that only we ourselves can recognize.

And we will be ready to response with our heart to whatever He wants of us.

Monday Within Easter Octave, 01-04-2024

Acts 2:14, 22-33 / Matthew 28:8-15  

If we woke up today without having to go to work or have nothing much to do, then we won't feel like getting out of bed even if we are wide awake.

We will only get on the way and move quickly when there is a sense of urgency, and when there are tasks ahead that need our attention.

When Jesus rose from the dead, a number of people were also "awakened" and immediately they had some urgent tasks ahead.

In the gospel, we heard that the women were filled with awe and great joy and they came quickly away from the tomb and ran to tell the disciples.

While the women were on their way, another group was on another way and also in haste.

The soldiers who were guarding the tomb went off into the city to tell the chief priests all that had happened.

So two groups went off hastily with two urgent stories to tell. And the outcome of both stories have survived until this day.

Jesus rose from the dead and He conquered sin and death. The light of His resurrection also shines through the darkness to awaken those who sleep in lies and falsehood.

So for us, everyday there is something to wake up to, and it's something urgent and needs our immediate attention.

We wake up with the truth of the resurrection and that is what we must immediately live out for the day.

It's either we wake up to the light of truth, or we may just sleep-walk in the darkness of lies.

Easter Sunday, Year B, 31.03.2024

The feast of the Resurrection is an important and significant feast for the Church and for us Christians. 

The preparation for this feast began with the 40 days of Lent, and then with Holy Week and the Sacred Pascal Triduum. So, there was Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday and Good Friday. 

On this evening of the Easter Vigil, the gospel brings us back to that moment of the revelation of the mystery of our salvation. 

The women went to the tomb very early in the morning and there was only one question in their minds: Who will roll away the stone from the entrance of the tomb? 

Obviously, it was a very big stone, and entrance of the tomb is cut and shaped in such a way that the stone will seal the tomb permanently. 

The revelation begins with that stone already rolled back, and the tomb was empty. 

So, what really happened? Who rolled the stone away? And what happened to Jesus, or what happened to His body? 

As the mystery of the Resurrection unfolds, that big stone and the empty tomb reveal who Jesus is, and they also reveal something about ourselves. 

From the various accounts of the gospels, the message is one and  the same: Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. 

But it is a message that is not accepted by all. Even for us who profess our belief in the Resurrection, we have our questions about it. 

But today we reflect about that big stone and the empty tomb, as symbolized by the empty Tabernacle. 

And that question comes back again. Who rolled back the stone at the entrance of the tomb? 

We could have guessed that it was not rolled back by human hands. It was by the Finger of God that rolled back that stone, and that Finger of God is pointing to the Risen Christ. 

Yes, we want to believe that Jesus is risen, we want to believe in the Resurrection. 

We want to believe that Jesus will also raise us up from our sinfulness to a life of holiness. 

But we have to show Jesus those stones that burden our lives. 

We are not just talking about kidney stones or gallbladder stones. Those kind of stones can cause some serious physical pains. 

We are also talking about stones that have blocked and burdened our lives. 

It may be stones of anger and resentment, stones of revenge and retaliation, stones of pride and unforgiveness. 

Those kind of stones cause our hearts to be hardened. 

It may also be those rough and sharp stones that have cut our hearts with disappointment and regrets, and made us feel small and rejected, lowly and even useless. 

Whatever the stones are, today Jesus comes to us to renew our faith by renewing our Baptismal promises. 

It was by water that we are baptized, and Jesus is the living water in our lives. 

In the encounter between stone and water, the stone will give way to the water. 

Water has that gentle power to dislodge those big stones. 

Water has that flowing power to smoothen the sharpest of stones. 

To believe in the Resurrection is to believe in the power of our Baptism over the troubles of our lives. 

May the living waters from the Risen Lord Jesus roll away the stones of our hearts and fill our lives with His peace and joy.

Good Friday 2024

The most prominent symbol of Christianity is the Cross. 

Later, in the unveiling of the Cross, we will see that it is not just the Cross. 

On the Cross is the figure of Jesus Christ nailed to it, or what is called the Crucifix. 

Today, we acknowledge that the Cross points to suffering and shame. 

We know too well the Cross of suffering and shame, because we have carried that Cross before. 

But today, we adore and worship the One who carried the Cross, and died on that Cross of suffering and shame. 

And that is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who suffered, was mocked, and shamed, and died on that Cross. 

Although He was Son, Jesus shows us how to be obedient to the Father through suffering, shame and death on the Cross. 

And through the obedience of Jesus, God the Father will show us that suffering, shame and even death will not be the final end.

Because God will save Jesus out of death. 

And we believe that, and we express that belief by coming up later to venerate the Cross. 

We embrace Jesus and the Cross, and we will also accept our Cross of suffering and shame. 

And we believe that with Jesus, the Cross of suffering, shame and death will be turned into the glorious Cross of life, and love, and salvation. 

The Cross is not our enemy. Rather the Cross will be our victory. And it is Jesus who is showing us that.

Holy Thursday 2024

Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14 / 1 Cor 11:23-26 / John 13:1-15 

The mysteries of our faith are truly profound, and yet at times, they also confound us. 

We began the Sacred Triduum by remembering how Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist. 

Jesus changed the bread and wine into His Body and Blood, to show how perfect His love is for us. 

And so, we celebrate the Eucharist in memory of Him, as He commanded us to do so. 

Yet, other than the 2nd reading which mentions about the Body and Blood of Christ, the Gospel only mentioned about Jesus having supper with His disciples. 

And then, the focus turned to the washing of feet. 

Jesus washed the feet of His disciples. 

That confounded His disciples. And that should also confound us. 

We may ask: What has the holy Eucharist got to do with the lowly washing of feet? 

When we think about it deeper, we will see that the Eucharist is for everyone, regardless of the state of holiness or sinfulness or worthiness. 

In other words, Jesus offers His love for saints as well as for sinners. 

In the washing of the feet, Jesus is showing us that He cares about the lowest, the neglected and even the despised. 

Jesus gave us the example of humility and charity by being a servant who washes the lowly feet. 

In partaking of the Eucharist, we follow Jesus by being servants of humility and charity.

In partaking of the Eucharist, we become servants to the lowly and the lowest, to the neglected and the despised. 

In partaking of the Eucharist, we will go down on knees with Jesus, and wash those lowly feet. 

That is what Jesus, our Lord and Master did. 

Let us follow Jesus and do likewise.

Wednesday of Holy Week, 27-03-2024

Isaiah 50:4-9 / Matthew 26:14-25   

Tomorrow evening, the Church enters into the Sacred Paschal Triduum, which is the mystery of the suffering, death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

It is going to be three days of intense spiritual activities in which we are led to contemplate and participate in the saving mission of Jesus.

So today we take time to prepare our hearts and minds to be in union with the Church as we journey together with Jesus in this Paschal mystery.

We need to focus on Jesus so as to be in union with Him during the next three days.

Essentially we need to listen to the Word of God during the next three days.

As the 1st reading says: Each morning, the Lord wakes me to hear, to listen like a disciple. The Lord has opened my ear.

We listen to the Word of God so that we may have a disciple’s tongue and to encourage the wearied.

We listen to the Word of God so that, like Jesus, we will be able to accept the struggles and troubles of this world.

We listen to the Word of God, so that, like Jesus, we will not fear the sharpness of the insults and the betrayals of those who are against us.

Like Jesus, we will not be ashamed or cover our face nor resist, but we will be courageous.

We will follow Jesus to face the crosses of our lives, and witness to the Good News.

Because we know that through the Cross, Jesus will grant us strength and courage, and with Jesus, we will rise to victory over sin.

Tuesday of Holy Week, 26-03-2024

Isaiah 49:1-6 / John 13:21-33, 36-38  

God made man in His image, and that means that mankind is created in love, with love and for love.

So, in every human heart, there is the goodness of love, and every human being reflects this goodness, which is created by God.

With love, there is freedom, and that also means that every human being has the freedom of choice.

Every person can choose to do good with love, or he can choose to do what is bad or even evil.

One of the grave human failings is the act of betrayal, in which relationships are broken and destroyed.

But the act of betrayal is not committed out of wickedness, but rather out of weakness.

The weakness is often for a selfish motive at the expense of the relationship with the other person or persons.

In the gospel, Judas was so determined to betray Jesus that he would not even reconsider what he was going to do.

The weakness of Judas was exploited further by the evil one and there was no turning back for Judas, although Jesus gave him ample signs of His love for him.

During this Holy Week, we are reminded of the goodness of God within us, and how much Jesus loves us.

Let us acknowledge our sinful weakness before Jesus, and He will heal and strengthen us with the goodness of His love.

Monday of Holy Week, 25-03-2024

Isaiah 42:1-7 / John 12:1-11    

Money is important, and no doubt our money is hard-earned.

So when it comes to buying things, we have to spend our money wisely and carefully.

At times, we may even be so frugal that we may make the mistake of being “penny wise, pound foolish”.

And we would not even think of spending a year’s salary on some exotic essential oil, even though it may be extremely useful and beneficial for health.

That was about the price of the pure nard that Mary bought to anoint the feet of Jesus.

And it was not even used sparingly. She probably used it all at one go. 

And she even did this cringy act of wiping the feet of Jesus with her hair.

Maybe, we, like Judas, would also question what Mary did.

But from what Jesus said, we can understand that only God knows the true intentions.

So it is not about the amount of money spent or given, but the intention behind it.

Similarly, it is not so much about what good deed we do, but how much love is in that deed.

Jesus loves us, and He loved us even it comes to giving up His life for us.

It is a love that no money can buy. Mary understood that. May we understand that too.

Palm-Passion Sunday, Year B, 24.03.2024

 One of the realities that we see around us, is the fact that everything is changing. Change is always happening around us. 

Some changes are fast and happen quickly, while some changes happen slowly. 

When we look at the palm branches in our hands, we can see how much changes they had undergone. 

Just a few days ago, they were growing healthily on the plant. 

Then they were cut off from the plant and brought to Church. 

They were blessed at the beginning of the Mass, and later they will be brought back to our homes, where they will dry up slowly and turn brown and hard. 

For these palm branches, the reality is the change from life to death. 

In the gospel, the reality for Jesus is also the change from life to death. 

From the Last Supper, to the Agony in the Garden, to His Suffering and Death on the Cross, and His burial, the changes in His life happened quickly. 

But those changes from His life to His death also changed the whole world, and will change our lives as well. 

Though the gospel ended with the death and burial of Jesus, the changes do not stop there. 

Let us wait, because there will be another change, and will be a great and wonderful change. 

That change will also change the world, and it will also change our lives. 

As we unite ourselves with Jesus in His suffering and death, let us pray and wait. 

From death, Jesus will rise to a glorious new life, and He will also raise us up with Him. 

When we understand that life is a continuous change of dying and rising, then we will know that we too will change. 

We will change from sinfulness to holiness. 

We will change to be more like Jesus Christ our Lord and our Saviour.

5th Week of Lent, Saturday, 23-03-2024

Ezekiel 37:21-28 / John 11:45-56   

In order to better understand what is said or what is written, we need to know the context.

So what is said by a stand-up comedian and what is said by a politician certainly does not mean the same thing although it may sound similar.

In the gospel, when the high priest Caiaphas said that it is better for one man to die for the people, than the whole nation to be destroyed, there are a couple of ways to interpret it.

On the political level, what Caiaphas said is a pragmatic solution to the threat that Jesus posed to the Romans and to the nation.

But on the spiritual level, and because of his appointment and his office, Caiaphas proclaimed a prophecy, even though he may not be aware of it.

And that prophecy would be fulfilled, on the political level, as well as on the spiritual level.

The 1st reading begins with “The Lord says this:” 

So it is a prophecy as well as a promise, and it is the Lord God who is proclaiming it.

Let us read it again and meditate on it. The Lord God is saying that He will be our God and we shall be His people.

We don’t need to understand it further. Let us believe in it and be God’s people and live according to His ways.

5th Week of Lent, Friday, 22-03-2024

Jeremiah 20:10-13 / John 10:31-42   

When it comes to subscribing to or embracing a religion, there are many reasons.

Some people find religion a source of comfort, while others need it to come to terms with the contradictions of life.

As Christians, we follow the ways and teachings of Jesus Christ our Lord and Master.

We believe that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

And as Christians, our faith is a gift from God.

Faith is what we have been given, and faith is what we have to share with others.

We carry this gift of faith to the world and bear witness to it for those who want to know about Jesus.

And we also have to bear witness to Jesus even for those who don’t want to know about Jesus or have a resistance against Him.

In the 1st reading, that was what the prophet Jeremiah did, even though he heard so many disparaging him and he felt terror on every side.

But he believed that the Lord is by his side and will defend him against the enemies, and confound them by their failures.

Let us, like the prophet Jeremiah, commit our lives to the Lord.

And as we continue to witness to our faith, let us also pray for the conversion of sinners.

It is the duty of Christians to pray for the conversion of sinners.

5th Week of Lent, Thursday, 21-03-2024

Genesis 17:3-9 / John 8:51-59    

Agreements made between two parties are usually formalized in a contract.

A contract binds the two parties to fulfill the contract. 

And if the contract is broken by one party, then the other party will be able to ask for compensation.

On a personal level, usually we make promises, and we are obligated to keep our word and not to break the promise.

But in our human frailty and failings, we have broken our promises and our words no longer express our integrity and character.

In the 1st reading, God did not make a promise or a contract with Abraham. God made a covenant with Abraham.

The basis of a covenant is a relationship, and it is God who established that relationship with Abraham and his descendants.

God is always faithful to His words and He will never break His covenant with us.

In the gospel, Jesus says that whoever keeps His word will never see death.

Jesus promises us that He is our Saviour and that He will save us from danger and from sin.

Let us believe in His word, for it is God who is saying it. And God will always keep His Word.

5th Week of Lent, Wednesday, 20-03-2024

Daniel 3:14-20, 24-25, 28 / John 8:31-42  

We know that we must keep to the rules and other regulations.

That is our social responsibility so that there can be law and order.

So we know that laws, rules and regulations are meant to protect us and help us to know what is the right thing to do.

As for us Christians, we understand laws, rules and regulations in a deeper perspective.

Because we see the truth in them, and that truth leads us to do what is right, what is good and what is loving.

As Jesus said in the gospel, the truth will set us free.

It is the truth in God that we believe in, and that truth helps us to choose the ways of God rather than the ways of the world or other ways.

In that sense, we have freedom, because there is no need for us to consider other options.

Yes, the truth will set us free, just as it set the three young men in the 1st reading to stay faithful to God even in the face of persecution.

Indeed, the truth will prevail. Let us stay on the side of truth and we will have freedom.

St. Joseph, Spouse of the BVM, Tuesday, 19-03-2024

2 Samuel 7:4-5, 12-14, 16 / Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22 / Matthew 1: 16, 18-21 or Luke 2:41-51

St. Joseph is certainly one of the great saints of the Church.

He is also known by many eminent titles like “Patron and Guardian of the Church”, “Patron of the dying”, “Patron of priests, husbands and fathers”.

He is also the “Patron of workers” and his feast-day on the 1st May is often celebrated with processions and “high” Masses.

But the title of “Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary” is the most profound.

That’s because it tells of who St. Joseph is, it tells about his faith, his character and integrity, and his calling to be the husband of Mary and guardian of the child Jesus.

Although the gospels did not have any quotes or sayings of St. Joseph, the title of “Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary” says it all.

St. Joseph was a man of honour and also a man of faith.

His faith leads him to trust in the Lord’s calling to accept Mary as his wife and to care and protect mother and child.

His faith was expressed in his actions and in his commitment to God and to Mary and Jesus.

May our faith, our words and our actions also express our trust and commitment to God. 

5th Week of Lent, Monday, 18-03-2024

Daniel 13:41-42 / John 8:1-11    

A stone is a natural object that can be used for a number of purposes.

It can be used as part of an artistic creation or some other meaningful purposes.

But a stone can also be used for other intentions.

In both the readings, stones were used as a means for execution.

In the 1st reading, God intervened through Daniel and the innocent Susanna was saved from accusation and execution.

The two evil elders however, did not escape punishment, and they got the punishment that they had intended to inflict on Susanna.

But in the gospel, the woman who was caught committing adultery, was brought before Jesus for His opinion on the judgement.

His famous line “If there is one of you who has not sinned, let him be the first to throw a stone at her” was enough to rattle hearts of stone.

Jesus is the corner-stone referred to in the Scriptures. A corner-stone is an important stone as it holds the other stones of a gateway.

May Jesus be the corner-stone of our faith, and may our hearts of stone crumble and give way to forgiveness and compassion.

5th Sunday of Lent, Year B, 17.03.2024

Jeremiah 31:31-34 / Hebrews 5:7-9 / John 12:20-33   

In our social interactions, we talk about a wide variety of topics. 

Generally, we would talk about things at the peripheral. So, we will talk about the weather, about food, about where to go for holidays. 

Some conversations will go a bit deeper, like health issues, work problems, family matters.

And of course, we also like to talk about others, and somehow we end up gossiping about them. 

And we will also indulge in our favourite pastime, which is complaining. Seems like we have quite a lot to complain about - about the high cost of living, about inconveniences, about people we don't like. 

But when we come before Jesus in prayer, what are we going to talk to Him about? 

It might be about things that are mundane, or that we just want to complain. 

But what is it that Jesus wants to talk to us about? 

In the gospel, some Greeks wanted to see Jesus, but their purpose was not stated. Maybe they were curious because they had heard about Jesus and so they wanted to see Him. 

As for Jesus, He had other matters in His mind. In the gospel passage, Jesus is telling us what matters to Him and what should matter to us. 

He talks about a wheat grain and the harvest it can produce. He talks about eternal life. And then He says that His soul is troubled, and ask His Father to save Him. 

But He also knows that He is like the grain that must die in order to produce a rich harvest. And when He is lifted up from the earth, He will draw all men to Himself. 

In other words, Jesus was thinking about His suffering and death on the Cross. 

Jesus also wants us to think about our life and also about our death. 

For a Christian to think about death is not taboo or morbid. Because to think about death is to think about life and about eternal life. 

I remembered that when my late sister was in the final stages of her terminal illness, she had her questions about her life and about her illness. 

She had difficulty in coming to terms that her illness was terminal, and the pain and suffering didn't make it any easier. 

I prayed for her to accept it, so that she could have peace when the day comes for her to return to the Lord. 

Then my brother came back from his overseas assignment, and I went to fetch him from the airport to the hospital where my sister was. 

On that particular afternoon, the three of us had a good sibling-time.

We talked about our childhood days, and how she was the big sister always keeping an eye on us to stop us from being too naughty.

We talked about things that mattered, that she doesn’t have to worry about anything, that we will be with her and look after her, and that we will pray for her.

We didn’t talk about death or funeral arrangements, but it seems that my sister sensed that it won’t be long, and she told us that she just wanted to be comfortable.

We had a good conversation as we talked about things that mattered to us.

It was only when she said that she was tired that we let her rest. And my sister seemed to be at peace and even happy. 

As my brother and I went home, we realized that we never had such a sibling-time with my sister, and we were happy with this blessing from God. 

We talked about what mattered to us, we talked about life, and with that, death didn’t seem such a morbid or scary thing anymore.

As for my sister, when the day came, she went back peacefully to the Lord. 

Her passing on peacefully was a consolation to my family.

And she left fond memories for us too, especially for my brother and me, as we remember that afternoon when the three of us siblings shared life, love and care for each other.

May our lives be like the grain that will bear a harvest of love and care for others. 

And may we pass on from this life to eternal life and to receive that eternal blessing of joy from God.

4th Week of Lent, Saturday, 16-03-2024

Jeremiah 11:18-20 / John 7:40-52  

Life is unpredictable with its many twists and turns.

That is already enough to make us worry and anxious.

To add on to that, people can also be unpredictable.

Especially those whom we once knew as friends suddenly turn against us.

For one reason or another, they chose to go against us and even be malicious and vicious toward us.

Certainly we can retaliate and do unto them what they did to us.

But in the 1st reading, the prophet Jeremiah gives us another perspective.

He was unaware of the schemes of those who were plotting against him.

He may not have even thought of them as his enemies.

But the Lord revealed it to him and hence he was warned.

But Jeremiah knew that he can’t resist them and so he put his life into the hands of the Lord God.

When we, like Jeremiah, commit our lives to the Lord, then we would not think of retaliation or vengeance.

God will protect us and guide us through the dangers and the snares of life.

4th Week of Lent, Friday, 15-03-2024

Wisdom 2:1, 12-22 / John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30  

The existence of God has always been a topic of reflection and discussion.

Several philosophical reflections, and even some scientific theories, have suggested proofs of the existence of God.

But even with some proofs of the existence of God, to believe in God would require faith.

Faith is a gift from God, and that gift of faith enables human beings to know that there is a God and to respond by believing in Him.

In the 1st reading, the godless, with their misguided reasoning, ridiculed and plotted harm against those who believed in God.

But as the 1st reading concludes: 

This is the way they reason, but they are misled, their malice makes them blind.

They do not know the hidden things of God, they have no hope that holiness will be rewarded, they can see no reward for blameless souls.

As we reflect on that, we can see that those who refuse to acknowledge the existence of God or to believe in Him will have a sad and tragic end.

As for us Christians, we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and that He is our Master.

He is our Way, our Truth and our Life. Let us follow Him in doing good and loving others.

With faith and with hope, we journey on from this world to the next where we will finally be with the God that we believe in.

4th Week of Lent, Thursday, 14-03-2024

Exodus 32:7-14 / John 5:31-47     

There is one fundamental aspect that the season of Lent points to.

That fundamental aspect also points to what the Church is about, what our faith is about, and what the purpose of Christianity is about.

And that fundamental aspect is salvation. 

Salvation can only be understood when we realise the destructive power of sin.

Sin destroys our lives, our relationship with God and also our relationships with others.

But despite knowing the destruction that sin causes, we still are prone to sin.

In the 1st reading, the people sinned against God by worshipping an image of a golden calf and calling it their god.

God wanted to punish the people, but Moses pleaded on their behalf.

Moses wanted the people to repent of their sin and to be saved by the forgiveness of God.

In the gospel, Jesus gave a teaching about who He is, but in short, it is in those words: It is for your salvation that I speak of this.

Let us not take salvation for granted. Let us realise that we are weak and prone to sin.

Let us turn to the Lord our God for forgiveness and healing. 

And God will grant us the blessing of the joy of salvation.

4th Week of Lent, Wednesday, 13-03-2024

Isaiah 49:8-15 / John 5:17-30  

One of the quotes from St. Irenaeus (AD 120 – 200) is this: The glory of God is man fully alive.

It is a profound quote, and essentially it says who God is and how mankind is held in relation to God.

God is our Creator and we are His creation, indeed, His best creation.

God is the source of our life, and He is also the source of our love.

The 1st reading and the gospel emphasize this essential teaching.

So, for man to be fully alive, does not merely mean that he is active, productive, effective and efficient.

For man to be fully alive, all that he does must be done in God and for the glory of God.

For man to be fully alive, all that he does must also be for the good of his neighbours.

For St. Irenaeus, whose name means “peacemaker”, he lived up to his name by working for peace.

His life was a life of love. May our lives be lived in love and may we also work for peace.

4th Week of Lent, Tuesday, 12-03-2024

Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12 / John 51-3, 5-16   

Water is an element that is common in our country, so much so that we take it for granted.

But in other countries and regions, water is a very precious commodity.

In those countries and regions, water is critical for life and for the sustenance of life.

And in the religious realm, water is used to symbolize cleansing and purification.

In the gospel, when there are movements in the water at the Sheep Pool, it was an indication that healing powers are manifesting.

In the 1st reading, the symbol of water coming out of the Temple points to the life-giving and healing powers of water.

As for us Christians, we will remember that we are baptized with water.

We bless ourselves with Holy Water, and it is also used in other religious rites and rituals to symbolize God’s blessing and protection.

God has given Holy Water to the Church as a symbol of His love for us.

Let us use it devoutly to express our need for God’s blessings and protection.

4th Week of Lent, Monday, 11-03-2024

Isaiah 65:17-21 / John 4:43-54   

The season of Lent is a season of grace and blessings.

For those who are preparing for Baptism at Easter, it is a time of purification and enlightenment.

As those Elects go through the Scrutinies, they go through the purification of their past sins and they experience forgiveness and healing.

They are also enlightened as they let the light of God shine into the darkness of they lives and they walk towards that light.

Indeed, for the Elect, the season of Lent is an experience of joy and gladness.

But the blessings of joy and gladness is not only for the Elect but also for the whole Church.

God also wants to bless each of us with joy and gladness, just as God blessed His people with joy and gladness in the 1st reading.

It is also what the court official experienced in the gospel when his son recovered for the serious illness, just as Jesus had said he would.

Let us, like the Elects for Baptism, go through our purification and enlightenment through prayer, penance and alms-giving.

And we will receive the blessings of joy and gladness from God.

4th Sunday of Lent, Year B, 10.03.2024

2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23 / Ephesians 2:4-10 / John 3:14-21    

In a Catholic Church, there are quite a few prominent religious objects. 

These prominent objects remind us, as well as help us, to keep focused that we are in a holy place. 

One of these prominent objects is the Crucifix. The Crucifix is either mounted on a stand or on the wall, and it should be obvious enough. 

For this church, the Crucifix is mounted on the top of the high altar. 

The crucifix is not just a horizontal and a vertical beam that are joined at the centre.

On the Crucifix, there is the body, or the corpus, of Jesus attached to it. 

That serves to remind us that Jesus suffered and died on the Cross to save us from our sins. 

The Crucifix also points to the great and marvellous love that God has for us. 

God let His only Son be put to death on the Cross by sinful men, so as to be the sacrifice for our sins. 

As today’s Gospel tells us: God loved the world so much, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not be lost but may have eternal life. 

So, the Crucifix is the symbol of God's marvellous love and salvation for sinful humanity. 

The Crucifix also tells us of another truth that is stated in the gospel: 

For God sent His Son into the world, not condemn the world, but so that through Him the world might be saved. 

So, the Crucifix does not point to judgment and condemnation, but rather, it points to forgiveness and reconciliation. 

The Crucifix is raise up high in the Church for everyone to look and to contemplate, to ponder and to wonder. 

The Crucifix stands silently as the testimony of God's saving love for Humanity. 

And going beyond to what is visible, the crucifix also radiates the light of love gently on those who gaze upon it. 

There is this story told by a priest of a young Christian man who was disillusioned and disappointed at the state of the Church. 

He had also lost his faith, and he saw Christians as hypocrites, and the Church as a hypocrisy. 

So, he went to the Church of his baptism and demanded from the priest that his baptism records be destroyed, and that he is not a Christian anymore. 

The priest thought for a while, and then he said: Before I do that, may I ask you to do something. 

The priest then brought the young man to the Church, and then he said: Look at Crucifix and shout as loud as you can with this: Jesus, you died for me, and I don't care! 

The young man looked at the priest in astonishment, and then looked at the Crucifix. 

He then took a deep breath and shouted: Jesus, you died for me, and I don't care! 

The priest said, “I am not that convinced. Do it again and again until I know you mean it.” 

So, the young man repeated it, and repeated it, but with each instance, his voice became softer and softer, until the young man stood there looking at the Crucifix. 

Then the priest said to the young man, “Maybe you can take a seat and rest for a while, and come to see me later.” 

The young man was left alone, staring at the Crucifix, and he stared and stared for a long time, until he came to his senses.

The one who told the story is a priest, and at the end of the story, he revealed that he was that young man. 

The Crucifix is raised high and stands silently for all to see. 

It does not judge or condemn, but it shows the sinless One who suffered and died on it for the salvation of sinners. 

Let us look at the Crucifix, or even hold on to it and pray with it. 

We cannot look at the Crucifix and yet continue to commit sin. 

We cannot look at the Crucifix and yet judge others and say harsh things about them. 

But Iet us look at the Crucifix and see the love of God in the One who is nailed to it. 

May the Crucifix be our light, may it be our love, and may the Crucifix show us the meaning and our calling in life.

3rd Week of Lent, Saturday, 09-03-2024

Hosea 5:15 - 6:6 / Luke 18:9-14   

A conversation between two persons would entail speaking and listening.

So when one speaks, the other will listen, and vice versa.

Both can’t be speaking at the same time.

And for the conversation to be enriching, both parties will be sharing and learning more about each other.

But when one party dominates the conversation and even boasts and brags about his achievements, that would be insulting and belittling the other party.

In the parable gospel, the Pharisee stood there to pray, but it was more like boasting and bragging about himself before God.

On the other hand, the tax collector has not much to say, but he acknowledged God’s mercy and he also admitted that he was a sinner.

The parable makes us reflect about relationship with God and about our prayer.

We may not be boasting and bragging about ourselves in prayer.

But when we pray, it could be that we placed ourselves first, with our needs and what we want God to do for us.

Let us remember that prayer is a relationship, a conversation where we speak and then we listen.

And let us remember that it is God whom we are talking to in prayer. 

Let us humble ourselves before God, and we will be at rights with God.

3rd Week of Lent, Friday, 08-03-2024

Hosea  14:2-10 / Mark 12:28-34   

A straight road would be an easy road to travel along. 

There is no worry about bends and curves or junctions.

What is needed would be to just keep focus on what is ahead and go on straight.

But the road of life is rather different.

We know that walking straight in the commandments of the Lord will lead us to peace and happiness.

But we get distracted with the byways and the sideways of pleasure and desire.

In the gospel, Jesus tells us again about the great commandment of God, and that is to love God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind and with all our strength.

And that love for God is also to be expressed in our love for neighbour.

It is God who loves us first, and hears our prayer and cares for us.

Let us be wise and understand the meaning of the commandment of the Lord.

Let us keep focused on God’s commandment and keep walking straight in His ways.

And with that, we will not be far from the kingdom of God.