2nd Week of Lent, Friday, 01-03-2024

Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13, 17-28 / Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46    

The phrase “a chip off the old block” is an expression used of people who closely resemble their parents in some way.

And usually, it refers to how a son resembles his father, not just in looks, but also in character and personality.

And more than that, it also refers to the relationship between the father and the son.

A father loves his son, and he won’t send his son to do something dangerous or risk his son’s life.

When Israel sent his son Joseph to his brothers who were in the fields, he thought that it would be good for him to be with his brothers.

Israel would never have thought that because he loved Joseph more than all his other sons, they would have a deep hatred against Joseph.

So, when Joseph came to them, they had wanted to kill him, but later, they sold him off as a slave.

In the gospel parable, the landowner had thought that by sending his son to the tenants, they would respect him. But instead they killed him.

Today’s readings would make us reflect about God who sent His only Beloved Son to save us from our sins and to teach us how to love.

By sending His Son into this sinful and wicked world, God showed how much He loves us.

Let us open our hearts to Jesus, let us learn how to love from Him, and we will truly be children of God.

2nd Week of Lent, Thursday, 29-02-2024

Jeremiah 17:5-10 / Luke 16:19-31  

To be poor is certainly not something to be proud of.

The poor depends on the charity of others. 

At times, the poor are considered a problem by others.

And often, the poor are also disregarded and neglected.

But God favours the poor and He comes to their help.

Because for the poor, when everything else fails, then God is their only help.

We know that God will come to the help of the poor.

And God will help the poor by sending us to help them.

We may not be able to help all the poor, or eradicate poverty.

But if there is one poor person that we can help, then let us do it.

Most of us already have what we need, and maybe even more than enough.

Let us always remember the poor, and help them in their need.

That is also what God wants of us.

2nd Week of Lent, Wednesday, 28-02-2024

Jeremiah 18:18-20 / Matthew 20:17-28   

When there is something bothering us and burdening our minds, it is not easy to act calm or be indifferent about it.

It will somehow be expressed through our words and actions.

At times it may be subtle, at times it may be obvious.

In the gospel, Jesus told His disciples that He would be handed to the chief priests and scribes, be condemned to death, mocked, scourged and crucified.

That was certainly not the first time He mentioned it, nor would it be the last mention of it.

But His disciples seemed to have other things on their minds, like where they were going to be seated in the kingdom, and bickering about who is the first and greatest.

Though Jesus had His own matter to handle, yet He was able to use His anxiety and distress to teach His disciples.

He taught them about humility and about service, and again Jesus reiterated that He came to serve by giving up His life as a ransom for many.

We too have our own worries and anxieties, but let us look at the Cross and understand that Jesus will save us.

Let us remember the response of the Responsorial Psalm: Save me in Your love, O Lord.

And even though we have our own troubles, we will still believe that God will save us, and we will be able to serve just as Jesus came to serve.

2nd Week of Lent, Tuesday, 27-02-2024

Isaiah 1:10, 16-20 / Matthew 23:1-12  

If actions speak louder than words, then good examples should inspire us to imitate the good that we see.

But very often, bad examples seem to speak louder than good examples.

In our human weakness, we are inclined to be influenced by bad examples and end up coping them.

So even though there is much goodness around us, we somehow go along with the bad and sinful ways.

In the gospel, Jesus tells us to know and do what is good, loving, right and true.

And even if those who teach these values do not practice them, we should not succumb to bad examples.

The 1st reading also tells us this from the Lord:

If you are willing to obey, you shall eat the good things of the earth. 

But if you persist in rebellion, the sword shall eat you instead.

The mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Let us be humble to acknowledge our human weakness and sinfulness.

But let us also trust in the Lord that He will raise up the humble so that what is good, loving, right and truthful will prevail.

2nd Week of Lent, Monday, 26-02-2024

Daniel 9:4-10 / Luke 636-38    

The circle is an interesting shape.

It has no corners and no sides.

And there is also no beginning and no end.

The circle is sometimes used to portray some realities in life.

For example, in a vicious circle, there doesn’t seem to have a solution.

Another way of saying it is that what goes around comes around.

In the 1st reading, what the prophet Daniel said can be called a vicious cycle of God’s people.

They sinned, they were punished, they repented for a while, and then they turned back to sin.

But despite that vicious cycle, God comes to His people with love and forgiveness to break that vicious cycle.

As for us, our habitual sins are also the vicious cycle that we are in.

Jesus teaches us how to break that vicious cycle.

He tells us to be compassionate, do not judge, do not condemn, and to grant pardon.

With God’s love and forgiveness, we will be able to break our vicious circle of sin, and God will pour His gifts on us so that we can become circles of life.

2nd Sunday of Lent, Year B, 25.02.2024

 Genesis 22:1-2, 9-13, 15-18 / Romans 8:31-34 / Mark 9:2-10  

When an important event is coming up, announcements would be made on all media platforms. 

Such announcements would be made in advance, with ample time ahead, so that adequate preparations can be made. 

So, events like concerts by the mega-stars, and the current Air Show, are announced way in advance to generate publicity and interest. 

Today's Gospel account is also known as the Transfiguration . For it to be recorded in three Gospels goes to show that it is of significant importance. 

But, unlike the prophecies of the coming of the Saviour, and Jesus foretelling His suffering and death, the Transfiguration happened quite unexpectedly. 

It began with Jesus bringing three of His disciples up a high mountain. The disciples didn't ask why they were going up that high mountain, and they thought that Jesus just wanted them to be alone. 

Then, in their presence, He was transfigured, and His clothes became dazzling white. And then Moses and Elijah appeared, and they were talking with Jesus. 

For the disciples, all that was amazing and astonishing, as well as frightening. And then a cloud came by and covered them in shadow, and there came a voice from the cloud: This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him. 

Then suddenly, when they looked around, they saw no one with them anymore but only Jesus. 

All that happened so suddenly that they were probably dazed and speechless. 

But the experience of the Transfiguration was etched into their hearts, and eventually recorded in the gospels. 

As we listen to the gospel account, as well as the other two readings, is there anything that we can remember? 

And as we go forth after Mass, is there anything that we will carry along in our hearts? 

We didn't see any dazzling whiteness, or historical figures appearing, and no cloud covering us in shadow. 

But we may remember that voice from the cloud saying: This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him. 

So, how can we listen to Jesus, and how do we know it is His voice? 

There's a story of a father and his young son, and they were walking in the mountains. 

Suddenly the son tripped and fell and hurt himself, and he screamed: Aaahhhh …

To his surprise, he hears a voice repeating somewhere in the mountains: Aaahhhh … 

He yells: “Who are you?” The voice came back with: “Who are you?” 

Angered by that response, the boy screams: “Coward!” And the voice came back with: “Coward!” 

He looks to his father and ask: What's going on? 

His father smiles and says: “My son pay attention.” Then the father shouts to the mountains: “I admire you.” And the voice answers: “I admire you.” And the father shouts again: “You are strong.” And the voice answers: “You are strong.” 

The boy was amazed and astonished, and so the father explains: That voice is called the “echo”, but it is really about life. It gives back everything you say or do. 

Our life is simply a reflection of our actions. 

So, if we want to have more love in the world, then we need to have more love in our hearts. Life will give back everything you have given it. 

In the Mass we listen to the words of love, and we are fed with the greatest gift of love. And we go forth carrying God's love in our hearts. 

We become an echo of God's love. 

To listen to Jesus is to listen to the echo of our lives. 

Let us create a good echo to the voice of Jesus by doing this: 

Speak in a way that others would love to listen to you. And listen in a way than others would love to speak to you. 

In doing so, we will hear the echo of the voice of Jesus, the echo of love, and we will be transfigured, and others will also be transfigured.

1st Week of Lent, Saturday, 24-02-2024

Deuteronomy 26:16-19 / Matthew 5:43-48  

People who are searching for a religion to adhere to may ask this question.

How is Christianity different from the rest of the other religions?

Well, of course there are many ways to answer that question.

One answer could be this - Christianity doesn't just teach you to be good; Christianity teaches you to be like God!

That was what Jesus meant when He said: You must be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.

In other words, we must be holy, just as our heavenly Father is holy. We must be like God our Father, no less.

To be like God means to do what Jesus did.

And that is to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us.

People might say that that is crazy, but that is what it means to be holy.

So can it be possible to be holy as God is holy?

As the 1st reading puts it, when we declare that God is our only God, then God will also make the declaration that we are His very own people.

God will consecrate us with His love and we will be living images of His holiness in the world.

So is the Lord God our only God? That is the question that we have to answer in the purifying season of Lent.

1st Week of Lent, Friday, 23-02-2024

Ezekiel 18:21-28 / Matthew 5:20-26  

Though we have to acknowledge that we are sinners, it is not that we are hopeless sinners.

Because when we believe that Jesus is our Saviour, then we have become hopeful sinners.

And as hopeful sinners, God gives us the grace to strive for holiness.

But even as we strive for holiness, let us remember that the temptation to sin is always lurking around.

The temptation to sin can be so subtle that it can even make us think that we are being better than others.

As the 1st reading warns us, we may be practising integrity, but we may succumb to spiritual pride and begin to criticize others for their faults and failings.

So we may not kill or commit serious mortal sins, but Jesus warned us that even calling others with derogatory names like “fool” or “renegade” is a serious offence.

So, prayer, penance and fasting are meant to make us humble and to be aware of our weaknesses and sinfulness.

To be holy is to pray for ourselves as well as for others that we put our hope in God who help us grow in holiness and to be aware of our weaknesses and sinfulness.

Chair of St. Peter the Apostle, Thursday, 22-02-2024

1 Peter 5:1-4 / Matthew 16:13-19   

In the business world, courses on management and marketing skills are in high demand.

Such courses enable a multinational company or business organization to work effectively and productively. All for the purpose of profit and making money.

The Church can be called a multinational organization, with a hierarchical structure.

So what are our so-called management and marketing principles?

The 1st reading summed it up in these words : Be shepherds of the flock that is entrusted to you. Watch over it, not simply out of duty, but gladly. Do not do it for sordid money. Never be a dictator, but be an example for others to follow.

Such pastoral and management principles have held the Church together for over 2000 years.

Yet, such principles and teachings are not easy to adhere to because of human frailty and weakness.

Yet, where there are short-comings and failings, the grace of God fills up the gaps to hold the Church together.

Jesus promised this when He said : You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it.

At the same time, the promise of Jesus comes with a mission for the Church.

The Church does not exists for its own sake. Archbishop William Temple once said : The Church is the only institution that exists for the benefit of those who are not its members.

The Church is the sign of God's love and salvation for the world. United as the Body of Christ and with the Pope as the head of the Church, we are to carry out that mission.

So as we pray for the successor of St. Peter, our present Pope, and all the leaders of the universal Church, let us also pray for ourselves.

That in carrying out what Peter said in the 1st reading, we may be witnesses of God's love and presence in the world so that others will come to know who is Jesus Christ.

1st Week of Lent, Wednesday, 21-02-2024

Jonah 3:1-10 / Luke 11:29-32  

What can be really surprising is when there is an unexpected conversion.

We may be able to think of a person who is corrupted to the core, and what comes out of that person is always something bad and wicked.

But when that person changes for the better, it will certainly surprise us.

In the the 1st reading, Jonah was certainly surprised that he was still alive after preaching the message of repentance to the Ninevites.

He thought that those evil Ninevites would have ripped him apart and fed his body to the wild beasts.

But the Ninevites actually believed in his message and even repented with fasting and penance.

That act of repentance was so stunning that even Jesus recalled that story in the gospel.

So let us not write off any one as being hopelessly bad and evil.

By the grace of God, and with our prayer for  them, they will repent.

And we too will have a change of heart when we see how wonderful and powerful our prayer is in calling down God's grace of repentance on hardened sinners.

1st Week of Lent, Tuesday, 20-02-2024

Isaiah 55:10-11 / Matthew 6:7-15    

For a Christian, prayer is essential, and the season of Lent emphasises this.

Because prayer is the expression of the relationship with God, and hence prayer is essential and not optional.

Jesus taught us the prayer of the "Our Father" or the Lord's prayer.

And in the gospel, Jesus tells us not use too many words and He gave us the model of prayer.

But prayer must also have the effect of changing us.

Prayer must also lead us to forgive others just as we ask God for forgiveness.

The 1st reading tells us that just as the rain and snow come down from the heavens and do not return without watering the earth, making it yield and giving growth to provide seed for the sower and bread for the eating, so the world that goes forth from God's mouth does not return to God empty, without carrying out God's will and succeeding in what it was sent to do.

Similarly, the words of our prayer must also bear fruit in us.

Our prayer changes us and bears fruit of forgiveness.

Let us be firm and faithful in prayer, and especially when we pray the "Our Father" we should change to become like God's children.

1st Week of Lent, Monday, 19-02-2024

Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18 / Matthew 25:31-46  

One of the most profound revelations of the Bible is in the Book of Genesis.

In the act of creation, God created man in His own image.

So man is created with love of God and in the love of God.

Yet that profound revelation is also met with a grave contradiction.

The very Book of Genesis which contains that revelation, also has man disobeying God.

In disobeying God, man has also denied and disfigured that image of God in himself.

The result is that in the history of mankind, man has gone against God and gone against each other.

Jesus came to restore that image of God in man.

In the gospel parable, Jesus taught that whatever is done to another person is done to Him.

The season of Lent with its emphasis on prayer and penance is to help us realise that.

When we can see God in the other person, then anything that we do to that person will be done with love and in love.

1st Sunday of Lent, Year B, 18.02.2024

Genesis 9:8-15 / 1 Peter 3:18-22 / Mark 1:12-15  

The season of Lent can be called a season of spiritual activities. 

We began the season of Lent on Ash Wednesday with the imposition of ashes on our foreheads as a sign of repentance. 

Ash Wednesday was also a day of fasting and abstinence, and we are reminded to do penance for our sins. 

And on Fridays, there is the Stations of the Cross. We are reminded that we have to carry our cross if we want to follow Jesus. 

All these extra spiritual activities in the season of Lent have a purpose. That purpose can be seen in today's gospel. 

The Spirit drove Jesus out into the wilderness and He remained there for 40 days. 

The Spirit is also driving us into the season of Lent with all those spiritual activities. 

The word “drove” may sound rather strange, especially if it is understood from the act of being of chased out.

But in the gospel, the word “drove” means that Jesus was driven by the power of the Holy Spirit to fight the devil and the temptations in the wilderness.

The wilderness is a harsh place of dry sands and heat. 

It is almost like the devil's territory, and Jesus is like charging at the devil, and it was going to be a 40 day battle. 

Besides the harsh conditions of hunger and thirst, there is also the danger of the wild beasts. 

It was similar to the experience of the Israelites in their 40 year journey in the wilderness. 

They complained about hunger and thirst, and they were also bitten by fiery serpents. 

But Jesus overcame the harsh conditions, the devil's temptations, and the fear of the wild beasts. 

Similarly, the Spirit is driving us with God's grace and power to face evil, to overcome temptations, and we are also assured of the protection of God's angels. 

When we think of the wilderness or the desert, one immediate image that comes to mind is the dry sands. 

The desert landscape changes because the sands move about with the winds. 

That brings to mind a story of two best friends walking through the desert, and they got into a quarrel. 

One friend punched the other in the face. The one who was punched was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand: Today my best friend punched me in the face. 

They kept walking on until they came to an oasis, and they stopped for a drink. 

The one who had been punched, slipped and fell into the water and began to drown. 

His friend immediately went to save him. That evening, he wrote on a stone: Today, my best friend saved my life. 

The friend who had punched and save his best friend asked: After I hurt you, you wrote on the sand, and now you wrote on a stone. Why? 

The other friend replied: When someone hurts us, we should write it on sand where the winds of forgiveness can erase it away. 

But when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone, where it will be long remembered. 

As we face the temptations of the devil, the wickedness and the viciousness of hurt and abuse, let us remember that these stand on desert sands. 

They will be erased and blown away by the winds of forgiveness from the Holy Spirit. 

And with prayer and penance, we will stand with God who is the Rock of our salvation. 

Our good deeds of kindness and forgiveness, humility and charity, will be written on stones of love.

And God will remember us when we call out to Him in our need.

Saturday after Ash Wednesday, 17-02-2024

Isaiah 58:9-14 / Luke 5:27-32  

It may sound rather surprising, but we may not be aware of what we really need.

Of course, we know what we want and we are quite focused on that.

So we may focused on increasing our financial security and stability.

But it may come at the expense of our health, which is actually what we need more, because health is wealth.

In the gospel, Jesus said that it is not those who are well who need the doctor but the sick.

But we know from our own experience that even though we know we should go for our yearly medical checkup, or consult the doctor when we are not feeling well, we would delay and procrastinate, until it is too late.

So, unless the doctor comes to us, we may not be that keen about going to the doctor.

Jesus knows that we are weak and brought down by our sins, and we can’t find the strength to go to Him even though we know we need Him.

So, Jesus comes to us, just as He went to call Levi. 

Let us respond to this gift of grace and be aware of the many ways that Jesus is reaching out to us.

Let us respond wholeheartedly like Levi and experience forgiveness and healing.

Friday after Ash Wednesday, 16-02-2024

Isaiah 58:1-9 / Matthew 9:14-15   

Fasting as a form of penance is often highlighted during the Lenten season.

On Ash Wed, we talking about fasting and doing penance.

Today's readings also talked about fasting.

But in the 1st reading, the prophet Isaiah pointed out to the people that they abused and misused the religious meaning of fasting.

The people practised fasting but their lives did not reflect the act of doing penance.

In spite and despite their fasting, they cheated in their business dealings, they quarreled and squabbled and oppressed the poor and weak.

They forgot, or actually ignored, the fact that fasting is a sign of the longing for the coming of the kingdom of God into their lives.

Fasting is a sign of the hungering for justice and righteousness.

Fasting is a sign of repentance and conversion and the hungering for God's mercy and forgiveness.

Hence fasting is not just an act of penance. It is also a form of prayer that should have the effect of reforming and renewing our lives.

Through fasting, we want to empty ourselves so that God can fill us with His love and compassion and mercy.

In our hunger for sincere repentance, we can be assured of what the prophet Isaiah said at the end of the 1st reading.

Your integrity will go before you and the glory of the Lord behind you.

Cry, and the Lord will answer; call, and He will say "I am here".

Thursday after Ash Wednesday, 15-02-2024

Deuteronomy 30:15-20 / Luke 9:22-25     

We were born without bringing anything into this world.

We die without taking anything with us.

But the surprising thing is that between life and death, we fight for what we didn’t bring to this world and what we cannot take out of this world.

That is an age-old truth that needs no further elaboration, but it always seems to be beyond our comprehension.

In the 1st reading, Moses had to reiterate this truth to God’s people as he sets before them life and prosperity or death and disaster.

The choice is obvious but the people seems to be oblivious to it.

But in the gospel, the choice was not only not obvious, but may seem rather ridiculous.

Jesus is asking us to give up our life for His sake if we want to save it.

But upon deeper reflection, our life belongs to God and we are in God’s hands.

To give up our life to follow Jesus should be the most obvious thing to do.

We rather put our life in God’s hands than to mess it up with our own hands.

Ash Wednesday, 14-02-2024

Joel 2:12-18 / 2 Cor 5:20 - 6:2 / Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18  

Today, the Church uses a lowly and humble substance as we begin the holy season of Lent. 

Ashes will be imposed on our foreheads as a sign of repentance, and also a sign of the penance we will undertake. 

These ashes are derived from the palm branches that we received at last year's Palm Sunday. 

Those palm branches had seen glorious moments when they were held high and waved during the procession. 

Then they were left silently on our home altars, on the door-posts and in obscure places. 

Then, a year later, they were collected and burned into ashes and imposed on our foreheads. 

These ashes may be a sign of our lives and our faith, in that we had our green and glorious moments in life. 

Along the way, we faced our trials, we become aware of our weaknesses, our frailty and our mortality. 

And like the dry spiky palm branches that are gathered up and burnt into ashes, we are also reminded of our eventuality. 

But our faith in God tells us that He will raise us up from the ashes of our lives for His glory. 

Yes, let us remember that we are ashes and dust and unto ashes and dust we shall return. 

And like the lowly ashes and dust, we return to God in humility to be used for His glory. 

Let us ask the Lord for mercy and forgiveness. 

As the 1st reading tells us, “turn to the Lord your God, for He is all tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in graciousness and ready to relent. 

And God will also grant a blessing on the lowly, the humble and contrite of heart. 

God's blessing is our reward, and His blessing is all we will need in life.

6th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 13-02-2024

James 1:12-18 / Mark 8:14-21  

One of the faith questions that we will ask every now and then is this: Why doesn’t God answer my prayers?

It is not a question that we will ask casually, but a question that we will ask when we are in difficulty.

And when there is no answer to our question, then we get angry with God for not answering our prayers.

So when we are desperate and anxious, and then things don’t go our way, we would want to take it out on someone and even blame somebody.

And when God doesn’t seem to answer our prayers immediately, then we get angry with God and even blame Him for our misfortunes.

But the 1st reading reminds us that happy is the man who stands firm when trials come.

And when we stand firm on our faith in God, we will win the prize of life, the crown that the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

Our faith is in God who loves us and listens to every word of our prayer.

And He also hears every word that we utter when we are angry with Him.

Still, God loves us and He has good things in store for us.

So, let us put our faith and trust in God and He will show us His wonderful plans He has for us.

6th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 12-02-2024

James 1:1-11 / Mark 8:11-13   

The life of a Christian is certainly no different from the life of the others around him.

By and large, whether atheist or believer, rich or poor, religious or laity, man or woman, life has its difficulties and struggles.

More so for us who believe in God, we are certainly not spared of these turmoils of life, and we cannot expect to either.

We are either coming out of a storm or headed towards one, though there might be a moment of peace when we are in the eye of the storm.

Yet we must continue to believe that although God did not promise us that there will be no storms, He did promise us that He will be with us in the storm.

This faith in God is a powerful sign for others to recognize that God is indeed truly with us in our difficult and stormy moments.

The problem the Pharisees had with Jesus was that they expected Him to work spectacular and phenomenal signs.

Jesus refused to give them any of these kind of signs because He has already given them the example of His life.

To give them more signs would be like to show a blind man more pictures.

In Jesus, we see how our Master faced His difficulties and struggles and He showed us how to overcome them by putting His faith in God His Father.

The 1st reading attested to this and urges us to see our trials as a blessed privilege for growth of a deeper faith in God.

Faith is like a teabag. We have to put it in hot water before we know how strong it is.

6th Ordinary Sunday, Year B, 11.02.2024

 Leviticus 13:1-2, 45-46 / 1 Cor 10:31 – 11:1 / Mark 1:40-45  

During this festive period, we would probably be doing two things, and that is visiting and feasting. 

We will be visiting our relatives and friends, and doing that once-a-year pilgrimage of paying respects to our elders. 

The children, especially the younger ones, will look forward to these visits, as it means that there will be “ang pows” to collect. 

As usual, during such occasions, people are busy, noisy as well as nosy. 

Yes, people will be busy eating till they can't talk. 

And if they still can talk, then they will be busy asking all those nosy questions, like … 

Which school are you studying in? 

Where are you working? 

When are you getting married? 

When are you going to have baby? 

If we are tired of entertaining those questions, then maybe we can put our replies online, and tell them to check it out, and even give a “like”. 

Well, festive occasions like these are usually busy, noisy and nosy, and that adds to the festive atmosphere.

But in the midst of the festive atmosphere, there are some people who will be left out. 

There are some elderly who stay alone, or reside in a nursing home, and maybe no one will visit them during this festive period. 

There are some who are homebound or hospitalized, and they can only wait for others to visit them. 

There are some who are just alone, for some reason, and they feel the loneliness especially during this festive period. 

But, even outside of the busy, noisy and nosy festive occasions, there are people who are left out and feeling lonely. 

The gospel reminds us of the presence of those who are left out and lonely, as well as those who are the least, the last and the lost. 

We don't often notice them because they are not often mentioned, and we don't see them in public. 

So, the leper in today's Gospel is a symbol of those who are left out and lonely, and those who are the least, the last and the lost. 

For the leper, just the feeling of being left out and lonely was more painful than the leprosy, and that made him seek out Jesus and to ask for a cure. 

In our modern times, leprosy may not be that widespread thanks to the advancement of medical science and health-care. 

But, there is the reality of people who are lonely and being left out, and those who are the least, the last and the lost. 

They may not be crying out loud for attention, but Jesus wants us to think about them and to care for them. 

And some of these people are as close to us as in our family members and loved ones. 

On Friday evening, I went home for the traditional reunion dinner with my mother. 

We already had a sort of reunion dinner with my brother and his family a week ago. 

But last Friday I knew I had to go home for that dinner as there was a significance. 

Usually, the reunion dinner with the family is held on the eve of Chinese New Year. 

This year was just my mother and me. My sister passed on exactly a year ago, and so it was a rather quiet dinner. 

During dinner, my mother mentioned that last year, we had a simple reunion dinner at the hospital where my sister was being treated. 

And after a while, my mother mentioned that my sister went on to see the 15 days of the Chinese New Year before returning to the Lord on the 16th day. 

Those bits and pieces of her recollection of my sister tells me that my mother still thinks about the loss of her daughter.

And I also thank God that I was with my mother in her moment of loneliness and that she didn't feel left out and forgotten on the significant occasion of the reunion dinner. 

So, let us look, and let us listen to the voices of those who are lonely and those who are left out. 

They may not cry out loud, and all they need is a little love and care. 

The gospel reminds us that Jesus came for the lonely, the left-outs, the least, the last and the lost. 

He came to show God's love to them and to give them hope that there are people who will listen to them and care for them. 

So, if we feel a prompting to visit someone, or to give a call to someone, then it could be Jesus who is showing us who are the lonely and who are those that are being left out. 

That little act of love, and that bit of time spent with them, will be enough for them to know that Jesus loves and cares for them.

Chinese New Year, 10.02.2024

 Numbers 6:22-27 / James 4:13-15 / Matthew 6:31-34  

As Christians, we want to begin the first day of the Chinese New Year, or the Lunar New Year by coming to Church for Mass.

We want to offer worship to God and give thanks for His blessings and providence.

We also pray for God’s blessings of peace and joy.

In the 1st reading, God tells us that He wants to bless us, to let His face shine upon us and to grant us peace.

God wants to give His blessings on the work of our hands and to let us know that our future is in His hands. That is what the 2nd reading tells us.

Hence, Jesus tells us not to worry about what to eat and what to drink or what to wear.

As much as these are real earthly concerns, God our Father knows we need them and He will provide for us.

What God wants of us is to set our hearts on His kingdom and live righteous lives.

So, as we celebrate Chinese New Year, we also celebrated God’s blessings on us and the love that He wants to pour into our hearts.

May God’s blessings and love lead us into a deeper relationship with God and with our loved ones and friends.

May this festive celebration bring about God’s peace and joy to all.

5th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 09-02-2024

1 Kings 11:29-32; 12:19 / Mark 7:31-37    

One of the sad and tragic realities of humanity is the division and separation between persons, peoples and nations.

In this division and separation, relationships are broken, and with that hostilities begin to arise.

Walls and borders are also erected to block any possible dialogue and reconciliation.

In the 1st reading, we heard of the separation and division of the People of God into two nations, and there would never be a reunion.

This happened because the leaders and the people turned away from God and worshipped idols.

Yet, God did not leave His people in that divided and broken state.

God even sent His Son to bring His people back to Him.

In the gospel, the healing of the deaf man with an impediment in his speech was an expression of God’s desire to unite people in His love.

It was on the Cross that Jesus expressed God’s desire for reconciliation and reunion with Him.

On the Cross, Jesus broke down the walls and barriers of hate and hostility.

Let us fix our hearts on the Cross as we strive for forgiveness, reconciliation and peace.

5th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 08-02-2024

1 Kings 11:4-13 / Mark 7:24-30     

When we say that we believe in God, that belief also has to be expressed by acts of faith.

To say that we believe in God but then if our actions do correspond to our faith, that would be a contradiction.

Even when we try to live out our faith in God, we cannot be that sure that we won’t waver in our faith, or even do things that are contrary to our faith.

In the 1st reading, king Solomon, who was granted the gift of wisdom by God, did something that was displeasing to God and even made God angry.

King Solomon’s heart had turned away from God and worshipped idols.

So, even a wise man like king Solomon can also succumb to foolishness and be unfaithful to God and do the wrong thing.

But in the gospel, it was a simple pagan woman who was wise enough to turn to Jesus and have faith in Him.

As much as it is necessary to know more about our faith, it is only in prayer that we can deepen our faith in God and to trust in Him.

And like that pagan woman, we will be happy to have faith in God who loves us and who will come to our help in our time of need.

5th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 07-02-2024

1 Kings 10:1-10 / Mark 7:14-23   

The Chinese New Year festival is approaching soon. In true Chinese tradition, one of the main highlights is the delicious food.

From the Reunion dinner onwards, there will be food and food and more food.

Yes, delicious, sumptuous, and "sinful" foods like bak-kua, roasted cashew nuts, pineapple tarts, love-letters, etc.

But we know that those type of foods, consumed in that kind of combination, and consumed in abundance, will give us the following effects : sore-throat, cough, indigestion and a bloated feeling.

The Chinese have a particular way of looking at food. Food is viewed as medicine. It can do good for the body when taken in various combinations.

But certain foods taken in a wrong combination can actually harm the body.

Many religions have dietary laws. Some foods are forbidden because when they are not cooked or properly preserved, they could cause health problems which in turn also affects the spiritual health.

Over time, such forbidden foods became part of the religious culture and they also took on the meaning of spiritual purity.

So we can imagine the reaction of the people when Jesus, with one breath, implicitly proclaimed that all foods are clean.

Yet for all the possible reaction, the message may not have been understood. What Jesus was saying is that foods can give us strength and health, but it cannot give us wisdom and purity.

In the 1st reading, the queen of Sheba was greatly impressed by the splendor and the wisdom of King Solomon.

Nonetheless, she also saw beyond the externals and acknowledged that it was the God of Israel who had abundantly blessed King Solomon.

Similarly, we give thanks to God for the blessings for the abundance and sumptuous food and the other basic necessities as well as other luxuries.

But we must be careful not to take all these for granted. Only with a thankful and grateful heart can we truly appreciate and give thanks to God for His blessings.

Because a thankful and grateful person is truly a wise and holy person.

5th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 06-02-2024

1 Kings 8:22-23, 27-30 / Mark 7:1-13      

An atheist is defined as a person who denies or disbelieves the existence of a supreme being or beings.

In other words, an atheist is one who does not believe in the existence of God.

A story goes that an atheist asked a Christian this : Show me where God is and I will give u a hundred dollars.

The Christian replied : Show me where He is not, and I will give you a million dollars.

Well, the atheist and the believer can argue all day long but for King Solomon in the 1st reading, the question of the existence of God is beyond argument.

For him, the existence and the presence of God is so enormous that even the heavens cannot contain God, much less the magnificent Temple that he has built.

So the presence of God is everywhere, and His commandments are valid anytime.

But human beings have this ability to manipulate God's commandments to serve their own vested interests.

In the gospel, Jesus gave a few examples of how human traditions can make God's commandments look small and restrictive.

Hence, we too need to reflect and examine our own practices and traditions.

Our practices and traditions should not make people frown and belittle our faith.

Rather, our faith practices and religious customs and traditions show others that we truly believe that God is present everywhere and loving us all the time.

5th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 05-02-2024

1 Kings 8:1-7, 9-13 / Mark 6:53-56    

The Mass is the source and summit of our faith.

There are two characteristics that can be said about the Mass – it is solemn and sober.

Every now and then, there is incensing and other extra-ordinary rituals.

But by and large, the proceedings of the Mass can be quite predictable.

But in the 1st reading, the procession of the Ark of the Covenant to the Temple was marked with the sacrifice of sheep and oxen.

And then the Temple was filled with a cloud and the glory of the Lord filled the Temple.

It was certainly a spectacular and marvelous sight and a wonderful experience.

And in the gospel, the people were begging Jesus to let the sick touch the fringe of His cloak.

And all those who touched it were cured. It is certainly quite spectacular.

The Mass may seem rather quiet compared to what happened in the two readings.

But when we see beyond the ordinary signs and symbols in the Mass, we enter into a great and deep mystery.

We believe that the consecrated host is the Body of Christ, and we even get to touch it and consume it.

Indeed a great miracle happens at every Mass. 

May we be able to experience the depth of this mystery and feel the effects of the Mass in our lives.

5th Ordinary Sunday, Year B, 04.02.2024

 Job 7:1-4, 6-7 / 1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-23 / Mark 1:29-39  

Human beings are weak and fragile. No matter how strong we are, we are not super beings. 

No matter how high a position or status we have in society, we are not indispensable. 

We are mere flesh and blood, and we can succumb to illness and diseases. 

And emotionally, we can be discouraged from failures, and hurt and suffer from arguments and criticisms. 

Some days we are up and about, other days we are down and out. And we are also aware that we can be here today and suddenly be gone tomorrow. 

Such is the fragility and the unpredictability of life, and we also lament that happiness is so short-lived, while sadness is so prolonged. 

In the 1st reading, what Job said may probably express some of our thoughts: Is not man's life on earth nothing more than pressed service, his time no better than hired drudgery? Like the slave sighing for the shade, or the work man with no thoughts but his wages. 

That reflection could possibly express the stark and blunt reality of our lives. 

And if that is not pessimistic enough, there is something else that we have to face and struggle with. 

And that is the scourge of sickness and diseases. 

There is no guarantee that we will not succumb to anything from aches and pains, to health issues and life threatening diseases. 

All this sounds dark and depressive, but that is the reality of life. 

Today's Gospel passage also reminds us of this reality of life. 

But the gospel gives us hope in the face of this dark and gloomy reality of life.

Jesus went about in His ministry of healing and deliverance. He cured Peter's mother-in-law of her fever, and those who are sick and possessed by devils were brought to Him.

Jesus cured many who were suffering from diseases of one kind or another, and He also cast out many devils. 

The gospel shows the human need for comfort and healing being fulfilled by divine power and love. 

But the gospel also tells us a deeper aspect of life, and that is the power of prayer over the reality of human need. 

Jesus went off early in the morning to a lonely place to pray. 

It is in prayer that Jesus is empowered and strengthened in His mission of proclaiming the Good News through healing and deliverance. 

And that reminds us of this: Life is fragile handle with prayer. 

When the fragility of life is exposed by sickness and diseases, then prayer is the remedy and the necessity. 

More than just a remedy, prayer brings us to understand one of the fundamentals of our faith, and that is redemptive suffering. 

Redemptive suffering is what we see on the Cross.

Jesus suffered and even died to save us. 

Jesus called us to carry our cross and to follow Him as His disciples. 

When we face our cross of sickness, diseases and suffering, we too must follow what Jesus did.

Just as Jesus went off early in the morning to a lonely place to pray, we too must pray. 

And just as Jesus was empowered and strengthened to continue His mission, we too will receive divine power in our human weakness. 

That divine power will help us to understand what is redemptive suffering. 

That divine power will also give us hope that with our prayer, our suffering will lead us to salvation. 

And that is what the Cross promises us: 

That by His suffering and death on the Cross Jesus will heal us and save us.

4th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 03-02-2024

1 Kings 3:4-13 / Mark 6:30-34   

Today is the feastday of St Blaise, and the Church celebrates his feastday as a memorial.

St. Blaise was the bishop of Sebaste in Armenia during the 4th century.

Not much is known about his life and according to various accounts, he was a physician before becoming a bishop.

He was reputed to have miraculously cured a little boy who nearly died because of a fishbone that was stuck in his throat.

Hence, St. Blaise has been invoked on behalf of the sick, especially those afflicted with illnesses of the throat.

Hence on this feastday of St. Blaise, a blessing of throats may be given by  a priest or deacon during Mass or after Mass depending on pastoral situations.

The blessing of throats is a profound sign of the struggle against illness in the life of the Christian.

As the Roman Ritual puts it - The blessing of the sick by ministers of the Church is a very ancient custom, rooted in the imitation of Christ Himself and His apostles.

So as much as we Christians feel and experience pain as the rest of humanity, yet our faith in God helps us to grasp more deeply the mystery of suffering and to bear our pain with greater courage, just as St. Blaise did in his martyrdom.

Through the intercession of St. Blaise, may we fight strenuously against all sickness and seek the blessings of good health, so that we may bear witness to God's love and His providence.

The Presentation of the Lord, Friday, 02-02-2024

Malachi 3:1-4 or Hebrews 2:14-18 / Luke 2:22-40

A major part of our lives is spent on waiting.

We wait for the baby to be born, we wait for our children to grow up and be independent, we wait for our retirement; we wait to return to the Lord. Indeed, we spend a lot of time waiting.

Besides that we also have to wait for people who are late, we wait for the bus or train and whatever.

But there is something interesting about waiting. Most of the time, whatever we are waiting for shows up sooner or later.

For Simeon and Anna, they had waited for a long time, and finally their hope was fulfilled.

When Mary and Joseph presented Jesus in the Temple, God's ancient promise of sending a Saviour was fulfilled and the the Covenant was ratified with the presentation of Jesus in the Temple.

Yes, God has come to save His people and the blessing and lighting of candles and the procession is to symbolize that the light of salvation is already shining on the Church and on the world.

Yes, the light of salvation is shining and yet we still wait.

We wait for the light of the Holy Spirit to prompt us and lead us to fulfill God's work of salvation in our lives.

Like Mary and Joseph, Simeon and Anna, let us wait for the Lord in prayer, and have our candles lit, and be ready to do His will when He calls.