16th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 26-07-2025

Exodus 24:3-8 / Matthew 13:24-30

We use words when we talk and communicate with others.

Words have a literal meaning as well as a figurative meaning.

What meaning a word has depends on the context it is used.

In the 1st reading, Moses used the blood of the bullocks to express the Covenant between God and His people.

Half of the blood, Moses cast it on the altar. 

The other half, he cast it on the people.

So the blood of Covenant is as literal as it could mean.

But while God was faithful to His Covenant, the people became the “bad blood” of the Covenant.

Figurative speaking, the blood of the people became bad and they were unfaithful to God, violated the Covenant and committed evil and wickedness.

But God cleansed the blood of the Covenant by sending His Son Jesus who shed His blood on the Cross to save us from our sin.

By His blood on the Cross, Jesus has cleansed our hearts of sin and evil so that we can bear a good harvest for the Lord.

And may the words we use in talking and communicating with others bring about peace, hope and joy.

16th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 24-07-2025

Exodus 19:1-2, 9-11, 16-20 / Matthew 13:10-17  

For most of us, life can be often described in one word – busy.

We may think that only people with jobs have busy lives.

But those who are retired may just be as busy, if not busier.

When we say we are busy, we will also say that we have “no time”.

So, in our busyness and with time constraints, we will just browse through life.

We may look, but we don’t see the details, like the fine print in those “Terms and Conditions”.

We may hear, but we don’t listen deeper to what is being said, or understand what is being said.

In the gospel, Jesus says that the reason He talks to the people in parables is that they look without seeing and listen without hearing or understanding.

So, for some people, the parables of Jesus are just stories that have some entertainment.

But for some, the same parables make them think and reflect deeper and they hear the voice of God in the parables.

In our busy lives, may we stop for a prayer break to look and to listen to what God is showing and telling us.

Then we will also understand God’s plan and His will for us.

16th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 23-07-2025

Exodus 16:1-5, 9-15 / Matthew 13:1-9   

As human beings, it cannot be denied that we like life to be easy and comfortable.

We don’t like to work too hard and think too much.

We like life to provide us with food, shelter and clothing instead of having to work for it.

And we also envy those who seem to have a better and a more comfortable life.

In the 1st reading, the sons of Israel began to complain about the harshness of the wilderness.

There was not much to eat and they began to think of the food they had in Egypt.

In short, they were saying that they rather die as slaves than to starve in freedom.

And they even began to imagine that slavery was better than freedom.

And we will also imagine when life is easy and comfortable, we will be able to live good and even holy lives.

But our desire for pleasure and comfort has no limit. 

We may end up desiring more and more and, in the end, we become enslaved by the desire for pleasure and comfort.

Because what we desire to possess will eventually possess us.

Let us accept that life is difficult and that we will have our struggles and troubles.

But God will come to our help, and He will give us strength to carry on sowing seeds of faith and hope for ourselves and for others.

St. Mary Magdalene, Apostle of the Apostles, Tuesday, 22-07-2025

Songs 3:1-4 or 2 Cor 5:14-17 / John 20:1-2, 11-18   

Every now and then, we see in the newspapers a notice about a missing person, with the person's photograph and some details.

Whether the person was eventually found or not, we cannot be certain because very often there are no follow-up reports on the case in the newspapers.

What is certain is that when a loved one is missing, the anxiety is painful and the search is relentless.

Such was the depth of the emotion in the search for the one whom the heart loves deeply.

It may also express the pain and grief of Mary Magdalene as she looked for the One she loved in the tomb.

And not finding Jesus in the tomb, Mary Magdalene searched relentlessly and persistently for Him.

Mary's deep love for Jesus was because it was He who loved her first and healed her of her sufferings and sins.

In life, Mary Magdalene loved Jesus. Even in death she searched for Him in order just to be with Him.

Mary Magdalene is remembered because of her deep love for Jesus and her relentless and persistent search for Jesus when others seemed to have given up.

From our priorities and what we are searching and longing for, we will know how deep our love is for Jesus.

There is this saying for St. Augustine in his book "Confessions" : You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there I searched for you.

God is within us. From within He calls out to us. 

If we are not listening to Him from within, then we might just be looking for the wrong things.

16th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 21-07-2025

Exodus 14:5-18 / Matthew 12:38-42   

One of the most fervent prayers is when we are faced with a mortal danger.

It is an impending danger, and we can see it coming like some kind of demolition ball.

We will certain pray desperately for divine help as we brace ourselves to face that danger.

It may be difficult to imagine that kind of mortal danger.

But we can certainly imagine the mortal danger that the Israelites were facing in the 1st reading.

Sandwiched between the sea and blood-thirsty mighty Egyptian army, there seem to be no escape.

They panicked and began saying all sorts of disparaging things against Moses.

But Moses answered the people with this:

‘Have no fear! Stand firm, and you will see what the Lord will do to save you today: the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. The Lord will do the fighting for you: you have only to keep still.’

As for us, in times of distress and desperation, we will resort to every possible means to get out of trouble.

It is difficult to keep still and to trust in the Lord who will save us.

But let us remember what Moses said to the people, and to let the Lord our God go ahead of us to fight our battles for us.

Yes, the Lord our God will save us. We just need to be still and pray and see the power and the glory of God.

16th Ordinary Sunday, Year C, 20.07.2025

 Genesis 18:1-10 / Colossians 1:24-28 / Luke 10:38-42

One of the things in life that creates problems for us is that we expect the expected. 

And because we expect what we are expecting, then we begin to imagine our expectations. 

Even if our imagination doesn't run that wild, we would already have built up our expectations. 

A story goes that with her birthday approaching, a woman was expecting a gift from her husband. 

She wanted a specific gift, a diamond necklace, and so she hinted to her husband that she had a dream, that she received a diamond necklace for her birthday. 

The husband replied, “We will see” and then he went to work. 

That day the wife kept imagining and dreaming about the diamond necklace. 

In the evening, the husband came back from work with a parcel and gave it to his wife. 

The wife was so excited and she quickly opened up the parcel. 

In it was a book, and the title is: The meaning of dreams. 

In life, we spend quite a bit of time dreaming and imagining our expectations. 

Although there is this saying, “Expect the unexpected”, the reality is that we expect the expected. 

In other words, we want life to happen the way we expect it to happen. 

And when it doesn't, then we get flustered and frustrated. 

So, actually, we created our own problems with our own expectations. 

In the gospel, when Martha welcomed to Jesus into her home, she had expected Mary, her sister, to help in the serving. 

But when Mary sat at the Lord's feet, listening to Him speaking, Martha became distracted. 

So, Martha complained to Jesus, and she expected Him to tell Mary to help out in the serving. 

The reply of Jesus was rather unexpected, and caught Martha by surprise, and it would also make us think. 

We too worry and fret about so many things because we have high expectations of others. 

From our children we expect academic excellence.

From our parents, we expect our share of the inheritance. 

From our spouse, we expect dedication and affection. 

From our superiors, we expect understanding and compassion. 

From our subordinates, we expect agreement and compliance. 

And from God we expect providence. 

So instead of saying “Speak Lord, your servant is listening”, it becomes “Listen Lord, your servant is speaking”. 

In the 1st reading the Lord appeared to Abraham, but not in the usual way that Abraham expected. 

Abraham had been expecting the fulfillment of the promise of God for a son. 

Then that day, when he was sitting at the entrance of his tent at the hottest time of the day, he saw three men nearby. 

They appeared unexpectedly, and they came at an unexpected time, which is the hottest time of the day. 

Still, Abraham got up and welcome them, and in doing so, God answered Abraham's prayer and fulfilled His promise. 

But it was so unexpected, and certainly not in a way Abraham expected. 

The 2nd reading would call it the mysterious ways of God, His ways which are beyond human understanding and expectation. 

So, when unexpected events happen, when unexpected people come our way, and all that happening at an unexpected time, let us not worry and fret. 

Let us look and listen to what the Lord Jesus is saying and showing us. 

And let us remember that spiritual saying: Peace begins when expectation ends.

Whether we are expecting the expected, or expecting the unexpected, let us know what it is that we really want and what we are really longing for.

What we long for, what we really want, is peace in our hearts.

We don’t want to waste our lives burning away with worry and fret.

We don’t want to waste our time expecting this or expecting that.

We want peace. And peace begins when expectation ends.

15th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 19-07-2025

Exodus 12:37-42 / Matthew 12:14-21   

To live in a foreign land for an extended period of time will require some adaptability.

It would mean that we will have to learn another language, adapt to a different culture and practices, and other life changes.

Over time, we may forget and become alienated from our origins and may even forget our own mother-tongue.

The people of Israel had spent 430 years in Egypt.

They were already like Egyptians in almost every way.

But the one critical difference is that they kept to their religious belief of the God of their ancestors, who is the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob.

Nonetheless, they would also have been influenced by the religious practices of the Egyptians.

But the night before they left Egypt, the Lord God kept vigil with them, and they would have to keep vigil with the Lord God for all their generations.

The gospel passage quoted from the prophet Isaiah:

Here is my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved, the favourite of my soul.

He will proclaim the true faith to the nations, he will not break the crushed reed, nor put out the smouldering wick till he has led the truth to victory.

In his name the nations will put their hope.

That prophecy was referring to Jesus.

What God did for the people of Israel, Jesus will do for us.

When our faith is crushed, and the light of our faith is reduced to a smouldering wick, Jesus will keep vigil with us to keep the faith and to lead us with truth to victory.

Let us put our hope in Jesus, let us keep vigil with Him and He will lead us to victory.

15th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 18-07-2025

Exodus 11:10 - 12:14 / Matthew 12:1-89   

The act of eating is an essential act for human beings.

To eat is to consume food and that is necessary to curb hunger and to sustain life.

To eat is also to remember that it is God who provided the food for us and that makes us grateful and thankful.

So it can be said that the act of eating is also an act of thanksgiving.

The 1st reading recalls the ritual of the first Passover meal.

In the act of eating the Passover lamb, God is showing His people that through this simple food, He will save His people and deliver them from slavery.

And that day is to be remembered and to be celebrated in the Lord’s honour for all generations to come.

In the gospel, the hungry disciples picked ears of corn and ate them as they walked through the cornfields.

The Pharisees saw it and criticized the disciples for doing something forbidden on the Sabbath.

It is here that Jesus gave this teaching: food is a blessing from God.

To eat when it is necessary is to give thanks and to honour God for His providence.

May we remember the merciful love of God whenever we eat and let us also share our resources with the hungry and needy so that they too will experience the merciful love of God.

15th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 17-07-2025

Exodus 3:13-20 / Matthew 11:28-30   

When someone remembers our name, we would usually be quite impressed.

Especially so when we have only met that person just a couple of times.

We may wonder if that person has an extraordinary memory.

Turning the situation around, we may also be able to remember someone’s name even though we have only met that person a couple of times.

Certainly, that person has made some kind of impression on us and so we remember that person by name.

In the 1st reading, when Moses asked God for His name, God told him that His name is “I Am who I Am”.

It is a rather mysterious name, but God identified who He is when He said that He is the God of Abraham, the God of Issac, the God of Jacob.

He is the God who calls, who provides, who protects, who leads and who blesses.

In the gospel, Jesus calls out to us to come to Him.

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

Jesus gives us rest, teaches us how to be gentle and humble and how to follow Him.

Let us call on the name of Jesus, for He is our Saviour, our Teacher and our Healer.

15th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 16-07-2025

Exodus 3:1-4, 9-12 / Matthew 11:25-27   

When it comes to challenging our thinking and imagination, riddles and puzzles provide a fun and enlightening way.

The question may seem so difficult, but the answer is so simple.

For example - Riddle: Which word becomes shorter when 2 letters are added to it? Answer: The word “short.”

In a way, the challenges and difficulties of life are like riddles and puzzles.

The solution is so simple, yet we think of complex and sophisticated ways to solve the problems of life.

In the gospel, Jesus says that God reveals the mysteries of life to mere children.

That is because children’s thinking is simple and they wonder with imagination.

In the 1st reading, Moses was wondering about the burning bush that was not burnt.

Instead of thinking about why it was not burnt, he went up to see this strange sight.

It was then he encountered God who then revealed His plan for Moses.

As we think about the challenges and difficulties that we face in life, let us ponder about what is revealed to us.

When we go before the Lord in prayer, He will reveal to us what we need to know as well what we need to do.

15th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 15-07-2025

Exodus 2:1-15 / Matthew 11:20-24   

At times, life seems like a routine of uneventful activities.

We wake up in the morning, we go to work, we talk to a few people, we come home and we rest for the night.

We tend to take life for granted until something unexpected happens that make us do some deep thinking.

It could be some problems or difficulties, or something more serious like a serious illness.

Then we will realise how we have taken so many beautiful things in life for granted.

As we reflect on the 1st reading, we could see how God had saved Moses over and over and again.

When we keep reflecting about how God has come into our lives and saved us from our challenges and difficulties, as well as our struggles and troubles, then we will certainly give thanks to God.

And when we know that God is sustaining and providing for us, then we will also be ready to accept His plans for us in our lives.

In the gospel, Jesus reproached the towns in which most of His miracles had been worked.

Those towns took all that for granted and only saw the spectacular and the dramatic.

May we not be like the people of those towns, but see the hand of God showing us something in life.

Indeed, every day is full of miracles, and to be alive and to be able to do ordinary routine things is truly a great blessing from God.

May we open our eyes and minds to see the miracles and blessings from God, and may we help others to see how wonderful God’s love is for us.

15th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 14-07-2025

Exodus 1:8-14, 22 / Matthew 10:34 - 11:1 

In this world, power and might are desired by a certain type of people or individuals.

They are the type who want to put others down in order to show their so-called superiority.

They want power and might in order to suppress others.

In other words, they are simply bullies. 

The fear of bullies is that if they don’t bully others, then they will be bullied.

That was the fear of Pharoah when he saw the Israelites become so numerous and strong and he saw them as a threat.

So he tried to suppress them with hard labour so as to wear them down.

But the strange thing is that the more the Israelites were crushed, the more they increased and became stronger.

The truth is that God is on the side of the suffering, the oppressed, those who suffer injustice and those who are bullied.

In the gospel, Jesus says that anyone who finds his life will lose it, and anyone who loses his life for Jesus will find it.

It also can be said that anyone who bullies others will find himself fighting against God.

And anyone who believes in God and lives a humble life of peace and love will be saved by God. 

God is always on the side of the weak, the little and the humble.

Anyone who believes that will see the saving power of God.

15th Ordinary Sunday, Year C, 13.07.2025

Deuteronomy 30:10-14 / Colossians 1:15-20 / Luke 10:25-37

The word “convenient” is a nice sounding word, and with it comes certain expectations. 

Convenient means that the situation or the circumstances fit well into our needs, into our schedules and into our plans. 

Convenient may also mean involving little trouble or effort. 

And we like it when life has its conveniences and makes us comfortable. 

Just think about the 24-hour convenience stores that are also conveniently located. 

If we ever need something like an instant meal or some common grocery at an odd hour, those convenient stores would probably have what we are looking for. 

And in our country, we are spoiled with convenience. 

There are those 24-hour petrol stations, 24-hour food outlets and 24-hour department stores. 

So, it is like whatever we want and whenever we want it, it is conveniently there for us. 

All these conveniences of life, however, create an attitude in us. 

It makes us take things for granted and feel entitled.

In the gospel, a lawyer wanted to disconcert Jesus, and he asked Him about what needs to be done to inherit eternal life. 

The lawyer wanted to unsettle Jesus. Since he was a lawyer, Jesus asked him about what is written in the Law. 

And the lawyer was precise: You must love the Lord your God with all your heart come up with all your soul, with all the strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.

But the lawyer still didn't let go, and was anxious to justify himself, and so he asked a rather questionable question: And who is my neighbour. 

And out of the lips of Jesus, came this beautiful parable of what is commonly known as the parable of the Good Samaritan. 

More than just a Good Samaritan, he can also be called a Strange Samaritan. 

Like the priest and the Levite, he also can be excused for not helping the injured man. 

The priest and the Levite had to keep themselves ritually clean for their religious duties, and cannot be defiled with blood. 

Samaritans and Jews had a hostility towards each other, so the Samaritan was not obligated at all to help the injured man. 

But whether it was the priest, or the Levite or the Samaritan, there is no doubt that it would be very inconvenient to help the injured man. 

But as the parable shows us, the response to inconvenience is compassion. 

The Samaritan traveller was moved with compassion when he saw the injured man. 

The Samaritan could have gone the way of convenience, and looked away, and walked away. 

But he looked at the injured man, and he was moved with compassion towards him. 

In a world where we go with convenience and what is convenient, we may not want to think about compassion. 

As we heard in the parable, to be moved by compassion would mean that it is going to be inconvenient, is going to be troublesome, and we may even have to fork out money to pay for someone else's problem. 

And it is also not convenient to be a Christian. 

Just as the Samaritan is commonly called “good”, we too have an adjective before our religious identity, and that is “compassionate Catholic”. 

The second reading says that Jesus is the image of the unseen God, and we are the image of the compassion of Christ. 

In the first reading, Moses tells the people that God's Word is very near to them, it is in their mouths, it is in their hearts, for their observance. 

So is the compassion of Christ. It is in our heart, in our soul, in our mind and in our strength.

It was compassion that moved the Samaritan. 

It is the compassion of Christ that will also move us. 

May the compassion of Christ move us away from our desire for convenience and for what is convenient. 

And may the compassion of Christ move us to be compassionate and loving, and to look at that neighbour whom we have been conveniently avoiding.

14th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 12-07-2025

Genesis  49:29-33; 50:15-26 / Matthew 10:24-38  

If we were to ask ourselves this question - Am I afraid of death? - how honestly can we answer that question?

Whatever the answer may be, it is inevitable that there is some apprehension, if not fear, about death.

Because no one whom we know of (except Jesus of course) ever came back to tell us of what lies beyond the door of death.

In the 1st reading we hear of two people who knew that the time of their death was coming up.

And they even said it as a matter of fact - Jacob said : I am about to be gathered to my people ; and later Joseph would say : I am about to die.

They seemed to talk about and take death as a part of life. They don't seem to be apprehensive or fear death. Maybe because they know who they would be returning to when their life on earth is over.

In fact the ones that seemed to fear death are the ones who are left behind on earth.

Joseph's brothers feared that with the death of their father, Joseph would now take revenge for all the harm they had done to him before.

In the gospel, Jesus urged His disciples not to be afraid (3 times even).

We become afraid when we forget who is looking after us and what we should do in life in order to prepare for death.

Yes, in forgetting we fear. So let us remember what Jesus has taught us about life, and He will remember us when we face our death.

14th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 11-07-2025

Genesis 46:1-7, 28-30 / Matthew 10:16-23  

The phrase “blood is thicker than water” has many meanings.

The literal meaning is obvious, while other meanings point to the bonds of relationships.

That phrase also points out that blood should not be carelessly or violently shed.

But so often in the history of mankind, blood is shed like water.

From what Jesus said in the gospel, the shedding of blood, even among relations, did not seem like a serious matter.

Brothers will shed each other’s blood, and parents and their children will shed each other’s blood.

But the shedding of innocent blood will not go unnoticed by God.

And God will also intervene to stop the shedding of innocent blood.

God intervened to stop the shedding of Joseph’s blood by his brothers.

And in the end, Joseph was emotionally reunited with his father Jacob, and that showed that blood is thicker than water.

Jesus has shed His blood on the Cross to save us.

Let us not shed any more blood, whether literally or figuratively.

May the blood of Jesus cleanse us of all our sin, so that we can regain our humanity, and strive for holiness and charity.

14th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 10-07-2025

Genesis 44:18-21, 23-29; 45:1-5 / Matthew 10:7-15  

We certainly like to be acknowledged for the contributions that we make.

Whether it is a financial contribution or a service that is rendered, it would be nice that our contributions are acknowledged.

But it would be embarrassing and even to our discredit if we expect it or even demand for acknowledgement.

As for us who are disciples of Jesus, we know that whatever contributions we make are for the glory of God and for the good of others.

That is our mission as Christians, and as Jesus said in the gospel, the workman deserves his wages.

We need to believe that Jesus will give us what is due to us.

Jesus will even provide for us in whatever we are lacking when we commit ourselves in serving Him.

For Joseph in the 1st reading, he acknowledged God’s plan in sending him to Egypt, initially as a slave, and later on to provide for his father and brothers in their time of need.

Let us remember that whatever we contribute comes from God’s providence.

Let our contribution be an encouragement for others to offer their service for the glory of God and for the good of others.

14th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 09-07-2025

Genesis 41:55-57; 42:5-7, 17-24 / Matthew 10:1-7  

In life, we want to have our needs fulfilled and live a comfortable life.

That is what we strive for and that is also what gives us motivation and purpose.

But when we have all our needs fulfilled and we are comfortable, we may lose that “hunger” in life.

Because we will tend to sit back and relax and want to enjoy life more and more.

This can also affect our faith as we begin to rely less and less on God and need Him less and less.

As long as people have their needs fulfilled and are comfortable, they may not depend and rely on God that much.

But when a situation arises that makes us vulnerable, then we will wake up and turn back to God.

In the 1st reading, the sons of Israel went to Egypt to buy grain as there was a severe famine.

If not for the famine and the need to buy food, they may not have to go to Egypt and eventually came face to face with their brother Joseph.

They did not know it, but God used the famine to bring about a meeting with the brothers.

Whenever we face challenges and difficulties, let us know that those are moments that make us wake up to our need for God.

May we hunger and thirst for God, and may we always turn to Him in our struggles and troubles and experience His saving help.

14th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 08-07-2025

Genesis 32:23-33 / Matthew 9:32-38 

Whenever we think about obedience, we may think that it is a passive form of submission.

It may seem to be that way, since to obey is to surrender to a superior power or higher authority.

But in the spiritual sense, obedience can have an active dimension.

In the 1st reading, Jacob’s name was changed to Israel.

The name Israel means Jacob had been strong against God, and he will prevail against men.

It can also imply that Jacob was strong in his faith but he was also obedient to God.

And it is by his obedience to God that he will be strong against his enemies.

Jesus was obedient to God His Father. By His obedience, He was able to cast out demons.

By His obedience, Jesus preached the Good News with authority.

By His obedience, Jesus cared for those who were harassed and dejected.

May we too be obedient to God and carry out God’s will to be labourers of His harvest.

Then we will be strong in faith, and we will also stand firm against wickedness and evil.

14th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 07-07-2025

Genesis 28:10-22 / Matthew 9:18-26   

One of our five senses is the sense of touch.

The eyes enable us to see, the ears enable to hear, the nose enables us to smell and the tongue enables us to taste.

When it comes to the sense of touch, the skin is the sensory organ for touch, enabling us to feel textures, temperature, pressure, and pain.

Primarily we use our hands to touch and feel, but we are also able to feel with the other parts of the body.

In the gospel, the woman who was suffering from haemorrhage for 12 years came up from behind Jesus to touch the fringe of His cloak.

It was a desperate act in search for a cure, but it was also a great act of faith.

For the woman, touching the fringe of the cloak of Jesus was enough for her, and she got her cure.

And Jesus affirmed her of her faith. She believed that even touching the fringe of the cloak of Jesus was enough for her.

As we come forward to receive Holy Communion later, we will receive Jesus.

Jesus reaches out to us to touch us to tell us that He loves us, that He forgives us and that He heals and strengthens us.

Let us receive Jesus reverently, and we will receive blessings upon blessings, and our faith will also be strengthened.

13th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 04-07-2025

Genesis 23:1-4, 19; 24:1-8, 62-67 / Matthew 9:9-13  

The priests of the diocese had just finished theirannual retreat earlier this afternoon.

The retreat began on Monday. 

On the one hand, we were looking forward to the retreat as we need to pray and to be strengthened by the Lord.

On the other hand, we have to leave everything behind, and pack up for the next few days, and to

quickly get used to the new surroundings and to a different schedule.

Because as creatures of habit, we tend to stick to routine and to our comfort zone.

In the 1st reading, Abraham sent his servant to look for a wife for his son Isaac.

The 1st reading did not say how Rebecca left her homeland and followed the servant to another land

and to marry someone she had not met before.

But still, Rebecca left her family and her homeland.

Rebecca heard the call and with faith, she responded to God.

In the gospel, Matthew also heard the call and with faith he followed Jesus.

Jesus has chosen and called each of us to a unique and personal mission in this life.

Let us pray that we will hear the call of Jesus and let Him lead us to what He wants us to do.

14th Ordinary Sunday, Year C, 06.07.2025

Isaiah 66:10-14 / Galatians 6:14-18 / Luke 10:1-12, 17-20

We have heard of the Seven Wonders of the world, or to be exact, the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. 

Of these seven wonders of the ancient world, only one remained, and that is the Great Pyramids in Egypt. 

The other six wonders exist only as drawings of artists’ imagination. 

Following after the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, now there are more wonders. 

So, there are wonders of the modern world, wonders of the technological world, the wonders of the scientific world, the wonders of the industrial world. 

While each may be a wonder of its own, the common factor about all of them is that they are man-made. 

Mankind, as well as individuals of the human race, have this tendency to make a name for themselves, as well as to leave a legacy behind. 

Even though they came into this world with nothing, and will leave this world with nothing, yet somehow, they want to leave something behind. 

Some want to conquer and build empires so that their names will be remembered. 

Some want to be ultra rich and have buildings and businesses named after them. 

Some want to be popular and famous, so that their names will be echoed into the future. 

In the end, it is about wanting to make a name for themselves, so as to be remembered. 

But like the wonders of the ancient world, or even like the wonders of this present world, it will be a name without a memory, and a name without a legacy. 

In the gospel, Jesus sent 72 disciples out for mission as labourers in the Lord's harvest. 

The 72 disciples were not named, but we know what they were told to do. 

They were to bring peace to whatever house they go into. 

They were to cure the sick and to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom of God. 

The disciples came back rejoicing and reported to Jesus that even the devils submit to them when they call upon His name. 

Jesus affirmed them, and then He said: Do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you. Rejoice rather than your names are written in heaven. 

The disciples did wonderful work, but they could also be tempted to be a wonder in themselves, and make a name for themselves. 

What is important is not to make a name for ourselves on earth. 

Jesus will write our names in heaven when we do what He tells us. 

Like the 72 disciples, we are to bring the peace of Jesus to wherever we go. 

For those in pain and suffering, we bring comfort and healing with the power of the Good News of God's Kingdom. 

And we have to believe that this peace and power are already given to us by Jesus. 

We just have to be what He wants us to be, and we don't have to try too hard to be wonderful. 

There is a story of the wind having a discussion with the sun about who is stronger. 

The wind saw a man with a coat, and the wind said to the sun: I will blow the coat off the man. 

So, the wind blew with all its might, but the more it blew, the tighter the man clung on to his coat. 

So, the wind gave up and said to the sun: Now you try to take off his coat. 

Without a word, the sun just shined brightly, and the man felt warm, and so he naturally took off his coat. 

Very often, we just have to believe who we are because of Jesus who is with us, and we will naturally bring peace to others.

We are like a lighted candle. We don't have to tell others we are shining. 

It is enough to be the light of Christ shining in the darkness, and bringing peace and hope for others. 

A priest asked a parishioner, what does she expect of the Church. 

Her reply is this: I want a simple and a quiet Church, a Church where I can pray and be at peace, a Church where I am strengthened by the gentle power of Jesus Christ. 

Let us be that Church, a Church of peace and prayer, a Church that is like a lighted candle shining quietly in the darkness. 

A Church that is wonderful because we proclaim the name of Jesus.