21st Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 26-08-2025

1 Thess 2:1-8 / Matthew 23:23-26   

What usually calls for attention are the big problems of life.

By big problems, it is often the usual list of war and hostility, injustice and poverty, and all those issues that make it to the headlines.

Yes, those are big problems, big issues, and they would also call for big-scale solutions.

But that does not mean small problems are not problems at all. Because small problems can also manifest into big problems.

By the same token, little acts of love and care can go a long way and remain in people’s hearts for a long time.

In the 1st reading, St. Paul used the image a mother feeding and looking after her own children to express his devotion and protection over the Thessalonians.

That image is simple and humble but it also expressed the love and care of God for His people.

In the gospel, Jesus also pointed out essentials of life, like justice, mercy and good faith.

Those are not big and spectacular acts of faith, but they point to essentials of life and love.

It is a reminder that we are not called to do great things, but to do little things with great love.

When the little essential things of life are looked into with love, the big problems and issues of life will be resolved.

21st Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 25-08-2025

1 Thess 1:1-5, 8-10 / Matthew 21:13-22   

To say that we believe in something, then our actions must also express that belief.

So if we say that we believe that physical exercise is good for the body, then we should be doing it every day.

If we say that organic foods are good for health, then we will be eating organic foods every day.

And if we say that we believe in heaven, then we will prepare to go there by our way of life here on earth.

For the Thessalonians in the 1st reading, they believe that God loves them and that they were chosen by God.

They believed in the Good News not just as words but as utter conviction.

Their lives were changed and they converted to God and became servants of the living God and placed their hope in Jesus.

On the contrary, the scribes and Pharisees were living hypocritical lives.

They know about heaven and the eternal life and yet they were the ones who shut up the Kingdom of God in men’s faces.

So, if we believe in heaven and in eternal life, let our actions express our belief.

Let us love God and our neighbour and live peaceful lives and focused on doing good to others.

Then, by our actions we express our belief in heaven and in eternal life, and we will also be helping others go to heaven.

21st Ordinary Sunday, Year C, 24.08.2025

Isaiah 66:18-21 / Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13 / Luke 13:22-30 

Life is often said to be like a race and a competition. 

It is all about being the first, being the best, and being the most. 

And there is no doubt where the spotlight will shine on. 

It shines on the first, the best and the most. 

Another way of looking at it is like that of a lighted candle. 

What attracts is the flame of the candle that gives out light. 

But what goes unnoticed is the darkness at the base of the candle. 

The same can be said of a lighthouse. In the darkness of the night, only the light at the top of the lighthouse is seen shining brightly. 

And like the candle, it is dark at the foot of the lighthouse. 

So, even the brightest light casts a shadow at its base. 

Adding on to that, when the light is brightest, the shadows are also the darkest. 

The gospel passage begins with Jesus going through the towns and villages, and He went about teaching. 

And then someone asked Him: Sir, will there be only a few saved? 

That question is like asking a teacher: How many students will score an A? 

This weekend, the Church in Singapore highlights Catholic education in Catholic schools. 

Whenever education is discussed, the general inclination is about examinations and results. Good results will mean entry into good schools, and also towards a bright career path. 

But education is more than just a means to making a living. 

Education is a means to living life with dignity and meaning. 

So, as much as results are an indication, the formation of character and integrity of life is important. 

There is a story of two professors who were discussing about their lectures. 

One professor said: They are about 200 students attending my lectures. How many students are there in your lectures? 

The other professor replied: There are also about 200 who are attending my lectures, but I don't know how many are really my students. 

This may help us to understand what Jesus said: Try your best to enter by the narrow door, because many will try to enter and not succeed. 

So, to attend the lectures does not mean that that is true knowledge and understanding. 

To hear the gospel does not mean we have listened to the voice of Jesus. 

To be in the spotlight, or to be in the limelight, does not mean that we are enlightened. 

As we reflect on Catholic education in Catholic schools, we pray for the teachers and the students. 

The mission of the teacher is to proclaim the light of truth and love in the sharing of knowledge and understanding. 

Teachers are like a lighted candle. The light may not be seen by everyone, but it will reach those who are seeking it. So, keep shining.

Because there are students who need to see the light. 

They need to know that it is dark at the base of the candle. 

They need to know that the first can become the last, and the last can become the first. 

They need to be shown the narrow door, but it is the door that leads to life and love.

May teachers and students, and parents, be blessed with wisdom, knowledge and understanding by Jesus, who is our Teacher and who is the Light of the world.

20th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 23-08-2025

Ruth 2:1-3, 8-11; 4:13-17 / Matthew 23:1-12  

Everything happens for a reason and with a reason.

That is because when God created the world and every living creature, He had a plan.

Everything was planned and created orderly.

So nothing really happens by chance.

 

In the 1st reading, Ruth went to glean in the fields after the reapers.

And it chanced that she came to that part of the fields which belonged to Boaz.

But if everything happens for a reason and with a reason, then it was certainly not by chance.

Later Boaz would take Ruth as his wife and they would have a son, Obed, who was the father of David’s father, Jesse.

So God had it all planned, and we humbly accept the mystery of God’s plan.

Yet, God also creates chances for us to be humble and to recognize His signs and wonders.

When we think we know it all and have everything under our control, then pride comes in and we will be blind to God’s revelation.

But when we know that there is only so much that we know and understand, then God will reveal more to us of His ways.

And with humility, we will see the signs and wonders that God will show us.

The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Friday, 22-08-2025

Isaiah 9:1-6 / Luke 1:26-38  

Eight days ago, the Church celebrated the feast of the Assumption of Mary into heaven.

In the course of the 8 days, the Church reflects deeper about the mystery of the Assumption, and on the Octave of the Assumption (8 days later) the Church concludes her reflection with the celebration of the Queenship of Mary.

In summary, it could be said that God assumed Mary into heaven to reign in glory with Christ the King.

So the proclamation and celebration of Mary's queenship in essence points to the Kingship of Christ.

In celebrating the queenship of Mary, we are also reminded that we are the Chosen people of God and thus royal children.

So as God's Chosen and royal children, all that we do and say must be geared towards giving glory to God.

Mary showed us how to do that in the gospel when she responded to God's call by accepting God's will.

In doing so, Mary gave us the concrete example of obedience in the form of servanthood.

We are not just the Chosen and royal children of God.

We are also the chosen and royal servants of Christ the King.

With Mary as our queen, let us offer ourselves in service to the Church, so that in all that we do and say, God will be glorified and exalted.

20th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 21-08-2025

Judges 11:29-39 / Matthew 22:1-14    

It is understood that when more is given, then more is expected.

This is often the thinking when a person is given power and authority.

That person has the responsibility of living up to the expectations of others.

In the 1st reading, the Spirit of the Lord came on Jephthah, and he was given the power by the Lord to overcome the enemies.

Then Jephthah made a vow to the Lord, that if he is victorious over the enemies

He would offer the first person of his household to greet him when he comes home victorious as a holocaust.

As Jephthah returned victorious to his house, the first person in his family to come and meet him is his own daughter.

As much as it is heart-breaking for Jephthah, a vow is a vow, and it is made to the Lord.

He cannot undo what he had promised the Lord, although it must be said that the Lord did not ask for a vow to be made, or a life to be sacrificed.

Jephthah was given much by the Lord, but it must also be remembered that the Lord did not ask back for much.

The Lord does not ask for holocaust or a life to be sacrificed.

The Lord only asks for obedience and faithfulness.

Let us obey and be faithful to the Lord our God, and He will give us what we need.

20th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 20-08-2025

Judges 9:6-15 / Matthew 20:1-16  

Whatever gifts and talents that we have, it is more than just for our own good.

As Christians, we believe that those gifts and talents are given to us by God.

Our mission as Christians is to develop our gifts and talents and to use them for the glory of God and for the good of others.

But we may be so focused on our gifts and talents that we end up being self-centred.

In the 1st reading, the story is about the trees choosing a king to rule over them.

The olive tree, the fig tree, the vine rejected the task to become the king of trees because they were not willing to give up what they had.

So eventually the trees asked the thorn bush, and it accepted.

But it would be a bad choice, and that is what Jotham was trying to warn the people when they chose Abimelech to be the king.

In the gospel parable, it was a different situation.

The workers were willing to work. Some were hired earlier, but there were also others who were hired later, even some at the last hour.

The teaching from the two readings is that whatever we have comes from God and it is for us to use our gifts and talents for the good of others.

And regardless how useful our gifts and talents may be, let us offer it to God and let us rejoice that God has called us to serve Him in others.

20th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 21-08-2025

Judges 6:11-24 / Matthew 19:23-30    

When a person is last on the list, having the least compared to the rest, and looking like a loser, then not much is expected of him.

So as much as we should look kindly on the last, the least and the lost, but that is often not really the case.

So while we cheer for the underdog, we will still put our bets on the top-dog.

In the 1st reading, the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and said: The Lord is with you, valiant warrior!

But Gideon replied: Forgive me, my Lord, but how can I deliver Israel? My clan, you must know, is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least important in my family.

But the Lord insisted that He will be with Gideon, and so Gideon asked for a sign.

He brought offerings to present to the Lord, and before his very eyes, the offerings were consumed by fire.

God often chooses the weak and the least, but He will also make them strong to show His power working through them.

So let us not be too smug about how much we have, or about our resources and abilities.

Let us offer them to the Lord and ask Him to show us how to use them for His glory.

Whatever we give up for the Lord, He will certainly reward us.

May we see the wonder of how much God will do with the little that we offer to Him.

20th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 20-08-2025

Judges 2:11-19 / Matthew 19:16-22  

As Christians, we believe in God and the expression of this belief is to keep His Commandments.

In its very essentials, to keep the Commandments of God is to love God and to love neighbour.

To love God is to keep to what He has stated in the Commandments and also to do what is right, just and good to our neighbour.

But the temptations of the pleasure and desires make us lose focus on our faith.

In the 1st reading, the people of God did what displeases the Lord and served the Baals or idols.

They deserted the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and followed the other gods of the peoples around them.

The attraction of worshipping these other gods is that human desires and pleasures are fulfilled, but there is always a heavy price to pay later.

The people of God paid the price when their enemies pillaged and plundered them.

They repented and God sent judges to rescue them, but they still fell into the temptations of pleasure and desires.

In many ways, that is also our story of weakness in the face of temptations.

Like the rich young man in the gospel, we know that wealth and earthly possessions will not make us truly happy.

We have turned away from God, and that has only brought us sadness.

Let us turn back to God, and follow Jesus, and we will receive blessings that will give us true happiness.

20th Ordinary Sunday, Year C, 17.08.2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The burning question is this: What will God say? 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Joshua 24:14-29 / Matthew 19:13-15  

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Moses may have felt that he was left behind.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Their greatness was to let the Lord God lead them.

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

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

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

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

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

We are not asking for extreme pleasures or luxuries.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

19th Ordinary Sunday, Year C, 10.08.2025

Wisdom 18:6-9 / Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19 / Luke 12:32-48

Sixty years ago, a small little island country began her journey of independence. 

That little island country was hardly noticeable in the world map. 

With no hinterland, no natural resources, and no advantages, there was not much of a future to think about. 

The independence was also nothing much to celebrate, because it came on quite suddenly. 

The future of the nation, and survival became a priority and a necessity. 

Needless to say, we are talking about our own country, and yesterday we celebrated sixty years of independence on a bright and high note. 

But we must not forget how we started off as an independent nation. 

We had nothing to speak of, but now we are rather well off. 

In retrospect, we can say that God looked upon our country with compassion and kindness. 

In the opening lines of today's gospel, Jesus said to His disciples: There is no need to be afraid, little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you the kingdom. 

That seems to remind our country that sixty years ago, God was gracious, and our country grew and developed and progressed with God's blessings. 

That is what the Church in Singapore must believe in, and we must also believe that the Church, in that early independence era, prayed for the country and for the nation. 

That is also similar to what the 1st reading is saying, as it recalls how God delivered His people from slavery in Egypt. 

When the people put their trust in God, they joyfully took courage at what lies ahead. 

The 2nd reading reiterated this when it said that only faith can guarantee the blessings we hope for. 

So, as the Church in Singapore, we pray that our country will grow and develop in the ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality. 

But we the Church must also be reminded to pray for ourselves. 

As life becomes more settled and comfortable, our faith will also become less fervent. 

We will begin to rely more and more on material security and worldly resources. 

Prayer becomes less fervent and less urgent. 

And here, Jesus reminds us with this: See that you are dressed for action, and have your lamps lit. 

Jesus reminds us to keep vigil and to be on the watch with prayer. 

Already, there are gaps and cracks in the faith of the Church as there is little or no family prayer. 

Also, married couples are facing difficulties and problems in their marital relationships. 

Stress levels are rising with the cost of living, and affecting physical and mental health. 

The situation seems to be tensed, anxious and worrisome as it was sixty years ago. 

But like sixty years ago, let us hold tight to our faith and fortify ourselves with prayer. 

With faith and prayer, we will have hope. 

With faith in God and with fervent prayer, we will be signs of hope to our country, to our Church, and also to the next generation.

Singapore National Day, Saturday, 09-08-2025

Isaiah 63:7-9 / Colossians 3:12-17 / Luke 12:22-31  

Today, our country celebrates 60 years of independence.

For a small country with almost no natural resources, to be independent for this number of years is quite amazing.

The theme for this year’s National Day celebrations is “Majulah Singapura”, spotlighting Singapore's journey over the past 60 years

“Majulah” means onward or forward. It is a rallying call for the nation and her citizens to move onward and forward in the face of challenges and limitations.

We, the Church in Singapore, are also called to move onward and forward with the nation.

To be a good Catholic is also to be a good citizen of the nation.

We help the nation to move onward and forward with our prayer.

We also help the nation to move onward and forward by the witnessing of our faith.

So, we pray for God’s blessings on our country and her leaders, that God will guide our nation in the ways of democracy, peace, progress, justice, and equality.

By our faith and our lives, we contribute to the spiritual growth and development of our nation by witnessing to charity, compassion, kindness, gentleness and understanding.

We thank God for His love for us and may we also express God’s love for our country and our fellow citizens.

18th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 08-08-2025

Deuteronomy 4:32-40 / Matthew 16:24-28   

Although we have not seen God with our eyes, yet we believe in Him.

We profess our faith in God because of many reasons.

It may be a spiritual experience or encounter.

It may be because of a prayer in urgent need that was answered.

But that faith in God has to grow and deepen along with time.

In the 1st reading, Moses reminded the people that God had revealed Himself to them by signs, wonders and with a mighty hand and outstretched arm.

So the people saw the signs and wonders, and they believed in God.

But their faith in God wavered every now and then, and so Moses urged them to keep the faith so that they and their children may prosper and live long in the land that the Lord will give them.

Still, the people failed and fell, because they were tempted by their desires and by pleasures.

When Jesus came, He told His disciples that if they want to follow Him, they will have to renounce themselves and take up their cross.

Jesus goes on to say that anyone who wants to save his life will lose it, but anyone who loses his life for the sake of Jesus will find it.

So faith and belief are not based on rewards and prosperity.

It is about having a relationship with Jesus. It is about taking up cross to follow Jesus. 

It does mean hardship and sacrifice, but a relationship with Jesus can only grow, be strengthened and deepened by accepting hardships and making sacrifices.

When all this is done for the sake of Jesus, then Jesus Himself will be our reward and that reward will be forever.

18th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 07-08-2025

Numbers 20:1-13 / Matthew 16:13-23   

St. John Vianney was quoted as saying this: Here is a rule for everyday life – Do not do anything which you cannot offer to God.

That is truly a wise quote for the spiritual life.

Whatever we do should be for the glory of God and for the good of others.

But often, we get swayed about our own weaknesses and failings.

In the 1st reading, Moses and Aaron were instructed by God to take a branch and strike the rock.

Water will then flow out from the rock and provide drink for the community and their cattle.

Moses and Aaron did as God instructed but their anger and resentment against the people made them say this:

Listen now you rebels. Shall we make water gush from this rock for you?

Because of what Moses and Aaron did, the people felt the human anger and resentment instead of the holiness and graciousness of God.

In the gospel, Jesus gave Peter the authority of the keys of the Kingdom of heaven.

But soon after, Peter with his human ideas tried to remonstrate.

Jesus rebuked Peter sharply: Get behind me Satan! You are an obstacle in my path, because the way you think is not God’s way but man’s.

Let us always think about what we want to do and say, and ask ourselves if it is pleasing to God.

May what we do and say not be out of our human desires, but for the glory of God and for the good of others.

Transfiguration of the Lord, Wednesday, 06-08-2025

Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 / 2 Peter 1:16-19 / Luke 9:28-36

The Transfiguration is one of the significant events in the gospel narratives about Jesus. The other significant events are Baptism, Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension.

Like the other significant events, it is about Jesus and it reveals His identity as well as His mission.

Certainly there is no question about the voice from heaven and its content - "This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him."

And the setting on the mountain with the appearance of the Moses and Elijah point to the meaning of the event.

And that is, in Jesus, the Law and the prophesies of the Old Testament has been fulfilled.

Also in Jesus, divinity has dwelt among humanity, and in Jesus is the connecting point and the bridge between heaven and earth.

So for those who believe in who Jesus is, there can be no other alternative options in life to follow.

As St. Peter would say in the 2nd reading, his faith in Jesus is not any cleverly invented myth, otherwise everything will fall apart sooner or later.

And for us who profess our faith in Jesus, then He will be the lamp lighting our way through the dark until the dawn comes and the morning star rises in our minds.

Yes, we have to listen to Him as the voice of the Father has commanded us to do.

When we listen, and truly believe, we too will change and be "transfigured" like Jesus.

18th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 05-08-2025

Numbers 12:1-13 / Matthew 14:22-36   

 

The world usually pays attention to those who are intelligent and with high IQs.

And if those who are intelligent and have high IQs are also eloquent and articulate, the world will hang on to their words.

Because what they say may be profound and thought-provoking, and may also be motivating.

But St. Peter is not usually portrayed as belonging to this class of people.

On the contrary, he is a lowly fisherman with presumably little education.

He is also portrayed as impulsive and saying things that will put him into a difficult situation.

His impulsiveness was shown in the gospel as he asks Jesus to tell him to walk towards Jesus on the water.

So the Lord Jesus tells him to come, but as soon as he felt the force of the wind, he took fright and began to sink.

It is at this moment, that St. Peter cried out a short and profound prayer: Lord! Save me!

And with that Jesus pulled St Peter out of the water.

That short humble prayer which has just three words was enough for the Lord to stretch out His hand to save St. Peter.

St. Peter may be remembered for many things, but today we learn this prayer from him.

Let us say this prayer everyday, and say it especially when we are sinking into danger and trouble.

May we feel the Lord’s saving hand, just like St. Peter did.

18th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 04-08-2025

Numbers 11:4-15 / Matthew 14:13-21   

As human beings, we know that no matter how strong or how healthy we are, we can become tired.

We work more than we rest, and when we are inflicted with sickness, we become more aware of our fragility.

As much as physical fatigue is what we often experience, there is also the emotion fatigue that drains our energy away.

It is a fatigue that eats away at our motivation, and it is also called a “burnout’.

In that state, even simple tasks can become a huge burden.

In the 1st reading, Moses was worn down by the complaints of the people.

They were clamouring for meat to eat, as they were getting tired of eating manna.

Moses began lamenting and wished that he was dead rather than to face the complaints of the people.

In the gospel, when Jesus received the news the death of John the Baptist, He withdrew to a lonely place where He and His disciples could be alone.

But when He stepped ashore, He saw a large number of people and He took pity on them and healed their sick.

Jesus even worked a miracle to feed the crowds with just five loaves and two fish.

There are and there will always be times when we are physically and emotionally fatigued.

We may even be resentful that everyone expects more from us and feel that we are taken for granted.

Like Jesus, we need to go to a lonely place and rest in the presence of the Lord.

God will give us strength to face the demands that people are making from us.

The peace and joy from the Lord will be our strength.

18th Ordinary Sunday, Year C, 03.08.2025

Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23 / Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11 / Luke 12:13-21 

It is not a pleasant experience to be reprimanded or scolded. 

We would also feel embarrassed and offended if we are reprimanded or scolded in public. 

Very often heated arguments and even fist-fights are a consequence of some reprimanding or scolding. 

But that also reveals this fiery anger within us that can erupt into a sudden violence. 

And we don't only react when we are reprimanded or scolded. 

We also have a few sharp things to criticize about others. 

We may not like the behaviour or attitude of some people, or how they talk, or what they wear. 

We wish we can just tell them off, even publicly, so as to teach them a lesson. 

But of course, we are smarter than that, and we also don't want to get ourselves into trouble. 

So, we will use third-party means to hit at those we want to reprimand or scold. 

In other words, we want to get others to do the dirty work for us. 

And that is like what we heard in the gospel. 

A man in the crowd said to Jesus: Master, tell my brother to give me a share of our inheritance. 

And Jesus replied: My friend, who appointed me to be your judge or arbitrator of your claims? 

In effect, Jesus was telling that man to go and resolve that matter himself. 

But Jesus went on further to give a teaching on avarice, which is an extreme greed for wealth or material gain. 

And He also told a parable to emphasize that a man's life is not made secure by what he owns, even when he has more than enough. 

In that parable, the rich man wanted to hoard more and more so as to be secure and comfortable for the rest of his life. 

And then in the parable, God spoke: Fool! This very night the demand will be made for your soul. And this hoard of yours, whose will it be then? 

It is not often that Jesus would portray God as reprimanding with such sharp words. 

The one word that summarizes the teaching in the parable is the word “Fool”. 

The 1st reading would call that vanity. Whether it is foolishness or vanity, in the end it comes to nothing. 

Because without God, everything comes to nothing. 

A story has it that a grandfather was teaching his grandson about good and evil. 

The grandfather said: There are like two lions within me. One is a white lion and the other is a black lion, and they are always fighting against each other. 

The grandson asked: So, grandpa, who will win? 

The grandfather replied. The one that I feed, that one will win. 

In the spiritual life, we have to make a decision between God and greed. 

The 2nd reading says that greed is the same thing as worshiping a false god.

In our greed, we want to possess things. But what we want to possess, will eventually possess us.

But when we turn to God and put our lives in His hands, then we will focus on the heavenly riches of love, kindness, generosity, gentleness, understanding and compassion. 

May we also share these heavenly riches with those who need to be freed from foolishness and greed.

17th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 02-08-2025

Leviticus 25:1, 8-17 / Matthew 14:1-12  

Human beings are prone to wrong-doing, and it can be anything from a small offence to a big crime.

But the trouble is that we don’t readily admit to our wrong-doing.

To cover up our wrong-doing, we often tell a lie, and the whole matter begins to spiral down into a mess.

In the gospel, Herod had John the Baptist thrown into prison because of a wrong-doing by Herod.

In order to silence him, Herod had John the Baptist imprisoned.

But in doing so, Herodias found an opportunity to do away with John the Baptist.

In short, it was one wrong after another, with the loss of an innocent life.

Whenever we commit a wrong-doing, the Lord will send someone to awaken our conscience. 

For Herod, that someone was John the Baptist.

For us, that someone will tell us what we already know to be wrong, but just that we don’t want to admit it.

Admitting to a wrong-doing doing is difficult, but in doing do, we will be stopping a tragedy for ourselves.