Annunciation of the Lord, Wednesday, 25-03-2026

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

St. Augustine was quoted as saying : God does not ask of us the impossible. He may ask us to do the difficult thing, but He will make it possible.

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation, the proclamation of the Good News of salvation.

It is not only a joyful event, it is also a very profound event in God's plan of salvation.

Yet for Mary, it was not just an event ; it was for her a mission.

And if she said "Yes" then it was going to be a life-long mission. And it was going to be difficult.

But God assured her it was not going to be impossible.

Mary put her faith and trust in God as she accepted her mission.

We live in difficult and fragile times. We have wars here and epidemics there and all sorts of weird things everywhere.

Trying to believe and live out the Good News is not only difficult, but seemingly impossible.

Believing that there can be peace, that there can be joy, that there can be love, can be difficult.

But let this celebration of the Annunciation, the celebration of the Good News of our salvation, remind us that difficulty is not synonymous with impossibility.

We join Mary to say "Yes" to God because we want to believe that God is greater than any difficulty and impossibility.

5th Week of Lent, Tuesday, 24-03-2026

Numbers 21:4-9 / John 8:21-30   

In the Church we see many religious symbols.

Most of these religious symbols have meanings that are obvious.

The Cross is the most profound sign of Christianity.

It symbolizes the sign of salvation, that Jesus died on the Cross to save us.

But in the 1st reading, God told Moses to fashion a bronze serpent and put it on a standard.

And anyone who was bitten by a fiery serpent would just have to look at it and will live.

It can be rather puzzling to make an image of a creature that caused death with its bite.

Even more puzzling is that the image is raised up on a standard and then it became a means of healing.

But that can only make some sense when seen with the image of the Cross.

The Cross was an instrument of torture and death.

But with Jesus raised on it, the Cross becomes a sign of salvation.

So in the 1st reading, God sent the fiery serpents to punish the people for their sinfulness.

The image of the fiery serpent on a standard is to remind the people of their sinfulness and also the healing forgiveness of God.

God sent His Son Jesus to save us. 

When Jesus died on the Cross, it is also to remind us of the cross of our sins but Jesus died on it to save us.

Let us ponder, reflect and meditate on the Cross and give thanks to Jesus for saving us.

5th Week of Lent, Monday, 23-03-2026

Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 / John 8:1-11 

No one can ever say that they have never done wrong.

It may be just a small mistake, or it can be a serious offence.

Whatever it may be, the question is what happens after that.

Generally, there are two possible consequences.

One is punishment, the other is correction.

In the 1st reading, the punishment of the two wicked elders was inevitable.

They not only had done wrong, they even wanted to end the life of an innocent woman.

But divine justice prevailed through the young man Daniel, and it was an expression of God’s protection on the innocent.

But in the gospel, the situation was rather complicated.

The woman had done wrong, but the scribes and Pharisees wanted to use her to test as well as a trap.

And in this case, it was divine wisdom that prevailed as Jesus says: If there is one of you who has not sinned, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.

It was a wisdom that did not judge or punish, but it taught everyone about God’s mercy and compassion.

So when a mistake is made or a serious offence is committed, let us turn to the Lord to see what He is teaching us.

May we learn that God is truth and justice, but He is also merciful and compassionate.

And for all the wrong we have done and the sins we have committed, let us beg the Lord for forgiveness and healing.

5th Sunday of Lent, Year A, 22.03.2025

Ezekiel 37:12-14 / Romans 8:8-11 / John 11:1-45  

Singapore does not have the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter. 

So, we may not see snow in our country, or we can go somewhere else where there is snow, if we so desire to see and feel the snow. 

Singapore is like perpetual summer, and even during the rainy season, the sun will still appear to heat up the weather. 

But because it is like perpetual summer here, then it is like paradise for plant lovers. 

Plants and flora will thrive with the abundance of sunshine and rain. 

So, Singapore’s reputation as a “Garden City” comes naturally with the local weather. 

But with the hot and humid weather, plants are also in danger of drying up and even dying if they are not watered. 

It is an amazing experience to grow a plant from a seed. 

It is wonderful to see the beauty and the miracle of life even in plants. 

But when seeds don't germinate or when plants die for some reason, it reminds us of the truth. 

The truth is that life, in all its forms, is fragile. Yes, life is fragile, so we have to handle it with care, and also to handle it with prayer. 

Today’s gospel can be summarised in just three words, “life and death”, but there is more to it. 

In life, we need to prepare for death. Yet in death, there can also be life. 

There is this story of a CEO who planned to retire, and he plans to pick a successor from among the executives. 

So, he called the executives together and gave them each a seed, and told them to plant it, and bring it back six months later. The one with the best plant will be the next CEO. 

One of the executives by the name of Jim, went home with the seed and told his wife about it and together they planted it in a pot. 

They watered it and also put it under the sun and waited with expectation. 

At first, the executives inquired about each other’s seeds, and then a few weeks later, they was sharing about the growth of their plants. 

As Jim hears their conversations, he was getting worried because there was nothing happening to his seed. 

He and his wife watered it, put it under the sun, put fertiliser on it and even prayed over it, but nothing was happening. 

As weeks turned into months, the other executives were talking about how beautiful their plants were. 

But Jim was getting desperate and despondent, and he thought of himself as a failure. He can’t even make a seed grow. 

Jim wanted to just buy a pot of plant to show it when that day comes, but his wife told him to be honest and to accept the truth. 

Then came the day for the executives to bring their plants to show it to the CEO. 

All the executives brought in their beautiful pots of plants. 

All except Jim, who brought along the pot with no plant, and he hung his head low in embarrassment. 

When the CEO came in to look at the plants, he was impressed by the variety and the beauty of the plants. 

When he came to Jim, and saw his empty pot, Jim was terrified that he would be scolded and even fired. 

When the CEO asked Jim what happened, Jim told him the whole story. 

Then the CEO asked the executives to be seated, and then he said:

Six months ago, I gave you seeds to plant. But I didn’t tell you they were dead seeds, and so they won’t grow or germinate. 

All of you brought in pots of plants that didn’t grow from those seeds. 

Only Jim was honest and truthful about this. So, he will be the next CEO. 

That is like a fairy tale story, but it is also about truth and honesty. 

But a deeper reflection on it is that a dead seed brought up a life of truth and honesty for Jim. 

So even in death, there can be life. 

Jesus is the Resurrection, and He is the Lord of life. 

He rolls away the stone of death and calls us by name to come out of our tombs of fear, of sin, and of a living death. 

In Jesus, death is not a hopeless situation. 

So, when we feel that all is lost and there is no hope left, let us remember the lobsters and fishes swimming in the tank at the restaurant on the Titanic. They thought it was a dead end. 

In Jesus there is hope, there is life. 

In Jesus, death will also teach us about the meaning of life and the meaning of love.

4th Week of Lent, Saturday, 21-03-2026

Jeremiah 11:18-20 / John 7:40-52  

One of the images of God is that of a judge, much like that of a judge in a court.

A judge would look at all the facts and then make a judgement.

So, with the judge pronouncing the judgement, the wrong-doer would be punished, and the innocent would be vindicated.

But there have been instances when the facts were twisted, or that the judge was bribed, resulting in the innocent being punished, and the wrong-doer escaping punishment.

But with God, He sees and knows everything, and hence, His judgement is always right and just.

But God is not an impartial judge who just looks at the cold hard facts and then makes a judgement.

God is on the side of the weak, the oppressed and the persecuted.

In the 1st reading, God revealed to the prophet Jeremiah the scheming of the wicked.

God warned him of their plots to destroy and kill him.

But Jeremiah turned to the Lord God and submitted to His protection.

God is the divine judge and vengeance belongs to Him alone.

Like Jeremiah, let us trust in the Lord God and He will protect us, and He will also reveal and warn us of the evil intentions of the wicked.

4th Week of Lent, Friday, 20-03-2026

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

The presence of sin is expressed in the bad and evil deeds that we see around us.

Faced with such bad and evil deeds, we may wonder what is in the minds of those who commit such wicked deeds.

Why do these people commit such deeds and think that there is no punishment for sin?

The 1st reading begins with this line: The godless say to themselves with their misguided reasoning.

What follows after that are plots and traps against the good and upright.

It becomes clear that the godless do not need a reason to commit evil and wicked deeds.

They just want to put down the good and to make them suffer for nothing.

In the gospel, the enemies of Jesus were out to kill Him.

Those wicked people think of nothing about killing and taking a life.

But they are godless people, and their minds are filled with evil and wickedness against the good and upright.

As for us, we are the People of God.

We will not return evil with evil, and Jesus has also taught us to love our enemies.

When we stay faithful to the teachings of Jesus, then there will be the hope that evil will be overcome by the love of God in us.

St. Joseph, Spouse of the BVM, Thursday, 19-03-2026

2 Sam 7:4-5, 12-14, 16 / Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22 / Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24 or Luke 2:41-51  

Today's feast of St. Joseph is a big feast, a solemnity actually, with the Gloria and Creed being said.

The feast is that of St. Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

That title says very much about who St. Joseph is, who Mary is, and inevitably who Jesus is.

St. Joseph is the patron saint of workers, of the dying, of fathers, but in 1870, Pope Pius IX declared St. Joseph as the patron saint and the protector of the Church.

Today's feast celebrates the patronage of St. Joseph and the Church asks for his intercession and protection.

As we heard in the gospel, St. Joseph was called to be the husband of Mary and in accepting to do so he was also taking the responsibility to take charge and to protect Jesus as his son.

In not knowing fully the meaning of the events that led to the birth of Jesus, and yet accepting the responsibility to protect and care for mother and child, St. Joseph showed that he was not only obedient to the will of God but also carried out God's will with love.

In celebrating this feast, we also pray that fathers and workers will take St Joseph to be their model, and that the dying will turn to him for his powerful intercession.

We also pray that priests who are guardians of the sacred mysteries of the Church would also look to St Joseph as their model, that they will protect and care of the Church just as St. Joseph protected and cared for Mary and Jesus.

4th Week of Lent, Wednesday, 18-03-2026

Isaiah 49:8-15 / John 5:17-30    

Doing spring-cleaning and packing can be tiring and boring.

But, at the same time, it can be an experience of discovery.

We did discover how many things we have kept and not used or seen them for such a long time.

And we will also discover the things we have forgotten, or thought we have lost or thrown away, but now we found them back.

As with things, when they are out of sight, they will be soon out of mind.

As it is with things, so it is with people. 

When we don’t keep in contact with some people, or see them once in a while, they will slowly fade away from our minds.

In other words, we forget about them, as in we don’t meet or interact with them regularly.

In the 1st reading, the people of God was saying: The Lord has abandoned me, the Lord has forgotten me.

But the Lord replies: Does a woman forget her baby at the breast, or fail to cherish the son of her womb? Yet even if these forget, I will never forget you.

Yes, at the favourable time, God will answer us, on the day of salvation, God will help us.

Let us not forget about God’s promises to us, because He will never forget us.

4th Week of Lent, Tuesday, 17-03-2026

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

Pictures of places often depict the most ideal and beautiful aspects.

In travel brochures, the pictures of the places look so attractive that it makes us almost want to take a flight there immediately.

But the reality could quite look like the picture, and maybe even better than the picture.

In the 1st reading, the Temple was portrayed with a stream flowing out from under the Temple threshold.

The stream becomes a river and flows into the sea and makes its waters wholesome.

It is a life-giving water, and gives growth to plants and trees and all living beings.

It is a beautiful portrayal of the Temple and the blessings that flow from it.

In the gospel, when Jesus asked the sick man if he wanted to be cured, that man lamented that he couldn’t get into the pool in time when the water is stirred.

Jesus then told him to pick up his sleeping mat and walk, and the man was cured at once, and he picked up his mat and walked away.

Jesus is the new Temple of God and He is the living water who gives life and healing.

Let us come before Jesus in the Church and let His blessings flow into us.

May the blessings of Jesus give us life and growth, and heal us of all illness and sickness, so that we will go forth and bear witness to the love of God.

4th Week of Lent, Monday, 16-03-2026

Isaiah 65:17-21 / John 4:43-54   

To talk about faith when things are calm and controlled can be inspiring and edifying.

We will share about how our prayers are answered and how God gave us wonderful signs.

But when situations and circumstances become chaotic and urgent, then our faith will be tested.

In the gospel, Jesus came to Cana in Galilee where He had changed water into wine.

Surely, it was the talk of the town that such a wonderful miracle had happened.

Then a court official came before Jesus imploring Him to go and cure his dying son.

That court official would have heard about Jesus and the miracle He had worked.

But in this desperate and urgent situation, that court official needed Jesus to go and cure his son quickly.

When Jesus gave the word that his son will live, that court official had to believe, as there were no other options.

As for us, we know that God had answered our prayer before.

When we are faced with desperate and urgent needs, let us put our faith and trust in the power of Jesus.

He will answer our prayers in His own way and in His own time.

We only need to believe that Jesus will answer our prayers.

4th Sunday of Lent, Year A, 15.03.2026

1 Sam 16:1, 6-7, 10-13 / Ephesians 5:8-14 / John 9:1-41   

A basic computer system would be made up of a central processing unit or CPU, a keyboard, a mouse and a monitor. 

For a laptop, all that would be compacted into one unit. 

No one part is more important than the other. 

The CPU processes all the data so it would need the keyboard and the mouse for input and navigation. 

The monitor is needed to see what is going on in the system. 

Computers are so much a part of our lives that we might feel a bit lost without them. 

Although every part of the computer system is important, there is one part there we interact with often, and that is the monitor, or, the computer screen. 

The monitor or screen tells us what is happening in the computer and with the computer. 

Oh, by the way, studies have shown that Singaporean adults have high screen usage, often exceeding 10-12 hours, including work and leisure time.

That is really a lot of time looking at screens.

And a blank screen, or blue screen, would mean trouble, and sometimes big trouble. 

For the blind man in today’s gospel, his world was a blank and black screen. 

He can hear and feel what is happening, but he can’t see faces and expressions, or body language, or silent gestures. 

So, he didn’t know who was this Jesus who opened his eyes and enabled him to see. 

When he was not able to see, there was also nothing much for him to say. 

But now that he could see, he also began to say what he thinks and what he sees. 

When questioned by the Pharisees, the man declared that Jesus is a prophet. 

When pestered by the Pharisees to repeat the whole account, he even dared to ask them if they too wanted to be disciples of Jesus. 

In the gospel account, Jesus declared that He is the light of the world. 

He is the light that lights up the lives of people. 

When lives are lighted up, then thoughts are also revealed. 

In the gospel, the light of Christ shines on the man born blind and opened his eyes. 

And then, the light of Christ, through that man, shone onto others, revealing their inmost thoughts. 

The thoughts of the man's parents were revealed, that although they knew the truth, they were afraid of the Pharisees. 

The thoughts of the Pharisees were also revealed, for as much as they tried to deny the truth, they were also confused by their own denial. 

So, the light of Christ shines on the man born blind and opened his eyes. 

And through him, the light of Christ shone on others, and revealed their thoughts. 

The light of Christ shines on us to purify our thoughts and to see the truth. 

The light of Christ also shines through us, and it also reveals ourselves to others. 

It is like now, everyone can see our computer and handphone screens, and they know what we are thinking and what we are doing. 

But we don't like to share our screens.

When people come close, we will close the laptop or handphone screen. 

We would even paste screen covers or download screen shields so that others can't see the content on our screens.

But with the light of Christ shining on us and through us, we would not be afraid of what others see in our laptop or handphone screens.

In other words, we will not be afraid of what others will see in our lives, as we have nothing to hide.

With minds and hearts purified by God’s light and love, we will also do what the man whose eyes were opened did. 

He declared Jesus to be the Saviour. 

His words of truth revealed the thoughts of others. 

Light does not argue with darkness. It just shines silently, and scatters the darkness. 

May the light of Christ shine on us and through us. 

By the light of our lives, may we bring truth, love and joy to the world.

3rd Week of Lent, Saturday, 14-03-2026

Hosea 5:15 - 6:6 / Luke 18:9-14  

The one truth that we often forget is that we are no better than everyone else.

In other words, in the eyes of God, all are equal and He has no favourites.

Even if a person is granted gifts and talents, it is to be used to help others and to give glory to God.

In fact, the more the gifts and talents, the more service is required of that person.

So, even when we pray, it is not about how long our prayer is or how many words we put into our prayer.

And we will also remember that Jesus taught us that when we pray, we go into that secret room and pray there.

In the gospel, Jesus told a parable to some people who prided themselves on being virtuous and despised everyone else.

Jesus used prayer as His teaching example, and how the Pharisee prayed and how the tax-collector prayed.

While one was a religious figure, the other was a despised as a public sinner.

But it was not the status of the person, or what was the content of the prayer, but the humility of the person in coming before the Lord in prayer.

So, let us remember that in prayer, in ministry, in service and in everything else in life, let us be humble and God will look upon us with love.

3rd Week of Lent, Friday, 13-03-2026

Hosea 14:2-10 / Mark 12:28-34   

Important and essential teachings and instructions need to be repeated every now and then.

Even basic healthy lifestyles and practices need reminders.

So, we will hear it every now and then to have regular sleep pattens, to eat moderately, to exercise regularly and to go for yearly medical checkups.

We may hear it but we may be too distracted with other things, and so we don’t really listen to it and act on it.

But there might come a time when it will somehow catch our attention and we act on it immediately.

In the gospel, the scribe asked Jesus a question that has an obvious answer.

Whatever the intentions the scribe had in asking the question, Jesus gave the answer that summarizes the core of the Law.

So, to love God and to love neighbour needs no further elaboration, and the scribe knows it and has heard it multiple times.

But this time round, the words of Jesus seems to enter into the heart of the scribe.

And the scribe even reiterated what Jesus said and seems to understand it deeper and with conviction.

As we journey on in this Lenten season, let us listen attentively to the Word of God.

May the Lord grant us the wisdom and the intelligence to grasp the meaning, and may we walk in the ways of the Lord with love and conviction.

3rd Week of Lent, Thursday, 12-03-2026

Jeremiah 7:23-28 / Luke 11:14-23    

Phrases like these are heart-warming and encouraging: 

I will be here for you, or, I will journey with you no matter what, or, I want to grow old with you.

Such phrases are usually used between good friends and loving couples.

When we use such phrases, we want to mean what we say and say what we mean.

But humans are only humans, with fragility, weaknesses and failings.

Even with all good intentions, we may not be able to completely fulfill what we say.

But where and when we fail, we need to come to this realization.

God will not fail us. And when we follow His ways, He will fulfil His Word to us.

But the 1st reading also tells us that the people did not want to follow God’s ways.

They want to have it their way, only to fail over and over again.

So, that is why God says this of them:

Here is the nation that will not listen to the voice of the Lord its God, nor take correction. Sincerity is no more, it has vanished from their mouths.

In the gospel, Jesus says it plainly: He who is not with me is against me; and he who does not gather with me scatters.

Let us pledge our obedience and faithfulness to Jesus and may He help us to keep our word to Him.

And when we fall and fail, let us remember that Jesus will still fulfil His promise to us that He will help and save us.

3rd Week of Lent, Wednesday, 11-03-2026

Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9 / Matthew 5:17-19   

To follow instructions and procedures can be quite straight-forward.

Whether we like it or not, whether we agree with it or not, we just need to go along with it.

And if we don’t want any trouble, then we keep to the letter of the law.

And we can become so focused on it that we may not think deeper about it or reflect about the purpose of it.

In the 1st reading, Moses taught the people the laws and the customs that came from God.

And if the people were to keep the laws and customs faithfully, they will become a great nation.

They will also demonstrate to other nations the wisdom and the prudence that came from God.

But they also must not forget that those laws and customs came from God.

Those laws and customs demonstrate that God is with them and they have a relationship with God through those laws and customs.

In the gospel, Jesus declared that He did not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, but to complete them.

Jesus completed the Law and the Prophets by becoming man and putting flesh and blood into the Law and the Prophets.

May we too understand not just the letter of the Law but also the spirit of the Law.

Through Jesus, we enter into a relationship with God.

It is in this relationship with God through Jesus, that we will be wise and prudent in our way of life.

3rd Week of Lent, Tuesday, 10-03-2026

Daniel 3:25, 34-43 / Matthew 18:21-35   

Which is easier to do? To forgive or to ask for forgiveness?

It may depend on the situation and the circumstances.

At times, the hatred is so deep that forgiveness is out of the question.

And also to forgive makes us feel vulnerable.

What if we forgive that person and then he hurts us again?

That seems to be the question that Peter is asking Jesus in the gospel.

Must we keep forgiving someone knowing quite well that he will do us wrong again?

But what if that person keeps asking us for forgiveness?

On the other hand, it is also not that easy to ask for forgiveness.

We would have to lay aside our pride and humble ourselves to admit that we have done wrong.

But the prayer of Azariah in the 1st reading tells us God accepts a contrite soul and a humbled spirit.

If we can kneel before God to beg for forgiveness, then we also need to bend a little to forgive others, regardless of their sincerity.

Because it is in forgiving and asking for forgiveness that God’s peace will slowly but surely prevail.

3rd Week of Lent, Monday, 09-03-2026

2 Kings 5:1-15 / Luke 4:24-30   

Many commentaries have been made about what is happening in the world.

So, the experts and the analysists give their opinions.

Many people want to have a say and they want to be heard.

But would the world want to hear the truth and accept the truth?

Very often, the truth is in the simple and the humble.

In the 1st reading, when Naaman approached the prophet Elisha for a cure for his leprosy, he expected some elaborate religious rituals.

But when he was told to go and wash himself seven times in the Jordan, he flew into a rage because he felt humiliated.

However, Naaman’s servants reasoned with him that it is not humiliating to do something simple and humble.

In the gospel, when Jesus recalled the two occasions when God helped outsiders, the people of His hometown were enraged.

They couldn’t accept that God will bless outsiders. They wanted to be the sole recipients of God’s blessings.

So, as the world talks and thinks about the complexities and difficulties of the situations in the world, let us turn to God in humility and simplicity.

Let us humbly pray for God’s blessings on the world that God’s truth will prevail.

The simple truth is that kindness and compassion is what the world really needs.

May we be the first to offer kindness and compassion, and then forgiveness and reconciliation will bear witness to the truth.

3rd Sunday of Lent, Year A, 08.03.2026

Exodus 17:3-7 / Romans 5:1-2, 5-8 / John 4:5-42   

To begin a conversation, the obvious thing to do is to talk. 

To talk might seem easy, because what is needed is to open our mouths and speak to the other person. 

But what if the two parties don't want to talk to each other. 

Then there is what is called “cold war”.

So, there is cold war in the family, cold war between neighbours, cold war in work-place, and maybe even cold war in the Church.

The parties involved in the cold war don’t want to talk to each other. 

But they talk to everyone else about the other. 

And obviously, the more they talk about the other, the more the resentment against the other. 

And that is also a bit like how when we don’t want to talk to each other. 

We talked to others about the other, and obviously what we say about the other are not nice or pleasant things. 

And the more we talk about the other, the greater will be the rift and the greater the resentment. 

In the gospel, Jesus and His disciples came to the Samaritan town of Sychar. 

His disciples went to buy food, and Jesus tired out by the journey, sat down by the well, tired and obviously thirsty. 

Then, a Samaritan woman came by to draw water, and Jesus asked her for a drink. 

The gospel narrative made it clear that Jews, in fact, do not associate with Samaritans. 

Between the Jews and Samaritans, there is a deep-rooted centuries-long animosity and tension. 

They would avoid contact and not talk to each other. 

So, when Jesus asked the Samaritan woman for a drink, she was surprised and probably agitated. 

She would be hesitant to continue the conversation, and besides, she also wouldn’t want to be seen talking with a Jewish man. 

But as the conversation went on, Jesus turned the request for water into an offer of living water. 

The Samaritan woman became interested in the living water that Jesus was talking about. 

And coming to the well at noon, also indicated that she didn’t want to meet anyone or talk to anyone, because there is something in her life that she wants to hide. 

As the conversation went on, she revealed her real thirst, and that is her thirst for God. 

And it is Jesus who will quench her thirst with living water, the water of God’s love. 

Today’s gospel makes us reflect and ponder about our interactions with others. 

As we come to Church, as we come to the House of God, do we greet each other as brothers and sisters in Christ? 

A polite nod, or a “hello”, would be enough to acknowledge each other’s presence.

There is this story of a woman who worked in a meat-processing factory. 

One day, after she was about to finish her work, she went into the cold storage room to carry out a routine inspection. 

Suddenly, the cold storage door accidentally shut automatically. She was locked inside and disappeared from everyone’s sight.

She shouted and banged on the door with all her strength, but no one could hear her. By then, most of the workers had already gone home from work, and no one knew that she was in the cold storage room.

Five hours later, when she was almost frozen to death, the factory security guard opened the door of the cold storage room and miraculously saved her.

Later, she asked the guard, “Why did you go to open the cold storage door? That’s not part of your job!”

The guard explained, “I’ve worked in this factory for 35 years. Every day, hundreds of workers come in and go out. Many people treat me as if I’m invisible. But you are the only one who greets me ‘good morning’ when you arrive at work and says “goodbye” to me when you leave.

“Today, after you greeted me in the morning, I didn’t see you say goodbye to me when work ended. I felt something was strange, so I decided to look around the factory. I was waiting to hear your ‘hi’ and ‘goodbye,’ because those words remind me of who I am and made me very happy. That is why I searched every corner for you.”

When we greet others, we also show our respect for them, and we are also letting them know then we care about them. 

When Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman, He also respected her, although He knew what was going on in her life. 

In their conversation, Jesus shared with her the living water of God’s love. 

May our conversation with others also be dignified and respectful. 

And may our conversations also be like living waters that flow from the heart of Jesus into our hearts. 

May the living waters of God’s love quench our spiritual thirst, and heal that dryness and burnt-out areas of our lives.

And may our hearts be filled with the living waters of God’s love so that we will talk to those whom we have stopped talking with.

2nd Week of Lent, Saturday, 07-03-2026

Micah 7:14-15, 18-20 / Luke 15:1-3, 11-32  

As much as we know that we should live a good and upright life, very often, it is the opposite that happens.

Maybe it is out of curiosity, or just out of defiance, we venture into the wild and dark side of life.

But something keeps calling us back to the light and to what is right.

One thing is certain is that it is the prayers of our loved ones with the power of God that will bring us to our senses.

In the famous parable of the “prodigal son”, that wayward son came to his senses in the depths of his misery.

Nothing was mentioned of how he came to his senses.

Maybe it was the pain of hunger and isolation, the coldness of loneliness, or the thoughts of his home and his father.

Whatever it may be, when we reflect on the parable in the reality of our lives, we may also come to this realization.

When we turn away from the wild and dark side, and come back to light and what is right, we can be sure of this.

And that is someone, or some people, prayed for us.

And God, in His love for us, made us come to our senses.

May we also remember to pray for those who are still in the wild and dark side of life.

With our prayer, and with the power of God’s love, they will come back to the light and to what is right.

2nd Week of Lent, Friday, 06-03-2026

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

One of the most difficult questions to answer is the question of taking lives, or plainly putting it, the question of killing.

So, what makes a person take another person’s life?

What makes a person kill another person?

It is a very difficult question to answer.

At most, it can be said that something in the human nature just snapped, and then something inhuman erupted.

In the 1st reading, the brothers of Joseph wanted to kill him.

Their jealousy was so intense that it erupted into an intention to kill their own brother.

In the gospel parable, there is also killing – the servants were killed, and even the landowner’s son was killed.

Even though it is a parable, yet it reveals the darkest side of humanity.

But, on the other hand, when we look at the Cross, we see Jesus crucified and died for us.

Actually, He was killed, but in His death, Jesus saved us.

Jesus has already shed His blood for us and died to save us.

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

On the Cross, Jesus taught us this great truth of life.

In the face of inhuman acts, the response is love.

Only with love, will killing and shedding of blood be stopped.

2nd Week of Lent, Thursday, 05-03-2026

Jeremiah 17:5-10 / Luke 16:19-31   

In the spectrum of the social economic status, there are those who are very very rich.

And there are those who are very very poor.

In between is the majority who are neither that rich nor that poor.

But whether rich or poor, the important thing is how does one live life?

If one becomes rich by ill-gotten gains, then it will be of no lasting value, and even lead to ruin.

If a poor person tries to make an honest living, he may not make much money but he will be respected.

That is the teaching from the Lord in the 1st reading as He says:

“A curse on the man who puts his trust in man, who relies on things of the flesh, whose heart turns from the Lord.”

But, “a blessing on the man who puts his trust in the Lord, with the Lord for his hope.”

In the gospel parable, the rich man was in eternal torment because he only wanted to enjoy life while on earth, and didn’t bother that poor beggar at the gate.

The poor Lazarus was in eternal comfort not because he was a poor beggar but because he didn’t complain or protest about his miserable state.

One of the spiritual directions of the season of Lent is almsgiving.

Let us share with the poor in whatever we can afford.

And let us also do it in secret, and God who sees all that is done in secret, will bless us.

2nd Week of Lent, Wednesday, 04-03-2026

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

There is one question that seems to have an obvious answer.

The question is: How is it that we have enemies?

The obvious answer would be that someone has done us a terrible wrong and we can’t forgive that person.

So that person is our enemy, and because the pain and the hurt is too deep, we can’t forgive that person.

In the 1st reading, the enemies of the prophet Jeremiah were plotting against him.

Although Jeremiah had done nothing wrong or harmful to them, they were offended by his call to repentance.

Jeremiah’s enemies were not taking revenge. They just wanted to get rid of a nuisance and silence the truth.

In the gospel, Jesus knew what His enemies would do to Him.

They wanted nothing less than to take His life.

But Jesus and Jeremiah taught us that in the face of adversaries and adversities, they turned to God for help and protection.

Let us not fight against our enemies, but let us pray for them.

God is the Divine Judge and He will see justice done.

Let us stand by God and He will stand by us.

2nd Week of Lent, Tuesday, 03-03-2026

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

The saying that “practice makes perfect” is a good motto for improvement and achievement.

It also means that consistency and perseverance will eventually bear results.

Certainly, when it comes to skills and other abilities, then constant practice will develop to perfection.

While it is a good motto to adopt in many areas of life, it needs to be understood correctly in the spiritual life.

Whether in worship or prayer or in works of charity, there is no need for perfection.

The danger of perfection can be limited to just function or achievement.

And it can lead to the erosion of devotion and even reverence.

In the 1st reading, the Lord tells His people to wash, to make themselves clean and to take their wrong-doing out of His sight.

God tells them to get the basics right, and that is to cease to do evil, to learn to do good, to search for justice, to help the oppressed, to be just to the orphan and to plead for the widow.

The people may get all the rituals right and prayers said correctly, and keep to the letter of the law.

But the reality of their lives is not connected with their worship and prayer.

We are reminded in the 1st reading, as well as in the gospel, that the spiritual life is not about external perfection or even to gain the attention of others.

Our worship and our prayer should lead us to the obedience of God’s will.

It is in obedience to God’s will that we will understand what is salvation.

2nd Week of Lent, Monday, 02-03-2026

Daniel 9:4-10 / Luke 6:36-38

The world that we live in is such a volatile world.

Humanity does not seem to want to live in peace.

Another large-scale war has broken out again.

The whole world will be affected, but the biggest tragedy is that lives are lost and there are destructions.

We, the Church, cannot just look away or worry about how badly we will be affected.

That would be the sin of omission, as we need to look at the problems of the world as our problems.

With all this happening in this holy season of Lent, the direction and the mission is clear for us.

We need to have recourse to the greatest power that we have, and that is the power of prayer together with penance.

As the prophet Daniel prayed for his people, so must we pray for peace in the world.

As Jesus taught us in the gospel, let us not judge who is at fault and who started the war.

Let us pray that God will be compassionate on the world and on us.

May our prayers be poured out for the innocent and those who are suffering from the violence and the tragedy of the war.

Let us beg for God’s mercy on the world and on ourselves.