7th Week of Easter, Wednesday, 20-05-2026

Acts 20:28-38 / John 17:11-19    

The greatest danger for a community or an organization is not a danger from the outside.

Dangers from the outside can be threatening and fearful.

But when the community or organization is united within, then the danger can be warded off.

But the greatest danger is from within the community or organization.

Because it is from within that traitors and betrayers may, and will arise, and that is what St. Paul is saying in the 1st reading.

And these traitors and betrayers will cause the greatest damage to the community or organization.

But why would some people become traitors and betray the unity of the community?

There can be many reasons but mainly it would be pride and selfishness.

They would break away from the truth and think that they are right.

They would tend to love themselves and also want others to love them.

Jesus said this in the gospel: I kept those you have given me true to your name. I have watched over them and not one is lost except the one who chose to be lost.

We belong to the faith community of the Body of Christ.

Jesus watches over us and protects us from the evil one and from the dangers of pride and selfishness.

Let us keep united in the truth and love of Jesus, and we will be at peace even in the face of dangers.

7th Week of Easter, Tuesday, 19-05-2026

Acts 20:17-27 / John 17:1-11  

It is difficult for us to imagine a life filled with misfortune and hardships.

If that is really the case, we would surely be moaning and groaning.

After all, what is there to look forward to, except to take one hit after another.

If we think that it is highly unlikely there would be such a person or such a life, then we may need to look again at the first reading.

After his conversion, St. Paul seemed to be going down the road of suffering, hardship and persecution.

He himself said that he had no idea what will happen to him when he goes to Jerusalem.

But the Holy Spirit had made it clear enough that imprisonment and persecution awaited him.

But St. Paul said this: Life to me is not a thing to waste words on, provided when I finish my race, I have carried out the mission the Lord Jesus gave me – and that is to bear witness to the Good News of God’s grace.

By his life, and with his life, he witnessed to what he said about himself.

We may not have to face the suffering, hardships and persecution that St. Paul faced.

But by our life, and with our life, may we be like St. Paul, bear witness to the Good News of God’s grace.

7th Week of Easter, Monday, 18-05-2026

Acts 19:1-8 / John 16:29-33    

A fundamentalist is a person who strictly and literally adheres to a set of basic, foundational principles.

But that set of basic, foundational principles may just be a part of the whole picture.

So, to stick strictly and literally to those limited principles can cause problems and even troubles.

In other words, a little bit of knowledge can be rather dangerous.

In the gospel, the disciples could see that Jesus knows everything and do not have to wait for questions to be put into words.

And because of that they believed that Jesus came from God.

But Jesus warned them that though they believed that He came from God, their faith will be put to the test.

And their faith will be shaken and they will be scattered, each going his own way and leaving Jesus alone.

If the disciples’ faith can be shaken, so can our faith be shaken too.

We may say that we believe in Jesus, but when troubles come our way, we will find it difficult to keep believing.

For all that we say about what we believe in, let us also admit that our faith is not that strong.

It is only when we admit that we are weak, then Jesus who conquered the world will make us strong.

7th Sunday of Easter, Year A, 17.05.2026

Acts 1:12-14 / 1 Peter 4:13-16 / John 17:1-11  

The month of June is just two weeks away. That might be important to know because the school break is in June. 

And along with the school break, then it is holiday time. 

Even though the current worldwide situation is unstable, even though prices from fuel to food has risen, the urge for going on holiday has grown greater. 

Maybe it is the “in” thing to do, and we want to be with the “in” crowd. 

Maybe it has got something to do with the syndrome called FOMO. 

FOMO stands for “fear of missing out”, and it is not just about going for holidays. 

It is the feeling of anxiety or worry that other people are having a great and exciting and enjoyable time without us. 

This often happens when we see things on social media like friends travelling, partying and having a good time and we are left out, or that we have missed some “in” thing. 

So, the fear of missing out stems from some insecurity that we are being left out, or that we are forgotten, or that we are not with the “in” crowd doing the “in” thing. 

For the disciples of Jesus, they were looked upon with suspicion, and consequently they faced rejection, and subsequently persecution. 

They were not with the “in” crowd doing the “in” thing, but they were not affected by the fear of missing out. 

Instead, they formed for themselves a community of faith that united them in prayer.

The 1st reading says that after the Ascension of Jesus, the apostles and disciples went back to Jerusalem and gathered in the upper room. 

Together with the apostles and disciples were several women, including Mary the mother of Jesus. 

This last mention of Mary together with the apostles and disciples, was an important and significant detail. 

Because Mary was together with the apostles and disciples in continuous prayer. 

The image of the early Church at prayer expressed what Jesus said in the gospel about knowing the one true God. 

And knowing the one true God and Jesus Christ whom He sent leads us to eternal life. 

Mary and the apostles and disciples were united in prayer because of their faith in Jesus Christ and in the one true God. 

With faith and prayer, the early Church was not affected by the fear of missing out. 

They didn’t have to be with the “in” crowd or doing the “in” thing. 

And it can be said that they were the opposite of FOMO, and that is JOMO, which stands for the “joy of missing out”. 

If they were missing out on what the rest of the world are doing, it is because they had the joy of being belonged to God. 

As Jesus said in His prayer to the Father: They were Yours and You gave them to me, and they have kept Your word. 

We are in the world, but we are not of the world. 

There is no fear of missing out, but we must be a people of prayer and be a Church at prayer. 

It is at prayer then we profess our faith in the one true God and in Jesus Christ whom He has sent. 

It is in prayer that we proclaim that God is above all. 

God must be above all, especially in the Church, or we will be nothing at all. 

May Mary and the Saints pray for us, that we can miss out on everything, but we must not miss out on God.

6th Week of Easter, Saturday, 16-05-2026

Acts 18:23-28 / John 16:23-28

We might think that if things go our way, life would be easy and we would be happy.

That would, of course, be very nice to imagine, that everything would be as we wanted it to be.

But we know that such is not the case, and it won’t ever be the case.

When we reflect and think deeper about it, if everyone has it their way, this world would be chaotic.

Because everyone has a personal opinion and wants things his way.

In the gospel, Jesus says this: I tell you most solemnly, anything you ask for from the Father, he will grant you.

That might sound too good to be true, but we also know that not everything that we asked God for was granted to us.

God will give us what is good for us because He loves us.

And if we love God, then we should ask Him to give us what is good for us, as well as what is good for others.

Let us pray that we will always love God and know what His will is for us.

When we are united in the love of God, then we will do things His way, and not want to have it our way.

6th Week of Easter, Friday, 15-05-2026

Acts 18:9-13 / John 16:20-23 

We may want to think about that last sentence of the gospel passage that we have just heard when Jesus said: When that day comes, you will not ask me any questions.

Yes, we will always have our questions about life, about our faith, about God and about eternity.

And of course we want answers. Yet we only want the answers we want to hear.

For example, when we are having it difficult or when we are suffering, we only want others to sympathize with us and to hear our complaints as we wallow in self-pity.

We feel that everybody is against us and everything is so bleak, and hence the only thing we want to hear is that everybody is wrong and that we are right.

Yes, that is the answer we want to hear when we are having it rough.

But as we heard in the 1st reading, St. Paul had it rough and tough.

He could have just called it quits and not even bothered to listen to the Lord.

But he listened to the Lord and had faith in the Lord and believed that the Lord was with him.

Indeed the Lord was with him and protected him from harm.

The Lord will also protect us from harm and we will even be able to rise from our troubles and difficulties and find joy in life.

When we listen to the Lord's answer, then indeed we will have no more questions.

Ascension (Year A), Thursday, 14-05-2026

Acts 1:1-11 / Ephesians 1:17-23 / Matthew 28:16-20

One of the boring and frustrating moments in life is when we have to wait. 

We don’t like it when we have to wait for someone who is late. 

But the fact of life is that we spend a lot of time waiting. 

We wait for the bus or the train to arrive. 

We wait for the service man or the delivery man to come. 

We wait for our turn to be called to the service counter. 

When we have to wait, we want to know how long we have to wait. 

We want to know what time the things or the people will come. 

In other words, we want to be in control of our time and our schedules. 

We don’t like to waste time or wait for things to happen or for people to arrive. 

In the 1st reading, Jesus told His disciples not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for what God had promised, and that is the Holy Spirit. 

The pressing question that the disciples would want to ask is, when will it be, what time will it be, what day will it be. 

Jesus said: It is not for you to know times or dates that the Father has decided on His own authority, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and then you will be my witnesses. 

In other words, all will be in God’s time, and all will be done in God’s way. 

Jesus assures us in the gospel that He will be with us always, to the end of time. 

Jesus has ascended into heaven, and He is the Lord of all creation, and he is the Lord of all time. He is Beginning and the End, He is the Alpha and the Omega.

Knowing that Jesus is with us always, let us continue His saving mission on Earth. 

Let us use the time we have to share the gospel teachings with others and help them to be disciples and to be baptised. 

Even in waiting, let us spend that moment to talk with the Lord Jesus.

There are many things that we want to tell Him, and there are also many things that He wants to say to us.

So, the time spent in waiting is best spent praying and listening to the gentle voice of the Lord Jesus.

May our time be in God’s time. 

Then our time on Earth will be meaningful to ourselves, and we will use our time to be helpful to others.

6th Week of Easter, Wednesday, 13-05-2026

Acts 17:15, 22 - 18:1 / John  16:12-15  

Nature teaches us about the many aspects of life.

Nature is like a mother, and that is why we call nature “Mother Nature”.

A mother nurtures her children slowly and helps her children to understand life.

So, our knowledge about life and nature does not come only from books or that we can learn everything at one go.

We learn about life and nature slowly and gradually by what we see and by what we experience.

In the 1st reading, Paul mentioned about how God raised Jesus from the dead.

At this, some of his listeners burst out laughing, while others were interested in knowing more about it, and followed him and became his disciples.

In the gospel, Jesus said that He still has many things to say to His disciples, but they would be too much for them to grasp at that moment.

We too may not understand the mysteries of our faith.

But let us be patient and keep pondering and one day, the Holy Spirit will reveal to us what we need to know.

Then our faith will grow and be strengthened, and we will bear fruits of faith accordingly.

6th Week of Easter, Tuesday, 12-05-2026

Acts 16:22-24 / John 16:5-11  

There are many things in this world that are beyond our knowledge and understanding.

Yet, we often think that we know a lot and with science and technology, we are able to find an explanation to everything and have a solution to every problem.

But when something baffles us and we can’t find an explanation or a solution, we may still not want to admit that we don’t know.

In the 1st reading, who could really give an explanation for the doors of the jail that flew open and the chains that fell off from all the prisoners?

Of course, earlier on there was an earthquake that shook the prison to its foundations.

But could that be an acceptable explanation?

Or how about when the gaoler and his whole family were converted and baptized there and then? 

These events are of the past and though they are recorded, we also do not know all the facts.

But we also have to admit that one of the most difficult things to explain is when people have a change of heart.

When people, or even ourselves, admit that we are wrong, it is not necessary that it was mere human intervention or that there was a spectacular event.

As Jesus said in the gospel, He will send the Holy Spirit who will show the world how wrong it was about sin, about who was in the right and about judgement.

Yes, it is by the power and by the light of the Holy Spirit that God will reveal to us about the mysteries of life.

And it is by the revelation of the Holy Spirit that we will know who we are and who God is, and then we will know what God wants of us.

6th Week of Easter, Monday, 11-05-2026

Acts 16:11-15 / John 15:26 - 16:4  

We human beings naturally want to have peace.

But the strange thing is that in order to have peace, we do the defensive.

As the saying goes, in order to have peace, we prepare for war.

And in order to secure peace, human beings even go on the offensive to eliminate all threats and possible dangers.

So, human beings want peace, but the strange thing is that they use violence to try to achieve it.

Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit to be our Advocate to protect us.

The Holy Spirit is also the Spirit of truth.

The truth is that no armour or security can protect us or give us peace.

Jesus wants us to know that the Holy Spirit is our Advocate and we will be protected from danger and harm.

In other words, God is our Protector, and when we live our lives in truth, we will be at peace.

6th Sunday of Easter, Year A, 10.05.2026

Acts 8:5-8, 14-17 / 1 Peter 3:15-18 / John 14:15-21  

Last Thursday, 8th May, was a significant and meaningful day for the Church. 

If we are wondering about the significance and meaning of that day, then we need to recall the events of one year ago. 

On the 8th May 2025, Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected as the new Pope. 

The pre-election and post-election stories were interesting and maybe even amusing. 

We may remember the family of seagulls perched on the roof of the Sistine Chapel, just before the white smoke bellowed from the chimney. 

There was also a baby seagull in that family, and some commented that the seagulls were having a bird’s eye view of the Conclave. 

And those seagulls appearing before the white smoke was interpreted as a good sign. 

And some people also remembered that seagulls were also present on the roof at the election of Pope Francis. 

That was the pre-election event. When Cardinal Robert Prevost was presented as the new Pope, the comments came in fast. 

So, he is the first American Pope. But he was literally an unknown candidate, and he was not among the so-called favourites. 

And the American Cardinals don’t quite know who he is. 

For all that had happened one year ago on 8th May, the meaning and significance are now being slowly unfolded. 

And there is no doubt that the process of the election of Pope Leo XIV was guided by the Holy Spirit. 

In the gospel, Jesus says that God will send another Advocate, the Spirit of truth, to be with us forever. 

An Advocate is a protector, an Advocate also means a person who speaks in favour of or plead for someone. 

The Spirit of truth protects us from falsehood and from going the wrong way. 

And the Spirit of truth is also the Spirit of love, for truth and love are like the two sides of the same coin. 

Truth without love is cold and hard, and it can be used to accuse, to judge and to condemn. 

Love without truth has no principles or directions, and it is like a kite that is not grounded with a string. 

Through the Spirit of truth and love, God has chosen Leo XIV to be the Pope to lead the Church in this anxious and challenging times.

With the Spirit as the Advocate, Pope Leo XIV has spoken out for the respect of the dignity of the person, as well as the dignity of nations, in the midst of hostilities.

Pope Leo XIV has taught us to speak the truth with love. 

The truth is the truth and nobody can deny it, even if nobody admits to it. 

And the truth spoken and acted with love is like a light that silently scatters the darkness. 

And as we celebrate Mother’s Day, we honour our mothers for being our advocate, just as Holy Spirit is the Advocate of the Church. 

Very often, our mothers have the first say and also the last say. 

But we also acknowledge that whatever they say, they say it with truth and love. 

That is why we often say this: My mother used to tell me ... 

Yes, we remember the truth because it was spoken with love. 

May God bless our mothers as they teach us about the truth of life with love in their hearts. 

And may the Holy Spirit, our Advocate, protect us from danger and evil. 

And may the Spirit of truth help us to be witnesses of the truth that is lovingly proclaimed with the love of God.

5th Week of Easter, Saturday, 09-05-2026

Acts 16:1-10 / John 15:18-21   

The world has come to such a state that doing good may lead to some kind of misunderstanding.

Maybe there is just too much bad and wickedness around and the world is getting used to it.

So even if it is said that this world is bad and wicked, it is acceptable and no one would really make a fuss about it.

Maybe that is the obvious and glaring reality and we think it is normal.

However to be good and to do good is like an oddity and an exception.

Even to have a religion and to be religious may look like suspicious.

But that kind of world view should not deter us from being who we are and what we are called to do.

We are disciples of Jesus and we live according to His teachings and His way of life.

After all, even when Jesus was in this world, He was rejected and persecuted right to being crucified on the Cross.

But for those who accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour, He gives them power to face and to overcome the evil in this world.

Evil and wickedness can only grow and multiply when good people do nothing about it.

By being disciples of Jesus, we want to bring goodness back into the world.

It is in doing good, that we be the witnesses of the holiness of God in this world.

5th Week of Easter, Friday, 08-05-2026

Acts 15:22-31 / John 15:12-17    

It is understandable that we have the tendency to do what is easy.

After all, why would we choose to do what is challenging and difficult?

To put it bluntly, we tend to be lazy and choose what is easy, or even to do nothing at all.

But when we try to avoid challenges and difficulties, we will miss out something important in life.

We will not find meaning and direction in life, and after a while we might even feel lethargic and melancholic about life.

In the gospel, Jesus gave us a commandment, and that is to love one another, as He has loved us.

Loving others can be challenging and difficult. 

It can also be tiring and even seem like a thankless task.

But we know that Jesus loved us and He even laid down His life for us.

As we ponder about life and love, we will also remember what Jesus said about life.

If we want to save our lives, we will lose it.

But when we offer our lives to serve and to love others, we will gain meaning and direction.

And most of all, we will gain blessings from God, and we will also see how beautiful life and love is.

5th Week of Easter, Thursday, 07-05-2026

Acts 15:7-12 / John 15:9-11    

Human beings are adventurous.

We like to be on the move to make discoveries.

So we go to new places to see the sights, to taste the food, to wonder at the cultures and practices of other peoples.

But no matter how far we may go, and no matter how excited we may be by our experiences, there is usually one eventuality.

And that is we will usually return home.

We will usually return to our roots and to where we belong.

In the gospel, Jesus said to His disciples:

As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Remain in my love.

But because of our adventurous and curious tendency, we may get tired of the usual faith practices and teachings.

So we may tend to look around for new ideas and other interesting ways to discover the spiritual and the supernatural.

But there is also the possibility that we might end up like a kite without being grounded by the string.

But more importantly, let us remain in the love of Jesus with the prayer forms of the Church.

In remaining in the love of Jesus, we will be able to find the joy of being with the one true God.

5th Week of Easter, Wednesday, 06-05-2026

Acts 15:1-6 / John 15:1-8  

In the 1st reading, there was a disagreement about the practice of circumcision.

There were long arguments, and the apostles and the elders had to meet to look into the matter.

But for a group of people to be united in one faith and one practice, they also must have a common love.

It is only with that common love for Jesus that the early Church can grow and be what it is today.

But as Jesus said in the gospel, He is the vine and we are the branches.

In order to be united in love and bear fruit, we must be pruned.

We must cut off what leads us to sin that will cause disunity and scandals.

Let us remain close to Jesus and make our home in Him.

With the common love for Jesus and united in His love, we will also be able to bear fruits of faith and love.

5th Week of Easter, Tuesday, 05-05-2026

Acts 14:19-28 / John 14:27-31   

The word “peace” is a word that is mentioned often and we may know what it generally means.

It may be generally understood as the absence of conflict.

It may also be understood as calm and stillness.

But it may be helpful to understand what peace means in the Bible.

The Hebrew word “shalom” may be translated as peace.

Shalom has a few meanings: wholeness, completeness, sound health, safety, and prosperity.

To greet another person with the word “shalom” or “peace” signifies a blessing of total well-being.

In the gospel, Jesus said to His disciples:

Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you.

The disciples of the early Church understood and experienced that gift of peace from Jesus.

Paul and Barnabas experienced stoning and persecution, but they went on with the peace of Jesus in their hearts.

They put fresh hearts into the other disciples, encouraging them to persevere in the faith.

They faced many hardships, but they had the peace of Jesus in their hearts.

We too have that peace of Jesus in our hearts.

Let us also share the peace of Jesus with others.

The world cannot give us that peace that Jesus has given us.

5th Week of Easter, Monday, 04-05-2026

Acts 14:5-18 / John 14:21-26  

As Christians, we are disciples of Jesus.

And as disciples of Jesus, we have a mission in this world.

Our mission is to reveal the presence of Jesus for others.

In the 1st reading, Paul and Barnabas went around preaching the Good News.

Then Paul saw a crippled man listening to the Good News and he saw that the man had faith.

So Paul said to the crippled man, “Get to your feet – stand up.”

And the crippled man jumped up and began to walk.

When the crowd saw that, they got excited and thought that Paul and Barnabas were gods disguised as men.

Paul and Barnabas tried to tell the crowd that they were just messengers of God, but the excitement of the crowd was overwhelming.

Although we may not be addressing crowds and performing miracles of healing, our mission is just as important.

We are messengers of the Good News that will also make us signs of God’s presence in this world.

And because Jesus has made His home in our hearts, then our mission is to bring others back home to God.

May we always love Jesus and others will see that love and they will come home to the God of love.

5th Sunday of Easter, Year A, 03.05.2026

Acts 6:1-7 / 1 Peter 2:4-9 / John 14:1-12  

One of the deepest desires in life is to be happy. 

To be happy may mean that we don't have any anxieties and worries. 

It may also mean that we don’t have to face the struggles and troubles of life. 

So, if there are no anxieties and worries, no struggles and troubles in life, then we would be happy in life. 

But happiness in life seems to be so elusive. The moments of happiness are short and few. 

Whereas, anxieties and worries, struggles and troubles, seemed to come one after another. 

All these forms the burdens in our hearts and make us drag our feet along in life. 

We are anxious and worried about our health, our future, our financial security, our work stress, our children, our parents. 

Our hearts are troubled when relationships with family members, relatives and friends become tensed due to some misunderstanding or quarrels. 

That is enough to say what we already know, and that is, life is difficult. 

Sure, life is difficult, but that is not the end of the statement; it is just a pause. 

Because in the gospel, Jesus said this to His disciples: 

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God still, in trust in me. 

Jesus made a promise to us that there are many rooms in His Father’s house, and He has prepared a place for us there. 

That promise is our greatest assurance and consolation from Jesus. 

In short, Jesus is telling us that He has already saved us and that He will bring us to heaven. 

So, it means that while we walk in the struggles and troubles of life, our minds and our hearts should be on the promise of above. 

But we get distracted by the anxieties and worries of life. 

And with that, our hearts become disturbed, and we forget about the promise of that place in heaven. 

Yes, we forget because we get distracted. 

We get distracted by the anxieties and worries, about the struggles and troubles, and our hearts become disturbed. 

And when we look at the distraction, and reflect upon the disturbance, what is the cause of it?

Well, the question is not about what, but about who is the cause of it. 

Needless to say, the devil is the cause of it; he is the cause of our disturbance and distraction. 

He wants to distract and disturb us so that we will forget about the promise of Jesus. 

He wants to bring our minds and hearts down to the things of earth and forget about the promise of above. 

We see that in the 1st reading when there was a problem in the early Church about the distribution of food. 

But, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the apostles chose seven men to look into the task of the distribution of food. 

As the apostles pointed out: It is not right for us to neglect the Word of God so as to give out food. 

So, when we don't do what is right, our hearts will be troubled. 

And when we neglect we will also forget. 

So, we need to look at our anxieties and worries, and also our struggles and troubles. 

It is like looking at our reflection in a basin of water. 

We will not be able to see a good reflection when the water is boiling. 

Only when the water is still and calm, then can we see our reflection clearly. 

May the consoling and assuring promise of Jesus put out the sharp flames of distraction and disturbance in our hearts. 

May Jesus our Saviour, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life, lead us towards that place in heaven which He has promised us.

4th Week of Easter, Saturday, 02-05-2026

Acts 13:44-52 / John 14:7-14    

A book is not judged by its cover.

So, appearances can say one thing, but the essence can be something else.

But there is no doubt that much emphasis and importance are placed on image and appearances.

So when image and appearance do not match the essence and character, then it would lead to confusion and contradiction.

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

Jesus goes on to explain that He is in the Father and the Father is in Him.

And the words that Jesus says is not from Himself. It is the Father, living in Him, who is doing all the work.

As disciples of Jesus, we are called Christians, which means that we are a reflection of who Jesus Christ is.

Even if we don’t publicly identify ourselves as Christians, our character and integrity should reflect the person of Jesus Christ.

The one profound expression of our Christianity is the love of God.

When others see us as a person of love, they would see presence of Jesus Christ in us.

Let us love as Jesus Christ loves us, and others will know we are Christians by our words and actions.

St. Joseph the Worker, Friday, 01-05-2026

Genesis 1:26 - 2:3 or Colossians 3:14-15, 17, 23-24 / Matthew 13:54-58   

In 1955, the Catholic Church dedicated May 1 to "Saint Joseph The Worker". 

The Catholic Church considers St. Joseph the patron saint of workers and craftsmen, besides others.

More than just wanting to honour the contributions of the working class and the rights of workers, the Church, in this feast, wants to teach about the holiness of work which contributes to creation and gives glory to God.

In the gospel, we heard that Jesus is known as "the carpenter's son". 

It means that St. Joseph was a carpenter and that Jesus would have also followed along in learning the trade.

Hence the gospel tells us, and the Church teaches us as well, that Jesus was indeed involved in the ordinary human life and had to work for a living, with all its satisfactions and drudgery.

But where once upon a time when work was seen as a curse because of sin in that "by the sweat of your brow you shall eat your bread" (Gen 3:19), the Son of God has now sanctified work and now by the work of our hands we give glory to God.

So in whatever work we are doing, in whatever profession we are in, let us put our heart into it because we must know that over and above all, it is God that we serve and work for.

And just as St. Joseph taught Jesus to work with His hands, may St. Joseph also pray for us that by the work of our hands, and through the work of our hands, God will bless the world and may we beautify the world through the work of our hands.

4th Week of Easter, Thursday, 30-04-2026

Acts 13:13-25 / John 13:16-20   

The profession of a teacher is not just a job.

To be a teacher is to answer a call to serve by forming others.

Teachers form their students intellectually and also their character and integrity.

A good teacher will always have a revered place in the student’s memory.

In the gospel, Jesus says that no servant is greater than his master, and no messenger is greater than one who sent him.

Similarly, it can also be said that no student will ever forget the lessons of life that was learnt from the teacher.

But pride can come and distort the order of life and the integrity of life.

Because out of pride and disobedience, a servant can try to overthrow his master and desire to be the master.

Out of pride and vested motives, a messenger might want to distort the original message to make it in favour of him.

Jesus is our Teacher, our Master and He is our Word of life.

May we follow His teachings, and may we be faithful and obedient to Him.

May we understand His Word, so that we can echo His Good News of life and love to others.

4th Week of Easter, Wednesday, 29-04-2026

Acts 12:24 - 13:5 / John 12:44-50   

To know what a business or an organization is about, the thing to look for is its core business or its main activity.

That core business or main activity defines the business enterprise and the purpose of the organization.

And that core business or main activity should be so obvious that it goes without saying and it is also like written on its walls.

As for the early Church, the core spirituality and main activity is praying and fasting and the mission is the proclamation of the Word of God.

Even in the church of Antioch, besides the disciples, there were also prophets and teachers.

It was not just the activities of praying and fasting and proclamation of the Word of God, the people in the church were living images of the church’s core spirituality and mission.

So, when the Holy Spirit spoke, they listened and they also knew God wanted Barnabas and Saul to be set apart for a mission.

May we always be focused on the core spirituality of praying and fasting, and be faithful in sharing and proclaiming the Word of God.

So that when the Holy Spirit speaks, we will be able to listen and do what God wants of us.

4th Week of Easter, Tuesday, 28-04-2026

Acts 11:19-26 / John 10:22-30   

We are quite familiar with the 10 Commandments.

One of the 10 Commandments is “thou shall not steal”, which is the 8th Commandment.

That Commandment prohibits theft, which is widely interpreted to include stealing property, dishonesty in dealings and taking credit for others' work.

So, stealing or theft is a serious sin because it is a disregard for another person’s right of ownership.

And it will also lead to a collapse of law and order in society.

On the interpersonal level, when property is stolen, it leads to suspicion and eventually a breakdown of relationships that are based on trust.

In the gospel, Jesus says that the sheep that belong to Him listen to His voice, and no one will ever steal them from Him. 

God the Father gave the sheep to Jesus and no one can ever steal from the Father.

But we can’t steal anyone from Jesus, yet we can also commit indirect theft.

When a Christian leads another Christian the wrong way, or when a Christian commits a scandal and causes another Christian to lose faith, then stealing or the theft of a soul is committed, and a soul is lost.

Let us always listen to the voice of our Good Shepherd and follow in His ways.

Let us help those who are lost to go back to the Good Shepherd, and together we journey into eternal life.

4th Week of Easter, Monday, 27-04-2026

Acts 11:1-18 / John 10:11-18 (Year A)   

We don’t like it when we are taken for granted by others.

When we go out of our way for others, when we make sacrifices for others, when we do a thankless task that is dumped onto us, we wished that there can be some gratitude shown to us.

Even if not a word of thanks is said, it would be enough for us to know that a difficulty is overcome or a problem is solved.

What will make us angry and bitter is when others expect us to something that no one else would want to.

And when we don’t do it, we get blamed for making things difficult and creating problems for others.

This may not happen all the time, but when it does, we may wonder if being good and doing good is worth it.

In the gospel, Jesus says that He is the Good Shepherd, and the good shepherd will lay down his life for his sheep.

On the Cross, Jesus fulfilled what He said about being the Good Shepherd and laying His life for us to save us.

Yes, Jesus died for us so that we can be saved from an eternal death.

So, are we truly grateful and thankful to Jesus for saving us by dying for us.

Let us not take the love of Jesus for granted, and let us also follow Jesus our Good Shepherd in doing good for others.

Let us focus on following Jesus to make this world a loving place.

4th Sunday of Easter, Year A, 26.04.2026

Acts 2:14, 36-41 / 1 Peter 2:20-25 / John 10:1-10  

The animals in this world are, by and large, beautiful as well as amazing. 

And they also have peculiarities that we have heard of, or have experienced it. 

For example, don’t ever wear red-colour clothes and stand in front of a bull. 

We don’t want to see those horns coming fast at us. 

And also don’t approach a horse from the back. We just might get a kick of our lives. 

As for good eyesight, it goes to the birds, especially the eagles and the hawks. 

They can spot a prey from distances of three to five kilometres. 

As for the sense of smell, it goes to the dogs. A lady wanted to bring some bak-kwa for her daughter who was studying in a country that bans cooked meats. 

So, she wrapped the bak-kwa with layers and layers of plastic, thinking that it can pass through the customs. 

But at the immigration, the sniffer dog went sniffing at the luggage, and then just sat on her luggage. 

She had to surrender the bak-kwa. 

When it comes to sheep, we may not know much about their peculiarities, although we know that wool comes from sheep. 

But we have heard about two of their characteristics, and that is their sense of hearing, and their silence, even in the face of mortal danger. 

In today’s gospel, Jesus says that He is the gate of the sheepfold. 

He goes on to say that the sheep listen to the voice of the shepherd. 

The shepherd leads his sheep, and the sheep follow him because they know the shepherd’s voice. 

The sheep never follow a stranger, but run away from him. 

They do not recognise the voice of strangers. 

Today, the Church celebrates Good Shepherd Sunday, with an emphasis on the promotion of vocations to the priesthood and also to the religious life. 

Yes, the harvest is rich but the labourers are few, and we have to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to His harvest. 

The Lord of the harvest has called labourers to work in His harvest. 

Many are called, but not that many have responded. 

One of the reasons that not that many have responded is because the world has many loud noises.

These noises are loud, and even attractive, and they appeal to human desires and pleasures. 

Yes, we desire to be rich, famous, popular, successful and to have a high status in life. 

With these comes the benefits of pleasures and luxuries of gratification, although it may be momentary. 

And those cravings for pleasures and desires are like a bottomless pit; there can never be enough of it. 

In the midst of all these loud noises is that soft and gentle voice of the Good Shepherd, calling out to the chosen labourers of His sheepfold. 

More often than not, as well as in most cases, the voice of the Good Shepherd is heard in Church. 

The Church is the House of God and the House of prayer. 

It is in Church that the voice of the Good Shepherd is heard in worship and in prayer. 

And it is in worship and prayer that the chosen servants of the Lord are able to listen and respond to His call. 

On the 1st June, four deacons will be ordained to the sacred order of the priesthood. 

One of them, Deacon Eugene Chan, is from this parish. He was chosen from among us. 

He heard the Lord’s call in Church, and it is back to the Church that he response to the call. 

We pray for him as he makes his final preparation for his ordination.

We do this in the form of spiritual bouquets, and we will receive a spiritual bouquet card on our way out. 

Our little spiritual offering would be a great blessing for Deacon Eugene Chan, and also for the other three deacons. 

And on the 21st May, we will gather in prayer for the four deacons, and also to pray for vocations. 

May those whom the Lord has called be able to listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd. 

And may our prayer give them strength and courage to follow in the steps of the Good Shepherd, who came to give us life and life to the full.

St. Mark, Evangelist, Saturday, 25-04-2026

1 Peter 5:5-14 / Mark 16:15-20    

St. Mark, whose feast we celebrate today, was not one of the apostles.

Nonetheless, he was one of the disciples of St. Peter, and he was mentioned in the 1st reading as a "spiritual son" of St. Peter.

He could also possibly be one of the followers of Jesus and later on became a disciple of St. Peter and he eventually wrote the account of the life and ministry of Jesus, which became one of the gospels of the Church.

In his gospel, St. Mark captured the core and essence of the ministry and message of Jesus.

As we heard it in the gospel, and what is often called the "Great Commissioning", the way St. Mark puts it across straight and sharp in just a few words.

"Go out, proclaim the Good News, believe or be condemned, cast out devils, work signs and miracles, heal the sick".

As we hear this, we might be thinking - proclaim the Good News sounds ok, healing the sick sounds ok, work signs and miracles ... hmmm ... cast out devils ...

Well, the gospel is not a supermarket for us to pick and choose whatever we like.

It is one whole message; it's either we take all or we take all.

To understand and accept the Good News and the commissioning of Jesus, we need to "Go out" like St. Mark did.

Because when we are out there, and there is no dependency and certainty but Jesus Himself, then we will truly experience the power of the Good News and become true disciples of Jesus Christ.

3rd Week of Easter, Friday, 24-04-2026

Acts 9:1-20 / John 6:52-59       

One of the common traits in people is stubbornness.

For a stubborn person, it is almost impossible to change his mind.

Even if all the facts show that he is wrong, he may not even budge.

It is quite amazing the conviction that a stubborn person has .

In the 1st reading, Saul was so resolute about his conviction that only way of stopping the spread of Christianity was by capturing and slaughtering the Lord’s disciples.

Nothing could change his mind, until that strange encounter on the road to Damascus.

That voice asking him "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" was enough to break his conviction.

But even before that, the prayer of the Christian community cannot be discounted.

They would have prayed for protection against Saul, and in a way, they may have also slipped in a prayer for his conversion, which they thought may have been unlikely.

Even Ananias was hesitant when the Lord told him to go to lay his hands on Saul to give him back his sight.

This account in the history of the early Church tells us this.

In life, we will encounter wicked people doing evil deeds and we are affected.

We must turn to the Lord and pray for protection.

At the same time, we also must pray for the conversion of wicked sinners.

The Lord will do His part in breaking their stubbornness and lead them to conversion.

We then must do our part in accepting them and help them see the beautiful love of God.

3rd Week of Easter, Thursday, 23-04-2026

Acts 8:26-40 / John 6:44-51   

In life, we meet a lot of people.

Some people we had wanted to meet and we make plans as to how to meet them.

Some people just happen to come along as we move on in life.

But whether we intended to meet them or they just happen to come into our lives, we have various experiences with them.

Some were happy and memorable, some were hi-and-bye and forgettable.

In the 1st reading, the meeting between Philip and the Ethiopian officer was a happy and memorable one.

It was the Spirit who arranged the meeting between the two of them and it was also an experience of the presence of Jesus.

Though they never met again after that, it was a moment of rejoicing in their lives.

In the gospel, Jesus said that no one can come to Him unless that person is drawn by the Father who sent Him.

But it can also be said that the people that God sent to us in our journey of life will have an influence in our lives.

Let us thanks for the people that God sent into our lives.

May we have happy and memorable moments with them, and may we also share with them the presence of Jesus.

3rd Week of Easter, Wednesday, 22-04-2026

Acts 8:1-8 / John 6:35-40   

There is no doubt that life is difficult and it has its troubles.

And the difficulties can be anything from frustrations with others to serious troubles that erupt into violence between groups of people.

Even if we have faith in God, when these difficulties and troubles occur, we will question God as to why such things happen.

And if things happen for a reason, then we will surely want to know what is that reason.

In the 1st reading, a bitter persecution started against the church in Jerusalem, and Saul then worked for the total destruction of the Church.

In the face of such violence and hostility, the early Church would have asked why this was happening and why isn’t God protecting them.

But the amazing thing was that those who have escaped went from place to place preaching the Good News.

And with that began the missionary activity of the early Church.

So a crisis was turned into an opportunity, and with the grace of God, the early disciples worked miracles, and cured the sick and cast out evil spirits.

And there was even great rejoicing at the proclamation of the Good News.

And all this is possible because the early Church believed that Jesus is the Bread of life, and that He will sustain them and help them to overcome all difficulties and troubles.

We too share that same belief as the early Church, and may we also see the miracles that God will work for us when we meet with difficulties and troubles.

3rd Week of Easter, Tuesday, 21-04-2026

Acts 7:51 - 8:1 / John 6:30-35   

Everyday we use a lot of words, and we may wonder what effects do they have.

Words can be powerless, but they can also be powerful.

When someone uses a lot of words but if they are pointless or unclear, disorganized, illogical, or difficult to understand, then those words are powerless and meaningless.

But words can be powerful when they evoke or bring about a feeling, memory, image, or reaction and even an action.

In the 1st reading, when Stephen spoke to the people, the elders and the scribes, his words were sharp but truthful, and it brought about a hostile reaction.

The listeners were infuriated and they ground their teeth at him.

What Stephen said was inspired by the Holy Spirit, but the people were so angered by it that they decided to kill him so as to silence him forever.

Such is the power of words and it cost Stephen his life.

In the gospel, Jesus said that He is the Bread of Life, and whoever comes to Him will never be hungry, and whoever believes in Him will never thirst.

Those are powerful words of truth and we must decide what our response will be.

We can be indifferent to it or even ignore it.

But when we believe in the words of Jesus, we will be filled with life and love.

And our words will also be words of truth that will echo the Word of God.

3rd Week of Easter, Monday, 20-04-2026

Acts 6:8-15 / John 6:22-29  

When nature takes its course, it will show us marvels as well as surprises.

An example would be planting a seed. The seed germinates and grows in harmony with the course of nature.

The beauty of this world follows a course of nature that is beautiful as well as mysterious.

And when our lives are in harmony with the course of nature, then we can find directions and meaning.

The deacon Stephen had the responsibility of distributing food to the poor of the community.

But in the 1st reading, Stephen seemed to have a further calling.

He was filled with grace and power and began to work miracles and great signs among the people.

Some might say that Stephen should just do what he was called to do.

But the ways of God are mysterious, and when Stephen hear the call, he let nature take its course and went along God’s ways.

In the gospel, Jesus told the people that they were looking for Him not because they have seen and understood the signs but because they had all the bread they wanted to eat.

The people were just interested in having bread to eat, but they don’t seem to understand the sign of the miracle of the loaves.

God is calling us to reflect further about the course of life that we are in by reflecting on the signs of life.

Those signs point to the ways of God.

When we go along the ways of God, we will be in harmony with the course of life and with our calling.

3rd Sunday of Easter, Year A, 19.04.2026

Acts 2:14, 22-28 / 1 Peter 1:17-21 / Luke 24:13-35  

There was a popular song in the early 1980s that was played over the radio almost every day. 

It was a high energy disco-type of dance song, and it was heard in every discotheque during that era. 

Most of us would have heard of that song. The title is “One-way ticket”. 

At that time, the lyrics of songs were not that easily available. 

What mattered was the upbeat music, and the people of that era just like to hear it and dance to it. 

But when we look at the lyrics, it is actually quite a sad song about heartbreak and the loneliness and turmoil after that. 

Well, the lyrics say it all: “one-way ticket to the blues, gonna take a trip to lonesome town, gonna stay at heartbreak hotel”. 

But the 1980s version of that song was so upbeat, so energetic that we just want to get up and dance, and never mind what the song is about. 

In the gospel, the two disciples of Jesus were on their way to a village called Emmaus, which was 7 miles from Jerusalem. 

As they walked along, they talked about all that had happened. 

But it was a sad and disappointed journey to Emmaus. It was like a one-way ticket. 

Even when Jesus came to walk along with them, they could not recognise Him. 

Maybe their sadness and disappointment were so deep that all they could see was hopelessness and darkness. 

As they walked along, they shared with Jesus how they had placed all the hope in Him. 

But with His death on the Cross, their hopes were shattered, to the point that there were not even broken pieces to pick up. 

So, their journey to Emmaus was like a one-way ticket to a lonesome town and to stay at some heartbreak hotel. 

Beyond Emmaus, they seem to have no further plans other than to go away as far as possible from Jerusalem. 

As they talked about their disappointment, sadness and hopelessness, Jesus listened, but He did not remain silent. 

He spoke to them about the full message of the prophets, that the Christ should suffer and so enter into His glory. 

And starting from Moses and going through all the prophets, Jesus explained to them the passages in the Scriptures that were about the Christ. 

Meanwhile, as Jesus spoke, something was happening in the hearts of the two disciples. 

Their hearts began to burn as Jesus explained the Scriptures to them. 

And then at the breaking of bread, their eyes were opened, and they recognised Jesus. 

They immediately set out and returned to Jerusalem, and told the disciples about what had happened on the road to Emmaus, and how they recognised Jesus at the breaking of bread. 

So, in short, it was a story of brokenness and hopelessness turning into hopefulness and gladness. 

It was not a one-way ticket into terminal disappointment, but a return ticket into gladness and consolation. 

All that is possible because the God we believe in will not let hopelessness be a one-way ticket into desolation. 

The God we believe in is the God of the Resurrection. 

He raises those who are bowed down, and He lifts up the lowly. 

We may feel that our lives and our faith are like mundane, going flat, and sliding down a one- way journey into desolation. 

But let us keep doing that little bit to keep that little flame of our faith alive by coming regularly for Mass. 

One day, our ears will be opened to listen to the voice of God in the Scriptures. 

One day our eyes will be opened and our hearts will burn, and we will tell others how we have experienced Jesus in our disappointment and desolation. 

But most of all, may we recognise Jesus at the Mass where bread is broken. 

Yes, the Bread of Life is broken, so that hearts that are broken will come back to life and will burn with love.

2nd Week of Easter, Saturday, 18-04-2026

Acts 6:1-7 / John 6:16-21  

It is generally presumed that the simple and humble jobs can be done by anyone.

Ordinary, simple and humble jobs may not require much skills and knowledge.

So a simple task like serving food may seem easy.

A person serving food just needs to observe hygiene practices and get the orders correct.

That is as simple as it can be to any ordinary person.

But in the 1st reading, a simple task like distributing food to the widows became a big issue.

It was a big enough issue for the apostles to call for a full meeting of the disciples to address the matter.

So, the apostles were to focus on prayer and preaching the Word of God.

The disciples were to select seven men to take charge of the distribution of food.

But it was not just any seven men. Those seven men had to be of good reputation, filled with the Holy Spirit and with wisdom.

That was certainly quite a strict requirement for a seemingly simple task.

But it goes to show that even simple tasks cannot be taken for granted.

In the case of the early Church, it involves integrity, responsibility, justice and equality.

And God’s love, care and providence is expressed in that simple task of food distribution.

May we remember that simple tasks are also equally important tasks.

It is in doing the simple and humble tasks that we give glory to God.

2nd Week of Easter, Friday, 17-04-2026

Acts 5:34-42 / John 6:1-15   

In this fast-moving world, speed and efficiency are highly regarded for decision and action.

For those who can think quickly and act fast, they are looked upon as highly effective and efficient people.

To wait and see and think might seem to be too slow and opportunities are missed.

But to wait and see and think is the characteristic of those who are wise.

In the 1st reading, those in power felt the threat from the lowly and simple apostles.

So the fastest solution to the problem would be to eliminate them totally by putting them to death.

All this while, the Pharisee Gamaliel, a doctor of the Law and respected by the people, was looking, listening and thinking.

Then he decided to speak up and he truly spoke words of wisdom.

He gave examples of how there were two movements but they eventually died out.

He also said that if what the apostles were doing is of human origin, it will break up on its own accord.

But if it does in fact come from God, then in going against them would be like going against God.

So, in every plan or project, let us pray to the Lord and wait and see.

And God will show us how to carry it out according to His will.

2nd Week of Easter, Thursday, 16-04-2026

Acts 5:27-33 / John 3:31-36   

In life, there are times when we never ever thought we would do something or say something that would surprise others, and even more, surprise ourselves.

But somehow we ended up doing that something or saying that something that we did not plan or intended to.

Even for Pope Leo XIV, he once thought that the late Pope Francis would never appoint him to be a bishop.

That was because he had a small disagreement with Pope Francis and he left it at that.

So, he probably never thought he would be a bishop, or even a Cardinal, and much less a Pope.

So, when God wants His will to be carried out, He will move people and also put words into their mouths.

In the 1st reading, when the apostles were interrogated by the high priest about their preaching of Jesus, Peter replied:

“Obedience to God comes before obedience to men”.

Peter and the apostles were not doing something of their own accord, but under the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

They had to carry out the will of God, even though it meant being interrogated and persecuted.

In everything that we do or say, let us discern and pray to see what God wants of us.

If it is from God, then nothing can stop it, even if we try to avoid or resist it.

2nd Week of Easter, Wednesday, 15-04-2026

Acts 5:17-26 / John 3:16-21   

It can be difficult to understand why there are bad and wicked people in this world.

Even though there is nothing done to offend them, they go around causing trouble for others.

And when our tolerance for these people crosses the limit, we will be tempted to confront them and even try to teach them a lesson.

But we must remember that evil begets evil, and also he who uses the sword will also eventually come under the sword.

In the 1st reading, those in power used force on the apostles and had them imprisoned.

But those in power were of high standing and yet they dealt harshly and heavily on the apostles who were simple and humble people.

But God is always on the side of the simple, the humble and the lowly people.

That night, the angel of the Lord freed the apostles and told them to go to the Temple and continue to preach.

When those in power heard that the apostles were not in prison but were preaching in the Temple, they should have sensed that something mysterious had happened.

Still, they would not accept it. As the gospel puts it, the light shines into the world but the bad and the wicked prefer the darkness to the light.

But the light of God will shine and it will shine through us.

Let us not fight evil with evil, but let the light of Christ shine through us.

The light and the love of God will prevail over the darkness and evil.

2nd Week of Easter, Tuesday, 14-04-2026

Acts 4:32-37 / John 3:7-15      

When we take things for granted, it means that we don’t notice them anymore and they don’t interest us anymore.

When we take things for granted, we will also miss out on the wonderful and the beautiful.

Take the wind for example. We may not think and wonder too much about it.

We can’t see it but when it is present, we will feel it and the coolness it brings.

And when it is absent, we will just turn on the fan or the aircon, and we don’t think too much about it.

But where does the wind come from, and how is it made or created?

And what directs to the wind to go here or there?

Science may have the answers, but still the wind remains a mystery.

In the gospel, Jesus used the example of the wind to express the nature of the Spirit.

When the 1st reading recalled the wonderful unity of the early Christian community, that also expresses the workings of the Holy Spirit.

So, when we see something wonderful or beautiful, let us not pass it by.

God is telling us something, and the winds of prayer will help us understand the mystery of life and the mystery of God.

2nd Week of Easter, Monday, 13-04-2026

Acts 4:23-31 / John 3:1-8   

Whenever a problem arises, the immediate reaction would be to think of a solution.

In thinking of a solution, there can be several options.

Of course, the main consideration is to solve the problem as quickly as possible.

And the best solution would be to eliminate the problem once and for all.

So, human logic and reasoning will be used to think of the best solution.

In the 1st reading, the chief priests and the elders had warned Peter and John not to proclaim and teach in the name of Jesus.

They could not think of a way to punish them, since all the people were giving glory to God.

On the other hand, when Peter and John went back to the community, they did not discuss how to resist or retaliate against the chief priests and elders.

Instead the community prayed and gave praise to God for protecting them against persecutions.

They also prayed that the Lord God will stretch out His hand to heal and to work miracles and marvels for them.

What we must learn from this is that whenever we face challenges and difficulties, or struggles and troubles, let us first turn to the Lord in prayer.

And since we have been re-born in the Spirit, then we must turn to God in prayer.

God will show us the solution to our problems, and it will be a wonderful and marvellous blessed solution.

2nd Sunday of Easter, Year A, 12.04.2025

Acts 2:42-47 / 1 Peter 1:3-9 / John 20:19-31  

One of the challenges that we face in the morning is waking up. 

In the morning, the bed is like a big magnet and our body is fighting the magnetic pull of the bed. 

And if we didn't have a good night’s sleep, or running under the weather, then we are really like stuck to the bed. 

So even if the alarm clock is ringing on and on, we will tell ourselves, just another 5 or 10 minutes, and then we will over-sleep and run late. 

And talking about alarm clocks, there is this joke about a husband and wife having a cold war. 

However, the husband had an early morning flight to catch the next day, but he didn’t want to talk to his wife and tell her about it. 

So, he wrote a note and stuck it on her bedside table with this message, “Wake me up at 7:00 am”. 

The next morning, he happened to open his eyes and he glanced at the clock, and it was already 8:30 am. 

And there was a note stuck next to the clock that is written by his wife, and it read, “Wake up, wake up, it is already 7:00 am”. 

So, the moral of the joke is that it is not worth having cold wars, because we will not gain anything and we will also be late for everything. 

Not only alarm clocks may not be able to wake us up. 

What we see around us, and what others say, may not wake us up either. 

Especially when the issue is inconvenient, troublesome or burdensome to us. 

We would ignore or resist, or look away and don’t want to hear about what really matters. 

In the gospel, the risen Lord Jesus appeared to the disciples, and they were filled with joy when they saw the Lord. 

But Thomas was not with them when Jesus came. 

When the disciples told him that they had seen the Risen Lord, he was skeptical, to say the least.

And Thomas also made a very bold demand, and it is this: Unless I see the holes that the nails made in His hands, and can put my finger into the holes they made, and unless I can put my hand into His side, I refuse to believe. 

For Thomas, seeing is not enough, he wants to touch the wounds of Jesus. 

Maybe the death of Jesus on the Cross had broken the faith of Thomas, such that his faith also crumpled and withered away. 

Maybe that is why Thomas made such a bold and challenging demand. 

More than just doubting what the disciples said, Thomas wants the truth, and he even wants to touch the truth. 

God is truth and God is life. 

When Thomas was with the disciples, Jesus appeared again. 

Jesus not only wanted Thomas to see and to touch the truth, He also came to give a wake-up call to the faith of Thomas. 

From a crumpled and withered faith, Thomas woke up and declared: My Lord and my God. 

Yes, God is truth and God is life. 

But when it comes to the truth, we can ignore it or reject it, we can doubt it or disregard it. 

But along with truth is also life, and the Lord of life will give us a wake-up call so that we will wake up to life, and the truth will also set us free. 

And God is giving us a wake-up call through Pope Leo XIV. 

The Pope called for a worldwide vigil of prayer for peace on the 11th of April. 

We cannot ignore that call for prayer for peace. 

To ignore is to disregard and even to doubt the horrors and the tragedies of war and violence. 

But the truth is that blood is shed, and innocent lives are lost, and children and the defenceless are in danger. 

When the world is not at peace, we won’t be at peace. 

When blood is shed, we must pray, because only God can stop the violence and the bloodshed. 

Let us heed the call to prayer because we must wake up to life, and the truth will also set us free, free to believe in the love of God, and to pray for the power of God to overcome war and violence and bloodshed.

Saturday within Octave of Easter, 11-04-2026

Acts 4:13-21 / Mark 16:9-15  

Waking up in the morning can be like fighting magnetic forces.

The bed is like a big magnet pulling us in and not letting go of us.

More so if we didn’t sleep well and are running under the weather.

So, we will want to give ourselves just 5 or 10 more minutes, and then we oversleep.

The alarm might just go on and on, but somehow we don’t seem to hear a thing.

In a sense, the disciples in the gospel were like in a morning wake-up call.

For whatever reason, they just don’t want to wake up to the reality that Jesus has risen.

Witnesses might say all they want about having encountered the Risen Lord, but still it would be more comfortable and even safer to shut their ears and sleep on.

In the end, Jesus had to show Himself and this time the disciples had to wake up.

They were reproached for refusing to believe those who had seen the Risen Lord Jesus.

But when the disciples finally woke up, then it was time to get moving and working.

We see that in the 1st reading when Peter and John were interrogated by the rulers, elders and scribes.

And when those in power wanted Peter and John to stop proclaiming Jesus, Peter and John retorted:

You must judge whether in God’s eyes it is right to listen to you and not to God.

So the next time we hear the alarm going off, God is calling out to us to get up.

Yes, let us rise from our slumber and go forth to do what God wants of us.

Friday within Octave of Easter, 10-04-2026

Acts 4:1-12 / John 21:1-14   

The mystery of the Incarnation is a deep belief of our faith.

We believe that God became man in Jesus Christ and lived as a human being.

Jesus was like us in all aspects as a human being except that He did not sin.

And even after He rose from the dead, He did not distance from His disciples.

In the gospel, when Peter and the rest of the disciples were kind of lost in life, they went back to what they were familiar with, and that is fishing.

Maybe the disciples wanted to go back to their previous ordinary way of life.

Yet, in the ordinary, Jesus showed Himself again to His disciples.

They had caught nothing until Jesus appeared and told them where to catch the fish.

Then they remembered that once upon a time they too had a miraculous catch of fish when Jesus was around.

And now, this Jesus who rose from the dead, is with them, but they were still trying to come to terms that this Risen Jesus is still so near with them.

Indeed, the Risen Lord Jesus is always so near to us and He is always with us.

Let us call out to Him when we are lost in life and finding life boring and without direction.

Jesus our Risen Lord will show us the way, for He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Thursday within Octave of Easter, 09-04-2026

Acts 3:11-26 / Luke 24:35-48   

Normally speaking, when everything is under control, we would be able to think calmly and clearly.

But life is not always calm and under our control.

When something unexpected happens, chaos explodes and we may not think calmly and clearly.

Even what we are supposed to know and remember can just be a black-out for us.

For example, when the fire alarm goes off, the sharp ringing is enough to throw us off-balance, as calm turns to chaos.

For the disciples in the gospel, as they shared their encounters of the Risen Lord, they were also not sure if they were seeing visions or suffering from the trauma of the deep shock of seeing Jesus dead on the Cross.

And in all this chaos and fear, Jesus comes to them and His first words to them are “Peace be with you”.

Jesus came to calm their fears and to give them the peace that would heal their broken minds and hearts.

Life is rough and we get injured with bruises and cuts here and there.

And when life becomes chaotic, then our minds and hearts can get broken and cracked.

But the Risen Lord Jesus comes to give us a peace that the world cannot give.

His peace will calm and heal our minds and hearts.

And when we become calm and peaceful again, let us also share this peace of Jesus with others.

Wednesday within Octave of Easter, 08-04-2026

Acts 3:1-10 / Luke 24:13-35    

As we journey along in life, we gain many things at the beginning.

From infancy to early adulthood, it was quite a growth in almost every aspects of life.

We gain knowledge, we grow physically, we build relationships and, of course, we also work for our financial security.

But in the later part of life, we begin to lose bit by bit.

Our health slowly weakens, some of our loved ones and friends pass on, and we are also worried if we will lose our financial security.

As for the two disciples of Jesus, it seems that they have lost their inspiration and motivation.

They had put their hope in Jesus, but that hope was shattered on the Cross.

Their hope was shattered, but they did not know that Jesus rose from the dead.

And He came along to journey with them in their desolation, and at the breaking of bread, He re-ignited their hope and consolation.

In life we gain and we lose, but Jesus will always stay with us.

And in life, we may not have silver or gold to give to others.

But like Peter who shared with the crippled man the healing power of the love of Jesus, we too can do that.

And that is also our mission, because there is nothing that we can give or share with others, except the presence and love of Jesus.

Tuesday within Octave of Easter, 07-04-2026

Acts 2:36-41 / John 20:11-18   

In Church, we see many signs of the presence of God.

There is the Blessed Sacrament in the Adoration Room, the Crucifix, holy pictures and statues, among many others.

We also hear God speaking to us in the reading of the Scriptures at Mass and at prayer.

But when God speaks to us in a personal way, how would we know it?

In the 1st reading, Peter spoke to the Jews in these words: The whole House of Israel can be certain that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.

Those words are the truth, but they may not seem to be that moving or inspiring or motivating.

Yet, when the people heard this, they were cut to the heart.

And that is because God used the simple and straight-forward words of Peter to speak to the people.

Similarly in the gospel, the Risen Lord Jesus called out to Mary by her name, and she knew then it was Jesus.

And from her heart, Mary responded in Hebrew, a language that is close to her heart.

God speaks to us in simple and ordinary ways, and when we hear the voice of the Lord, we will respond like Mary and the people.

And when we hear the voice of the Lord, let us respond with all our heart and be ready to do His will.

Monday within Easter Octave, 06-04-2026

Acts 2:14, 22-33 / Matthew 28:8-15  

Two persons looking at the same thing will have different opinions.

That is simply because they have different perceptions.

Individual perceptions are shaped and influenced by a person’s knowledge, presumptions, preferences and other factors.

In the gospel, two groups of people encountered the same phenomenon.

The women, as well as the soldiers, saw the angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled away the stone at the tomb and sat on it.

The soldiers were so shaken, so frightened of him, that they were like dead men.

But the angel spoke and he told the women that Jesus had risen from the dead.

The women went quickly away from the tomb and ran to tell the disciples, and they also met Jesus along the way.

The soldiers, however, went to tell the chief priests about what happened.

The soldiers eventually succumbed to a lie, because there it was too risky to admit the truth.

But the truth is the truth even if no one believes in it.

And a lie is a lie even if everyone believes in it.

May Jesus who is the Truth deepen our faith in His Resurrection.

And the Truth will set us free from whatever presumptions or preferences to succumbing to falsehood.

Easter Sunday, Year A, 05.04.2026

Acts 10:34, 37-43 / Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Cor 5:6-8 / John 20:1-9 

The past three days were days that was filled with prayer as we came for Mass. 

On Thursday morning, there was the Chrism Mass at our parish. 

At the Chrism Mass, the Archbishop and the priests of the Archdiocese gathered for the renewal of priestly promises and the blessing of the Holy Oils. 

Then in the evening was the Mass of the Lord’s Supper followed by Holy Hour. 

On Good Friday, there was the recalling of the suffering and death of Jesus and the veneration of the Holy Cross. 

Last evening, was the Easter vigil where we witnessed 28 adults being baptised and joining our parish family. 

In all these Masses and moments of prayer, God is calling out to us, the Church, and telling us this: 

Through the suffering, death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, God is sending His blessings on us, on the Church and on the world. 

That was also the message at the beginning of Lent, and that is also the message as we begin Easter. 

As we reflect and meditate on the suffering and death of Jesus on the Cross, God is telling us that our sins are forgiven and we are saved from the snares of the devil and the fires of hell. 

As we reflect and meditate on the Resurrection of Jesus, God is telling us that He wants to restore us back into the image of Christ, which is an image of love.

Later, we will renew our baptismal promises, where we declare that we reject the devil, and profess our faith in God. 

We will also be sprinkled with Holy Water as a reminder of our baptism in Christ. 

God is calling us out of the empty tombs of our sinfulness to rise with Jesus to a new life of holiness. 

Yes, we will still have our resentment and frustrations, our anger and greed, our desires and fantasies, our unfaithfulness and our weakness. 

The devil will use all that to draw us back into the tomb of sin and to die there in the darkness. 

But God is calling out to us through the Resurrection of Jesus, and to follow the light of life. 

As the 2nd reading, (Colossians 3:1-4) say:

Let your thoughts be on heavenly things, and not on the things that are on the earth, because you have died, and now the life you have is hidden with Christ in God. 

To die to sin is to come back to life and to be truly human, and to be restored back into the image of love, which is the image of Christ. 

A child was asked, “Do you like to come to church?” 

She answered “Yes.” When asked why, she replied, “Because the aunties and uncles in church talk to me and they are nice to me.” 

That is as basic as being human can be, and that is to be childlike, to be kind and gentle, to be loving and welcoming.

To be truly human, we don’t look at the things of earth, but we look at the things of above, where Christ is sitting at God’s right hand. 

And as we look at Jesus Christ our Risen Lord, let us ask Him for His blessings, so that we can be truly human and be an image of love to others.

Good Friday, 03-04-2026

Isaiah 52:13 – 53:12 / Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9 

Good Friday is that one day in the calendar of the Church that does not have Mass. 

Instead, it is a service. 

And this Good Friday service is also different from what we are familiar with. 

There are the readings, with a particularly long gospel reading. 

And then there is the Solemn Intercessions, where prayers are offered for various intentions. 

Following that is the unveiling of the Cross. 

The Cross with the crucified Christ is unveiled in three movements. 

When the Cross is fully unveiled, we are called to look at the crucified Christ, and ponder. 

As we look at the Cross, let the Cross speak to us. 

Let the Cross tell us that Jesus was crucified on it because He willingly died for our sins to save us. 

Let the Cross tell us that in the crucified Christ is also the forgiveness of the sins of the world. 

Let the Cross tell us that in the suffering and the crucified Christ, we see the horrors and tragedies of war and violence. 

Let the Cross tell us that in the suffering and crucified Christ, is also the sufferings of the innocent, the defenceless, the children, the weak and the poor. 

Yes, the Cross tells us of suffering and bloodshed, of respect and dignity being disregarded and trampled upon. 

But it is also this Cross of suffering and pain that we will come forward to venerate. 

We want to tell Jesus that we will carry our cross and follow Him and to pray for peace. 

We want to believe in the power of prayer and in the power of the Cross. 

Jesus turned the Cross of suffering, pain and death and turned it into the Cross of redemption and salvation. 

So, let us embrace the Cross, and also embrace the crucified Christ. 

The crucified Christ will save us from our sins. 

The crucified Christ will also save the world and grant us peace.

Holy Thursday 2026

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

This morning at the Chrism Mass, the Archbishop blessed the three Holy Oils.

They are the Oil of the Sick, the Oil of the Catechumen and the Oil of the Holy Chrism.

All the three Oils are essential to the ministry of the priests.

Before blessing the Oils, the Archbishop presided over the Renewal of Priestly Promises.

The first promise is a reminder of priesthood and the promises the priests made at their ordination.

The second promise is to be more united and conformed to the Lord Jesus and the sacred duties to the Church.

The last promise is to be faithful stewards of the mysteries of God, in the Holy Eucharist, and other liturgical rites.

Having renewed their priestly promises, the priests go back to their parishes, and in the evening, they exercise their priesthood with the celebration of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, or, the Eucharist.

In the celebration of the Eucharist is expressed all promises that the priests renewed at the Chrism Mass.

The “Washing of Feet” is a symbolic expression of the ministry and service of the priest.

The other pastoral ministries include visiting the sick, teaching the Catechumens and baptizing them, spiritual formation of the Christian people, building communities of faith, restoring and reconciling strained or broken relationships, and many others.

It is the priest who leads the People of God in the ministry and service to God and to His People.

So the priest celebrates the Eucharist, and he also forms the People of God into a Eucharistic people.

More than just washing feet, a Eucharistic people go to the lowly, the poor, the rejected, the disregarded, the needy and those who can’t help themselves.

To wash their feet would mean to restore their respect and dignity, and doing it with simplicity, humility and charity.

This is also what the Eucharist means and expresses.

May the partaking of the Eucharist make us become what the Eucharist means.

Wednesday of Holy Week, 01-04-2026

Isaiah 50:4-9 / Matthew 26:14-25  

A “wake-up call” can have two meanings.

The obvious literal meaning is a phone call made at a prearranged time to wake someone up.

But that term “wake-up call” is also often understood as an incident or sign that alerts people to an unsatisfactory situation and prompts them to remedy it.

In that second meaning, it can be that after many signs and incidents, the last one had the effect of waking up that person to the situation.

But it does not mean that the earlier ones had no effect.

Yet, it may also mean that many signs and incidents were given, but they were not heeded.

In the gospel, Judas Iscariot offered to betray Jesus to the chief priest for thirty silver pieces, which at that time, was the price of a slave.

When Jesus and His disciples were at the sacred Passover meal, He told them solemnly that one of them was to betray Him.

He even hinted that the one who dipped his hand into the dish with Him will betray Him.

Jesus even said sharply that it would be better for the betrayer to had never been born.

Yet, Judas did not heed the signs, he did not heed the wake-up calls, and by his own words, he brought judgement to himself.

God will always give us signs, those wake-up calls, to alert us to turn away from sin and from tragedy unto ourselves.

May we heed those signs, those calls from God, and come back to God and to be loved and protected by Him.

Tuesday of Holy Week, 31-03-2026

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

It can be said that the influence and success of a person are expressed as his life comes to an end.

Because all that a person strived for, laboured for, fought for, sacrificed for, will be a testimony for that person at the end of his days.

And even if he has passed on, then there can be a legacy that he leaves behind. 

In the gospel, Jesus was at supper with His disciples.

But He was troubled in spirit and He declared that one of His disciples, one of them who was at the table, will betray Him.

Jesus came to proclaim the Good News of salvation and to bear witness to the love of God in person.

But as He prepares for the final chapter of His mission, it seems that nothing is going for Him.

He faced rejection and persecution from His own people.

And now He faced betrayal and also desertion from His own disciples.

It was like how the prophet Isaiah said in the 1st reading: I have toiled in vain, I have exhausted myself for nothing.

But even in the darkness of the situation, Jesus said: Now has the Son of Man been glorified, and in him God has been glorified.

So even if we think that we are a failure, and that we have worked hard and yet there is nothing to show, let us put our lives in the hands of Jesus.

Let us learn from Him to do what God wants of us and to glorify God always.

When we do that, then God will bless us and happy are we when we just want to be servants of God.