1 Timothy 6:13-16 / Luke 8:4-15
Sometimes we use, as a figure of speech, this phrase -"the hand of God".
We may say things like: I could see the hand of God shaping the events of my life; I could see the hand of God touching the hearts of those in the retreat.
Well, when the hand of God sows seeds we can be sure that there will be a harvest.
The hand of God sowed a seed in St. Francis of Assisi, and he took off his silk robes and put on a beggar's tunic to preach to the poor.
The hand of God sowed a seed in St. Ignatius of Loyola and he turned his military discipline into a spiritual discipline.
The hand of God sowed a seed in Mother Teresa, and she left the convent to help the destitute and the poorest of the poor.
When the hand of God sows a seed, let us be prepared to have eyes to see the hand of God sowing a seed in us.
Let us be prepared to have ears to listen to the Word of God.
As the 1st reading puts it, let us be prepared to do all we have been told to do, especially in witnessing to the truth and living our lives in love.
Then our hearts will be able to produce a harvest of a hundredfold for God.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Thursday, September 15, 2011
24th Week in Ordinary Time, Friday, 16-09-11
1 Timothy 6:2-12 / Lk 8:1-3
The gospel passage might give us a kind of rosy impression, that Jesus and his happy disciples were making their way through the countryside preaching and proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom of God.
But if we bother to read what went on earlier, we would know that Jesus had already experienced criticism and even hostility.
He had incurred the wrath of the scribes and Pharisees, and there was mounting pressure against Him.
So who were those people that were following such a "black-listed" man? And what do they want from Him, or what use was He to them?
Well, at least for the women following Jesus, they had experienced some form of healing from Jesus, be it a healing from physical or spiritual ailments.
They now show their gratitude by following Jesus and supporting Jesus in His ministry and also in His time of need.
But they were not obliged to. Neither were the 12 apostles obliged to follow Jesus especially when He was creating such a dangerous reputation for Himself.
Yet they were not just followers. They had become His disciples.
They had seen the truth in Jesus and they too want to walk the way of truth.
Similarly, if we really want to be disciples of Jesus, we must walk the way of truth.
The 1st reading sums up basically the truth of life in the words of St. Paul: We brought nothing into this world, and we can take nothing out of it. as long as we have food and clothing, let us be content with that.
To long for more would indicate that our love for God is waning and we are getting distracted by the love of this world.
That is a simple truth. But to follow that truth would require a letting go and a dying to self.
May Jesus give us the faith to fight the good fight and win for us the eternal life He promised us.
The gospel passage might give us a kind of rosy impression, that Jesus and his happy disciples were making their way through the countryside preaching and proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom of God.
But if we bother to read what went on earlier, we would know that Jesus had already experienced criticism and even hostility.
He had incurred the wrath of the scribes and Pharisees, and there was mounting pressure against Him.
So who were those people that were following such a "black-listed" man? And what do they want from Him, or what use was He to them?
Well, at least for the women following Jesus, they had experienced some form of healing from Jesus, be it a healing from physical or spiritual ailments.
They now show their gratitude by following Jesus and supporting Jesus in His ministry and also in His time of need.
But they were not obliged to. Neither were the 12 apostles obliged to follow Jesus especially when He was creating such a dangerous reputation for Himself.
Yet they were not just followers. They had become His disciples.
They had seen the truth in Jesus and they too want to walk the way of truth.
Similarly, if we really want to be disciples of Jesus, we must walk the way of truth.
The 1st reading sums up basically the truth of life in the words of St. Paul: We brought nothing into this world, and we can take nothing out of it. as long as we have food and clothing, let us be content with that.
To long for more would indicate that our love for God is waning and we are getting distracted by the love of this world.
That is a simple truth. But to follow that truth would require a letting go and a dying to self.
May Jesus give us the faith to fight the good fight and win for us the eternal life He promised us.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Our Lady of Sorrows, Thursday, 15-09-11
Hebrews 5:7-9 / John 19:25-27 or Luke 2:33-35
Today we commemorate one of the titles of Mary - Our Lady of Sorrows.
We may wonder why the Church picks those moments of grief and sorrow and suffering and remembers it in the celebration of the Eucharist.
Yesterday we celebrated the feast of the Triumph of the Cross. Today we remember yet another paradox - the grief and the sorrow of our Lady.
Maybe there are certain things in life that can be revealed and learnt only through sorrow and suffering.
The cross, a symbol of shame and death, is turned by Jesus into a symbol of life and glory.
In Mary's case, as she stood by the cross, and in the depths of her sorrow, she was also transformed, as she received a revelation and a mission.
In that moment of her greatest sorrow, Christ transformed her and commissioned her to be the Mother of the Church.
In dying on the cross, Christ gave life to us and gave Mary to be our Mother.
When sorrow and suffering are put into the hands of God, something is transformed and something beautiful and glorious happens.
Let us stay by the side of our Mother as she stands at the foot of the cross, and hold her close to our hearts.
And when we meet with troubles or distress, and when we, like Mary, sink into the depths of sorrow, let us turn to Jesus on the cross.
Jesus assures us that something beautiful and glorious is about to happen. As long as we stay by the side of our Mother and hold her close to our hearts.
Today we commemorate one of the titles of Mary - Our Lady of Sorrows.
We may wonder why the Church picks those moments of grief and sorrow and suffering and remembers it in the celebration of the Eucharist.
Yesterday we celebrated the feast of the Triumph of the Cross. Today we remember yet another paradox - the grief and the sorrow of our Lady.
Maybe there are certain things in life that can be revealed and learnt only through sorrow and suffering.
The cross, a symbol of shame and death, is turned by Jesus into a symbol of life and glory.
In Mary's case, as she stood by the cross, and in the depths of her sorrow, she was also transformed, as she received a revelation and a mission.
In that moment of her greatest sorrow, Christ transformed her and commissioned her to be the Mother of the Church.
In dying on the cross, Christ gave life to us and gave Mary to be our Mother.
When sorrow and suffering are put into the hands of God, something is transformed and something beautiful and glorious happens.
Let us stay by the side of our Mother as she stands at the foot of the cross, and hold her close to our hearts.
And when we meet with troubles or distress, and when we, like Mary, sink into the depths of sorrow, let us turn to Jesus on the cross.
Jesus assures us that something beautiful and glorious is about to happen. As long as we stay by the side of our Mother and hold her close to our hearts.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
The Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Wednesday, 14-09-11
Numbers 21:4-9 / Philippians 2:6-11 / John 3:13-17
Death by crucifixion, to say the least, is barbaric. It is indeed a cruel death.
And we don't deny the fact that Jesus died the cruel death of crucifixion.
But for St. Paul, and also for us, the death of Jesus on the cross, is the essence of our hope.
The cross is the sign of divine love, the sign of how much God loves the world that He gave away His only Son.
But the cross as the sign of hope and love is a paradox, a contradiction.
Because a cruel death seems to exclude any kind of hope or love.
Yet in Jesus, the symbol of death has become the symbol of life and love.
When we see Jesus stretched out on the cross, we do not just think about the pain that He suffered; we also must think about the love that He showed as He stretched out His arms on the cross.
So what the cross was meant to do, is no longer as important as what Jesus now meant it to symbolize and to show.
The cross that belonged to evil and death has now become the cross of life and love because of Jesus.
In the cross, Jesus showed how much God loved the world as He emptied His life on the cross.
In the cross, we also now know that God sent His only Son into the world not to condemn the world, but rather through Him, we and the world might be saved.
So let us look at the cross, let us embrace the cross, and let us carry the cross as we follow Jesus in the triumph of the cross.
Death by crucifixion, to say the least, is barbaric. It is indeed a cruel death.
And we don't deny the fact that Jesus died the cruel death of crucifixion.
But for St. Paul, and also for us, the death of Jesus on the cross, is the essence of our hope.
The cross is the sign of divine love, the sign of how much God loves the world that He gave away His only Son.
But the cross as the sign of hope and love is a paradox, a contradiction.
Because a cruel death seems to exclude any kind of hope or love.
Yet in Jesus, the symbol of death has become the symbol of life and love.
When we see Jesus stretched out on the cross, we do not just think about the pain that He suffered; we also must think about the love that He showed as He stretched out His arms on the cross.
So what the cross was meant to do, is no longer as important as what Jesus now meant it to symbolize and to show.
The cross that belonged to evil and death has now become the cross of life and love because of Jesus.
In the cross, Jesus showed how much God loved the world as He emptied His life on the cross.
In the cross, we also now know that God sent His only Son into the world not to condemn the world, but rather through Him, we and the world might be saved.
So let us look at the cross, let us embrace the cross, and let us carry the cross as we follow Jesus in the triumph of the cross.
Monday, September 12, 2011
24th Week in Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 13-09-11
1 Timothy 3:1-13 / Luke 7:11-17 (2019)
If there is a gospel that I would not use at a funeral service, it would be the gospel passage which we have just heard.
More so if the deceased is a young person or a child.
After all, parents should not be burying their children; it is usually the other way round.
But when parents have to bury their children, then it's because of something tragic.
It could be a disease that slowly ate away that young life. Or it could be a fatal accident that tore a young person from the parents.
Whatever it is, the grief is certainly doubled or tripled.
So does today's gospel passage have anything to offer?
We human beings can do a lot, but we certainly can't bring the dead back to life.
Yes we admit that we can't do anything about death; but at Naim, God showed He can.
In the face of death, God breaks the hopelessness and opens new possibilities.
At Naim, it was physical death. In our day, it may be the death of a marriage upon divorce, or the death of a job when it is lost, or the death of a relationship when a quarrel or hurt cuts in.
Yet in the face of death, of grief, of pain, of sorrow, God is telling us that He has the last say.
Because in the midst of these situations, God will visit His broken people and raise them to a new life
If there is a gospel that I would not use at a funeral service, it would be the gospel passage which we have just heard.
More so if the deceased is a young person or a child.
After all, parents should not be burying their children; it is usually the other way round.
But when parents have to bury their children, then it's because of something tragic.
It could be a disease that slowly ate away that young life. Or it could be a fatal accident that tore a young person from the parents.
Whatever it is, the grief is certainly doubled or tripled.
So does today's gospel passage have anything to offer?
We human beings can do a lot, but we certainly can't bring the dead back to life.
Yes we admit that we can't do anything about death; but at Naim, God showed He can.
In the face of death, God breaks the hopelessness and opens new possibilities.
At Naim, it was physical death. In our day, it may be the death of a marriage upon divorce, or the death of a job when it is lost, or the death of a relationship when a quarrel or hurt cuts in.
Yet in the face of death, of grief, of pain, of sorrow, God is telling us that He has the last say.
Because in the midst of these situations, God will visit His broken people and raise them to a new life
Sunday, September 11, 2011
24th Week in Ordinary Time, Monday, 12-09-11
1 Tim 2:1-8 / Lk 7:1-10 (2019)
At times we can't help but feel amused when we think about why God would want to use human beings to do His work for Him.
For example, God doesn't need doctors to cure people. He could do this directly if He wanted to.
Yet God decided that scientists who discover medicine and doctors who use the medicine to be the ordinary instruments of healing.
Similarly, God does not need our prayer to make governments and leaders to act responsibly and justly.
He could do this directly Himself. Yet, as we heard in the 1st reading, He gave us the responsibility to pray for our government and leaders.
But whether it is governments or leaders, citizens or followers, all have a responsibility when it comes to authority.
Even in the Church, the clergy has the responsibility to exercise proper authority especially in the matters of faith and morality, and the lay people have the responsibility to obey the church authorities as well as to pray for those in authority to exercise it in humility and service.
Even the centurion in the gospel knows what is authority and responsibility.
Yet he was humble enough to recognize the higher authority of Jesus and pleaded on his servant's behalf.
If the centurion had that kind of faith and responsibility, then we the disciples of Jesus cannot be anything less.
We must pray for those in authority, that they will use it in service and humility.
At times we can't help but feel amused when we think about why God would want to use human beings to do His work for Him.
For example, God doesn't need doctors to cure people. He could do this directly if He wanted to.
Yet God decided that scientists who discover medicine and doctors who use the medicine to be the ordinary instruments of healing.
Similarly, God does not need our prayer to make governments and leaders to act responsibly and justly.
He could do this directly Himself. Yet, as we heard in the 1st reading, He gave us the responsibility to pray for our government and leaders.
But whether it is governments or leaders, citizens or followers, all have a responsibility when it comes to authority.
Even in the Church, the clergy has the responsibility to exercise proper authority especially in the matters of faith and morality, and the lay people have the responsibility to obey the church authorities as well as to pray for those in authority to exercise it in humility and service.
Even the centurion in the gospel knows what is authority and responsibility.
Yet he was humble enough to recognize the higher authority of Jesus and pleaded on his servant's behalf.
If the centurion had that kind of faith and responsibility, then we the disciples of Jesus cannot be anything less.
We must pray for those in authority, that they will use it in service and humility.
Friday, September 9, 2011
23rd Week in Ordinary Time, Saturday, 10-09-11
1 Timothy 1:15-17 / Lk 6:43-49
If we come across a beggar, and when he asks for money, and if we do give him some money, we do it most probably out of pity.
But showing pity does not equate to showing mercy.
Because mercy comes from a compassionate heart; it shows a desire to be with the other on equal terms.
In the 1st reading, St. Paul saw himself as a living example of God's mercy.
He called himself the greatest of all sinners, and yet God showed him mercy, so that he may know the inexhaustible patience of God.
If we had known and experienced this great mercy of God, then there is no other way but to show mercy to others.
One concrete way to know whether we have experienced God's mercy and love is by our words.
As Jesus said in today's gospel, a good man draws what is good from the store of goodness in his heart.
And a man's words flow out of what fills his heart.
Our words cannot deceive us because they are our own words, and we know exactly what we mean when we say them.
So let us mean what we say, and not be mean in what we say.
Let us speak words of love and mercy, so that by our words, God will also fill others with His love and mercy.
If we come across a beggar, and when he asks for money, and if we do give him some money, we do it most probably out of pity.
But showing pity does not equate to showing mercy.
Because mercy comes from a compassionate heart; it shows a desire to be with the other on equal terms.
In the 1st reading, St. Paul saw himself as a living example of God's mercy.
He called himself the greatest of all sinners, and yet God showed him mercy, so that he may know the inexhaustible patience of God.
If we had known and experienced this great mercy of God, then there is no other way but to show mercy to others.
One concrete way to know whether we have experienced God's mercy and love is by our words.
As Jesus said in today's gospel, a good man draws what is good from the store of goodness in his heart.
And a man's words flow out of what fills his heart.
Our words cannot deceive us because they are our own words, and we know exactly what we mean when we say them.
So let us mean what we say, and not be mean in what we say.
Let us speak words of love and mercy, so that by our words, God will also fill others with His love and mercy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)