Isaiah 49:3, 5-6 / 1 Cor 1:1-3 / John 1:29-34
According to the Chinese zodiac, this is the tail end of the Year of the Monkey. The Year of the Monkey began last year with the Chinese New Year and will end with the coming Chinese New Year.
As some will say, monkey business is coming to an end.
Of all the animals in the Chinese zodiac, the monkey is considered the most intelligent.
And there is some theory that says that human beings were evolved from apes. Hmmm … if that is true, then why are there still apes? ;)
But let us not go to that topic. No matter how intelligent the monkey is, it is certainly not a match against human intelligence.
The natives of an island have a way to catch monkeys in a very unusual way.
Most of the monkeys are sold to zoos, so the hunters avoid using ordinary traps which can cause disfiguring injuries. Instead, they hollow out a football-sized coconut, leaving a hole in one end just big enough for a monkey to slip in its hand. Inside the hollowed-out coconut, the hunters put delicious green bananas, the monkey's favorite food. Then they fasten a chain to the other end of the coconut to a nearby tree.
A monkey will pick up the baited coconut, put its hand through the hole in one end, and clutch the bananas inside with its fist.
However, when it tries to pull out the delicious fruit, it quickly discovers that the hole in the coconut is too small for it to withdraw its banana-filled hand. All the monkey has to do to escape is open its fist and let go of the bananas. Then it can easily pull out its hand.
But the greedy monkey almost never does the logical thing. It tries to carry off the coconut, but of course, it is chained securely to a tree. It struggles, it screams, it rages, it tugs and pulls at the coconut until it is exhausted. Then the hunters come to put a sack over the monkey who's been caught by its own fist.
The monkey could, of course, let go of the bananas and run before getting caught. But it hangs on to the bananas until the sack goes over its head. Why? Because the banana has value to the monkey and the monkey is unwilling to let go of that value. So unwilling that it gets trapped for it.
So much for a monkey trap. So even though the monkey can be quite intelligent, it can still fall for a simple trap.
In the gospel, when John the Baptist saw Jesus coming towards him, John said: Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.
John the Baptist was called the greatest of all the prophets because it was he who pointed out the Lamb of God, the Saviour of the world.
But before Jesus came onto the scene, John the Baptist had the people in his hand. He preached about repentance, he baptized people, and the people even thought that he was the Saviour.
But when John the Baptist saw Jesus coming towards him, he had to make a choice. He could look away and hold on to the limelight and the attention that he was getting from the people.
But he made the choice to let go and to be freed from the clutches of pride and ego. It was in letting go that he was able to point out the Lamb of God.
Therein lies his greatness. He was humble enough to let go and make way for Jesus when He appeared.
There is one statement from John the Baptist that expressed his understanding of the whole matter. He said: A man can lay claim only to what is given to him from above (Jn 3:27).
Indeed, we can only have what is given to us from above. As for the rest, we will have to let go.
It is only in letting go that we can be freed from the trap of the clutches of our own hand.
We have an intelligence higher than that of the monkey, and yet we often fall into the trap like how the monkey is trapped by the banana in the coconut.
John the Baptist said that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
So what is this sin that he is talking about? Certainly when it comes to sin in its broadest understanding, it is what separates us from God.
And when we look at how John the Baptist was able to let go of himself and point out Jesus as the Lamb of God, then we can see particular strand of sin is self-obsession.
There is this story of the last three wishes of Alexander the Great. After conquering many kingdoms, he was returning home. On the way, he fell ill and it took him to his death bed. With death staring him in his face, Alexander realized how his conquests, his great army, his sharp sword and all his wealth were of no consequence.
So, the mighty conqueror lay prostrate and pale, helplessly waiting to breathe his last.
He called his generals and said, "I will depart from this world soon, I have three wishes, please carry them out without fail.”
1) "My first desire is that", said Alexander, "My physicians alone must" carry my coffin."
2) After a pause, he continued, "Secondly, I desire that when my coffin is being carried to the grave, the path leading to the graveyard be strewn with gold, silver and precious stones which I have collected in my treasury".
3) "My third and last wish is that both my hands be kept dangling out of my coffin".
Alexander's favorite general asked, "O king, we assure you that all your wishes will be fulfilled. But tell us why do you make such strange wishes?"
At this Alexander took a deep breath and said: "I would like the world to know of the three lessons I have just learnt. Lessons to be learnt from last 3 wishes of King Alexander. I want my physicians to carry my coffin because people should realize that no doctor on this earth can save a person from the clutches of death. So let not people take life for granted.
The second wish of strewing gold, silver and other riches on the path to the graveyard is to tell people that not even a fraction of gold will come with me. I spent all my life greedy for power, earning riches but cannot take anything with me. Let people realize that it is a sheer waste of time to chase wealth.
About my third wish of having my hands dangling out of the coffin, I wish people to know that I came empty handed into this world and empty handed I go out of this world". With these words, the king closed his eyes, and death conquered him and he breathed his last.
What you do for yourself, dies with you. But what you do for others will live forever. John the Baptist showed us how to let go so as to point out Jesus to others. May we do likewise.
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Friday, January 13, 2017
1st Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 14-01-17
Hebrews 4:12-16 / Mark 2:13-17
The word "vocation" comes from the Latin word vocare which means "to call".
Whatever vocation in life we have embarked on is a response to a calling, whether the calling is to the married life, to the priesthood or religious life, or to the single state.
Every vocation is great, if greatly pursued.
Saul was called to be the first king of Israel. That was his vocation. He was also gifted to fulfill that vocation. But later he would waste it all.
Levi (or Matthew) was called by Jesus. His response was prompt and decisive.
But more importantly, he remained faithful to that vocation and to that call.
We are called to be Christians and our baptism is our response to that call from God.
At baptism we are immersed into the identity of Christ and hence, we are called Christians.
That is our first and fundamental call, because from that call flows the various vocations in life.
The test of our calling comes when we are tempted to be lesser than we are called to be, in other words, the temptation to be selfish, self-centered, greedy, etc.
But it is precisely in the midst of temptations that Christ reminds us of our vocation.
He calls out to us, just as He called Levi.
And if we should fall, then let us hear again those words of Jesus in today's gospel: I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners.
The word "vocation" comes from the Latin word vocare which means "to call".
Whatever vocation in life we have embarked on is a response to a calling, whether the calling is to the married life, to the priesthood or religious life, or to the single state.
Every vocation is great, if greatly pursued.
Saul was called to be the first king of Israel. That was his vocation. He was also gifted to fulfill that vocation. But later he would waste it all.
Levi (or Matthew) was called by Jesus. His response was prompt and decisive.
But more importantly, he remained faithful to that vocation and to that call.
We are called to be Christians and our baptism is our response to that call from God.
At baptism we are immersed into the identity of Christ and hence, we are called Christians.
That is our first and fundamental call, because from that call flows the various vocations in life.
The test of our calling comes when we are tempted to be lesser than we are called to be, in other words, the temptation to be selfish, self-centered, greedy, etc.
But it is precisely in the midst of temptations that Christ reminds us of our vocation.
He calls out to us, just as He called Levi.
And if we should fall, then let us hear again those words of Jesus in today's gospel: I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners.
1st Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 13-01-17
Hebrews 4:1-5, 11 / Mark 2:1-12
One of the most powerful signs that humanity can ever exhibit is that of solidarity.
When individuals unite and agree upon an action with a common interest and giving each other mutual support, then it is certainly a solidarity to be reckoned with.
In the gospel passage of the healing of the paralytic, there are many points of consideration and reflection.
Yet, we must not forget how it all began. There were the four men who carried the paralytic on a stretcher and their solidarity also gave rise to creativity as they stripped the roof in order to lower the stretcher on which the paralytic lay to where Jesus was.
Certainly Jesus would be impressed by their solidarity. But He also saw more than that - He saw their faith.
It would not be too absurd to say that solidarity without the faith aspect could lead to a revolution of chaos.
As we look at Christianity as a whole, we have to admit that Christianity is divided among the various denominations, and also within the denominations.
Even within the Catholic Church and in our parish, we cannot deny that there are some divisions.
Christian unity may seem like quite a difficult task, but let us have recourse to our faith and pray for healing and peace and reconciliation among Christians.
Let us remember that Jesus prayed that we will all be one and united in faith (John 17). Let us keep praying and keep building Christian solidarity and unity with our faith.
One of the most powerful signs that humanity can ever exhibit is that of solidarity.
When individuals unite and agree upon an action with a common interest and giving each other mutual support, then it is certainly a solidarity to be reckoned with.
In the gospel passage of the healing of the paralytic, there are many points of consideration and reflection.
Yet, we must not forget how it all began. There were the four men who carried the paralytic on a stretcher and their solidarity also gave rise to creativity as they stripped the roof in order to lower the stretcher on which the paralytic lay to where Jesus was.
Certainly Jesus would be impressed by their solidarity. But He also saw more than that - He saw their faith.
It would not be too absurd to say that solidarity without the faith aspect could lead to a revolution of chaos.
As we look at Christianity as a whole, we have to admit that Christianity is divided among the various denominations, and also within the denominations.
Even within the Catholic Church and in our parish, we cannot deny that there are some divisions.
Christian unity may seem like quite a difficult task, but let us have recourse to our faith and pray for healing and peace and reconciliation among Christians.
Let us remember that Jesus prayed that we will all be one and united in faith (John 17). Let us keep praying and keep building Christian solidarity and unity with our faith.
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
1st Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 12-01-17
Hebrews 3:7-14 / Mark 1:40-45
Certain attributes go well and correspond with each other, while others may seem to be rather disjointed with each other.
For example, gentle and humble seem to be like peas in a pod, and so do strong and firm.
On the other hand, mighty and gentle seem to be as different as oil and water. The same can be said of courageous and humble.
The leper in today's gospel is certainly courageous. As a leper, he can't come into contact with people as leprosy was seen as a contagious disease and he could be stoned or driven away should he want to come into contact with people.
But in a rather desperate and near-hopeless situation, he took the courage to seek out Jesus and to come before him.
And here is where he also showed his humility as he dropped to his knees and pleaded with Jesus to cure him.
It took a dreaded disease like leprosy to bring out the courage and humility of the leper to seek out the Healer.
Leprosy was a physical disease but it also has a spiritual meaning for us, Because sin is the spiritual leprosy that afflicts our souls and causes our hearts to decay and rot.
And the Sacrament of Reconciliation is there for us to obtain forgiveness and healing for our souls.
But we must have the courage and humility to go for it and to seek the Divine Healer who will restore us back to health and life.
Jesus will tell us: "Of course I want to forgive and heal you!" Let us have to courage and humility to go on our knees if we really want to have peace and joy in our lives.
Certain attributes go well and correspond with each other, while others may seem to be rather disjointed with each other.
For example, gentle and humble seem to be like peas in a pod, and so do strong and firm.
On the other hand, mighty and gentle seem to be as different as oil and water. The same can be said of courageous and humble.
The leper in today's gospel is certainly courageous. As a leper, he can't come into contact with people as leprosy was seen as a contagious disease and he could be stoned or driven away should he want to come into contact with people.
But in a rather desperate and near-hopeless situation, he took the courage to seek out Jesus and to come before him.
And here is where he also showed his humility as he dropped to his knees and pleaded with Jesus to cure him.
It took a dreaded disease like leprosy to bring out the courage and humility of the leper to seek out the Healer.
Leprosy was a physical disease but it also has a spiritual meaning for us, Because sin is the spiritual leprosy that afflicts our souls and causes our hearts to decay and rot.
And the Sacrament of Reconciliation is there for us to obtain forgiveness and healing for our souls.
But we must have the courage and humility to go for it and to seek the Divine Healer who will restore us back to health and life.
Jesus will tell us: "Of course I want to forgive and heal you!" Let us have to courage and humility to go on our knees if we really want to have peace and joy in our lives.
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
1st Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 11-01-17
Hebrews 2:14-18 / Mark 1:29-39
To step down from a position of power and authority is never an easy thing to do. At least one of the things that one has to get used to is the downsizing of the office.
Where once everyone is at your beck and call, now you will have to make your own coffee and get your own lunch and wash your own dishes.
What would be really difficult to accept will be that where once the final decision would lie with you, now you don't have a say anymore, and you would feel quite redundant and maybe even useless.
So when Jesus emptied Himself and took on flesh and blood and became like one of us, we can imagine what it was for Him.
But as the 1st reading puts it, it was essential that He should become completely like His brothers so that He could be a compassionate and trustworthy high priest of God, and to be able to atone for human sins.
So in emptying Himself, Jesus did not become redundant or useless; on the contrary, He was able to help those who are tempted and to save them from their sins.
In the gospel, we heard Him doing just that - He cured many who were suffering from diseases of one kind or another and He also cast out many devils.
Yet because He emptied Himself, Jesus had to rely on the power of God for His mission and so in the morning, long before dawn, He got up and left the house, and went off to a lonely place and prayed there.
If Jesus, the Son of God gave such an important priority to prayer, then we who are weak and wounded by sin, certainly cannot do with any lesser priority to prayer.
When we pray, we unite ourselves with Jesus, and like Him, we too empty ourselves so that we can be filled with the power of God to continue the mission of proclaiming the Good News of God's love.
To step down from a position of power and authority is never an easy thing to do. At least one of the things that one has to get used to is the downsizing of the office.
Where once everyone is at your beck and call, now you will have to make your own coffee and get your own lunch and wash your own dishes.
What would be really difficult to accept will be that where once the final decision would lie with you, now you don't have a say anymore, and you would feel quite redundant and maybe even useless.
So when Jesus emptied Himself and took on flesh and blood and became like one of us, we can imagine what it was for Him.
But as the 1st reading puts it, it was essential that He should become completely like His brothers so that He could be a compassionate and trustworthy high priest of God, and to be able to atone for human sins.
So in emptying Himself, Jesus did not become redundant or useless; on the contrary, He was able to help those who are tempted and to save them from their sins.
In the gospel, we heard Him doing just that - He cured many who were suffering from diseases of one kind or another and He also cast out many devils.
Yet because He emptied Himself, Jesus had to rely on the power of God for His mission and so in the morning, long before dawn, He got up and left the house, and went off to a lonely place and prayed there.
If Jesus, the Son of God gave such an important priority to prayer, then we who are weak and wounded by sin, certainly cannot do with any lesser priority to prayer.
When we pray, we unite ourselves with Jesus, and like Him, we too empty ourselves so that we can be filled with the power of God to continue the mission of proclaiming the Good News of God's love.
Monday, January 9, 2017
1st Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 10-01-17
Hebrews 2:5-12 / Mark 1:21-28
In a highly urbanized country like ours, we live in a very noisy world. And in a small country-state like ours, there are not many places we can go to for a quiet moment.
Although we may say that peace is to be found within oneself, yet it cannot be denied that the noise of the world can affect our peace within.
More so if the noise is aggressive and hostile and confrontational; we will be tempted to react and then created a more disturbing noise all around us.
In the gospel, the unclean spirit that possessed the man shouted at Jesus, " What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God."
It was not just a noise, but a voice that is aggressive, hostile and confrontational; it was a voice of fear, a voice that was defensive because it felt threatened.
Yet Jesus, in a calm and authoritative voice, had only this to say: Be quiet! Come out of him!
So whenever we are faced with aggressive and hostile and confrontational situations, let us remember that Jesus is within us.
The 1st reading says that Jesus is our brother; He sanctifies us and grants us peace, so that we can be still and be quiet in the noisy world.
And with the peace of Jesus in our hearts, may we also help to quieten down the aggressive and hostile people we see around us.
In a highly urbanized country like ours, we live in a very noisy world. And in a small country-state like ours, there are not many places we can go to for a quiet moment.
Although we may say that peace is to be found within oneself, yet it cannot be denied that the noise of the world can affect our peace within.
More so if the noise is aggressive and hostile and confrontational; we will be tempted to react and then created a more disturbing noise all around us.
In the gospel, the unclean spirit that possessed the man shouted at Jesus, " What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God."
It was not just a noise, but a voice that is aggressive, hostile and confrontational; it was a voice of fear, a voice that was defensive because it felt threatened.
Yet Jesus, in a calm and authoritative voice, had only this to say: Be quiet! Come out of him!
So whenever we are faced with aggressive and hostile and confrontational situations, let us remember that Jesus is within us.
The 1st reading says that Jesus is our brother; He sanctifies us and grants us peace, so that we can be still and be quiet in the noisy world.
And with the peace of Jesus in our hearts, may we also help to quieten down the aggressive and hostile people we see around us.
Sunday, January 8, 2017
Baptism of the Lord, Monday, 09-01-17
Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 / Acts 10:34-38 / Matthew 3:13-17
The Christmas season is not just about the celebrating the birth of Christ.
We celebrated the birth of Christ on Christmas Day. The birth of Christ is then announced to the world in the feast of the Epiphany, when the wise men came to adore Jesus and present Him with the gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh, to symbolize His identity.
The mystery of the Incarnation at Christmas comes to its peak with the Baptism of the Lord.
And with the Baptism of the Lord, the mystery of salvation moves from the Incarnation to the Mission.
Christ came into the world to save sinners. At His Baptism, Christ was revealed to the world as the Beloved Son of the Father.
In this, we are also reminded of our own baptism, that we too, in Christ, are the beloved of the Father.
Indeed, love is the soul of mission. Without love, there can be no meaning or purpose or direction in life. Without love, there can be no mission.
Jesus came to save us by showing God's love for us.
Through baptism, we are united with Christ in His mission. May we show God's love for others. That is the meaning, the purpose and the direction of our lives.
The Christmas season is not just about the celebrating the birth of Christ.
We celebrated the birth of Christ on Christmas Day. The birth of Christ is then announced to the world in the feast of the Epiphany, when the wise men came to adore Jesus and present Him with the gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh, to symbolize His identity.
The mystery of the Incarnation at Christmas comes to its peak with the Baptism of the Lord.
And with the Baptism of the Lord, the mystery of salvation moves from the Incarnation to the Mission.
Christ came into the world to save sinners. At His Baptism, Christ was revealed to the world as the Beloved Son of the Father.
In this, we are also reminded of our own baptism, that we too, in Christ, are the beloved of the Father.
Indeed, love is the soul of mission. Without love, there can be no meaning or purpose or direction in life. Without love, there can be no mission.
Jesus came to save us by showing God's love for us.
Through baptism, we are united with Christ in His mission. May we show God's love for others. That is the meaning, the purpose and the direction of our lives.
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