Genesis 44:18-21, 25-29; 45:1-5 / Matthew 10:7-15
If we had been cheated in a business deal and lost a considerable sum of money, we would certainly be very angry and we would use whatever legal means to recover our loss.
And if our fortunes are restored, we would certainly be happy that justice is done.
But we would not think of restoring the relationship with the other party or try to understand why that party cheated us in the first place.
In fact, we would want that other party to be punished for cheating us and suffer for what was done.
In the 1st reading, Joseph not only had his fortunes restored, his brothers who had treated him badly and even sold him off as a slave, were now begging for his mercy and compassion.
It could have been a pay-back time for Joseph's brothers and when Joseph revealed his identity to them, this was what they feared.
But Joseph in his mercy and compassion wanted to be reconciled with them and restore back the sibling relationship.
He even told them not to grieve or reproach themselves for having sold him as a slave because it was God's plan to send him to Egypt so as to preserve their lives.
The Good News of Jesus Christ is not just about having our fortunes restored. It is fundamentally about relationships being restored - our relationship with God and our relationship with one another.
When we have received without charge, then we in turn must give without charge. That is the restoration that Jesus came so that we can truly experience the joy of reconciliation.
Wednesday, July 12, 2017
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
14th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 12-07-17
Genesis 41:55-57; 42:5-7, 17-24 / Matthew 10:1-7 (2011)
The story of Joseph whom we heard about in the 1st reading is a moving and inspiring story.
Jacob had 12 sons and Joseph was his favourite son, and his brothers were jealous and they called him "the dreamer" and they were not at all pleased with his dreams and despised him.
And they eventually found an opportunity to get rid of him by selling him off to some traders and then told his father that he was killed by wild animals.
But Joseph's dreams eventually came true when his brothers came before him and bowed low before him, although they did not recognise him.
Joseph could have taken this opportunity to settle scores with his brothers who did such harm to him in the past.
Yet, Joseph did not return evil for evil but instead he slowly revealed his identity to his brothers as we will hear in the readings of the next few days.
Maybe we can say that blood is thicker than water and that family is still family for better or for worse, although it also cannot be denied that it is in the family that we can experience the deepest hurts.
Nonetheless, if charity begins at home, then it is in the family that love must be nurtured and nourished and forgiveness must be the thread that binds family members together.
With love and forgiveness, the family will be a sign of the kingdom of God in which the home is a place of love and care, and of forgiveness and healing.
The story of Joseph whom we heard about in the 1st reading is a moving and inspiring story.
Jacob had 12 sons and Joseph was his favourite son, and his brothers were jealous and they called him "the dreamer" and they were not at all pleased with his dreams and despised him.
And they eventually found an opportunity to get rid of him by selling him off to some traders and then told his father that he was killed by wild animals.
But Joseph's dreams eventually came true when his brothers came before him and bowed low before him, although they did not recognise him.
Joseph could have taken this opportunity to settle scores with his brothers who did such harm to him in the past.
Yet, Joseph did not return evil for evil but instead he slowly revealed his identity to his brothers as we will hear in the readings of the next few days.
Maybe we can say that blood is thicker than water and that family is still family for better or for worse, although it also cannot be denied that it is in the family that we can experience the deepest hurts.
Nonetheless, if charity begins at home, then it is in the family that love must be nurtured and nourished and forgiveness must be the thread that binds family members together.
With love and forgiveness, the family will be a sign of the kingdom of God in which the home is a place of love and care, and of forgiveness and healing.
Monday, July 10, 2017
14th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 11-07-17
Genesis 32:23-33 / Matthew 9:32-38
One popular medal among Catholics is the St. Benedict's medal because of the prayer engraved around the medal is a prayer to ward off evil and hence it is also used to protect against devil and evil influences.
The translation of the Latin prayers are : "Let not the dragon be my guide" and "Begone, Satan, do not suggest to me thy vanities — evil are the things thou profferest, drink thou thy own poison"
St. Benedict whose feast day we celebrate today was born in AD 450. Although he lived and studied in Rome, he could not take the meaningless life of the city and he went to live a life of deep solitude as a hermit in the mountains.
His reputation spread, and some monks asked him to be their abbot, but when they could not take the discipline he imposed, they tried to poison him.
But his later followers were more matured and sincere and disciplined and with them, St. Benedict began founding communities which developed into monasteries.
Eventually he founded the famous monastery of Monte Cassino which became the roots of the Church's monastic system.
His beliefs and instructions on religious life were collected in what is now known as the Rule of Saint Benedict and it is still directing religious life after 15 centuries.
St. Benedict realized the strongest and truest foundation for the power of words was the Word of God itself: "For what page or word of the Bible is not a perfect rule for temporal life?"
St. Benedict instructed his followers to practice sacred reading. In this lectio divina, he and his monks memorized the Scripture, studied it, and contemplated it until it became part of their being. Four to six hours were set aside each day for this sacred reading.
We who live such a hectic stressful urban life will even wonder if we can ever manage to have four to six minutes a day to read scripture and we could hardly remember what we have read as busyness overwhelms our minds.
But just as Jesus cast out demons and overcame evil and had compassion on the harassed and dejected, through the Sacred Scriptures, Jesus is also calling us to be workers in His harvest and to care for the weak and lowly and rejected and to overcome evil with charity and compassion.
In St. Benedict's words : "For what page or word of the Bible is not a perfect rule for temporal life?" May we take some time out in the temporary life to be workers for God's harvest and to prepare for eternal life.
One popular medal among Catholics is the St. Benedict's medal because of the prayer engraved around the medal is a prayer to ward off evil and hence it is also used to protect against devil and evil influences.
The translation of the Latin prayers are : "Let not the dragon be my guide" and "Begone, Satan, do not suggest to me thy vanities — evil are the things thou profferest, drink thou thy own poison"
St. Benedict whose feast day we celebrate today was born in AD 450. Although he lived and studied in Rome, he could not take the meaningless life of the city and he went to live a life of deep solitude as a hermit in the mountains.
His reputation spread, and some monks asked him to be their abbot, but when they could not take the discipline he imposed, they tried to poison him.
But his later followers were more matured and sincere and disciplined and with them, St. Benedict began founding communities which developed into monasteries.
Eventually he founded the famous monastery of Monte Cassino which became the roots of the Church's monastic system.
His beliefs and instructions on religious life were collected in what is now known as the Rule of Saint Benedict and it is still directing religious life after 15 centuries.
St. Benedict realized the strongest and truest foundation for the power of words was the Word of God itself: "For what page or word of the Bible is not a perfect rule for temporal life?"
St. Benedict instructed his followers to practice sacred reading. In this lectio divina, he and his monks memorized the Scripture, studied it, and contemplated it until it became part of their being. Four to six hours were set aside each day for this sacred reading.
We who live such a hectic stressful urban life will even wonder if we can ever manage to have four to six minutes a day to read scripture and we could hardly remember what we have read as busyness overwhelms our minds.
But just as Jesus cast out demons and overcame evil and had compassion on the harassed and dejected, through the Sacred Scriptures, Jesus is also calling us to be workers in His harvest and to care for the weak and lowly and rejected and to overcome evil with charity and compassion.
In St. Benedict's words : "For what page or word of the Bible is not a perfect rule for temporal life?" May we take some time out in the temporary life to be workers for God's harvest and to prepare for eternal life.
Sunday, July 9, 2017
14th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 10-07-17
Genesis 28:10-22 / Matthew 9:18-26
The circumstances that led Jacob to leave Beersheba for Haran, that we heard in the 1st reading, was far from anything exciting or adventurous.
With the help of his mother Rebekah, Jacob was actually fleeing from his brother Esau, from whom he stole the birthright and blessings.
And if we bother to read the whole story, then we will see that there was a lot of cheating, manipulating, lying and deception.
There was nothing edifying about all this and we might even wonder why it was recorded in the Sacred Scripture in the first place.
And neither was did the place that Jacob stopped over for the night have anything special about it.
Yet it was there that God revealed Himself to Jacob.
But we can reflect deeper on what Jacob exclaimed: Truly the Lord is in this place and I never knew it!
And as far as we are concerned, the places that we find ourselves in are certainly nothing special, and our situations and circumstances might be far from anything edifying or motivating.
As it was in the case of the official and the woman suffering from haemorrhage that we heard about in the gospel.
But they had the faith to believe that God was there in their situations.
Indeed God is with us in the ordinary places that we are in and more so God is with us in the adverse situations of our lives.
May we, like Jacob, also realise that God is with us, and that He is always with us in whatever situations and circumstances that we face in life.
The circumstances that led Jacob to leave Beersheba for Haran, that we heard in the 1st reading, was far from anything exciting or adventurous.
With the help of his mother Rebekah, Jacob was actually fleeing from his brother Esau, from whom he stole the birthright and blessings.
And if we bother to read the whole story, then we will see that there was a lot of cheating, manipulating, lying and deception.
There was nothing edifying about all this and we might even wonder why it was recorded in the Sacred Scripture in the first place.
And neither was did the place that Jacob stopped over for the night have anything special about it.
Yet it was there that God revealed Himself to Jacob.
But we can reflect deeper on what Jacob exclaimed: Truly the Lord is in this place and I never knew it!
And as far as we are concerned, the places that we find ourselves in are certainly nothing special, and our situations and circumstances might be far from anything edifying or motivating.
As it was in the case of the official and the woman suffering from haemorrhage that we heard about in the gospel.
But they had the faith to believe that God was there in their situations.
Indeed God is with us in the ordinary places that we are in and more so God is with us in the adverse situations of our lives.
May we, like Jacob, also realise that God is with us, and that He is always with us in whatever situations and circumstances that we face in life.
Saturday, July 8, 2017
14th Ordinary Sunday, Year A, 09.07.2017
Zechariah 9:9-10 / Romans 8:9, 11-13 / Matthew 11:25-30
Last week, the priests of the archdiocese went for their annual clergy retreat, which was from Monday to Friday.
Going for a retreat may sound like a relaxing time and some people may think that the priests do nothing there but eat, sleep and pray.
And if that is really the case, then it sounds rather strange that we are asking you to pray for us priests as we go for the retreat!
But even before going for the retreat, we had to ensure that things are in order in the parish – that bills are paid so that the electricity and water won’t be cut-off, the rubbish is cleared, the stove is switched off, etc.
And then comes the things to pack – toothbrush, toothpaste, shaver, soap, clothes, medicine etc.
So even as we began the retreat on Monday morning, the mind was still whirling and wondering if we had forgotten something or left out something important.
Letting go is certainly easier said than done, because whether priest or lay person, we are still human and we tend to be anxious and worry and fret over so many things.
And so we began the retreat with the phrase that we heard in the gospel, as Jesus says: Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest.
The word “rest” could almost inevitably conjure up ideas of lying around or lazing around doing nothing, with no worries, no anxieties, no problems, no pain, no illness.
But is that the kind of rest that Jesus is talking about? Because to fully understand what Jesus meant, we also need to hear the rest of what He said – Shoulder My yoke and learn from Me for I am gentle and humble of heart and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, My yoke is easy and My burden light.
St. Augustine understood what Jesus meant as he wrote in his prayer-reflection: O Lord, our hearts are restless until they rest in you.
So the “rest” that Jesus is talking about is not merely a physical bodily rest as in like some kind of couch potato.
The rest that Jesus is talking about is the stillness of the heart, the stillness that is an experience of peace, and it’s a peace that the world cannot give but only Jesus can.
And that was why the crowds followed Jesus. He gave them an experience of peace when He spoke about the mercy and compassion and forgiveness of God with parables like the Prodigal Son, the Good Samaritan, the Good Shepherd, the 11th-hour workers in the vineyard.
Jesus showed the people the heart of God, the heart of love and mercy and compassion.
And He invites us to come and rest in that heart of God. And if our hearts desire for that rest, then He also tells us what our hearts should be like.
Our hearts must be like that of Jesus – gentle and humble – then our hearts will be at rest in the heart of God.
All this sounds well and good, and the people followed Jesus and they believed that He was the Messiah, the Saviour.
They believed until Jesus was arrested, tortured, nailed to the cross and crucified to death.
With that, all is shattered, including that invitation “Come to me …” Because if Jesus who is gentle and humble of heart was killed by evil and wicked men, then the “Come to me” is just a big joke. There is no point in being gentle and humble of heart.
But if Jesus died and nothing more, then there is nothing else to talk about.
But Jesus died and He rose from the dead. And that changed everything and turned everything around. His invitation to “Come to me” are not just human words but they are risen words, words that have power, words from the Risen Jesus who overcame evil, sin and death.
And because of that, the 2nd reading has this to say: Your interests are not in the unspiritual, but in the spiritual, since the Spirit of God has made His home in you. In fact, unless you possessed the Spirit of Christ, you would not belong to Him, and if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, then He who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to you.
The priest who conducted the retreat for the priest is Fr. Olivier Morin SJ, a man full of life and peace. He has a prosthetic foot (artificial foot) and it was obvious in the way he walks, and he wears sandals.
To quell our curiosity, he told us that he had an accident and his foot had to be amputated. He recalled that when he was on the operating table and the doctors were trying to save his foot, he was in intense pain, so painful that tears were rolling down from his eyes.
In that intense pain, he suddenly felt a hand holding his hand. He opened his eyes a bit and he could see that it was one of the nurses who reached out to hold his hand to comfort him.
No words were spoken, just a firm grip of the hand but that was enough for him to withstand the pain and brought him comfort and to know that someone cares.
Jesus comes to us through people we know as well as people whom we don’t, to comfort us in our pain and distress. No words may be spoken, but we know it is His healing touch.
May we also be the hands and the heart of Jesus to bring about comfort and healing to others, as well as bring those who labour and are overburdened to Jesus.
May we all find rest in the heart of Jesus, and may we also be gentle and humble of heart. That is the healing and comfort that the world needs from us.
Last week, the priests of the archdiocese went for their annual clergy retreat, which was from Monday to Friday.
Going for a retreat may sound like a relaxing time and some people may think that the priests do nothing there but eat, sleep and pray.
And if that is really the case, then it sounds rather strange that we are asking you to pray for us priests as we go for the retreat!
But even before going for the retreat, we had to ensure that things are in order in the parish – that bills are paid so that the electricity and water won’t be cut-off, the rubbish is cleared, the stove is switched off, etc.
And then comes the things to pack – toothbrush, toothpaste, shaver, soap, clothes, medicine etc.
So even as we began the retreat on Monday morning, the mind was still whirling and wondering if we had forgotten something or left out something important.
Letting go is certainly easier said than done, because whether priest or lay person, we are still human and we tend to be anxious and worry and fret over so many things.
And so we began the retreat with the phrase that we heard in the gospel, as Jesus says: Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest.
The word “rest” could almost inevitably conjure up ideas of lying around or lazing around doing nothing, with no worries, no anxieties, no problems, no pain, no illness.
But is that the kind of rest that Jesus is talking about? Because to fully understand what Jesus meant, we also need to hear the rest of what He said – Shoulder My yoke and learn from Me for I am gentle and humble of heart and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, My yoke is easy and My burden light.
St. Augustine understood what Jesus meant as he wrote in his prayer-reflection: O Lord, our hearts are restless until they rest in you.
So the “rest” that Jesus is talking about is not merely a physical bodily rest as in like some kind of couch potato.
The rest that Jesus is talking about is the stillness of the heart, the stillness that is an experience of peace, and it’s a peace that the world cannot give but only Jesus can.
And that was why the crowds followed Jesus. He gave them an experience of peace when He spoke about the mercy and compassion and forgiveness of God with parables like the Prodigal Son, the Good Samaritan, the Good Shepherd, the 11th-hour workers in the vineyard.
Jesus showed the people the heart of God, the heart of love and mercy and compassion.
And He invites us to come and rest in that heart of God. And if our hearts desire for that rest, then He also tells us what our hearts should be like.
Our hearts must be like that of Jesus – gentle and humble – then our hearts will be at rest in the heart of God.
All this sounds well and good, and the people followed Jesus and they believed that He was the Messiah, the Saviour.
They believed until Jesus was arrested, tortured, nailed to the cross and crucified to death.
With that, all is shattered, including that invitation “Come to me …” Because if Jesus who is gentle and humble of heart was killed by evil and wicked men, then the “Come to me” is just a big joke. There is no point in being gentle and humble of heart.
But if Jesus died and nothing more, then there is nothing else to talk about.
But Jesus died and He rose from the dead. And that changed everything and turned everything around. His invitation to “Come to me” are not just human words but they are risen words, words that have power, words from the Risen Jesus who overcame evil, sin and death.
And because of that, the 2nd reading has this to say: Your interests are not in the unspiritual, but in the spiritual, since the Spirit of God has made His home in you. In fact, unless you possessed the Spirit of Christ, you would not belong to Him, and if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, then He who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to you.
The priest who conducted the retreat for the priest is Fr. Olivier Morin SJ, a man full of life and peace. He has a prosthetic foot (artificial foot) and it was obvious in the way he walks, and he wears sandals.
To quell our curiosity, he told us that he had an accident and his foot had to be amputated. He recalled that when he was on the operating table and the doctors were trying to save his foot, he was in intense pain, so painful that tears were rolling down from his eyes.
In that intense pain, he suddenly felt a hand holding his hand. He opened his eyes a bit and he could see that it was one of the nurses who reached out to hold his hand to comfort him.
No words were spoken, just a firm grip of the hand but that was enough for him to withstand the pain and brought him comfort and to know that someone cares.
Jesus comes to us through people we know as well as people whom we don’t, to comfort us in our pain and distress. No words may be spoken, but we know it is His healing touch.
May we also be the hands and the heart of Jesus to bring about comfort and healing to others, as well as bring those who labour and are overburdened to Jesus.
May we all find rest in the heart of Jesus, and may we also be gentle and humble of heart. That is the healing and comfort that the world needs from us.
Sunday, July 2, 2017
Annual Priests Retreat 2017
My dear brothers and sisters,
The priests of the Archdiocese of Singapore will be having their annual retreat from 3rd July Monday to 7th July Friday.
I will also be at this retreat and I am really looking forward to it for a time of silence and prayer.
As such, the next homily post will be for 14th Ordinary Sunday, 9th July 2017.
Requesting prayers for myself and my brother priests that we will be renewed and re-focused so that we will continue to faithfully serve the Lord and His holy people.
Thank you. May God bless you!
Fr. Stephen Yim
The priests of the Archdiocese of Singapore will be having their annual retreat from 3rd July Monday to 7th July Friday.
I will also be at this retreat and I am really looking forward to it for a time of silence and prayer.
As such, the next homily post will be for 14th Ordinary Sunday, 9th July 2017.
Requesting prayers for myself and my brother priests that we will be renewed and re-focused so that we will continue to faithfully serve the Lord and His holy people.
Thank you. May God bless you!
Fr. Stephen Yim
Saturday, July 1, 2017
13th Ordinary Sunday, Year A, 02.07.2017
2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16 / Romans 6:3-4, 8-11 / Matthew 10:37-42
If we were asked to name an Old Testament prophet, then depending on our Bible knowledge, we may be able to come up with some names.
And if we had been attentive enough at Mass, then we might be able to remember some of the prophets’ names like Isaiah, Samuel, Ezekiel and Elijah.
And talking about Elijah, he had a successor and his name is almost like that of Elijah, ie. Elisha. This is the Elisha that we heard about in the 1st reading. The woman saw in him a holy man of God, and she gave him food and lodging whenever he passed by that way.
And then in exercising his prophetic role, he told the woman, “This time next year, you will hold a son in your arms.”
So a prophet not only proclaims the Word of God and interprets the signs from God, he is also called to be the channel of God’s blessings for the people.
One rather obscure act of Elisha is in the 2 Kings (2:18-22) when the people told him that the water was bad and causing the land to be unfruitful, and affecting the people because they drink it.
Elisha then went up to the source of the stream and invoked the Lord’s blessings and then sprinkled salt into the water, thereby cleansing it and brought healing to the land and the people.
That is why in the Church’s Rite of Blessing of Holy Water, blessed salt is sprinkled in the water in the form of a cross, so that Holy Water is used for purifying, cleansing and healing.
So although Elisha may not be a big-name prophet, his prophetic action is repeated in the prayer of blessing of Holy Water.
In as much as prophets have names, there are also some prophets who are not named, and some others may not be prophets but nonetheless had a prophetic role.
We may remember that on one occasion, when Jesus went to the district of Tyre and Sidon, there was a Syro-Phoenician woman who came up to Jesus asking Him to heal her daughter who was tormented by a devil.
Initially, He answered her not a word, and when she knelt and begged Him, Jesus said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the house dogs.”
To which she replied, “Ah yes, Lord, but even the house dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith; it shall be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed at once.
That Syro-Phoenician woman may not be a prophet but in humbling herself to the likeness of a house dog, she brought about healing for her daughter.
And that is one of the primary roles of a prophet: to bring about God’s blessings and healing for others.
And talking about house dogs, or pet dogs, some of us keep dogs as pets, or wish to have a pet dog. And if we have a dog as a pet, we would surely love our dog.
And if dogs can talk, have we ever wondered what they would say to us? I came across this write up called “The things dog-lovers should not forget”?
Here are some points extracted from that write-up, and it is put in a way that our pet dog is speaking to us.
1. Please don’t be annoyed when I jump all over you the minute you walk through the door. I have a lot less time on this earth and I’m happiest when I’m spending that time with you.
2. Talk to me. We may not speak the same language, but just the sound of your voice always brightens my day.
3. Comfort me when I am scared. I’m not used to a lot of noise or new things, and you make me feel safe.
4. Give me time to understand what you want from me. I promise I’ll try my best.
5. Please don’t stay angry with me for too long. You have your family and friends to make you happy. I only have you.
6. Show me that humans can be loving and are not filled with hate.
7. If you treat me well, I promise to be your best friend forever.
8. I love it when you teach me new tricks. It gives me the chance to impress you and I love it when you are proud of me.
9. When I get old, please love me as much as you did when I was young. I might not be a sweet little puppy anymore, but I love you as much as I did then.
10. Please be at my side when I take my final breath. I know it won’t be easy, but I really need you with me when my time on this earth comes to an end. I will be scared, but you are the only person I can trust to be with me.
11. When I am gone, please remember these words: People are born to learn how to lead a good life and be a good person every day. Dogs already know how to do that. So that’s why they don’t need to live so long.
Yes, if only dogs can talk, that might just be what they would say to us.
But actually we hear that every day. It may be from our children, our parents, our family members, our friends, our colleagues, even from strangers.
We hear those words that have a prophet voice in them. Let us welcome those prophet words and we will receive a prophet’s reward.
And the reward is this: as we listen, so we will speak and like a prophet, we will bring about God’s blessings and healing for others.
If we were asked to name an Old Testament prophet, then depending on our Bible knowledge, we may be able to come up with some names.
And if we had been attentive enough at Mass, then we might be able to remember some of the prophets’ names like Isaiah, Samuel, Ezekiel and Elijah.
And talking about Elijah, he had a successor and his name is almost like that of Elijah, ie. Elisha. This is the Elisha that we heard about in the 1st reading. The woman saw in him a holy man of God, and she gave him food and lodging whenever he passed by that way.
And then in exercising his prophetic role, he told the woman, “This time next year, you will hold a son in your arms.”
So a prophet not only proclaims the Word of God and interprets the signs from God, he is also called to be the channel of God’s blessings for the people.
One rather obscure act of Elisha is in the 2 Kings (2:18-22) when the people told him that the water was bad and causing the land to be unfruitful, and affecting the people because they drink it.
Elisha then went up to the source of the stream and invoked the Lord’s blessings and then sprinkled salt into the water, thereby cleansing it and brought healing to the land and the people.
That is why in the Church’s Rite of Blessing of Holy Water, blessed salt is sprinkled in the water in the form of a cross, so that Holy Water is used for purifying, cleansing and healing.
So although Elisha may not be a big-name prophet, his prophetic action is repeated in the prayer of blessing of Holy Water.
In as much as prophets have names, there are also some prophets who are not named, and some others may not be prophets but nonetheless had a prophetic role.
We may remember that on one occasion, when Jesus went to the district of Tyre and Sidon, there was a Syro-Phoenician woman who came up to Jesus asking Him to heal her daughter who was tormented by a devil.
Initially, He answered her not a word, and when she knelt and begged Him, Jesus said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the house dogs.”
To which she replied, “Ah yes, Lord, but even the house dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith; it shall be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed at once.
That Syro-Phoenician woman may not be a prophet but in humbling herself to the likeness of a house dog, she brought about healing for her daughter.
And that is one of the primary roles of a prophet: to bring about God’s blessings and healing for others.
And talking about house dogs, or pet dogs, some of us keep dogs as pets, or wish to have a pet dog. And if we have a dog as a pet, we would surely love our dog.
And if dogs can talk, have we ever wondered what they would say to us? I came across this write up called “The things dog-lovers should not forget”?
Here are some points extracted from that write-up, and it is put in a way that our pet dog is speaking to us.
1. Please don’t be annoyed when I jump all over you the minute you walk through the door. I have a lot less time on this earth and I’m happiest when I’m spending that time with you.
2. Talk to me. We may not speak the same language, but just the sound of your voice always brightens my day.
3. Comfort me when I am scared. I’m not used to a lot of noise or new things, and you make me feel safe.
4. Give me time to understand what you want from me. I promise I’ll try my best.
5. Please don’t stay angry with me for too long. You have your family and friends to make you happy. I only have you.
6. Show me that humans can be loving and are not filled with hate.
7. If you treat me well, I promise to be your best friend forever.
8. I love it when you teach me new tricks. It gives me the chance to impress you and I love it when you are proud of me.
9. When I get old, please love me as much as you did when I was young. I might not be a sweet little puppy anymore, but I love you as much as I did then.
10. Please be at my side when I take my final breath. I know it won’t be easy, but I really need you with me when my time on this earth comes to an end. I will be scared, but you are the only person I can trust to be with me.
11. When I am gone, please remember these words: People are born to learn how to lead a good life and be a good person every day. Dogs already know how to do that. So that’s why they don’t need to live so long.
Yes, if only dogs can talk, that might just be what they would say to us.
But actually we hear that every day. It may be from our children, our parents, our family members, our friends, our colleagues, even from strangers.
We hear those words that have a prophet voice in them. Let us welcome those prophet words and we will receive a prophet’s reward.
And the reward is this: as we listen, so we will speak and like a prophet, we will bring about God’s blessings and healing for others.
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