Sixth Day Within The Octave of Christmas, Tuesday, 30-12-2025

1 John 2:12-17 / Luke 2:36-40    

We know that everything happens for a reason, and that everything happens in God’s plan.

Most of us live ordinary lives, we have our daily routines, we have our usual rituals and nothing spectacular happens in our lives.

But that does not mean that God does not have a plan for us.

At the appointed time, with the right people, and at the right place, then God’s plan unfolds.

For the prophetess Anna, she had seen quite a bit of life in her 84 years.

She was married for seven years before becoming a widow.

She stayed in the Temple serving God night and day with fasting and prayer.

It was quite a simple and ordinary life until that moment of the appointed time.’

She came by just when the parents brought Jesus to the Temple, and she began to praise God and spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem. 

It was her prophetic moment and her life was fulfilled with that.

We too have a purpose and mission in life.

When the appointed time comes for us, let us do what God is asking of us, and with that our lives will be fulfilled.

Fifth Day Within The Octave of Christmas, Monday, 29-12-2025

1 John 2:3-11 / Luke 2:22-35  

As each day comes and goes, we will say that time is passing by.

For those who are busy with tight schedules and deadlines to meet, time is passing by too quickly.

For those who are in the senior years, time may be passing by a bit slower.

But whether time is passing by quickly or slowly, there is one thing that we need to be aware of.

As each day passes with time, we need to know that we are towards God.

The day will come when we will close our eyes on this world and then we open our eyes again and see God face to face.

When will that day be, we won’t know. But God will reveal that our time is coming in subtle and quiet ways.

For Simeon, who lived an upright and devout life, he was blessed by the Holy Spirit, and he was prompted by the Holy Spirit to go the Temple.

There he saw the baby Jesus, the promise that God has prepared for those who are faithful to Him.

Simeon knew then what his eyes longed to see and he was prepared to go in peace.

But Simeon still had one more thing to do, and that is to prepare Mary for the pain that will come her way.

What God did for Simeon, He will also do for us.

God will reveal His plan for us, and He will also prompt us what to do and what to say.

May we be faithful to God till the end of our days by living upright and devout lives.

Then we will also see God in the people around us, and finally see God face to face in eternity.

Holy Family, Year A, 28.12.2025

 Ecclesiasticus 3:2-6, 12-14 / Colossians 3:12-21 / Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23

The usage of words presumes that they are used correctly and the meaning is clear. 

So, in a discussion or in a deliberation, words are used to express ideas and concepts. 

When the ideas are understood, and the concepts are clear, then the discussion or the deliberation will be fruitful. 

But there are times when words are joined awkwardly and the meaning can be rather humorous. 

Like for example, we have heard of this phrase “unexpected emergency”. But thinking about it deeper, all emergencies are unexpected; there is no planning for an emergency to happen. So, in short, there is no need to have an “unexpected” before emergency. 

The same can be said about “final outcome”. Is there like a “non-final outcome”? 

Or, how about “extra bonus”. Bonus, by definition is already something extra. 

Other phrases that have this redundant repetition are phrases like “new innovation” and “repeat again”. 

We have used these phrases, but they are understandable when used casually. 

Today, we come across the term that has a profound and unique meaning, and that is “Holy Family”. 

The word, “family”, is understandable in logical and conceptual terms. 

But the word “family” also touches on the emotional, because it is a reality in our lives; we all come from a family; we all have a family. 

And with the word “holy” before “family”, then our attention is turned to the family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. 

Much has been said about the holiness of that family that is expressed in kindness, gentleness, compassion, understanding, patience and unity. 

But we would shy away from using the word “holy” for our families. 

Although we strive to be like the Holy Family, we cannot deny that it is indeed challenging and difficult. 

On the other hand, we have seen and heard of broken families, dysfunctional families and other negative adjectives that come before the word “family”. 

Still, when it comes to our families, we hope that we will at least be a happy family, living simply with charity, and striving for harmony and unity. 

In other words, deep within, we want our families to be like the Holy Family, especially in times of trials and tribulations. 

In the gospel, we heard of how the Holy Family endured challenges and difficulties. 

But they were able to journey on because of their faith in God and their love for each other. 

Every family will have to face their moments of crisis. 

A crisis can be a source of division resulting in hurt, bitterness and resentment. 

Or, a crisis can be an opportunity of discovery and the renewal of faith and love, as well as the strengthening of the emotional bonds that are deep within our humanity. 

There is this story, or practice, among the nomadic communities in the Gobi desert of Mongolia. 

When Mongolian camels reject their newborns, the herders do not respond with force or other means of control. 

Instead, they turn to an ancient ritual rooted in patience, empathy and sound. 

For generations, those nomadic communities have practiced khöölökh, which is a soft repetitive, coaxing song, sung directly to the distressed camel. 

Accompanied at times by the low tones of a horse head fiddle, the song is meant to calm the mother camel and re-awaken her maternal bonds with her calf. 

As the melody continues, the camel often becomes still, and tears begin to form in her eyes. 

Eventually, she lowers her head and allows the baby camel to nurse and accept it as her own. 

Across the harsh grasslands where survival depends on livestock, the practice of khöölökh has saved countless newborns. 

It stands as a reminder that some of the oldest knowledge systems recognise a truth that modern societies often forget. 

The truth is that emotional and family bonds are not repaired through force or control. 

But it is through the means of a soft song and mellow music that the powerful emotions of love are awakened, and that will bring about healing and bonding. 

And we have that means. The soft, repetitive sounds of family prayer and hymns will awaken and renew the powerful human family emotions of love, that will lead us to desire for peace and harmony, kindness and forgiveness, understanding and patience towards our family members. 

When families are united in faith and love, the parish community and the Church will also be united in faith in love. 

May the prayers of Jesus, Mary and Joseph be heard in our families, in our parish and in the Church, so that the world will be awaken by love, a love that will bring about God’s blessings of peace to the world. 

St. John, Apostle and Evangelist, Saturday, 27-12-2025

1 John 1:1-4 / John 20:2-8  

To write a biography about someone’s life would require that the writer know that person personally.

The writer would also understand that person well enough and also had a deep relationship with that person.

St. John was called by Jesus, together with his brother St. James, to be his apostles.

Being one of the early disciples and staying close to Jesus all time, he would have known Jesus well enough and understands Jesus too.

With all that knowledge about Jesus and with that relationship, St. John wrote the gospel and also the letters that were accredited to him.

While the rest of the apostles were martyred, St. John lived through persecutions and exiles to tell the story about Jesus.

St. John in his gospel account, tells us that Jesus is the Word of God, that He is God from the beginning.

The message in the gospel and the letters is that God is love, and that Jesus is image of God’s love and that He came to the world to save sinners.

St. John wants to share that message with us and also calling us to share his relationship with Jesus.

Let us ponder about St. John’s message of love and may we enter into a relationship with Jesus.

Like St. John, we are also called to follow Jesus as His disciples and to tell the story of God’s saving love for the world.

St. Stephen, the First Martyr, Friday, 26-12-2025

Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59 / Matthew 10:17-22   

The festive celebrations of Christmas may have tapered off but actually the Christmas season has just begun.

But the odd thing is that the Christmas season begins with the martyrdom of St. Stephen.

The tenderness of the birth of Jesus was like broken and shattered by the violent death of St. Stephen.

We may wonder why the Church would place birth and death almost like next to each other.

But upon deeper reflection, we can also see that when Jesus came into this world, He also faced rejection and even hostility.

The martyrdom of St. Stephen was also a manifestation of the rejection and hostility at the love of God.

St. Stephen preached about the saving love of God but the people didn’t want to hear anything about it because of their pride and ego.

And that pride and ego exploded into violence when they silenced St. Stephen with stones.

But with his last breath, St. Stephen forgave his enemies and accepted his death.

So even in martyrdom and in death, the tender love of God still prevails.

That love would later bear fruit in the conversion of St. Paul who was there and approved of the killing of St. Stephen.

So whether it is the birth of Jesus or the martyrdom of St. Stephen, it is about God’s love.

Let us believe in God’s love and live by God’s love till our last breath.

Christmas, 25.12.2025

Even before Christmas Day has arrived, we have already kind of celebrated Christmas. 

For the past two weeks or so, it was one Christmas party after another. 

So, we have already eaten the turkey and all the things that are stuffed in it. 

The fridge still has some remnants of the log-cake, and maybe a few more uneaten ones. 

Next to the log-cakes are also pieces of the honey-baked ham. 

So, it is the usual festive foods that we are looking at. 

The presents may also have been given out and exchanged. 

So yes, the celebrations have begun even before Christmas Day has arrived. 

So, now that Christmas Day is here, it is to eat up whatever that is left and to open those presents. 

In a way, it can be a good thing, because having already done all that, it leaves us to focus on what Christmas is really about. 

As we come for Mass, we also go back in time to Bethlehem. 

Bethlehem means “the house of bread”, but we are not looking for bread. 

We come to the animal shed, and we look at that manger, which is the feeding trough of the animals. 

And lying there, wrapped in swaddling clothes, is a newborn child. 

The setting is rather difficult to comprehend, or to understand. 

How can a baby be born in such a place? 

And also among those animals? 

But we look, we ponder and we wonder. 

We are told that this is the Son of God, the Prince of Peace, the Word made flesh.

He was not born in a palace, or in a clean and decent place.

And because there was no room at the inn, so He was born in a resting place for animals and laid in a manger. 

Yes, that is God became man, the Saviour, and He went through all that just to be with us. 

Jesus came into the world to show us how much God loves us. 

But the world was not prepared to welcome Him.

But that did not stop Jesus from coming into the world. 

And Jesus wants us to learn this lesson from Him. 

In life we will face the closed door, or many closed doors. 

It is like there is no room at the inn. 

But Jesus tells us that when life shuts the door, then open it again. 

That is how the door works. Doors can be shut; they can also be opened. 

Jesus found an open door in the hearts of Mary and Joseph. 

May Jesus also find an open door in our hearts. 

And as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, may we open the doors of our hearts to peace and reconciliation, to kindness and forgiveness.

And may closed doors be opened to let hope enter, so that there will be room for God’s love to come into the world.

Advent, 24th December 2025, Wednesday

2 Samuel 7: 1-5, 8-12, 14, 16 / Luke 1:67-79  

When there is silence, it can have many meanings.

It can be tensed up moment before the chaos.

It can be an act of defiance against the loud and aggressive party.

Or it can be golden moment where much is learned an treasured.

For Zechariah, he had been struck dumb since that moment when the angel appeared to him to tell him that he will have a son.

He didn’t believe in it and he had been silent since then.

And since then, Zechariah had been reflecting on what was happening.

At least he understood the power of God over the impossibilities put up by human reasoning.

When his son John the Baptist was born and Zechariah wrote that his name is John, his power of speech returned.

Not only did the power of speech returned, Zechariah was also filled with power of the Holy Spirit.

As he opened his mouth, Zechariah blessed and praise God for His love and mercy, and the signs and wonders from God.

The waiting time of Advent is about to be over.

Before we rush into the Christmas celebrations, let us spend a moment in silence.

In that silence, let us wonder at the birth of our Lord and Saviour, and may we make a home for Him in our hearts.