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.