Trinity Sunday, Year A, 31.05.2026

Exodus 34:4-6 / 1 Cor 13:11-13 / John 3:16-18  

In the Church, there are objects that have a religious or spiritual meaning. 

While we may be familiar with these religious objects, we may not be aware of its spiritual meaning. 

Let us take, for example, at the entrances of the Church, there are these unique objects. 

It is a figure of an angel holding a seashell. 

We know that it is a Holy Water font. 

We may know something about angels, that they are always in the presence of God, and at times, they are sent to be messengers and also to protect us from evil. 

But what about the seashell? What is the reason for putting Holy Water into the seashell? 

The seashell is a deeply symbolic object in Christianity. It is linked to the Sacrament of Baptism, the journey of faith and also the mysteries of God. 

The most famous story of the seashell and the mystery of God is from St. Augustine, who lived during the 5th century. 

He was walking along the beach, trying to comprehend the mystery of the Holy Trinity. 

Then he saw a young boy using a seashell and repeatedly carrying water from the ocean and pouring it into a small hole in the sand.

When St. Augustine asked what he was doing, the boy replied that he was trying to pour all the water of the ocean into that hole in the sand. 

St. Augustine told the child that it is not possible to do so. 

The boy looked at St. Augustine and said, “It is no more impossible than what you are trying to do, to comprehend the immensity of the mystery of the Holy Trinity with your small human intelligence. 

The boy then vanished, leaving behind the seashell, and a lasting lesson for St. Augustine about the greatness of the mystery of God and the limits of human understanding and intelligence. 

Today, as the Church celebrates the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity, we go back to the very core and foundation of our faith. 

We believe that God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three Persons, one God, or in short, the Most Holy Trinity. 

And we look at the Gospel to see what God wants to tell us about this feast. 

And this is what God wants us to know: God loved the world so much that He sent His only Son so that anyone who believes in Him may not be lost but may have eternal life. 

For God sent His Son into the world not to condemn the world, but so that through Him the world might be saved. 

The Gospel does not tell us why God is Holy Trinity or how God is Holy Trinity. 

The Gospel tells us that God loves us, He wants to save us and that He wants us to have eternal life with Him. 

So as much as God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, then for us, God is love, salvation, and eternal life. 

The simple seashell symbolizes the great mystery of God, the Sacrament of Baptism, and the journey of faith. 

We see that symbol of the seashell and its meaning at the entrance of the Church. 

But as we come into the Church, we see the big and great sign of God's love for us. 

We see Jesus on the Cross, the sign of God's love, the sign of our salvation, the sign of our eternal life with God. 

The Cross may seem like foolishness and a contradiction for others, but for us, it is the wisdom and the power of God. 

The world tells us that human beings have learned to fly like birds in the air and to swim underwater like fishes. 

But there is something else that we need to learn. 

The Cross teaches us that God loves us, He wants to save us, and He wants us to have eternal life with Him. 

To be loved by God, to be saved by God, and to live with God for eternity, that is what it means to be children of God. 

As children of God, we are the signs of who God is. 

By our love for others, by our forgiveness, gentleness, and kindness, others will know who God is. 

Others may not know or understand the Holy Trinity, but they will know who God is from us and through us. 

And when they know who God is, they will want to be loved by God, to be saved by God, and to have eternal life with God.

8th Week, Saturday, 30-05-2026

Jude 17:20-25 / Mark 11:27-33  

With every action there will be a reaction.

And with every question, there will be an answer.

With regards to the action and reaction, it can be difficult to predict what the reaction will be.

But with regards to the question and answer, the one asking the question should know what the possible answers are.

The one asking the question would have already narrowed down the possible answers so as to have the upper hand.

In the gospel, the chief priests, scribes and elders asked Jesus this question:

What authority have you for acting like this? Or who gave you the authority to do these things?

But Jesus answered them with this: I will ask you a question, only one. John’s baptism: did it come from heaven, or from man?

That question from Jesus threw the chief priests, scribes and elders into confusion.

They couldn’t answer Him, so He also didn’t tell them where His authority came from.

But for us, we believe that Jesus is our Lord and King, and that He has authority over us.

We belong to Him, and that He is our Saviour and Master.

We may have our questions about life and about our faith.

But in Jesus, we believe that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. 

We don’t need to question that. We only need to believe.

8th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 29-05-2026

1 Peter 4:7-13 / Mark 11:11-26   

Whenever we go to a foreign place, we would certainly like to visit its famous or tourist-attraction spots.

Those places of interest have a history and a story to tell, and they may also express the character and the meaning of the people there.

In the gospel, when Jesus entered Jerusalem, the first place that He went to was the Temple.

He looked all round Him, and since it was late, He went out to Bethany.

We may wonder what Jesus looked at, and what He was thinking of.

The next day, Jesus went again to the Temple, and what He did is called the cleansing of the Temple.

And then He taught the people, quoting from Scripture: My house will be called a house of prayer for all people. But you have turned it into a robbers’ den.

With that, then the incident and the meaning of the leafy but fruitless fig tree can be understood.

The religious authorities have turned the Temple into a place of business activity and religious rituals, but lacked the "fruit" of true righteousness, justice, and devotion to God.

The gospel passage is also a sharp reminder that as we come to the House of God, we also have come to the house of prayer.

And true prayer bears the fruit of forgiveness for others, just as God will also forgive us when we pray for mercy.

As Jesus said, everything that we ask and pray for will be given to us.

Let us pray and ask God for forgiveness, and may our prayer also bear fruit of forgiveness, compassion and understanding for others.

8th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 28-05-2026

1 Peter 2:2-5, 9-12 / Mark 10:46-52  

Everyone has some kind of physical deficiency.

A physical deficiency refers to any bodily impairment, abnormality, or condition.

That affects a person's physical functioning, mobility, dexterity, or stamina. 

Along the way, we learn to cope and to live with it.

But for Bartimaeus, his blindness had limited his abilities and he ended up begging.

But his hearing was sharp enough to know that Jesus was passing by.

And his voice was loud enough to catch the attention of Jesus.

And he also had enough courage to overcome the scoldings of the people around him to tell him to keep quiet.

And his persistence was rewarded with Jesus giving him his sight.

We have our disadvantages and deficiencies that may have limited our abilities.

But the first reading tells us that we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a people set apart to sing the praises of God who called us out of the darkness into His wonderful light.

With faith, we will look beyond our disadvantages and deficiencies, and turn to Jesus and call out to Him for His blessings.

With God’s blessings, we will bear witness to the wonders that God does in our lives.

8th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 27-05-2026

1 Peter 1:18-25 / Mark 10:32-45   

From young, we have been told to do our best in everything.

So, from studies, to sports and in whatever activities, it is going to nothing less than to be the best.

The stress to be the best may come from some survival instinct where only winning counts.

The second place or the loser don’t mean anything and won’t have anything.

Maybe that was what James and John had in mind when they approached Jesus with the request.

For them, the kingdom was about positions and they had their sights on being above the rest.

And when the other ten heard about it, they were indignant with the two brothers.

So, even for the disciples of Jesus, greatness is seen in terms of status and position.

But the first reading reminds us that all flesh is grass and its glory like the wild flower’s. 

The grass withers, the flower fades, and all is transient. 

Maybe instead of wanting to be above all, let us be of service to all.

There is no need to be the best. It will give glory to God when we desire to be better persons by serving others.

8th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 26-05-2026

1 Peter 1:10-16 / Mark 10:28-31   

The phrase “give and take” means that in life, we have to make mutual concessions so as to share benefits.

It means that adjustments and cooperation have to be made in relationships or teamwork.

Each person gives up some of their preferences so as to get some rewards.

But the rewards have to be real and achievable, otherwise there might be no point in making sacrifices

In the gospel, Peter asked Jesus, “What about us? We have left everything and followed you.”

So, it is a human tendency to want to know what is there to gain, what are the benefits or rewards in giving up something or making sacrifices.

Even the first reading says that the prophets were looking and searching for what they foretold.

They tried to find out at what time and in what circumstances their prophesies would be fulfilled.

But as Jesus said in the gospel, there will be rewards when we make sacrifices or when we give up something for God.

So, we can also apply the “give and take” saying to our lives.

We give up our lives to Jesus, and we take up His promises to us.

Happy are we when we realise that our greatest reward is Jesus Himself.

Mary Mother of the Church, Monday, 25-05-2026

Acts 1:12-14 (or Genesis 3:9-15, 20) / John 19: 25-34      

The most profound title of Mary is "Mother of God".

That is not just a honorific title but a reality because she bore the Jesus in her womb, and Jesus is God.

Similarly, the title "Mother of the Church" is not just another honorific title for Mary.

On the Cross, Jesus turned to Mary and told her that the beloved disciple is her son.

And then Jesus turned to the beloved disciple and told him that Mary is his mother.

So on the Cross, Jesus decreed that Mary is to be mother of the Church, which is represented by the beloved disciple.

Mary carried out that role faithfully as she joined the disciples in continuous prayer and serving the Church as a mother would take care of her child.

As Mother of the Church, Mary is also in continuous prayer with us and taking care of us as our Mother.

May we be always with her in prayer and be with her to serve God and each other.