3rd Week of Easter, Friday, 19-04-2024

Acts 9:1-20 / John 6:52-59   

Angry people want to show how powerful they are.

So they will resort to hostile and violent means to threaten and make others submit to them.

They would even ask for authorization letters to justify what they are doing.

Such was the case of Saul in the 1st reading.

He was so bent on killing and slaughtering the Lord’s disciples, and he even got letters from those in authority to show that he was doing the right thing.

Human anger, hostility and violence cannot be stopped by human means.

But where human ability is limited, God will not let evil be unstoppable.

Saul was not only stopped by the power of God; it was also revealed to him that he was persecuting Jesus.

It was love that stopped Saul, and it was also love that spared and saved Saul.

And it is also with love that Jesus gives us His Body to save us and to give us life.

Sin, wickedness and evil can never prevail against the power of God’s love.

In receiving the Body of Christ, we also receive Jesus into our hearts, and we also receive the power of God’s love.

May the power of God’s love in us lead us to do what is good, what is right and what is loving.

3rd Week of Easter, Thursday, 18-04-2024

Acts 8:26-40 / John 6:44-51

There are many things in life that we don’t quite understand, or know what it is all about.

The laws and wonders of nature are certainly quite beyond our reasoning.

The complexity of human relationships are also a mystery to us.

And of course, God is a mystery that is beyond our comprehension.

In the 1st reading, the Ethiopian eunuch may have read that passage of scripture a couple of times.

He couldn’t quite understand the meaning until Philip came along and explained it to him.

He was so enlightened that he requested for baptism.

In the gospel, Jesus said that it is written in the prophets, that to hear the teaching of God and learn from it is to come to Him.

When there are aspects of the faith, or the Church, or our lives that we don’t understand, let us not get frustrated or flustered.

In God’s time and in God’s way, we will learn and be enlightened.

And then, we will come to Jesus with rejoicing hearts.

3rd Week of Easter, Wednesday, 17-04-2024

Acts 8:1-8 / John 6:35-40  

We don't usually accept mistakes or an unexpected turn of events that leave us fretting away and wondering what is going to happen next.

But history and the experience of our lives show us that many discoveries and movements have their origins from apparent accidents and mistakes and unexpected events, rather than from carefully planned programs and processes.

Such was the case with the discovery of penicillin.

Such was the case with the independence of Singapore.

Such was the case with the early Church in its first missionary movement.

Had the Christians not been persecuted in Jerusalem, they would not have gone to Samaria, at least not at such an early stage, to preach the good news about Jesus.

And the Good News needs to be spread because people need to know that besides the material world, there is also the spiritual world.

Besides material needs, there are also the spiritual needs.

Besides physical hunger, there is also a spiritual hunger which only God can satisfy.

Jesus came to do the will of His Father and that is to be the bread of life and to fill the spiritual hunger of people in the world.

So when things don't go our way, that is when God wants to show us His way.

That is when Good News is going to happen, so that we may see and be filled with it, and in turn share that Good News with others.

3rd Week of Easter, Tuesday, 16-04-2024

Acts 7:51 - 8:1 / John 6:30-35  

The world often determines standards of who we are and what we should be.

So high up on the scale are those who have powerful authority.

Up there would also be the super-rich, the famous, the influential, etc.

But we may come to see that those are mere externals.

Those externals do not tell us much about the character of the person.

In the 1st reading, the people who were ganging up against Stephen showed who they really are.

They found power in numbers, and they used it against Stephen, who was helplessly alone.

Stephen also showed his true character. He preached even when he knew he was risking his life.

And at the end of his life, his true character was expressed in forgiving his enemies.

Let us remember that it is not what we have or what we do that determines our character.

It is when we put on the person of Christ, that we will be formed into a person who will be like Christ.

And like Christ, we too will be loving and forgiving, kind and compassionate, truthful and humble.

3rd Week of Easter, Monday, 15-04-2024

Acts 6:8-15 / John 6:22-29  

We are often curious, if not attracted, by miracles and great signs.

More so, when we have a need, e.g. looking for a cure from an illness, looking for a way out from some financial difficulty, etc.

So if we heard about someone who is working miracles and great signs, we will certainly want to see if we can benefit from it.

In the gospel, the people had seen the miracle and the great sign of the multiplication of the loaves.

However, as Jesus had pointed out, the people had benefitted by having eaten all the bread they wanted to eat.

And the human desire would be to see what more can be gotten from Jesus.

So the people saw the miracle and the sign, but did not understand the meaning and purpose of it.

In the 1st reading, the people saw the miracles and the signs that Stephen worked.

But they saw it as a threat to their security. They too didn’t understand the meaning of the miracles and the signs.

Today’s readings remind us that God speaks to us in many ways, and also through signs.

Let us ask the Lord for the wisdom to discern those signs that come from Him.

When we understand the meaning of those signs, then we will also know what God is asking of us.

3rd Sunday of Easter, Year B, 14.04.2024

 Acts 3:13-15, 17-19 / 1 John 2:1-5 / Luke 24:35-48  

The act of eating is often seen as a casual act, and we won't think too much about it. 

But a number of processes are activated in the act of eating. The mouth opens with the help of the muscles so that we can put food into our mouth. 

The taste buds are activated, the jaw moves and the teeth chew the food, and after which the food is swallowed. 

Besides and before all that, we also choose what we want to eat, and also what we should not eat. 

But eating is not just about consuming food. Eating is an act of life. We eat to Live. 

Our stomach will tell us that we are hungry, and hence we need to eat something, otherwise we may end up with some health issues.

And going beyond that, there is the social dimension in eating. 

No doubt, a person can eat in solitude, but that would give the impression of loneliness. 

Because, when it comes to eating, there is a social and communal expression in it. 

Even with simple home cooked food that is eaten with family and friends, relationships are renewed and deepened. 

In other words, eating with others is a celebration of life and relationships. 

In the gospel, when the Risen Lord Jesus appeared to His disciples, they were alarmed and frightened. They thought they were seeing a ghost. 

Jesus greeted them with peace, and showed them His hands and side, and even ask them to touch Him. 

But they still could not believe it, and they stood there dumbfounded. 

So Jesus asked them for something to eat. They offered Him a piece of grilled fish which He took and ate before their eyes. 

That act of eating the grilled fish dispelled the fears and doubts of the disciples. 

That simple act of eating assured the disciples that Jesus is real and alive. 

But even before that, the two disciples had told their story of what had happened on the road, and how they recognized Jesus at the breaking of bread. 

So, it was earlier, at a meal setting, the Jesus had revealed Himself to the two disciples. 

Today, as we come for Mass, we are also going to partake of a meal. 

At Holy communion, we are going to receive the Body of Christ. 

It is Jesus Himself who prepared this sacred meal as He offers us the heart of all meals, and that is His Body. 

In receiving the Body of Christ, we receive life and love from the Risen Lord Jesus. 

We become the living members of His Body, and filled with love, we go forth to share that life and love. 

And this brings us to think about our family and whether we have family meals. 

We can say that a family that eats together will stay together. 

It may be difficult to have a family meal because of the business of our work and schedules. 

But it is so necessary, if we think that family life and relationships are important. 

It is also the same when it comes to Mass. If we think that our faith is important and necessary, we will come for Mass, and we will also invite others to come back for Mass. 

Because at Mass, when we partake of the Sacred meal at Holy Communion, Jesus will tell us that He is real and alive. 

And He will also have a revelation for us about ourselves. 

That as we have our family meals and other social meals, He will be present, and He will make each meal, a meal of life and love, a meal of forgiveness and reconciliation.

2nd Week of Easter, Saturday, 13-04-2024

Acts 6:1-7 / John 6:16-21  

The early church has often been held as an model for us to emulate. They were united in heart and mind and they shared their belongings with each other and no one was in need.

Furthermore, the presence of the apostles affirmed and strengthened the faith of the early church and they bore powerful witness to the Risen Christ and to the Good News.

Yet, in spite of this, all was not that perfect or rosy, for danger lurks even in safe places, and small issues can explode into nasty confrontations.

The 1st reading recorded the first crisis in the early church. There was tension between the Hebrews and Hellenists, and it was a tension within the community.

We may be surprised that this can happen in the early church. But as a matter of fact, this can happen to any church in any time in any place.

The possible cause of such crises may be found in today's gospel, as the disciples in the boat were caught in rough seas and strong wind.

And Jesus was not with them! And even when He came to them walking on the water, they became frightened.

Yes, there will always be crises in the Church and also in our own lives. More so when we begin to think that it is safe and we become complacent and indifferent in our faith. We take Jesus for granted.

But when crises start to explode and rock the Church and our lives, let us remember what Jesus said to the disciples in the boat.

"It is I. Do not be afraid." Yes, we must always turn back to Jesus. 

When we are not with Jesus, then we will surely be scattered.

But when we are with Jesus, then we will be united, even when there is tension and differences.