Numbers 6:22-27
Galatians 4:4-7
Luke 2:16-21
(The following homily was delivered during the year-end thanksgiving mass held on 31.12.2009, 8pm)
Today has been kind of a nostalgic day for me.
Especially when I opened up my diary in the morning to see what is for the day and what are the things I need to get done.
What struck me was that it was the last page of the diary.
There are no more pages after that. I have come to the last day of 2009.
And even as I speak, we are also coming to the last few hours of the last day of 2009.
So as we looked at the last day of the year, we may feel some nostalgia, but we may feel more amnesia.
We might be asking: So what happened during the past 364 days? Somehow things seem so fuzzy when we try to remember.
I had the same problem when I sat at my desk and tried to remember. It was like looking at static on a TV screen.
That makes me feel rather old, and of all things, I remember this joke about 2 old ladies.
They were life-long friends, been through thick and thin together, and now they spend their golden years sipping tea and watching afternoon soap operas together.
So, one afternoon, while they were watching an afternoon soap opera, and sipping tea, one of them said: Hey, we have been good friends for such a long time. I feel so embarrassed to ask you this, but, … what is your name? I really am so sorry, I forgot.
The other woman glared at her, and for a minute or two, there was an awkward silence.
Finally the other woman said: Err, … how soon do you need to know? Because I need to check my IC. I've also forgotten.
Well, it seems that when it comes to the last day of the year, what I can remember are only the corny jokes about forgetfulness.
But seriously, even as I turn back the pages of the year, the images that came to my mind are just so fuzzy, it’s like watching a movie on fast forward.
It also means that when it comes to giving thanks to God, we might be a bit fuzzy about it.
In other words, we want to give thanks to God, but don’t know where to start, or how to start.
Nonetheless, I can think of a few things to give thanks for.
Well, at least things are rather stable in church this year.
If you can remember, last year at this time, there were some renovations going on, some floor re-tiling, so it was a Merry Dusty Christmas.
Also among us priests, things are stable, no one is moved around, so we have some stability there.
Because when priests are moved around, then the priests will be stressed, then you will also become stressed.
But giving thanks and showing a grateful heart is something to be learnt, and cultivated.
And we can learn to truly give thanks with a grateful heart from none other than Mary, our blessed Mother.
The gospel mentioned that she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.
Mary treasured all that had happened to her, by giving thanks to God, because she believed that her life is in God’s hands, and all that had happened is in God’s plan.
She also pondered in her heart, and whatever she could not understand, she prayed, and she waited for it to be revealed to her.
So from Mary, we learn to give thanks, and to pray and wait. We learn to pray, to PUSH and to wait.
You remember what PUSH stands for: Pray until something happens.
Do you know what WAIT stands for? Will Arrive in Time.
Yes, from Mary our Blessed Mother, we learn to treasure and ponder, we learn to PUSH and WAIT.
If we can remember the gospel story about the miracle at the wedding feast in Cana, then we will know what it means to PUSH and WAIT.
In that story, the wine for the wedding ran out ; Mary came to know about it, told Jesus about it, and she prayed until something happened, and it arrived in time.
But we must believe that every prayer uttered is also every prayer answered.
And like Mary, we just have to PUSH and WAIT, and that is, Pray Until Something Happens and it Will Arrive In Time.
So as we gather in this Mass to offer our thanks to God for His blessings and graces throughout the year …………
We also ask Mother Mary to pray for us and our loved ones so that we will deepen our faith in the days to come, and to grow in love for God.
Yet, even as I say this, we know of some who are near and dear to us, who have become lukewarm in their faith, and we pray that they will come back to God eventually.
Well, let me share with you a story about a young boy who told his grandfather that he is not going to church anymore.
The grandfather asked him why, and he said that going for Mass is not helping him, he can’t remember anything, and his prayers are not answered.
The grandfather nodded his head, and told the young boy to bring him the old wicker basket that was lying somewhere in the corner of the house.
The young boy brought it to him, and the grandfather said : Go to the river and fetch some water with this basket.
Of course the boy argued that it can’t be done, because the wicker basket cannot hold water.
But the grandfather said : Just go and do it, and run back as fast as you can.
So the boy went to the river, scooped a basketful of water and ran back.
Of course, by the time he came back to his grandfather, there was no water left in the basket.
So the boy said : I told you, it can’t be done.
Grandfather said : That’s because you didn’t run fast enough. Go again, and run faster this time.
So the boy went again, scooped water with the basket, and ran back as fast as he could, but still in vain.
The grandfather smiled and said : Go again, and run faster this time.
So the boy went again, scooped water with the basket, and ran back faster than before, but still in vain ; there is no water left in the basket.
So he told the grandfather : I am not going anymore. It’s useless. I won’t get any water.
The grandfather said : Well, that’s true, you didn’t get any water. But take a look at the wicker basket. What do you see?
The young boy looked at the wicker basket, and wondered what his grandfather meant.
Grandfather said : You didn’t get any water, but look, the old dirty wicker basket now looks new and clean, right?
Just a simple story, but a simple story that tells us about the mystery and the power of prayer.
Something happens when we pray. Something happens in others when we pray for them. Something happens in us when Mother Mary prays for us.
So with Mother Mary, we PUSH and keep praying until something happens.
And let us also believe that whatever we are praying for, will happen, and will arrive in time.
Whether it is this year or the next, it will arrive in time.
Yes, it will arrive, in God’s time.