Apocalypse 7:2-4, 9-14 / 1 John 3:1-3 / Matthew 5:1-12
The Church of the Sacred Heart was built in 1910 and so it’s already 105 years old.
And when we look around at the interior as well as the exterior, we can say that it is solidly built.
To build a church like this in 1910 is certainly no easy task but the funds came in not just from generous donors but also from the humble widow’s mite.
So everyone contributed, regardless of how big or how small the sum was.
So if building a church is no easy task, then how about building a university?
Back in 1953 when the idea was mooted by the Chinese community leaders in Singapore to build the then Nanyang University, there was no government funding.
But the plan to set up the university received overwhelming support from the Chinese community, with both the rich and the poor donating generously to the building fund.
Contributions were received from the working class, and that included the taxi drivers, the hawkers, the trishaw pullers and … the cabaret dancers.
Who would expect this group of the working class to contribute to the building of Nanyang University.
It was surprising and also unexpected that the trishaw pullers and the cabaret dancers would do their bit for an institution that they would probably never benefit from.
But to this day, when the story of how Nanyang University was built is told, the big donors were acknowledged, but so were the working class of the taxi drivers, the hawkers, the trishaw pullers and the cabaret dancers.
It goes to show that when people see a higher objective and purpose, they will bring themselves to work towards it and to fulfill it.
Today the Church celebrates All Saints Day. We honour all the saints who form “so great a cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1) for us and for the whole Church.
We acknowledge the countless men and women who are in heaven and who saw the higher objective and purpose of their lives when they were on earth.
Now that they have attained their eternal reward, they take on another objective and purpose but it is no more for themselves.
They want us to join them in heaven and they are praying for us as we journey on earth with all our challenges and difficulties.
Those saints are people just like us and they have gone through what we are going through – worries and anxieties, doubts and failures, desires and sinfulness.
So if we going through a difficult time with a wayward spouse and children who have fallen away from the faith and from the path of life, know that we are not alone.
St. Monica prayed continuously with tears for the conversion of her husband and then for her son St. Augustine.
Her prayers were answered and she will pray for us too that our prayers will be answered.
If we feel stressed at work and have a difficult boss, then let us turn to St. Joseph, patron saint of workers.
He knows how stressful it was to protect and provide for Mary and Jesus and yet he didn’t utter a word of complaint and he is a model for workers.
And when we find ourselves in a desperate situation, be it financial or emotional or spiritual, there is St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of desperate cases.
He knows how exasperating it was to share the same name as that apostle who betrayed Jesus. He was almost forgotten until people in desperate situation turned to him for his intercession, and he has never failed them.
And talking about forgotten saints, today is also a day that we remember our patron saints.
Most of us go by our baptism names which is usually a saint’s name.
It would be good to find out more about our patron saint because besides being a model of holiness for us, our patron saint is also praying for us.
So today as the Church celebrates All Saints Day, there is an outpouring of prayers from heaven for us.
The saints in heaven are asking God to grant us His blessings so that we can live our lives in the spirit of the Beatitudes that we heard in the gospel.
Beatitudes is not about attitudes. Beatitudes means blessings so that in gentle and merciful, in being pure of heart and poor in spirit, in being peacemakers and in doing what is right and just, we become a blessing for others.
The contribution of the saints is their prayers for us and for the Church.
Our lives of holiness will be our contribution to the world as we bring about God’s blessings to our world.
Life is difficult. People may abuse us and persecute us and speak all kinds of calumny against us.
But we are assured of the prayers of the saints and the blessings from God.
Let us rejoice and be glad, and look forward and upward to our reward in heaven.
Saturday, October 31, 2015
Friday, October 30, 2015
30th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 31-10-15
Romans 11 : 1-2,11-12,25-29 / Luke 14 : 1,7-11
No matter how far we have gone in life or how much we have achieved, it is always necessary to remember our humble origins.
More so when we remember how little we had in the past and how much we have to struggle to become who and what we are today.
Remembering our humble origins would only make us realize that we cannot take anything for granted and that whatever blessings we have received from God also have to be shared with the unfortunate and the needy.
Remembering our humble origins would cultivate in us a humble heart and we also know that without God's blessings, we won't be who and what we are today.
That is essentially the teaching of Jesus in today's gospel, that anyone who humbles himself will be exalted, and vice versa.
So we are reminded that everything is a gift from God, for without His blessings we can't achieve anything, much less have anything.
In the 1st reading, St. Paul also reminds us that God never takes back His gifts and blessings or revokes His choice.
The Jews were chosen to reveal the Messiah, and we Christians are chosen to reveal God's gift of salvation to all peoples.
Hence the blessings we have received from God are not just for our sake but for the sake of the proclamation of the Kingdom of God.
By who we are and with what we have, we are to proclaim the love of God and that is not an option.
That is our mission and it is an obligation, for which we will be held accountable.
So with humble hearts, let us remember that everything is a gift from God and we are called to share that gift.
No matter how far we have gone in life or how much we have achieved, it is always necessary to remember our humble origins.
More so when we remember how little we had in the past and how much we have to struggle to become who and what we are today.
Remembering our humble origins would only make us realize that we cannot take anything for granted and that whatever blessings we have received from God also have to be shared with the unfortunate and the needy.
Remembering our humble origins would cultivate in us a humble heart and we also know that without God's blessings, we won't be who and what we are today.
That is essentially the teaching of Jesus in today's gospel, that anyone who humbles himself will be exalted, and vice versa.
So we are reminded that everything is a gift from God, for without His blessings we can't achieve anything, much less have anything.
In the 1st reading, St. Paul also reminds us that God never takes back His gifts and blessings or revokes His choice.
The Jews were chosen to reveal the Messiah, and we Christians are chosen to reveal God's gift of salvation to all peoples.
Hence the blessings we have received from God are not just for our sake but for the sake of the proclamation of the Kingdom of God.
By who we are and with what we have, we are to proclaim the love of God and that is not an option.
That is our mission and it is an obligation, for which we will be held accountable.
So with humble hearts, let us remember that everything is a gift from God and we are called to share that gift.
Thursday, October 29, 2015
30th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 30-10-15
Romans 9:1-5 / Luke 14:1-6
One of the distracting things that can happen when we are at work is when someone comes in unexpectedly with a request or the phone rings and the person at the other end of the line has a difficult issue to discuss.
Whenever such things happen, our thoughts and ideas and concentration on our work gets thrown off and we may have to start all over again when we get back at it.
To us, it may just be another person with a request or another call to attend to.
But whatever it is, the person has a need or a request, and that need may be urgent or important to that person.
That person will certainly feel disappointed or frustrated if he were told to come back another day or to make an appointment first.
In the gospel, the man with dropsy may be having it for a long time.
But the fact that he was standing in front of Jesus meant that he was hoping that Jesus could do something for him.
Jesus was going for a meal but He didn't put the man on hold or tell him to come another day.
For Him, that man could be cured immediately and He would do it.
We have our own work and it may be urgent and important.
But let us also remember those occasions when we needed help immediately and we actually got it.
We have to realize that it was God who sent us the help, and so we too must help others in their need when they come to us.
One of the distracting things that can happen when we are at work is when someone comes in unexpectedly with a request or the phone rings and the person at the other end of the line has a difficult issue to discuss.
Whenever such things happen, our thoughts and ideas and concentration on our work gets thrown off and we may have to start all over again when we get back at it.
To us, it may just be another person with a request or another call to attend to.
But whatever it is, the person has a need or a request, and that need may be urgent or important to that person.
That person will certainly feel disappointed or frustrated if he were told to come back another day or to make an appointment first.
In the gospel, the man with dropsy may be having it for a long time.
But the fact that he was standing in front of Jesus meant that he was hoping that Jesus could do something for him.
Jesus was going for a meal but He didn't put the man on hold or tell him to come another day.
For Him, that man could be cured immediately and He would do it.
We have our own work and it may be urgent and important.
But let us also remember those occasions when we needed help immediately and we actually got it.
We have to realize that it was God who sent us the help, and so we too must help others in their need when they come to us.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
30th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 29-10-15
Romans 8:31-39 / Luke 13:31-35
To fall in love is a beautiful experience. To fall out of love is a lousy experience.
To be in love, however, requires more than just an experience ; it requires a decision.
Because true love and unconditional love requires a decision to be in love and to keep loving regardless of the situations and circumstances.
Indeed, to be in love requires a decision, which has to be renewed day by day, and hour by hour, and minute by minute.
But if falling out of love is a lousy experience, then unrequited love is indeed a very painful experience.
In fact, the bitterest tragedy in human life is to give your heart totally to the other party only to have it refused and broken.
That was the experience of Jesus as He laments over Jerusalem. For Jesus, it is not just unrequited love, but also they were going to kill Him if He were to continue with His journey of love.
So Jesus could have given up loving us because of the danger and the rejection. Why did He continue His journey of love all the way to the cross?
The 1st reading says it all. God did not spare His own Son but gave Him up to benefit us all.
So nothing can come between us and the love of Christ and nothing can ever come between us and the love of God made visible in Jesus Christ.
So what kind of response we are going to give to God's love for us depends on us now.
Whatever it is, we have to make a decision to respond to God's love or reject it outright.
We have to exercise our human freedom of choice. Human freedom is awesome. Yet it is also supremely wonderful when we freely decide to love God and love others.
To fall in love is a beautiful experience. To fall out of love is a lousy experience.
To be in love, however, requires more than just an experience ; it requires a decision.
Because true love and unconditional love requires a decision to be in love and to keep loving regardless of the situations and circumstances.
Indeed, to be in love requires a decision, which has to be renewed day by day, and hour by hour, and minute by minute.
But if falling out of love is a lousy experience, then unrequited love is indeed a very painful experience.
In fact, the bitterest tragedy in human life is to give your heart totally to the other party only to have it refused and broken.
That was the experience of Jesus as He laments over Jerusalem. For Jesus, it is not just unrequited love, but also they were going to kill Him if He were to continue with His journey of love.
So Jesus could have given up loving us because of the danger and the rejection. Why did He continue His journey of love all the way to the cross?
The 1st reading says it all. God did not spare His own Son but gave Him up to benefit us all.
So nothing can come between us and the love of Christ and nothing can ever come between us and the love of God made visible in Jesus Christ.
So what kind of response we are going to give to God's love for us depends on us now.
Whatever it is, we have to make a decision to respond to God's love or reject it outright.
We have to exercise our human freedom of choice. Human freedom is awesome. Yet it is also supremely wonderful when we freely decide to love God and love others.
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Sts Simon and Jude, Wednesday, 28-10-15
Ephesians 2:19-22 / Luke 6:12-19 (2010, 2017, 2019)
Some ancient Christian writings have it that St. Simon and St. Jude went together as missionaries to Persia, and were martyred there.
This may explain the lack of historical information on them and also why their feast days are usually put together.
Even the gospel accounts do not say much about them.
St. Simon is called the Zealot (or Zealous) maybe because of his patriotism and nationalism.
St. Jude is traditionally depicted carrying the image of Jesus in his hand or close to his chest, which according to some accounts, was used to preach the Good News
Devotional prayers to St. Jude helped people, especially newly arrived immigrants from Europe to the US, deal with the pressures caused by the Great Depression and World War II and other political and economic and social changes.
St. Jude is also invoked as the patron saint of desperate cases.
So even though we may not know much about the historical facts of these two saints, we know that they are praying for us.
We also have recourse to them in our needs, especially to the intercession of St. Jude.
They also remind us that we have to keep faith in Jesus and trust in Him always.
They even laid down their lives for Jesus in order to witness to Him.
May we also put forth our needs through the intercession of St.Simon and St. Jude, and may we also offer our lives to God in this Mass.
Some ancient Christian writings have it that St. Simon and St. Jude went together as missionaries to Persia, and were martyred there.
This may explain the lack of historical information on them and also why their feast days are usually put together.
Even the gospel accounts do not say much about them.
St. Simon is called the Zealot (or Zealous) maybe because of his patriotism and nationalism.
St. Jude is traditionally depicted carrying the image of Jesus in his hand or close to his chest, which according to some accounts, was used to preach the Good News
Devotional prayers to St. Jude helped people, especially newly arrived immigrants from Europe to the US, deal with the pressures caused by the Great Depression and World War II and other political and economic and social changes.
St. Jude is also invoked as the patron saint of desperate cases.
So even though we may not know much about the historical facts of these two saints, we know that they are praying for us.
We also have recourse to them in our needs, especially to the intercession of St. Jude.
They also remind us that we have to keep faith in Jesus and trust in Him always.
They even laid down their lives for Jesus in order to witness to Him.
May we also put forth our needs through the intercession of St.Simon and St. Jude, and may we also offer our lives to God in this Mass.
Monday, October 26, 2015
30th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 27-10-15
Roman 8:18-25 / Luke 13:18-21
The news of pregnancy usually brings about joy.
That is because pregnancy is a sign of fertility, a sign of new life, a new beginning, a new hope even.
The 1st reading used the analogy of pregnancy and birth-giving to express the Christian dimension of the hope of being freed from the slavery of sin.
And this hope is being fulfilled by the gift of the Spirit that brings about in us a new birth as children of God and first-fruits of the Spirit.
But this new life does not happen automatically or without effort on our part.
Just as a woman suffers the discomfort of pregnancy and the pain of childbirth, similarly if we want to live the new life of the Spirit, then struggle and suffering is inevitable.
Yet, we are reminded that what we suffer in this life can never be compared to the glory, as yet unrevealed, which is waiting for us.
Just as the gospel parables of the mustard seed and the yeast which will take time to grow and manifest, so will the fruits of the Spirit in our lives take time to grow and develop.
We need to be patient as the Kingdom of God slowly grows within us.
The news of pregnancy usually brings about joy.
That is because pregnancy is a sign of fertility, a sign of new life, a new beginning, a new hope even.
The 1st reading used the analogy of pregnancy and birth-giving to express the Christian dimension of the hope of being freed from the slavery of sin.
And this hope is being fulfilled by the gift of the Spirit that brings about in us a new birth as children of God and first-fruits of the Spirit.
But this new life does not happen automatically or without effort on our part.
Just as a woman suffers the discomfort of pregnancy and the pain of childbirth, similarly if we want to live the new life of the Spirit, then struggle and suffering is inevitable.
Yet, we are reminded that what we suffer in this life can never be compared to the glory, as yet unrevealed, which is waiting for us.
Just as the gospel parables of the mustard seed and the yeast which will take time to grow and manifest, so will the fruits of the Spirit in our lives take time to grow and develop.
We need to be patient as the Kingdom of God slowly grows within us.
Sunday, October 25, 2015
30th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 26-10-15
Romans 8:12-17 / Luke 13:10-17
Very often, some things may seem very strange to us initially, but after awhile we might just get used to it and we just accept it without further questions.
We may have our questions about it but maybe because we can't do anything about it, we just simply let it be.
Especially when it comes to things about laws and rules and regulations, at times it would be more convenient to just accept and not ask questions.
In today's gospel, Jesus points out a strange interpretation of the Law.
If the Law allows the ox and the donkey to be untied and taken out for watering on the Sabbath, then how can it be that healing cannot be done on the Sabbath.
In healing the afflicted woman on the Sabbath, Jesus showed that the Sabbath as well as the Law was made for man and not the other way round.
More importantly, Jesus also emphasized a very important reality - that the woman who was suffering for 18 years was a daughter of God and God wanted her to be healed and freed.
In the 1st reading, we are also reminded that the Holy Spirit brings us together to bear witness that we are children of God.
As children of God, we are to live spiritual lives for the glory of God and not to succumb to the unspiritual lives that will lead to death.
As children of God, we are also coheirs with Christ. Hence, we must be prepared to share in His sufferings so as to share in His glory.
We have our questions about suffering, but when we can accept that, then we too will straighten up and live lives directed towards God.
Very often, some things may seem very strange to us initially, but after awhile we might just get used to it and we just accept it without further questions.
We may have our questions about it but maybe because we can't do anything about it, we just simply let it be.
Especially when it comes to things about laws and rules and regulations, at times it would be more convenient to just accept and not ask questions.
In today's gospel, Jesus points out a strange interpretation of the Law.
If the Law allows the ox and the donkey to be untied and taken out for watering on the Sabbath, then how can it be that healing cannot be done on the Sabbath.
In healing the afflicted woman on the Sabbath, Jesus showed that the Sabbath as well as the Law was made for man and not the other way round.
More importantly, Jesus also emphasized a very important reality - that the woman who was suffering for 18 years was a daughter of God and God wanted her to be healed and freed.
In the 1st reading, we are also reminded that the Holy Spirit brings us together to bear witness that we are children of God.
As children of God, we are to live spiritual lives for the glory of God and not to succumb to the unspiritual lives that will lead to death.
As children of God, we are also coheirs with Christ. Hence, we must be prepared to share in His sufferings so as to share in His glory.
We have our questions about suffering, but when we can accept that, then we too will straighten up and live lives directed towards God.
Saturday, October 24, 2015
30th Ordinary Sunday, Year B, 25.10.2015
Jeremiah 31:7-9 / Hebrews 5:1-6 / Mark 10:46-52
One of the peculiarities of the Catholic Church is this fervent devotion to saints.
Needless to say, the most popular of devotions is to Mary, the Queen of all Saints.
That is quite evident especially in the month of October, which is traditionally called the month of the Rosary, and the Rosary is a form of devotion to Mary.
Following that the many other devotions to saints would look like some kind of international buffet spread.
And there are also patron saints for all kinds of needs and situations and vocations in life.
St. John Vianney is the patron saint for confessors and priests.
For a safe journey, there is St Rafael the Archangel to turn to. For throat ailments we can turn to St. Blaise (3rd February).
We invoke the intercession of St. Anthony of Padua for lost articles (keys, passport, mobile phone, etc.)
But if ever that all else fails, then there is one more option to invoke, and that is St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of desperate situations.
The feast day of St. Jude Thaddeus, who was one of the 12 Apostles, is on the 28th October.
St. Jude is a popular saint; sometimes he is called the patron saint of hopeless cases.
Maybe “hopeless” is not quite the correct word to use here.
But certainly the word “desperate” is something we are familiar with and that we can identify with.
In the Catholic Church, St. Jude is venerated as the patron saint of desperate cases and lost causes.
St. Jude is invoked in desperate situations because his New Testament letter (Letter of Jude) stressed that the faithful should persevere in the environment of harsh and difficult circumstances, just as their forefathers had done before them.
So it is a very encouraging and consoling letter.
That is just one of the reasons why St. Jude is invoked as the patron saint of desperate cases and lost causes.
But in the past, many Catholics have mistakenly confused St. Jude with Judas Iscariot because their names sound similar in Latin as well as in other languages.
As a result, the faithful avoided venerating him or invoking him for prayers.
Therefore, St. Jude Thaddeus is also called the “Forgotten Saint”.
But because veneration of St. Jude was minimal, hence only people in the most dire of circumstances would call upon him, those that are termed as a “lost cause”.
And surprisingly, when those in a really desperate situation or a lost cause turned to St. Jude, their petitions were answered.
Hence, the veneration of the “Forgotten Saint” was revived, and St. Jude has become one of the more “popular” saints.
In the gospel, the blind man Bartimaeus (or son of Timaeus) was a desperate case as well as a lost cause.
Regardless of whether he was born blind or afflicted with blindness, his blindness was a lost cause – there can be no cure.
Besides his blindness, he also had quite a desperate situation.
He was “forgotten”. He was only known as Bartimaeus, or son of Timaeus. People had forgotten his name!
His blindness had enveloped him in darkness, and his “forgotten” status pushed him into desperate loneliness.
So here is a classic desperate case and a lost cause – a blind beggar, with a forgotten name, only known as the son of Timaeus.
But when he, whose name was forgotten by people, heard that Jesus was passing by, he cried out to Him by an ancient and royal name: Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!
It was an acclamation – Jesus, Son of David, and followed by a lamentation – Have pity on me!
And for that, he got scolded by the crowd and told to shut up.
Because people like to hear acclamations, but they frown upon lamentations. People get disturbed by the cries of lamentation.
It seems that the afflicted are to suffer in silence.
To cry out aloud in lamentation is rude, it is not proper and it disturbs the peace. And it doesn’t sound religious.
But that is not what the Bible teaches. In fact, in the Bible, there is a book called the Book of Lamentations.
In other words, the Bible teaches that the religious response to suffering is not to suppress it or hide it or to keep quiet about it.
Because remaining silent and hiding it is as good as making suffering a hopeless case, and that there is no possibility of change, because God doesn’t care at all.
But that is not true! Because when that son of Timaeus called out to the Son of David, something happened. Yes, Jesus stopped and called for him.
Yes, God listens to the lamentations of His people, the cries of suffering, the groans of anguish and distress, the screams of pain.
Lamentations express the hope that God will listen and that things will change.
Certainly God does not forget those who are suffering and who cry out to Him.
God will stop and listen, just as Jesus stopped and called for the son of Timaeus, that blind beggar whose name was forgotten by people.
Well, St. Jude Thaddeus knows what it feels like to be forgotten.
And as the patron saint of desperate cases and lost causes, St. Jude reminds us that those who are suffering in pain and anguish must not be forgotten.
St. Jude will gather the prayers of those who are suffering and present them to Jesus.
And what better day to pray to St. Jude Thaddeus than on his feast day, the 28th October.
Better still to come for Mass on that day and spend some time in thanksgiving, and to ask St. Jude to pray for us.
We have our desperate situations and high anxieties, especially as our children are having their exams, and not only they are stressed out, we are also stressed out.
Or, we may also know of persons whom we think are “hopeless cases” – they are addicted to gambling, drinking or in some kind of sinful attachment.
Let us remember that with God, there is no such a thing as a hopeless case.
But of course, without God, then everything is hopeless.
Let us ask St. Jude to pray for us. We will face desperate situations, but there is hope that things will change.
Because God won’t leave us desperate and hopeless.
God will not forget us. Because our names are carved in the palm of His hands (Isaiah 49:16)
P.S – When we are going through something hard and wonder where God is, let us remember that the teacher is always quiet during a test.
One of the peculiarities of the Catholic Church is this fervent devotion to saints.
Needless to say, the most popular of devotions is to Mary, the Queen of all Saints.
That is quite evident especially in the month of October, which is traditionally called the month of the Rosary, and the Rosary is a form of devotion to Mary.
Following that the many other devotions to saints would look like some kind of international buffet spread.
And there are also patron saints for all kinds of needs and situations and vocations in life.
St. John Vianney is the patron saint for confessors and priests.
For a safe journey, there is St Rafael the Archangel to turn to. For throat ailments we can turn to St. Blaise (3rd February).
We invoke the intercession of St. Anthony of Padua for lost articles (keys, passport, mobile phone, etc.)
But if ever that all else fails, then there is one more option to invoke, and that is St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of desperate situations.
The feast day of St. Jude Thaddeus, who was one of the 12 Apostles, is on the 28th October.
St. Jude is a popular saint; sometimes he is called the patron saint of hopeless cases.
Maybe “hopeless” is not quite the correct word to use here.
But certainly the word “desperate” is something we are familiar with and that we can identify with.
In the Catholic Church, St. Jude is venerated as the patron saint of desperate cases and lost causes.
St. Jude is invoked in desperate situations because his New Testament letter (Letter of Jude) stressed that the faithful should persevere in the environment of harsh and difficult circumstances, just as their forefathers had done before them.
So it is a very encouraging and consoling letter.
That is just one of the reasons why St. Jude is invoked as the patron saint of desperate cases and lost causes.
But in the past, many Catholics have mistakenly confused St. Jude with Judas Iscariot because their names sound similar in Latin as well as in other languages.
As a result, the faithful avoided venerating him or invoking him for prayers.
Therefore, St. Jude Thaddeus is also called the “Forgotten Saint”.
But because veneration of St. Jude was minimal, hence only people in the most dire of circumstances would call upon him, those that are termed as a “lost cause”.
And surprisingly, when those in a really desperate situation or a lost cause turned to St. Jude, their petitions were answered.
Hence, the veneration of the “Forgotten Saint” was revived, and St. Jude has become one of the more “popular” saints.
In the gospel, the blind man Bartimaeus (or son of Timaeus) was a desperate case as well as a lost cause.
Regardless of whether he was born blind or afflicted with blindness, his blindness was a lost cause – there can be no cure.
Besides his blindness, he also had quite a desperate situation.
He was “forgotten”. He was only known as Bartimaeus, or son of Timaeus. People had forgotten his name!
His blindness had enveloped him in darkness, and his “forgotten” status pushed him into desperate loneliness.
So here is a classic desperate case and a lost cause – a blind beggar, with a forgotten name, only known as the son of Timaeus.
But when he, whose name was forgotten by people, heard that Jesus was passing by, he cried out to Him by an ancient and royal name: Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!
It was an acclamation – Jesus, Son of David, and followed by a lamentation – Have pity on me!
And for that, he got scolded by the crowd and told to shut up.
Because people like to hear acclamations, but they frown upon lamentations. People get disturbed by the cries of lamentation.
It seems that the afflicted are to suffer in silence.
To cry out aloud in lamentation is rude, it is not proper and it disturbs the peace. And it doesn’t sound religious.
But that is not what the Bible teaches. In fact, in the Bible, there is a book called the Book of Lamentations.
In other words, the Bible teaches that the religious response to suffering is not to suppress it or hide it or to keep quiet about it.
Because remaining silent and hiding it is as good as making suffering a hopeless case, and that there is no possibility of change, because God doesn’t care at all.
But that is not true! Because when that son of Timaeus called out to the Son of David, something happened. Yes, Jesus stopped and called for him.
Yes, God listens to the lamentations of His people, the cries of suffering, the groans of anguish and distress, the screams of pain.
Lamentations express the hope that God will listen and that things will change.
Certainly God does not forget those who are suffering and who cry out to Him.
God will stop and listen, just as Jesus stopped and called for the son of Timaeus, that blind beggar whose name was forgotten by people.
Well, St. Jude Thaddeus knows what it feels like to be forgotten.
And as the patron saint of desperate cases and lost causes, St. Jude reminds us that those who are suffering in pain and anguish must not be forgotten.
St. Jude will gather the prayers of those who are suffering and present them to Jesus.
And what better day to pray to St. Jude Thaddeus than on his feast day, the 28th October.
Better still to come for Mass on that day and spend some time in thanksgiving, and to ask St. Jude to pray for us.
We have our desperate situations and high anxieties, especially as our children are having their exams, and not only they are stressed out, we are also stressed out.
Or, we may also know of persons whom we think are “hopeless cases” – they are addicted to gambling, drinking or in some kind of sinful attachment.
Let us remember that with God, there is no such a thing as a hopeless case.
But of course, without God, then everything is hopeless.
Let us ask St. Jude to pray for us. We will face desperate situations, but there is hope that things will change.
Because God won’t leave us desperate and hopeless.
God will not forget us. Because our names are carved in the palm of His hands (Isaiah 49:16)
P.S – When we are going through something hard and wonder where God is, let us remember that the teacher is always quiet during a test.
Friday, October 23, 2015
29th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 24-10-15
Romans 8:1-11 / Luke 13:1-9
Whenever there is an urgent need, there will be a spike in the offering of prayers and Masses.
It may be about employment, a court case, an illness. Whatever form it takes, prayer is the avenue for consolation and hope.
Yet, after these prayer spikes, things seem to cool off almost instantly and life goes on as usual.
For those who have received God's blessings, it is presumed that there is also fervent thanksgiving.
But if fervent petitions are not followed by fervent thanksgiving, then we may be taking God's blessings for granted.
It may mean that we are only interested in the unspiritual things of achievements and satisfactions, but we forget about the spiritual things of thanksgiving and trust in the Lord.
But because the Spirit has already been given to us to help us look beyond the unspiritual, we now look to the life in the Spirit.
When we live and move in the Spirit, our lives will bear fruits of thanksgiving and holy love.
Whenever there is an urgent need, there will be a spike in the offering of prayers and Masses.
It may be about employment, a court case, an illness. Whatever form it takes, prayer is the avenue for consolation and hope.
Yet, after these prayer spikes, things seem to cool off almost instantly and life goes on as usual.
For those who have received God's blessings, it is presumed that there is also fervent thanksgiving.
But if fervent petitions are not followed by fervent thanksgiving, then we may be taking God's blessings for granted.
It may mean that we are only interested in the unspiritual things of achievements and satisfactions, but we forget about the spiritual things of thanksgiving and trust in the Lord.
But because the Spirit has already been given to us to help us look beyond the unspiritual, we now look to the life in the Spirit.
When we live and move in the Spirit, our lives will bear fruits of thanksgiving and holy love.
Thursday, October 22, 2015
29th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 23-10-15
Romans 7:18-25 / Luke 12:54-59 (2011)
Just imagine this, a person is all alone at home and in bed.
In the middle of the night, suddenly there is the smell of smoke and the fire alarm goes off.
But instead of getting up from bed, that person buries his/her head under the pillow and refuses to do anything.
This may sound ridiculous, but that was what Jesus was saying about the people of His time.
They know how to interpret the signs of nature. But somehow they just ignore or refuse to heed the signs of the kingdom of God.
Jesus had said that the kingdom of God is within us.
That was why He asked the all-important question: Why not judge for yourselves what is right?
In the 1st reading, St. Paul made a good assessment of himself when he said that though the will to do what is good is in him, he acts against his will because of sin.
So instead of doing the good he wanted to do, he ended up doing something evil.
Despite this self-judgment, he also acknowledged who can save him from this wretched state.
Only Jesus Christ. He is THE sign of God. Let us heed this sign and act on it.
Just imagine this, a person is all alone at home and in bed.
In the middle of the night, suddenly there is the smell of smoke and the fire alarm goes off.
But instead of getting up from bed, that person buries his/her head under the pillow and refuses to do anything.
This may sound ridiculous, but that was what Jesus was saying about the people of His time.
They know how to interpret the signs of nature. But somehow they just ignore or refuse to heed the signs of the kingdom of God.
Jesus had said that the kingdom of God is within us.
That was why He asked the all-important question: Why not judge for yourselves what is right?
In the 1st reading, St. Paul made a good assessment of himself when he said that though the will to do what is good is in him, he acts against his will because of sin.
So instead of doing the good he wanted to do, he ended up doing something evil.
Despite this self-judgment, he also acknowledged who can save him from this wretched state.
Only Jesus Christ. He is THE sign of God. Let us heed this sign and act on it.
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
29th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 22-10-15
Romans 6:19-23 / Luke 12:49-53
Reading the Bible may not be as plain and simple as some people make it out to be.
Though there are simple and profound truths in it, there are also some confusing paradoxes.
What Jesus said in today's gospel is a good example.
Isn't He the Prince of Peace who came to unite all peoples?
Yet, He said that He came to bring division and chaos.
So what is it now, unity or division? Peace or chaos?
Or could it be both? Well, it is like asking if the stairs go up or down.
They go both ways, and it depends on where we want to go.
So the teachings of Jesus depends on what we want to make out of it.
St. Paul, in the 1st reading, gave a good example of how the teachings of Jesus can be applied to us concretely.
He said that our bodies can be used for vice and immorality, or we can use our bodies at the service of righteousness and holiness.
So the teachings of Jesus is indeed like the stairs.
To reject it will inevitably lead to sin and the wages of sin is death.
To accept it and to live by it, is to have life, and eternal life with God.
Reading the Bible may not be as plain and simple as some people make it out to be.
Though there are simple and profound truths in it, there are also some confusing paradoxes.
What Jesus said in today's gospel is a good example.
Isn't He the Prince of Peace who came to unite all peoples?
Yet, He said that He came to bring division and chaos.
So what is it now, unity or division? Peace or chaos?
Or could it be both? Well, it is like asking if the stairs go up or down.
They go both ways, and it depends on where we want to go.
So the teachings of Jesus depends on what we want to make out of it.
St. Paul, in the 1st reading, gave a good example of how the teachings of Jesus can be applied to us concretely.
He said that our bodies can be used for vice and immorality, or we can use our bodies at the service of righteousness and holiness.
So the teachings of Jesus is indeed like the stairs.
To reject it will inevitably lead to sin and the wages of sin is death.
To accept it and to live by it, is to have life, and eternal life with God.
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
29th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 21-10-15
Romans 6:12-18 / Luke 12:39-48
In any battle or war between two forces, there is a clear separation between the two forces, as in who is on which side.
So logically speaking, a soldier should know clearly who are the friendly forces and who is the enemy.
But many battles and wars have been won or lost because of an undiscovered danger. And that is the enemy within.
Or what is commonly called "traitors". A traitor betrays his/her own country to the enemy, so that the enemy can conquer the country.
In essence, a traitor is the enemy within.
In the 1st reading, St. Paul talked about offering ourselves to God as a weapon fighting on the side of God.
Yet, he also warned that though we may not be slaves of sin or unholy weapons, we are not free from the clutches of sin.
In other words, if we are not careful, we will betray God, we will be traitors of the Body of Christ, we will become the enemy within the Church.
Similarly in the gospel, the unfaithful servant betrayed his master and is the traitor to the household. He is the enemy within.
In this Mass, let us offer ourselves to the Lord to be His instrument of holiness, and His weapons to fight against sin.
Let us also ask for God's grace to be on guard against unfaithfulness. May we never become the enemy within.
In any battle or war between two forces, there is a clear separation between the two forces, as in who is on which side.
So logically speaking, a soldier should know clearly who are the friendly forces and who is the enemy.
But many battles and wars have been won or lost because of an undiscovered danger. And that is the enemy within.
Or what is commonly called "traitors". A traitor betrays his/her own country to the enemy, so that the enemy can conquer the country.
In essence, a traitor is the enemy within.
In the 1st reading, St. Paul talked about offering ourselves to God as a weapon fighting on the side of God.
Yet, he also warned that though we may not be slaves of sin or unholy weapons, we are not free from the clutches of sin.
In other words, if we are not careful, we will betray God, we will be traitors of the Body of Christ, we will become the enemy within the Church.
Similarly in the gospel, the unfaithful servant betrayed his master and is the traitor to the household. He is the enemy within.
In this Mass, let us offer ourselves to the Lord to be His instrument of holiness, and His weapons to fight against sin.
Let us also ask for God's grace to be on guard against unfaithfulness. May we never become the enemy within.
Monday, October 19, 2015
29th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 20-10-15
Romans 5:12, 15, 17-21 / Luke 12:35-38
No one wants to be known as the one who brought about a great tragedy. No one wants to be remembered in that particular sense.
Yet, we know of people in history who had this infamous reputation - Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot.
And within our recent memory is the spectacular collapse of Barings Bank, the United Kingdom's oldest investment bank caused by the fraudulent and unauthorized speculative trading of a broker, Nick Leeson.
Just that one man and a bank can go bankrupt. So the world knows what a twisted and crooked man can do with devastating consequences.
But that shouldn't be that surprising as the 1st reading reminds us of what happened to the first man.
Sin entered the world through one man, and through sin, death, and thus death has spread through the whole human race because everyone has sinned.
So the effects of the sin of one man is certainly not to be underestimated. And if everyone continues to sin, then we can imagine the epic devastating effect of sin.
Hence Jesus warned us in the gospel to be dressed for action and to be awake and alert.
Yes, we have to be alert for those moments of temptation that will lead us to sin and destroy our relationship with God and with others.
At the same time, we also need to be dressed for action and to be alert for those moments of grace to do a good act for the salvation of the world.
In being obedient to the grace of God, even though sin may still abound, yet God's grace will abound all the more.
No one wants to be known as the one who brought about a great tragedy. No one wants to be remembered in that particular sense.
Yet, we know of people in history who had this infamous reputation - Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot.
And within our recent memory is the spectacular collapse of Barings Bank, the United Kingdom's oldest investment bank caused by the fraudulent and unauthorized speculative trading of a broker, Nick Leeson.
Just that one man and a bank can go bankrupt. So the world knows what a twisted and crooked man can do with devastating consequences.
But that shouldn't be that surprising as the 1st reading reminds us of what happened to the first man.
Sin entered the world through one man, and through sin, death, and thus death has spread through the whole human race because everyone has sinned.
So the effects of the sin of one man is certainly not to be underestimated. And if everyone continues to sin, then we can imagine the epic devastating effect of sin.
Hence Jesus warned us in the gospel to be dressed for action and to be awake and alert.
Yes, we have to be alert for those moments of temptation that will lead us to sin and destroy our relationship with God and with others.
At the same time, we also need to be dressed for action and to be alert for those moments of grace to do a good act for the salvation of the world.
In being obedient to the grace of God, even though sin may still abound, yet God's grace will abound all the more.
Sunday, October 18, 2015
29th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 19-10-15
Romans 4:20-25 / Luke 12:13-21
When we see a person talking to himself, we would assume that he is not that mentally sound.
Because a mentally sound person would not want to be seen talking to himself in public. Because in public we would be more aware and cautious of our actions.
But in private and when we are alone and by ourselves, we may talk to ourselves now and then.
And the sentences that we compose in our minds can be quite logical, even though we are only addressing it to ourselves and not to a second party.
It does not mean that we are mentally unsound. It's just that it's a peculiar human behaviour, or maybe a peculiar habit.
In the gospel parable, this curious human behaviour is brought to light in the person of the rich man who had a good harvest from his land.
He thought to himself and he then entered into a monologue or a soliloquy. He was thinking and saying it all to himself, and it was a rather self-centered.
He asked himself about the question of storing his crops, he answered that question by deciding to build bigger barns, and then he assured himself of his own security.
He may not be mentally unsound, but he was spiritually unsound. As in the gospel parable, God called that selfish rich man a fool.
We may have this on-and-off habit of talking to ourselves in private. Whether that kind of monologue or soliloque leads to any good is another question.
But the question is why are we not talking to God. When we talk to God more often than we talk to ourselves, we will become aware of His presence and we will become mentally as well as spiritually sound.
When we see a person talking to himself, we would assume that he is not that mentally sound.
Because a mentally sound person would not want to be seen talking to himself in public. Because in public we would be more aware and cautious of our actions.
But in private and when we are alone and by ourselves, we may talk to ourselves now and then.
And the sentences that we compose in our minds can be quite logical, even though we are only addressing it to ourselves and not to a second party.
It does not mean that we are mentally unsound. It's just that it's a peculiar human behaviour, or maybe a peculiar habit.
In the gospel parable, this curious human behaviour is brought to light in the person of the rich man who had a good harvest from his land.
He thought to himself and he then entered into a monologue or a soliloquy. He was thinking and saying it all to himself, and it was a rather self-centered.
He asked himself about the question of storing his crops, he answered that question by deciding to build bigger barns, and then he assured himself of his own security.
He may not be mentally unsound, but he was spiritually unsound. As in the gospel parable, God called that selfish rich man a fool.
We may have this on-and-off habit of talking to ourselves in private. Whether that kind of monologue or soliloque leads to any good is another question.
But the question is why are we not talking to God. When we talk to God more often than we talk to ourselves, we will become aware of His presence and we will become mentally as well as spiritually sound.
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Mission Sunday, Year B, 18.10.2015
Isaiah 2:1-5 / Ephesians 3:2-12 / Mark 16:15-20
According to the official Catholic Church Directory (2013) of the Archdiocese of Singapore, there are 31 parishes.
The highest parish population is 10,000. The lowest is 600. Can you make a guess which is the parish with the lowest population?
Yes, we the parish of the Sacred Heart has the lowest population of 600, and the parish with the highest population of 10,000 is the parish of Holy Trinity.
In other words, the parish population of Holy Trinity is more than 15 times the parish population of Sacred Heart.
Yet, both parishes have the same number of Masses for the weekend, i.e. 6 Masses – 1 Chinese Mass and 5 English Masses.
But if based on the parish population of 600, then we would only need to have two or, at most, three Masses on a Sunday. And yet we have five Masses on a Sunday. And all the five English Masses are full and sometimes even packed.
Maybe the population of 600 is based on the residents staying within the parish boundaries.
The parish territory is like the shape of peninsula Malaysia. It begins from the junction of Bukit Timah Road and Stevens Road, going down to Scotts Road and Orchard Road and right down to Outram Road.
If we can picture it in our minds, our parish territory is a happening place.
Just mention Orchard Road and that’s where the shopping and entertainment is, the restaurants and the hotels are there, and the posh and pricy residences are there.
And then somewhere among all these glittery places is the Church of the Sacred Heart.
So it can be said that we are the church in Orchard Road. But do we know that? Do the shopping malls, restaurants and hotels in Orchard Road know that?
Maybe the Mt. Elizabeth Hospital in Orchard Road knows that because they will call the parish when the patients there need some pastoral care.
Other than that, the church of the Sacred Heart seems to be tucked away in a quiet corner of a happening area.
In the gospel, Jesus showed Himself to the Eleven and commissioned them to go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation.
So the mission for the Eleven is to go out and proclaim the Good News.
And what Jesus told the Eleven, He is also telling us to do likewise.
So now, go out to where? Maybe to go to that happening area called Orchard Road. Well, that would not be too difficult, would it?
But to proclaim the Good News in Orchard Road? How are we going to do that?
There is a story of a male nurse working in a hospital. Because of his shift work, he doesn’t have time to be involved in church activities, other than just coming for Mass.
He heard that the mission of all Christians is to proclaim the Good News and he wondered how he could do it.
Then he came across the idea of getting prayer cards and giving them to the patients that he is taking care of in the hospital where he worked.
So he got some prayer cards and if the patient consented he would leave a prayer card on the side drawer of the patient’s bed.
One day while going about his duties, a patient stopped him and thanked him for the prayer card. The patient said no one ever asked if he needed prayer or talked to him about religion until that male nurse gave him the prayer card.
It was just a small gesture of giving a patient a prayer card but in doing so the male nurse had done his part in proclaiming the Good News.
So taking a point from there, this weekend as the Church celebrates Mission Sunday, we have placed this prayer card at the entrances of the parish.
On one side is the picture of Jesus and the other side is a prayer to the Sacred Heart.
Take a few prayer cards and give it to whoever we think needs a prayer and pray it with them too.
And if we are going to Orchard Road then give it to whoever we meet and tell them that there is a church in Orchard Road.
Orchard Road may be a happening place but with all its ritz and glitz, it may also be like a desert and this church would be the oasis for a place of rest and quiet and prayer.
As the 1st reading puts it, “Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the Temple of the God of Jacob that He may teach us His ways so that we may walk in His paths”.
The church is open from 6am to about 7.30pm, and if people were to come to the church in the later part of the evening when the church is locked, they can pray at the statue of the Good Shepherd.
And in time to come, we will also erect a shrine of Our Lady where people can spend a quiet moment in prayer. (The details of the shrine is in the bulletin)
Yes, we just have to go out there and proclaim the Good News and the Lord will work with us.
Our parish is small and lowly, but the Almighty will do great things with us. We just have to go out and proclaim.
According to the official Catholic Church Directory (2013) of the Archdiocese of Singapore, there are 31 parishes.
The highest parish population is 10,000. The lowest is 600. Can you make a guess which is the parish with the lowest population?
Yes, we the parish of the Sacred Heart has the lowest population of 600, and the parish with the highest population of 10,000 is the parish of Holy Trinity.
In other words, the parish population of Holy Trinity is more than 15 times the parish population of Sacred Heart.
Yet, both parishes have the same number of Masses for the weekend, i.e. 6 Masses – 1 Chinese Mass and 5 English Masses.
But if based on the parish population of 600, then we would only need to have two or, at most, three Masses on a Sunday. And yet we have five Masses on a Sunday. And all the five English Masses are full and sometimes even packed.
Maybe the population of 600 is based on the residents staying within the parish boundaries.
The parish territory is like the shape of peninsula Malaysia. It begins from the junction of Bukit Timah Road and Stevens Road, going down to Scotts Road and Orchard Road and right down to Outram Road.
If we can picture it in our minds, our parish territory is a happening place.
Just mention Orchard Road and that’s where the shopping and entertainment is, the restaurants and the hotels are there, and the posh and pricy residences are there.
And then somewhere among all these glittery places is the Church of the Sacred Heart.
So it can be said that we are the church in Orchard Road. But do we know that? Do the shopping malls, restaurants and hotels in Orchard Road know that?
Maybe the Mt. Elizabeth Hospital in Orchard Road knows that because they will call the parish when the patients there need some pastoral care.
Other than that, the church of the Sacred Heart seems to be tucked away in a quiet corner of a happening area.
In the gospel, Jesus showed Himself to the Eleven and commissioned them to go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation.
So the mission for the Eleven is to go out and proclaim the Good News.
And what Jesus told the Eleven, He is also telling us to do likewise.
So now, go out to where? Maybe to go to that happening area called Orchard Road. Well, that would not be too difficult, would it?
But to proclaim the Good News in Orchard Road? How are we going to do that?
There is a story of a male nurse working in a hospital. Because of his shift work, he doesn’t have time to be involved in church activities, other than just coming for Mass.
He heard that the mission of all Christians is to proclaim the Good News and he wondered how he could do it.
Then he came across the idea of getting prayer cards and giving them to the patients that he is taking care of in the hospital where he worked.
So he got some prayer cards and if the patient consented he would leave a prayer card on the side drawer of the patient’s bed.
One day while going about his duties, a patient stopped him and thanked him for the prayer card. The patient said no one ever asked if he needed prayer or talked to him about religion until that male nurse gave him the prayer card.
It was just a small gesture of giving a patient a prayer card but in doing so the male nurse had done his part in proclaiming the Good News.
So taking a point from there, this weekend as the Church celebrates Mission Sunday, we have placed this prayer card at the entrances of the parish.
On one side is the picture of Jesus and the other side is a prayer to the Sacred Heart.
Take a few prayer cards and give it to whoever we think needs a prayer and pray it with them too.
And if we are going to Orchard Road then give it to whoever we meet and tell them that there is a church in Orchard Road.
Orchard Road may be a happening place but with all its ritz and glitz, it may also be like a desert and this church would be the oasis for a place of rest and quiet and prayer.
As the 1st reading puts it, “Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the Temple of the God of Jacob that He may teach us His ways so that we may walk in His paths”.
The church is open from 6am to about 7.30pm, and if people were to come to the church in the later part of the evening when the church is locked, they can pray at the statue of the Good Shepherd.
And in time to come, we will also erect a shrine of Our Lady where people can spend a quiet moment in prayer. (The details of the shrine is in the bulletin)
Yes, we just have to go out there and proclaim the Good News and the Lord will work with us.
Our parish is small and lowly, but the Almighty will do great things with us. We just have to go out and proclaim.
Friday, October 16, 2015
28th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 17-10-15
Romans 1:13, 16-18 / Luke 12:9-12
The term blasphemy may be generally defined as anything from defiant irreverence to intentional sacrilegious acts .
Hence, it can mean acts like cursing God or wilfully degrading things relating to God.
It can also be attributing some evil to God, or denying Him some good that should attributed to Him.
Yet, we believe that God is love and forgiveness and He will forgive us even if we had committed the most heinous sin.
So what did Jesus mean when He said that "he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven"?
The purpose of this phrase was to strengthen the disciples in the face of persecution and to deter them from falling into apostasy (giving up the faith) out of cowardice or doubt.
It was also meant as an admonition - a sin can only be unforgivable if repentance is impossible.
So in other words, it is not whether God will forgive; it is a question of whether we want to repent or not.
Because along with repentance is also the trust in God's love and mercy and forgiveness.
To be able to declare that is to stand before others and witness to God and all that He has done for us.
The term blasphemy may be generally defined as anything from defiant irreverence to intentional sacrilegious acts .
Hence, it can mean acts like cursing God or wilfully degrading things relating to God.
It can also be attributing some evil to God, or denying Him some good that should attributed to Him.
Yet, we believe that God is love and forgiveness and He will forgive us even if we had committed the most heinous sin.
So what did Jesus mean when He said that "he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven"?
The purpose of this phrase was to strengthen the disciples in the face of persecution and to deter them from falling into apostasy (giving up the faith) out of cowardice or doubt.
It was also meant as an admonition - a sin can only be unforgivable if repentance is impossible.
So in other words, it is not whether God will forgive; it is a question of whether we want to repent or not.
Because along with repentance is also the trust in God's love and mercy and forgiveness.
To be able to declare that is to stand before others and witness to God and all that He has done for us.
Thursday, October 15, 2015
28th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 16-10-15
Romans 4:1-5 / Luke 12:1-7
It is said that every action has a reaction.
That is certainly true. It's only a matter of whether the action and subsequent reaction has be observed and recorded.
The Bible is a good example of a recording of actions and subsequent reactions.
The story of Abraham, as recorded in book of Genesis, is like a series of actions and reactions in the form of call and response.
Abraham's story is retold in the 1st reading to highlight that he was a man who put his faith in God. God called him and he responded in faith.
In the gospel, Jesus gave another example of this action-reaction connection. To the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, He told the people to be on their guard.
Then He moved on to the larger picture of the reality of life. Everything that is now covered will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear. And what is whispered in hidden places will be proclaimed on the housetops.
That will make us realize that our actions, whether in public or in private, do not go unnoticed. Nor are they stand alone actions.
Yes, every action has a reaction. So a good deed begets another good deed, a bad one begets another bad one.
May our thoughts, words and actions be done in God, and with the grace of God may our thoughts, words and actions be used by God to evoke a favourable response from others.
It is said that every action has a reaction.
That is certainly true. It's only a matter of whether the action and subsequent reaction has be observed and recorded.
The Bible is a good example of a recording of actions and subsequent reactions.
The story of Abraham, as recorded in book of Genesis, is like a series of actions and reactions in the form of call and response.
Abraham's story is retold in the 1st reading to highlight that he was a man who put his faith in God. God called him and he responded in faith.
In the gospel, Jesus gave another example of this action-reaction connection. To the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, He told the people to be on their guard.
Then He moved on to the larger picture of the reality of life. Everything that is now covered will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear. And what is whispered in hidden places will be proclaimed on the housetops.
That will make us realize that our actions, whether in public or in private, do not go unnoticed. Nor are they stand alone actions.
Yes, every action has a reaction. So a good deed begets another good deed, a bad one begets another bad one.
May our thoughts, words and actions be done in God, and with the grace of God may our thoughts, words and actions be used by God to evoke a favourable response from others.
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
28th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 15-10-15
Romans 3:21-30 / Luke 11:47-54
The word "alas" is an expression of grief, pity, or concern. A similar word is "woe" which is an expression of great sorrow or distress.
Both words have similar meanings and may be used interchangeably depending on the context.
In today's gospel passage, Jesus began each sentence with "Alas" and in that passage the word appeared three times.
The reaction of the scribes and Pharisees to what Jesus was to launch a furious attack on Jesus and tried to force answers on Him on innumerable questions, setting trap to catch Him out in something He might say.
It was a violent reaction to those seemly harsh words of Jesus. But what are they reacting to?
Could it be like when we are at the dentist's chair and as he drills out the decay in our tooth, we twitch and jerk violently when the drill comes near to the nerve of the tooth?
Similarly the teachings of Jesus is meant to cleanse us and clear out all the decay from sin so that we can be healed and made whole again.
It will be painful but necessary. The teachings of Jesus may seem to hurt, but the Lord binds up the bruises of His people and heals the wounds He inflicted.
Let us humbly submit to the teachings of Jesus and be obedient to His ways. Otherwise it may be alas for us and woe to us.
The word "alas" is an expression of grief, pity, or concern. A similar word is "woe" which is an expression of great sorrow or distress.
Both words have similar meanings and may be used interchangeably depending on the context.
In today's gospel passage, Jesus began each sentence with "Alas" and in that passage the word appeared three times.
The reaction of the scribes and Pharisees to what Jesus was to launch a furious attack on Jesus and tried to force answers on Him on innumerable questions, setting trap to catch Him out in something He might say.
It was a violent reaction to those seemly harsh words of Jesus. But what are they reacting to?
Could it be like when we are at the dentist's chair and as he drills out the decay in our tooth, we twitch and jerk violently when the drill comes near to the nerve of the tooth?
Similarly the teachings of Jesus is meant to cleanse us and clear out all the decay from sin so that we can be healed and made whole again.
It will be painful but necessary. The teachings of Jesus may seem to hurt, but the Lord binds up the bruises of His people and heals the wounds He inflicted.
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
28th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 14-10-15
Romans 2:1-11 / Luke 11:42-46
One of the meaning of admonishment is to express warning or disapproval, especially in a gentle, earnest, or solicitous manner.
Whereas rebuke and reprimand both refer to sharp, often angry criticism from a higher authority
In the gospel, it is not that clear whether Jesus admonished or rebuked or reprimanded the Pharisees.
But it was enough to irritate a lawyer when he raised a protest against Jesus for insulting them.
And what that lawyer got in return, and we could have guessed it, was a rebuke and a reprimand from Jesus.
Because the lawyer thought more about his pride than to heed what Jesus was teaching.
It must be remembered that Jesus came into the world not condemn the world but to save the world.
But when the teachings of Jesus are not heeded, especially those teachings on morality expressed by the Church under the authority of Jesus, then it may mean this.
As the 1st reading puts it, are we abusing God's abundant goodness, patience and tolerance, not realizing that this goodness of God is meant to lead us to repentance.
Let us humbly accept the gentle admonishment of Jesus. Let not our pride make us forfeit His gift of salvation. May we always repent and also refrain from judging others.
One of the meaning of admonishment is to express warning or disapproval, especially in a gentle, earnest, or solicitous manner.
Whereas rebuke and reprimand both refer to sharp, often angry criticism from a higher authority
In the gospel, it is not that clear whether Jesus admonished or rebuked or reprimanded the Pharisees.
But it was enough to irritate a lawyer when he raised a protest against Jesus for insulting them.
And what that lawyer got in return, and we could have guessed it, was a rebuke and a reprimand from Jesus.
Because the lawyer thought more about his pride than to heed what Jesus was teaching.
It must be remembered that Jesus came into the world not condemn the world but to save the world.
But when the teachings of Jesus are not heeded, especially those teachings on morality expressed by the Church under the authority of Jesus, then it may mean this.
As the 1st reading puts it, are we abusing God's abundant goodness, patience and tolerance, not realizing that this goodness of God is meant to lead us to repentance.
Let us humbly accept the gentle admonishment of Jesus. Let not our pride make us forfeit His gift of salvation. May we always repent and also refrain from judging others.
Monday, October 12, 2015
28th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 13-10-15
Romans 1:16-25 / Luke 11:37-41
To say that someone behaved worse than an animal is certainly very derogatory and utterly insulting.
Scripture tells us that human beings are made in the image of God and hence human beings are way above the other creatures on earth.
Human beings are endowed with intellect and will, with reason and freedom of choice, so that we can truly live up to our dignity and walk the ways of God and be holy in all that we do.
But the history of mankind is splattered with immorality and atrocities of almost every imaginable kind, such that it can be said that mankind at times have behaved worse than animals.
St. Paul would say this in the 1st reading: That is why such people are without excuse. They knew God and yet refused to acknowledge Him as God or thank Him. They made nonsense out of logic and their empty minds were darkened. With their filthy enjoyments and practices they dishonour their own bodies since they have given up divine truth for a lie and have worshipped and served creatures instead of the Creator.
Yes, we desire some creature comforts but those desires can slowly turn into pleasures of the flesh and then the corruption, the impiety and the depravity on the outside, will keep the truth imprisoned within and locked up by wickedness.
And that is also the warning of Jesus in today's gospel passage - You clean the outside of cup and plate, while inside yourselves you are filled with extortion and wickedness.
And then Jesus also said this - Did not He who made the outside make the inside too?
Hence, what we do is an expression of what we are and what we believe in.
We believe in God who is the source of all truth and good, holiness and beauty. Let what we believe in be expressed by what we do and how we behave.
To say that someone behaved worse than an animal is certainly very derogatory and utterly insulting.
Scripture tells us that human beings are made in the image of God and hence human beings are way above the other creatures on earth.
Human beings are endowed with intellect and will, with reason and freedom of choice, so that we can truly live up to our dignity and walk the ways of God and be holy in all that we do.
But the history of mankind is splattered with immorality and atrocities of almost every imaginable kind, such that it can be said that mankind at times have behaved worse than animals.
St. Paul would say this in the 1st reading: That is why such people are without excuse. They knew God and yet refused to acknowledge Him as God or thank Him. They made nonsense out of logic and their empty minds were darkened. With their filthy enjoyments and practices they dishonour their own bodies since they have given up divine truth for a lie and have worshipped and served creatures instead of the Creator.
Yes, we desire some creature comforts but those desires can slowly turn into pleasures of the flesh and then the corruption, the impiety and the depravity on the outside, will keep the truth imprisoned within and locked up by wickedness.
And that is also the warning of Jesus in today's gospel passage - You clean the outside of cup and plate, while inside yourselves you are filled with extortion and wickedness.
And then Jesus also said this - Did not He who made the outside make the inside too?
Hence, what we do is an expression of what we are and what we believe in.
We believe in God who is the source of all truth and good, holiness and beauty. Let what we believe in be expressed by what we do and how we behave.
Sunday, October 11, 2015
28th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 12-10-15
Romans 1:1-7 / Luke 11:29-32
If people were to ask us, "What do you do as Catholics?" what will our reply be?
Are we going to say: we go for Mass on Sundays, or, we go to Novena on Saturdays, or, we pray the Rosary?
But what do we do essentially as Catholics? What is being Catholic all about?
If St. Paul were to answer that question, his reply could be found in the 1st reading, which is the letter to the Romans.
For St. Paul, it is to proclaim the Good News, and it is about Jesus Christ who rose from the dead, so that in Him, the holiness of God is shown to all peoples.
The Church teaches that all the followers of Christ have the obligation of spreading the faith according to their abilities.
Whatever abilities we may have, we can be witnesses of the faith by living lives of holiness.
Because holiness is the sign and the expression of our faith in the Risen Lord.
By our lives of holiness, we already proclaim our faith.
The fruit of holiness is repentance, and hence we must turn away from sin and turned towards God.
When our lives are turned towards God, others will eventually follow suit.
They need not ask us what we do as Catholics, because they can see who we are as Catholics.
If people were to ask us, "What do you do as Catholics?" what will our reply be?
Are we going to say: we go for Mass on Sundays, or, we go to Novena on Saturdays, or, we pray the Rosary?
But what do we do essentially as Catholics? What is being Catholic all about?
If St. Paul were to answer that question, his reply could be found in the 1st reading, which is the letter to the Romans.
For St. Paul, it is to proclaim the Good News, and it is about Jesus Christ who rose from the dead, so that in Him, the holiness of God is shown to all peoples.
The Church teaches that all the followers of Christ have the obligation of spreading the faith according to their abilities.
Whatever abilities we may have, we can be witnesses of the faith by living lives of holiness.
Because holiness is the sign and the expression of our faith in the Risen Lord.
By our lives of holiness, we already proclaim our faith.
The fruit of holiness is repentance, and hence we must turn away from sin and turned towards God.
When our lives are turned towards God, others will eventually follow suit.
They need not ask us what we do as Catholics, because they can see who we are as Catholics.
Saturday, October 10, 2015
28th Ordinary Sunday, Year B, 11.10.2015
Wisdom 7:7-11 / Hebrews 4:12-13 / Mark 10:17-30
By and large, we human beings are quite predictable creatures and that is because we are creatures of habit.
From what we do, to what we say, to how we think, we can be habitually predictable and predictably habitual.
Which can be a good thing because that will put some stability and regularity into our lives.
Being creatures of habit, we will form a routine in our lives that is familiar and comfortable for ourselves.
So we will wake up at a particular time, and get up on a particular side of the bed; we will have a particular pattern of washing up and a particular way of having breakfast and a particular way of starting the day.
Not only are we creatures of habit when it comes to routine, we are also creatures of habit when it comes to sinning!
We have heard of people saying: I always commit the same sins! (At least I have heard of that before)
Well, if you always commit the same sins, then it may mean that you are a habitual sinner.
Anyway if you commit new sins every day, then you would need serious spiritual help.
Whether it is sin or other things, we have this habit of attachment.
Yes, we are attached to our habits because we have this habit of attachment.
We are attached to what is familiar. That’s why changing jobs can be a chaotic experience.
Just overnight and our working environment is so new to us and we have to start from scratch to prove our worth.
Shifting to a new house can be equally chaotic and even traumatic for the older people.
You lose your things, you lose your way, and if you don’t settle down quickly, you may even lose your mind.
Yes, we are all creatures of habit and our main habit is the habit of attachment.
We attach ourselves to what is familiar, to what is comfortable, to what is stable and secure.
To move out of these so-called “comfort zones” is to enter into a possible “danger” zone, where things can be chaotic and even traumatic.
In the gospel, we heard of a rich young man who was pretty comfortable in life.
He was also religiously habitual, as he faithfully kept the commandments, which he had kept from his earliest days.
So why did he want to go to Jesus and even knelt before Him and say, “Good Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
That rich young man was pretty comfortable and secure, materially as well as religiously.
He was already having a good life here on earth. But he also wanted to do something to secure eternal life. And he was sincere about it.
And that’s why Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him.
That rich young man was a sincere seeker and he was humble enough to kneel before Jesus and ask what he should do to inherit eternal life.
Yet, when Jesus told him what to do, his face fell.
And the reason was that, as much as the rich young man was willing to do more, yet he couldn't do with less.
And with that, he went away sad. And we will not hear of him again in the gospel.
The rich young man had a habit – a habit of attachment. He was attached to his possessions, and in a sense, he was possessed by his attachment.
His habit is undeniably also our habit. We are attached to our possessions, and we become possessed by our attachments.
We may not possess great wealth, but it may be our health, our achievements, our promotions, our reputation, our enjoyment.
Yet, the wisdom of life tells us that life is a journey of progressive poverty.
We will, slowly but surely, lose our youth, our health, our memory, our eyesight, our hearing, and in the end we will lose everything.
And then we will go back to where we came from.
A mother brought her young son shopping. They passed by a bakery. The aroma of freshly baked pastries wafted through the air.
The boy stopped in his tracks, with his eyes fixed on the window display. His gaze was on a delicious-looking piece of chocolate cake. He drooled over the tempting cake.
Knowing the son’s interest, the doting mother bought the cake for her son. Her son was elated, his face beamed with delight and he squealed in joy.
The cashier put the cake in a box and handed it to the little boy.
The boy could not wait to have his cake and immediately set to open it.
As it was lunchtime, the mother did not want the boy to eat his cake then. So she took the cake away from the boy and said, “You can eat this later in the afternoon, ok?”
The boy reacted with a tantrum and loud wailing. He squat on the pavement outside the shop, his face was red and tears rolled down his cheeks, he screamed, “Mummy bad, bad mummy!”
Passersby stopped and stared at the boy and his mother. They wondered what had happened. The mother felt awkward and embarrassed.
Before the mother bought the boy the cake, he didn’t have anything. Now that the mother had taken the cake away, he is simply restored to his original state. He didn’t lose anything. There is nothing sad about that.
Looking at ourselves, aren’t we all like that boy? We want our spouses to do things for us. We want to watch a certain TV programme. We want to have a certain phone, buy a certain car, own certain brands, go to certain restaurants, and taste certain food.
But, we didn’t have all these to begin with. And then when we have them, we feel like we can’t live without them. We have been “kidnapped” by these things.
Like what Socrates, the ancient Greek philosopher said, “What we possess will in turn also possess us.”
A man was fishing by the river. He had been fishing for a few hours under the hot sun and had a few beers. Soon, he dozed off.
Suddenly, there was a strong tug at the end of his fishing line. A big fish had taken a bite and was hooked to his line. The sudden tug woke the man and in his confusion, he lost his balance and fell into the water. The man struggled in the water, with his rod in his hand and the fish still hooked to his line.
A boy who was strolling by the river with his father, was bewildered by the strange sight of the man and the fish both struggling in the water. He turned to his father and asked, “Daddy, is the man catching the fish or is the fish catching him?”
So similarly, are we catching the fish or is the fish catching us?
When we want something and because we don’t possess it and we become unhappy, then this thing itself has already possessed us and brought us unhappiness.
In fact, what we need, we already have it. And we should be thankful for that.
Jesus is looking steadily at us and loving us. That is all we need – for Jesus to look at us and love us.
Let us look at Jesus and love Him now. Because in eternity, we will be looking only at Jesus and loving Him. That is true happiness. And that is all we need.
By and large, we human beings are quite predictable creatures and that is because we are creatures of habit.
From what we do, to what we say, to how we think, we can be habitually predictable and predictably habitual.
Which can be a good thing because that will put some stability and regularity into our lives.
Being creatures of habit, we will form a routine in our lives that is familiar and comfortable for ourselves.
So we will wake up at a particular time, and get up on a particular side of the bed; we will have a particular pattern of washing up and a particular way of having breakfast and a particular way of starting the day.
Not only are we creatures of habit when it comes to routine, we are also creatures of habit when it comes to sinning!
We have heard of people saying: I always commit the same sins! (At least I have heard of that before)
Well, if you always commit the same sins, then it may mean that you are a habitual sinner.
Anyway if you commit new sins every day, then you would need serious spiritual help.
Whether it is sin or other things, we have this habit of attachment.
Yes, we are attached to our habits because we have this habit of attachment.
We are attached to what is familiar. That’s why changing jobs can be a chaotic experience.
Just overnight and our working environment is so new to us and we have to start from scratch to prove our worth.
Shifting to a new house can be equally chaotic and even traumatic for the older people.
You lose your things, you lose your way, and if you don’t settle down quickly, you may even lose your mind.
Yes, we are all creatures of habit and our main habit is the habit of attachment.
We attach ourselves to what is familiar, to what is comfortable, to what is stable and secure.
To move out of these so-called “comfort zones” is to enter into a possible “danger” zone, where things can be chaotic and even traumatic.
In the gospel, we heard of a rich young man who was pretty comfortable in life.
He was also religiously habitual, as he faithfully kept the commandments, which he had kept from his earliest days.
So why did he want to go to Jesus and even knelt before Him and say, “Good Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
That rich young man was pretty comfortable and secure, materially as well as religiously.
He was already having a good life here on earth. But he also wanted to do something to secure eternal life. And he was sincere about it.
And that’s why Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him.
That rich young man was a sincere seeker and he was humble enough to kneel before Jesus and ask what he should do to inherit eternal life.
Yet, when Jesus told him what to do, his face fell.
And the reason was that, as much as the rich young man was willing to do more, yet he couldn't do with less.
And with that, he went away sad. And we will not hear of him again in the gospel.
The rich young man had a habit – a habit of attachment. He was attached to his possessions, and in a sense, he was possessed by his attachment.
His habit is undeniably also our habit. We are attached to our possessions, and we become possessed by our attachments.
We may not possess great wealth, but it may be our health, our achievements, our promotions, our reputation, our enjoyment.
Yet, the wisdom of life tells us that life is a journey of progressive poverty.
We will, slowly but surely, lose our youth, our health, our memory, our eyesight, our hearing, and in the end we will lose everything.
And then we will go back to where we came from.
A mother brought her young son shopping. They passed by a bakery. The aroma of freshly baked pastries wafted through the air.
The boy stopped in his tracks, with his eyes fixed on the window display. His gaze was on a delicious-looking piece of chocolate cake. He drooled over the tempting cake.
Knowing the son’s interest, the doting mother bought the cake for her son. Her son was elated, his face beamed with delight and he squealed in joy.
The cashier put the cake in a box and handed it to the little boy.
The boy could not wait to have his cake and immediately set to open it.
As it was lunchtime, the mother did not want the boy to eat his cake then. So she took the cake away from the boy and said, “You can eat this later in the afternoon, ok?”
The boy reacted with a tantrum and loud wailing. He squat on the pavement outside the shop, his face was red and tears rolled down his cheeks, he screamed, “Mummy bad, bad mummy!”
Passersby stopped and stared at the boy and his mother. They wondered what had happened. The mother felt awkward and embarrassed.
Before the mother bought the boy the cake, he didn’t have anything. Now that the mother had taken the cake away, he is simply restored to his original state. He didn’t lose anything. There is nothing sad about that.
Looking at ourselves, aren’t we all like that boy? We want our spouses to do things for us. We want to watch a certain TV programme. We want to have a certain phone, buy a certain car, own certain brands, go to certain restaurants, and taste certain food.
But, we didn’t have all these to begin with. And then when we have them, we feel like we can’t live without them. We have been “kidnapped” by these things.
Like what Socrates, the ancient Greek philosopher said, “What we possess will in turn also possess us.”
A man was fishing by the river. He had been fishing for a few hours under the hot sun and had a few beers. Soon, he dozed off.
Suddenly, there was a strong tug at the end of his fishing line. A big fish had taken a bite and was hooked to his line. The sudden tug woke the man and in his confusion, he lost his balance and fell into the water. The man struggled in the water, with his rod in his hand and the fish still hooked to his line.
A boy who was strolling by the river with his father, was bewildered by the strange sight of the man and the fish both struggling in the water. He turned to his father and asked, “Daddy, is the man catching the fish or is the fish catching him?”
So similarly, are we catching the fish or is the fish catching us?
When we want something and because we don’t possess it and we become unhappy, then this thing itself has already possessed us and brought us unhappiness.
In fact, what we need, we already have it. And we should be thankful for that.
Jesus is looking steadily at us and loving us. That is all we need – for Jesus to look at us and love us.
Let us look at Jesus and love Him now. Because in eternity, we will be looking only at Jesus and loving Him. That is true happiness. And that is all we need.
Friday, October 9, 2015
27th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 10-10-15
Joel 4:12-21 / Luke 11:27-28
In the Mass as well as in devotions, there are always hymns of praise.
These hymns are sung to praise and thank the Lord and they are usually sung with feeling and emotion.
Also dynamic and emotive hymns are preferred in order to appeal to the emotions of the people and also to elicit a more fervent response from them.
But where the emotions and the feeling fade off, is where the real action begins.
Our hymns of praise must also be translated into acts of love for God and neighbour.
That was why in response to the acclamation of praise, Jesus sobered down the emotions to focus on doing the will of God.
As we offer this Mass in honour of our Lady, let us remember that she heard the Word of God, pondered on it and did the will of God in her life.
May we who honour her also learn from her and do God's will in our lives.
In the Mass as well as in devotions, there are always hymns of praise.
These hymns are sung to praise and thank the Lord and they are usually sung with feeling and emotion.
Also dynamic and emotive hymns are preferred in order to appeal to the emotions of the people and also to elicit a more fervent response from them.
But where the emotions and the feeling fade off, is where the real action begins.
Our hymns of praise must also be translated into acts of love for God and neighbour.
That was why in response to the acclamation of praise, Jesus sobered down the emotions to focus on doing the will of God.
As we offer this Mass in honour of our Lady, let us remember that she heard the Word of God, pondered on it and did the will of God in her life.
May we who honour her also learn from her and do God's will in our lives.
Thursday, October 8, 2015
27th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 09-10-15
Joel 1:13-15; 2:1-2 / Luke 11:15-26
Many disasters and tragedies like wars, or a plane crash or a terrorist attack, can be traced down to human negligence or human failing or human wickedness.
But what about natural disasters and calamities like earthquakes, floods, volcano eruptions, etc, where innocent lives are lost.
Maybe because it is called "natural disasters" we tend to make God accountable for it. We even call it an "act of God". Maybe because we can't find a more convincing and consoling answer to it.
In the 1st reading, we hear of a terrible invasion of locusts that ravaged the land. The scourge was disastrous, but the prophet Joel saw it from a spiritual and religious perspective.
He saw it as a sign of the coming of the day of the Lord.
He urged the people to repent and to turn to the Lord with weeping and fasting, and the priests to pray for deliverance.
Similarly in the gospel, the case of the diabolic possession and exorcism was used by Jesus as a means to proclaim that the kingdom of God is close at hand.
When disasters and tragedies happen around us, we lament and grieve and maybe even blame God for what has happened.
But can we also see it from a spiritual and religious perspective. Because out of chaos, a new creation comes forth.
We can give in to hopelessness and be scattered. But let us gather in faith, and with Jesus, we await a new creation and a new revelation.
Many disasters and tragedies like wars, or a plane crash or a terrorist attack, can be traced down to human negligence or human failing or human wickedness.
But what about natural disasters and calamities like earthquakes, floods, volcano eruptions, etc, where innocent lives are lost.
Maybe because it is called "natural disasters" we tend to make God accountable for it. We even call it an "act of God". Maybe because we can't find a more convincing and consoling answer to it.
In the 1st reading, we hear of a terrible invasion of locusts that ravaged the land. The scourge was disastrous, but the prophet Joel saw it from a spiritual and religious perspective.
He saw it as a sign of the coming of the day of the Lord.
He urged the people to repent and to turn to the Lord with weeping and fasting, and the priests to pray for deliverance.
Similarly in the gospel, the case of the diabolic possession and exorcism was used by Jesus as a means to proclaim that the kingdom of God is close at hand.
When disasters and tragedies happen around us, we lament and grieve and maybe even blame God for what has happened.
But can we also see it from a spiritual and religious perspective. Because out of chaos, a new creation comes forth.
We can give in to hopelessness and be scattered. But let us gather in faith, and with Jesus, we await a new creation and a new revelation.
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
27th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 08-10-15
Malachi 3:13-20 / Luke 11:5-13
Generally speaking, we want to be good people and more so if we call ourselves Christians, which means we want to live our lives according to the teachings of Christ.
Yes, we want to be kind and compassionate, to be loving and forgiving. And modestly speaking, we can manage to do that half the time.
But the other half of the time is when we want to go eye for eye and tooth for tooth.
And when we can't because we are not able to, then we will resort to what the people were saying in the 1st reading.
Admittingly we would say what they said: It is useless to serve God; what is the good of keeping His commandments or of walking mournfully before the Lord of hosts? The arrogant are called blessed and they prosper, these evildoers; they try God's patience and yet go free!
And we would also wish that what the prophet Malachi spoke about concerning judgement for the wicked would come about as soon as possible so that they will get what they deserve.
No doubt there will be judgement for the wicked but we don't have to hasten it for them or look forward to their retribution.
On the contrary, it is our duty to pray for their conversion and salvation. Otherwise our Christian identity is not anything special and we would be doing what the people in the world would be doing.
And in the gospel, Jesus has this to tell us about the parable that He told: If the man does not get up and give it to him for friendship's sake, persistence will be enough to make him get up and give his friend all he wants.
Yes, it means that Jesus wants us to look at evildoers with friendly eyes and persist in returning evil with good so that they can be saved.
Let us ask for this, and where two or three gathered together in name of Jesus pray for this, then it will be granted.
Let us persist in praying, just as Jesus persisted in looking out for the lost in order to save them.
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Our Lady of the Rosary, Wednesday, 07-10-15
Acts 1:12-14 / Luke 1:26-38
Today we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. And this feast is also extended to the whole month of October in that October is also known as the month of the Rosary.
The Church urges that the Rosary be recommended to the faithful and that its nature and importance be explained.
It is recommended to the faithful because it is a compilation of prayers simple enough to be prayed by children, and by families, and by prayer groups.
The nature of the Rosary prayer is not just repetitive but it is actually a chant prayer where the prayers are actually repeated so that it goes deeper into the heart and at the same time helping to keep the focus.
What is important in the Rosary prayer is that the prayers are rooted in Scriptures and it has deep spiritual meanings when we are aware of what we are saying.
The "Our Father" or "The Lord's Prayer" is a prayer that is taught by Jesus Himself and it is the prayer of the Church and a prayer that we ought to know.
The Hail Mary prayer is a combination of scripture verses from the gospel of St Luke and a petition to Mother Mary to pray for us.
In the apparitions at Fatima and Lourdes, Mary urged us through the seers to pray the Rosary. It is a prayer in which she assures that she will be praying with us.
Just as Mother Mary prayed with the disciples of the early church as we heard in the 1st reading, she is also here with us in the present day Church when we pray the Rosary. Let us entrust ourselves, our Church and our world to her intercession.
Today we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. And this feast is also extended to the whole month of October in that October is also known as the month of the Rosary.
The Church urges that the Rosary be recommended to the faithful and that its nature and importance be explained.
It is recommended to the faithful because it is a compilation of prayers simple enough to be prayed by children, and by families, and by prayer groups.
The nature of the Rosary prayer is not just repetitive but it is actually a chant prayer where the prayers are actually repeated so that it goes deeper into the heart and at the same time helping to keep the focus.
What is important in the Rosary prayer is that the prayers are rooted in Scriptures and it has deep spiritual meanings when we are aware of what we are saying.
The "Our Father" or "The Lord's Prayer" is a prayer that is taught by Jesus Himself and it is the prayer of the Church and a prayer that we ought to know.
The Hail Mary prayer is a combination of scripture verses from the gospel of St Luke and a petition to Mother Mary to pray for us.
In the apparitions at Fatima and Lourdes, Mary urged us through the seers to pray the Rosary. It is a prayer in which she assures that she will be praying with us.
Just as Mother Mary prayed with the disciples of the early church as we heard in the 1st reading, she is also here with us in the present day Church when we pray the Rosary. Let us entrust ourselves, our Church and our world to her intercession.
Monday, October 5, 2015
27th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 06-10-15
Jonah 3:1-10 / Luke 10:38-42
Attention and distraction are opposites and contrary to each other.
But the difference between them is more than just an idea of being opposite and contrary to each other.
In the 1st reading, the difference could been seen in Jonah's attitude and its consequences.
Initially, when God called Jonah to go to Nineveh, he decided to run away from the Lord. He gave in to his distractions, whatever those distractions may be.
The consequences was that he endangered the sailors' lives and caused distress wherever he went and to whoever he met.
But when he finally decided to pay attention to God's call, he went to Ninevah, and he went into the city and there, after a day's journey he preached in these straightforward words: Only forty days more and Nineveh is going to be destroyed.
The effect of his words brought about an amazing act of immediate repentance from cattle to king.
In the gospel, Jesus told Martha not to worry and fret over so many things, because she was distracted with all the serving.
Jesus is also telling us not to be distracted and fret and worry over so many unnecessary things.
We need to keep focused on the Lord and to pay attention to what He is showing us and to reflect and meditate on it in prayer. That will keep us from the distractions of sin and living an unfocused life.
Attention and distraction are opposites and contrary to each other.
But the difference between them is more than just an idea of being opposite and contrary to each other.
In the 1st reading, the difference could been seen in Jonah's attitude and its consequences.
Initially, when God called Jonah to go to Nineveh, he decided to run away from the Lord. He gave in to his distractions, whatever those distractions may be.
The consequences was that he endangered the sailors' lives and caused distress wherever he went and to whoever he met.
But when he finally decided to pay attention to God's call, he went to Ninevah, and he went into the city and there, after a day's journey he preached in these straightforward words: Only forty days more and Nineveh is going to be destroyed.
The effect of his words brought about an amazing act of immediate repentance from cattle to king.
In the gospel, Jesus told Martha not to worry and fret over so many things, because she was distracted with all the serving.
Jesus is also telling us not to be distracted and fret and worry over so many unnecessary things.
We need to keep focused on the Lord and to pay attention to what He is showing us and to reflect and meditate on it in prayer. That will keep us from the distractions of sin and living an unfocused life.
Sunday, October 4, 2015
27th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 05-10-15
Jonah 1:1 - 2:1, 11 / Luke 10:25-37
There are many characters in today's parable of the Good Samaritan.
Each character had a different attitude towards the wounded man.
To the lawyer who tried to disconcert Jesus, the wounded man was a subject of discussion.
To the thieves in the parable, the wounded man was someone to abuse and exploit.
To the priest and the Levite, the wounded man was a problem to be avoided.
To the Samaritan, the wounded man was a human being who needed immediate help.
So now, who is the wounded man to us?
Indeed there are many wounded people around us - some may be wounded by an unhappy or broken marriage; some may be hurting by painful and abusive relationships; others may be hurting from being neglected and living lonely and miserable lives.
But these wounded people may remind us of ourselves, in that we are also wounded by our own sins.
In the Eucharist, Jesus heals and strengthens us so that we can get up and turn to God and walk in the way of life and love.
And just as Jesus heals and strengthens us, so may we go forth and heal and help those who are wounded and hurting.
There are many characters in today's parable of the Good Samaritan.
Each character had a different attitude towards the wounded man.
To the lawyer who tried to disconcert Jesus, the wounded man was a subject of discussion.
To the thieves in the parable, the wounded man was someone to abuse and exploit.
To the priest and the Levite, the wounded man was a problem to be avoided.
To the Samaritan, the wounded man was a human being who needed immediate help.
So now, who is the wounded man to us?
Indeed there are many wounded people around us - some may be wounded by an unhappy or broken marriage; some may be hurting by painful and abusive relationships; others may be hurting from being neglected and living lonely and miserable lives.
But these wounded people may remind us of ourselves, in that we are also wounded by our own sins.
In the Eucharist, Jesus heals and strengthens us so that we can get up and turn to God and walk in the way of life and love.
And just as Jesus heals and strengthens us, so may we go forth and heal and help those who are wounded and hurting.
Saturday, October 3, 2015
27th Ordinary Sunday, Year B, 04.10.2015
Genesis 2:18-24 / Hebrews 2:9-11 / Mark 10:2-16
The month of October reminds us of many things. It reminds us that it is the last quarter of the year and like the toilet roll, the closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.
Before we know it, the school term will come to an end, it will be a time to go for holidays, Christmas will be soon and we will wonder what kind of bonus we are going to get.
But before we move on too fast, the Church wants us to pause and holds out the Rosary before us. Yes, for the Church, the month of October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary. And why is it so?
It began at a place called Lepanto on the coast of western Greece.
A great naval battle took place there on the 7th October 1571. A hastily gathered coalition Christian fleet from European Catholic states set sail to face the mighty main fleet of the Ottoman Empire which was sailing in from the east.
The Christian fleet was greatly outnumbered by the Ottoman armada. The Pope at that time, Pope Pius V, called on the Church to be united in a Rosary crusade to help the Christian soldiers in that battle.
Because defeat for the Christian fleet would mean that Christian Europe would be overrun by the Ottomans and that would mean the end of Christianity in Europe.
Furthermore, the unity of the Catholic Church was severely weakened by the Protestant Reformation which began in 1517.
So by 1571, the Pope could only call upon a handful of loyal Catholic states to unite and fight the invading Ottomans.
Also, the Ottomans took advantage of a disunited and weakened Christian Europe to launch an attack and were confident of a victory.
So the two forces clashed at the Gulf of Corinth in the Ionian Sea.
And after 5 hours of intense fighting, the Ottomans were decisively defeated, and the Ottoman advance was halted and the Mediterranean Sea was freed of Ottoman occupation.
But before the Christian fleet set sail, all the soldiers were given rosaries and it was said that the Christian soldiers fought with swords in one hand and rosaries in the other.
The victory was credited to the Virgin Mary’s intercession, and even Pope Pius V, who was hundreds of miles away from the battle scene, had a foreknowledge of the victory when he gave thanks for victory even before the battle ended.
Though the victory was termed “miraculous” yet it does not mean that no lives were lost or that no blood was shed.
About 7500 Christian soldiers died, and on the Ottoman side there were about 20,000 dead, or wounded or captured.
The Christian fleet lost 17 ships, but the Ottomans lost 50 ships, and 137 ships were captured and about 10,000 Christian slaves rowing the Ottoman ships were freed.
Certainly a major defeat for the Ottoman Empire from which they never recovered and it was indeed a miraculous and religious victory for the Church.
The intercession of Mary was reinforced in the faith of the Church and the Rosary earned its reputation as a powerful form of prayer.
But the Rosary is not just a simple prayer prayed by soldiers and sailors in a war zone.
It is simple enough for children to pray it and they must be taught how to pray it.
They may not know what the repetitive prayers of the Rosary means, but Psalm 8 tells us that on the lips of children and of little ones, God has found praise to foil the enemy and to silence the foe and the rebel.
It’s just like how we say “Amen” at the end of the prayers at Mass.
We may not even remember what was prayed but our collective “Amen” means that the prayers will be presented to the Lord.
Similarly the prayers of the Rosary said by children has the ability to call upon the power of God in times of distress.
But children won’t know how to pray the Rosary if we the parents and adults don’t teach them how to pray.
Donoso Cortes used to say : "Our world today is in a poor state because there are more battles than there are prayers".
And many of the battles are fought, of all places, in the home.
As in a war, there are no unwounded soldiers. In other words, in every war, there will be casualties.
And just as in a war, so it is in a divorce – there will be casualties.
And the first casualty in a divorce is love – God’s love.
And following that will be the next casualty – the children.
The end of world would not be caused by a nuclear holocaust. The end of the world would come about when there are no more prayers and when children don’t know how to pray anymore.
The month of the Rosary reminds us that it is our duty to teach our children how to pray the Rosary and to pray it with them.
Some people may say that the Rosary is monotonous repetition of prayers. Père de Foucauld used to say: "Love is expressed in a few words, always the same, repeated time and time again "
But it is precisely out of these monotonous repetition of prayers from the lips of children and of little ones, God has found praise to foil the enemy and to silence the foe and the rebel.
And out of the lips of children and of little ones, God will put an end to wars in the world and the battles at home.
A Rosary a day will keep the war away.
So let us pray the Rosary and pray it with our children every day.
The month of October reminds us of many things. It reminds us that it is the last quarter of the year and like the toilet roll, the closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.
Before we know it, the school term will come to an end, it will be a time to go for holidays, Christmas will be soon and we will wonder what kind of bonus we are going to get.
But before we move on too fast, the Church wants us to pause and holds out the Rosary before us. Yes, for the Church, the month of October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary. And why is it so?
It began at a place called Lepanto on the coast of western Greece.
A great naval battle took place there on the 7th October 1571. A hastily gathered coalition Christian fleet from European Catholic states set sail to face the mighty main fleet of the Ottoman Empire which was sailing in from the east.
The Christian fleet was greatly outnumbered by the Ottoman armada. The Pope at that time, Pope Pius V, called on the Church to be united in a Rosary crusade to help the Christian soldiers in that battle.
Because defeat for the Christian fleet would mean that Christian Europe would be overrun by the Ottomans and that would mean the end of Christianity in Europe.
Furthermore, the unity of the Catholic Church was severely weakened by the Protestant Reformation which began in 1517.
So by 1571, the Pope could only call upon a handful of loyal Catholic states to unite and fight the invading Ottomans.
Also, the Ottomans took advantage of a disunited and weakened Christian Europe to launch an attack and were confident of a victory.
So the two forces clashed at the Gulf of Corinth in the Ionian Sea.
And after 5 hours of intense fighting, the Ottomans were decisively defeated, and the Ottoman advance was halted and the Mediterranean Sea was freed of Ottoman occupation.
But before the Christian fleet set sail, all the soldiers were given rosaries and it was said that the Christian soldiers fought with swords in one hand and rosaries in the other.
The victory was credited to the Virgin Mary’s intercession, and even Pope Pius V, who was hundreds of miles away from the battle scene, had a foreknowledge of the victory when he gave thanks for victory even before the battle ended.
Though the victory was termed “miraculous” yet it does not mean that no lives were lost or that no blood was shed.
About 7500 Christian soldiers died, and on the Ottoman side there were about 20,000 dead, or wounded or captured.
The Christian fleet lost 17 ships, but the Ottomans lost 50 ships, and 137 ships were captured and about 10,000 Christian slaves rowing the Ottoman ships were freed.
Certainly a major defeat for the Ottoman Empire from which they never recovered and it was indeed a miraculous and religious victory for the Church.
The intercession of Mary was reinforced in the faith of the Church and the Rosary earned its reputation as a powerful form of prayer.
But the Rosary is not just a simple prayer prayed by soldiers and sailors in a war zone.
It is simple enough for children to pray it and they must be taught how to pray it.
They may not know what the repetitive prayers of the Rosary means, but Psalm 8 tells us that on the lips of children and of little ones, God has found praise to foil the enemy and to silence the foe and the rebel.
It’s just like how we say “Amen” at the end of the prayers at Mass.
We may not even remember what was prayed but our collective “Amen” means that the prayers will be presented to the Lord.
Similarly the prayers of the Rosary said by children has the ability to call upon the power of God in times of distress.
But children won’t know how to pray the Rosary if we the parents and adults don’t teach them how to pray.
Donoso Cortes used to say : "Our world today is in a poor state because there are more battles than there are prayers".
And many of the battles are fought, of all places, in the home.
As in a war, there are no unwounded soldiers. In other words, in every war, there will be casualties.
And just as in a war, so it is in a divorce – there will be casualties.
And the first casualty in a divorce is love – God’s love.
And following that will be the next casualty – the children.
The end of world would not be caused by a nuclear holocaust. The end of the world would come about when there are no more prayers and when children don’t know how to pray anymore.
The month of the Rosary reminds us that it is our duty to teach our children how to pray the Rosary and to pray it with them.
Some people may say that the Rosary is monotonous repetition of prayers. Père de Foucauld used to say: "Love is expressed in a few words, always the same, repeated time and time again "
But it is precisely out of these monotonous repetition of prayers from the lips of children and of little ones, God has found praise to foil the enemy and to silence the foe and the rebel.
And out of the lips of children and of little ones, God will put an end to wars in the world and the battles at home.
A Rosary a day will keep the war away.
So let us pray the Rosary and pray it with our children every day.
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