Feast of All Saints, 01.11.2020

Apocalypse 7:2-4, 9-14 / 1 John 3:1-3 / 1 Thess 1:5-10 / Matthew 5:1-12

There are more than 10,000 saints that the Church has canonized. By that, it means that the Church has officially declared that these saints are in heaven. 

But of course, beyond that, the 1st reading tells us how many saints there are in heaven – a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language. 

If it is impossible to count, then it is also quite impossible to imagine how packed Heaven is with saints. 

But despite this countless number of saints, we do know some of them, or at least we must know one of them. 

There are the more well-known saints like St. Peter, St. Paul, St. Jude who is the patron saint of desperate and hopeless cases, St Francis of Assisi, St. Anthony whom we invoke for lost articles, and other saints that we may have a Devotion to. 

But at least we must know one particular saint, and that is our patron saint. 

Some of us may be thinking, “Our who?”. Yes, our patron saint, the saint we took as our patron and it is in our baptism name. 

So, from our baptism name, we would know who is our patron saint. And we can get to know our patron saint by checking out whatever information about the patron saint. 

But if for some reason our baptism name is not taken from a saint, then maybe God wants us to be a saint! 

But seriously, getting to know our patron saints is really helpful for the spiritual life. 

We can turn to our patron saints for intercession in our needs. We look to our patron saints as a model of faith and as a model for life and for inspiration. 

So, if your name is Damien, then your patron saint is Saint Damien of Molokai, or also known as St. Damien the leper. 

St. Damien offered to go to Molokai to serve the lepers there, and unfortunately, he contracted the disease and died from it. 

But from his own writings, he revealed the ordinary human struggles he had to endure in order to overcome his initial revulsion for the day-to-day life with his flock of lepers. 

He constantly thought of how Jesus reached out to the lepers and he wanted to do the same. 

Indeed, St. Damien is a model of self-sacrifice, of perseverance and of love for God and for the lepers. 

If your name is Therese, or Teresa, then your patron saint is St. Therese the Little Flower, who taught us how to do little things with great love for God. 

She inspired St. Mother Teresa who took on the motto of “doing little things with great love” in serving the poorest of the poor. 

So, the saints, especially our patron saint can be our model of faith and model of life. 

A lady by the name of Rita was asked if her husband has any faults. She replied, “Oh, as many as the stars at night.” 

When asked if her husband had any virtues, she said, “Oh, not much, maybe only one, like the sun in the sky.” 

When asked how she was able to cope with her husband’s faults, she replied, “When the sun shines, its brilliance covers all the stars.” 

But she also added that she had wondered what her name Rita meant, and she found out about St. Rita, and how she converted her wayward husband with her love, patience and forgiveness. And she wanted to do likewise. 

So, it was St. Rita who inspired her to be a more loving and understanding wife. 

So, on this Feast of All Saints, let us find out more about our patron saints.

Our patron saints want to help us in our need, but more importantly, our patron saints want to help us to journey towards heaven by living a life of love and gentleness, mercy and forgiveness, peace and righteousness. 

Like the saints who have gone before us, we too will face difficulties and opposition and even persecution. 

But let us persevere in faith and love. We may experience sorrow for doing what is right and loving. 

But as Jesus promised us, we will rejoice with the saints. 

That is our eternal reward in heaven. 

May the saints, and especially our patron saints pray for us.

----------------------------------

First Friday Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

6 Nov Friday 8.30pm Singapore time (GMT +8)

Join us "live" on Youtube, subscribe to our Youtube Channel

Church of the Sacred Heart Singapore

https://www.youtube.com/c/churchofthesacredheartsingapore

30th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 30-10-2020

Philippians 1:1-11 / Luke 14:1-6    

Prayer has two aspects - the personal dimension and the communal dimension.

When we pray, we will certainly pray for our own needs and intentions. This expresses our personal relationship with God and our dependence on Him in our lives.

But when we pray, we are also in union with the Body of Christ, the Church, as we pray for the needs of the Church and also for the world.

In prayer, we not only look on our own needs but we look outwards to others who are in need.

In the 1st reading, St. Paul tells the Philippians that he thanks God whenever he thinks of them, and every time he prays for them,  he prays with joy, remembering how they have helped to spread the Good News.

And he tells them that his prayer for them is that their love for each other may increase more and more and never stop improving their knowledge and deepening their perception so that they can always recognise what is best.

That is what we should also be praying for, not only for ourselves but for others as well.

We, as individuals and as members of the Body of Christ, need to improve our knowledge and deepen our perception so that we can always recognise what is best.

It is through our union with God that we will be able to do what is good and loving and be messengers of the Good News of salvation.

30th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 31-10-2020

Philippians 1:18-26 / Luke 14:1, 7-11

By and large, we have the etiquette and the decorum to be shown our seats in a function or at a dinner reception.

We certainly don't want to be embarrassed to take a seat we assumed to be ours only to be told otherwise.

Nonetheless the parable of Jesus tells us that we have this innate desire to be honoured and maybe even exalted.

Because it cannot be denied that we liked to be looked up too. For some, it may even be an obsession.

But for all the adulation and limelight that we might get, what and how will it matter in eternity?

In the 1st reading, we hear of St. Paul's dilemma.

He wants to be with Christ but yet he know he had to stay on for a while in order to help the early Christians progress in their faith.

Yet St. Paul also knew that all praise and honour is to be given to God alone.

So let us be aware of our tendency to be in the limelight and receive the applause.

Yet all this does not matter in eternity. What matters then is that we continue to praise and glorify the Lord.

-----------------

First Friday Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

6 Nov Friday 8.30pm Singapore time (GMT +8)

Join us "live" on Youtube, subscribe to our Youtube Channel

Church of the Sacred Heart Singapore

https://www.youtube.com/c/churchofthesacredheartsingapore

30th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 29-10-2020

Ephesians 6:10-20 / Luke 13:31-35

Human strength can be quite impressive and even admirable.

But no matter how strong a person is, whether physically or mentally, human strength is limited and human beings are not invincible.

More so when human strength is pitched against a spiritual force, then human strength is certainly no match at all because the spiritual force is higher and greater.

In the 1st reading, St. Paul urged the Ephesians and urges us to grow strong in the Lord, with the strength of His power.

St. Paul tells us to put on God's armour so as to be able to resist the devil's tactics.

St. Paul also highlights this: For it is not against human enemies that we have to struggle with, but against the Sovereignties and the Powers who originate the darkness of this world, the spiritual army of evil .

Jesus had to face these forces of darkness when Herod, being used by these dark forces, tried to find ways to kill Jesus.

But Jesus came to destroy the powers of darkness and to bring light and salvation and to give us strength to fight against evil. 

St. Paul urges us to pray all the time, asking for what we need, praying in the Spirit on every possible occasion. 

Prayer is our armour and our strength from God. With prayer we will be able to do what God wants of us and also we will overcome the forces of darkness and evil.

Sts. Simon and Jude, Apostles, Wednesday, 28-10-2020

Ephesians 2:19-22 / Luke 6:12-19   

The feast of St. Simon the Zealot and St. Jude (Thaddeus) are linked together probably because both of them preached the Good News in Persia and were martyred there.

And their remains were both in Saint Peter’s Basilica under the main altar of Saint Joseph.

Even their names are next to each other in the list of the apostles in the gospel passage.

They may not have known it then, that they would eventually be going to far-away lands to preach the Good News and to lay down their lives in witnessing to Jesus their Lord.

For whatever reason that St. Simon was called the Zealot, it can be presumed that he was zealous enough for the mission to be given that name.

But for St. Jude, his original was Judas son of James, and he was often mistaken for Judas Iscariot the traitor.

But St. Jude has his place in the devotional life of the church as he is the patron of desperate and even "hopeless" cases.

As we join the Church to honour these two saints, let us also ask for their intercession that in our difficulties and desperation, we will receive help from on high through their prayers.

God is love, and God loves us and wants to save us.

This is the Good News that St. Simon the Zealot and St. Jude Thaddeus preached and laid down their lives for.

May we experience God's saving love for us in our despair and distress through their prayers.

30th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 27-10-2020

Ephesians 5:21-33 / Luke 13:18-21   

We would certainly like to have it our way in life.

And we would be proud to say "I did it my way".

Giving way to others is considered as a sign of weakness and when we give way it is quite likely that we would also be taken advantage of.

But the 1st reading urges us to give way to one another, but it is for a higher purpose.

We give way to one another in obedience to Christ.

So whether it is in marriage, in the family, at the workplace or in relationships, we give way to others out of love for Christ, and also out of love for them.

That seed of love that is planted in our hearts can only germinate and grow when we give way to others in obedience to Christ.

Then we will bear the fruits of the kingdom of God, fruits of peace, joy and love for God and for others.

30th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 26-10-2020

Ephesians 4:32 - 5:8 / Luke 13:10-17      

Physical pain, sickness and illness are part and parcel of life.

Still they are not to be taken lightly as they wear us down and we don't have that quality of life that we desire.

Hence, good health is what we pray for so that we can live life fully and happily.

In the gospel, we heard of a woman who for eighteen years had been possessed by a spirit that left her enfeebled, and she was bent double and quite unable to stand upright.

She was in the synagogue, and obviously her foremost prayer would be one for relief of her affliction.

When Jesus cured her of her infirmity, she immediately straightened up and with great rejoicing, she glorified God.

If such is the joy of a physical healing, then there is an even greater joy in spiritual healing.

Sin in any form is a spiritual affliction that makes us impure and erodes the peace and joy in our hearts.

In the 1st reading, St. Paul gives some examples of the sins that destroys us within.

Sin darkens our hearts, but God's forgiveness shines the light and cleanses us and brings us peace and joy.

Let us always stay united with God and be children of the light.

30th Ordinary Sunday, Year A, 25.10.2020

Exodus 22:20-26 / 1 Thess 1:5-10 / Matthew 22:34-40

All things have a shape and a colour. 

By the shape and the colour, we would generally be able to identify what the object is. 

Though some things may look a bit similar initially, but upon closer inspection we would be able to make the differentiation.

For example, a rose and a carnation may look alike from afar, especially if both are red in colour. But a closer look will tell the difference. 

But generally speaking, most things can be identified by their shape and colour. 

And our ideas and concepts are also influenced by these shapes and colours. 

When we talk about love, the shape of love that might come to our minds is the shape of a heart. 

So in celebrations of love, like marriage, there will be heart shapes all over, from balloons, to the cut-outs, and maybe even the shape of the cake. 

And usually the colour of love is red, to signify the power and the passion of love. 

So a red-coloured heart shape would generally mean love. 

In the gospel, the Pharisees ask Jesus this question: Master, which is the greatest commandment of the Law? 

It is not that the Pharisees don’t know the answer. They know the Law through and through. 

But they asked Jesus this peculiar question to disconcert Him. They just wanted to ruffle Him, and to make Him perturbed and disturbed, so that they could catch Him on something wrong that He might say. 

Nonetheless, Jesus gave them a straightforward answer, and in the process He also make them think about their understanding of the commandment of love. 

Similarly, the question of the Pharisees and the reply of Jesus would make us think about the commandment of love. 

As Jesus said: You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. And you must love your neighbour as yourself. 

That is clear enough for us to understand. But when we think deeper about it, it may not be that easy to put it into practice. 

When we think of love, we think of red coloured hearts, with all the ribbons and roses. 

We like to think of love in a romantic way, love that is beautiful, love that is soft and warm. 

Yes, when we think of love, we think of a red-coloured heart. 

And that is also the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 

But when we look at the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we will notice the cross on top of the Heart, and also a crown of thorns around the Heart, and also the Heart was pierced and bleeding. 

These are images of pain and suffering and they are there in the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 

That image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus tells us that God’s love for us came at a price. 

Jesus suffered, died on the cross and His heart was even pierced with a lance, to tell us that God’s love for us is a sacrificial love, and that sacrifice was made by Jesus on the cross. 

That would tell us that if we truly want to love God and to love our neighbour as ourselves, then a sacrifice has to be made. 

The people that we are called to love may not look like little red hearts with ribbons and roses. 

If we say we truly love God, then He may not send us the people that we want to love, but the people that needed to be loved.

These people may take the shape of a heavy cross and painful thorns that will pierce our hearts. 

But love is beautiful and powerful. If we truly love God, then God will fill our hearts with the power of His love to love those that needed to be loved. 

Let us look at the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Let us meditate on the beauty of the love that flows from His Heart.

And then let us go forth to love those that God wants us to love.

29th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 24-10-2020

Ephesians 4:7-16 / Luke 13:1-9      

It is a fact that everyone is unique and in that sense, everyone is also different.

But no matter how different one is from the other, and from the rest, there are also some similarities and common factors.

In the 1st reading, St. Paul says that each one of us has been given his own share of grace, given as Christ allotted it.

So, not only are each of us given a share of God's grace, each of us also has a unique grace for a unique role in the plan of God.

Our mission in life is to co-operate with God's grace that is given to us so as to fulfill His plan for us and for the bigger plan of salvation.

But whatever unique grace that is given to us by God, there is a common purpose.

It is by God's grace that we are called to be faithful to Him and to walk in His ways so that His plan can be fulfilled in us.

And God's grace also calls us to repentance should we stray away from Him and fall into sin.

In the gospel, Jesus reminds us of the need for repentance and salvation.

May the grace of God in each of us cleanse us and purify us so that we too can lead others to repentance and salvation.

29th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 23-10-2020

Ephesians 4:1-6 / Luke 12:54-59     

Despite what we see and what we think, the world is still a good place.

Even though there is the bad, the sad and the ugly, the world still retains its goodness.

And that is because there are people who believe in the goodness in themselves and around them.

These people are like little candles that shines in the midst of the darkness and lights up the goodness of the world.

As Christians, we carry the light of Christ in our hearts, the light that we receive at Baptism.

It is with that light that we light up the goodness in ourselves, the goodness in others and the goodness of the world.

That is our fundamental vocation, and St. Paul, in the 1st reading, implores us to lead a life worth of our vocation.

We do that by bearing with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness and patience.

By doing that, we preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds us together.

Let us continue to keep the light of Christ burning brightly in us.

It is the light that the world wants to see, because it is the light that lights up the goodness in the world, and it is the light that will lead others to see the goodness in themselves.

29th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 22-10-2020

Ephesians 3:14-21 / Luke 12:49-53       

When we mention about family, there would be a spectrum of thoughts and emotions about what family means to us.

Of course, we know that no family is perfect but we also cannot deny that our family members are the ones who are closest to us, at least in the physical proximity sense.

But whatever we may think about our family and our family members, we need to see that our family members are like branches on a tree, 

We grow in different directions but yet our roots remain as one.

And even though we have the same roots, family members also bear different fruits.

Though the fruits may be different, but they will complement and complete the family.

The family is important and necessary not just in society but also in the realm of creation, with Adam and Eve forming the first family.

St. Paul has this to say in the 1st reading: This is what I pray, kneeling before the Father, from whom every family, whether spiritual or natural, takes its name.

Truly, all families has their origin in God the Father.

Let us pray for our families and for all families under heaven, to be united and bear fruits of love.

29th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 21-10-2020

Ephesians 3:2-12 / Luke 12:39-48    

When it comes to doing our duty, then it is quite certain that there are no options.

Doing our duty does not take into account how we feel about it or whether we like it.

In fact, when duty calls, that is when we take responsibility for what we are called to do.

There is responsibility because there is an accountability to our superiors and our bosses.

But when we are given something based on trust, that is when character counts.

It may be a large sum of money that we have to manage and invest and we are expected to take care of it.

Or it may be a service to others that we are to carry out because we are called to it.

In the 1st reading, St. Paul talks about the grace that has been entrusted to him and that grace is meant for the Ephesians so that they can come to the knowledge of the mystery of God.

St. Paul saw it that it was his duty and responsibility to do what God wants of him with the grace.

We too have a grace that is entrusted to us by God. 

It is our duty to find out what that grace is, because that is what is expected of us.

29th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 20-10-2020

Ephesians 2:12-22 / Luke 12:35-38      

If we have the choice to be the master or the servant, which would we really choose?

Of course, it would be obvious we want to be master and to be served by servants.

To be a servant is to be at the beck and call of the master and always having to carry out orders.

But in the spirit realm, it is also obvious that we cannot be the master, as we are not deities, nor are we divine.

In fact, if we truly believe in God, we would rather want to be servants of God.

We want God to be our Master because we know we can't protect ourselves nor can we depend on our own resources and abilities for every difficulty and problem.

Yes we want to be servants of God and to be counted as not just His servants but also His children since we call God our Father.

But just like servant and children, we have to be obedient and faithful to God our Father and Master.

Jesus, the Son of God said that He come to serve and not be served. 

May we also do likewise and be always alert and ready to do what God wants of us.

29th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 19-10-2020

Ephesians 2:1-10 / Luke 12:13-21    

There is no doubt that people want to live a good life.

But that also depends what people think is good.

Some would think that a good life is one that is comfortable and secure with enough of money.

Some would think that  a good life is one without the worries of life and to do what they like in life.

In the gospel parable, the rich man thought that he was going to have a good life with the good harvest from his land.

With plenty of good things laid by for many years to come, he was thinking of taking life easy, and eat and drink and have a good time.

But God called him a "fool" for storing up treasure for himself in place of making himself rich in the sight of God.

So what is a good life then? The 1st reading tells us God loved us with so much love that He was generous with His mercy.

When we were dead through our sins, He brought us to life with Christ and raised us up with Him and gave us a place with Him in heaven.

When we understand that, then we would want to live a good life,  a life of repentance, a life turned towards God, a life that God would want us to live.

Our treasure is in the grace that God has given to us. 

With that grace, let us live a good life, a life that is pleasing to God, so that in the end we will inherit the true treasure, and that is eternal life with God.

 

Mission Sunday, Year A, 18.10.2020

Isaiah 2:1-5 / Ephesians 3:2-12 / Mark 16:15-20

Having something that is multi-purpose seems like a good idea. 

Multi-purpose sounds more versatile than single-purpose, and also more economical too. 

For example, having a multi-purpose cooker would mean that the kitchen can be cleared of all those pots and pans that are used for various types of cooking. 

Because a typical multi-purpose cooker is able to boil, simmer, bake, fry, grill, roast, stew, steam and whatever we can think of.

That would be a chef’s dream kitchen appliance and every homemaker would desire for it. 

But before rushing off to get one, let us remember that multi-purpose may also mean that it may be a “jack-of-all-trades, but master-of-none”. 

We are more familiar with the old-fashioned pot and pan and we know what we could do with it and we can be quite certain of how the food will turn out. 

With a multi-purpose cooker, there are multiple settings for various types of cooking. 

But use the wrong setting for the cooking and the fire-engine might come over and the firemen looking at your cooking, or whatever remains of it. 

Anyway, as the Church celebrates Mission Sunday, the Church may also seem to be like a multi-purpose cooker, and like the settings, there are so many aspects of the Church’s mission in the world. 

There are missionaries sent out to foreign lands, the Church is involved in social work and charities, building schools and hospitals, and a variety of activities that are under the term “mission of the church”. 

Yes, these are expressions or signs of the Church’s presence and mission in the world. 

The Church is following the command of Jesus to go out to the whole world and to proclaim the Good News to all creation. 

Then Jesus talks about the signs that will be associated with believers. They will cast out devils, they will have the gift of tongues, they will pick up snakes in their hands, and be unharmed should they drink deadly poison, they will lay their hands on the sick who will recover. 

These are certainly very spectacular and wonderful signs of the mission of the Church. 

But we may have to admit that it is like reading the description on the box of a multi-purpose cooker and we are impressed by what it can do. 

Being impressed is one thing. To be able to get the cooker to cook what we want is another matter. 

Just like how the pictures in the recipe book don’t look like anything we cook. 

So, what is the relevance in what Jesus said in the gospel? Are those signs still associated with the Church now? 

A man asked a priest, “How can we perform those miraculous signs that Jesus talked about in the gospel?” 

The priest replied, “If you teach a person to read the gospel, you have opened the eyes of the blind. If you teach a person to help the poor and needy, you have healed the paralyzed. If you help a person to go to Church, you’re healed the crippled. If you lead someone to repentance, you have raised the dead. Now go and perform these miracles.” 

The world needs to see these miracles, these signs, and Jesus has commissioned us to do it. 

And we can do it when we practice love and forgiveness. 

With the simplicity and humility of love, the Lord of love will work with us and show us these wonderful signs. 

With forgiveness, we will cleanse ourselves, and the world, of the poison of sin and bring about the joy of salvation. 

Our mission is to help others learn the ways of God and walk in His paths of love and forgiveness. a

That is the vision of Isaiah, son of Amos, in the 1st reading. Let that also be our vision.

28th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 17-10-2020

Ephesians 1:15-23 / Luke 12:8-12

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 willfully degrading things relating to God.

It can also be attributing some evil to God, or denying Him some good that should be 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.

28th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 16-10-2020

Ephesians 1:11-14 / Luke 12:1-7   

It is interesting how the world pegs a value on well-known people like businessmen, actors and actresses, sports starts and pop stars.

The media would say that their net worth is in millions or billions of dollars.

The assessment is obviously from the financial perspective and that is also the means that the world judges a person.

So the worth of a person in the eyes of the world is in dollars and cents.

But what is the worth of a person in the eyes of God?

In the gospel, Jesus says that each of us is worth more than hundreds of sparrows.

But that is just a figure of speech, because the 1st reading tells us our true worth.

It is in Christ that we are claimed as God's own children, chosen from the beginning, chosen for God's glory.

We are stamped with the seal of the Holy Spirit and that is the pledge of our eternal inheritance.

So our net worth is much more than millions or billions of dollars.

Our net worth is in heaven where our salvation awaits us, and that is the inheritance that God has promised us.

As we live out our faith here on earth, let us always remember the promise God has made to us.

Then we will live our lives worthy of His glory.

28th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday,

Ephesians 1:1-10 / Luke 11:47-54   

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. 

That is Newton's Third Law of motion. If we had paid attention during physics class in school, we would probably be able to explain that sensibly.

If that is the law of motion, then there is also a law of life that talks about action.

For every action, there is a consequence. That does not require much explanation.

So if for every action there is a consequence, then it would certainly be better to consider the consequence before taking the action.

So since every action has a consequence, then logically we will always try to do good so that the consequence will be good.

But when we don't consider the consequence, then we will have to pay the price of our careless actions.

In the gospel, Jesus gave a warning to the scribes and Pharisees when He said, "This generation will have to answer for it."

He was pointing out at the wrong that they were doing, but they didn't seem to heed His warning.

But let us listen and heed that warning of Jesus, so that when the time of reckoning comes, we will give a worthy answer for all that we have done in life.

28th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 14-10-2020

Galatians 5:18-25 / Luke 11:42-46

The practice of religious beliefs is supposed to help human beings have a moral order in their lives and to strive for higher ideals in life.

Yet the practice of religion can at times deteriorate into a matter of convenience and that gives a warped understanding of the religious demands.

For example, a Catholic may think that by just coming for Mass on Sundays and saying grace before meals is all that is to being a Catholic.

Anything more is like reinforcing a place in heaven.

But that would make religion look so cheap and that being Catholic is like a private affair.

Jesus makes it very clear in the gospel that justice and the love of God are the essentials of being a Catholic.

The justice that we owe to others is that we have to help them lift the burdens of their lives by showing them the love of God.

As stated in the 1st reading, it is the Spirit who will direct us and lead us to understand the deeper aspects of our faith.

Then we will bear the fruits of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness and self-control.

May the Spirit be our life, so that we can show others how to live life.

28th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 13-10-2020

Galatians 5:1-6 / Luke 11:37-41   

To wash a car is not quite the same as to service a car.

To wash a car would simply means that we clean off whatever dirt that is on the chassis and we would be quite satisfied by that.

To service a car would mean much more work. Just opening the bonnet and looking at the engine would mean that it would be a demanding task.

But by and large, we would be quite contented with appearances and leave insides for another time or until a problem appears.

Jesus chided those who only care about appearances and impressions. He calls them "fools".

They care about the outsides but are not too concerned with the insides.

Jesus pointed out that the inside is where the big problem is, and that is often the case.

Even in the religious sense, we may perform acts of faith.

But St. Paul tells us that what really matters is faith that makes its power felt through love.

It is with love that we give alms and help the poor and needy.

That will be a means of cleaning the heart of selfishness and greed so that the heart can become a heart of love.

28th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 12-10-2020

Galatians 4:22-24, 26-27, 31 - 5:1 / Luke 11:29-32

As human beings, we desire for independence and freedom. Even as babies, we would want to take the first step on our own towards whatever direction we want to go.

And with that we want to experience the freedom that we gain from our independence.

Yet if independence and freedom is understood in a warped way, then it would result in warped actions.

Because with independence and freedom comes greater responsibility and accountability. There will be no one to fight your battles for you and you can't push the blame on anyone else for something you did wrong.

Yes the price of independence and freedom is constant vigilance and alertness in case we go astray and end up doing something crazy.

The 1st reading said that when Christ freed us, He meant us to remain free. The reading also urged us to stand firm and not to submit again to the yoke of slavery.

To remain free would mean for us to remain in Christ and to belong to Him and committed to Him.

Without Christ, we can do nothing and we would also end up as nothing.

We have seen enough of signs to tell us that people who want to go their way without God won't be able to find peace and joy that easily.

Yes the price of independence and freedom is to stand by Jesus and depend on Him totally. That is hardly a price at all.

28th Ordinary Sunday, Year A, 11.10.2020

Isaiah 25:6-10 / Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20 / Matthew 22:1-14

Having a choice does sound so much more attractive and appealing than having no choice at all. 

Somehow, we like choices. It is like going through the menu and looking at all the pictures of the scrumptious food. 

But we know that we could only choose one item from the menu especially when there is some kind of special offer. 

And especially when there is a special offer, all the choices look so attractive and appealing, but we can only choose one. 

So as much as choices may make us feel like we are the masters, and that we are spoilt for choice, yet we also like slaves of choices. 

We have become like the slaves of the choices and it takes so much of our time and thinking just to make one choice. 

So, having too many choices may not be that attractive or appealing after all. 

Today’s gospel parable sounds like an awkward story. It begins with a king who sent out invitations for the feast of his son’s wedding. 

The awkwardness of the parable is that the invited guests would not want to go for the feast. 

The parable goes on to say why they would not go for the feast. It was because they were not interested. 

They had other personal things to do. One went out to his farm, another to his business and others even turned violent against the king’s servants. 

And then, in place of the invited guests, others who were not in the original guest list were collected, literally collected, from the road-sides to be the guests at the wedding feast. 

The parable does sound rather awkward, but just what is the parable telling us?

Among other things, it highlights the free-will to make a choice. 

But it was not a choice between two equally desirable alternatives. 

It is a choice for our destiny and also about our eternal destiny. 

It may look like an obvious choice to make but actually it can be quite a challenging choice. 

The 1st reading may give a clue as to why it could be quite a challenging choice. 

The 1st reading begins with this: On this mountain, the Lord of hosts will prepare for all peoples a banquet of rich food and fine wines, food and wine which is rich and juicy. 

If we were invited to such a banquet, and it is the Lord’s banquet, then obviously we would certainly want to go. 

But then, it is high up on the mountain, and we think about the tiring climb up the mountain and our initial fervour begins to waver. 

So even before setting off to the mountain, we already feel tired, and then other things begin to come in to distract us. 

So, in the end like the invited guests in the parable, we lose interest and we may even say it is not worth it. 

The month of October is dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary and also the month in which Our Lady made her last apparition at Fatima on the 13th of October. 

The Rosary and the message of the Marian apparitions at Fatima point to prayer, penance and sacrifices so as to obtain God’s mercy for the salvation of souls. 

It is not a new message and it has been a repeated message over the years. 

It has been a repeated invitation to go up to the mountain of prayer and to obtain God’s blessings for ourselves and for the whole world. 

And on that mountain of prayer, God will wipe away the tears from our eyes so that we can see that when we make the choice for God and for salvation, we will rejoice in His love. 

With faith and perseverance, let us climb that mountain of prayer with penance and sacrifice. There is no other better choice.    

27th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 10-10-2020

Galatians 3:22-29 / 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, that 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.

27th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 09-10-2020

Galatians 3:7-14 / Luke 11:15-26       

Fridays have a particular significance for us Catholics.

On Fridays, we do a bit more of the religious practices than other days.

Some practice fasting on Fridays. Some will abstain from meat on Fridays.

Others will add a bit more of prayers. Some will go for Mass on Fridays.

Fridays also remind us of that Friday when Jesus died on the Cross.

These are certainly good practices that keeps us focused and strong in the faith.

And as the 1st reading puts it: Those who rely on faith receive the same blessing as Abraham, the man of faith.

But the 1st reading also ends off by saying that the blessing of Abraham might include the pagans, so that through faith all might receive the promised Spirit.

We all need the Holy Spirit who will protect us from the evil one and keep our hearts pure and holy for the Lord.

The Holy Spirit will also bless us so that with the blessings from God, we will be always united with the Sacred Heart of Jesus and that we will continue the mission of salvation of souls.

May the practice of our faith lead us to a deeper union with Jesus and let us invoke God's blessings on ourselves and on all those who are in need of salvation and God's mercy.

27th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 08-10-2020

Galatians 3:1-5 / Luke 11:5:13     

To have faith means to believe that God loves us and that He cares for us and will hear our prayers.

It also means that what God can and will do for us is much more than what we can do for ourselves.

And what seems impossible for us is certainly not impossible for God.

The gospel parable tells of a man who goes to his friend in the middle of the night to ask for bread for a visitor.

Jesus ends off the parable by saying that if that man's friend does not get up and give the bread to the man for friendship's sake, persistence will be enough to make him get up and give that man all he wants.

But the persistence is not out of the man's belief in his own ability to get his friend to give in to what he was requesting.

The persistence is out of the belief in God who has the power to change hearts and minds to do what He wants.

So as we pray, let us entrust our cares and needs to the Lord who knows our minds and hearts.

As we pray, let us open our hearts and minds to the Holy Spirit who will show us what God's plans are and how to carry it out.

Our Lady of the Rosary, Wednesday, 07-10-2020

Acts 1:12-14 / Luke 1:26-38    

One of the reasons why the month of October is dedicated to the Rosary is because of the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary which is celebrated today.

This Feast was originally called the Feast of Our Lady of the Victory.

It commemorates the naval victory of Lepanto in 1571, where the smaller and outnumbered Christian fleet defeated the might Ottoman armada.

It was deemed as a miraculous victory that was brought about through the intercession of the Bless Virgin Mary.

At that time, Christian Europe was divided because of the Protestant Reformation and the Ottoman empire took the opportunity to launch an attack on Europe with a naval assault.

The Pope then, Pope Pius V tried to gather a Christian fleet to stop the Ottoman invasion but the Christian fleet was weak and outnumbered.

Pope Pius V then called on the Church to support the Christian fleet by praying the Rosary and invoking the intercession of Our Lady.

The outcome was indeed a miraculous naval victory for the Christian fleet.

Over time, the Feast was renamed the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary as the Church continued to received many miracles and deliverance from danger and crises through the powerful intercession of Our Lady.

And more so in our day, we need to invoke God's blessings and miracles through the prayer of the Rosary.

The battle is now in the heart of every Christian, every home and every Church, and it is a battle that can only be won through prayer and the Church urges us to pray the Rosary.

Our Lady also urges us to pray the Rosary every day for the peace and salvation of the world.

Yes, let us pray the Rosary every day so that there will be a bountiful harvest of blessings and miracles.

27th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 06-10-2020

Galatians 1:13-24 / Luke 10:38-42     

When we think of the important days in our life, there are certainly many memorable days.

But we will certainly remember the life-changing days and moments of our lives.

But it is said that the two most important days of our lives are the day that we born and the day we found out why (Mark Twain)

When we find out what is our destiny in life and the purpose of our life, then our choices and directions in life will certainly be more focused.

The question is how are we going to find that out.

In the 1st reading, St. Paul says this: God, who had specially chosen me while I was still in my mother's womb, called me through His grace and chose to reveal His Son to me, so that I might preach the Good News about Him to the pagans.

So God called him and he heard the call, but he didn't tell us how he heard that call.

In the gospel, Jesus said that Mary has chosen the better part, and it is not to be taken from her.

Let us sit at the Lord's feet and be still and let the Lord show us what His plans are for us.

He will show us what is the better part and then we will know our destiny and our purpose in life.

27th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 05-10-2020

Galatians 1:6-12 / Luke 10:25-37   

Everyday we hear a lot of news over the radio, tv and other media.

It is usually about what is going on in the world and how it will be affecting our lives.

Whatever we may think about those news, we may be hoping for some inspiration or something good.

But when we have heard all that news of the day, we may feel that we certainly need a lot of courage to look forward to the next day and live it happily.

But in the 1st reading, St. Paul tells the Galatians (and he is also telling us) that we have already heard the Good News.

It is the Good News of salvation, and it is certainly not a human message but a divine revelation.

But St. Paul was astonished at the promptness that the Galatians have turned away from the Good News that he had preached to them.

They seemed to be listening to another message, maybe a more attractive one that tells them about prosperity and luxury and that life would be easy.

But the truth of the Good News of salvation is about love and mercy that is expressed by the suffering and death of Jesus on the Cross.

The gospel parable of the Good Samaritan is about love and mercy.

God is love and mercy and it is through the Cross that we will experience love and mercy and find salvation.

It may not be an easy message to listen to but that is truly the Good News and we must believe in it. Any other message will leave us empty and going nowhere.

27th Ordinary Sunday, Year A, 04.10.2020

Isaiah 5:1-7 / Philippians 4:6-9 / Matthew 21:33-43

It is often said that “you reap what you sow”. Even the Scriptures would say that too in the letter to the Galatians 6:7. 

That is not too difficult to understand. Simply, it means that you have to face up to the consequences of your actions, and that future consequences are inevitably shaped by present actions. 

As we may know, especially if you are a parent, that exam fever has begun. The PSLE exams began late last week. 

Exam time is certainly a time of intense prayer. Do we know what is the difference between a prayer in church and a prayer in an exam hall? In an exam hall you really mean what you pray. 

Yes, among other things, exams can be an example of that saying “you reap what you sow”. 

And if there are bad results, the blame certainly cannot be on the teachers. 

Blaming the teachers for bad exam results is like blaming the doctors for people getting sick. 

As much as that is the truth, yet when there are problems, the blame game well kick in because no one wants to take responsibility. 

And that is the message of the 1st reading and gospel. 

In the 1st reading, there was a story of a man who had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug the soil, clear it of stones, and planted choice vines in it. He expected it to yield grapes, but sour grapes were all it gave. 

So just what happened on? It was a contradiction to that saying of “you reap what you sow”. 

The matter becomes clearer in the gospel parable when again, there was a man who had a vineyard. He leased it to tenants, but when the time came to collect his produce, it was not sour grapes but sour tenants, who just wanted what was not rightfully theirs. 

So the problem is not with the landowner or with the vineyard. The problem was the greedy tenants. 

Translating that into the educational system, it is not teachers who are to blame for bad exam results. 

Their sowed their best. They can only hope that their students will do their best. 

God is like a good teacher who has given us His best. He chose us to be His people. He cares for us and provides for us and He blesses us so then we will be faithful to Him and walk in His ways. 

We are the vineyard of the Lord and we are to bear a good harvest for the Lord. 

In this current situation, where the church is partially open, or partially close, God has also opened a church in every home. 

Every home is to be a house of prayer where the voice of prayer must be heard, the voice of prayer for blessings, for healing, for deliverance, for joy, for peace, for love. 

Oh yes, these are worrisome times, but as the 2nd reading tells us, there is no need to worry, but if there is anything we need, we ask God for it with prayer and thanksgiving, and that peace of God, which is so much greater than we can understand, will guard our hearts and minds. 

As we enter into the month of the Rosary, the Rosary reminds us not to worry, because Mary our Mother is there to pray with us and for us. 

Let us sow with the prayer of the Rosary and we will reap abundantly. 

Let us be God’s harvest of joy, so that we can bring peace and love into our worried and troubled world.

26th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 03-10-2020

Job 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17 / Luke 10:17-24

We like things to have a happy ending. If it is a story book or a movie, a happy ending will earn our approval.

Even in life, whatever we undertake, be it projects or assignments or whatever tasks, we would like it to have a happy ending, so that we would earn the approval of others.

In the 1st reading, we have finally come to the last chapter of the book of Job. The book of Job has often been the assigned reading for those who have questions about innocent suffering.

Well, the book of Job closes with a happy ending with the fortunes of Job restored and he lived to a ripe old age and full of days.

Yet Job did not find the answers as to why he had been afflicted with sufferings and tragedies. His consolation, besides his restoration, was his realization of who God is (but now I have seen You with my own eye ...)

He realized that everything happens under the watchful eyes of God, and God's plan for us is always for our good and not otherwise.

In the gospel the 72 disciples came back to Jesus rejoicing that even devils submit to them when they use the authoritative name of Jesus.

But the time will come when the whole strength of the enemy will come at them, and they will be persecuted and they will even have to face death.

It may not be that kind of happy ending that people wish for, yet for whatever ending it will be, they will accept it willingly.

Because the true happy ending will be that their names are written in heaven. May we willingly accept our difficulties and sufferings in life and realize who God is, so that our names will also be written in heaven.

The Holy Guardian Angels, Thursday, 02-10-2020

Exodus 23:20-23 / Matthew 18:1-5, 10    

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states this:

The existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls "angels" is a truth of faith. (#328)

In the meantime, the whole life of the Church benefits from the mysterious and powerful help of angels. (#334)

From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession. Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life. Already here on earth the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels and men united in God. (#336)

In the gospel, Jesus said that the angels of the little ones are continually in the presence of God in heaven.

Jesus stated quite clearly that each of us has a Guardian Angel, who is sent by God, who guides us in our journey in life and to protect us from evil and danger.

And the 1st reading tells us what our Guardian Angels want to do for us: our Guardian Angel will guard us and lead us to the place that God has prepared for us.

We only need listen to the voice of our Guardian Angel and be docile to our Guardian Angel's promptings by honouring him and by remembering to say a prayer to him.

So let us pray now to our Guardian Angels:

Angel of God, my Guardian dear

To whom His love, commits me here

Ever this day be at my side

To light and guard, to rule and guide.

Amen