Mary, the Holy Mother of God

Numbers 6:22-27 / Galatians 4:4-7 / Luke 2:16-21

One year ago this day, we began the new year happily. Things were generally going on well and good then. In fact, we were looking forward to a good year ahead.

We had planned out the year and we expected things to go as planned: our schedules, our celebrations, our projects, our holidays. We may even be expecting it to be a profitable year for us.

Well, looking back, we know how the year turned out. There were major interruptions and disruptions; we had to make drastic adjustments and re-calibrations.

We were anxious and worried; we were cautious and even afraid.

Nobody really expected it to be such a turbulent year with so many unpredictables.

Not many of us can say that it has been an enriching and fulfilling year.

But most of us will say that 2020 was a year to remember.

As we step into the first day of 2021, we are certainly more sober. We ponder and wonder what will the days ahead be like.

In the gospel, Mary also wondered and pondered at what the shepherds said about the Child Jesus.

Her life was drastically changed ever since she said “Yes” to the Lord at the Annunciation.

As she carried the Child Jesus in that stable at Bethlehem, she wondered, she pondered and she treasured in her heart all that had happened.

We too wonder and ponder about all that had happened to us.

Indeed, the year 2020 is a year to be remembered. But is it a year to be treasured?

Well, it was a rough and turbulent year. But there were lessons learnt.

We learnt to go back to prayer and it can be said that we did a lot of praying, maybe we never even prayed so much before.

But it was through prayer that we felt God’s protection and guidance, just as He protected and guided Mary to fulfil His will for her.

As we wonder and ponder with Mary on God’s plan for us, let us also give thanks for the gift of prayer and treasure it in our hearts.

May we also stay close with Mary, the Mother of God and our Mother, as she prays with us and for us.

Through her intercession, may we receive blessing upon blessing, and have the strength and courage to face the difficulties of life, and yet be peaceful and joyful with the love of the Lord 

Seventh Day Within Octave of Christmas, Thursday, 31-12-2020

1 John 2:18-21 / John 1:1-18   

As we come to the last day of the year 2020, we will think about how this year has turned out.

We might even be tempted to say: O God, can you please reboot 2020. The one that you sent had a virus! 😂

So, if we really could, would we really want to go back in time and start 2020 all over again?

The gospel passage began with these words: In the beginning was the Word.

It reminds us that Jesus, the Word of God, was with us as we began this year, and that He was with us throughout the year.

We may look back at the year with regrets and with disappointments at all the things that have gone wrong and think that it had been a really rough year.

But we have survived the year, and thanks be to God, we still are able to look forward with hope to the new year and the days to come.

But we must stand firm in our faith that Jesus has always been with us and will always be with us, no matter how rough and tough the days ahead may be.

It is our faith in Jesus that we can have the hope and the courage to look forward to the days to come.

The future is in the hands of Jesus. Let us thank Him for being our Saviour and He will bestow us with grace upon grace.

Sixth Day Within Octave of Christmas, Wednesday, 30-12-2020

1 John 2:12-17 / Luke 2:36-40     

It can be said that experience comes with age and those in the senior age group certainly have a lot of experiences in life and they would know quite a bit about life also.

The seniors, with their experience, would certainly have some wisdom to share with us if we are humble enough to listen to them.

In the gospel, the 84 year old Anna is called a prophetess, although there were no recorded prophecies from her.

But at her age and having gone through quite a bit in life, she would have enough wisdom to share with those who seek her counsel.

And with her life of prayer and fasting and service to God, her wisdom would certainly be inspired by God.

She came by just at that moment and she spoke of the Child to all who looked forward to God's promise of salvation.

For Mary and Joseph, it was another affirmation of who the Child Jesus really is.

As for us, let us listen humbly to the voice of God from the seniors in our midst.

They will tell us what life is about and they will also tell us how God wants us to live our lives.

Fifth Day Within Octave of Christmas, Tuesday, 29-12-2020

1 John 2:3-11 / Luke 2:22-38         

We have many wishes in life. Some wishes have come true while others still remain as wishes.

But what is our greatest wish and desire in life?

It certainly cannot be a temporary wish for something that can just make us happy for a while.

If we really want to think about it, then we will come to see that our greatest desire is to close our eyes peacefully when it comes to our time to leave this world.

For Simeon, he had lived an upright and devout life. 

The Holy Spirit rested on him, and it was revealed to him that he would not see death until he had set eyes on the Christ of the Lord.

And Simeon had his wish fulfilled when Mary and Joseph brought the infant Jesus to the Temple.

Whatever our wishes are in life, may our deepest desire is to be at peace with God and with others as we close our eyes to this world.

Jesus will grant us that when we keep our eyes fixed on Him and live an upright and devout life.

Holy Innocents, Martyrs, Monday, 28-12-2020

1 John 1:5 - 2:2 / Matthew 2:13-18    

As the Church tells the Christmas story after the birth of Jesus, it is obvious by now that it is not just a rosy heart-warming story.

After celebrating the birth of Christ on Christmas Day, the Church follows on with the feast of St. Stephen who suffered martyrdom by being stoned to death.

And today, the story is followed on with another bloody heart-wrenching story of the massacre of the infants in Bethlehem.

Those infants were hardly 2 years old and they were killed under the orders of a paranoid king who felt threatened by an infant whom he came to know as King of the Jews.

The Church calls those infants The Holy Innocents and proclaimed them as martyrs, although it was certainly not their choice to offer their lives for Christ.

Those infants hardly knew the difference between their left hand and right, neither did they did anything bad, or for that matter, anything good.

But the Church honours them so as to state the virtue of innocence and that those who lost their lives innocently from violence and hostility will not lose their lives in vain.

They will be remembered, just as the Holy Innocents are remembered and honoured.

Their cries will not be in vain as God will gather them into His loving arms.

But may the cries of the innocents, whether of infants, children or adults, be heard by us so that, with God-given courage, we will do whatever we can to put an end to the violence and hostility against the innocent.

Holy Family, Year B, 27.12.2020

Ecclesiasticus 3:2-6, 12-14 / Col 3:12-21 / Luke 2:22-40    

There are a couple of words that will stir the heart. And not just the heart, but also the mind. 

It may just be words, but somehow there is a feeling to it, and it brings out some emotions in us. 

One of those words is “home”. The other word is closely associated with it, and that is “family”. 

Yes, home and family. Two words that will stir up some thoughts in the mind and some feelings in the heart. 

And especially at this time, some of us may feel it more. Because of travel restrictions and other factors, we can’t go home and to be with family. 

But it is also especially at this time, that home and family are very much in the focus because we are at home more often and we spend more time with family members. 

Now, that should be a good thing isn’t it. After all, people often say that they wish to be at home more often and to spend time with family. 

Well, there is always a flip side to things and some quirky comments have come up over this situation: 

- My family is temperamental: half temper, half mental.

- What is the point of cleaning up the home, if these people are going to keep staying here. 

- If I were to shake my family tree, I’m sure that a bunch of nuts will fall out. 

But before we go too much into the quirky side of the family, let us remember that this weekend, the Church is celebrating the Feast of the Holy Family. 

It is a feast that is very near and dear to us, because it is a celebration of who God is, who Jesus, Mary and Joseph are as family, what the Church is, and what we are as family. 

God is family, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus came into this world and He was born into the family of Joseph and  Mary. 

The Church is a reflection of who God is and what the family is about. 

And these profound aspects of life and love flows down to us and into our families. 

Our families are to be like that of Holy Family, united in love, so that we can be signs of the unity and the love of God who is Trinity. 

But we know how challenging family life can be and how difficult it is to love our family members. 

In fact, the ones who can be the most difficult to love are the very ones who are closest to us, i.e. our family members. 

They can be difficult to love and they can also hurt us the most. The most painful tragedy of the family is when resentment turns into hatred resulting in division and even violence. 

And it can and usually start from small and petty things like dissatisfaction and unhappiness. 

Joseph could have thought: I don’t want any more dreams. I want a peaceful life. I’m tired of taking care of Mary and Jesus. 

Mary could have thought: I did what God wanted me to do. How come life is not smooth and comfortable? I feel so insecure. 

And if baby Jesus could talk, He might have said something like: This is not my idea of a crib. Couldn’t Joseph and Mary do better than this? 

They could have thought that way, but they didn’t because they chose not to. 

They chose to love and with love as their decision, they accepted each other and their situation and hence the Holy Family reflected who God is and what our families should be like. 

Yes, never let resentment against family members lead us into sin. The sunset must not find us still angry. Do not give the devil his opportunity. 

Rather with every sunrise, let us pray that the life and love of God will fill the hearts of our family members, so that united in heart and mind, there will be peace and joy, as well as kindness and forgiveness. 

May the Holy family also pray for us, that we will have the strength and courage of Joseph, the tenderness and faith of Mary, and may Jesus protect our families from all evil and danger.

St. Stephen, Protomartyr, Saturday, 26-12-2020

Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59 / Matthew 10:17-22   

On the day after Christmas Day, it would be easier to talk about those things that are associated with the birth of Christ.

After all the images of Mary and Joseph, the shepherds and the sheep, the Star and the wise men, and even the ox and the donkey at the stable are fresh in our minds.

But on the second day of the Christmas season, it is about St. Stephen and his martyrdom, and we might wonder what it has to do with the birth of Jesus.

When we look beyond the Christmas carols and the festive celebrations that are often attached with Christmas, we will see the shades of rejection, hostility and violence that surrounded the birth of Jesus.

There was king Herod who wanted to track down the baby Jesus and do away with Him; there was no room at the inns in Bethlehem for Mary to give birth to Jesus; there were more important things happening, like the census, than the birth of the Saviour.

With these in mind, then we will be able to see the connection between the birth of Jesus and the martyrdom of St. Stephen.

St. Stephen witnessed to  Jesus with his life, even though like Jesus, he did nothing that was wrong.

Yet his death would have an influence on Saul, who would later be converted and be St. Paul.

The birth of Jesus and the rejection, violence and hostility He faced were indications of His future death for the salvation of sinners.

Let us pray that like St. Stephen, we too will witness to Jesus and be instruments of His salvation for others.

Christmas, Year B, 25.12.2020

This year’s Christmas is a Christmas to remember. Because it is a Christmas like no other, as far as most of us can remember.

For us who came for Christmas Mass in the past, whether on Christmas Eve or on the Day itself, we know what it was like.

We would be sitting side by side, and standing shoulder to shoulder. 

Well, this Christmas we are all spaced-out, literally spaced-out, but we won’t be down and out.

Someone, or some people, came out with this rather amusing protocol for the setting up of the Nativity crib for Christmas 2020, and it goes like this:

a. A maximum of 5 shepherds will be permitted in the crib.

b. All will have to wear masks and observe social distancing.

c. Joseph, Mary and Baby Jesus will be able to stay together as they form a family bubble.

d. The ox and donkey has to be certified for non-contamination by the health authorities.

e. The Three Wise men will be subjected to a 15-day quarantine, hence they are not present in the Crib.

f. The straw and other decorations must be disinfected with alcohol.

g. All non-essential persons are not allowed to be at the Crib.

h. Pontius Pilate will explain to all authorised participants how to wash their hands.

We will certainly smile at this. Yes, mask or no mask, we will smile because that is what Jesus came to bring.

Whatever the situation is, Jesus came to be with us, COVID-19 or whatever.

Jesus is the Emmanuel, the God-is-with-us, the Word-made-flesh, the Saviour who comes to bring light to us who are now in a kind of land of deep shadow.

The deepest darkness disappears with the faintest light. 

Jesus is the true Light that shines through the dark, a light that the darkness could not overcome.

Covid-19 has stopped a lot of activities. But thanks be to God, it didn’t stop Masses from resuming, it didn’t stop Christmas from happening, and it shouldn’t stop us from smiling and giving thanks to God for His blessings!

Come to think of it, the greatest gift that God has given us this Christmas is that we are able to see, whether on-site or online, that our Saviour was born in the little town of Bethlehem.

He was born in the midst of unfavourable conditions, His birth was celebrated in the midst of wars and disasters, and His birth is now celebrated in the midst of this pandemic.

We learn from our forefathers that the celebration of Christmas gave them hope and they survived and lived on to celebrate more Christmases.

We too want to celebrate Christmas, we too want to have that hope, that with the grace of God, we will overcome and look forward to more Christmases to come.

Our homes are now little Bethlehems, and it is for us to make room for Jesus to celebrate His birth.

There are certainly no restrictions for us, to come before the Nativity Crib in our home to contemplate the beauty of our Saviour and to ask Him to bless us with peace and joy.

May we be filled with the wonder of Mary, the obedience of Joseph, the joy of the angels, the eagerness of the shepherds, the determination of the wise men, and the love they had for the Child Jesus.

May we too be filled with that love and may this Christmas, be a Christmas to be remembered. 

Advent 24th December 2020, Thursday

2 Sam 7:1-5, 8-12, 14, 16 / Luke 1:67-79      

As we finally come to the day that we are waiting for, we may have a few things that we want to do for this evening as well as for the day after.

We may have all our plans laid out in our minds and then carry them out like clock-work.

In the 1st reading, David too had some plans in his mind, and the prophet Nathan supported his plans.

But that very night, the word of the Lord come to Nathan, and hence David's plans will have to change.

As we come to the final day of the preparations to celebrate the birth of our Saviour, let this evening be a silent and holy night.

The Lord come to visit us with His blessings of peace and joy.

If and when things don't go according to plan, then we have to trust in the Lord that He has better plans for us.

God's plan for us are always for our good and for our salvation.

Jesus is like the rising sun who will give light to those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death.

Let this evening be a silent and holy night so that Jesus will guide our feet into the way of peace and that the celebration of His birth will truly bring joy to our hearts.

Advent 23rd December 2020, Wednesday

Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24 / Luke 1:57-66    

It is just two days before Christmas day and despite the situation, there is a flurry of activity.

Last-minute decorations are put up, although it may not be as much as before.

Appointments are being made to meet up whether online or in whatever ways.

Whatever the situation may be, we still want to celebrate and lift up our spirits.

The 1st reading reminds us that the purpose of all our activities is to prepare for the Lord's coming into our midst.

And He will be coming into an aspect of our lives that we may not have paid attention to.

The 1st reading points to this: He will turn the hearts of fathers towards their children and the hearts of the children towards their fathers.

So the Lord wants to come into our family relationships, just as the birth of John the Baptist brought joy to Elizabeth and Zechariah and it was a celebration of God's blessings.

Yes, the Lord is coming to our homes and into our family relationships.

Let us prepare to welcome Him into our home and let us also ask Him to bless our family relationships that there will be love, peace and harmony

Advent 22nd December 2020, Tuesday

1 Sam 1:24-28 / Luke 1:46-56  

Having to say goodbye is usually with a tinge of sadness.

Especially when we are enjoying the company of the other(s) and when we are with our loved ones.

When it comes to saying goodbye after having a good and enriching time, we will tell each other that we will meet again and that we look forward to the next meeting, which we hope won't be that far away.

In the 1st reading, we hear of Hannah who brought her only son Samuel to the temple of the Lord in Shiloh.

Hannah, with her son Samuel, came before EIi, and that in thanksgiving to the Lord for granting her a son, she has decided to "make him over to the Lord". 

That means Hannah was going to part with her son Samuel and leave him in the Temple with Eli.

It was certainly with sadness that Hannah was going to part with Samuel, her only son.

Will they ever meet again, only God knows, but it was for the love of God that Hannah was making this sacrifice.

In the gospel, we too hear of another parting. Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back home.

Will they ever meet again, there was no certainty.

But one thing was certain in the hearts of Hannah, Mary and Elizabeth.

That when everything is said and done, they will rejoice in the company of God, who too had to part with His only Son in order to save humanity.

May we too trust and believe that God looks upon our sacrifices of love and will reward us with a joy that is everylasting

Advent 21st December 2020, Monday

Zephaniah 3:14-18 / Luke 1:39-45      

We may wonder why Mary set out and went as quickly as she could to see Elizabeth.

Given the travelling conditions at that time, it was certainly not an easy or smooth journey.

Besides she has just conceived and it would be better for her to rest and take care of herself and her health.

But the blessing that she received at the Annunciation was so great that she wanted to share that blessing with Elizabeth,  and also to share Elizabeth's joy of pregnancy.

The gospel passage is indeed about the joy of God's blessings.

The 1st reading is also about the joy of God's blessings, which is described as shouting for joy, a rejoicing heart, with no evil to fear.

The 1st reading even describes how much God wants to give His blessings: He will exult with joy over you, he will renew you by his love, he will dance with shouts of joy for you.

Yes, God is so eager to give His blessings on us. We just have to ask and we will receive.

And when we share God's blessings with others, as Mary did, then we will receive blessing upon blessing.

4th Sunday of Advent, Year B, 20.12.2020

2 Sam 7:1-5, 8-11, 16 / Romans 16:25-27 / Luke 1:26-38

One of our desires in life, besides wanting to be happy, is that everything would be peaceful and smooth sailing. 

We don’t like it when life becomes bumpy and rocky and stony. In other words, we don’t like to be disturbed in life, whether by situations or by people. 

When we are disturbed, we will get irritated and frustrated, and we will grumble and complain. 

What we have undergone, and are still undergoing, is a great disturbance. We can call it the disturbance of our generation. 

The only consolation is that everyone, in fact the whole world, is affected by it. We have not heard anyone say “I love this pandemic” or that “I was looking forward to this”. For anyone to say that, they must be crazy. 

Oh yes, this time has been a time of great disturbance. 

But when we think about it, since when life is without disturbance. 

From the moment we came into this world, it is one disturbance after another. Life is like a series of disturbances. 

Today’s gospel passage is commonly known as the Annunciation. It is a message of the good news of salvation. 

But when we read it again, we will notice that when the angel Gabriel greeted Mary, she was disturbed, and deeply disturbed. 

And maybe even before that, and if we do some imagining, we may picture the angel Gabriel being rather disturbed when God told him to go and announce that message to Mary. 

We can imagine that as Gabriel came to Nazareth, he was a bit anxious and a bit nervous. 

Would Mary accept what he was going to tell her? It sounded so out of this world, so impossible. 

And true enough, Mary was disturbed, deeply disturbed. And Gabriel had a lot of explaining to do. 

But in the end, Mary accepted. But that doesn’t mean that the disturbance has ended. In fact, more was to come. 

As we hear this passage on the last Sunday of Advent, we would not think of it as a disturbing message. 

After all, Christmas is just a few days away, and we want to be happy and forget about the disturbances of life. 

But actually, disturbances are a source of growth and we can draw strength and experience from it. 

We see in nature. When the winds blow, the trees are disturbed, but they grow stronger from it and they hold on firmer to the ground. 

This time of great disturbance has affected all of us, and especially the seniors. 

Today is the day that Fr Paul Tong celebrates the 67th anniversary of his priestly ordination. 

We would want to celebrate for him and he would have loved to see us without wearing masks and without having to observe safe- distance. He would have loved to see us celebrate without any restrictions. 

At 93 years old, this situation has affected and maybe even disturbed him. 

But 67 years ago, when he said “Yes” to the Lord, the Lord gave him the strength to face the challenges of the ministry and the disturbances of life. 

Oh yes, Fr Tong has had his share of challenges and disturbances: he couldn’t go back to his family and his country when there were persecutions against the Church; he had to adapt quickly to different life-styles and learn different languages; he had to keep believing when the going was rough. 

Fr Tong has shown us what perseverance and resilience is about when we say “Yes” to the Lord. 

So like Mary our Mother, and like Fr. Paul Tong, let us also say “Yes” to the Lord. 

We will face challenges and disturbances, but we will overcome and we will grow stronger and be happy in life.

Advent 19th December 2020, Saturday

Judges 13: -7, 24-25 / Luke 1:5-25  

In the two readings of today, there is a tone of an initial misfortune.

A married couple having no children was an embarrassment to society at that time, and some people may even think that the couple is under some kind of curse.

The couple themselves would feel ashamed that they have no descendants, because the family line would be terminated.

But for the two couples in today's readings, Zechariah and Elizabeth, and Manoah and his wife, they were blessed for their faithfulness to each other and to God.

Because for the Jewish people at that time, being barren or sterile could be grounds for divorce.

Also the unfortunate couple would be subjected to slanting looks and wagging tongues that poke and cut till they wilt and fade and eventually they would separate.

Yet the two couples remained together, enduring the embarrassment and the shame, and enduring it together.

But God blessed them with sons who would become famous men in bible history.

Which makes us call to mind the times when we experienced misfortune and embarrassment and even shame.

Did we still believed that God did not abandon us, and did we still remained faithful to Him?

When we have survived those moments, then we will know this for sure :
When we abandon ourselves to God, God will not abandon us.

Advent 18th December 2020, Friday

Jeremiah 23:5-8 / Matthew 1:18-24        

There is no better place to be than to be at home, especially for Christmas.

Surely, to be at home for Christmas is a warm good feeling, especially to be among family and loved ones.

Home is where we can call our own place with our own space, a place to be comfortable and secure.

The 1st reading was really good news for People of God who were in exile in a foreign land as the Lord says: Judah will be saved and Israel dwell in confidence.

And a promise is also made: the Lord will lead back and bring home the descendants of the House of Israel out of the land of the North and from all the countries to which He had dispersed them, to live on their own soil.

That was certainly good news for the people as they longed to go back to their own country and to their own homes and to live on their own soil.

But for Joseph to find out that Mary was with child, that was not good news to him at all.

Being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, Joseph decided to divorce Mary informally, but the angel of the Lord intervened and he changed his mind, and he took Mary to his home.

As we draw closer to Christmas, let us make our homes a place of prayer where there will be love, peace and joy.

Joseph made a place for Mary and Jesus in his home. 

May we also make a place for Jesus, Mary and Joseph in our homes.

Advent 17th December 2020, Thursday

Genesis 49:2, 8-10 / Matthew 1:1-17   

Today begins the "octave" before Christmas, and that means it will be eight more days to Christmas.

This time of Advent, this "octave" before Christmas, is also a time when the identity of Jesus Christ is reflected and meditated upon.

Jesus is the Word of God made flesh and He is God who became man.

The 1st reading prophesied that from the tribe of Judah will arise a ruler to whom the peoples shall render obedience.

That means the Messiah or the Saviour would come from the tribe of Judah.

In the gospel, the first line begins with this: A genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham.

Jesus is the Christ, the "Anointed One" of God, and He is given the title of "Son of David" to mean that he will be from David's line and he will be a greater king and ruler than David.

Jesus Christ is also given the title "Son of Abraham" to mean that He will fulfill the covenant that God made with Abraham, who is the father of faith.

But besides these profound titles and profound meanings, what is essentially important is that Jesus is the "Emmanuel", the God who came to be with us and to be like us in all things except sin.

Let us meditate and be in the presence of God so that we can truly experience the saving love of God made present in us.

3rd Week of Advent, Wednesday, 16-12-2020

Isaiah 45:6-8, 18, 21-26 / Luke 7:19-23    

Human beings are certainly above the rest of creation and are endowed with many capabilities.

It is with these capabilities that humanity has progressed and developed.

Each of us have our own capabilities and we too have achieved much in our lives.

But no matter how high our status is, how rich we are, how influential we are, how capable we are, we are still human beings and have our limitations and weaknesses.

John the Baptist was considered the greatest of the prophets because it was he who pointed out who the Saviour is.

But in the gospel, we heard that he sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus if He was the Saviour.

Even though John the Baptist was specially chosen by God to prepare the way for Jesus, he too had his doubts and uncertainties.

We too need to acknowledge that we have our limitations and weaknesses.

But as Jesus said, happy are we who put our faith in Him.

As the Lord God said in the 1st reading: Apart from me, all is nothing.

May we put our faith in God and trust in Jesus, for without Him, we are truly nothing.

3rd Week of Advent, Tuesday, 15-12-2020

Zephaniah 3:1-2, 9-13 / Matthew 21:28-32    

When bad and evil people (aka "sinners") turn over and become good, it is really wonderful.

We may even ask what was the reason for their conversion. 

Of course, we believe that God is the one who made their conversion possible.

But could we say that we prayed fervently for their conversion and we played a part in their conversion?

When Jesus told the gospel parable of the two sons, He simply said that the first son thought better of his initial refusal and did what his father wanted him to do.

But in the reality of life, it would take a lot of prayers and sacrifices for sinners to turn away from their bad and evil ways and to live a good life.

We know from our own lives how difficult it was to resist temptation and to break away from sin.

So besides praying for our own conversion, we need to pray and do reparation and expiation for sinners.

Their conversion would certainly deepen our faith and even help us in our own conversion.

3rd Week of Advent, Monday, 14-12-2020

Numbers 24:2-7, 15-17 / Matthew 21:23-27     

To understand what the 1st reading is talking about, it would be necessary to read the Book of Numbers where Balaam, makes his first appearance.

Although Balaam was not a Jew, he was considered a prophet of God, for he hears the word of God, he sees what God makes him see, and that he receives an answer from God.

But he was engaged by the enemies of Israel to lay a curse on Israel. So although he was a prophet, he too could be bought at a price to do something that could be against God.

Balaam had intended to curse Israel, but he couldn't do it and instead he changed his curse into a blessing for Israel.

And in that blessing, he even prophesied about "the star of Jacob" who would take the leadership, and that a sceptre rises from Israel.

Even though he was a prophet of God, he did not always live up to his faithfulness to God as later he would conspire with the enemies of Israel to lead Israel astray and become unfaithful to God.

In the gospel, we hear of another prophet that was brought up for discussion by Jesus when He was questioned about His authority.

John the Baptist was not just another prophet, but he was considered the "greatest" of all the prophets because it was he who identified and pointed out who the Saviour was.

The people all knew that, including the chief priests and the elders, and that was why Jesus brought him up for the discussion on authority, because John the Baptist had proven that he was a true prophet of God.

May we also prove to be true prophets of God by being a blessing for others and Jesus has given us the authority to do so.

3rd Sunday of Advent, Year B, 13.12.2020

Isaiah 61:1-2, 10-11 / 1 Thess 5:16-24 / John 1:6-8, 19-28

As we begin the third week of Advent, there is a certain anxiety as well as an expectation. 

In less than two weeks, it will be Christmas, but it doesn’t look like Christmas is around the corner. 

Even in and around the parish, we couldn’t quite put up the decorations yet because of the repair and repainting works. 

We didn’t want the white paint to drip on the decorations and make it a white Christmas, literally. 

Even putting up the Nativity scenes inside and outside the church was done with a bit of hesitation, and precautions had to be taken. 

Still, we will move on towards Christmas. We must move on towards Christmas. 

Even though there are cancellations of festive events, the celebration of Christmas is our expectation and there will be no cancellation. 

And with the lighting of the third candle of the Advent wreath, which is the rose- coloured candle, it signifies the lighting of hope, that there will be rejoicing. 

Because this beautiful time of Advent is to awaken in all of us memories of goodness and to open doors of hope. 

The gospel of this Sunday is a bit similar to that of last Sunday in that it features John the Baptist … again. 

John the Baptist may seem to be a rather out-of-place figure in our preparation for the Christmas celebration. 

But he is an important figure in the Advent season, because as the gospel says, he was sent by God, to be a witness, to speak for the light. 

He preached a message of repentance and the baptism for the forgiveness of sins. 

And that is actually the essence of our Advent preparation isn’t it?

Because repentance and forgiveness of sins will lead to a rejoicing and fulfil our expectations of a meaningful Christmas celebration. 

The rose-coloured candle of the Advent wreath reminds us that we are given the Holy Spirit who will help us to be witnesses like John the Baptist was the witness. 

We are to bring good news to the poor and bind up hearts that are broken. 

We are to turn the situation of darkness and gloom into light and make it bright. 

Yes, the darkness and gloom have broken our hearts and we long to hear good news of hope and rejoicing. 

We have been spammed with the gloomy news of the spreading pandemic, rising infections, closing of businesses and increasing stress and anxiety. 

But the 2nd reading reminds us to be happy at all times, to pray constantly and for all things to give thanks to God. 

With this call to mend broken hearts and to be witnesses of hope, let us begin with the messages that we send to others. 

Some messages are seen as spam and in the email it may end up in the spam folder. 

But let us send Spirit-filled messages and change the understanding of spam into an acronym: Special Prayers And Messages. 

Yes, we must send out Special Prayers And Messages so as to bring hope and mend broken hearts. 

This weekend, the Archdiocese launches a year-long celebration of 200 years of the existence of the Church in Singapore, also known as Catholic200SG. 

The mission of the church is to bring hope and to mend broken hearts. That is also our mission. 

Let this Advent be an Advent of Special Prayers And Messages. 

Let us remember that God has called us to this mission and He will help us to be witnesses of Hope and to be menders of broken hearts.

2nd Week of Advent, Saturday, 12-12-2020

Ecclesiasticus 48:1-4, 9-13 / Matthew 17:10-13  (Memorial of Our Lady of Guadalupe)

December 12, 1531 was a very special day in the history of the Catholic Church and Mexico.

Prior to that, on December 9,1531, a poor and humble Aztec Juan Diego saw an apparition of a young girl at the Hill of Tepeyac, near Mexico City, and he recognized her as the Virgin Mary.

Juan Diego told his story to the Spanish Archbishop of Mexico City,  who instructed him to return to Tepeyac Hill, and ask the "lady" for a miraculous sign to prove her identity.

The first sign was the healing Juan's uncle who was suffering from a deadly illness. Then Mary told him to gather flowers from the top of Tepeyac Hill.

Although December was very late in the growing season for flowers to bloom, Juan Diego found Castilian roses, not native to Mexico, on the normally barren hilltop.

Then Mary arranged these in his peasant cloak or tilma. When Juan Diego opened his cloak before the Archbishop on December 12, the flowers fell to the floor, and on the fabric was the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

With that, and also within a short time, about six million native Mexicans were baptized and Christianity grew from then onwards. It also brought about a reconciliation between the Spanish conquerors and the natives.

Indeed, the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is nothing less than a divine piece of art by the divine painter.

Yes, God wants us to know that He is always present among us, not only through the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, but also in our Advent preparations, as we prepare for the Word to be made flesh in our lives again.

2nd Week of Advent, Friday, 11-12-2020

Isaiah 48:17-19 / Matthew 11:16-19       

Life as we know, is never smooth-sailing and without problems.

We tend to grumble about life and when the grumbling gets intense, we will take it out on people.

We will resort to complaining about people, whether spoken or written.

But the fact is that complaining about people will not solve any problems; in fact more problems will be created.

And the fact is that we complain because we can't do anything to change the people that we are grumbling about.

That seems to be what Jesus is saying about the people of His time - they grumble, they complain and they criticise, but nothing good is coming out of it.

But in the 1st reading, the Lord, the Holy One of Israel says this: I, the Lord, your God, teach you what is good for you, I lead you in the way you must go. If only you had been alert to my commandments, your happiness will have been like a river.

So we know the solution to our grumbling, our complaints and our criticisms against people or situations.

We must turn to the Lord our God and learn His ways and walk in His paths.

As the Responsorial Psalm teaches us, may we also respond with this: Anyone who follows you, Lord, will have the light of life.

2nd Week of Advent, Thursday, 10-12-2020

Isaiah 41:13-20 / Matthew 11:11-15        

The first line of the Beatitudes in the gospel Matthew 5:3 says that blessed are the poor in spirit, they shall inherit the kingdom of God.

But in gospel of Luke 6:10, it says that blessed are the poor, for the kingdom of God is theirs.

However we may want to interpret that, we can be sure of this.

To be poor and to live in poverty is not pleasant or comfortable at all.

The poor are often exploited and they suffer injustice especially when the worldly favour falls on the side of the rich and powerful.

Yet, we can be sure of another thing, and that is, God is on the side of the poor.

As we heard in the 1st reading: The poor and the needy ask for water, and there is none, their tongue is parched with thirst. I, the Lord, will answer them, I, the God of Israel, will not abandon them.

Yes, God favours the poor and He is on their side, and God will answer their cries for help because for the poor, God is their only help.

As we heard in the gospel, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence and the violent are taking it by storm.

God sent John the Baptist to preach the message of repentance and to give hope to the poor and needy that God will come to their help.

The poor is always in our midst. They cry out to God for help.

God is asking us to listen to their cries. Let us go to their aid and with them we too will inherit the kingdom of God.

2nd Week of Advent, Wednesday, 09-12-2020

Isaiah 40:25-31 / Matthew 11:28-30      

Tiredness is something that we experience in life.

It may be physical tiredness, it may be mental tiredness, or it may just be fatigue and we might not even be sure if it is physical or mental.

And to add on to the question, could it even be spiritual tiredness?

If we are spiritually tired, then no doubt physical and mental fatigue will set in.

If our hearts are burdened with anxieties and worries, if our hearts are not at rest, then life is really a tiresome journey.

The 1st reading tells us to do this: Lift up your eyes and look. Who made these stars if not He who drills them like an army, calling each by name? So mighty is His power, so great his strength, that not one fails to answer.

The energy that we see in nature - the sun, the wind, the sea - are impressive and we know it is God who created them.

We too are created by God, and we are given power to put out wings like eagles, but we get tired out and weary by the many cares in life.

And when we fail to obey God and when we don't live our lives according to His will, then spiritual fatigue sets in followed by mental and physical tiredness.

The season of Advent calls us to heed the call of Jesus to come to Him, and to learn to accept and carry the crosses of our lives.

The cross may seem burdensome and difficult, but in it we will find rest for our souls and we will receive the strength to put out wings like eagles and live life joyfully.

Immaculate Conception of the B V Mary, Tuesday, 08-12-2020

Genesis 3:9-15, 20 / Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12 / Luke 1:26-38       

The meaning of the feast of the Immaculate Conception  is that Mary is conceived in the womb of her mother without any stain of sin.

Church doctrine states that, from the first moment of her existence, Mary was preserved by God from the Original Sin and filled with sanctifying grace that would normally come with baptism after birth. 

The Immaculate Conception was proclaimed as a dogma in 1854 by Pope Pius IX. It means that it is to be accepted as an infallible statement of faith.

But more importantly, it means that God is the one who is made the Immaculate Conception of Mary possible. 

It was God who bestowed this unique and special grace on Mary, and the angel Gabriel reiterated this when he greeted Mary with "Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you".

It was also a fulfilment of the promise of salvation that we heard in the 1st reading, when the Lord God said to the serpent, "I will make you enemies of each other, you and the woman, your offspring and her offspring".

God prepared Mary to bear Jesus, the Son of God, who is the Saviour of the world, and who would destroy evil and bring about forgiveness of sins and salvation and to make us children of God.

As children of God, we are united with Jesus our Saviour, and we also acknowledge Mary as our Mother.

We are blessed with all the spiritual blessings of heaven in Christ, as the 2nd reading tells us, so that we like Mary will always do the will of God and carry out God's plan of salvation in our lives.

Let us also turn to Mary and pray: O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you.

2nd Week of Advent, Monday, 07-12-2020

Isaiah 35:1-10 / Luke 5:17-26      

In life, it is inevitable that we make mistakes and commit wrong doing.

From the penal perspective, the legal system will prescribe the due punishment for the mistakes and wrong doing, which can be anything from a fine to a jail term.

From the spiritual perspective, there is moral code to adhere to and from that moral code we will know if we have committed any wrong doing, or plainly speaking, we will know if we have sinned.

For us Catholics, when we know we have sinned, we will go for Confession to receive forgiveness and to do penance for our sins.

Yes, God in His mercy and compassion will forgive us our sins and we must atone and make reparation for our sins.

In the Lord's Prayer, there is this phrase: Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespasses against us.

So as much as what the scribes and Pharisees said is true, that God alone can forgive us, Jesus also taught us to pray that we forgive those who have wronged us, just as God our Father forgives us our trespasses.

To err is human, to forgive is divine. Let us remember that we are called to be like God, and to forgive others just as we desire to be forgiven.

2nd Sunday of Advent, Year B, 06.12.20

Isaiah 40:1-6, 9-11 / 2 Peter 3:8-14 / Mark 1:1-8

It is around this time of the year that we hear a particular type of music. It is a type of music that is so peculiar that we hear it only at this time of the year, and yet it is so easily identifiable. 

Obviously, we are talking about Christmas music, which usually can be heard as early as mid-October. 

It can be anything as pop as “Jingle Bells” to as sacred as “O come let us adore Him”. 

Year in and year out, we hear that Christmas music and we are familiar with it and we will sing along with it.

At times it may get a bit overplayed but we still get along with it because it gives us the mood for the season. 

The music is somehow “imprinted” into us.

This year, with all that is happening, the festive mood is rather subdued and toned down. 

The Orchard Road light up was almost like a non-event, and the lights and decorations are less fanciful and less lavish. 

Anyway, the Christmas decorations this year are generally much lesser and maybe even the Christmas music is softer. 

But for us there is a void that needs to be filled. 

Although the Christmas feeling is rather toned down and seems lesser, but maybe lesser can be better for us. 

At least the festive commercialization of Christmas is lesser and the reason for the season gets clearer. 

And maybe because the Christmas music is less and softer, we feel that something is missing. 

And indeed, there is something missing. There are no practices for the Christmas carols because the choirs have gone silent. And there is also no public carolling. 

But we want to hear the Christmas music. At least we hope that the music can lift us up from the gloom. 

We want to hear that music, because it is imprinted in our hearts. Christmas is going to look or sound strange without those Christmas carols. 

Our consolation is to turn to our CD collection and hear those carols. 

It is not just to get into the mood. We are beginning to realize that those Christmas carols give us hope, that the yearly cycle of life and love is renewed. 

There is a voice in those Christmas carols that tells us who God is and who we are to Him. 

In the 1st reading, the prophet Isaiah was the voice of God to the people as he says: Console my people, console them, says your God. Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and call to her. 

In the gospel, it was John the Baptist who was the voice of God to the people, a voice that cries out in the wilderness to prepare a way for the Lord and to make His paths straight. 

But for us, where or who is the voice of God? Could it be in those Christmas carols that we hear year in and year out, but never really took notice? 

But now that the Christmas carols are lesser and softer, we long to hear more and to hear it louder. 

The voice of God that is “imprinted” in those Christmas carols is slowly awakening our hearts to listen. 

We want to listen and to be consoled.

Over this period of time, we have learned to live with lesser, we have learned what is necessary, we have learned what is important. 

We want to listen to the message of repentance and make our own paths straight for the Lord who is the Giver of life and love. 

We want to listen and the season of Advent tells us that in order to listen, we have to be silent. Anyway, the word “listen” and the word “silent” have the same letters. 

Oh yes, listening to Christmas carols will bring us some consolation. But it also calls for reflection. 

And there’s one peculiar thing about music and more so about Christmas music. 

The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between the notes. The great composer Mozart said that, and he certainly knows what he is talking about. 

So, as we listen to those Christmas carols, let us also be silent. 

May it bring us consolation from God, and may the paths of our hearts be straightened for Jesus to come and dwell in us.

1st Week of Advent, Saturday, 05-12-2020

Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26 / Matthew 9:35 - 10:1, 6-8     

To believe in God is certainly a comfort and a consolation.

To know that God loves us and cares for us and will protect us from dangers is certainly very comforting.

To know that God is merciful and compassionate and that He will forgive us our sins is indeed very consoling.

But we must also accept the lessons that God wants to teach us if we had gone wrong or gone astray.

In the 1st reading, the prophet Isaiah knew that as much as God will forgive, yet God will also teach His people how to walk faithfully in His ways.

The prophet says in the 1st reading: God will be gracious to you when He hears your cry, when He hears, He will answer. When the Lord has given you the bread of suffering and the water of distress, He who is your teacher will hide no longer.

In the gospel, we see the effects of sin on the people - diseases and sicknesses, harassment and dejection, as well as poverty and injustice.

Jesus came to proclaim the Good News of the kingdom by curing all kinds of diseases and sickness, and to teach the truth of life and love.

Let us walk in the ways of the Lord and follow Jesus in the path of salvation. 

And if we experience sufferings and hardships, let us believe that God is teaching us something and it will always be for our good.

That is comforting and consoling enough for us to keep our faith in God.

1st Week of Advent, Friday, 04-12-2020

Isaiah 29:17-24 / Matthew 9:27-31    

The new liturgical year (Year B) begins with the season of Advent, and we are already coming to the end of the first week of Advent.

The purpose of the season of Advent is to prepare us to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ and also to prepare us for His second coming in glory.

In order to have a meaningful Advent preparation, prayer, meditation, reflection and silence is necessary.

But the underlying purpose of Advent is to contemplate the mystery of the Incarnation, and to understand what it means by God becoming man in the person of Jesus Christ.

For God to take on human nature with all its weaknesses is illogical to say the least, and on the extreme end, it is really absurd.

Why would the divine be lowered to a human state and to experience pain, suffering and hardship.

But God so loved the world that He sent His only Son Jesus Christ into the world and He became like us in all things, except sin, so that He can save us and help us to understand the great love of God for us.

Do we really believe that? Just as in the gospel, Jesus asked the two blind men, "Do you believe I can do this?", Jesus is also asking us if we can believe how great God's love is for us.

The mystery of the Incarnation is a deep mystery. Let us, in the time of Advent, set aside time for prayer, meditation and silence to enter into this mystery and be loved by God.

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First Friday Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament (with English subtitles)
4 Dec, 8.30pm Singapore time (GMT +8)
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St. Francis Xavier, Patron of Missions and Missionaries, Thursday, 03-12-2020

1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-23 / Mark 16:15-20

St. Francis Xavier was a student of St. Ignatius of Loyola, and he was the co-founder of the Society of Jesus and one of the first seven Jesuits who were formed in 1534.

He led an extensive mission into Asia and he was influential in the spreading of the faith especially in India.

He even ventured as far as China but he was only able to reach what is now Hong Kong. In fact, he died there on the 3rd December 1552.

Along the way, he also converted many people in India, especially Goa,  and also in Indonesia and Japan. He is said to have converted more people than anyone else has done since St. Paul.

For this reason he is the patron saint of the missions, together with St. Therese of the Child Jesus.

And like St. Paul, St. Francis Xavier also considered preaching the Good News not just as a duty but also as a blessing.

Like what St. Paul said in the 1st reading, he made himself as a slave to everyone so as to win as many for God as he could.

Like St. Paul, St. Francis Xavier also made himself all things to all men in order to save some at any cost.

Like St. Paul, St. Francis Xavier left behind a legacy of missionary work and spirit that formed the blueprint and foundations of the Catholic faith in the countries.

As the Lord Jesus promised, He worked with St. Francis Xavier and confirmed with His word with signs.

We have seen these signs, and may we continue to see these signs so that we in turn will  proclaim the Good News, like St. Francis Xavier did.

1st Week of Advent, Wednesday, 02-11-2020

Isaiah 25:6-11 / Matthew 15:29-37       

We know that great things have humble beginnings. 

For example, great oak trees grow from small acorns. Big cities are built stone by stone.

As we begin a new liturgical year with the season of Advent, we are brought back to the humble beginnings of our salvation.

God's plan of salvation began in Jesus coming to the world as a little helpless baby.

And even in the ministry of Jesus, He used simple and humble things like bread to show the signs of the kingdom of God and God's care and love for His people.

All these simple and humble signs point to the heavenly banquet that is being prepared for those who accept the saving love of God.

So the season of Advent is a time to look at the simple and humble signs like the Nativity scene, the candles on the Advent wreath and the Christmas tree.

When we understand what all these signs point to, then we will know that God's saving love is found in the simple and humble people who do the simple and humble things.

Let us go back to the humble beginnings of our faith and may we grow to be signs of God's saving love for the world.