2nd Week of Lent, Monday, 01-03-2021

Daniel 9:4-10 / Luke 6:36-38     

It would be interesting if at the start of the day, we use a voice recording device and we record what we say throughout the day.

And at the end of the day, when we play back the recording, what will be our reaction to the words that came out of our mouths?

Will we be proud that what we said were kind and pleasant?

Or will we be embarrassed and frown at the rough and nasty words that came out of our mouths?

To hear our own words and to feel the tone and the emotions of those words can reveal something to us about ourselves.

The words that come out of our mouths are the expressions of what is stored in our hearts.

May the spiritual disciplines of Lent, which is prayer, fasting and alms giving cleanse our hearts so that Jesus can fill our hearts with compassion and kindness.

May our hearts be healed of the urge to judge others and to resist the temptation to criticise and condemn others.

May we speak words of love and peace and be the Good News to others.

2nd Sunday of Lent, Year B, 28.02.2021

Genesis 22:1-2, 9-13, 15-18 / Romans 8:31-34 / Mark 9:2-10

There is something that we all hold highly valuable in life but it is not something tangible. 

Over and above all our belongings, possessions and whatever property we have, we treasure our freedom. 

Freedom is our right and we won’t give it up so easily. In fact, we would guard it fiercely, such that it can even be said that our freedom is our life. 

And that is where the challenge in life comes in.

To obey someone and to comply to instructions and rules can be challenging and difficult for us because we see it as an infringement to our right of freedom. 

But we also cannot deny that there are instructions, or regulations, or rules that are for our good. 

In that regard, when we don’t obey or comply, then there will be problems and there can be trouble. 

For example, the wearing of face mask is for our good. When we don’t comply then we will get into trouble with the law and even putting our health at risk. 

Or the news about wild boars intruding into residential places. One of the reasons was that people were feeding the wild boars, although feeding of wild boars is prohibited. Hence the problem was not created by the wild boars but by humans. 

But there are also certain things, both in the secular and religious realms, that seemed so difficult to understand and so difficult to comply or obey. 

The story in the 1st reading is one such example, where we heard that God put Abraham to the test and called him to offer his only son, Isaac, as a burnt offering. 

In our human understanding and reasoning, we will find it difficult to comprehend what God called Abraham to do. 

We would think that if God were to put Abraham to the test, why would God demand such a sacrifice, and it was clearly a human sacrifice. 

No doubt, it was God who gave Abraham the gift of a son, and God has the right to take it back, but why take it back in such a way. 

And we are surprised, to say the least, about Abraham’s stoic and emotionless obedience to God. 

Of course, there are spiritual reasons that will help us to understand the story in the 1st reading. 

One is that it is not so much the sacrifice of Isaac, but Abraham’s sacrifice of obedience to God. 

For Abraham, and as well as in the biblical understanding, sacrifice is offered so that one can draw nearer to God, who is above all other things. 

But the story becomes clearer with the gospel account of the Transfiguration of Jesus and the voice from Heaven that said, “This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him.” 

God sacrificed His only Son in order to save humanity from their sin and to draw humanity back to Him. 

The letter to the Philippians tells us that Jesus did not cling to His equality with God but was obedient, even unto death, and death on the cross. 

But God raised Jesus from death and exalted Him such that in heaven and on earth and under the earth, every knee must bend at the name of Jesus. 

Jesus, by His obedience, shows us two important aspects of our lives. 

That when we obey and comply to God’s ways, God draws nearer to us and it is we who will benefit from our sacrifice of obedience to God. 

Obedience is an expression of humility, and only those who are humble will understand the mysterious and yet wonderful ways of God. 

Obedience and humility are what Jesus is teaching us if we want to have true freedom in life. 

Let us listen to what Jesus is teaching us, and that is obedience and humility. 

In obeying God’s will and humbly walking in the ways of God, we will be blessed with the joy of true freedom.

1st Week of Lent, Saturday, 27-02-2021

Deuteronomy 26:16-19 / Matthew 5:43-48          

The season of Lent has a penitential character to it.

There is an emphasis on doing penance and making sacrifices, as well as fasting and to meditate on the sufferings of Jesus, especially in the devotion of the Way of the Cross.

All that have the objective of preparing ourselves for a renewal of faith as we journey on towards Easter.

This renewal of faith must begin from the covenantal relationship between God and us, and that is expressed in the 1st reading.

God takes us as His people and we pledge obedience and faithfulness to God by following His ways, keeping His statutes, His commandments and His ordinances.

But going further beyond what is required by the Lord our God, we also need to enter into a love relationship with God.

It is with love that we internalise what is required of us and we slowly grow into communion with God, to be what God is.

God is love and faithfulness. He is merciful, compassionate and forgiving.

More than just keeping to what God requires of us, we must grow to be like God.

As we journey on in Lent, may we enter deeper into God's love and strive to be perfect as He is perfect.

1st Week of Lent, Friday, 26-02-2021

Ezekiel 18:21-28 / Matthew 5:20-26        

What we are endowed with, be it our intelligence, talents, gifts and abilities will probably be in us for our lifetime, unless something drastic happens.

So it can be said that if we are born with it, then we will always have it.

But whatever we are not endowed with, or whatever we are not born with, then we will have to develop and nurture it, if we desire it.

So things like learning a language, learning how to swim, how to drive a vehicle, how to play a musical instrument, all this we will have to acquire along in life.

That goes the same for the life of holiness. By our baptism we are called to a life of holiness. 

Because of Original Sin, we have lost the gift of holiness, and even after our Baptism, we must strive for holiness.

Because we have been wounded by sin, and as much as we strive for holiness, we also must be aware of our weaknesses and that we can easily fall into sin, and even fall into grave sin.

But Jesus is our Saviour. He has saved us from our sins through the Cross and He will continue to stretch out His hand to save us.

Let us hold on firmly to His hand and through the Cross we will grow in holiness and have the strength to turn away from sinfulness.

1st Week of Lent, Thursday, 25-02-2021

Esther 4:17 / Matthew 7:7-12        

We may be able to recall those moments in our lives when we are in mortal danger.

It may be a grave illness or a precarious situation that could result in serious injury and even danger to life.

Or on a less serious level, it may be a situation when we are in serious trouble and there seems to be no way out.

Oh yes, we will remember these instances, because they are etched and seared into our lives and we also knew what we did at that time.

Like queen  Esther in the 1st reading, who took refuge with the Lord in the mortal peril which had overtaken her, we too implored and begged the Lord to deliver us from the mortal danger and precarious situations of our lives.

Queen Esther said something that we must also always remember. At the end of the 1st reading, she said this: Come to my help, for I am alone and have no one but you, Lord.

And the Lord God did come to her rescue and saved her.

As Jesus said in the gospel - Ask and it will be given to you; search and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

Yes, the Lord will rescue us and save us from the mortal dangers and precarious situations of our lives when we call upon Him.

May we also be willing to be at the Lord's service when He calls upon us to go to the help of those in need.

1st Week of Lent, Wednesday, 24-02-2021

Jonah 3:1-10 / Luke 11:29-32          

To turn away from sin and to repent is certainly not easy at all nor as easy as it seems.

We can try to rely on our determination and will-power, but we must admit that we have given in and crumbled when the temptation is stronger.

Maybe at times the only way to get us to be serious with repentance is with the threat of punishment.

That was what the Lord told Jonah to do. His message to the Ninevites was short and sharp: Only forty days more and Nineveh will be destroyed.

But what was remarkable was that the Ninevites heeded the message of that Jewish prophet and although they had to be threatened with punishment, they repented and turned away from sin.

As for us, we certainly should be more sensible than the Ninevites.

We know what sin is and we know we have committed sin.

But we also know that Jesus suffered and died to save us from our sins and eternal punishment.

What should move us to repent and turn away from sin is not the threat of punishment but the love of God as expressed on the Cross.

May we see the love of God on the Cross, and through the power of the Cross may we repent and turn away from sin.

1st Week of Lent, Tuesday, 23-02-2021

Isaiah 55:10-11 / Matthew 6:7-15        

Every action has a reaction and we see that in everyday life.

The 1st reading gives an example from nature, that as the rain and snow come down from the heavens, it waters the earth, and makes plants grow and bear fruit.

The Lord uses that example to tell us that the Word that goes forth from His mouth must also enter into our ears and into our hearts so that we will know what He wants of us and to do His will accordingly.

So we must pay attention to God's Word and let it take root in our hearts and to bear fruit in our lives.

And we must also pay attention to the words that are coming out of our mouths.

Our words must also be the fruit of God's Word in that our words must be for the good of others, to encourage them and to help them walk in the ways of the Lord.

So too must be our prayer. Our prayer is not to be some babbling, as Jesus pointed out in the gospel, words that don't come from our hearts and which won't go up to God.

If our words are to be for the good of others, then our prayer should also lead us to do the good that God wants of us.

May the Word of God fill our hearts, and from what fills our hearts, may it be for the good of others and also for our good.

Chair of St. Peter, Apostle, Monday, 22-02-2021

1 Peter 5:1-4 / Matthew 16:13-19     

This feast of the Chair of St. Peter the Apostle, points to two fundamental and important aspects of the Church.

Firstly, the Church is founded by Jesus Himself as He says in the gospel, "You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church."

So the Church is divine as it is build by Jesus and He is the Head and the Church are members of His Body.

Secondly, the Church is also human and Jesus bestowed His authority on Peter and his successors.

But very often, the human dimension of the Church seems to come out more frequently in the media.

And with that the focus is often on the flaws and failings of the Church, besides the other sensational stories.

Still, we must believe that the Church is divine, and as Jesus Himself said, "The gates of the underworld can never hold out against it."

Neither the gates of the underworld nor the flaws and failings of the members of the Church can diminish or erode the authority that Jesus bestowed on Peter and on the Church.

Let us pray that Jesus will continue to watch over the Church, to protect it from evil, and to bless it so that it will fulfill its mission of being a means of salvation for the world.

 

1st Sunday of Lent, Year B, 21.02.2021

Genesis 9:8-15 / 1 Peter 3:18-22 / Mark 1:12-15

Nowadays, traveling out of the country is not as easy and not as convenient as before. 

Because when we enter into the other country, we will have to be quarantined for a number of days, and it is usually around 14 days. 

Similarly, for foreigners, or when we return to Singapore, we will have to serve a Stay-Home Notice of 14 days.

We may think that those 14 days should pass by quickly and all we need to do is just eat and sleep. That sounds quite easy-going. 

But for those who had served a Stay-Home Notice, they will say otherwise. In fact, they say it is quite depressing and they felt like they were in some kind of prison. 

Well, if 14 days is hard to go by, then how about 40 days? Actually, we had gone through a bit of that last year during the “Circuit breaker” which lasted for 1 month, 3 weeks and 4 days. 

That was tough, as we had to stay indoors, we can’t go out and also there was nowhere to go. We won’t want to go through that again, certainly. 

But if we think that was tough, how about spending 40 days in a big boat, and in an ark, with 8 persons and a whole lot of animals, and it was raining non-stop and there was nowhere to land. 

Certainly, our endurance, patience and tolerance are put to a stress test, with outside being wet and cold and inside being stuffy and smelly. The ark was certainly not a luxury cruise ship. 

Well, that was the situation with Noah’s ark and we heard about it in the first and second readings. That makes the “Circuit breaker” look like quite a piece of cake. 

In the gospel it was quite another situation. Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness without food, being tempted by the devil, there were wild beasts and the only consolation was that the angels looked after Him. 

Even so, the wilderness was far from comfortable. In fact, besides being all alone, life is also stretched to the edge. 

And with the devil coming in with the temptations, then Jesus had to call upon every ounce of strength to keep focused and firm.

The gospel did not say how the devil tempted Jesus. But going by our own “Circuit breaker” experience, we can guess what it was. 

It is the favourite tool of the devil and it is called despair. Despair comes from two Latin words, “de” which means down, and “sperare” which means hope. 

So, despair means to give up hope. Because when we give up hope, then there is nothing else to look forward to, and we lose faith and the devil will then use us. 

Yes, despair is scary. We can imagine if despair sets in Noah’s ark, and they give up being patient and tolerant and they go for each other’s throats. Then they will not see any rainbows at the end of the 40 days of rain. 

With Jesus, He could have given in to despair in the harsh surroundings of the wilderness and the disturbing temptations of the devil. 

If He had given up, then there will be no Good News to proclaim. 

But having gone through the 40 days and resisted the devil’s temptations, Jesus then set off to begin His mission with these words:  Repent and believe the Good News. 

And that is the shield to resist the devil’s temptations. Repentance is the answer to despair. Believing in the Good News gives us hope.

So, in our 40 days of Lent, let us persist in prayer, in fasting and in alms-giving. 

We repent of our sinfulness and put our hope in God’s forgiveness. 

Then we will be able to see the rainbow of God’s love and be filled with the Good News of joy.

Saturday after Ash Wednesday, 20-02-2021

Isaiah 58:9-14 / Luke 5:27-32

The season of Lent has a penitential orientation for us.

It constantly reminds us of the need for repentance and conversion.

Of course that means that we are going to be reminded of our sinfulness.

Sinfulness might seem to be an abstract subject for reflection and self-examination.

But when we reflect on our inter-personal relationships, we would immediately come to see that there are areas in our relationships with others that we have crumbled.

The 1st reading mentioned two graphic images that we can easily identify with - the clenched fist and the wicked word.

Yet when we confess our sinfulness in our relationships with others as well as with God, then we shall become like a watered garden and a spring of water that will never run dry.

Indeed, during this season of Lent, Jesus wants us to know that He came to call sinners to repentance.

Sinfulness makes us sick in the spirit. Jesus is our Healer. Let us turn away from our sinfulness and follow Him as Levi did.    

Friday after Ash Wednesday, 19-02-2021

Isaiah 58:1-9 / Matthew 9:14-15      

The practice of fasting is found in almost all religions.

Fasting as a form of spiritual discipline is also highlighted as we began Lent with Ash Wednesday, besides that of prayer and alms giving.

But fasting is more than just skipping a meal and feeling the physical hunger.

Fasting is also a form of prayer, and as in any form of prayer, it must also bring us closer to God.

As we heard in the 1st reading, the Lord says this: Is not this the sort of fast that pleases me, to break the unjust fetters and undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke, to share your bread with the hungry, and shelter the homeless poor, to cloth the man you see to be naked  and not turn from your own kin?

In short, fasting should cleanse us from selfishness and greed and to draw us closer to God and to those who are in need.

Fasting also cleanses us of the darkness of sin in us and brings about the healing grace of God so that God's light can shine within us again.

So let us take this spiritual discipline of fasting seriously, and we will see the fruits in our lives, fruits of love, kindness, compassion and charity.

And we will also be drawn closer to God and to our neighbour.

Thursday after Ash Wednesday, 18-02-2021

Deuteronomy 30:15-20 / Luke 9:22-25       

The most prominent symbol of Christianity is the cross.

Yet the cross is also a contradiction of meanings.

It was meant to be a symbol of condemnation and death. 

But Jesus has turned it into a symbol of salvation and life.

The season of Lent is to help us discover and understand the true meaning of the cross.

As Jesus said in the gospel, "If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross every day and follow me."

Jesus sets before us the cross, just as Moses set before people life and prosperity, death and disaster.

The choice is ours - to accept and embrace the cross or to reject and deny the cross.

As we begin the season of Lent, let us look at the cross.

May we understand the true meaning of the cross and find in it salvation, life and blessings.

Ash Wednesday, 17-02-2021

Joel 2:12-18 / 2 Cor 5:20 - 6:2 / Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18    

Today as we begin the season of Lent, a rather lowly substance comes into prominence, i.e. ashes, and the Church even calls today Ash Wednesday.

The ashes that will be sprinkled on our heads later are made from palm branches blessed on Palm Sunday.

The ashes have no value whatsoever. They can’t be used for any purposes.

As its name indicates, it is broken down to its least and humblest form.

Yet, this almost useless substance is used by the Church to be a sign of our repentance, and also to remind us of our mortality and frailty.

No matter who we are, how strong we are, how much we have achieved, we will all eventually turn to dust and ashes.

That is the reality as well as our finality in this world.

But the ashes also remind us of who is our Creator. God created us from the dust of the earth and today we are reminded to be as humble as these ashes.

As Jesus reminds us in the gospel, whatever we do, even our spiritual works, are of no merit if it is done for self-gain.

God looks at our hearts. We can only offer Him the ashes of our humble deeds. 

But God will raise us from the ash heap and then we will realise, we must realise, that we must live our lives humbly and to do everything simply for the glory of God.

And God will reward us. In fact He will be our reward. 

May we not desire for the things of this world for all things will pass.

May we desire only for God, and He will be our eternal reward.     

6th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 16-02-2021

Genesis 6:5-8; 7:1-5, 10 / Mark 8:14-21       

By and large, we interact with who and what is around us through our senses.

So what we see, hear, touch, smell and taste will influence and form our interactions with others and with the other things around us.

Hence by our perceptions, we make our conclusions and decisions.

But that also means that what we perceive must be processed correctly otherwise our conclusions and decisions will be wrong.

In the gospel, the disciples thought that Jesus was talking about bread when Jesus warned them to keep their eyes open and to be on their guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.

Jesus had to ask them, "Have you no perception?" Obviously the disciples do not understand what they see and what they hear.

In the 1st reading, the people could not perceive that they were sinning greatly against the Lord.

Their hearts were hardened and coarsened by wickedness and sin and they cannot understand the evil they were doing.

Let us pray that the Lord our God will soften our hearts with His love so that we will always be able to perceive His presence and do what is pleasing in His eyes.

6th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 15-02-2021

Genesis 4:1-15, 25 / Mark 8:11-13       

Our emotions are very powerful signs of what is going on within us.

They are also very critical indicators of what we intend to do next.

If we are feeling high with love, then we may feel that nothing is too difficult to accomplish and no sacrifice is too painful to be offered.

But if we are angry and downcast, then those emotions are certainly warning signs of danger.

And if the anger is left burning, then it will become a destructive fire that will burn others as well as ourselves.

In the 1st reading, God warned Cain that his anger and his ill disposition is like a crouching beast hungering to devour him and cause him to sin.

But Cain did not heed the signs nor check himself. Instead he gave in to his anger and ill disposition and ended up killing his brother Abel.

God always gives us the signs of what is happening within us. God also gives us signs of impending danger.

There is no need to ask for a sign. What we need to ask for is that we be sensitive to the signs that God is giving us.

Then we will know what God is showing us and that we steer clear of danger and that we will always do the good and right thing.

6th Ordinary Sunday, Year B, 14.02.2021

Lev 13:1-2, 45-46 / 1 Cor 10:31 -11:1 / Mark 1:40-45

There are four words which we have been hearing over the past few days and we’ll still be hearing it for the next few days. 

Those four words are Chinese words and they are “Gong Xi Fa Cai”. The translation means congratulations and wealth or prosperity. 

That is the usual and popular Lunar New Year greeting and it also expresses our desire and longing in life. 

We desire to be wealthy, or at least to always have money, so that we will be happy and have no worry. It’s as simple as that. 

Though it may sound as simple as that, yet we all know that it is not easy to be wealthy. 

Along the way we might realize that the only way to be wealthy is through hard work, and if we desire to be wealthy, then we will have to work hard for the money. 

But it is said that we use our health to gain wealth and then later on we spend our wealth to try to regain our health. 

So, what we really desire in life is health so that we can enjoy our wealth. 

But it seems that we always lack in one or the other. 

In the gospel, the leper came to Jesus and pleaded on his knees: If you want to you can cure me. 

Although there were no details about the leper’s background and how he contracted the disease or how long he has been suffering from it, yet it is clear that he was desperate. 

He pleaded with Jesus on his knees. He has lost everything - whatever wealth, family, friends, health, and he also knew he was losing his life. 

In that plea of desperation, Jesus responded with a divine proclamation: Of course I want to! Be cured! 

As we think about the gospel account, we will come to realize the essentials of life and what we really want. 

We want to be reasonably healthy in life so that we can live life happily. We don’t need to be that wealthy in order to be happy. We should realize by now that health is wealth.

We will certainly pray that we will not be in that kind of situation like the leper - in desperation, in isolation and in desolation.

And we pray that when we are afflicted with an illness or sickness, we will believe that Jesus will cure us and we will hear those words: Of course I want to! Be cured! 

A priest was relating this particular experience he had. He received a call to visit a terminally ill patient. 

He went to the hospital and came to the single bedded room that the patient was in. He knocked on the door and went in. He saw the patient and introduced himself and said that he came to pray for the patient and to give him the Anointing. 

But the priest was taken aback when the patient said: For what? Don’t you think I’ve been praying, but nothing is happening. I don’t need any more prayers. 

The patient turned around and didn’t want to look at the priest. The priest was stumped and he didn’t know what to do next. 

Then by sheer divine inspiration, he took the cross from his hospital kit and placed it on the drawer next to the patient’s bed. 

Then he said to the patient, “I am leaving this cross on the drawer. Maybe you ask Jesus why your prayers are not answered.” 

With that he left the hospital. 

A few days later, the priest received a call from the patient’s relative to inform him that the patient has passed on. 

The relative also said that after the priest had visited the patient, he was seen clutching the cross to his heart. 

There was also a strange transformation from anger to come calmness and the patient passed on peacefully. 

What can be said from all this is that the Cross of Christ has the power to transform desolation to consolation, from desperation to salvation. 

Because on the Cross, Jesus suffered to take away the pain of our infirmities. On the Cross Jesus died so that we can have life and be fully alive with the love of God. 

In the cross we hear again the words of Jesus: Of course I want to! Be cured! 

Let us embrace the Cross. In the Cross we will find healing, peace and salvation.

5th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 13-02-2021

Genesis 3:9-24 / Mark 8:1-10    

Whenever we use the word "where", we would be referring to a location or a place or a destination.

So with that word, we would tell others where we are staying, where we are going, where we have placed certain things or where certain things can be found.

In the 1st reading, the Lord God called out to the man with this question: Where are you?

The man and his wife had sinned against the Lord God by eating of the forbidden fruit.

The Lord God could have gone straight to the matter and asked: What have you done?

But in asking the question "Where are you?" it implies that the Lord God wanted to make the first move towards the man.

The Lord God wanted to offer the man reconciliation rather than pronounce a condemnation.

The Lord God is more merciful and compassionate than we can ever expect.

We see that in the gospel when Jesus multiplied the meagre bread and the fish to feed the four thousand people.

Let us not hide ourselves from God's mercy and compassion. Our sin makes us doubt God.

God is more loving than we think or expect. With His love, we will know where we are and what the will of God is for us.

Chinese New Year, Friday, 12-02-2021

Numbers 6:22-27 / James 4:13-15 / Matthew 6:31-34     

Wishing one and all a Happy “Niu” Year. May this year be an ox-picious year as well an an ox-cellent year for all of us.

As we begin the Lunar New Year, which in the Chinese zodiac, is the Year of the Ox, we have come to church to pray for two essential aspects of our lives – protection and blessings.

Oh yes, we know what the current situation is all over the world, and we pray for God’s protection over us as well as to keep us safe.

Having done as much as we could to keep ourselves safe and healthy, yet we also know that in God alone is our protection and security.

We ask the Lord our God to give us the strength like that of a young strong ox, so that we will persist and persevere in our faith as we put our trust in God who is our guard and our shield.

As how the 2nd reading puts it, the most we could ever say is that if it is the Lord’s will, we shall be able to do this or that.

And Jesus tells us in the gospel: Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.

But in order not to be over-worried and anxious about the future, we need to ask God for His blessings.

Like the response in the Responsorial Psalm, we too must say: Lord, give success to the work of our hands.

Oh yes, if the Lord does not build the house, in vain do the builders labour. If the Lord does not watch over the city, in vain does the watchman keep vigil. (Ps 127)

The 1st reading tells us that the Lord will bless us. As long as we turn to the Lord, He will let His face shine upon us and be gracious to us.

So let us look forward with hope as the Lord will grant us the strength of the ox to build the Church with love and to produce a harvest of joy.

May the “Niu” year “moo”-ve us closer to the Lord as we “moo”-ve together towards the future.

5th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 11-02-2021

Genesis 2:18-25 / Mark 7:24-30       

At times we wish we could be all alone with no one to bother us and we can get things done our way and get it done quickly.

There might be times when we think that having others around and having to work with them is really a chore and troublesome.

But we have to acknowledge the truth of what the Lord God said in the 1st reading: It is not good that man should be alone.

As much as we may desire to be alone by ourselves for some time, it can be quite unimaginable to be all alone for a long time and more so by choice.

And it is also quite unimaginable that Jesus would reject that Syrophoenician woman her request for her daughter's healing of the demonic possession.

There could be many explanations for His initial cold dialogue with that woman, but in the end He granted her request.

Jesus probably knew that the woman was already all alone trying to find a cure for her daughter, and she was at the end of her desperation.

Jesus will also not leave us alone to fight our battles.

But like that Syrophoenician woman, we must persist and persevere and put our faith in the Lord Jesus.

Jesus will always be by our side even if no one else want to be.

5th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 10-02-2021

Genesis 2:4-9, 15-17 / Mark 7:14-23        

As much as eating is something we do everyday, yet whatever we are eating is not to be taken in without discernment.

Certainly, we must give thanks to God for the food that we are to consume.

But we also must be careful about what we are going to eat. Food that is spoilt or expired is not to be eaten otherwise we will end up with a bad tummy.

As it is said, we are as healthy as what we eat, or don't eat.

If what goes into the stomach affects our physical health, then what goes into our hearts will affect our spiritual health.

In the 1st reading, the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil was obviously not just an ordinary fruit but it was a forbidden fruit, and eating of it had spiritual consequences.

In the gospel, Jesus made it clear that while all food is good for the body, it is what goes into the heart that has spiritual consequences.

So as much as we discern whether the food that we are about to eat is good or not for us, we must be even more discerning about what goes into the heart by what we see and hear.

Let us keep our hearts clean and pure, a heart that is pleasing to God, so that our hearts will bear good fruits for the glory of God.

5th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 09-02-2021

Genesis 1:20 -2:4 / Mark 7:1-13       

As the People of God, our spiritual vision should be that we see God in all things and to give thanks to God for all things.

We must see the goodness of God in all things because God created all things good.

We heard in the 1st reading that as God created the earth and all living things, He saw that all is good.

When God created human beings in His image and He saw that it was very good.

God commanded human beings to take care of His creation and to beautify it for His glory.

But when human beings sinned, the relationship between God and man and the relationship between man and creation was also broken.

Sinful humanity began to have vested interests and ulterior motives, and Jesus pointed that out in the gospel when He said that the commandment of God was put aside so as to cling on to human interests.

As God's Chosen People we have this mission to bring humanity back to the state of goodness that God has created.

And we must begin with ourselves, that we see God in all things and to give thanks to God for all things, so that we bear witness to the goodness of God in this world.

5th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 08-02-2021

Genesis 1:1-19 / Mark 6:53-56

There is this saying : Don't judge a book by it cover.

In other words, just as we can't say what are the contents in the book just by looking at its cover, neither can we say what a person is really like just by his looks.

Nonetheless, we can't deny that looks do reveal.

Looks do reveal something about the feelings of the person and something about his heart.

For example, the angry look, the hurt look, the loving look, the tender look, etc.

In the gospel, we heard that the people recognized Jesus.

The recognition is more than just the physical features. They saw deeper than just the physical dimension.

They saw in Him, the look of mercy and unconditional love.

They saw in Him, the face of love, the face of God.

In the Eucharist, Jesus shows us the face of His love.

He gives to us who His is and what He is.

When we partake of the Eucharist, we change just as bread and wine is changed.

We too take on the look of love ; we take on the face of love.

May others recognize that look and see that face in us.

5th Ordinary Sunday, Year B, 07.02.2021

 Job 7:1-4, 6-7 / 1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-23 / Mark 1:29-39

One of the favourite Singaporean pastimes, besides eating, is shopping. Especially after indulging in delicious food, the next thing to do is to have a little exercise and go window shopping at the malls or shopping centres. 

But the style of shopping has also evolved over the years especially over the past one year. 

From window shopping in the brick-and-mortar stores, we have gone to online shopping out of curiosity, but now it is online shopping out of necessity. 

With safety measures and restrictions, online shopping has become a pastime and also a new norm. 

And with that comes the rise in prominence in the profession of delivery service, or for ease of speech, we call them the “delivery man”. 

From the time we place the order for an item online, we will have to wait, expectantly and even eagerly, for the delivery man to come. 

And when he calls and arrives with our items, we will be happy that the waiting is over. And we will be even happier if what we ordered is exactly what we received, otherwise this refund and exchange hassle can be quite troublesome and time-consuming. 

Well, in the past we will go to the store and get what we want and can get it almost immediately, but now we place an order online and then we have to wait for the delivery man to come with the goods.

So we should be thankful for those delivery service providers, or also known as “delivery man” and it would be good to compliment them when we see them. 

In the gospel, we could see that Jesus had a pretty busy day. From Simon’s mother-in-law, to those who came to Him in the evening, Jesus was doing some kind of delivery, well actually, He was doing deliverance. 

Jesus came to deliver the Good News of Salvation, and for those who were longing to be delivered from illness or sicknesses, from physical or spiritual torment, they saw in Jesus the one they were waiting and longing for. 

In the gospel, besides all that wondrous healing and deliverance from evil spirits, there is also the quiet moment of prayer for Jesus. 

And when His disciples looked around for Him and found Him and told Him that everyone was looking for Him, Jesus had this to say: 

Let us go elsewhere, to the neighbouring country towns, so that I can preach there too, because that is why I came. 

That was a profound statement of His mission. Jesus came to deliver the Good News of Salvation, and that was expressed in His ministry of deliverance from physical and spiritual torment and distress. 

But we must realize that we need Jesus to be our Saviour and to deliver us from our sins, just like we need the delivery man to deliver the items to us. 

We must realize and acknowledge that we cannot save ourselves, or heal ourselves, or protect ourselves from evil and danger. 

We need Jesus to be our Saviour, our Healer and our Protector. 

What we cannot do for ourselves, Jesus will do for us because that is why He came. 

Let us end off with a prayer for deliverance from the “nots” in our lives. We must believe that what we cannot do for ourselves, Jesus will do for us.

Dear Jesus,

Please untie the knots in my mind,

my heart and my life.

Remove the have nots, the can nots, and the do nots that I have in my mind.

Erase the will nots, may nots, might nots that may find a home in my heart.

Release me from the could nots, would nots and should nots that obstruct my life.

And most of all, dear Jesus, I ask that You remove from my mind, my heart and my life all of the “am nots” that I have allowed to hold me back, especially the thought that

I am not good enough. Amen.

Yes, what we cannot do for ourselves, Jesus will do for us, because that is why He came.  

4th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 06-02-2021

Hebrews 13:15-17, 20-21 / Mark 6:30-34  

The need for rest and recreation seemed to be like a missing element in our lives.

In our fast paced society, we can even feel guilty about having some rest and recreation when everyone seems so busy.

We may have become so used to busyness and hurried lives that we forget about the necessity of rest and recreation.

But rest and recreation is about doing nothing and sleeping our time away.

It is about a quiet time for prayer and to refocus our hearts on God.

In the gospel when the disciples came back from their mission and reported what they had done, the response of Jesus was for them to go to a lonely place and rest.

Because the temptation to do more and more especially with success after success can make people lose focus and perspective.

We have to realize that success cannot be created by our own hands.

It is God who will give success to the work of our hands.

Only when we are rested in the hands of God in prayer will our busyness bear fruits that last.

4th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 05-02-2021

Hebrews 13:1-8 / Mark 6:14-29         

With great power and authority, there must also be responsibility and accountability.

And since all are equal and have the right to be treated equally, then those are given authority and power must be responsible and accountable to the vulnerable.

In the gospel, we hear of a man who had great power and authority.

Being a king, Herod made sure he had power and held on to power by being ruthless and merciless.

John the Baptist was of no threat to him whatsoever, but Herod had him imprisoned and later executed him for no reason at all.

Herod will be held responsible and accountable for the evil that he did when he meets the Lord face to face.

We too need to realise that we have been given great power.

The 1st reading tells us that God said this - I will not fail you or desert you, and so we can say with confidence: With the Lord to help me, I fear nothing, what can man do to me?

Yes, we have the power of God to help us overcome our trials and fears.

But it is with the power of God that we love each other and help others in their need.

That is a great power that we are given. We have to be responsible and accountable to that.

4th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 04-02-2021

Hebrews 12:18-19, 21-24 / Mark 6:7-13          

In order to catch or attract people's attention, it may be necessary to employ some kind of dramatic or spectacular tactics.

So, a big show with bright lights and loud sounds would certainly make people turn their heads as well as get their attention.

But the 1st reading tells us the mystery and presence of God is nothing known to our senses: not a blazing fire, or a gloom turning to total darkness, or a storm, or trumpeting thunder or some loud noise.

Like how the prophet Elijah experienced the presence of God in the sound of a gentle breeze, the mystery and presence of God is often found in the simple and humble.

As Jesus sent out the Twelve in pairs, He gave them authority over the unclean spirits and almost nothing else.

They had nothing to attract the people's attention, and in fact they had to be so simple and ordinary that they can be easily written off.

But with the authority from Jesus and with the power of God working in them, they set off to preach repentance and they cast out many devils and anointed sick people with oil and cured them.

Let us learn how to be simple and humble in our lives. It is through simplicity and humility that God will empower us to proclaim the Good News with our lives.

4th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 03-02-2021

Hebrews 12:4-7, 11-15 / Mark 6:1-6        

The human inclination is always towards comfort, leisure and pleasure.

And that is after the basic needs of food, shelter and clothing are fulfilled.

That being said, it is quite obvious that difficulties and discomfort are to be avoided, and needless to say, pain and suffering are regarded obstacles to an enjoyable life.

So when the 1st reading says that suffering is part of life's training, we may wonder what is the training for.

It says that the Lord trains the ones He loves, and as God's  children, we must be prepared for that training in suffering.

But it is a training in love. Love is a sacrifice and it entails suffering. 

Suffering without meaning is futile and it only makes a person bitter and hardened.

But suffering with love and for love makes us united with Jesus who suffered for us in order to save us and to make us understand the power of love.

Life is more than just eating and drinking and what to wear and what to enjoy.

Life is about the discovery of God's love for us and that will be through the Cross of Christ.

With love, and to suffer for love and suffer with love, we will discover the meaning of our lives on earth.

The Presentation of the Lord, Tuesday, 02-02-2021

Malachi 3:1-4 / Hebrews 2:14-18 / Luke 2:22-40            

Today's Mass began with the blessing of candles.

There can also be a procession with lighted candles into the church if that is possible.

The significance of the blessing and lighting of candles is connected closely with this feast of the Presentation of the Lord.

Mary and Joseph brought the infant Jesus to be presented to God as laid down by the Law.

The purpose of the presentation was for purification and consecration.

But in the feast of the Presentation, it was Jesus who came to the Temple as the Light of the World, to purify the Temple and to consecrated the Temple to God.

The blessed candles are to be brought home where we will light them up during prayer.

May Jesus, the Light of the world, enlighten our homes, purify it and consecrate it so that we can present to Him a worthy dwelling place.

May we keep His light shining brightly so that we will be a consecrated People of God.