St. Joseph the Worker, Saturday, 01-05-2021

Genesis 1:26 - 2:3 / Matthew 13 : 54-58

Today the Church celebrates the memorial of St. Joseph and specifically under the title of St. Joseph the Worker.

Hence St. Joseph is also the patron of all working people, besides being the patron of the Church, fathers and carpenters and also of the dying.

Being a patron of all working people, we would feel a deep affiliation with St. Joseph because we spend a considerable amount of time at work.

And we could relate with him in what was told of us in the scriptures.

We are told that he took his family to Jerusalem every year for Passover, something that could not have been easy for a working man.

We know he was a carpenter, a working man, and in the gospel a skeptical question was asked about Jesus, "Is this not the carpenter's son?" (Matthew 13:55).

He wasn't rich for when he took Jesus to the Temple to be circumcised and Mary to be purified, he offered the sacrifice of two turtledoves or a pair of pigeons, allowed only for those who could not afford a lamb (Luke 2:24).

There is much we wish we could know about Joseph, about where and when he was born, about how he spent his days, about when and how he died.

But Scripture has left us with one of the most important knowledge of who he was - "a righteous man" (Matthew 1:18).

May we always turn to St. Joseph for his intercession before and at the end of our work.

May we also be righteous and honest in our dealings at work and with our superiors and colleagues so that in all we do at work, we will give glory to God.

4th Week of Easter, Friday, 30-04-2021

Acts 13:26-33 / John 14:1-6        

Whenever we are faced with a difficulty, the phrase that we would really like to hear is "No problem".

Those two words will give us the sense of relief that whatever the difficulty or the problem is, there is a solution.

But can "No problem" really mean that there is no problem or that it is not a problem.

But we should know better that even when we say "no problem" the solution at hand may not be an easy one.

When Jesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled" He is not saying that life has no troubles.

Rather as we face life with all its troubles and struggles, Jesus is asking us to trust in God and to trust in Him.

We can say that trust and trouble are like two sides of the same coin.

When we trust in God, we are able to face the troubles of life; and the troubles of life make us turn to God and to trust in Him.

So let not our hearts be troubled. Let us trust in God and trust in the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

It is in the Sacred Heart of Jesus that we will find peace even in the midst of trouble.

4th Week of Easter, Thursday, 29-04-2021

Acts 13:13-25 / John 13:16-20     

A good servant may not necessarily be a good master. 

In fact, the elements like water and fire are good servants but they are bad masters.

But to be a good master would mean that the master also knows how to serve with love and care.

In the gospel, Jesus after He had washed the feet of His disciples, said to them:

"I tell you most solemnly, no servant is greater than his master, no messenger is greater than the man who sent him."

Jesus is telling His disciples that they must follow His example in serving others, and that is to serve with humility, 

So even though Jesus is Master, He served with love and humility, and this was expressed in washing the feet of His disciples.

In whatever way we serve, let us follow our Master and Lord Jesus, and serve with love and humility.

Let us know that we are always servants to one another and master of none.

4th Week of Easter, Wednesday, 28-04-2021

Acts 12:26 - 13:5 / John 12:44-50    

For a Christian, prayer is the means to be in communion with God.

Prayer is the the expression of a Christian's relationship with God.

And prayer has two dimensions - the personal and the communal, and both are equally important.

For the early Christian Church, the communal prayer is vital for the growth and the mission of the Church.

With prayer and fasting and worship, the Lord provided the Church with prophets and teachers.

With prayer and fasting and worship, they followed the promptings of the Holy Spirit and sent Barnabas and Saul off for mission.

May our personal prayer also be in union with the prayer and worship of the Church community so that the Light of Christ can shine through each of member of the Church.

May others see that Light in us and come to believe in Jesus as Saviour and Light of the world.

4th Week of Easter, Tuesday, 27-04-2021

Acts 11:19-26 / John 10:22-30     

Saint Augustine is quoted with this saying: Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.

That would give a good balance between leaving everything to God and having to rely solely on our own effort and resources.

When persecution happened in the early Church, those who had escaped went as far Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch.

They would certainly have prayed to God for safety and for direction in what they should do.

They started preaching of Jesus Christ to the Jews, and then to the Greeks, and the Lord helped them, and a great number believed and were converted to the Lord.

So it was not just by their own efforts and faith, or that the people were so receptive to the Good News.

Rather it was by the hand of God and power of the Holy Spirit that the Good News was preached and the people were converted to the Lord.

But God would also want us to be workers in His harvest, just as He wanted the early Christians and people like Barnabas and Saul to carry out the mission of salvation.

So let us carry out the work of God as though everything depended on us.

But let us also pray as though everything depended on God.

4th Week of Easter, Monday, 26-04-2021

Acts 11:1-18 / John 10:1-10     

Much has been said about the sheep's amazing keen sense of hearing.

They listen only to the voice of the shepherd and they follow the voice of the shepherd.

Even if two flocks of sheep were mingled together, the shepherds just have to call them out and they would follow the respective shepherds.

We may not know much about sheep but if we have pets, then we would know that our pets also have a keen sense of hearing.

If animals generally have that keen sense of hearing, then what about human beings?

We may not have that keen sense of hearing as sheep or other animals, but just as these creatures know the voice of their master, do we know the voice of our Creator?

In the 1st reading, the discussion was on the acceptance of pagans to the faith.

As the discussion went on, the voice of God became clear that God grants the pagans the repentance that leads to life.

As we make decisions and directions in life, let us also do it with faith. 

It is with faith that we will be able to listen to the voice of our Master and our Creator, so that we will find life and give glory to Him.

4th Sunday of Easter, Year B, 25.04.2021

Acts 4:8-12 / 1 John 3:1-2 / John 10:11-18

One of the interesting features of the Catholic Church is the presence of religious objects. 

These religious objects can take the form of stained glass, as in these three looming stained glass images at the sanctuary. 

Or, there can be statues or holy pictures and images, all of which are present within the church as well as around the church. 

These religious objects (the proper name is “sacramentals”), are certainly helpful for our devotion and religious piety. 

They serve as reminders of God's love and blessings, and they also serve as visual prayer aids. 

So, there is the Crucifix to reminder us that Jesus died on the Cross to save us. The statues of the Saints remind us of the communion of saints, as they are there to pray for us and help us along the journey of life and the journey towards heaven. 

There is one big statue at the front of the Church, and it is prominent enough that we can't miss it. 

It is white in colour and bigger than life-size. It is the statue of the Good Shepherd and with four lambs. One is being carried and the other three are standing around. 

That statue of the Good Shepherd and the lambs evoke warm feelings and sentiments of God's love and care for us, that Jesus is our Good Shepherd and that He will protect us from harm and danger. 

That statue also connects us to today's Gospel and what Jesus said: I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd is one who lays down his life for his sheep. 

And when we look at the Cross, we can see it so profoundly and explicitly that Jesus is our Good Shepherd who laid down His life to save us. 

In the Bible, there are many mentions of shepherd and sheep, and often the imagery is that God is the shepherd and the people are His sheep. 

One interesting feature of the Bible is that, while all the books in the Bible tell us how God speaks to us, there is one book that tells us how to speak to God. 

That book is the Book of Psalms. The Psalms also have many mentions of Shepherd and sheep. 

One of the well-known Psalms is Psalm 23, also known as the Good Shepherd Psalm. 

It begins with this line: The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want. 

That psalm is also expressed in hymns,  and it evokes feelings of how God loves and cares for us, that He leads us to the green pastures and peaceful waters, and that if we should walk in the valley of darkness, then God with His shepherd’s staff will lead us to safety. 

One interesting point is that the psalm before Psalm 23, is also a psalm that we are also quite familiar with. 

Psalm 22 begins with this line: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me. 

It is a cry of distress, and that was what Jesus cried out on the Cross: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me. 

But Psalm 23 follows up with: The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want. 

So, the message is clear, that God comes to comfort those in distress, just like how the Good Shepherd will look for the lost sheep and tend to the sick and injured sheep. 

Yes, “the Lord is my shepherd, and there is nothing I shall want”. Indeed, what else would we want when we have the Lord as our Shepherd? 

This Sunday is known as “Vocation Sunday”, and vocations to the priesthood and the religious life is highlighted. 

And there is something that we are asking of the Lord, there is something that we want of the Lord. 

We are asking the Lord to send more men and women to serve in His vineyard, and especially more men to serve as shepherds, as priests, in the church. 

Yet, the fact is that many are called, but few have responded.

So let us ask the Lord, let us invoke the Lord, that He will open the hearts of those He has called, so that they will follow the Good Shepherd in laying down their lives to serve God and His people. 

On our part, let us pray and let us also encourage those who are discerning the call of the Lord. 

May the Eternal Shepherd send us good shepherds who will serve with love and lead the people of God to green pastures and peaceful waters, as well as through the valleys of darkness and distress.

3rd Week of Easter, Saturday, 24-04-2021

Acts 9:31-42 / John 6:60-69   

In every adversity, there is an opportunity, and in every tribulation, there is a revelation.

When we believe in that, then more than just being optimistic, we will have hope in the midst of difficulties and challenges.

In the gospel, when Jesus taught that doctrine on the Bread of Life, and that He will give His flesh for the life of the world, many of His followers could not accept it.

They found it intolerable and after that many of them left Jesus and stopped going with Him.

Jesus then turned to the Twelve and asked them if they want to go away too.

The Twelve had to make a decision. What Simon Peter said not only gave them direction, but there was also a revelation.

Jesus has the message of eternal life and they believe it and they also believed that He is the Holy One of God.

When we decide for God and go with Him, then adversity is turned to advantage and tribulation will give way to a revelation and show us a direction.

3rd Week of Easter, Friday, 23-04-2021

Acts 9:1-20 / John 6:52-59        

The primary purpose of the Christian life is to be faithful and to be obedient to God and to do His will.

In fact, that is the fundamental purpose of being a Christian, since we acknowledge God as our Creator and Saviour.

And the First Commandment says it all: I am the LORD your God. You shall have no other gods before me.

So it is the Lord our God that we worship and only Him we will serve and no other.

But being faithful and obedient in carrying out the will of God is certainly not simple or easy at all.

As we heard in the 1st reading, when Ananias had a vision in which he heard the Lord telling him to go to Saul, his initial response was that of reluctance.

Even though the Lord had assured him with all the details, Ananias had heard about Saul's persecution of the Church and the disciples, and he feared going to see Saul.

So the Lord had to order him to get going, and the Lord is not going to take "No" for a reply.

God's command to Ananias was clear. But for us God's will can be rather misty and foggy.

But God is patient with us and allows us to question His will, especially when we know that it is going to entail difficulty and hardship.

But let us know that God's will is always accompanied by His grace.

What seems impossible for us is certainly not impossible at all for God. 

We only need to ask God for His grace to be faithful and obedient in carrying out His will.

 

3rd Week of Easter, Thursday, 22-04-2021

Acts 8:26-40 / John 6:44-51         

Good speakers are not just people who can talk non-stop. 

Good speakers are articulate and also eloquent.

To be articulate means to be able to speak well and clearly, and using the proper words and grammar to get the point across. 

Eloquent means to speak well and clearly, as well as making the listeners feel something in the spoken words.

As a preacher, Jesus is articulate. And He is also eloquent in that He makes the listeners feel something about what He said as well as to draw a response from them.

In the gospel, as He talks about Himself as the bread of life, the listeners may not be stirred until He said this:

"Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever, and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world."

And as we listen to this, which is not something new or surprising to us, we must also make a renewed response to Jesus, our Bread of Life, and believe that it is His flesh that we are partaking of.

When we truly believe that, then it is not just by our words that we profess our faith.

It will be and must be with our lives that we witness that we are the Body of Christ.

3rd Week of Easter, Wednesday, 21-04-2021

Acts 8:1-8 / John 6:35-40         

Just as a coin has two sides, it can also be said that there are two sides to life.

Just as it could be raining on one part of the island and yet bright sunshine on another part of the island.

So in life, there can be trouble and yet there can also be tranquillity. 

There can be difficulties and yet there can also be opportunities.

There can be sadness and yet there can also be pleasant surprises.

In the 1st reading, we see the two sides of life.

There was persecution, but as the disciples escaped, they went about with the mission of preaching.

There was distress with Saul working for the destruction of the Church, but there was Philip who worked miracles and there was rejoicing.

So when life is peaceful and steady-going, let us praise the Lord and offer prayers of thanksgiving.

When life is bumpy and rocky, let us trust in the Lord and ask Him to strengthen our faith and hope. 

Jesus didn't say that there will no storms in life. But He did promise to be with us in the storms of life.

May we trust in Jesus and be at peace.

 

3rd Week of Easter, Tuesday, 20-04-2021

Acts 7:51 - 8:1 / John 6:30-35        

One of the things that we should think about but we rather avoid thinking about is the final moments of our life on earth.

Even praying for a peaceful and happy death is not at the top of our prayer list and we make a cursory mention of it.

Yet, we know that there are many unpleasant things in our hearts that we would not like to be reminded of in those closing moments of our life on earth.

We cannot deny that there are resentment, anger, bitterness and unforgiveness lingering in our hearts and these come up now and cause unrest and even turmoil in our hearts.

So when are we going to let go of these disturbing feelings and memories? 

If we don't wish to carry them to our graves, then what are we going to do about it?

In the 1st reading, as Stephen was being stoned to death, he cried out an invocation "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.".

Then he knelt down and said aloud, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them."

Just as Jesus forgave His enemies on the Cross, Stephen likewise followed his Master in forgiving his killers even as they were stoning him.

Let us reflect on the Cross and on the last two sentences on Stephen as his life comes to an end on this earth.

Stephen knew who to turn to and what to let go of in order to have a peaceful death.

May we think often about the final moments of our life on earth, so that we too will do what Stephen did.

3rd Week of Easter, Monday, 19-04-2021

Acts 6:8-15 / John 6:22-29         

We know that with power then there is also a responsibility.

Regardless of whether the power is bestowed by a higher authority or achieved by personal effort, there is always an accountability.

In the 1st reading, we heard about Stephen, who was one of the seven men chosen by the apostles to assist them with the distribution of food in the community.

Stephen was filled with grace and power and began to work miracles and great signs among the people.

But with that God-given grace and power comes along difficulty.

He faced challenges and his opponents plotted against him and had him arrested.

But Stephen stood firm in being responsible and accountable to what God has given him.

Each of us has also been given a unique grace by God.

That grace is to be for God's glory and for the service of others.

May we be responsible and accountable to what God has given us so that we can lead others to God.

3rd Sunday of Easter, Year B, 18.04.2021

Acts 3:13-15, 17-19 / 1 John 1:1-5 / Luke 24:35-48

As we come to the third Sunday of Easter, things have slowed down a bit, and in a way the excitement has also kind of faded off. 

On Easter Sunday, there was the empty tomb and people were running around excitedly. 

On the second Sunday of Easter, the Risen Lord Jesus appeared to His disciples, breathed on them in the Holy Spirit, and then He appeared again for Thomas and asked him to touch His wounds. 

On this third Sunday of Easter, the Risen Lord Jesus was still appearing to His disciples, but things were not as dramatic as compared to the previous two Sundays. 

As we heard in the gospel, Jesus had earlier appeared to two of His disciples, but they did not recognize Him until He broke the bread with them. 

And then when He appeared to the rest of His disciples, they were initially frightened, but as Jesus showed them His hands and feet, their fear turned to joy, but they still could not believe it and they stood there dumbfounded. 

Then Jesus made a rather amusing request. He asked them if there was anything to eat. 

They offered him a piece of grilled fish, which He took and ate before their eyes. 

That is rather amusing, because the Risen Lord Jesus, besides saying “Peace be with you”, the other thing that seemed to be on His mind was food. 

He broke the bread with the two disciples, and so it was over food that He revealed Himself, and then they recognized him. 

He took the grilled fish and ate before their eyes, and it was another revelation. 

Through an ordinary commodity like bread and an ordinary act of eating grilled fish, Jesus was telling His disciples that He is risen from the dead and that He is real and alive. 

So, if we were to ask the disciples what was their experience of the Risen Lord Jesus, they would say this: He showed us His wounds. He broke bread. He asked for food and He actually ate something. 

The first experience of seeing the wounds of the Risen Lord Jesus was dramatic and amazing enough. 

But it was the ordinary act of breaking bread and eating grilled fish that revealed the reality of the Risen Lord Jesus. 

So as Jesus sent the disciples to preach repentance for the forgiveness of sins, they were to witness to Jesus not in dramatic or spectacular or amazing acts. 

Rather it is through the ordinary acts of life that they will bear witness and reveal Jesus to others.

There is this story of a group of salesmen who went to a regional sales convention. They had assured their families that they would be home in time for Friday night dinner. 

But the convention overran the time and they rushed to the airport and to the boarding gate. 

With boarding passes and briefcases and other stuff, one of the men accidently knocked over a table which held a display of apples. 

Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane just in time … all but one.

That man paused, took a deep breath, got in touch with his feelings and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned. He told his colleagues to go on without him, waved good-bye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight. 

Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor. He was glad that he did.

Because the girl selling the apples was blind! She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly groping for her spilled produce as people rushed around her. 

The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display. 

As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket.

When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, “Here, please take this money for the damage we did. Are you okay?” She nodded through her tears. 

As the salesman started to walk away, the blind girl called out to him, “Sir ….” He paused and turned to look back at the girl.

She continued, “Are you Jesus?” He stopped in mid-stride … and he wondered. He went back and said, “No, I am nothing like Jesus – He is good, kind, caring, loving and would never have bumped into your display in the first place.”

The girl gently nodded: “I only asked because I prayed for Jesus to help me gather the apples. He sent you to help me, so you are like Him – only He knows who will do His will. Thank you for hearing His call, Sir.”

Then slowly he made his way to catch the later flight, with that question burning and bouncing about in his heart: “Are you Jesus?”

We witness to Jesus by being Jesus to others. We make Jesus real for others in the ordinary acts of kindness, compassion, generosity, patience and understanding. 

In a word, we witness to Jesus and make Him real for others by acts of love. 

So, like how the girl asked the salesman, “Are you Jesus?” let us ask ourselves, “Am I Jesus to others?” 

Let us ponder on that question and we will experience the Risen Lord Jesus for ourselves.

2nd Week of Easter, Saturday, 17-04-2021

Acts 6 : 1-7 / John 6 : 16-21    

It is said that when carrying water in a pail, in order to prevent the water from spilling, all that is needed is just to float a piece of wood on the water in the pail.

If this method really works, it only shows that even a simple task like carry water in a pail requires a stabilizing factor.

The Church also requires a stabilizing factor.

Whether the task is about distributing food to the poor or bringing peace to a troubled situation, the Church must remember this.

And that is, no task is too small for the Church not to require the grace of God.

And on the personal level, no task is too small for us not to require the grace of God.

The apostles in the early Church knew the importance of prayer and the necessity of grace in every aspect of the life of the Church.

They knew from experience that without prayer and praying for God's grace, they will be like a boat in the storm and they will succumb to anxiety and fear.

Very often, the solution to the problems we face in life is as simple as floating a piece of wood on the water.

Yet it certainly requires prayer and God's grace to know what to do and how to do it.

2nd Week of Easter, Friday, 16-04-2021

Acts 5:34-42 / John 6:1-15       

We know that time and tide wait for no man.

In other words, no one can determine when things will happen or how it will happen.

But we also know that all time belongs to God and things happen in His time and for a reason.

At the appointed time, God sent His Son into the world to begin the work of salvation.

When Jesus sent forth His disciples to preach the Good News of salvation, there were difficulties and oppositions.

But as the Pharisee Gamaliel said in the 1st reading, "If this enterprise, this movement of theirs, is of human origin, it will break up of its own accord. But if it does in fact come from God, you will not only be unable to destroy them, but you might find yourselves fighting against God."

So if things happen, it is always for a reason. And if things don't happen, it is also for a reason.

But whatever happens, it all happens in God's time and in God's plan.

We must put our faith and trust in God and go along with His time and with His plan.

2nd Week of Easter, Thursday, 15-04-2021

Acts 5:27-33 / John 3:31-36        

As disciples of Jesus, we do not live in isolation and away from the world.

We are not cloistered and separated from the world. In fact, we are in the world and should be always in the world.

Though we are in the world, yet we are also not of the world. 

Because by virtue of our baptism, we are called to live a life that is headed towards heaven.

Our mission on earth is to lead others to know about that life of heaven and to head towards there.

It is by our obedience to God that we witness to this heavenly life.

In the 1st reading, Peter and the apostles witnessed to this by saying that "Obedience to God comes before obedience to men".

But that also means we have reflected and discerned what the will of God is.

God gives the Holy Spirit without reserve for those who truly obey Him.

Then we will know what God wants of us and continue in life to journey towards heaven and to help others go on that way too.

2nd Week of Easter, Wednesday, 14-04-2021

Acts 5:17-26 / John 3:16-21     

Following instructions are not always as easy as it seems, although it can be clear.

That is because we have this tendency of not doing as we are told.

It is not just with authorities and superiors that that we have this reluctance or defiance.

Even with God's commandments and precepts, we doubt, question and even disobey.

But in the 1st reading, we heard that when the angel of the Lord opened the prison gates and led the apostles out and told them to go to the Temple and tell the others about the New Life, they did as they were told.

The docility of the apostles is truly edifying for us as they could have doubted and disagreed with what they were told and choose to remain in the prison and not get into further trouble.

But their docility and in doing what God told them to do is because they believed in the New Life of the Resurrection.

As the gospel puts it, everyone who believes in Jesus will have that New Life on earth, a New Life that leads to the eternal life of heaven.

May we believe, may we obey and do what God wants of us so that we will be freed from the prison of disobedience and live in the freedom of the New Life of the Resurrection.

2nd Week of Easter, Tuesday, 13-04-2021

Acts 4:32-37 / John 3:7-15     

A unit has the meaning of an individual thing or person regarded as single and complete.

But just add another letter "Y" to that word and the meaning changes from being a individual to a united group.

In the 1st reading, the whole group of believers were united, heart and soul, and no one was in need as everything they owned was held in common.

That kind of unity is certainly not possible just by human determination or decision but by divine direction.

But still, mutual encouragement is necessary to keep that kind of unity as seen in the 1st reading.

Joseph Barnabas was one such example as he sold his property and presented it to the apostles.

But the unity was not just in earthly matters and mutual support.

The community was unity by a common love - the love of Jesus, and from that flows the love for one another.

May we love Jesus and love one another and united in the love of God, that will our testimony to the world of our faith.

2nd Week of Easter, Monday, 12-04-2021

Acts 4:23-31 / John 3:1-8      

Trust is indeed a very precious thing. 

But before we can talk about trusting others, we need to look at ourselves first.

To begin with, we can't even really trust ourselves, because we can't deny we make mistakes.

We can mistake salt for sugar and vice versa. We have made judgements that are wrong, and said things that caused misunderstanding.

So we are not even so sure of ourselves and hence it can be difficult to trust others. Or we may trust them but up to a certain extent.

But if we can't really trust people whom we can see, then can we really trust God whom we can't see.

The Responsorial Psalm has this response: Blessed are they who put their trust in God.

We may not be able to see God physically, but we know that He is faithful in His love for us and hence we must trust Him especially in difficult times. 

In the 1st reading, we heard that the early Church suffered persecution, but they prayed and they were given signs of God's protection.

May we too trust in God and He will give us the sign to affirm us.

2nd Sunday of Easter, Year B, 11.04.2021

Acts 4:32-35 / 1 John 5:1-6 / John 20:19-31

It has been one week since we celebrated the great feast of our faith, the feast of Easter, the feast of the Resurrection. 

Yes, it is the great feast of our faith, because we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus, that He rose from the dead, conquering sin and death, and with that He brings us new life. 

That is what we profess as our faith, that the Risen Christ is our Lord and God, and in Him we too will renounce sin, reject the devil, profess our faith in God and live our lives as God's beloved children. 

In not so many words, it is “NO” to the devil and “YES” to God. That was expressed last Sunday as we renewed our baptismal promises by renouncing sin and the evil one and professing our faith in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. 

Well, one week has passed, and let us ask ourselves how we have been keeping up with our baptismal promises. 

Some may be a bit surprised and say, “Oh, I made a promise huh … Oops …”  Some may be rather realistic and say, “If promises are made to be broken, then I am sorry that I broke the promise.” 

Whatever it might be, the fact is that keeping a promise is easier said than done.

But breaking a promise of faith is not a light matter because it is expressed in unfaithfulness to God and wrongdoing to others. 

But thanks be to God for His faithful love for us and in His mercy He forgives us. 

This Sunday is also known as Divine Mercy Sunday. In the gospel, we heard that the Risen Lord Jesus breathed on His disciples the Holy Spirit who is the love of God. 

Then, eight days later, the Risen Lord Jesus came back again, and this time it was for Thomas, who demanded to see the wounds of Jesus. 

Jesus did not reproach Thomas but showed him mercy and forgiveness. And Thomas responded with those five profound words: My Lord and my God. 

So, one week after the celebration of Easter, Jesus comes to us to breathe on us the Holy Spirit, the love of God, and to show us His five wounds, that express God's mercy and forgiveness.

There is a story of a little boy who went to visit his grandparents, and he was given his first slingshot. He practiced in the woods, but he could never hit his target.

As he came back to Grandma’s back yard, he saw her pet duck. On an impulse he took aim and let fly. The stone hit the duck squarely, and the duck fell dead.

The boy panicked. Desperately he hid the dead duck in the wood pile, only to look up and see his sister Sally watching. Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing.

After lunch that day, Grandma said, “Sally, let’s wash the dishes.” But Sally said, “Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen today. Didn’t you Johnny?” And she whispered to him, “Remember the duck!” So, Johnny did the dishes.

Later, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing. Grandma said, “I’m sorry, but I need Sally to help me make supper.” Sally smiled and said, “That’s all taken care of. Johnny wants to do it.” Again, she whispered, “Remember the duck.” So Johnny stayed while Sally went fishing.

After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally’s, finally he couldn’t stand it. He confessed to Grandma that he’d killed the duck.

“I know, Johnny,” she said, giving him a hug. “I was standing at the window and saw the whole thing. Because I love you, I forgave you. But I wondered how long you would let Sally make a slave of you.”

Just a story to let us know that God is loving and merciful. We are weak, we have sinned, but we must renew daily our faith in God who is love & mercy. 

We repeat with St. Thomas those five profound words of faith “My Lord and my God” and we meditate on the five wounds of Jesus. 

May God's love and mercy that flow from the five wounds of Jesus grant us strength to overcome our sinfulness and to protect us from the snares of the evil one.

Saturday Within Easter Octave, 10-04-2021

Acts 4:13-21 / Mark 16:9-15     

The lazy tendency in us is to always choose to do nothing than to act on something.

To do nothing obviously will mean that we will also learn nothing and have nothing to gain.

To do something and to act upon something would mean that we will have to take the effort to think and to make decisions.

In the gospel, when the Risen Lord Jesus showed Himself to the Eleven, He reproached them for their incredulity and obstinacy, because they had refused to believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.

Not to believe in the Resurrection would be an easier option, though a lazy one, as there is no need to do anything since they don't believe it.

But if they believe, then it would mean that they get into action and see what the Risen Lord wants of them.

But with the Risen Lord Jesus appearing to them and reproaching them, they certainly had to get moving and going.

What we heard in the 1st reading was just one of the many instances of early Church in action.

May the Risen Lord Jesus also show us what He wants of us and may we get moving and going.

Friday Within Easter Octave, 09-04-2021

Acts 4:1-12 / John 21:1-14        

The mystery of the Resurrection of Jesus is certainly the greatest mystery of our faith.

It is with faith that we continue to contemplate the mystery of the Resurrection and to enter deeper into that mystery.

That will certainly take time but with prayer and meditation, we will slowly grow in our understanding of who Jesus is.

And we may even wish that we are able to "see" the Risen Lord Jesus, just as the disciples did, and then we will be able to understand what the Resurrection is about. 

But will "seeing" help us to believe immediately and that there will be no more questions?

For the disciples in the gospel, even though the Risen Lord Jesus had appeared to them before, they were still in a daze over what had happened.

Even when Jesus appeared to them again, they were still unsure and uncertain about what to do, although they knew quite well it was it Risen Lord Jesus.

But in the 1st reading, those same disciples have come to a conviction about Jesus and His Resurrection and proclaimed Him in the presence of the rulers, elders and the scribes.

May we reflect and meditate on the Resurrection of Jesus and who He is for us and may we come to a conviction about Jesus and be empowered to be His witnesses.

Thursday Within Easter Octave, 08-04-2021

Acts 3:11-26 / Luke 24:35-48     

The most important and profound and defining experience for the disciples and the early Church is undoubtedly the Resurrection of Jesus.

It was certainly not an abstract belief or teaching but a real experience and that formed the basis for the mission of Christianity.

So the signs and wonders of the early Church were obviously not of their own making but the work of God.

And that was why, in the 1st reading, Peter said this to the people: Why are you so surprised at this? Why are you staring at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power or holiness?

That man was crippled from birth and he was healed when Peter commanded him, in the name of Jesus, to stand up and walk.

In the gospel, the Risen Jesus commissioned His disciples to go forth and preach repentance for the forgiveness of sins, and to be His witnesses.

We too have received that same commission. May we too experience the Risen Jesus and be empowered to go forth and to be His witnesses. 

God will work the signs and wonders when our witnessing directs people to Him.

Wednesday Within Easter Octave, 07-04-2021

Acts 3:1-10 / Luke 24:13-35    

In the journey of life, we don't walk alone or walk just by ourselves.

In the journey of life, we walk with others or at least we walk with someone.

In the gospel, we heard of the two disciples on the journey from Jerusalem to a village called Emmaus.

Although they had each other for company, it was a miserable journey.

They were downcast about what had happened to Jesus and they were disappointed and their hopes in Jesus were lost.

Jesus came to walk with them and much later at the breaking of bread, He revealed Himself to them. Their hearts were on fire as they returned that instant to Jerusalem to tell the Good News to the rest of the disciples

In the 1st reading, Peter and John were on their way to the Temple, when they came across a crippled man begging from them.

And Peter made this profound statement: I have neither silver nor gold; but I give you what I have: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk! And the crippled man was healed.

In life, we walk with each other and we walk together with Jesus. 

We share the love of Jesus with each other and we share that love with those we meet along the way.

With Jesus and with His love, the journey of life is a beautiful and wonderful journey.

Tuesday Within Easter Octave, 06-04-2021

Acts 2:36-43 / John 20:11-18  

The gospel began with Mary staying outside the tomb weeping.

The gospel ends with Mary of Magdala going forth to tell the disciples that she had seen the Lord.

In between, something very personal, something very intimate, happened to Mary.

She heard the Risen Lord call her by her name, and she responded in Hebrew, her mother tongue, a language that was most intimate to her.

Before that, she was a broken person - weeping, grieving and lost.

But the experience of the Risen Lord gave her back her identity and a mission; she was Mary of Magdala and she had seen the Lord.

Similarly, the Peter who spoke on the day of Pentecost was a different person from the one who denied Jesus three times and wept.

Something happens when people experience the Risen Lord. They regain their identity and find a new purpose and mission in life.

So when we feel that life has come to a standstill, our dreams are broken, and we have more fears than hopes, the Risen Lord comes to us.

He calls out to us just as He called Mary. Mary responded with her heart.

We can't be always standing outside the tomb of emptiness or the tombs of pleasure, wealth and power and sin.

The Risen Lord calls us by our names. Let us respond with our hearts so that our lives can have a meaning and a mission.

Monday within Easter Octave, 05-04-2021

Acts 2:14, 22-33 / Matthew 28:8-15

For the past 6 weeks of the season of Lent and especially over the Holy Triduum, we had gone through a flurry of activities.

There were Stations of the Cross on Fridays, and fasting and abstinence and penance, and Reconciliation services.

All these makes the season of Lent seem like a very busy time.

Now that the season of Easter is here, it seems that so much has been scaled down and there is nothing much to do.

Yes, there is actually nothing much to do. We are just like the disciples who also do not know what to do when they heard the news of the resurrection.

In fact the ones who were scurrying about trying to do something were the guards and the elders, as we heard in the gospel.

They had to do something to cover up the truth. But the truth can never be concealed or suppressed. And that is the power of the resurrection.

As we heard Peter say in the 1st reading - You killed Him, but God raised Him up to life, freeing Him from the pangs of Hades, for it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.

The power of the resurrection will lead us to the truth. We just have to let go of our sinfulness and false securities and let God raise us up to life.

Easter Sunday, 04.04.21

 Acts 10:34, 37-43 / Colossians 3:1-4 / John 20:1-9

One year ago, and that is not that long ago, we may remember what Easter was like, or how we celebrated Easter. 

But if we can't remember what Easter was like or how it was celebrated last year, it is not because our memory has failed us.

Because last year, Easter came and went with churches closed and all religious activities were suspended. 

So, if we had no recollection of what Easter was like last year, it was because we didn't come to church at all; we couldn't come to church at all. 

And if we went online last year for the Easter Vigil Mass at the Cathedral, we will remember seeing the Archbishop with just one server walking into an empty Cathedral. That scene reflected the reality of the situation last year. 

Well, for this year, the situation is slightly lighter and brighter. We can come for Mass, although the numbers are still restricted. And there are several other things that we still can't do. 

Nonetheless, and over and above everything else, we want to give thanks to God for the reopening of churches and the resumption of religious activities. 

Oh yes, we rejoice that we can come to Church for Mass and for the celebration of Easter. 

The imagery of the stone being rolled away and the empty tomb is an image that we will remember for this Easter. 

Yes, the stone is rolled away, Christ is risen, and He wants to lift us up and to rise with Him in victory over sin and death. 

And with that, the stones covering the entrances of the churches are also rolled away so that the voices of prayer can be heard again with acclamations of “Alleluia!”. 

But we also must be aware that the stone can also roll back and cover the entrances of churches, if we are complacent and not compliant to the essential safety measures. 

But more than just complacency, we must also be conscious of those stones that are blocking the entrances of our hearts. 

The Risen Christ wants to roll away the stones of our hearts so that the light of His Resurrection can shine into our hearts and to scatter the darkness of sin and fear. 

Those stones must be rolled away so that the blood and water from His pierced side can flow into our hearts and renew our faith, strengthen our hope and deepen our love.

And that is why Easter is the time when we renew our Baptismal Promises, which is essentially to renounce sin and to be faithful to God. 

And after that we are sprinkled with Holy Water as a reminder of our Baptism in Christ. 

That brings us to a reflection of stone and water. In the encounter between flowing water and stones, the water always win, not by strength or by force, but by persistence and perseverance. 

And as the waters flow, the stones are smoothened and even polished, so much so, we can say that the waters have made the stones beautiful. 

Even if it is just dripping water, it will wear out the stone, and again, not by strength or by force, but by persistence and perseverance. 

The Book of Proverbs 21:1 has this line: The heart of the king is in the hands of the Lord. As the waters of the river, the Lord turns it wherever He wishes. 

So, may the waters that will be blessed and given out during this Easter celebration, soften our hearts and make it like living waters in the hands of the Risen Lord, so that we will always flow with the will of God. 

May these waters that remind us of our Baptism, also roll away the stones that are blocking our hearts, so that we will come out of the darkness of sin and fear, and rise in love and holiness with the Risen Lord Jesus.

Good Friday 2021, 02.04.2021

Isaiah 52:13 – 53:12 / Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9 / John 18:1 - 19:42

As we enter into the second day of the Holy Triduum, we are confronted with the reality of the Cross. 

As we contemplate on the sufferings of Jesus, the reality of the Cross comes with it full force. 

Jesus was nailed to the Cross, and He hung on it till he died. 

So, the cross meant suffering, pain and death. That was the reality of the Cross and we see that reality happening to Jesus. 

But even as Jesus died on the Cross, the Cross does not have the final say. 

Not only does it not have the final say, the whole tragic meaning and reality of the Cross was changed because of Jesus. 

As the gospel mentioned, “not one bone of his was broken” and “they will look on the one they have pierced”. 

Yes, we look at Jesus nailed to the Cross and we believe that through the Cross, He has conquered sin, evil and death. 

So later we will adore the Cross on which hung the Saviour of the world. 

And we will also pick up our cross and carry it and follow Jesus our Saviour. 

Because in the cross is our salvation.