9th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 01-06-2021

Tobit 2:9-14 / Mark 12:13-17    

If chaos and tribulation are all that we experience in life, then life would be rather miserable.

The Bible has this constant message that God is always in control of the world's events and happenings.

Hence out of chaos, there will be creation, and out of tribulation, there will be a revelation.

In the gospel, the Pharisees and Herodians were sent to catch Jesus out on what He might say.

Yet, in all that scheming, out came a teaching.

To the question of whether to pay taxes to Caesar, and that had many implications and consequences, Jesus saw their scheming motives and He gave an astounding teaching.

His reply - give back to Caesar what belong to Caesar, and to God what belong to God - took them completely by surprise.

More than just a profound and astounding reply, what Jesus said will also make us think deeper about life.

When everything is over and done, then the conclusion is that only God will remain and all will and must belong to Him and to Him alone.

If from chaos God brings about creation, and from tribulation God gives a revelation, then the scheming plots and mighty powers of this world are only temporary.

God is eternal and we belong to Him. Let us trust in God and live our lives according to His will.

Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Monday, 31-05-2021

Zephaniah 3:14-18 or Romans 12:9-16 / Luke 1:39-56    

Throughout the Bible, God comes to His people when His people were in need or in a difficult situation.

God came to visit Adam when he had sinned. God sent Moses to His people when they were under slavery in Egypt.

God sent prophets to His people when they strayed and sinned against Him.

God sent His only Son to save His people from their sins.

In today's feast of the Visitation, we hear of God sending Mary to visit Elizabeth to support her in her time of need.

It was a visit filled with rejoicing for God was in their midst and even the child leapt in Elizabeth's womb.

We are certainly in a time of need. But we must realise that what we need is God and He will come to us.

Let us keep firm in faith and prayer so that we will see how God protects us and blesses us and then our hearts will also leap with rejoicing.

Trinity Sunday, Year B, 29.05.2021

Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40 / Romans 8:14-17 / Matthew 28:16-20

One of the common types of food that we eat is the humble bread. 

Although rice is a common Asian staple food, bread has its place in our diet. 

Maybe because it has a slight advantage in terms of durability. It can be left around for a couple of days at room temperature and still be consumable. 

For those of us who are into baking bread, we know that at least three ingredients are needed - wheat flour, yeast and water. 

There can be other things added to it, like raisins, nuts and herbs, but bread is essentially a mixture of wheat flour, yeast and water and then baked accordingly. 

Freshly baked bread is delicious in itself and it can also go along with all sorts of spreads and fillings. 

In the Bible, bread is not just seen as food for the sustenance of life. Bread also has a symbolic spiritual meaning. 

In the 1st reading, Moses reminded the people of the wonders the Lord God has done for them in freeing them from slavery in Egypt. 

Where once in Egypt they ate the bread of slavery and suffering, now they eat the bread of freedom and they eat in freedom. 

So, in the Bible, from the Old Testament to the New Testament, bread has this symbolic meaning of the blessings of God and His love. 

During the 40 years in the desert, God fed his people with manna, and it is often called the “bread from heaven” because it literally came down from heaven. 

So, in the Old Testament, God is seen as the Protector and the Provider for His people. God protects His people and He feeds them. 

Then in the New Testament, Jesus, the Son of God, taught us how to pray with that prayer that begins with the two words “Our Father”. 

Jesus taught us to call God “Our Father” and in union with Jesus, the Son of God, we become children of God the Father through baptism. 

In that prayer, there is also this verse: give us this day our daily bread. 

That daily bread is the bread for life, but it also points to the bread of life, which is the blessings and the love of God, the spiritual bread for our spiritual life. 

Jesus is our Bread of Life, and He is the true bread that came down from heaven to teach us who God is and His saving love for us. 

Today as we celebrate Holy Trinity Sunday, we profess that God is Trinity, Three Persons in one God, who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

The 2nd reading tells us that it is the Holy Spirit who moves us and makes us cry out to God with “Abba, Father” and that as coheirs with Christ and as children of God, we share in the mission of Christ, we share in His sufferings and His glory. 

In the humble bread, we see this spiritual symbol of the Holy Trinity, and the Holy Spirit moves us and forms us to become the spiritual bread for the world. 

We share in the bread of suffering with the world, and we also share the bread of life and love with the world. 

We believe and profess that God is Trinity. We have been fed with the Heavenly Bread.

We are called to be the spiritual bread for the world so that the world will come to know who God is. 

So, the next time when we hold the humble bread in our hands, may we be reminded of who God is, and who we are, and what we are called to do. 

By our lives and our faith, may we bear witness that God is our loving Father, that Jesus is our Saviour, and that the Holy Spirit empowers us to be the spiritual bread for others, so that they will come to know God and to love Him.

8th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 29-05-2021

Ecclesiasticus 51:12-20 / Mark 11:27-33       

What seems good initially may not be that good over time.

And what seems bad initially may not seem to be that bad after all.

With so many voices and so many events happening in this world, we can be confused and misled.

We may find it difficult to know what is from God and what is not.

In the gospel, the chief priests, scribes and elders found it difficult to answer the question Jesus posed to them about the ministry of John the Baptist.

As much as they know what is the right answer, they dared not say it as it would affect their interests and motives.

But the 1st reading tells us to seek for wisdom so that we will know what is the good and right thing to do.

We need to ask the Lord to grant us wisdom so that we will know what is from God and what is not.

8th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 28-05-2021

Ecclesiasticus 44:1, 9-13 / Mark 11:11-26       

To pray is certainly an act of faith.

Because to pray means that we believe we are communicating with God.

Jesus tells us in the gospel that everything that you ask and pray for, believe that we have it already, and it will be yours.

That sounds like a "blank cheque", which seems too good to be true.

But on the other hand, we also know that not all that we ask for in prayer is given.

Some of us may even say that God doesn't seem to listen to our prayer and give us what we ask for.

But what is it that we are asking for in prayer?

Are we praying that God will give us the grace to forgive whatever we have against anybody?

As Jesus said in the gospel, if we do not forgive, our Father in heaven will not forgive our failing either.

Let us ask for forgiveness from God, so that we will be able to forgive others who have wronged us.

We can be certain that when we ask for that, it will be given in full measure and flowing over.

8th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 27-05-2021

Ecclesiasticus 42:15-25 / Mark 10:46-52       

A name is used to identify an object or some living thing.

While the names of objects and creatures are usually generic, the name of a human being is different.

We are identified by a particular name and others will know us by our names and know who we are specifically.

In the gospel, there was a blind beggar known Bartimaeus, but that is not his actual name.

As the gospel explains it, "Bartimaeus" means "the son of Timaeus". So the blind man doesn't have an actual name to be identified with.

But it was this "Bartimaeus" who shouted out the true identity of Jesus, with titles like "Son of David", "Rabunni" and "Master".

And more than that, he also appealed to Jesus to take pity on him.

For that, Jesus restored his sight, but Jesus also said that it was his faith that saved him.

Bartimaeus had his sight restored, and he also saw himself with an identity. 

May we too see ourselves as created in the image of Jesus, and may we show others who Jesus really is by our faith.

8th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 26-05-2021

Ecclesiasticus 36:1, 4-5, 10-17 / Mark 10:32-45   

The word "mercy" is heard and used often in prayer and in the liturgy, so much so that we may have gotten quite used to the word.

At its core, mercy is forgiveness. The Bible speaks of God's love for sinners – that is, for all of us. 

So in the Christian understanding, mercy belongs to God alone, and on the human level, we can only ask for God's mercy and we express God's mercy to us in acts of compassion and kindness.

The 1st reading tells of the people of God begging God for His mercy and to forgive them for their transgressions and to save them from the power of their enemies.

God is mercy and in His love for sinners, He forgives and is compassionate.

But in Jesus Christ, God's mercy is expressed in a profound way.

God's mercy is expressed in a sacrificial love as Jesus became the sacrifice to take away the sins of the world.

As Jesus said in the gospel, He came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.

May we always be thankful for God's mercy and love and may we also follow Jesus to serve others especially in showing compassion and kindness to those who have done wrong to us.

8th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 25-05-2021

Ecclesiasticus 35:1-12 / Mark 10:28-31      

Relationships are generally put to the test under two categories.

One is money and the other is inconvenience.

Money issues in relationships can turn out to be quite ugly and it happens not just between friends but also between relatives and family members.

And the strength of a relationship is put to the test when it is inconvenient to help or assist the other person who is in dire need.

When relationships are superficial, they are exposed under stress from money issues and from inconvenience.

The 1st reading says that for a virtuous person, generosity and sacrifice are what he offers to God.

He is also just in his relationships and cheerful in offering help to others.

If we truly want to be a virtuous person, we have to leave ourselves behind in order to have a right and just relationship with God and with others.

When we leave ourselves, and everything behind, God will be our reward.

And we will also have fruitful and meaningful relationships with others

Our Lady, Mother of the Church, Monday, 24-05-2021

Acts 1:12-14 / John 19: 25-34     

The most profound title of Mary is "Mother of God".

That is not just a honorific title but a reality because she bore the Jesus in her womb, and Jesus is God.

Similarly, the title "Mother of the Church" is not just another honorific title for Mary.

On the Cross, Jesus turned to Mary and told her that the beloved disciple is her son.

And then Jesus turned to the beloved disciple and told him that Mary is his mother.

So on the Cross, Jesus decreed that Mary is to be mother of the Church, which is represented by the beloved disciple.

Mary carried out that role faithful as she joined the disciples in continuous prayer and serving the Church as a mother would take care of her child.

As Mother of the Church, Mary is also in continuous prayer with us and taking care of us as our Mother.

May we be always with her in prayer and be with her to serve God and each other.

Pentecost Sunday, Year B, 23.05.2021

Acts 2:1-11 / 1 Cor 12:3-7, 12-13 / John 20:19-23

There is a vast amount of information available that can enrich our knowledge of the world and the reality around us. 

But even with all that information, there are still a lot of things that we don't know or don't understand. 

How the world revolves and how the computer works are just a couple of the many things that we take for granted. 

To go into the details would be too much and also unnecessary if we are to live our lives in the ordinary sense of the word. 

If such is the case with the world and the reality that we live in, then when it comes to religion and the mysteries of the faith, it can also be said that there is only so much we know and a lot more that we do not know about or understand. 

We believe that God is the Holy Trinity, who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

With God the Father, we may have a concept or an image in our minds. With Jesus Christ, the concepts and images may be clearer as He is the God-became-man. Jesus had a human form, so we may know and understand Him a bit more. 

But when it comes to the Holy Spirit, then what comes to our minds is the dove, or from the 1st reading, a powerful wind and tongues of fire. 

We only know that much about the Holy Spirit, that He is the Lord and Giver of life, which we profess in the Creed. 

And from the 2nd reading, we are told that no one can say that “Jesus is Lord” unless that person is under the influence of the Holy Spirit. 

And in the gospel, Jesus breathed on His disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” 

That may help us to recall that in the story of the creation of man in the Book of Genesis, God blew into the nostrils of man and he became a living being. 

The Holy Spirit is Lord and Giver of life, and He is the breath of life that helps us to live our lives in union with Jesus Christ and to be more like Him. 

That breath of life is also something we take for granted, until we have difficulty in breathing. Without breath, it won't take long before there is no more life. 

So, every breath we take is a gift of life from God. Every breath we take is a sign of the Holy Spirit entering into our lives and uniting us to God the Father and the Son. 

And with every breath of the Holy Spirit, we proclaim that “Jesus is Lord”, and we are sent forth to proclaim the marvels of God, as the disciples did in the 1st reading. 

The 2nd reading tells us that all gifts come from the Holy Spirit, who is working in all sorts of different ways in different people. 

The particular way in which the Holy Spirit is given to each person is for a good purpose, which is essentially for the glory of God and service to others. 

Knowing all that, what is important is how to pray to the Holy Spirit. The Church has a traditional prayer to the Holy Spirit: Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of Your love. 

That is a short and simple prayer to the Holy Spirit. It may even be shortened to an invocation like “Come Holy Spirit”. 

So, with every breath we take, let us call upon the Holy Spirit to come into our lives and into the world and the reality we live in. 

We ask the Holy Spirit to come into the situations where there is hatred so that we be channels of God's love. 

We ask the Holy Spirit to come into the situations where there is hurt and pain, so that we be channels of reconciliation and peace. 

We ask the Holy Spirit to come to where there is sickness, anxiety and worry so that we will be channels of healing and hope. 

We ask the Holy Spirit to come and send us forth into the world, so that we will be the signs of God's love in a troubled world. 

May our first breath of the day be this invocation “Come Holy Spirit”, and may our every breath be also “Come Holy Spirit”, for the Holy Spirit is our Advocate and He will guide us and protect us from harm and danger.

7th Week of Easter, Saturday, 22-05-2021

Acts 28:16-20, 30-31 / John 21:21-25    

Everyone has a story to tell about life.

But when a person or persons live to tell a story, it may have a particular meaning.

It means that the person(s) had gone through a deep and profound experience and lived and survived to tell others what happened.

For example, war survivors live to tell a story. Disaster survivors live to tell a story. To live and tell the story is really something unique.

The gospel of John is traditionally said to be written by St. John the Apostle and that is the gospel that was just read.

One of the reasons that point to St. John as the author is that line in the gospel: The disciple is the one who vouches for these things and has written them down, and we know that his testimony is true.

It is also traditionally said that St. John lived to an old age and died of natural cases.

So he outlived the rest of the apostles and he also lived to tell the story of Jesus and even wrote in down as a gospel.

We too have a story to tell and it is about our faith. By our lives may we tell that story of how Jesus loved us and blessed us.

May others see that story in us and may they want to know more about the story.

7th Week of Easter, Friday, 21-05-2021

Acts 25:13-21 / John 21:15-19     

Some questions can be rather awkward to ask.

And those awkward questions can also be rather difficult to reply.

One such question is the one that Jesus asked Peter: Do you love me more than these others do?

Peter would have hesitated in giving a reply because it is a loaded question, and whatever answer has its consequences.

But Peter had gone through the scorching experience of denying Jesus three times. His love for Jesus had been tested and it cracked under pressure.

But this time Peter meant what he said, and he did stick to it even when he had to lay down his life.

So when Jesus said to him, "Follow me", he did not have questions like "where" or "for how long".

As for us, we pledge that we love Jesus and that we will follow Him.

Our love for Jesus will be put to test, and that test is none other than carrying our cross and following Jesus.

The cross is the question. May our acceptance and carrying of our cross be the answer.

7th Week of Easter, Thursday, 20-05-2021

Acts 22:30; 23:6-11 / John 17:20-26     

There is no doubt that actions speak louder than words.

But words have an impact and an effect that that cannot be under-estimated.

In the gospel, Jesus prayed for those who, through the words of His disciples, will come to believe in Him.

So as disciples of Jesus commissioned to proclaim the Good News of salvation and to proclaim Jesus as Saviour, our words must bear the message of God and to carry out what it was meant to do.

But our words are not just about being articulate or being eloquent. 

In fact, for our words to carry the message of salvation, we must be in union with the Holy Spirit who will empower us and our words with the truth.

In the 1st reading, those words of St. Paul threw his enemies into confusion. But those words were certainly empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Let us ask the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts so that from the fullness our hearts, our mouths will speak the words of God.

7th Week of Easter, Wednesday, 19-05-2021

Acts 20:28-38 / John 17:11-19     

It is easy to secure the home from a thief trying to break in, but there is no security from the thief within.

In other words, the greatest enemy is not the enemy out there, but rather the enemy within.

Many wars are lost and defences are broken not because the enemy is stronger and faster, but because of the traitors within.

St. Paul began the address to the elders of the church of Ephesus with these opening words: Be on your guard for yourselves.

He would go on to say that even from their own ranks, there will be men coming forward to lead others astray and induce the disciples to follow them.

Even in the gospel, we hear of Jesus mentioning about a traitor when He said: I have watched over them and not one is lost except the one who chose to be lost.

The fact and the reality is that anyone can become a traitor and a thief within. Anyone can become the enemy within.

The evil one is prowling round looking for someone to be tricked into being that traitor, thief and enemy.

Let us pray that the Lord will deliver us from evil and not to fall into the trap of the devil.

May we always follow Jesus our Good Shepherd and listen to His voice so that we won't go astray.

7th Week of Easter, Tuesday, 18-05-2021

Acts 20:17-27 / John 17:1-11         

Whenever we are told of the prospects of the future, usually a rosy picture is painted.

So whether it is birthday wishes, or marriage wishes, or job prospects, it is usually best wishes and bright future and everything nice.

Even if it is challenging and difficulties are apparent, there will still be words of encouragement and that assistance will be available.

But for St. Paul, what he said in the 1st reading will certainly make anyone re-think about serving the Lord or going off on mission.

He said that he had no idea what will happen to him, except that the Holy Spirit, in town after town, had made it clear that imprisonment and persecution awaited him.

Yet, for St. Paul, life is not a thing to waste words on, and he only wanted to finish the mission of bearing witness to the Good News of God's grace.

For us, much has been said about the present situation and much  more can be said.

But let us not give in to despair. Rather let us, with the grace of God rise above the difficulties.

Let us encourage each other to keep looking upward and forward and experience the workings of the grace of God.

7th Week of Easter, Monday, 17-05-2021

Acts 19:1-8 / John 16:29-33       

When we are baptised, we become Christians. 

The word "Christian" means that we are united in Jesus Christ and we are identified as such.

More than just being in union with Jesus Christ, we become children of God whom we now call Father.

And then we must also remember that we are baptised in the Holy Spirit, who is the Lord and Giver of life.

As we prepare for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, it is the Holy Spirit who gives us the strength and the courage  to face the troubles of the world.

Let us pray that the Holy Spirit will fill our hearts with His peace so that the troubles of this world will break our faith but build our trust in God.

Let us live and move in the Holy Spirit and let the Holy Spirit be the Advocate of our lives.

7th Sunday of Easter, 16.05.2021

 Acts 1:15-17, 20-26 / 1 John 4:11-16 / John 17:11-19

When someone says to us, “I've got news for you”, just what would be our reaction? 

Obviously, we will be curious. Is it going to be good news or bad news? Does it concern us personally or is it about other people? 

And then there is another type of news. Besides good news and bad news, there is also fake news. 

Fake news stir up emotions, and creates reactions. Fake news can be difficult to detect initially, but they won't stand the test of time. 

Because, eventually truth will prevail. When the murky waters of falsehood subside, the rocks of truth will appear.

For the past two weeks, we have been getting news that are making us anxious and cautious. The situation around the world is raging and escalating, and locally, cases have risen dramatically and measures are being tightened one after another. 

For us, the most impactful is that this Sunday's Masses are cancelled and capacity for worship services for the coming weeks is reduced to fifty persons. 

That sounds like bad news, but what is the truth in this bad news? Well, the truth is that this so-called bad news has revealed and is revealing that we have taken the situation for granted, we have become complacent, we think that we are out on the words when the rest of the world is groaning in distress. 

And the ugly side has also appeared. Healthcare workers are discriminated, there is the blame-game and the finger-pointing and the usual complaining and criticizing. 

But what is the truth of the situation calling out to? Is it all just bad news? Is there any good news?

In the gospel, we hear Jesus saying a long prayer. Among the things He prayed for, He prayed that we, His disciples, be consecrated in the truth. 

Jesus is the Truth, and to be consecrated in the truth means to be united with Jesus and to be persons of truth.

To be a person of truth is also to be a person of love, because truth and love are two sides of the same coin. 

So, when we speak, we must speak the truth, and we must also speak the truth with love. 

Truth without love is cruelty. But truth, with love, brings out the clarity of the reality. 

So, God may knock us with the hard truth but it always comes with His tender love. God may hurt us, but He will also heal us.

There is a story of a young and successful executive who was traveling down a neighborhood street, in his new sports car. 

As his car passed by, suddenly, a brick smashed into the car’s side door! He slammed on the brakes and reversed the car back to the spot where the brick had been thrown.

The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and shouted, “What was that all about? That’s a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost you a lot of money. Why did you do it?”

The young boy was apologetic. “Please, mister…please, I’m sorry but I didn’t know what else to do,” he pleaded. “I threw the brick because no one else would stop…” 

With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car. “It’s my brother,” he said. “He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up.”

Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, “Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me.”

Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay. 

“Thank you and may God bless you,” the grateful boy told the driver. Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home.

It was a long, slow walk back to the car. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. 

He kept the dent there to remind him of this message: “Don’t go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!” 

God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don’t have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us. It’s our choice to listen or not.

This situation is like a brick that is thrown at us. It brings out the truth of our weaknesses and failings. 

The World Health Organization Director-General said this, “The greatest failing would be not to learn from this crisis and to leave the world in the same vulnerable state it was in before.” 

Faced with the hard truth on this worrisome situation, let us pray that Jesus will also grant us His love and protection. 

This is probably the crisis of our generation and we will be talking about this to the next generation and the generations to come. 

But may we remember this moment of our history with the truth that is revealed to us and also about the love that God has protected us with. 

With truth and love, we will learn and grow from this situation, and we will remember with thanksgiving.

6th Week of Easter, Saturday, 15-05-2021

Acts 18:23-28 / John 16:23-28

Mention the word "hospital" and immediately some thoughts come to mind.

Thoughts like illness, pain, loneliness, suffering and even death. The mood is certainly depressive.

But like what Jesus said, He came not for the healthy but for the sick, and to call not the virtuous but sinners.

So in a sense, the hospitals are places of grace, and places where prayers are often answered.

Whenever I am called to visit the sick in the hospital, I will usually bring along more than one host for communion.

Because very often, when I am on the way to that patient's ward, I will be stopped along the way and asked to visit someone else.

And very often, the patient or the family members will say the similar thing - they have been praying for some spiritual strengthening or for a priest to come along, and then God answered their prayers when they saw me.

Well, that's what Jesus said in the gospel - Ask and you will receive, and so your joy will be complete.

Jesus may have ascended to the Father but He is still with us till the end of time.

His presence will be felt in the way our prayers are answered.

So no matter how depressive or  desperate or despondent the situation may be, prayer is the answer.

Life is fragile, but it can be handled with prayer.

St. Matthias, Apostle, Friday, 14-05-2021

Acts 1:15-17, 20-26 / John 15:9-17       

Whatever we know about St. Matthias is from the 1st reading that was read earlier.

And there is something rather unique about him being chosen as an apostle.

He was not called personally by Jesus, and he was chosen by drawing lots to replace Judas.

Nonetheless, it must be said that St. Matthias was certainly no stranger to the apostles and to the early church.

He was one of the disciples who was following Jesus from the beginning and till He ascended into heaven.

Hence, St. Matthias was also a witness to the Resurrection of Jesus 

But St. Matthias may not have expected to be chosen as an apostle.

Still he accepted the appointment and went on to bear worthy witness to Jesus for the rest of his life.

May St. Matthias pray for us that we too be open to God's plan for us especially when He makes changes in our lives.

Whatever God has called us to or calling us to, may we too live out that calling faithfully and worthily as St. Matthias did.

Ascension B-2021, Thursday, 13-05-2021

Acts 1:1-11 / Ephesians 1:17-23 / Mark 16:15-20          

When Jesus told the disciples to go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation, they did just that. 

It was a world without boundaries, and they could go as far as the eye could see and as fast as their feet could carry them. 

But today as we hear Jesus telling us to go out to the whole world, we could only think of the closed boundaries and restricted travelling. 

We can't even go to another household without first checking how many people will there be at that place. 

Yes, such as the current situation, and as we look around, we rather stay put and keep safe. 

With these current restrictions, it is difficult to have any personal interactions, and we can almost forget about carrying out any mission. 

So, as we look around, there may not be much to look at, and not much to look forward to. 

It is like one step forward and then one step back. Well, at least it is not two steps back. 

But if looking around does not give us much motivation, then let us look in a different direction. Let us start looking upward. 

That seemed to be what the disciples were doing after Jesus ascended into heaven. 

They were staring into the sky and not knowing what to do until two men in white appeared to them and told them to get going. 

Today as we celebrate the Ascension of the Lord, we too raise our eyes to heaven and may we see that where Jesus had gone, we too hope to be there with Him. 

And we raise our eyes to heaven for another reason. We remember another promise of Jesus. 

Jesus promised to send us power from on high. He promised us the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit who will make us witnesses of hope to a world that is in despair and in distress. 

So, yes, we stay put for now, but we do not look around in despair, but we raise our eyes to heaven in prayer. 

We pray the prayer that the Church has taught us and it is this: 

“Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of Your love. Send forth Your Spirit and we shall be created and You shall renew the face of the Earth.”

May the Holy Spirit keep us firm in faith and may we be a sign of hope for the world.

6th Week of Easter, Wednesday, 12-05-2021

Acts 17:15, 22 - 18:1 / John 16:12-15       

Searching the Internet for information will gives us a lot of material, and at times too much material.

And at times, in searching for information, other things will pop up and give us a distraction.

So as much as the Internet has lots and lots of information, not everything is correct or factual or truthful.

Also searching for information on the Internet can be quite time consuming as there is a need to check on the source and credibility of the information.

In the gospel, Jesus said that He has many things to say to us but they would be too much for us now. 

But when the Spirit of truth comes, He will lead us to the complete truth.

In the 1st reading, the people of Athens had erected an altar "To an Unknown God".

But as much as they acknowledged that there are things that they do not know of, yet at the mention of Jesus rising from the dead, some burst out laughing, while others put that on hold.

We too do not know everything nor do we understand everything. 

But when we ask the Holy Spirit to grant us wisdom, knowledge and understanding, then as we search, we will certain find.

6th Week of Easter, Tuesday, 11-05-2021

Acts 16:22-34 / John 16:5-11     

The test of faith usually comes in tough times and in tribulation.

That is the time when whatever we believe in is put to the test.

That is also the time when we will know how much we trust in God and whether He will help and save us.

In the 1st reading, Paul and Silas suffered persecution and flogging and then thrown into prison.

But despite the suffering, they keep to their faith and even late at night they were praying and singing God's praises, while the other prisoners listened.

For the other prisoners, they were obviously amazed that despite their dire circumstances, Paul and Silas were still in high spirits and far from being dejected.

The wonder and beauty of faith in the face of tribulation is that it opens believers to the signs and wonders of God.

The faith of Paul and Silas indeed brought about the signs and wonders of God.

May we too hold firm to our faith in the face of trials and tribulations and God will give signs and wonders of His might and power and save us in our distress.

6th Week of Easter, Monday, 10-05-2021

Acts 16:11-15 / John 15:26 - 16:4            

A religious experience can be an amazing and powerful emotion.

It can be quite difficult to logically explain a religious experience other than to say that it is more emotional than logical.

For example, in the 1st reading, when the disciples were preaching, among those who were listening was Lydia.

The Lord opened her heart to accept the Good News and she and her household were baptised.

Then she invited the disciples to stay with her and she would take no refusal.

Such was her conviction after that religious experience.

But in the gospel, there was another kind of conviction that is disturbing.

Jesus said that there will be a time when anyone who kills a believer will think that he is doing a holy duty for God.

A genuine religious experience should lead a person to do something good and kind like Lydia did.

God is love. Any experience of God should make us be like Him, which is to be loving, good and kind.

6th Sunday of Easter, Year B, 09.05.2021

Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48 / 1 John 4:7-10 / John 15:9-17

Human beings stand at the apex, at the top, of creation, as the most intelligent, most resourceful and most creative species in the world. 

Given all those attributes, human beings would and should make this world a more beautiful and better place to live in. 

But as it is said, with great power comes even greater responsibility, and this is where humanity has flawed and fell short. 

There can be no doubt that the abuse of creation and creatures, the wars and violence, the poverty and the human tragedy, are because of the irresponsibility of humanity. 

But all these big issues have small beginnings like selfishness and greed. Practically speaking, all problems begin when we take things for granted. 

We take fresh air, clean water, sunshine and rain for granted. We take food and shelter and even health for granted. 

We not only take things for granted, we take people for granted. We use people for our advantage and get them to do things for us. 

We even take those who love us for granted. Who can ever say that they have never been disobedient or defied their parents and argued with them, especially with our mothers. 

So, in short, we take love for granted and when love is taken for granted, then anything and anyone can be taken for granted. 

But today's readings tell us not to take love for granted. If we bother to count the number of times the word “love” appears in the readings, it is 18 times, nine times in the 2nd reading, and nine times in the gospel. 

And the 1st reading talks about the workings of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit who is the Lord of life and love. 

We are reminded that God created us in love, we are to remain in God's love, we are to love God and to love one another. 

God chose to love us and He commissioned us to go forth and bear fruits of love for others so that they will come to know who God is. 

With God's love, we can make this world a beautiful place love will also make us better persons.

Even ordinary things, when seen with love, will tell us how much God loves us. 

When we look at our mothers, we see that they are ordinary persons doing their best to take care of us. 

But when we think deeper about them, we can see that there are two words that will describe them best: tough and tender. 

They know how to be tough with us, especially when we try to argue or defy them, but that's the way mothers show their tender love. 

For example, when we fall sick with cough or flu, they will nag and tell us that it is because we drink cold water and gassy drinks that we eat too much fried food and that we don't change our shirts when they are soaking with perspiration. 

But the objective is to make us more afraid of their incessant nagging and lectures so much so that we'd rather not fall sick. 

And when they look at our clothes and say “Are you going to wear that to go out?” they are actually teaching us that we dress respectfully for others and not just wear whatever we like. 

And when we go to the kitchen and we ask if she needed help, she will say “No”. Then 10 minutes later, she will say that no one helps out in the house (?!?). 

But the lesson she is teaching us is that we should not take what people say at face value. Our mothers were testing us in our sincerity in offering help. 

Yes, our mothers are ordinary persons but when it comes to loving us, they are tough and they are also tender. 

In our mothers, we see how the commandment of love takes on flesh and blood. 

Our mothers have taught us how to love, so that we in turn can teach our children how to love. 

When we love God and love others as how our mothers love us, this world will indeed be a beautiful place.

5th Week of Easter, Saturday, 08-05-2021

Acts 16:1-10 / John 15:18-21             

Almost everything has a visible as well as an invisible, or not so easily visible side.

For example, a tree's visible side is what is above the ground. What can be seen are the branches and leaves, the flowers and the fruits.

But what cannot be seen is what is beneath the ground, which is the roots, and how far they have grown into the ground.

A tree can be judged by its fruits. And its fruits is an indication of the state of its roots.

In the 1st reading, we heard that the early churches grew strong in the faith, as well as growing daily in numbers.

So what is visible are the numbers. And the numbers is an indication of the depth of the faith.

But there is another dimension that must be taken into account and that is the test of time.

Time will tell what is really the state of the faith and whether the numbers will keep growing.

May God grant us perseverance and faith to keep growing and bear fruits for the salvation of others.

5th Week of Easter, Friday, 07-05-2021

Acts 15:22-31 / John 15:12-17            

Communication is certainly not as simple and easy as it sounds, because it is not just about talking and talking.

Communication is an art. The art of communication is the ability to listen and deliver information in a clear and accurate way. Therefore good reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills are important. That's why good verbal and written communication skills are essential in our hectic world.

In the 1st reading, the letter that apostles and elders gave to Paul and Barnabas is a good example of the art of written communication.

But more just just being clear and to the point, the contents of the letter gave encouragement to the Christians in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia.

They were delighted with it and it would have also strengthened their faith and united them closer to the rest of the Christian communities.

In the gospel, when Jesus gave His disciples a commandment, it was not something that began with "You shall not ... "

Rather it was communicated with love and it was about love.

May our communication always be based on love.

May we speak in such a way that others will love to listen to us. And may we also listen in such a way that others will love to speak to us.

 

5th Week of Easter, Thursday, 06-05-2021

Acts 15:7-21 / John 15:9-11    

There is no denying that the world is a noisy place.

Especially in urbanised countries, there is even noise pollution from the traffic, construction and other noise-emitting sources.

Even communication can be turned into some kind of noise in which no one is really listening.

In the 1st reading, we heard that after the discussion about the issue of circumcision had gone on for a long time, Peter stood up to speak.

After he had spoken, there was silence in the entire assembly, and then they listened to Barnabas and Paul and also to James.

We can be quite certain that Peter was inspired by the Holy Spirit to speak what God wanted the assembly to hear.

Yes, when God speaks, we will listen and then we will be silent, as the assembly did in the 1st reading.

As we listen to the Word of God in the readings, let us be silent and remain in the love of God.

May the love of God silence the noises in our hearts so that we will listen to the voice of God and know what He wants of us.

5th Week of Easter, Wednesday, 05-05-2021

Acts 15:1-6 / John 15:1-8         

Whenever there is item for discussion, the more is certainly not the merrier.

If it is challenging for just two persons to agree on one point, then three is a crowd and thereafter it will be each person having an opinion on the matter and with endless and maybe even pointless discussions.

The Church has her fair share of issues, and in the 1st reading, there was the issue of circumcision and there was disagreement and a long argument and then further discussions.

It was not a simple matter and there is no easy solution to it as there are different opinions and convictions and different understandings of the practice of the faith.

As much as issues like this can stir up emotions and discussions can turn to ugly arguments, the early Church addressed the matter in a proper way by bringing it up to the apostles and the elders.

The aspect of faith and recourse to the help of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit is necessary in order to put the matter to rest.

As Jesus said in the gospel, He is the true vine and we are the branches.

We must remain in Him for cut off from Him we can do nothing, and our discussions will also come to nothing.

May we always be in union with Jesus and with each other and by our unity we can solve all difficulties.

5th Week of Easter, Tuesday, 04-05-2021

Acts 14:19-28 / John 14:27-31       

In the ancient world, there are many horrible forms of torture with death as the objective.

We are familiar with the crucifixion, and that was what Jesus went through.

It was horrible in that the condemned person was nailed to the cross and hung there to die slowly.

Another form was stoning a person to death. It was another horrible way to die slowly.

As we heard in the 1st reading, Paul was stoned and then dragged outside the town and his enemies thought he was dead.

The disciples came crowding round him, but as they did so, he stood up and went back to the town, as if nothing had happened to him.

We may be surprised, we may be amused, but we will surely be amazed at what had happened.

But such were the signs and wonders that God worked in the early Church, and that strengthened their faith to continue proclaiming the Good News of salvation with courage.

In spite of opposition and persecution, the early disciples had the peace that Jesus bequeathed to them, a peace that the world cannot give nor take away.

Let us pray for that peace of Jesus to be always in our hearts so that we will see the signs and wonders that God will work for us.

Sts. Philip and James, Apostles, Monday, 03-05-2021

1 Cor 15:1-8 / John 14:6-14     

Today we celebrate the feast of two apostles, St. Philip and St. James.

St. Philip was one of the first chosen disciples of Christ.  He in turn shared his calling with Nathaniel, saying, “We have found Him of whom Moses and the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth.” And when Nathaniel in wonder asked, “Can any good come out of Nazareth?” And St. Philip simply answered, “Come and see,” and brought him to Jesus.

St. James (the Lesser), traditional author of the Letter of James, was the son of Alphaeus. St. Paul tells us in the 1st reading that he was favoured by a special apparition of Christ after the Resurrection. As the Apostles went forth among the nations to preach the Good News, St. James remained as Bishop of Jerusalem, where the Jews held him in high veneration for his purity, mortification, and prayer, that they named him the Just. He governed that church for 30 years before his martyrdom.

Yet, like the rest of the apostles, St. Philip and St. James also took a while to understand who Jesus was and who He really was.

As we heard in the gospel, St. Philip asked Jesus to let them see the Father and they shall be satisfied. We could almost hear Jesus sighing as He commented that they still do not know Him.

It was after His resurrection that the apostles began to understand who Jesus really was and that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Just like how St. Philip and St. James and the rest of the apostles were called and sent forth to preach the Good News, we too are called and sent.

Just like the apostles had to slowly come to an understanding of who Jesus is and that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, we too must come to that understanding of who Jesus is.

The apostles were ordinary men who trusted and loved Jesus and led holy lives worthy of their calling.

May we too love Jesus deeply, pray faithfully and live lives worthy of the Good News of Lord.

5th Sunday of Easter, Year B, 02.05.2021

Acts 9:26-31 / 1 John 3:18-24 / John 15:1-8

That are a few occasions in life that stir up the emotions. And with emotions being stirred up, memories are created and we will remember those times when there were tears of joy and tears of sadness. 

One of the occasions is pregnancy and childbirth. For the parents and family, it is certainly tears of joy, although for the baby it is difficult to say. 

Another occasion is marriage and it is certainly a happy and memorable moment for the bride and groom. 

Another occasion would be the passing on of a person, or putting it bluntly, when death takes a person away from our midst. 

The certainty of death is a reality that we must accept, and the passing on of a loved one is undoubtedly an emotional occasion. 

Death is the stark reality and finality of life on this earth. Death can leave behind a heartache that no one can heal, but love leaves a memory that no one can steal.

And it is only with love and faith that we believe in an afterlife, an eternal life with God in heaven, a life of eternal peace, joy and rest. 

Come to think of it, that is and should be the life that we are looking forward to, isn't it? 

And the Bible reminds us that “our true home is in heaven, and Jesus Christ whose return we long for, will come from Heaven to save us” (Philippians 3:20)

So, faith tells us that our true home is in heaven, and not on this earth. And Jesus our Saviour has prepared a room for each of us in our eternal home. 

The Resurrection of Jesus tells us that He has conquered death and won for us eternal life. 

So, death is our final journey to our eternal life, and when we understand that, then death is truly a joyous occasion, (although we won't say that we will be so happy to die). 

Although our eternal home is in heaven, there is a home for us here on Earth. But it is not a physical or material home, with an address or postal code, and all the usual things that we think about when we talk about a home. 

In the gospel, Jesus says this: Make your home in me, as I make mine in you. 

If our life on earth is a preparation for the eternal life with God, then we have to understand what Jesus meant by making our home in Him, as He makes His home in us. 

In short, it means that our hearts are to be like a home to welcome Jesus, and that no matter what we have or how far we go, we will always stay in the Heart of Jesus. 

It also means that our hearts are dedicated totally to Jesus as His dwelling-place, and not cluttered with the things of this world. 

But in life, we tend to collect quite a bit of possessions as we move from one stage of life to another. 

Let us listen to a reflection from a senior lady as she is about move to what is possibly her last location in life on earth.

I'm going to a nursing home. I have to. When life gets to where you are no longer able to take care of yourself completely, and your children are busy at work and have to take care of their children and have no time to take care of you, this seems to be the only way to go.

The nursing home is in good condition, with clean single rooms, and the environment is also good, but the price is not cheap.

My pension is poorly able to support this. But I have my own house. If I sell it, then money is not a problem. I can spend it on retirement. So now I have to prepare to go to a nursing home.

But there are boxes, bags, cabinets, and drawers that are filled with all kinds of things. I like to collect. I have collected a lot of stamps. I have also hundreds of purple clay tea pots. There are many other small collections. I am especially fond of books. The bookshelves on the wall are full.

There are also dozens of bottles of good wine. There are full sets of household appliances and the kitchen is also full. There are also dozens and dozens of photo albums. Looking at the house full of things, I'm worried!

The nursing home has only one room with a cabinet, a table, a bed, a sofa, a refrigerator, a TV and an oven - all the things I will really need. There is no place to store the possessions that I have accumulated throughout my life.

At this moment, I suddenly feel that my so-called possessions are superfluous, and it doesn't belong to me. I just take a look at it, play with it, use it, but I can't take them.

I only kept a set of pots and pans, a few books that are worth reading; a handful of teapots for tea, my ID card, senior citizen card, health insurance card and of course a bank card. Enough for me!

Yes, in life, you can only sleep in one bed and live in one room. Any more of it is merely for watching and playing! We really don’t need much.

Life is not about the things we clutter our lives with, but the memories we fill up in our hearts, fond memories shared with others.

May the Lord grant us wisdom of heart to know the shortness of life and that all things shall pass, and what we leave behind are sweet memories of life and love.

May we also remember that our home on earth is none other than in the Heart of Jesus and that He will bring us to our eternal home in heaven. 

May the memories of all those who have passed on give us hope that while we try to live life to the full on earth, the fullness of life is with God in heaven.