4th Week of Lent, Friday, 01-04-2022

Wisdom 2:1, 12-22 / John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30         

Once in a while, we may entertain this fantasy that we are able to read other people's minds and know their thoughts.

We may be able to guess what are their thoughts but we can't read their minds and know what they are really thinking about.

But God would surely be able to read our minds and know our thoughts.

In the 1st reading, the Word of God gives us a glimpse of what are in the minds of the godless and what are their thoughts.

In short, the intent of the godless and evil people is to harm the good people and to do bad things to them.

This should not come as a surprise as that is the nature of evil, which is to cause harm with any reason.

We have faced the effects of evil and we turn to God for protection and help.

The Responsorial Psalm tells us that the Lord is close to the broken-hearted.

Let us not be afraid, and let us not return evil with evil.

Let us be determined to do good and we will see that the Lord is very close to us.

4th Week of Lent, Thursday, 31-03-2022

Exodus 32:7-14 / John 5:31-47   

In life, it is important to have values and principles.

Values and principles are like road maps that tell a person what is the direction in life he should take.

To have good values and principles would certainly help a person to live a good life and earn the respect of others.

For Moses, he had his own ideas about life until God called him to lead His people out of slavery from the land of Egypt.

But it was a frustrating mission as the people were a stiff-necked people and they were always complaining.

But Moses kept to his mission and it can be understood that he was worn down and burdened by the complains of the people.

Then in the 1st reading, he had this "God-given" opportunity to dump the people and even to make a name for himself by being a father of a great nation.

Here is where we see the values and principles of Moses - he pleaded with God not to punish the people and to turn away His wrath from them.

May we see in Moses a man who will not betray a nation for his advantage. 

God rewarded Moses in the end. May we too stand firm in the ways of God and He will also reward us in the end.

4th Week of Lent, Wednesday, 30-03-2022

Isaiah 49:8-15 / John 5:17-30    

The human mind has quite an amazing memory bank, and we can remember experiences and events that go a long way back.

But we can also forget about some things. 

Other words that are connected with forgetfulness are absent-mindedness, carelessness, neglect, negligence, etc.

It could also mean that after a while the memory fades because we don't think about it often or that we choose not to remember.

In the 1st reading, the people of God lamented that the Lord had abandoned them, and that the Lord had forgotten them.

But the truth could be that they had forgotten what the Lord did for them and the precepts that He had laid down for them.

The Lord retorted by asking them does a woman forget her baby at the breast, or fail to cherish the son of her womb.

And even if these forgot, the Lord God will not forget His people.

In the gospel, Jesus said that His aim is not to do His own will but the will of His Father.

May we always remember that our aim in life is to always do God's will, and we will not forget who God is for us.

4th Week of Lent, Tuesday, 29-03-2022

Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12 / John 5:1-3, 5-16   

There is no doubt that we come to Church for a need.

Of course the highest need is to come to Church and give thanks to God.

We give thanks to God for blessing us and then we want to present our needs to God.

Yes, we know that God loves us and hence we dare to tell God what are our needs.

God is so great in His love that His blessings don't come in drops but in torrents.

Like in the 1st reading, God's blessings flow from the Temple and gives life in abundance.

And God's blessings also bring healing as it did for that man who was sick for thirty-eight years.

Jesus is asking us the same question that He asked the man: Do you want to be well again?

We all need blessings and we want to live well and be healed of what is wrong with us.

If we want all that, then let us go to Church to give thanks to God and offer Him our prayers.

We only need to believe and ask, and it will be given to us.

4th Week of Lent, Monday, 28-03-2022

Isaiah 65:17-21 / John 4:43-54    

Human beings communicate through languages, and it is usually in two forms - the spoken and the written.

Besides this usual means of communication, there are also other forms of communication like body language, gestures and other signs and symbols.

Although for clarity of meaning, the written and spoken form of the language is preferred, nonetheless the other forms do have a generally understood meaning.

In the gospel, Jesus told the court official, "So you will not believe unless you see signs and portents".

But the court official was desperate for the recovery of his son so he needed a sign that is clear and unmistakable.

Jesus told him to go home and that his son will live, and the court official had to believe.

It was only later when he was told that it was at the seventh hour that his son started to recover that he was able to connect the signs.

As much as we would wish that God would communicate clearly to us in ways that we can understand, yet God's communication is in the mystery of signs.

We just have to remember and reflect on what we have seen and heard and we will be able to understand what God is telling us.

4th Sunday of Lent, Year C, 27.03.2022

Joshua 5:9-12 / 2 Cor 5:17-21 / Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

One of the saddest things to see is how terribly destructive war can be. It is said that war is hell and truly it is. 

The social and economic infrastructure of a country which took months or years to build are reduced to debris and rubble in just minutes. 

In Russia's invasion of Ukraine, there are graphic pictures of devastation. Homes were destroyed and needless to say, the numerous losses of human lives add on to the tragedies of war. 

All that destruction, all that tragedy, is totally unnecessary and the fact is that nothing good can ever come out of a war. 

But the evil, destructive and tragic effects of war is only a reflection of the dark and sinful side of humanity and the human person. 

In the letter of James (4:1-2), he asked this question: Where do all these fights and quarrels among you come from? (The answer) Don't they come from your desires that are fighting within you? You desire something but cannot have it, so you quarrel and fight and even kill to get what you want. 

In the violence and hostility that we see in the world, isn't it clear that St. James have pointed out the obvious, and that this evil desire is in us. 

We all want to live good lives and be at peace, and we try hard to live virtuous and upright lives. 

But in that moment of foolishness and giving in to our sinful desires, we fall into sin and it could be just one sin after another. 

In other words, it is difficult to be good but it is so easy to turn bad quickly and end up being a wretched state. 

In the gospel parable, the youngest son asked his father for the share of his inheritance. 

He was not evil, but for whatever reason, he gave in to his desires, and then he went off to a distant country where he squandered his money on a life of debauchery. 

And then misfortune came, one after another, till he had nothing to eat. It was then that he came to his senses and he remembered how kindly his father treated the servants. 

In coming to his senses, that youngest son saw the goodness of his father and he decided to make the long journey back to his father and ask for forgiveness. 

This parable reminds us that even for those who have gone down the wrong and sinful path, there is still hope that they will come to their senses and repent. 

And we pray that in this season of Lent, we will come to our senses and see that the wrong we do is just a smaller scale of the wars and destruction in the world.

May we come to our senses and see that on the Cross, Jesus has shed His blood to save us, and that there should be no more shedding of blood, whether literally or figuratively. 

May we come to see that what we really want is peace and reconciliation, what we want is forgiveness and healing. 

We want peace in the world, we want peace for ourselves. Let peace begin with us. Let peace begin with you and me.

3rd Week of Lent, Saturday, 26-03-2022

Hosea 5:15 - 6:6 / Luke 18:9-14     

During the season of Lent, there is a renewed call to prayer.

We are reminded that prayer, fasting and almsgiving are spiritual exercises during Lent to help us repent and to turn away from sin so that we can turn back to God.

So the purpose of prayer, fasting and almsgiving is to cleanse us of sin so that we can come before the God of mercy and compassion and to be healed by His love and forgiveness.

The gospel parable reminds us that by doing the above does not mean that we can claim any credit for it.

Because if there is no love in doing those spiritual exercises, then we may think that we had done what we need to do and hence God will have to reward us.

We may think that we have done the required penance and sacrifice.

But in the 1st reading, the Lord God says this: What I want is love, not sacrifice, knowledge of God, not holocausts.

As a tree is known by its fruits, so will our prayer, fasting and almsgiving.

May we bear fruits of love, so that we can love God and love neighbour. That is the primary purpose of Lent.

Annunciation of the Lord, Friday, 25-03-2022

Isaiah 7:10-14 / Hebrews 10:4-10 / Luke 1:26-38    

Today the Church celebrates with joy the Feast of the Annunciation. 

We recall that moment in the history of salvation when Mary said "Yes", and the promise of salvation was fulfilled as the Word of God took flesh the womb of Mary. 

We recall that moment with rejoicing and thanksgiving. 

And this year we also celebrate this feast with supplication and the consecration of Ukraine and Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. 

The Pope has called upon the Church to be united in prayer for the consecration on this day. 

The purpose of this consecration is to implore the Lord our God who pour forth the blessings of salvation on the two countries through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

Yes, Ukraine and Russia are in need of God's salvation. 

The whole world is in need of salvation. 

We all are in need of God's salvation. 

Let us always remember that Jesus died to save us and the whole world. 

We turn to Mary for her intercession and we cry to God that He will listen to our prayer and that our prayer will not be in vain. 

Let us pray with faith and put our hope in God's salvation and we will see the saving love of God for Ukraine, for Russia, for the world and for ourselves.

3rd Week of Lent, Thursday, 24-03-2022

Jeremiah 7:23-28 / Luke 11:14-23   

To have two ears and one mouth could mean that practically speaking we should listen more than we speak.

Even in learning a language, we have to listen first before we can reproduce the sounds of the language.

So in order to listen, we have to be silent. It is not that possible to be listening and speaking at the same time.

In the 1st reading, God gave this order to His people: Listen to my voice, then I will be your God and you shall be my people. Follow right to the end the way that I mark out for you, and you will prosper.

But God's people did not listen, they did not pay attention, they followed the dictates of their own evil hearts and turned their backs on God.

So when we don't listen to God, then what we listening to will be the voices from our own corrupted and twisted hearts.

In the gospel, the people saw Jesus casting out a devil, but instead of trying to understand what really happened, some of them said a wicked thing, that it was through the the prince of devils that Jesus cast out devils.

God speaks to us through our experiences, through our encounters with others, and through our prayer and reflections.

May we truly listen deeply so that we will be in union with Jesus and with Him we will speak words that will gather people in the love of God.

3rd Week of Lent, Wednesday, 23-03-2022

Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9 / Matthew 5:17-19    

In the story of creation in the book of Genesis, there was an action by God to show who He is and who we are.

God blew His breath into the nostrils of man and man became a living being.

So God not only created us in His image, He also gave us life and breath.

The act of breathing is not just a sign of life but also how close God is to us.

But we may take our breath for granted and may even forget that it is God who sustains our life.

That was why in the 1st reading, Moses urged his people to take care what they do and be on their guard.

We may forget that God loves us with each breath that we take.

We may forget that God sustains our life and that we walk in His ways of love and forgiveness.

May we breathe in deeply the life and love from God and exhale what is not pleasing to God.

And when we call upon God in our time of need, let us remember that He is as close to us as our breath is to our life.

3rd Week of Lent, Tuesday, 22-03-2022

Daniel 3:25, 34-43 / Matthew 18:21-35

If we were to apply the teaching of Jesus about forgiveness on a concrete life situation, then one of it could be that of others owing us money.

The willingness to write-off the amount owed depends very much on the amount of money owed.

But what makes us very angry and resentful is that the money comes out from us so easily and yet it comes back to us so slowly, if ever at all.

The larger the amount, the greater will be the resentment, the deeper the anger and the less willing we are to forgive and forget.

So Jesus used the parable of debt owed by two servants in order to teach about forgiveness and it was a realistic situation that could be easily understood by everyone.

Yet the teaching about forgiveness is not only to express that God forgave us our sins and so we too must forgive others the wrong they did to us.

When we don't forgive, then anger and resentment will eat into our hearts and bitterness and even hatred will begin to spawn and gnaw our lives away.

With that, more evil will enter into our lives and we only end up as a wicked mess.

The teaching on forgiveness is difficult to follow that we need to trust in the Lord that we will be the first to benefit when we forgive.

With a contrite and humbled spirit let us trust in the Lord and we will not be disappointed.

Let us also ask the Lord to grant us deliverance from our anger and resentment and bitterness, and with forgiveness let us give glory to the Lord.

3rd Week of Lent, Monday, 21-03-2022

2 Kings 5:1-19 / Luke 4:24-30   

A drowning man will clutch at a straw. 

That is just a way of saying that a person who is very desperate will try to use anything for help, even if it is really no help at all.

For Naaman, the Syrian army commander, he was desperate to look for a cure for his leprosy.

Then he heard about the the prophet in Israel who could cure him, and so he went with precious gifts and high expectations.

But when he was told to bathe seven times in the Jordan, he was indignant as he was expecting something dramatic by prophet to cure him of his disease.

Naaman was desperate but not that desperate enough to do a simple and humble thing until his servants convinced to do so.

So it can be said that the lowly and humbles servants were the channels of God's healing grace for Naaman.

And it can also be said that miracles are worked through humble and simple people with kind hearts.

May we be humble and simple and have kind hearts and we will see that God can even work miracles with the lowly straws.

3rd Sunday of Lent, Year C, 20.03.2022

Exodus 3:1-8, 13-15 / 1 Cor 10:1-6, 10-12 / Luke 13:1-9

There is one teaching that can be found in most religions and cultures. It is known as the Golden Rule. 

Whichever way it is stated, basically it is to do unto others what you want others to do unto you. 

That also means that you don't do to others what you don't want others to do unto you. 

It is called the Golden Rule because it is as basic and as simple as it could be when it comes to life and relationships. 

Putting it even simpler, it is like what you give is what you get. 

So, when we do good to others, what we get in return is a blessing. And whatever bad we do to others, what we get in return is retribution. 

So, when someone suffers something unfortunate or tragic, we might just wonder if that person had done something wrong. Was it some kind of retribution? 

The Golden Rule may seem simple and basic enough to understand and to apply to life. 

But life may not be that simple to understand and that Golden Rule may not be so easily applied. 

In the gospel, there were two tragic cases that caused anguish and distress. Some people came and told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with that of their sacrifices. That was disgusting and revolting. 

Jesus then cited the case of the 18 people who died when the Tower of Siloam fell on them. 

In both cases, Jesus asked if those who died so tragically were greater sinners than the rest. Was it some kind of retribution?

But Jesus did not enter into the topic of retribution. Instead, He emphasized on repentance. 

His warning is clear enough: Unless you repent, you will all perish, and even just as tragically. 

The call to repentance would actually make us rethink our understanding of the Golden Rule. 

The Golden Rule assumes that people would reciprocate with the same token. In other words, whatever we do to others, then others will also do to us. 

So, when we love others, we kind of expect others to love us in return. And when others do wrong to us, can we do the same thing back to them? 

And if we can't, can we say that they will get their retribution, as in eye for eye and tooth for tooth? 

But if we think like that, then are we doing anything exceptional? 

The call to repentance makes us look at the new commandment of love that Jesus gave us and that is, “love one another as I have loved you”. 

And that means to love our enemies, to bless those who curse us, to do good to those who treat us badly and to pray for them. 

In other words, to repent is to look at the Cross and to look at Jesus who suffered and died to save us. 

Jesus loved us first, and there is nothing we can do to return His love. 

Jesus is only asking us to love others just as He has loved us. 

To love others is the fruit of repentance. With love there is no more need for vengeance or retribution. 

With love and heeding the call to repentance, we will know that we are sinners. 

Yes, we can say that “I am a sinner but I also have a Saviour”. 

That is the Good News that we have to tell the world.

St. Joseph, Spouse of the BVM, Saturday, 19-03-2022

2 Sam 7:4-5, 12-14, 16 / Romans 4:13, 16-16, 22 / Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24 or Luke 2:41-51     

There is no doubt that we leave an impression on others and others also leave an impression on us.

Some, for whatever reason, may want to leave a legacy behind when their life is over.

Some may just leave this world just as quietly and ordinarily as they came into this world.

Some would just leave their lives in the hands of God and do whatever He wills.

For them, it is not who they are or what impressions or legacies they leave behind that mattered; it is what God whats them to do that mattered.

For St. Joseph, we know that he was a simple village carpenter. He was also a man of honour, as the gospel would say of him.

He came into the world without any big credentials, but he left an impression on the Church and on all of us.

Although nothing was quoted from him in the gospels, he showed us what obedience and doing the will of God is about.

His most prominent role was that he was the spouse of Mary and guardian of the child Jesus.

In this he also became the guardian and protector of the Church.

May St. Joseph pray for us, that we will obey the will of God and do what God wants of us. 

May our faith in God also be in acts of love and not just mere words.

2nd Week of Lent, Friday, 18-03-2022

Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13, 17-28 / Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46    

When something is rejected, there could be a few reasons.

It could be a defect, or it didn't meet up to expectations, or that there is a question of quality or whatever.

When something is rejected, it is usually thrown away and disposed of. 

But when a person is rejected, it is quite a different matter altogether.

It wasn't a question of defect or expectations or quality.

In the 1st reading, Joseph was rejected by his brothers because of jealousy.

And that rejection turned into an evil intention of murder in order to get rid of Joseph.

In the gospel, the parable was about the people rejecting the ways of God and the servants of God were also gotten rid of in murderous ways.

It is usually easier to pick out faults and failings in others and consequently they are put on the "rejected" list.

But let us remember that God chooses the rejected, the unexpected and the lowly to fulfil His ways.

Let us not be too quick to reject but rather to accept the faults and failings of others.

We may find ourselves accepting and coming to terms with our own faults and failings and with the grace of God find healing and peace.

2nd Week of Lent, Thursday, 17-03-2022

Jeremiah 17:5-10 / Luke 16:19-31 

The Bible teaches us that when we bless others, we will also inherit a blessing.

So obviously, what should come out of our mouths should be blessings and there will be blessings upon blessings.

But we know that it is not always the case.

Because when we get irritated, annoyed, upset or angry, what comes out of our mouths are curses and words that are unpleasant.

In the 1st reading, the Lord says this: A curse on the man who puts his trust in man, who relies on things of the flesh, whose heart turns from the Lord.

But it is not the Lord who curses such a person. It is the person who curses himself and he also lets out curses on others.

The Lord also says that a blessing on the man who puts his trust in the Lord, with the Lord as his hope.

Let us put our faith and trust in the Lord and also put our hope in His blessings on us.

Let us ask for God's blessings and let us also in turn be a blessing for others.

2nd Week of Lent, Wednesday, 16-03-2022

Isaiah 1:10, 16-20 / Matthew 23:1-12   

Viruses are always a matter of concern in life.

It affects our physical health and it affects our cyber security.

It always seems to be one or a few steps ahead despite whatever measures there are in place.

It can also be said that evil is like a virus. 

It is always trying to find ways to tempt people to do what is bad and evil.

In the 1st reading, we heard of how the bad people plotted against the prophet Jeremiah.

Jeremiah lamented about this, and he also asked what is evil done against good.

But as it is, evil will against be waging war against good, because the devil is all out against those who are on the side of God.

But God will protect us from evil and save us from the snares of the devil.

We only need to pray and trust in God's protection, and pray for the conversion of those who do evil.

2nd Week of Lent, Tuesday, 15-03-2022

Isaiah 1:10, 16-20 / Matthew 23:1-12  

To say "No" is easier than to say "Yes".

Even without opening or stretching the mouth too much, the "No" comes out loud enough.

Saying Yes takes some effort on the lips and the muscles around the mouth.

Similarly, to obey is more difficult than to disobey.

To obey is to submit ourselves to orders and instructions, even though those orders and instructions are for our good.

But somehow our first reaction will be to say "No" and we just don't want to submit because we tend to treasure our freedom more.

Even when those orders and instructions come from God, that does not quite change our attitude.

Hence in the 1st reading, God says this to His people:

If you are willing to obey, you shall eat the good things of the earth.

But if you persist in rebellion, the sword shall eat you instead.

So we already know what is good for us. It is now up to us to make our decision.

May we submit to the Commandments and instructions of the Lord, for the Lord only wants everything for our good.

2nd Week of Lent, Monday, 14-03-2022

Daniel 9:4-10 / Luke 6:36-38   

The season of Lent no doubt has a penitential character and mood.

There are the ashes of Ash Wednesday, the call of repentance, the fasting, the penance, the Way of the Cross and other penitential exercises.

All this is not to make us go on a guilt trip or to remind us of the wrong we have done.

The fact is that we have sinned and we cannot take that lightly.

Because sin has that effect of causing our hearts to be numbed and we can begin to slowly feel that our grave sins are not that serious anymore.

But in the 1st reading, the prophet Daniel has serious things to say about his people - we have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly, we have betrayed Your Commandments.

He even went on to say that they have committed treason against the Lord.

We can't say any less than that about ourselves. 

We have to face our sinfulness and ask for forgiveness.

May our acts of penance during Lent be an offering to the Lord to ask for forgiveness.

The Lord who is merciful and compassionate will certainly forgive us, and we too forgive others.

2nd Sunday of Lent, Year C, 13.03.2022

Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18 / Philippians 3:17 – 4:1 / Luke 9:28-36

Ordinary things can turn into something extraordinary when they are given a “makeover”. 

And we can be quite surprised and amazed at how some touch-up or even an overhaul can make things look good and wonderful. 

An old house can look quite majestic with some repairs and renovation and a new coat of paint. Shoes can look like new when cleaned and polished. Clothes can look smart and neat when washed and ironed. 

Even for persons, they can look surprisingly pleasant with some proper grooming, like a good haircut or hairdo, and with sharp and elegant dressing. 

We may call that a transformation, but still it is only an external change. 

No matter how much the appearance of an object or person may change, the true nature does not change. It is only a transformation, a change in the external form. 

But it cannot be denied that the world places a high value on the looks and appearances of an object or person. 

When Jesus came into the world, He took on human nature with all its weaknesses. 

He was like us in all things except sin. His divine nature was concealed by His human nature, and so he looked like an ordinary human being, although He let His divine power be manifested in healing the sick and in working miracles. 

The gospel account is commonly called the Transfiguration of the Lord. Jesus was transfigured, not transformed. 

In the Transfiguration, the true divine nature of Jesus was revealed, and for a moment it manifested over His human nature. 

There was nothing earthly that was put on Him to make Him radiate with divine glory. 

And the voice from the cloud affirmed the true identity of Jesus as the Son of God, and it also commanded us to listen to Him. 

Jesus is divine, yet He took on human nature with its weakness, and He even went on to suffer and die on the Cross to save us. 

In saving us, Jesus restored our true human nature, and that is we are created in the image of God. 

In our true human nature, we manifest and express the image of God and the holiness of God. 

But sin has disfigured and deformed our human nature, and so instead of radiating the holiness of God, we show the ugliness of sin and evil. 

So instead of being loving, kind and gentle, we give in to selfishness, anger and even being cruel. 

Instead of being heart-warming, we become nerve-chilling to others. Instead of being charitable, we choose to be irritable and irritating others as well. 

But in His Transfiguration, Jesus showed us who He is, and we are also reminded of who we are, that we are created in the image of God and that we are His children. 

We have listened to the voice of the world and followed the ways of the world and we are attracted to the lights of glamorous appearances. 

But let us listen to the voice of Jesus and go up with Him to the mountain of prayer so that we can see who we truly are. 

May we be healed of our sinfulness and restored to the image of God that we are created in. 

May we also radiate the holiness of God and also help others to rise from the lights of earth and journey toward the eternal light of above.

1st Week of Lent, Saturday, 12-03-2022

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

Respect is for those who deserve it, not for those who demand it.

In other words, respect has to be earned. 

But that does not mean that we go around trying to impress others in order to get their respect.

In fact, respect begins with ourselves. We respect ourselves and then others will respect us.

And since our faith is the guiding principle and foundation of our lives, then we must first obey and respect the commandments of God.

We revere God who is our Creator and we must be faithfully keep the Commandments of God and live according to His laws and decrees.

By the holiness of our lives, people will respect who we are and what we believe in.

May we always be a holy people that is consecrated to the Lord, and we will in turn be God's blessings for the world.

1st Week of Lent, Friday, 11-03-2022

Ezekiel 15:21-28 / Matthew 5:21-26    

We should know by now that sin has devastating consequences, in the temporal as well as in the eternal.

But despite knowing that, we still give in to temptation and we commit sin, regardless of grave or venial sins.

Yes, we have to acknowledge that we are prone to sin, that the lure of sin can be too great for us to resist, and that we just want to fulfil our desires.

But still, we must not say that since we are so weak, then there is no point resisting temptation and might as well sin all we want.

It is what the 1st reading said, that the upright man renounces his integrity, commits sin, copies the wicked man and practises every kind of filth.

Certainly we won't want to do that, not just because we know that sin comes with punishment.

We don't want to sin because we know that God loves us and that in loving God and others, we too will grow in love and virtue.

When we resist temptation, we will be at peace. May we also grow in virtue, so that we will want to do God's will and love God and others.

1st Week of Lent, Thursday, 09-03-2022

Esther 4:17 / Matthew 7:7-12    

Between giving and receiving, we would rather be on the side of giving.

Maybe because we feel good about giving.

To be on the receiving side would certainly require some humility.

Yes, it takes humility to ask so as to receive, whether it is to ask for directions, or to ask for assistance or to ask for money, which can be quite embarrassing.

But when the one whom we are turning to for help is God, then we don't just casually ask.

Because when we turn to God for help, it would be certainly more than just an ordinary request.

In the 1st reading, queen Esther took refuge in the Lord in the mortal peril which had overtaken her.

And she besought the Lord God of Israel in her prayer.

To beseech, to implore, to entreat, are words that are used in different ways to express the act of begging from help from God.

As much as we say that we pray and ask the Lord for His help in our needs, let us take on the spiritual posture of humility and lowliness.

Let us beg the Lord to listen to our prayer and grant us our needs. 

How seriously we offer our prayer to God is an expression of how seriously we are in our faith.

1st Week of Lent, Wednesday, 09-03-2022

Jonah 3:1-10 / Luke 11:29-32     

There are many questions about how God speaks to us.

But there is no simple answer to that question.

Because God can speak to us through His Word, through the Sacraments, through our prayer, through our experiences and through other people.

But we can be quite certain that when God speaks to us, we will know that it is His voice.

Because it will have a specific message for us and we will also know that the message is for us.

As in the 1st reading, when Jonah proclaimed the destruction of Nineveh, the people knew that the message was for them and for them alone.

Even without being told, they repented of their evil, from the king right down to the animals.

Jesus even mentioned about their repentance when Jonah preached to them.

Yes, God speaks to us and we will know that it is His voice because it will be a personal message for us.

Let us listen, let us do what God wants of us, let us repent and we will know how much God loves us.

1st Week of Lent, Tuesday, 08-03-2022

Isaiah 55:10-11 / Matthew 6:7-15   

The season of Lent is a call to a renewal of faith.

Hence there is the meditation of the sufferings of Christ in the devotion of the Stations of the Cross.

There is an emphasis on abstinence and fasting, and some would embark on a 40-day Lenten diet.

 And for alms-giving, the Charities Week envelops will be distributed for us to make our offering to help the poor.

Over and above all these is the call to prayer and to renew and deepen our relationship with our Saviour.

In the gospel, Jesus taught the prayer of the "Our Father",  a prayer that we are familiar with.

But what we need to be equally familiar with is what Jesus said after teaching the prayer.

Jesus said this: If you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours; but if you do not forgive others, your heavenly Father will not forgive your failings either.

When we are able to forgive instead of fume over the failings of others, then we know that our prayer is bearing fruit in our lives and that we are also drawing closer to the Lord.

1st Week of Lent, Monday, 07-03-2022

Leviticus 19:1-2, 11-18 / Matthew 25:31-46       

Generally speaking, we may like to think we are quite good persons.

We may not be that good all the time but at least we can say that we are not that bad.

So we tend to measure our goodness by what we think is bad.

But even if we measure our goodness by the moral standards of the 10 Commandments, can we say that we are good enough?

In the 1st reading, God instructed Moses to say this to the people: Be holy, for I the Lord your God, am holy.

No one is truly good but God alone, and His goodness flows from His holiness.

And in whatever good that we do, it should radiate the holiness of God.

It may be feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked or visiting the sick or those in prison, like the parable in the gospel.

Or it may just be doing a small and little thing with great love.

We acknowledge that we are sinners and that we are not that good.

But doing everything with love makes us good enough for God, for in His holiness, He does everything with great love.

1st Sunday of Lent, Year C, 06.03.2022

Deuteronomy 26:4-10 / Romans 10:8-13 / Luke 4:1-13

Generally speaking, we don't have enemies in that sense of the word. Unless we are talking about a war, where the enemy is all out to kill and to destroy, and will be merciless and brutal. 

No, by and large, we don't have that kind of enemies, though there could be people who dislike us and are against us. But they would not think of killing us. 

But when we think deeper about it, there is an unseen and a very dangerous enemy who is all out to harm us and destroy us. 

We are talking about none other than the devil and his agents. The devil will use all means to deceive us, to tempt us, to lure us, to trap us and eventually to drag us into hell. 

Just to think that there is such a vicious and dangerous enemy around can be quite frightening, and we should be afraid of the devil because he is real. 

But at the same time, we believe in God who is Almighty and we take refuge in God and He will certainly protect and guard us against the devil. 

As we begin the season of Lent, the Opening Prayer of the Ash Wednesday Mass says this: “As we take up battle against spiritual evils, may we be armed with the weapons of self-restraint.” 

On this 1st Sunday of Lent, we hear Jesus taking up the battle as He faced the three temptations of the devil. 

Jesus overcame each temptation and exhausted the devil, but that was not the end of the war. The battle will continue all the way to the Cross. 

As for us, the battle will be in the fields and the nooks and corners of our lives. 

God will give us strength and He will train us to prepare our arms for battle and our hearts for war. 

We draw strength from God with the three spiritual exercises of Lent, and that is prayer, fasting and almsgiving. 

The devil tempted Jesus with the basic human needs for food, the desire for glory and power, and to put God to the test. 

The three spiritual exercises are weapons of self-restraint and self-control. With that we let God be our shield and our armour against the devil. 

But the devil knows our weaknesses, and he will do everything to break through our defences in order to destroy us. 

But as much as the devil is our greatest enemy, there is also another enemy that we need to be aware of. And that enemy is none other than ourselves. 

Oh yes, we are actually our greatest enemy. Because it is up to us to decide to say “Yes” to God or “Yes” to the devil. 

The devil became who he is because he said “No” to God and it is an eternal and irreversible “No”. 

And the devil will always tempt us to say “No” to God and to drop the weapons of self-restraint and self-control. 

We say “No” to God when we hunger and desire for attention and glory for ourselves. 

We say “No” to God when we are prideful and want to win every discussion and argument and put others down in order to be looked up to. 

We say “No” to God when we are selfish and self-centred and harbour anger and resentment against others. 

But Jesus, in the gospel, taught us to say “Yes” to God. It is with obedience and humility that we say “Yes” to God and overcome the devil's temptations. 

Let us take up the weapons of prayer, fasting and almsgiving, so that we can have self-restraint and self-control. 

Let us say “Yes” to God and follow Jesus as He leads us into the battle, a battle that will end in victory at the cross.

Saturday after Ash Wednesday, 06-03-2022

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

Our shadows have something mysterious as well as spiritual about it.

Where there is light, we will have our shadows. And depending on where the light is, the shadows can be long or short.

So whenever we stand under the sun or in a place where there is light, then we will have a shadow.

So wherever we go, our shadow follows us and will not leave us; we can never be separated from our shadows.

The 1st reading mentioned about light and shadow - your light will rise in the darkness, and your shadows become like the noon.

Indeed when the light of God is shining above us, our shadows will not be much.

But when we are far away from God, then our shadows will be long and even eerie.

Yet God calls us out from the darkness of our sins into His wonderful light.

In the gospel, when Jesus called Levi the tax collector, He was expounding on what He said: I have not come to call the virtuous, but sinners to repentance.

Let us let the light of God shine into the dark corners of our hearts so that we will truly repent of our sins and then our shadows become like noon.

Friday after Ash Wednesday, 04-03-2022

Isaiah 58:1-9 / Matthew 9:14-15    

It is necessary to know why we are doing what we are doing.

If we are reading a book, we must not only understand the words but also what the book wants to tell us.

If we are taking a train or a plane, we must what kind of transport it is but where it is taking us to.

Similarly on the spiritual realm, there are spiritual acts that we do and we must not only know what we are doing but why we are doing it.

When we pray, it is not just about saying one prayer after another.

Prayer is a means of communion with God, and hence prayer changes our hearts to love God and to love others.

When we fast, it is not just about skipping a meal or two and feeling hungry.

Fasting is a form of prayer to express our hunger and yearning for God so that we empty ourselves of our earthly desires and pray to be filled with the love of God.

The season of Lent has many meaningful spiritual exercises that will soften our hearts so that we can turn to God.

May we understand the meaning of what we are going and be renewed in our love for God and for others.

Thursday after Ash Wednesday, 03-03-2022

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

Shocking words are not what we usually like to hear because they disturb us.

But when the same shocking words are repeated over and over again, we become numb to it. It loses its "kick", so to speak.

So when we hear the words of Jesus in today's gospel, what is our response?

Are we raising our eyebrows and wondering if what He is saying is for real?

Yesterday we began the season of Lent with an emphasis on prayer, penance and almsgiving.

All these are not ends in themselves but are means to help us feel for others, to feel our "within" and more importantly to feel God in our lives.

All this is to help us respond to God's Word.

Like what Moses said to the people in the 1st reading: See, today I set before you life and prosperity, death and disaster.

The words of Jesus may not sound very consoling to us.

But those are the words that point us to the way of life and eventually to eternal life.

The way of life is the way of the cross.

To choose otherwise is to choose ruin and disaster.

Ash Wednesday, 02-03-2022

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

As we begin the season of Lent with Ash Wednesday, our attention is turned to a lowly and humble substance, and that is ashes.

The ashes are sprinkled on our foreheads to remind us of two aspects of our lives.

Firstly, it is to remind us to turn away from sin and to be faithful to the gospel.

Secondly, it is also to remind us that we are dust and to dust we shall return.

Yes, these lowly and insignificant ashes are used as reminders as we begin the season of Lent.

It reminds us that we are sinners and we are in need of God's forgiveness.

We desire for earthly rewards of attention and we use ways and means to get what we want even if it is wrong and sinful.

We hold tightly to earthly possessions and we think we would be happy if we have more of what we want.

But ashes reminds us that all that is earthly will pass and will turn to dust and ashes.

We too will pass and will eventually turn to dust and ashes.

When we can realise this, then we will turn to God who is eternal and everlasting.

God is our only true reward. Let us turn to Him alone and nothing else.