5th Week of Lent, Saturday, 01-04-2023

Ezekiel 37:21-28 / John 11:45-56    

Today's gospel ends with questions, and those questions will be answered in the coming days as the liturgy unfolds.

It was also a questioning time for Jesus as His hour of reckoning approaches.

So as He retreated to the countryside with His disciples, He could have decided to remain there.

He could have gone on with His work of healing and teaching in a quiet way.

Many people would have supported Him and kept Him safe.

But Jesus knew that that was not the Father's will, so He moved out of His safety zone, a move that will cost Him His life.

Hence whenever we talk about doing God's will, we have to remember that it involves risk.

It involves moving out of our safety zone and moving out of our comfort zone.

But it is only in moving out that God moves in.

It is only when we move out of our pride, our resentment, our selfishness that God can move in to strengthen us with His love and to face the questions of life.

5th Week of Lent, Friday, 31-03-2023

Jeremiah 20:10-13 / John 31-42   

Life is not all that rosy and easy, and that is a reality that we have to accept.

There will be people who do not like us, and there will be some who are our enemies, for whatever reason.

And we can feel like how the prophet Jeremiah felt, as he said in the 1st reading: All those who used to be my friends are disparaging me.

And in his despair and distress, he wished that his opponents or enemies will stumble, mastered, confounded by their failure; everlasting, unforgettable disgrace will be theirs.

As for us, in our anger and resentment against our opponents and enemies, we would wish the same as Jeremiah wished for his enemies.

But what about faith in God and what about Jesus taught us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us?

As much as Jeremiah hoped that the Lord will let him see the vengeance that God will take on his enemies, he also said this to God:

I have committed my cause to you. Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord, for he has delivered the soul of the needy from the hands of evil men.

So, to the Lord belongs judgement and vengeance. And that means we should not give in to revenge and retaliation.

Let us put our faith and trust in the Lord and He will vindicate us. 

Then, even if life is not rosy and easy, we will be at peace with ourselves and with the Lord.

5th Week of Lent, Thursday, 20-03-2023

Genesis  17:3-9 / John 8:51-59       

Some of us are cradle-Catholics, meaning that we were born into a family that is Catholic and practises the faith.

Some of us are converts, meaning that we became Catholic later in life, whether it is through the RCIA process or by some other means.

Whatever it is, the faith has taken root in our lives and it is our mission to keep the flame of faith burning and to hand it over to the next generation.

In the 1st reading, we heard that God called Abraham and made a covenant with him.

God said to Abraham: You on your part shall maintain my Covenant, yourself and your descendants after you, generation after generation.

So, the faith is not just about a set of beliefs, or a set of practices, or belonging to a group or a church.

It is a covenant relationship between God and us, and also between God and those to whom we will hand the faith to.

So, we remember the forefathers or ancestors of our faith, as we thank the Lord God for calling them and for the faith that we have received from them.

It is our responsibility to nourish and nurture the next generation in faith and to keep that covenant relationship with God.

Even if we are the only one in the family who is baptized, then it is our mission to tell them about the love of God and to lead them into a covenant relationship with God.

May the Lord God bless us and to help us keep the flame of faith burning for generation after generation.

5th Week of Lent, Wednesday, 29-03-2023

Daniel 3:14-20, 24-25, 28 / John 8:31-42     

The fiery furnace of tribulation is something we will come across in our lives. Not just once, but many times.

It is in this fiery furnace that our faith in God is tested, our faith in prayer is tested, our faith in others is tested, and our faith in ourselves is tested.

The fiery furnace comes in all forms: the loss of a job, the hurt form a broken or painful relationship, ill-treatment and accusations from others, etc.

And we often get trapped in the flames of doubt, despair, anger and resentment.

In the 1st reading, when the three young men were threatened with the fiery furnace, they stuck to their faith in God.

In doing so, they were freed from their fear of death.

They believed in God, and that set them free to face and overcome the fear of the fiery furnace.

It is also by believing in God and in His Word of truth that will set us free.

By forgiving those who hurt us, we are freed.

By praying for those who wrong us, we are freed.

By not nailing judgment on others, we are freed.

By loving others, we are freed.

The flames of the fiery furnace may not go off, but by believing and living in the truth, we live in the freedom of walking together with our God in that fiery furnace.

5th Week of Lent, Tuesday, 28-03-2023

Numbers 21:4-9 / John 8:21-30       

In life, we will always have stress, which of course we do not welcome at all.

More so when stress turns to distress, then we will get all flustered and frustrated.

In the 1st reading, we heard how the Israelites were in distress, but that was due to their own grumblings at God and the consequence was the scourge of the fiery serpents.

But out of this distress, arose the intercession of Moses which brought about healing for the people.

For Jesus, His greatest moment of distress was when He was nailed to and lifted up on the cross.

But it was also on the cross that He revealed His full identity as Saviour.

The cross was also His throne of glory.

Whenever we sink into the depths of distress, or face trials and difficulties that wear us down, let us remember this.

That in times of great distress, God is closest to us in His full power to lift us up so that we can see His glory.

The times of distress are also the time in which God reveals His saving love for us.

That is somehow difficult to believe, just as it would seem strange that by looking at the image of a bronze serpent on a standard would bring about healing.

But as we look as Jesus being lifted up on the cross, then we will understand. Then we will believe.

Because we are looking at our Saviour who came to heal and forgive and save us.

5th Week of Lent, Monday, 27-03-2023

Daniel 13:41-62 / John 8:1-11     

The name Daniel in Hebrew means "My God is judge" or "My God is justice".

And true to his name, the prophet Daniel brought about God's justice and saved the innocent Suzanna from being executed.

When we talk about God's justice, we often see it as judgement, as in punishment for evil and vindication for good.

Indeed, the two evil men in the 1st reading got what they deserved for trying to harm an innocent woman in order to cover up their evil deeds.

In that sense, it is true that justice means judgement.

But God is a judge, not merely in the sense of passing sentence over our evil deeds.

The biblical understanding of God and His justice is that He looks at the good we do and the good that we are capable of doing.

Because God, in His justice, is essentially mercy and love.

He affirms our goodness with His mercy and love.

With His mercy and love, He increases our capacity for goodness.

Jesus is the true light that brings about God's love and mercy to us.

Let us open our hearts to the light of Christ and reflect it to others in order to help them do good and increase their capacity for goodness.

5th Sunday of Lent, Year A, 26.03.2023

 Ezekiel 37:12-14 / Romans 8:8-11 / John 11:1-45 

One of the profound lessons of life is that we don't really treasure or value something until it is lost. 

It is a recurring lesson and we don't seem to learn enough of it. 

So, we take a lot of things for granted and we seem to think that we will always have them. 

We won't value the convenience of our mobile phone until it is spoiled or lost. 

We don't really take care of our health until we fall sick. 

We don't appreciate the love of our parents and loved ones until they have passed on. 

And we don't often think about the meaning and purpose of our life, until we are faced with the reality of death. 

No doubt, we have experienced the loss of a loved one, and we have attended the wakes and funerals of relatives and friends. 

It may affect us for a while as we think about death and what the afterlife is about. 

But we move on, and those who have passed on become a memory that slowly fades away like the sunset. 

Today's gospel brings up the topic of death, and makes us think about the meaning and purpose of our lives. 

We may not know exactly what is the afterlife about. But we know that Jesus is the Resurrection, and He is our life, and in Him, we have a new life after death. 

As Christians, we live our lives here on earth in preparation for our eternal life in heaven. 

We want to be happy on earth, so that we will be eternally joyful in heaven. 

We want to live in peace on earth, so that we will truly rest in peace in heaven. 

And in following the Commandment of Jesus, then whatever love and good that we can do for others, we will want to do it, because we only walk this way once, and we want to walk with others all the way to heaven. 

So, our life on earth is to be a life of love, and we will be prepared to face our own death, because we long for the eternal love of God in heaven. 

But, the worries and anxieties of this world, the wear and tear of life, make us hide in the tombs of our darkness. 

And in that darkness, we succumb to the sins of anger, resentment, bitterness, frustration, disappointment, greed, selfishness, in short, the corruption of the tomb. 

But just as Jesus called out to Lazarus, He calls out to each of us to “Come out!” 

Let us listen to the voice of Jesus, let us listen to the voice of life and love. 

Let us come out of our self-made tombs to encounter Jesus who is the Resurrection and who is our life. 

Jesus wants to unbind our sins, so that we can be freed, freed to live with love. 

And Jesus sends us out to love, so that others can find the meaning and purpose of their lives, and to journey with us to have life on earth, and eternal life in heaven.

Annunciation of the Lord, Saturday, 25-03-2023

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

As we know, Baptism is the gateway to the rest of the Sacrament.

One must be baptized in order to receive the rest of the Sacraments.

If that can be said of Baptism, so too can be said of the mystery of the Incarnation.

At the Annunciation, the angel Gabriel told Mary that the Holy Spirit will come upon her and the power of the Most High will cover her.

The child that she will conceive in her womb will be holy and will be called Son of God.

God becoming man in the womb of Mary, or the Incarnation, is a great mystery that requires faith to accept and understand.

Those whom God has chosen and called and given the faith will be able to accept the mystery of the Incarnation, just as Mary was chosen and called and she responded.

In accepting and believing the mystery of the Incarnation, we then journey with Mary into the life of Jesus, and we will see the mystery of salvation unfold in the suffering, death and Resurrection of Jesus.

When we can accept and believe in the mystery of the Incarnation, then we will also be able to believe that with God, nothing is impossible.

4th Week of Lent, Friday, 24-03-2023

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

It is said that where there is smoke, there could be a fire.

Similarly, when we hear something offensive said about us, we might be offended and the fire of anger starts to burn in us.

But as we take a moment to think about it, when we feel offended by what others say about us, could it be that what they said is not wrong.

Instead, what they said about us could be right, and it is up to us to react or to respond.

In the 1st reading, we heard what the godless say to themselves, with their misguided reasoning.

They insult the virtuous, and even want to put them to the test with cruelty and torture.

But strangely, what the godless say is true, because that is what we say we believe in.

Well, we say that we believe that God loves us, that we are called to do good, that God will protect us and rescue us from the clutches of our enemies.

We even say that the final, and eternal end, of the virtuous, is the reward of happiness with God.

With that being said, then are we prepared to have our faith and love, our gentleness and endurance be put to the test?

Will we still believe that God will look after us and reward us for our faithfulness?

So when we hear challenging things being said about us and about our beliefs, let us respond by bearing witness to God and what He wants of us.

Let us be living witnesses that holiness in life will be rewarded in eternity.

4th Week of Lent, Thursday, 23--03-2023

Exodus 32:7-14 / John 5:31-47

The one thing that creates some problems for us and makes us feel aged is this thing called forgetfulness.

Forgetfulness afflicts everybody, and especially when we are no longer that young and we forget this and that, then we become the butt of jokes.

Anyway if our individual forgetfulness can give us problems, how about the forgetfulness of a nation?

Certainly it would be disastrous, as in the case of Israel.

It was not that long ago since they experienced the liberation from Egypt and the miraculous parting of the Red Sea.

But soon they forgot about the God who saved them and they created an idol in the image of an animal!

In fact, forgetfulness is too lame a word to be used here.

The word should be stupidity. The Israelites were stupid enough to forget, and for that they wondered in the desert for 40 years just to have their memory corrected.

The 40 days of Lent is indeed a time for us to recall and remember the saving acts of God and the wonderful graces He poured into our lives so that we won't forget the meaning of love and mercy.

It  is also a time to cleanse ourselves of other distractions that have come into our lives that make us lose focus and forget about God in our lives.

For it is to God alone that we must say : You alone are my God.

4th Week of Lent, Wednesday, 22-03-2023

Isaiah 49:8-15 / John 5:17-30   

Words are powerful. We use words to convey our ideas and concepts.

We use words to express our feelings and our convictions.

Although at times we feel that there are just too many words with nothing much to convey.

We also just heard a lot of words from the 1st reading and the gospel.

But these words will just remain as words unless we hear something more.

When we hear the voice of Jesus behind those words, then those words become powerful. Then those words become life-giving.

Jesus said that whoever listens to His words has eternal life.

To have eternal life means that we will live our lives the way that Jesus wants us to live.

That means we must live a life that is free from sin and wrong-doing, so that we know what peace and joy and love and the fullness of life is all about.

And whenever we have our needs, we just have to present it to the Lord in prayer.

As the Lord said in the 1st reading : At the favourable time I will answer you.

Those are powerful words of God's promises. May we listen to them, so that we will have life.

4th Week of Lent, Tuesday, 21-03-2023

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

There are many images of the Church as a sign of salvation.

It can be like a ship in tumultuous water.

It can be like a lamp shining in the dark.

It can be like an anchor that will be needed to keep a ship stable.

The 1st reading gives the image of the Temple with a stream that came out from under the Temple threshold, with waters flowing.

As the waters flow towards the sea, animals drink of it.

Fish is plentiful, the waters bring health, and life teems wherever the waters flow.

Fruit trees grow on either side of the banks, with fruits good and plentiful and even the leaves are medicinal.

It is a wonderful image of the Church as a sign of salvation, and with God’s blessings flowing from the Church to all those who seek for salvation.

But it must also be remembered that there are some people, like the man with the illness and lying on his mat for 38 years, who are unable, for some reason, to encounter and experience the saving love of Jesus.

May we be sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit to know who they are and to lead them to Jesus so that they will experience the joy of salvation.

St. Joseph, Spouse of BVM, Monday, 20-03-2023

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

We may have devotions to saints like St. Anthony, St. Jude, St. Michael the Archangel, etc.

And no doubt, we will have a devotion to Our Lady, and we will have our favourite prayers to her, like the Rosary, and prayers to the other saints.

But we may have to admit that somehow, we have missed out St. Joseph in our devotional prayers.

Yes, we know that he is a powerful intercessor, and we hear his name being mentioned in the Mass as the Spouse of Mary.

Today is his feastday, and we are reminded of his role in God’s plan of salvation.

He was a simple village carpenter, and Mary was betrothed to him, but his life began to change when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream.

Even though he didn’t quite understand what was really happening, he accepted God’s will to be the husband of Mary and to be guardian of the child Jesus.

Today we honour him as the Spouse of Mary and the guardian of the Church, the spouse of Christ.

Let us remember to pray to St. Joseph, that like him, we will do God’s will with humility and simplicity.

St. Joseph’s greatness is in the way he carried out God’s will, and that is quietly and faithfully in the ordinary things of life.

May we follow St. Joseph’s example, and may St. Joseph pray for us.

4th Sunday of Lent, Year A, 19.03.2023

 1 Sam 16:1, 6-7, 10-13 / Ephesians 5:8-14 / John 9:1-41

The Bible is a collection of books that tells of the wonderful love of God for us.

 Yet, the Bible also contains stories that make us wonder about some strange accounts.

For example, why did the devil appear in the form of a snake to tempt Eve? If the devil had appeared in his ugly and heinous form, then there will be no problems for Eve and the snake.

Because Eve would have ran away from the devil, and the snake wouldn't be discriminated as an evil creature.

Or, how about Naaman, the Syrian army commander who had leprosy. Why did the prophet Elisah tell him to bathe in the river Jordan seven times, and that made Naaman angry.

The prophet Elisah could have just said a prayer and Naaman would be healed and that would have shortened the whole conversion process for Naaman.

Or, how about today's gospel? Look at how Jesus healed the man born blind. He spat on the ground, made a paste with the spittle, put it over the eyes of the blind man, and said to him, “Go and wash in the Pool of Siloam.”

The blind man went off and washed himself and had his sight restored.

We may wonder, why did Jesus did such a strange action to restore the sight of the blind man.

He could have just said a prayer, or placed His hands over the eyes of the blind man, and the end result would still be the same.

But, what is interesting about that blind man who could now see, is that he saw more than what the others could see.

He not only could see, but his eyes were enlightened to see who Jesus really is, that Jesus is God.

So, we have eyes that can see. But are our eyes enlightened by the light of Christ to see deeper and to see the ways of God?

Even in the realm of nature, some fruits have odd appearances, like rambutans, soursop and durians. But rambutans are sweet, soursop is healthy, and some go crazy over durians.

So, when we see something that we can't understand or something that is not pleasing to the eye, let us not refuse or reject it.

Just as soft and tender tissue reside in hard and rough exteriors, God's soft and tender blessings reside in hard looks and strange expressions.

The blind man received his sight, but his eyes also received the light of Christ to see who Jesus really is.

May our eyes also be enlightened by the light of Christ to see God's love and blessings in everyone and in everything.

May our eyes also be opened to see God's strange but wonderful ways.

3rd Week of Lent, Saturday, 18-03-2023

Hosea 5:15 - 6:6 / Luke 18:9-14    

One of the preparations before going for the Sacrament of Reconciliation is to use the 10 Commandments for the examination of conscience.

Breaking any of the 10 Commandments is indeed a grave sin.

Hence not going for Mass on Sundays, disrespect for parents, stealing, adultery, all these are grave sins. Blatantly grave.

But what is blatant can be equally destructive as what is subtle.

We avoid obvious grave sins, yet we can forget that there are sins that are not so obvious that will cause us to trip and fall.

In today's gospel parable, the Pharisee was proud that he did not commit any grave sin; in fact he did credible deeds.

But why was he not at rights with God?

As always, pride comes before the fall.

His problem was spiritual pride - he called another person a sinner without acknowledging to be one himself.

He propped himself up, at the expense of another person.

It was subtle, but evil. So we need to watch ourselves.

If we think we are virtuous, are we also getting self-righteous?

We can make sacrifices and perform credible deeds.

But what the Lord wants is not sacrifice. What He wants is our love for Him and for those around us.

And if we should fall, then we only need to turn to God and say: God, be merciful to me, a sinner.

3rd Week of Lent, Friday, 17-03-2023

Hosea 14:2-10 / Mark 12:28-34   

The season of Lent seems like a time of penance, and indeed it is.

Lent began with Ash Wednesday, with obligatory fasting and abstinence.

Dark purple vestments are worn, and there is the emphasis on prayer and penance, as well as the call to conversion and repentance.

Lent may seem rather gloomy, but when we look at it with the eyes of love, then we know that Lent is truly a season of grace and a holy season.

Because the season of Lent brings us back to the origins of why God created us and why Jesus came and what He did for us.

The 1st reading sums up the purpose and direction of Lent as it urges us to come back to the Lord.

The Lord will take away our iniquity. He loves us with all His heart.

Yes, Lent is a time when God shows us how much He loves us.

May we come to love God with all our heart, with all our understanding and strength, and to love our neighbour as ourself.

May we be wise and intelligent to understand these words and to grasp their meaning.

And we will do fasting and penance with rejoicing and gladness.

3rd Week of Lent, Thursday, 16-03-2023

Jeremiah 7:23-28 / Luke 11:14-23       

When we say that someone is our good friend, it means that there are certain things in common between us and that person.

Good friends have these in common: honesty and sincerity, trust and understanding, listening to each other, accepting correction, loyalty and respect, among other things.

When there is trust and respect, when friends listen to each other, then the friendship will grow and deepen into a good friendship.

When God made a covenant with His people, He wanted to be their God and He wanted them to be His chosen people.

All that God asked of His people is that they listen to Him and follow His ways.

But as we heard from the 1st reading, the people did not listen to God, nor paid attention to Him.

They didn’t even respect God and they didn’t even treat Him as a friend.

Jesus came to be our Saviour, our Brother and as a friend so as to lead us to a relationship with God, a relationship that is deeper than just being good friends with God.

Let us have respect for Jesus because He is our Saviour and Brother, and who died on the Cross to save us from our sins.

Let us listen to Him as He teaches us the ways of truth and love.

And by our response to Jesus, we will know if we are with Him or against Him

We will know if we are gathering others for Jesus, or going against Jesus by dividing and scattering.

3rd Week of Lent, Wednesday, 15-03-2023

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

Whenever we talk about the topic of obedience, we can expect that there will be many views and opinions.

Because in the first place, obedience is often seen as a limitation of freedom, and that is usually where the contention comes.

But generally speaking, obedience can have two aspects – one is enforced obedience, which comes with punishment if obedience is not adhered to.

The other is rational obedience, where the purpose of obeying a law or rule is clear because it is for personal good as well as for the good of others.

In the 1st reading, Moses reiterated the goodness of the Laws and Commandments that God gave to His people.

And if the people keep these God-given laws and commandment, even other nations will say that no other people is as wise and prudent as the people of God.

But Moses also warned the people: Take care what you do and be on your guard.

Because the human tendency is to disobey and give in to freedom of desires, which is always as expression of selfishness and greed.

Jesus came not to abolish the Law or Commandments; rather He came to fulfill them.

Jesus is the Truth, the Way and the Life.

When we pledge our obedience to God’s Truth and walk the Way of Jesus, then we will have life and life to the full.

3rd Week of Lent, Tuesday, 14-03-2023

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

Whenever we say that we are busy, we may need to ask ourselves what are we really busy with.

Are we busy with the important things in life?

Or are we saying that we are busy as an excuse to avoid looking at the important things of life?

In the 1st reading, Azariah was busy with a prayer. 

His prayer was for something important – he was praying for forgiveness for his people, as he says:

“may the contrite soul, the humbled spirit be acceptable to you”, “treat us gently, as you yourself are gentle and very merciful”.

So, Azariah was busy praying for forgiveness.

In the gospel, Peter was busy counting the number of times that one should forgive.

But Jesus tells him to forgive seventy-seven times, in other words, unlimited forgiving.

So, essentially in life there are two important things that we should be busy with:

We should be busy praying for forgiveness, and we should be busy forgiving others.

3rd Week of Lent, Monday, 13-03-2023

2 Kings 5:1-15 / Luke 4:2-30     

The 40 days of Lent was originally a time of preparation for the Elects who are journeying towards Baptism.

It is a time of purification and enlightenment as the Elects scrutinize themselves so that they will discover deeper faults and failings and to turn to the Lord for healing and strength.

When the early Church saw how the Elects were blessed with the grace of God in their preparation for Baptism, the Church decided to use this as a form of renewal for those who are already baptized.

So, it can be said that the baptized learnt from those who were preparing for baptism, how to use the 40 days of Lent to prepare for the renewal of their own baptism at Easter.

In the 1st reading, Naaman went thought an experience of conversion and discovered who God is as he proclaimed: Now I know, that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel.

In the gospel, when Jesus recalled how Naaman, the Syrian, was cured but not the other lepers in Israel, the people were enraged.

It was like saying that the outsiders know about God better than the people of God.

As for ourselves, as we see the Elects preparing for Baptism, let us pray for them as they prepare for Baptism.

And let us also pray for ourselves, that we will also experience purification and enlightenment in preparation for the renewal of our Baptismal promises at Easter.

3rd Sunday of Lent, Year A, 12.03.2023

Exodus 17:3-7 / Romans 5:1-2, 5-8 / John 4:5-42 

It is not so often that we have to stand that long at Mass, or more precisely, that long for the Gospel reading. 

In fact, the moments that we stand during Mass are not that many. Most of the time, we are either sitting or kneeling. 

So, for the long gospel reading, having to stand causes some distractions, one of which is that we begin to feel tired. 

Talking about tiredness, there are generally two types of tiredness. 

One is the physical tiredness, which requires rest or sleep, and that kind of tiredness is usually quite obvious. 

The other type of tiredness, which may not be so obvious, is the tiredness of the heart. 

The heart is tired because the heart is not at rest, the heart is not at peace, the heart is troubled. 

In the gospel, Jesus came to a Samaritan town and He came to a well. He was tired out by the journey, and He sat straight down by the well, obviously tired as well as thirsty. 

At about the sixth hour, or around noon, a woman came along to draw water from the well. 

She too was thirsty, but she was actually more tired. To come to the well at that time of the day means that she was avoiding people, and that she has something to hide. 

So, other than feeling thirsty, she was feeling more tired, physically and emotionally, because her heart was troubled, she had no peace of heart. 

In her encounter with Jesus, she became aware of her need for peace, a need that is deeper than the need for water or to rest. 

Finally, she put down her water jar and headed back to the town to tell the people about Jesus. 

She seems to have forgotten about her thirst and her troubles, because in her encounter with Jesus, she experienced Jesus as the living water of her life. 

Jesus quenched her thirst, and calmed her heart, such that she forgot about her water jar and went to the people she had been avoiding. 

We may not be that thirsty, but we have to admit that we are tired. 

We are physically tired and maybe even more emotionally tired. 

Our hearts are tired out by anger, resentment, bitterness, disappointment, shame, guilt.

Whatever it may be, Jesus Is our living water who will cleanse and refresh our hearts.

We just have to tell Jesus that we are thirsty and that we are tired. 

Let us come to Jesus and sit beside Him in prayer. 

It is in prayer that we will receive the healing and life-giving water from Jesus.

2nd Week of Lent, Saturday, 11-03-2023

Micah 7:14-15, 18-20 / Luke 15:1-3, 11-32   

It is difficult to understand poverty if we had not had the experience of living from hand to mouth and with nothing to rely on.

It is difficult to understand physical handicaps if we had not had the experience of the temporary loss of our limbs or faculties.

And it may be difficult to understand love, compassion and forgiveness, if we had not had the experience of wrong-doing and having to pay for our faults.

If we had not gone down on our knees to pray, or beg, for forgiveness, then love and compassion may just be concepts or ideas in our minds.

Although the gospel parable may not be based on any factual account, yet we cannot say that such a situation did not happen.

But more importantly is the message of the parable, that God is truly love, compassion and forgiveness.

As the 1st reading would state this about God: What god can compare with you – taking fault away, pardoning crime, not cherishing anger for ever but delighting in showing mercy.

So let us heed the call to repentance. 

We don’t need to be brought down to our knees to understand the love, compassion and forgiveness of God.

2nd Week of Lent, Friday, 10-03-2023

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

Whenever we talk about God’s plan, we usually reflect about it from retrospect.

In other words, we usually see the wonder of God’s plan only after when it has happened and then we are able to connect the dots together.

But when God’s plan was unfolding in our lives, we may not understand it.

In fact, we may be rather perturbed and disturbed by it.

In the 1st reading, though Joseph was much loved by his father but he was much hated by his brothers.

And then his brothers hatched a plan to kill him but later they changed their minds and sold him off as a slave.

Joseph was certainly distressed by what was happening to him, but he endured it.

It can be said that he had the faith to believe that his life is in God’s hands and that God had a plan for him.

Indeed, God not only had a plan for Joseph, God also had a plan for His people and Joseph was going to be a major part in God’s plan.

So when life is going rough and heavy, and we are perturbed and disturbed and even in distress, let us hold on to our faith in God.

Let us believe that God has a plan for us, and with faith, we will journey on and we will be able to see the wonder of God’s plan.

2nd Week of Lent, Thursday, 09-03-2023

Jeremiah 17:5-10 / Luke 16:19-31

As much as we know that wickedness and evil will certainly lead to a dreaded end, yet at times we wonder why wicked people and those who commit evil are not punished immediately.

If punishment is swift and sharp for those who commit evil and wicked deeds, then it would certainly be a deterrent against others who are thinking of doing likewise.

But such is not usually the case, and as such we might even be tempted to join in the wicked deeds although we may not be that bad as to commit evil deeds.

Wicked deeds like plotting and taking advantage of good and generous people.

Wicked deeds like slandering others and creating discord among others.

But by doing so, what are we saying about ourselves? What are we trusting in?

The 1st reading tells us that a curse be on the man who puts his trust in man, but a blessing on the man who puts his trust in the Lord.

The responsorial psalm tells us why. The man who puts his trust in the Lord is like a tree planted beside the flowing waters, that yields its fruit in due season and whose leaves shall never fade, and all that he does shall prosper.

Indeed, our faith in the Lord should open our eyes to the plight of the poor and those in need around us, whether financially or emotionally and to the Lazaruses that we see around us.

Let us put our trust in the Lord's blessings and walk in His ways, for He will give each man what his conduct and action deserves.

2nd Week of Lent, Wednesday, 08-03-2023

Jeremiah 18:18-20 / Matthew 20:17-26    

We do things for a reason, whatever the reason may be.

Whether the reason makes good sense or not, that is another matter.

But one thing for sure, and that is we don’t do things without a reason.

We can’t be doing something and yet we do not know why we are doing it.

For evil to do harm to the good, no reason is really needed.

Because it is in the nature of evil to harm, to destroy and even to kill.

In the 1st reading, the prophet Jeremiah had to come to terms with why evil is returned for good.

But the reality is that evil does not recognize goodness, and in fact it is totally opposed to good.

So evil does not need to reason to harm and to destroy the good, just as the evil people were out to destroy Jeremiah for no reason whatever.

But on the other hand, we know that God does not need a reason to do good because He is all good and goodness naturally flows out from God to His creation and to His people.

We are called to be like God, and hence, there is no need for a reason to do good.

And we must keep on doing good because we are called to be good and because that is the only way to keep evil at bay.

2nd Week of Lent, Tuesday, 07-03-2023

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

When we look at the readings of today, we will get to see that actually God does not demand too much of us.

God does not expect us to go to extremes to express our faith in Him.

In fact, it can be said that God cares about those who are weak in faith and He doesn’t demand too much, so that everyone will be able to do what God wants of them.

As we can see from the 1st reading, God only wants the following to show that what He wants of us is to do what is fundamentally human:

Cease to do evil. Learn to do good, search for justice, help the oppressed, be just to the orphan, plead for the widow.

That is something that can be done. All that is required of us is to be in touch with our basic human nature.

But as much as that can be done, our broken human nature resorts to pride, selfishness and greed.

Hence, we seek attention at the expense of others, and we put others down to boost our pride and ego.

We ask the Lord our God to forgive us and to heal our broken human nature so that we will learn to be humble and to help others with love.

2nd Week of Lent, Monday, 06-03-2023

Daniel 9:4-10 / Luke 6:36-38      

One of the profound characteristics of being human is to be kind and compassionate.

When we are in some trouble or distress, then what we really need is for someone to show us kindness and compassion.

Kindness and compassion are expressed profoundly in the act of forgiveness.

To forgive someone requires genuine kindness and compassion.

When God forgives us, He is truly expressing kindness and compassion.

And when God forgives, He also wants to forget our sins and wrong-doings.

So it can be said that God forgives and forgets.

We ask God to forgive us, and God will give and give and give.

But we may just get and get and forget; we forget the kindness and compassion of God for us.

Let us ask God to help us to be compassionate just as He is compassionate.

Then we will also forgive and give and give.

And God will give us blessings of a full measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over.

2nd Sunday of Lent, Year A, 05.03.2023

Genesis 12:1-4 / 2 Timothy 1:8-10 / Matthew 17:1-9 

For us who live in high-rise buildings, we know that there is a difference between living on a lower levels, and living on the higher levels. 

Besides the difference in price, with the higher floors pegged at a higher price, there is also the difference in the view. 

In the lower floors, the view can be quite crowded and cluttered, as we get to see the surroundings at the ground level. 

Also, being nearer the ground, we will see more dirt, and if there are inconsiderate people living in the higher floors, then we will also see falling litter and dripping water from clothes and mops. 

On the higher floors, what might impress us is the view. We get to see further and see more, and it is windier and the air might be fresher. 

It may also be quieter, and with a good view, it may give a sense of tranquillity and serenity. 

So if we have a choice, and if we need not consider power failure and lift breakdowns, then it is likely that we would choose to live on the higher floors. 

But, the dynamics of life is not about a choice of whether we want to stay at the higher level or having to bear with staying at the lower level. 

Life is not about being on a high always or being on a low always. In fact, life is like a cycle of ups and downs, and of highs and lows. 

In last week's gospel, we heard that Jesus went into the desert and there He faced the temptations of the devil. 

We can imagine that it was not a pleasant image with the harsh conditions of the desert and dry sands. And we can also Imagine how challenging it was for Jesus to resist the devil's temptations in those kinds of conditions. 

In today's gospel, we heard that Jesus and three of His disciples went up a high mountain. On that mountain, Jesus was transfigured, and his face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. 

Jesus was in His divine glory, and Moses and Elijah appeared and they talked with Him. It was an amazing scene, and Peter summed it all up when he said: Lord, it is wonderful for us to be here. 

Yes, it is wonderful to be on the mountain top, but it is awful to be in the desert. Even the surroundings are contrastingly different. 

In the desert, there is only the hot and dry desert sand. On the mountain, there is a sense of might and majesty, as a mountain is often seen to be as solid as a rock. 

So, in life, and even in faith, there are times when we feel as secure as a rock, and there are times when we feel that we are walking on hot sand and even sinking into quicksand. 

But the majesty of the mountain and the agony of the desert has lessons for us. The rocks of the mountain and the sands of the desert can tell us this story.

Two friends were walking through the desert and got into an argument. One friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand: Today my best friend slapped me in the face.

They kept on walking until they found an oasis. Thirsty, they stopped for water. The one who had been slapped, slipped and fell into the pool, and started drowning. His friend saved him. That evening, he wrote on a rock: Today my best friend saved my life.

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, “After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now you write on a rock, why?” 

He replied: “When someone hurts us, we should write it in sand where the winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where it will be long remembered.”

So, let us remember the divine majesty that Jesus revealed on that mountain top, and let us listen to His teachings of love and forgiveness.

And when we sink into the agony of the hot desert sands, let us remember what Jesus said to His disciples: Stand up, do not be afraid.

So when we feel that we are standing on hot sands or even in quicksand, let us call out to Jesus, and He will raise us up to the mountain top to see His glory.   

1st Week of Lent, Saturday, 04-03-2023

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

Although some people believe in a supreme being, or a divinity, they nonetheless like to remain as "free-thinkers" (although that is a local colloquial term)

Maybe the attractive factor here is the freedom.

The freedom to remain uncommitted, the freedom to live one's life according to one's own precepts, the freedom to believe whatever what one wants to believe in.

Yet in today's 1st reading from Deutoronomy, we hear two declarations.

The first declaration was from the people, that the Lord God will be their God.

And God declared that they will be His very own people.

Such a declaration of commitment is not unlike marriage vows, and such a commitment actually frees both parties to love each other more deeply.

We commit ourselves to God by following His ways, and keeping His statutes, His commandments and His ordinances.

God in turn commits Himself to us by empowering us to be a consecrated people, a holy people.

A people set apart to show others a way of living that is much more meaningful and truthful.

But if we are like "free-thinking" Christians, then are we doing anything exceptional, especially when the other non-Christians do just as much.

As Christians, Jesus calls us to be perfect, to be holy, just as our heavenly Father is perfect and holy.

1st Week of Lent, Friday, 03-03-2023

Ezekiel 18:21-28 / Matthew 5:20-26   

To be a Christian is certainly a blessing. At the same time, it can be challenging.

It is a blessing to know that Jesus Christ is our Saviour that we turn to Him in our troubles and distress, and we know that He will protect us and save us from danger.

That is a great consolation especially when we meet with the struggles and troubles of life and we know that when we call upon Jesus to help us, He will be there for us.

Although we may find some gratification in the things of earth, yet we also know that only Jesus can give true peace and contentment.

So we live in this world, but not of this world, because we believe in Jesus, and from the things of earth, we look at the things of above.

So to be a Christian means that we live a life not of earth, but rather a life of above.

Our calling as Christians is to live a life that will motivate and inspire others so that they too would want to receive blessings from God.

And that is where the Christian life becomes challenging.

As what Jesus taught in the gospel, while others will refrain from killing and murdering, we will go higher and resist and forbid ourselves from derogatory name-calling and insults against others.

Yes, it is challenging to be a Christian, but we will accept that challenge because with it come God’s blessings, and that is what we really desire.

1st Week of Lent, Thursday, 02-03-2023

Esther 4:17 / Matthew 7:7-12      

As a Christian, prayer is a fundamental and essential aspect of our lives.

Because prayer is an expression of our relationship with God.

Prayer is not just petitions and to ask for things but more of thanksgiving for the love that God has for us.

And we pray because we want to give thanks to God for loving us and saving us.

So, in the gospel, Jesus tells us to pray with confidence, that when we ask, God will give us, when we search, God will help us find and when we knock the door will open.

Yes, how much more will God our Father give good things to those who ask Him.

But there will be times when we will face deep distress and desolation, like how queen Esther felt in the 1st reading.

She took refuge with the Lord in the mortal peril which had overtaken her, and she besought the Lord in desperate prayer.

So when we face serious trouble and deep distress in our lives, let us not lose faith, but turn to the Lord in prayer.

As Jesus promised us, how can God our Father, who loves us, not give good things to those who ask Him.