4th Week of Easter, Monday, 01-05-2023

Acts 11:1-18 / John 10:11-18 (for Year A)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4th Sunday of Easter, Year A, 30.04.2023

Acts 2:14, 36-41 / 1 Peter 2:20-25 / John 10:1-10

The general understanding of a religion is that there is a God and the followers of that religion worship that God. 

Then comes along the precepts of the religion, like Commandments and regulations. 

The reason that people follow a particular religion is because of family traditions, or that they have experienced some goodness of that religion. 

As for the Christian faith, it has all the above aspects and maybe even more. 

But, as we reflect either on our Christian faith, we will come to see one fundamental and essential aspect. 

And that aspect is relationship. 

It is the relationship between God and us, and our relationship with one another. 

That relationship is profoundly expressed in the Commandment to love God and to love one another. 

And as much as God calls us His people, there is also another image that is used to express the relationship between God and us. 

And that image is the shepherd and his sheep. That image runs throughout the Bible, in the writings of the prophets, in the Psalms and in the gospels, like in today's Gospel. 

And this Sunday, the 4th Sunday of Easter, is also called Good Shepherd Sunday, with an emphasis on vocations to the priesthood and religious life. 

So, there is a religious basis to call Jesus our Good Shepherd, and we willingly call ourselves His sheep. 

And when we understand the relationship between the shepherd and his sheep, then we will know why that imagery is used. 

Out there in the fields and in the pastures, the shepherd is often alone with his sheep. 

He knows every one of his sheep, and the unique characteristic of the sheep is that they listen to the shepherd's voice, and only to his voice. 

At the end of the day, the shepherd will gather his sheep into a cove-like area, and he will rest at the entrance. 

It is an image of an intimate relationship between the shepherd and his sheep, almost like that of a father and his children. 

So, we may wonder, how can a sheep go missing and be lost. The reason is that when a sheep is sick, it will not be able to listen clearly, and it will not see clearly as well, so it will not hear the shepherd's voice and lose sight of the flock.

Hence, the urgency of the shepherd to look for that lost sheep before anything tragic happens to it. 

As we think about all these on Good Shepherd Sunday, we may come to see that to be a shepherd is a challenging and demanding vocation. 

Yes, we pray for those who are preparing for the priesthood to offer themselves in service to God and to His people. 

We also pray for those who have answered the call to serve, meaning the priests who are the shepherds of the Church, that they will be faithful and committed to their sacred vocation. 

We pray also for ourselves who are God's sheep, that we will listen to the voice of truth and love, and follow the Good Shepherd in the path of salvation. 

And we pray that we will also look out for the lost sheep. 

For whatever reason that they have left the Church, their deep desire is to come back to God and to the Church. 

And may we, the shepherds and the sheep, the priests and the People of God, be the voice, the hands and the feet of the Good Shepherd who will look for those lost sheep. 

The world has many other distracting voices, and there are those who want to steal, to kill and to destroy. 

We pray that Jesus, our Good Shepherd, will protect the shepherds and the sheep of His Church, and lead us to the pastures of blessings, and to the eternal pastures of the Kingdom of Heaven.

3rd Week of Easter, Saturday, 29-04-2023

Acts 9:31-42 / John 6:60-69

To be spoilt for choice may initially sounds like exciting.

There will be many options and we can compare one with the other.

It is like going to a computer shop and looking at the number of laptops on display and we can browse from one model to the other.

But in the end, if we can only choose to buy one, then no matter how many choices there are, no matter how many options there are, then it is “Yes” to one and “No” to the rest.

So, in being spoilt for choice, we may end up wasting more time, getting distracted from what we really need, losing focus on what we really want and even being unhappy with the one that we eventually choose.

When it comes to putting our faith in Jesus, then we also know that we must believe and trust in Him alone.

But the gospel said that many of the followers of Jesus could not accept what Jesus said and thought that it was intolerable language and they stopped going with Him.

But when Peter and the apostles had to make choice, Peter said this, which we must always remember:

Lord, who shall we go to? You have the message of eternal life, and we believe; we know that you are the Holy One of God.

May Jesus be our only choice. The other options are not worth it.

3rd Week of Easter, Friday, 28-04-2023

Acts 9:1-20 / John 6:52-59

All religious leaders understand one fundamental duty as they teach and preach to their congregation.

And that is, that they are bound to teach the truth and they should not be teaching or preaching something that is against the religion that they claim to profess.

More so, in a place of worship, or in a holy place of prayer, religious leaders are expected to conduct themselves in proper behaviour and to speak in a dignified manner.

In the gospel, when Jesus gave the teaching about eating His flesh and drinking His blood, His listeners were astounded and puzzled by what He said.

The gospel ended off by noting that Jesus gave that teaching at Capernaum, in the synagogue.

The synagogue is a place where the people gathered for prayer and listen to the Scriptures and to the teachings.

So what Jesus taught was not done in an ordinary place but in a holy place, a place of prayer.

What Jesus taught was the truth, and there was no doubt that He meant what He said.

As we participate in the Eucharist, let us be reminded of this truth and let us truly believe in it.

When we believe in what we are receiving at Holy Communion, then we will also echo the teaching that Jesus gave in the gospel.

And may others also come to believe in that teaching by the examples of our lives.

3rd Week of Easter, Thursday, 27-04-2023

Acts 8:26-40 / John 6:44-51   

The quest for immortality is not something alien to humanity nor is it a figment of imagination.

There were monarchs, emperors, leaders and famous people who searched for what can be generally called immortality.

It may be some mystical elixir of life, or some potion of everlasting youth, or some object that will have the powers of healing and protection for a life-time.

So, throughout history, there were people who obsessively search for either an immortal life on earth, or an afterlife that has a resemblance to the life on earth.

So when Jesus tells us about the eternal life that God wants to give to us, He is addressing a deep need in us.

He is addressing our question to the meaning of our life on earth as well as what happens when we pass on from this world to the next.

Jesus is our Bread of Life and in Him we will have true life on earth as well as eternal life in heaven.

With Jesus, let us live our lives confidently because our questions about life is answered, whether it is life on earth or life in heaven.

3rd Week of Easter, Wednesday, 26-04-2023

Acts 8:1-8 / John 6:35-40

It is said that genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration (Thomas Edison)

It means that a person achieves great things primarily through hard work rather than creative ideas.

That can also be said when it comes to understanding God’s plans, as the early Church in the 1st reading showed us.

A bitter persecution against the Church started after the martyrdom of Stephen, and the believers fled and were scattered all over the place.

But as they went from to place to place, they kept the faith and they preached the Good News.

And in some places like the Samaritan town that Philip went to, they welcomed the Good News.

And there was also deliverance and healing and there was great rejoicing.

So out of tribulation and perspiration, there was revelation and inspiration.

The early believers kept the faith and they were strengthened by Jesus, their Bread of Life.

As we partake of the Bread of Life, Jesus will reveal God’s plan for us and we will get the inspiration to keep proclaiming the Good News.

St. Mark, Evangelist, 25-04-2023

1 Peter 5:5-14 / Mark 16:15-20     

St Mark the Evangelist is the traditional author of the Gospel according to Mark, and he is closely identified as (John) Mark that we heard about in the 1st reading, who was a disciple of St. Peter.

St. Mark is also closely identified as the cousin of Barnabas, who together with St. Paul were zealous missionaries in the Acts of the Apostles.

So St. Mark had connection with early missionaries in the New Testament, but that was not why he became prominent in the Bible.

He was greatly involved in the missionary work of the early Church and he founded the Church in Alexandria.

He may have been recognized for his gift of writing and being a disciple of St. Peter, he wrote the gospel through the reflections and teaching of St. Peter.

So St. Mark was a missionary and a writer and he was also involved in the work of the early Church.

He may have discovered these gifts gradually but he knew what these gifts were for.

As the 1st reading says: Wrap yourselves in humility to be servants of each other, because God refuses the proud and will always favour the humble.

So in spite of being associated with big names in the Church and bestowed with gifts, St. Mark remained a humble servant of the Church.

So let us learn from St. Mark to be humble servants of God and to humble servants to each other.

That is the first requisite for the proclamation of the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ.

3rd Week of Easter, Monday, 24-04-2023

Acts 6:8-15 / John 6:22-29   

A Christian is just like everyone in this world, at least in the ordinary sense of the word.

Yet a Christian should always remember that though he is in this world, he is not of this world.

His principles and values are based on the teachings of Jesus Christ.

His response in the face of challenges and difficulties should also be Christ-like, and not to be like that of the world.

In the 1st reading, the deacon Stephen was filled with grace and power and began to work miracles and great signs among the people.

Then came the challenges from opponents and they plotted against him and even caught him by surprise and arrested him.

In the face of false accusations, Stephen did not respond or tried to defend himself.

As the response in the Responsorial Psalm puts it: They are happy whose life is blameless.

We may not find ourselves in that kind of situation as Stephen was in.

But our mission as Christians is to bear witness to the world that we put our faith in God and look with hope to an eternal life.

As Jesus said in the gospel: Do not work for food that cannot last, but work for food that endures to eternal life.

We live in this world, but may our lives bear witness to our faith and hope to the eternal life with God.

3rd Sunday of Easter Year A, 23.04.2023

Acts 2:42-47 / 1 Peter 1:3-9 / John 20:19-31

In the journey of life, we don't walk alone. 

In the story of creation, God saw that man, and the rest of creation was good. 

But there was one thing that God saw that was not good, and that was, man was alone. 

And hence, God created woman, and together with the man, they were to go forth and multiply and fill the Earth with love. 

But there were times when man chose to go alone, maybe because to go fast, one goes alone. 

But going alone, or wanting to go fast, will certainly have problems. 

Peter was alone when he denied Jesus, not once, but three times. 

Judas had his own ideology, and he ended up as a tragedy. 

Thomas chose to be in isolation, and he missed the first appearance of the Risen lord. 

As we have heard, to go fast, one goes alone. But to go far, we go together. 

To be together is to keep each other company, whether we are happy or in misery. 

For the two disciples of Jesus who were on their way to Emmaus, they were downcast and in misery. 

They were walking away from Jerusalem as their hopes were shattered with the death of Jesus. 

Their only consolation was that they had each other's company in their misery. 

But we remembered that Jesus promised where two or three are gathered, He will be there. 

Jesus came along and walked with the two disciples along their journey, and listened to their story. 

He then enlightened them with the Scriptures, and finally revealed Himself to them at the breaking of bread. 

For the two disciples, the journey to Emmaus was heavy with disappointment. 

But the journey back to Jerusalem was burning with excitement. 

Jesus had promised His disciples that He would rise from the dead, and the two disciples experienced the Resurrection. 

But for the two disciples as well as for the rest of the disciples, there was a deeper revelation. 

The Risen Lord Jesus had kept His promise that He will be with them, and will journey with them to the end of time. 

As we journey in our faith, let us remember that Jesus promised to be with us. 

As we journey on, let us also journey together with each other, whether it is in excitement or in disappointment. 

And let us also look out for the lonely and the lost. 

Let us look out for those who are unhappy and in misery. 

They are the ones who walk alone in misery and with no company. 

Let us walk with them, and Jesus will walk with us. 

Together with Jesus, we will go far and will even receive a revelation of Heaven. 

And it will be a journey together with hearts burning with love.

2nd Week of Easter, Saturday, 22-04-2023

Acts 6:1-7 / John 6:16-21

Different situations and circumstances can alter the behaviour of a person or a group of people.

When things are calm and under control, we would also behave calmly and we would also be in control of things.

But when chaos and panic happens, and when things are not under control, then it is going to be a different situation.

Like when we are on a small boat and the wind is strong and the sea is rough. And then we see someone walking on the water.

Even if we are quite certain that is Jesus who is walking on the water, that is not the time to be awed or fascinated about it.

Simply because the situation is tensed, and that is also not the time to appreciate such divine feats.

Hence we can understand why the disciples were frightened. The situation has changed their behaviour from normal to one that is beyond their control.

Similarly, in the 1st reading we heard about the Hellenists complaining against the Hebrews. Until now what we had been hearing was a united and loving early Christian community.

Yet it is the reality of life in that when situations change, the behaviour of people also will change.

And that is also the reality of our lives. Yet we don't have to be in chaos and panic whenever the situation is out of control.

What we need to know is that God is in control. He can walk calmly on water even when the winds are strong and the sea is rough.

Jesus wants to walk into the centre of our hearts. When Jesus is in the centre, then all things will come together and put under control.

2nd Week of Easter, Friday, 21-04-2023

Acts 5:34-42 / John 6:1-15 

The ways of God are certainly so different from the ways of the world, and similarly God’s thoughts are so different from man’s thoughts.

While the world looks for ability and capability, God looks at simplicity and humility.

And while the world praises efficiency and productivity, God works though charity and mystery.

In the gospel, when Philip looked at the crowds, he saw difficulty and insufficiency.

But through the charity of a small boy who had five barley loaves and two fish, God showed that nothing is impossible, and that with whatever little that is offered, there will be plenty left.

Indeed, the power of God works wonderfully in the little and the lowly.

And in the 1st reading, the wisdom of the respected Gamaliel was expressed profoundly when he said:

If this enterprise, this movement of theirs, is of human origin, it will break up of its own accord; but if it does in fact come from God, you will not only be unable to destroy them, but you might find yourselves fighting against God.

Gamaliel understood that God’s ways are not man’s ways, and the way to understand how God thinks and how God acts is through charity and humility.

With charity and humility, we will be able to see the wonders of God in the little and lowly.

2nd Week of Easter, Thursday, 20-04-2023

Acts 5:27-33 / John 3:31-36      

A spiritual person is not one who just spends a lot of time praying, or doing things that others would think that is holy.

A person can do all that and even more, and may seem to be quite spiritual.

But a truly spiritual person is one who bears witness to God in what he or she says or does.

In other words, a spiritual person bears testimony to God even though that person’s testimony may not be totally accepted by others.

That is what John the Baptist said about a truly spiritual person.

In the 1st reading, the disciples were moved by the Spirit to speak even though they faced the Sanhedrin.

Peter even declared before the high priest and the officials that obedience to God comes before obedience to men.

He even added that he and the disciples were witnesses to the truth of God, and that the Holy Spirit was given to those who obey God.

Let us pray to the Holy Spirit that we will obey God and do His will so that others will see that we are truly spiritual persons.

2nd Week of Easter, Wednesday, 19-04-2023

Acts 5:17-26 / John 3:16-21

In our fast and busy world, we don't usually have the luxury of time to do much reading.

Even when it comes to the newspapers, we would be satisfied just to read the headlines or the highlights or the summary.

The details can be left to another time.

The Bible is a thick compilation of 73 books.

Yet the Bible can be summarized into a simple but profound message that runs throughout, from Genesis to Revelation.

This message can be found in today's gospel and specifically in 3 : 16-17.

"God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not be lost but may have eternal life."

Yes, God sent His Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but so that through Him the world might be saved.

When we understand this core message of the Bible, then we will also understand what true love is, what sacrificial love means, and also the meaning of our life and existence.

Then we will also know what God has called us to do.

God wants us to be proclaimers and witnesses of His saving love for the world.

God who calls us to this mission will also enable us to fulfill it, just as He enabled the apostles to proclaim the Good News despite the persecutions they faced as we heard in the 1st reading.

May we give time to the Lord everyday in prayer so that we will grow deeper in our love for Him and that it may be reflected to others.

2nd Week of Easter, Tuesday, 18-04-2023

Acts 4:32-37 / John 3:7-15  

To be able to give up something, it must be for a higher and a noble cause.  

We certainly would like to have our own possessions and our personal belongings.

Also, we have this innate feeling of insecurity and we can’t deny that having wealth and possessions will make us feel a bit more secure.

For the whole group of believers of the early Church, they were united heart and soul, and no one claimed for his own use anything that he had, as everything they owned was held in common.

That certainly sounds amazing, and furthermore, none of them was ever in want, even though they have all they possessed to the community.

That was only possible because there was one uniting factor, and that is their faith in the Risen Lord.

The Risen Lord not only provided for their needs, He also sent them the Holy Spirit.

It was the Holy Spirit that moved the disciples of the early Church to give up what was temporal for what is eternal.

May the Holy Spirit also move us to come out of our fears and to have our hope and security in the Risen Lord.

2nd Week of Easter, Monday, 17-04-2023

Acts 4:23-31 / John 3:1-8   

In the rite of Baptism, ordinary elements are used.

There are water, oil, candle and white garment.

And there is the baptismal font in which the baptism will take place.

Even though nothing dramatic or spectacular will happen, yet something mystical is indeed happening.

At the baptismal font, the baptismal formula is said by the priest who stands in the person of Jesus Christ.

The water that was blessed is the symbol of the Holy Spirit who is coming down upon the person that is being baptized.

With baptism, the person become a child of God, whom he or she will call “Father”.

Jesus said in the gospel that what is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.

With baptism, we enter into the spiritual world of God, and in that sense we are “born again”.

We are born from above, and with that we see the Kingdom of God even though we are on earth.

May we continue to reflect deeply on our baptism so that we will be moved by the Holy Spirit and be children of God in the world.

2nd Sunday of Easter, Year A, 16.04.2023

Acts 2:42-47 / 1 Peter 1:3-9 / John 20:19-31

One of the easiest words to say is a mono syllable word that has just two letters, and that word is “No”. 

It can be said without much effort, and without having to exercise much of the mouth muscles. 

And there are many ways to say it. It can be groaned out; it can be said with teeth clenched; it can be repeated multiple times to emphasize objection or opposition; or it can be said just once, and it's meaning and message is clear enough. 

The word “No” is so much easier to say than the word “Yes”. To say “Yes”, will make us feel vulnerable, and our availability will be taken up by others. 

To say “Yes”, will require our submission as well as our obedience to our superiors or to a higher authority. 

So, the word “Yes” is a word that will have to be used with caution, as there will be implications on our availability, our vulnerability and our security.

So, the easiest word out of any situation that we don't like or that we do not want to be involved in, would be to say “No”. 

That would shut the door to any further discussion or negotiation or agreement. 

So, for Thomas, who was not with the disciples when the Risen Lord appeared to them, his response to what they said about having seen the Risen Lord is a straight and sharp “No”. 

And he showed how adamant he was when he said this: Unless I see the holes that the nails made in his hands, and can put my finger into the holes they made, and unless I can put my hand into his side, I refuse to believe. 

So, in short, it was: “No” means “No”. 

But, it was understandable why Thomas was so adamant. When he saw Jesus being nailed to the cross and died on it, it was a shocking “No” to him – “No” it can't be. 

Then after that, with no hope left in him, he decided that it was no point being with the disciples anymore, so, maybe, that was why he wasn't with the disciples when the Risen Lord first appeared to them. 

For Thomas, he was like one big tied up knot. His mind, his heart and his life were tied up like a knot, and he had only one word to say to anything and to anyone, and that word was “No”. 

But, it was to such resistance that Jesus appeared again to show compassion and mercy to Thomas. 

With love, mercy and compassion Jesus turned the “No” into a “Yes”. 

And that “Yes” from Thomas became a profound statement of faith - My Lord and my God. 

On this second Sunday of Easter, as we give thanks to God for His love, mercy and compassion, let us surrender our “No” that has tied up the many knots in our lives. 

There are the tight and hardened knots of our minds, our hearts and our lives. 

There are the tight knots of our faith and that have resulted in our disobedience to God. 

There are the tight knots in our relationships that have caused tension and friction. 

We have said “No” too many times that we are like a big “No” to God and to others. 

But Jesus came for Thomas to untie the knots of his life, and to change his “No” to a “Yes”. 

It was a resounding “Yes” from Thomas as he proclaims: My Lord and my God. 

Let us not say “No” to Jesus, but let us say “Yes” to Him in this following prayer.

O God,

Please untie the knots that are in my mind, 

my heart and my life. 

Remove the have nots ,

the can nots and the do nots

that I have in my mind,

Erase all the will nots , 

might nots 

that may find a home in my heart .

Release me from the could nots

would nots

that obstruct my life.

And most of all O God;

I ask that you remove from my mind ,

my heart and my life

all the “am nots” 

that I have allowed to hold me back , 

especially the thought,

that I am not good enough 

Amen.

Saturday Within Easter Octave, 15-04-2023

Acts 4:13-21 / Mark 16:9-15

Jesus said that blessed are those who have not seen Him and yet believe.

We are indeed blessed because we are given the faith to believe that Jesus is our Saviour, and that He is risen from the dead.

So we not only have the faith, but we also believe in the accounts of His Resurrection in the gospel accounts.

In today’s gospel, the disciples initially did not believe those who had encountered the Risen Christ.

Finally, Jesus showed Himself to the Eleven themselves and He reproached them for their incredulity and obstinacy, because they had refused to believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.

Although the disciples had doubted the Resurrection, later they will become witnesses of the Resurrection, even laying down their lives for it.

We have the faith, we have the Word of God, we have the teachings on the Church, to affirm us of our belief.

Let us witness to the Resurrection by the holiness and goodness of our lives.

Friday With Easter Octave, 14-04-2023

Acts 4:1-12 / John 21:1-14     

To keep doing something and yet not having any results can be summed up in one word, and that futile.

Not only is it futile, it is also annoying, to say the least.

So, for the person(s) doing that something which is futile, and for the person(s) looking at it, both parties will have the same annoying feeling.

So we can imagine how annoyed were Peter and the rest of the disciples who went fishing but caught nothing that night.

We can be sure that they lowered the nets time and again throughout the whole night but still caught nothing.

But when Jesus stood on the shore and called out to them, something changed.

They caught so much fish that they could not haul it in, and there was even breakfast when they came ashore.

Indeed, without Jesus, the situation will be futile and annoying. 

But with Jesus, everything will be fruitful, and there will be rejoicing.

Let us always call upon Jesus in whatever we do, so that He will bless the labour of our hands and that we will bear fruits of rejoicing.

Thursday Within Easter Octave, 13-04-2023

Acts 3:11-26 / Luke 24:35-48      

Hardly a day ever passes without us feeling agitated about something.

Actually, if we are agitated about something, it is more likely that we are agitated about that someone who is behind that something.

So, it is usually people that agitate us and we take it on the situation.

So when we complain about a place being dirty, we are actually pointing to the cleaners, without saying it.

When we complain about not understanding a presentation, we are actually saying that the presenter is not clear or simple enough to understand.

When the Risen Christ appeared to His disciples, He noticed that they were agitated.

And Jesus pointed out the cause of their agitation – it was from the doubts rising in their hearts.

The disciples were in a state of alarm and fright, and they thought they were seeing a ghost.

But Jesus came to bring them peace, and their agitation turned to celebration and later on to mission.

May the Risen Christ grant us consolation in our agitation, so that we will be at peace and can help those who are agitated.

Wednesday Within Easter Octave, 12-04-2023

Acts 3:1-10 / Luke 24:13-35     

In life, if we want to move fast, we go alone.

But if we want to go far, then we go together.

In the Bible we know of at least two characters who went on alone.

Peter went on alone and he denied Jesus three times and he ended up in misery.

Judas went on alone, and he ended up as a tragedy.

That also teaches us that when we are unhappy or in misery, we do need company.

In the gospel, the two disciples on the way to Emmaus were downcast and they needed each other’s company.

But we remember that Jesus promised that where two or three are gathered in His name, He will be there.

Jesus was there for those two disciples to keep them company in their misery.

Jesus was also there for Peter and John in their ministry.

So, silver and gold may make us happy, but what is priceless is when we share with someone in misery our company.

And as Jesus promised, He will be there to be in our company.

Tuesday within Easter Octave, 11-04-2023

Acts 2:36-41 / John 20:11-18   

The gospel began with Mary staying outside the tomb weeping.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Risen Lord calls us by our names. Let us respond with our hearts so that we will know who we really are and then our lives will have a meaning and a mission.

Monday Within Easter Octave, 10-04-2023

Acts 2:14, 22-33 / Matthew 28:8-15  

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

During the season of Lent, there were Stations of the Cross on Fridays, and fasting and abstinence and penance, and Reconciliation services in the parishes.

And if we had participated in the Paschal Triduum of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday,  then we will know how busy and draining it was.

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

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

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

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

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

The power of the Resurrection will lead us to the truth, which is in the person of the Risen Christ.

We just have to let go of our sinfulness and false securities and let God raise us up to life of truth and rest in His love.

Easter Sunday, 09.04.2023

The word “Resurrection” is not a common word that is used in everyday vocabulary, and much less in the secular world. 

As a matter of fact, the word “Resurrection” is often used in Church because of its religious meaning, and it is used especially during this particular period of time. 

It is often said that the Feast of the Resurrection, or the feast of Easter, is the greatest celebration of our faith. 

If that is so, then the reality of the Resurrection must permeate and be seared into our lives, so that the power and the glory of the Resurrection is not just an expression in the Mass and in Church, but the essence and substance of our lives in the world. 

So, we know, and we believe, that in the Resurrection, Jesus rose from the dead and conquered sin and death and gave us new life. 

That means Jesus has freed us from the bonds  and snares of sin, and He raised us to the new life of heaven. 

So, the empty tomb is history, as Jesus calls us to share in His glory. 

So, we can't keep looking and wondering at the empty tomb, like how the disciples were initially looking and wondering at the empty tomb. 

Yes, initially the disciples wondered about the empty tomb, until the encounter with the Risen Christ in the upper room. 

We too may wonder about the message of the empty tomb, and we might even be tempted to linger in that empty tomb. 

Because the empty tomb distracts us. In that empty tomb we may look for security in earthly riches, and forget our eternity with Jesus. 

In that empty tomb, we may want to clutch at our pride and ego, and forget that humility and simplicity is what we really need to let go. 

In that empty tomb, we may want to wallow in our disappointments, frustrations, anger and resentment, and forget that Jesus, our Risen Lord, wants to give us peace and joy and contentment. 

The empty tomb is history, and has absolutely nothing for us. 

Jesus is calling us to look up and head towards that Upper Room.

It is not that Upper Room that the disciples once gathered. 

It is that Upper Room in heaven where Jesus has prepared a home for each of us. 

So, let us move on from the empty tomb to that Upper Room, where we will sing “Alleluias” forever.

Good Friday, 07-04-2023

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

Today, the Cross stands before us. It is not just an ordinary cross, but the Cross of Salvation, and the Cross for our salvation. 

We have heard the Passion of Christ, and how He suffered and died for us. 

In the Solemn Intercessions that follow later, we gather at the foot of that Cross with Mary and John, to hear Jesus praying for us and for the world. 

Then we will come forward to venerate the Cross, and in doing so, we tell Jesus that we will carry our cross and follow Him as His disciples. 

And in receiving Holy Communion, we are telling Jesus that we want to be saved, and that He is our Saviour. 

Yes, the Cross tells us that we are sinners but we have a Saviour. 

So, let us turn away from our sins and turn to the Cross for forgiveness and healing. 

God sent His only Son into the world, not to judge us, but to save us, and that anyone who believes that Jesus is the Saviour will not be lost. 

Let us look at the Cross, and the One who is crucified on it. 

In the Cross, may we find hope in suffering, faith in praying, and love in giving. 

That is what the Cross and salvation is all about.

Holy Thursday, 06-04-2023

Exodus 12: 1-8, 11-14 / 1 Cor 11:23-26 / John 13:1-15    

This evening, as we recall the Institution of the Lord's supper, we would expect the readings to highlight what Jesus did at the Last Supper. 

The 1st reading recalls the first Passover meal, which is the most sacred meal of the Jews. 

Jesus was with His disciples for the Passover meal, but during that meal, He made a profound change and it became the Christian Eucharistic meal. 

The 2nd reading further highlights the Eucharist as a sacred meal in which Jesus gave the Church His Body and Blood, and He commanded that it be done in memory of Him. 

That is why today is also called Maundy Thursday, which comes from the Latin word “mandatum”, which means mandate. Yes, Jesus mandated it to be done in memory of Him. 

So, in the gospel, we might think that it will explain how bread and wine is changed into the Body and Blood of Christ. 

Yes, it started off as a meal, and then during that meal, something surprising and astounding happened. 

Jesus washed the feet of His disciples. From the lofty table of the sacred meal, the focus went down to the dusty feet of the lowly. 

It was so dramatic that we will even re-enact the washing of the feet later. 

Though the gospel didn't say how the bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood of Christ, the washing of the feet tells us why Jesus gave us His Body and Blood.

It goes back to the whole purpose of salvation, that Divinity took on humanity, that God became man, the lofty went down the lowly, all because of love. 

At the Last Supper, God showed us how perfect His love was, when Jesus washed the feet of His disciples. 

It was the Creator washing the feet of His creatures. If that was unthinkable, then how about Jesus giving us His Body and Blood, and then dying on the Cross to save us? 

But that is how perfect, that is how great, the love of God is for us. 

Jesus, our Lord and Master, has given us an example so that we may do what He did for us. 

We need not be foot-washers. We just have to go to the lowly and be lowly, and be care-givers, be love-sharers, be wounded-healers, be understanding-listeners, and be God’s witnesses. 

Then the meaning between the Eucharist and the washing of the feet will be revealed to us.

                                                        

Wednesday of Holy Week, 05-04-2023

Isaiah 50:4-9 / Matthew 26:14-25  

As a species that is endowed with intellect and will, it is understood that whatever we do, there is a reason behind it.

It does not make any sense to say that we do something without a reason, even though we may casually or jokingly say so.

And there may be more than one reason for doing something.

When Judas went to the chief priests, he wanted to know how much they were willing to pay him for betraying Jesus to them.

They paid him thirty silver pieces, and from that moment Judas looked for an opportunity to betray Jesus.

 

But it was not stated why Judas wanted to betray Jesus.

And even the amount is not such a considerable sum.

But did Judas knew what he was really doing?

Even at the Last Supper when Jesus said that one of His disciples was going to betray Him, Judas can even ask unflinchingly, “Not I, Rabbi, surely?”

Whatever the real reason or reasons, and whether Judas really knew what He was doing, therein lies a lesson for us.

As much as we have reasons for doing something, we may not be aware of other hidden motives or vested interests.

Let us ask Jesus to clean our minds and hearts so that we will really know what we are doing and why we are doing it.

May we not betray Jesus, and may all we do be for the will of God. 

Tuesday of Holy Week, 04-04-2023

Isaiah 49:1-6 / John 12:21-33, 36-38     

There is no doubt that the ones who can hurt us the most are the ones who are closest to us.

The more we love and trust them, the deeper the hurt will be when they betray our trust and trample on our love.

At the Last Supper, when Jesus was troubled in spirit and declared that one of His disciples at the table will betray Him.

That certainly shocked the disciples as they were at a solemn meal to remember a significant event of faith. 

So, how can such a thing like betrayal happen, and it was one of them in the group that is close to Jesus.

Even Jesus felt troubled in spirit and He could also be feeling hurt.

But Jesus did not let that hurt and pain get in the way of offering His total self-giving at the Last Supper.

As for us, we might feel like what the prophet Isaiah said in the 1st reading when we felt betrayed and taken for granted:

I have toiled in vain, I have exhausted myself for nothing.

But when we follow Jesus in His way of love and to keep on loving in spite of the hurt and pain, then the 1st reading also affirms us with this:

All the while my cause was with the Lord, my reward with my God. I was honoured in the eyes of the Lord, my God is my strength.

When we respond to betrayal with love, then will we be healed by God and we will receive blessings from the Lord our God.

Monday of Holy Week, 03-04-2023

Isaiah 42:1-7 / John 12:1-11     

To be called a perfectionist, it means that there are few connotations.

On the one hand, a perfectionist can be expected to deliver a near flawless piece of work, with every crack and gap and corner checked.

On the other hand, a perfectionist can come across as demanding and even oppressive.

So as much as a perfectionist is efficient and effective, it is always task-oriented.

Jesus is our Saviour. He came to save sinners from their sin. 

He came not to fulfill a task. He came to fulfill a mission.

The 1st reading describes the Saviour as such:

“He does not cry out or shout aloud, or makes his voice heard in the streets.

He does not break the crushed reed, nor quench the wavering flame.”

Jesus carried out His mission of salvation with love, mercy and compassion.

He did not agree with Judas for his criticism on Mary for what she did for Him.

May we learn from Jesus that the perfection that we need to strive for is the compassion for those who are crushed and wavering.

Palm-Passion Sunday Year A, 02.04.2023

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

The one thing that we will bring back from Church is the palm branch. 

After all, today is Palm Sunday, and we would expect to bring home a palm branch. 

And since it is a blessed object, (it was blessed at the beginning of the Mass), we will put it on our home altar, or hang it on our main door, or maybe just leave it lying around. 

In a way, the palm branch is like a reflection of our lives.

We wave the palm branches at the beginning of the Mass in celebration of the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. 

We too had our moments of glory and celebrated our achievements and success. 

In the days to come, the palm branch will dry up and turn brown, and after a while it will be almost forgotten. 

We too will have our dry moments, and we may feel like being left aside, being left out, and at times even feel rather useless. 

But we must remember that one year later, we will bring back these palm branches to Church, where they will be burnt and made into ashes for Ash Wednesday. 

That also tells us that we have to die to ourselves in repentance, so as to rise to the new life of the Resurrection. 

As we enter into Holy Week, let us unite ourselves with Jesus in His suffering and death, so that together with Jesus, we will rise to the new life of the Resurrection.