All Saints, Wednesday, 01-11-2023

Apocalypse 7:2-4, 9-14 / 1 John 3:1-3 / Matthew 5:1-12  

Today on this feast of All Saints, we turn our eyes to heaven. 

Of course God is in heaven, together with the hosts of angels. 

And the 1st reading tells us more about who we can see in heaven. 

There is a large number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language. 

They are dressed in white robes and with palms in their hands, and they shout aloud: Victory to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb! 

That is not an imagination, but a revelation, and the Feast of All Saints is a celebration of that reality in heaven. 

But when we look around at our world, we see an opposite situation. 

We see hostility, violence and bloodshed. We see injustice and oppression, we see poverty and persecution. In short we see sin and evil. 

But in the face of that dark and bad news, we still want to echo the victory cry of the Saints in heaven. 

Yes, even on Earth, we want to shout aloud: Victory to our God, and to the Lamb!

But that is not to be achieved by fighting fire with fire, or returning evil with evil. 

Rather the victory can only be achieved by humility and gentleness of heart, by comforting and consoling the poor, the lowly and the oppressed. 

Victory to our God is achieved by mercy and forgiveness and by being peacemakers. 

And we are supported by the vast company of Saints in heaven, to keep fighting the good fight, to run the race to the finish and keeping the faith. 

A glorious reward is awaiting for us in heaven. 

God is our victory, the Saints are in our company. Happy are we who believe this reality.

30th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 31-10-12023

Romans 8:18-25 / Luke 13:18-21

The news of pregnancy usually brings about joy.

That is because pregnancy is a sign of fertility, a sign of new life, a new beginning, a new hope even.

The 1st reading used the analogy of pregnancy and birth-giving to express the Christian dimension of the hope of being freed from the slavery of sin.

And this hope is being fulfilled by the gift of the Spirit that brings about in us a new birth as children of God and first-fruits of the Spirit.

But this new life does not happen automatically or without effort on our part.

Just as a woman suffers the discomfort of pregnancy and the pain of childbirth, similarly if we want to live the new life of the Spirit, then struggle and suffering is inevitable.

Yet, we are reminded that what we suffer in this life can never be compared to the glory, as yet unrevealed, which is waiting for us.

Just as the gospel parables of the mustard seed and the yeast which will take time to grow and manifest, so will the fruits of the Spirit in our lives take time to grow and develop.

We need to be patient as the Kingdom of God slowly grows within us.

30th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 30-10-2023

Romans 8:12-17 / Luke 13:10-17

When we think about it, we may see that it is actually easier and more convenient to follow procedures, processes and SOPs.

We are not required to have initiatives or make suggestions and modifications.

And when things go wrong, we just have to point to the procedures, the processes and the SOPs.

But when we think deeper about it, then our non-involvement and indifference make us lifeless and uncreative.

It is like living with a spirit, or what the 1st reading calls it “unspiritual lives”.

On the other hand, to be moved by the Spirit can mean uncertainty and difficulty.

In the gospel, Jesus used the word “hypocrites” on the people who were focused on keeping to the rules and regulations of the Sabbath and forgetting about purpose of the Sabbath.

We too can be indifferent about our faith and think that all we need to do is to follow the religious precepts and prescriptions.

But the spirit we have received moves us to live as children of God.

So let us understand the letter of the law and its purpose.

But let us have the courage to be moved by the Spirit to do what is right, good and loving

30th Ordinary Sunday, Year A, 29.10.2023

Exodus 22:20-26 / 1 Thess 1:5-10 / Matthew 22:34-40

Many things can only work when they have what is essential to make them functional. 

So, while all the other parts may be in tip-top condition, if that essential element is missing, then it can't do anything. 

For example, cars need petrol to run. Many electrical devices need electricity or batteries to make them work. 

So, other parts may be a bit defective, but with that essential element, that thing can still work. 

So, in life, we must know what are the necessary and essential elements of the things we see around us. 

While others are obvious, some other things need to be analysed, in order to see what is important and necessary. 

In the gospel, one of the Pharisees asked Jesus about which is the greatest commandment of the Law. 

We may wonder why that Pharisee asked Jesus such a question, because the answer is quite obvious. 

Was it because that Pharisee just wanted to disconcert Jesus, just to irritate Jesus? 

Jesus had earlier silenced the Sadducees about the question of paying taxes, which was a trick question for Jesus. 

That's when Jesus gave that thought- provoking answer of “give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God”. 

That left the Sadducees without any further questions, as they were silenced into reflection. 

The Pharisees could have learned from that and remained silent. 

But out of the folly of the lips of that Pharisee, we gained the wisdom to see the obvious and necessary. 

Let us be silent and reflect on that great commandment: You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. 

The word that is repeated three times is “all” -  all the heart, all the soul and all the mind. 

So, what God requires of us is to love Him with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our mind. 

And that is precisely where we fall short. 

Because, we don't love God with our all. 

Maybe three quarters, maybe half, maybe 1/4, which in any case is better than none at all. 

We may think that it is difficult, if not impossible, to love God with that “all”. 

But that also means we cannot be fully human if we don't love God with our all. 

Because, God created us with all His love and in all His love. 

So, we actually have all of God's love in us. 

We only need to love God with all our love. 

And then we will know how to love our neighbour with all our love. 

Maybe, one of the reasons why we can't love God and our neighbour with all our love is because we are too noisy within. 

The noise of envy and jealousy, the noise of anger and resentment, the noise of hatred and revenge, has suppressed our love. 

That noisy Pharisee led him to try to disconcert Jesus. 

Let us ask Jesus to help us to be still, and to be silent. 

To be silent is to be able to listen, to listen to all that love God has for us. 

And then, we will be able to love God and our neighbour with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind.

Sts. Simon and Jude, Apostles, Saturday, 28-10-2023

Ephesians 2:19-22 / Luke 6:12-19     

Today, the Church celebrates the feastday and honours the two Apostles, St. Simon and St. Jude.

As with most of the Apostles, there are not much details about the lives of these two saints.

But traditional accounts have it that they went to Persia to preach the Good News and were martyred there.

As with the rest of the Apostles, their lives before they became followers of Jesus were not that important.

What was important is who and what they became after following Jesus Christ.

And St. Simon and St. Jude found their true meaning in life when it came to laying their lives down for Jesus.

These two saints showed us that they responded to God’s call to follow Jesus and even to the point of giving up their lives for Jesus.

We ask for their prayers that we too will be able to respond to God’s call as they did.

And in our desperate moments of despair, let us also pray to St. Jude who is the Patron Saint for desperate and hopeless cases.

May we follow the example of the saints by following Jesus faithfully by giving glory to God and serving others with love.

29th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 27-10-2023

Romans 7:18-25 / Luke 12:54-59 

To have some self-confidence can be a good thing.

At least we will not be hampered by doubts or fears and end up doing nothing.

We know that if nothing is ventured, then nothing is gained.

On the other hand, when self-confidence does not take risks into consideration, it can be a foolishness.

In the gospel, Jesus asks a profound question: Why not judge for yourselves what is right?

He then gives an example of going to court with our opponent.

If we are too confident of ourselves, we might end up losing the case and pay a heavy price.

It would be better to be cautious than to be too confident and become careless.

St. Paul would give a deeper reflection, as he says that he wants to do what is good.

But instead, he ends up doing the sinful and wrong things.

But he turns to Jesus Christ to save him, as he puts his confidence in Jesus Christ and not in himself.

Let us follow the advice of St. Paul and put our confidence in Jesus Christ, as we ask for help in doing what is good and right.

29th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 26-10-2023

Romans 6:19-23 / Luke 12:49-53      

Much has been said about the power of the human mind and the heart.

The mind and the heart set a direction and a conviction for our lives.

In other words, the human spirit can determine where it wants to go and what it wants to do.

But we may remember that Jesus said this to His disciples in the garden of Gethsemane: The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

So the human body is the expression of the human spirit.

In the 1st reading, St. Paul emphasizes the importance of the human body as he says this: as once you put your bodies at the service of vice and immorality, so now you must put them at the service of righteousness for your sanctification.

So more than just deciding or determining to turn away from sin, we must also prevent our body and our senses from coming into contact with situations and occasions of sin.

Similarly, more than just deciding or determining to be good and holy, we must get our body and senses on the ways of God.

So let us train our bodies in the ways of holiness and sanctification, just like an athlete trains the body for the sport.

In this way, our bodies and senses will turn away from sin and death, and receive the present given by God, which is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

29th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 25-10-2023

Romans 6:12-18 / Luke 12:39-48  

In any battle or war between two forces, there is a clear separation between the two forces, as in who is on which side.

So logically speaking, a soldier should know clearly who are the friendly forces and who is the enemy.

But many battles and wars have been won or lost because of an undiscovered danger. And that is the enemy within.

Or what is commonly called "traitors". A traitor betrays his/her own country to the enemy, so that the enemy can conquer the country.

In essence, a traitor is the enemy within.

In the 1st reading, St. Paul talked about offering ourselves to God as a weapon fighting on the side of God.

Yet he also warned that though we may not be slaves of sin or unholy weapons, we are not free from the clutches of sin.

In other words, if we are not careful, we will betray God, we will be traitors of the Body of Christ, we will become the enemy with the Church.

Similarly in the gospel, the unfaithful servant betrayed his master and is the traitor to the household. He is the enemy within.

In this Mass, let us offer ourselves to the Lord to be His instrument of holiness, and His weapons to fight against sin.

Let us also ask for God's grace to be on guard against unfaithfulness. May we never become the enemy with.

29th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 24-10-2023

Romans 5:12, 15, 17-21 / Luke 12:35-38    

The presence of sin and evil in the world is an undeniable reality.

And sin and evil has reared its ugly and devastating head many times in the course of history and continues to do so.

The recent violence and bloodshed in the Holy Land and the on-going war in Eastern Europe are just two prominent examples.

Sin and evil seem to loom bigger than goodness and even overcoming it.

And we wonder why is God allowing sin and evil to manifest and what is He doing about it.

But the 1st reading tells us that however great the number of sins committed, grace is even greater.

So where sin and evil abounds, grace and righteousness abounds all the more.

The holiness of God will always prevail over sin and evil.

But we have to be ready for these moments of grace and righteousness.

As Jesus tell us in the gospel, to be dressed for action and have our lamps lit, and waiting for the master’s return.

When we ready ourselves with prayer, then when the moment of grace comes, we will see the power of God overcoming sin and evil.

29th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 23-10-2023

Romans 4:20-25 / Luke 12:13-21   

To make a promise is certainly not a casual act.

To make a promise is more than just keeping one’s word

To make a promise is to put one’s character and integrity into it.

But because too many promises have been broken, so even the word itself does not sound that serious anymore.

But when God makes a promise, we can be sure that He will keep it.

In the 1st reading, when God made a promise to Abraham, Abraham refused to either deny it or even to doubt it.

Abraham drew strength from faith and gave glory to God, convinced that God had the power to do what He had promised.

Jesus is the promise of God. Jesus is the promised Saviour.

And Jesus taught us to believe and trust in God’s providence that He will take care of us.

To deny or to doubt the promise of God is to be foolish and to rely on ourselves.

So, even when we have an abundance of wealth and possessions, we must realise that we can’t take it beyond this world.

Let us remember that faith is our treasure, and let us make ourselves rich in the sight of God.

Mission Sunday 2023, 22.10.2023

 Isaiah 2:1-5 / Ephesians 3:2-12 / Mark 16:15-20

As Christians, we believe that God created the world and humanity. 

God created all things good, and God created humanity in His image. 

So, God created humanity in the best of His love and with the best of His love. 

But when humanity sinned and disobeyed God, that image was tarnished and disfigured. 

So, humanity didn't look like God anymore. Humanity took on the face of sin and evil. And that is the reality we see around us and in us. 

But when humanity sinned and turned away from God, God did not abandon humanity or destroyed the world. 

Rather, God promised to save the world and humanity. 

God promised to save the world and humanity by coming into the world in the person of Jesus Christ. 

Jesus Christ is our Saviour, and we believe that Jesus Christ is truly God and truly man. 

Jesus Christ came to proclaim the Good News of salvation. 

Jesus preached about repentance and the forgiveness of sins. 

He forgave the adulterous woman, He forgave the sinful woman who anointed His feet and dried it with her hair. 

He forgave Peter for denying Him. He forgave His persecutors even when He was suffering on the Cross. 

The Good News of salvation was also expressed in healing and deliverance. Jesus cured the sick and those afflicted by diseases.

He cured the blind, the lame and the lepers. He cast out demons from those who were possessed. 

So, the Good News was proclaimed in word and in works. 

In doing so, Jesus brought humanity back to God through repentance and forgiveness. 

As it is said, God became man, so that man can come back to God. 

As the Church celebrates Mission Sunday, we are reminded of this fundamental mission of salvation. 

Just as Jesus sent His disciples to preach the Good News of salvation, we too are to proclaim the Good News to our generation. 

And this mission brings us back to the core of our Christian spirituality and identity. 

The proclamation of the Good News of salvation can only bear fruit when there is prayer and intercession. 

Prayer and intercession is the core of our Christian spirituality and identity. 

We pray because we know that God loves us, and God will hear our prayer and answer our prayer. 

If God sent His son Jesus Christ to answer the cries of His people, then Jesus Christ is the answer to our prayers. 

And we pray not just for ourselves. We pray for other people, for nations, and for the world. 

The Good News of salvation must reach to the corners and to the ends of the world, and to all peoples. 

The Good News has the power to change lives and bring about repentance and forgiveness. 

The Good News is the medicine that will heal the world of violence and bloodshed, and bring about peace. 

Mission Sunday is a call to prayer. 

We need to pray, and we must pray to be empowered and recreated in God’s love and with God's love. 

Because we are to be living images of the Good News of salvation to the peoples of the world.

28th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 21-10-2023

Romans 4:13, 10-18 / Luke 12:9-12  

The term blasphemy may be generally defined as anything from defiant irreverence to intentional sacrilegious acts .

Hence it can mean acts like cursing God or willfully degrading things relating to God.

It can also be attributing some evil to God, or denying Him some good that should attributed to Him.

Yet we believe that God is love and forgiveness and He will forgive us even if we had committed the most heinous sin.

So what did Jesus mean when He said that "he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven"?

The purpose of this phrase was to strengthen the disciples in the face of persecution and to deter them from falling into apostasy (giving up the faith) out of cowardice or doubt.

It was also meant as an admonition - a sin can only be unforgivable if repentance is impossible.

So in other words, it is not whether God will forgive; it is a question of whether we want to repent or not.

Because along with repentance is also the trust in God's love and mercy and forgiveness.

To be able to declare that is to stand before others and witness to God and all that He has done for us.

28th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 20-10-2023

Romans 4:1-8 / Luke 12:1-7    

A prominent and religious man went to heaven and came before the Pearly Gates and there was an intercom.

He pressed the button and said, “Hello, I am Thomas, and I want to go in. The Pope knows me, as well as a number of Cardinals. Can you let me in?”

A voice replied, “Come back another day.” And the man wondered why.

He thought about it for a couple of days, and he pressed the button and said, “Hello, I am Thomas. I have kept all the Commandments and the laws of the Church and go to Mass everyday and say my prayers faithfully. Can you let me in?”

A voice replied, “Come back another day.” And again the man wondered why. Meanwhile, he noticed that ordinary and lowly people whispered into the intercom and they were let in.

So he managed to ask a lady who was just about to go in, what was it she whispered into the intercom.

What she told him made him think and reflect.

This time he pressed the intercom button, and whispered, “Lord, I am not worthy, but please let me in.” and the gates opened and he walked humbly into heaven.

This is just a story, but it goes to show what the 1st reading is saying about Abraham.

Abraham put his faith in God, and this faith was considered as justifying him.

When we have nothing to show or boast about, except our faith in God’s love for us, then we are truly happy.

In God’s eyes, we are worth more than hundreds of sparrows.

Let us be like the humble sparrow that depends on God’s providence, and we will fly to heaven.

28th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 19-10-2023

Romans 3:21-30 / Luke 11:47-54     

The 2000-year history of the Church has many things to tell us.

Of course, there are the bright and dark periods.

There are also saints and scandals.

There are also moments when the Church stood as one in unity.

But also, there are times when the Church is divided in heresy.

As the wheels of time roll on and on, every age and every generation have their moments that are now recorded in history.

The Church of today stands in that moment of time where history is in the making.

What will this generation be accountable for, and will we be proud of it?

In the gospel, Jesus warned the generation of His time that they will have to answer and be accountable for the things they have done.

That warning is also for us and for our generation, as we will be answerable and accountable to what we hand over to the next generation.

May we teach the next generation how to walk in the ways of the Lord and be faithful to His teachings.

Then we will know how to answer and to be accountable to God and to the next generation.

St. Luke, Evangelist, Wednesday, 18-10-2023

2 Timothy 4:10-17 / Luke 10:1-9    

To serve God by proclaiming the Good News is not as easy as it sounds.

From the 1st reading, we get to see that St. Paul had to struggle and endure a difficult time.

His band of co-workers had split up and some had even gone against him.

His only consolation was that St. Luke was with him, and he made it a point to say it.

From the few occasions that St. Paul mentioned him as his beloved physician, and from what St. Luke wrote in the Gospel and in the book of the Acts of the Apostles, we get to see what the person of St. Luke was like.

He was a committed friend of St. Paul, and he paid special attention to those that were forgotten or pushed aside by society.

He wrote about Jesus reaching out to the poor, the lowly, the outcasts, the sinners and women, who at that time had no status in society.

What he knew about Jesus, he wrote it in his gospel, and he certainly carried out in his life.

His commitment to St. Paul in his time of need bore witness to that.

As we read the gospel according to St. Luke and meditate on it, a challenge is also awaiting us.

We too have to write another account of Jesus.

It is going to be an account that is not written in words but in actions for all to see.

From that gospel of our lives, others will be able to see who Jesus is.

28th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 17-10-2023

Romans 1:16-25 / Luke 11:37-41      

In life, we need to have some beliefs so that we can move ahead.

We don’t usually question all that we believe in, even though some doubts may arise now and then.

For example we don’t question our relationship with our parents as in whether they are really our parents.

We believe and trust that they are our parents because of the love and care they have for us.

When it comes to our belief in God, there will be some doubts about His existence.

But as the 1st reading says, what can be known about God, He Himself has made it plain.

From what God has created, He has revealed His existence, and the human mind can comprehend it.

In fact, all creation points to the God the Creator, and to deny that is the impiety and depravity of the human mind, which is bent on keeping the truth imprisoned in their wickedness.

And the wickedness of the human mind makes gods out of created things, thus giving up the divine truth for a lie and have worshipped and served creatures instead of the Creator.

In the gospel, Jesus talked about another form of impiety and depravity, and that is the Pharisees being concerned about external appearances but internally are full of extortion and corruption.

May our belief in God lead us to live good and holy lives, and may what we do and say lead others to know the God we believe in.

 

28th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 16-10-2023

Romans 1:1-7 / Luke 11:29-32     

It has been more than 2000 years since Jesus Christ came into the world.

He came to bring the Good News of salvation.

That Good News is not just a profound message, or some prediction about the future, or something to make people feel happy.

That Good News is the love of God for humanity.

It has the power to save people from their sins and bring them back to God.

Throughout these 2000 years, those who believed in the Good News bear witness that it is not a human message.

It is a divine message. Some were martyred for believing in it.

For some, their lives were changed. For some, they gave up all their possessions to follow the way of Jesus Christ.

There are so many signs of the power of the Good News.

Let us be another sign that will bear witness to the power and the saving love of God.

28th Ordinary Sunday, Year A, 15.10.2023

Isaiah 25:6-10 / Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20 / Matthew 22:1-14

We may think that life would be so nice if we can just do whatever we want. 

We like to have our freedom, and not to be restricted by duties and responsibilities. 

So, we may think that being free from all obligations, we would be worry-free and trouble-free.

Yes, we like to be absolutely free to live the way we want to live. We would like to laze around and snooze in bed and get up as and when we want. 

But would we be really happy with that kind of life? 

What are we saying about ourselves when we don't want to care about anything and anyone other than ourselves? 

What are we saying when we don't want any duties and responsibilities, and don't want to keep obligations and commitments. 

In the gospel parable, it was a king who gave a feast for his son's wedding. He sent his servants to call those who had been invited. 

For whatever reason, the invited guests did not want to come. It seems like they were not interested, and they even treated the king's servants with hostility and violence. 

The king got furious and dispatched his troops, destroyed those murderers and burnt their town. It was such a sad and tragic end for those invited guests. 

If only they had given due respect to the king. After all it was a king who invited them. 

We may think that the parable is rather absurd, but absurdity often reveals a reality. 

The reality is that when respect is not given, then the consequence will be tension. 

For invited guests in the gospel parable, the consequence was punishment. 

Even we might say that the invited guests behaved in a ridiculous and unacceptable way, and so, they deserved to be punished. 

The invited guests did whatever they wanted, and they paid heavily and tragically for that. 

In life, we just cannot do whatever we like and think that it is our freedom of choice. 

True freedom comes with duties and responsibilities, as well as obligations and commitments. 

In our freedom of choice, we ought to choose to live a respectable and disciplined life. 

We need to know what we must do and what we should not do. 

And God has already told us what we must do and what we should not do. 

The Ten Commandments spells out clearly our obedience to God and respect for others. 

So, we revere God for being our Creator and obey Him as our loving Father. 

We pledge obedience and honour our parents. We respect others, for where respect is given, respect is also earned. 

When we live our lives according to God's laws and Commandments, we will have true freedom in life. 

And Jesus will bring us to our seats at the heavenly banquet where we will rejoice freely forever.

27th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 14-10-2023

Joel 4:12-21 / Luke 11:27-28  

In life, we come across many things. 

Some things may be expensive and exquisite, while others are cheap and ordinary.

But it does not necessarily mean that we want to have what is expensive and exquisite.

When we look at our possessions, we may ask ourselves why we are keeping certain things.

Those things may be ordinary stuff but we keep them because they are of a particular use to us or that they will be useful to us in future.

When we hear the Word of God, there are many words, and many images also come to our minds.

But some words, or phrases, or images continue to stay on in our minds.

And we keep those words, or phrases or images because we believe that God is speaking to us.

As Jesus said in the gospel, blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.

From what we keep, let us ponder on it, let us reflect on it, let us meditate on it, and let us also treasure it.

Then the Word of God will become alive and active in our lives.

Yes, blessed are we when we hear the Word of God, keep it and believe in it.

27th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 13-10-2023

Joel 1:13-15; 2:1-2 / Luke 11:15-26    

To have freedom of worship and to have a place to worship is something that must not be taken for granted.

But when there is no religious persecution and religious freedom is respected by the authorities, we can become rather complacent.

We may think that churches will always be open and that we can freely walk in and out.

We may also expect that there will be Masses at the scheduled timings.

But it was in such complacency that the prophet Joel called out:

Priests, put on sackcloth and lament. Ministers of the altar, wail. 

And the reason was that the house of God has been deprived of oblation and libation.

So it was not that there was persecution or destruction, but it was the complacency, the spiritual decay of the faith of the people, that resulted in the lack of worship and sacrifice.

When people do not come to the House of God to offer worship and sacrifice, they are not only taking God for granted.

They also forget that in a time of tribulation and distress, and the prophet Joel calls it the “day of the Lord”, the people will also forget how to turn to God.

Let us not take worship and religious freedom for granted. Let us not take open churches for granted.

Rather, let us offer a worthy sacrifice pleasing to Lord as we pray for a steadfast faith and for the conversion of sinners.

27th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 12-10-2023

Malachi 3:13-20 / Luke 11:5-13   

It is a human inclination to like to have things going our way.

We want life to be smooth and easy; we don’t like challenges and obstacles.

So when things don’t go according to what we want them to be, we will grumble.

In the example that Jesus gave in the gospel, when the man goes to his friend in the middle of the night to ask for bread for his visitor, he was initially faced with rejection.

The man could have grumbled about his friend, but the story goes, the man persisted and finally got the bread that he requested.

Jesus taught us to ask, to search and to knock, and with persistence, God will grant us what we need.

Let us persist with faith and not to grumble at God and to say harsh things about Him.

When we put our trust in God who loves us and who will provide for us, He will certainly reward us.

As Jesus says in the gospel, God will also grant us the Holy Spirit, so that we can even see His blessings in our challenges and obstacles.

27th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 11-10-2023

Jonah 4:1-11 / Luke 11:1-4    

For a Christian, prayer is an essential aspect of life.

Because prayer is not just something that we do.

Prayer is also more that just a form of communication with God.

Prayer is being with God, to know who God is, and to know who we are.

In the 1st reading, Jonah prayed to the Lord and he said that he knew that God is a God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in graciousness, relenting from evil.

And that was why he ran away from God and didn’t want to go to Nineveh as God told him to. That is what Jonah claimed to be the reason.

But as much as Jonah said he knew what God is like, he may not know who God really is.

With the growth and withering of the castor-oil plant, and with the scorching wind and sun, God showed Jonah who He really is.

God showed that He is compassionate and that He is the source of life and love.

He felt sorry for the people of Nineveh when they repented and He didn’t inflict the punishment that He asked Jonah to proclaim.

Whenever we pray, and especially when we pray the Lord’s prayer, may we come to know who God is.

And when we know what God is like, we will want to be like God. That is the fruit of prayer.

27th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 10-10-2023

Jonah 3:1-10 / Luke 10:38-42   

It is always good to follow instructions and obey orders.

When we do that, we will have peace of mind, and we won’t be too worried about outcomes.

So, it is better to be on the side of the law, and the law will be on our side.

But following instructions and obeying orders may be easier said than done.

We have this orientation towards having our freedom of choice.

And so we would question instructions and orders, especially when we disagree with it.

In the 1st reading, Jonah set out and went to Nineveh in obedience to the Word of the Lord.

But before that, he had tried to run away from the Lord, and ended up in the belly of the big fish for three days, before being thrown up ashore.

Jonah wouldn’t have gotten into all that trouble if he had just obeyed the Word of the Lord.

Instead he fret and grumbled at the Lord’s command and that only added more worries and troubles for himself.

In the gospel, it was Martha who fret and worry about so many things that she got distracted and complained to Jesus.

Let us understand that when we fret and grumble, worry and complain, there is no good that will come out of it.

Let us listen to the Word of the Lord, let us be still and be silent, and then we will be at peace to know what the Lord wants of us and to do it.

27th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 09-10-2023

Jonah 1:1 - 2:1, 11 / Luke 10:25-37     

Many things are easier said than done.

One example is when it comes to thinking up of solutions to a problem.

We can speculate and imagine solutions without actually going down to see what the problem is.

The problem may concern a person or a group of people, or about a situation or about something.

But the problem is certainly not abstract or imaginary, and neither could be the solution.

A personal encounter with the problem is necessary in order to have a workable solution.

In the gospel, the lawyer asked about how to inherit eternal life.

Jesus asked him about what is written in the Law, and the lawyer responded correctly with the great commandment of loving God and neighbour.

When that lawyer asked Jesus who is his neighbour, Jesus told that famous parable of the Good Samaritan.

For that lawyer, the word “neighbour” is no longer imaginary but a reality.

In the 1st reading, Jonah wanted to run away from God because he knew who the Ninevites were, and he saw them as an enemy rather than as a neighbour.

The one solution to all problems is the need for love of God and of neighbour.

May that love be a reality in our lives.

27th Ordinary Sunday, Year A, 08.10.2023

 Isaiah 5:1-7 / Philippians 4:6-9 / Matthew 21:33-43

When we look at the world, and when we look around us, we may wonder what is wrong with the world, and what is wrong with humanity. 

Human beings are polluting the Earth and heading towards an ecological meltdown. 

There are wars, hostilities and violence, and there is also much bloodshed. 

And with nuclear power, the scale of destruction can turn the earth into a huge fireball. 

Even smaller issues like cheating and stealing have risen to mega levels. 

Scammers are no longer small-time conmen, because they are so high tech, so quick and so convincing. 

With emails, SMS and social media platforms, the scammers will brutally and ruthlessly empty out the bank accounts of those who fall into their scams. 

These scammers can even come knocking on the front doors of our homes. 

So, our security, in all forms and in all areas, are being threatened and violated. 

So, we are gripped with fear, and we want to lock our doors and hide inside, and it is difficult to trust anyone. 

Such is the sad and sorry state of our world, of humanity and of our lives. 

And we may wonder, why is God letting the world and humanity continue like this. 

Why must the good and innocent people be subjected and suffer such injustice and evil? 

And we are tempted, and may have even asked God to unleash punishment on the bad and evil people. 

Yes, we would advocate punishment to teach the bad and evil people an unforgettable lesson. 

Even in the gospel parable, when Jesus asked the chief priests and the elders, what will the owner of the vineyard do to the bad and evil tenants, their reply was that the owner will bring those wretches to a wretched end. 

That is also what we may like to think. 

But God's ways are not man's ways, and God's thoughts are not man's thoughts. 

If God withholds punishment, it is because He is thinking of salvation. 

We may think that salvation is for those who are good, and punishment is for those who are bad.

But that would mean that the way we, Christians think is no different from the way the world thinks. 

We need to reflect and ponder on what Jesus said in the gospel: 

It was the stone rejected by the builders that became the keystone. That was the Lord's doing and it is wonderful to see. 

As Church we must know what this keystone is. 

It may be so obvious that we may have taken it for granted. 

The keystone that God wants us to look at is salvation. 

With that comes along mercy and compassion, forgiveness and reconciliation. 

That is why God sent His Son to be the Saviour of the world. 

No matter how bad or evil human beings have become, God still wants to forgive and save them from their sins. 

In the gospel parable, there is greed, violence and even murder. That is also the reality in life. 

But sin and evil do not have the last word or the final say. 

God has the last word, and salvation is the final end. 

The Church in Singapore has a ministry called Roman Catholic Prison Ministry (RCPM). 

The members of RCPM minister to the prisoners to bring them God's Word of mercy and forgiveness, and also the Good News of salvation. 

Jesus chose them to be His messengers, and Jesus is also calling out to us to be messengers of the Good News of salvation, love and forgiveness. 

Let us remember that sin and evil can only spread when we Christians, when we who are disciples of Jesus, do nothing about it. 

Let us respond to sin and evil with goodness and kindness. 

Then there will be hope for humanity and for the world. 

Because God's love will be the keystone that will save humanity, and it will be wonderful to see.

Our Lady of the Rosary, Saturday, 07-10-2023

Acts 1:12-14 / Luke 1:26-38    

The Rosary is a simple and an interesting religious object.

We carry it in our pockets or handbags, we wear Rosary bracelets on our wrists, some even wear the Rosary as a necklace.

Whether we carry it or wear it, we will use it to pray, and it is simple enough to pray without the need for prayer booklets.

The prayers of the “Our Father”, “Hail Mary” and “Glory Be” are the basic prayers of the Church, and we remember those prayers by heart.

And it is from the heart that we pray the Rosary.

As we pray the Rosary, we remember Our Lady’s intercession for the miraculous naval victory for the Christian fleet over the Ottoman Turkish armada, and that prevented the invasion of Europe.

As we pray the Rosary, we remember the many great saints who prayed the Rosary and urged us to keep praying the Rosary as a basic form of prayer.

As we pray the Rosary, we remember the Marian apparitions at Lourdes and Fatima and the message of prayer, penance and offering sacrifices for the conversion of sinners.

And we also remember the many blessings that we received from God through the intercession of Our Lady.

Let us pray the Rosary everyday, let us pray the Rosary with others, so that we will experience the powerful intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary in our time of need.

26th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 06-10-2023

Baruch 1:15-22 / Luke 10:13-16  

It is difficult to have a conversation in a noisy place.

And if we really have to talk, then we would have to raise our voices to almost at a shouting level.

But that would only add more noise to the already noisy place.

In such a situation, we are no longer able to differentiate voices from noises.

And in such a situation, the voice becomes another noise.

Nobody likes to listen to noises, so it may be a case of everyone is talking and no one is listening.

In the 1st reading, the voice of the prophet Baruch is one of guilt and shame.

He speaks of a people that who have not listened to the voice of the Lord and disobeyed Him.

Indeed, sin is like a jarring noise that makes us unable to hear the voice of the Lord.

The gospel mentions of cities like Chorazin, Bethsaida, Tyre and Sidon.

These great cities are either in ruins or have disappeared from the face of the earth.

Because in their time of glory, the noise of their sin has blocked out the voice of the Lord.

The voice of the Lord has become just another noise.

Let us be still, let our hearts be silent, so that we can listen to the voice of the Lord.

The voice of the Lord speaks of peace. When we listen to that voice, we will be at peace.

26th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 05-10-2023

Nehemiah 8:1-12 / Luke 10:1-12    

Going for a trip may sound exciting, especially if we are the type who likes adventure.

Going for a mission trip may sound exciting too, as we would be meeting people and helping them with projects to improve their lives.

But before Jesus sent His disciples on mission, He warned them that He is sending them out like lambs among wolves.

So the disciples had to prepare for danger and rejection.

They have almost nothing with them except for the empowerment from Jesus.

Their mission statement is simply this: The kingdom of God is very near to you.

For those who accepted the message, it will give them hope.

But for those who do not welcome the message, the disciples will just have to walk away and wipe off the very dust of that town.

That will be the sign for those who reject the message, so that they will reflect and maybe even repent later on.

The mission of the disciples is focused on salvation.

May that also be our mission as Christians, whether we face acceptance or rejection.

26th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 04-10-2023

Nehemiah 2:1-8 / Luke 9:57-62  

To answer a question may not be as straight forward as it seems.

To answer a question from a subordinate can be casual.

But to answer a question from a superior, one needs to be rather careful.

One has to think about the reaction of the superior on the answer that one would be giving.

And if the answer does not find favour or unacceptable to the superior, one could be getting into trouble.

In the 1st reading, the king asked Nehemiah about what was his request. 

Before Nehemiah made that bold request, he called on the God of heaven before making his request to the king.

And Nehemiah was granted his request because he called on God, and the kindly favour of God was granted upon him.

When Jesus asked those to follow Him, they seem to give replies from their own perspectives and may not have called on God to help them think of a reply.

In life, whenever we have to make decisions or choices, let us call upon God to know what He wants of us.

Then we have God’s favour upon us and we will know what God’s will is for us.

26th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 03-10-2023

Zechariah 8:20-23 / Luke 9:51-56   

When we have experienced the gracious and wonderful blessings from the Lord our God, we know that we cannot keep it to ourselves.

We are witnesses of the Good News of God’s love and there are people who are waiting to hear this Good News.

They are looking for the God that they can believe in and rely upon.

They are looking for the God who will answer their prayers in their time of need.

They are looking for the God who cares and provides for them.

The 1st reading tells of people of other nations who want to know about the God of Israel.

They want to entreat the favour of the Lord , and seek the Lord of hosts.

And since they are fervently seeking the Lord, then we must be even more fervent in leading them to the Lord.

But there are times when the people we want to share the Good News with are not favourable towards us or even hostile towards us.

Such was the situation that Jesus faced, and the disciples James and John even wanted to retaliate with calling down fire from heaven upon them.

But Jesus rebuked the two of them and continued with the journey.

So as much as we think that there are people who need to hear the Good News and to know who God is, let us also know that it is God who initiates the call.

And when they hear the call and begin to search for God, let us be there to guide them.

The Holy Guardian Angels, Monday, 02-10-2023

Exodus 23:20-23 / Matthew 18:1-5, 10  

We are very familiar with the material world, the world that is experienced by our senses and comprehended by our knowledge and rationale.

Yet as Catholics, we profess in one part of the Creed the existence of the seen and unseen.

There is the existence of the unseen, the spiritual world, and it is on this spiritual world that we reflect about angels and guardian angels.

Generally, angels are understood to be messengers of God. Other roles include the protecting and guiding of human beings and carrying out God's tasks.

A guardian angel is an angel assigned to protect and guide a particular person.

The belief is that guardian angels serve to protect whichever person God assigns them to, and present prayer to God on that person's behalf.

We come to this belief from what Jesus said in the gospel that even the children have guardian angels who are always in the presence of God.

The 1st reading also affirms that God sends His angels to guard us and to bring us to the place that He has prepared for us, i.e. to be with God in heaven eternally.

May we always be aware of the existence of the spiritual world and especially our guardian angel who is always by our side.

Let us also remember the traditional Catholic prayer to one's guardian angel :

Angel of God, my guardian dear

to whom God's love commits me here.

Ever this day be at my side

to light, to guard, to rule and guide.

Amen