St. Joseph the Worker, Wednesday, 01-05-2024

Genesis 1:26-2:3 or Colossians 3:14-15, 17, 23-24 / Matthew 13:54-58

The feast of St. Joseph the Worker was instituted only in 1955 and so it was a fairly recent addition to the feastdays of the Church.

There were many reasons for the institution of this feast but the main purpose is to give a religious understanding to the meaning and purpose of work and labour.

Labour day is a public holiday to celebrate the economic and social achievements of workers. Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement and the rights of workers.

Yet the Church also celebrates the feast of St. Joseph the Worker on this same day so as to give a spiritual dimension and direction.

The 1st reading from Genesis tells us that God Himself does the work of creation and after completing the work He was doing He rested on the seventh day.

Hence work has a holy and sacred meaning because we are also the work of God's hands and we are called to continue the work of God's creation.

Yet we must also remember that when man sinned and broke the harmony of God's creation, work is seen as a curse - "By the sweat of your brow, you shall eat your bread"(Gen 3:19)

Well that makes us think. Tomorrow we will be going back to work. Are we dragging our feet there? Does going to work make us stressed and anxious? Does meeting our boss or colleagues give us a pain in the neck?

Yet the alternative 1st reading from Colossians also tells us that whatever our work is, we are to put our heart into it as if it were for the Lord and not for men, because it is Christ the Lord that we are serving.

Let us do our work for the Lord and make it a holy and sacred offering to Him. In this way we follow our Lord Jesus who came to serve and not to be served.

5th Week of Easter, Tuesday, 30-04-2024

Acts 14:19-28 / John 14:27-31  

No one likes to go into a hostile situation in which there are violent people.

Neither would someone go back to that hostile situation in which violent people had harmed that person.

In the 1st reading, the people of the town turned against the apostles.

They stoned St. Paul and dragged him out of the town, thinking he was dead.

The disciples came crowding around him, but as they did so, he stood up, and of all things, he went back to that town.

We naturally dislike trouble or hardships. We rather run away from the fire than to run into it.

But as the 1st reading quoted Paul and Barnabas as saying: We all have to experience many hardships before we enter the kingdom of heaven.

In the gospel, Jesus tells us not to let our hearts be troubled or afraid.

He tells us that He will give us peace, a peace that the world cannot give.

Jesus is our Peace; He is the Prince of Peace.

With His peace in us, we will be able to overcome the troubles, the fears, the hostility and the violence of the world.

5th Week of Easter, Monday, 29-04-2024

Acts 14:5-18 / John 14:21-26  

When it comes to faith and spiritual promptings, it certainly goes beyond the logical and rational.

People who have a deep faith will also have a spiritual sense of who and what is around them.

When they read, it is more than just words.

They read moods, they read vibes, they read body language.

When they notice, they will also sense the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

In the 1st reading, the crippled man caught the eye of St. Paul as he was preaching.

Seeing that the man had the faith to be cured, St. Paul said to him in a loud voice: Get to your feet – stand up”

And the crippled man jumped up and began to walk.

Certainly, it was not St. Paul who cured the crippled man.

The Holy Spirit prompted St. Paul, and he became the instrument of God’s healing for the crippled man.

Let us pray that with our faith, we will also grow in spirit to understand the ways of God.

May we be attentive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit to do what the Lord God wants of us.

5th Sunday of Easter, Year B, 28.04.2024

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

When we came into this world, we were like a blank piece of paper. 

From the moment we were born, the people around us began writing on that piece of paper, the paper of our lives. 

Our parents wrote on it, and they wrote things that we treasure, like love, joy, care, protection, happiness, concern and family values. 

Our siblings wrote about sharing and helping each other. 

As we journey on in life, our relatives and friends, our teachers, our schoolmates, our colleagues also wrote on our paper of life. 

In that paper of life, there was some good and beautiful things that made us into a good and pleasant person. 

But, there were also some bad and unpleasant things that made us behave badly and poorly. 

Then we came to know about Jesus Christ, who also wants to write something on our paper of life. 

But, Jesus is not just one among the many others who wrote on the paper of life. He is the Author of our lives. 

He created that paper of our lives, and Jesus wants to write His Word of love and truth on that paper. 

That paper of our life can also be called the paper of our hearts. 

Jesus wants to write the word “home” on that paper of our hearts, because He wants to make His home in our hearts. 

In the gospel Jesus says that He is the vine and that we are the branches. 

When we are united with Jesus like the vine and the branches, He will make His home in our hearts. 

He will also look at what is written in that paper of our hearts. 

From what is good in there, He will make it bear fruit, good and abundant fruit. 

Or what is bad, like mistakes and regrets, bitterness and resentment, hurts and pains, Jesus will correct it. 

He will prune it, He will heal it, so that what seems to be dead will be brought to life, and once again to bear fruit, and to bear good fruit. 

When we reflect about our lives, and what is written in our hearts, we will come to see that the good that we do, and the good that we can do, comes from the love and truth that Jesus writes in our hearts.

There is a story of an old man who met a young man, and the young man asked him, "Do you remember me?”

And the old man says “No.” Then the young man tells him he was his student, and the teacher, that old man asks,“What do you do in life?”

The young man answers,“Well, I became a teacher.”

“Ah, how good, like me?” asks the old man.

“Well, yes. In fact, I became a teacher because you inspired me to be like you.”

The old man, who was curious, asked the young man at what point in his life did he decided to become a teacher. 

And the young man tells him the following story:

“One day, a friend of mine, also a student, came in with a nice new watch, and I decided I wanted it.

I stole it, I took it out of his bag when nobody was looking.

Shortly after, my friend noticed his watch was missing and immediately complained to our teacher, who was you.

Then you addressed the class saying, ‘This student's watch was stolen during class today. Whoever stole it, please return it.’

I didn't give it back because I was afraid to do so.

You closed the door and told us all to stand up and form a circle and to look outwards.

You were going to search our pockets one by one until the watch was found.

However, you told us to close our eyes, because you would only look for the watch if we all had our eyes closed.

We did as instructed.

You went from pocket to pocket, and when you went through my pocket, you found the watch and took it. You kept searching everyone's pockets, and when you were done, you said ‘Open your eyes. We have found the watch.’

You didn't say it was me who stole the watch, and you never mentioned the episode.

That day you saved my dignity forever. It was the most shameful day of my life.

But that is also the day I decided not to become a thief, or a bad person. 

You never said anything, nor did you even scold me or take me aside to give me a moral lesson.

I received your message clearly.

Thanks to you, I understood what a real educator needs to do.

Do you remember this episode, teacher?

The old teacher answered, ‘Yes, I remember the situation with the stolen watch, which I was looking for in everyone’s pocket. I didn't remember you, because I also closed my eyes while looking.’

That is the essence of teaching:

Correction does not require humiliation.

Jesus is our Master and our Teacher. He teaches us what is good, and He also corrects what is needed.

But we must be united with Jesus, and accept to be pruned and corrected. 

Then we will bear good fruit for glory of God and for the good of others.

4th Week of Easter, Saturday, 27-04-2024

Acts 13:44-52 / John 14:7-14

Criticisms are certainly not a proper way to address an issue.

Even though there is such a term called “constructive criticism”, yet there seems to be an ambiguity or a contradiction in that term.

And when criticisms are prompted by jealousy, then terrible things can be said and done.

In the 1st reading, that was what Paul and Barnabas faced.

Blasphemies were even hurled at them even though what they were doing was to preach the Word of God.

But criticisms always reveal the motives and the intentions of the critics.

Especially when critics are so engrossed in their jealousy, they will not be able to see anything good at all.

 

In the gospel, Jesus told Philip that to have seen Him is to have seen the Father.

But there were also the Pharisees and the scribes who saw Jesus as only a threat and a trouble-maker.

Let us remember that criticisms only reveal the dark side of the critic.

Let us ask the Lord for the grace to have eyes that will see without biasness and without being judgmental or jealous.

May we see the good in others and encourage them in their goodness.

That is one of the Christian ways of preaching the Good News.

4th Week of Easter, Friday, 26-04-2024

Acts 13:26-33 / John 14:1-6  

The language of the world is a language we are familiar with, because we hear it every day.

And that language forms ideas and concepts like efficiency, productivity, excellence, results, gains and profits.

But when we think about those concepts and ideas of the world, we may notice that there is one essential aspect that is missing.

And that essential aspect is the person; or collectively speaking, people are not that important in the dynamics.

In the language of Christianity, what is essential and important is the person, or people.

In the 1st reading, St. Paul says this: We have come to tell you the Good News.

The Good News is not about gains or profits. The Good News is about God’s saving love for humanity, God’s saving love for you and me.

In the gospel, Jesus tells us not to let our hearts be troubled.

Because we are distracted and disturbed by the ways of the world that makes us anxious and worrisome.

But Jesus tells us to trust in God and to trust in Him.

Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Let us speak the language of the Way, the Truth and the Life of Jesus.

That is the Good News that we can tell the world.

St. Mark, Evangelist, Thursday, 25-04-2024

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 great missionaries in the Acts of the Apostles.

So St. Mark had connection with big names in the New Testament, but that was not why he became a big name 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 be humble servants to each other.

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

4th Week of Easter, Wednesday, 24-04-2024

Acts 12:24 - 13:5 / John 12:44-50

The Church has many aspects that reveals something of its essence.

The Church can be seen as a hierarchy, as an institution, as an organization, as a community, etc.

But the essence of the Church is founded in the mystery of God.

God is the very essence of the Church, and God has revealed Himself to the Church and yet it is also an on-going revelation.

In the 1st reading, the Word of God continued to spread and to gain followers.

That is certainly not by human effort but by the power of God.

And it is in worship and prayer and fasting that God revealed through the Holy Spirit the mission He has for Barnabas and Saul.

And it is in the communion of prayer that the early Church sent Barnabas and Saul into the mission that God has shown them.

May we, as the Church, always understand the fundamental importance of prayer.

It is in the communion of prayer that God will reveal to us His plans for us.

God’s plan is for all peoples to be saved. Let us pray for God’s blessings that we will carry out the mission of salvation.

4th Week of Easter, Tuesday, 23-04-2024

Acts 11:19-26 / John 10:22-30   

When we think about what appeals to people, then it boils down to what people are attracted to.

People like to be entertained. People like the spectacular and the sensational.

It is also amazing how people would idolize some individuals like pop singers and movie stars.

Their fan club membership can even go to five figures, or more, depending on the popularity.

When tracing the beginnings of Christianity, the disciples went around preaching the simple message of the Good News.

As the 1st reading puts it: The Lord helped them, and a great number believed and were converted to the Lord.

And when Barnabas was sent to the church in Antioch, he could see for himself that God had given grace.

Christianity and its early missionary preachers did not try to appeal to peoples' desires or tried to attract people with anything spectacular or sensational.

It was by the grace of God that people believed and were won over to the Lord.

It is the Lord who calls us to be His disciples and we are sent to do the work of God by witnessing to the Good News of salvation.

Let us keep focused on the Lord as we carry out His work.

Let us also remember that the results are by the grace of God and not by our abilities.

4th Week of Easter, Monday, 22-04-2024

Acts 11:1-18 / John 10:1-10  

When reading the book of the Acts of the Apostles, there is one thought that might come to our minds.

The experience of God in the early Church seems to be so profound and it almost seems like a regular occurrence.

There was the vision of Peter which was accepted without question.

There was the vision of an angel standing in the man’s house, and the angel had a message for the man.

And then the Holy Spirit came down upon the group in the same way as it was at Pentecost.

So, in that passage of the 1st reading, the visions and signs of the spiritual seem to be like a normal and regular occurrence.

That make us wonder what happened to those visions and signs in today’s Church.

But a deeper question to reflect upon is how do we sense the promptings of God.

In the gospel, Jesus says that the shepherd calls out, one by one, to his own sheep and he leads them out.

As much as we want to hear the voice of our Good Shepherd, the world has too many loud and distracting voices and noises.

Hence, we need to get back to the silence of prayer and be still before the Lord.

Only then can we listen to the voice of our Good Shepherd and understand the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

Then we will be able to see the signs and wonders that God is showing us.

4th Sunday of Easter, Year B, 21.04.2024

Acts 4:8-12 / 1 John 3:1-2 / John 10:11-18 

Between God and human beings, there is one great and fundamental difference.

Basically and essentially, it is this: God is divine and we are only human. 

Reflecting further on this, it is God who created us and the rest of creation. We humans did not create anything at all. 

A human being cannot become God. Those who wanted to, or tried to become God, embarked on a quest for immortality, eternal youth, everlasting power, strength and might. 

But the history of humanity is splattered with such cases, and they are cases of futility. 

That is the truth, and it is an eternal and irrevocable truth. 

And we Christians bear witness to that truth by our faith. 

As we profess in the Creed, God is the Almighty Creator, and He is also our Father. 

And next comes the astounding truth, and that is God became man in Jesus Christ. 

That truth is a deep mystery that needs to be reflected and meditated upon, and it can only be done with the enlightening love from God. 

Jesus Christ is our Lord and God, He is our Saviour, and in today's gospel, He tells us that He is our Good Shepherd. 

That image of the Good Shepherd and the sheep will certainly help us to understand the loving relationship between Jesus and us. 

A Good Shepherd protects and takes care of His sheep. 

He will even lay down His life for His sheep when there is harm and danger. 

That is how much God loves us, even to the extent of dying for us in order to save us. 

And Jesus calls us to be His sheep and to follow Him. 

Jesus is the Good Shepherd who calls us to be His good sheep. 

And a good sheep listens to the voice of the Good Shepherd. 

This Sunday is also known as Good Shepherd Sunday, and the emphasis is on vocations to the priesthood, as well as to the religious life. 

A good sheep listens to the voice of the Good Shepherd. 

And a good sheep may also listen to a deeper call in the voice of the Good Shepherd. 

Jesus will not leave His Church without priests, priests who will listen to His voice. 

Because Jesus calls priests to lead the People of God in worship and prayer, and preach the Word of life and love. 

Priests are called by Jesus to celebrate the Eucharist, and to offer the sacrifice in memory of Him. 

The voice of the Good Shepherd is echoed in the voice of the priest, so that the People of God, the flock that belongs to the Good Shepherd, will walk in the way of salvation. 

So, Jesus has called those He has chosen to be His priests, and also those to the religious life. 

Jesus calls and He waits for their response. 

As for us, the People of God, let us also echo the call of a Good Shepherd to those He is calling. 

But whether the call is to be a priest, or a religious, the call is always to be a good sheep. 

And whether it is a priest, or a religious, or a sheep that belongs to the flock of Jesus, we are called to be like the Good Shepherd. 

The Good Shepherd laid down His life for us. 

Let us also lay down our lives to love and to serve others, and to help them listen to the voice of Jesus our Good Shepherd.

3rd Week of Easter, Saturday, 20-04-2024

Acts 9:31-42 / John 6:60-69  

To run a marathon for the first time would certainly require intense preparation.

Whatever it is, the objective is to finish that 42 km within a reasonable time.

But what if a person were to run a marathon without much preparation or know how long the distance is.

No doubt, it would seem rather futile to carry on especially when fatigue sets in, and the hope of finishing the marathon fades away with each stride.

For the disciples in the gospel, they had to decide whether to follow Jesus after hearing the teaching about Jesus as the “bread of life”.

Some couldn’t accept it and found it pointless to carry on following Jesus, and so they left.

For the Twelve, they too may have found it challenging to accept the teachings of Jesus.

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

Whether it is unquestionable faithfulness or blind perseverance, the Twelve made their choice.

We too have to make our choice when faced with the difficult and challenging teachings of Jesus.

But if we believe that Jesus has the message of eternal life, then let us be faithful and persevere, and keep walking on.

God will reward us for believing, and for being faithful and persevering.

3rd Week of Easter, Friday, 19-04-2024

Acts 9:1-20 / John 6:52-59   

Angry people want to show how powerful they are.

So they will resort to hostile and violent means to threaten and make others submit to them.

They would even ask for authorization letters to justify what they are doing.

Such was the case of Saul in the 1st reading.

He was so bent on killing and slaughtering the Lord’s disciples, and he even got letters from those in authority to show that he was doing the right thing.

Human anger, hostility and violence cannot be stopped by human means.

But where human ability is limited, God will not let evil be unstoppable.

Saul was not only stopped by the power of God; it was also revealed to him that he was persecuting Jesus.

It was love that stopped Saul, and it was also love that spared and saved Saul.

And it is also with love that Jesus gives us His Body to save us and to give us life.

Sin, wickedness and evil can never prevail against the power of God’s love.

In receiving the Body of Christ, we also receive Jesus into our hearts, and we also receive the power of God’s love.

May the power of God’s love in us lead us to do what is good, what is right and what is loving.

3rd Week of Easter, Thursday, 18-04-2024

Acts 8:26-40 / John 6:44-51

There are many things in life that we don’t quite understand, or know what it is all about.

The laws and wonders of nature are certainly quite beyond our reasoning.

The complexity of human relationships are also a mystery to us.

And of course, God is a mystery that is beyond our comprehension.

In the 1st reading, the Ethiopian eunuch may have read that passage of scripture a couple of times.

He couldn’t quite understand the meaning until Philip came along and explained it to him.

He was so enlightened that he requested for baptism.

In the gospel, Jesus said that it is written in the prophets, that to hear the teaching of God and learn from it is to come to Him.

When there are aspects of the faith, or the Church, or our lives that we don’t understand, let us not get frustrated or flustered.

In God’s time and in God’s way, we will learn and be enlightened.

And then, we will come to Jesus with rejoicing hearts.

3rd Week of Easter, Wednesday, 17-04-2024

Acts 8:1-8 / John 6:35-40  

We don't usually accept mistakes or an unexpected turn of events that leave us fretting away and wondering what is going to happen next.

But history and the experience of our lives show us that many discoveries and movements have their origins from apparent accidents and mistakes and unexpected events, rather than from carefully planned programs and processes.

Such was the case with the discovery of penicillin.

Such was the case with the independence of Singapore.

Such was the case with the early Church in its first missionary movement.

Had the Christians not been persecuted in Jerusalem, they would not have gone to Samaria, at least not at such an early stage, to preach the good news about Jesus.

And the Good News needs to be spread because people need to know that besides the material world, there is also the spiritual world.

Besides material needs, there are also the spiritual needs.

Besides physical hunger, there is also a spiritual hunger which only God can satisfy.

Jesus came to do the will of His Father and that is to be the bread of life and to fill the spiritual hunger of people in the world.

So when things don't go our way, that is when God wants to show us His way.

That is when Good News is going to happen, so that we may see and be filled with it, and in turn share that Good News with others.

3rd Week of Easter, Tuesday, 16-04-2024

Acts 7:51 - 8:1 / John 6:30-35  

The world often determines standards of who we are and what we should be.

So high up on the scale are those who have powerful authority.

Up there would also be the super-rich, the famous, the influential, etc.

But we may come to see that those are mere externals.

Those externals do not tell us much about the character of the person.

In the 1st reading, the people who were ganging up against Stephen showed who they really are.

They found power in numbers, and they used it against Stephen, who was helplessly alone.

Stephen also showed his true character. He preached even when he knew he was risking his life.

And at the end of his life, his true character was expressed in forgiving his enemies.

Let us remember that it is not what we have or what we do that determines our character.

It is when we put on the person of Christ, that we will be formed into a person who will be like Christ.

And like Christ, we too will be loving and forgiving, kind and compassionate, truthful and humble.

3rd Week of Easter, Monday, 15-04-2024

Acts 6:8-15 / John 6:22-29  

We are often curious, if not attracted, by miracles and great signs.

More so, when we have a need, e.g. looking for a cure from an illness, looking for a way out from some financial difficulty, etc.

So if we heard about someone who is working miracles and great signs, we will certainly want to see if we can benefit from it.

In the gospel, the people had seen the miracle and the great sign of the multiplication of the loaves.

However, as Jesus had pointed out, the people had benefitted by having eaten all the bread they wanted to eat.

And the human desire would be to see what more can be gotten from Jesus.

So the people saw the miracle and the sign, but did not understand the meaning and purpose of it.

In the 1st reading, the people saw the miracles and the signs that Stephen worked.

But they saw it as a threat to their security. They too didn’t understand the meaning of the miracles and the signs.

Today’s readings remind us that God speaks to us in many ways, and also through signs.

Let us ask the Lord for the wisdom to discern those signs that come from Him.

When we understand the meaning of those signs, then we will also know what God is asking of us.

3rd Sunday of Easter, Year B, 14.04.2024

 Acts 3:13-15, 17-19 / 1 John 2:1-5 / Luke 24:35-48  

The act of eating is often seen as a casual act, and we won't think too much about it. 

But a number of processes are activated in the act of eating. The mouth opens with the help of the muscles so that we can put food into our mouth. 

The taste buds are activated, the jaw moves and the teeth chew the food, and after which the food is swallowed. 

Besides and before all that, we also choose what we want to eat, and also what we should not eat. 

But eating is not just about consuming food. Eating is an act of life. We eat to Live. 

Our stomach will tell us that we are hungry, and hence we need to eat something, otherwise we may end up with some health issues.

And going beyond that, there is the social dimension in eating. 

No doubt, a person can eat in solitude, but that would give the impression of loneliness. 

Because, when it comes to eating, there is a social and communal expression in it. 

Even with simple home cooked food that is eaten with family and friends, relationships are renewed and deepened. 

In other words, eating with others is a celebration of life and relationships. 

In the gospel, when the Risen Lord Jesus appeared to His disciples, they were alarmed and frightened. They thought they were seeing a ghost. 

Jesus greeted them with peace, and showed them His hands and side, and even ask them to touch Him. 

But they still could not believe it, and they stood there dumbfounded. 

So Jesus asked them for something to eat. They offered Him a piece of grilled fish which He took and ate before their eyes. 

That act of eating the grilled fish dispelled the fears and doubts of the disciples. 

That simple act of eating assured the disciples that Jesus is real and alive. 

But even before that, the two disciples had told their story of what had happened on the road, and how they recognized Jesus at the breaking of bread. 

So, it was earlier, at a meal setting, the Jesus had revealed Himself to the two disciples. 

Today, as we come for Mass, we are also going to partake of a meal. 

At Holy communion, we are going to receive the Body of Christ. 

It is Jesus Himself who prepared this sacred meal as He offers us the heart of all meals, and that is His Body. 

In receiving the Body of Christ, we receive life and love from the Risen Lord Jesus. 

We become the living members of His Body, and filled with love, we go forth to share that life and love. 

And this brings us to think about our family and whether we have family meals. 

We can say that a family that eats together will stay together. 

It may be difficult to have a family meal because of the business of our work and schedules. 

But it is so necessary, if we think that family life and relationships are important. 

It is also the same when it comes to Mass. If we think that our faith is important and necessary, we will come for Mass, and we will also invite others to come back for Mass. 

Because at Mass, when we partake of the Sacred meal at Holy Communion, Jesus will tell us that He is real and alive. 

And He will also have a revelation for us about ourselves. 

That as we have our family meals and other social meals, He will be present, and He will make each meal, a meal of life and love, a meal of forgiveness and reconciliation.

2nd Week of Easter, Saturday, 13-04-2024

Acts 6:1-7 / John 6:16-21  

The early church has often been held as an model for us to emulate. They were united in heart and mind and they shared their belongings with each other and no one was in need.

Furthermore, the presence of the apostles affirmed and strengthened the faith of the early church and they bore powerful witness to the Risen Christ and to the Good News.

Yet, in spite of this, all was not that perfect or rosy, for danger lurks even in safe places, and small issues can explode into nasty confrontations.

The 1st reading recorded the first crisis in the early church. There was tension between the Hebrews and Hellenists, and it was a tension within the community.

We may be surprised that this can happen in the early church. But as a matter of fact, this can happen to any church in any time in any place.

The possible cause of such crises may be found in today's gospel, as the disciples in the boat were caught in rough seas and strong wind.

And Jesus was not with them! And even when He came to them walking on the water, they became frightened.

Yes, there will always be crises in the Church and also in our own lives. More so when we begin to think that it is safe and we become complacent and indifferent in our faith. We take Jesus for granted.

But when crises start to explode and rock the Church and our lives, let us remember what Jesus said to the disciples in the boat.

"It is I. Do not be afraid." Yes, we must always turn back to Jesus. 

When we are not with Jesus, then we will surely be scattered.

But when we are with Jesus, then we will be united, even when there is tension and differences.

2nd Week of Easter, Friday, 12-04-2024

Acts 5:34-42 / John 6:1-15   

When we say that a product is tried and tested, it means that the product is good enough to be used.

That is certainly a good publicity for the product because it is a testimony for those who have used the product.

It may also mean that the product has quality and may have also withstood the test of time.

When it comes to a business enterprise or a religious movement, the gauge is not only how successful it is.

It must also stand the test of time, as well as how it overcomes setbacks and changes in leadership.

In the 1st reading, the wise and respected Gamaliel advised the members of the Sanhedrin to let the test of time determine the movement that had sprung up from the apostles.

His profound statement is this: If this movement of theirs is of human origin, it will break up on its own accord. But if it does in fact comes from God, you will not only be unable to destroy them, but you may find yourselves fighting against God.

In the 2000-year history of the Church, there were triumphant and glorious times as well as dark and terrible times.

But Jesus had promised that the gates of the underworld will not prevail against the Church.

Jesus is the Head of the Church as we are members of His Body.

May the promise of Jesus assure us of our faith and may we continue to be united with the Church in good times and in bad.

2nd Week of Easter, Thursday, 11-04-2024

Acts 5:27-33 / John 3:31-36  

The Bible is the sacred book of the Church.

It is divided into sections – the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Generally speaking, the Old Testament is about the prophecies of the coming of the Messiah, or the Saviour.

The New Testament is about the fulfillment of the prophecies in Jesus Christ.

The four Gospels are the important books of the New Testament, in which are the accounts of the life, ministry and teachings of Jesus Christ.

Reading the gospels would require attention and devotion as it is Jesus who is speaking to us.

Reading the gospels with attention and devotion will form our minds and hearts to understand the ways of God and His will.

May the Word of God be a lamp for our steps and a light for our paths.

And when we read the Word of God regularly and devoutly, we will be able to understand the ways of God.

And when we read the Word of God regularly and devoutly, God’s Word will be on our lips and our words will be life-giving and bear fruits of love.

2nd Week of Easter, Wednesday, 10-04-2024

Acts 5:17-26 / John 3:16-21  

It is said that the fruit of truth is freedom. 

In other words, the truth will set us free.

We certainly know what that means. 

When we speak and act with the truth, we will not be burdened by lies and falsehood.

In the 1st reading, the truth that leads to freedom is as literal as it can be.

The angel of the Lord opened the gates and as he led the apostles out, he told them to go to the Temple and tell the people all about the New Life.

As for the high priest and the Sanhedrin, they were told that the apostles were not in prison, though the prison was securely locked.

Yes, truth has the power to free and the truth will always prevail over sin and evil.

Because Jesus is the Truth and He is Lord and Saviour.

The ultimate truth is that God sent Jesus, not to condemn us, but to save us.

Let us always believe in that truth, and live our lives in the freedom of love.

2nd Week of Easter, Tuesday, 09-04-2024

Acts 4:32-37 / John 3:7-15  

Usually our lives are quite routine and most things and events happen as expected.

We wake up to the alarm, we have breakfast, we go to work, we go back home and have dinner and rest for the night.

Nothing much may surprise us, or is it that we have become numbed and indifferent to the little surprises of our lives.

In the gospel, Jesus tells us of one surprise that we often do not notice or wonder about.

And that is the wind. Sometimes it blows as a gentle breeze. Other times it blows as a thunderstorm.

At times it blows in one direction, and then without notice, it blows in another direction.

We can’t see it, but we can see where it is blowing and how it is blowing.

Jesus used the imagery of the wind to point to the reality and the mystery of the Holy Spirit.

And the Holy Spirit is manifested in the 1st reading by the life of the early Christian community.

The whole group of believers were united, heart and soul, and everything they owned was held in common.

We may think that it is surprising or even quite impossible.

But when the Holy Spirit moves, nothing is impossible or surprising.

And when we let the Holy Spirit move our hearts, then we will see the signs and wonders that God is showing us.

The Annunciation of the Lord, Monday, 08-04-2024

Isaiah 7:10-14; 8:10 / Hebrews 10:4-10 / Luke 1:26-38 

It is often said that Easter is the greatest feast of the Church, and for our faith as well.

In rising from the dead, Jesus conquered sin and death and revealed His divine identity - that He is the Son of God, and that He is Lord of the living and the dead.

Yes, Jesus is fully divine. Yet He is also fully human. Indeed, that is a mystery that needs to be often meditated upon.

Today's feast of the Annunciation of the Lord helps us to understand deeper the humanity of Jesus.

The angel Gabriel announced to Mary the good news of salvation and that the Son of God would be conceived in her by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Indeed, God becoming man and taking on human flesh in the womb of a woman is a mystery that is difficult to comprehend

Yet in His human nature, Jesus showed that God is with us, God is one of us, and that the offering of Himself on the Cross has become the one perfect sacrifice that took away the sins of the world and saved us.

Hence, in as much as Easter reveals the divinity of Jesus, the Annunciation reveals the humanity of Jesus as well as the dignity of human nature.

In our human nature, whatever sacrifices we make for the Lord is united in Jesus who will offer it to the Father as sacrifice for the salvation of the world.

Just as Mary offered herself for God's plan of salvation, may we also follow her in offering ourselves as servants of the Lord for the salvation of the world.

2nd Sunday of Easter Year B, 07.04.2024

 Acts 4:32-35 / 1 John 5:1-6 / John 20:19-31   

In our busy lifestyles, time is an important factor for us. 

There doesn’t seem to have enough time everyday to do the things we want to do. 

We may even cut down on our sleeping time to clear off some of the items in our to-do list for the day. 

But that may not be productive, and our health gets affected. We may end up getting more tired out, and we slow down, and we take more time to get other things done. 

So, the cycle goes on, we have things to do, we tire ourselves in order to get more things done, and we end up taking more time. 

And with that, we have become impatient and frustrated with delays and lateness, because time is wasted. 

When we order the food at the food stall, the food must be ready in 10 minutes, otherwise we will get agitated and frustrated. Hunger can lead to anger. 

When we order an item online, it must come within a couple of days, or better still, the next day. 

And this attitude may also creep into our spiritual life. We pray and we want our prayers to be answered immediately. 

And when we think that God is not listening to our prayers, or taking His time to answer prayers, then we get agitated, frustrated and disappointed. 

In the gospel, the disciples were huddled in fear in a room with the doors locked. 

Jesus was dead and buried, and their lives were also like dead and buried. 

Then suddenly, the Risen Lord Jesus came and stood among them, and greeted them with “Peace be with you”. 

It was a stunning moment for the disciples, but they were filled with joy. 

All the disciples were there in the room, except for one - Thomas. 

And when the disciples told him that they had seen the Risen Lord, Thomas refused to believe. 

He also demanded that he wants to put his finger and his hand into those wounds in order to believe. 

Eight days later, the Risen Lord Jesus appeared again to the disciples, and this time Thomas was with them. 

Thomas saw and he believed. He may not even need to touch those wounds to believe. 

We may wonder, why does it have to take 8 days later for the Lord Jesus appear again to His disciples. 

Couldn't He appear as soon as Thomas was with the disciples, or ASAP?

And by extension, we also wonder, why doesn't God answer our prayers immediately, or ASAP? 

Thomas had to wait 8 days to see the Risen Lord. With our busyness and urgency in life, we would like our prayers to be answered in 8 minutes, or 8 hours. 

8 days would seem too long because we don't like delays or to wait. 

But the number 8 has the biblical meaning of revelation. 

The 8th day means in God's time, and His will and His plan will be revealed to us and we will also be able to accept it. 

There was this occasion when I went to the hospital to visit a patient. The patient's daughter was there and she lamented about the problems and stress she was facing in life.

So, I gave her the Sacred Heart prayer card, and told her to send in a petition, or better still, to come for the Devotion to the Sacred Heart. 

She looked surprised, and she said that she heard about the Devotion to the Sacred Heart, but thought that it was not practiced anymore.

I shared with her that prayers have been answered, and she should pray for the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 

As I reflected about it, for that lady, it was the 8th day for her, a revelation for her,  as Jesus revealed to her His Heart. 

Let us continue to pray with faith and hope, and our 8th Day will come when Jesus will reveal His love for us. 

And then, like Thomas, we will exclaim “My Lord and my God”.

Saturday Within Easter Octave, 06-04-2024

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

God often reveals Himself in the most unexpected situations and in the most unexpected persons.

We would usually think that the intelligent and the religious would know more about the ways of God and how He reveals Himself.

Yes, we need to know about how God has revealed Himself in the past.

But God’s ways and His thoughts are often not the ways of man or how man thinks.

In the 1st reading, the rulers, elders and scribes were astonished at the assurance shown by Peter and John, considering they were uneducated and lowly laymen.

But when these rulers, elders and scribes saw the man who had been cured standing by their side, they could find no answer.

But the answer is right before their eyes, just that they cannot accept the mysterious ways of God.

God often chooses the lowly and humble to reveal His ways and His plans.

But to be obedient to God, then we have to change our ways and our thinking.

Only when we are humble, then we will be able to understand the ways and the plans of God.

Friday Within Easter Octave, 05-04-2024

Acts 4:1-12 / John 21:1-14 

The name “Jesus” in Hebrew means “God saves” or “God is salvation”.

In Christianity, the name Jesus is a holy name, and it is used to address Jesus who is our Lord and Saviour.

That also means that the name of Jesus should not be used casually or disrespectfully.

We also use the name of Jesus to call upon Him in prayer, and it is also the simplest form of prayer, by repeating lovingly the name of Jesus.

But even outside of worship and prayer moments, the mention of the name of Jesus can be a subtle form of witnessing.

When we share with others our happy and heart-warming moments, instead of saying “lucky”, we can say that we thank Jesus for those blessings.

But at times we may think it is awkward and we rather leave religion out of our conversation.

In the gospel, the disciples knew quite well that it was the Lord Jesus who directed them to that miraculous catch of fish and prepared breakfast.

But none of them called out His name or address Him by His name.

In the 1st reading, Peter boldly proclaimed the name of Jesus.

And he even said that of all the names in the world given to men, that is the only one by which we are saved.

The name Jesus means “God saves”. May that name be always in our minds, on our lips and in our hearts.

Thursday Within Easter Octave, 04-04-2024

Acts 3:11-26 / Luke 24:35-48  

The act of eating is primary for the need of survival.

In other words, we eat to live.

But going beyond the need for survival, there is also another purpose.

The act of eating show that we are alive and hence we are able to eat without any external assistance.

And with that comes the social aspect of eating.

Food is enjoyed with good company, and even with simple food, relationships are renewed and deepened.

When the Risen Lord Jesus asked for His disciples for something to eat, they offered Him a piece of grilled fish.

He ate it before their eyes, and it was then they realized that Jesus was real and alive.

The Risen Lord Jesus ate earthly food to show His disciples that He was real and alive.

But the Risen Lord Jesus gives us heavenly food, the Bread of Life, which is His body, to tell us that He is alive and that He wants to live in us.

As we partake of the Body of Christ at Holy Communion, let us remember that it is not ordinary food that we are consuming.

It is the divine Bread of Life, Jesus Himself, and we eat of it so that we live, no more for ourselves, but for Jesus, and also to live in order to love and serve others.

Wednesday Within Easter Octave, 03-04-2024

Acts 3:1-10 / Luke 24:13-35  

In life, we don’t live by ourselves or be with ourselves alone.

The journey of life is a journey of encountering persons and starting relationships.

So, from the day we came into this world, we encounter persons, and we have our relationships with them.

We begin to experience living with others in a family, in a community and in a society.

In the journey to Emmaus, the Risen Lord Jesus came up and walked along by the side of the two disciples, but something prevented them from recognizing Him.

As they journeyed along to Emmaus, the two disciples began to share their experiences with Jesus.

From being strangers, the two disciples became friends with Jesus and eventually, they invited Him to be with them for supper.

And it was there that Jesus revealed Himself to them.

Jesus also wants to walk with us in the journey of life.

He comes in the form of persons who will help us understand the meaning and the direction of life.

Jesus always makes the first move when it comes to journeying with us.

Let us be open to persons who will help us grow to be better persons.

And let us also thank Jesus for sending us persons to help us know more about Him.

Tuesday Within Easter Octave, 02-04-2024

Acts 2:36-41 / John 20:11-18   

To address a person by the personal name would indicate that the relationship is personal.

Of course there are persons or acquaintances that we address by their names.

But it could be that we happen to know their names and hence we address them by their names.

The difference would be in the tone that is used to call the name.

In the gospel, when Jesus called Mary by name, she immediately knew it was Jesus.

It could be the familiarity of the voice, and it also could be the tone of the voice.

Her immediate response was in Hebrew “Rabbuni” (which means Master)

Mary’s response was in her native language, a language of the heart, and it was an intimate response.

When Jesus calls us, we will know it is His voice, because it has a tone that only we ourselves can recognize.

And we will be ready to response with our heart to whatever He wants of us.