31st Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 05-11-2024

Philippians 2:5-11 / Luke 14:15-24   

Happiness and sadness are the two emotions that seem to dominate our lives.

We desire for happiness and we do experience happiness when good things come our way.

But we also know that happiness will just come and go, and the next moment something bad may happen and we sink into sadness and disappointment.

But we also need to remember that sadness and disappointment also will just come and go, and that it won’t remain for a prolonged period of time.

In the gospel, someone said to Jesus that happy the man who will be at the feast of the kingdom of God.

And then Jesus told a parable in which a man gave a great banquet and invited many guests.

But surprisingly, the invited guests turned down the invitation for such a happy occasion.

It goes to show that we may not truly understand what true happiness is about.

The 1st reading tells us that though Jesus is divine, yet He emptied Himself to become a man and subjected Himself to the human condition, and even accepted a painful death.

But because He was obedient, God raised Him up and all creation should bend the knee at His name.

In our happiness and sadness, let us be like Jesus who showed us how to be obedient to God.

Then we will know what is true happiness and in our sadness, God will be our comfort and consolation.

31st Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 04-11-2024

Philippians 2:1-4 / Luke 14:12-14  

In life, there will come about a crisis every now and then.

In happens in our personal life, in an organization and in a country.

Crisis brings along chaos and also a time of tribulation.

The thing about crisis is that it reveals character.

It reveals the character of the person, as well as the unity of the organization and the country.

St. Paul has this to say in the 1st reading:

If our life in Christ means anything to you, if love can persuade at all, or the Spirit that we have in common, or any tenderness and sympathy, then be united in your convictions and united in your love, with a common purpose and a common mind.

What keep us united as Christians and as Church is our love for Christ.

Our love for Christ is the fruit of our life in Christ and it is the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life.

That is our faith and our conviction, and that will also keep us united as Christians and as Church in the face of crisis.

We will face the chaos and the tribulations together when we are united in a common love, and that is our love for Christ.

Our love for Christ will also reveal who we are and how united we will be in a time of crisis.

31st Ordinary Sunday, Year B, 03.11.2024

Deuteronomy 6:2-6 / Hebrews 7:23-28 / Mark 12:28-34

No one can be forced to listen to a message that they are not prepared to receive. 

They may have heard the message many times over, but they do not respond to it, or act on it. 

They may even know the contents of the message, but they do not really put it into practice.

Over the past two days, the Church celebrated two feasts that have a profound impact on our lives. 

And these two feasts make us reflect on our lives and how we should go on living. 

The first is the feast of All Saints, in which we express our belief in the Communion of Saints. 

We are reminded of the call to holiness, that the Saints are praying for us to join them in heaven to praise God in eternity. 

The second is the feasts of All Souls, in which we remember our departed loved ones and all the faithful departed. 

We offer Mass and pray for them, so that they will be purified and rest in the eternal peace of God. 

So, the feast of All Saints reminds us of our eternity. 

And the feast of All Souls reminds us of our mortality. 

The message is plain and clear, and it grounds us down to this reality: 

We were born without bringing anything into this world. 

We die without taking anything with us. 

But the surprising thing is that in the interval between life and death, we fight for what we did not bring in, and we desire for what we cannot take away. 

In other words, we forget about our mortality and our eternity. 

We know the message, we have heard it numerous times, but we forget to put it into practice. 

In the gospel, the scribe asked Jesus about which is the first of all commandments. 

As a scribe, he should know the answer to his own question. 

For whatever motive he had in asking that question, Jesus replied plainly and clearly: “This is the first: Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You must love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.”

Then at that moment, the scribe seemed to be enlightened and he realized what the Commandment is about. 

Jesus seeing how wisely he had spoken said, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” 

This gospel passage tells us that there will be an appointed time when we will realize the truth of life and the reality of love. 

For me, the appointed time has come in my last weekend of ministry and service in this parish. 

The truth of life is that there will be changes, but God has His plans for me and for this parish community. 

But in the midst of changes, the reality of love and blessing does not change. 

I came to this parish about 10 years ago wondering what is God's plan for you and me. 

As God’s plan unfolded, it was blessing upon blessing, and love upon love. 

From you, I have learned what is simplicity and humility, and to love God with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind and with all my strength.

And I hope that I have shown you how to love God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.

I have received abundant blessings from the Lord, and I also wanted to share God's blessings with you. 

Some of you may have received unique showers of blessings of Holy Water on your hair, running down your face, and maybe into your eyes and into your ears. 

Yes, God loves us and blesses us abundantly. 

May we also love God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind and with all our strength. 

Then we will not be far from the kingdom of God.

All Souls Day, Saturday, 02-11-2024

Isaiah 25:6-9 / Romans 5:5-11 / John 6:37-40 

Today, we the Church observe All Souls Day and we commemorate the faithful departed and we remember them in our prayers and especially at Mass.

Yesterday, we the Church, joined with all the Saints who already rejoice in heaven, and today we unite ourselves spiritually with all those who are being purified in Purgatory, so that they may join the saints and angels of the heavenly city in time to come.

Today, as we remember our departed loved ones and the faithful departed, we not only call to mind their memory, but more importantly we also offer Mass and prayers for them.

That is indeed a great act of faith in that we believe that our prayers can help those in Purgatory and that one day they too, will enter the heavenly city and enjoy eternal rest and peace.

This act of faith stems from our belief in the Resurrection, that Jesus died and rose again, and that God is God not of the dead but of the living.

Indeed, the departed do not just vanish out of sight and hence out of mind. In faith and in prayer, we are connected to them and it is by the love of God that we the living are united with the departed.

Visiting the departed at the cemetery or at the columbarium is a very profound sign that we are still in relationship with the departed as well as an affirmation of the fact that they are spiritually alive.

Although death leaves a heartache no one can heal, yet prayers offered with love leave a memory for the departed that no one can steal.

Yet, let us remember that "death is not extinguishing the light; it is putting out the lamp because dawn has come" (Tagore).

May our departed loved ones, and the faithful departed, rest in God's peace and may eternal light shine on them.