7th Sunday of Easter, Year C, 01.06.2025

 Acts 7:55-60 / Apocalypse 22:12-14, 16-17, 20 / John 17:20-26

If we know that something is going to happen, then we will surely make preparations for it. 

Of course, we can't predict the future, and there is no need to read about what the horoscopes say. 

But there are obvious indications of what we need to plan and what to prepare for the future. 

For example, we need financial security and insurance coverage for what might happen in life. 

So, we save up for a rainy day, and we will buy life insurance, health insurance and hospital insurance. 

What we think is necessary, and if we are able to afford it, we should get it done. 

Because if we don't help ourselves to plan and prepare for the future, then there will be no one to help us when we are in need. 

And there's no need to plan too much. 

What is necessary and obvious, we should know. 

It is a matter of pondering and thinking about it, and getting it done. 

The gospel is part of a long prayer of Jesus. Jesus prayed that we, His church, will be united as one. 

Just as He and the Father are one, Jesus prayed that we, His Church, will also be one in God. 

Jesus said this prayer at the Last Supper, so it was His last prayer before He was arrested. 

Jesus knew what was going to happen soon. One of His disciples will betray Him, another will deny Him, the others will desert Him. Because He knew what was going to happen, He prayed that His disciples will be reunited, and united with love and in love. 

But that prayer is not just for His disciples. 

It is also for the many generations of Christians to come. 

Throughout the history of the Church, there were heresies and schisms which have broken up and torn the Church apart. 

Besides the division from within, there were also threats of persecution resulting in some Christians giving up and renouncing their faith. 

One such external threat was in the 5th century when the merciless barbarian Attila the Hun ravaged Italy and was about to attack the city of Rome. 

The pope then, Pope Leo I, or Leo the Great, went to meet at Attila to persuade him not to attack Rome. 

The historical fact is that Attila the Hun turned back and did not attack Rome. 

It was said that Pope Leo had prepared for the meeting with Attila by first celebrating the Eucharist, and then he went out in procession with the faithful, chanting prayers and singing hymns. 

There are many reasons as to why Attila turned back and did not attack Rome. 

There is also a legend that when Attila saw Pope Leo, he reportedly also saw two huge figures with Pope Leo. 

Those two figures were said to be St Peter and St. Paul, and they threatened Attila, and so he got frightened and retreated. 

But what is important for us to know is that Pope Leo prepared himself with prayer, and it was the hand of God that drove Attila away. 

This Sunday is in that period of time between the Ascension and Pentecost Sunday. 

Jesus told His disciples and the Church before He ascended, to pray and to wait to be clothed with the power from on high. 

That power from on high is none other than the gift of the Holy spirit. 

The Holy Spirit is our Advocate, our Protector, who will help us and lead us and guide us as we journey on in faith. 

The Holy Spirit will teach us all that we need to know, and He will prompt us as to what to prepare and what to do. 

So, we need to pray so as to be able to listen to the Holy Spirit and to be aware of His promptings. 

It is the Holy Spirit who will unite us to God and to one another in love and in peace.

6th Week of Easter, Saturday, 31-05-2025

Acts 18:23-28 / John 16:23-28 

We hear Jesus says in the gospel “Ask and you will receive, and so your joy will be complete’.

That statement does sound too good to be true, but the reality of life is that we have asked and yet have not received.

So we get disappointed, frustrated and even get angry with God.

We expected our prayers to be answered, we expected to receive what we asked for.

But because we did not get what we asked for, we begin to lose faith.

But at the Ascension, Jesus said to wait to be clothed with power from on high.

The days between the Ascension and Pentecost are to be days of prayer.

The Church prays to be ready for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

With the Holy Spirit, we will know what to ask for, and truly our joy will be complete.

So let us pray for the outpouring of Holy Spirit in our hearts with a simple prayer like: Come Holy Spirit.

May we realize that the Holy Spirit is the best and the greatest gift from God.

6th Week of Easter, Friday, 30-05-2025

Acts 18:9-18 / John 16:20-23

What is our opinion about life?

To say the least, life is difficult.

For some it may even be painful and sorrowful. 

No matter how prepared we are for the challenges and difficulties, or the struggles and troubles of life, it still won’t be that easy.

As Jesus said in the gospel, we will be weeping and wailing while the world will rejoice.

Yesterday, we celebrated the feast of the Ascension of our Lord into heaven.

For us, the Ascension is also a revelation for us.

Jesus revealed to us our eternal destiny and our eternal homeland.

So the sorrows and tribulations of this world cannot be compared with the eternal glory that is promised to us.

Let us keep our mind and hearts fixed on this eternity.

So life is difficult, but that cannot be compared at all with the peace and joy of being with Jesus forever in heaven.

Ascension of the Lord, Thursday, 29-05-2025

Acts 1:1-11 / Ephesians 1:17-23 / Luke 24:46-54  

Whenever we talk about heaven, the inclination is to look up. 

It is almost like a natural instinct to look up when we think and talk about God and heaven. 

To look up is a natural posture when we want to think about something big and mighty. 

As a figure of speech, we look up to people who inspires us. 

In the religious sense, we look up to God when we pray. 

We look up to the heavens with hope. 

We look up to have a sense of eternity. 

Today we join the disciples as they see Jesus ascended into heaven. 

We believe that Jesus has gone up to heaven to prepare a place for us. 

And as Jesus ascended into heaven, He lift up His hands to bless His disciples. 

And from heaven, Jesus continues to bless us so that we will believe in the place that He has prepared for us in eternity. 

So, we look up from the things of earth to the things of above. 

We look up to receive blessings and to be clothed with the power of love from on high. 

We keep looking up because that is where we are journeying towards, and that is where we will be forever. 

And may our prayers rise up to God in praise and thanksgiving as we pray for His continued blessings.

6th Week of Easter, Wednesday, 28-05-2025

Acts 17:15, 22 - 18:1 / John 16:12-15    

The past has happened and it is history.

Though we already know what happened, yet there are so many details of people, occasions and happenings that it is impossible to know all that actually happened.

If the past is history, then the future is mystery.

And as much as it might cross our mind to want to know the future, yet it would be too much of a burden.

To know the future is to know the details of every person that is connected to an occasion and how one incident is connected to another.

That will be too much for a human mind to follow.

So whether past or future, it is just too much for us as humans to handle.

Only God, who is the beginning and the end, can handle everything that happens in every instance of time.

We can only handle moments, and even that is already worrisome and anxious enough.

Jesus says in the gospel that the Holy Spirit will lead us to the complete truth.

Let us live life moment by moment and slowly be filled with the truth of life.

And may the truth of life lead us to a deeper love so that we will live each moment of life with love.

6th Week of Easter, Tuesday, 27-05-2025

Acts 16:22-34 / John 16:5-11   

It is often said that when God closes the door, He opens a window.

But when we think about it, it seems that there is something strange.

Why would some people say that about God? Why would God close a door and just open the window?

That would make God seem like He wants to take away things from us instead of giving things to us.

But we believe in God who is generous and wants to give us more than we can even think of, and more than we can ever dare to ask for.

In the gospel, Jesus says that unless He goes, the Advocate will not come to us.

Jesus says that His going back to the Father is for our good.

When we think about it, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to us so that we are united with Him always.

The Holy Spirit is our Advocate who will help us to feel the presence of Jesus in us.

Indeed, the going away of Jesus becomes a coming in of the Holy Spirit.

So, we can see now that if God closes the door, He will open up all the doors and the windows too.

God does not take away. Rather He gives and He gives, and the Holy Spirit is the greatest and the best gift we will receive.

6th Week of Easter, Monday, 26-05-2025

Acts 16:11-15 / John 15:26 - 16:4  

To have faith is to believe in God who loves us.

And because God loves us, He will take care of us and provide for us.

And we pray because we know that God will listen to our prayers and He will answer our prayers.

But to have faith would also mean that our faith would be tested.

In the early Church, the persecution came from non-believers and anti-Christians.

But it also cannot be denied that there were some Christians who became betrayers and traitors.

After all, one of the apostles of Jesus betrayed Him and another denied Him, and the rest also deserted Him in the hour of trial.

In the gospel, Jesus warned that the hour is coming when anyone who kills a believer will think he is doing a holy duty for God.

In our time, we may have come across a fellow believer doing un-Christian things to us, and we are scandalized by that.

But let us hold on to our faith and keep believing that God knows all things and He also knows the intentions of each person’s heart.

Let us keep praying that we don’t lose faith, nor resort to the retaliation of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

If we truly believe in God who is love, then let us keep praying and keep loving.

6th Sunday of Easter, Year C, 25.05.2025

Acts 15:1-2, 22-29 / Apocalypse 21:10-14, 22-23 / John 14:23-29

Outward appearances give impressions, and often they may have lasting impressions. 

So, in order to make impressions, and if so desired, then the attention will be focused on the image and appearances. 

And grooming the image and the appearance is big business. 

But it must be said that what we see is not all there is. 

There is more to what we see, there is more than just image and appearances. 

For example, in one of the comic book superheroes, his suit has a letter “S” which is encased in a diamond shaped frame. 

Almost immediately we will associate it with Superman, but that logo or emblem is more than just that.

Or, let us talk about food. It is said that the presentation is as important as the taste. 

But one of our favourite local dishes goes contrary to that saying. 

We are talking about “char kuey teow”. It fails in looks, appearance and presentation, but it is fabulous in taste. 

So, there are many things in life that have much more to tell us. 

And it is not just things, but there are also many people that we come across in our lives, who have many things to tell us. 

In the gospel, Jesus tells us that He will send the Holy Spirit who will teach us everything and also remind us of all that Jesus had taught us. 

But in order for the Holy Spirit to teach us and remind us and to prompt us, there is one requirement. 

Our hearts must be made to be the home for God, and then in the depths of our hearts, the Holy Spirit will speak God's Word to us. 

And God’s Word will remind us, teach us, prompt us and reveal to us what we need to know. 

And what God's Word will remind us, teach us, prompt us and reveal to us is the gift of peace. 

Only Jesus can give us this peace, and it is a peace that the world cannot give, nor can we create it for ourselves. 

With the peace of God in our hearts, we will not be troubled or afraid, even though we may not know what the future is going to be like. 

With peace in our hearts, we know that we are saved by the love of God, and not by any superpower or superhero. 

Anyway, talking about that superhero with the “S” emblem on his suit, the story behind the emblem is that it does not stand for Superman. 

Rather, the story is that the “S” in the Superman emblem represents the Kryptonian symbol for hope, and it is the family crest of the house of El, which is Superman's family.

So, it is not a simple “S” but a stylized Kryptonian symbol for hope and justice. 

So, even the comic book superheroes have something to reveal about hope and justice, and also about truth, love and salvation. 

Jesus promised to send us the Holy Spirit, who will teach us about the ways of God. 

The Holy Spirit will remind us that we are saved by the love of God. 

The Holy Spirit will also reveal what God wants us to see, so that we can understand deeper the marvels of God. 

And Holy Spirit will also prompt us to do the will of God and to speak the words of God. 

Let us believe in God's gifts of peace, love and the Holy Spirit. 

And we will see the wonders and the marvels of God.

5th Week of Easter, Saturday, 24-05-2025

Acts 16:1-10 / John 15:18-21  

If Christianity had to be described in just a few words, then it can be said that Christianity is all about love.

To elaborate it further, it is about God’s love for us and our love for one another.

Jesus is God’s love becoming human and expressing God’s love in human form.

All that sounds nice and beautiful, until we hear what Jesus said in the gospel.

Jesus said that the world hated Him and hence the world will also hate us who are His disciples.

This can be rather puzzling, because if love is nice and beautiful, then everyone would want to love, and everyone would also want to love Jesus.

But we also need to remember that while love is an emotion, it is also a decision.

True love is selfless and also sacrificial, it is kind and forgiving, it is compassionate and gentle.

True love reflects the love of God.

But very often, the world has a contorted, distorted and twisted concept of love.

And when it encounters God’s love, it will challenge and contradict God’s love and try to impose its own brand of love.

So if the world hates us, it is because it cannot understand God’s way of love.

Still, we must continue to love as God has loved us, because God’s love will always prevail in the end.

5th Week of Easter, Friday, 23-05-2025

Acts 15:22-31 / John 15:12-17  

The influence a person has in the world is often determined by what the world chooses to look for in that person.

So, it may be wealth and status, or it may be fame and popularity, or it may be success, achievements and accomplishments.

So if we want to make an impact in this world or to somebody in this world, then we have to know what the world chooses to see.

In a way, it can be said that the world chooses who it wants to succeed, or to be famous and popular.

And depending on what are the trends of the world, then it is about being there at the right time and at the right place.

But in the gospel, Jesus tells us that it is He who chose us and not we who chose Him.

And Jesus chose us and commissions us to go out and bear fruit that will last.

And Jesus chose each of us for a unique and personal mission in this world.

The wealth, success and fame of this world will come and go.

But in responding to the call and the choice of God, and doing His will, then we will have treasures in heaven, treasures that will last forever.

5th Week of Easter, Thursday, 22-05-2025

Acts 15:7-21 / John 15:9-11   

It is in the nature of human beings to be active and to be up and about.

To be able to move is a sign of life and health.

To move fast is a sign of strength, and to be able to walk or run for long distances is a sign of stamina.

But a constant and prolonged movement of the body will certainly result in tiredness and weariness.

In this fast-moving and busy world, people go to the extremes in the quest for productivity and efficiency.

To be fast, and to speed-up, and to change quickly, seems to be the blurry and flurry activity of the world.

In the gospel, Jesus says that He loves us just as the Father loves Him.

And Jesus tells us to remain in His love.

To “remain” may give the impression of being still, of not moving, of being inactive.

But to remain, in the spiritual sense, is to be faithful, to be committed, and to be focused on the Lord.

To remain, can also mean to ponder, to meditate and to treasure.

So, in our busy and active lives, let us pause and be still, and to remain in God’s love.

Then we can share with others the joy of being in God’s love.

5th Week of Easter, Wednesday, 21-05-2025

Acts 15:1-6 / John 15:1-8   

For those of us who are not into gardening, we may not know what pruning is.

According to some definition, it is to trim a tree, a shrub, or a bush, by cutting away dead or overgrown branches or stems, especially to encourage growth.

Maybe it could be more understandable if the image of housekeeping is used.

We all know what housekeeping entails.

It means throwing away or getting rid of stuff that is useless and taking up space.

It also means de-cluttering so that there can be better usage of space.

But whether it is pruning, or housekeeping, or de-cluttering, it has to be done regularly.

Our hearts are made to be a home for God.

But the distractions and desires of this world has cluttered up our hearts.

It can even be that we have pushed God out of our hearts.

So we need to do spiritual pruning, spiritual housekeeping or spiritual de-cluttering.

We need to pray and we must pray so that our heart will remain as a home for God.

We also must read the Word of God, so that it will take root in our hearts and bear fruit for God’s glory and for the good of others.

5th Week of Easter, Tuesday, 20-05-2025

Acts 14:19-28 / John 14:27-31   

As Christians, we are called to love. 

Actually, Jesus commanded us to love.

He gave that new commandment to love one another just as He has loved us.

But we know how difficult it can be to love others, especially those whom we don’t like.

We may not be able to say why we don’t like them, or what is it about them that irritates and annoys us.

But could it be that what we don’t like about others is what we don’t like about ourselves?

Putting it in another way, it is like pointing a criticizing finger at someone, but there are three fingers pointing back at us.

But instead of pointing fingers at other or looking at them with resentment, let us look at the Cross.

Let us look at Jesus on the Cross and reflect on the love He has for us, for each of us.

On the Cross, Jesus is telling us He loves us and is giving us peace, and it is a peace that the world cannot give.

Before we can love or like others, let us ask Jesus to fill our hearts with love and peace.

When our hearts are filled with love and peace, then we will about able to see the goodness in others and to love them.

5th Week of Easter, Monday, 19-05-2025

Acts 14:5-18 / John 14:21-26  

In our conversations and interactions with others, we will try to understand what they mean by what they say.

But it is not just the words that we are paying attention to.

It is also about how they say it, the tone of their voice, and their body language.

When we pay attention to these aspects, we would be able to get a better and fuller understanding of what the other person is saying.

In other words, we not only listen to what the other person is saying, we also try to feel the other person’s words.

In the gospel, Jesus said that whoever loves Him will keep His Word and He will make His home in the person’s heart.

And the Word of God will speak to the person in the heart.

In the 1st reading, Paul saw that the crippled man had the faith to be cured.

Paul saw what God wanted him to see because the Word of God in his heart spoke to him.

As we listen to God’s Word in the scriptures, may the Word of God find a home in our hearts.

There, in the depths of our hearts, God will speak to us and show us what He wants us to see.

5th Sunday of Easter, Year C, 18.05.2025

Acts 14:21-27 / Apocalypse 21:1-5 / John 13:31-35

The word “goodbye” is a common word, and it is also a word that is used daily. 

It is usually shortened to “bye”, and we say to our loved ones when we leave the house.

We say it to our colleagues after work, we say it to our friends after a gathering, and we say it because it is customary to do so.

The word “goodbye” or “bye” is so common and used so often that it is said casually. 

It is with an expectation that we will meet again, sooner or later, in the future. 

It is not expected to be a final goodbye, or with the knowledge that the goodbye means that we will not be meeting again. 

But there are occasions when the goodbye is the final goodbye. 

And then there are some people who may not have the opportunity to say the last goodbye to us. 

But whether the goodbye is said or not, their memory lingers on in our minds. 

In the gospel, when Judas left the group, he did not say goodbye to anyone. 

He was so obsessed with betraying Jesus, that his mind was focused on carrying out that plan of betrayal. 

When Judas had left, Jesus talked about Himself being glorified and God being glorified. 

For Jesus, He knew that His hour had come, and that by His suffering and death, it would be His hour of glory. 

But His disciples did not know that, and so He had to prepare them for His departure. 

So, He told them that He will not be with them much longer. 

But He will leave them with something to remember, and that is to love one another, just as He has loved them. 

And by that love for one another, others will know that they are His disciples. 

The disciples remembered those words. They also realized later that those were the departing words of Jesus. 

Those were His final words of goodbye. 

And those parting words of Jesus were understandable, practical and spiritual. 

The early disciples like Paul and Barnabas in the 1st reading carried out their mission with those words. 

With those words of Jesus, they put fresh hearts into the other disciples, encouraging them to persevere in the faith. 

Yes, we must remember those words of Jesus, and that is to love one another as Jesus has loved us. 

And we also remember the parting words of those who have loved us with the love of Jesus. 

We remember the late Pope Francis who said to his personal health assistant, “Thank you for bringing me to the Square.” 

It was there at St. Peter's Square, on Easter Sunday, when Pope Francis imparted his final apostolic blessing on the Church and on the world. As we know Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday.

So, as much as it seemed that Pope Francis said to his personal health assistant, “Thank you for bring me to the Square”, it could also be that he said that to Jesus to thank Jesus for being able to say goodbye to the people and to bless them.

And we also remember our loved ones and what they said to us before parting. 

Many people say “hi” and “bye” in our lives, but there are some who have left echoes of love in our hearts. 

They echo the words of Jesus: Love one another just as I have loved you. 

It is when we love one another as Jesus has loved us, that He will be present to wipe away the tears of our eyes, and there will be no mourning or sadness, but only the joy of loving one another with the love of Jesus.

4th Week of Easter, Saturday, 17-05-2025

Acts 13:44-52 / John 14:7-14  

Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses. (Pope Paul VI)

Witnesses not only speak with words, they also speak with their actions.

And actions often speak louder than words.

For Jesus, words are just as important as actions.

In the gospel, Jesus says this: 

The words I say to you I do not speak as from myself; it is the Father living in me who is doing this work.

Jesus also said that whoever believes in Him will perform the same works as He did, and may even perform greater works.

But whether it is in what we say or in what we do, let us always remember that it is said and done with faith in Jesus.

It is with faith in Jesus that we are witnesses, and if ever we should teach, then may we teach the truth with love.

4th Week of Easter, Friday, 16-05-2025

Acts 13:26-33 / John 14:1-6   

It seems that happiness in life is so elusive.

We don’t seem to be happy for long.

One of the causes is that we are always not contented, we are always not satisfied.

We feel insecure in this life, and we also feel insecure about the afterlife.

So we feel troubled about the future of this life, as well as what it would be like in the afterlife.

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

In order not to let our hearts be troubled, we have to trust in God and to trust in Jesus.

Yes, Jesus loves us and He will take care of us in this life, and He has even provided for us in the afterlife.

He has prepared a room for each of us in His Father’s house.

What we need to do in this life is to prepare a room for Jesus in our hearts.

When Jesus makes His home in our hearts, we will truly be happy because we know what is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

4th Week of Easter, Thursday, 15-05-2025

Acts 13:13-25 / John 13:16-20   

It is in the human instinct to achieve and to excel.

So we strive to be the best, to be at the top, to be number one.

It cannot be denied that the sweet taste of success and achievement is addictive and desirable.

But this may come with the cost of strained relationships.

The subordinate may be tempted to sabotage the superior.

The servant may be tempted to deceive the master.

The messenger may be tempted to seek attention for himself.

But as Jesus said in the gospel, no servant is greater than his master, and no messenger is greater than the one who sent him.

And Jesus also added that we will be happy if we behave accordingly.

In other words, we can only have what is given to us from above. 

When we let Jesus make His home in our hearts, we already have everything.

In a world that needs to see love more than anything else, let us strive to love as God loves us.

St. Matthias, Apostle, Wednesday, 14-05-2025

--Acts 1:15-17, 20-26 / John 15:9-17   

Drawing lots to get someone to do a job can be seen as a simple and convenient and also fair way to make a choice.

But to draw lots in order to select someone to ascend to an important position may seem rather like a careless and undiscerning method by modern standards.

That was also how Matthias was chosen to replace Judas as one of the apostles.

However in using such a method of selection, it only shows that the apostles left the choice to God.

They have done their part by proposing the candidates and commending them to to the Lord in prayer.

They then let the Lord guide them in making the choice by the drawing of lots.

Jesus said in the gospel that it is not we who chose Him.

Rather it is He who chose us, and He commissions us to go forth and bear lasting fruit.

Hence it is not so much our suitability for the task at hand but rather our availability for God.

Our availability is our response to God, just as St. Matthias made his availability his response to God.

To be available for God and to do His will is not a matter of drawing lots within ourselves, or tossing a coin to decide whether we will be available for God or not.

To be available for God is a personal decision; we have to decide.

May our decision be always for God and to do His will in our lives.

4th Week of Easter, Tuesday, 13-05-2025

Acts 11:19-26 / John 10:22-30

The missionary activity of the early disciples was not planned nor did it have much of a strategy. 

Firstly, it happened because of a persecution.

And at first the Good News was proclaimed only to the Jews.

Then some of the disciples went to proclaim to the Greeks.

And when the church in Jerusalem heard about what was happening, they sent Barnabas to find out what was going on.

So it seems that things just happened, but it was not what the disciples expected.

But it must be said that the Lord helped them, and a great number believed and were converted to the Lord.

All those surprises and unexpected events are witnesses to the power of God.

The proclamation of the Good News of salvation does not depend entirely on techniques or skills or strategy.

It is because the voice of God is heard that people will accept the message and be converted.

Let us pray and listen to the voice of the Lord.

So that when we speak, it is not us but the Lord who speaks through us.

4th Week of Easter, Monday, 12-05-2025

Acts 11:1-18 / John 10:1-10 

In all aspects of our life, there are certainly many options.

We have a choice of where we want to stay, and what kind of house we want to live in.

We can also choose what we wish to eat, and where to deposit our money and what to invest in.

So, in a world of choices, we have the freedom to choose.

But when it comes to faith and what or who to believe in, we can’t have too many choices or options.

In the gospel, Jesus tells us that He is the gate.

Anyone who enters through Him will be safe.

When we believe in Jesus, then we will also profess Him to be our only Lord and Saviour.

There can be no other besides Jesus.

When we are faithful to Jesus even when the times are hard and the going is rough, He will be faithful in His promises to us.

Jesus promised us that in Him we will have life and life to the full.

Let us believe in Jesus, and in Jesus alone, and we will live life to the full.

4th Sunday of Easter, Year C, 11.05.2025

Acts 13:14, 43-52 / Apocalypse 7:9, 14-17 / John 10:27-30

Earlier this week, for almost two days, the eyes of the Church, and also the eyes of the world, were looking at something rather ordinary and even archaic. 

The object of interest was a chimney, an ordinary old-fashioned chimney. 

But of course, it is more than just that chimney. It was the smoke, and specifically the colour of the smoke, that comes out of that chimney. 

That chimney goes down to the fireplace where the ballots for the election of the next Pope were burnt. 

And the focus is on the colour of the smoke. Black smoke indicates a negative result. 

White smoke means the next Pope is elected. 

But while the focus was on the chimney and the colour of the smoke, something else appeared, and it lightened up a rather sombre and anxious atmosphere. 

Close to that chimney, three seagulls, including a baby seagull, flew in and perched on the roof. 

So, while all the attention was on that Sistine Chapel's chimney, and on the colour of the smoke, those three seagulls took the attention for a while. 

It seems like those three seagulls got a first row seat as they sat perched on the roof around the chimney, just moments before the chimney bellowed out the white smoke.

The conclave was a moment of deep mystery and spiritual significance. 

But in an age of livestream and news commentaries and interviews, it was the seagulls who seem to know exactly where to look, as well as bringing about a lively and affectionate feeling.

In the gospel, Jesus talked about sheep, and specifically the sheep that belong to Him. 

They will listen to His voice and they will follow Him. 

This weekend, as we give thanks to God for the election of the new Pope Leo XIV, the voice of the Good Shepherd rings out again in the Church. 

Pope Leo XIV listened to the voice of the Good Shepherd and accepted the call. 

We the Church must also listen to that same voice and follow the Good Shepherd. 

And we pray for our mothers and all mothers, that they will listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd and echo that voice to their children. 

And we also pray for those whom the Good Shepherd is calling to serve Him in the priesthood and religious life. 

May they respond willingly and generously. 

But the voice of the Good Shepherd is difficult to listen to, and also difficult to follow. 

The world has many noisy voices, but the voice of the Good Shepherd calls us to make a sacrifice of love, just as He Himself made that ultimate sacrifice of love to save us. 

And since seagulls appeared at the recent conclave, here is a story about a man and seagulls. 

Every Friday evening, almost without fail, an elderly man would stroll along the beach to the pier, carrying a bucket of shrimps. 

He would stand at the end of the pier, alone with his thoughts and his bucket of shrimps. 

But after a while, seagulls would appear from the evening sky, flying towards that elderly man. 

And that man, surrounded by hungry seagulls, would toss the shrimps to feed them, and as he does this, he would keep saying, “Thank you, thank you.” 

That elderly man was Eddie Rickenbacker, who was an ace fighter pilot in World War I, and in World War II he was an advisor to the US Air Force in the Pacific. 

While he was flying with a bomber crew over the Pacific Ocean, the plane developed engine trouble and crash landed into the sea. 

Eddie and seven other crew members managed to get on a lifeboat. After 3 days, the food ran out, and life was draining away. 

They prayed for help. On the 8th day, after prayers, Eddie leaned back to rest. 

As he was dozing off, he felt something landed on his head. Instinctively, he knew it was a bird, and he quickly grabbed and caught it. It was a seagull. 

The men ate the bird, and caught fish with the seagull’s remains. They survived with that, and were rescued 16 days later. 

But Eddie Rickenbacker never forgot how that seagull appeared out of nowhere, and saved them, physically and emotionally. 

From then on, every Friday evening, Eddie Rickenbacker would walk along the beach to the pier, and feed the seagulls from his bucket of shrimps, remembering that seagull which he believed was sent by the Lord. 

So those three seagulls on a roof of the Sistine Chapel told us where to look. 

The sheep in the gospel tells us who to listen to and who to follow. 

May Pope Leo XIV show us who to look at and who to listen to. 

And may we respond to God by offering Him our hearts that are filled with love and thanksgiving.

3rd Week of Easter, Saturday, 10-05-2025

Acts 9:31-42 / John6:60-69  

Truth is often seen as grounded in evidence, logic and rational.

It refers to the underlying principles, beliefs, or evidence that support the validity of a statement or claim as being true.

So it can be simply said that if something makes sense, then it follows that it can be true or that it is the truth.

What Jesus said in the gospel eating His flesh and drinking His blood does sound rather difficult to understand and believe.

And some of His followers were even upset by such intolerable language and stopped following Him.

For those followers, it is only when they can understand it logically, rationally and that it makes sense, then it can be true and accepted.

But when it comes to the mysteries of our faith, there are many instances that goes beyond logic and reason.

Teachings like the Immaculate Conception, the Incarnation, the Resurrection are beyond logical reasoning and may require the leap of faith.

But when we make that leap of faith, it is not a leap into blind belief.

Rather we leap into the hands of Jesus who will hold and carry us in our beliefs.

For those who believe, no explanation is necessary. 

For those who do not believe, no explanation is possible.

3rd Week of Easter, Friday, 09-05-2025

Acts 9:1-20 / John 6:52-59   

Most of us work hard, and sometimes too hard.

Short of being an workaholic, we sacrifice our sleeping time, our family, our own time, just to keep up with our busy work.

But the fact is that there will always be work, and we will always be busy with work.

So, we must decide when to rest, otherwise God will decide for us.

So when God intervenes, then it will be in His time and in His way.

In the 1st reading, Saul was breathing threats to slaughter the Lord’s disciples.

And the Lord’s disciples could be wondering how to stop Saul who was working so hard to eliminate them.

And on that road to Damascus, their prayers were answered.

That light from heaven made Saul stop, and also made him listen to the Lord’s voice.

In life, we need to stop and take a rest from all that busy work that we are doing.

We need to pray and listen to the Lord’s voice and to see what He is showing us.

So we may work hard, and we are busy.

But let us remember that we are called to be holy.

Let us decide when to rest and pray, so that we will know what is the work that God wants us to do.

3rd Week of Easter, Thursday, 08-05-2025

Acts 8:26-40 / John 6:44-51   

As it is often said, we eat to live.

Eating is one of the basic human activities, because eating food fulfills our basic human need for life and survival.

And we are careful about what we put into our mouths and what we are eating.

We not only want our food to be nutritious and tasty, we eat foods that are good for our body and for our health.

So we need to choose what we want to eat.

And we also must know what we should not eat, as in we should not be eating anything that we know is poisonous, or food is rotting and has gone bad.

In the gospel, Jesus declares that He is the bread of life.

And anyone who believes in Him has eternal life.

We eat food to survive, to be healthy and to have strength.

But we believe in Jesus because He is the bread of life that will help us to attain eternal life.

When we partake of the Eucharist, the bread of life that Jesus gives us, then we will live life to the full, here on earth, as well as eternal life above.

3rd Week of Easter, Wednesday, 07-05-2025

Acts 8:1-8 / John 6:35-40  

Life is like a movement that has changes.

It is like a river that flows down to the sea.

There are twists and turns, shallow waters and deep ends.

So it is with the Church. The Church also needs to be moving and changing.

The 1st reading recorded one major and critical change in the life of the early Church.

A bitter persecution started against the Church and everyone except the apostles fled to the country districts.

Although the early Christians were fleeing from the persecution, that can also be seen as the Church moving out to spread the Good News.

It can also be seen that although the persecution was bitter, God turned it into a changing growth for the Church.

In the gospel, Jesus said that it is the Father’s will that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life.

Let us see all movement and change as God’s will and that we will grow, and like the river, we will flow with the Spirit towards God.

3rd Week of Easter, Tuesday, 06-05-2025

Acts 7:51 - 8:1 / John 6:30-35   

As human beings, we know that we have our limitations.

We get physically tired, we fall ill, we get hungry, we get thirsty, and we have a list of needs.

By ourselves, we know that we cannot fulfill these needs.

We depend on others. But more importantly we know that we depend on God.

And God will provide for us because He loves us.

When we have experienced God’s love and blessings, then we would surely want to love God and do what He tells us.

In the 1st reading, if Stephen had wanted to get out of trouble, he would have kept silent and submitted to his enemies.

But he loved God more than he loved his life.

When he spoke out against his enemies, what he wanted for himself was not as important as what God wanted him to do.

His hunger and thirst for God was deeper than his own human longings.

In the gospel, Jesus tells us that whoever comes to Him will never be hungry, and whoever believes in Him will never thirst.

We have our human needs, but may we realise that what we need most is Jesus.

With Jesus we will rise above our needs, and we will be filled with the bread of life, and to do what He wants of us.

3rd Week of Easter, Monday, 05-05-2025

Acts 6:8-15 / John 6:22-29   

Whenever we think of work, we would naturally think that there is something to be done.

The work might be labourious and tedious. Or it might be energy sapping and draining.

But whatever the work may be, it would certainly require some thinking beforehand.

Because if no thought is given to the work beforehand, then it might just be one problem after another.

In the gospel, Jesus told the people not to work for food that cannot last, but to work for food that endures to eternal life.

So the people asked about what must they do if they were to do the works that God wants.

And Jesus gave a rather puzzling reply: This is working for God: you must believe in the One He has sent.

That might mean that the primary work is in the spiritual sense, that we need to ponder and meditate what God is calling us to believe in.

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

Stephen was able to do that because it was the Holy Spirit who prompted him as to what to do and what to say.

So the primary work is not to get things done but to pray first.

When we pray, the Holy Spirit will prompt us, just as He prompted Stephen, and then we will know what is the work that God wants us to do.

3rd Sunday of Easter, Year C, 04.05.2025

Acts 5:27-32, 40-41 / Apocalypse 5:11-14 / John 21:1-19

The elections of our country are over, and we must thank God that elections in our country are peaceful. 

Yes, there are fiery rallies and there are enthusiastic support for the candidates. 

But the real work begins, now that results are announced. 

The promises made at the rallies will have to be fulfilled. 

As for us, the Catholic citizens of Singapore, our work is to pray for our country, and the elected leaders and ministers. 

It is our duty to pray for peace and for the stability of our country, and that we live up to what we pledge as citizens of Singapore. 

But coming up, there is also an equally important and urgent call for prayer. 

This Wednesday, the 7th of May, 133 Cardinals, our Archbishop, Cardinal William Goh, is one of them, will enter the conclave to pray and to elect the next Pope. 

Conclave means “with keys”, and so it means that the conclave is a room that is lockable. 

So, the Cardinals will enter that big room, which is the Sistine Chapel, and then it will be locked. 

And locked away from the world, the Cardinals pray and cast their votes for the next Pope. 

And we, the Church, will also pray that guided by the Holy Spirit, the Cardinals will elect a Pope according to the will of God. 

And we will also pray that the next Pope will lead the Church with the Heart of Jesus. 

And what is the Heart of Jesus like? 

It is the Heart of love and mercy, a Heart that cares for the lowly and the neglected, a Heart that heals the wounded and the hurting. 

And we see that Heart of Jesus in today's Gospel. 

The disciples caught nothing after working all night, and then Jesus came along to tell them where to catch the fish. 

And it is not just catching some fish, but a lot of fish, and that showed the abundance of God's blessings. 

And when they came ashore, the disciples saw that Jesus had prepared breakfast for them. 

And it was after the meal and when their hearts are calmed down, that Jesus asked Peter those three questions. 

Those three questions were not that difficult because it is all about love. 

At this point in time when we stand between the outcome of one election and the outcome of another election, let us come to the core of our faith. 

And the core of our faith is Peter's response to the questions of Jesus: Yes, Lord, You know I love You. 

We love the Lord, and so we pray for our country and our country's leaders, that God will bless us with peace, stability and progress. 

Like the disciples, may we have fish to catch, bread to eat, and love to care and share. 

We love the Lord, and so we pray for the Church and for the next Pope. 

May God bless the next Pope to lead the Church with the Heart of Jesus the Good Shepherd. 

May we always respond with a firm “Yes” to God's love and may we have the courage to go where Jesus is leading us to. 

So, whoever leads our country, and whoever leads the Church, let us always have recourse to prayer, and to remember this:

The will of God will not take us to where the grace of God will not protect us.

Sts Philip and James, Saturday, 03-05-2025

1 Cor 15:1-8 / John 14:6-14 

Today we celebrate the feast of two apostles, St. Philip and St. James.

St. Philip was one of the first chosen disciples of Christ.  He in turn shared his calling with Nathaniel, saying, “We have found Him of whom Moses and the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth.” And when Nathaniel in wonder asked, “Can any good come out of Nazareth?” And St. Philip simply answered, “Come and see,” and brought him to Jesus.

St. James (the Lesser), traditional author of the Letter of James, was the son of Alphaeus. Saint Paul tells us that he was favored by a special apparition of Christ after the Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:7). As the Apostles went forth among the nations to preach the Good News, Saint James remained as Bishop of Jerusalem, where the Jews held him in high veneration for his purity, mortification, and prayer, that they named him the Just. He governed that church for 30 years before his martyrdom.

Yet, like the rest of the apostles, St. Philip and St. James also took a while to understand who Jesus was and who He really was.

As we heard in the gospel, St. Philip asked Jesus to let them see the Father and they shall be satisfied. We could almost hear Jesus sighing as He commented that they still do not know Him.

As we also heard in the 1st reading, after His resurrection, Jesus seemed to have made a special appearance to St. James and then to the rest of the apostles.

It was after His resurrection that the apostles began to understand who Jesus really was and that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Just like how St. Philip and St. James and the rest of the apostles were called and sent forth to preach the Good News, we too are called and sent.

Just like the apostles had to slowly come to an understanding of who Jesus is and that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, we too must come to that understanding of who Jesus is.

The apostles were ordinary men who trusted and loved Jesus and led holy lives worthy of their calling.

May we too love Jesus deeply, pray faithfully and live lives worthy of the Good News of Lord.

2nd Week of Easter, Friday, 02-05-2025

Acts 5:34-42 / John 6:1-15   

Some things come and go, but some things remain for a while, and some for a long while.

Some people leave behind a legacy, but after a while they are forgotten and so is their legacy.

There are some wonders of the world, some are still standing the test of time, while others have become a subject of history.

As we think about this, the advice of the wise Pharisee is so true:

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

In other words, whether things come or things go, it all depends on God and on God alone.

In the gospel, when Jesus asked Philip where to buy some bread for the people to eat, Philip thought how much it will cost to buy enough bread to feed the crowd.

Andrew pointed out a small boy with five barley loaves and two fish.

From that occasion, what is remembered is the five barley loaves and two fish that fed the large crowd, and that small boy who was not named. 

Yes, things come and go, and those things that remain point to God who is eternal.

In whatever we do, let us do it for the glory of God. 

We came from God and we will go back to God.

May what we do always be for God and point others to Him.