11th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 19-06-2025

2 Cor 11:1-11 / Matthew 6:7-15  

At the very core of every religion is the desire to come into communion with the divine.

While there are many means to achieve this, the primary way is through prayer.

For a Christian, prayer is essential, as prayer is an expression of the desire to come into communion with God.

So, prayer is an expression of a relationship with God.

In the gospel, Jesus tells us not to babble or to use many words in prayer to think we will make ourselves be heard.

Jesus taught us the prayer of the “Our Father”, which is a prayer that is short enough even for children to memorize.

The prayer begins by calling God our Father.

Already those two words lead us into an intimate relationship with God who wants to be our Father.

And it is a prayer taught by Jesus, the Son of God.

So, when we pray that prayer, let us not babble carelessly and forget about what we are saying.

We are calling on God our Father as we give thanks and praise for His love for us, and we also offer up our needs and petitions.

Let us meditate and ponder about that prayer because it is also the prayer of Jesus.

11th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 18-06-2025

2 Cor 9:6-11 / Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18   

 

As human beings, we have a need for identification and recognition.

We need to be identified and recognised as an individual and as a person.

More than just physically identifiable and recognisable, we also need the acknowledgement of our existence.

Quite often, we express that need with actions that will bring attention to ourselves.

Some may even desire that self-attention to the extent that they will even “hog the lime-light”, and even at the expense of others.

This can also happen in religion when spiritual acts can be turned into attention-seeking.

As Jesus pointed out in the gospel, acts like almsgiving, fasting and prayer can be used to attract attention and for self-gain.

But as St. Paul says in the 1st reading: thin sowing means thin reaping.

When we sow in the field of human desires and seek self-attention and worldly-gains, then we are going to reap what is passing and temporary.

But when we sow in the field of humility and charity, then our reward is in eternity.

As the 1st reading puts it – he was free in almsgiving and gave to the poor and his good deed will never be forgotten.

Let us do what is pleasing to God, and He will bless us with peace and joy, and give us our due recognition.

11th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 17-06-2025

2 Cor 8:1-9 / Matthew 5:43-48   

Many things seem to be possible in theory.

Putting theory on paper is neat and tidy.

But that also means that there may be other practical issues that are not considered.

To talk about love is like putting theory on paper.

But to put love into practice is challenging because people are going to be involved.

In the gospel, when Jesus talked about loving our enemies and praying for those who persecute us, we already know it is very difficult.

And when we face our enemies and those who persecute us, we would rather turn away in resentment or anger.

Even for those whom we love, there are limits to how much we can love them.

But in the 1st reading, St. Paul praised God for the grace given to the churches in Macedonia.

They experienced great trials and sufferings, but their constant cheerfulness and their intense poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity.

They expressed their love for the other churches by giving far more than they can afford, and they gave spontaneously.

Truly it was by the grace of God that they can love so generously.

Let us pray for the grace of God to love more than others love us.

And with the grace of God, we can face the challenge of loving our enemies and those who persecute us.

11th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 16-06-2025

2 Cor 6:1-10 / Matthew 5:38-42   

Generally speaking, it can be presumed that people are reasonable as long as they are treated fairly.

People are not so petty and they won’t complain over trivial matters.

In other words, in its essence, the human nature is good.

And if people object to something, then that something certainly needs to be addressed.

In the 1st reading, St. Paul says that he and his co-workers will do nothing that people might object to, so as not to bring discredit on their function as God’s servants.

Instead, they prove that they are servants of God by great fortitude in times of suffering, in times of hardship and distress.

St. Paul and his co-workers were careful to not do anything that people might object.

But that is just the minimum. They want to witness to the grace that God has given them to reach higher human values.

In the gospel, Jesus also tells us move from that eye for eye and tooth for tooth mentality.

Jesus tells us to offer the wicked man no resistance, to offer the other cheek, to go the extra mile, and to give without asking for return.

People won’t object to higher human values like love, compassion, forgiveness and kindness.

May we witness to God’s grace and help others to strive for true human values.

Trinity Sunday, Year C, 15.06.2025

Proverbs 8:22-31 / Romans 5:1-5 / John 16:12-15

There are many inventions that come about from a process of in-depth thinking and designing. 

These are most obvious in the engineering and technological areas. 

But there are also many inventions and discoveries that were made by accidents. 

For example, the world’s first antibiotic, penicillin, was discovered in 1928 by Alexander Fleming, and it was actually the result of a contaminated laboratory dish. 

The accidental melting of a chocolate bar while working with radar technology led to the invention of the microwave oven. 

Those Post-it notes was accidentally created while working on a super strong adhesive. 

Other examples are chocolate chip cookies, superglue, Velcro tape, etc. 

These examples demonstrate that accidents and unintended events have played a significant role in scientific and technological progress. 

That also highlights the importance of observation and curiosity in making new discoveries. 

But we also believe that everything happens for a reason, and it happens in God's time and in God's plan. 

When we reflect deeper on this, we can also see that discoveries don't happen by mere accident. 

It is by God's revelation that discoveries are made, and human beings are involved in this revelation by observation and with reflection. 

Today, the Church celebrates Holy Trinity Sunday. 

The mystery of the Holy Trinity is a divine revelation that tells us that there is one God, and in that one God there are three Persons. 

It is a revelation of the very nature and essence of God, which is unity, family and charity. 

And who the Holy Trinity is, the Church is called to be. 

We, the Church are called to be like the Holy Trinity, called to be in unity, called to be family and called to charity. 

That is what the Church is called to be, so that the Church will be a sign of God's divine presence in the world. 

But as we know, the Church can be messy. 

The many Christian denominations say it all about Christian unity. 

It also says much about the unity in the Church, so praying for Christian unity is not an option but an obligation. 

And when we think about Church as family, it could be that the Church is like the “Tate Family”. 

The Tate family is a rather humorous portrayal of the Church as family. 

There is the old man “Dic Tate”, because he wants to run everything. 

There is that uncle “Ro Tate” who tries to change everything. 

And there is that aunty “Agi Tate” together with her husband “Irri Tate” who are always stirring up trouble.

And there is that “Decapi Tate” who is even worse, because he is always going after whoever is in charge. 

And when someone proposes a new project or event, it is impossible to get “Hesi Tate” or his wife “Vege Tate” to be interested, because they always want to wait and wait. 

And there is that “Regurgi Tate” who always wants to bring up the same thing again and again. 

And there's also a “Resusci Tate” who wants to bring new life into the Church. 

And there's that “Imi Tate” who wants the Church to be like that of another Church. 

So much about the Church that is like the “Tate Family”. 

And when it comes to charity, much is said and much needs to be done. 

We take the love of others for granted, and others take our love for granted. 

Oh yes, we take our father's love for granted, and when we become fathers, we know how our love can be taken for granted, but we will still love anyway. 

But as God reveals to us the mystery of His nature as unity, family and charity, He also calls us to enter into that mystery. 

In the gospel, Jesus tells His disciples this: I still have many things to say to you, but they would be too much for you now. 

But when the Spirit of truth comes, he will lead you to the complete truth. 

So, truth and love are what God has revealed to us in the Church. 

We may not understand now, or we may understand later, but this poem of “The Folded Page” may help us to understand. 

“The Folded Page”.

“Up in the attic of an old house,

as raindrops pattered down on the roof,

I sat paging through my old schoolbook.

“I came to a page that was folded down.

Across it was written in my own childish hand:

‘The teacher says we should leave this for now.

It’s too hard to understand.’

“I unfolded the page and read it. 

Then I smiled and nodded my head and said, 

‘The teacher was right; now I understand.’

“There are many pages in the book of life

that are hard to understand.

All we can do is fold them down and write:

‘The Master says to leave this for now.

It’s too hard to understand.’

“Then, someday in heaven,

we’ll unfold the pages, reread them, and say, 

‘The Master was right; now I truly understand.’

And as we let God reveal in His time what we need to know about God and about life, love and truth, let us remember that Serenity Prayer which goes like this:

O God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, 

the courage to change the things I can, 

and the wisdom to know the difference. 

10th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 14-06-2025

2 Cor 5:14-21 / Matthew 5:33-37  

As much as there is freedom of speech, it does not mean that there are no restrictions to what can be said.

With freedom comes responsibility, and that means what we say should be sensible and rational.

Insensitive and abusive speech only reveals the true character of the one who is speaking.

A person of integrity will speak politely and objectively.

A person of integrity will also speak with responsibility.

If he makes a promise, he will keep his word, and he will honour his word.

He has no need to swear or make an oath to support or reinforce what he says.

A person of integrity will always be committed to speaking the truth.

A person of integrity reflects the truth of God.

As the truth will set us free, let us exercise this freedom to speak sincerely, honestly and with responsibility.

May God help us to be committed to speaking the truth and nothing but the truth.

10th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 13-06-2025

2 Cor 4:7-15 / Matthew 5:27-32   

It is in the human nature to admire what is beautiful and attractive.

In our admiration, we acknowledge that God is the Creator who makes all things good and beautiful.

And we also acknowledge that God created us in His image and that we are also good and beautiful.

But the reality of sin has distorted our human nature and also the way we look at things and people.

From initial admiration, we begin to desire and even want to possess what we see as beautiful and attractive.

In the gospel, Jesus addressed the sin of lust, and from that sin we develop perverse desires for people and even want to possess and use them for sexual motives.

But in the 1st reading, St. Paul reminds us of who we are and what we are made of.

No matter how good, how beautiful or attractive, human beings are like earthenware jars that are fragile and delicate.

But God has poured His love into these unworthy earthenware jars and we carry this divine treasure and dignity in us.

It is God’s love that makes us good, beautiful and even attractive.

May we see this treasure in ourselves and in others, so that in our admiration for what is good and beautiful, we will also see God who is the Creator of all that is good and beautiful.

10th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 12-06-2025

2 Cor 3:14 - 4:1, 3-6 / Matthew 5:20-26  

It is presumed that the taller the tree, the deeper should the roots be.

By the same token, the taller the building, the deeper the foundations.

The test of the depth of the roots and foundations is when the tree is subjected to strong winds and when the building is shaken by an earthquake.

When trees get uprooted by strong winds or when a building collapses from an earthquake, the depth of the roots and foundations is exposed.

Similarly, a person’s character is exposed when there is a crisis.

Crisis does not build character. Crisis only exposes a person’s character.

Our character is formed by our virtues, and our virtues need to grow deeper in order to face the trials and crises.

Our virtues can only grow deeper when our lives are firmly rooted in the Lord Jesus.

When our lives are rooted firmly in the Lord Jesus, then, as the 1st reading puts it, even our faces will reflect the brightness of the Lord.

And not just our faces, but we will be turned into the image of God whose brightness we reflect.

May our prayer be deeper, so that our virtues will grow deeper, and that we will stand firm in the Lord against the trials and temptations of life.

10th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 11-06-2025

2 Cor 3:4-11 / Matthew 5:17-19   

The word "radical" comes from the Latin word "radix", meaning "root".

The word can also refer to fundamental or complete change.

So a radical change or action may mean relating to or affecting the fundamental nature of something.

It can be said that Jesus brought about a radical religious change.

But that radical change is what the word means.

As Jesus said in the gospel, He did not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets.

Rather Jesus came not to abolish but the complete them.

Jesus is the Law and the Prophet in person.

As His disciples, we too must understand what is written in the Law and Prophets.

And as disciples of Jesus, we follow Jesus because in Him we will understand the root and the fundamental meaning of the Law and Prophets.

That root and fundamental meaning is none other than love – love for God and love for neighbour.

May we follow Jesus to show the world the radical meaning of love.

10th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 10-06-2025

2 Cor 1:18-22 / Matthew 5:13-16  

Life is not like a mathematical equation or scientific formula.

In mathematics, the final solution or answer is either correct or wrong.

In science, the results can be achieved by following the correct procedures.

But in life, it is not about the correct answers, nor getting the desired results.

There are many grey areas in life that make it intriguing as well as interesting.

Because in life, emotions are mixed into relationships, and personalities are entangled in discussions.

But life can be much simpler and clearer when we know what is true, what is good, what is right and what is loving.

In the 1st reading, St. Paul makes it clear that what he is teaching is God’s truth.

So it is “Yes” to the truth, the goodness, the righteousness and the love of Jesus Christ.

As disciples of Jesus, we are to help others to say “Yes” to God.

Just as salt gives taste, and light enable sight, may others taste and see what is true, what is good, what is right and what is loving by the way we live our lives.

The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, Monday, 09-06-2025

Acts 1:12-14 or Gen 3:9-15, 20 / John 19:25-34  

In the 1st reading, we heard that after Jesus was taken up to heaven, the apostles returned to Jerusalem and went to the upper room where they were staying

There they devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus.

That was the last mention of Mary. After that there was no more mention of her in the rest of the Bible.

This last mention of Mary is significant because that was also her purpose after Jesus was taken up to heaven.

Mary stayed with the apostles and she was with them in prayer. She was doing this because she was obedient to what Jesus entrusted to her while He was on the cross.

Because Mary remembered what Jesus told her when He was on the cross: Woman, behold your son.

Though she did not reply, her silence was her consent. She not only agreed to be the mother of the disciple that Jesus loved, she understood that she was to be the mother of all the disciples of Jesus.

Today's memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church, is a new addition to the liturgical calendar of the Church.

That title of Mary, Mother of the Church, was officially given to Mary during the Second Vatican Council by Pope Paul VI.

So from Mother of God, she is now also the Mother of the Church. And if we are obedient to what Jesus said on the cross, then we too must embrace Mary as our Mother, which most of us would be more than willing to do.

But for us, Mary is not just our Mother. We would also want to carry out what Jesus entrusted to us and we want Mary to be the Mother of all peoples.

As we celebrate this memorial, let us make our Mother known to all peoples, for in doing so, we are also making Jesus known to all peoples.

Pentecost, Year C, 08.06.2025

Acts 2:1-11 / Romans 8:8-17 / John 20:19-23

Generally speaking, life unfolds in two ways. 

One is when we plan out the schedules for the day, but at the end of the day, at least half if not all the schedules were disrupted or displaced. 

The other way in which life unfolds is when the unexpected happens, and expected did not. 

Whether it is one way or the other, it all tells us that life is such a mystery, and we need to prepare for surprises. 

But we, who are logical and rational beings, want life to be predictable and manageable. 

We like, and we want, things to happen as expected and according to plan. 

And when it doesn't because of interruptions, disruptions and surprises, then we get flustered and frustrated. 

We see this kind of reaction when the MRT breaks down, or when there are flash floods, or when there are sudden road closures because of accidents. 

But we need to remember that we are intelligent beings, and we have the ability to read the signs, and we are able to adapt and adjust to the situation. 

As the Church celebrates the Feast of Pentecost, it can be said that it is a celebration of the feast of the Spirit of surprises. 

The 1st reading describes how the first Pentecost happened. 

The disciples were all gathered in one room, then suddenly they heard what sounded like a powerful wind from heaven. 

Then something appeared to them that seemed like tongues of fire that came to rest on their heads. 

They were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak foreign languages, as the Spirit gave them the gift of speech to proclaim the marvels of God. 

All that happened suddenly and unexpectedly. But it was a wonderful and an awesome surprise. 

And those with a spiritual sense would know that it is not the work of man but the work of God. 

It was the Spirit of God manifesting and expressing the work of God. 

The gospel scene was much quieter, but no less dramatic. 

It was evening on the first day of the week, and the doors were locked in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. 

Then without notice, Jesus came and stood among them and said: Please be with you. 

The disciples were certainly surprised, and their fear turned into joy. 

And then, in an act which recalled that moment in the story of creation when God breathed into the nostrils of man, Jesus breathed on the disciples and said: Receive the Holy Spirit. 

In a quiet but profound way, the disciples received the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

But whether it is a quiet and profound way, or dramatic and spectacular way, it was unexpected, it was surprising, and it all pointed to the marvellous ways of God. 

As we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost, Jesus is also pouring out the Holy Spirit on us. 

In the voices of prayer and singing of hymns at Mass, Jesus breathes on us the Holy Spirit. 

In the recently concluded conclave, 133 cardinals came from all over the world, from various countries with various cultures and languages.

They were to be guided by the Holy Spirit to choose the next Pope, according to the will of God. 

And now we know, that Cardinal Robert Prevost, was elected and he took the name of Leo XIV.

The interesting thing is that he is an American cardinal that even the American cardinals didn’t really know about.

And if the American cardinals don’t really know much about him, then much less the cardinals of the other countries.

So, how was cardinal Robert Prevost elected to be Pope, that, we must say, is the work of the Holy Spirit. 

The 2nd reading tells us that our interests are not in the unspiritual, but in the spiritual, since the Spirit of God has made His home in us. 

With the Spirit of God in our hearts, we will be able to see that the interruptions and disruptions of our lives are revelations and manifestations of the marvellous love of God. 

With the Spirit of God in our hearts, we will face the trials and tribulations of life and turn them into triumphs for the glory of God. 

And with the gentle breath of the Holy Spirit, may we speak the language of love that will bring comfort and consolation to those in need of God's forgiveness and healing.

7th Week of Easter, Saturday, 07-06-2025

Acts 28:16-20, 30-31 / John 21:20-25   

To be focused is a desired attitude for ourselves.

And if we are a superior or a supervisor, then we would expect that from our subordinates.

When we are focused, and when our team-mates are focused, then the targets and the objectives will be achieved.

But we also know that we can’t keep focused for too long.

We get distracted by many things as well as by other people.

In the gospel, Peter turned and saw the disciple Jesus loved following them, and he asked Jesus, and he asked Jesus about him.

The reply of Jesus to Peter was rather sharp: What does it matter to you? You are to follow me.

Earlier, Peter had professed his love for Jesus three times, and then now, he got distracted with the other disciple.

The reply of Jesus is also for us to reflect and to be aware of our focus as well as our distractions.

We need to keep our focus on Jesus and to follow Him alone.

Of all the distractions that come our way, we need to be aware that we ourselves are our biggest distraction.

Prayer will help us keep focused on Jesus. Let us keep praying and keep following Jesus.

7th Week of Easter, Friday, 06-06-2025

Acts 25:13-21 / John 21:15-19   

Whenever we talk about freedom, it is generally understood with two meanings.

One is the power or the right to act, speak, or think as we want, as in we do have some freedom of choice.

The other is the state of not being imprisoned or enslaved.

Freedom is what defines our human dignity.

Freedom is also God’s gift to us, because of His love for us.

Even though we sin, God will not take our freedom away, otherwise we will become like puppets or robots.

God gave us freedom so that we can choose to love Him in return.

In the gospel, Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him, and Peter said yes.

In saying yes to Jesus, Peter had to be prepared to surrender his freedom to God.

It is in surrendering his freedom that he can be obedient to God’s will, even if he were led to where he would rather not go.

We have the freedom to choose. We can either choose to do what we want, or to choose what God wants of us.

When we choose to do God’s will, God will bless us abundantly and grant us a peace that the world cannot give.

7th Week of Easter, Thursday, 05-06-2025

Acts 22:30; 23:6-11 / John 17:20-26   

One of the interesting types of movies to watch is the science-fiction movies.

Science-fiction movies can really stretch the imagination with futuristic gadgets and devices.

But imagination can turn into reality, and we know this happens because some of those robots that we saw in movies have become a reality.

So, science-fiction movies give us an imaginative glimpse of the future.

In the gospel, Jesus also gives us a glimpse of the future.

But it is not a future of this world. It is the future of the next world.

Jesus gives us a glimpse of our eternal future.

Jesus prayed to His Father that those who belong to Him will be with Him in eternity.

In other words, Jesus prayed that we will be with Him forever because we belong to Him.

Often, we pray for what we need and also what we wish to have in this world.

But let us also remember what Jesus prayed for.

Jesus prayed for us to be with Him in eternity.

Let us also pray that His prayer will be fulfilled.

7th Week of Easter, Wednesday, 04-06-2025

Acts 20:28-38 / John 17:11-19  

In life, there are many things that are not of our choice.

We don’t choose to be born into which family, or how we look like, or what is our blood type.

When we reflect deeper about this, we will come to see that it is God who made those choices for us.

God chose to create us, and God chose us to be His people.

In the gospel, Jesus prayed that God will keep those given to Him true to God’s name.

Jesus watched over those He had been given and not one was lost, except the one who chose to be lost.

So, even though God chose us to be His own, yet we can choose to be on our own.

In the 1st reading, St. Paul warned that even from within the Christian community, there will be some who will choose to go their own way and even bring others along.

May we always remember that we did not choose to follow Jesus.

It is Jesus who calls us and chooses us, and He commissions us with the power of the Holy Spirit to go forth and bear fruits of love.

God has made His choice for us. 

May we always choose to do the will of God so that we will be united with God and be blessed with His love and peace.

7th Week of Easter, Tuesday, 03-06-2025

Acts 20:17-27 / John 17:1-11    

There are two important days in our life.

One is the day we were born, the day that we came into this world.

The other important day is when we leave this world, the final day of our life on earth.

In between those two day, there are also many important moments.

All these important moments tell us why we are in this world.

All these important moments tell us about the meaning of our life on earth.

For St. Paul in the 1st reading, he knew why he was in this world and what is the meaning of his life in this world.

For him, life is not a thing to waste words on.

What is important is that he have carried out the mission the Lord Jesus gave him – and that is to bear witness to the Good News of God’s grace.

That also reminds us that we have a mission in life.

The important moments of our life tell us what our mission in life is about.

We can only understand what the meaning of our life and our mission is when we raise our eyes from the things of earth to look at our God above.

In the gospel, Jesus raised His eyes to heaven and saw the hour of glory has come.

May we always keep our eyes on heaven and see that the moments of our life are to bear witness to the Good News of God’s love for us and for others.

7th Week of Easter, Monday, 02-06-2025

Acts 19:1-8 / John 16:29-33   

One of the deepest hurts and pains is caused by betrayal.

To be betrayed may not necessarily result in physical pain.

But it will certainly be emotionally painful and hurt may stay on for a long time.

Humanly speaking, it is not that easy to forgive someone who betrayed us.

More so if it is someone whom we trusted, or someone whom we did not expect to do that to us.

And if it is done by someone whom we love, then it would be like a deep stab into the core of our being.

In the gospel, the disciples declared that they believed that Jesus came from God.

But Jesus replied that the time will come when they will be scattered, each going his own way, and leaving Jesus alone.

If Jesus were only human, He would not have forgiven His disciples for denying and deserting Him in His hour of trial.

But to forgive is divine, and Jesus showed His divinity when He appeared to His disciples after His Resurrection and granted them peace.

When we sin, we betray God’s love for us. And in doing so, we cause pain and hurt to ourselves.

But God forgives us no matter how grave our sin is.

God is merciful and compassionate, and He does not want to see us hurting and in pain.

Let us thank God for His love, and let us not betray God by committing sin.