5th Week of Easter, Tuesday, 05-05-2026

Acts 14:19-28 / John 14:27-31   

The word “peace” is a word that is mentioned often and we may know what it generally means.

It may be generally understood as the absence of conflict.

It may also be understood as calm and stillness.

But it may be helpful to understand what peace means in the Bible.

The Hebrew word “shalom” may be translated as peace.

Shalom has a few meanings: wholeness, completeness, sound health, safety, and prosperity.

To greet another person with the word “shalom” or “peace” signifies a blessing of total well-being.

In the gospel, Jesus said to His disciples:

Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you.

The disciples of the early Church understood and experienced that gift of peace from Jesus.

Paul and Barnabas experienced stoning and persecution, but they went on with the peace of Jesus in their hearts.

They put fresh hearts into the other disciples, encouraging them to persevere in the faith.

They faced many hardships, but they had the peace of Jesus in their hearts.

We too have that peace of Jesus in our hearts.

Let us also share the peace of Jesus with others.

The world cannot give us that peace that Jesus has given us.

5th Week of Easter, Monday, 04-05-2026

Acts 14:5-18 / John 14:21-26  

As Christians, we are disciples of Jesus.

And as disciples of Jesus, we have a mission in this world.

Our mission is to reveal the presence of Jesus for others.

In the 1st reading, Paul and Barnabas went around preaching the Good News.

Then Paul saw a crippled man listening to the Good News and he saw that the man had faith.

So Paul said to the crippled man, “Get to your feet – stand up.”

And the crippled man jumped up and began to walk.

When the crowd saw that, they got excited and thought that Paul and Barnabas were gods disguised as men.

Paul and Barnabas tried to tell the crowd that they were just messengers of God, but the excitement of the crowd was overwhelming.

Although we may not be addressing crowds and performing miracles of healing, our mission is just as important.

We are messengers of the Good News that will also make us signs of God’s presence in this world.

And because Jesus has made His home in our hearts, then our mission is to bring others back home to God.

May we always love Jesus and others will see that love and they will come home to the God of love.

5th Sunday of Easter, Year A, 03.05.2026

Acts 6:1-7 / 1 Peter 2:4-9 / John 14:1-12  

One of the deepest desires in life is to be happy. 

To be happy may mean that we don't have any anxieties and worries. 

It may also mean that we don’t have to face the struggles and troubles of life. 

So, if there are no anxieties and worries, no struggles and troubles in life, then we would be happy in life. 

But happiness in life seems to be so elusive. The moments of happiness are short and few. 

Whereas, anxieties and worries, struggles and troubles, seemed to come one after another. 

All these forms the burdens in our hearts and make us drag our feet along in life. 

We are anxious and worried about our health, our future, our financial security, our work stress, our children, our parents. 

Our hearts are troubled when relationships with family members, relatives and friends become tensed due to some misunderstanding or quarrels. 

That is enough to say what we already know, and that is, life is difficult. 

Sure, life is difficult, but that is not the end of the statement; it is just a pause. 

Because in the gospel, Jesus said this to His disciples: 

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God still, in trust in me. 

Jesus made a promise to us that there are many rooms in His Father’s house, and He has prepared a place for us there. 

That promise is our greatest assurance and consolation from Jesus. 

In short, Jesus is telling us that He has already saved us and that He will bring us to heaven. 

So, it means that while we walk in the struggles and troubles of life, our minds and our hearts should be on the promise of above. 

But we get distracted by the anxieties and worries of life. 

And with that, our hearts become disturbed, and we forget about the promise of that place in heaven. 

Yes, we forget because we get distracted. 

We get distracted by the anxieties and worries, about the struggles and troubles, and our hearts become disturbed. 

And when we look at the distraction, and reflect upon the disturbance, what is the cause of it?

Well, the question is not about what, but about who is the cause of it. 

Needless to say, the devil is the cause of it; he is the cause of our disturbance and distraction. 

He wants to distract and disturb us so that we will forget about the promise of Jesus. 

He wants to bring our minds and hearts down to the things of earth and forget about the promise of above. 

We see that in the 1st reading when there was a problem in the early Church about the distribution of food. 

But, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the apostles chose seven men to look into the task of the distribution of food. 

As the apostles pointed out: It is not right for us to neglect the Word of God so as to give out food. 

So, when we don't do what is right, our hearts will be troubled. 

And when we neglect we will also forget. 

So, we need to look at our anxieties and worries, and also our struggles and troubles. 

It is like looking at our reflection in a basin of water. 

We will not be able to see a good reflection when the water is boiling. 

Only when the water is still and calm, then can we see our reflection clearly. 

May the consoling and assuring promise of Jesus put out the sharp flames of distraction and disturbance in our hearts. 

May Jesus our Saviour, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life, lead us towards that place in heaven which He has promised us.

4th Week of Easter, Saturday, 02-05-2026

Acts 13:44-52 / John 14:7-14    

A book is not judged by its cover.

So, appearances can say one thing, but the essence can be something else.

But there is no doubt that much emphasis and importance are placed on image and appearances.

So when image and appearance do not match the essence and character, then it would lead to confusion and contradiction.

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

Jesus goes on to explain that He is in the Father and the Father is in Him.

And the words that Jesus says is not from Himself. It is the Father, living in Him, who is doing all the work.

As disciples of Jesus, we are called Christians, which means that we are a reflection of who Jesus Christ is.

Even if we don’t publicly identify ourselves as Christians, our character and integrity should reflect the person of Jesus Christ.

The one profound expression of our Christianity is the love of God.

When others see us as a person of love, they would see presence of Jesus Christ in us.

Let us love as Jesus Christ loves us, and others will know we are Christians by our words and actions.

St. Joseph the Worker, Friday, 01-05-2026

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

In 1955, the Catholic Church dedicated May 1 to "Saint Joseph The Worker". 

The Catholic Church considers St. Joseph the patron saint of workers and craftsmen, besides others.

More than just wanting to honour the contributions of the working class and the rights of workers, the Church, in this feast, wants to teach about the holiness of work which contributes to creation and gives glory to God.

In the gospel, we heard that Jesus is known as "the carpenter's son". 

It means that St. Joseph was a carpenter and that Jesus would have also followed along in learning the trade.

Hence the gospel tells us, and the Church teaches us as well, that Jesus was indeed involved in the ordinary human life and had to work for a living, with all its satisfactions and drudgery.

But where once upon a time when work was seen as a curse because of sin in that "by the sweat of your brow you shall eat your bread" (Gen 3:19), the Son of God has now sanctified work and now by the work of our hands we give glory to God.

So in whatever work we are doing, in whatever profession we are in, let us put our heart into it because we must know that over and above all, it is God that we serve and work for.

And just as St. Joseph taught Jesus to work with His hands, may St. Joseph also pray for us that by the work of our hands, and through the work of our hands, God will bless the world and may we beautify the world through the work of our hands.

4th Week of Easter, Thursday, 30-04-2026

Acts 13:13-25 / John 13:16-20   

The profession of a teacher is not just a job.

To be a teacher is to answer a call to serve by forming others.

Teachers form their students intellectually and also their character and integrity.

A good teacher will always have a revered place in the student’s memory.

In the gospel, Jesus says that no servant is greater than his master, and no messenger is greater than one who sent him.

Similarly, it can also be said that no student will ever forget the lessons of life that was learnt from the teacher.

But pride can come and distort the order of life and the integrity of life.

Because out of pride and disobedience, a servant can try to overthrow his master and desire to be the master.

Out of pride and vested motives, a messenger might want to distort the original message to make it in favour of him.

Jesus is our Teacher, our Master and He is our Word of life.

May we follow His teachings, and may we be faithful and obedient to Him.

May we understand His Word, so that we can echo His Good News of life and love to others.

4th Week of Easter, Wednesday, 29-04-2026

Acts 12:24 - 13:5 / John 12:44-50   

To know what a business or an organization is about, the thing to look for is its core business or its main activity.

That core business or main activity defines the business enterprise and the purpose of the organization.

And that core business or main activity should be so obvious that it goes without saying and it is also like written on its walls.

As for the early Church, the core spirituality and main activity is praying and fasting and the mission is the proclamation of the Word of God.

Even in the church of Antioch, besides the disciples, there were also prophets and teachers.

It was not just the activities of praying and fasting and proclamation of the Word of God, the people in the church were living images of the church’s core spirituality and mission.

So, when the Holy Spirit spoke, they listened and they also knew God wanted Barnabas and Saul to be set apart for a mission.

May we always be focused on the core spirituality of praying and fasting, and be faithful in sharing and proclaiming the Word of God.

So that when the Holy Spirit speaks, we will be able to listen and do what God wants of us.

4th Week of Easter, Tuesday, 28-04-2026

Acts 11:19-26 / John 10:22-30   

We are quite familiar with the 10 Commandments.

One of the 10 Commandments is “thou shall not steal”, which is the 8th Commandment.

That Commandment prohibits theft, which is widely interpreted to include stealing property, dishonesty in dealings and taking credit for others' work.

So, stealing or theft is a serious sin because it is a disregard for another person’s right of ownership.

And it will also lead to a collapse of law and order in society.

On the interpersonal level, when property is stolen, it leads to suspicion and eventually a breakdown of relationships that are based on trust.

In the gospel, Jesus says that the sheep that belong to Him listen to His voice, and no one will ever steal them from Him. 

God the Father gave the sheep to Jesus and no one can ever steal from the Father.

But we can’t steal anyone from Jesus, yet we can also commit indirect theft.

When a Christian leads another Christian the wrong way, or when a Christian commits a scandal and causes another Christian to lose faith, then stealing or the theft of a soul is committed, and a soul is lost.

Let us always listen to the voice of our Good Shepherd and follow in His ways.

Let us help those who are lost to go back to the Good Shepherd, and together we journey into eternal life.

4th Week of Easter, Monday, 27-04-2026

Acts 11:1-18 / John 10:11-18 (Year A)   

We don’t like it when we are taken for granted by others.

When we go out of our way for others, when we make sacrifices for others, when we do a thankless task that is dumped onto us, we wished that there can be some gratitude shown to us.

Even if not a word of thanks is said, it would be enough for us to know that a difficulty is overcome or a problem is solved.

What will make us angry and bitter is when others expect us to something that no one else would want to.

And when we don’t do it, we get blamed for making things difficult and creating problems for others.

This may not happen all the time, but when it does, we may wonder if being good and doing good is worth it.

In the gospel, Jesus says that He is the Good Shepherd, and the good shepherd will lay down his life for his sheep.

On the Cross, Jesus fulfilled what He said about being the Good Shepherd and laying His life for us to save us.

Yes, Jesus died for us so that we can be saved from an eternal death.

So, are we truly grateful and thankful to Jesus for saving us by dying for us.

Let us not take the love of Jesus for granted, and let us also follow Jesus our Good Shepherd in doing good for others.

Let us focus on following Jesus to make this world a loving place.

4th Sunday of Easter, Year A, 26.04.2026

Acts 2:14, 36-41 / 1 Peter 2:20-25 / John 10:1-10  

The animals in this world are, by and large, beautiful as well as amazing. 

And they also have peculiarities that we have heard of, or have experienced it. 

For example, don’t ever wear red-colour clothes and stand in front of a bull. 

We don’t want to see those horns coming fast at us. 

And also don’t approach a horse from the back. We just might get a kick of our lives. 

As for good eyesight, it goes to the birds, especially the eagles and the hawks. 

They can spot a prey from distances of three to five kilometres. 

As for the sense of smell, it goes to the dogs. A lady wanted to bring some bak-kwa for her daughter who was studying in a country that bans cooked meats. 

So, she wrapped the bak-kwa with layers and layers of plastic, thinking that it can pass through the customs. 

But at the immigration, the sniffer dog went sniffing at the luggage, and then just sat on her luggage. 

She had to surrender the bak-kwa. 

When it comes to sheep, we may not know much about their peculiarities, although we know that wool comes from sheep. 

But we have heard about two of their characteristics, and that is their sense of hearing, and their silence, even in the face of mortal danger. 

In today’s gospel, Jesus says that He is the gate of the sheepfold. 

He goes on to say that the sheep listen to the voice of the shepherd. 

The shepherd leads his sheep, and the sheep follow him because they know the shepherd’s voice. 

The sheep never follow a stranger, but run away from him. 

They do not recognise the voice of strangers. 

Today, the Church celebrates Good Shepherd Sunday, with an emphasis on the promotion of vocations to the priesthood and also to the religious life. 

Yes, the harvest is rich but the labourers are few, and we have to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to His harvest. 

The Lord of the harvest has called labourers to work in His harvest. 

Many are called, but not that many have responded. 

One of the reasons that not that many have responded is because the world has many loud noises.

These noises are loud, and even attractive, and they appeal to human desires and pleasures. 

Yes, we desire to be rich, famous, popular, successful and to have a high status in life. 

With these comes the benefits of pleasures and luxuries of gratification, although it may be momentary. 

And those cravings for pleasures and desires are like a bottomless pit; there can never be enough of it. 

In the midst of all these loud noises is that soft and gentle voice of the Good Shepherd, calling out to the chosen labourers of His sheepfold. 

More often than not, as well as in most cases, the voice of the Good Shepherd is heard in Church. 

The Church is the House of God and the House of prayer. 

It is in Church that the voice of the Good Shepherd is heard in worship and in prayer. 

And it is in worship and prayer that the chosen servants of the Lord are able to listen and respond to His call. 

On the 1st June, four deacons will be ordained to the sacred order of the priesthood. 

One of them, Deacon Eugene Chan, is from this parish. He was chosen from among us. 

He heard the Lord’s call in Church, and it is back to the Church that he response to the call. 

We pray for him as he makes his final preparation for his ordination.

We do this in the form of spiritual bouquets, and we will receive a spiritual bouquet card on our way out. 

Our little spiritual offering would be a great blessing for Deacon Eugene Chan, and also for the other three deacons. 

And on the 21st May, we will gather in prayer for the four deacons, and also to pray for vocations. 

May those whom the Lord has called be able to listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd. 

And may our prayer give them strength and courage to follow in the steps of the Good Shepherd, who came to give us life and life to the full.

St. Mark, Evangelist, Saturday, 25-04-2026

1 Peter 5:5-14 / Mark 16:15-20    

St. Mark, whose feast we celebrate today, was not one of the apostles.

Nonetheless, he was one of the disciples of St. Peter, and he was mentioned in the 1st reading as a "spiritual son" of St. Peter.

He could also possibly be one of the followers of Jesus and later on became a disciple of St. Peter and he eventually wrote the account of the life and ministry of Jesus, which became one of the gospels of the Church.

In his gospel, St. Mark captured the core and essence of the ministry and message of Jesus.

As we heard it in the gospel, and what is often called the "Great Commissioning", the way St. Mark puts it across straight and sharp in just a few words.

"Go out, proclaim the Good News, believe or be condemned, cast out devils, work signs and miracles, heal the sick".

As we hear this, we might be thinking - proclaim the Good News sounds ok, healing the sick sounds ok, work signs and miracles ... hmmm ... cast out devils ...

Well, the gospel is not a supermarket for us to pick and choose whatever we like.

It is one whole message; it's either we take all or we take all.

To understand and accept the Good News and the commissioning of Jesus, we need to "Go out" like St. Mark did.

Because when we are out there, and there is no dependency and certainty but Jesus Himself, then we will truly experience the power of the Good News and become true disciples of Jesus Christ.

3rd Week of Easter, Friday, 24-04-2026

Acts 9:1-20 / John 6:52-59       

One of the common traits in people is stubbornness.

For a stubborn person, it is almost impossible to change his mind.

Even if all the facts show that he is wrong, he may not even budge.

It is quite amazing the conviction that a stubborn person has .

In the 1st reading, Saul was so resolute about his conviction that only way of stopping the spread of Christianity was by capturing and slaughtering the Lord’s disciples.

Nothing could change his mind, until that strange encounter on the road to Damascus.

That voice asking him "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" was enough to break his conviction.

But even before that, the prayer of the Christian community cannot be discounted.

They would have prayed for protection against Saul, and in a way, they may have also slipped in a prayer for his conversion, which they thought may have been unlikely.

Even Ananias was hesitant when the Lord told him to go to lay his hands on Saul to give him back his sight.

This account in the history of the early Church tells us this.

In life, we will encounter wicked people doing evil deeds and we are affected.

We must turn to the Lord and pray for protection.

At the same time, we also must pray for the conversion of wicked sinners.

The Lord will do His part in breaking their stubbornness and lead them to conversion.

We then must do our part in accepting them and help them see the beautiful love of God.

3rd Week of Easter, Thursday, 23-04-2026

Acts 8:26-40 / John 6:44-51   

In life, we meet a lot of people.

Some people we had wanted to meet and we make plans as to how to meet them.

Some people just happen to come along as we move on in life.

But whether we intended to meet them or they just happen to come into our lives, we have various experiences with them.

Some were happy and memorable, some were hi-and-bye and forgettable.

In the 1st reading, the meeting between Philip and the Ethiopian officer was a happy and memorable one.

It was the Spirit who arranged the meeting between the two of them and it was also an experience of the presence of Jesus.

Though they never met again after that, it was a moment of rejoicing in their lives.

In the gospel, Jesus said that no one can come to Him unless that person is drawn by the Father who sent Him.

But it can also be said that the people that God sent to us in our journey of life will have an influence in our lives.

Let us thanks for the people that God sent into our lives.

May we have happy and memorable moments with them, and may we also share with them the presence of Jesus.

3rd Week of Easter, Wednesday, 22-04-2026

Acts 8:1-8 / John 6:35-40   

There is no doubt that life is difficult and it has its troubles.

And the difficulties can be anything from frustrations with others to serious troubles that erupt into violence between groups of people.

Even if we have faith in God, when these difficulties and troubles occur, we will question God as to why such things happen.

And if things happen for a reason, then we will surely want to know what is that reason.

In the 1st reading, a bitter persecution started against the church in Jerusalem, and Saul then worked for the total destruction of the Church.

In the face of such violence and hostility, the early Church would have asked why this was happening and why isn’t God protecting them.

But the amazing thing was that those who have escaped went from place to place preaching the Good News.

And with that began the missionary activity of the early Church.

So a crisis was turned into an opportunity, and with the grace of God, the early disciples worked miracles, and cured the sick and cast out evil spirits.

And there was even great rejoicing at the proclamation of the Good News.

And all this is possible because the early Church believed that Jesus is the Bread of life, and that He will sustain them and help them to overcome all difficulties and troubles.

We too share that same belief as the early Church, and may we also see the miracles that God will work for us when we meet with difficulties and troubles.

3rd Week of Easter, Tuesday, 21-04-2026

Acts 7:51 - 8:1 / John 6:30-35   

Everyday we use a lot of words, and we may wonder what effects do they have.

Words can be powerless, but they can also be powerful.

When someone uses a lot of words but if they are pointless or unclear, disorganized, illogical, or difficult to understand, then those words are powerless and meaningless.

But words can be powerful when they evoke or bring about a feeling, memory, image, or reaction and even an action.

In the 1st reading, when Stephen spoke to the people, the elders and the scribes, his words were sharp but truthful, and it brought about a hostile reaction.

The listeners were infuriated and they ground their teeth at him.

What Stephen said was inspired by the Holy Spirit, but the people were so angered by it that they decided to kill him so as to silence him forever.

Such is the power of words and it cost Stephen his life.

In the gospel, Jesus said that He is the Bread of Life, and whoever comes to Him will never be hungry, and whoever believes in Him will never thirst.

Those are powerful words of truth and we must decide what our response will be.

We can be indifferent to it or even ignore it.

But when we believe in the words of Jesus, we will be filled with life and love.

And our words will also be words of truth that will echo the Word of God.

3rd Week of Easter, Monday, 20-04-2026

Acts 6:8-15 / John 6:22-29  

When nature takes its course, it will show us marvels as well as surprises.

An example would be planting a seed. The seed germinates and grows in harmony with the course of nature.

The beauty of this world follows a course of nature that is beautiful as well as mysterious.

And when our lives are in harmony with the course of nature, then we can find directions and meaning.

The deacon Stephen had the responsibility of distributing food to the poor of the community.

But in the 1st reading, Stephen seemed to have a further calling.

He was filled with grace and power and began to work miracles and great signs among the people.

Some might say that Stephen should just do what he was called to do.

But the ways of God are mysterious, and when Stephen hear the call, he let nature take its course and went along God’s ways.

In the gospel, Jesus told the people that they were looking for Him not because they have seen and understood the signs but because they had all the bread they wanted to eat.

The people were just interested in having bread to eat, but they don’t seem to understand the sign of the miracle of the loaves.

God is calling us to reflect further about the course of life that we are in by reflecting on the signs of life.

Those signs point to the ways of God.

When we go along the ways of God, we will be in harmony with the course of life and with our calling.

3rd Sunday of Easter, Year A, 19.04.2026

Acts 2:14, 22-28 / 1 Peter 1:17-21 / Luke 24:13-35  

There was a popular song in the early 1980s that was played over the radio almost every day. 

It was a high energy disco-type of dance song, and it was heard in every discotheque during that era. 

Most of us would have heard of that song. The title is “One-way ticket”. 

At that time, the lyrics of songs were not that easily available. 

What mattered was the upbeat music, and the people of that era just like to hear it and dance to it. 

But when we look at the lyrics, it is actually quite a sad song about heartbreak and the loneliness and turmoil after that. 

Well, the lyrics say it all: “one-way ticket to the blues, gonna take a trip to lonesome town, gonna stay at heartbreak hotel”. 

But the 1980s version of that song was so upbeat, so energetic that we just want to get up and dance, and never mind what the song is about. 

In the gospel, the two disciples of Jesus were on their way to a village called Emmaus, which was 7 miles from Jerusalem. 

As they walked along, they talked about all that had happened. 

But it was a sad and disappointed journey to Emmaus. It was like a one-way ticket. 

Even when Jesus came to walk along with them, they could not recognise Him. 

Maybe their sadness and disappointment were so deep that all they could see was hopelessness and darkness. 

As they walked along, they shared with Jesus how they had placed all the hope in Him. 

But with His death on the Cross, their hopes were shattered, to the point that there were not even broken pieces to pick up. 

So, their journey to Emmaus was like a one-way ticket to a lonesome town and to stay at some heartbreak hotel. 

Beyond Emmaus, they seem to have no further plans other than to go away as far as possible from Jerusalem. 

As they talked about their disappointment, sadness and hopelessness, Jesus listened, but He did not remain silent. 

He spoke to them about the full message of the prophets, that the Christ should suffer and so enter into His glory. 

And starting from Moses and going through all the prophets, Jesus explained to them the passages in the Scriptures that were about the Christ. 

Meanwhile, as Jesus spoke, something was happening in the hearts of the two disciples. 

Their hearts began to burn as Jesus explained the Scriptures to them. 

And then at the breaking of bread, their eyes were opened, and they recognised Jesus. 

They immediately set out and returned to Jerusalem, and told the disciples about what had happened on the road to Emmaus, and how they recognised Jesus at the breaking of bread. 

So, in short, it was a story of brokenness and hopelessness turning into hopefulness and gladness. 

It was not a one-way ticket into terminal disappointment, but a return ticket into gladness and consolation. 

All that is possible because the God we believe in will not let hopelessness be a one-way ticket into desolation. 

The God we believe in is the God of the Resurrection. 

He raises those who are bowed down, and He lifts up the lowly. 

We may feel that our lives and our faith are like mundane, going flat, and sliding down a one- way journey into desolation. 

But let us keep doing that little bit to keep that little flame of our faith alive by coming regularly for Mass. 

One day, our ears will be opened to listen to the voice of God in the Scriptures. 

One day our eyes will be opened and our hearts will burn, and we will tell others how we have experienced Jesus in our disappointment and desolation. 

But most of all, may we recognise Jesus at the Mass where bread is broken. 

Yes, the Bread of Life is broken, so that hearts that are broken will come back to life and will burn with love.

2nd Week of Easter, Saturday, 18-04-2026

Acts 6:1-7 / John 6:16-21  

It is generally presumed that the simple and humble jobs can be done by anyone.

Ordinary, simple and humble jobs may not require much skills and knowledge.

So a simple task like serving food may seem easy.

A person serving food just needs to observe hygiene practices and get the orders correct.

That is as simple as it can be to any ordinary person.

But in the 1st reading, a simple task like distributing food to the widows became a big issue.

It was a big enough issue for the apostles to call for a full meeting of the disciples to address the matter.

So, the apostles were to focus on prayer and preaching the Word of God.

The disciples were to select seven men to take charge of the distribution of food.

But it was not just any seven men. Those seven men had to be of good reputation, filled with the Holy Spirit and with wisdom.

That was certainly quite a strict requirement for a seemingly simple task.

But it goes to show that even simple tasks cannot be taken for granted.

In the case of the early Church, it involves integrity, responsibility, justice and equality.

And God’s love, care and providence is expressed in that simple task of food distribution.

May we remember that simple tasks are also equally important tasks.

It is in doing the simple and humble tasks that we give glory to God.

2nd Week of Easter, Friday, 17-04-2026

Acts 5:34-42 / John 6:1-15   

In this fast-moving world, speed and efficiency are highly regarded for decision and action.

For those who can think quickly and act fast, they are looked upon as highly effective and efficient people.

To wait and see and think might seem to be too slow and opportunities are missed.

But to wait and see and think is the characteristic of those who are wise.

In the 1st reading, those in power felt the threat from the lowly and simple apostles.

So the fastest solution to the problem would be to eliminate them totally by putting them to death.

All this while, the Pharisee Gamaliel, a doctor of the Law and respected by the people, was looking, listening and thinking.

Then he decided to speak up and he truly spoke words of wisdom.

He gave examples of how there were two movements but they eventually died out.

He also said that if what the apostles were doing is of human origin, it will break up on its own accord.

But if it does in fact come from God, then in going against them would be like going against God.

So, in every plan or project, let us pray to the Lord and wait and see.

And God will show us how to carry it out according to His will.

2nd Week of Easter, Thursday, 16-04-2026

Acts 5:27-33 / John 3:31-36   

In life, there are times when we never ever thought we would do something or say something that would surprise others, and even more, surprise ourselves.

But somehow we ended up doing that something or saying that something that we did not plan or intended to.

Even for Pope Leo XIV, he once thought that the late Pope Francis would never appoint him to be a bishop.

That was because he had a small disagreement with Pope Francis and he left it at that.

So, he probably never thought he would be a bishop, or even a Cardinal, and much less a Pope.

So, when God wants His will to be carried out, He will move people and also put words into their mouths.

In the 1st reading, when the apostles were interrogated by the high priest about their preaching of Jesus, Peter replied:

“Obedience to God comes before obedience to men”.

Peter and the apostles were not doing something of their own accord, but under the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

They had to carry out the will of God, even though it meant being interrogated and persecuted.

In everything that we do or say, let us discern and pray to see what God wants of us.

If it is from God, then nothing can stop it, even if we try to avoid or resist it.

2nd Week of Easter, Wednesday, 15-04-2026

Acts 5:17-26 / John 3:16-21   

It can be difficult to understand why there are bad and wicked people in this world.

Even though there is nothing done to offend them, they go around causing trouble for others.

And when our tolerance for these people crosses the limit, we will be tempted to confront them and even try to teach them a lesson.

But we must remember that evil begets evil, and also he who uses the sword will also eventually come under the sword.

In the 1st reading, those in power used force on the apostles and had them imprisoned.

But those in power were of high standing and yet they dealt harshly and heavily on the apostles who were simple and humble people.

But God is always on the side of the simple, the humble and the lowly people.

That night, the angel of the Lord freed the apostles and told them to go to the Temple and continue to preach.

When those in power heard that the apostles were not in prison but were preaching in the Temple, they should have sensed that something mysterious had happened.

Still, they would not accept it. As the gospel puts it, the light shines into the world but the bad and the wicked prefer the darkness to the light.

But the light of God will shine and it will shine through us.

Let us not fight evil with evil, but let the light of Christ shine through us.

The light and the love of God will prevail over the darkness and evil.

2nd Week of Easter, Tuesday, 14-04-2026

Acts 4:32-37 / John 3:7-15      

When we take things for granted, it means that we don’t notice them anymore and they don’t interest us anymore.

When we take things for granted, we will also miss out on the wonderful and the beautiful.

Take the wind for example. We may not think and wonder too much about it.

We can’t see it but when it is present, we will feel it and the coolness it brings.

And when it is absent, we will just turn on the fan or the aircon, and we don’t think too much about it.

But where does the wind come from, and how is it made or created?

And what directs to the wind to go here or there?

Science may have the answers, but still the wind remains a mystery.

In the gospel, Jesus used the example of the wind to express the nature of the Spirit.

When the 1st reading recalled the wonderful unity of the early Christian community, that also expresses the workings of the Holy Spirit.

So, when we see something wonderful or beautiful, let us not pass it by.

God is telling us something, and the winds of prayer will help us understand the mystery of life and the mystery of God.

2nd Week of Easter, Monday, 13-04-2026

Acts 4:23-31 / John 3:1-8   

Whenever a problem arises, the immediate reaction would be to think of a solution.

In thinking of a solution, there can be several options.

Of course, the main consideration is to solve the problem as quickly as possible.

And the best solution would be to eliminate the problem once and for all.

So, human logic and reasoning will be used to think of the best solution.

In the 1st reading, the chief priests and the elders had warned Peter and John not to proclaim and teach in the name of Jesus.

They could not think of a way to punish them, since all the people were giving glory to God.

On the other hand, when Peter and John went back to the community, they did not discuss how to resist or retaliate against the chief priests and elders.

Instead the community prayed and gave praise to God for protecting them against persecutions.

They also prayed that the Lord God will stretch out His hand to heal and to work miracles and marvels for them.

What we must learn from this is that whenever we face challenges and difficulties, or struggles and troubles, let us first turn to the Lord in prayer.

And since we have been re-born in the Spirit, then we must turn to God in prayer.

God will show us the solution to our problems, and it will be a wonderful and marvellous blessed solution.

2nd Sunday of Easter, Year A, 12.04.2025

Acts 2:42-47 / 1 Peter 1:3-9 / John 20:19-31  

One of the challenges that we face in the morning is waking up. 

In the morning, the bed is like a big magnet and our body is fighting the magnetic pull of the bed. 

And if we didn't have a good night’s sleep, or running under the weather, then we are really like stuck to the bed. 

So even if the alarm clock is ringing on and on, we will tell ourselves, just another 5 or 10 minutes, and then we will over-sleep and run late. 

And talking about alarm clocks, there is this joke about a husband and wife having a cold war. 

However, the husband had an early morning flight to catch the next day, but he didn’t want to talk to his wife and tell her about it. 

So, he wrote a note and stuck it on her bedside table with this message, “Wake me up at 7:00 am”. 

The next morning, he happened to open his eyes and he glanced at the clock, and it was already 8:30 am. 

And there was a note stuck next to the clock that is written by his wife, and it read, “Wake up, wake up, it is already 7:00 am”. 

So, the moral of the joke is that it is not worth having cold wars, because we will not gain anything and we will also be late for everything. 

Not only alarm clocks may not be able to wake us up. 

What we see around us, and what others say, may not wake us up either. 

Especially when the issue is inconvenient, troublesome or burdensome to us. 

We would ignore or resist, or look away and don’t want to hear about what really matters. 

In the gospel, the risen Lord Jesus appeared to the disciples, and they were filled with joy when they saw the Lord. 

But Thomas was not with them when Jesus came. 

When the disciples told him that they had seen the Risen Lord, he was skeptical, to say the least.

And Thomas also made a very bold demand, and it is this: Unless I see the holes that the nails made in His hands, and can put my finger into the holes they made, and unless I can put my hand into His side, I refuse to believe. 

For Thomas, seeing is not enough, he wants to touch the wounds of Jesus. 

Maybe the death of Jesus on the Cross had broken the faith of Thomas, such that his faith also crumpled and withered away. 

Maybe that is why Thomas made such a bold and challenging demand. 

More than just doubting what the disciples said, Thomas wants the truth, and he even wants to touch the truth. 

God is truth and God is life. 

When Thomas was with the disciples, Jesus appeared again. 

Jesus not only wanted Thomas to see and to touch the truth, He also came to give a wake-up call to the faith of Thomas. 

From a crumpled and withered faith, Thomas woke up and declared: My Lord and my God. 

Yes, God is truth and God is life. 

But when it comes to the truth, we can ignore it or reject it, we can doubt it or disregard it. 

But along with truth is also life, and the Lord of life will give us a wake-up call so that we will wake up to life, and the truth will also set us free. 

And God is giving us a wake-up call through Pope Leo XIV. 

The Pope called for a worldwide vigil of prayer for peace on the 11th of April. 

We cannot ignore that call for prayer for peace. 

To ignore is to disregard and even to doubt the horrors and the tragedies of war and violence. 

But the truth is that blood is shed, and innocent lives are lost, and children and the defenceless are in danger. 

When the world is not at peace, we won’t be at peace. 

When blood is shed, we must pray, because only God can stop the violence and the bloodshed. 

Let us heed the call to prayer because we must wake up to life, and the truth will also set us free, free to believe in the love of God, and to pray for the power of God to overcome war and violence and bloodshed.

Saturday within Octave of Easter, 11-04-2026

Acts 4:13-21 / Mark 16:9-15  

Waking up in the morning can be like fighting magnetic forces.

The bed is like a big magnet pulling us in and not letting go of us.

More so if we didn’t sleep well and are running under the weather.

So, we will want to give ourselves just 5 or 10 more minutes, and then we oversleep.

The alarm might just go on and on, but somehow we don’t seem to hear a thing.

In a sense, the disciples in the gospel were like in a morning wake-up call.

For whatever reason, they just don’t want to wake up to the reality that Jesus has risen.

Witnesses might say all they want about having encountered the Risen Lord, but still it would be more comfortable and even safer to shut their ears and sleep on.

In the end, Jesus had to show Himself and this time the disciples had to wake up.

They were reproached for refusing to believe those who had seen the Risen Lord Jesus.

But when the disciples finally woke up, then it was time to get moving and working.

We see that in the 1st reading when Peter and John were interrogated by the rulers, elders and scribes.

And when those in power wanted Peter and John to stop proclaiming Jesus, Peter and John retorted:

You must judge whether in God’s eyes it is right to listen to you and not to God.

So the next time we hear the alarm going off, God is calling out to us to get up.

Yes, let us rise from our slumber and go forth to do what God wants of us.

Friday within Octave of Easter, 10-04-2026

Acts 4:1-12 / John 21:1-14   

The mystery of the Incarnation is a deep belief of our faith.

We believe that God became man in Jesus Christ and lived as a human being.

Jesus was like us in all aspects as a human being except that He did not sin.

And even after He rose from the dead, He did not distance from His disciples.

In the gospel, when Peter and the rest of the disciples were kind of lost in life, they went back to what they were familiar with, and that is fishing.

Maybe the disciples wanted to go back to their previous ordinary way of life.

Yet, in the ordinary, Jesus showed Himself again to His disciples.

They had caught nothing until Jesus appeared and told them where to catch the fish.

Then they remembered that once upon a time they too had a miraculous catch of fish when Jesus was around.

And now, this Jesus who rose from the dead, is with them, but they were still trying to come to terms that this Risen Jesus is still so near with them.

Indeed, the Risen Lord Jesus is always so near to us and He is always with us.

Let us call out to Him when we are lost in life and finding life boring and without direction.

Jesus our Risen Lord will show us the way, for He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Thursday within Octave of Easter, 09-04-2026

Acts 3:11-26 / Luke 24:35-48   

Normally speaking, when everything is under control, we would be able to think calmly and clearly.

But life is not always calm and under our control.

When something unexpected happens, chaos explodes and we may not think calmly and clearly.

Even what we are supposed to know and remember can just be a black-out for us.

For example, when the fire alarm goes off, the sharp ringing is enough to throw us off-balance, as calm turns to chaos.

For the disciples in the gospel, as they shared their encounters of the Risen Lord, they were also not sure if they were seeing visions or suffering from the trauma of the deep shock of seeing Jesus dead on the Cross.

And in all this chaos and fear, Jesus comes to them and His first words to them are “Peace be with you”.

Jesus came to calm their fears and to give them the peace that would heal their broken minds and hearts.

Life is rough and we get injured with bruises and cuts here and there.

And when life becomes chaotic, then our minds and hearts can get broken and cracked.

But the Risen Lord Jesus comes to give us a peace that the world cannot give.

His peace will calm and heal our minds and hearts.

And when we become calm and peaceful again, let us also share this peace of Jesus with others.

Wednesday within Octave of Easter, 08-04-2026

Acts 3:1-10 / Luke 24:13-35    

As we journey along in life, we gain many things at the beginning.

From infancy to early adulthood, it was quite a growth in almost every aspects of life.

We gain knowledge, we grow physically, we build relationships and, of course, we also work for our financial security.

But in the later part of life, we begin to lose bit by bit.

Our health slowly weakens, some of our loved ones and friends pass on, and we are also worried if we will lose our financial security.

As for the two disciples of Jesus, it seems that they have lost their inspiration and motivation.

They had put their hope in Jesus, but that hope was shattered on the Cross.

Their hope was shattered, but they did not know that Jesus rose from the dead.

And He came along to journey with them in their desolation, and at the breaking of bread, He re-ignited their hope and consolation.

In life we gain and we lose, but Jesus will always stay with us.

And in life, we may not have silver or gold to give to others.

But like Peter who shared with the crippled man the healing power of the love of Jesus, we too can do that.

And that is also our mission, because there is nothing that we can give or share with others, except the presence and love of Jesus.

Tuesday within Octave of Easter, 07-04-2026

Acts 2:36-41 / John 20:11-18   

In Church, we see many signs of the presence of God.

There is the Blessed Sacrament in the Adoration Room, the Crucifix, holy pictures and statues, among many others.

We also hear God speaking to us in the reading of the Scriptures at Mass and at prayer.

But when God speaks to us in a personal way, how would we know it?

In the 1st reading, Peter spoke to the Jews in these words: The whole House of Israel can be certain that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.

Those words are the truth, but they may not seem to be that moving or inspiring or motivating.

Yet, when the people heard this, they were cut to the heart.

And that is because God used the simple and straight-forward words of Peter to speak to the people.

Similarly in the gospel, the Risen Lord Jesus called out to Mary by her name, and she knew then it was Jesus.

And from her heart, Mary responded in Hebrew, a language that is close to her heart.

God speaks to us in simple and ordinary ways, and when we hear the voice of the Lord, we will respond like Mary and the people.

And when we hear the voice of the Lord, let us respond with all our heart and be ready to do His will.

Monday within Easter Octave, 06-04-2026

Acts 2:14, 22-33 / Matthew 28:8-15  

Two persons looking at the same thing will have different opinions.

That is simply because they have different perceptions.

Individual perceptions are shaped and influenced by a person’s knowledge, presumptions, preferences and other factors.

In the gospel, two groups of people encountered the same phenomenon.

The women, as well as the soldiers, saw the angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled away the stone at the tomb and sat on it.

The soldiers were so shaken, so frightened of him, that they were like dead men.

But the angel spoke and he told the women that Jesus had risen from the dead.

The women went quickly away from the tomb and ran to tell the disciples, and they also met Jesus along the way.

The soldiers, however, went to tell the chief priests about what happened.

The soldiers eventually succumbed to a lie, because there it was too risky to admit the truth.

But the truth is the truth even if no one believes in it.

And a lie is a lie even if everyone believes in it.

May Jesus who is the Truth deepen our faith in His Resurrection.

And the Truth will set us free from whatever presumptions or preferences to succumbing to falsehood.

Easter Sunday, Year A, 05.04.2026

Acts 10:34, 37-43 / Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Cor 5:6-8 / John 20:1-9 

The past three days were days that was filled with prayer as we came for Mass. 

On Thursday morning, there was the Chrism Mass at our parish. 

At the Chrism Mass, the Archbishop and the priests of the Archdiocese gathered for the renewal of priestly promises and the blessing of the Holy Oils. 

Then in the evening was the Mass of the Lord’s Supper followed by Holy Hour. 

On Good Friday, there was the recalling of the suffering and death of Jesus and the veneration of the Holy Cross. 

Last evening, was the Easter vigil where we witnessed 28 adults being baptised and joining our parish family. 

In all these Masses and moments of prayer, God is calling out to us, the Church, and telling us this: 

Through the suffering, death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, God is sending His blessings on us, on the Church and on the world. 

That was also the message at the beginning of Lent, and that is also the message as we begin Easter. 

As we reflect and meditate on the suffering and death of Jesus on the Cross, God is telling us that our sins are forgiven and we are saved from the snares of the devil and the fires of hell. 

As we reflect and meditate on the Resurrection of Jesus, God is telling us that He wants to restore us back into the image of Christ, which is an image of love.

Later, we will renew our baptismal promises, where we declare that we reject the devil, and profess our faith in God. 

We will also be sprinkled with Holy Water as a reminder of our baptism in Christ. 

God is calling us out of the empty tombs of our sinfulness to rise with Jesus to a new life of holiness. 

Yes, we will still have our resentment and frustrations, our anger and greed, our desires and fantasies, our unfaithfulness and our weakness. 

The devil will use all that to draw us back into the tomb of sin and to die there in the darkness. 

But God is calling out to us through the Resurrection of Jesus, and to follow the light of life. 

As the 2nd reading, (Colossians 3:1-4) say:

Let your thoughts be on heavenly things, and not on the things that are on the earth, because you have died, and now the life you have is hidden with Christ in God. 

To die to sin is to come back to life and to be truly human, and to be restored back into the image of love, which is the image of Christ. 

A child was asked, “Do you like to come to church?” 

She answered “Yes.” When asked why, she replied, “Because the aunties and uncles in church talk to me and they are nice to me.” 

That is as basic as being human can be, and that is to be childlike, to be kind and gentle, to be loving and welcoming.

To be truly human, we don’t look at the things of earth, but we look at the things of above, where Christ is sitting at God’s right hand. 

And as we look at Jesus Christ our Risen Lord, let us ask Him for His blessings, so that we can be truly human and be an image of love to others.

Good Friday, 03-04-2026

Isaiah 52:13 – 53:12 / Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9 

Good Friday is that one day in the calendar of the Church that does not have Mass. 

Instead, it is a service. 

And this Good Friday service is also different from what we are familiar with. 

There are the readings, with a particularly long gospel reading. 

And then there is the Solemn Intercessions, where prayers are offered for various intentions. 

Following that is the unveiling of the Cross. 

The Cross with the crucified Christ is unveiled in three movements. 

When the Cross is fully unveiled, we are called to look at the crucified Christ, and ponder. 

As we look at the Cross, let the Cross speak to us. 

Let the Cross tell us that Jesus was crucified on it because He willingly died for our sins to save us. 

Let the Cross tell us that in the crucified Christ is also the forgiveness of the sins of the world. 

Let the Cross tell us that in the suffering and the crucified Christ, we see the horrors and tragedies of war and violence. 

Let the Cross tell us that in the suffering and crucified Christ, is also the sufferings of the innocent, the defenceless, the children, the weak and the poor. 

Yes, the Cross tells us of suffering and bloodshed, of respect and dignity being disregarded and trampled upon. 

But it is also this Cross of suffering and pain that we will come forward to venerate. 

We want to tell Jesus that we will carry our cross and follow Him and to pray for peace. 

We want to believe in the power of prayer and in the power of the Cross. 

Jesus turned the Cross of suffering, pain and death and turned it into the Cross of redemption and salvation. 

So, let us embrace the Cross, and also embrace the crucified Christ. 

The crucified Christ will save us from our sins. 

The crucified Christ will also save the world and grant us peace.

Holy Thursday 2026

Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14 / 1 Cor 11:23-26 / John 13:11-15

This morning at the Chrism Mass, the Archbishop blessed the three Holy Oils.

They are the Oil of the Sick, the Oil of the Catechumen and the Oil of the Holy Chrism.

All the three Oils are essential to the ministry of the priests.

Before blessing the Oils, the Archbishop presided over the Renewal of Priestly Promises.

The first promise is a reminder of priesthood and the promises the priests made at their ordination.

The second promise is to be more united and conformed to the Lord Jesus and the sacred duties to the Church.

The last promise is to be faithful stewards of the mysteries of God, in the Holy Eucharist, and other liturgical rites.

Having renewed their priestly promises, the priests go back to their parishes, and in the evening, they exercise their priesthood with the celebration of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, or, the Eucharist.

In the celebration of the Eucharist is expressed all promises that the priests renewed at the Chrism Mass.

The “Washing of Feet” is a symbolic expression of the ministry and service of the priest.

The other pastoral ministries include visiting the sick, teaching the Catechumens and baptizing them, spiritual formation of the Christian people, building communities of faith, restoring and reconciling strained or broken relationships, and many others.

It is the priest who leads the People of God in the ministry and service to God and to His People.

So the priest celebrates the Eucharist, and he also forms the People of God into a Eucharistic people.

More than just washing feet, a Eucharistic people go to the lowly, the poor, the rejected, the disregarded, the needy and those who can’t help themselves.

To wash their feet would mean to restore their respect and dignity, and doing it with simplicity, humility and charity.

This is also what the Eucharist means and expresses.

May the partaking of the Eucharist make us become what the Eucharist means.

Wednesday of Holy Week, 01-04-2026

Isaiah 50:4-9 / Matthew 26:14-25  

A “wake-up call” can have two meanings.

The obvious literal meaning is a phone call made at a prearranged time to wake someone up.

But that term “wake-up call” is also often understood as an incident or sign that alerts people to an unsatisfactory situation and prompts them to remedy it.

In that second meaning, it can be that after many signs and incidents, the last one had the effect of waking up that person to the situation.

But it does not mean that the earlier ones had no effect.

Yet, it may also mean that many signs and incidents were given, but they were not heeded.

In the gospel, Judas Iscariot offered to betray Jesus to the chief priest for thirty silver pieces, which at that time, was the price of a slave.

When Jesus and His disciples were at the sacred Passover meal, He told them solemnly that one of them was to betray Him.

He even hinted that the one who dipped his hand into the dish with Him will betray Him.

Jesus even said sharply that it would be better for the betrayer to had never been born.

Yet, Judas did not heed the signs, he did not heed the wake-up calls, and by his own words, he brought judgement to himself.

God will always give us signs, those wake-up calls, to alert us to turn away from sin and from tragedy unto ourselves.

May we heed those signs, those calls from God, and come back to God and to be loved and protected by Him.

Tuesday of Holy Week, 31-03-2026

Isaiah 49:1-6 / John 13:21-33, 36-38   

It can be said that the influence and success of a person are expressed as his life comes to an end.

Because all that a person strived for, laboured for, fought for, sacrificed for, will be a testimony for that person at the end of his days.

And even if he has passed on, then there can be a legacy that he leaves behind. 

In the gospel, Jesus was at supper with His disciples.

But He was troubled in spirit and He declared that one of His disciples, one of them who was at the table, will betray Him.

Jesus came to proclaim the Good News of salvation and to bear witness to the love of God in person.

But as He prepares for the final chapter of His mission, it seems that nothing is going for Him.

He faced rejection and persecution from His own people.

And now He faced betrayal and also desertion from His own disciples.

It was like how the prophet Isaiah said in the 1st reading: I have toiled in vain, I have exhausted myself for nothing.

But even in the darkness of the situation, Jesus said: Now has the Son of Man been glorified, and in him God has been glorified.

So even if we think that we are a failure, and that we have worked hard and yet there is nothing to show, let us put our lives in the hands of Jesus.

Let us learn from Him to do what God wants of us and to glorify God always.

When we do that, then God will bless us and happy are we when we just want to be servants of God.

Monday of Holy Week, 30-03-2026

Isaiah 42:1-7 / John 12:1-11   

The things of this world are attractive and, undeniably, we desire for them.

From luxury items to property, from sporty cars to gadgets, they catch our eye and our attention.

They may be on our wish list and we dream of having them.

But when we get life all mixed up, then things become all important.

We will end up loving things and using people to get those things.

In the gospel, the initial point of attention was the costly pound of pure nard.

Mary brought it in and anointed the feet of Jesus, and then wiping His feet with her hair.

That act would raise questions, but the first question was about the cost of ointment and why it was wasted on the feet.

But what Jesus said brought the important things of life into perspective.

People are much more important than things or money.

So, we must love people and use things or money to help them in their need.

As we begin Holy Week, let us remember the great commandment of love.

May we live out that love for God and for others as this week unfolds.

Palm-Passion Sunday, Year A, 29.03.2026

Isaiah 50:4-7 / Philippians 2:6-11 / Matthew 26:14 – 27:66

Today, as we come from Mass, we received palm branches. 

At the beginning of the Mass, we held up and waved the palm branches happily, as the priests sprinkles Holy Water to bless them. 

The palm branches are a symbol of the triumphant entry of Jesus into the holy city of Jerusalem. 

It is also a symbol of our welcoming Jesus into our hearts. 

So, it was a joyful and a happy mood, until we heard the readings, especially the long gospel reading. 

The mood and the atmosphere became solemn and heavy. 

We hear of betrayals and denials, of promises  made but broken later. 

We hear Jesus, in the depths of prayer and submitting to the Father’s will. 

We hear of accusations, of suffering, crucifixion and death. 

But we also hear of mercy and forgiveness as a repentant criminal was promised with entry into eternity. 

Yes, Palm Sunday moved into Passion Sunday, into the suffering and death of Jesus. 

This coming week is called Holy Week, and we journey with Jesus into His suffering and death on the Cross. 

We stay with Jesus and see His heart of mercy and compassion. 

We await with the hope of His Resurrection, when we hear once again the Good News of our salvation. 

Yes, by His suffering and death, Jesus saved us from our sins. 

As we stay with Jesus in prayer, let us also reflect about our lives and the experiences of pain and suffering, of rejection and disappointment and frustration. 

With Jesus, let us accept God’s will, let us carry the Cross with love, so as to receive the gift of salvation from Jesus.

5th Week of Lent, Saturday, 28-03-2026

Ezekiel 37:21-28 / John 11:45-56  

Whenever we think of a good time to embark on a project or an event, there will be several factors that we will consider.

We will think of a good place, and gather the right people, to get started on it.

In other words, when we think that we have the right place and the right people all lined up, then that will be the right time.

When Jesus came into the world, it may seemed to be a wrong time.

The Jewish people were at one of their lowest points in their history, as their land was conquered and occupied by the Romans.

The Roman empire was the most powerful nation at that time and they controlled everything.

As much as the Jewish people were looking forward to the coming of the Messiah, that Messiah would have a lot of resistance and opposition if he were to come at that time.

So, when Jesus came into the world, it was like the wrong time, because His people were under occupation, and with no power and might.

Yet, that was the time that God sent His Son into the world.

Jesus met with rejection, resistance and opposition from even His own people.

So when Caiaphas made that statement that it is better for one man to die for the people, than for the whole nation to be destroyed, he thought of it as an elimination of a threat.

But because he spoke as high priest, it was a prophecy that fulfilled the plan of God.

So it is not about a good time or the right time or the best time.

It is about the appointed time, it is about God’s time, and in that time, things will happen in God’s way.

Let us pray that we will be able to recognize God’s time, and when it is God’s time, let us also follow God’s ways.

5th Week of Lent, Friday, 27-03-2026

Jeremiah 20:10-13 / John 10:31-42   

The test of time often reveals the true nature of things as well as the true nature of people.

So, what may look good and impressive at the beginning may not be so after a period of time.

And what started off with bright lights and big sounds may slowly taper off.

On the other hand, there may be some that start slow and seem to take their time.

One example is plants and trees. They take time to grow, but when they are matured, they are beautiful and also bear fruits.

A person’s work is the expression of his personality and character.

For Jesus, His work and His ministry expresses His nature as well as His relationship with God.

As Christians, we share in the nature of Jesus, and what we do expresses our faith and our relationship with Jesus.

May we always be united with Jesus, and in His time and in His way, we will bear fruits, fruits that will last, fruits that will glorify God, fruits that will be for the good of others.

5th Week of Lent, Thursday, 26-03-2026

Genesis 17:3-9 / John 8:51-59 

In the Bible, the most profound name of God is spelt with four letters – YHWH.

That name cannot be pronounced without vowels, and it is also not to be pronounced because it is a sacred name.

Moses asked God what is His name so that he can tell the people the name of God who is calling the people out of Egypt.

God told Moses to tell the people this name: I Am

It is a rather mystical and mysterious name, but that is how God wants to be known to His people.

But it is also a name to be used with reverence and respect.

So, when Jesus says this “I tell you most solemnly, before Abraham ever was, I Am”, the people reacted violently as they picked up stones to throw at Jesus.

Jesus was telling the people that His name is “I Am”, and, in effect, telling the people that He is God.

The people cannot accept that, because for them, no human being can ever be God.

But we believe that Jesus is divine, He is God.

We must also use the name of Jesus with reverence and with respect.

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

Let us call upon Jesus to forgive our sins and save us, and we will see the signs and wonders of His love for us.

Annunciation of the Lord, Wednesday, 25-03-2026

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

St. Augustine was quoted as saying : God does not ask of us the impossible. He may ask us to do the difficult thing, but He will make it possible.

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation, the proclamation of the Good News of salvation.

It is not only a joyful event, it is also a very profound event in God's plan of salvation.

Yet for Mary, it was not just an event ; it was for her a mission.

And if she said "Yes" then it was going to be a life-long mission. And it was going to be difficult.

But God assured her it was not going to be impossible.

Mary put her faith and trust in God as she accepted her mission.

We live in difficult and fragile times. We have wars here and epidemics there and all sorts of weird things everywhere.

Trying to believe and live out the Good News is not only difficult, but seemingly impossible.

Believing that there can be peace, that there can be joy, that there can be love, can be difficult.

But let this celebration of the Annunciation, the celebration of the Good News of our salvation, remind us that difficulty is not synonymous with impossibility.

We join Mary to say "Yes" to God because we want to believe that God is greater than any difficulty and impossibility.

5th Week of Lent, Tuesday, 24-03-2026

Numbers 21:4-9 / John 8:21-30   

In the Church we see many religious symbols.

Most of these religious symbols have meanings that are obvious.

The Cross is the most profound sign of Christianity.

It symbolizes the sign of salvation, that Jesus died on the Cross to save us.

But in the 1st reading, God told Moses to fashion a bronze serpent and put it on a standard.

And anyone who was bitten by a fiery serpent would just have to look at it and will live.

It can be rather puzzling to make an image of a creature that caused death with its bite.

Even more puzzling is that the image is raised up on a standard and then it became a means of healing.

But that can only make some sense when seen with the image of the Cross.

The Cross was an instrument of torture and death.

But with Jesus raised on it, the Cross becomes a sign of salvation.

So in the 1st reading, God sent the fiery serpents to punish the people for their sinfulness.

The image of the fiery serpent on a standard is to remind the people of their sinfulness and also the healing forgiveness of God.

God sent His Son Jesus to save us. 

When Jesus died on the Cross, it is also to remind us of the cross of our sins but Jesus died on it to save us.

Let us ponder, reflect and meditate on the Cross and give thanks to Jesus for saving us.

5th Week of Lent, Monday, 23-03-2026

Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 / John 8:1-11 

No one can ever say that they have never done wrong.

It may be just a small mistake, or it can be a serious offence.

Whatever it may be, the question is what happens after that.

Generally, there are two possible consequences.

One is punishment, the other is correction.

In the 1st reading, the punishment of the two wicked elders was inevitable.

They not only had done wrong, they even wanted to end the life of an innocent woman.

But divine justice prevailed through the young man Daniel, and it was an expression of God’s protection on the innocent.

But in the gospel, the situation was rather complicated.

The woman had done wrong, but the scribes and Pharisees wanted to use her to test as well as a trap.

And in this case, it was divine wisdom that prevailed as Jesus says: If there is one of you who has not sinned, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.

It was a wisdom that did not judge or punish, but it taught everyone about God’s mercy and compassion.

So when a mistake is made or a serious offence is committed, let us turn to the Lord to see what He is teaching us.

May we learn that God is truth and justice, but He is also merciful and compassionate.

And for all the wrong we have done and the sins we have committed, let us beg the Lord for forgiveness and healing.

5th Sunday of Lent, Year A, 22.03.2025

Ezekiel 37:12-14 / Romans 8:8-11 / John 11:1-45  

Singapore does not have the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter. 

So, we may not see snow in our country, or we can go somewhere else where there is snow, if we so desire to see and feel the snow. 

Singapore is like perpetual summer, and even during the rainy season, the sun will still appear to heat up the weather. 

But because it is like perpetual summer here, then it is like paradise for plant lovers. 

Plants and flora will thrive with the abundance of sunshine and rain. 

So, Singapore’s reputation as a “Garden City” comes naturally with the local weather. 

But with the hot and humid weather, plants are also in danger of drying up and even dying if they are not watered. 

It is an amazing experience to grow a plant from a seed. 

It is wonderful to see the beauty and the miracle of life even in plants. 

But when seeds don't germinate or when plants die for some reason, it reminds us of the truth. 

The truth is that life, in all its forms, is fragile. Yes, life is fragile, so we have to handle it with care, and also to handle it with prayer. 

Today’s gospel can be summarised in just three words, “life and death”, but there is more to it. 

In life, we need to prepare for death. Yet in death, there can also be life. 

There is this story of a CEO who planned to retire, and he plans to pick a successor from among the executives. 

So, he called the executives together and gave them each a seed, and told them to plant it, and bring it back six months later. The one with the best plant will be the next CEO. 

One of the executives by the name of Jim, went home with the seed and told his wife about it and together they planted it in a pot. 

They watered it and also put it under the sun and waited with expectation. 

At first, the executives inquired about each other’s seeds, and then a few weeks later, they was sharing about the growth of their plants. 

As Jim hears their conversations, he was getting worried because there was nothing happening to his seed. 

He and his wife watered it, put it under the sun, put fertiliser on it and even prayed over it, but nothing was happening. 

As weeks turned into months, the other executives were talking about how beautiful their plants were. 

But Jim was getting desperate and despondent, and he thought of himself as a failure. He can’t even make a seed grow. 

Jim wanted to just buy a pot of plant to show it when that day comes, but his wife told him to be honest and to accept the truth. 

Then came the day for the executives to bring their plants to show it to the CEO. 

All the executives brought in their beautiful pots of plants. 

All except Jim, who brought along the pot with no plant, and he hung his head low in embarrassment. 

When the CEO came in to look at the plants, he was impressed by the variety and the beauty of the plants. 

When he came to Jim, and saw his empty pot, Jim was terrified that he would be scolded and even fired. 

When the CEO asked Jim what happened, Jim told him the whole story. 

Then the CEO asked the executives to be seated, and then he said:

Six months ago, I gave you seeds to plant. But I didn’t tell you they were dead seeds, and so they won’t grow or germinate. 

All of you brought in pots of plants that didn’t grow from those seeds. 

Only Jim was honest and truthful about this. So, he will be the next CEO. 

That is like a fairy tale story, but it is also about truth and honesty. 

But a deeper reflection on it is that a dead seed brought up a life of truth and honesty for Jim. 

So even in death, there can be life. 

Jesus is the Resurrection, and He is the Lord of life. 

He rolls away the stone of death and calls us by name to come out of our tombs of fear, of sin, and of a living death. 

In Jesus, death is not a hopeless situation. 

So, when we feel that all is lost and there is no hope left, let us remember the lobsters and fishes swimming in the tank at the restaurant on the Titanic. They thought it was a dead end. 

In Jesus there is hope, there is life. 

In Jesus, death will also teach us about the meaning of life and the meaning of love.

4th Week of Lent, Saturday, 21-03-2026

Jeremiah 11:18-20 / John 7:40-52  

One of the images of God is that of a judge, much like that of a judge in a court.

A judge would look at all the facts and then make a judgement.

So, with the judge pronouncing the judgement, the wrong-doer would be punished, and the innocent would be vindicated.

But there have been instances when the facts were twisted, or that the judge was bribed, resulting in the innocent being punished, and the wrong-doer escaping punishment.

But with God, He sees and knows everything, and hence, His judgement is always right and just.

But God is not an impartial judge who just looks at the cold hard facts and then makes a judgement.

God is on the side of the weak, the oppressed and the persecuted.

In the 1st reading, God revealed to the prophet Jeremiah the scheming of the wicked.

God warned him of their plots to destroy and kill him.

But Jeremiah turned to the Lord God and submitted to His protection.

God is the divine judge and vengeance belongs to Him alone.

Like Jeremiah, let us trust in the Lord God and He will protect us, and He will also reveal and warn us of the evil intentions of the wicked.

4th Week of Lent, Friday, 20-03-2026

Wisdom 2:1, 12-22 / John 7:1-2, 10., 25-30    

The presence of sin is expressed in the bad and evil deeds that we see around us.

Faced with such bad and evil deeds, we may wonder what is in the minds of those who commit such wicked deeds.

Why do these people commit such deeds and think that there is no punishment for sin?

The 1st reading begins with this line: The godless say to themselves with their misguided reasoning.

What follows after that are plots and traps against the good and upright.

It becomes clear that the godless do not need a reason to commit evil and wicked deeds.

They just want to put down the good and to make them suffer for nothing.

In the gospel, the enemies of Jesus were out to kill Him.

Those wicked people think of nothing about killing and taking a life.

But they are godless people, and their minds are filled with evil and wickedness against the good and upright.

As for us, we are the People of God.

We will not return evil with evil, and Jesus has also taught us to love our enemies.

When we stay faithful to the teachings of Jesus, then there will be the hope that evil will be overcome by the love of God in us.

St. Joseph, Spouse of the BVM, Thursday, 19-03-2026

2 Sam 7:4-5, 12-14, 16 / Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22 / Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24 or Luke 2:41-51  

Today's feast of St. Joseph is a big feast, a solemnity actually, with the Gloria and Creed being said.

The feast is that of St. Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

That title says very much about who St. Joseph is, who Mary is, and inevitably who Jesus is.

St. Joseph is the patron saint of workers, of the dying, of fathers, but in 1870, Pope Pius IX declared St. Joseph as the patron saint and the protector of the Church.

Today's feast celebrates the patronage of St. Joseph and the Church asks for his intercession and protection.

As we heard in the gospel, St. Joseph was called to be the husband of Mary and in accepting to do so he was also taking the responsibility to take charge and to protect Jesus as his son.

In not knowing fully the meaning of the events that led to the birth of Jesus, and yet accepting the responsibility to protect and care for mother and child, St. Joseph showed that he was not only obedient to the will of God but also carried out God's will with love.

In celebrating this feast, we also pray that fathers and workers will take St Joseph to be their model, and that the dying will turn to him for his powerful intercession.

We also pray that priests who are guardians of the sacred mysteries of the Church would also look to St Joseph as their model, that they will protect and care of the Church just as St. Joseph protected and cared for Mary and Jesus.

4th Week of Lent, Wednesday, 18-03-2026

Isaiah 49:8-15 / John 5:17-30    

Doing spring-cleaning and packing can be tiring and boring.

But, at the same time, it can be an experience of discovery.

We did discover how many things we have kept and not used or seen them for such a long time.

And we will also discover the things we have forgotten, or thought we have lost or thrown away, but now we found them back.

As with things, when they are out of sight, they will be soon out of mind.

As it is with things, so it is with people. 

When we don’t keep in contact with some people, or see them once in a while, they will slowly fade away from our minds.

In other words, we forget about them, as in we don’t meet or interact with them regularly.

In the 1st reading, the people of God was saying: The Lord has abandoned me, the Lord has forgotten me.

But the Lord replies: Does a woman forget her baby at the breast, or fail to cherish the son of her womb? Yet even if these forget, I will never forget you.

Yes, at the favourable time, God will answer us, on the day of salvation, God will help us.

Let us not forget about God’s promises to us, because He will never forget us.

4th Week of Lent, Tuesday, 17-03-2026

Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12 / John 5:1-3, 5-16  

Pictures of places often depict the most ideal and beautiful aspects.

In travel brochures, the pictures of the places look so attractive that it makes us almost want to take a flight there immediately.

But the reality could quite look like the picture, and maybe even better than the picture.

In the 1st reading, the Temple was portrayed with a stream flowing out from under the Temple threshold.

The stream becomes a river and flows into the sea and makes its waters wholesome.

It is a life-giving water, and gives growth to plants and trees and all living beings.

It is a beautiful portrayal of the Temple and the blessings that flow from it.

In the gospel, when Jesus asked the sick man if he wanted to be cured, that man lamented that he couldn’t get into the pool in time when the water is stirred.

Jesus then told him to pick up his sleeping mat and walk, and the man was cured at once, and he picked up his mat and walked away.

Jesus is the new Temple of God and He is the living water who gives life and healing.

Let us come before Jesus in the Church and let His blessings flow into us.

May the blessings of Jesus give us life and growth, and heal us of all illness and sickness, so that we will go forth and bear witness to the love of God.

4th Week of Lent, Monday, 16-03-2026

Isaiah 65:17-21 / John 4:43-54   

To talk about faith when things are calm and controlled can be inspiring and edifying.

We will share about how our prayers are answered and how God gave us wonderful signs.

But when situations and circumstances become chaotic and urgent, then our faith will be tested.

In the gospel, Jesus came to Cana in Galilee where He had changed water into wine.

Surely, it was the talk of the town that such a wonderful miracle had happened.

Then a court official came before Jesus imploring Him to go and cure his dying son.

That court official would have heard about Jesus and the miracle He had worked.

But in this desperate and urgent situation, that court official needed Jesus to go and cure his son quickly.

When Jesus gave the word that his son will live, that court official had to believe, as there were no other options.

As for us, we know that God had answered our prayer before.

When we are faced with desperate and urgent needs, let us put our faith and trust in the power of Jesus.

He will answer our prayers in His own way and in His own time.

We only need to believe that Jesus will answer our prayers.