Acts 13 : 26-33
John 14 : 1-6
Whenever we hear of a person or a group of people being chosen for a task or a mission, we will have some assumptions or presuppositions or expectations.
We might assume that this person or this group of people have the abilities or qualities for being chosen.
We might presuppose that they deserve the privilege of being chosen because of some talents or skills.
We will also expect them to fulfill the task or mission that they are chosen for.
Yet, for Israel, the Chosen people of God, such was not the case.
In fact, as St. Paul puts it in the 1st reading, they did everything contrary to their task or mission as the Chosen people of God.
Yet, in doing so, they ironically fulfilled the prophesies in the scriptures.
In a way, we can say that God made it straight even despite the crookedness of His Chosen people.
Indeed, it was God who chose Israel and it was God who fulfilled the mission of Israel.
It is God who chose us to be His people.
As His people, we have to learn the lessons from the history of Israel and to straighten up the crookedness of our lives.
We may have failed in the past but let not our hearts be troubled or lose faith.
Let us trust in Jesus who will show us the way of truth so that we will know how to live our lives.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
4th Week of Easter, Thursday, 29-04-10
Acts 13 : 13-25
John 13 : 16-20
It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words.
This has a profound meaning in today's world especially in the IT age when we are bombarded with so many words.
Furthermore, people in general are not conditioned to listening or reading for long periods of time.
Maybe that's why reading the Bible and listening to homilies can be challenging.
Because it's essentially words, words and more words.
Yet the Word of God is primarily and fundamentally about people.
It was about the people of Israel, it was about the Christians in the early Church.
And it is also about us living in this present world, in the here and now.
That was why when St Paul addressed the congregation in the 1st reading, he began with how God saved the ancestors of the people of Israel and continued to do so right until Jesus came.
Jesus was the Word of God made flesh. Words were no more necessary because God has become man.
God became man so that man will know how to walk in the ways of God.
We are now the bearers of the Good News. Words may be necessary. But may we also be living images of God for others.
John 13 : 16-20
It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words.
This has a profound meaning in today's world especially in the IT age when we are bombarded with so many words.
Furthermore, people in general are not conditioned to listening or reading for long periods of time.
Maybe that's why reading the Bible and listening to homilies can be challenging.
Because it's essentially words, words and more words.
Yet the Word of God is primarily and fundamentally about people.
It was about the people of Israel, it was about the Christians in the early Church.
And it is also about us living in this present world, in the here and now.
That was why when St Paul addressed the congregation in the 1st reading, he began with how God saved the ancestors of the people of Israel and continued to do so right until Jesus came.
Jesus was the Word of God made flesh. Words were no more necessary because God has become man.
God became man so that man will know how to walk in the ways of God.
We are now the bearers of the Good News. Words may be necessary. But may we also be living images of God for others.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
4th Week of Easter, Wednesday, 28-04-10
Acts 12:24 - 13:5 / John 12:44-50 (2019)
Generally speaking, we can say that good reading habits will help maintain good eyesight.
Good reading habits here means the distance between the eyes and the book, the posture for reading, and of course good lighting.
It is obvious that without good lighting, one will barely able to see what one is reading and prolonged reading under such adverse conditions will eventually result in bad eyesight.
So we know that good lighting is necessary for reading; yet we must put it into practice.
Similarly, we also know what Jesus taught us. In Him is the light of Truth.
What Jesus taught us is for our good and for our salvation.
But it is not enough to know what Jesus taught us. We also have to put it into practice by living out the teachings of Jesus in our lives.
We know we must forgive others when they wrong us.
We know we must respect the dignity of others and not to indulge in gossips and slandering.
We know we must trust in God even when bad things happen to us.
To do otherwise is to prefer the darkness even though we see the light.
Furthermore, at baptism, we are already enlightened by Christ.
So the light of Christ is already within us.
Let us keep that light shining brightly in us especially in prayer so that we in turn will be able to enlighten others.
Generally speaking, we can say that good reading habits will help maintain good eyesight.
Good reading habits here means the distance between the eyes and the book, the posture for reading, and of course good lighting.
It is obvious that without good lighting, one will barely able to see what one is reading and prolonged reading under such adverse conditions will eventually result in bad eyesight.
So we know that good lighting is necessary for reading; yet we must put it into practice.
Similarly, we also know what Jesus taught us. In Him is the light of Truth.
What Jesus taught us is for our good and for our salvation.
But it is not enough to know what Jesus taught us. We also have to put it into practice by living out the teachings of Jesus in our lives.
We know we must forgive others when they wrong us.
We know we must respect the dignity of others and not to indulge in gossips and slandering.
We know we must trust in God even when bad things happen to us.
To do otherwise is to prefer the darkness even though we see the light.
Furthermore, at baptism, we are already enlightened by Christ.
So the light of Christ is already within us.
Let us keep that light shining brightly in us especially in prayer so that we in turn will be able to enlighten others.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
4th Week of Easter, Tuesday, 27-04-10
Acts 11 : 19-26
John 10 : 22-30
During this season of Easter, one of the necessary reflections that we must make is to think about what being a Christian is all about.
The word Christian means "being anointed" or the "anointed ones".
So what are we anointed for, and what should we do as Christians?
In short, we are to proclaim the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is THE Anointed One.
A quick glance through the Acts of the Apostles will give us a picture of how this Good News was proclaimed.
The Good News was proclaimed with the mighty acts of the power of God.
These were manifested in the healing of the sick and driving out evil spirits and forgiveness and conversion.
Essentially it is the Good News of salvation, the Good News of God's love for humanity.
As we heard in the 1st reading, the people associated these acts of the disciples with Christ and hence they were called Christians.
In the gospel, we hear of the people asking Jesus this question - If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.
As for us, we need not tell people that we are Christians.
By what we do, they would know we are Christians.
They will know we are the anointed ones of God by our acts of love.
John 10 : 22-30
During this season of Easter, one of the necessary reflections that we must make is to think about what being a Christian is all about.
The word Christian means "being anointed" or the "anointed ones".
So what are we anointed for, and what should we do as Christians?
In short, we are to proclaim the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is THE Anointed One.
A quick glance through the Acts of the Apostles will give us a picture of how this Good News was proclaimed.
The Good News was proclaimed with the mighty acts of the power of God.
These were manifested in the healing of the sick and driving out evil spirits and forgiveness and conversion.
Essentially it is the Good News of salvation, the Good News of God's love for humanity.
As we heard in the 1st reading, the people associated these acts of the disciples with Christ and hence they were called Christians.
In the gospel, we hear of the people asking Jesus this question - If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.
As for us, we need not tell people that we are Christians.
By what we do, they would know we are Christians.
They will know we are the anointed ones of God by our acts of love.
Monday, April 26, 2010
4th Week of Easter, Monday, 26-04-10
Acts 11 : 1-18
John 10: 1-10
Back in 1968, Pope Paul VI issued an encyclical which was titled " Humanae Vitae".
An encyclical is a letter addressed by the Pope to all the bishops of the Church and the teachings contained in it are to be heeded.
The English title of that encyclical is this - The Right Order to be fulfilled in the Propagation of Human Offspring.
In that encyclical, Pope Paul VI taught about the dignity and the respect of the human life of the fetus, a teaching which was reiterated by the popes after him.
He urged against the use of contraception and artificial birth control methods, as well as fertility methods which violate the respect and dignity of the human person in the fetus.
At that time, this teaching of the Pope was criticized as being backward and out of touch with the current trends of society.
But now we see the consequences of not heeding what the Pope taught at that time.
Legalized abortion and safe-sex methods only resulted in higher teenage pregnancies and abortions.
Yet on the other hand, there is this contradiction of falling birth rates.
Experiments on the embryo have gone as far as cloning and other bizarre ideas and practices.
As the Church, let us listen to the one voice, the voice of the Good Shepherd.
The Good Shepherd still speaks through the Pope.
As we heard in the 1st reading, the Good Shepherd spoke through Peter and the Jewish Christians realized that God also wants to grant salvation to the pagans.
Let us listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd especially in the teachings of the Church.
Because it is a voice that calls us to life.
John 10: 1-10
Back in 1968, Pope Paul VI issued an encyclical which was titled " Humanae Vitae".
An encyclical is a letter addressed by the Pope to all the bishops of the Church and the teachings contained in it are to be heeded.
The English title of that encyclical is this - The Right Order to be fulfilled in the Propagation of Human Offspring.
In that encyclical, Pope Paul VI taught about the dignity and the respect of the human life of the fetus, a teaching which was reiterated by the popes after him.
He urged against the use of contraception and artificial birth control methods, as well as fertility methods which violate the respect and dignity of the human person in the fetus.
At that time, this teaching of the Pope was criticized as being backward and out of touch with the current trends of society.
But now we see the consequences of not heeding what the Pope taught at that time.
Legalized abortion and safe-sex methods only resulted in higher teenage pregnancies and abortions.
Yet on the other hand, there is this contradiction of falling birth rates.
Experiments on the embryo have gone as far as cloning and other bizarre ideas and practices.
As the Church, let us listen to the one voice, the voice of the Good Shepherd.
The Good Shepherd still speaks through the Pope.
As we heard in the 1st reading, the Good Shepherd spoke through Peter and the Jewish Christians realized that God also wants to grant salvation to the pagans.
Let us listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd especially in the teachings of the Church.
Because it is a voice that calls us to life.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
3rd Week of Easter, Saturday, 24-04-10
Acts 9:31-42 / John 6:60-69 (2019)
Some creatures are rather revolting by sight. I would think that maggots and leeches would fit into this category.
Yet of late, medical science has found out that maggots and leeches can be helpful in treatment.
For eg. maggots have been used in treating sores on diabetic patients and leeches have been used to stop bleeding.
Who would have thought that maggots and leeches would have such useful purposes in life and in medical science?
Likewise in life, what we used to reject or scorn at an earlier point in life, we will somehow come to accept and sanction later on in life.
When Jesus gave His discourse on bread of life in the gospel, the people rejected Him then.
Now we take that profound discourse for granted and maybe even too lightly.
We might have become too casual to the words of Jesus about the bread of life that He wants to give us.
Yet the message of Jesus about Him being our spiritual food and drink is not just for this life.
His is the message of eternal life. There is no need to look for another message.
We need to continually deepen our understanding of this message of Jesus.
More than just accepting the message, may we also become the message that will bring others to see in Jesus the bread of eternal life.
Some creatures are rather revolting by sight. I would think that maggots and leeches would fit into this category.
Yet of late, medical science has found out that maggots and leeches can be helpful in treatment.
For eg. maggots have been used in treating sores on diabetic patients and leeches have been used to stop bleeding.
Who would have thought that maggots and leeches would have such useful purposes in life and in medical science?
Likewise in life, what we used to reject or scorn at an earlier point in life, we will somehow come to accept and sanction later on in life.
When Jesus gave His discourse on bread of life in the gospel, the people rejected Him then.
Now we take that profound discourse for granted and maybe even too lightly.
We might have become too casual to the words of Jesus about the bread of life that He wants to give us.
Yet the message of Jesus about Him being our spiritual food and drink is not just for this life.
His is the message of eternal life. There is no need to look for another message.
We need to continually deepen our understanding of this message of Jesus.
More than just accepting the message, may we also become the message that will bring others to see in Jesus the bread of eternal life.
Friday, April 23, 2010
3rd Week of Easter, Friday, 23-04-10
Acts 9:1-20 / John 6:52-59
What we heard in the 1st reading reading is often called the conversion story of St. Paul.
Yes, in many ways it is a conversion story.
Yet, when we think about it, just what did St. Paul convert from.
He wasn't a bad or evil man. In fact he was a good Pharisee, and he wanted to protect his religion.
I would think that what St. Paul went through was a great enlightenment and realization.
On that road to Damascus, he realized that Jesus lives in His followers when he heard the voice saying: I am Jesus, and you are persecuting Me.
For St. Paul, that was an enlightenment and a deep realization as well as a deep experience of Jesus.
In the gospel, Jesus said that whoever eats His body and drinks His blood lives in Him and He lives in that person.
As we partake of the Eucharist, let us ask Jesus to give us a deep realization and an experience that St. Paul had.
Let us ask the Lord to heal and strengthen us with His body and blood so that we too, like St. Paul will go forth and proclaim that Jesus is Lord and Saviour.
What we heard in the 1st reading reading is often called the conversion story of St. Paul.
Yes, in many ways it is a conversion story.
Yet, when we think about it, just what did St. Paul convert from.
He wasn't a bad or evil man. In fact he was a good Pharisee, and he wanted to protect his religion.
I would think that what St. Paul went through was a great enlightenment and realization.
On that road to Damascus, he realized that Jesus lives in His followers when he heard the voice saying: I am Jesus, and you are persecuting Me.
For St. Paul, that was an enlightenment and a deep realization as well as a deep experience of Jesus.
In the gospel, Jesus said that whoever eats His body and drinks His blood lives in Him and He lives in that person.
As we partake of the Eucharist, let us ask Jesus to give us a deep realization and an experience that St. Paul had.
Let us ask the Lord to heal and strengthen us with His body and blood so that we too, like St. Paul will go forth and proclaim that Jesus is Lord and Saviour.
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