Genesis 18:16-33 / Matthew 8:18-22
In the 1st reading, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were described as cities that had committed grievous sin, and the outcry against them had come up to the Lord.
Then we also heard of Abraham pleading for mercy from God not to destroy the two cities.
It also sounded like some kind of bargaining as the number of innocent persons was reduced from 50 to 10 in order to save the cities from destruction.
There were no records of what the population in those two cities were, but rough estimates have it from about 1,000 to 1,500.
So even if it was only a population of about 1000, then 10 out of that number is a negligible percentage (0.01%!)
Yet for the small and almost negligible percentage of innocent in a city that was steeped in grievous sin, God was willing to spare the sinful city, then God's mercy is certainly incomprehensible.
And if for such a small number, God shows His boundless mercy, then all the more, with a small number of people, God can also work wonders.
Here in Singapore, the local Catholic population is about 5%. That is a small number, but it is with such a small number that God can and will work marvels and pour forth His grace.
On our part we only need to have the conviction and commitment that God wants to work through us.
We only need to follow Jesus faithfully and leave the rest to God.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Saturday, June 29, 2013
13th Ordinary Sunday, Year C, 30.06.2013
1 Kings 19:16, 19-21/ Galatians 5:1, 13-18/ Luke 9:51-62
The month of June can be called a month of beginnings and endings.
The school holidays started in June and it’s also going to end in June.
And as we look at the calendar, the month of June signals the end of the first half of the year and after that it be the beginning of the second half of the year.
But for the Church in Singapore, the month of June this year has a special significance in terms of beginnings and endings.
In the month of June, we are blessed with three priestly ordinations – Fr Bernard Wee (21 June), Fr Eugene Lee CSsR (27 June), Fr Gerard Danker SJ (29 June).
We rejoice with these three young priests as they began their priesthood in the month of June.
Yet, it is also in the month of June that we bade farewell to two priests as they returned home to the Lord – Fr Alfred Chan (1 June) and Fr Joseph Yau (22 June). May God grant them eternal rest and reward them for their labours.
So for some, God has called to follow Him and serve Him; for some, God has called home to be back with Him.
So, for the Church in Singapore, the month of June is indeed a month of beginnings and endings.
In the gospel, we hear of beginnings and endings too.
Jesus was beginning His journey to Jerusalem. And it will be there that His earthly journey would also come to an end.
And as He began His journey to Jerusalem, He immediately faced rejection from a Samaritan town.
But instead of retaliation, as James and John suggested, Jesus resolutely went on in His direction.
Along with that, Jesus also gave His disciples a teaching on the cost of discipleship.
Yes, to be His disciple, one would have to face rejection. Also there would be no comfort and no security – there would be nowhere to lay the head.
Even priorities are changed as one has to leave family ties aside.
Even personal sentiments have to give way to the direction set for the disciple.
In short, if we want to be a disciple of Jesus, we do not have the freedom to do what we like.
That sounds like tough news, even more like bad news!
But a true disciple of Jesus will understand the good news of discipleship, and that is to be free from other attachments so as to follow Jesus totally and freely.
For the disciple, there is only one direction – to focus on Jesus and to follow in the direction of Jesus.
We are very familiar with that classic children’s story of the hare and the tortoise. Maybe let us revisit the story and see what new lesson we can learn from it.
Once upon a time there was a hare who, boasting how he could run faster than anyone else, was forever teasing tortoise for its slowness.
Then one day, the irate tortoise answered back: “There’s no denying you’re swift, but you can be beaten!” The hare squealed with laughter.
“Beaten in a race? By whom? Not you, surely! I bet there’s nobody in the world that can win against me, I’m so fast. Now, why don’t you try?”
Annoyed by such bragging, the tortoise accepted the challenge. A course was planned, and the next day at dawn they stood at the starting line.
The hare yawned sleepily as the meek tortoise trudged slowly off.
When the hare saw how painfully slow his rival was, he decided, half asleep on his feet, to have a quick nap. “Take your time!” he said. “I’ll have forty winks and catch up with you in a minute.”
The hare woke up after a while and gazed at the tortoise. But the tortoise was only a short distance away, having barely covered a quarter of the course.
Then the hare decided he might as well have lunch and off he went to munch some cabbages he had noticed in a nearby field. But the heavy meal and the hot sun made his eyelids droop. With a careless glance at the tortoise, now halfway along the course, he decided to have another snooze before flashing past the winning post.
And smiling at the thought of the look on the tortoise’s face when it saw the hare speed by, he fell fast asleep and was soon snoring happily.
The sun started to sink, below the horizon, and the tortoise, who had been plodding towards the winning post since morning, was scarcely a yard from the finish.
At that very point, the hare woke with a jolt. He could see the tortoise a speck in the distance and away he dashed. He leapt and bounded at a great rate, his tongue lolling, and gasping for breath. Just a little more and he’d be first at the finish line.
But the hare’s last leap was just too late, for the tortoise had beaten him to the winning post. Poor hare! Tired and in disgrace, he slumped down beside the tortoise who was silently smiling at him.
And the tortoise said, “Slowly and steady wins the race!”
But the hare could not accept it and so he asked for a re-match.
And this time he trained hard for the race.
So came the day for the race, and the hare stretched every muscle and warmed up thoroughly.
The gun was fired, the race began, but in the end, the hare still lost the race! Why?!?! Well, the hare ran in the wrong direction.
So besides the moral of the story being that slow and steady wins the race, there is also another essential factor – One must be focused and be firm in going the right direction.
To be a disciple of Jesus, we need to be focused on Him and follow Him faithfully in His direction.
When we are focused and faithful to Jesus, then we will have a good beginning as well as a good ending.
The month of June can be called a month of beginnings and endings.
The school holidays started in June and it’s also going to end in June.
And as we look at the calendar, the month of June signals the end of the first half of the year and after that it be the beginning of the second half of the year.
But for the Church in Singapore, the month of June this year has a special significance in terms of beginnings and endings.
In the month of June, we are blessed with three priestly ordinations – Fr Bernard Wee (21 June), Fr Eugene Lee CSsR (27 June), Fr Gerard Danker SJ (29 June).
We rejoice with these three young priests as they began their priesthood in the month of June.
Yet, it is also in the month of June that we bade farewell to two priests as they returned home to the Lord – Fr Alfred Chan (1 June) and Fr Joseph Yau (22 June). May God grant them eternal rest and reward them for their labours.
So for some, God has called to follow Him and serve Him; for some, God has called home to be back with Him.
So, for the Church in Singapore, the month of June is indeed a month of beginnings and endings.
In the gospel, we hear of beginnings and endings too.
Jesus was beginning His journey to Jerusalem. And it will be there that His earthly journey would also come to an end.
And as He began His journey to Jerusalem, He immediately faced rejection from a Samaritan town.
But instead of retaliation, as James and John suggested, Jesus resolutely went on in His direction.
Along with that, Jesus also gave His disciples a teaching on the cost of discipleship.
Yes, to be His disciple, one would have to face rejection. Also there would be no comfort and no security – there would be nowhere to lay the head.
Even priorities are changed as one has to leave family ties aside.
Even personal sentiments have to give way to the direction set for the disciple.
In short, if we want to be a disciple of Jesus, we do not have the freedom to do what we like.
That sounds like tough news, even more like bad news!
But a true disciple of Jesus will understand the good news of discipleship, and that is to be free from other attachments so as to follow Jesus totally and freely.
For the disciple, there is only one direction – to focus on Jesus and to follow in the direction of Jesus.
We are very familiar with that classic children’s story of the hare and the tortoise. Maybe let us revisit the story and see what new lesson we can learn from it.
Once upon a time there was a hare who, boasting how he could run faster than anyone else, was forever teasing tortoise for its slowness.
Then one day, the irate tortoise answered back: “There’s no denying you’re swift, but you can be beaten!” The hare squealed with laughter.
“Beaten in a race? By whom? Not you, surely! I bet there’s nobody in the world that can win against me, I’m so fast. Now, why don’t you try?”
Annoyed by such bragging, the tortoise accepted the challenge. A course was planned, and the next day at dawn they stood at the starting line.
The hare yawned sleepily as the meek tortoise trudged slowly off.
When the hare saw how painfully slow his rival was, he decided, half asleep on his feet, to have a quick nap. “Take your time!” he said. “I’ll have forty winks and catch up with you in a minute.”
The hare woke up after a while and gazed at the tortoise. But the tortoise was only a short distance away, having barely covered a quarter of the course.
Then the hare decided he might as well have lunch and off he went to munch some cabbages he had noticed in a nearby field. But the heavy meal and the hot sun made his eyelids droop. With a careless glance at the tortoise, now halfway along the course, he decided to have another snooze before flashing past the winning post.
And smiling at the thought of the look on the tortoise’s face when it saw the hare speed by, he fell fast asleep and was soon snoring happily.
The sun started to sink, below the horizon, and the tortoise, who had been plodding towards the winning post since morning, was scarcely a yard from the finish.
At that very point, the hare woke with a jolt. He could see the tortoise a speck in the distance and away he dashed. He leapt and bounded at a great rate, his tongue lolling, and gasping for breath. Just a little more and he’d be first at the finish line.
But the hare’s last leap was just too late, for the tortoise had beaten him to the winning post. Poor hare! Tired and in disgrace, he slumped down beside the tortoise who was silently smiling at him.
And the tortoise said, “Slowly and steady wins the race!”
But the hare could not accept it and so he asked for a re-match.
And this time he trained hard for the race.
So came the day for the race, and the hare stretched every muscle and warmed up thoroughly.
The gun was fired, the race began, but in the end, the hare still lost the race! Why?!?! Well, the hare ran in the wrong direction.
So besides the moral of the story being that slow and steady wins the race, there is also another essential factor – One must be focused and be firm in going the right direction.
To be a disciple of Jesus, we need to be focused on Him and follow Him faithfully in His direction.
When we are focused and faithful to Jesus, then we will have a good beginning as well as a good ending.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles, Saturday, 29-06-13
Acts 12:1-11 /2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18/ Matthew 16:13-19 (2016)
Today's feast is in some ways unique because we remember the two great saints who are the pillars of the Church - St. Peter and St. Paul.
Both were martyred in Rome in the first century and tradition has it that in AD 258, their remains were temporarily removed on 29th June to prevent them from defilement during persecution.
That is the primary reason why although the two saints have feast days of their own, today they are joined together in one feast.
But as we reflect on the readings, then we see today's celebration of the feast of these two great saints has more than just a commemorative reason.
Today we celebrated mystery - that the Church is founded on Jesus Christ and that He has given spiritual authority to St. Peter and the apostles and their successors, and that the gates of the underworld can never hold out against the Church.
We celebrate communion because the authority is for service and unity and in St. Peter and St. Paul, we see that although they had their disagreements with each other, they understand that their fundamental task is to serve the Lord and build the Church in unity.
We also celebrate mission because the Church does not exist for its own sake but for the proclamation of the Good News and for the salvation of the world.
So on this feast of St. Peter and St. Paul, let us contemplate on the mystery of God in the Church, let us work for communion in the Church and let us also be ready to respond to the call of mission of salvation.
Today's feast is in some ways unique because we remember the two great saints who are the pillars of the Church - St. Peter and St. Paul.
Both were martyred in Rome in the first century and tradition has it that in AD 258, their remains were temporarily removed on 29th June to prevent them from defilement during persecution.
That is the primary reason why although the two saints have feast days of their own, today they are joined together in one feast.
But as we reflect on the readings, then we see today's celebration of the feast of these two great saints has more than just a commemorative reason.
Today we celebrated mystery - that the Church is founded on Jesus Christ and that He has given spiritual authority to St. Peter and the apostles and their successors, and that the gates of the underworld can never hold out against the Church.
We celebrate communion because the authority is for service and unity and in St. Peter and St. Paul, we see that although they had their disagreements with each other, they understand that their fundamental task is to serve the Lord and build the Church in unity.
We also celebrate mission because the Church does not exist for its own sake but for the proclamation of the Good News and for the salvation of the world.
So on this feast of St. Peter and St. Paul, let us contemplate on the mystery of God in the Church, let us work for communion in the Church and let us also be ready to respond to the call of mission of salvation.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
12th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 28-06-13
Genesis 17:1, 9-10, 15-22 / Matthew 8:1-4
It is not that easy to laugh at yourself when you are the brunt of a joke.
It would also take a lot of sense of humour to laugh at yourself when the joke went on for 24 years.
When God made the promise to Abraham of land and descendants, Abraham was already 75 years old.
Time and again, Abraham wondered how this promise of God is going to be fulfilled.
He and his wife Sarah even came up with their own ideas as to how to fulfill the promise on their own.
Yet, everything had failed, and as we heard in the 1st reading, when God told Abraham, who was then already 99 years old, that Sarah (who was 88 years old) would conceive and bear a son, just what would be the response of Abraham?
Well, he could have flared up at God for His empty promise and for telling him that he was going to have a child at 99 years old!
But after waiting for 24 years, maybe Abraham had "matured" in that he had the sense of humour to laugh at it instead of fuming over.
Maybe that is where we get the saying - Laughter is the best medicine.
But leprosy is certainly no laughing matter. Yet the leper in the gospel passage had the faith and the courage to come to Jesus for a cure.
And we can say that the leper had the last laugh. And we can also say that those with faith will also have the last laugh. Let us ask God for that kind of faith.
It is not that easy to laugh at yourself when you are the brunt of a joke.
It would also take a lot of sense of humour to laugh at yourself when the joke went on for 24 years.
When God made the promise to Abraham of land and descendants, Abraham was already 75 years old.
Time and again, Abraham wondered how this promise of God is going to be fulfilled.
He and his wife Sarah even came up with their own ideas as to how to fulfill the promise on their own.
Yet, everything had failed, and as we heard in the 1st reading, when God told Abraham, who was then already 99 years old, that Sarah (who was 88 years old) would conceive and bear a son, just what would be the response of Abraham?
Well, he could have flared up at God for His empty promise and for telling him that he was going to have a child at 99 years old!
But after waiting for 24 years, maybe Abraham had "matured" in that he had the sense of humour to laugh at it instead of fuming over.
Maybe that is where we get the saying - Laughter is the best medicine.
But leprosy is certainly no laughing matter. Yet the leper in the gospel passage had the faith and the courage to come to Jesus for a cure.
And we can say that the leper had the last laugh. And we can also say that those with faith will also have the last laugh. Let us ask God for that kind of faith.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
12th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 27-06-13
Genesis 16:1-12, 15-16 / Matthew 7:21-29
Very often, a well-intentioned act or motive with noble objectives is tarnished by our human failings.
Such was the case between Sarai and Hagar, and Abram was caught in the middle.
Sarai intended to have descendants through Hagar, and Abram agreed, and presumably Hagar consented.
The Lord had promised Abram an heir of his own flesh and blood, and Sarai thought that this would be the way it would be done.
But when things subsequently went wrong between Sarai and Hagar, it only goes to show that when God's ways are replaced with human ways, then things will go down the wrong way.
Essentially it shows that despite all good human intentions and motives, we are prone to our sinful tendencies.
As Jesus said in the gospel, we may be able to prophesy and exorcise and work miracles, but we may forget that we are sinners and the fact is that we have sinned.
Hence we need to pray and ask for forgiveness and to be cleansed of our sins so that we can truly listen to the Lord and follow His ways.
We may have the good intention of building a nice house for the Lord but we have to let Him show us where to build it.
Only with the Lord's help will we know whether we are building on sand or on rock.
Very often, a well-intentioned act or motive with noble objectives is tarnished by our human failings.
Such was the case between Sarai and Hagar, and Abram was caught in the middle.
Sarai intended to have descendants through Hagar, and Abram agreed, and presumably Hagar consented.
The Lord had promised Abram an heir of his own flesh and blood, and Sarai thought that this would be the way it would be done.
But when things subsequently went wrong between Sarai and Hagar, it only goes to show that when God's ways are replaced with human ways, then things will go down the wrong way.
Essentially it shows that despite all good human intentions and motives, we are prone to our sinful tendencies.
As Jesus said in the gospel, we may be able to prophesy and exorcise and work miracles, but we may forget that we are sinners and the fact is that we have sinned.
Hence we need to pray and ask for forgiveness and to be cleansed of our sins so that we can truly listen to the Lord and follow His ways.
We may have the good intention of building a nice house for the Lord but we have to let Him show us where to build it.
Only with the Lord's help will we know whether we are building on sand or on rock.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
12th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 26-06-13
Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 / Matthew 7:15-20
A good presenter always sounds attractive to us. Whatever product they may be selling or whatever idea they are advocating, the presentation is slick and sharp.
If ever we get impressed by them, it is because they are able to connect our issues in life and that they seem to understand our current situation in life.
And they might even gain our trust and confidence to accept whatever they are saying and believe in it on the basis of our impressions.
But impressions are only skin-deep. More important than the impressions these people make on us, we need to ask if we are aware of the intentions in their hearts.
In the gospel, Jesus tells us to beware of false prophets who come to us disguised as sheep but underneath are ravenous wolves.
The imagery of ravenous wolves is quite amazing actually. The word ravenous means extremely hungry and ordinarily speaking, a ravenous wolf would waste no time devouring a prey.
But that is how Jesus describes a false prophet - someone who is like a ravenous wolf but would do all he can to impress us, win our total confidence and when he strikes, it will be total disaster.
But a true prophet is like a sound tree that bears good fruit. They may not be impressive or be spectacular but their fruits are true and good.
One such person is Abram whom we heard about in the 1st reading. He questioned the Lord but still trusted in the Lord. That is why we call Abram the "father of our faith".
Abram was sincere and honest with God and with himself. May we too be sincere and honest with God and with ourselves and with others and be the true prophets that God has called us to be.
A good presenter always sounds attractive to us. Whatever product they may be selling or whatever idea they are advocating, the presentation is slick and sharp.
If ever we get impressed by them, it is because they are able to connect our issues in life and that they seem to understand our current situation in life.
And they might even gain our trust and confidence to accept whatever they are saying and believe in it on the basis of our impressions.
But impressions are only skin-deep. More important than the impressions these people make on us, we need to ask if we are aware of the intentions in their hearts.
In the gospel, Jesus tells us to beware of false prophets who come to us disguised as sheep but underneath are ravenous wolves.
The imagery of ravenous wolves is quite amazing actually. The word ravenous means extremely hungry and ordinarily speaking, a ravenous wolf would waste no time devouring a prey.
But that is how Jesus describes a false prophet - someone who is like a ravenous wolf but would do all he can to impress us, win our total confidence and when he strikes, it will be total disaster.
But a true prophet is like a sound tree that bears good fruit. They may not be impressive or be spectacular but their fruits are true and good.
One such person is Abram whom we heard about in the 1st reading. He questioned the Lord but still trusted in the Lord. That is why we call Abram the "father of our faith".
Abram was sincere and honest with God and with himself. May we too be sincere and honest with God and with ourselves and with others and be the true prophets that God has called us to be.
Monday, June 24, 2013
12th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 25-06-13
Genesis 13:2, 5-18 / Matthew 7:6, 12-14
It is a kno wn nutrition fact that a well-balanced diet is a means to healthy living.
And equally as important, if not more important than a well-balanced diet is a well-balanced life.
In the gospel, we hear Jesus giving three components of a well-balanced spiritual life.
It is reverence to God, our attitude towards others, and our direction in life.
We give reverence to God by being grateful and giving thanks for His blessings and we must not be like the "dogs and pigs" that Jesus used as a symbol of irreverence and ingratitude.
Our attitude towards others is often mirrored in their attitude towards us. How we treat them will be how they treat us - what goes around comes around.
As for direction in life, it is about taking the road less travelled, the long, narrow and winding road. We need to accept that life is difficult, and when we accept that, then we won't waste time and energy finding for easy ways out.
In the 1st reading, we see how Abram lived out these principles of a balanced life.
He trusted in the Lord; he was generous towards Lot by giving him the first choice over the land; he accepted the challenges and difficulties with faith in God.
So we know what it takes to be healthy and holy. May we pray for the wisdom to live a life that gives glory to God.
It is a kno wn nutrition fact that a well-balanced diet is a means to healthy living.
And equally as important, if not more important than a well-balanced diet is a well-balanced life.
In the gospel, we hear Jesus giving three components of a well-balanced spiritual life.
It is reverence to God, our attitude towards others, and our direction in life.
We give reverence to God by being grateful and giving thanks for His blessings and we must not be like the "dogs and pigs" that Jesus used as a symbol of irreverence and ingratitude.
Our attitude towards others is often mirrored in their attitude towards us. How we treat them will be how they treat us - what goes around comes around.
As for direction in life, it is about taking the road less travelled, the long, narrow and winding road. We need to accept that life is difficult, and when we accept that, then we won't waste time and energy finding for easy ways out.
In the 1st reading, we see how Abram lived out these principles of a balanced life.
He trusted in the Lord; he was generous towards Lot by giving him the first choice over the land; he accepted the challenges and difficulties with faith in God.
So we know what it takes to be healthy and holy. May we pray for the wisdom to live a life that gives glory to God.
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