My dear brothers and sisters,
The priests of the Archdiocese of Singapore will be having their annual retreat from 30th June Monday to 4th July Friday.
I will also be at this retreat and I am really looking forward to it for a time of silence and prayer.
As such, there will be no weekday homily postings for this week.
Requesting prayers for myself and my brother priests that we will be renewed and re-focused so that we will continue to faithfully serve the Lord and His holy people.
Thank you. May God bless you!
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Sts Peter and Paul, Year A, 29.06.2014
Acts 12:1-11/ 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18/ Matthew 16:13-19
There is an epidemic going on and it’s capturing the headlines and resulting in lack of sleep and heavy eye-bags.
Of course, I am not talking about a serious disease. I am talking about the World Cup fever. It all started in Brazil on the 12th June, with all its thrills and spills.
And already some of the big boys of the game had been sent packing home.
And some jokes had been made about that. For example, what is the difference between a tea-bag and the England team? Answer: the tea-bag stays longer in the cup! : )
And of course there are some less scorching jokes like this one:
A man takes his seat at the World Cup Final. He looks to his left and notices that there is an empty seat between him and the next guy.
The man asks: Who would ever miss the World Cup Final? The other guy replied: That’s my wife’s seat. We have been to the last five World Cup Finals together, but sadly she passed away.
The man said: Oh I am so sorry to hear that. But couldn’t you get another member of the family, a friend or someone else to come with you?
The guy replied: No … they are all at the funeral! : 0
Today the Church celebrates the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, the two great pillars of the Church.
We may think that these two saints are like two peas in a pod, and if we were to give names to a pair of twin boys, the obvious choice would be to name them Peter and Paul.
Peter and Paul may seem to give us an impression of unity, but in fact, they were more of an incompatibility.
They were more like oil and water, and their differences go deeper than that of liquid viscosity.
That fact is that initially, they would have wished the other to be dead, and they won’t even bother about attending the other’s funeral!
St. Paul, when he was Saul, was part of the mob that stoned Stephen, the first martyr, to death.
And following that, king Herod started persecuting certain members of the Church, as we heard in the 1st reading.
He beheaded James, the brother of John, and when he saw that this pleased the crowds, he targeted Peter and had him put into prison.
The Church then prayed fervently for Peter, and he was miraculously rescued from the prison by an angel.
By then Paul had become the No. 1 enemy of the Church as he relentlessly persecuted Christians and he even went as far as Damascus to capture Christians.
But it was there on that road to Damascus that something striking happened to him and then things changed drastically.
So initially, Paul was the hunter and Peter was the hunted; Paul was the persecutor and Peter the persecuted.
They were on opposite and opposing sides. Paul had the political power to carry out his persecution, but Peter had the spiritual appointment for his protection.
But even after Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus, he and Peter did not immediately become friends, and they also did not see eye to eye on Church matters.
They were as different as oil and water and they even had their differences recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. And in Galatians 2:11-14, Paul even called Peter a hypocrite in his dealings with the Gentiles.
It was rather strange that Jesus would choose these two men who were far from perfect or even suitable to be the two pillars of His Church.
Yet, that also showed that the Church is both divine and human – that there is a spiritual force guiding and working through her human instruments.
Although in life, St. Peter and St. Paul had their differences and shortcomings, it was in death that they were united in a common goal and mission.
Both died in Rome as martyrs (Peter was crucified upside down and Paul was beheaded) and that showed that their lives were not for their own glory but for the glory of God.
This feast of Sts. Peter and Paul teaches us that despite the differences and failings of personalities and characters, the Church can still be united in a common goal and mission.
Even now in the Church, there are some who are conservatives and some who are liberals; some are traditional and some want to be modern; some want discipline and others want freedom.
Yes, the Church is like a mixture of oil and water, and yet we, like St. Peter and St. Paul, are called to rise above our differences just like oil floats above the water, and be united in a common goal and mission.
As we heard in the gospel, Jesus promised that the gates of the underworld can never hold out against the Church.
Yet, we also must be reminded that our differences must not give the opportunity to the underworld to tear us apart from within.
Rather, like St. Peter and St. Paul, let us be united in love for Jesus and for one another.
St. Peter and St. Paul showed that in their lives they loved Jesus and hence in love they also accepted the other even if they did not agree totally with the other.
Hence as they were united in life, so were they united in death, and now they are united in glory.
Likewise, let us be united in love, so that whether in life or in death, the gates of the underworld will never tear us apart.
There is an epidemic going on and it’s capturing the headlines and resulting in lack of sleep and heavy eye-bags.
Of course, I am not talking about a serious disease. I am talking about the World Cup fever. It all started in Brazil on the 12th June, with all its thrills and spills.
And already some of the big boys of the game had been sent packing home.
And some jokes had been made about that. For example, what is the difference between a tea-bag and the England team? Answer: the tea-bag stays longer in the cup! : )
And of course there are some less scorching jokes like this one:
A man takes his seat at the World Cup Final. He looks to his left and notices that there is an empty seat between him and the next guy.
The man asks: Who would ever miss the World Cup Final? The other guy replied: That’s my wife’s seat. We have been to the last five World Cup Finals together, but sadly she passed away.
The man said: Oh I am so sorry to hear that. But couldn’t you get another member of the family, a friend or someone else to come with you?
The guy replied: No … they are all at the funeral! : 0
Today the Church celebrates the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, the two great pillars of the Church.
We may think that these two saints are like two peas in a pod, and if we were to give names to a pair of twin boys, the obvious choice would be to name them Peter and Paul.
Peter and Paul may seem to give us an impression of unity, but in fact, they were more of an incompatibility.
They were more like oil and water, and their differences go deeper than that of liquid viscosity.
That fact is that initially, they would have wished the other to be dead, and they won’t even bother about attending the other’s funeral!
St. Paul, when he was Saul, was part of the mob that stoned Stephen, the first martyr, to death.
And following that, king Herod started persecuting certain members of the Church, as we heard in the 1st reading.
He beheaded James, the brother of John, and when he saw that this pleased the crowds, he targeted Peter and had him put into prison.
The Church then prayed fervently for Peter, and he was miraculously rescued from the prison by an angel.
By then Paul had become the No. 1 enemy of the Church as he relentlessly persecuted Christians and he even went as far as Damascus to capture Christians.
But it was there on that road to Damascus that something striking happened to him and then things changed drastically.
So initially, Paul was the hunter and Peter was the hunted; Paul was the persecutor and Peter the persecuted.
They were on opposite and opposing sides. Paul had the political power to carry out his persecution, but Peter had the spiritual appointment for his protection.
But even after Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus, he and Peter did not immediately become friends, and they also did not see eye to eye on Church matters.
They were as different as oil and water and they even had their differences recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. And in Galatians 2:11-14, Paul even called Peter a hypocrite in his dealings with the Gentiles.
It was rather strange that Jesus would choose these two men who were far from perfect or even suitable to be the two pillars of His Church.
Yet, that also showed that the Church is both divine and human – that there is a spiritual force guiding and working through her human instruments.
Although in life, St. Peter and St. Paul had their differences and shortcomings, it was in death that they were united in a common goal and mission.
Both died in Rome as martyrs (Peter was crucified upside down and Paul was beheaded) and that showed that their lives were not for their own glory but for the glory of God.
This feast of Sts. Peter and Paul teaches us that despite the differences and failings of personalities and characters, the Church can still be united in a common goal and mission.
Even now in the Church, there are some who are conservatives and some who are liberals; some are traditional and some want to be modern; some want discipline and others want freedom.
Yes, the Church is like a mixture of oil and water, and yet we, like St. Peter and St. Paul, are called to rise above our differences just like oil floats above the water, and be united in a common goal and mission.
As we heard in the gospel, Jesus promised that the gates of the underworld can never hold out against the Church.
Yet, we also must be reminded that our differences must not give the opportunity to the underworld to tear us apart from within.
Rather, like St. Peter and St. Paul, let us be united in love for Jesus and for one another.
St. Peter and St. Paul showed that in their lives they loved Jesus and hence in love they also accepted the other even if they did not agree totally with the other.
Hence as they were united in life, so were they united in death, and now they are united in glory.
Likewise, let us be united in love, so that whether in life or in death, the gates of the underworld will never tear us apart.
Friday, June 27, 2014
Immaculate Heart of Mary, Saturday, 28-06-14
Isaiah 61:9-11 / Luke 2:41-51
When we were in school, we used to hear a lot of this phrase "Remember by heart".
It applied to anything from mathematical formulas to grammatical rules to eating habits.
We remembered those things, although we didn't ponder on them or question them.
Mary did not just remember things; she pondered over the events and experiences in her life.
In her relationship and experience of Jesus, she indeed had rich and deep memories.
There is the wonder and joy of the first Christmas, the sorrow and grief at Calvary.
And in today's gospel, it was the worry and anxiety of finding Jesus and the astonishment at the answer He gave.
All this Mary remembered and pondered in her heart.
And as she pondered, the mystery of God was slowly revealed to her, the will of God was slowly made known to her.
The feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary invites us to have a contemplative heart.
It is only with a contemplative heart that we can recall our past in retrospection and see the hand of God in our personal history.
It is with a contemplative heart that we become more aware of the presence of God in the present, and that will deepen our hope and confidence in God to journey into the future.
When we were in school, we used to hear a lot of this phrase "Remember by heart".
It applied to anything from mathematical formulas to grammatical rules to eating habits.
We remembered those things, although we didn't ponder on them or question them.
Mary did not just remember things; she pondered over the events and experiences in her life.
In her relationship and experience of Jesus, she indeed had rich and deep memories.
There is the wonder and joy of the first Christmas, the sorrow and grief at Calvary.
And in today's gospel, it was the worry and anxiety of finding Jesus and the astonishment at the answer He gave.
All this Mary remembered and pondered in her heart.
And as she pondered, the mystery of God was slowly revealed to her, the will of God was slowly made known to her.
The feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary invites us to have a contemplative heart.
It is only with a contemplative heart that we can recall our past in retrospection and see the hand of God in our personal history.
It is with a contemplative heart that we become more aware of the presence of God in the present, and that will deepen our hope and confidence in God to journey into the future.
Thursday, June 26, 2014
The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Friday, 28-06-14, Year A
Duet 7:6-11 / 1 John 4:7-16 / Matthew 11:25-30
Devotion to the Sacred Heart began in 1676 after St. Margaret Mary Alacoque received an apparition.
The devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is centered on reparation to Christ for man's ingratitude, manifested particularly by an indifference to the Holy Eucharist.
This feast highlights the unrequited love which Jesus gives us in the Eucharist.
But even when man is lukewarm or indifferent to this love, or even reject this love, Jesus still continues to love us.
And He even made 12 promises to us when we have a devotion to His Sacred Heart.
Generally, these are promises of blessings of peace and protection and a growth in love and holiness.
Those promises are very inspiring, yet the fact is that when we take the Eucharist seriously, we are also assured of all these blessings and graces.
The devotion to the Sacred Heart is merely an extension of our response to the love of Jesus in the Eucharist.
Certainly, it is a good practice to have a picture of the Sacred Heart in our homes and to say a prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
May our devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus lead us to participate more fully and fervently in the Eucharist.
Devotion to the Sacred Heart began in 1676 after St. Margaret Mary Alacoque received an apparition.
The devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is centered on reparation to Christ for man's ingratitude, manifested particularly by an indifference to the Holy Eucharist.
This feast highlights the unrequited love which Jesus gives us in the Eucharist.
But even when man is lukewarm or indifferent to this love, or even reject this love, Jesus still continues to love us.
And He even made 12 promises to us when we have a devotion to His Sacred Heart.
Generally, these are promises of blessings of peace and protection and a growth in love and holiness.
Those promises are very inspiring, yet the fact is that when we take the Eucharist seriously, we are also assured of all these blessings and graces.
The devotion to the Sacred Heart is merely an extension of our response to the love of Jesus in the Eucharist.
Certainly, it is a good practice to have a picture of the Sacred Heart in our homes and to say a prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
May our devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus lead us to participate more fully and fervently in the Eucharist.
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
12th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 26-06-14
2 Kings 24:8-17 / Matthew 7:21-29
We may have heard of this term before - "practicing Catholic". It is a term used to describe Catholics who attend the Sunday Eucharist regularly and receive the Sacraments and observe the other precepts of the faith.
And then there are also "Sunday Catholics", a term that may have the above descriptions but it may imply that only the minimum requirements of the faith are observed.
Whether it is a "practicing Catholic" or a "Sunday Catholic" it seems that the matter of interest is in keeping and observing the minimum requirement of the faith.
Probably the objective is to attain salvation with the minimum effort and maybe with the least inconvenience.
No doubt, attending Masses and saying the Rosary have its benefits, but let us remember that they are means to salvation.
The means become efficacious when it lead us to a deeper understanding of our faith and strengthens our relationship with God.
So if we look at salvation in economic terms, then we will begin to calculate and look at the minimum investments that will result in maximum gains.
But if the Lord Jesus is the Rock of our lives, then He will be the foundation of all that we do and say.
Then it will not be about how much we do in order to be saved, but with how much love for Jesus we do it with.
We may have heard of this term before - "practicing Catholic". It is a term used to describe Catholics who attend the Sunday Eucharist regularly and receive the Sacraments and observe the other precepts of the faith.
And then there are also "Sunday Catholics", a term that may have the above descriptions but it may imply that only the minimum requirements of the faith are observed.
Whether it is a "practicing Catholic" or a "Sunday Catholic" it seems that the matter of interest is in keeping and observing the minimum requirement of the faith.
Probably the objective is to attain salvation with the minimum effort and maybe with the least inconvenience.
No doubt, attending Masses and saying the Rosary have its benefits, but let us remember that they are means to salvation.
The means become efficacious when it lead us to a deeper understanding of our faith and strengthens our relationship with God.
So if we look at salvation in economic terms, then we will begin to calculate and look at the minimum investments that will result in maximum gains.
But if the Lord Jesus is the Rock of our lives, then He will be the foundation of all that we do and say.
Then it will not be about how much we do in order to be saved, but with how much love for Jesus we do it with.
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
12th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 25-06-14
2 Kings 22:8-13; 23:1-3 / Matthew 7:15-20 (2018)
Spiritual leaders, whether they are Christian or otherwise, have great authority and power.
They can be called the "modern day prophets". They are usually given great respect, and more so if they exhibit spiritual powers of healing and prophesying, and with eloquent preaching.
Yet, there are also many who claim that they are "prophets" and they too seem to be quite impressive in their words and deeds. So how would we know if one is a true prophet or not?
The oldest known Christian manual called the "Didache" which was written around 100AD, gives the rule of thumb to discern the motives of preachers and prophets.
If they ask for money for themselves, then they are false prophets and preachers with ulterior motives.
It was clear enough for the Church right from the beginning that prophets and profit do not go together.
In fact, the task of true prophets is to bring about righteousness and justice and faithfulness to God.
As we heard in the 1st reading, the king and the priest and the other officials used their authority and power not for personal gain but to call the people to faithfulness to God and to walk in the ways of the Lord.
By virtue of our baptism, we share in the prophetic mission of Christ.
Our task is to faithful to God and to practice justice in our relations with others.
By the fruits of our lives, others will know who we really are.
Spiritual leaders, whether they are Christian or otherwise, have great authority and power.
They can be called the "modern day prophets". They are usually given great respect, and more so if they exhibit spiritual powers of healing and prophesying, and with eloquent preaching.
Yet, there are also many who claim that they are "prophets" and they too seem to be quite impressive in their words and deeds. So how would we know if one is a true prophet or not?
The oldest known Christian manual called the "Didache" which was written around 100AD, gives the rule of thumb to discern the motives of preachers and prophets.
If they ask for money for themselves, then they are false prophets and preachers with ulterior motives.
It was clear enough for the Church right from the beginning that prophets and profit do not go together.
In fact, the task of true prophets is to bring about righteousness and justice and faithfulness to God.
As we heard in the 1st reading, the king and the priest and the other officials used their authority and power not for personal gain but to call the people to faithfulness to God and to walk in the ways of the Lord.
By virtue of our baptism, we share in the prophetic mission of Christ.
Our task is to faithful to God and to practice justice in our relations with others.
By the fruits of our lives, others will know who we really are.
Thursday, June 19, 2014
On Leave
Dear Readers,
I'm on leave and am not able to publish any posts these few days. The next homily post will be for the Mass on Tuesday, 24th June 2014.
God bless you.
I'm on leave and am not able to publish any posts these few days. The next homily post will be for the Mass on Tuesday, 24th June 2014.
God bless you.
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