Jeremiah 30:1-2, 12-15, 18-22 / Matthew 14:22-36
Whenever we see skid marks and broken glass on the road, and especially wrecked cars in accident sites or in the workshops, we are reminded of the dangers of speeding and careless driving.
Speeding and careless driving is not only dangerous, it can be fatal as well.
Peter knew how dangerous and treacherous the sea of Galilee can be, with its sudden storms and strong winds.
Being a fisherman, he would had surely seen the floating debris of wrecked boats and even the floating bloated bodies of his fellow fishermen.
When he and the others in the boat found themselves in the midst of a storm and angry waves, he knew that he needed help if he didn't want to end up as a floating bloated body.
He needed to be rescued, to be saved, desperately.
Like a drowning man clutching at straws, he just wanted to leave the boat and head towards anything that can afford him safety.
There is something that we can learn from Peter's experience.
Salvation is not an option - it is a need, and we must need it badly and desperately.
Very often it is only in our desperate and helpless moments that we understand the need for salvation.
Jesus came to save us. He already saved us by dying on the cross for us.
Let us always trust in Him and hold on to His hand, not just in desperate and helpless moments, but also in peaceful and quiet moments.
Monday, August 1, 2016
Sunday, July 31, 2016
18th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 01-08-16
Jeremiah 28:1-17 / Matthew 14:13-21
The phrase "stand up" is incorrect because it has a double emphasis and hence the second word is redundant and incorrect in the usage.
But the phrase "to stand up" is often used in everyday language for a particular emphasis.
To stand up means to be counted, and that sounds rather heroic, bit it also means that it is certainly not comfortable.
When everyone wants to be seated and feel safe, do we want to stand up and look like a sore thumb, and even feel like a sore thumb.
In the 1st reading, the yoke that the prophet Jeremiah wore was a symbol that the people should submit to Babylon.
That would have enabled them to have some respite from the threat of being annihilated and also to slowly rethink their relationship with God and to repent.
But that was an uncomfortable message, a humiliating message, but the prophet Jeremiah had to stand up for it.
But the prophet Hananiah broke the yoke and gave the people a more comfortable and acceptable message, and that eventually led to disaster.
The history of Christianity is peppered with people who stood up and spoke the hard truth rather than sit quietly and remain comfortable.
But if all Christians were to stand up and speak the truth, especially the hard truth, the rest of the world will slowly get up on its feet.
We are all prophets by virtue of our baptism.
We need to ask the Lord for the wisdom to know the truth and to courage to proclaim it with love.
The phrase "stand up" is incorrect because it has a double emphasis and hence the second word is redundant and incorrect in the usage.
But the phrase "to stand up" is often used in everyday language for a particular emphasis.
To stand up means to be counted, and that sounds rather heroic, bit it also means that it is certainly not comfortable.
When everyone wants to be seated and feel safe, do we want to stand up and look like a sore thumb, and even feel like a sore thumb.
In the 1st reading, the yoke that the prophet Jeremiah wore was a symbol that the people should submit to Babylon.
That would have enabled them to have some respite from the threat of being annihilated and also to slowly rethink their relationship with God and to repent.
But that was an uncomfortable message, a humiliating message, but the prophet Jeremiah had to stand up for it.
But the prophet Hananiah broke the yoke and gave the people a more comfortable and acceptable message, and that eventually led to disaster.
The history of Christianity is peppered with people who stood up and spoke the hard truth rather than sit quietly and remain comfortable.
But if all Christians were to stand up and speak the truth, especially the hard truth, the rest of the world will slowly get up on its feet.
We are all prophets by virtue of our baptism.
We need to ask the Lord for the wisdom to know the truth and to courage to proclaim it with love.
Saturday, July 30, 2016
18th Ordinary Sunday, Year C, 31.07.2016
Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23 / Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11 / Luke 12:13-21
There are some movies, as well as movie characters, that we will remember even long after the box-office screening.
Especially so for those kind of movies that make us laugh and cry.
It does what good movies are supposed to do: make us feel alive and feel what it is like to be human.
One of those movies has its title which is also the name of the main movie character.
We would know what movie it is with this memorable line from the opening scenes: “My mama always said, ‘Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.’”
Yes, that’s from the movie “Forrest Gump” and it’s about this fictitious character, though not very intelligent, has accidently been present in many historical moments. But he has a sweetness and the charm of a childlike innocence.
There is this story about the day finally arrives when Forrest Gump dies and goes to heaven. He is met at the Pearly Gates by St. Peter himself. The gates are closed however, as Forrest approaches the gatekeeper. St. Peter says, "Well Forrest, it's certainly good to see you. We have heard a lot about you. I must inform you that the place is filling up fast, and we've been administering an entrance examination for everyone. The tests are fairly short, but you need to pass before you can get into Heaven."
Forrest responds "It sure is good to be here sir. I was looking forward to this. Nobody ever told me about any entrance exam.
Sure hope the test ain't too hard; life was a big enough a test as it was."
St. Peter goes on, "Yes, I know Forrest, but the test I have for you has only three questions. Q1. What days of the week begin with the letter T? Q2. How many seconds are there in a year? Q3. What is God's first name?"
Forrest Gump thought for a while and said, "Well, the first one - how many days of the week begin with the letter "T"? That one's easy. That'd be Today and Tomorrow."
The Saint's eyes open wide and he exclaims, "Forrest! That's not what I was thinking, but.... you do have a point though, and I guess I didn't specify, so I give you credit for that answer. How about the next one?" asks St. Peter. "How many seconds are there in a year?"
"Now that one's harder," says Forrest, "But I guess the only answer can be twelve." Astounded St. Peter says, "Twelve!? Twelve!? Forrest, how in Heaven's name could you come up with twelve seconds in a year?" Forest says "There's gotta be twelve seconds in a year: January second, February second, March second....."
"Hold it," interrupts St. Peter. "I see where you're going with this. And I guess I see your point, though that wasn't quite what I had in mind, but I'll give you credit for that one, too." "Let's go on with the next and final question. Can you tell me God's first name?"
Forrest replied, "Howard." "OK, OK," said a frustrated St. Peter, "I guess I can understand how you came up with your answers to my first two questions, but just how in the world did you come up with the name Howard as the first name of God?"
"That was the easiest one of all," Forrest replied "I learned it from the prayer – Our Father who art in heaven, Howard be thy name … St. Peter pushed the gate open and said, “Run, Forrest, run!”
Those are certainly odd and naïve answers but they give another perspective to what is the usual and expected.
As Christians, we are not to give odd and naïve answers to the questions of life. Rather we are to give a spiritual and heavenly answer to the material and earthly questions.
Hence it is a matter of getting our hearts back to basic. But this basic is not about the usual and the expected. It is not about going with the flow of what others think and measure with.
The 1st reading gives us questions to ponder over. “For what does man gain for all the toil and strain that he has undergone under the sun? What of all his laborious days, his cares of office, his restless nights?”
It’s not a matter of how much we have travelled but in which direction we are travelling. It is not about how much we are thinking but in which direction we are thinking.
Hence, the 2nd reading urges us to have our thoughts be on heavenly things, not on the things that are on earth, because the life we have is with Christ in God.
That is why we must kill everything in us that belongs only to the earthly life: fornication, impurity, guilty passions, evil desires and especially greed, which is the same as worshipping a false god.
And greed was what consumed the rich man in the gospel parable.
And for that, God has this to say to him: Fool! This very night the demand is made for your soul; and this horde of yours, whose will it be then?
All of us, and each of us will one day have to stand before the Lord, and like the joke about Forrest Gump at heaven’s gate, we may be given some questions to answer.
But God won't ask what kind of car we drove, He'll ask how many people we drove who didn't have transportation.
God won't ask the square footage of our house, He'll ask how many people we welcomed into our home.
God won't ask about the clothes we had in our closet, He'll ask how many people we helped to clothe.
God won't ask what our highest salary was, He'll ask if we compromised our character to obtain it.
God won't ask how many friends we had, He'll ask how many people to whom we were a friend.
Let us not wait till we stand at heaven’s gate to have the answers.
The life in heaven begins with how we live our lives on earth.
And when we stand at heaven’s gate, may we be welcomed by God who is generous with His mercy and compassion.
There will be no questions asked when we ourselves have been generous to others with our love, mercy and compassion.
There are some movies, as well as movie characters, that we will remember even long after the box-office screening.
Especially so for those kind of movies that make us laugh and cry.
It does what good movies are supposed to do: make us feel alive and feel what it is like to be human.
One of those movies has its title which is also the name of the main movie character.
We would know what movie it is with this memorable line from the opening scenes: “My mama always said, ‘Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.’”
Yes, that’s from the movie “Forrest Gump” and it’s about this fictitious character, though not very intelligent, has accidently been present in many historical moments. But he has a sweetness and the charm of a childlike innocence.
There is this story about the day finally arrives when Forrest Gump dies and goes to heaven. He is met at the Pearly Gates by St. Peter himself. The gates are closed however, as Forrest approaches the gatekeeper. St. Peter says, "Well Forrest, it's certainly good to see you. We have heard a lot about you. I must inform you that the place is filling up fast, and we've been administering an entrance examination for everyone. The tests are fairly short, but you need to pass before you can get into Heaven."
Forrest responds "It sure is good to be here sir. I was looking forward to this. Nobody ever told me about any entrance exam.
Sure hope the test ain't too hard; life was a big enough a test as it was."
St. Peter goes on, "Yes, I know Forrest, but the test I have for you has only three questions. Q1. What days of the week begin with the letter T? Q2. How many seconds are there in a year? Q3. What is God's first name?"
Forrest Gump thought for a while and said, "Well, the first one - how many days of the week begin with the letter "T"? That one's easy. That'd be Today and Tomorrow."
The Saint's eyes open wide and he exclaims, "Forrest! That's not what I was thinking, but.... you do have a point though, and I guess I didn't specify, so I give you credit for that answer. How about the next one?" asks St. Peter. "How many seconds are there in a year?"
"Now that one's harder," says Forrest, "But I guess the only answer can be twelve." Astounded St. Peter says, "Twelve!? Twelve!? Forrest, how in Heaven's name could you come up with twelve seconds in a year?" Forest says "There's gotta be twelve seconds in a year: January second, February second, March second....."
"Hold it," interrupts St. Peter. "I see where you're going with this. And I guess I see your point, though that wasn't quite what I had in mind, but I'll give you credit for that one, too." "Let's go on with the next and final question. Can you tell me God's first name?"
Forrest replied, "Howard." "OK, OK," said a frustrated St. Peter, "I guess I can understand how you came up with your answers to my first two questions, but just how in the world did you come up with the name Howard as the first name of God?"
"That was the easiest one of all," Forrest replied "I learned it from the prayer – Our Father who art in heaven, Howard be thy name … St. Peter pushed the gate open and said, “Run, Forrest, run!”
Those are certainly odd and naïve answers but they give another perspective to what is the usual and expected.
As Christians, we are not to give odd and naïve answers to the questions of life. Rather we are to give a spiritual and heavenly answer to the material and earthly questions.
Hence it is a matter of getting our hearts back to basic. But this basic is not about the usual and the expected. It is not about going with the flow of what others think and measure with.
The 1st reading gives us questions to ponder over. “For what does man gain for all the toil and strain that he has undergone under the sun? What of all his laborious days, his cares of office, his restless nights?”
It’s not a matter of how much we have travelled but in which direction we are travelling. It is not about how much we are thinking but in which direction we are thinking.
Hence, the 2nd reading urges us to have our thoughts be on heavenly things, not on the things that are on earth, because the life we have is with Christ in God.
That is why we must kill everything in us that belongs only to the earthly life: fornication, impurity, guilty passions, evil desires and especially greed, which is the same as worshipping a false god.
And greed was what consumed the rich man in the gospel parable.
And for that, God has this to say to him: Fool! This very night the demand is made for your soul; and this horde of yours, whose will it be then?
All of us, and each of us will one day have to stand before the Lord, and like the joke about Forrest Gump at heaven’s gate, we may be given some questions to answer.
But God won't ask what kind of car we drove, He'll ask how many people we drove who didn't have transportation.
God won't ask the square footage of our house, He'll ask how many people we welcomed into our home.
God won't ask about the clothes we had in our closet, He'll ask how many people we helped to clothe.
God won't ask what our highest salary was, He'll ask if we compromised our character to obtain it.
God won't ask how many friends we had, He'll ask how many people to whom we were a friend.
Let us not wait till we stand at heaven’s gate to have the answers.
The life in heaven begins with how we live our lives on earth.
And when we stand at heaven’s gate, may we be welcomed by God who is generous with His mercy and compassion.
There will be no questions asked when we ourselves have been generous to others with our love, mercy and compassion.
Friday, July 29, 2016
17th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 30-07-16
Jeremiah 26:11-16, 24 / Matthew 14:1-12
At times we wonder if being good and doing good is really worth it.
Because very often, we see, and even experienced, that good is being re-paid with evil.
John the Baptist just wanted Herod to repent and live a good life.
Because what Herod did was leading towards self-destruction.
John the Baptist had compassion for Herod.
In fact, Herod knew it, and that was why he was distressed when he had to give the orders for John's execution.
But goodness cannot be silenced or put to death.
Because in the person of Jesus, Herod was once again reminded of the goodness of John the Baptist.
When we live out the Christian values of love, patience, gentleness, humility, etc., and we get slapped in the face, we may wonder if it is worth it.
But let us remember that all good comes from God.
When we do good, the benefactors are not just the others.
We ourselves begin to realize our Christian identity and see the power of goodness and the power of God's love happening in the lives of others.
At times we wonder if being good and doing good is really worth it.
Because very often, we see, and even experienced, that good is being re-paid with evil.
John the Baptist just wanted Herod to repent and live a good life.
Because what Herod did was leading towards self-destruction.
John the Baptist had compassion for Herod.
In fact, Herod knew it, and that was why he was distressed when he had to give the orders for John's execution.
But goodness cannot be silenced or put to death.
Because in the person of Jesus, Herod was once again reminded of the goodness of John the Baptist.
When we live out the Christian values of love, patience, gentleness, humility, etc., and we get slapped in the face, we may wonder if it is worth it.
But let us remember that all good comes from God.
When we do good, the benefactors are not just the others.
We ourselves begin to realize our Christian identity and see the power of goodness and the power of God's love happening in the lives of others.
Thursday, July 28, 2016
St. Martha, Friday, 29-07-16
1 John 4:7-16 / John 11:19-27 or John 10:38-42
Whenever we talk about St. Martha, the image of an active and work-oriented as well as task-oriented person comes to mind.
That may be because of that occasion (Luke 10 : 38-42)when she invited Jesus to her home and she was caught up with all the serving.
And then she complained to Jesus about getting her sister Mary to help her with the work.
But Jesus told her that she worry and fret about so many things and yet only one is important, and Mary had chosen the better part.
Martha must have remembered what Jesus said to her, and so despite the sadness and grief over her brother's death, she knew that only Jesus could comfort her.
And true to her personality, she made the move to go out and meet Jesus and to express her faith in Jesus.
But on this occasion, she also made a profound proclamation.
Martha proclaimed Jesus to be Christ, the Son of God.
Only St. Peter had made that similar proclamation.
Hence, St. Martha, despite her active and work-oriented and task-oriented personality, came to slowly recognize who Jesus is.
St. Martha is an example for us of someone who is active and busy but yet took the time to reflect and to discover who Jesus is.
Like St. Martha we may also have very active lives and busy with a lot of things.
But let us not forget the one important thing - prayer!
It is in prayer that we will attain the peace to know that Jesus is truly the Son of God, our Saviour.
Whenever we talk about St. Martha, the image of an active and work-oriented as well as task-oriented person comes to mind.
That may be because of that occasion (Luke 10 : 38-42)when she invited Jesus to her home and she was caught up with all the serving.
And then she complained to Jesus about getting her sister Mary to help her with the work.
But Jesus told her that she worry and fret about so many things and yet only one is important, and Mary had chosen the better part.
Martha must have remembered what Jesus said to her, and so despite the sadness and grief over her brother's death, she knew that only Jesus could comfort her.
And true to her personality, she made the move to go out and meet Jesus and to express her faith in Jesus.
But on this occasion, she also made a profound proclamation.
Martha proclaimed Jesus to be Christ, the Son of God.
Only St. Peter had made that similar proclamation.
Hence, St. Martha, despite her active and work-oriented and task-oriented personality, came to slowly recognize who Jesus is.
St. Martha is an example for us of someone who is active and busy but yet took the time to reflect and to discover who Jesus is.
Like St. Martha we may also have very active lives and busy with a lot of things.
But let us not forget the one important thing - prayer!
It is in prayer that we will attain the peace to know that Jesus is truly the Son of God, our Saviour.
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
17th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 28-07-16
Jeremiah 18:1-6 / Matthew 13:47-58
Certain things go by default such that it is made obvious that the default is the first option as well as the preferred option.
Besides the default option, there could be alternative options. Alternative options can be useful depending on situations and circumstances.
Under the normal and usual circumstances, we will hear the Word of God spoken to us at Mass and at other para-liturgical occasions.
But besides this default setting, God will also speak in other ways.
In the 1st reading, the Lord told Jeremiah to go to the potter's house and there, the Lord will let him hear what He has to say to him.
Jeremiah saw how the potter worked with the clay and whenever the vessel came out wrong, the potter worked on it again turning it into another vessel.
It was then that the Lord revealed to Jeremiah that the House of Israel was like the clay in the potter's hands and that the Lord will keep reworking on His people whenever they went wrong in their ways.
Certainly, God speaks to us when we come for Mass and He will also speak to us in the ordinary events of our lives.
More so He will speak to us whenever we go wrong in our ways so as to make us go back to His ways.
May we have the eyes to see the Lord's hand shaping us and correcting us and may we have the ears to listen to what the Lord is saying to us.
Certain things go by default such that it is made obvious that the default is the first option as well as the preferred option.
Besides the default option, there could be alternative options. Alternative options can be useful depending on situations and circumstances.
Under the normal and usual circumstances, we will hear the Word of God spoken to us at Mass and at other para-liturgical occasions.
But besides this default setting, God will also speak in other ways.
In the 1st reading, the Lord told Jeremiah to go to the potter's house and there, the Lord will let him hear what He has to say to him.
Jeremiah saw how the potter worked with the clay and whenever the vessel came out wrong, the potter worked on it again turning it into another vessel.
It was then that the Lord revealed to Jeremiah that the House of Israel was like the clay in the potter's hands and that the Lord will keep reworking on His people whenever they went wrong in their ways.
Certainly, God speaks to us when we come for Mass and He will also speak to us in the ordinary events of our lives.
More so He will speak to us whenever we go wrong in our ways so as to make us go back to His ways.
May we have the eyes to see the Lord's hand shaping us and correcting us and may we have the ears to listen to what the Lord is saying to us.
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
17th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 27-06-16
Jeremiah 15:10, 16-21 / Matthew 13:44-46
It is said that evil can only thrive when the good do nothing about it.
Certainly, when there is a wrong or an evil being done, the good people must do something about it, either in word or in action, so as to address it and to put a stop to it.
But would that mean that those who are committing the evil or doing wrong would stop it?
More often than not, the reality is that evil will turn on the good and retaliate against the good.
Hence, the good people, for what they think they are, will rather do nothing so as to avoid trouble.
Otherwise, the good will have to go through what the prophet Jeremiah went through in the 1st reading.
Jeremiah spoke God's word to his people, but when they retaliated, he could only lament, complained, get depressed and disheartened, using words like "they curse me", "I suffer insult for your sake", "Why is my suffering continual, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?"
And the Lord God replied: They will fight against you but they will not overcome you, because I am with you to save you and to deliver you. I mean to deliver you from the hands of the wicked and redeem you from the clutches of the violent.
Would we believe that? Would we put our trust in God and dare to speak up against wrong, injustice, wickedness and evil?
There are consequences but as the Lord told Jeremiah, "I am with you", He is also saying the same to us.
So if we are not part of the solution, then we are part of the problem. If we Christians don't address the wrong and the evil, then we are only saying so much about our faith and our trust in God.
It is said that evil can only thrive when the good do nothing about it.
Certainly, when there is a wrong or an evil being done, the good people must do something about it, either in word or in action, so as to address it and to put a stop to it.
But would that mean that those who are committing the evil or doing wrong would stop it?
More often than not, the reality is that evil will turn on the good and retaliate against the good.
Hence, the good people, for what they think they are, will rather do nothing so as to avoid trouble.
Otherwise, the good will have to go through what the prophet Jeremiah went through in the 1st reading.
Jeremiah spoke God's word to his people, but when they retaliated, he could only lament, complained, get depressed and disheartened, using words like "they curse me", "I suffer insult for your sake", "Why is my suffering continual, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?"
And the Lord God replied: They will fight against you but they will not overcome you, because I am with you to save you and to deliver you. I mean to deliver you from the hands of the wicked and redeem you from the clutches of the violent.
Would we believe that? Would we put our trust in God and dare to speak up against wrong, injustice, wickedness and evil?
There are consequences but as the Lord told Jeremiah, "I am with you", He is also saying the same to us.
So if we are not part of the solution, then we are part of the problem. If we Christians don't address the wrong and the evil, then we are only saying so much about our faith and our trust in God.
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