My dear brothers and sisters,
The priests of the Archdiocese of Singapore will be having their annual retreat from 2nd July, Monday to 6th 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, the next homily post will be for 12th Ordinary Sunday, 8th July 2018.
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!
Fr. Stephen Yim
Sunday, July 1, 2018
Saturday, June 30, 2018
13th Ordinary Sunday, Year B, 01.06.2018
Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24 / 2 Cor 8:7, 9, 13-15 / Mark 5:21-43
One of the most profound expressions of faith is when we pray. The act of prayer shows to others who we believe in and what we believe in.
So coming for Mass in worship and prayer shows who we truly are as Church.
At the same time, it is also in prayer that we tell ourselves who we truly believe in and what we believe in. However a cheeky question has been asked: Who prays more fervently – the one in Church or the one in the casino?
But as much as prayer is a profound expression of faith, it is also a critical examination of faith. Because it is in prayer that our faith is put to the test.
So it is obvious that prayer is not just some kind of spiritual activity of the mystics. No doubt some mystics experience some kind of ecstasy in prayer, like levitation, as if they are rising up to heaven.
But some mystics are also really down to earth and their prayer seems like some kind of confrontation with God. Like St. Teresa of Avila, who reformed the Carmelite Order but had to suffer much persecution. She also felt that Jesus didn’t care about her
So she complained to Jesus as she said to Him: You know why you have so few friends. It’s because You treat those who love You so badly!
So prayer can be a profound expression of faith, and at the same time it is also a critical examination of faith.
More so when we come face to face with suffering and pain and illnesses. It is in times like these that we will see for ourselves who we believe in and what we believe in.
In the gospel, we come across two stories of suffering and pain and also death. One was a woman who suffered haemorrhage for 12 years. Another was a 12-year-old girl who was desperately sick and eventually died from her illness.
In both cases, life was draining out, one was slowly draining out, and the other desperately draining out. Both were not getting any better. And with that, both, as well as their loved ones were getting bitter as their faith was put to the test and their prayer were not getting anywhere.
But here is where prayer is also the profound expression of faith. Jairus, the father of the 12-year-old girl, being a synagogue official would have prayed desperately for his daughter.
That prayer led him to seek out Jesus for help, which was a rather unexpected and surprising move. Some may even ask as to why would a synagogue official turn to an unofficial street-preacher. But as it is, desperate situations will look for desperate options.
That can also be said of the woman suffering from haemorrhage. Her desperate prayer produced one last option of a desperate action, and that is to touch the clothes of Jesus. With nothing more to lose, she was prepared to do it despite all the risks.
There was only one thing left in her mind as she said to herself: If I can touch even his clothes, I shall be well again.
And there was also one thing left in the mind of Jairus as he said to Jesus: My little daughter is desperately sick. Do come and lay your hands on her to make her better and save her life.
They had no guarantees, not even any probabilities, but they had one thing that Jesus also affirmed them of – they had faith in Jesus. To the woman, Jesus said “Your faith has restored you to health”. To Jairus, Jesus said “Do not be afraid; only have faith”.
Like Jairus and the woman in the gospel, our experiences in life also have many desperate situations that make us pray desperately.
Besides pain and suffering and sickness, there are also financial difficulties, relationship tensions, work problems, marital problems, family problems and a whole lot of other desperate problems.
Oh, certainly we prayed and we will pray, but after a while we begin to ask questions like “Why is God not answering my prayer?” or “What’s the point of praying if God is not listening to my prayer?” And of course, we get angry and we get bitter with God.
And here Jesus tells us not to give up but to have faith in Him. To have faith also means to be prepared to make a desperate act of faith like what Jairus and the woman with the haemorrhage did.
But it need not be some kind of unusual or strange act of faith. Rather it can be as simple as writing a petition to the Sacred Heart or praying in front of the statue of the Sacred Heart or touching the pictures of Mary and Jesus.
It is a simple act of faith but it takes a lot of humility and trust in God to do it and not think about what people might say about it.
Because in our desperate prayer, we believe what the 1st reading tells us – Death was not God’s doing, he takes no pleasure in the extinction of the living. God did make man imperishable, he made him in the image of his own nature.
That’s the God that we believe in – that He loves us and cares for us, and no prayer will ever go unanswered, especially a desperate prayer.
We only need to hold on the faith that in within us, the same faith that Jairus and the woman with the haemorrhage had in Jesus.
One of the most profound expressions of faith is when we pray. The act of prayer shows to others who we believe in and what we believe in.
So coming for Mass in worship and prayer shows who we truly are as Church.
At the same time, it is also in prayer that we tell ourselves who we truly believe in and what we believe in. However a cheeky question has been asked: Who prays more fervently – the one in Church or the one in the casino?
But as much as prayer is a profound expression of faith, it is also a critical examination of faith. Because it is in prayer that our faith is put to the test.
So it is obvious that prayer is not just some kind of spiritual activity of the mystics. No doubt some mystics experience some kind of ecstasy in prayer, like levitation, as if they are rising up to heaven.
But some mystics are also really down to earth and their prayer seems like some kind of confrontation with God. Like St. Teresa of Avila, who reformed the Carmelite Order but had to suffer much persecution. She also felt that Jesus didn’t care about her
So she complained to Jesus as she said to Him: You know why you have so few friends. It’s because You treat those who love You so badly!
So prayer can be a profound expression of faith, and at the same time it is also a critical examination of faith.
More so when we come face to face with suffering and pain and illnesses. It is in times like these that we will see for ourselves who we believe in and what we believe in.
In the gospel, we come across two stories of suffering and pain and also death. One was a woman who suffered haemorrhage for 12 years. Another was a 12-year-old girl who was desperately sick and eventually died from her illness.
In both cases, life was draining out, one was slowly draining out, and the other desperately draining out. Both were not getting any better. And with that, both, as well as their loved ones were getting bitter as their faith was put to the test and their prayer were not getting anywhere.
But here is where prayer is also the profound expression of faith. Jairus, the father of the 12-year-old girl, being a synagogue official would have prayed desperately for his daughter.
That prayer led him to seek out Jesus for help, which was a rather unexpected and surprising move. Some may even ask as to why would a synagogue official turn to an unofficial street-preacher. But as it is, desperate situations will look for desperate options.
That can also be said of the woman suffering from haemorrhage. Her desperate prayer produced one last option of a desperate action, and that is to touch the clothes of Jesus. With nothing more to lose, she was prepared to do it despite all the risks.
There was only one thing left in her mind as she said to herself: If I can touch even his clothes, I shall be well again.
And there was also one thing left in the mind of Jairus as he said to Jesus: My little daughter is desperately sick. Do come and lay your hands on her to make her better and save her life.
They had no guarantees, not even any probabilities, but they had one thing that Jesus also affirmed them of – they had faith in Jesus. To the woman, Jesus said “Your faith has restored you to health”. To Jairus, Jesus said “Do not be afraid; only have faith”.
Like Jairus and the woman in the gospel, our experiences in life also have many desperate situations that make us pray desperately.
Besides pain and suffering and sickness, there are also financial difficulties, relationship tensions, work problems, marital problems, family problems and a whole lot of other desperate problems.
Oh, certainly we prayed and we will pray, but after a while we begin to ask questions like “Why is God not answering my prayer?” or “What’s the point of praying if God is not listening to my prayer?” And of course, we get angry and we get bitter with God.
And here Jesus tells us not to give up but to have faith in Him. To have faith also means to be prepared to make a desperate act of faith like what Jairus and the woman with the haemorrhage did.
But it need not be some kind of unusual or strange act of faith. Rather it can be as simple as writing a petition to the Sacred Heart or praying in front of the statue of the Sacred Heart or touching the pictures of Mary and Jesus.
It is a simple act of faith but it takes a lot of humility and trust in God to do it and not think about what people might say about it.
Because in our desperate prayer, we believe what the 1st reading tells us – Death was not God’s doing, he takes no pleasure in the extinction of the living. God did make man imperishable, he made him in the image of his own nature.
That’s the God that we believe in – that He loves us and cares for us, and no prayer will ever go unanswered, especially a desperate prayer.
We only need to hold on the faith that in within us, the same faith that Jairus and the woman with the haemorrhage had in Jesus.
Friday, June 29, 2018
12th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 30-06-18
Lamentations 2:2, 10-14, 18-19 / Matthew 8:5-17
One of the most profound expressions of faith is the when we pray. The act of prayer shows to others who we believe in and what we believe in. And in a way we also tell ourselves who we believe in and what we believe in.
But as much as prayer is a profound expression of faith, it is also an examination of faith. Because it is in prayer that our faith is put to the test.
Often we have heard people ask "Why is God not answering my prayer?" or "What's the point of praying if God does not listen to my prayer?"
Hence, it can be said that prayer is a profound expression of faith, as well as a critical examination of faith.
In the gospel, we heard of the centurion coming up to Jesus and pleaded with Him for his servant.
But it is also not an ordinary request. Even though Jesus offered to go and cure the servant, there is no guarantee or any probability that the servant will be cured.
But the faith that the centurion had in Jesus is really quite amazing and astonishing. It even astonished Jesus that He had to say "I tell you solemnly, nowhere in Israel have I found faith like this."
The centurion believed in the authority of the word of Jesus. He himself had soldiers under his authority and he was under the authority of others. So he understood and he knew the power of the authoritative word.
The centurion might not have the religious faith of those around him, but he believed in the authority of Jesus, and he believed that just a word from Jesus would be enough to cure his servant.
In times of illness and pain, prayer is a profound expression of faith, and at the same time it is also a critical examination of faith.
Questions like "Will Jesus cure me of my illness?" or "Will Jesus give me strength to carry the cross and be able to bear the pain?"
The prophecy of Isaiah states that "He took away our sicknesses and carried our diseases for us". That prophecy was fulfilled and will always be fulfilled. The question is do we believe it.
One of the most profound expressions of faith is the when we pray. The act of prayer shows to others who we believe in and what we believe in. And in a way we also tell ourselves who we believe in and what we believe in.
But as much as prayer is a profound expression of faith, it is also an examination of faith. Because it is in prayer that our faith is put to the test.
Often we have heard people ask "Why is God not answering my prayer?" or "What's the point of praying if God does not listen to my prayer?"
Hence, it can be said that prayer is a profound expression of faith, as well as a critical examination of faith.
In the gospel, we heard of the centurion coming up to Jesus and pleaded with Him for his servant.
But it is also not an ordinary request. Even though Jesus offered to go and cure the servant, there is no guarantee or any probability that the servant will be cured.
But the faith that the centurion had in Jesus is really quite amazing and astonishing. It even astonished Jesus that He had to say "I tell you solemnly, nowhere in Israel have I found faith like this."
The centurion believed in the authority of the word of Jesus. He himself had soldiers under his authority and he was under the authority of others. So he understood and he knew the power of the authoritative word.
The centurion might not have the religious faith of those around him, but he believed in the authority of Jesus, and he believed that just a word from Jesus would be enough to cure his servant.
In times of illness and pain, prayer is a profound expression of faith, and at the same time it is also a critical examination of faith.
Questions like "Will Jesus cure me of my illness?" or "Will Jesus give me strength to carry the cross and be able to bear the pain?"
The prophecy of Isaiah states that "He took away our sicknesses and carried our diseases for us". That prophecy was fulfilled and will always be fulfilled. The question is do we believe it.
Thursday, June 28, 2018
Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles, Friday, 29-06-18
Acts 12:1-11 / 2 Tim 4:6-8, 17-18 / Matthew 16:13-19
When we read about the life stories of great people like Beethoven and Thomas Edison, we will see something in common.
And that is when they were young, they were written off as slow, stupid and hopeless.
But yet they emerged as prominent figures in history who went against the odds of life.
We know the background and the stories of St. Peter and St. Paul.
St. Peter was brash and impulsive. And of course there was his triple denial of Christ.
St. Paul persecuted Christians until he took that road to Damascus.
By our logical reasoning, both would be written off.
But how could they do such grievous deeds and yet become great saints in the Church?
Yet, that is the mystery of the grace of God. And along with that mystery, we can see that no one is hopeless or unworthy for salvation.
By God's grace, St. Peter repented. By God's grace, he was saved from prison and he went on to lead the Church, as we heard in the 1st reading.
By God's grace, St. Paul was converted. And by God's grace, he spread the faith to the Gentiles and in the end he willingly gave up his life for Christ.
By God's grace too, we know we are forgiven and saved. By God's grace too, we know that the sinner in us can be turned into a saint.
By God's grace too, we know that we can be like St. Peter and St. Paul, and we too will bear witness to Christ and pour out our lives to serve the Lord and His Church.
When we read about the life stories of great people like Beethoven and Thomas Edison, we will see something in common.
And that is when they were young, they were written off as slow, stupid and hopeless.
But yet they emerged as prominent figures in history who went against the odds of life.
We know the background and the stories of St. Peter and St. Paul.
St. Peter was brash and impulsive. And of course there was his triple denial of Christ.
St. Paul persecuted Christians until he took that road to Damascus.
By our logical reasoning, both would be written off.
But how could they do such grievous deeds and yet become great saints in the Church?
Yet, that is the mystery of the grace of God. And along with that mystery, we can see that no one is hopeless or unworthy for salvation.
By God's grace, St. Peter repented. By God's grace, he was saved from prison and he went on to lead the Church, as we heard in the 1st reading.
By God's grace, St. Paul was converted. And by God's grace, he spread the faith to the Gentiles and in the end he willingly gave up his life for Christ.
By God's grace too, we know we are forgiven and saved. By God's grace too, we know that the sinner in us can be turned into a saint.
By God's grace too, we know that we can be like St. Peter and St. Paul, and we too will bear witness to Christ and pour out our lives to serve the Lord and His Church.
Wednesday, June 27, 2018
12th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 28-06-18
2 Kings 24:8-17 / Matthew 7:21-29
The word "rebellion" means an act of violent or open resistance to an established government or ruler.
In the Old Testament, we see this happening countless of times and the price that was paid for it.
The people of God rebelled against God insistently despite God sending prophet after prophet to call them to repentance.
Because of that, the Northern Kingdom of Israel was annihilated in 721BC, and yet the kingdom of Judah thought it would never happen to them.
But in the 1st reading, we heard how the Babylonians finally took Jerusalem and sent the king and the nobles and the skilled workers into exile to Babylon.
Yet the lesson was not learnt and later the Temple of Solomon was eventually razed to the ground, with not even one stone on another.
So are we learning anything from this lesson? We have to be aware that rebellion lurks in our hearts and we want to be independent and free from any obligations to God.
Listening to the Word of God and acting on it means to be obedient to the will of God.
We will certainly remember what Samuel told Saul in 1 Samuel 15:22-23
Is the pleasure of the Lord God in holocausts and sacrifices or in obedience to the Lord God?
Yes, obedience is better than sacrifice, submissiveness better than the fat of rams.
Rebellion is the sin of sorcery, presumption a crime of teraphim.
Let us pray that we will build our lives on the rock of God's love and follow His ways and do His will.
The word "rebellion" means an act of violent or open resistance to an established government or ruler.
In the Old Testament, we see this happening countless of times and the price that was paid for it.
The people of God rebelled against God insistently despite God sending prophet after prophet to call them to repentance.
Because of that, the Northern Kingdom of Israel was annihilated in 721BC, and yet the kingdom of Judah thought it would never happen to them.
But in the 1st reading, we heard how the Babylonians finally took Jerusalem and sent the king and the nobles and the skilled workers into exile to Babylon.
Yet the lesson was not learnt and later the Temple of Solomon was eventually razed to the ground, with not even one stone on another.
So are we learning anything from this lesson? We have to be aware that rebellion lurks in our hearts and we want to be independent and free from any obligations to God.
Listening to the Word of God and acting on it means to be obedient to the will of God.
We will certainly remember what Samuel told Saul in 1 Samuel 15:22-23
Is the pleasure of the Lord God in holocausts and sacrifices or in obedience to the Lord God?
Yes, obedience is better than sacrifice, submissiveness better than the fat of rams.
Rebellion is the sin of sorcery, presumption a crime of teraphim.
Let us pray that we will build our lives on the rock of God's love and follow His ways and do His will.
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
12th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 27-06-18
2 Kings 22:8-13; 23:1-3 / Matthew 7:15-20
Spiritual leaders, whether they are Christian or otherwise, have great authority and power, in the spiritual sense.
They can be called the modern-day prophets.
Some are very eloquent preachers, some have special powers of healing, some even have the prophetic gift of foretelling the future.
But how do we know that they are real prophets?
The oldest known Christian document titled "Didache" which was written about 100AD gives this rule of thumb.
If they ask money for themselves, then they are false prophets.
It was quite clear for the Church that right from the beginning, prophets and profits do not go together.
In fact, the task of the prophets in the Bible was to bring about justice and righteousness.
Justice is the way in which the people of God should live their lives.
Righteousness to God is in the covenantal faithfulness of the people of God.
By virtue of our baptism, we share in the prophetic mission of Jesus.
We have to listen to the cries of the poor, the neglected, the addicted, the abandoned, the hungry and the thirsty.
As true prophets, we cannot be just looking out for our personal benefit or profit.
We must work for justice and righteousness because that is the fruit that we must bear for God.
Spiritual leaders, whether they are Christian or otherwise, have great authority and power, in the spiritual sense.
They can be called the modern-day prophets.
Some are very eloquent preachers, some have special powers of healing, some even have the prophetic gift of foretelling the future.
But how do we know that they are real prophets?
The oldest known Christian document titled "Didache" which was written about 100AD gives this rule of thumb.
If they ask money for themselves, then they are false prophets.
It was quite clear for the Church that right from the beginning, prophets and profits do not go together.
In fact, the task of the prophets in the Bible was to bring about justice and righteousness.
Justice is the way in which the people of God should live their lives.
Righteousness to God is in the covenantal faithfulness of the people of God.
By virtue of our baptism, we share in the prophetic mission of Jesus.
We have to listen to the cries of the poor, the neglected, the addicted, the abandoned, the hungry and the thirsty.
As true prophets, we cannot be just looking out for our personal benefit or profit.
We must work for justice and righteousness because that is the fruit that we must bear for God.
Monday, June 25, 2018
12th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 26-06-18
2 Kings 19:9-11, 14-21, 31-36 / Matthew 7:6, 12-14
Power and might can be best described in terms of armaments and military capabilities.
In fact, the best way to flaunt power and might is to use military force for invasion or oppression.
In the 1st reading, when king Sennacherib of Assyria threatened king Hezekiah of Judah, it was like the sword already on the throat.
And king Hezekiah had every reason to fear because he was the main target and if the Assyrians get their hands on him, they would skin and mince him alive.
Yet king Hezekiah gave us a lesson about faith and trust in God. In the face of mortal danger, he turned to God in prayer and placed all his hope in God.
And indeed, God will cast down the mighty and proud who use their military might to insult the humble and the lowly.
Furthermore, king Sennacherib insulted God and he can be considered lucky to be able to go home alive.
In life, we may not face blood-thirsty soldiers going for our throats, but certainly we will come across slippery and slimy people who will scheme to make us trip and then stab our backs.
Let us be calm but vigilant because the evil one will tempt us to throw away our faith to the dogs and pigs.
Let us stand up to evil with a strong faith and to stay close to God in prayer.
In this world that has many dangerous nooks and corners, God is our only Saviour and guide.
Power and might can be best described in terms of armaments and military capabilities.
In fact, the best way to flaunt power and might is to use military force for invasion or oppression.
In the 1st reading, when king Sennacherib of Assyria threatened king Hezekiah of Judah, it was like the sword already on the throat.
And king Hezekiah had every reason to fear because he was the main target and if the Assyrians get their hands on him, they would skin and mince him alive.
Yet king Hezekiah gave us a lesson about faith and trust in God. In the face of mortal danger, he turned to God in prayer and placed all his hope in God.
And indeed, God will cast down the mighty and proud who use their military might to insult the humble and the lowly.
Furthermore, king Sennacherib insulted God and he can be considered lucky to be able to go home alive.
In life, we may not face blood-thirsty soldiers going for our throats, but certainly we will come across slippery and slimy people who will scheme to make us trip and then stab our backs.
Let us be calm but vigilant because the evil one will tempt us to throw away our faith to the dogs and pigs.
Let us stand up to evil with a strong faith and to stay close to God in prayer.
In this world that has many dangerous nooks and corners, God is our only Saviour and guide.
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