St. Joseph the Worker, Saturday, 01-05-2021

Genesis 1:26 - 2:3 / Matthew 13 : 54-58

Today the Church celebrates the memorial of St. Joseph and specifically under the title of St. Joseph the Worker.

Hence St. Joseph is also the patron of all working people, besides being the patron of the Church, fathers and carpenters and also of the dying.

Being a patron of all working people, we would feel a deep affiliation with St. Joseph because we spend a considerable amount of time at work.

And we could relate with him in what was told of us in the scriptures.

We are told that he took his family to Jerusalem every year for Passover, something that could not have been easy for a working man.

We know he was a carpenter, a working man, and in the gospel a skeptical question was asked about Jesus, "Is this not the carpenter's son?" (Matthew 13:55).

He wasn't rich for when he took Jesus to the Temple to be circumcised and Mary to be purified, he offered the sacrifice of two turtledoves or a pair of pigeons, allowed only for those who could not afford a lamb (Luke 2:24).

There is much we wish we could know about Joseph, about where and when he was born, about how he spent his days, about when and how he died.

But Scripture has left us with one of the most important knowledge of who he was - "a righteous man" (Matthew 1:18).

May we always turn to St. Joseph for his intercession before and at the end of our work.

May we also be righteous and honest in our dealings at work and with our superiors and colleagues so that in all we do at work, we will give glory to God.

4th Week of Easter, Friday, 30-04-2021

Acts 13:26-33 / John 14:1-6        

Whenever we are faced with a difficulty, the phrase that we would really like to hear is "No problem".

Those two words will give us the sense of relief that whatever the difficulty or the problem is, there is a solution.

But can "No problem" really mean that there is no problem or that it is not a problem.

But we should know better that even when we say "no problem" the solution at hand may not be an easy one.

When Jesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled" He is not saying that life has no troubles.

Rather as we face life with all its troubles and struggles, Jesus is asking us to trust in God and to trust in Him.

We can say that trust and trouble are like two sides of the same coin.

When we trust in God, we are able to face the troubles of life; and the troubles of life make us turn to God and to trust in Him.

So let not our hearts be troubled. Let us trust in God and trust in the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

It is in the Sacred Heart of Jesus that we will find peace even in the midst of trouble.

4th Week of Easter, Thursday, 29-04-2021

Acts 13:13-25 / John 13:16-20     

A good servant may not necessarily be a good master. 

In fact, the elements like water and fire are good servants but they are bad masters.

But to be a good master would mean that the master also knows how to serve with love and care.

In the gospel, Jesus after He had washed the feet of His disciples, said to them:

"I tell you most solemnly, no servant is greater than his master, no messenger is greater than the man who sent him."

Jesus is telling His disciples that they must follow His example in serving others, and that is to serve with humility, 

So even though Jesus is Master, He served with love and humility, and this was expressed in washing the feet of His disciples.

In whatever way we serve, let us follow our Master and Lord Jesus, and serve with love and humility.

Let us know that we are always servants to one another and master of none.

4th Week of Easter, Wednesday, 28-04-2021

Acts 12:26 - 13:5 / John 12:44-50    

For a Christian, prayer is the means to be in communion with God.

Prayer is the the expression of a Christian's relationship with God.

And prayer has two dimensions - the personal and the communal, and both are equally important.

For the early Christian Church, the communal prayer is vital for the growth and the mission of the Church.

With prayer and fasting and worship, the Lord provided the Church with prophets and teachers.

With prayer and fasting and worship, they followed the promptings of the Holy Spirit and sent Barnabas and Saul off for mission.

May our personal prayer also be in union with the prayer and worship of the Church community so that the Light of Christ can shine through each of member of the Church.

May others see that Light in us and come to believe in Jesus as Saviour and Light of the world.

4th Week of Easter, Tuesday, 27-04-2021

Acts 11:19-26 / John 10:22-30     

Saint Augustine is quoted with this saying: Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.

That would give a good balance between leaving everything to God and having to rely solely on our own effort and resources.

When persecution happened in the early Church, those who had escaped went as far Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch.

They would certainly have prayed to God for safety and for direction in what they should do.

They started preaching of Jesus Christ to the Jews, and then to the Greeks, and the Lord helped them, and a great number believed and were converted to the Lord.

So it was not just by their own efforts and faith, or that the people were so receptive to the Good News.

Rather it was by the hand of God and power of the Holy Spirit that the Good News was preached and the people were converted to the Lord.

But God would also want us to be workers in His harvest, just as He wanted the early Christians and people like Barnabas and Saul to carry out the mission of salvation.

So let us carry out the work of God as though everything depended on us.

But let us also pray as though everything depended on God.

4th Week of Easter, Monday, 26-04-2021

Acts 11:1-18 / John 10:1-10     

Much has been said about the sheep's amazing keen sense of hearing.

They listen only to the voice of the shepherd and they follow the voice of the shepherd.

Even if two flocks of sheep were mingled together, the shepherds just have to call them out and they would follow the respective shepherds.

We may not know much about sheep but if we have pets, then we would know that our pets also have a keen sense of hearing.

If animals generally have that keen sense of hearing, then what about human beings?

We may not have that keen sense of hearing as sheep or other animals, but just as these creatures know the voice of their master, do we know the voice of our Creator?

In the 1st reading, the discussion was on the acceptance of pagans to the faith.

As the discussion went on, the voice of God became clear that God grants the pagans the repentance that leads to life.

As we make decisions and directions in life, let us also do it with faith. 

It is with faith that we will be able to listen to the voice of our Master and our Creator, so that we will find life and give glory to Him.

4th Sunday of Easter, Year B, 25.04.2021

Acts 4:8-12 / 1 John 3:1-2 / John 10:11-18

One of the interesting features of the Catholic Church is the presence of religious objects. 

These religious objects can take the form of stained glass, as in these three looming stained glass images at the sanctuary. 

Or, there can be statues or holy pictures and images, all of which are present within the church as well as around the church. 

These religious objects (the proper name is “sacramentals”), are certainly helpful for our devotion and religious piety. 

They serve as reminders of God's love and blessings, and they also serve as visual prayer aids. 

So, there is the Crucifix to reminder us that Jesus died on the Cross to save us. The statues of the Saints remind us of the communion of saints, as they are there to pray for us and help us along the journey of life and the journey towards heaven. 

There is one big statue at the front of the Church, and it is prominent enough that we can't miss it. 

It is white in colour and bigger than life-size. It is the statue of the Good Shepherd and with four lambs. One is being carried and the other three are standing around. 

That statue of the Good Shepherd and the lambs evoke warm feelings and sentiments of God's love and care for us, that Jesus is our Good Shepherd and that He will protect us from harm and danger. 

That statue also connects us to today's Gospel and what Jesus said: I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd is one who lays down his life for his sheep. 

And when we look at the Cross, we can see it so profoundly and explicitly that Jesus is our Good Shepherd who laid down His life to save us. 

In the Bible, there are many mentions of shepherd and sheep, and often the imagery is that God is the shepherd and the people are His sheep. 

One interesting feature of the Bible is that, while all the books in the Bible tell us how God speaks to us, there is one book that tells us how to speak to God. 

That book is the Book of Psalms. The Psalms also have many mentions of Shepherd and sheep. 

One of the well-known Psalms is Psalm 23, also known as the Good Shepherd Psalm. 

It begins with this line: The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want. 

That psalm is also expressed in hymns,  and it evokes feelings of how God loves and cares for us, that He leads us to the green pastures and peaceful waters, and that if we should walk in the valley of darkness, then God with His shepherd’s staff will lead us to safety. 

One interesting point is that the psalm before Psalm 23, is also a psalm that we are also quite familiar with. 

Psalm 22 begins with this line: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me. 

It is a cry of distress, and that was what Jesus cried out on the Cross: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me. 

But Psalm 23 follows up with: The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want. 

So, the message is clear, that God comes to comfort those in distress, just like how the Good Shepherd will look for the lost sheep and tend to the sick and injured sheep. 

Yes, “the Lord is my shepherd, and there is nothing I shall want”. Indeed, what else would we want when we have the Lord as our Shepherd? 

This Sunday is known as “Vocation Sunday”, and vocations to the priesthood and the religious life is highlighted. 

And there is something that we are asking of the Lord, there is something that we want of the Lord. 

We are asking the Lord to send more men and women to serve in His vineyard, and especially more men to serve as shepherds, as priests, in the church. 

Yet, the fact is that many are called, but few have responded.

So let us ask the Lord, let us invoke the Lord, that He will open the hearts of those He has called, so that they will follow the Good Shepherd in laying down their lives to serve God and His people. 

On our part, let us pray and let us also encourage those who are discerning the call of the Lord. 

May the Eternal Shepherd send us good shepherds who will serve with love and lead the people of God to green pastures and peaceful waters, as well as through the valleys of darkness and distress.