17th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 01-08-2023

Exodus 33:7-11; 34:5-9, 28 / Matthew 13:36-43     

If we have to summarise the teachings of our faith in a simple way, it could be like this.

1. God is love and He created us with love.

2. God forgives us when we commit sin

3. There will be a judgement day and a time of reckoning for all that we have done.

Certainly, we believe that God is love and that He is merciful and compassionate.

He will forgive us when we repent of our sins, and He keeps calling out to those stubborn sinners.

As much as we believe in a loving and forgiving God, we also need to see that He has set out a way of life for us.

That way of life is found in the 10 Commandments, or as what the 1st reading calls it “the Ten Words”.

So we know what God wants of us and how we should live our life.

God has made it clear for us what is right and wrong, and we can’t claim to be ignorant.

God has sown seeds of goodness in our hearts, and we must not let the evil one poison our hearts with sin.

And when we fall into sin, then we also cannot blame anyone, but take responsibility for the wrong we have done.

So we have a choice as to how we want to live our lives, and we know that God has shown us how to live our lives.

May we listen to God and be responsible for our choices and actions.

17th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 31-07-2023

Exodus 32:15-24, 30-34 / Matthew 13:31-35   

Whenever there is a crisis, one thing will be exposed, and that is a person's character.

Crisis does not build character, but it reveals character.

And when a time comes for accountability and responsibility, that is also where a person’s integrity is revealed.

In the 1st reading, the people sinned against the Lord by worshipping the golden calf.

That grieved Moses, and he went before the Lord to make atonement for the people.

He begged the Lord for forgiveness and he even offered to be punished for the people’s sin.

This Moses was certainly a different man from that young Moses who ran off after he was discovered for killing an Egyptian.

Moses had grown and matured, and in a situation of crisis, accountability and responsibility, his character and integrity were revealed.

May we too grow in character and integrity, so that we can be models and living witnesses of how God’s love has grown in us.

17th Ordinary Sunday, Year A, 30.07.2023

 1 Kings 3:5, 7-12 / Romans 8:28-30 / Matthew 13:44-52

There are many things in life that we are busy with. And these are not trivial things. They are important and they require our attention. 

So, we are busy with work, and we do spend a lot of time at work, and also with our work. 

And we also busy with family matters. We need to look into our parents’ welfare and well-being, as they will need more attention in their senior years. 

We also need to look into our children's development and nurturing, and so we have to arrange tuition, enrichment classes and weekend activities for them. 

So, we are busy, weekdays as well as weekends, and at times we wish that there are more than 24 hours a day. 

Yes, we are busy with so much to do that we feel so tired and worn out. 

With all that busyness and tiredness, we may not have much time or energy to deepen our faith and for prayer. 

But we know that the seed of faith that is planted in our hearts needs attention and nurturing before it can bear fruit in our lives. 

And we can also hear the soft and gentle voice of Jesus calling out to us to come to Him and find rest for our souls. 

Yes, we know that faith and prayer are important, but there are so many things that call out for our attention. 

So, as much as we want to pray, we just can't find the time, or the energy, to be at prayer. 

And here is where king Solomon has something to teach us in the 1st reading. 

He succeeded his famous father David as king of Israel. But he knew he was young and unskilled in leadership to govern the people that was entrusted to him. 

So he prayed to the Lord to grant him a heart of understanding and wisdom to be the king of God's people. 

King Solomon could have asked for intelligence, so that he could be a shrewd ruler and be able to outwit and overcome his enemies. 

So, what is the difference between intelligence and wisdom then? 

Intelligence may help us to understand what the problems are. 

Wisdom helps us to know what are the problems to understand. 

So, king Solomon prayed for a wise and understanding heart. 

And the Lord God was pleased with his prayer and granted him what he asked for. 

So, whenever we have time to pray, what is it that we pray for, or what is it we pray about? 

Following king Solomon's example, let us pray for a wise and understanding heart to know what God wants to give us. 

God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding to rule and govern his people. 

God will also grant us wisdom and understanding to know what is really important in our family, in our work and in our life. 

Prayer is the treasure that we have, a treasure that brings peace and joy in our lives and in our relationships. 

St. Francis de Sales said this about prayer: Usually, half an hour of prayer a day is sufficient. But if you are busy, then make it one hour. 

We may be surprised at that, but when we make time for prayer, God will help us to know what are the problems to understand. 

Then we will be able to separate the necessary from the unnecessary, and our hearts will be at rest, and we will have peace in our lives.

16th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 28-07-2023

Exodus 20:1-17 / Matthew 13:18-23      

The Christian faith is not so complicated or sophisticated.

There is a moral code, or the code of conduct for a Christian.

That is expressed in the 10 Commandments, which we heard about in the 1st reading.

So essentially, it can be said that to be a good Christian, we just have to keep the 10 Commandments.

Each Commandment is like a seed that will bear good fruit in our lives when we understand what it means for us.

And just like seeds that will germinate and grow healthily when we nurture them, the 10 Commandments help us to grow and live well.

But more than that, we must remember who the Sower is.

It is God who sows good seeds into our hearts so that we will grow to become a good person and a good Christian.

The 10 Commandments help us to understand the divine nature of God and to enter into a relationship with Him.

So, more than just keeping the letter of the Commandments, we embrace the spirit of the Commandments.

In doing so we embrace the divine nature of God and we will want to be like God.

And just as God sowed good seeds into our hearts, we in turn will want to reflect the goodness of God and sow seeds of holiness so that others will want to know who God is.

16th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 27-07-2023

Exodus 19:1-2, 9-11, 16-20 / Matthew 13:10-17      

To believe in God and in His love is not a simple and easy thing to do.

We need to have the faith to believe that God also wants to correct us when we go wrong.

And when we have sinned, we cannot try to get away with it lightly by saying that God is merciful and forgiving.

In fact, with faith in God’s mercy, compassion and forgiveness, then we will accept correction and punishment so as to learn our lessons.

In the gospel, Jesus quoted this text from the prophet Isaiah:

You will listen and listen again, but not understand,

see and see again, but not perceive.

For the heart of this nation has grown coarse,

their ears are dull of hearing, and they have shut their eyes,

for fear they should see with their eyes,

hear with their ears,

understand with their heart,

and be converted

and be healed by me.

The people have sinned and was unfaithful to God. 

As much as God will forgive them, the lessons of sin must be learnt.

So the people will have to accept the punishment in order to soften their hearts, and to open their eyes and ears to what God is showing and telling them.

With faith, we believe that punishment leads to conversion and reconciliation with God.

That is what we truly believe, and let us turn away from sin and be faithful to God always.

16th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 26-07-2023

Exodus 16:1-5, 9-15 / Matthew 13:1-9     

God is all-loving, and He cares for us and provides for us.

That is our faith in God who is our Father.

And God our Father sent us Jesus to be our greatest blessing.

Jesus is our Saviour and in Him and through Him, we receive God’s abundant blessings.

As much as God wants to bless us abundantly, we must be receptive to His blessings.

Because we can resist God’s blessings when we are too concerned with what we want instead of what He is giving us.

In the 1st reading, the Israelites complained about their discomfort and the uncertainty of survival in the desert.

They didn’t quite believe that God cares for them and will provide for them.

We too have our concerns and uncertainties about life.

But let our hearts not be hardened or thorny with complaints.

Let us always choose to see God’s blessings in every situation and we will receive God’s blessings.

God always blesses those who put their faith and trust in Him.

St. James, Apostle, Tuesday, 25-07-2023

2 Cor 4:7-15 / Matthew 20:20-28    

During His life on earth, Jesus singled out three apostles out of the twelve apostles to be with Him in the special and unique moments of His ministry.

They were Peter, John and James, whose feast day we celebrate today.

They were with Jesus in His healing ministry as well as at the Transfiguration.

Although James had the privilege of being in the inner circle of the apostles, he did not quite understand the mission and purpose of Jesus.

As we heard in the gospel, he and his brother John had ideas about getting special positions in the earthly kingdom that they thought Jesus was going to establish.

But for all his misconceptions, James wanted to be with Jesus.

He had found the one whom he wanted to follow, even though he had yet to understand fully that his Master came to serve and to eventually give His life as a ransom for many.

Nonetheless, in the end, St. James would be the first among the apostles to give up his life in witness to his Master.

So even though St. James was in the inner circle of the apostles, he was an earthenware jar that holds the privilege of being chosen by Jesus.

The 1st reading reminds us that like St. James, we are also earthenware jars holding the treasures of God.

Like St. James, let us pour out these treasures in love and service to God and neighbour.

We can only inherit the kingdom of God when we give up our lives for others.