Monday Within Easter Octave, 01-04-2024

Acts 2:14, 22-33 / Matthew 28:8-15  

If we woke up today without having to go to work or have nothing much to do, then we won't feel like getting out of bed even if we are wide awake.

We will only get on the way and move quickly when there is a sense of urgency, and when there are tasks ahead that need our attention.

When Jesus rose from the dead, a number of people were also "awakened" and immediately they had some urgent tasks ahead.

In the gospel, we heard that the women were filled with awe and great joy and they came quickly away from the tomb and ran to tell the disciples.

While the women were on their way, another group was on another way and also in haste.

The soldiers who were guarding the tomb went off into the city to tell the chief priests all that had happened.

So two groups went off hastily with two urgent stories to tell. And the outcome of both stories have survived until this day.

Jesus rose from the dead and He conquered sin and death. The light of His resurrection also shines through the darkness to awaken those who sleep in lies and falsehood.

So for us, everyday there is something to wake up to, and it's something urgent and needs our immediate attention.

We wake up with the truth of the resurrection and that is what we must immediately live out for the day.

It's either we wake up to the light of truth, or we may just sleep-walk in the darkness of lies.

Easter Sunday, Year B, 31.03.2024

The feast of the Resurrection is an important and significant feast for the Church and for us Christians. 

The preparation for this feast began with the 40 days of Lent, and then with Holy Week and the Sacred Pascal Triduum. So, there was Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday and Good Friday. 

On this evening of the Easter Vigil, the gospel brings us back to that moment of the revelation of the mystery of our salvation. 

The women went to the tomb very early in the morning and there was only one question in their minds: Who will roll away the stone from the entrance of the tomb? 

Obviously, it was a very big stone, and entrance of the tomb is cut and shaped in such a way that the stone will seal the tomb permanently. 

The revelation begins with that stone already rolled back, and the tomb was empty. 

So, what really happened? Who rolled the stone away? And what happened to Jesus, or what happened to His body? 

As the mystery of the Resurrection unfolds, that big stone and the empty tomb reveal who Jesus is, and they also reveal something about ourselves. 

From the various accounts of the gospels, the message is one and  the same: Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. 

But it is a message that is not accepted by all. Even for us who profess our belief in the Resurrection, we have our questions about it. 

But today we reflect about that big stone and the empty tomb, as symbolized by the empty Tabernacle. 

And that question comes back again. Who rolled back the stone at the entrance of the tomb? 

We could have guessed that it was not rolled back by human hands. It was by the Finger of God that rolled back that stone, and that Finger of God is pointing to the Risen Christ. 

Yes, we want to believe that Jesus is risen, we want to believe in the Resurrection. 

We want to believe that Jesus will also raise us up from our sinfulness to a life of holiness. 

But we have to show Jesus those stones that burden our lives. 

We are not just talking about kidney stones or gallbladder stones. Those kind of stones can cause some serious physical pains. 

We are also talking about stones that have blocked and burdened our lives. 

It may be stones of anger and resentment, stones of revenge and retaliation, stones of pride and unforgiveness. 

Those kind of stones cause our hearts to be hardened. 

It may also be those rough and sharp stones that have cut our hearts with disappointment and regrets, and made us feel small and rejected, lowly and even useless. 

Whatever the stones are, today Jesus comes to us to renew our faith by renewing our Baptismal promises. 

It was by water that we are baptized, and Jesus is the living water in our lives. 

In the encounter between stone and water, the stone will give way to the water. 

Water has that gentle power to dislodge those big stones. 

Water has that flowing power to smoothen the sharpest of stones. 

To believe in the Resurrection is to believe in the power of our Baptism over the troubles of our lives. 

May the living waters from the Risen Lord Jesus roll away the stones of our hearts and fill our lives with His peace and joy.

Good Friday 2024

The most prominent symbol of Christianity is the Cross. 

Later, in the unveiling of the Cross, we will see that it is not just the Cross. 

On the Cross is the figure of Jesus Christ nailed to it, or what is called the Crucifix. 

Today, we acknowledge that the Cross points to suffering and shame. 

We know too well the Cross of suffering and shame, because we have carried that Cross before. 

But today, we adore and worship the One who carried the Cross, and died on that Cross of suffering and shame. 

And that is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who suffered, was mocked, and shamed, and died on that Cross. 

Although He was Son, Jesus shows us how to be obedient to the Father through suffering, shame and death on the Cross. 

And through the obedience of Jesus, God the Father will show us that suffering, shame and even death will not be the final end.

Because God will save Jesus out of death. 

And we believe that, and we express that belief by coming up later to venerate the Cross. 

We embrace Jesus and the Cross, and we will also accept our Cross of suffering and shame. 

And we believe that with Jesus, the Cross of suffering, shame and death will be turned into the glorious Cross of life, and love, and salvation. 

The Cross is not our enemy. Rather the Cross will be our victory. And it is Jesus who is showing us that.

Holy Thursday 2024

Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14 / 1 Cor 11:23-26 / John 13:1-15 

The mysteries of our faith are truly profound, and yet at times, they also confound us. 

We began the Sacred Triduum by remembering how Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist. 

Jesus changed the bread and wine into His Body and Blood, to show how perfect His love is for us. 

And so, we celebrate the Eucharist in memory of Him, as He commanded us to do so. 

Yet, other than the 2nd reading which mentions about the Body and Blood of Christ, the Gospel only mentioned about Jesus having supper with His disciples. 

And then, the focus turned to the washing of feet. 

Jesus washed the feet of His disciples. 

That confounded His disciples. And that should also confound us. 

We may ask: What has the holy Eucharist got to do with the lowly washing of feet? 

When we think about it deeper, we will see that the Eucharist is for everyone, regardless of the state of holiness or sinfulness or worthiness. 

In other words, Jesus offers His love for saints as well as for sinners. 

In the washing of the feet, Jesus is showing us that He cares about the lowest, the neglected and even the despised. 

Jesus gave us the example of humility and charity by being a servant who washes the lowly feet. 

In partaking of the Eucharist, we follow Jesus by being servants of humility and charity.

In partaking of the Eucharist, we become servants to the lowly and the lowest, to the neglected and the despised. 

In partaking of the Eucharist, we will go down on knees with Jesus, and wash those lowly feet. 

That is what Jesus, our Lord and Master did. 

Let us follow Jesus and do likewise.

Wednesday of Holy Week, 27-03-2024

Isaiah 50:4-9 / Matthew 26:14-25   

Tomorrow evening, the Church enters into the Sacred Paschal Triduum, which is the mystery of the suffering, death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

It is going to be three days of intense spiritual activities in which we are led to contemplate and participate in the saving mission of Jesus.

So today we take time to prepare our hearts and minds to be in union with the Church as we journey together with Jesus in this Paschal mystery.

We need to focus on Jesus so as to be in union with Him during the next three days.

Essentially we need to listen to the Word of God during the next three days.

As the 1st reading says: Each morning, the Lord wakes me to hear, to listen like a disciple. The Lord has opened my ear.

We listen to the Word of God so that we may have a disciple’s tongue and to encourage the wearied.

We listen to the Word of God so that, like Jesus, we will be able to accept the struggles and troubles of this world.

We listen to the Word of God, so that, like Jesus, we will not fear the sharpness of the insults and the betrayals of those who are against us.

Like Jesus, we will not be ashamed or cover our face nor resist, but we will be courageous.

We will follow Jesus to face the crosses of our lives, and witness to the Good News.

Because we know that through the Cross, Jesus will grant us strength and courage, and with Jesus, we will rise to victory over sin.

Tuesday of Holy Week, 26-03-2024

Isaiah 49:1-6 / John 13:21-33, 36-38  

God made man in His image, and that means that mankind is created in love, with love and for love.

So, in every human heart, there is the goodness of love, and every human being reflects this goodness, which is created by God.

With love, there is freedom, and that also means that every human being has the freedom of choice.

Every person can choose to do good with love, or he can choose to do what is bad or even evil.

One of the grave human failings is the act of betrayal, in which relationships are broken and destroyed.

But the act of betrayal is not committed out of wickedness, but rather out of weakness.

The weakness is often for a selfish motive at the expense of the relationship with the other person or persons.

In the gospel, Judas was so determined to betray Jesus that he would not even reconsider what he was going to do.

The weakness of Judas was exploited further by the evil one and there was no turning back for Judas, although Jesus gave him ample signs of His love for him.

During this Holy Week, we are reminded of the goodness of God within us, and how much Jesus loves us.

Let us acknowledge our sinful weakness before Jesus, and He will heal and strengthen us with the goodness of His love.

Monday of Holy Week, 25-03-2024

Isaiah 42:1-7 / John 12:1-11    

Money is important, and no doubt our money is hard-earned.

So when it comes to buying things, we have to spend our money wisely and carefully.

At times, we may even be so frugal that we may make the mistake of being “penny wise, pound foolish”.

And we would not even think of spending a year’s salary on some exotic essential oil, even though it may be extremely useful and beneficial for health.

That was about the price of the pure nard that Mary bought to anoint the feet of Jesus.

And it was not even used sparingly. She probably used it all at one go. 

And she even did this cringy act of wiping the feet of Jesus with her hair.

Maybe, we, like Judas, would also question what Mary did.

But from what Jesus said, we can understand that only God knows the true intentions.

So it is not about the amount of money spent or given, but the intention behind it.

Similarly, it is not so much about what good deed we do, but how much love is in that deed.

Jesus loves us, and He loved us even it comes to giving up His life for us.

It is a love that no money can buy. Mary understood that. May we understand that too.