8th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 01-06-2024

Jude 17, 20-25 / Mark 11:27-33  

Whenever a country goes to the polls, there will certainly be a lot of excitement.

National and domestic issues will be discussed and debated by the politicians and political parties will proclaim that they are the most suitable to govern the country.

But the day of the elections is also the day of reckoning.

Because in the end it is the people and the citizens who will have to decide who they want to govern their country.

So as much as there are many levels of power and authority, yet the power and authority of the people can be overlooked or underestimated.

The people recognized the authority of Jesus even though it was not officially conferred onto Him.

On the other hand, those who were conferred with authority questioned the authority of Jesus.

Was it a question of insecurity? Was it a question of jealousy? Was it a question of protocol and official sanctioning?

Whatever it might be, those in authority need to pray for divine wisdom.

Whatever level of authority which we might be in, we certainly need God's wisdom to exercise it.

Without the wisdom from God, we may not know who has the real authority. 

The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Friday, 31-05-2024

Zeph 3:14-18 or Romans 12:9-16 / Luke 1:39-56  

Pope Francis will be making a tour of this region in September and he will be stopping over in Singapore too.

Certainly we are excited about this occasion, as it was 38 years ago when Pope St John Paul II stopped over in Singapore for 5 hours, and he also got to celebrate Mass.

This time around, Pope Francis will be in Singapore for a couple of days, and he too will be celebrating Mass.

There is much eagerness and excitement over the availability of tickets to the Mass venue, and many have offered to volunteer their services.

But over and above the expectation and excitement of the occasion, it is truly a blessing and an occasion of grace.

The anticipated visit of the Pope is an echo of the feast of today, the Visitation of Mary.

In visiting Elizabeth, it was a moment of deep joy for both expecting mothers.

It was also a spiritual encounter between the two babies in their wombs.

The profound message is that salvation is at hand.

As Zechariah said when he regained his power of speech: Blessed be the Lord, God of Israel, He has visited His people and redeemed them.

On this feast of the Visitation, let us give thanks to God for the gift of salvation.

And as we prepare for the Pope’s coming visit, may we also prepare the blessings and graces that God is going to bestow upon us.

8th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 30-05-2024

1 Peter 2:2-5, 9-12 / Mark 10:46-52  

One of the five sense is the sense of taste.

When we talk about taste, we are more inclined to talk about food.

We will talk about the taste of the food, and we will also share where to go to get a particular type of best tasting food.

But the sense of taste is not only to taste the food.

Because after tasting the food, we will consume the food.

The food goes into our digestive system and nourishes us.

So the sense of taste will discern whether the food is consumable, and whether we like the taste.

The 1st reading has this to say about taste: You have tasted the goodness of the Lord.

That also reminds us of Psalm 34:8 “Taste and see that the Lord is good”

So, taste, besides being a physical sensation, also has a spiritual dimension.

It is the taste and the heart feels of the love and sweetness of the Lord.

It is also that goodness and sweetness of the Lord that Bartimaeus, the blind man in the gospel, experienced that restored his sight.

It is with faith that we will experience that goodness and sweetness of the Lord.

May that taste of the Lord’s goodness and sweetness lead us on towards salvation.

8th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 29-05-2024

1 Peter 1:18-25 / Mark 10:32-45  

The first step to eliminating a nation is to erase the people’s memory.

Begin by destroying its books, its culture, its language and its history.

Then write new books, create a new culture, invent a new history.

Before long, that nation will begin to forget who they and what they are.

In time to come, it will be a forgotten nation and a forgotten people.

By and large, the struggle of humanity is the struggle of memory against forgetting.

The 1st reading urges us to remember the ransom that was paid to free us from the useless way of life that we knew before.

That ransom was paid in the precious blood of Jesus Christ who is the sinless Lamb of God.

We remember by being obedient to the truth and living our lives with love.

Everything is passing, the grass withers, the flower falls, the seats of the powerful and mighty rise and fall.

But the Word of God remains forever, and the Good News of salvation reminds us of God’s love for us.

Let us always remember the ransom that was paid to save us, and let us always remember who paid that ransom.

8th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 28-05-2024

1 Peter 1:10-16 / Mark 10:28-31   

It is a natural human inclination and desire to have our needs fulfilled.

So, in whatever we do, we want to know what are the gains and benefits for ourselves.

All that springs from the human need of survival and self-preservation.

We may not say it aloud, but in our minds we will ask questions like: What will I gain from this? What is there for me?

In the gospel, Peter blatantly asked Jesus: What about us? We have left everything and followed you.

Jesus gave him and the rest a response to think about.

Yes, they will be rewarded, but there will also be persecution, there will be suffering, there will be a time of doubt and distress.

But they must remember that their eventual reward is in eternity.

The 1st reading would also reiterate this when it said that the prophets were looking and searching so hard as they tried to find out at what time and in what circumstances their prophesies would be fulfilled.

But it was then revealed to them that the prophesies were not for themselves but for a distant future, for a people that they will not know or see.

So it is with us. Jesus tells us that there is an eternal reward.

And may we realise that it is Jesus who is our reward, now and in eternity.

8th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 27-05-2024

1 Peter 1:3-9 / Mark 10:17-27  

Qin Shi Huangdi (秦始皇) (259 BC – 210 BC), was king of the Chinese State of Qin from 246 BC to 221 BC during the Warring States Period. He became the first emperor of a unified China in 221 BC. He ruled until his death in 210 BC at the age of 50.

After his death, he was buried in an underground tomb, along with his treasures and also his servants (buried alive) as was the practice in those times

There was even a "Terracotta Army" to guard the tomb of the emperor.

When his tomb was discovered, his remains and the remains of those who were buried with him were taken aside for further analysis.

One of the archaeologists was examining the remains and he seemed to be looking for something.

When he was asked what he was looking for, he replied: I am looking to see if there is any difference between the bones of Qin Shi Huangdi and that of his slaves. I don't see any.

We may think it is an obvious comment, but yet it is a chilling fact that whatever we have now, will ultimately remain here on earth.

And when we come before God, we are no different from the person next to us, whether be it in terms of merit or credit.

We can't even earn heaven or eternal life. But it is given freely to us.

The 1st reading would even say that God promised us an eternal inheritance that is being kept for us in the heavens.

But while we are here on earth, we must treasure this eternal gift and inheritance.

Because where our treasure is, there our heart will be.

Trinity Sunday, Year B, 26.05.2024

 Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40 / Romans 8:14-17 / Matthew 28:16-20

We are gathered in this church every week for one main purpose. And that purpose is to pray and to offer worship to God. 

As individuals, we want to pray for our own needs and intentions. But united in faith, we become the People of God, offering prayer and worship for ourselves, for the Church and for the world. 

We believe that God hears our prayers, that God watches over us, that God protects us and grants us our needs. 

And God has also revealed a truth that will lead believers, and even non-believers, to wonder and to ponder. 

That truth about God is that the essence of God is the unity of the Holy Trinity. The Holy Trinity is the unity of the Father, and the Son and the Holy spirit. 

It is a truth that God reveals to us, and we profess our belief in that truth when we make the sign of the Cross and say: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 

We also believe that God is love. And God the Holy Trinity is united in a relationship of love. 

So, it is with love and in love that the Father created us in the image of God. 

It is with love and in love that Jesus Christ the Son saved us from the corruption and disfiguration of sin. 

And it is with love and in love that the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts and makes us the temples of God. 

We believe in God who is love, and that God loves us. 

We also ponder about this truth that God is united in the Holy Trinity. But this truth about the Holy Trinity is not a concept or an idea about God. 

The truth of the Holy Trinity is also the truth about ourselves. It is a truth about who we are, and what our faith is really about. 

Because what we believe in, we must eventually become. 

So, when we believe that God is love, then we too must strive to be a person of love. 

We would want to be like God the Father, who created each person in love and with love. 

So, we would look at each person with love, and uphold the dignity of each person as God's beautiful creation. 

Yet, we do not deny the destructive effects of sin, that has disfigured and corrupted each person. 

So, we look at God the Son, who was obedient to being crucified on the Cross to save us from our sins. 

We would unite ourselves to Jesus, and offer prayer, penance and reparation for our sins and for the sins of others. 

And we would be attentive to the gentle promptings of God the Holy Spirit to be holy and faithful members of the Church and members of the Body of Christ. 

So, the truth about God is also the truth about ourselves. 

The truth about God is that God is love, and God is united in the love of the Holy Trinity. 

We believe in that truth, and in that love. What we believe in, we too must become, because we are called to become like God. 

So, we witness to the loving mercy of God the Father; we witness to the loving obedience of God the Son; and we witness to the love and gentleness of the Holy Spirit. 

When we become God's truth and love, then others will see God in us, and they will also want to believe what we believe in.