32nd Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 14-11-2024

Philemon 7-20 / Luke 17:20-25  

We have heard it said so often, that the ways of God are not the ways of man.

In fact God’s ways are so much higher that the ways of man.

But so often, man thinks that he is smarter than God, and at times man even thinks that he is God.

And so mankind goes about doing things their way and thinks that their way is the best way.

But when things begin to go wrong and really wrong, then mankind starts blaming each other and may also blame God.

In the gospel, Jesus says that the kingdom of God does not admit of observation, and there will be no one to say “Look here, look there!”

And even if there is anyone who tells us to “Look there!” or “Look here!”, Jesus tells us to make no move, and do not set off in pursuit.

So, when everyone is running around looking for solutions to the problems of this world, what we need to do is to be still.

Yes, to be still and to know where God is, and Jesus tells us that God is among us.

And God is truly among us when two or three are gathered to pray for God to reveal His plans for us.

God’s plans may not be a path of roses. Jesus tells us there will be suffering and rejection when we say “yes” to God’s plan.

But we will go with God’s plan, because God loves us and His plans are for our good.

Let us put our faith and trust in God and we will be at peace.

32nd Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 13-11-2024

Titus 3:1-7 / Luke 17:11-19   

Human beings are the most intelligent of all creatures on earth.

We have the ability to be creative and innovative.

But at the same time, human beings also have the tendency to be oppressive and destructive.

In the 1st reading, St. Paul reminds us that there was a time when we too were ignorant, disobedient and misled and enslaved by different passions and luxuries.

We lived then in wickedness and ill-will, hating each other and hateful ourselves.

It was the kindness and love of God our Saviour that woke up us from our sinfulness and we want to be saved and look forward to eternal life.

And that means that we will be obedient to the officials and representatives of the government, and ready to do good at every opportunity.

And we would not want to slander others or picking up quarrels, but to be courteous and always polite to all kinds of people.

The profound expression of our desire for salvation is when we want to always give thanks to God for His abundant love and blessings.

Like the Samaritan leper who came back to Jesus to express his thanks and gratefulness, let us ask God for a thankful heart.

With a grateful and thankful heart, God will grant us His abundant blessings and mercy for us and for the whole world.

32nd Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 12-11-2024

Titus 2:1-8, 11-14 / Luke 17:7-10  

The one undeniable reality in life is that we go on in years, we will age.

In the younger days, we won’t think much about it.

But as we come to the senior years, we will feel the age in our bodies and in our bones.

And we hope that we will age gracefully.

In the 1st reading, St. Paul urges the older men and women to be dignified in their behaviour, and to be sound in faith and love.

And they are to be teachers of right behaviour and be an example of the message of God to the younger people.

In short, the seniors are to teach the younger people that what they have to do is to give up everything that does not lead to God.

That is the duty of the seniors and they must see themselves as servants of God who are merely doing their duty.

It is in carrying out that duty with love and constancy that we will age gracefully.

It is in aging gracefully and lovingly that we will be an example and a model for the younger generation.

32nd Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 11-11-2024

Titus 1:1-9 / Luke 17:1-6 

To be a Christian is difficult because others will observe or even scrutinize our behaviour.

And if we don’t behave as a good Christian, then there will certainly be criticisms.

To be a Christian leader can be even more challenging and demanding.

In the 1st reading, St. Paul listed out for Titus the requirements for choosing and appointing elders for the Christian community.

And the requirements are so demanding that it would be like a miracle if anyone could ever be chosen.

And if anyone dares to accept the appointment of being an elder in the Christian community, he must be able to accept correction and even criticism.

And if he ever stumbles and falls, and becomes an obstacle for others, then, as Jesus said in the gospel, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone around his neck.

But the critical test for any Christian, and more so for a Christian leader, is in the virtue of forgiveness.

If a Christian cannot forgive others, then being a Christian is a contradiction.

May we always forgive others, just as God has forgiven us in Chirst.

32nd Ordinary Sunday, Year B, 10.11.2024

 1 Kings 17:10-16 / Hebrews 9:24-28 / Mark 12:38-44

Whether people believe in God or not, it cannot be denied that everyone has a conscience. 

Although it also cannot be denied that there are some people who are able to suppress their conscience.

So, their conscience becomes numbed to the bad that they do to others, and evil they commit against others. 

But even with the conscience suppressed, the eyes and the ears cannot be shut off from the realities of life. 

And there is one reality that cannot be denied and that is the reality of retribution. 

Retribution is commonly understood as some kind of “payback”, and it is usually about a punishment that is inflicted for some wickedness or evil that was done in the past. 

The reality of retribution is often portrayed in stories, movies and dramas. 

It is also something that we would talk about in order to dissuade someone from doing something wicked. 

And it may also be something that we have experienced in our lives or in the lives of people we know. 

In the gospel, Jesus did not use the word retribution. 

But in His teaching, He told the people to beware of the behaviour of the scribes. 

Jesus also said that because they swallow the property of widows while making a show of lengthy prayers, the more severe will be the sentence they receive. 

So, Jesus is issuing an unmistakable warning for those who commit wickedness and evil against others. 

More than just retribution, the wickedness and evil committed against others is done before God. 

Yes, God sees, God knows and God waits. 

But even as Jesus issued the warning against the wicked and the evildoers, He also pointed out something inspiring and enlightening. 

No one really noticed that poor widow who dropped the two small coins into the Temple treasury, but Jesus did. 

And how did Jesus know that the two small coins were all that the poor widow had to live on? 

There could be a couple of explanations, but in the end it comes down to this:

God sees, God knows and God waits. 

But if God sees and God knows, then what is God waiting for? 

Well, that poor widow dropped in the two small coins, everything she had to live on, and there were no immediate rewards for her. 

But we believe, that God will bless her and provide for her and that God will sustain her because of her faith and generosity. 

So, God sees, God knows and God waited, so that His blessings will be more than we can expect. 

So, for the good we do, let us do it quietly and humbly, like that poor widow. 

Our reward is not in man's praises and admiration, but in the blessings of God, the blessings of His love and peace. 

As for those who commit wickedness and evil, let us not threaten them with retribution or punishment.

Because God sees, God knows and God waits. 

God waits for our two small coins of prayer for sinners as He waits for their repentance and conversion.

Yes, God sees, God knows and God waits. 

God waits to grant sinners forgiveness, and God waits for our two small coins of prayers, prayers for the conversion of sinners.

Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, Saturday, 09-11-2024

Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12 / 1 Cor 3:9-11, 16-17 / John 2:13-22 

The Lateran Basilica was built around 324 by the Roman emperor Constantine, and it is the cathedral of the city of Rome.

The Lateran Basilica is the official church of the Pope since the 4th century.

It is also called the "Mother of all churches" and on Holy Thursday, the Pope and priests will celebrate the Eucharist there.

This feast reminds us that we belong to the universal church, with Christ as the Head of the Church which is His Body.

Hence we acknowledge that the Church is not just a building, but the body of believers who are scattered all over the world, yet spiritually united in the body of Christ.

We also acknowledge, in the celebration of this feast, that the Pope is the head of the Church and we pledge our obedience to him and our unity with the whole Church.

May we continue to be united as Church and as the Body of Christ and be a sign of salvation to the world.

31st Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 08-11-2024

Philippians 3:17 - 4:1 / Luke 16:1-8   

Many a times, some of our best ideas come about out of a desperate situation.

It takes some urgency or emergency to get us to try out ideas and options that we would not have considered before.

Such was the case with the dishonest steward in today's gospel.

This parable can be difficult to interpret and understand if we don't understand the point that Jesus was making.

Jesus was focusing on the urgency and energy with which a worldly man secures his future when it is in jeopardy.

Jesus is even urging us, the children of light, to have an urgency when it comes to our eternal future.

Otherwise, as the 1st reading puts it, we might end up making food into our god and can even be proud of something that we ought to be shameful and worldly things are the only important things to us.

St. Paul urged his people not to give way but to remain faithful to the Lord.

Hence the urgency is not to get into a flurry of activity to prepare for our eternal destiny.

Rather the urgency is in the ordinary and the monotony of life.

When we can be faithful to the Lord in the small ordinary things and remain focused on the Lord despite the monotony of life, then we are prepared for eternal life.