Saturday, August 8, 2009
St Lawrence 10.08.09
1st Reading: 2 Cor 9: 6-10
Gospel: Jn 12:24-26
St Laurence was a deacon of the Church of Rome when Pope St Sixtus II was executed along with a few others in the year 258.
St Laurence was told that if he wanted to be spared, he was to surrender the treasures of the Church.
So the next few days, St Laurence went round gathering the poor and the misfortune who were supported by the Church.
Then he brought them all to the authorities and he told them, 'These are the treasures of th Church.'
Needless to say, he was taken over to be tortured to death.
The execution scene was morbid. St Laurence was stripped and tied to a wire mesh to be roasted little by little; more morbid if we can imagine the sight, the smell and the sound of the roasting flesh.
And one account has it that St Laurence can even said to his tormentors, 'You can turn me over, I am well done on this side.'
But martyrdom is not laughing matter, but yet even as the blood of the martyrs was poured out, Christianity grew especially in these terrible times.
It was a blood that willingly poured out, willingly given for the glory of God.
In these present times, the seed of Christianity is also waiting to sprout.
And we as Christians are called, not so much to shed our blood but to fertilize the soil by the example of our lives especially in our generosity.
And we do this by faithfully following Christ and serving Him in the poor like St Laurence did, so that our lives will also yield a rich harvest.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
18th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 08.08.09
1st Reading: Deut 6:4-13 / Gospel: Mt 17:14-20 (2021 / 2023)
Some people would say that love is a feeling, others would say it is an action, yet others would say that love is a decision.
But what I said is just a simplified version of what Moses told the people: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart (feeling), with all your soul (action) and with all your strength (decision).
Yet, like the mustard seed that Jesus used as an imagery in today's Gospel, love is also a growth.
To say that we love God might be quite easy, as in our love for God is merely confined to feelings.
There are mountains of resentment, bitterness, anger, disappointment etc to move.
Then we will understand that love is a feeling, an action as well as a decision.
18th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 07.08.09
1st Reading: Deut 4:32-40
Gospel: Mt 16:24-28If there is anything we can remember from the 1st reading or want to remember from the 1st reading, which is from the Book of Deuteronomy, it might be this:
Keep the laws and the commandments of God, and we will prosper and live long and be happy.
I said that we can remember that, or want to remember that, because a simplistic understanding of obedience to God can certainly sound attractive.
So it might simply mean that as long as we obey God, then God will multiply our wealth, remove sickness from us, our kids will do well in school, we will get promoted etc.
And if we disobey God, then we lose everything.
Yet Jesus would deepen the meaning of obedience.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells that if we want to be his disciples, then we would have to renounce everything and take up our cross.
The truth that Jesus is teaching us is indeed a paradox.
For it is in letting go, that we gain; or as it is often said: Let go, and let God.
It is a difficult truth that we need to slowly come to understand.
Eventually, we must realise that obedience to God is not about gaining world riches.
Obedience to God is the realization that eternal riches are waiting for us.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Transfiguration of the Lord, 06.08.09
1st Reading: Dan: 7:9-10, 13-14
2nd Reading: 2 Pt 1:16-19
Gospel: Mk 9: 2-10
There is a story of a young man who somehow thinks he is a worm, and he would hide under the bed whenever he sees a chicken. (Because chicken eats worms).
So one day, he was hiding under the bed because he saw a chicken roaming around.
His best friend decided to help him overcome his problem by going under the bed and there he told him to repeat after him，“I am a man, not a worm.”
After a few repetitions, his best friend urged him to come out and prove himself a man.
So he came out and walked around confidently. Until he saw a chicken. Then he immediately hid under the bed again.
Hid best friend went under the bed and asked him，“why didn't you believe you are a man, not a worm.”
The young man replied，“ I believe I am a man, not a worm, but does the chicken believe that?!?”
Jesus believed that He is the Beloved Son of the Father. Even in His most painful and despairing moments He believed that.
The disciples also kind of believed that Jesus was the Son of God.
But the moment trials and persecutions came along, they ran and "hid under the bed". But later on, they truly believed.
The feast of the Transfiguration, reminds us who Jesus is, and also reminds us of who we are.
May we slowly come out of our fears and weaknesses and sinfulness, and show others what we really believe in.
2nd Reading: 2 Pt 1:16-19
Gospel: Mk 9: 2-10
There is a story of a young man who somehow thinks he is a worm, and he would hide under the bed whenever he sees a chicken. (Because chicken eats worms).
So one day, he was hiding under the bed because he saw a chicken roaming around.
His best friend decided to help him overcome his problem by going under the bed and there he told him to repeat after him，“I am a man, not a worm.”
After a few repetitions, his best friend urged him to come out and prove himself a man.
So he came out and walked around confidently. Until he saw a chicken. Then he immediately hid under the bed again.
Hid best friend went under the bed and asked him，“why didn't you believe you are a man, not a worm.”
The young man replied，“ I believe I am a man, not a worm, but does the chicken believe that?!?”
Jesus believed that He is the Beloved Son of the Father. Even in His most painful and despairing moments He believed that.
The disciples also kind of believed that Jesus was the Son of God.
But the moment trials and persecutions came along, they ran and "hid under the bed". But later on, they truly believed.
The feast of the Transfiguration, reminds us who Jesus is, and also reminds us of who we are.
May we slowly come out of our fears and weaknesses and sinfulness, and show others what we really believe in.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
18th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 05.08.09
1st Reading: Num 13
Gospel: Mt 5:21-28
As I reflect on the first reading, I thought about the last surviving member of that generation of Israelites that complained to the Lord, that wailed, and did not trust in the Lord.
For that last surviving member, he had wandered in the desert for 40 years, and seen his generation dying one by one and buried in the desert sand.
And as the next generation was about to enter the Promised Land, he also knew that his time had come.
He won't enter the Promised Land - he would have to die and be buried in the desert sand.
That was the price that he and his generation had to pay for not trusting and having faith in the Lord.
But more heart-breaking than not entering the Promised Land was that he and his generation had to live with 40 years of guilt and regret.
All that was needed at that time of crisis when they had doubts about the Promised Land was to trust in the Lord and have faith.
But instead they complained, they wailed, they rebelled.
And for the next 40 years, they had to live with the consequences.
In the gospel, the Canaanite woman also faced a crisis of faith and trust in Jesus.
But she choose to trust in Jesus and was rewarded for her faith.
We too, will have to face our moments of crisis in faith and trust.
What and who we choose is of a great consequence.
We surely don't want to live in guilt or regret.
But we must trust in the Lord and put our faith in Him.
Only then will we have hope in the future.
Gospel: Mt 5:21-28
As I reflect on the first reading, I thought about the last surviving member of that generation of Israelites that complained to the Lord, that wailed, and did not trust in the Lord.
For that last surviving member, he had wandered in the desert for 40 years, and seen his generation dying one by one and buried in the desert sand.
And as the next generation was about to enter the Promised Land, he also knew that his time had come.
He won't enter the Promised Land - he would have to die and be buried in the desert sand.
That was the price that he and his generation had to pay for not trusting and having faith in the Lord.
But more heart-breaking than not entering the Promised Land was that he and his generation had to live with 40 years of guilt and regret.
All that was needed at that time of crisis when they had doubts about the Promised Land was to trust in the Lord and have faith.
But instead they complained, they wailed, they rebelled.
And for the next 40 years, they had to live with the consequences.
In the gospel, the Canaanite woman also faced a crisis of faith and trust in Jesus.
But she choose to trust in Jesus and was rewarded for her faith.
We too, will have to face our moments of crisis in faith and trust.
What and who we choose is of a great consequence.
We surely don't want to live in guilt or regret.
But we must trust in the Lord and put our faith in Him.
Only then will we have hope in the future.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
18th Week, Ordinary Time, St John Vianney, 04.08.09
1st Reading: Ezk 3:16-21
Gospel: Mt 9:35-10:1
If we are to look at some of the pictures of St John Vianney, we might come to think that as far as looks are concerned, he cannot make it.
But not just looks, as far as intellectual capacity and ability is concerned, St John Vianney also could not quite make it.
Because he could not get through his priestly studies and failed in his exams.
But he was eventually ordained as a priest, but initially on the condition that he do not preach at Mass or even teach catechism, for fear that he would end up teaching something heretical.
But how did a priest like St John Vianney eventually be proclaimed by the Church as the Patron Saint for Priests?
Firstly, it was in the confessional that he received the grace of spiritual insight and helped people in repentance and conversion.
Very often, St John Vianney spent as long as 17 hours everyday in the confessional, helping people see their sinfulness and experiencing the mercy and forgiveness of God.
Later when he was allowed to preach, he spoke in simplicity about the love of God, and he also spoke with passion.
He worked himself tirelessly to serve the people by bringing them closer to God, besides having to face temptations from the devil, and also persecutions from members of the clergy and others.
Indeed, St John Vianney was a model of dedication, of holiness, of prayer and of faithfulness.
As we celebrate this feast, let us pray for our priests that they too will remain dedicated to God, faithful to God, and strive for holiness and be models of prayer to us.
When priests serve the Lord like St John Vianney did, then the Church would indeed be a priestly and holy people.
Gospel: Mt 9:35-10:1
If we are to look at some of the pictures of St John Vianney, we might come to think that as far as looks are concerned, he cannot make it.
But not just looks, as far as intellectual capacity and ability is concerned, St John Vianney also could not quite make it.
Because he could not get through his priestly studies and failed in his exams.
But he was eventually ordained as a priest, but initially on the condition that he do not preach at Mass or even teach catechism, for fear that he would end up teaching something heretical.
But how did a priest like St John Vianney eventually be proclaimed by the Church as the Patron Saint for Priests?
Firstly, it was in the confessional that he received the grace of spiritual insight and helped people in repentance and conversion.
Very often, St John Vianney spent as long as 17 hours everyday in the confessional, helping people see their sinfulness and experiencing the mercy and forgiveness of God.
Later when he was allowed to preach, he spoke in simplicity about the love of God, and he also spoke with passion.
He worked himself tirelessly to serve the people by bringing them closer to God, besides having to face temptations from the devil, and also persecutions from members of the clergy and others.
Indeed, St John Vianney was a model of dedication, of holiness, of prayer and of faithfulness.
As we celebrate this feast, let us pray for our priests that they too will remain dedicated to God, faithful to God, and strive for holiness and be models of prayer to us.
When priests serve the Lord like St John Vianney did, then the Church would indeed be a priestly and holy people.
18th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 03.08.09
1st Reading: Num 11:4-15
Gospel: Mt 14:13-21
We often hear this phrase: A hungry person is an angry person.
Quite true, hunger has that ability to diminish our rationale and even contort our spirituality, so much so that we can even end up doing something crazy and stupid.
But being grumpy because we are hungry is another story altogether.
We can be grumpy not because we are hungry, but because we are fussy.
In the 1st reading, we heard how the Israelites began to be grumpy, not because they were hungry but because they were tired of eating manna, day in day out.
And their complaints burdened Moses to the extent that he in turn complained to the Lord.
But what Moses felt about the people's complains was a much lesser intensity about how Jesus felt over the execution of John the Baptist.
For Jesus, it was a personal tragedy, it was a time to drop everything and spend some time in great grief.
But when people came to Him with their needs, He put aside His grief and even took pity on them and healed their sick.
Moses was burdened by the people's complaints. Jesus was grieved over the death of John the Baptist.
We have experienced both kinds of situations before.
How did we react before? And how would we react in the future?
We can continue to complain about our burdens. Or like Jesus, we will trust in God's grace to turn burdens into blessings.
Gospel: Mt 14:13-21
We often hear this phrase: A hungry person is an angry person.
Quite true, hunger has that ability to diminish our rationale and even contort our spirituality, so much so that we can even end up doing something crazy and stupid.
But being grumpy because we are hungry is another story altogether.
We can be grumpy not because we are hungry, but because we are fussy.
In the 1st reading, we heard how the Israelites began to be grumpy, not because they were hungry but because they were tired of eating manna, day in day out.
And their complaints burdened Moses to the extent that he in turn complained to the Lord.
But what Moses felt about the people's complains was a much lesser intensity about how Jesus felt over the execution of John the Baptist.
For Jesus, it was a personal tragedy, it was a time to drop everything and spend some time in great grief.
But when people came to Him with their needs, He put aside His grief and even took pity on them and healed their sick.
Moses was burdened by the people's complaints. Jesus was grieved over the death of John the Baptist.
We have experienced both kinds of situations before.
How did we react before? And how would we react in the future?
We can continue to complain about our burdens. Or like Jesus, we will trust in God's grace to turn burdens into blessings.
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