1 John 5:14-21 / John 3:22-30
In one of the most profound revelations in the readings after the feast of Epiphany, we come to the gospel text of today that talks about John the Baptist and his role as the one who prepares the way for Jesus.
And as the gospel text puts it, that was before John was put into prison, which effectively ended his ministry and later it would also end his life.
John was baptising, and so was Jesus, and hence John's disciples brought out this issue to him and was concerned that everyone was going to Jesus.
Yet John was graciously profound when he said he was not the Christ and that he was just the one who has been sent before the Christ.
John knew he was not the bridegroom but just the best-man he was not the Christ but just the baptizer; and that he must grow smaller and the Christ must grow greater.
And with that comes a statement from John the Baptist that revealed his self-understanding, and at the same time something that we ourselves need to understand.
He said, "A man can lay claim only to what is given him from above." And with those words he stepped aside for Jesus and he faded off and faded away.
John knew what he was given from above and he claimed that authority and fulfilled his mission.
We too know what we have been given from above. The 1st reading says that the Son of God has come and has given us the power to know the true God.
To know the true God is to acknowledge Jesus is Lord and to gain from Him the reward of eternal life.
To desire and yearn for passing things is to worship a false god, and to lose what we have been given from above.
Yet in order to lay claim to what we have been given from above, we need to grow smaller and to let God grow greater.
That is what our life is all about on earth; and that is also what eternal life is all about.
Friday, January 11, 2013
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Friday after Epiphany, 11-01-13
1 John 5:5-13 / Luke 5:12-16
The feast of the Epiphany celebrates the revelation of the birth of Christ to the whole world.
The Magi, or the wise men, came to pay homage to the new born king of the Jews with gifts of mystical meaning - gold to symbolize royalty; frankincense to symbolize divinity and myrrh to symbolize humanity.
In the days after the feast of Epiphany, the readings at Mass continue to expound on the revelation of the identity and mission of Jesus.
Over the week, we have heard Jesus had power over substance - there was the multiplication of the five loaves and two fish to feed five thousand men.
Jesus also had power over nature when He calmed the rough sea and the strong winds.
In today's gospel, we see Jesus having power over illness and disease, and in this case it was the dreaded leprosy.
Jesus is our Saviour and Healer. He came to heal us of our illness and infirmities. He wants to make us whole so that we can radiate the glory of God.
Yet we must open ourselves to His love and healing grace. One of the areas in our lives is that of forgiveness.
We need to be forgiven and healed so that we in turn can be able to forgive and let others be healed.
When we are able to forgive others and heal them with the love that God has loved us with, we reveal God to others.
The feast of the Epiphany celebrates the revelation of the birth of Christ to the whole world.
The Magi, or the wise men, came to pay homage to the new born king of the Jews with gifts of mystical meaning - gold to symbolize royalty; frankincense to symbolize divinity and myrrh to symbolize humanity.
In the days after the feast of Epiphany, the readings at Mass continue to expound on the revelation of the identity and mission of Jesus.
Over the week, we have heard Jesus had power over substance - there was the multiplication of the five loaves and two fish to feed five thousand men.
Jesus also had power over nature when He calmed the rough sea and the strong winds.
In today's gospel, we see Jesus having power over illness and disease, and in this case it was the dreaded leprosy.
Jesus is our Saviour and Healer. He came to heal us of our illness and infirmities. He wants to make us whole so that we can radiate the glory of God.
Yet we must open ourselves to His love and healing grace. One of the areas in our lives is that of forgiveness.
We need to be forgiven and healed so that we in turn can be able to forgive and let others be healed.
When we are able to forgive others and heal them with the love that God has loved us with, we reveal God to others.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Thursday after Epiphany, 10-01-13
1 John 4:19 - 5:4 / Luke 4:14-22
Quite a number of us gathered here attend Mass almost daily. We attend Mass daily because it has become a spiritual staple diet for us.
So we come to Mass to listen to the Word of God and to receive Him in Holy Communion.
Also we experience the strength to live out of faith and we also find peace from the noisy world.
The Mass is indeed a celebration of love - God's love for us and we can only respond with love and to live lives of love.
So it goes without saying that if we come for daily Mass, then we ought to be more loving and to grow more and more in love for God and for others.
Yet, if that is not the case then we need to do some serious reflection and examination of our spiritual lives.
And even as I say this, I also need to check myself. I celebrate Mass daily. Am I growing to be more loving and forgiving, patient and kind, faithful to the truth and persevering in faith and hope?
As the 1st reading puts it, anyone who says "I love God" and hates his brother is a liar, since a man who does not love the brother he can see cannot love God, whom he has never seen.
So let us pray that at every Mass we will be filled with God's love and be filled with the Spirit so that we will proclaim God's love in our lives.
May it begin with today and may it be fulfilled today even as we listen.
Quite a number of us gathered here attend Mass almost daily. We attend Mass daily because it has become a spiritual staple diet for us.
So we come to Mass to listen to the Word of God and to receive Him in Holy Communion.
Also we experience the strength to live out of faith and we also find peace from the noisy world.
The Mass is indeed a celebration of love - God's love for us and we can only respond with love and to live lives of love.
So it goes without saying that if we come for daily Mass, then we ought to be more loving and to grow more and more in love for God and for others.
Yet, if that is not the case then we need to do some serious reflection and examination of our spiritual lives.
And even as I say this, I also need to check myself. I celebrate Mass daily. Am I growing to be more loving and forgiving, patient and kind, faithful to the truth and persevering in faith and hope?
As the 1st reading puts it, anyone who says "I love God" and hates his brother is a liar, since a man who does not love the brother he can see cannot love God, whom he has never seen.
So let us pray that at every Mass we will be filled with God's love and be filled with the Spirit so that we will proclaim God's love in our lives.
May it begin with today and may it be fulfilled today even as we listen.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Wednesday after Epiphany, 09-01-13
1 John 4:11-18 / Mark 6:45-52
The word "ghost" will certainly give rise to uncomfortable feelings and scary thoughts, and certainly we won't want to hear "ghost stories" at night and have nightmares.
As it is generally understood, ghost may mean an apparition of a dead person that is believed to appear or become manifest to the living in some kind of vague, unclear, hazy or ill-defined image.
In the gospel, the disciples in the boat thought that Jesus was a ghost when they saw His walking in the water.
Added on to that, the wind was strong and the sea was rough and we can assume that they were trying to stay afloat and certainly all was not calm and peaceful.
In such chaotic moments, logic and rationale usually gives way to fear and anxiety and inevitably the imagination will run wild, so even though it was Jesus, the disciples thought that it was something scary.
Yet the 1st reading tells us that where there is love there is no fear. Yes, God loves us and we belong to Him.
God's love is perfect and His perfect love drives out all fear, because to fear is to expect punishment, and anyone who is afraid is still imperfect in love.
So when all around us is in turmoil and in chaos, let us be still and be calm. Let us be still and know that God loves us.
May God's love drive out from us all that cause us to fear and be anxious and to worry.
May God's love also grant us peace of heart so that we will grow in love.
The word "ghost" will certainly give rise to uncomfortable feelings and scary thoughts, and certainly we won't want to hear "ghost stories" at night and have nightmares.
As it is generally understood, ghost may mean an apparition of a dead person that is believed to appear or become manifest to the living in some kind of vague, unclear, hazy or ill-defined image.
In the gospel, the disciples in the boat thought that Jesus was a ghost when they saw His walking in the water.
Added on to that, the wind was strong and the sea was rough and we can assume that they were trying to stay afloat and certainly all was not calm and peaceful.
In such chaotic moments, logic and rationale usually gives way to fear and anxiety and inevitably the imagination will run wild, so even though it was Jesus, the disciples thought that it was something scary.
Yet the 1st reading tells us that where there is love there is no fear. Yes, God loves us and we belong to Him.
God's love is perfect and His perfect love drives out all fear, because to fear is to expect punishment, and anyone who is afraid is still imperfect in love.
So when all around us is in turmoil and in chaos, let us be still and be calm. Let us be still and know that God loves us.
May God's love drive out from us all that cause us to fear and be anxious and to worry.
May God's love also grant us peace of heart so that we will grow in love.
Monday, January 7, 2013
Tuesday after Epiphany, 08-01-13
1 John 4:7-10 / Mark 6:34-44
In the religious sense, sacrifice is the offering of food, objects or livestock to God or the gods as an act of propitiation or worship.
While sacrifice often implies ritual killing, the term offering (oblation) can be used for bloodless sacrifices of cereal food or artefacts. For offerings of liquids or beverage by pouring, the term libation is used.
Sacrifice is the central form of worship in any religion. It is offered for many reasons: thanksgiving; supplication; appeasement;
Usually it is the people or the devotees who makes the sacrifice before the deity and not the other way round.
Yet in Christianity, it is the other way round, and the 1st reading makes an emphasis of it.
God's love for us was revealed when God sent into the world His only Son so that we could have life through Him.
So it is not our love for God but God's love for us is proclaimed when He sent His Son to be the sacrifice that takes our sins away.
That is the foundation of Christianity and that is also the direction that we Christians must take in order to live out our faith.
Yet it must also be known that whenever we offer a sacrifice to God we will never be left wanting or in need.
As we heard in the gospel, out of the five loaves and two fish, five thousand hungry people were fed and there were leftovers.
Indeed, since God has sacrificed His only Son to save us from our sins, what is there that we cannot offer to God?
So let us make our sacrifices lovingly and joyfully, for in the end, it is us who will be filled
In the religious sense, sacrifice is the offering of food, objects or livestock to God or the gods as an act of propitiation or worship.
While sacrifice often implies ritual killing, the term offering (oblation) can be used for bloodless sacrifices of cereal food or artefacts. For offerings of liquids or beverage by pouring, the term libation is used.
Sacrifice is the central form of worship in any religion. It is offered for many reasons: thanksgiving; supplication; appeasement;
Usually it is the people or the devotees who makes the sacrifice before the deity and not the other way round.
Yet in Christianity, it is the other way round, and the 1st reading makes an emphasis of it.
God's love for us was revealed when God sent into the world His only Son so that we could have life through Him.
So it is not our love for God but God's love for us is proclaimed when He sent His Son to be the sacrifice that takes our sins away.
That is the foundation of Christianity and that is also the direction that we Christians must take in order to live out our faith.
Yet it must also be known that whenever we offer a sacrifice to God we will never be left wanting or in need.
As we heard in the gospel, out of the five loaves and two fish, five thousand hungry people were fed and there were leftovers.
Indeed, since God has sacrificed His only Son to save us from our sins, what is there that we cannot offer to God?
So let us make our sacrifices lovingly and joyfully, for in the end, it is us who will be filled
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Monday after Epiphany, 07-01-13
1 John 3:22 - 4:6 / Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25
It is not often that we who live in a urbanized society know what darkness is really about.
But if we go to the rural countryside, then we will know how inconvenient and troublesome and frightening darkness can be.
When I was a kid, I used to go up to Malaysia to my grandmother's farm in the countryside where there is no electricity and the means of lighting at night was at best the pressure lamp, but it would be usually the kerosene lamp.
I remembered that I hated it when nightfall came because the miserable kerosene lamps won't give much light, and so the house was frighteningly dark.
And at night I wouldn't want to go to the toilet because it is dark outside the house, and without good lighting, you just don't know what you are going to step on or fall into.
Hence it is only when we experienced the darkness of the night that we will truly long for the light.
In the gospel there was this profound quotation from the prophet Isaiah: The people that lived in darkness has seen a great light; on those who dwell in the land and shadow of death, a light has shown.
In Jesus we see the true light, and He is the light that the powers of darkness cannot overcome.
Jesus has also enlightened us and we are called to be prophets of the light and to be true prophets.
Hence whatever we do or say and whatever we think have to be tested in the light of Christ, because sin has contorted our thinking and our actions.
But when we let the light of Christ into our lives, His light will be reflected in our thoughts, words and actions.
It is not often that we who live in a urbanized society know what darkness is really about.
But if we go to the rural countryside, then we will know how inconvenient and troublesome and frightening darkness can be.
When I was a kid, I used to go up to Malaysia to my grandmother's farm in the countryside where there is no electricity and the means of lighting at night was at best the pressure lamp, but it would be usually the kerosene lamp.
I remembered that I hated it when nightfall came because the miserable kerosene lamps won't give much light, and so the house was frighteningly dark.
And at night I wouldn't want to go to the toilet because it is dark outside the house, and without good lighting, you just don't know what you are going to step on or fall into.
Hence it is only when we experienced the darkness of the night that we will truly long for the light.
In the gospel there was this profound quotation from the prophet Isaiah: The people that lived in darkness has seen a great light; on those who dwell in the land and shadow of death, a light has shown.
In Jesus we see the true light, and He is the light that the powers of darkness cannot overcome.
Jesus has also enlightened us and we are called to be prophets of the light and to be true prophets.
Hence whatever we do or say and whatever we think have to be tested in the light of Christ, because sin has contorted our thinking and our actions.
But when we let the light of Christ into our lives, His light will be reflected in our thoughts, words and actions.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
The Epiphany of the Lord, Year C, 06.01.2013
Is 60:1-6/ Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6/ Mt 2:1-12
Today’s feast of the Epiphany marks the revelation of the birth of the Saviour to the whole world.
The birth of Christ in Bethlehem in Judaea was marked by a star which led the Magi, or the wise men, who were non-Jews, to pay homage to the new born king of the Jews.
That is why, strictly speaking, the three Magi figurines make their appearance at the Nativity Crib only today and not earlier.
But their appearance will be short-lived because in the days to come, the Nativity Crib will be dismantled and the figurines will be stored away until the next Christmas.
And with that, it also means that it is time for the Christmas decorations in Church and at home to be taken down.
Already the shopping malls have replaced the Christmas decorations with Chinese New Year decorations even as early as on Christmas Day itself.
Most probably the star of Christmas or the star of Bethlehem will be the last to be taken down, maybe because it is at the top of the decorations.
Yes, the star that is over the Nativity Crib and the star that sits on the top of the Christmas tree.
Well, on this feast of the Epiphany, the spot light is on the star and in the whole Christmas story, it is only mentioned here.
It was the star that attracted the curiosity of the Magi and it beckoned them to head towards Jerusalem.
By the way, we are familiar with the nursery song “Twinkle twinkle little star”.
Generally we know the first stanza which goes like this:
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
But there are other stanzas that tell us more …
When the blazing sun is gone,
When he nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light,
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.
Then the traveller in the dark,
Thanks you for your tiny spark,
He could not see which way to go,
If you did not twinkle so.
As your bright and tiny spark,
Lights the traveller in the dark.
Though I know not what you are,
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.
Yes, for the Magi, or the wise men, the star beckons them to the land of Judaea, to the land of the Jews.
They were knowledgeable in astrology and they had studied the stars and they reckon that this particular star was special.
This star was the sign of the birth of someone great, who will be the king of the Jews.
And so they set off to where the star was beckoning. They were willing to embark on this quest in order to fulfill their hearts’ desire.
Yet it must be said that the star was not always there to lead them.
From the gospel passage, it seems that they saw the star as it rose, so they set off in that direction.
Yet, if the star was always guiding them, then they wouldn’t have ended up before Herod, which was like walking into a lion’s den.
Yes, Herod was perturbed, and so was the whole of Jerusalem.
Yet, it was there that the chief priests and scribes found out from the Magis that the king of the Jews was to be born in Bethlehem.
And so Herod sent them on with the pretext of wanting to pay homage to the new born king of the Jews. But of course he had ulterior and evil motives.
So the Magi went on to Bethlehem and this time the star appeared again and brought them to Jesus.
And they paid homage with gifts of mystical meaning – gold to represent royalty; frankincense to represent divinity, and myrrh to represent humanity and mortality.
What the chief priests and scribes in Jerusalem knew about but did nothing, the Magi searched for and received everything.
But just as the star caught the attention of the Magi and set them on a quest, the Magi themselves somehow catches our attention and imagination.
They were often portrayed as kings, wearing crowns and royal and colourful exotic robes.
And their three gifts were also just so extraordinary and fascinating.
Although there were shepherds at the Nativity scene, yet the Magi seem to capture our attention and reflection.
Maybe because the story of the shepherds was quite straight forward.
An angel appeared to them to announce the birth of the Saviour; they were told where to go and how to look for Him; and they found it exactly as they had been told.
There were no surprises and no suspense. It was a straight cut and it was straight forward.
On the other hand, the Magi had only seen the star rising.
They then set off across the desert sands and maybe the star appeared now and then and here and there.
They thought that the new born king would be in Jerusalem, and unknowingly, they were used by Herod to be his agents.
Yes, the Magi seem to catch our attention and reflection maybe because we see a bit of our faith journey in them.
Like the star that beckoned the Magi, we also feel the call to faith and to follow Jesus.
Yet we know by now that following Jesus is not a straight cut and neither is it straight forward.
Many a times we wonder what God’s will is for us and what direction should we take.
But like the Magi, we had to move on because there is no turning back.
And along the way, we will meet the Herods of this world. We will be used, cheated, taken advantage of, and misled. But God will still draw straight with those crooked lines.
Like the Magi who had to face disappointment when they found out that Jerusalem was the end of their journey, we too will face disappointment when we did not get what we prayed for or that things didn’t turn out as we hoped or expected.
But let us remember that Epiphany means revelation. As in any revelation, it come bit by bit and we just have to journey on in faith.
God will reveal Himself to us. That is what the feast of the Epiphany is all about.
And with this feast also comes a promise. And that is God will help us find what we are looking for.
Well, the Magi followed the star and although they made a few wrong turns, they eventually found what they were looking for, and they went back enlightened and fulfilled.
Yes, God will make the stars shine for us. We just have to keep looking, keep praying, keep searching, and we will become the stars that will reveal Jesus to others.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)