1 John 4:19 - 5:4 / Luke 4:14-22
Our parish (Church of the Sacred Heart) is opened from early in the morning to late in the evening.
Being so near to the shopping belt and the happening scene, it can be said that our parish is the Church in Orchard Road. We are literally a stone's throw away from Orchard Road.
And the church does have visitors coming over to pray or just to admire the architecture or just to see where this church is.
So the church is a sign of a religious presence in this area. But besides being just a building, the church is also made up of the community of faith.
A religious building that does not have the presence of the faith community is just a building of stone and cement.
The 1st reading tells us that no one has seen God but as long as we love one another, God will live in us and His love will be complete in us.
And if God's love is complete in us, then we will also be living visible images of His love for others.
As we come to the Eucharist to experience the mystery of God's love and to come into communion with His love, then we also must be ready for the mission.
The mission is to be living images of God's love as a faith community so that any visitor to the church can see the presence of God and feel His love.
Yes, the Spirit of God's love has already been given to us. That love must be fulfilled in its mission. And it must be fulfilled today even as we listen.
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Wednesday after Epiphany, 07-01-15
1 John 4:11-18 / Mark 6:45-52
Some people tend to believe in ghosts, a belief that at times seemed to be much greater than the belief in God.
And some people say that they can see "ghosts" and some of these stories can even make our skin creep.
Whatever we might want to think about these stories or about these people, it is interesting that the gospel mentioned the word "ghost".
The disciples thought they saw a ghost, and they were not just afraid - they were terrified.
Yet, the gospel also said that "Jesus was going to pass them by".
"To pass them by" is a biblical way of saying that a revelation of God is going to happen, ie. a theophany.
Just yesterday we heard how Jesus revealed God as teacher and provider in the multiplication of loaves.
Today, we heard how Jesus revealed His divinity as He walked on the rough waters.
The rough waters and the strong winds of life can make us afraid, and even terrified, and like the disciples, we see only the "ghosts" that is frightening us, but we miss what God is revealing to us.
So what does God want to reveal to us? The feast of Christmas reminds us that God sent His Son to reveal His love for us.
As the 1st reading puts it, God is love, and anyone who lives in love lives in God, and God lives in him.
In love there can be no fear, whether of ghosts or suffering or death.
In love, God continues to reveal and fill our hearts with His love.
Some people tend to believe in ghosts, a belief that at times seemed to be much greater than the belief in God.
And some people say that they can see "ghosts" and some of these stories can even make our skin creep.
Whatever we might want to think about these stories or about these people, it is interesting that the gospel mentioned the word "ghost".
The disciples thought they saw a ghost, and they were not just afraid - they were terrified.
Yet, the gospel also said that "Jesus was going to pass them by".
"To pass them by" is a biblical way of saying that a revelation of God is going to happen, ie. a theophany.
Just yesterday we heard how Jesus revealed God as teacher and provider in the multiplication of loaves.
Today, we heard how Jesus revealed His divinity as He walked on the rough waters.
The rough waters and the strong winds of life can make us afraid, and even terrified, and like the disciples, we see only the "ghosts" that is frightening us, but we miss what God is revealing to us.
So what does God want to reveal to us? The feast of Christmas reminds us that God sent His Son to reveal His love for us.
As the 1st reading puts it, God is love, and anyone who lives in love lives in God, and God lives in him.
In love there can be no fear, whether of ghosts or suffering or death.
In love, God continues to reveal and fill our hearts with His love.
Monday, January 5, 2015
Tuesday after Epiphany, 06-01-15
1 John 4:7-10 / Mark 6:34-44
Generally speaking, we have two types of reactions to a situation.
Either we react to it emotionally, or we react to it rationally.
When Jesus saw the large crowd, He took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and He set Himself to teach them at some length.
It was understandable that Jesus felt for the people, or if we wish to say, He acted from His emotions.
But it went to the extent that He ignored the rationality of feeding the crowd of 5000 with five loaves and two fish.
His disciples seemed to be more rational, especially when it was going to cost them 200 days' wages, since the average wage for a day was 1 denarii.
But Jesus challenged His disciples to see what was available. And from what was available, out came a miracle.
Essentially, today's gospel passage continues the Epiphany message that God is our Helper and Provider.
Yet like the disciples, we often use too much of our rationality.
But what the Lord is asking of us is our availability.
To serve the Lord is to make our hearts available for Him.
Hence, we have to feel the promptings, especially the challenges the Lord is giving us, just like He challenged His disciples when He told them : Give them something to eat yourselves.
It is not so much our rationality that matters when we serve the Lord, but rather our availability for Him to do great wonders through us.
Generally speaking, we have two types of reactions to a situation.
Either we react to it emotionally, or we react to it rationally.
When Jesus saw the large crowd, He took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and He set Himself to teach them at some length.
It was understandable that Jesus felt for the people, or if we wish to say, He acted from His emotions.
But it went to the extent that He ignored the rationality of feeding the crowd of 5000 with five loaves and two fish.
His disciples seemed to be more rational, especially when it was going to cost them 200 days' wages, since the average wage for a day was 1 denarii.
But Jesus challenged His disciples to see what was available. And from what was available, out came a miracle.
Essentially, today's gospel passage continues the Epiphany message that God is our Helper and Provider.
Yet like the disciples, we often use too much of our rationality.
But what the Lord is asking of us is our availability.
To serve the Lord is to make our hearts available for Him.
Hence, we have to feel the promptings, especially the challenges the Lord is giving us, just like He challenged His disciples when He told them : Give them something to eat yourselves.
It is not so much our rationality that matters when we serve the Lord, but rather our availability for Him to do great wonders through us.
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Monday after Epiphany, 05-01-15
1 John 3:22 - 4:6 / Matthew 4 : 12-17, 23-25
There was a long-running medical drama series on tv called E.R. It presents the life of doctors and patients in the emergency room.
It is not just about the work and the personal lives of the doctors but also the anguish and misery of patients in the hospital.
For eg, an old lady with an ECG monitor, a man in oxygen mask, a young mother grieving over the death of her child, etc.
The underlying question of the patients and their loved ones seemed to be this: Why is this happening to me? What is happening to my loved one?
This is also the same question that we will ask when we ourselves become ill or when our loved ones become seriously ill.
On this Monday after Epiphany, the gospel proclaims to us that in Jesus, we see God our healer.
But physical illness and suffering can be alleviated by medicine. A greater suffering is the suffering of the heart, an emotional and a spiritual kind of suffering.
That kind of suffering and pain can only be addressed with the healing that Jesus came to bring.
The prophecy of Isaiah gives us an idea of what is this kind of healing when it says: 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 dawned.
In other words, Jesus the true Light shines on us to heal our broken and hurting hearts so that we can get up and walk in the light of love.
The healing light of Christ continues to shine in the Sacraments of the Eucharist, Reconciliation and the Anointing of the Sick. It continues to shine when we pray for others in their distress
Let us open our hearts with confidence in the light that God our Healer wants to give us, and let us be witnesses of His healing love for us.
There was a long-running medical drama series on tv called E.R. It presents the life of doctors and patients in the emergency room.
It is not just about the work and the personal lives of the doctors but also the anguish and misery of patients in the hospital.
For eg, an old lady with an ECG monitor, a man in oxygen mask, a young mother grieving over the death of her child, etc.
The underlying question of the patients and their loved ones seemed to be this: Why is this happening to me? What is happening to my loved one?
This is also the same question that we will ask when we ourselves become ill or when our loved ones become seriously ill.
On this Monday after Epiphany, the gospel proclaims to us that in Jesus, we see God our healer.
But physical illness and suffering can be alleviated by medicine. A greater suffering is the suffering of the heart, an emotional and a spiritual kind of suffering.
That kind of suffering and pain can only be addressed with the healing that Jesus came to bring.
The prophecy of Isaiah gives us an idea of what is this kind of healing when it says: 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 dawned.
In other words, Jesus the true Light shines on us to heal our broken and hurting hearts so that we can get up and walk in the light of love.
The healing light of Christ continues to shine in the Sacraments of the Eucharist, Reconciliation and the Anointing of the Sick. It continues to shine when we pray for others in their distress
Let us open our hearts with confidence in the light that God our Healer wants to give us, and let us be witnesses of His healing love for us.
Saturday, January 3, 2015
Epiphany, Year B, 03-01-2015
Isaiah 60:1-6 / Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6 / Matthew 2:1-12
Today we hear of the wise men, or the Magis, and with that the Christmas story comes to a completion.
We not only hear about them, we also see them at the Crib as they make their grand appearance.
Among the figures at the Crib, or the Nativity set, the wise men (aka the 3 wise men) are the most impressively and glamorously dressed.
They wear crowns and royal robes; they bring along exotic gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh; they came from the East and they carry with them a sense of mystery.
They looked like rich and smart guys and they are often portrayed as riding on camels and looking quite elegant.
But from the gospel, we will know that they went to the wrong place (Jerusalem instead of Bethlehem), at the wrong time (when Herod was king) and they asked the wrong question (Where is the infant king of the Jews?)
So much for being wise men. If it had been 3 wise women, the story might have been different.
Different in the sense that the 3 wise women would have asked for directions; they would have arrived on time and helped deliver the baby; they would also have cleaned up the stable; they would have brought practical gifts like milk powder and diapers and chocolates; they would also cook a meal and even bake a cake and there will be peace on earth.
That would be a nice ending to the Christmas story. After all we like stories with a happy ending that would leave us smiling.
Abut if we were to read on from where the gospel ended off, then we would know that when the wise men didn’t go back to king Herod, he was furious and then he ordered the slaughter of the infants at Bethlehem.
So from the start, the Christmas story was a bumpy kind of story.
Things didn’t happen as expected.
And that is one thing that we can learn from the Christmas story – things don’t happen as expected.
Not even for the wise men in spite of their wisdom. They expected the infant king of the Jews to be born in the big city of Jerusalem, but it turned out to be in the little town of Bethlehem.
They thought that Herod was helping them but it turned out that he was using them.
The feast of the Epiphany is about Christ being revealed to the world.
And in a way, the revelation of Christ is also a revelation of what life is all about, and that things don’t happen as expected.
There is this story of three trees on a hill in the forest. They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, "Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty."
Then the second tree said, "Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull.”
Finally the third tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me."
After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the first tree he said, "This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter," and he began cutting it down.
The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest. At the second tree the woodsman said, "This looks like a strong tree, I should be able to sell it to the shipyard." The second tree was happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship. When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true. One of the woodsmen said, "I don't need anything special from my tree, so I'll take this one", and he cut it down.
When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for.
The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end. The third tree was cut into large pieces and left alone in the dark.
The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams. Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.
Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and He stood and said "Be still" and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.
Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it.
When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill.
When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.
The moral of this story is that when things don't seem to be going our way, let us know that God has a plan for us. If we place our trust in Him, He will give us great gifts.
Each of the trees got what they wanted, but just not in the way they had imagined.
We don't always know what God's plans are for us. We just know that His ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best.
May the star that led the wise men to the infant Jesus also shine upon us and may God grant us the wisdom to know that when things don’t turn out as expected, then God is leading us along His ways.
And like the wise men, may we be at peace in knowing that God will always be leading us in His ways.
Today we hear of the wise men, or the Magis, and with that the Christmas story comes to a completion.
We not only hear about them, we also see them at the Crib as they make their grand appearance.
Among the figures at the Crib, or the Nativity set, the wise men (aka the 3 wise men) are the most impressively and glamorously dressed.
They wear crowns and royal robes; they bring along exotic gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh; they came from the East and they carry with them a sense of mystery.
They looked like rich and smart guys and they are often portrayed as riding on camels and looking quite elegant.
But from the gospel, we will know that they went to the wrong place (Jerusalem instead of Bethlehem), at the wrong time (when Herod was king) and they asked the wrong question (Where is the infant king of the Jews?)
So much for being wise men. If it had been 3 wise women, the story might have been different.
Different in the sense that the 3 wise women would have asked for directions; they would have arrived on time and helped deliver the baby; they would also have cleaned up the stable; they would have brought practical gifts like milk powder and diapers and chocolates; they would also cook a meal and even bake a cake and there will be peace on earth.
That would be a nice ending to the Christmas story. After all we like stories with a happy ending that would leave us smiling.
Abut if we were to read on from where the gospel ended off, then we would know that when the wise men didn’t go back to king Herod, he was furious and then he ordered the slaughter of the infants at Bethlehem.
So from the start, the Christmas story was a bumpy kind of story.
Things didn’t happen as expected.
And that is one thing that we can learn from the Christmas story – things don’t happen as expected.
Not even for the wise men in spite of their wisdom. They expected the infant king of the Jews to be born in the big city of Jerusalem, but it turned out to be in the little town of Bethlehem.
They thought that Herod was helping them but it turned out that he was using them.
The feast of the Epiphany is about Christ being revealed to the world.
And in a way, the revelation of Christ is also a revelation of what life is all about, and that things don’t happen as expected.
There is this story of three trees on a hill in the forest. They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, "Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty."
Then the second tree said, "Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull.”
Finally the third tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me."
After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the first tree he said, "This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter," and he began cutting it down.
The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest. At the second tree the woodsman said, "This looks like a strong tree, I should be able to sell it to the shipyard." The second tree was happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship. When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true. One of the woodsmen said, "I don't need anything special from my tree, so I'll take this one", and he cut it down.
When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for.
The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end. The third tree was cut into large pieces and left alone in the dark.
The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams. Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.
Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and He stood and said "Be still" and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.
Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it.
When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill.
When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.
The moral of this story is that when things don't seem to be going our way, let us know that God has a plan for us. If we place our trust in Him, He will give us great gifts.
Each of the trees got what they wanted, but just not in the way they had imagined.
We don't always know what God's plans are for us. We just know that His ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best.
May the star that led the wise men to the infant Jesus also shine upon us and may God grant us the wisdom to know that when things don’t turn out as expected, then God is leading us along His ways.
And like the wise men, may we be at peace in knowing that God will always be leading us in His ways.
Friday, January 2, 2015
3rd January 2015, Saturday, Weekday of the Christmas season
1 John 2:29 - 3:6 / John 1:29-34
There is a deep connection between parents and their children.
Among other things, every child bears a physical resemblance to the parents.
That's why there are such sayings as "a chip off the old block" or "like father, like son".
John the Baptist calls Jesus the Lamb of God. The Lamb of God takes away the sins of the world by being sacrificed for sinners.
Jesus sacrificed Himself for us so that freed from sin, we can be re-formed and re-created into His image and likeness.
As the 1st reading puts it, we must purify ourselves and try to be as pure as Christ. That is why sin is so serious and devastating.
Because to sin means that we do not know Christ.
But by our baptism, we have become children of God and we have become one with Christ.
In our prayer, let us renounce our sinfulness and profess our faith and our love for God.
There is a deep connection between parents and their children.
Among other things, every child bears a physical resemblance to the parents.
That's why there are such sayings as "a chip off the old block" or "like father, like son".
John the Baptist calls Jesus the Lamb of God. The Lamb of God takes away the sins of the world by being sacrificed for sinners.
Jesus sacrificed Himself for us so that freed from sin, we can be re-formed and re-created into His image and likeness.
As the 1st reading puts it, we must purify ourselves and try to be as pure as Christ. That is why sin is so serious and devastating.
Because to sin means that we do not know Christ.
But by our baptism, we have become children of God and we have become one with Christ.
In our prayer, let us renounce our sinfulness and profess our faith and our love for God.
Thursday, January 1, 2015
2nd January 2015, Thursday, Weekday of Christmas Time
1 John 2:22-28 / John 1:19-28
John the Baptist was really a strange prophet. He had a strange wardrobe, and an even stranger diet.
We don't read about him working great miracles or wonders.
In fact, he didn't even identify himself as John the Baptist.
When asked who he was, he replied with who he was not.
Even in the last resort, he borrowed a passage from the prophet Isaiah, in order to give an answer about what he came to do.
Yet, Jesus called John the Baptist the greatest of all the prophets.
Simply because John the Baptist diverted the attention from himself to the one who is to come.
We too are called to be prophets by virtue of our baptism. We can learn a lot from John the Baptist about how we should carry out our prophetic role.
The temptation to get attention, the praise and even the glory is indeed very strong, and some have succumbed to it.
But let us remember that we are just a voice that cries out in the wilderness of our world to make a straight way for the Lord. Just that, and no more.
John the Baptist was really a strange prophet. He had a strange wardrobe, and an even stranger diet.
We don't read about him working great miracles or wonders.
In fact, he didn't even identify himself as John the Baptist.
When asked who he was, he replied with who he was not.
Even in the last resort, he borrowed a passage from the prophet Isaiah, in order to give an answer about what he came to do.
Yet, Jesus called John the Baptist the greatest of all the prophets.
Simply because John the Baptist diverted the attention from himself to the one who is to come.
We too are called to be prophets by virtue of our baptism. We can learn a lot from John the Baptist about how we should carry out our prophetic role.
The temptation to get attention, the praise and even the glory is indeed very strong, and some have succumbed to it.
But let us remember that we are just a voice that cries out in the wilderness of our world to make a straight way for the Lord. Just that, and no more.
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