Acts 6:1-7 / John 6:16-21
It is said that in carrying water in a pail, in order to prevent the water from spilling, all that is needed is just to float a piece of wood on the water in the pail.
Whether this really works or not, it would be interesting to find out. If this method really works, then it only goes to show that even a simple task like carrying water in a pail requires a stabilizing factor.
The Church also requires a stabilizing factor.
Whether the task is about distributing food to the poor or bringing peace to a troubled situation, the Church must remember this:
And that is, no task is too small for the Church not to require the grace of God.
And on the personal level, no task is too small for us not to require the grace of God.
The apostles in the early Church knew the importance of prayer and the necessity of grace in every aspect of the life of the Church.
They knew from experience that without prayer and praying for God's grace, they will be like a boat in the storm and they will sink into anxiety and fear.
Very often, the solution to the problems we face in life is as simple as floating a piece of wood on the water in order to reduce spillage.
Yet, it certainly requires prayer and God's grace to know what to do and how to do it.
Friday, April 13, 2018
Thursday, April 12, 2018
2nd Week of Easter, Friday, 13-04-18
Acts 5:34-42 / John 6:1-15
There are many sayings and idioms with regards to the truth.
There is one that is rather graphic - When the water subsides, the rocks will appear.
Truth is like those rocks - they will withstand the ebb and flow of the tide.
In other words, truth will stand the test of time.
And that was what the wise Pharisee Gamaliel told the Sanhedrin with regards to what the apostles were doing.
He told them that truth will stand the test of time. If the apostles were telling the truth, and if indeed that truth comes from God, then they will not only be unable to destroy it, they might find themselves fighting against God.
Through the centuries and with the flow of the sands of time, the Catholic Church has proclaimed the truth that the apostles had taught.
But when all is said and done, the fundamental truth that we must proclaim is that God is love and He loves us with an unconditional love.
It is God's love that multiplied the loaves and fed the thousands that we heard in the gospel.
It is God's love that the world needs to hear about so that they will know why we believe in God and trust in His providence.
Yes, God will provide. He will always provide, because He loves us. That is the fundamental truth that will always stand the test of time.
There are many sayings and idioms with regards to the truth.
There is one that is rather graphic - When the water subsides, the rocks will appear.
Truth is like those rocks - they will withstand the ebb and flow of the tide.
In other words, truth will stand the test of time.
And that was what the wise Pharisee Gamaliel told the Sanhedrin with regards to what the apostles were doing.
He told them that truth will stand the test of time. If the apostles were telling the truth, and if indeed that truth comes from God, then they will not only be unable to destroy it, they might find themselves fighting against God.
Through the centuries and with the flow of the sands of time, the Catholic Church has proclaimed the truth that the apostles had taught.
But when all is said and done, the fundamental truth that we must proclaim is that God is love and He loves us with an unconditional love.
It is God's love that multiplied the loaves and fed the thousands that we heard in the gospel.
It is God's love that the world needs to hear about so that they will know why we believe in God and trust in His providence.
Yes, God will provide. He will always provide, because He loves us. That is the fundamental truth that will always stand the test of time.
Wednesday, April 11, 2018
2nd Week of Easter, Thursday, 12-04-18
Acts 5:27-33 / John 3:31-36
The phrase "obedience to God comes before obedience to man" has been used by saints as well as heretics and schismatics alike.
But while one renewed the Church with their saintly lives and sacrifices, the other divided and tore the Church apart with their slanted and crooked teachings.
Whoever and whatever they were obeying then, it was difficult to tell, but over time, it was obvious who was the saint who listened to God and obeyed God, and who it was who listened to themselves and obeyed themselves.
In the 1st reading, when Peter used the phrase "obedience to God comes before obedience to man" in response to the high priest and the Sanhedrin, they were infuriated and even wanted to put the apostles to death.
In effect, what Peter was saying is that the high priest and the Sanhedrin, who were the highest spiritual authority of Israel, were not listening to God and hence they don't deserved to be obeyed.
We may not have any spiritual authority or earthly authority. But will people listen to what we say, be it about spiritual things or about earthly things?
In the gospel, John the Baptist said that he who is born of the earth is earthly himself and speaks in an earthly way. But he who attests to the truthfulness of God speaks God's own words.
Let us ask God to give us the Spirit so that we will be led to the truth and understand the teachings of the Church and know the will of God and carry out His will in obedience.
The phrase "obedience to God comes before obedience to man" has been used by saints as well as heretics and schismatics alike.
But while one renewed the Church with their saintly lives and sacrifices, the other divided and tore the Church apart with their slanted and crooked teachings.
Whoever and whatever they were obeying then, it was difficult to tell, but over time, it was obvious who was the saint who listened to God and obeyed God, and who it was who listened to themselves and obeyed themselves.
In the 1st reading, when Peter used the phrase "obedience to God comes before obedience to man" in response to the high priest and the Sanhedrin, they were infuriated and even wanted to put the apostles to death.
In effect, what Peter was saying is that the high priest and the Sanhedrin, who were the highest spiritual authority of Israel, were not listening to God and hence they don't deserved to be obeyed.
We may not have any spiritual authority or earthly authority. But will people listen to what we say, be it about spiritual things or about earthly things?
In the gospel, John the Baptist said that he who is born of the earth is earthly himself and speaks in an earthly way. But he who attests to the truthfulness of God speaks God's own words.
Let us ask God to give us the Spirit so that we will be led to the truth and understand the teachings of the Church and know the will of God and carry out His will in obedience.
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
2nd Week of Easter, Wednesday, 11-04-18
Acts 5:17-26 / John 3:16-21
To wonder about things can have many shades of meaning.
We may be caught in wonder with something magnificent like a awesome performance of an acrobatic act or musical performance.
Or when we don't understand what a person said and we wonder what is the real meaning of the words.
Or we may wonder about an occurrence that cannot be explained. Such was the case in the 1st reading.
The apostles were arrested and thrown into jail. But at night the angel of the Lord opened the prison gates and told them to go and tell the people about the Good News.
So when the chief priests and the captain of the Temple were told by the officials that the jail was securely locked and the wardens on duty at the gates but the apostles were not in the jail, they wondered what this could mean.
If only they would have wondered more and thought deeper about it, they would have understood that God was showing them something and telling them something.
But human motives and human reasoning often overrides the opportunity to wonder about things and to see God's design and His plan in the things happening around us.
And we need to wonder at today's gospel passage that tells us that God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son so that everyone who believes in Him may not be lost but may have eternal life.
Just wondering and pondering on that would help us realize that God is speaking to us and He is telling us the Good News of salvation.
To wonder about things can have many shades of meaning.
We may be caught in wonder with something magnificent like a awesome performance of an acrobatic act or musical performance.
Or when we don't understand what a person said and we wonder what is the real meaning of the words.
Or we may wonder about an occurrence that cannot be explained. Such was the case in the 1st reading.
The apostles were arrested and thrown into jail. But at night the angel of the Lord opened the prison gates and told them to go and tell the people about the Good News.
So when the chief priests and the captain of the Temple were told by the officials that the jail was securely locked and the wardens on duty at the gates but the apostles were not in the jail, they wondered what this could mean.
If only they would have wondered more and thought deeper about it, they would have understood that God was showing them something and telling them something.
But human motives and human reasoning often overrides the opportunity to wonder about things and to see God's design and His plan in the things happening around us.
And we need to wonder at today's gospel passage that tells us that God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son so that everyone who believes in Him may not be lost but may have eternal life.
Just wondering and pondering on that would help us realize that God is speaking to us and He is telling us the Good News of salvation.
Monday, April 9, 2018
2nd Week of Easter, Tuesday, 10-04-18
Acts 4:32-37 / John 3:7-15
A need is obviously different from a want. A need expresses a necessity. A want expresses a desire.
But very often, the difference becomes blurred and what we think is a need is actually just a desire.
In other words, what we think we need may actually be just an accessory and not really a necessity.
The selfish and greedy side in us will always make us think that we would need a lot of things, and the more we have, then the happier we would be.
So what we heard in the 1st reading is going to challenge us and make us think about what we have and what we need.
The 1st reading tells us that the whole group of believers was united in heart and soul. No one claimed for his own use anything he had, as everything they owned was held in common.
We may wonder if this is really possible nowadays. We may also wonder if anyone would be crazy enough to let go of his possessions and share it with others.
We may have our questions, but the question is whether we believe we can really let go of what we possess and even let go of what we think we need.
But in order to let go of our possessions and our needs on earth, then we need to look at life from above.
Only the Holy Spirit will lift us from earth "to be born from above" so that we are able to realize that we come from God and God is all we need and God will provide for all we need.
May we let go of this earth so that we can be born from above and live the life of the above.
A need is obviously different from a want. A need expresses a necessity. A want expresses a desire.
But very often, the difference becomes blurred and what we think is a need is actually just a desire.
In other words, what we think we need may actually be just an accessory and not really a necessity.
The selfish and greedy side in us will always make us think that we would need a lot of things, and the more we have, then the happier we would be.
So what we heard in the 1st reading is going to challenge us and make us think about what we have and what we need.
The 1st reading tells us that the whole group of believers was united in heart and soul. No one claimed for his own use anything he had, as everything they owned was held in common.
We may wonder if this is really possible nowadays. We may also wonder if anyone would be crazy enough to let go of his possessions and share it with others.
We may have our questions, but the question is whether we believe we can really let go of what we possess and even let go of what we think we need.
But in order to let go of our possessions and our needs on earth, then we need to look at life from above.
Only the Holy Spirit will lift us from earth "to be born from above" so that we are able to realize that we come from God and God is all we need and God will provide for all we need.
May we let go of this earth so that we can be born from above and live the life of the above.
Sunday, April 8, 2018
The Annunciation of the Lord, Monday, 09-04-18
Isaiah 7:10-14; 8:10 / Hebrews 10:4-10 / Luke 1:26-38
St. Augustine was quoted as saying: God does not ask of us the impossible. He may ask us to do the difficult thing, but He will make it possible.
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, the proclamation of the Good News of Salvation.
It is not only a joyful event, it is also a very profound event in God's plan of salvation.
Yet for Mary, it was not just an event; it was for her a mission.
And if she said "Yes" then it was going to be a life-long mission. And it was going to be difficult.
But God assured her it was not going to be impossible.
Mary put her faith and trust in God as she accepted her mission.
We live in difficult and fragile times. There are wars here and there, all sorts of dangers and crises, over and above our own troubles and struggles.
Trying to believe and live out the Good News is not only difficult, but seemingly impossible.
Believing that there can be peace, that there can be joy, that there can be love, can be difficult.
But let this celebration of the Annunciation of the Lord, the celebration of the Good News of our salvation, remind us that difficulty is not synonymous with impossibility.
We join Mary to say "Yes" to God because we want to believe that God is greater than any difficulty and impossibility.
St. Augustine was quoted as saying: God does not ask of us the impossible. He may ask us to do the difficult thing, but He will make it possible.
Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, the proclamation of the Good News of Salvation.
It is not only a joyful event, it is also a very profound event in God's plan of salvation.
Yet for Mary, it was not just an event; it was for her a mission.
And if she said "Yes" then it was going to be a life-long mission. And it was going to be difficult.
But God assured her it was not going to be impossible.
Mary put her faith and trust in God as she accepted her mission.
We live in difficult and fragile times. There are wars here and there, all sorts of dangers and crises, over and above our own troubles and struggles.
Trying to believe and live out the Good News is not only difficult, but seemingly impossible.
Believing that there can be peace, that there can be joy, that there can be love, can be difficult.
But let this celebration of the Annunciation of the Lord, the celebration of the Good News of our salvation, remind us that difficulty is not synonymous with impossibility.
We join Mary to say "Yes" to God because we want to believe that God is greater than any difficulty and impossibility.
Saturday, April 7, 2018
2nd Sunday of Easter, Year B, 08.04.2018
Acts 4:32-35 / 1 John 5:1-6 / John 20:19-31
Generally speaking, a person has five senses – the sense of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and the sense of touch. All these senses are important as they send signals to the brain so that we can respond to what our senses are telling us. There is also the “sixth sense” but that is beyond the scope of science.
Of these five senses, the seeing and the hearing functions are often engaged and that’s why the audio-visual gives us a lot more information about the world around us and about our surroundings.
But with that comes the problem of fake news. Aided by social media and by computer graphics, fake news can spread like wild fire because its intent is to generate excitement and anxiety, regardless of the consequences.
For example, recently there was a video clip circulating on social media about strong tidal waves lashing out at Bedok Jetty. It looked so real, but it turned out to be fake news.
Then on Good Friday (it is said that on Good Friday it always rains around 3pm) it was reported that strong winds destroyed chicken coops in Chua Chu Kang. Singapore rarely has those kinds of strong winds, so it sounded like fake news, until it is reported in the newspapers. That was what happened on Good Friday, and it made some news.
On the religious scene, Good Friday was the day we recalled the suffering, death and burial of Jesus. Then on Easter Sunday we celebrated His Resurrection, which is often called the greatest celebration of our faith.
So we have heard about the Resurrection and we even celebrate it. But how much about the Resurrection do we actually believe in?
For Thomas, who was not there when the Risen Jesus first appeared to the disciples, he did not want to believe it. He thought that the disciples were spreading fake news.
For Thomas, hearing what the rest of the disciples say about the Risen Jesus did not convince him. He retorted with a demand: Unless I see the holes that the nails made in His hands and can put my finger into the holes, and unless I can put my hand into His side, I refuse to believe.
Thomas made such a stark demand because too much had already been demanded from him, with the result that his faith was broken. He had put his faith and hope in Jesus, and that came crashing down when he saw Jesus being crucified, died and was buried.
He was so disappointed that he didn’t even want to be with the rest of the disciples. He didn’t want to be in the misery of their company, since there was nothing to hope for and nothing to believe in anymore.
He wanted to forget about everything and move on. And then the disciples had to tell him this news of the Resurrection.
Of course he won’t believe them. For him to believe them, he stated his demands clearly. He had already been disappointed and it was painful, and he didn’t want to be disappointed again.
Eight long days had to pass before Jesus appeared to them again and this time Thomas was with the rest of the disciples.
Jesus came specially for Thomas and invited him to put his finger into the holes of His hands and to put his hand into His side. Whether Thomas actually did that or not, we are not told.
Thomas only exclaimed: My Lord and my God!
Jesus came to let Thomas touch His wounds. But actually Jesus came to touch the wounds of Thomas. Jesus came to touch his wounds of disappointment and pain, and to heal him of his grievous doubts.
It can be said that the first miracle that the Risen Jesus worked was to heal the heart of Thomas. The proof of that healing was that Thomas made that profound proclamation of faith: My Lord and my God.
Even as we hear all this, it doesn’t mean that we will have no doubts about the Resurrection of Jesus. Though we may not say that the Resurrection is fake news, we have not seen the Risen Jesus or touched His wounds.
And when the troubles and struggles of this world begin to overwhelm us, doubts will arise and shake our faith and even break our hearts.
We get angry with God for not answering our prayers, and we get disappointed with God for not helping us in our needs.
But God is loving and merciful. This Sunday is also called Divine Mercy Sunday.
Jesus knows the doubts in our hearts. He knows the wounds that we have inflicted upon our hearts by our own sins. He wants to touch our hearts with His mercy so that we can be healed.
Healing was the first miracle worked by the Risen Jesus, and the first gift to His disciples was peace, when He said to them, “Peace be with you.”
Healing and peace is what the Risen Jesus wants to give us. That is certainly no fake news. In fact, that is the Good News!
And blessed are we who believe in this Good News from our Risen Saviour.
Generally speaking, a person has five senses – the sense of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and the sense of touch. All these senses are important as they send signals to the brain so that we can respond to what our senses are telling us. There is also the “sixth sense” but that is beyond the scope of science.
Of these five senses, the seeing and the hearing functions are often engaged and that’s why the audio-visual gives us a lot more information about the world around us and about our surroundings.
But with that comes the problem of fake news. Aided by social media and by computer graphics, fake news can spread like wild fire because its intent is to generate excitement and anxiety, regardless of the consequences.
For example, recently there was a video clip circulating on social media about strong tidal waves lashing out at Bedok Jetty. It looked so real, but it turned out to be fake news.
Then on Good Friday (it is said that on Good Friday it always rains around 3pm) it was reported that strong winds destroyed chicken coops in Chua Chu Kang. Singapore rarely has those kinds of strong winds, so it sounded like fake news, until it is reported in the newspapers. That was what happened on Good Friday, and it made some news.
On the religious scene, Good Friday was the day we recalled the suffering, death and burial of Jesus. Then on Easter Sunday we celebrated His Resurrection, which is often called the greatest celebration of our faith.
So we have heard about the Resurrection and we even celebrate it. But how much about the Resurrection do we actually believe in?
For Thomas, who was not there when the Risen Jesus first appeared to the disciples, he did not want to believe it. He thought that the disciples were spreading fake news.
For Thomas, hearing what the rest of the disciples say about the Risen Jesus did not convince him. He retorted with a demand: Unless I see the holes that the nails made in His hands and can put my finger into the holes, and unless I can put my hand into His side, I refuse to believe.
Thomas made such a stark demand because too much had already been demanded from him, with the result that his faith was broken. He had put his faith and hope in Jesus, and that came crashing down when he saw Jesus being crucified, died and was buried.
He was so disappointed that he didn’t even want to be with the rest of the disciples. He didn’t want to be in the misery of their company, since there was nothing to hope for and nothing to believe in anymore.
He wanted to forget about everything and move on. And then the disciples had to tell him this news of the Resurrection.
Of course he won’t believe them. For him to believe them, he stated his demands clearly. He had already been disappointed and it was painful, and he didn’t want to be disappointed again.
Eight long days had to pass before Jesus appeared to them again and this time Thomas was with the rest of the disciples.
Jesus came specially for Thomas and invited him to put his finger into the holes of His hands and to put his hand into His side. Whether Thomas actually did that or not, we are not told.
Thomas only exclaimed: My Lord and my God!
Jesus came to let Thomas touch His wounds. But actually Jesus came to touch the wounds of Thomas. Jesus came to touch his wounds of disappointment and pain, and to heal him of his grievous doubts.
It can be said that the first miracle that the Risen Jesus worked was to heal the heart of Thomas. The proof of that healing was that Thomas made that profound proclamation of faith: My Lord and my God.
Even as we hear all this, it doesn’t mean that we will have no doubts about the Resurrection of Jesus. Though we may not say that the Resurrection is fake news, we have not seen the Risen Jesus or touched His wounds.
And when the troubles and struggles of this world begin to overwhelm us, doubts will arise and shake our faith and even break our hearts.
We get angry with God for not answering our prayers, and we get disappointed with God for not helping us in our needs.
But God is loving and merciful. This Sunday is also called Divine Mercy Sunday.
Jesus knows the doubts in our hearts. He knows the wounds that we have inflicted upon our hearts by our own sins. He wants to touch our hearts with His mercy so that we can be healed.
Healing was the first miracle worked by the Risen Jesus, and the first gift to His disciples was peace, when He said to them, “Peace be with you.”
Healing and peace is what the Risen Jesus wants to give us. That is certainly no fake news. In fact, that is the Good News!
And blessed are we who believe in this Good News from our Risen Saviour.
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