Jeremiah 31 : 1-7 / Matthew 15 : 21-28
The prophet
Jeremiah was known for his cut-and-dry prophesies, most of which
foretell disaster and doom to a people who had turned away from God.
Yet in today's 1st reading, comes a statement from the same prophet about how much God loves His people.
From his mouth came these words of the Lord: "I have loved you with an everlasting love".
It is a verse is that often quoted to express the eternity of God's love.
But what is the reality of this love in our lives? Have we ever experienced God's love even in the temporary?
It
might be difficult for us to understand this love of God until we have
had the experience of being forgiven for committing a grave wrongdoing.
We may not understand this love of God until we had the experience of being saved from a great danger.
God's
love for us is not only eternal, it is also a stubborn and persistent
love that probes us in order to make us respond to His love.
God's
eternal love empowers us to live in love here on earth so that we will
have the foretaste and the experience of what it means to live in love
eternally.
Tuesday, August 7, 2018
Monday, August 6, 2018
18th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 07-08-18
Jeremiah 30:1-2, 12-15, 18-22 / Matthew 14:22-36
It is always necessary to be cautious whenever we put anything into writing.
That is because the written word cannot be changed, and it can have a long term effect, if not a lasting effect.
Especially when writing about God. All the more, caution must be exercised.
Yet God Himself didn't seem to hold back any sentiments when He told the prophet Jeremiah to put His words down in writing, as we heard in the 1st reading.
Certainly we can feel the cutting edge of those words addressed to the people - your wound is incurable, your injury past healing. There is no one to care for your sore, no medicine to make you well again. Why bother to complain about your wound? Your pain is incurable.
Yet, as much as God lets His people be punished by their enemies for their sins and infidelities, God is also there to heal and restore His people.
So, for as much as His people turned away from God, He still keeps His promise - You shall be my people and I will be your God.
And Jesus would reinforce that promise by saying to His disciples - Courage, it is I! Do not be afraid.
So whether we are walking tall in the sunshine of confidence or spiralling down into the murky waters of darkness, let us keep those three words of Peter - Lord! Save me!
Yes, those three simple words will certainly bring about salvation and healing for us.
It is always necessary to be cautious whenever we put anything into writing.
That is because the written word cannot be changed, and it can have a long term effect, if not a lasting effect.
Especially when writing about God. All the more, caution must be exercised.
Yet God Himself didn't seem to hold back any sentiments when He told the prophet Jeremiah to put His words down in writing, as we heard in the 1st reading.
Certainly we can feel the cutting edge of those words addressed to the people - your wound is incurable, your injury past healing. There is no one to care for your sore, no medicine to make you well again. Why bother to complain about your wound? Your pain is incurable.
Yet, as much as God lets His people be punished by their enemies for their sins and infidelities, God is also there to heal and restore His people.
So, for as much as His people turned away from God, He still keeps His promise - You shall be my people and I will be your God.
And Jesus would reinforce that promise by saying to His disciples - Courage, it is I! Do not be afraid.
So whether we are walking tall in the sunshine of confidence or spiralling down into the murky waters of darkness, let us keep those three words of Peter - Lord! Save me!
Yes, those three simple words will certainly bring about salvation and healing for us.
Sunday, August 5, 2018
Transfiguration of the Lord, Monday, 06-08-18
Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 / 2 Peter 1:16-19 / Mark 9:2-10
The Transfiguration is one of the the significant events in the gospel narratives about Jesus. The other significant events are Baptism, Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension.
Like the other significant events, it is about Jesus and it reveals His identity as well as His mission.
Certainly there is no speculation about the voice from heaven and its content - "This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him."
And the setting on the mountain with the appearance of the Moses and Elijah point to the meaning of the event.
And that is, in Jesus, the Law and the prophesies of the Old Testament has been fulfilled.
Also in Jesus, divinity has dwelt among humanity, and in Jesus is the connecting point and the bridge between heaven and earth.
So for those who believe in who Jesus is, there can be no other alternative options in life to follow.
As St. Peter would say in the 2nd reading, his faith in Jesus is not any cleverly invented myth, otherwise everything will fall apart sooner or later.
And for us who profess our faith in Jesus, then He will be the lamp lighting our way through the dark until the dawn comes and the morning star rises in our minds.
Yes, we have to listen to Him as the voice of the Father has commanded us to do.
When we listen, and truly believe, we too will change and be "transfigured" like Jesus.
The Transfiguration is one of the the significant events in the gospel narratives about Jesus. The other significant events are Baptism, Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension.
Like the other significant events, it is about Jesus and it reveals His identity as well as His mission.
Certainly there is no speculation about the voice from heaven and its content - "This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him."
And the setting on the mountain with the appearance of the Moses and Elijah point to the meaning of the event.
And that is, in Jesus, the Law and the prophesies of the Old Testament has been fulfilled.
Also in Jesus, divinity has dwelt among humanity, and in Jesus is the connecting point and the bridge between heaven and earth.
So for those who believe in who Jesus is, there can be no other alternative options in life to follow.
As St. Peter would say in the 2nd reading, his faith in Jesus is not any cleverly invented myth, otherwise everything will fall apart sooner or later.
And for us who profess our faith in Jesus, then He will be the lamp lighting our way through the dark until the dawn comes and the morning star rises in our minds.
Yes, we have to listen to Him as the voice of the Father has commanded us to do.
When we listen, and truly believe, we too will change and be "transfigured" like Jesus.
Saturday, August 4, 2018
18th Ordinary Sunday, Year B, 05.08.2018
Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15 / Ephesians 4:17, 20-24 / John 6:24-35
In a few days’ time, we will be celebrating National Day. That should be obvious enough as the Singapore flag makes its annual appearance and there are six flags fluttering prominently at the front of the church.
As Singapore marks its 53 years of independence, it can be said that Singapore has grown into a fine country, in almost every sense of the word.
And some would agree that it is a fine country, at least in a funny sense: “No littering – Fine $1000”, “No smoking – fine $1000”, “No eating and drinking – Fine $500” (inside MRT), “No jaywalking – Fine $1000”, “No spitting – Fine $1000”.
The law and order imposed with a fine, makes Singapore a uniquely fine country. Maybe that’s also a tourist attraction as others would like to see how fine Singapore is in carrying out its law and order. (What a fine way to put it).
Whatever we might want to say about it, it is a sort of legacy that we have inherited and it has shown results, in that we would think again before we throw something out of the window, or jaywalk across the road.
In short, when we are about to commit an offence, there is a “fine” way to deter us. It may be a uniquely Singaporean way but it works fine.
But can that also be applied to other aspects of Singaporean habits? Like for example: “No complaining – Fine $500”. Singaporeans give the impression that they are like spoilt brats and are always complaining about the ERP that never fails, and the MRT that often fails, and everything in between.
But we can have the consolation that to complain is a human tendency. We complain because there is something better to compare with. This so-callled “better” thing may just be an illusion or even an imagination, but still, it spurs us on to complain.
Even the Israelites in the 1st reading succumbed to this human tendency. We read that the whole community of the sons of Israel began to complain against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.
The point of contention was that as slaves in Egypt they had enough to eat, whereas now they are freed, there was nothing to eat.
It is said that a hungry man is an angry man, but a hungry man can also be a crazy man. Hunger drove the Israelites to think that slavery with a full stomach is better than freedom on an empty stomach. Such is the delusive power of hunger – it makes a person angry and crazy.
But it doesn’t just stop there. Besides making a person angry and even crazy, hunger can also make a person greedy.
And that’s what Jesus told the people in the gospel – “I tell you most solemnly, you are not looking for me because you have seen the signs, but because you had all the bread you wanted to eat.”
So at first, they were hungry for bread, but having been fed to the full, they are now greedy for more. They looked for Jesus because they wanted to see what else they can get out of Jesus. So at first, they were hungry, but now they are greedy.
And greed has a sibling called selfishness. Oh yes, they come together, just as angry and crazy come together. But whether it is being angry and crazy, or greedy and selfish, they have an appetite that cannot be satisfied. What’s more, they eat away at us until we become an ugly person, or an ugly Singaporean, or an ugly Catholic.
Jesus tells us not to work for food that cannot last, but to work for food that endures to eternal life.
And just as Jesus is the bread of life for us, then we are also called to share the bread of life with others. That will be the food that endures to eternal life.
This year’s National Day theme is “We are Singapore”, and in a competition held by The Straits Times, participants were asked to identify a hero in a photo and describe why the heroic act matters.
One of the submissions was from the 18 year-old Beatrice Chao, daughter of the late Dr Alexandre Chao.
Beatrice Chao lost her dad when she was just three years old - but she has taken comfort knowing he was a hero.
Dr. Alexandre Chao died from severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) while serving in a hospital fighting the deadly virus.
Dr Chao, a 37-year-old Singapore General Hospital vascular surgeon, had voluntarily cut short his holiday in the United States to join his colleagues to fight SARS in 2003.
Beatrice said that when she saw her father's photo in the newspaper, she was very moved. She was surprised and touched that people still cared about her father's story and hopes that they will adopt his philosophy of always placing others before himself.
The legacy that Dr. Chao left for his daughter is also a legacy left for Singapore and for all of us.
It’s a legacy that will inspire more similar legacies that will turn us always from complaining about hunger to being a provider, to stop being a problem and to becoming a solution.
Jesus has given Himself to us as the bread of life; there is nothing more that we shall want.
And let us go forth to share the bread of our lives with others so that they too will know that besides the hunger in the stomach, there is a hunger in the heart that only Jesus can fill.
That will be the legacy that we will leave behind.
In a few days’ time, we will be celebrating National Day. That should be obvious enough as the Singapore flag makes its annual appearance and there are six flags fluttering prominently at the front of the church.
As Singapore marks its 53 years of independence, it can be said that Singapore has grown into a fine country, in almost every sense of the word.
And some would agree that it is a fine country, at least in a funny sense: “No littering – Fine $1000”, “No smoking – fine $1000”, “No eating and drinking – Fine $500” (inside MRT), “No jaywalking – Fine $1000”, “No spitting – Fine $1000”.
The law and order imposed with a fine, makes Singapore a uniquely fine country. Maybe that’s also a tourist attraction as others would like to see how fine Singapore is in carrying out its law and order. (What a fine way to put it).
Whatever we might want to say about it, it is a sort of legacy that we have inherited and it has shown results, in that we would think again before we throw something out of the window, or jaywalk across the road.
In short, when we are about to commit an offence, there is a “fine” way to deter us. It may be a uniquely Singaporean way but it works fine.
But can that also be applied to other aspects of Singaporean habits? Like for example: “No complaining – Fine $500”. Singaporeans give the impression that they are like spoilt brats and are always complaining about the ERP that never fails, and the MRT that often fails, and everything in between.
But we can have the consolation that to complain is a human tendency. We complain because there is something better to compare with. This so-callled “better” thing may just be an illusion or even an imagination, but still, it spurs us on to complain.
Even the Israelites in the 1st reading succumbed to this human tendency. We read that the whole community of the sons of Israel began to complain against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.
The point of contention was that as slaves in Egypt they had enough to eat, whereas now they are freed, there was nothing to eat.
It is said that a hungry man is an angry man, but a hungry man can also be a crazy man. Hunger drove the Israelites to think that slavery with a full stomach is better than freedom on an empty stomach. Such is the delusive power of hunger – it makes a person angry and crazy.
But it doesn’t just stop there. Besides making a person angry and even crazy, hunger can also make a person greedy.
And that’s what Jesus told the people in the gospel – “I tell you most solemnly, you are not looking for me because you have seen the signs, but because you had all the bread you wanted to eat.”
So at first, they were hungry for bread, but having been fed to the full, they are now greedy for more. They looked for Jesus because they wanted to see what else they can get out of Jesus. So at first, they were hungry, but now they are greedy.
And greed has a sibling called selfishness. Oh yes, they come together, just as angry and crazy come together. But whether it is being angry and crazy, or greedy and selfish, they have an appetite that cannot be satisfied. What’s more, they eat away at us until we become an ugly person, or an ugly Singaporean, or an ugly Catholic.
Jesus tells us not to work for food that cannot last, but to work for food that endures to eternal life.
And just as Jesus is the bread of life for us, then we are also called to share the bread of life with others. That will be the food that endures to eternal life.
This year’s National Day theme is “We are Singapore”, and in a competition held by The Straits Times, participants were asked to identify a hero in a photo and describe why the heroic act matters.
One of the submissions was from the 18 year-old Beatrice Chao, daughter of the late Dr Alexandre Chao.
Beatrice Chao lost her dad when she was just three years old - but she has taken comfort knowing he was a hero.
Dr. Alexandre Chao died from severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) while serving in a hospital fighting the deadly virus.
Dr Chao, a 37-year-old Singapore General Hospital vascular surgeon, had voluntarily cut short his holiday in the United States to join his colleagues to fight SARS in 2003.
Beatrice said that when she saw her father's photo in the newspaper, she was very moved. She was surprised and touched that people still cared about her father's story and hopes that they will adopt his philosophy of always placing others before himself.
The legacy that Dr. Chao left for his daughter is also a legacy left for Singapore and for all of us.
It’s a legacy that will inspire more similar legacies that will turn us always from complaining about hunger to being a provider, to stop being a problem and to becoming a solution.
Jesus has given Himself to us as the bread of life; there is nothing more that we shall want.
And let us go forth to share the bread of our lives with others so that they too will know that besides the hunger in the stomach, there is a hunger in the heart that only Jesus can fill.
That will be the legacy that we will leave behind.
Friday, August 3, 2018
17th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 04-08-18
Jeremiah 26:11-16, 24 / Matthew 14:1-12
At times we wonder if being good and doing good is really worth it.
Because very often, we see, and even experienced, that good is being re-paid with evil.
John the Baptist just wanted Herod to repent and live a good life.
Because what Herod did was leading towards self-destruction.
John the Baptist had compassion for Herod.
In fact, Herod knew it, and that was why he was distressed when he had to give the orders for John's execution.
But goodness cannot be silenced or put to death.
Because in the person of Jesus, Herod was once again reminded of the goodness of John the Baptist.
When we live out the Christian values of love, patience, gentleness, humility, etc., and we get slapped in the face, we may wonder if it is worth it.
But let us remember that all good comes from God.
When we do good, the benefactors are not just the others.
We ourselves begin to realize our Christian identity and see the power of goodness and the power of God's love happening in the lives of others.
At times we wonder if being good and doing good is really worth it.
Because very often, we see, and even experienced, that good is being re-paid with evil.
John the Baptist just wanted Herod to repent and live a good life.
Because what Herod did was leading towards self-destruction.
John the Baptist had compassion for Herod.
In fact, Herod knew it, and that was why he was distressed when he had to give the orders for John's execution.
But goodness cannot be silenced or put to death.
Because in the person of Jesus, Herod was once again reminded of the goodness of John the Baptist.
When we live out the Christian values of love, patience, gentleness, humility, etc., and we get slapped in the face, we may wonder if it is worth it.
But let us remember that all good comes from God.
When we do good, the benefactors are not just the others.
We ourselves begin to realize our Christian identity and see the power of goodness and the power of God's love happening in the lives of others.
Thursday, August 2, 2018
17th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 03-08-18
Jeremiah 26:1-9 / Matthew 13:54-58
If someone were to ask you who preached the homily at Mass last Sunday, you might take a while to recall which priest it was.
But if the next question would be "So what did he preach about?" then we really have to crank up our memory in order to recall what we heard.
And ten other persons who were there listening to the same homily would have ten versions of what was preached.
That could mean that people are doing their own reflections about the Word of God.
Yet people also tend to listen with varying degrees of openness and receptivity.
And that depends largely on who is speaking.
In the two readings of today, we see two types of people who are not open to what is said.
In the 1st reading is the type who is not open to correction, and hence do not want to hear the truth.
In the gospel is the type who is not open to the person, and hence is not open to the truth.
We have a bit of both in each of us.
But when we challenge ourselves to listen to what is said and not how it is said or who is saying it, then we will be able to hear the truth.
Then we will hear the prophetic voice of God.
If someone were to ask you who preached the homily at Mass last Sunday, you might take a while to recall which priest it was.
But if the next question would be "So what did he preach about?" then we really have to crank up our memory in order to recall what we heard.
And ten other persons who were there listening to the same homily would have ten versions of what was preached.
That could mean that people are doing their own reflections about the Word of God.
Yet people also tend to listen with varying degrees of openness and receptivity.
And that depends largely on who is speaking.
In the two readings of today, we see two types of people who are not open to what is said.
In the 1st reading is the type who is not open to correction, and hence do not want to hear the truth.
In the gospel is the type who is not open to the person, and hence is not open to the truth.
We have a bit of both in each of us.
But when we challenge ourselves to listen to what is said and not how it is said or who is saying it, then we will be able to hear the truth.
Then we will hear the prophetic voice of God.
Wednesday, August 1, 2018
17th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 02-08-18
Jeremiah 18:1-6 / Matthew 13:47-53
When a ceramic or clay vessel is broken, it is of no use whatsoever. It ceases to be what it is made for and the only thing left to do is to discard it.
But when it is first shaped and made, it was meant to be of service and to be used for what it is used for.
It is like what we read in the 1st reading, the potter shapes the clay into the required shape and heat it at high temperatures that lead to permanent changes including increasing its strength and hardening and setting its shape.
But just as in the turns and tumbles of life, clay vessels get cracked and broken and they are rendered useless and hence discarded.
The gospel parable also talks about discarding the catch of fish that are of no use. But that is the imagery of the end of time.
Meanwhile, what is there for those people who are cracked and broken? We must remember that Jesus came for them. He came for sinners.
The Japanese have a centuries-old art of fixing broken pottery with a special lacquer of powdered gold, silver or platinum. The cracks or breaks are seamed together beautifully with the lacquer, giving the once cracked and broken pottery a special and unique appearance.
We can learn something from that. And then we can understand why Jesus is called Saviour.
When a ceramic or clay vessel is broken, it is of no use whatsoever. It ceases to be what it is made for and the only thing left to do is to discard it.
But when it is first shaped and made, it was meant to be of service and to be used for what it is used for.
It is like what we read in the 1st reading, the potter shapes the clay into the required shape and heat it at high temperatures that lead to permanent changes including increasing its strength and hardening and setting its shape.
But just as in the turns and tumbles of life, clay vessels get cracked and broken and they are rendered useless and hence discarded.
The gospel parable also talks about discarding the catch of fish that are of no use. But that is the imagery of the end of time.
Meanwhile, what is there for those people who are cracked and broken? We must remember that Jesus came for them. He came for sinners.
The Japanese have a centuries-old art of fixing broken pottery with a special lacquer of powdered gold, silver or platinum. The cracks or breaks are seamed together beautifully with the lacquer, giving the once cracked and broken pottery a special and unique appearance.
We can learn something from that. And then we can understand why Jesus is called Saviour.
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