10th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 08-06-2022

1 Kings 18:20-39 / Matthew 5:17-19

There is one thing about life that we need to believe in, and that is truth will prevail.

It is like a law of life and that gives humanity the hope to continue on with life even in the face of oppression and injustice, violence and even death.

But for us Christians, truth is not just a principle of life or a reality of life.

For us, truth comes from God and truth is found in the person of Jesus - Jesus is the Truth.

That truth was manifested by the prophet Elijah in the 1st reading as he called upon God to accept the sacrifice and God gave the sign of fire from heaven that consumed the sacrifice.

But truth goes alongside with love and in Jesus is the love and truth of God.

Jesus did not come to give a new law. Rather He came to fulfil the Law and the Prophets.

He came to proclaim God's love and truth and that He is God's love and truth.

Because Jesus is Love and Truth, we can hope. Because we know that Love and Truth will always prevail.

10th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 07-06-2022

1 Kings 17:67-16 / Matthew 5:13-16    

To be at the right place and at the right time is not just a nice-sounding phrase.

Because to be at the right place and at the right time, a person will be able to see the meaning and purpose of his life.

For us, being at the right place and at the right time is not about being lucky or by chance.

We believe that God has an appointed time in His plan, and that is why we say that things happen in God's time.

So while we wait for God's appointed time for us in His plan, we need to be like salt that is kept in good condition and like a lamp that is ready to be lit at any time.

When good salt is put into food, the taste is enhanced and the food is delicious.

When a lamp is in operational-ready condition, then when it is needed, its light will shine in the darkness.

So for us, when we are who we are at where we belong, then the time has come for God to use us as His instrument in carrying out His plan.

Meanwhile let us live good lives and be alert for God's appointed time to come for us.

Our Lady, Mother of the Church, Monday, 06-06-2022

Acts 1:12-14 or Gen 3:9-15, 20 / John 19:25-34 

In the 1st reading, we heard that after Jesus was taken up to heaven, the apostles returned to Jerusalem and went to the upper room where they were staying

There they devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus.

That was the last mention of Mary. After that there was no more mention of her in the rest of the Bible.

This last mention of Mary is significant because that was also her purpose after Jesus was taken up to heaven.

Mary stayed with the apostles and she was with them in prayer. She was doing this because she was obedient to what Jesus entrusted to her while He was on the cross.

Because Mary remembered what Jesus told her when He was on the cross: Woman, behold your son.

Though she did not reply, her silence was her consent. She not only agreed to be the mother of the disciple that Jesus loved, she understood that she was to be the mother of all the disciples of Jesus.

Today's memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church, is a new addition to the liturgical calendar of the Church.

That title of Mary, Mother of the Church, was officially given to Mary during the Second Vatican Council by Pope Paul VI.

So from Mother of God, she is now also the Mother of the Church. And if we are obedient to what Jesus said on the cross, then we too must embrace Mary as our Mother, which most of us would be more willing to do.

But for us, Mary is not just our Mother, but we would also want to carry out what Jesus entrusted to us and we want Mary to be the Mother of all peoples.

As we celebrate this memorial, let us make our Mother known to all peoples, for in doing so, we are also making Jesus known to all peoples.

Pentecost Sunday, Year C, 05.06.2022

Acts 2:1-11 / 1 Cor 12:3-7, 12-13 / John 20:19-23

There are many things which exists, but just that we can't see them, or that they are not visible to the eye. 

One common element that we can't see but we know it exists is the wind. We can feel the coolness of a gentle breeze, and we see how the leaves of the trees rustling in the wind, and we are amazed at the power of the wind in a storm or typhoon. 

So, if seeing is believing, then we also need to know that there are things that we believe, although we may not have seen or unable to see it yet. 

In the Creed, we profess that we believe in God who created the visible and invisible. And then we also profess our belief in the Holy Spirit, who is the Lord and Giver of Life. 

As much as we profess our belief in the Holy Spirit, we find it rather difficult to describe who the Holy Spirit is, and what He really looks like. 

In the 1st reading, there were signs that manifested the presence of the Holy Spirit - the powerful wind from heaven, the tongues of fire that rested on the heads of the disciples, and the gift of speaking foreign languages. 

In the gospel, Jesus said to His disciples: As the Father sent me, so am I sending you. 

Then He breathed on them and said: Receive the Holy Spirit. 

This action of Jesus recalls the creation story when God blew into the nostrils of man and man became a living being. 

God blew the Spirit of life into man in the creation story. And in the gospel, Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit into His disciples and sent them out to proclaim the good news of salvation. 

In the 1st reading, we heard how the disciples courageously proclaim the Good News and the marvels of God with the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Today on this Feast of Pentecost, we are reminded that the Holy Spirit is in us, that we are the temples of the Holy Spirit, and that we are to go forth with the power of the Holy Spirit to proclaim the good news of salvation. 

As we think about the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, we reflect on the 2nd reading when St. Paul describe how the Holy Spirit works using the example of the human body. 

When we think about the human body, we see it as a healthy physical body, and one part is connected to the rest. 

But what happens when one part is injured, what happens when a bone is broken? 

In primitive times, when the bone if the leg is broken, it spells certain death for the injured person. 

But when the injured person is cared for, and the broken bone is healed, and that the injured person is able to walk and function again, when people can care for one another, we can say that mankind has developed into a civilization. 

Although we say that we live in a civilized world, we cannot deny the brokenness of our civilization. 

As Christians we are sent forth to bring civilization to salvation. 

And with the power of the Holy Spirit, we will bring healing and peace to our world. 

The world may not be able to see the Holy Spirit, or know that the Holy Spirit exists. 

But we have the breath of life, the breath of the love of the Holy Spirit. 

We are called to be living images of the Holy Spirit. 

And we are also called to bring salvation to our civilization.

7th Week of Easter, Saturday, 04-06-2022

Acts 28:16-20, 30-31 / John 21:20-25    

One of the annoying and frustrating things in life is distraction.

It can come in many forms: noise, images, animals, persons, etc.

When we get distracted, we lose focus on what we are doing and what we should be doing.

And in the end, we get nothing done and we also did not get going anywhere.

In the gospel, Peter got distracted by that disciple Jesus loved and started to lose focus on what Jesus had wanted him to do.

Those words that Jesus said to Peter "What does it matter to you? You are to follow me" serves as a sharp reminder for us too, that we should keep our focus on Jesus and that is all that matters.

St. Paul, in the 1st reading had that kind of focus on Jesus.

Even though he was a prisoner in chains, he kept proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ.

May we always keep our focus on Jesus and do what He wants of us. That is all that matters.

7th Week of Easter, Friday, 03-06-2022

Acts 25:13-21 / John 21:15-19    

It is said that people won't die from the hardness of life. But they can die from hardness of heart.

But the hardness of heart is often developed from the hardness of life.

When life is hard, and there is no love in life, then the heart becomes hard and cold.

Christianity is founded on love and centred on love.

That is why Jesus asked Peter about his love.

There must be love in following Jesus and in doing what Jesus wanted him to do.

It is with love that Peter will be able to stretch out his hands and be taken to where he would rather not go.

Similarly, it is with love for God and for others that we will be able to do what we would rather not want to do.

The power of love will ease the hardness of life and soften the hardness of our hearts.

7th Week of Easter, Thursday, 02-06-2022

Acts 22:30; 23:6-11 / John 17:20-26      

No one would like to be in court and be interrogated about an offence.

It is unnerving and anything that comes out of the mouth can be a disadvantage and can be used against the one being interrogated.

Even if that is not the case, to be in front of a group of people who is out to question you about your actions and your beliefs is certainly unpleasant.

That was the situation that St. Paul was in when he had to face the chief priests and the Sanhedrin.

But the words that came out of his mouth were not just because of his intelligence and shrewdness.

Rather it was the Holy Spirit who inspired him to say what he said. 

The Holy Spirit was his Advocate and came to his defence.

The Holy Spirit will also inspire us to say things that will lead others to believe in Jesus.

May we be sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and heed the signs that the Holy Spirit is showing us.

Then bearing witness to Jesus will be a joy-filled experience.