11th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 15-06-2022

2 Kings 2:1, 6-14 / Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18    

It is said that when our life flashes before our eyes, it means that life is coming to an end.

That is how stories and movies portray it, but whether that is true or not is another matter.

Nonetheless, we can still think about it and do some reflections about life.

If ever we were to have this experience, what do we think would be the images and memories that will be flashed before our eyes?

Would we be proud of those moments? Or would we rather not be reminded of those moments?

In the gospel, Jesus gave a basic teaching about life, and that is God sees and God knows what we are doing and what are our intentions and motives.

But God is watching us, not so much to judge us or to catch us in the act.

Rather He wants to reward us when what we do is for love of Him and for love of neighbour.

At the end of the day, when we close off with a prayer, let us also think about the deeds and intentions of the day.

For those that have been for the glory of God, we give thanks and praise.

For those in which we have failed and were selfish and self-centred actions and intentions, we ask for mercy and forgiveness and pray that we will do better for the next day.

11th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 14-06-2022

1 Kings 21:17-29 / Matthew 5:43-48  

The world is like a coin. There are two sides to it.

There is the good and the bad, and there is quite a bit in between.

But there is also a mystery in this world.

Despite the existence of the bad and evil in the world, the good still continue to exist.

In this sense, we see the truth in the gospel passage as Jesus says that God the Father causes the sun to rise on the bad and the good alike, and the rain fall on the honest and dishonest alike.

In that we see the depth of the mercy of God.

In the 1st reading, we see God's unconditional mercy on Ahab even though Ahab's repentance was out of fear of punishment and the sincerity was questionable.

Still God had mercy on him and spared his life.

But why did God said that He will punish Ahab's sons?

It was not so much of a delayed punishment but a warning actually. 

If Ahab and his sons do not repent, then they will have to face the consequences of their evil deeds.

When we understand God's mercy, then we will pray for our enemies and those who do evil.

The duty of the good is to be instruments of God's mercy.

And the prayers of the good can bring about conversion and repentance.

That is what it means to be good and to be the children of God the Father.

11th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 13-06-2022

1 Kings 21:1-16 / Matthew 5:38-42   

To take the path of least resistance means to take the easiest and convenient way.

It could also be the smartest way out of a difficult situation.

It also sounds like a neat way without getting into too much trouble.

What Jesus said in the gospel sound like the path of least resistance.

But the way that Jesus is saying is certainly not an easy or convenient way out of a difficult situation.

In fact the way that Jesus is saying goes against our instinct of revenge and retaliation.

So Jesus is not saying that we take the path of least resistance in order to avoid trouble or difficulty.

Jesus is teaching us the way of love and forgiveness.

Those who believe in the power of love and forgiveness will walk the way of Jesus.

There can be no resistance against love and forgiveness, and those who believe in Jesus will walk that way.

Trinity Sunday Year C, 12.06.2022

Prov 8:22-31 / Romans 5:1-5 / John 16:12-15

The one thing that we can say about life is that life is difficult. Yes, life is difficult to understand, especially when we are faced with difficult problems. 

There are all the problems of the world like diseases and viruses, war and violence, injustice and poverty. 

And we have our own problems to deal with, and we don't seem to have the solutions. There are serious problems, and they are also quirky ones like: 

Why is it that what can go wrong will go wrong? Why is it that when we dialled the wrong number, we won't get an engaged tone? 

Why is it when we changed queue, the one that we left moves faster than the one we are in now? 

That is enough of whys and problems, and we also don't quite have the answers. 

But if life is difficult to understand, then God can seem to be even more difficult to understand. 

Today, the Church celebrates Trinity Sunday. Trinity means Three Persons One God. 

That can be difficult to understand. Why is God Three Persons? It would be easier to understand and to believe that God is just one. 

But Jesus came to reveal to us that God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

The most important thing about the Trinity is the love relationship between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

It is because they love each other so deeply and they are so united in love, that in God is true peace and joy, kindness and goodness, compassion, mercy and forgiveness. 

The happiness that we desire so much in life is found in God. 

When we understand that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit love each other and are so united in love, then we can begin to see the solution to all problems in life. 

Essentially, the problems in life spring from our relationships. When we don't love God, and when we don't love others as much as God loves us, then problems will begin and there will be unhappiness and sadness. 

When we can love one another as how the Father, Son and Holy Spirit love one another, we will find happiness in life. 

Life is like an echo. Even though there can be an explanation for echoes, we can’t really understand how an echo happens. 

But the echo can be an example of how we can find happiness in life. 

We are like an echo of God's love. God created us in love. We are to echo God's love in this world by loving others. 

It is in loving others that we will find happiness. When we become like God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit who created us and loves us, then we too must love like God by being an echo of God's love and loving others. 

The problems of life are difficult but the solution is simple, and it is love. 

Love may be simple to understand but it may not be that easy to live out. 

But when we decide to love, then God will help us to be living images and echoes of God's love. 

And we will also find happiness in life.

St. Barnabas, apostle, Saturday, 11-06-2022

Acts 11:21-26; 13:1-3 / Matthew 10:7-13  

St. Barnabas was not one of the twelve Apostles who were chosen by Jesus.

Yet in Acts 14:14, he, together with St. Paul were called apostles, as they were sent by the Church for a mission and to preach or deliver a message.

Yet to be called an apostle was indeed a great privilege for St. Barnabas, considering the fact that he was one of the first converts to Christianity.

And indeed, he lived up to his calling as an apostle. He and St. Paul undertook missionary journeys together and defended Gentile converts against a faction which insisted on circumcision.

We also heard from the 1st reading that they also gained converts in Antioch, and it was there that the  disciples were first called "Christians".

He also participated in the Council of Jerusalem, the first Council, which addressed the status of the Gentile converts and formulated the required religious practices for them.

So St. Barnabas was a great figure of evangelization in the early Church.

Yet the 1st reading described these simple but important qualities in him - for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith.

For us who are called by God to be His people, let us recognize the goodness that God has created in us.

Let us also ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith so that like St. Barnabas, we too will be instruments for the great work that God wants us to do.

10th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 10-06-2022

1 Kings 19:9, 11-16 / Matthew 5:27-32

We are usually attracted by cheap sales and special offers.

What we are usually looking for are things at a discounted price, even though we may not really need them.

But we get some kind of gratification in getting something at a discount and cheaply.

On the other hand, there are times when we desire something so much that we just disregard the price in order to possess it.

In the gospel, Jesus warns us against giving in to sin, regardless whether in thought or in deed.

The price of sin is a spiritual death and also an eternal condemnation in hell.

It is certainly not worth it at all to pay that price just for a fleeting moment of gratification.

On the Cross, Jesus paid the price for our sins. The Cross was the price of our salvation.

Let us embrace the crosses of our lives. It will be painful and difficult to carry these crosses.

But the pain and sufferings of the cross cannot be compared to the eternal reward awaiting for us.

Let us take up our cross and follow Jesus as He leads us to salvation and to the eternal joy that cannot be found in anything on earth.

10th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 09-06-2022

1 Kings 18:41-46 / Matthew 5:20-26    

When we speak it is presumed that we know what we are saying.

And we should say what we mean and mean what we say.

But when we say things that we don't mean, then it would lead to confusion and misunderstanding.

And when we use rough words, it would also lead to tension and ill-feeling.

Words like "fool' and "renegade" are rough words to use on people.

In a fit of anger, we might have use those and other derogatory words on others.

But do we really know what are the meaning of those words?

In the gospel, Jesus takes a serious stand on those words.

If we use those words and yet if we don't know what those words really mean, then why are we using those words on others.

So let us say what we mean and mean what we say.

But let us also not be mean in what we say.