Numbers 11:4-15 / Matthew 14:22-36 (Yr A)
We often hear this phrase - A hungry person is an angry person.
That can be quite true because hunger has that ability to diminish our rationale and even contort our faith, so much so that we can even end up doing something crazy and stupid.
But being grumpy because we are fussy is another issue altogether.
We can be grumpy, not because we are hungry, but because we are fussy.
In the 1st reading we heard how the Israelites began to be grumpy, not because they were hungry, but because they were tired of eating that manna day in day out.
And their complaints burdened Moses to the extent that he in turn complained to the Lord.
But those complaints can hardly be compared to the terror that the disciples in the boat faced in the storm and what they thought was a ghost coming at them. They must have thought that it was the angel of death.
But whether we are hungry or angry, grumpy or fussy, or in fear and terror, Jesus calls out to us to have faith in Him.
Like Peter, we may feel overwhelmed by the anxieties and emergencies.
But Jesus calls out to us to have courage even though we are afraid.
Courage is to have faith in the Lord and to trust in Him that He alone will save us.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
17th Week in Ordinary Time, Saturday, 30-07-11
Leviticus 25:1, 8-17 / Matthew 14:1-12 (2019)
If we could ask each character in today's gospel passage, who was responsible for the death of John the Baptist, they may come out with rather strange answers.
Herod would say that it was not him, because he must honour a public pledge. After all the girl could have asked for something else.
Herodias might say that John the Baptist deserved what he got for opening his mouth and criticizing authorities. After all, criticizing authorities meant danger and he brought this danger onto himself.
The girl would say that she was only doing what she was told; how could she disobey her mother.
And in all this deliberation, no one would obviously admit responsibility and would also point fingers at others.
Yet the crux of the matter is that someone is harmed and eventually lost his life.
What we will come across every day is not as serious as people losing their lives.
But what we will face every day is that we are indifferent to the good we can do because we think that there will be someone else who will do it.
Maybe this story will help us understand this situation.
It's a story about four people: Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it. Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.
If we could ask each character in today's gospel passage, who was responsible for the death of John the Baptist, they may come out with rather strange answers.
Herod would say that it was not him, because he must honour a public pledge. After all the girl could have asked for something else.
Herodias might say that John the Baptist deserved what he got for opening his mouth and criticizing authorities. After all, criticizing authorities meant danger and he brought this danger onto himself.
The girl would say that she was only doing what she was told; how could she disobey her mother.
And in all this deliberation, no one would obviously admit responsibility and would also point fingers at others.
Yet the crux of the matter is that someone is harmed and eventually lost his life.
What we will come across every day is not as serious as people losing their lives.
But what we will face every day is that we are indifferent to the good we can do because we think that there will be someone else who will do it.
Maybe this story will help us understand this situation.
It's a story about four people: Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it. Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.
Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody's job.
Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody
wouldn't do it.
It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when actually Nobody asked Anybody.
The story sounds funny but that may the story of our lives.
The story sounds funny but that may the story of our lives.
Let us take the responsibility to do good today so that tomorrow can be better.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
St. Martha, Friday, 29-07-11
1 John 4:7-16 / Luke 10:38-42
Last week when the priests were having their annual retreat, there were only communion services in place of the Mass.
But of course that does not mean that the priests at the retreat did not celebrate Mass. We priests brought along the Mass intentions which were offered at Mass everyday of the retreat.
The retreat was also an occasion for us priests to reflect about our very fundamental duty.
Essentially, the duty of the priest is to offer Mass and sacrifice on behalf the faithful.
Yet we priests can become so busy with other pastoral work like preparing for lessons and talks and conducting retreats that Mass can become just one of the things that we do.
Also familiarity can be the death of reverence and we can lose focus of why we are doing what we are doing.
In the gospel, we heard how Martha also lost focus and got distracted on why she was doing what she was doing when she complained to Jesus that Mary was not helping her at all with the serving.
Jesus answer to her is a reminder for us that we must focus on the necessary and the important.
In whatever we are tasked to do, let us remember that it is God that we are serving and by doing our work well, we give glory to God.
May St. Martha pray for us that we won't fret and worry about so many things but to always focus on doing the will of God and to do it with love.
Last week when the priests were having their annual retreat, there were only communion services in place of the Mass.
But of course that does not mean that the priests at the retreat did not celebrate Mass. We priests brought along the Mass intentions which were offered at Mass everyday of the retreat.
The retreat was also an occasion for us priests to reflect about our very fundamental duty.
Essentially, the duty of the priest is to offer Mass and sacrifice on behalf the faithful.
Yet we priests can become so busy with other pastoral work like preparing for lessons and talks and conducting retreats that Mass can become just one of the things that we do.
Also familiarity can be the death of reverence and we can lose focus of why we are doing what we are doing.
In the gospel, we heard how Martha also lost focus and got distracted on why she was doing what she was doing when she complained to Jesus that Mary was not helping her at all with the serving.
Jesus answer to her is a reminder for us that we must focus on the necessary and the important.
In whatever we are tasked to do, let us remember that it is God that we are serving and by doing our work well, we give glory to God.
May St. Martha pray for us that we won't fret and worry about so many things but to always focus on doing the will of God and to do it with love.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
17th Week in Ordinary Time, Thursday, 28-07-11
Exodus 40:16-21, 34-38 / Matthew 13:47-53
We are proud that we have a beautiful church. I am sure some of us remembered how the old church was like.
That old church gave way to this new church which was built about 10 years ago.
Indeed this new church maintained the holy atmosphere of the old church even though it is much bigger.
Yet regardless of whether it is new or old, big or small, any church must look like and feel like a church.
In the 1st reading, Moses built the tabernacle of the Lord as exactly as the Lord had directed him.
And the people can see and feel the presence of God in the tabernacle.
Yes it was the presence of the Lord that made the tabernacle holy, just as it is the presence of the Lord that makes a church holy.
Yet in the gospel, Jesus said that the kingdom of God is like a dragnet cast into the sea that brings in a haul of all kinds.
So if the Church is the sign of the kingdom of God, then we must be prepared to see the Church filled with all sorts of people.
We pray that as we come before the holy presence of God in the Church, we will strive to be holy just as God is holy.
And may we bring this holiness to the world so that the presence of God can also be seen in the world.
We are proud that we have a beautiful church. I am sure some of us remembered how the old church was like.
That old church gave way to this new church which was built about 10 years ago.
Indeed this new church maintained the holy atmosphere of the old church even though it is much bigger.
Yet regardless of whether it is new or old, big or small, any church must look like and feel like a church.
In the 1st reading, Moses built the tabernacle of the Lord as exactly as the Lord had directed him.
And the people can see and feel the presence of God in the tabernacle.
Yes it was the presence of the Lord that made the tabernacle holy, just as it is the presence of the Lord that makes a church holy.
Yet in the gospel, Jesus said that the kingdom of God is like a dragnet cast into the sea that brings in a haul of all kinds.
So if the Church is the sign of the kingdom of God, then we must be prepared to see the Church filled with all sorts of people.
We pray that as we come before the holy presence of God in the Church, we will strive to be holy just as God is holy.
And may we bring this holiness to the world so that the presence of God can also be seen in the world.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
17th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 27-07-11
Exodus 34:29-35 / Matthew 13:44-46 (2019)
Our faces and our feet are at the different parts of our body, and depending on our height, they vary in the length apart.
Yet, when our feet are hurting from the shoes we are wearing or whatever, somehow our face shows it.
Oh yes, we can hide our feelings, but not for long. And more so if it is the feelings and emotions in our heart.
What we feel in our hearts will show on our faces, and it will show through the make-up and the masks we might want to put on.
Moses couldn't hide the radiance and the glory of God which he experienced, and it showed on his face.
What Moses experienced challenges us to look at ourselves and to ask what others see in us.
We may not like what we see of ourselves in the mirror, maybe because it reminds us of the hurt, the pain, the resentment that is gripping our hearts.
Yet we must also remember that God has planted the treasures of His love in our hearts.
In this Eucharist, let us ask the Lord to heal us so that we can let go of our sinfulness and to realize the treasures of God's love in us.
And may God's love in us be reflected on our faces too.
Our faces and our feet are at the different parts of our body, and depending on our height, they vary in the length apart.
Yet, when our feet are hurting from the shoes we are wearing or whatever, somehow our face shows it.
Oh yes, we can hide our feelings, but not for long. And more so if it is the feelings and emotions in our heart.
What we feel in our hearts will show on our faces, and it will show through the make-up and the masks we might want to put on.
Moses couldn't hide the radiance and the glory of God which he experienced, and it showed on his face.
What Moses experienced challenges us to look at ourselves and to ask what others see in us.
We may not like what we see of ourselves in the mirror, maybe because it reminds us of the hurt, the pain, the resentment that is gripping our hearts.
Yet we must also remember that God has planted the treasures of His love in our hearts.
In this Eucharist, let us ask the Lord to heal us so that we can let go of our sinfulness and to realize the treasures of God's love in us.
And may God's love in us be reflected on our faces too.
Monday, July 25, 2011
17th Week in Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 26-07-11
Exodus 33:7-11; 34:5-9, 28 / Matthew 13:36-43 (2015 / 2019)
Moses is certainly one of the great figures in the Bible who can say that he knew how God has protected him.
Throughout his life, from the time as a baby, to his fleeing from Pharoah, and the returning to Egypt to lead his people out of slavery, Moses knew how God's hand was protecting him.
It was through all this, that he came to know God as a God of mercy and compassion, slow to anger, rich in kindness and faithfulness.
And when the Israelites sinned against God and in spite of the evil that Moses saw the Israelites committed, yet Moses turned to God to beg for forgiveness and mercy for his people.
The situations that we find ourselves in are not that different from that of Moses.
We are confronted by our own sinfulness, the sinfulness of others, and on the larger scale, the sinfulness of the world.
Or like how the gospel puts it, we see more darnel, we see more weeds than wheat.
But we are reminded that we must not let evil overcome us. Instead we must conquer evil with good.
So let us not be discouraged with our acts of charity. We shall reap when the time comes, as long as we persevere in our good deeds.
Because God, from whom all good flows, will never allow the good that we do, to be destroyed by evil.
May St. Joachim and St. Anne pray for us to be faithful to God always.
Moses is certainly one of the great figures in the Bible who can say that he knew how God has protected him.
Throughout his life, from the time as a baby, to his fleeing from Pharoah, and the returning to Egypt to lead his people out of slavery, Moses knew how God's hand was protecting him.
It was through all this, that he came to know God as a God of mercy and compassion, slow to anger, rich in kindness and faithfulness.
And when the Israelites sinned against God and in spite of the evil that Moses saw the Israelites committed, yet Moses turned to God to beg for forgiveness and mercy for his people.
The situations that we find ourselves in are not that different from that of Moses.
We are confronted by our own sinfulness, the sinfulness of others, and on the larger scale, the sinfulness of the world.
Or like how the gospel puts it, we see more darnel, we see more weeds than wheat.
But we are reminded that we must not let evil overcome us. Instead we must conquer evil with good.
So let us not be discouraged with our acts of charity. We shall reap when the time comes, as long as we persevere in our good deeds.
Because God, from whom all good flows, will never allow the good that we do, to be destroyed by evil.
May St. Joachim and St. Anne pray for us to be faithful to God always.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
St. James, Apostle, 25-07-11
2 Cor 4:7-15 / Matthew 20:20-28 (2020 / 2023)
During His life on earth, Jesus singled out three apostles out of the twelve apostles to be with Him in the special and unique moments of His ministry.
They were Peter, John and James, whose feast day we celebrate today.
They were with Jesus in His healing ministry as well as at the Transfiguration.
Although James had the privilege of being in the inner circle of the apostles, he did not quite understand the mission and purpose of Jesus.
As we heard in the gospel, he and his brother John had ideas about getting special positions in the earthly kingdom that they thought Jesus was going to establish.
But for all his misconceptions, James wanted to be with Jesus.
He had found the one whom he wanted to follow, even though he had yet to understand fully that his Master came to serve and to eventually give His life as a ransom for many.
Nonetheless, in the end, St. James would be the first among the apostles to give up his life in witness to his Master.
So even though St. James was in the inner circle of the apostles, he was an earthenware jar that holds the privilege of being chosen by Jesus.
The 1st reading reminds us that like St. James, we are also earthenware jars holding the treasures of God.
Like St. James, let us pour out these treasures in love and service to God and neighbour.
We can only inherit the kingdom of God when we give up our lives for others.
During His life on earth, Jesus singled out three apostles out of the twelve apostles to be with Him in the special and unique moments of His ministry.
They were Peter, John and James, whose feast day we celebrate today.
They were with Jesus in His healing ministry as well as at the Transfiguration.
Although James had the privilege of being in the inner circle of the apostles, he did not quite understand the mission and purpose of Jesus.
As we heard in the gospel, he and his brother John had ideas about getting special positions in the earthly kingdom that they thought Jesus was going to establish.
But for all his misconceptions, James wanted to be with Jesus.
He had found the one whom he wanted to follow, even though he had yet to understand fully that his Master came to serve and to eventually give His life as a ransom for many.
Nonetheless, in the end, St. James would be the first among the apostles to give up his life in witness to his Master.
So even though St. James was in the inner circle of the apostles, he was an earthenware jar that holds the privilege of being chosen by Jesus.
The 1st reading reminds us that like St. James, we are also earthenware jars holding the treasures of God.
Like St. James, let us pour out these treasures in love and service to God and neighbour.
We can only inherit the kingdom of God when we give up our lives for others.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)