Housekeeping - Holy Week

For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:

20 Mar 2016 - Palm Sunday
21 Mar 2016 - Monday of Holy Week
22 Mar 2016 - Tuesday of Holy Week
23 Mar 2016 - Wednesday of Holy Week
24 Mar 2016 - Maundy (Holy) Thursday
25 Mar 2016 - Good Friday
26 Mar 2016 - Easter Vigil

Easter Vigil

At the beginning of every Easter Vigil, we are plunged into darkness. The darkness seems overwhelming. But soon, the darkness is defeated by the light of candles. Starting with one candle, the Paschal candle, the church is slowly illuminated by a sea of candles. Jesus is that single candle that gave the world a new vision and a new hope. Jesus reminds us that we no longer need be slaves of the darkness and that we no longer need be afraid of the dark. Jesus, the Light of the World, has come and defeated the darkness of sin and death.

In the readings, we begin with the creation story, where we see how God brings order to chaos. In our lives, we too may be experiencing chaos, but God brings order and harmony to our lives, if we submit ourselves to him. We then see how God leads His people from slavery in Egypt to freedom. We are reminded of how we too have passed through the waters of liberation through the waters of baptism. We have been set free from the power of sin, and are no longer slaves to sin unless we choose to remain as slaves. Some think that they are powerless when faced with their sinfulness, but God reminds us that we are no longer slaves. We are free because Christ's resurrection has set us free. So, shouldn't we begin to live as free men and women?

In every Easter Vigil, we are also reminded that death is not the end of life but the beginning of eternal life. Jesus has risen and has conquered death. Through Jesus we too can conquer death. Death no longer has a hold on us and we do not have to be afraid of death any longer. We are an Easter People and we should proclaim this great message of hope and joy. The light has overcome the darkness; order has overtaken chaos; freedom has triumphed over slavery; and eternal life is victorious over death. Let us no longer live lives as if there is no hope, since our hope is in the risen Lord, and let us share this message that "The Lord is risen" to all around us.

Good Friday

When we are facing good times, do we ever think about God? Some people seem to have forgotten about God in the midst of good times, happy times, or when they have attained something and are caught up with the festivities and celebrations. But when we are faced with disaster or tragedy, some would begin to question: "Why did this happen?" or "How could God allow this evil to take place?" or even "Where is God? Why is He not helping now?" Some may even begin to lose faith in God, thinking that God has abandoned them or is not going to help them come out of their predicament. But isn't it strange? Some of us don't give thanks to God when good things occur, but we begin to complain or blame God when bad things happen.

Today we celebrate Good Friday, where God gives us an answer to our complaints about human suffering and pain. Here is God who chose to be like us as Jesus Christ; who walked in our shoes, who shares our joys and sorrows and experiences our pain and suffering. Here lies the creator of the universe; now on the cross, He lies dead, crucified by our own sinfulness, our indifference, our ambitions, our greed, and our selfishness. God is with us not only when we are good, but also with us in our sinfulness even though He has no sin.

Sometimes, we hear parents telling their children: "I will love you if you are good." or "If you are naughty, I will not love you." Such children begin to think that their parents love them only if they are good, and that love is conditional and a reward for goodness, and that love needs to be earned. But God shows us that love is given to both saint and sinner. God loves us even while we were still sinners. The cross is proof of this. The cross is the symbol of God’s unconditional love, since Jesus died on the cross for all, not only for those who are good.

Today, let us give thanks to God for the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross to save us from our sins, because of His immense love for us. Let us also set aside our pride, ego and prejudice, and learn to love others unconditionally, just as God loves us unconditionally.

Maundy (Holy) Thursday

Most of us (hopefully) would know that the Mass is divided into two essential parts: the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. If you have been paying attention during Mass, you would have observed that during the Eucharistic Prayer, the priest says the words: "He took bread and gave you thanks. He broke the bread, and gave it to his disciples …” These words reflect Jesus' whole life and ministry: “He took bread”, “gave thanks,” “He broke the bread” and “gave it to His disciples…”

From these words, we can learn some important points. Firstly, Jesus 'took bread.' By doing so, Jesus took whatever was given to him by His Heavenly Father and did not refuse anything, not even death on the cross. This means that Jesus was totally open to God and let God have full control of His life. In the same way, we too should take whatever may come to us from God and not be choosy. We must also learn to accept people as they are and not as how we want them to be. By taking, we affirm that whatever we have, whether it be posessions or capabilities, ultimately come from God. Secondly, Jesus 'gave thanks' to his Father not only for the good times but also for the bad. Many of us seem to give thanks only when good things come our way, but what about bad things? Do we thank God even when bad things occur? To have a grateful heart is the foundation of Christian joy and we must thank God for everything that comes our way. Thirdly, Jesus 'broke the bread' to share a meal with his disciples, Jesus' entire life too was broken and poured out for the salvation of all. We find it hard to allow ourselves to be broken, because of some reason such as shame or we fear others would take advantage of our weakness. But Jesus invites you today to share your brokenness with him and with others, since many others too experience brokenness and are consoled and comforted, knowing that they are not alone, when we share our brokenness with them. Lastly, Jesus "gave it to His disciples..." By giving bread to His disciples, Jesus is giving them life, and in the same way, we too should give and be generous in our giving, just as Jesus gave to us.

Today, let us offer our lives as a fragrant offering to God and to others, so that all may have life in Jesus. Let us be humble and willing to take what God has given us, and be generous in our giving, since all that we have comes from Him. May we learn from our Eternal Master, and grow in relationship with Him as He cares and guides us each day.

Easter Vigil

At every Easter Vigil, we proclaim that Jesus is risen. But do we really believe that Jesus is truly risen? Do we behave as an Easter people? Some of us still seem to live as if Jesus is still dead in the tomb; some of us still seem to live in darkness, as if we are still trapped by sin, despair, anger, fear and unforgiveness, and that the light of Christ had not come. Some of us still seem to remain in the tomb, preferring to drown ourselves in self-pity and preferring to blame God and others for our suffering and pain. When we do such things or live this way, we have actually failed to recognise that Jesus has truly risen.

But the fact of the matter is Jesus has risen! The readings today tell us that God has triumphed over chaos; has defeated the powers of darkness; has conquered sin and death; and has quenched our thirst with the waters of eternal life. The tomb is empty. Jesus is risen! When we were baptised, St. Paul reminds us that "we went into the tomb with Jesus and joined him in death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the Father’s glory, we too might live a new life.” In baptism, we are “dead to sin but alive for God in Christ Jesus."

Thus, we are called to go forth and be witnesses of Christ's resurrection. God has conquered the powers of darkness through the sacrifice of His Son on the cross. The empty tomb reminds us that life is greater than death; that at the end, suffering is not defeat but victory; and that God’s power is far greater, no matter how powerful evil, suffering and darkness may appear. Today, as an Easter people, let us proclaim this great message of hope and joy. Let us sing with conviction the song of Easter: Alleluia! Praise the Lord! The Lord has risen!

Good Friday

Each and every one of us have experienced suffering in one way or another at certain points of our lives. We can try to deny it, we can try to hide it, we can try to find ways and means to distract ourselves from it, we can even try to fool ourselves into thinking that it is okay or an illusion, but the fact is, suffering is a very real thing.

But one significant event brought suffering to a different level and meaning. God died on the cross. God allow himself to be crucified on the cross for our sake. He died on the cross to redeem us and to save us from our sins, as what Isaiah reminds us in the first reading: "And yet ours were the sufferings he bore, ours the sorrow he carried. But we, we thought of him as someone punished, struck by God, and brought low. Yet he was pierced through for our faults, crushed for our sins. On him lies a punishment that brings us peace, and through his wounds we are healed." Thus, we should not see suffering as a bad thing, we should not think that God does not understand what we are going through, since Jesus suffered and died for all of us because of His immense love for us.

When we become aware of the significance and the power of the cross, we become witnesses of Jesus. We become more sensitive, compassionate and understanding to the needs and sufferings of others. Jesus, while suffering on the cross, did not forget about others. He reached out in love to all around him. For his enemies, he asked for forgiveness; for his mother, he found a new home by giving her to his beloved disciple, and in doing so, giving her to all of us who are like that beloved disciple; for his disciples, he made sure that they would continue to support each other. Thus, let us set aside our anger, self-pity, hatred, pride, prejudices and bitterness, so that we may give ourselves in love and selflessness to others, just as Jesus did for all of us. Let us, as the second reading remind us, "be confident, then, in approaching the throne of grace, that we shall have mercy from him and find grace when we are in need of help."

Maundy (Holy) Thursday

Have you ever wondered why you come for Mass? Do you come merely to fulfil a Sunday obligation, or because a parent or family member forced you to, or because you are attracted to some friends and would want to hang out with them, or just to accompany your spouse, girlfriend or boyfriend, or for some other reason? For some of us, Mass may have become "normal" or "usual" that we have begun to lose its true value and taken it for granted. But if we consider for a moment what the Mass means, then we will never call the Mass "normal," since every Mass challenges us to live fruitful and authentic lives as Jesus' disciples.

Whenever we celebrate the Mass we are celebrating the mystery of our salvation. In the First Reading. God commanded Moses and the Israelites to continue celebrating the Feast of the Passover so that they will remember how God saved them and liberated them from Egypt. Just as the Israelites remembered at every Feast of the Passover how God had saved them and liberated them from Egypt, we are reminded at every Mass of how God has saved us and is still saving us from the powers of darkness and evil, and giving us new life through his Son Jesus Christ. Also, the Mass reminds us of Jesus sacrifice of love on the cross. Jesus gave up his own life so all may live. When we participate at every Mass, we are challenged to give up our lives, to die to our sinfulness and selfishness, to die to our prejudice and hatred, to die to our pride and arrogance, so that all would come to know what it truly means to be a follower of Christ and live. Moreover, the Mass calls us to be of service to others, just as Jesus served all. Instead of seeking power and places of honour, instead of competing and arguing about who should have his feet washed, we should be following the example of Jesus, who humbled himself to wash the feet of those who we think are unworthy. In the Mass, there is no room for pride, arrogance, prejudice or power, there is only room for humble service.

Let us therefore thank Jesus for the gift of Himself and for the gift of the Mass. If we make effort to concentrate and participate at Mass, instead of allowing our minds to wander, get distracted with other things such as our handphones or other gadgets or even distracted with other persons, or become impatient with the time, we would slowly begin to appreciate the Mass. Let us make every effort to not just participate at Mass, but to live it where we are, and bring the Good News of Jesus to all around us.

Housekeeping - Holy Week

For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:

13 April 2014 - Palm Sunday
14 April 2014 - Monday of Holy Week
15 April 2014 - Tuesday of Holy Week
16 April 2014 - Wednesday of holy Week
17 April 2014 - Maundy (Holy) Thursday
18 April 2014 - Good Friday
19 April 2014 - Easter Vigil

Easter Vigil

Darkness... reminds us of the darkness of sin, the darkness of evil, the darkness of death, pain and suffering. Sometimes, the darkness seems so overbearing and overwhelming, death seems to be the end. Sometimes, our problems and suffering seem so unbearable that we feel like giving up. Darkness seems to rule us and seems to engulf us in a chasm of doom and despair.

However, this Easter Vigil night, no matter how dark the situation may seem be, no matter how bad things may seem to be, no matter how big the problem, no matter how powerful death and suffering may appear, none of these can defeat the power of the resurrection. Easter is our victory over darkness. Jesus is risen.

Let us therefore not behave like there is no hope, like this is the end, because tonight is a new beginning. Let us with renewed confidence and trust march on, for God is on our side. He has defeated death. He has won a great victory for us. Let us proclaim "alleluia" and share this good news to all the ends of the earth.

Good Friday

Our God is with us at all times. Don't care whether it is good times or bad times, sickness or health, joy or sorrow, life or death, God is there. Today, we are reminded of God who hangs on the cross. The cross was a tool of humiliation, of suffering, of slow and painful death. Extremely bad people were the ones normally crucified on the cross. But here, we have God who hangs on the cross.

Why did God hang on the cross? It is precisely because of His immense love for us. He wants to save us from our sins. He is crucified by our own sinfulness, our indifference, our ambitions, our greed, our selfishness, our inability to forgive, our pride, our anger, etc. The cross is transformed from an instrument of death, to a symbol of God’s unconditional love. The cross shows that God is even prepared to take the place of the worst kind of sinners by being executed like a criminal, so that we can be saved from our sins.

Are we willing to carry our crosses and die to our sins? Are we willing to wholeheartedly and enthusiastically love God and people, regardless of whether they have been good or bad to us? God died on the cross to save all of us. Are we humble enough to follow His example?

Maundy (Holy) Thursday

In today’s liturgy, we are reminded of Jesus' commandment that we are to "love one another as I have loved you. We are also reminded to “Do this in memory of me.” “Do this in memory of me” means that we are to imitate the entire life of Jesus, not just pick and choose what we like. We must love, forgive, show compassion and serve one another as Jesus did to all. We must give up our lives as Jesus did on the cross. Jesus showed us an example of loving one another by washing the feet of His disciples. By doing so, He humbled himself by taking on the role of a slave to serve others, and challenged us to serve as He did.

If we look at our lives, are we following Jesus' commandment to love and serve as He did? Are we humble enough to forgive others, just as God has forgiven us? We ask so much from God, but are we equally generous in giving to others what we have received from His bounty? Let us be genuine and generous in our love and service, as we strive to grow closer to God.