Saturday of Week 3 Year 1

Faith is something of a mystery, since there are times what is happening is not natural or logical to us. For example, we sometimes come across certain persons who seem to be in a hopeless situation, such as an illness or taken a bad turn in life and seem heading towards doom. But such persons do not give up or give in to their predicament, and place their faith in God to be healed and change for the better. Then when all seems lost, such persons actually recover, or change and turn into a new leaf.

In today's reading, we are reminded: "Only faith can guarantee the blessings that we hope for, or prove the existence of the realities that at present remain unseen. It was for faith that our ancestors were commended." What seems lost or doomed can actually be found or rescued, when we have faith in God and let Him take control. May we not despair or doubt, knowing that God will deal with the situation according to His purposes and for His glory.

Saturday of Week 3 Year 1

How much faith do we have in God? Do we have faith that God will guide and help us according to his ways and terms, or are we expecting faith to be according to our own terms? We sometimes say we have faith, but we want faith to be according to our expectations and convenience. How many of us are willing to have faith in God, and surrender to His thoughts and His ways, even though at times it may difficult for us to accept?

In today's reading, we are reminded: "Only faith can guarantee the blessings that we hope for, or prove the existence of the realities that at present remain unseen. It was for faith that our ancestors were commended." The reading reminds us that we should have faith that God will take care of things, and let His will be done, instead of constantly trying to have things our way. May we let God be in control, and glorify Him in all we say and do.

Saturday of Week 3 Year 2

What sort of response do we have when we commit sin or do something wrong? Are we willing to own up to the sin committed or the wrong done? Or would we go through great lengths to deny any wrongdoing or sin, even though the sin or wrongdoing is so evident beyond reasonable doubt? Have we allowed ourselves to become blinded by pride and ego, and think that we are never wrong or never guilty?

Today's reading shows us how King David responded when the prophet Nathan confronted him with the many sins he had committed. Instead of trying to worm his way out, or make all sorts of excuses, or deny his guilt, King David was docile and humble enough to admit his guilt and merely said: "I have sinned against the Lord."

What about us? Would we be willing to own up to our wrongdoing, our mistakes, our sins? Let us not allow pride and ego get the better of us and be humble and docile, just like King David showed us, and admit our wrongdoing, our mistakes, our sins. Let us not allow the stain of wrongdoing or sin remain, lest we end up ruining our relationship with God.

Saturday of the 3rd Week of Easter

It is easy for us to listen to nice or soothing words from Jesus. After all, we yearn for His love and care, and there are several things Jesus said which appeal to us. However, there are also several things that Jesus said which can be difficult to hear or accept, especially if such things concern us or affect us in some way. When we listen to such words, how do we respond? Do we accept both the good and the not so good that Jesus tells us? Or do we filter out the not so pleasant things, and only accept that which sounds pleasant? When it comes to following Jesus, are we disciples only when it benefits us or we find comfortable?

In today's Gospel, we are told: "After hearing his doctrine many of the followers of Jesus said, 'This is intolerable language. How could anyone accept it?'" Jesus did not back down or water down what he said, and because of this, "many of his disciples left him and stopped going with him." Yet, the Twelve chose to stay, and "Simon Peter answered, ‘Lord, who shall we go to? You have the message of eternal life, and we believe; we know that you are the Holy One of God.’"

The reality we face is that we cannot have it both ways. If we want to follow Jesus, we must be prepared to accept both the easy and the difficult, the pleasant and the unpleasant. We cannot pick and choose only what we want, but take Jesus' teaching as a whole. Are we willing to let go of our prejudiced hearing, and let Jesus' words dwell and flourish in us, as we let Him lead us and guide us closer to Him?

Saturday of the 3rd Week of Easter

When we are experiencing a time of peace and security, some of us may begin to take such peace and security for granted and become complacent and lose our alertness. We begin to have a false sense of security; thinking that nothing will happen, since the situation around us seems fine. But the reality is that such peace and security is an illusion, since things could change and escalate very quickly, transforming into a dangerous or even deadly situation. Throughout history, we have seen such transformation happening before, sometimes suddenly, sometimes gradually.

In today's reading, we are told that the churches throughout Judaea, Galilee and Samaria were left in peace. Instead of becoming lax or taking things for granted, these churches made hay while the sun shines, by building and fortifying themselves; by living in the fear of the Lord, with full faith in Him; and by being filled with the consolation of the Holy Spirit while remaining in His guidance.

What about us, especially when it concerns our spiritual lives? Are we building and fortifying ourselves by growing closer to God? Let us not procrastinate and be caught off-guard or unprepared, and make every effort to remain alert and prepared as best as we can, since circumstances can change at any time, and we should be ready to face the Lord when He calls us.

Saturday of the 3rd Week of Lent

Some of us claim that we have not committed any serious or even mortal sins, but when we claim as such, are we claiming so with pride? It is easy to make such claims, and yet fall into sin by feeling proud about it, or putting others down or looking down on others, thinking that they are not on par with us. When we are like this, we have a problem of spiritual pride. We begin to think that we are ok and everyone else is hopeless or condemned.

In today's Gospel, the Pharisee was proud that he did not commit any grave sin; and he claims to have done credible deeds, but he was not at rights with God. Why so? His problem was spiritual pride: he called another person a sinner without acknowledging or admitting to be one himself. He propped himself up, at the expense of another person. He considered himself virtuous, and in doing so began to become more and more self-righteous. But what the Pharisee failed to realise and understand is that what God wants is not sacrifice, but love for Him and for others.

What about us? Are we like the Pharisee, full of pride and ego, thinking that we are on the right track or supposingly in God's good books? Or have we learnt to humble ourselves and say: God, be merciful to me, a sinner? Let us not be blinded by pride, even to the point of losing our awareness of sins we may have committed, no matter how small such sins may be. Instead, let us walk humbly in God's ways, and let Him be our help and guide.

Saturday of the 3rd Week of Lent

Some of us take for granted and not feel real contrition, remorse, and sorrow for our sins. Some think that God would forgive us anyhow, and we neglect going for confession to seek forgiveness for our sins. Some even assume that being a Christian means merely accepting Jesus as Lord and saviour, and that is all enough for them to be guaranteed access to heaven. But what sort of attitude should a Christian have towards God's mercy and forgiveness, especially when it comes to the sins one has committed? Is God's mercy and forgiveness so easily accessed?

In today's reading, the people said: "Come let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces, but he will heal us; he has struck us down, but he will bandage our wound; on the third day he will raise us and we shall live in his presence." The Lord responded: "What am I to do with you? This love of yours is like a morning cloud, like the dew that quickly disappears." It seems like the people prayed to God in their misery but they prayed with a certain arrogance and self-interest. They were not repentant and did not ask why such misery fell on them. Instead, they took for granted that God would heal them and help them, and they felt entitled to His mercy and forgiveness.

What about us? Have we become like the people in today's reading, where we end up taking for granted His mercy and forgiveness? Have we become presumptuous, thinking that we are entitled to God's help and care, instead of walking humbly before Him? May we come to realise such attitude, and walk humbly in His ways.

Thursday of Week 3 Year 1

Nowadays, most people are living busy lives, and with the cost of living going up, it seems as if there is hardly any time for anything else besides work and earning a living. In the midst of the chaos we experience in life, we also need to deal with family, friends and even members of our church community, especially when it comes to community gatherings within our housing area. The temptation some of us face is to avoid or rarely attend such community gatherings, giving all sorts of reasons and excuses, such as lack of time, busy with other life issues, and so on. But the reality of being a Christian is that we cannot isolate ourselves from the community, since being a Christian means being a community of believers, not just a personal relationship with Jesus.

The reading today reminds us of the need for us to be together in faith as a community in communion with God: "let us be sincere in heart and filled with faith, our minds sprinkled and free from any trace of bad conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us keep firm in the hope we profess, because the one who made the promise is faithful. Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works. Do not stay away from the meetings of the community, as some do, but encourage each other to go; the more so as you see the Day drawing near."

As the reading tells us, we should not stay away from our community gatherings, but make more effort to attend and encourage others to do the same. It is when we gather as a community that we learn to share our faith, and show love and concern towards others, especially with others in the community who may be in need. When we do so, then we are witnessing to others, by showing that we are Christians by our love.

Wednesday of Week 3 Year 1

We come across different people who listen or hear news differently, depending on what sort of news is being conveyed. Some people listen or hear in a prejudiced manner. They shut their minds, and may be ignoring what is being said, or even not really listening at all. Some people listen or hear in a shallow manner. They may listen or hear for a while, but their minds eventually wander to something else. Some people listen or hear in a selective manner. They listen or hear only what they want to hear, and ignore the other matters. Some people listen or hear in a proactive manner. They are willing to listen and to learn, and are never too proud or too busy to learn. They listen attentively and with full attention to understand. What about you? How are you listening?

In today’s gospel, the parable of the sower reminds us of the different ways of accepting God’s word and the different kinds of fruits they produce. Just as different people listen or hear news differently, different people also listen or hear God's word or the Good News differently. The question we need to ask ourselves is this: how are we listening to God's word? Are we listening like in rich soil, yielding a harvest, thirty, sixty and a hundredfold?

Saturday of the 3rd Week of Easter

Most of us are fortunate to be living in a place where there is generally peace and security. When we are experiencing such peace and security, what do we do? Do we use such peace and security to better ourselves or take necessary steps or precautions to ensure that peace remains? Or have we become complacent, taking such peace and security for granted, and possibly losing our alertness or preparedness for possible incidences?

In today's reading, we are told that the churches throughout Judaea, Galilee and Samaria were left in peace. However, these churches did not become lax or take things for granted. Instead, they were building and fortifying themselves; they were living in the fear of the Lord, with full faith in Him; and they were filled with the consolation of the Holy Spirit while remaining in His guidance.

What about us, especially when it concerns our spiritual lives? Are we building and fortifying ourselves by growing closer to God? May we not procrastinate and be caught off-guard or unprepared, and make every effort to remain alert and prepared as best as we can, while remaining in the Lord's guidance.

Saturday of the 3rd Week of Lent

It is easy for us to take God for granted, especially when we have received so much from Him in different ways. Some of us forget to say grace before meals or even grace after meals, and we do not thank God enough for the good things we have and the many blessings He has given us. Some of us may have even become presumptuous about God's mercy and forgiveness, that we take it for granted and not feel real contrition, remorse, and sorrow for our sins. Some think that God would forgive us anyhow, and we neglect going for confession, which is required for our sins to be forgiven.

When we take things for granted and become presumptuous towards God, we begin to take God's mercy and forgiveness too lightly. Such attitude of taking things for granted and being presumptuous can be found in today's reading, where the people said: "Come let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces, but he will heal us; he has struck us down, but he will bandage our wound; on the third day he will raise us and we shall live in his presence." The Lord responded: "What am I to do with you? This love of yours is like a morning cloud, like the dew that quickly disappears." It seems like the people were only giving lip service, instead of practising true love and knowledge of God.

What about us? Have we become like the people in today's reading, where we end up saying and doing things only to puff our ego and swell our pride? Have we become presumptuous, taking God for granted, instead of walking humbly before Him? May we come to realise such attitude, and change our ways while we have the opportunity to do so.

Saturday of Week 3 Year 2

We sometimes come across people who refuse or who are reluctant to admit their guilt. Even when they are confronted with facts and evidence proving their guilt beyond reasonable doubt, such persons would still refuse to admit or accept their guilt, and some even try to find a scapegoat and blame others such as a family member, friend or colleague, and some even go to the extent of blaming God, instead of taking responsibility for the wrong they have committed. Blinded by pride and ego, such persons think that they are never wrong or never guilty. Could some of us be having such a proud or egoistic attitude?

In contrast, today's reading shows us how King David responded when the prophet Nathan confronted him with the many sins he had committed. Instead of trying to worm his way out, or make all sorts of excuses, or deny his guilt, King David was docile and humble enough to admit his guilt and merely said: "I have sinned against the Lord."

What about us? Would we be willing to own up to our guilt, our mistakes, our sins? Or would we rather try to sweep things under the carpet, only to have such dirt exposed at a later time? Let us be humble and docile, just like King David showed us, and admit our guilt. After all, isn't it better for us to remove the stain of guilt earlier, than to let the stain remain and ruin our relationship with God?

Tuesday of Week 3 Year 2

We often make a lot of effort and time in building our relationship with our parents, siblings and loved ones. Sometimes we even bend backwards, trying to accommodate their requests or demands, in an effort to maintain family bonds. All these efforts are fine and good, but the reality is our parents, siblings and loved ones are not going to be with us forever. Some may move to another place and may be less reachable, some may pass away due to old age or sickness. What would become of us then, when our parents, siblings and loved ones are no longer with us?

In today's Gospel, Jesus is reminding us that our efforts should not only be in building relationships with parents, siblings and loved ones. Rather, our efforts should especially be in building a relationship with God, by doing the will of God. Our physical relationships will not last, but a spiritual relationship with God would last. Are we willing to double our efforts, and grow spiritually and closer to God?

Monday of Week 3 Year 2

I once visited a parishioner whose husband ran an Aikido school. Her husband joined us for tea, and while having a chat on various topics, her husband shared with me about his Aikido school. It seems that Aikido is a martial art, like karate. However, Aikido is a unique way of self-defense because, unlike Karate which uses force which can be lethal, Aikido uses the assailant’s aggression against himself. As her husband enthusiastically shared his experiences in practicing and teaching Aikido, I recall how Aikido could be related to today's Gospel. How so?

In today's Gospel, we see how Jesus used the principles of Aikido to defend himself against the scribes. The scribes accused Jesus by claiming that "‘Beelzebul is in him’ and, ‘It is through the prince of devils that he casts devils out.’"But Jesus used such statements to point out the scribes flawed logic by countering, “How can Satan drive out Satan?” In the end, the scribes were made to look foolish, since their accusation or "aggression" was used against themselves.

What about us? Have we been caught in such an embarrassing situation where we had accused others of something, only to end up having such accusations thrown back to our face? May we learn to be humble and check our motivations and intentions, so that we do not end up making false or illogical accusations or comments, and end up looking silly or foolish.

Friday of Week 3 Year 1

When the political situation in your country is not good, what do you do? Do you stand up for what is right, or would you make a run for it and look for so-called greener pastures elsewhere? When you see injustice or racism occuring, what do you do? Do you look the other way, mind your own business and not get involved? Or do you do what is just and right, even if it means risking your life? It seems easy to avoid getting involved, look the other way, mind our own business, or even run away, but are such attitudes and actions proper to a Christian?

In today's reading, we are reminded: "Be as confident now, then, since the reward is so great. You will need endurance to do God’s will and gain what he has promised... You and I are not the sort of people who draw back, and are lost by it; we are the sort who keep faithful until our souls are saved." When we are faced with injustice, racism, misdeeds and other despicable acts, may we take courage, do what is right and just, and let God be our guide, knowing that He would help us in His time, for His greater glory.

Tuesday of Week 3 Year 1

In our lives, we come across people who seem to be extra nice or extra polite when the boss or superior or some person of authority is present. Such persons are likely trying to curry favour with the boss or superior or person of authority, hoping to get some advantage, promotion or benefit out of it. When it comes to religion, some of such persons even think they can pull the same tricks on God, by appearing to be extra prayerful, or do lots of things for the church, or be extra nice to the priest or bishop, thinking that they could earn some brownie points with God. But what sort of attitude or way of life should we have as Christians? Why are we doing such things?

In today's reading and Gospel, God is not interested in "the sacrifices, the oblations, the holocausts and the sacrifices for sin." What God wants is for us to obey and do His will. It is not enough to just obey, since anyone could be playing games and obeying just to get some advantage or benefit. We also need to do His will. May we discern and discover God's will for us, and do it joyfully and dilligently, for His Kingdom and glory.

Monday of Week 3 Year 1

We sometimes come across people who are immensely jealous, insecure and easily provoked. Such persons cannot stand seeing other people doing well, or doing better than them, or even making some progress, since such persons fear that they may lose out. When such persons let jealousy get the better of them, they begin to do and say things merely to protect what they think is their interests or to safeguard their position and power. But what such persons fail to realise is that their jealousy would only lead them to say or do things which could lead them to look foolish or even lead them to commit sin.

In today's Gospel, the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem had such immense jealousy, that they began to talk rubbish and contradict themselves when they said about Jesus: "'Beelzebul is in him' and, 'It is through the prince of devils that he casts devils out.'" Jesus really went to town with these scribes and made fun of them, saying: "How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot last. And if a household is divided against itself, that household can never stand. Now if Satan has rebelled against himself and is divided, he cannot stand either – it is the end of him." Due to jealousy, these scribes uttered contradicting and silly statements, just because they could not get the better of Jesus, only to be made to look foolish with Jesus' rebuttal to their utterance.

Have some of us become like these scribes, saying nonsensical things in the heat of jealousy? May we be on our guard against such immense jealousy, and think carefully what we say and do, since all that we say and do should be for the glory of God.

Friday of the 3rd Week of Easter

It is easy for us to write off someone who seems lost or hopeless according to our expectations or according to our standards, or the person is different from us or seems to be lacking in one way or another, according to our coloured and prejudiced eyes. Some of us begin to think that such a person is beyond redemption and is destined to be condemned. Some of us even ostracise the person, and do not want to have anything to do with the person. The funny thing is, sometimes, God uses such persons to teach us never to judge, never to be so quick to condemn, to be humble, and to love unconditionally, just as God loves all of us the same.

In today's reading, we come across Saul who many feared and despised, since he was fervently and enthusiastically persecuting Christians. But God had other plans for Saul. Instead of writing him off, God caused Saul to change from a Christian basher, to a Christian defender. Imagine the shock, bewilderment and amazement experienced by the Christians when Saul, who became Paul, began preaching in the synagogues, 'Jesus is the Son of God.' Who would have ever thought that Saul could be turned into a stalwart promoter of the Christian faith, yet that is exactly what happened. God had shown that what was impossible is made possible.

What does this tell us? It tells us that God can do wonders beyond our expectations. He can change people, no matter how evil, horrible, obnoxious or mean they may have been. Are we willing to put our trust in God, knowing that He will do what is best for us, according to His time and for His glory?

Thursday of the 3rd Week of Easter

I have done many baptisms throughout my ministry and so far, I have noticed that in these baptisms, there is quite a bit of rejoicing and happiness. If the baptised is a baby, the parents, grandparents, Godparents and guests are rejoicing and all-smiles, as a new member has come forth from the family, even though the baby may be unaware of what is going on. If the baptised is a child or an adult, not only the parents, grandparents, Godparents and guests are rejoicing and all-smiles, the baptised too are excited, rejoicing and happy for having received new life and God's salvation. In today's reading, the eunuch went on his way rejoicing, after being baptised by Philip.

It is good to rejoice when a new person receives baptism, since the person has become a child of God. But let us not just rejoice at that point of time and that's that. We should continue to live a life of rejoicing in God's love and care, and share this life of rejoicing with all we meet. If something is so significant and worth rejoicing, surely we would not want to keep it under wraps, but share the joy around. So let us renew our efforts with joy, enthusiasm and exuberance, so that all would come to know what it means to be a Christian.

Wednesday of the 3rd Week of Easter

There are many things that we cannot see, yet we believe that such things exist. For example, we cannot see germs or bacteria, but we experience their effects. We cannot see electricity, but we experience the effects of electricity through the many appliances it provides power to, so that our lives would be easier or more convenient. But the irony is: sometimes we may be able to see something, and yet we are not able to believe what we are seeing. Why is this so? Sometimes it could be because the something is so shocking, spectacular, disturbing or flabbergasting that we may be at a lost of words and unable to comprehend what is happening or has just happened. Sometimes it could be because we are so set in our way of thinking or doing things, that other ways of thinking or doing things are seen as a threat or not worth our attention.

In today's Gospel, Jesus tells us: "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never be hungry; he who believes in me will never thirst. But, as I have told you, you can see me and still you do not believe." The people had seen Jesus say and do so many things. They had witnessed so many healings and miracles performed by Jesus. But some of the people, especially the scribes and the Pharisees, were so fixated and stubborn with their way of thinking and their way of doing things, that no matter what Jesus said or did, they chose to remain closed to the Good News being proclaimed by Jesus. They knew who Jesus was, but chose to find ways and means to get rid of Him, since what Jesus said and did was challenging their authority and going against the status quo. To them, personal survival, personal status and self-preservation was more important than listening to God's voice and doing what is just and right.

What about us? Have we too become or are becoming like the scribes and Pharisees? Do we value only our views, so much so that Jesus' teachings, God's commandments and many other things have taken a back seat or ignored completely? May we continue to take courage and say and do what is right, and let God be our providence and guide.