27th Ordinary Sunday, Year C, 05.10.2025

 Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4 / 2 Tim 1:6-8, 13-14 / Luke 17:5-10

Our modern lifestyle is filled with many instant benefits. 

A lot of things are done fast and quickly, and so instant results are expected. 

And so, there are instant noodles, instant coffee and tea, and a variety of instant food and drinks. 

And with money transfers, there is no more waiting for one or two days for cheques to be cleared in order to receive money from the other party. 

With ibanking apps, money transfers are done over the phone, and money can be sent and received instantly. 

So, what is important is speed, it is about how fast and how quickly things can be done. 

Even internet speeds have risen from 100 megabytes per second, which was not that long ago, to 10 gigabytes per second. 

In the world, time is money, and so the world demands efficiency, effectiveness and productivity, and for results to be delivered quickly and even instantly.

And with the world moving so fast, so quickly and even getting results instantly, we have become impatient, and we can't seem to wait anymore. 

And when we come to Church, we may also expect things to be done fast, and things to change quickly.

So, even when we pray, we expect our prayers to be answered quickly and even instantly. 

Maybe that was what the prophet Habakkuk was complaining about in the 1st reading. 

He said this to the Lord: How long, Lord, am I to cry for help when you will not listen, to cry “oppression” in your ear and you will not save?

And then the Lord answered: Eager for its own fulfillment, justice does not deceive. If it comes slowly, wait, for come it will, and without fail. 

So, God will answer, in His time and in His way, and we just have to wait. 

In the gospel, the apostles said to Jesus, “Increase our faith.” 

In their minds, faith is about size, so it can be increased. 

It can also be about speed, so that with faith, the apostles can expect God to answer their prayers quickly and even instantly. 

Jesus gave them this reply: Were your faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted, and planted in the sea,” and it will obey you. 

That is rather amazing as a mulberry tree has deep roots and grows up to 25 meters. 

The tiny mustard seed is almost nothing compared to the tall and mighty mulberry tree. 

A tiny mustard seed of faith may not move a mighty mulberry tree instantly. 

It may need many mustard seeds of faith before mulberry trees will move. 

So, it comes down to praying and waiting with faith. 

Each prayer is like a mustard seed offered to the Lord. 

And when a faith community prays together, then many mustard seeds are put into the hands of the Lord. 

And in His time and in His way, the Lord will move the mulberry trees. 

Yes, the mulberry trees of injustice, outrage and violence will be uprooted to make way for peace and justice, for faithfulness and salvation. 

So let us pray and wait with faith for the Lord. 

And the Lord will hear our tiny mustard seeds of prayer and grant us His healing love.

26th Ordinary Sunday, Year C, 28.09.2025

 Amos 6:1, 4-7 / 1 Tim 6:11-16 / Luke 16:19-31

We know that Singapore is a small country and without much natural resources. 

And more than that, Singapore does not produce much food, certainly not enough to feed the population.

And yet, there is one rather surprising phenomenon, and that is we have a thriving food culture. 

Almost everywhere and anywhere, we can find restaurants, eateries, food courts and hawker centres. 

For a country that does not produce much food, we are noted for a variety of foods from different cultures. 

We are really spoiled for choice when comes to food, and we can also be as adventurous as we like. 

So, the habit is that we go to the counter or food stall to order our choice of food, eat the meal, and then look forward to the next meal. 

But there is one important factor that we may have missed in our food culture. 

And that is the people who prepared the ingredients, cooked the food and gave us a meal as well as a good taste. 

Without these people, we won't have a thriving food culture. 

If we eat to live, then we also must be grateful to the people who are involved in cooking and producing our meals.

In the gospel, Jesus told a parable that points to the need of awareness, of the people around us.

There was this rich man who used to dress in purple and fine linen, and feast magnificently every day. 

At his gate there was a poor man called Lazarus, covered with sores, who long to fill himself with the scraps that fall from the rich man's table. 

We may wonder, why didn't the rich man see Lazarus who was lying at his gate. Is the gate that far off? 

Or maybe the rich man was just too focused and obsessed with his clothing and food, that he could not see, and also could not hear anything else. 

But later in the parable, when the rich man was tormented in Hades, he begins to see who Lazarus is, and he can even begin to think of the welfare of his five brothers. 

The parable gives us a glimpse of what the afterlife is about, of what the next world is like. 

But it also teaches us what life is about here in this world. 

Life is more than food and clothing and shelter, although these are the very basic human needs. 

God will provide for us. Jesus did tell us that God clothed the flowers in the fields with beauty and splendour, and God also feeds the birds of the air even though they don't sow and reap. 

The parable calls us to look beyond our needs of food, clothing and shelter, to the needs of the people around us, especially those who are at the so-called gates of our lives. 

We see them, they may not be in need of food or clothing or shelter. 

But they may be in need of some encouragement and affirmation. 

They may be in need of direction and motivation. 

They may need to hear a voice to give them a word of hope. 

They may need a little act of gentleness to know that God cares for them. 

I remember this one particular occasion when I went home for lunch, and my mother as usual, cooked a simple meal. 

So, there I was, at the table with my mother, and gobbling away at the food. 

Then my mother asked, “Is the food okay?”

I nodded my head, and then she said, “Oh, I thought it was not good because you didn't say anything about it.” 

At that instant, I realized that I was just too focused on eating the food, that I forgot about talking with my mother. 

So, the next time, when we go to an eatery or restaurant, or to a food court or hawker centre, let us remember this. 

Let us remember to look at the people cooking and serving us, and to thank them and even to encourage them. 

Let us put into practice what the 2nd reading is telling us: You must aim to be saintly and religious, filled with faith and love, patient and gentle. 

Life is more than just food and clothes. 

Life is also about seeing who is at the gate, and sharing with them the love and blessings of God.

25th Ordinary Sunday, Year C, 21.09.2025

 Amos 8:4-7 / 1 Tim 2:1-8 / Luke 16:1-13

To be deceived and to be cheated is certainly an unpleasant feeling, to say the least.

In deceiving and cheating, something wrong is done, and we resent and detest that wrong that is done to us. 

Also, in deceiving and cheating, something is lost. 

The loss can be in several forms. It can be a financial or a monetary loss, or a loss of property and belongings. 

Or it can be a loss of a relationship. When one party deceives or cheats the other party, the trust is broken, and the relationship is fractured and even shattered. 

And that is why we are not only wary of scammers, we are afraid of them, because they are brutal and ruthless. 

We may or may not hear their voices, or see their faces, but one thing is certain. 

They don't need to have our trust, nor would they even want to know us. 

They just want to bleed us, literally and figuratively, until we are as dry as the desert sands. 

In Singapore, the total scam losses for the first half of 2025 were approximately $450 million. 

In the gospel, Jesus told a parable about a dishonest steward who was found out by his master, and dismissed that dishonest steward.

Then that dishonest steward did an audacious thing by rewriting the accounts of his master's debtors. 

He did that so as to gain favour with his master's debtors, and also to have some security for the future. 

What is puzzling is when Jesus said this: The master praised the dishonest steward for his astuteness. 

In other words, even the master who was cheated by that dishonest steward, was impressed by that dishonest steward’s keen insight and clever manipulation. 

But Jesus did not end there. He also said this: For the children of this world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light. 

We may wonder what did Jesus mean when He said that. 

Jesus acknowledged that the children of the world are more astute, in that they are clever in reading people and quick to manipulate others to their advantage. 

But Jesus is also asking us, are we children of the world, or are we children of light? 

If we say, if we declare, that we are children of light, then we are children of God, then we follow the ways of God. 

We will not be impressed or influenced by the children of the world, to the so-called intelligent manipulating and scheming of the dishonest stewards of this world. 

Because we believe in the God of truth and justice, and the Lord says this in the 1st reading: Never will I forget a single thing you have done. 

Jesus also reminded us that the one who can be trusted in little things can be trusted in great, and the one who is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in great. 

As children of God, and as children of light, we carry the little lights of truth and love in our hearts, and we become living images of honesty and responsibility. 

In the Bible, there is a book called the Book of Numbers, and there is this story of a pagan prophet Balaam, who was enticed by the enemies of Israel with wealth, so as to put a curse on Israel.

God forbid him to lay a curse on Israel, but he defied God and rode on his donkey to discuss with the enemies of Israel, the curse that he would lay on Israel. 

On the journey, Balaam's donkey sees the angel of God with a sword in the hand blocking the path, but Balaam cannot see the angel. 

Three times the donkey saw the angel with a sword and tried to veer off the path to avoid the angel, but Balaam beats the donkey for doing so. 

Then, God opens the donkey's mouth, and it speaks to Balaam, rebuking him for his cruelty. 

Then, God opens Balaam's eyes, revealing the angel with the sword, and the angel said that it was the donkey who saved Balaam's life.

The angel then instructed Balaam to say only what God wants him to say, and that is to bless Israel. 

In this world, there are true prophets and false prophets, there are honest and dishonest stewards, there are children of the world and children of light. 

To be truthful and to be honest, the world may think that we are like donkeys who can be deceived and cheated. 

But may we be trusted with truthful and honest lives, and when we speak, may the children of the world begin to look at the light.

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross, 14.09.2025

 Numbers 21:4-9 / Philippians 2:6-11 / John 3:13-17

Two pieces of wooden sticks may not have much meaning, other than resembling like chopsticks. 

But two pieces of wooden sticks placed at right angles to each other, may mean something, especially to Christians. 

When two pieces of wooden sticks are placed at right angles to each other, it may look like a “plus” sign. 

But for Christians, it will look like the easily identifiable Christian symbol of the Cross. 

The symbol of the Cross is the most common, as well as the most profound symbol of Christianity. 

It is also a sacred symbol, and it can be found on items and objects used for worship and for prayer. 

The symbol of the Cross is sacred primarily because Jesus Christ died on it. 

By His suffering and death on the Cross, Jesus saved us from our sins and conquered sin and death. 

The Cross which was meant to be an instrument of pain and death has become a sign of salvation because of Jesus Christ. 

Today, we the Church celebrates the triumph and exaltation of the Holy Cross. 

We proclaim Jesus is our Saviour, and we also obey His command to take up our cross and follow Him as His disciples. 

But the 1st reading gives a rather puzzling account of a bronze serpent on a standard. 

Preceding that, the people had spoken against God and Moses, and so as punishment, fiery serpents appeared and their bite caused suffering and death. 

The people repented, and asked Moses to intercede for them to the Lord to save them. 

The Lord instructed Moses to make a bronze serpent and put it on a standard. 

Anyone who was bitten by a fiery serpent would just have to look at the bronze serpent on the standard and be saved. 

It is rather puzzling because the very thing that caused death has now become a means of salvation. 

That account in the 1st reading can be rather puzzling, but in it is the hidden mystery of the ways of God. 

Because in the gospel, when Jesus said that He must be lifted up just as Moses lifted up that bronze serpent, then that mystery is revealed. 

Jesus was lifted up on the Cross, and He fulfilled His mission as the Saviour, and the Cross has now become a symbol of salvation. 

A priest was sharing this story about the saving power of the Cross. 

A young man was disillusioned about his Christian faith, and so he went to a priest to say that he wanted to renounce his faith, and to have his baptism records revoked. 

The priest looked at the young man and told him that he will do as requested, on one condition. 

He asked the young man to follow him to the church, and there was a big crucifix behind the altar. 

The priest said to a young man, “Look at Jesus on the Cross and say this: You died for me and I don't care. 

The young man looked at the priest, and then looked at the Crucifix, and so he said, “You died for me and I don't care.”

The priest said to him, “Say that again with more conviction.” 

So, the young man said that again, “You died for me and I don't care.” 

The priest said, “Look straight at Jesus and say that again.” 

The young man said that again, but his voice began to quiver, and he lowered his eyes. 

The priest then said to the young man, “I would like to leave you alone for now. You can come to see me again anytime.” 

The priest who was sharing that story concluded with this: By the way, I was that young man. 

The saving power of the Cross is a deep and profound mystery. 

Because the Cross is the symbol of the love of God for us. 

God loved us so much that He gave us His only Son, so that we can be saved from our sins and have eternal life. 

So, let us take up the Cross, let us look at Jesus on the Cross.

Let us hold the Cross, for we are holding the hand of our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Let us hold the Cross, in our pain, in our suffering and in our distress, for we are holding the hand of our Healer Jesus Christ.

Let us hold the Cross, and look at Jesus on the Cross and say:

Thank you, Jesus, for saving me. Help me to love You.

23rd Ordinary Sunday, Year C, 07.09.2025

 Wisdom 9:13-18 / Philemon 9-10, 12-17 / Luke 14:25-33

Human beings are intelligent beings, and they have the highest intelligence in the order of creation. 

With this intelligence, human beings have progressed and developed in leaps and bounds. 

In the area of science, human beings have made many discoveries in the understanding of nature through physics, chemistry and biology. 

In the area of technology, the living standards have improved tremendously and laborious time-consuming work is made easy. 

Yes, human intelligence has made life and work become easier. 

Life may have become easier, but the pace of life also seems to have gone faster, and we are somehow getting busier. 

It seems that human intelligence is focused on what is pragmatic, on what is efficient and on improvement. 

Even at the level of ordinary life, we use our intelligence to think about what is practical and pragmatic, as well as on development and improvement. 

In the gospel, Jesus gave us two examples that point to the thoughts of men. 

One is the building a tower, and the other is about going into battle. 

These two examples point to the desires of the human mind. 

We want to build towers to show the height of our achievements and successes. 

We also want to overcome any competition and opposition that gets into our way. 

We think that by building and conquering, we will be happy and contented. 

So, we will use our intelligence to achieve whatever we desire. 

These are our thoughts. But what does God think about this? 

The 1st reading tells us this: What man indeed can know the intentions of God? Who can know the will of God? 

The reasonings of mortals are unsure and our intentions are unstable. 

So, our thoughts may not be the same as the thoughts of God. 

And what we desire to do may not be what God wants us to do. 

So, instead of focusing on building and conquering, let us use our intelligence to do what God wants of us. 

There is a story of a young man who was trekking across the country and he came across a piece of barren land. 

Then he noticed a man walking around that piece of barren land with a metal tube in his hand. 

After every few steps, he would stop and poke the metal tube into the ground and drop something into the metal tube. 

The young traveller was curious so he came up to the man and asked what he was doing. 

The man replied: When I was younger, I worked as a lumberjack and made my money by cutting down big and tall trees. 

Then one day after cutting down a tree, I saw some seeds lying on the ground. I picked up those seeds, and then a thought came to my mind. 

I cut down trees, but who is going to plant trees? With that thought pressing on my mind, I gave up my lumberjack job, and I now go around planting seeds. 

I may not see them grow into big trees, but I am planting for the future. 

Many years later, that traveller came back to see that once barren land. 

It is now a flourishing land of young trees and plants, and with the melodious singing of birds.

So, instead of building towers and fighting to put down others, let us do some planting and sowing and growing. 

Let us plant and sow seeds of hope, and God will make them grow into trees that will bear fruits of love.

Let us ask the Spirit to grant us wisdom, so that God will guide our thoughts and teach us how to carry out His will. 

May we use our intelligence to know what is right and good and loving, so that our lives will be holy and that we will be happy.

22nd Ordinary Sunday, Year C, 31.08.2025

 Ecclesiasticus 3:17-20, 28-29 / Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24 / Luke 14:1, 7-14

A cup is used for containing beverages so that it would be easier to drink from it. 

The beverage can be anything from plain water to tea or coffee or other kinds of drinks. 

And cups can be made of any material from paper to plastic to porcelain. 

And it can also be of any size from cute little teacups to big mugs. 

And nowadays, cups have taken on other purposes and meanings. 

There are things like the popular cup noodles, which are like tasty instant meals in a plastic disposable cup. 

And then there are cups that symbolize a status, or to be exact, a trophy. 

So, there are World Cups for various types of sports. 

Those are really big cups usually made of silver or some kind of valuable metal. 

We may wonder why they are called World Cups when nobody brings anything from it. 

In a gospel passage, Jesus told a parable about humility, because He had noticed how the guests picked the places of honour. 

The teaching in the parable is about having the humility to go to the lowest place first, so as not to be embarrassed if we were asked to change places. 

But practically speaking, whether we go to a wedding feast or to a restaurant for a meal, we let the host or the waiter show us to our seats. 

So, out of manners and etiquette, we don't choose the seats, but we choose something else. 

Later, if we go to the canteen for a drink, we would choose the cups. 

Whether we are going to drink water or coffee or tea, we will choose a nice and clean cup. 

We may have our reasons for choosing a particular cup, but this following story may help us do some reflection.

A group of successful graduates once visited their former professor.

They had built impressive careers, held prestigious titles, and lived seemingly perfect lives.

While waiting for the coffee, their conversation turned to the stresses of work, exhaustion, and the pressures of adulthood.

Some laughed.

Some complained.

Some philosophized.

The professor returned with a tray full of mismatched cups —

porcelain and glass, ceramic and plastic, elegant and chipped, minimalist and ornate.

As the guests chose their cups, the professor quietly observed. Then he spoke:

“Notice how you all instinctively reached for the finest cups — the fancy ones.

Not a single person chose the worn-out or plastic ones.

And that’s the root of much of your stress.”

“You wanted the coffee — not the cup.

But you focused on the cup’s appearance, not the essence of what you came for.”

He continued:

“Life is like coffee.

Career, salary, status, home, car — those are just cups.

They don’t define the richness of life itself.”

“Sometimes we get so distracted by the ‘cup’,

we forget to savour the coffee.”

So drink your coffee with joy.

Not by comparing.

Not by competing.

Not by glancing sideways.

Because the happiest people aren’t those who have the best of everything —

but those who know how to make the best of what they are having.

Still, the cups are important. Because we don't want to drink from a chipped cup. 

And a broken cup is of no use. It is to be discarded. 

But even a broken cup can also be a subject of reflection about life.

In the 15th century, a Japanese shogun sent a broken Chinese tea bowl back to China for repairs.

It was returned repaired with ugly metal staples, and that prompted the Japanese craftsmen to look for a more aesthetic means of repair.

The broken valuable pottery was repaired with lacquered resin mixed with powdered gold. It is called kintsugi.

Kintsugi means “to repair with gold”. But the important point in the art of kintsugi is that the broken piece is now more beautiful for having been broken.

It takes humility to acknowledge that we are chipped, and cracked, and even broken, although no one can see it and no one may know about it. 

But Jesus knows, He notices, and He is inviting us to come to Him so that He can heal us. 

But in order for Jesus to heal us, we have to give Him our broken pieces. 

Jesus won't throw us away or discard us. 

He is our Healer, and He is the Master Craftsman. 

He will heal us and even make us beautiful in our brokenness. 

We just need to be humble and let Jesus recreate us back into His image of love.

21st Ordinary Sunday, Year C, 24.08.2025

 Isaiah 66:18-21 / Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13 / Luke 13:22-30 

Life is often said to be like a race and a competition. 

It is all about being the first, being the best, and being the most. 

And there is no doubt where the spotlight will shine on. 

It shines on the first, the best and the most. 

Another way of looking at it is like that of a lighted candle. 

What attracts is the flame of the candle that gives out light. 

But what goes unnoticed is the darkness at the base of the candle. 

The same can be said of a lighthouse. In the darkness of the night, only the light at the top of the lighthouse is seen shining brightly. 

And like the candle, it is dark at the foot of the lighthouse. 

So, even the brightest light casts a shadow at its base. 

Adding on to that, when the light is brightest, the shadows are also the darkest. 

The gospel passage begins with Jesus going through the towns and villages, and He went about teaching. 

And then someone asked Him: Sir, will there be only a few saved? 

That question is like asking a teacher: How many students will score an A? 

This weekend, the Church in Singapore highlights Catholic education in Catholic schools. 

Whenever education is discussed, the general inclination is about examinations and results. Good results will mean entry into good schools, and also towards a bright career path. 

But education is more than just a means to making a living. 

Education is a means to living life with dignity and meaning. 

So, as much as results are an indication, the formation of character and integrity of life is important. 

There is a story of two professors who were discussing about their lectures. 

One professor said: They are about 200 students attending my lectures. How many students are there in your lectures? 

The other professor replied: There are also about 200 who are attending my lectures, but I don't know how many are really my students. 

This may help us to understand what Jesus said: Try your best to enter by the narrow door, because many will try to enter and not succeed. 

So, to attend the lectures does not mean that that is true knowledge and understanding. 

To hear the gospel does not mean we have listened to the voice of Jesus. 

To be in the spotlight, or to be in the limelight, does not mean that we are enlightened. 

As we reflect on Catholic education in Catholic schools, we pray for the teachers and the students. 

The mission of the teacher is to proclaim the light of truth and love in the sharing of knowledge and understanding. 

Teachers are like a lighted candle. The light may not be seen by everyone, but it will reach those who are seeking it. So, keep shining.

Because there are students who need to see the light. 

They need to know that it is dark at the base of the candle. 

They need to know that the first can become the last, and the last can become the first. 

They need to be shown the narrow door, but it is the door that leads to life and love.

May teachers and students, and parents, be blessed with wisdom, knowledge and understanding by Jesus, who is our Teacher and who is the Light of the world.