1st Reading:Is 50:5-9a
2nd Reading: Jas 2:14-18
Gospel: Mk 8:27-35
The face of Singapore has changed tremendously over the past 30 to 40 years.
When I say the face of Singapore, what I am talking about are the places and buildings we see now, as compared to how we remembered them 30 to 40 years ago.
Many old buildings have been torn down and big gleaming high-rise buildings now stand in their place.
But the good thing is that the government has gazetted some old historical buildings and sites to be preserved.
But one of the places or sites that won’t be slated for preservation is the cemetery.
In Singapore where land is scarce, resting in peace is not a certainty.
But with the reclamation of old cemeteries like Bidadari, then gone are those grand tombs, and the sentimental, and at times, enigmatic epitaphs.
Enigmatic epitaphs like this one that I once saw on a tomb at Chao Chu Kang cemetery.
It’s not exactly an epitaph, but on one side of the tomb were these words in mosaic : Life is but a dream.
Kind of enigmatic isn’t it – Life is but a dream
I wonder if those words were what the deceased wanted on the tomb, or were those words used to describe what the life of the deceased was all about.
Whatever the case may be, how are we going to describe our lives when it is all over?
Or what will others say about us when our lives are over and done?
That is why what is said about the deceased at a funeral service can be rather sensitive. It can even be embarrassing if the wrong thing was said.
Maybe let me share with you a joke to let you know what I mean.
At a funeral service, the priest was delivering the homily. So he began : Well John (the deceased) was a good husband and a good father. He was a patient and a kind man, loving and understanding towards his wife, always helping her with the housework, …
Now, the wife of the deceased, as she was hearing all this, she slowly elbowed her son who was sitting next to her.
And she whispered to him : Go over and open the lid, and see if that is your father …
So you see, we priests are always in some kind of a situation when it comes to funerals.
So it’s safer to say something in general. Or sometimes, it may be something profound, but it can be misunderstood as something profane.
I remember that occasion when my friend’s father passed away, and so he had to arrange the obituary.
His father’s favourite scripture verse was this : Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing. The words of Jesus on the cross.
And indeed his father was an understanding and forgiving man. And so it was decided that those words are to be included in the obituary.
But the layout of the obituary turned out to be like this : the father’s photo, followed by the scripture verse “Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing”
And then below that, the names of the wife, the children and the grandchildren.
Somehow, it just didn’t look right, so the scripture verse had to be removed, to prevent any awkward misunderstanding.
But seriously, what do others think about us? What are they saying about us?
It is a sensitive question, and we may not even want to know what others think, or say about us.
But yet, that is preciously what Jesus asked His disciples in today’s gospel : Who do you say I am?
It is a very direct and personal question. They can’t borrow answers from others. They have to give their own answers.
So who do we say Jesus is? Who do you say Jesus is? Who do I say Jesus is?
Well, so who do I say Jesus is? Over the years, my answer to that question has changed from the conventional and conservative titles like Lord or Saviour, to a very personal and down to earth answer – Jesus is my best friend.
Well, I have good friends, but not a best friend.
Until I discovered that Jesus is indeed my best friend who is always with me, who is always there for me.
And that gives me a lot of consolation and comfort.
You see, as a priest, most of the time, I am alone. So when I am thinking about something, or if something is bothering me, of when I am anxious about something, I don’t usually have someone to talk with, or to share with.
So in the past, I had this habit of talking to myself.
I think most of us do that right? We talk to ourselves.
I think that’s pretty ok, as long as we don’t talk to ourselves in public.
But I have come to realize that talking to myself did not bring me anywhere better, nor did it give me any comfort.
In fact whenever I think, and talk to myself about something disturbing, or frustrating, or annoying, I was like digging deeper into the dark hole of resentment and even anger.
But over the years, I have come to realize, and experienced, that when I start talking with Jesus, it is just so comforting and consoling. There is this healing effect.
So if you happen to see me talking to myself, please don’t be alarmed, please don’t worry or think that some wire up there is disconnected.
I am just talking with Jesus, my best friend.
And it’s also good for mental health and spiritual health, to be talking with Jesus, instead of talking to yourself.
Even 1 Pet 5:7 would urge us to “unload all our worries on to Him, since He is looking after you”.
So, how else to unload our worries but by talking with Jesus.
If we talk to ourselves, we only stress ourselves. But when we talk with the Lord, then He will come to our help.
Yes, the Lord comes to our help to unload all our worries because He is taking care of us.
So that’s why I say that Jesus is my best friend. He is always there whenever I want to talk with Him.
Jesus is not only my best friend. He wants to be your best friend too.
We may have a lot of good friends, or we may even have a best friend.
But they can’t be with us all the time, especially when the crosses of life come our way.
Then we will find ourselves having to face the pains, the difficulties and uncertainties of life alone.
St Peter had to face his cross alone when he was asked if he knew Jesus. He denied knowing Jesus. He alone had to take the consequences of his denial.
Yes, there will come a time when we alone have to face the cross of life, and all our friends can’t be there with us.
I remembered visiting someone in hospital before he had to undergo a major surgery.
He told me that he was afraid of being alone because no one will be with him as he goes for his operation.
I gave him the Anointing of the Sick and Holy Communion, and I told him that Jesus is now with him, and he is not alone, and he need not be afraid.
Then I noticed he relaxed and calmed down, and I told him to call on Jesus to be with him when he is being wheeled in for the operation.
Thanks be to God, the operation was successful and after he was discharged, he told me that as he prayed when he was being wheeled into the operating theatre, he felt a warm sensation over his heart, and he knew that Jesus was with him in his loneliest and fearsome moment.
Even for Jesus, we might think that He was alone in the Garden of Gethsemane. Even His disciples were asleep.
But He was not alone. He was talking with God His Father, and He was strengthened to face His cross.
Jesus in turn, now wants to enter into our hearts whenever we face loneliness and distress.
So, whoever you might say that Jesus is, just know that He is there for you, whenever you want to talk with Him.
Because Jesus is the Christ ; He is also our Lord, our Saviour, our Good Shepherd, our Healer, and also our Best Friend.