32nd Ordinary Sunday, Year A, 06.11.2011

Wis 6:12-16/Th 4:13-18/ Mt 25:1-13

The Bible has often been called the greatest story book, and certainly there are good reasons for saying that.

As a matter of fact, almost every other page of the Bible has a story.

There are also many moving and dramatic stories, like the parting of the Red Sea in the book of Exodus, the strength of Samson in the book of Judges and the healing accounts of Jesus in the gospels.

One of the dramatic stories is from the book of the prophet Daniel in the Old Testament.

King Belshazzar, the Babylonian king, was giving a banquet for over a thousand people, when he ordered for the sacred vessels which were looted from the Temple in Jerusalem to be brought out and used for serving food and wine.

In the midst of feasting and drinking, idolatry and immorality, a hand appeared on the wall beside the king’s throne.

The king turned pale as he saw the hand wrote these – Mene, Tekel, Parsin.

Nobody could understand the meaning of these three words until Daniel was brought in to translate them.

Daniel revealed the meaning of those three words : mene – measured; tekel – weighed; parsin – divided

Daniel explained the meaning. God had measured the sovereignty of king Belshazzar and will put it to an end; he had been weighed in a balance and found wanting; his kingdom will be divided.

It is a dramatic story and that’s where the saying came about : the writing is on the wall.

As we gather for the Eucharist, is the Lord God telling us something? Is there any writing on the wall?

Well, the gospel parable is disturbing enough, especially with that last line : I tell you solemnly, I do not know you.

As we come to the last couple of Sundays in Ordinary Time, there is this recurring theme of being alert and ready for the arrival of the coming hour, and all will be judged by their readiness for that hour.

There is no leniency for the foolish because to be foolish is to be unprepared for the hour – the hour where everyone, like king Belshazzar will be measured, weighed and divided.

So like the wise and sensible bridesmaids who were prepared with extra flasks of oil for their lamps, how are we to be prepared for that hour when Jesus comes knocking on our doors.

Surely we don’t want to be freeze in fear like king Belshazzar who was measured, weighed and divided.

Certainly we need some wisdom to be in that state of alertness and readiness for the arrival of the Lord.

Yet Jesus wants us to be prepared moment by moment for that last and final moment.

There is this story of a powerful and mighty king who called his advisors and wise men to come up with a wise saying which works in every situation, every circumstance, in every place and every time, in joy, in sorrow, in defeat and in victory.

The wise men thought and thought about it and finally came up with the wise saying.
It was written on a piece of paper and slipped into a wristband that the king was to wear, and the condition was that the king was not to take it out and look at it out of curiosity.

Only in extreme danger, when the king finds himself alone and there seems to be no way out, only then can he take out that paper and read the contents.

So the king complied and wore the wristband with that piece of paper in it.

Some time later, enemies attacked the kingdom and the mighty and powerful king was defeated.

The king fled on his horse with the enemies chasing after him.

Then his horse was struck down, and he ran until he came to the edge of a cliff.

Down below was a deep rocky valley and jumping down was certainly a dead end.

The sound of the enemies’ horses were approaching and the king was desperate. There was no way out.

Then suddenly he saw his wristband, and remembered that there was a wise saying in the piece of paper.

He took out the paper and read the contents. The message was just four words – THIS TOO SHALL PASS.

The king read it, read it again, and then it struck him. Yes, this too shall pass.

He thought about how mighty and powerful a king he was, until he was defeated, and now there is nothing left, all gone.

And now he was to going to lose his life as well. So like everything that had come and gone, this too shall pass.

A calmness came upon him and he stood there waiting for his life to pass.

He even began to admire the beauty of the place and the freshness of the air.

He was so calm and relaxed that he forgot about the enemies who were chasing him.

After a while, he realized that the sound of the enemies horses were fading away.

The king quickly went back and reorganized his army and began to drive out the enemy, and defeated them and regained his kingdom.

As he rode back to his city, there was much fanfare and praise of him, and his people celebrated and exalted him.

The king thought to himself : Indeed I am the greatest and mightiest king. And pride was welling up in him.

Then he saw his wristband, and he slowly took out that piece of paper with that wisdom saying : THIS TOO SHALL PASS.

He became silent and pensive. From being full of pride, he became humble. Yes, he thought, this victory, this exaltation, this too shall pass.

Yes, this too shall pass. The writing is on the wall. God has spoken, and we must listen, we better listen.

Jesus has already warned us – stay awake, be alert, for you do not know either the day or the hour.

Yes, in joy and in sorrow, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, that too shall pass.

Yes, that too shall pass, this too shall pass, yet that is not all.

This too shall pass, but what will last?

The last thing will be the final thing; the last thing will be the eternal thing, and that shall not pass.

The writing is on the wall – be alert, and be prepared.

Hence it is good to be very familiar with the Hail Mary prayer, especially that part that says “pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death”.

Yes, the hour of our death is the final thing, it is the last thing.

And we need to prepare it moment by moment, so that we would not be found measured, weighed and divided.

World Mission Sunday 23.10.2011

Ex 22:20-26/ 1 Th 1:5c-10/ Mt 22:34-40


This Sunday is called World Mission Sunday, and the readings of this Sunday are also changed from the flow of the readings of the Ordinary Sundays.

It is a Sunday of the year in which we the Church reflects about who we are and what we should be doing as Church, in other words, our mission as Church.

In the gospel, Jesus states what our mission is about.

He said : Go out to the whole world, and proclaim the Good News.

Yes, proclaim the Good News. So what is this Good News?

Well, before going into that, it might be helpful to know that there is this strange connection between good news and bad news.

So what is this connection? A typical example would be this.

The news caster would always begin by greeting us “Good evening” and then proceed to tell us why the evening is not going to be good.

In other words, its “Good evening” and here is the bad news. It is a strange connection between two opposites.

Yes, it might be a strange connection between two opposites, but nonetheless a common connection.

Quite often, by the way we speak, we can already notice this connection.

For example, we may seem to agree initially, and then we proceed to disagree.

And we do that by using just two words – Yes, but …

So we would say things like : Yes, the food is good, BUT, the service is bad, it is too expensive, the waitress is not pretty, and whatever it might be.

So it’s like “Good evening” BUT here is the bad news.
It’s like something sweet on the outside, but bitter on the inside.

Yet, World Mission Sunday reminds us of the duty to spread the gospel, the Good News.

Simply because if the Good News is not proclaimed, then the bad news will start to multiply.

Yes, we have heard it so often that actions speak louder than words.

Yet actions without words is like watching a movie without the sound.

Words put meaning into actions, and words put action into motion.

So we the Church are like the news casters to the world.

And are we going to say to others : Good evening, and here is the bad news.

And out of our mouths come forth bad words, foul talk, lies and slander.

The letter of James (1:26) reminds us that if a man thinks he is religious and serves God, but has not learnt to control his tongue, then he is deceiving himself, and his religion is worthless.

The tongue that is used to bless cannot be used also to curse.

Hence the letter to the Ephesians (4:29) tells us not to use harmful and hurtful words, but only helpful words, the kind that builds up and provide what is needed, so that what you say will do good to those who hear it.

The Pope’s message for World Mission Sunday reminds us that today is not just an isolated moment or just a day in the course of the year.

Rather it is a precious occasion to pause and reflect on how we respond to the missionary vocation.

And it is a critical response to the massive bad news that is all around us.

Bad news like wars, or killings, or murders, and also shocking pictures of the blood stained face of the dead former Libyan dictator splashed on the front page of the newspaper.

Our common response would be : Oh my God! (OMG)

Oh my God … then what?

It is like calling on God, and God is alerted, and then He hears nothing else from us.

So when we say “Oh my God”, then we must also finish the sentence, and offer it as a prayer.

So whenever we say “Oh my God”, then finish the sentence, and make sure it’s a prayer.

Don’t say things like “Oh my God, how can he be so stupid?” or worse still, “Oh my God, I’m going to teach him a lesson he won’t forget.

If that is what we are going to say, then our tongues either have a split personality, or that we have split tongues.
But we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, so that we may praise Him (1 Pet 2:9)

Yes, we are called to be God’s news casters who will say : Good evening, and here is the good news.

Yes, we must be Good News to the world, and we must also teach our children to be Good News too.

One of the activities on World Mission Sunday is to pray for the poor children of the world, and to help them financially.

Next week, the children in the catechism classes will be donating their savings from the sacrifices they are going to make this coming week, to help the poor children of the Holy Childhood Association.

But besides financial help, let us also lead our children to pray for those poor children.

One of the ways is to pray daily, one Hail Mary, and adding on the intention “pray for us and for the poor children”.

Just only one Hail Mary daily with our children and with that intention.

But the power of prayer and sacrifice will surely make people hammer their swords into ploughshares and their spear into pruning hooks.

And nation will not lift sword against nation.

That is the good news that the world wants to hear.

That is the good news that we the Church must proclaim.

27th Ordinary Sunday, Year A, 02.10.2011

Is 5:1-7/ Phil 4:6-9/ Mt 21:33-43


One of the things that we would remember from our school days would be nursery rhymes.

Whether the nursery rhymes were set in poem or in song, they would be easy to remember because they are short and they are simple.

Some nursery rhymes are used as a teaching tool. For example, the nursery rhyme “ABCDEFG” is used to teach the letters of the alphabet.

Some would just talk about the things we see around us. For example, “Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are”

Then there is this nursery rhyme “Baa Baa black sheep, have you any wool”

Is there a meaning behind that nursery rhyme?
Well, a number of nursery rhymes reflect events in history.

The words of the nursery rhymes were used to make fun of the royal and political events of that time.

So for example, “Baa baa black sheep” was a nursery rhyme about the wool industry in England, and it was actually a political satire back in 1275 about the king and the export tax in which the king collected a tax on all exports of wool.

Another familiar nursery rhyme is Jack and Jill. (we might think it’s about potato chips)

But Jack and Jill referred to the French king Louis 16th and his wife Queen Marie Antoinette, who were beheaded during the Reign of Terror in 1793.

So the nursery rhyme “Jack and Jill” actually has a gruesome historical background.

Another familiar nursery rhyme is “Humpty Dumpty”. Have we ever wondered what the words meant?

Well, “Humpty Dumpty”  was not a big egg as we might have thought, maybe because we saw some pictures of it.

Humpty Dumpty was actually a nickname for a large cannon that was used during the English Civil War in the 17th century.
Maybe you can find out more about it yourself.

So nursery rhymes may not be as simple as it seems.
There is an origin and a historical background and a meaning.

Similarly with a parable. A parable has been cleverly described as an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.

The parable of the vineyard that Jesus told in today’s gospel was taken from the book of the prophet Isaiah.

It was a song about the vineyard. Or it may have been a poem of even a nursery rhyme.

It was something familiar to the people and that was why Jesus used it.

But Jesus added on to it. The original song of the vineyard had it that the vineyard produced sour grapes, despite all the tender care it was given.

In the parable of Jesus, it was not the grapes that were sour, but the tenants.

Yes, sour, wicked, despicable, murderous tenants, who will do anything to get something that does not belong to them.
What we hear often are good tenants and wicked landlords. What we heard in the gospel is a parable of wicked tenants and a good landlord.

The meaning is clear and sharp. God’s people has rejected His care and betrayed His love.

It even hurt God so deeply that He had to say : What more could I have done for my people that I did not do.

What did God get in return for His love and care? He looked for peace but there was war; for true worship but there was idolatry; for justice but there was corruption and exploitation; for goodness but there was evil; for humility but there was pride; for holiness but there was sinfulness.

But in the end, the parable was about love and justice.
Yes, God is loving and patient, and what He can untie, He won’t cut away.

But the day will come when the tenants will have to be held accountable for their actions.

Today we are gathered as God’s chosen people, the Church. We are also God’s vineyard.

The parable is asking us, who are God’s chosen people : What fruits are we producing?

Yes, we are the Church, but are we a House of prayer?

What are we teaching our children about prayer? Or are we teaching our children anything about prayer at all?

This coming Friday we celebrate Children’s Day. In the spiritual aspect, what are we doing for our children?

If we don’t teach them to pray when they are young, then when are we going to teach them to pray?

The month of October, being the Month of the Rosary, will be a good time to inculcate in our children the traditional prayer of the Rosary.

Yet at the same time, there are also many simple prayers that take the form of nursery rhymes.

Today, the 2nd of October, if it is not a Sunday, the Church would celebrate the feast of the Guardian Angels.

I am sure we know the simple nursery rhyme prayer to our guardian angel – Angel of God my guardian dear, to whom His love entrusts me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.

It’s a simple prayer, but it contains a deep truth. Each of us has a guardian angel who will protect us from evil and guide us in the way of truth.

Well, let us teach that prayer to our children. Pray with them the Guardian Angel prayer before they go off to school.

Or how about the Bedtime prayer – As I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep, that if I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.

A simple prayer but with a deep truth. One day all this will come to a close, and we will stand before the Lord and give an account of our lives.

And before that happens, let us pray to our guardian angels to help us guide our children and teach them to pray and bear a good harvest for the Lord.
Let us remember that we will be held accountable to our children, and also held accountable to the Lord.

25th Ordinary Sunday, Year A, 18.09.2011

Is 55:6-9/ Phil 1:20c-24, 27a/ Mt 20:1-16a
There is one song which I think we are familiar with, or at least we have heard it before.

We may have even sung it at the karaoke sessions, or in the private studio of our bathrooms.

Even though we may not be familiar with all the lyrics of that song, yet we know that line that is repeated in almost every verse.

And that line is this: I did it my way.

Yes, it’s a song made popular by the late Frank Sinatra in 1969.

The last verse of that song sums up what it is essentially all about, and it goes like this:

For what is a man, what has he got?
If not himself, then he has naught
To say the things he truly feels
And not the words of one who kneels
The records shows, I took the blows –
And did it my way

So to have it my way means to say the things I truly feel, and not the one who kneels.

So as much as we try to be diplomatic and careful with our words in order not to put our foot into our mouth, there are times when we say what we truly feel when things don’t go our way.

Especially when we want to grumble and complain about certain things in life.

From our earliest days, we ask why our brother or sister seemed to get the bigger piece of cake, or the better toy, or a better treatment from our parents.
As we grow older, we may ask why others get the ipod, the iphone, the ipad, and we get the “iron”, meaning to say, others seem to get the perks, while we get the pits.

And so we say what we feel, we complain and grumble, we say that life is not fair, because we didn’t get it our way.

So say what we may, but we would have to admit that it is easier to relate with the grumbling first-comers in today’s gospel parable than with the late-comers.

Who among us have not felt cheated or unfairly treated?

Yes, we feel that life is unfair and we grumble and complain.

We seem to do more, but we don’t seem to get more; in fact, what’s worse, we seem to get less!

There is this story about a priest who always addresses complains and grumbles with this phrase – Thank God, it could be worse.

So when his parishioners complain to him that the aircon is too cold, he would say : Thank God, it could be worse. Or when it’s too warm, he would also say : Thank God, it could be worse.

Or when the toilets are not clean, or when the place is dirty, he would always say : Thank God, it could be worse.

So a man got tired of hearing the priest say this same thing always, so one day he went to see the priest.

And he said : Father, last night I had a bad dream. I dream that I was falling and falling in pitch darkness and I finally landed in hell, and the fire began burning me and the worms were eating me up, and I was screaming in pain. What have you to say about this?

The priest, as usual, said : Thank God, it could be worse.

The man retorted : Just how could it be worse?

The priest replied : Thank God it’s only a dream. But it could be worse, in that, it could be real!

Well, the grumblings we heard in today’s gospel parable, admittedly, is a reality in our lives.

We seem to think that we do more, but we seem to get less, we seem to be worse off, so we grumble and we complain.

Yet, in today’s gospel parable, there is a revelation about the nature of God.

In the words of Jesus, God is telling us this : Have I no right to do what I like with my own? Why be envious because I am generous?

In other words, what God is saying is this : I do it my way!

The 1st reading pushes the point further by saying : God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, God’s ways are not our ways.

And just as the heavens are as high above the earth, God’s ways are above our ways, God’s thoughts are above our thoughts.

So as we try to understand God’s ways and God’s thoughts in comparison with our own, we still need to resolve our envy, our complains, our grumblings.

We may say that life is not fair, but could it be worse?

In the last line of the gospel, Jesus mentioned something about the last will be first, and the first, last.

There seems to be some sort of reversal of roles.
And this is one of the realities of life, in that we find ourselves on the other side of the fence.

So what we criticize, we will eventually become.

So if we criticize our boss, we might eventually find ourselves in a managerial position and in turn get criticized by our subordinates.

When we put ourselves in the position of the grumbling first-comers in the gospel parable, then there will come a time when we eventually find ourselves in the position of the late-comers.

We can imagine how those late-comers feel at the 11th hour.

They would feel dejected, rejected, useless, hopeless, desperate.

When we are in their position, or when we had been in their position, then we know we can’t have it our way.

We can only utter the words of one who kneels.

Because our only hope is in God’s mercy, which is the way of mercy and compassion, the way of love and forgiveness.

We can only utter words of thanks as we kneel before the Lord.

When we have a heart of gratitude, and give thanks to God, then God assures us that all things will work for the good of those who trust in God’s ways.

When we trust in God’s ways, there won’t be grumbles, there will only be gratitude.

And we will want to live our lives, not our way, but in God’s way.

In this Eucharist, let us give thanks to God, and let us always give thanks, and may that be our way of life.

22nd Ordinary Sunday, Year A, 28.08.2011

Jer 20:7-9/ Rom 12:1-2/ Mt 16:21-27

When it comes to choosing a Christian name, we certainly have quite a choice from the Bible.

From the New Testament as well as from the Old Testament, we have all those traditional Christian names like Joseph, Mary, James, Joanna as well as David and Rachel, Moses, Sarah.

But as much as there are many names in the Bible, it is not often that the meanings of the names are given there.

But of course with the Internet, to find the meaning of a name is not that laborious.

One common traditional Christian name is Peter and we know the meaning of that name.

In last week’s gospel, Jesus said to Simon: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my church.

So the name Peter means “Rock” and it implies stability, steadfastness and reliability.

Although Peter’s name means “Rock”, yet his understanding of Jesus is like rock and roll.

For eg, when Peter asked Jesus if he could only forgive someone who wrongs him not more than seven times, he thought he gave Jesus the maximum count.

Yet Jesus gave him something to count about when He told him: Not seven but seventy times seven times.

And we will surely remember that story about the disciples in the boat during the storm and they saw Jesus walking on water.

It was Peter who said: Lord, if it is you, tell me to come to you across the water.

When Jesus told him to come, Peter stepped out of the boat but he got frightened by the wind and waters and started to sink, like a rock.

At times, we just can’t help shaking our heads and wondered why he ventured where the rest dare not tread and only to become a rock of embarrassment.

But to be a rock of embarrassment is not as bad as being a stumbling block.

Last week, Jesus called Peter a “rock”. Today, we heard how Peter was a stumbling block.

When Jesus began to make it clear to His disciples that He was destined to suffer grievously and be put to death, Peter started to remonstrate with Him.

Remonstrate here means to protest, to object, to disapprove.

Yes, Peter didn’t want that to happen to Jesus because if it was going to happen to Jesus, then it was as good as saying it was to happen to him as well.

Peter wouldn’t want that. Nobody would want that either.

And Jesus had strong words for Peter, words like Satan, get behind me, you are an obstacle in my path, your ways are not God’s ways but man’s ways.

Peter was to be the rock on which Jesus would build his church but almost immediately, he became a stumbling block.

Yes, Peter was to be the rock but when he had to face the truth of life, he stumbled.

So what is this truth of life? Well, the truth of life is this – life is a cross.

The trouble is that we, like Peter, don’t want to accept it. We don’t want to accept that life is a cross.
We say to ourselves:  Heaven preserve me. This must not happen to me.

We have this notion that all difficulties and discomfort should be diminished asap, that life should be pleasant and easy and we should be able to get what we want without cost or sacrifice.

That’s our way. But that’s not God’s way. That’s also not the way of Jesus.

The way of Jesus is the way of the cross.

The cross is not just a part of Christianity. The cross is the heart of Christianity.

And great crosses make great hearts.

In the 1st reading, we heard how Jeremiah felt the pain of being God’s prophet.

He was a daily laughing stock and everyone’s joke. He had to bear insult and derision all day long.

He thought of giving up but the fire burned in his heart and in his bones.

He just had to continue his prophetic mission. That was his cross.

Or how about someone from the 16th century by the name of St Thomas More.

He was Lord Chancellor and an important councilor to King Henry VIII.

But when he had to declare his loyalty to King Henry VIII as Sovereign Head of the Church of England, he refused and was imprisoned.

His friends and family members pleaded with him to save his own life but he knew he had to embrace his cross.

At his trial, he said: It profits a man nothing to gain the whole world and lose his immortal soul.

For that he was beheaded. But for that he was blessed.

The prophet Jeremiah and St Thomas More showed us that with the cross, God will give us hearts of rock by which we will stand firm.

Yet the crosses in life are like the rocks of difficulties that come our way, and they will come our way.

A Sunday school teacher was thinking about how to teach her class about accepting the cross.

So one Sunday, she came in with a transparent container and some rocks, a box of pebbles and a box of sand.

Then she filled the container with rocks and asked the class if it was full. They nodded their heads.

Then she picked up the box of pebbles and poured it into the container and shook it a little until the pebbles filled the spaces between the rocks.

Again she asked if the container was filled and the class nodded.

Next, she picked up the box of sand and poured in into the container and of course the sand filled the remaining spaces.

Again, she asked the class if the container was finally full and the class nodded.

Then she explained what she did. The rocks are like the crosses in life, bulky and heavy, but they are the most important and should go into our lives first.

The rocks are things like our faith when it is being shaken, our family when they take us for granted, our loved ones when they disappoint us, the sacrifices that we make which go unnoticed, the forgiveness that we grant to someone even when they are not sorry for the wrong they have done to us, the patience and kindness we show to others who are a pain to us.

The pebbles are the other things in life, like our jobs, our studies, our hobbies, our interests.

The sand is everything else, all the small stuff.

But if we fill the container first with the sand, then we won’t be able to get in the rocks or anything else. That will be like building our lives on sand.

Yet, the rocks are like the crosses of life. They are heavy and bulky and difficult to carry.

But when we put them first in our lives, then we are building our lives on rock.

In the end, it is these rocks that we will carry with us in exchange for eternal life.

May we stand firm as a rock in carrying the cross, so that the way we walk will be God's way and not our way.

19th Ordinary Sunday, Year A, 07.08.2011

1 Kings 19:9, 11-13/ Romans 9:1-5/ Matthew 6:41-51


Last week, I made a discovery, although it was not that fantastic a discovery.

And that discovery came about through an advertisement – it was an advertisement for mooncakes.

When I saw the advertisement on the papers, I thought to myself – Oh it’s time for mooncakes and those little piglets.

But then I remembered that before the mooncakes come in, there is something else happening before that.

Do you know what that is? Yes, it is the Chinese seventh month. Do you know when it started? Yes, last Sunday!

And along with the Chinese 7th month are the bright and loud “ge-tai”s and also the auctions. You can hear them more than a mile away.

And also there are those spooky stories, because it is the popular belief that the gates of the underworld are opened and the spirits roam the earth.

So the Chinese 7th month is also called the Hungry Ghosts Month, for whatever reason.

But it is actually a time to offer prayers for the deceased and to make other offerings for the deceased.

Also during this time, we seem to hear a bit more of those kind of spooky stories – people see white shadows or black shadows.

But let me tell you this – if you see someone, and that someone has got no shadow, then you better quickly walk away.

Better to see white shadow or black shadow than to see someone with no shadow!

Well, these so-called ghost stories always give us the creeps, and undeniably we get affected especially when we come across dark and lonely places.

Yes, those dark, lonely and deserted places are famous for those kinds of spooky appearances.

But have we ever heard of a ghost walking on water during a storm at sea?

Somehow, those conditions don’t seem right for any kind of ghostly appearances.

In the gospel, we heard that the disciples were in the boat and trying to keep afloat during the storm.

Then when Jesus came to them walking on the water, their first reaction was that they thought it was a ghost and they cried out in fear.

Why would they think it was a ghost? What made them think it was a ghost?

Well, essentially it is just one word, a 4-letter word, and it begins with “F”, but it’s not that word we might be thinking of.

The word is fear. Yes, that primal enemy of man that cripples us as human beings and as disciples of Jesus.

Fear caused chaos in the disciples as they faced the uncontrollable powers of the sea and immediately they were terrified.

In the storm, the wind, the waves, and the figure walking on the water, fear gripped them and made them think of ghosts.

In the gospel, the word “ghost” is used to mean “an apparition” (phantasma), a seeing of something unknown, something that we do not have control over.

And there are many things in life we do not have control over.
Like for e.g., we can’t control what others want to say to us, especially those sarcastic and disparaging remarks.

There was a pious woman who always took her Bible and Rosary along with her wherever she went so that she could pray.
One time, she was in a ferry when a storm began to blow up.
She took out her Bible and Rosary and began to pray.
A man who was sitting next to her looked at her and after awhile he turned to her and asked, "You don't really believe all that stuff in the Bible, do you?"
The woman replied, "Of course I do. It is the Bible."
He said, "Well, what about the guy that was swallowed by that whale?"
She replied, "Oh, Jonah. Yes, I believe that, it is in the Bible."
He asked, "Well, how do you suppose he survived all that time inside the whale?"
The woman said, "Well, I don't really know. I guess when I get to heaven, I will ask him."
"What if he isn't in heaven? What if he’s in hell?" the man asked sarcastically.
"Then you can go there and ask him," replied the woman.

The reality of life is that there are many things that we do not have control over.

And because of that, our hearts are troubled with fears, and we create the ghosts of our lives.

One ghost that will haunt us and even break us is the ghost of shame and humiliation.

A church organist was sharing with me about his experience of the first time he played for Mass, and it was just a weekday evening Mass.

To prepare for that Mass, he took the day off and practised at the organ in the morning and the afternoon.

He felt confident enough, so he decided to go for a tea-break before Mass.
He came back just in time for Mass, and when the Mass started, he began to play the opening hymn.

To his horror, the notes sounded different, sounded out of tune, and it just didn’t sound right.

The priest looked at him, the parishioners looked at him, a storm was brewing in him, he messed up his fingering, in a word it was a disaster.

And he couldn’t go on after that and he got up and left. He wished he could just disappear, evaporate or be invisible.

Well, it seemed that someone came to practice on the same organ when he took a break and adjusted a few knobs and he didn’t realize it.

It haunted him so much that he didn’t touch the organ or the next two months or so.

But as it usually happens, our greatest fears will come true, he happened to bump into the priest who celebrated that evening Mass that was his disaster.

The priest urged him to try again and give himself another chance, otherwise it was such a waste of talent.

So after some persuasion, he gave it another try and this time he was at the organ an hour before Mass, no tea-break, and just to make sure that everything was right and nobody touched the knobs.

Well, for that organist, his nightmare turned into sweet melodies for the Lord, a classical case of failure being turned into success.

He sank into shame and humiliation, but Jesus pulled him up.

Just as Peter sank, when he felt the force of the wind and took fright, but Jesus pulled him up and saved him.

Our own experiences of failure, shame and humiliation will drag us down and make us sink.

But like Peter, we just have to call out : Lord! Save me!

And Jesus will hold us by the hand as He says : Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.

For all that lies behind us and for whatever that lies ahead of us, let us be assured that Jesus is always with us.

For all our fears and failures, let us also have the faith that Jesus is with us to face it.

Not that there will be no more storms or that we won’t sink and go down into the murky darkness and even think of ghosts.

But Jesus will always be there to hold our hand and say to us: Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.

17th Ordinary Sunday, Year A, 24.07.2011

1Kings 3:5, 7-12/ Romans 8:28-30/ Matthew 13:44-52

Last week, from Monday to Friday, the priests of the diocese had their annual retreat.

Thanks for your prayers, we priests had a good and spirit-filled retreat, and we prayed for you too.

We had enough to eat, enough of sleep; and most importantly we had time for prayer.

Yes, we had so many intentions to pray for, and so many other things to reflect and think about.

But it was a nice and comfortable five days of retreat.

So much so that we wished that we could have another five more days of retreat.

Seemed like the days passed by so quickly when we are having a good time.

Yet deep in our hearts, we priests know that we must go back to our parishes.

One point of reflection for us towards the end of the retreat was, what kind of parish are we going back to?

Is it our dream parish? Are we looking forward to going back to our parish?

Or are we secretly wishing that we could go to another parish?

So I am going to ask you a sensitive question but it’s a rhetoric question, i.e. no answer is required.

So what do you think? Do you think that Fr. JJ, Fr. Stanley and myself wish to be back in this parish? Or are we dreaming of going to another parish?

Just a rhetoric question, and maybe I share with you this story for reflection.

When a wheat farmer heard that gold was discovered in another state, he became discontented with the golden grain he harvested year after year.

He thought of leaving his farm and even his family in search of the golden fortune.

When his wife came to know what he was thinking, she was frantic.

They had five young children to feed and she knew that her farmer husband could never be successful in discovering gold.

So, very reluctantly, the farmer stayed home but he kept dreaming about the gold.

Then one night he had a dream. He saw himself in a room filled with gold.

After gleefully running the gold nuggets through his hands, he felt hungry.

When he looked for something to eat, he found only gold.

He called for his wife, hoping to be comforted by the warmth of her love, but there was only the coldness of the gold.

He longed to look into the sparkling eyes of his children, but the only sparkle he saw was that of his lifeless gold.

Then he woke up with a start, and he realized what his true riches were.

Yes, the farmer realized that his true riches were right where he was, right under his nose literally, and he already possessed it. There was no need at all to even search for it.

Just a simple story, but it illustrates a very profound truth.

What we long for, what we dream of, what we yearn for, we already have it, and it’s right where we are. It only takes some wisdom to realize it.

Well, back to the rhetoric question – Do you think that Fr. JJ, Fr. Stanley and myself like it here in this parish?

Or do you think we are dreaming of being in another parish?

Well, if anything, the priests retreat made us count our blessings and to be grateful.

And indeed, to be in this parish is a blessing.

For myself, to be with Fr. JJ and Fr. Stanley is indeed a blessing.

Well, in Fr. JJ there is wisdom and experience, and in Fr. Stanley there is calmness and steadiness.

So you see, like that, I can relax, I can even rest and relax.

Yet we need to pray for that wisdom to see the truth of life that the 2nd reading is telling us.

And that is: God will turn all things good for those who love Him.

So be it in this parish, or at home, or at the work place, we must believe that God has placed us there and He wants us to be there.

Because His plans for us are always for our good and nothing less.

Because when we love God, everything becomes the best case scenario, and never the worst case scenario.

So in our homes, we may have our misgivings about our family members.

We may be disappointed and even resentful with our parents, our spouse and our children.

But do we love God enough to believe that this is where God wants us to be, yes, with our parents, our spouse, our children.

Yes, when we love God, He will turn all things for the good of those we are living with, those whom we call family.

Or at the workplace, there may be all that wheeling and dealing, those who cut corners at our expense, the devious scheming and disparaging remarks that makes us so sick with the workplace.

But when we love God, He will turn all things for the good of those whom we are working with, as well as for ourselves.

Yes, when we love God, it will always be the best case scenario, never the worst case scenario.

Anyway, we celebrated our feast day about three weeks ago right?

Now, let me ask you this : Do you remember the theme for our feast day celebration? (Home is where the heart is)

For Fr. JJ, Fr. Stanley and myself, this is our home and this is where our hearts will be.

But in the first place, this is your home, and with your heart you have welcomed us and shared your home with us.

Well, this is not a perfect parish, nor is this a dream parish.

But wait, a perfect and a dream parish doesn’t exist at all.

But there is a treasure that is buried deep in this parish.

This parish is dedicated to the heart of Mary.

And if home is where the heart is, then this is Mary’s home, and we are her treasures.

And in Mary’s home, let us learn this from her.

Let us learn how to love one another.
Let us learn to forgive one another.
Let us learn to bear with the failings of one another and to help those in need.

Let us consecrate ourselves to Mary so that we can love God as much as she loves God.

Let us make this parish a house of God’s blessings, and where our hearts are really at home.

Trinity Sunday 19.06.2011

Ex 34:4b-6, 8-9/ 2 Cor 13:11-13/ Jn 3:16-18

Today we celebrate Trinity Sunday. Sounds like a heavy and serious kind of feast.

But not knowing how to start the homily seriously, I can only think of starting with a joke.

But I was warned not to use this joke unless the congregation is matured enough, and also they may not laugh.

But I will take the risk and see how. So here it goes.

Jesus asked his disciples – Who do people say I am?

His disciples answered – Some say you are John the Baptist, some say you are Elijah, and others say you are one of the prophets.

And Jesus said – But you, who do you say I am?

Simon Peter answered – Oh, you are the Word made flesh, you are fully human and fully divine, you are the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten not made and one in being with the Father.

And Jesus looked at Simon Peter with those eyes and said – Huh???

Well, if someone were to ask us – What is the Holy Trinity? How would we reply?

We will probably have recourse to some textbook answer like – The Holy Trinity is 3 persons, one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

After that we might not know what else to talk about, and we might also not be too sure what we are talking about.

Or we might just start reciting the Creed, an easy way out, but people will still not know what we are talking about.

Well, today’s feast is not about words, or description or definition.

The Holy Trinity is essentially a mystery. But that mystery is revealed – we know that God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

But that mystery is revealed and yet it is also revealing. In other words, we know something about God, but yet not everything.

Today’s gospel gives us another revelation of the mystery of God. It’s a profound revelation and it is this :

God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.

Now, do we know what that means essentially?

But before we start to give serious answers, let me share with you another joke.

After being married for 25 years and intending to make their silver anniversary a memorable one, the wife asked her husband to describe her.

He looked at her slowly, and said – You’re A,B, C,D, E,F,G,H, … and I,J,K.

The wife was puzzled and so she asked – Now what does that mean?

So he said – Adorable, Beautiful, Cute, Delightful, Elegant, Foxy, Gorgeous, Hot.

The wife smiled and beamed and said – Oh you are such a sweet darling. What about I,J,K?

He said – I’m Just Kidding!

Hope that the wife won’t ask for any more descriptions when it comes to their golden anniversary.

Well, the man was only one letter away from telling his wife what she meant to him.

From A to K, he just have to move on to L, and L would stand for “love”.

And that’s what the feast of the Holy Trinity is telling us.

That God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son so that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life.

To have eternal life means to live in the Spirit of God’s love, which is the love of the Father for the Son, and the Son for the Father.

And what does that mean practically? The 2nd reading would put it as this – help one another, be united, live in peace.

Today is also Father’s Day, and we thank God for our fathers and the love they give to us.

Myself being a spiritual father to this spiritual family, I can say that I understand what a father feels for his family.

Fathers want to protect and provide for their family.

They may not show that kind of tender love which is associated with mothers, but fathers give that assuring presence of love.

As I was reflecting on the presence of the father in the family, a childhood memory came to mind.

There was a time when my father had to work the night shift, and at that time I was in my early primary school age.

So after dinner, my father would rest for awhile, and then leave for work around 9pm.

I remembered that everytime he left the door of the house, I had this sad feeling that I would really miss my papa, and I didn’t want him to go.

But yet, all I could say was “bye bye”.

I guess that to our fathers, we are not so emotionally expressive.

But I can certainly say that the presence of the father in the home brings about a sense of love and security.

So fathers may not be Adorable, Beautiful, Cute, Delightful, Elegant, Foxy, Gorgeous, Hot.

But for them, we can say it’s I,J,K, and it’s not I’m Just Kidding.

But I,J,K as in I Just Know. Know what? I Just Know that my father loves me.

Yes, we just know that our fathers love us.

We call God our Father. We also know that God our Father loves us.

We also know that God will empower all fathers to be living reflections of His love for us.

With all the fathers present here, we give thanks to God.

And with all the fathers present here, we also want to proclaim that God is Trinity, and that God loves us eternally.

6th Sunday of Easter, Year A, 29.05.2011

Jn 14:14-21

I wonder if we know what is the hottest news in town. Any idea what is the hottest news in town?

Whatever we think it might be, the hottest news in town is certainly the weather report!

Over the radio, over the tv, over almost every media, there is always the weather report.

And I must say, the weather over the past few days is just hot and hotter.

But even without the weather report, how will we know when it’s really hot?

Maybe let me speculate on some possible indications.

It’s really hot when …
You want to buy milk and all they have is evaporated milk
Beads of sweat appear on the statue of Stamford Raffles
The public swimming pools are now protected areas
The chickens are laying hard-boiled eggs

Anyway all those extremes aside, what precautions are there to take in such a hot and humid weather?

What will we do or say in such a weather condition?

Of course we will say things like …
Drink more water, but that does not mean can drink more beer!
Eat more fruits, but that does not mean eat more durians!
Don’t eat fried or heaty food, you will get sore throat, as well as sore somewhere else
Wear light clothing, but that does not mean wearing shorts or spaghetti straps to Mass!

Yes, in any and in every situation, we will somehow know what we should do.

So be it hot weather, cold weather, sunny day, rainy day, we will have a set of mental rules to follow.

And these rules, although not set in stone, and also more like common sense, these rules help us, as well as remind us of what to do in a given situation.

So rules are helpful, and they remind us of what to do even if it’s about a trivial matter like hot weather.

So if rules are helpful, then how about commandments?

Certainly, the very word itself “commandments” indicate that it is essential, fundamental and even critical.

In today’s gospel, Jesus said : If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

So even though we may not know the Bible by heart, or quote Bible verses, yet we know what Jesus has taught us.

His teachings are His commandments for us.

And just like we know the dos and don’ts for hot weather, we also know the dos and don’ts of the commandments of Jesus.

So we know we should forgive and love our enemies; we should be kind and compassionate and generous.

We know we must pray and be faithful to God; we know we should tell the truth always and to keep our promises.

We also know that we should not lie or cheat, we should not be devious or malicious.

We know we should not judge or condemn or slander others. We know we should not bear hatred or take revenge.

Yes, these are the commandments of Jesus, and we know it.

Or do we know it? And if we know it, are we teaching it?

When it comes to teaching the commandments of Jesus, it is not just to children or to youth. Even adults need to be taught.

But whether it is children, or youth or adults, they need more than teachers. They need witnesses.

Pope Paul VI said that modern man listens more to witnesses than to teachers, and if they do listen to teachers, it is because they are first and foremost witnesses.

So how do we witness to the commandments of Jesus?

Someone by the name of Dr. Kent Keith wrote this :

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, others may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.
So, in the FINAL analysis, it is more than what we say. It is about what we do. It is about actions speaking louder than words.

So if our children don’t pray anymore, then we must show them that we will still pray, anyway.

If we think that some people come to church dressed inappropriately or dressed anyhow, then we must show them what is dressing appropriately. Or we will just turn the aircon colder, anyway.

If we think that some of us don’t behave like Catholics, then we must show them what it means to be a good Catholic.

If we truly love Jesus, then we will keep His commandments, and witness to it in our actions.

Hot weather, cold weather, rain or shine, we must know what to do if we truly love Jesus.

And if we know what to do, then it’s either we do it, or we do it.

And as Jesus said in the gospel, the Holy Spirit will help us do it, anyway.

4th Sunday of Easter (Good Shepherd Sunday), Year A, 15.05.2011

I wonder how many of us appreciate art, or that some of us are artists in the general sense of the word.

Art, or drawings, are very different from photographs.

Photographs capture the snap-shot moment of a reality.

So there are snap-shot moments of people being baptized, or a bridegroom kissing a bride on their wedding day, or children gathered around their mother to celebrate Mother’s Day, which was just last week.

Yes, photographs capture those snap-shot moments of life.

But art and drawings capture a different aspect of reality.

So if I want to have a picture of your faces as I preach, I can take it with a camera.

Or if I have some artistic talent, then I can draw the expressions of your faces according to how I perceive it.

But what I will draw may not be the same as the photograph that I have taken with the camera.

Surely I will draw a much nicer picture isn’t it. Certainly those faces that look like as if the sun is setting in their eyes, I will draw them with faces like the rising sun and look fully alive.

Those faces with a blank look, I will draw them like as if they are laughing all the way to the bank.

So photographs show the snap-shot moment of reality, but art and drawings will give the aspect of imaginary.

So maybe let us now imagine Jesus, and we imagine Jesus as the Good Shepherd.

What kind of picture is forming up in our minds?

Probably a neat and tidy Jesus in His long flowing robes, with His long hair nicely combed, carrying a lamb in His arms, with other sheep grazing in the meadows.

A nice, serene, tranquil imagery of Jesus the Good Shepherd and His sheep. All is calm and peaceful.

That is the picture that most religious art pieces will portray.

But what is the reality? Well, I have yet to see any photographs of a shepherd and his sheep that looked similar to what is portrayed in religious art.

One thing for certain is that there is a close and intimate relationship between the shepherd and his sheep.

Because out there in the country side and away from the city, the shepherd has only his sheep for company.

Hence, for the shepherd, the sheep are his priority, and in many ways, the sheep are also a cause of his anxiety.

Unlike what we see in religious art, not all is peaceful and calm.

Out there in the country side and in the open fields, there is danger lurking somewhere.

The gospel which we have just heard mentioned about thieves and brigands, with the devious motives of stealing, killing and destroying.

So if the shepherd cares enough for his sheep, he must be prepared to bleed, yes, bleed for his sheep.

Religious art seldom portray the Good Shepherd with bleeding wounds, or lying on the ground with a mortal wound.

But the reality is that the Good Shepherd suffered wounds, and was eventually nailed to the cross to die.

Today is also Vocation Sunday, and the emphasis is on the call to the priesthood and to serve as shepherds of the people of God.

For this Vocation Sunday, the diocese has printed a brochure, and it’s about “All you wanted to ask about the Diocesan Priesthood but were afraid to ask”.

In this brochure are 14 FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) with corresponding answers, and also some nice photographs about life in the Major Seminary.

But one question that is not asked is this: As a priest, will I have to bleed for the sheep, just like the Good Shepherd?

Well, bleed … yes! But maybe in another way.

I came across this poem of sort, and the title is: No one wants to be a priest!

It goes like this: No one wants to be a priest because …

If he begins Mass on time, his watch is fast;
If he begins a minute later, he keeps people waiting.
If he preaches too long, he makes people get bored;
If his homily is too short, he is unprepared.
If his voice is strong when preaching, he is shouting;
If his voice is normal,
people do not understand what he is preaching about;
If he goes to visit families, he is always out:
If he does not, he does not care for them.
If he asks for donations, he is a money-face;
If he does not do it, he is too proud and lazy.
If he takes time in the confessional, he is too slow;
If he makes it too fast, he has no time for his penitents.
If he renovates the church, he throws away money;
If he does not do it, he allows everything to rot away.
If he is with the youth, he forgets the old.
If he warms up to old women, he must be missing his mummy.
If he keeps distance from all of them, he has a heart of stone.
If he is young, he has no experience;
If he is old, he should retire.
As long as he lives, there are always people who are better than him;
BUT IF THE PRIEST DIES....THERE IS NOBODY TO TAKE HIS PLACE!
Because no one wants to be a priest!!!

So in many small n little ways, the priest is called to follow the Good Shepherd and to bleed for the sheep.

But just as the Good Shepherd laid down His life for His sheep, the priest bleeds for his flock so that his sheep can have life and life to the full.

So what is the priest called to do, or what is he called to be like, so that his sheep can have that fullness of life?

The 2nd reading gives a very profound and challenging direction in the understanding of the call to the priesthood.

It is not actually about the priesthood, but rather it is about the Good Shepherd. But it is a good direction for priests. It goes like this :

This is what you are called to do, because Christ suffered for you and left an example for you to follow the way He took.
He has not done anything wrong, and there was no perjury in his mouth.
He was insulted and did not retaliate with insults;
When he was tortured, he made no threats, but he put his trust in the righteous judge.
He was bearing our faults in his own body on the cross, so that we might die to our faults and live for holiness.
Through his wounds, you have been healed. (1 Peter 2:20-25)

Yes, by the wounds of the Good Shepherd, we are healed and given life.

Personally, I know that my life and my call to the priesthood has to be lived out in the way of the life of the Good Shepherd.

It is only when we priests live out the way of the life of the Good Shepherd that we can lead the flock to green pastures and feed the sheep.

So my dear people of God, pray for us priests, pray for vocations to the priesthood.

We have a critical situation. This is certainly not just imaginary, and it is more than just the reality.

This is an urgency. And it's more like an emergency.

We must pray for priests and for vocations to the priesthood.

Otherwise we will all go astray. And thieves and brigands will just come to steal, kill and destroy.

Easter Vigil, Year A, 23.04.2011

Today we celebrate the deepest and the most profound mystery of our faith.

Yes, the Resurrection is indeed the core and the center of our faith, the very reason why we are here, the very reason why we are Church, the very reason why we believe in God.

Yet, having said that, the stark reality is the finality of death.

So even though we may believe in the Resurrection, do we dare to take death lightly?

Yes, preparing for death is a serious matter, but let’s see if we can take this story lightly.

An elderly woman was getting her earthly matters in order.

So she prepared her will, and made her final arrangements.

As part of the arrangements, she went to see the priest to talk about the type of funeral service she wanted, the hymns to be sung, etc.

She told the priest that she wanted 2 things done.

Firstly, she wanted to be cremated. That’s well and good.

Secondly, she wanted her ashes to be scattered over every golf course in Singapore.

The priest was so puzzled that he had to ask why.

The elderly woman explained – Well, in that way, I will know that my son will visit me whenever he goes to play golf.

Yes, death is a serious matter, whether we are prepared for it or not.

Yet, whether prepared or otherwise, we will have to face it, and accept it.

The disciples of Jesus were not prepared for His sudden and violent death on the cross. It was just too fast, too furious.

When Mary Magdalene (and the other Mary) came to the tomb and saw that the stone was rolled away, her (their) reaction was not one of immense relief or joy, that Jesus was not dead.

In fact, she (they) came to the tomb to finish the embalming of the crucified and dead Jesus.

Mary Magdalene saw how Jesus died and her only conclusion was that the dead body of Jesus was stolen.

So the reality of the death of Jesus was accepted and sealed, and there was no question about it.

But, it was from the reality of His death that came about the resurrection.

God accepted the death of His Son. But God did not leave Him for dead.

In raising Jesus from the dead, God did not allow death to have the final say.

God will always have the final word and that word is the resurrection.

God loved His only Son, and He won’t leave Him for dead.

Indeed nothing could ever separate the love God has for His Son, not even the reality and finality of death.

It was with God’s love that Jesus rose from the dead and conquered death and sin.

The letter to the Romans 8 will ask us this – What will separate us from the love of God?     Trials? Tribulation? Anguish? Persecution? The sword of death?

But because of the Resurrection, we now know that nothing could ever separate us from the love of God, which is in Jesus Christ, our Risen Lord!

Just as nothing could ever separate God’s love for His Son, nothing could also separate the love that our Risen Lord has for us.

Yes, God accepted the death of His Son. But through the Resurrection, God saved Him, not from death, but out of death (Hebrews 5:7-9).

So for us who believe in the Resurrection of Easter Sunday, we also have to accept the crucifixion of Good Friday.

We have to accept that life is going to be a series of dyings.

It is essentially a dying to self – dying to our pride and ego, dying to be a perfectionist and a control freak, dying to be acknowledged and praised, dying to be looked up to.

Dying to be remembered and visited by our descendents, long after our ashes are frozen in the columbarium or scattered in the golf course or whatever.

Come to think of it, we so carelessly use the phrase “dying to”, for e.g. we might say later “I am dying to sleep”. Well you may just end up with eternal rest.
Maybe we should say – I am dying to live, and mean it.

Because the truth is that it is in our dying to our old life that we rise to a new life.

That is what the Resurrection is telling us. That is what God is telling us.

Maybe let me just tell you a little joke about death, so that we can have some humour about life.

One morning, a man opened the newspapers and he was shocked to see his obituary. He was surely not pleased at all.

So he called up his best friend and said to him – Hey! Did you read about my obituary in the papers?

His friend replied – Ya, I just saw it ……… Err… by the way, where are you calling from? (That’s what friends are for!)

Yes, Jesus Christ is risen. He is calling the Elect to be baptized into His death so that they can rise to a new life.

And the Risen Lord is also calling us who are already baptized to accept our dying, so that we can truly go on living.

Because we believe that Christ is risen, we can truly say, we are dying to live. And it’s not a joke.

3rd Sunday of Lent, Year A, 27.03.2011

Exodus 17:3-7/ Roman 5:1-2, 5-8/ John 4:5-42

Well, that is a long gospel, and I am sure you are tired from standing, and I am also trying to catch my breath.

Normally I won’t say such mundane and trivial things as I begin a homily. Normally.

But when there are changes, then the behaviour also changes.

And when these changes create a need, then our behaviour also changes to satisfy the need.

Maybe one example could be how we use the restroom (or what we commonly call the toilet)

We won’t go to the toilet if there is no need, right?

But when there is a need, and if it’s an urgent need, then our behaviour somehow becomes a little altered, our behaviour changes.

What won’t normally bother us, somehow becomes an issue for us, in that time of need.

For e.g. the smell will bother us, the floor is wet, and if we have to do some serious potty business, then the toilet paper, whether have or don’t have, whether smooth enough or not, the toilet seat is clean or not, all these will become major issues.

Talking about toilet seats, women are often irritated when men don’t put down the toilet seats after they are done with their “local calls” as different from “trunk calls”.
What’s even worse is that the men don’t even lift up the toilet seats when they are doing their local calls.
This really irritates the women, for obvious reasons.
But do you know what it takes to get men to lift the toilet seat before they start and to put the seat down after they are done?
Nothing less than a sex-change operation. Then the men will get it. (but by which time they are not exactly men anymore)

So in a time of need, what normally doesn’t bother us or what we don’t normally care much about, somehow becomes an issue and a cause of complaint for us.

All because there is a need, and with that need, our behaviour changes.

In the gospel, we saw how a need changes the behaviour of a person.

And of all people, that person was Jesus. He had a need. He was tired and He was thirsty.

There was the well, but He can’t get the water.

So when a Samaritan woman came along with a bucket, He threw aside all restrictions and barriers and asked her for a drink.

That was why the Samaritan woman was surprised, maybe even shocked, and her first word was “What!”, and even the gospel took the trouble to explain what was the problem.

Jesus had a need – He was thirsty – so He couldn’t be bothered about restrictions and barriers.

But the Samaritan woman also had a need. And it was shown implicitly in her behaviour.

She came to the well at the 6th hour – meaning at noon – the hottest time of the day.

It’s an awkward time to draw water because everyone would want to be at home under shelter. But that tells us that the Samaritan woman wanted to avoid people.

But as she talked with Jesus, her other needs became obvious. She was also thirsty.

She was thirsting for dignity and self-worth, so that she won’t have to keep avoiding people and drawing water in the noon-day sun.

She was thirsting for love and relationship. Well, she had had five husbands, and still counting.

So when people thirst, their behaviour changes, and can even change drastically, especially in the hot and dry desert, as we heard in the 1st reading.

Tormented by thirst, the Israelites didn’t care about who God is and their words were as scorching as the hot desert sands.

Yes, when people thirst, their behaviour changes.

And they will say things which they won’t usually say.

Earlier on, I said that the toilet is a place where we will go only when we are in need.

But have you heard of toilet talk?

Well the story goes that a man went to a pub for a drink.

After a few drinks, he felt the need to go to the toilet.

When he was in the cubicle, he heard a voice from the next cubicle : Hi, how are you doing?

The man was a bit surprised, but he replied : Oh, I’m fine. Things are going smoothly, literally.

And then the voice said : So what are you doing this evening?

Feeling a bit awkward now, the man nonetheless replied : Oh I’m just here for a few drinks.

Then the voice said : Tell you what, I will call you back later. There is this guy in the next cubicle who is answering all my questions. (so be careful what you say in the toilet; better still don’t talk in the toilet)

In the gospel there was no mention that Jesus got His drink.

There was also no mention of the Samaritan woman drawing water from the well.

But Jesus started the conversation, and they began talking. And it was certainly no toilet talk.

They talked about water, about relationships, about God, they talked about the things that mattered in life. It was a heart to heart talk.

In a way, Jesus asked the right questions and the Samaritan woman gave the answers that revealed her need.

What we need in life are also conversations that will refresh us.

Have we ever noticed that when we are engaged in a meaningful conversation, we forget about our thirst and we don’t even need a drink. Even if there is a drink around, it is just like an ornament, a decoration.

Because meaningful conversations with words spoken in love refreshes our hearts, like cool water that soothes the parched throat.

Let us ask the Lord to quench our hearts with His living water, so that our conversations with others will refresh them and lead them to Jesus who will quench their thirst.

7th Ordinary Sunday, Year A, 20.02.2011

Lev 19:1-2, 17-18/ 1 Cor 3:16-23/ Mt 5:38-48

One of the most feared predators of the sea is the shark.

It doesn’t matter whether it was those slimy-creepy looking shark characters in the movie “Finding Nemo”, or that man-eating big shark in the movie “Jaws”, just mention “sharks” and fear and danger immediately comes to mind.

But mention sharks fin, and something else comes to mind.

But there are also sharks without fins, and they don’t live in the sea.

I am sure you know what I am talking about – Loan Sharks!

The term loan sharks is used to describe a certain type of predatory money lenders whose aim was to keep their customers eternally in debt.

So we may lend money to others, but that does not mean that we are loan sharks.

In fact, there may be another species called “debt sharks”. So what are these debt sharks?

Well, they are those kind of people who are able to convince you to lend them money, anything from a 3-figure to a 5 or even 6 figure sum, depending on how much they know you have.

Once we have parted with our money, these debt sharks will happily swim away, leaving us to slowly feel the pain of their bite.

Well, as they always say, this is a small world, and those debt sharks will somehow swim into our paths again one day.

We might think that they would be shocked and ashamed upon seeing us right?

On the contrary, they will look at us like total strangers, like as if they don’t know us since the world began, and then again we will feel the bite of these debt sharks.

I wonder if you ever had that kind of experience?

The pain of losing our money to these debt sharks is not just the bite. It is like as if they left their teeth in our hearts and leaving us in pain.

We won’t ordinarily call these debt sharks our enemies, but we certainly resent them, we detest them, we curse them under our breath, because we feel the pain and hurt when we think about them.

We may not have any enemies in the exact sense of the word.

But bad and dishonest people, like those debt sharks are the pain of our lives, and how we wish we could sink our teeth into their flesh, just as they had done to us.

But when we can’t, and so we just end up grinding our teeth.

So at the core of these so-called “teething” problems is the urge for revenge.

It’s that “eye for eye, tooth for tooth” thing that Jesus was talking about in the gospel.

In other words, it’s this-for-that, butter-for-fat, you kick my dog and I’ll skin your cat.

Well, revenge is a crass and crude word, so we will disguise it with other words like “seeking justice”, “settle scores” or “pay back time”.
Revenge is what we have been exposed to, and revenge is what we have learnt.

Jesus even acknowledged it when He said: You have learnt how it was said: eye for eye, tooth for tooth.

But immediately He follows with: But I say this to you.

And then He gives a set of teachings that is difficult to bite, and more difficult to swallow.

But all in all, Jesus is telling us that if we are to be His disciples, then we have to be different from the rest, in the way we respond to the evils we suffer.

In other words, we must not let evil conquer us; instead we are to conquer evil with good, we are to conquer evil with love.

That’s why Jesus gave us this directive: Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.

Yes, it is a directive – But I say this to you – strong words that tell us that it is not optional, nor is it negotiable.

Let me ask you a “corny” riddle : What do sharks not eat?
Sharks don’t eat clowns. (Why?) Because they taste funny.

Well the Bible does not have the word “clowns”. But somewhere in the Bible there is this mention of “fools”, and specifically “fools for Christ” (1 Cor 4:10)

Loving our enemies and praying for those who persecute us may sound foolish.

But come to think of it, it doesn’t hurt to be nice and loving right?

There are many types of sharks waiting to bite us – loan sharks, debt sharks, hammerhead sharks, etc.

If they want to bite, then like what Jesus said, offer them no resistance, let them bite.

All the more, give them a bite of love (not a love bite!)

Let me tell a story with a corny ending.

A rich retired old man bought a house on a large bay front property, something like Sentosa Cove, but more classy.

So he had his own private beach with picnic tables and the beach was perfect for swimming.

One day as he was reclining on his deck chair and taking a nap, he was awakened by voices shouting and squeals of laughter and water splashing.

He went over to his beach and he saw a group of young people swimming on his beach.

The group saw him, but instead of apologizing, they went into deeper water, and taunted him by saying: Come on grandpa, show us you can swim.

The old man replied: It’s ok, I didn’t come down here for a swim. I just came to feed my sharks!

Whatever it may be, never return evil for evil. In any case, can blood be washed away with blood, and can injury heal injury?

The disciple of Jesus will always suffer wrong rather than to do wrong.

That might sound foolish, but that’s what we are called to be – fools for Christ.
Yes, we are called to be fools for Christ, offering to the sharks of the world, love at first bite.

Yes, love our enemies, love those sharks, because those who deserve our love the least, need it the most – from us.

5th Ordinary Sunday, Year A 06.02.2011

Is 58:7-10/ 1 Cor 2:1-5/ Mt 5: 13-16

Today is already the 4th day of the Chinese New Year.

But when does Chinese New Year actually starts?

On Thursday? Which is the first day of Chinese New Year?

I would say that Chinese New Year starts with the Reunion Dinner.

Because with the Reunion Dinner, the Chinese New Year celebrations will begin, because that’s when we celebrate family love, family unity and family relationships over dinner.

So does the Reunion Dinner have anything spiritual?

Well, let us listen to this story and see how the Reunion Dinner can be something spiritual.

Well, after the Reunion Dinner, some people would go down to Chinatown, to shop for bargains.

So, this little girl was walking with her mother when she saw balloons for sale, the type that are filled with helium.

So, she asked her mum to get one for her, and she was thrilled and happy with the balloon floating in the air as she held on to the string attached to the balloon.

Then accidentally, she lost grip of the string and the balloon began to float and rise up to the sky.

Happiness turned into sadness and she cried over the loss of the balloon.

Her mum wanted to console her. Now, what do you think she would say to her?
By and large, we would think that her mother would tell her that it’s alright, don’t cry and that she will get her another balloon. (Right? That’s what we would most likely say.)

Well, the mother thought for a while, and said to her little girl.

Don’t cry, the balloon has gone up to have Reunion Dinner with its family. Just like we go home for Reunion Dinner, the balloon has gone home for Reunion Dinner.

When the little girl heard this, she stopped crying and became happy for the balloon.

Interesting to note what the mother said to her girl.

No religious talk, no big faith concepts, just a little something about what the little girl understood.

In the gospel, Jesus used two common things to help us realize who we are and what we are.

As much as Jesus talked about salt and light, yet we also know that these two things do not exist for themselves.

Salt gives taste but we don’t eat salt as it is.

Light does not shine in, light shines out.

So, salt and light are in many ways similar to faith and love.

Faith does not exist for itself. Faith helps us to realize the presence of love and the presence of God in all situations (where there is love, there is God).

Jesus Himself was salt and light when others forgot about the presence of God in several instances in the gospels.

Remember that instance, when He was asked if it was necessary to pay taxes?

He asked for a coin, he asked them whose image was on the coin, and then He said: Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.

The people were talking about taxes, a tasteless thing.

Jesus put in some salt and made them realize the presence of God, and more importantly that all things belong to God. So what belongs to Caesar, actually belongs to God.

In another instance, when Jesus was asked where His authority came from, He in turn asked them where the authority of John the Baptist came from. From man or from God?

Well, His question was the answer for them, and they had no reply to that.

Because the moment God comes into the picture, their question becomes redundant and pointless.

So Jesus Himself showed us what salt and light are all about.

Any situation without the involvement of God is a tasteless situation.

Faith is like salt that brings in the presence of God and it enlightens the situation with the love of God.

Just want to share with you another story about balloons.

A balloon-seller was holding on to a bunch of balloons of various colours- red, yellow, blue, green, white.

And children gathered around him, thrilled by the balloons that were dancing in the air.

So he asked them what was their favourite colour, and they said red, blue, green, yellow, white.

So he asked them which balloon will rise faster up if he let all of them go at the same time.

And the children said that it will be the balloon of their favourite colour.

And then the balloon-seller let go all the balloons, and the children shouted with delight as the balloons danced and floated up towards the sky.

As the balloons slowly disappeared out of sight, the balloon-seller said to the children.

So you see, it is not the colour of the balloon that will make it rise faster, it is what is inside the balloon.

Yes, it is not what is outside that is important, it is what is inside that matters.

Well, as I prepare to move on to my next parish appointment, I know what it is inside of me.

Inside of me is filled with your prayers, your love, your care.

You have affirmed me, you have supported me, you have been patient with me when I am in my cranky moods.

From what filled your heart, you have filled my heart.

To me, you are a great parish community, very heart-lander, very real, very loving.

Jesus tells us that we are to be salt of the earth and light of the world.

I would just add on and say that may you also be like the balloons that will rise up to heaven and give glory and praise to God.

May you always be aware of what fills your inside, and of WHO fills your inside.

And from what you are filled with, may you in turn fill others. Amen.

2nd Ordinary Sunday, Year A 16.01.2011

Isaiah 49:3, 5-6/ 1 Corinthian 1:1-3 / John 1:29-34

I am sure you know how Singapore got its name.

Maybe let me refresh your memory a little about the history lessons we had in school.

We may remember reading about how Sang Nila Utama came to an island which was then called Temasek which means “sea port” or “sea town”.

When he landed there, he saw a strange, agile, fast-moving animal.

It had a red body and a black head.

When he asked what animal was that, he was told it was a lion.

He thought that the animal was a good sign, so he established a city at Temasek which he named Singapura, which means “Lion City”.

Can we remember all that? Brings back memories of school days and history lessons huh?

Well that account goes way back to the 14^th century.

Today, Singapore has lived up to its name as the Lion City.

It is a lion in progress and prosperity, a lion in productivity and efficiency.

And we who live in Singapore are also brought up to be like lions.

We are brought up to be like lions in everything, from the airport to the integrated resorts, from the MRT to the ERP, from the clean to the green.

Yes, these are the show-pieces of Singapore, the Lion City.

Yes, we want to be like the lions in everything.

Yes, everything, maybe except football.

Maybe lions and football don’t go along well.

Nonetheless, the lion is a powerful symbol.

It is said that a 100 sheep led by a lion, is mightier than a 100 lions led by a sheep.

So between a lion and a sheep, it is obvious what we would choose.

But between a lion and a sheep what would God choose? What would Jesus choose?

In today’s gospel passage, we heard how John the Baptist pointed out Jesus and described who He is.

Jesus was described as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.

Sounds a bit strange right?

A lamb means that it has not crossed 12 months yet.

So it is a pretty small and meek thing.

So how can a lamb take away the sins of the world?

It would make more sense to say that the lion will take away the sins of the world.

But we know that the mighty lion did not take away the sins of the world, not even the woes of the world.

The mighty lion of capitalism promises wealth but we now know the world was brought to its knees in the recent financial crisis.

The lion of military might has not brought about peace;        in fact, it keeps shattering the world to pieces.

Yet, it is the lamb that takes away the sins of the world, the lamb that was slain and sacrificed on the cross.

Jesus is the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Yet Jesus is also called the Good Shepherd.

Remember the parable about the Good Shepherd who leaves the 99 and goes about in search of the lost sheep.

Notice that it was not a lost lamb, but a lost sheep.

I came across this poem that tells us why it was a lost sheep. It goes like this:

Out on the hilltop, and out in the cold, It was a sheep the Good Shepherd sought.
Back to the fold and back to the flock, It was a sheep that the Good Shepherd brought.
Now, why should the sheep be so carefully fed
And cared for even today?
That’s because there is danger if they go wrong,
They will lead the lambs astray.
The lambs will follow the sheep, you know,
Wherever they wander–wherever they go.
If the sheep goes wrong, it will not be long
That the lambs will just be as wrong.
So to the Good Shepherd we must earnestly pray,
For the sake of the lambs today.
If the lambs are lost, what a terrible cost,
That we, the sheep, will have to pay.

If the young are the future of the world, then they are the lambs who are going to take away the sins of the world.

And they, the lambs, look to us, the sheep, for faith and for  moral direction.

Let us teach them about the Lamb of God who made a difference in the word.

He went silently to the shearers, He also turned the other cheek, also prayed for His enemies.

He was the Lamb of God who did not call down fire on the Samaritans, nor did He condemn a fallen adulterous woman.

He was the Lamb of God who laid down His life for His friends.

May we, the sheep, teach the lambs to follow the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world.