21st Ordinary Sunday, Year A, 27.08.2017

Isaiah 22:19-23 / Romans 11:33-36 / Matthew 16:13-20

Today is a milestone for 15 of our teenagers, a milestone in their faith-formation. After almost 10 years of coming for catechism classes on Sundays, today they will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.

To be “Confirmed” means to be strengthened by the gifts of the Holy Spirit. But for what purpose? That’s the question that those 15 teenagers will have to answer for themselves.

And they must find the answer to that question, otherwise this milestone could well be the tombstone, as in the journey of faith has come to an end, since there will be no more catechism classes to attend.

But faith and life is not so much a question but it is more like a riddle. So we have to think “out of the box” and it can be quite challenging to solve it, be it a question or a riddle.

Let us do some riddles and see if we can think out of the box: 
- I am tall when I am young, but I am short when I am old. What am I? 

- I have keys but no locks. I have space but no room. You can enter but you can’t go outside. What am I? 

- You can break me easily without even touching or seeing me. What am I?  

So much for riddles. Now let’s go back to the gospel. In the gospel, Jesus asked His disciples two questions.

The first question is “Who do people say I am?” The disciples replied that people say that He is John the Baptist, or Elijah, or Jeremiah or one of the prophets.

Then Jesus asked them, “Who do you say I am?” As the disciples were thinking about what is the best and correct answer to give, it was Simon Peter who spoke up: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.

And he was correct! But as Jesus stated, it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to Simon Peter but it was God the Father who revealed this to him.

We may remember that Jesus promised to send us the Holy Spirit to be our Advocate and it is the Spirit who will reveal things to us and lead us to the whole truth.

Yes, it is the Spirit who will defend us, help us, guide us, work in us and reveal to us the mysteries to the questions and the riddles of life.

And it is this same Spirit who will fill the hearts of our 15 teenagers in the Sacrament of Confirmation, and to strengthen them to face the gates of the underworld.

One of the expressions of the Sacrament of Confirmation is to be commissioned as a soldier of Christ, though it is seldom spoken of nowadays. 

“Christ Himself declared that he was marked with his Father’s seal. Christians are also marked with a seal:  “It is God who establishes us with you in Christ and has commissioned us; He has put His seal on us and given us His Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” This seal of the Holy Spirit marks our total belonging to Christ, our enrollment in his service for ever, as well as the promise of divine protection in the great eschatological trial.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church #1296)

The catechists of these Confirmands thought about it and then we came up with this idea of a survival kit to equip these teenagers as they go on mission for Christ.

So what is this missionary survival kit all about? Well, it’s all packed into a lunch-box but there are no edibles in it. So what are in it then? There are two sticks of cotton buds, a box of matches, a tea-light, a piece of Band-aid, a mirror, a petition form, a 5-cent coin, and a crucifix.

We call it the “Missionary kit”. And in it is a note that reads:

Now that you are Confirmed, you will need this:
2 sticks of cotton buds – one for you to clean your ears so that you can listen clearly to God’s Word, and the other for you to help others clean their ears so that they too can listen ...

When it gets dark and cold, the box of matches is for you to light the tea-light so that you can bring some light and warmth for others.

The Band-Aid comes in handy because in this world, people get some cuts and hard knocks along the way. You are to bind up their wounds and bring healing.

When you look into the mirror, you need to ask yourself, “Do I look like Jesus to others?”

Prayer must be the first option, the last option and the in-between option. That’s what the green Petition Form is for. 

The 5-cent coin is to remind you that you must remain little and humble always, and it also reminds you of the 5 wounds of Christ who died to save you.

It was on the Cross that Jesus died for you. He carried the Cross for you. Now you must carry your cross for the salvation of others

And it ends off with “Know that I am with you always, yes, till the end of time” (Matthew  28:20)

Those 15 teenage Confirmands must know that Jesus is always with them, till the end of time, as they go forth to serve Him in whatever and wherever the Spirit leads them.

And for us, Jesus is asking us who do we think He really is in our lives. And at the same time He is also asking us do we know who we really are. 

When we know who we really are, that we are marked and sealed with the Holy Spirit to serve Jesus in the mission of salvation, then we will know who Jesus really is.

Then we will be prepared to face the gates of the underworld as we go forth to save souls for Jesus.


(Ans: Candle, Computer keyboard, Silence/Promise)

20th Ordinary Sunday, Year A, 20.08.2017

Isaiah 56:1, 6-7 / Romans 11:13-15, 29-32 / Matthew 15:21-28

When it comes to persistence and perseverance, the one example that might come to mind is how some people chase after their luck at the 4D, by betting on those elusive four numbers that generates so much of excitement.

For some, it goes beyond excitement to even investment, as they put in their money on the combination of their “lucky” four numbers and hope to strike a fortune.

It seems to be simple enough. Just pick four numbers that seem to be lucky and then go to the bookie and then wait excitedly.

And when it comes to picking those four numbers, there are plenty of options: car-plate number, house number, IC number, hand-phone number, birth date, etc.

What keeps the excitement and the persistence going is not so much when they strike the first prize (which actually is far and few between) but those near-misses – that one digit, or the incorrect combination, or like how they say it “didn’t buy that number this week and it came out as first prize, so next week must continue to buy”

So the excitement and the persistence continue, and they keep on investing and chasing that elusive four-digit first prize. That being said, betting on 4D is a form of gambling, which is a vice that will cause moral and spiritual problems. The Church has spoken out against gambling in all its forms. 

The only thing to say about this is that the persistence and perseverance is quite commendable. Otherwise, 4D or gambling will create difficult problems and should be discouraged.

In the gospel, we heard of a very persistent and persevering woman, a Canaanite, a non-Jew. But she was not looking for some lucky 4D number to strike the first prize.

She came before Jesus to ask for the healing of her daughter who was tormented by a devil.

This gospel passage would catch our attention because we would have noticed a very different attitude of Jesus.

At first He answered her not a word. Then the disciples seem to plead for her, but that was because she was shouting after them.

And then Jesus gave some kind of exclusive nationalistic reply by saying that He was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.

And that Canaanite woman had to stop Jesus in His tracks by coming before Him and kneeling at His feet and made her desperate plea with “Lord, help me.”

Even with that, Jesus seemed still reluctant and even said that it was not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the house dogs. That doesn’t seem to be the Jesus that we are familiar with, the Jesus who is kind and compassionate, and loving and merciful.

At this point that Canaanite woman could have felt insulted and despised and she could have hit back at Jesus. After all she was in her own territory and Jesus was in a foreign land.

But instead of being vindictive, she chose to give a witty reply. She agreed with Jesus and was willing to take whatever scraps that fall off from the table. She was sure that there can be something for her.

And for that Jesus commended her for her faith and granted her wish and from that moment her daughter was well again.

So it was a happy ending. It might be the persistence, perseverance and wit of that Canaanite woman that impressed us, but it was the faith of that woman that impressed Jesus and He commended her for that.

It was her faith that told her not to give up with just one rejection. She actually got three rejections from Jesus. 

One rejection does not mean it is the final decision, just as one winter does not mean that there is no summer.

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn to not judge things too quickly. So he sent them each, in turn, to go and look at a fruit tree that was a great distance away. The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the autumn.

When they had all gone and came back, he called them together to describe what they had seen. The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted. The second son said it was covered with green buds and full of promise. The third son disagreed, he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen. The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but only one season in the tree's life. He told them that they cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the joy and love that come from that life, can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.

If we give up when it's winter, then we will miss the promise of our spring, the beauty of our summer, the fulfillment of our autumn. So don't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest.

So in the face of an apparent rejection from Jesus, the Canaanite woman persevered, persisted and was witty, and she also taught us something about prayer.

She interceded with Jesus not for herself but for her daughter. But of course, the healing of her daughter also benefitted her. 

Which makes us think about who and what is the priority in our prayer list. If it is “me, I and my needs” then that is a bit like betting on 4D and hoping to strike the first prize. We might just be left waiting for a long time.

Yes, prayer should be persisting, persevering and even witty, but it must be for others, for Christians as well as for non-Christians, for all peoples, because as we come to church today, God is telling us this in the 1st reading: For my house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples.

Just as the Canaanite woman interceded for her daughter, her faith in God was also strengthened.

When we pray for others, we are actually asking God to feed them first and that we will be satisfied with whatever that falls off the table.

That may sound rather sacrificial, but as Pope Pius XII said: The salvation of many depends on the sacrifices and prayers of a few.

Let us be that few who will make that sacrifice and prayer, so that all peoples will come to know the love of God and be saved.

May we take some inspiration from that Canaanite woman and may she also pray for us.

19th Ordinary Sunday, Year A, 13.08.2017

1 Kings 19:9, 11-13 / Romans 9:1-5 / Matthew 14:22-33

The definition of fear in the dictionary is this: an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain, or harm; be afraid of (someone or something) as likely to be dangerous, painful, or harmful.

With fear being defined as such, one of the difficult questions to give a simple straightforward answer would be “What do we fear most?” Simply speaking, there is no one predominant fear, because we have multiple fears.

But the word “fear” can be put into an acronym that can have two meanings: 
F.E.A.R. – Forget Everything And Run
F.E.A.R. – Face Everything And Rise

So depending on which we choose, we can either let fear overcome us, or we can overcome our fears.

It is said that one of the greatest fears is the fear of death. That is probably true. But it is not just the fear of death. It is also the fear of a slow, painful, lonely death that makes us cringe.

In the 1st reading, we heard that Elijah went into a cave to spend a night in it. But it was not that he couldn’t find another place to sleep in. He went into the cave because he wanted to hide.

Earlier on at Mt. Carmel, Elijah had challenged the 400 false prophets, who were under the patronage of the evil pagan queen Jezebel, to a public contest to see whose God is more powerful.

The false prophets called on their god but nothing happened. When Elijah prayed, a fire came down from heaven and consumed the sacrifice.

Having shown the might and the power of the Lord God, Elijah had all the false prophets dragged into the valley where they were put to death.

But when queen Jezebel heard about this, she issued a death warrant for Elijah, and so he fled to the wilderness and he ended up in the cave for the night.

And it was there that the Lord called out to him. But before Elijah could hear the voice of the Lord, there was chaos – there was the mighty wind, an earthquake and a raging fire.

But after the chaos came the calm – the sound of a gentle breeze – and Elijah went out to meet the Lord.

It was the fear of the wicked Jezebel and the fear of death that made Elijah flee. In his fear, Elijah wanted to forget everything and run. Surely he would have prayed to God to save him. But God also responded in a rather mysterious way.

Before speaking to Elijah in the sound of the gentle breeze, there was the mighty wind, the earthquake and the fire. Elijah had to face all this chaos before he faced God. 

So out of the chaos, God reveals Himself, but we have to first face the chaos, we have to face everything before we could rise and see God in everything.

Such was also the scenario in the gospel. It was deep into the night, there was the heavy sea and in all that chaos, they even thought that Jesus was a ghost.

It was a desperate and chaotic situation, but they can’t forget everything and run, because there was nowhere to run to, other than into a watery death.

So Peter’s reaction of wanting to walk on the water towards Jesus could be a desperate attempt to get out of a desperate situation. But along the way, he was overcome by the chaos around him and he gave in to fear and lost courage and sank.

So when fear shows its face, we can forget everything and run (if there is somewhere to run to) or we can face everything and rise. But to face everything and rise would also require some courage in the chaos.

There was a recent movie called “Hacksaw Ridge” set in WW II, which is based on a true story of a drafted soldier Desmond Doss, who wanted to be a combat medic but refused to carry firearms for religious reasons.

He was ostracized by fellow soldiers for his pacifist stance but went on to earn respect and adoration for his bravery, selflessness and compassion after he risked his life, without firing a shot, to save 75 men in the Battle of Okinawa.
On the battlefield of chaos and carnage, Desmond Doss could choose to forget everything and run for his life. But he chose to face everything and run into the chaos and carnage to save his injured comrades.

One memorable line from the movie was this, as Desmond Doss was running in to save the injured soldiers, he prayed: Please Lord, help me get one more, help me get one more.

But as with most war movies, there is plenty of violence and blood, but it also about courage in the midst of chaos and carnage, and how one man faced his fears and saved others by running into the fire instead of away from it.

So did Elijah after God had spoken to him. He went back to face his fears and continued his mission of being a prophet to God’s people.

As for Peter, there is a story in which Peter was fleeing from Rome to escape persecution, but on his way meets Jesus and asked Him "Where are you going, Lord?". To which Jesus says, "If you desert My people, I am going to Rome to be crucified a second time.” Upon hearing that Peter turned back to Rome to accept his martyrdom.

So Elijah, Peter and Desmond Doss faced their fears and rose as figures of courage in the midst of chaos. 

When we have to face our fears may we have the courage to run into the chaos. And when we feel that we are sinking into our fears, let us remember how Peter cried out: Lord! Save me! We will feel the saving hand of Jesus.