22nd Ordinary Sunday, Year B, 29.08.2021

 Duet 4:1-2, 6-8 / James 1:17-18, 21-22, 27 / Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

One of the things that we had not quite expected to come into prominence is hand sanitizers. 

We have been using it for about a year-and-a-half already, and it is actually in Church that we use quite a bit of it. 

As we come in, we sanitize our hands. Before coming up for Holy Communion we sanitize our hands. And on the way out of the Church we again sanitize our hands. 

Where once upon a time we see it only in the hospitals, now we see it in the lifts, in the restaurants, in the restrooms and in about almost every place where there is human traffic. 

There are some who even carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer long with them. 

That is just a reflection of the situation that we are in, and since viruses and bacteria are not that easily visible, then hand sanitizers can be a safety measure against it. 

But generally speaking, personal hygiene and cleanliness are good practices that can help to prevent unnecessary infections. 

The gospel began with the Pharisees and scribes noticing that some of the disciples of Jesus were eating with unclean hands and they raised the issue with Jesus. 

There was this practice in the tradition of the elders that before every meal there would be a ritual cleansing of the hands up to the elbows. 

So, it was in view of this “tradition of the elders” that the Pharisees and scribes raised the issue to indicate that Jesus was not following the “tradition of the elders”, and hence putting Himself above the Law.

Jesus responded by quoting from the prophet Isaiah: “This people honours me only with lip service, while their hearts are far from me. The worship they offer me is worthless, the doctrines they teach are only human regulations. You put aside the Commandment of God to cling to human traditions”. 

Jesus then moved the issue of the state of the hands to the state of the heart. 

In effect, Jesus is asking this fundamental question: Where is the heart? 

That is the question that Jesus was asking then and also asking now: 

When we say all the prayers, where is the heart? 

When we come to Church, where is the heart? 

When we perform ministry work, where is the heart? 

Besides asking us where is the heart in the religious aspect of our lives, Jesus goes deeper as He asks: How clean is the heart? 

Jesus says this: Nothing that goes into a man from outside can make him unclean. It is the things that come out of a man that make him unclean. 

Yes, from what is in the heart, flow our thoughts, our words and our actions. 

So, our thoughts, our words and our actions are reflections of the state of our heart. 

So, more than just sanitizing the hands before Holy Communion, we must also cleanse our hearts as we earnestly pray: Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace. 

St. Augustine gave us this profound saying: our hearts will not rest, until they are rested in you, O Lord. 

In our prayer and in our worship, let us place our hearts in the Heart of Jesus. 

Let us ask Jesus to cleanse our hearts of sin and grant us His peace. 

A heart that is at peace is a heart that is clean and ready to be filled with love. 

May our hearts be like the Heart of Jesus, so that through our thoughts, our words and our actions, others may see the loving Heart of Jesus.

21st Ordinary Sunday, Year B, 22.08.2021

 Joshua 24:1-2, 15-18 / Ephesians 5:21-32 / John 6:60-69

We may remember what are the 5 Cs in life. It is a phrase used to refer to the quest for affluence or wealth. 

Just in case we can’t quite remember what those 5 Cs stand for they are, Cash, Car, Credit Card, Condominium and Country club membership. 

That phrase has been around for quite a while, and though things may have changed a bit, the 5 Cs are still relevant. 

They reflect the human desire for comfort and security, and in fact the 5 Cs can be summed up into the first C, and that is Cash. 

With cash, or money, we can be quite comfortable, and the more we have of it, the more luxuries we will be able to get with it. 

But, how much cash do we really need to have? When is it enough? When will we ever be contented with what we have? 

These are questions that we'd rather not think about, because when it comes to cash, then the more, the better. 

Or is that really it? Money, as we know, can’t buy true love or happiness. Money can't buy peace. Money can't buy life. 

When we understand this truth, then it leads us to realize the power we have within us. 

And that power is the power of choice. It is the power to choose, to be who we want to be and what we want to be. 

The power of choice will also determine our destiny in life here and also the hereafter. 

In the 1st reading, Joshua gathered all the people of Israel together, and he presented them with a choice. 

He said to them, “If you will not serve the Lord, choose today whom you wish to serve.” 

And then he made known his choice: As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. 

Well, the people said that they will serve the Lord too. But we know from the Bible, that time and again, the people chose otherwise and were unfaithful to the Lord and even worshipped idols. 

And they suffered the consequences of their choice. They were conquered by the enemies and they were oppressed. 

But the Lord was faithful in His promises to His Chosen people. Time and again, He delivered them from their enemies, but it was always the people who made the wrong choice. 

In the gospel, the people could not accept the doctrine that Jesus was teaching, that He is the Bread of Life. 

They called it intolerable language, and after that many of His disciples left him and stopped going with Him. 

Jesus then turned to the Twelve and asked, “What about you, do you want to go away too?” In other words, Jesus was asking them to make a choice. 

And Jesus is also asking us to make a choice about what He is teaching us. And it is not just about the teaching that He is the Bread of Life that He is asking us to accept and believe. 

There are also other challenging and difficult teachings that He is asking us to follow. 

Like for e.g., “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who persecute you” (Mat 5:43-44).

Or how about this : Do not resist an evildoer; if he strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other to him as well (Mat 5:39)

Or, if you do not take up your cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple (Lk 14:27).

In fact, every page of the gospels is filled with some kind of hard teachings from Jesus.

But all those teachings are about life and love. To choose to follow them will grant us peace and joy. 

Let us know that we have to make a choice and let it be Christ-centred choice. In comfort or in chaos, let us choose Christ and receive blessings that are beyond the 5 Cs.

Assumption of the BVM, 15.08.2021

 Apocalypse 11:19; 12:1-6, 10 / 1 Cor 15:20-26 / Luke 1:39-56

Catholics have a unique and amazing devotion, and that is the devotion to Mary. 

That devotion is expressed in praying the Rosary, going for Novena sessions on Saturdays (although it is now online), as well as other forms of Marian devotion. 

But the devotion, or veneration, is more than just spiritual. It is also a personal devotion and a personal relationship with Mary. 

No doubt, for those who do not understand the Catholic devotion and veneration of Mary, they may say that Catholics seem to worship Mary. 

And to make matters rather confusing, we say, as a manner of speech, that we pray to Mary. 

And the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a big feast such that it is a day of obligation, and since this year it is on a Sunday, the feast replaces the usual Sunday in Ordinary Time. 

All this seem to make Mary like on par with Jesus in status, and at times even more popular than Jesus. 

But the Church has emphasized over and over again, that any veneration or devotion to Mary must lead us to Jesus, and such veneration and devotion are highly encouraged. 

In other words, it is through Mary to Jesus. This is not something that is devised by the Church. It is actually the intention of God Himself. 

One of the titles of Mary is “Mother of God”, and also “Mother of the Church”. 

We can find the origins of this title in the gospel, when Elizabeth, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, blessed Mary and called her “the mother of my Lord”. 

The word “Lord” is synonymous with the word “God”. So, Mary is truly the Mother of God. 

And before Jesus died on the Cross, He turned to Mary His mother and said, “Woman, this is your son”. And then to the beloved disciple, He said, “This is your mother”. 

These two instances tell us that Jesus wants us to honour Mary as our mother, just as He did.

So, we turn to Mary and offer her flowers and we pray the Rosary and we ask her to pray for us, as we offer her our needs and our petitions. 

And indeed, the power of Mary's intercession is truly amazing as we hear testimony after testimony of how the prayers of people were answered through the intercession of Mary. 

More than just praying the Rosary and asking Mary to pray for us, we also must look to her as a model of faith. 

When we look to her and learn from her, then our devotion to her would make sense and would also help to clear the confusion. 

Mary is a disciple of love, and in the gospel, we heard how she literally carried God's love to Elizabeth in her time of need. 

And like Mary our mother, we are to be disciples of love. 

And the word love can be an acronym for our spiritual life. 

“L” is for listening. Mary listened to God's Word at the Annunciation and said “Yes” to God. 

May we also listen and let God's Word be made flesh in us. 

“O” is for obedience. Mary obeyed the promptings of the Holy Spirit and she set out at once to visit Elizabeth. 

May we be humble and follow the directions of our elders and superiors for our good and for the good of others. 

“V” is for victory. Mary overcame her difficulties with God's grace. May we follow Christ our Victorious King by carrying our cross and to gain eternal life. 

And finally, “E” is for encouragement. Mary's presence was an encouragement as well as an enlightenment for Elizabeth. 

May we too support each other in word and in action, so that where two or three are gathered in the name of Jesus, He will be there to bless and to strengthen us. 

So, let us like Mary, be a disciple of love, a disciple who will listen to God and obey with humility.

Let us believe that through the agony of the Cross, we will gain victory for life, and that we will be a channel of encouragement to strengthen others in faith and hope. 

May our devotion to Mary, and the celebration of the Feast of the Assumption, form us to be disciples of God's love for others.

19th Ordinary Sunday, Year B, 08.08.2021

 1 Kings 19:4-8 / Ephesians 4:30 – 5:2 / John 6:41-51

If ever we have the time to relax and do some reminiscing, we might want to recall the good old days. 

Oh yes, the good old days, like the school days, and for some of us school days might be decades ago. 

And maybe we might even move on to the days of our youth. Those seem to be the good old days, when we were more energetic, more adventurous, more daring and more resourceful. 

And then came the trials of life, when our spirits were put to the test and that formed us to be what we are now. 

And talking about tests, there is this difference about how it is in school and how it is in life. 

In school, we were taught the lesson and then given the test. In life, it is the other way around - we are given the test and then taught the lesson. 

But whether a lesson or a test, we can look at it in two ways. It is either we complain about it or we complete it. 

Come to think of it, we can complain about a lesson or a test and learn nothing from it, or we can complete the lesson and the test and be enriched by it. 

In the 1st reading, the prophet Elijah was going through the test of his life. He was a great prophet who performed the marvels of God, but now he was running for his life as his enemies were hunting him down. 

He complained, or lamented, as he said, “Lord, I have had enough. Take my life. I am no better than my ancestor.” 

And with that, he laid down and went to sleep and didn't want to carry on anymore. But an angel woke him up, two times actually, to eat the bread and drink the jar of water that was before him, and with that, he got up and continued for 40 days and 40 nights to Horeb, the mountain of God. 

So even though Elijah complained about his test, he went on to complete it and finally met God on that mountain. 

In the gospel, the people were complaining to each other about Jesus because of who He said He was, that He is the bread that came down from heaven. 

Jesus had to tell them to stop complaining, just because they knew a bit of His family background. 

They knew a bit, but there was much more to learn, and Jesus told them that to hear the teaching from God and to learn from it means that they must believe in Him as the bread from heaven. 

We believe that Jesus came down from heaven to give us the heavenly teaching from God and that He is our bread of life. 

Jesus is our Eucharistic bread which we consume at Holy Communion. 

But there is also another heavenly bread that Jesus has given us and we received it at our baptism. 

That heavenly bread is the Holy Spirit, the Lord of Life, who will teach us about the truth of lie. 

So even though we may not be able to receive the Eucharistic bread as often as we wish, the Holy Spirit will be our spiritual nourishment for the road ahead in the journey of life. 

The Holy Spirit will also lead us into a deeper communion with Jesus our Eucharistic bread. 

The 2nd reading tells us not to grieve the Holy Spirit by complaining about what we don't have or could not have. 

The Holy Spirit completes our longings and sets us free so that we can learn the ways of God. 

The lessons that we have to learn, besides to stop complaining, is not to hold grudges against others, not to lose our temper or raise our voices and others, or call each other names, or allow any sort of spitefulness. 

Instead, we must learn to be like God, and that is to be kind, and forgiving each other as God forgave us in Christ. 

The Holy Spirit teaches us the truth of life and so that we can learn the lessons of His heavenly teaching. 

And when the tests of life come along, let us not fret and complain or grieve the Holy Spirit. 

The Holy Spirit will provide us with the Eucharistic bread in our time of need. 

So that like the prophet Elijah, we will rise and with the lessons we have learned, we will continue with the journey in the road ahead, and we will walk with love and thanksgiving in our hearts.