Mary, Mother of God, 01.01.2023

 Numbers 6:22-27 / Galatians 4:4-7 / Luke 2:16-21

Today we stand at a significant moment in time. 

On this first day of the new year, we welcome a new beginning with well-wishes and celebrations. 

We have said goodbye to 2022 and hello to 2023. 

But we have not closed the door on 2022 just yet, as we will look back at 2022 with remembering and reminiscing. 

Many things have happened in 2022. We have learned to live with Covid, we have gotten used to wearing masks and some even like to wear it, we don't make a fuss anymore with using hand sanitizers. 

On a brighter note, we don't have to book a place to come for Mass, we can sit wherever we want, and we get to see each other more often. So, we should be happier. 

Yes, 2022 was a year of change, and we too have changed. So, is it a change for the better, and are we happier? 

And now we are looking at 2023, and we wonder what will 2023 be like? Will it be better than 2022 or will it be otherwise? 

So, today is a significant moment in time, as we wonder at the future of mystery, while we ponder on the past of history. 

Today as we celebrate the feast of Mary the Mother of God, the gospel speaks of her as treasuring and pondering in her heart all that has happened.

And many things have happened for her, from the angel Gabriel appearing to her at the Annunciation, to the Visitation, and now in joyful wonder at the mystery of the Incarnation, the Word made flesh, the Emmanuel, who is the little tender baby Jesus in her arms. 

For Mary, there is much to ponder, much to wonder and much to treasure. 

For Mary, every moment is a divine moment in the appointed time of God.

As the 2nd reading tells us: At the appointed time, God sent His Son, born of a woman. 

Yes, every moment is a divine moment in the appointed time of God. 

And in this significant moment in time, as we look forward to 2023, we still look back at 2022, and we ponder and we wonder. 

We wonder at the future of mystery, and we ponder at the moments of our history. 

Those moments could be a mixture of good and bad, some were happy, some were sad, some could be better, some we would rather not remember. 

But good or bad, it is hard to say. Maybe this this story can help us to understand.

Once upon a time, there was a king. The king liked one of his servants very much because he was wise and always gave useful advice. Therefore, the king took him along wherever he went.

One day, the king was bitten by a dog. His finger was injured and the wound got worse and worse. He asked the servant if that was a bad sign. The servant said, "Good or bad, hard to say". In the end, the finger of the king was so bad that it had to be cut off. The king asked the servant again if that was a bad sign. Again, the servant gave the same answer, "Good or bad, hard to say". The king became very angry and sent the servant to prison.

One day, the king went hunting in the jungle.. He got excited when he was chasing a deer. Deeper and deeper he went into the jungle. In the end he found himself lost in the jungle. To make things worse, he got captured by natives living inside the jungle.

They wanted to sacrifice him to their god. But when they noticed that the king had one finger missing, they released him immediately as he was not a perfect man anymore and not suitable for sacrifice. The king managed to get back to his palace after all. 

And he finally understood the servant's wise quote, "Good or bad, hard to say". If he hadn't lost one finger, he could have been killed by the natives.

He ordered to release the servant, and apologized to him. But to the king's

amazement, the servant was not angry at him at all. Instead, the servant said, “It wasn't a bad thing that you locked me up.” “Why?” the king asked. The servant replied, “Because if you didn't lock me up, you would have brought me along to the jungle. And since the natives found that you were not suitable, they would have used me for the sacrifice.

So, good or bad, hard to say …

So, with Mary, we ponder on our past moments so that we can see that those moments are moments of blessing in the appointed time of God. 

And as we wonder about the future, let us also remember that all will happen in God's appointed time. 

Whether good or bad, happy or sad, let us remember that Jesus will be with us in all those moments. 

Jesus is our Saviour. His name means “God saves”. 

May the Lord our God bless us and save us. May He let His face shine upon us and be gracious to us and grant us peace. 

And may Mother Mary pray for us.

Christmas, 25.12.2022

 It can be said that among all the Christian festivals, Christmas has the most decorations. 

The decorations are not just in church. It is also in the business and commercial sectors, as well as in other public places. 

Regardless of whether the decorations have any spiritual meaning, whether the words are spelled “Christmas” or “Xmas”, most of the decorations are unmistakably Christmassy. 

So, in Church, there is the Nativity scene, the Christmas tree, the Christmas wreath, the Star of Bethlehem. 

The secular decorations would have fancy fairy lights, maybe Santa Claus and reindeers and whatever. 

But to admire Christmas decorations, we need to take a few steps back in order to appreciate it. 

And some decorations can only be appreciated from a distance. Anyway, if we go too near the decorations, we may see that it can be rather messy, can be rather dusty, and when there are electrical wiring around, there are also concerns about safety. 

But it is not only Christmas decorations that can be appreciated from a distance. 

Things like art and sculpture, floral arrangements and designs, as well as life and relationships, all that make sense when we step back to appreciate it and to understand it. 

When it comes to life and relationships, we can say that up close, it looks like misery and tragedy. 

But take a step back, or few steps back, life and relationships may reveal beauty and mystery. 

When God created the world, He saw it as good. When He created humanity, He saw it as very good. 

But when humanity committed sin, there came about misery and tragedy. 

But God still saw the world and humanity as beauty. And here comes the mystery. 

God became man in Jesus Christ, and He came into this world and into the misery and tragedy. 

God did that because He so loved the world and Humanity, and God wanted to restore back the beauty. 

And this is the mystery of Christmas, that the Divine became human, so that humans can become like the Divine. 

To become like the divine means to love as God loves, and to see as God sees. 

So if we think that our life and our relationships are described as messy, misery and even tragedy, then Christmas is the Good News. 

When we stand back and look at the Nativity scene, we remember that God took on human flesh and entered this world as a little baby, then we may come to realize that life has tender beauty and mystery. 

So, we stand back and we look at life and our relationships. 

We stand back and remember the people who are near and dear to us, and also those who are near but not that dear to us. 

We stand back and we look at God and the world. 

Yes, we need to stand back because when we go too close, things become blurry and messy, and we see only misery and tragedy. 

The Christmas celebration is about God becoming man so that man can become like God. 

Jesus came to lift us up from the misery and the tragedy so that we can see beauty and mystery in ourselves, in others and in the world. 

When we can see beauty in humanity, then we will know why Jesus came into this world. 

Jesus is the Saviour. The celebration of Christmas is the celebration of our salvation. 

To be saved means that we can see as God sees, and that is to see love and beauty in ourselves, and others and in the world.

4th Sunday of Advent, Year A, 18.12.2022

  Isaiah 7:10-14 / Romans 1:1-7 / Matthew 1:18-25

We would think that life would be easy and stress-free if everything goes according to our plans. 

We have our plans in life, we have our ideas about how life would be, and if life goes according to our plans and our ideas, then we would be happy. 

So, some will get down to writing out their plans in life. They would study diligently and go to a good school and then to a good university. Then they would find a good job and get promoted and earn big money. Then they would get married and start a family. And when everything is in place, they would retire and live happily. 

Call it a plan, or call it a dream, that may be our idea of life and how we would like our future to be. 

But just as a river winds its way from the mountain to the ocean, life is never a straight path that goes according to our ideas. 

Life is a winding journey with unexpected surprises. It is like a TV drama with all its twists and turns. 

And because life is not a straight smooth path, we often get angry, disappointed and frustrated, when things don't turn out according to our plans and ideas. 

In fact, one of our common complaints when things don't go our way is that we get angry with God. 

Yes, we get angry with God when there are sudden turns and changes in life, and we get angry with God when our prayers to make it straight again are not answered. 

The gospel account is about how Jesus Christ came to be born. But at the end of the account, we should be amazed and astonished about how things turned out. 

Mary was betrothed to Joseph, and they had expected to get married and live happily to ripe old age. 

Then Mary was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit, and Joseph was bewildered by it. 

So, he decided to call off the marriage informally, but then he had a strange dream in which an angel spoke to him. 

We can try to imagine how Joseph felt about all this, but in the end, when he woke up, he did what the angel told him and he took Mary to his home. 

If this had happened to us, just how would we have reacted? 

All of a sudden, our plans are changed, our ideas of a rosy future melted away, our hope for a pleasant outcome in life had crumbled. 

Certainly, we would be angry, to say the least, besides being disappointed and frustrated. 

Anger is a common emotion and a reaction, when things don't go our way, or when there are unexpected changes. 

And we vent out that anger at people and at God. 

But we need to realize that anger is such a dangerous emotion because it burns up our insides, and it is also the cause of our pains and illnesses. 

And when we vent out that anger, we burn others and we also burn up our faith in God. 

But the gospel passage teaches us that as it describes how Jesus Christ came to be born, there was so many changes and unexpected surprises in the lives of Mary and Joseph. 

But through the responses of Mary and Joseph, Jesus Christ came into this world. 

Let us know that when there are unexpected changes and surprises, it is an Emmanuel moment. 

When we are getting angry, Jesus is also telling us that God is with us, and something beautiful and wonderful is going to happen. 

May we not let our anger cause destruction to others and to ourselves. 

Rather, in the midst of changes and surprises, let us be ready for a revelation, so that it will be an Emmanuel moment for us and for others.

3rd Sunday of Advent, Year A, 11.12.2022

 Isaiah 35:1-6, 10 / James 5:7-10 / Matthew 11:2-11

We may think that we know enough about a topic or a subject, until we have to explain it, or when we are questioned about it. 

Even when it comes to our faith, there are many things that we think we know, but upon further questioning, we may realize that our knowledge and understanding can be quite lacking. 

For example, the Advent wreath. Why is it circular in shape and not square or some other shape? Why is there a rose coloured candle among the three purple coloured candles? Why is the Nativity scene like half-done and where is Baby Jesus? 

If we can provide good and clear answers and explanations, then we are quite knowledgeable about the practices of our faith. 

But often, it is like we know a bit, and yet we don't seem to know quite a lot, and we may feel embarrassed and frustrated that we can't give reasonable and acceptable answers to what we believe in. 

And even if we are well informed about the various aspects of our faith, it may not mean that we have a conviction. 

Because knowing may not necessarily lead to believing, and when our faith is shaken, then our belief will also be tested. 

In the gospel, we heard that John the Baptist was in prison and he heard about what Jesus was doing, and he sent his disciples to ask Jesus this question: Are you the one who is to come, or have we to wait for someone else? 

We may remember that it was John the Baptist who pointed out Jesus as the Lamb of god, the Saviour. 

But now, in the darkness and despair of his prison cell, doubts are encircling him and his faith is put to the test. 

John the Baptist could be wondering, if Jesus is the Saviour, then why isn't He coming to free him from this prison, and even punish those who have persecuted him. 

That could be the reason why John the Baptist sent his disciples to ask Jesus that question. Because John the Baptist wasn't sure about Jesus anymore.

But like John the Baptist, when our faith is not shaken and put to the test, our faith may shine like daylight with confidence. 

But when we are faced with disappointment and frustration, when anger and resentment burns up our faith, and fear and anxiety cut up our belief in God, then we are like John the Baptist in his prison cell. 

We can sum up the darkness and despair in one word and that is “Why?”, and we want, and even demand answers from God. 

John the Baptist may not understand, why after pointing out Jesus as the Lamb of God, he would end up in prison. 

He could have felt that God had dumped him, or forgotten about him, now that the focus is on Jesus. 

But it was in that prison, that John the Baptist would bear witness and testimony to God as he laid down his life for his belief. 

In that sense, his question about Jesus was answered, and so were his prayers of despair and distress. 

We too will have our questions that begin with “Why?”, and we will have our desperate prayers in darkness. 

But our prayers will be heard, and our questions will be answered, as we listen to this reflection: 

I asked for strength, and God gave me difficulties to make me strong. 

I asked for wisdom, and God gave me problems to solve. 

I asked for courage, and God gave me dangers to overcome. 

I asked for love, and God gave me troubled people to help. 

My prayers were answered. 

In this 3rd Week of Advent, we light the third candle, the rose coloured candle, to symbolize the joy in our time of waiting. 

And as we wait in faith, may God also answer our prayers and our questions about life, so that we will be filled with the joy of having faith in God.

2nd Sunday of Advent, Year A, 04.12.2022

 As we enter into the month of December, we would have put up the Christmas decorations at home, and maybe even at the office or at the workplace.

In Church, the decorations are already up, both inside as well as outside, although the Nativity scene inside the Church would be in its full array on Christmas day.

The Nativity scene would typically have the figurines of the Baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph,the shepherds and the sheep, the cow and the donkey and if there is still space, then there will be the three wise men and their camels.

That would mean that the Nativity scene is already quite crowded enough, and also there is no need to add other figurines.

But let us remember that before Christmas, there is the season of Advent, the 4 weeks of Advent, and today we begin the second week of Advent.

One main feature of the season of Advent is the prophecies that point to the Messiah, the Promised One of God, the coming of the Saviour who would save God's people from their sins.

Besides the prophecies, there is another character that will be showing up in the season of Advent, and it is John the Baptist.

In today's Gospel, John the Baptist makes his appearance with a rather straightforward message of repentance, and also in a unique dressing fashion and rather strange diet.

Besides that, his message was direct and to the point. And if John the Baptist were to come to Church today, he would stand in front of the Nativity scene to block our view and to obstruct photo taking. 

Because for John the Baptist, there is no Christmas celebration without the Advent preparation and repentance.

And he may even have an axe in his hand to show that he means business. The message of the axe is clear: Any tree that fails to bear good fruit will be cut down.

John the Baptist’s Advent message for us is that we take a good look at ourselves and to cut off whatever that does not lead us to God.

And we don't have much time, because Christmas is only 22 days away, and we have to hurry and get down on our knees and pray, so that we can see what to cut off, and to have the courage and determination to do so.

As we get busier and busier and with so much to do as we emerge after the 2 years of restrictions, we have developed a strange attitude.

We seem to have a thirst for “revenge”. So there is revenge shopping, revenge traveling, revenge socializing, revenge holidaying, revenge whatever.

It is like we want to break free and catch up on some kind of lost time, so we are busy taking “revenge”.

We are so “revenge” busy, that we forgot about what the past 2 years had taught us, and that is we have a family.

When our movements were restricted, and we had to stay at home and look at each other, as well as getting into each other's way, we may have realized that when everything is down to nothing, we still have something, and that is our family.

One strange thing about photo-taking is that as much as we take a lot of photos, there are not that many photographs, because most of the photos we take are stored in some media.

One thing that we can do this Advent is to take a family photo and have it printed as a photograph.

We can put that photograph in the Nativity scene along with the other figurines of the Baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the shepherds and the sheep, the cow and the donkey, and the three wise men.

We can also gather as a family to pray before the Nativity scene.

That is a sign of repentance, because repentance is not a sad and painful thing to do.

Repentance is a joyful experience, because the Lord is making His path straight into our hearts.

Jesus also wants to help us to make our paths straight into each other's hearts so that we can experience family joy and love.

So let us repent and bear fruits of love for the Lord and for each other.

1st Sunday of Advent, Year A, 27.11.2022

 Isaiah 2:1-5 / Romans 13:11-14 / Matthew 24:37-44

Going by how we make plans for our lives and how life happens, we can say this, and that is “expect the expected”. 

Of course, we have heard the saying “expect the unexpected”, but let us remember that it is the exception to the norm. 

By and large, in life, we can expect the expected, and from that we will have some stability and maintain some balance in life. 

So, we come to church for Mass, and we expect to have Mass and there is Mass. We wouldn't like to have too many surprises, especially unpleasant surprises that leave us flustered and frustrated. 

So, if no changes have been announced earlier, we would come at this time for Mass and expect to have Mass as usual. 

It is not going to be like, we come at this time for Mass, and then be told that Mass was earlier and the next Mass is later in the evening. 

We will certainly not be pleasantly surprised, and we will have something to say about that. 

So, we can expect the expected, unless we have ignored some notices or announcements that were made earlier. 

Nevertheless, life has its surprises and here is where we have to expect the unexpected. 

But as we think deeper about it, even the unexpected will usually give out some signs and signals before it happens. 

In the gospel, Jesus talks about the Flood which was recorded in the Book of Genesis. 

Jesus said that in those days before the Flood, people were eating and drinking, taking wives and taking husbands, right up to the day Noah went into the ark, and they suspected nothing till the Flood came and swept all away. 

So, was the Flood expected? Was there no warning or were there no signs at all? 

Before it began to rain for 40 days and 40 nights, God had instructed Noah to build the ark. 

The ark was certainly big enough and cannot be missed, because it was to take in two of every species of all the animals, from the elephants to the ants, with the mosquitoes included. 

And even to this day, there are some people who are searching for the remains of that ark. 

So the ark was big enough not to be missed. So the people saw it. But they didn't wonder about it. They thought that Noah was crazy to build such a thing, and they didn't even bother to ask why. 

In short, they ignored the signs and the warnings. And then the Flood came. 

So, the Flood was not unexpected. There were warnings and there were signs. But the people ignored it. And for that they were all swept away. 

Jesus continues by saying that when the Son of Man comes, then of the two who are in the fields or at the millstone grinding, one will be taken and the other will be left. 

Whether who is taken or who is left behind, did they expect it, or were there no signs or warnings to indicate what was going to happen? 

As we begin a season of Advent, we are called to be like Mary, to ponder and to treasure what God is saying to us. 

We have also received a little booklet to help us in our reflection and to help us to be sensitive to the signs that God is showing us. 

And we are also given a card to write down our promises to Jesus as we embark on a new beginning in our spiritual lives. 

Yes, let us ask Mary our Mother to help us ponder and to be sensitive to the signs that God is revealing to us. 

Let us remember, that before we fall sick, our body will whisper about its pains. 

Before we break up, our spouse or friend will whisper about their frustrations. 

Before the business goes bankrupt, the customers will whisper about their complaints. 

If we don't listen to the whispers, then we will be forced to hear the screams. 

God speaks to us, softly and tenderly, and with Mary, we listen so that we can follow God's directions. 

As we begin this season of Advent, let us be silent so that we can listen. 

Then we can expect, not so much the unexpected, but more so the expected.

Christ the King, Year C, 20.22.2022

 2 Sam 5:1-3 / Col 1:12-20 / Luke 23:35-43

Whenever the topic of leadership is discussed, we will have our expectations of what a leader is like. 

In our minds, a leader should have some abilities and capabilities that are above the ordinary. 

Probably our expectations of a leader are influenced by movies and even fairy tales. 

In movies and fairy tales, the leader is the hero who is the winner and everyone cheers for him as he leads his people to victory, and he saves his lady and they live happily ever after. 

The leader is a brave warrior who charges into battle and fights the bad guys. Though he may get injured and wounded, he will always make a comeback and overcome his enemies. 

Yes, these are what we imagine or expect a leader to be. 

And to be a king, it is to be a leader of all leaders. To be a good king means that he is able to govern his people wisely and justly. A good king will protect and provide for his people so that they will have peace and prosperity. 

With these ideas and expectations of a king and kingship, and as we celebrate the feast of Christ the King, let us look at what the gospel says about Jesus as king. 

In the gospel, the notice on the Cross says that Jesus is the King of the Jews. And that is where our ideas and expectations of a king begin to fizzle and crumble. 

Obviously, the notice was to mock and insult Jesus as He was nailed to the Cross and condemned to die as a criminal. 

The people were not cheering for him, and the leaders of the people were jeering at Him. Even the soldiers mocked Him as they said: If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself. 

Jesus, nailed to the Cross, and insulted and jeered at, did not look anything like a king and much less a leader; in fact, He looked like a loser. 

Yet it has to be said that on the Cross, Jesus is truly the King of kings and the Lord of lords. 

His most astounding statement to the repentant criminal is this: Indeed, I promise you, today you will be with me in Paradise. 

No matter how powerful a king is, no matter how great a leader is, he can't promise anyone entry into heaven, or the reward of eternal Paradise. 

A true king is able to protect his people and save them from their enemies. 

Jesus is the Universal King because He overcame evil and conquered sin and death. 

Jesus is the true Saviour because He not only saves us from sin and death, He leads us from this world to be with Him in paradise. 

We all want to go to our eternal home in Heaven. We believe that there is an eternal Paradise awaiting us where we will be with Jesus forever. 

Jesus our King will lead us there. Let us obey our King and serve Him by doing what He wants of us. 

So, we ask Jesus to remember us and we also ask Jesus to remember those who acknowledge Him as their King and Saviour. 

May we journey together with them to be with Jesus in Paradise. 

For those who mock and insult Jesus, let us also ask Jesus to remember them. 

They too need to be saved. They can only understand what salvation is when we offer them kindness and compassion. 

Let us remember that Jesus also wants to see them in Paradise.

And Jesus is asking us to help them by leading them to Him so that He can make that astounding promise to them, that same promise that He made to the repentant criminal, that same promise that He also makes to us.

33rd Ordinary Sunday, Year C, 13.11.2022

 Malachi 3:19-20 / 2 Thess 3:7-21 / Luke 21:5-19

When God created man, God set man above all creation by creating man in His image. 

And we can see that image of God when we look at what we are endowed with and how human beings are unique. 

We have intellect and will, we have creativity and other abilities that set us apart and above all other creatures. 

So naturally, we want to be healthy and strong, we want to look good, feel good, and of course be good. 

And we want to face adversities and difficulties, bravely and courageously. 

But no matter how healthy and strong we are, no matter how brave and courageous we may be, we have one common adversary. 

And that adversary is none other than fear, which can be anything from a paralyzing fear, to a bone chilling fear to a fear of being alone. 

There can be the fear of insects like lizards or cockroaches or spiders. There can also be a fear of heights, or that something may seem normal to most people but causes phobia in some people. 

Whatever it is, the effects of fear can be anything from worry and anxiety, to panic and chaos. 

In life, there are fears that keep recurring, like the fear of poverty, which may make us obsessed with getting financial security. 

Or the fear of losing our jobs, or the fear of illness and diseases, and all sorts of other fears. 

In the gospel passage, Jesus addressed three realities that are rather disturbing. 

First, He talks about the passing of things, that not one stone will be left on another. In other words, nothing lasts forever. 

Then He talks about turmoil and distress, about natural disasters, plagues and famine. 

And then He talks about persecution and mortal danger and death. 

But despite all that, the last sentence of Jesus gives us the hope that God will protect and save us as He says: Your endurance will win you your lives. 

Endurance is to hold on to our faith in God as our Protector and Saviour, especially in the darkest and most frightening moments of our lives. 

To have faith means that we must trust in God that He has His ways of protecting and saving us.

There is this story that during World War II, a soldier was separated from his unit on a Pacific island. The fighting had been intense, and in the smoke and the crossfire, he had lost touch with his comrades.

Alone in the jungle, he could hear enemy soldiers coming in his direction. Scrambling for cover, he found his way up a high ridge to several small caves in the rock. Quickly he crawled inside one of the caves. 

Although safe for the moment, he realized that once the enemy soldiers looking for him swept up the ridge, they would quickly search all the caves and he would be killed. 

As he waited, he prayed, “Lord, if it is your will, please protect me. Whatever your will though, I love you and trust you. Amen.”

After praying, he lay quietly listening to the enemy drawing close. He thought, “Well, I guess the Lord isn’t going to help me out of this one.”

Just then he saw a spider begin to build a web over the front of his cave. As he watched, listening to the enemy searching for him all the while, the spider layered strand after strand of web across the opening of the cave.

“Hah” he thought, “what I need is a brick wall and what the Lord has sent me is a spider web. God does have a sense of humor.”

As the enemy drew closer, he watched from the darkness of his hideout and could see them searching one cave after another. As they came to him, he got ready to make his last stand. 

To his amazement, however, after glancing in the direction of his cave, they moved on.

Suddenly, he realized that with the spider web over the entrance of the cave, it looked as if no one had entered it for quite a while.

“Lord, forgive me,” prayed the young man, “I had forgotten that in You, a spider’s web is stronger than a brick wall.”

We all face times of great trouble, distress and turmoil. It is so easy to fear and forget the victories that God would work in our lives, sometimes in the most surprising ways.

But let us endure, let us keep believing, let us keep hoping and let us keep praying.

God is our Protector and our Saviour. We will not be lost as long as we put our trust in Him.

32nd Ordinary Sunday, Year C, 06.11.2022

  2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14 / 2 Thess 2:16 – 3:5 / Luke 20:27-38

It is a human desire to live to a ripe old age. So, what do we think is a ripe old age? 

In the Bible, the Book of Psalms (90:10) has this to tell us: The lifespan of a man is 70 years, and 80 for those who are strong. 

So, if our lifespan on earth is 70 or 80 years, would that be considered a short time or a long time? 

If life is good and comfortable, if we are healthy and happy, then 80 years might seem a bit short. We would like to enjoy life a bit longer. 

But if life is difficult and tough, and we are unhappy and stressed out, then 80 years might be enough. 

Of course, it is not up to us to decide how long we would live. That is for God to decide. 

But whether the life is short or long, we know that we live life in this world only once. 

And how we live our life in this world is a preparation for life in the next world, which is our eternal life. 

In the Bible, the Book of Wisdom says that the life of a person is not measured by the number of years, or how many grey hairs, but how faithful that person is to God. 

In the 1st reading, the seven brothers had their lives cut short because they rather lose their lives than to lose their faith. 

And their faith is that God will reward them for laying down their lives for Him, and so they faced death as they put their hope in God. 

We know that we pass by this world only once, and we will not come back again to this world. 

If we really believe that, then it really doesn't matter whether life is short or long. 

Rather we will live the life that God wants us to live, and that is to do whatever good we can, to be kind and gentle and loving. 

We will live by faith and good works, as we prepare ourselves for the eternal life that is to come. 

In the gospel, the Sadducees, who do not believe in the resurrection or in eternal life, approached Jesus and presented Him with an imaginary case of seven brothers and woman whom each of them had married because of a particular stipulation in the law of Moses. 

They tried to trap Jesus so that He would be unable to give an answer, and that would enable the Sadducees to reinforce their belief that there is no resurrection or eternal life. 

But instead of getting entangled with a slippery question, Jesus gave a teaching about the God of life and love. 

So, if we truly believe that we will rise to eternal life, then how we live life in this world begins to matter. 

Because if we are not loving in this life, then what makes us think that we will be loving in the eternal life? 

If we don't put God first in this life, then where will He be in the eternal life? Or actually where will we be in the eternal life? 

The same would be for what Jesus taught us, about being kind and gentle, about compassion and forgiveness. 

As we give in this life, so will we receive in the eternal life. 

So, let us move away from anger and bitterness, from unforgiveness and revenge, from selfishness and greed. 

We don't want to live a long life of sadness and sorrow. 

We want to be happy in this life and eternally happy in the next. 

Jesus came to give us life and life to the full, so that we will be able to love God and to love others in this life. 

We believe in the God of life and love, and salvation means living a loving life. 

So, what can we say about life on earth? It is this: It is not about adding days to our life, but adding life and love to our days.

31st Ordinary Sunday, Year C, 30.10.2022

 Wisdom 11:22 – 12:2 / Thess 1:11 – 2:2 / Luke 19:1-10

There is one thing that young children like to do, and that is to climb. 

From the moment they start crawling around, they will also begin to look for things to climb. 

So, when they see a flight of steps they will go and climb it. And it is not just steps. They will also climb things like chairs, low tables, sofas, beds and whatever catches their interest. 

And they will also want to climb as high as they can, regardless of whether they can come down after that or not. 

We may be amused by the climbing abilities of the young children, but it is not that funny anymore when they climb onto windows and even climb out of it. 

But this instinct and ability to climb is not just during childhood. It continues into adulthood. 

Adults also like to climb but it is not a flight of steps or chairs or tables or sofas anymore. 

Adults like to climb ladders, but it is not the ladders that we are thinking of. Adults climb the career-ladder, the ambition-ladder, the status-ladder, the power-ladder, the wealth-ladder. 

And with each rung of those kind of ladders, they step harder and deeper into selfishness, into greed, into desires, and into other things like pride and jealousy. 

The climb is always up and higher, and as it is said, the higher you climb, the harder you fall. 

In the gospel, we hear of the senior and wealthy tax collector Zacchaeus who heard of Jesus and was anxious to see what kind of man He was. 

But Zacchaeus was short and he couldn't get through the crowd, so he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree. 

Instinctively, he knew he needed the advantage and climbing up a sycamore tree would make him higher than the rest. 

But when Jesus came along, He stopped and looked up and said to him: Zacchaeus, come down. Hurry, because I must stay at your house today. 

Obviously, Zacchaeus would be surprised, but he obeyed and came down from the tree and welcomed Jesus joyfully. 

To come down can be seen as an act of humility. To come down is to give up the advantage over others. To come down is to let go of wanting to be at the top and to be with the rest. 

And Jesus said to Zacchaeus: Today, salvation has come to this house. 

And Jesus also said that He came to seek out and save what was lost. 

To be lost is like a kite that has been detached from the string. The kite will fly and even float higher with the wind, but eventually it will come crashing down. 

The human instinct is to climb and to be higher, to be better and to be faster than the rest. But like a kite that is detached from the string, we will lose our grounding, and go along with the ways of the world. 

Jesus calls out to us to come down, and to be grounded in His ways of truth, of life and of love. 

Yes, Jesus calls out to us to seek us out, so that we won't be lost but will walk in the ways of salvation. 

The 1st reading says this about God: Little by little, therefore, You correct those who offend, You admonish and remind them of how they have sinned, so that they may abstain from evil and trust in You. 

We don't want to come crashing down from the ladders of our ways and the ways of the world. 

Jesus will help us to come down slowly, little by little, and He holds us by the hand to help us along. 

There is no need to keep climbing the ladders of self-achievement. 

We just have to climb down to seek divine salvation and Jesus will be there to welcome us.

Mission Sunday, Year C, 23.10.2022

 Isaiah 2:1-5 / Ephesians 3:2-12 / Mark 16:15-20

How we live our lives depends very much on what we believe in. And what we believe in will be expressed in our relationships, and in what we say and do. 

So, if we believe in charity, then we would express that belief by being helpful to others, especially to the poor and those in need. 

We will involve ourselves in social outreach and other services, or what is called “give back to society” and being a “helping hand to our fellow man”. 

But if we think that life is difficult, and that we can only depend on ourselves, that no one is that willing to help us in our time of need, then we will be practical for our own survival. 

We are only going to look out for ourselves, to watch our own back, to put our own needs first, because life is difficult and we have to be practical for our own survival. 

So how we live our lives depends on what we believe in, and others will also know what we believe in by how we live our lives.

But as much as the way we live depends on what we believe in, can it also be that the way we live our lives depends on where we live in?

Of course, where we live in is where we stay, and obviously that is what we call home. 

As it is often being said, charity begins at home. So, if at home, when there is harmony and charity among family members, then that is what they will believe in and that is what they will express when they are with others. 

On the other hand, if at home, there are petty quarrels and troubles, then the family members will also express that tension and frustration in their social interactions. 

So, it can be said that what we believe in is shaped by where we live in. 

If we live in a charitable environment, we will have a charitable orientation. If we live in a tense environment, we will be expressions of that tension. 

In the gospel, when Jesus tells us to go out and proclaim the Good News, let us take a moment to think and reflect on our situation. 

The Church is our spiritual home. We come to Church because it is our Father's House, and Jesus gathers us as the family of God. 

In Church, we gather to worship and to pray, to hear the Good News of salvation, to experience forgiveness and healing, and to be formed as disciples of love. 

So, in Church, we learn how to care and how to be charitable, we learn how to forgive just as we are forgiven, and to help each other live the life that expresses our belief in the Good News of salvation. 

And when we go out, then others will be able to see us as messengers and witnesses of the Good News of the saving love of God. 

Yes, we want to believe that, and we want to live out what we believe in. 

But the Church is not perfect. That is because Jesus came to call sinners, and not those who think that they are virtuous. 

In fact, the church is like a field hospital, where people come in with all sorts of wounds and injuries. 

So, in Church, those of us who are strong must bear with the failings of the weak, so as to help them to be healed and to be strengthened in faith and love. 

In Church, we confess that we are sinners, but we have a Saviour. 

We have our wounds and injuries, but we are also offered healing and forgiveness, so that we can be wounded healers for each other. 

And just as charity begins at home, let that charity be our testimony in Church. 

And when we go out, then let us bear testimony to charity, and it is a testimony to the Good News of the saving love of God for us and for the world.

29th Ordinary Sunday, Year C, 16.10.2022

  Exodus 17:8-13 / 2 Tim 3:14 – 4:2 / Luke 18:1-8

One of the things in life that we really dislike is to wait. To wait is always at the expense of our time, whether it is to wait for someone to turn up, or to wait for something to happen. 

But waiting is such a common occurrence that we should have gotten used to it, but we still complain about it. 

Oh yes, we spend so much time in life waiting that we have become numb to it. 

Of course, when we have to wait for someone who is late, we can get angry because our time is wasted in waiting. 

Or if we have to wait for the service man, or the delivery man, or for our queue number to be called, we can get annoyed, irritated and frustrated, as we feel that we are like trapped. 

But other than that, we actually spend a lot of time waiting for life to happen. So, when we were children, we can't wait to grow up and be an adult, so that we can be independent and have freedom. 

We can't wait to get a job and earn money, and yet after a while, we can't wait to retire so that we can relax from the stress.

We can't wait to buy a home, and even a car, and then we can't wait to finish off paying the monthly mortgage and instalments. 

Oh yes, we can't wait to get a lot of things, and yet, we also can't wait to get out of a lot of things. 

In the 1st reading, we heard that Joshua and his men went into battle with the Amalekites, while Moses stood on the hilltop with the staff of God in his hands. 

As long as Moses kept his arms raised, Israel had the advantage. But when he let his arms fall, Israel began to lose the battle. 

Moses could have been silently wishing, while keeping his arms raised, that Joshua and his men would quickly win the battle. 

But he waited and his arms got tired. So, he had to keep his arms raised and kept waiting for the battle to be over. 

As he waited, and his arms got tired, Moses came to realize that he needed help, and so Aaron and Hur came to his help to keep his arms raised, and with that Israel won the battle. 

So, it was in his waiting that Moses realized that God was telling him something, that he can't do it alone and he needed help from Aaron and Hur. 

In the gospel, Jesus told a parable to teach about the need to pray constantly and never to lose heart. 

In that parable the widow pestered the judge for justice, but for a long time he refused and he wasn't bothered. 

Then somehow, at last, he realized it would be better to do for the widow what was just. 

The widow persisted and waited, and from that we learn that all things happen in God's time. 

So even when we pray for what is good, right and just, we have to be prepared to wait. 

St. Monica waited for 30 years before her son St. Augustine was converted. And St. Monica became the model for all mothers praying for the conversion of their children. 

The people of God wandered and waited in the desert for 40 years before they entered the Promised Land, and from that they learned how to obey and trust in God's providence. 

So, in faith we pray and wait, and in that waiting, we must also be listening to what God is saying. 

There is hymn with this chorus: 

Holy Darkness, blessed night, Heaven’s answer hidden from my sight. As we await You, O God of silence, we embrace Your holy night. 

So, we pray, we wait, we listen and we put our trust in God that He will make all things beautiful in His time. 

God blesses those who put their hope and trust in God's time, that He will reveal something to us as we wait. 

God will reward those who wait with love, because good things will come upon hearts that have learned to be patient and persistent.

28th Ordinary Sunday, Year C, 09.10.2022

 2 Kings 5:14-17 / 2 Tim 2:8-13 / Luke 17:11-19

For those of us who are into photography, whether as a professional or as an amateur, we will know how the camera, as well as photo taking has evolved. 

We will remember it was bulky cameras that require a roll of film that usually comes in 24 or 36 exposures. And then the hassle of having to go to the shop to have the film developed into photographs. And we need to get photo albums so that we can insert the photographs of our precious moments. 

Fast forward to the present moment, and almost everyone, including the children, can be photographers. 

The smartphone has changed the concept of the camera and photo taking, as well as photographs. 

Every smartphone has a camera, and anyone who has a smartphone can be a photographer. 

And the film, the developing of the film, and maybe even photo albums are a thing of the past. 

Because in the smartphone, there is a folder called “Albums” or “Photos”, and in there are all the photos taken with the smartphone. 

So, we can see the photos immediately with the smartphone, do editing on the photos, and if we wish, we can send the photo by wireless to a printer. 

Yes, it is so amazing that we can take a photo as and when we want, and without much hassle. 

But one observation from all this technological development is that as much as many photos are taken with smartphones or cameras, we don't see that many hard copy photographs. 

And with that, photo albums are a thing of the past. It may be even difficult to find one. 

But if something is out of sight, then slowly it will be out of mind. 

In the gospel, the 10 lepers approached Jesus, not because they want to take a photo of Him or take a photo with Him. 

They had a desperate need, and they called out to Him: Jesus! Master! Take pity on us. 

When Jesus saw them, He said, “Go and show yourself to the priests.” That was the sign that Jesus had granted them the cure because the priests were the ones who would certify their recovery. 

So, all 10 lepers were cured, but only one turn back and praised God at the top of his voice and threw himself down at the feet of Jesus and thank Him. 

That made Jesus wonder about the attitude of the other nine who were also cured. 

But what is really significant is what Jesus said to that man who came back to thank Him: Stand up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you. 

All 10 were cured, but only one had faith and because of his faith he was saved. 

For the other nine, Jesus was important at a time when they needed a cure from their disease. 

It was like they took a photo of Jesus and it was a precious moment for them in their desperate need. 

But when their need was granted, other things came into their lives and the memory of Jesus was slowly forgotten. 

Except for that man who came back to thank Jesus. Jesus remained in his heart and in his life. That was his faith, and Jesus affirmed him of his faith. 

So more than just being cured, his faith was ignited, and he gave thanks and he walked towards salvation. 

We too had turned to Jesus and our prayers were answered and our needs were granted. 

Let us always give thanks and remember Jesus in our hearts. 

At the entrance of the church, there are prayer cards of the image of Jesus on one side and a short prayer on the other. 

Let us keep that prayer card in our wallet or even on the home screen of our smartphones. 

In our time of need, let us turn to Jesus and let us have the faith that He will answer our prayers. 

And may we always give thanks to Jesus. Those with a grateful and thankful heart are on the road to salvation.

27th Ordinary Sunday, Year C, 02.10.2022

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

At Mass, the letter “I” is used only a few times. At the Penitential Rite, it is at the “I confess”. At the Communion Rite, it is at the “I am not worthy”. And at the Creed, it is at the “I believe”. 

The letter “I” is a singular, first-person pronoun. We use “I” when we want to talk about ourselves, about what we do, and how we feel. 

So, to say “I believe”, it points to a commitment and a conviction. But to say “I believe in God” is not just a personal commitment or conviction. 

To believe in God requires faith, and faith is a gift from God. It is with the gift of faith that we can believe in God, and we respond with faith to the call of God to be His People. 

So, to be a Christian means that we have a love relationship with God through Jesus Christ. 

God does not treat us as lowly servants that He can use to do some thankless work, or to make us fear Him because He will punish wrongdoers. 

Rather, God calls us to be His children, He wants to love us, so that we can love Him in return and to serve Him with love. 

It takes faith to do all that with love. So, it can be said that with faith, we will be able to love God and to love others. 

Faith can be as small as a mustard seed, but the love can be so powerful that we can tell the mulberry tree to be uprooted and be planted in the sea and it will do so. 

But faith and love need not be so dramatic and spectacular. 

In the 1st reading, the prophet Habakkuk cried out to God even though his faith was eroding.

What Habakkuk saw around him was despair and distress. There was oppression and injustice, there was outrage and violence, and God doesn't seem to be doing anything about it. 

But Habakkuk’s faith was restored when God answered and even told him to write down the vision. 

What restored Habakkuk’s faith is that God's promises are eager for its own fulfilment, and it does not deceive. It may come slowly, but come it will without fail. 

All that can be summed up by that last line of the 1st reading when God said this: The upright man will live by his faithfulness. 

So yes, we are given the faith to believe in God, to believe that God is good, God is love, that God is kind and compassionate. 

If we believe that God is all that, then with our mustard seed of faith, we will want to believe that people can be like God.

A story goes that a mother gave her little daughter two apples. Then, she asked the girl to give her one of the apples. She thought that if the girl gave her the smaller one, then she would teach the girl to be generous and respectful to elders.

To her shock and disappointment, the girl quickly took a bite of the bigger apple and just as the mother thought she was going to give her the smaller apple, the girl took a bite of the smaller apple too.

The mother was very sad that her daughter was selfish and cared only for herself. 

Then the girl stretched out her hand, gave an apple to her mother and said: Mummy, you eat this apple, this apple is sweeter!

The mother was ashamed that she didn’t believe in the goodness of her daughter.

Yes, we ask the Lord to increase our faith so that we can believe in the goodness of the Lord. 

And let us ask the Lord to increase our faith so that we can also believe in the goodness of people. 

May the Lord increase our faith, so that our love will also increase. 

When we are able to see the goodness of the Lord in the people and everything around us, then God's blessings will also increase upon us, and upon our mustard seed of faith.

26th Ordinary Sunday, Year C, 25.09.2022

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

The five senses that we have help us to relate and interact with the people around us, as well as what is around us. 

From what we are able to see, hear, smell, taste and touch, we will react and respond accordingly. 

So, when we see something beautiful, we will respond with admiration. When we hear something pleasant and mellow, we will be delighted. When we smell a sweet fragrance, or taste something delicious, or feel something soft and smooth, we will be happy and excited. 

Yes, when we see, hear, smell, taste and touch the good things of life, we respond with good and positive emotions. 

But life is not always about the good and nice things. When we encounter something that calls for our attention, or something that is disturbing, or something that requires our immediate action, how will we respond, or how will we react? 

When we see a person in a desperate need, or come across a sad situation, we will be moved with kindness and compassion. 

The human heart can be moved to help those in need and to have compassion for those in despair. 

Because the human heart is created by God with love, and created to be loving. 

In the gospel parable, we heard of a rich man who cared only for himself and enjoyed life in a selfish manner. 

He seems to have no feelings for others, or care about others, even if they are poor and hungry, or sick and in a desperate need. 

At his gate was Lazarus, who was obviously poor and hungry, sick and needed help. But the rich man left Lazarus outside, at his gate.

He didn't let Lazarus come in, or let him into his comfort zone. 

Although it is just a parable, it reveals a number of divided human realities. So there is the rich and the poor, the powerful and the oppressed, the plenty and the needy, those who are inside and those who are outside.

As human beings, we have hearts of flesh, hearts that have the capacity for kindness and compassion, hearts that can move us into acts of love and to help others. 

But our hearts may have been hardened by disappointment and frustrations, by resentment and bitterness, by pain and hurt. 

So, we look, but we only see ourselves. We hear, but we listen only to ourselves. We want everything good, but only for ourselves. We look inward and not outwards. 

But we are not created to be like that. Whatever we see, hear, smell, taste and touch, are revelations and promptings from God, so that we will open our hearts to others, to love them, to help them and show them kindness and compassion. 

So, how does God reveal Himself to us and send signs into our hearts? The following is for our reflection: 

A man whispered, “O God, speak to me.” A bird sang, but the man did not hear. So, the man yelled, “O God, speak to me.” And the thunder rolled across the sky, but the man did not listen. 

The man looked around and said, “God, let me see You.” And a star shined brightly, but the man did not notice. And the man shouted, “O God, show me a miracle.” And a baby was born. But the man did not care. 

So, the man cried out in despair, “Touch me, O God, and let me know that You are here.” Whereupon God reach down and touched the man. But the man brushed the butterfly away and walked away in disappointment.

So, let us not walk away from a blessing just because it didn’t come in a way we expected.

Similarly, let us not walk away, or look away from others, in their need.

May we reach out to love them, to help them, to show them kindness and compassion and understanding.

When we reach out to those in need, we will be able to see that God is also reaching out to us in our time of need.a

25th Ordinary Sunday, Year C, 18.09.2022

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

In life, we would have come across many wise sayings that are actually quite easy to remember. 

But when we don't hear them often enough, we will not remember them that easily. So, if out of sight may lead to out of mind, then when we don't repeat it, we will not remember it. 

One wise saying that has just five simple words, and it is this: Honesty is the best policy. 

When was the last time that we heard that saying? Or when was the last time that we said it? 

When a person has honesty as a principle in life, then he will do what is right and just, he will be responsible and accountable. 

That is the kind of person that we will put our trust in. 

But have we been able to find an honest person or a couple of honest persons to put our trust in? 

Or, turning the question around, do we think that we are honest enough for others to put their trust in us? 

And if honesty is the best policy, then is honesty also our policy, especially when it comes to money? 

In the gospel parable, we heard of a steward who was wasteful with his master's property, or in other words, that steward was dishonest. 

The master found out, and the steward was to be dismissed, but he quickly did something to secure his future, and it was at the master’s expense. 

But Jesus said something that is rather astonishing and maybe even confusing. Jesus said this: The master praised that dishonest steward for his astuteness. 

To be astute, is to have the ability to accurately assess a situation or a person and to turn it to one's advantage or gain. 

So, Jesus said that the master was impressed by the steward’s astuteness, even though he was dishonest. 

What Jesus is saying is that the world will be impressed when a person is able take advantage of others and to gain by crooked means, be it by lying or cheating, or by wheeling and dealing. 

But as Jesus emphasized, honesty is not just in big things; rather it begins with little things. 

One test of honesty is having to queue up. We don’t like to queue up. To cut queue may not be deemed as a moral issue, but it says a lot about the character of the person. 

We may have heard about the long queues of people who want to pay the last respects to the late Queen Elizabeth. 

There is an edifying story about a famous football player who queued for 12 hours to pay his last respects. 

He didn't use his celebrity status to get things his way, but he joined the rest of the people to wait for their turn to pay respects. And he got respected for that. 

Yet there were other stars or big names who used their status to cut the queue. They may have gotten what they wanted, but it came with the price of negative comments. 

As for us, we want to take honesty as our policy not because people are looking at us. 

We want to do what is right and just, and even when we falter, we want be responsible and accountable. 

Because, the 1st reading reminds us of what God said to His people: Never will I forget a single thing that you have done. 

But God is not watching us to see if we are doing the wrong thing. 

He wants us to believe in His love and goodness, so that if honesty is our best policy, it is because we believe that God loves us and that He wants us to do what is right and just and loving. 

So let us keep our eyes on the Lord, as we speak with honesty, think with sincerity and act with integrity.

24th Ordinary Sunday, Year C, 11.09.2022

 Exodus 32:7-11, 13-14 / 1 Tim 1:12-17 / Luke 15:1-32

Our country has a unique way of categorizing the age groups, and especially that of the seniors. A citizen who is above the age of 60 is termed as a “senior”. 

In that senior age group, are the “Pioneer” generation and the “Merdeka” generation. The percentage of seniors in Singapore is just below 20%. It means that one out of five Singaporeans is a senior. 

There is a saying that a senior or an elder in the family is valued as a treasure. If so for the family, then it is so for a country. 

So, is there anything that can be learned from these seniors? What are their contributions to society in their senior years? 

If anything, it will be this, and that is: Listen to your elders’ advice. Not because they are always right, but because they have more experiences of being wrong. 

Well, practically speaking, the seniors and the elders have crossed more bridges and eaten more salt, so some credit and respect must be given to them. 

And the scriptures also tell us something about the seniors and elders, that they have a deeper and wiser view of life. 

In the 1st reading, we heard how Moses pleaded for the people when God wanted to punish them for their disobedience and unfaithfulness. 

Moses himself knew what it was to be exiled and persecuted, and he didn't want his people to go through that painful experience. 

God heard his pleas, and God relented and did not bring on His people the disaster He had threatened. 

That tells us that when the elders plead for mercy and forgiveness, God will listen to them.

In the gospel, the parable of the Prodigal Son teaches us many things, but the central figure in the parable is not so much the wayward son but the compassionate father. 

The father sadly accepted the son’s leaving, but he also joyfully accepted the son’s return. The father also pleaded with the elder son to forgive his younger brother. 

So, the scriptures tell us about the comforting and consoling cries of the elders for the nation and for the family. 

So truly, God is teaching us to listen to our elders, because He can speak through them.

And on this Catholic Education Sunday, God is telling us, whether we are students or parents, to listen to the voice of the teachers, because He will speak through them. 

Teachers don't only impart the three R's of education, which is reading, writing and arithmetic. 

Teachers also want to impart the deeper aspects of the three R's of life, which is responsibility, respect and reverence. 

Responsible teachers will also want to form their students to be responsible for their actions and to be responsible to others by doing what is good, right and loving. 

Teachers want to instil respect in their students so that they will respect their parents and obey them, for that is the Commandment of God. 

And teachers also want to form their students in the faith, so that they will have reverence for God and walk in the ways of the Lord. 

So, teachers are not just about teaching the three R’s of Education. They also form the young in the three R’s of life, which is responsibility, respect and reverence. 

Like the seniors and the elders, teachers may not be always right, but they surely have learned from the experiences of being wrong. 

So let us listen to the seniors, the elders and the teachers. They stand together with Moses and father of the Prodigal Son to plead before God for the good of the people. 

Let us listen to them because God can speak through them. 

And when we listen to God, God will also listen to us.

23rd Ordinary Sunday, Year C, 04.09.2022

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

There are many things that nature can teach us when we observe and reflect upon it. 

And there are many proverbs that are from the wonders of nature, like, “make hay while the sun shines”, “still waters run deep”, “time and tide wait for no man”, “nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished”. 

But we don't have to look that far and wide in nature to see the wisdom of life. 

When we look at the human body, then we may come to realize that the human body is a wonderful teacher of nature. 

The more we learn about it, the greater the appreciation we have about the human body. And every part of the human body has something to teach us. 

For example, our hands, besides being very useful, can be a subject of reflection and meditation. 

The fingers of the hand are of different lengths, but they are all joined together at the palm, and the fingers complement each other. So there is unity in diversity. 

Hands also speak a language of their own and it is called sign language. 

Hands can be creative as they can cook, sew, write, draw and play musical instruments. 

But hands can also be aggressive as they can be used to make vulgar signs, and slap and punch to hurt others. 

A sign of possessiveness is when the fingers of the hand curl inwards into the palm and clenched into a fist. 

That says a lot about possessiveness, and with the fingers of the hand clenched like a fist, it may also show that we can resort to violence in order to protect our possessions. 

When our hands are clenched into a fist, then we are not going to hold anyone's hands, and we don't want anyone to hold our hands either. 

Indeed, the fingers in our hands say so much of who we are and how we look at life. 

In the gospel, Jesus tells us that no one can be His disciple unless he gives up all his possessions. 

But our most precious possessions are not things. The most precious possession is none other than our self. It is about our freedom, our choices, about what we like and what we don't like. 

Yes, it is our self that is most difficult to give up. Because it is about giving up our freedom, giving up our choices, giving up what we want. 

And so, we hold on tightly to our self, like fists that are clenched tightly. But when we clench our fingers tightly into our palms, it will be painful. We are only hurting ourselves. 

Jesus is asking us not to hurt ourselves and open our hands. When we open our hands and let go, then God can do something for us. 

He will put His blessings into our hands so that we can see the wisdom of life with open hands. 

With open hands we can also touch and feel. With open hands, we let go of ourselves so that we can reach out to God and reach out to others. That is what loving God and loving others is all about. 

And with open hands, we can take up the cross and follow Jesus. 

The cross is illogical and foolish for those with clenched fists and they won't take it up. 

But when we open our hands to take up the cross, we take up the power and the wisdom of God. 

As the 1st reading tells us, it is by the power and wisdom of God that the paths of those on earth are straightened, and men are taught what pleases God and be saved. 

One more thing about hands. There are gaps between the fingers. 

Jesus wants to fill those gaps with His fingers by holding our hands as we carry to cross.

And when we have learnt about the power of the Cross, let us also reach out to hold others’ hands and to live life with love and wisdom.

22nd Ordinary Sunday, Year C, 28.08.2022

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

There are many things that can be bought with money, and money can also buy luxuries. 

So, as long as we have the money, and if we can afford it, then we can get almost anything we want. 

And money has a way of making us look at people as if they were things. In other words, we can use money to buy people, whether it is to get some work done or to be served by them, or to bribe people to get their favours. 

So, money can make us look at people as things which can be bought and used. 

But let us remember that the most important things in life are not things. And the most important things in life cannot be bought with money. 

One of the most obvious important things that cannot be bought with money is health. There can be the best hospitals and the best advanced medicine, but that can't replace the health that is lost, or prolonged life for even a minute. 

Another important thing is peace. Money cannot buy peace, especially when the hatred is deep and the hurt is scorching. No amount of money can buy a peaceful reconciliation. 

And money certainly cannot buy love. True love comes from God, and God cannot be bought with money. 

And since money cannot buy love, then it won't buy respect either. Respect is the fruit of love, and it is when we are loving to others that they will respect us. 

Yes, respect cannot be demanded, it has to be earned, and it is not earned with money, but with love. 

The 1st reading teaches us this: Be gentle in carrying out your business, and you will be better loved then a lavish giver. 

So, a person may be a lavish giver, but if he does so to boost his pride and ego, then he is only exalting himself over others, and he may not receive any due respect. 

So, the expression of true love is when we are gentle in our relationships with others and respect them. 

The 1st reading also teaches us this: The greater you are, the more you should behave humbly, for great though the power of the Lord is, He accepts the homage of the humble. 

So even though we may have money, we know that the important things in life are not things that can be bought with money. 

The important things in life are love, peace, humility, gentleness and respect, and in fact, all those things that cannot be bought with money, those are truly important things. 

There is this story of the richest man in a town and he was proud of his wealth. One day he took a drive around the town to look at his estate. 

When he reached the outskirts of the town, he saw an old farmer who was about to have his simple lunch. 

The farmer greeted the rich man respectfully. The rich man asked the farmer, “How is life?” The farmer replied, “The work is tough, the weather is unpredictable, but I am happy.” And he even offered to share his lunch with the rich man, but the rich man declined. 

As the rich man was about to leave, the old farmer said, “Oh, I had a dream that the richest man in town will die tonight!” 

The rich man scoffed at the idea of dreams, and returned home for lunch, but even though the food was sumptuous, he did not have the appetite. 

He kept thinking about what the old farmer said, that the richest man in town will die that night. He tried to rest but couldn't, and so he called his doctor for a full medical check-up. 

The doctor told him that all was fine and even offered to stay over for the night to make sure that all will be well. The night passed on and morning came and rich man was glad then he was still alive and well. 

While having breakfast with the doctor, a servant came in and asked for the doctor. The doctor asked, “What is the matter?” The servant replied, “Can you come and take a look at the old farmer. I think he died in his sleep last night.” 

So, money and riches cannot buy life, or the important things of life like love, peace, happiness, gentleness and respect. 

That is the teaching of Jesus in the gospel. 

Let us ask God to teach us to be humble and gentle, and we will know how to love and to respect others and to be respected by others.

21st Ordinary Sunday, Year C, 21.08.2022

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

It can be said that by a person's attitudes and behaviour, we can get an idea of that person's upbringing. 

So, the most important years in a person's life is not so much in the schooling days or in the working life. 

The most important years of a person's life is the first 6 years of childhood. During the first 6 years, a child's brain develops faster than during any other period of life, and its early development will set the course for any future evolvement. 

During this period of the first 6 years, the base for a successful education in the future can be laid. That would be the time for character formation and to instil the values and principles in life. 

That is not just important for the individual, it will have bearings in family relationships and on the social fabric. 

Obviously, parents have this great opportunity, as well as great responsibility, of forming their children with good upbringing. 

In many ways, the children's attitudes and behaviour are a reflection of how their parents have brought them up. 

But whether it is parents or children, we know that it is not that easy to teach and to learn to do what is good and right. 

Because there is this human tendency to exercise our freedom to do whatever we want, and that has often led us to do the wrong and bad thing. 

In the gospel, Jesus talked about entering by the narrow door, and he even said that many will try to enter and will not succeed. 

The way of the Lord and the way to life is like trying to enter by the narrow door, and it is not going to be easy. 

From the 2nd reading, we heard that the Lord will correct and reprimand, and we must not get discouraged. 

Because the Lord trains and even punishes those He loves, because He wants to form us well. 

So, suffering is part of our training, so that we are able to enter by the narrow door, and do what is right and good in the eyes of the Lord. 

There is this story of the bowl of noodles with eggs, and the author narrates how his father has formed him with just a bowl of noodles and eggs. The narration goes like this:

When I was a small child, I was very selfish, always grabbed the best for myself. Slowly, everyone left me and I had no friends. I didn’t think it was my fault but criticized others.

My father gave me 3 examples to help me learn about life. One day, my father cooked 2 bowls of noodles and he put the 2 bowls on the table. One bowl has one egg on top and the other bowl does not have any egg on top. He said, “My child, you choose. Which bowl do you want?” Of course, I chose the bowl with the egg! 

As we started eating. I was congratulating myself on my wise choice and decision and gobbled up the egg. 

Then to my surprise as my father ate his bowl of noodles, there were TWO eggs at the bottom of his bowl beneath the noodles! 

I regretted so much! And scolded myself for being too hasty in my decision. 

My father smiled and said to me, “My child… You must remember what your eyes see may not be true. And if you intent on taking advantage of people, you will end up losing!”

The next day, my father again cooked 2 bowls of noodles. One bowl with an egg on top and the other bowl with no egg on top. Again, he put the two bowls on the table and said to me, “My child. You choose. Which bowl do you want?” This time I am smarter. I chose the bowl without any egg on top. To my surprise, as I separated the noodles on top, there was not even a single egg at the bottom of the bowl! 

Again my father smiled and said to me, “My child, you must not always rely on experiences because sometimes, life can cheat you or play tricks on you. But you must not be too annoyed or sad. Just treat this as learning a lesson. You cannot learn this from textbooks.”

The third day, my father again cooked 2 bowls of noodles. Again, one bowl with an egg on top and the other bowl with no egg on top. He put the 2 bowls on the table and again said to me, “My child. You choose. Which bowl do you want?” This time, I told my father, “Dad, you choose first. You are the head of the family and contributed the most to the family.” 

My father did not decline and chose the bowl with one egg on top. As I ate my bowl of noodles, I was expecting that there is no egg inside the bowl. But to my surprise, there were TWO eggs at the bottom of the bowl.

My father smiled at me with love in his eyes, and said, “My child, you must remember! When you think for the good of others, good things will always naturally happen to you!”

I always remember these 3 lessons from my father and live my life accordingly.

Jesus taught us that suffering is part of our training when He suffered and died on the Cross.

May the Cross of Jesus teach us how to live life and to enter by the narrow door of love. And may we always do what is pleasing to God.