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.