21st Ordinary Sunday, Year A, 27.08.2023

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

This coming Friday is a public holiday, but unlike other public holidays, there is something that we are required to do. We are required to cast our votes for the next President of Singapore. 

So it means that we are called upon to choose a leader. Essentially that is what voting means. 

When it comes to choosing a leader, the inclination is to choose someone who is most qualified and capable. 

So the leadership qualities to be considered would be academic qualifications, status, experience, achievements, success and a respectable standing in life. 

We would certainly want to choose someone that we have confidence in, as well as someone who will meet our requirements. 

As for the candidate for the leadership role, what he or she says or promises the people will be scrutinized when he or she assumes the office. 

That is generally how it goes in the secular world, and we are familiar with that. 

In the gospel, we hear of a different structure and a different process. 

When Jesus asked His disciples who do they say He is, it was Peter who declared that He is the Christ, the Son of the living God. 

It was God who inspired Peter to make that declaration, and with that, Jesus appointed Peter to be, as we call it now, the first Pope. 

By worldly standards, Peter, or for that matter of fact, the rest of the disciples, were hardly qualified or capable for any leadership role. 

The appointment of Peter, which by secular standards, is questionable, says a lot about Jesus. 

But it goes to show that in the Church, all power and authority that comes with the appointment, comes from God. 

Jesus also promised that Peter will be the rock on which He will build His Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. 

But throughout the history of the Church, there are numerous occasions when the Church, and the Pope, faced mortal danger and yet there was divine intervention. 

One was in the year 452, when Attila the Hun and his barbaric horde came upon Rome to kill and to plunder. 

Going out to meet him was the old and frail Pope Leo the Great, hoping to negotiate with Attila the Hun, and prepared to lay down his life for his people. 

In an unexpected and surprising turn of events, Attila the Hun and his barbarians turn back and left Rome untouched. 

One account has it that when Attila the Hun met the Pope, he saw two looming figures flanking the Pope, said to be Saint Peter and St Paul, and they were wielding swords and warning Attila. 

He also saw a huge heavenly army behind the Pope, and he recoiled and immediately retreated. 

So, on that day when he met Attila the Hun, Pope Leo showed that meekness is the mightiest of Heaven's powers. 

And again, later on, the famous French emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, once threatened the Church saying that in a few months he will destroy the Church. 

The Pope's spokesman, replied: If in the 1800 years, we Catholics have failed to destroy the Church, do you really think that you will be able to do so? 

Napoleon Bonaparte would later find out the answer after his defeat and during his exile. 

It is often said that the Church is human, even too human, with the weakness, failings, scandals and whatever.

But it also must be said that the Church is divine, because Jesus Christ is the Head, and we are the members of His Body. 

Yes, the Church, at all levels, has its flaws, it has failed, and it even has been faithless at times. 

But let us remember that Jesus Christ is our Head, and He will protect us from the destructive power that comes out of the gates of the underworld. 

Like Pope Leo the Great, who showed that meekness is the mightiest power from heaven, let us walk the path of simplicity, humility and charity. 

Then we, the Church, will be able to lead the world in the way of salvation.

20th Ordinary Sunday, Year A, 20.08.2023

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

It is said that everyone is equal, but it also has to be said that there are differences. 

It is undeniable that some people, or some groups, seem to have more privileges, more advantages, and more opportunities. 

They have a head start over the rest, and they also seem to be in the lead all the way. They have gifts and talents that stand out from the ordinary people. 

We admire them, and we may even envy them, because they make it look easy what is difficult for us, and what is like natural to them is a struggle for us. 

So, we may think that we are just ordinary people, much like the rest of the ordinary people. 

Yes, by and large, we are ordinary people, living ordinary lives, and we won't think of doing anything extraordinary in life. 

And if we want to have any achievements or success in life, there is no other way than the way of hard work and sweat. 

Even when it comes to faith in God, we have our doubts, and we think that we cannot be as holy as the Saints. 

As we know, the Jews were God's Chosen People. It was to them that God revealed Himself and made a covenant with them. 

Today's gospel passage is written by Matthew, himself a Jew, and who was a tax collector before Jesus called him. 

He was probably with the disciples who witnessed that encounter between Jesus and the Canaanite woman. 

In today's Gospel account, we may wonder why Jesus seemed to be brushing off that Canaanite woman and making it so difficult for her. 

But when Matthew wrote this account, he was simply stating that Jesus came for the Jewish people, because they were the Chosen Race, they were God's Chosen People. 

They have the privilege of God's first blessings over other people and they were proud of it. 

But Matthew also steered the gospel passage to a wider perspective, when he showed that Jesus will also grant God's blessings to outsiders, to those who do not belong to that Jewish people. 

That final statement of Jesus state a profound point when He said this to the Canaanite woman: Woman, you have great faith. Let your wish be granted. 

So more than just advantages and privileges, God's blessings are granted to those who have faith in Him. 

This gospel passage is important to us because it states two things. One is that we, the Church, are also God's Chosen People because we believe that Jesus Christ is our Saviour. 

And the other point is that, like that Canaanite woman, we live by faith. With faith, we turn disadvantage into a direction, an obstacle into an opportunity, a trial into a testimony. 

That was what the Canaanite woman did, and she even taught us a simple and powerful prayer: Lord, help me. 

And Jesus will help us, each one of us, when we take a good grip on our faith. 

And when each of us come together in prayer and worship, we are not just an ordinary group of people, we are God's People, we are God’s children, we call God “Our Father”. 

Together, we unite as Church in prayer for each other that God will bless our needs. 

Together, we pray for the world and the problems that the world is facing that God will grant peace and harmony.

Together, we persevere and persist in our faith like that Canaanite woman did. 

Yes, we are not an ordinary people, we are God's People, we are God's children. 

God will listen to our prayer, and send forth His blessings when we pray: Lord, help me. Lord, help us.

19th Ordinary Sunday, Year A, 13.08.2023

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

In a country, or in an organization, or in a group, there is always a need for a leader. 

When there is a leader, then there will be unity and stability. 

The leader will be the one who will make decisions and give directions. 

So, a good leader will have to know the way, show the way and also lead the way. A leader won't just imagine the way and talk about the way and then go away. 

So, leadership skills are not just about theory and strategy. It is about leading others in a journey and keeping the unity. 

So, when there is no leader, or when there are too many leaders, then there will be problems, just like too many cooks all spoil the soup. 

But when there is a leader, and the leader is not present, the strength and the weakness of the group will be exposed. 

In the gospel, Jesus made the disciples get into the boat, and go on ahead to the other side, while He would send the crowds away. And then he went up to the hills to pray. 

When evening came, the boat, by now far out on the lake, was battling with a heavy sea. 

Certainly, the disciples in the boat were afraid as they were facing a mortal danger. 

Though, they were in the same boat, they may not have the same idea, as each would be thinking about his own survival. 

In such a situation, the strength and weakness of the individual, as well as the group, are exposed. 

Probably, everyone in the boat was panicking, but was there anyone who was praying? 

Probably not, because they were so terrified that when they saw Jesus walking on the water, they thought He was a ghost. 

The disciples forgot about all that Jesus had taught them: 

- About the promise that where two or three are gathered in prayer, He will be there. 

- About faith that can move mountains, and calm the storms. 

We may not go sailing that often, so we may not know how terrifying the storms are at the sea. 

But even on dry land, we know about the storms of life. 

And these storms can make us forget about the teachings of Jesus, and we think only for ourselves and about ourselves. 

And storms will rattle family, the Church community, and the country. 

We just celebrated National Day, and we know how important it is for unity in our country. 

We also know how storms can break up families when they are not united. 

The Church has also faced the storms of faith that made us doubt and be skeptical and cynical. 

But let us believe that Jesus, our Saviour and Leader, is always present. 

And He wants us to be signs of His presence in the Church as well as in the world. 

So, it is not about me, but it is about we. 

It is about unity, it is about community. 

Because alone I “say”, but together we “talk”. Alone I “enjoy”, but together we “celebrate”. Alone I “smile”, but together we “laugh”. 

That is the beauty of unity, that is the power of community. 

When we are united in prayer, Jesus will always be present to lead us, and we will have the power to witness to Jesus as the Saviour and Leader of the world.

Transfiguration, Year A, 06.08.2023

 Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 / 2 Peter 1:16-19 / Matthew 17:1-9    

This coming Wednesday, our country will be celebrating 58 years of independence. 

The highlight of the day will be the National Day Parade in the evening. 

As in the previous years, it will be a spectacular day with the singing of the National Anthem and other patriotic songs. 

There will also be aerial displays, marching contingents, performances, fireworks and other items. 

It will be a rousing celebration of national identity and unity, and we will feel proud to be Singaporeans. 

For a country that is often called a “small little red dot”, we have progressed well and achieved much. 

We will recall how we begin 58 years ago, how hard life used to be, and how good it is now. And we know what will be required to move onward as one people and one country. 

When we reflect on the celebration of the annual National Day Parade, we may see that there are some aspects that are similar to the feast of the Transfiguration. 

The Transfiguration happened somewhere in the middle of the ministry of Jesus. He had come to be known as a preacher who teaches with authority, and also someone who cures the sick and works miracles. 

But Jesus was also facing mounting opposition and criticism. 

He needed a so-called “recharge”, and so He brought along Peter, James and John up a high mountain where they could be alone. 

There He was transfigured. He was affirmed of His identity as the beloved Son of the Father. 

The presence of Moses and Elijah points to Jesus as the new Lawgiver and the Prophetic voice of God. 

Indeed, the Transfiguration was a significant moment for Jesus, in which His glory and identity were revealed. 

At the Transfiguration, the past was recalled, and future was foretold in the person of Jesus. 

Just as in the yearly celebration of National Day in which the history of our nation is recalled and we look into the future, the Transfiguration has a similar and yet a deeper meaning. 

It helps us to look at the journey of our faith with its joys and hopes, as well as the griefs and anxieties. 

It also brings us deeper into the mystery of our faith, as we see Jesus in the centre of our lives. 

In the Transfiguration, history and mystery are united in Jesus Christ. 

The Feast of the Transfiguration reminds us that the history of our lives and the mystery of our faith are brought together in Jesus Christ.

We may have seen that TV footage from 58 years ago when the founding father of our nation, the late Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, announced the separation of Singapore from Malaysia.

His face was grim, and as he spoke, his voice began to quiver, and then he broke down.

If we were watching it on TV then, we too would have felt the quiver in the spine.

Would Singapore be able to survive? What would the future be like, or would there be a future for us?

Yes, our griefs and anxieties then, and about the future were real.

But 58 years later, we would look at that same footage with so-called “transfigured” eyes and hearts.

We will be proud that we have survived that dark moment, and we give thanks for where and what we are now.

Jesus wants to transfigure the dark moments of our past by shining the light of His Transfiguration to give us hope for the future.

So, the significance of the Transfiguration happens when the history of our lives are connected to the mystery of our faith. 

And in Jesus, the mystery of our faith reveals the connection of our lives with Jesus and our encounters with others. 

Let us journey on in the mystery of our faith, and let us keep listening to Jesus as He reveals Himself to us.