4th Ordinary Sunday, Year B, 28.01.2024

  Deut 18:15-20 / 1 Cor 7:32-35 / Mark 1:21-28  

The world that we live in has many sights and sounds for us to interact with. 

From what we see with our eyes, we will be able to make an assessment. 

So, when we see beauty and goodness, we will give thanks to God for His marvellous works.

But when we see wrongdoing and wickedness, we would want to see how to stop it, and pray for God's help. 

And from what we hear with our ears, we are also able to make an assessment. 

When we hear what is good and inspiring, we will give thanks to God for His blessings. 

But when we hear what is sad and bad, or irritating and disturbing, we too will have to do something. 

In the gospel, Jesus was in the synagogue teaching. And His teaching made a deep impression on the people because He taught with authority. 

Then, all of a sudden, there was some shouting, and it was irritating and disturbing. 

It came from a man who was possessed by an unclean spirit, and it shouted: What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God. 

But Jesus said sharply, “Be quiet! Come out of him!” And with that, the unclean Spirit was cast out. 

The people's assessment of what happened was this: He gives orders even to unclean spirits and they obey Him. 

The gospel passage highlights some important aspects of the spiritual world that we need to take note of. 

One of which is the power of God's Word. Whenever the Word of God is proclaimed, goodness is bestowed and evil is exposed. 

Hence, conversion and repentance can only happen when the Word of God is proclaimed and obeyed. 

To obey is to listen, and to listen with faith, so that the power and the goodness of God can be manifested. 

There is a story of a poor woman who had a firm belief in God's providence through the charity of others. 

On one occasion, her family didn't get any food for a few days. 

She prayed and then wrote this notice on her front door: O God, please listen to my prayer and send us some food. 

A rich atheist man passed by in his car and saw the notice, and he thought of doing something to shake her faith in God. 

He instructed his driver to buy a lot of food and provisions, and have it delivered to that poor woman's house with this message: 

This is not sent by your God, but is sent by the devil. 

The driver did as he was told. He bought a lot of food and provisions, and went to that poor woman's house. 

When the poor woman opened the door and saw the driver and all that food, she went down on her knees and praised and thanked God. 

But the driver quickly said, “Wait, wait. This food is not sent by your God, but sent by the devil. 

But the poor woman laughed and said, “God is so great. He provided all this food and He made the devil pay for it, and even sent it over. Thanks be to God! 

Well, blessed are those who trust in God, He will provide for them. 

And blessed are those who hear the Word of God and obey it, they will see the goodness and the marvels of God. 

In the gospel, when Jesus gave the order, that evil spirit had to obey. 

As for us, as we listen to the Word of God, let us also obey, and put God's word into action. 

Let the Word of God also be read in our homes, in our meetings, and in every possible situation and occasion. 

The Word of God brings about healing, forgiveness, reconciliation, peace and love.

 When we listen to the Word of God and obey it, we will see the power and the marvels of God. 

3rd Ordinary Sunday, Year B, 21.01.2024

  Jonah 3:1-5, 10 / 1 Cor 7:29-31 / Mark 1:14-20   

Whenever we are asked “What's the time?” we would automatically look at our wrist watch. 

Time has become so important for us that we wear time on our hands. 

Time has become so important for us that we live our lives according to the clock. 

So, every day we wake up according to the time set in the alarm clock, we will have breakfast at a particular time, and we will go to work at a particular time. 

We will have lunch at a particular time, and we will finish work at a particular time. 

We will have dinner at a particular time, and then finally, we will go to bed at a particular time. 

The next day will also have a similar routine with more or less the similar timings. 

These routines and timings are certainly helpful to give us some regularity and stability in our lives. 

And we like regularity and stability because it gives us a sense of security. 

If every day is filled with anxiety and uncertainty, we might end up with panic attacks and stress disorder.

So, we like to live our lives according to our own way and according to our own time. 

But there is also another time that does not go according to the clock. 

That time is called God's time, or the appointed time. 

In the gospel we heard about this appointed time. 

For Jesus, the appointed time came when John the Baptist was arrested. Then, He went to Galilee and proclaimed the Good News from God with this message: 

The time has come and the kingdom of God is closed at hand. Repent and believe in the Good News. 

The appointed time came for Jesus to begin His mission. 

The appointed time also came for Simon and Andrew when Jesus called them to follow Him and to be fishers of men. 

The appointed time also came for James and John as they left their father and their livelihood to follow Jesus. 

So, in God's time, or at the appointed time, people and events will just move into place by the hand of God. 

But how would we know when is the appointed time for us? By what sign would we know that it is God's time? 

Maybe, let us take a break for a riddle. Why shouldn't we share secrets when the clock is around? Answer: Because time will tell. 

But seriously, when our regularity and routine is broken, then time is telling us something about the plans of God. 

In the Old Testament, there was this occasion when Abraham was sitting in his tent at the hottest time of the day, when he saw three men passing by. 

It was not a convenient time to welcome guests, but still Abraham came out of his tent to welcome the three men. 

And for that, the men told Abraham that Sarah, his wife, would conceive and bear the son he was waiting for. 

So, the hottest time of the day became the happiest time for Abraham. 

In the New Testament, the old man Simeon had waited a lifetime to set his eyes on the Saviour. 

Every day he went to the Temple to pray, and just on that day when he came to the Temple, Mary and Joseph brought the Child Jesus to present Him to the Lord. 

Simeon had waited for a long time, but on that day, all his waiting time became his fulfilling time. 

And we will remember the beloved Pope John Paul II. As a Cardinal, he was just back to his native Poland after the election of Pope John Paul I. 

He had hardly unpacked his bags when he was summoned back again to Rome because Pope John Paul I died suddenly after only 33 days as Pope. 

And in the midst of that sudden change of events, he was elected Pope, the first non- Italian Pope after 455 years, the youngest ever Pope at 58 years old, and elected only after 3 days of the conclave. 

And after him, was Pope Benedict XVI, and he resigned from office and the Church was shaken. But God has His plans. 

Then came along Pope Francis who brought a new era of simplicity and poverty for the Church.

Oh, it is he who instituted Word of God Sunday which the Church is celebrating this weekend. 

So, when the time of regularity and routine is interrupted and disrupted, then it is telling us something about God's appointed time. 

God's appointed time comes in the form of an inconvenient and unexpected time. 

But, let us embrace this inconvenient, interrupted and disrupted time as God’s appointed time. 

When we embrace God's appointed time, then time will tell, and it will be a time of rejoicing and gladness.

2nd Ordinary Sunday, Year B, 14.01.2024

 1 Samuel 3:3-10, 19 / 1 Cor 6:13-15, 17-20 / John 1:35-42   

In life, we have many needs. In fact, from the moment we are conceived, we immediately have needs. 

In our mother's womb, we have needs for nourishment, warmth, love and protection. 

From the moment we are born, we cry out in need. We need nourishment, we need to be kept warm, we need to be cared for, we need to be protected. 

Even as we grow and develop in life, our basic needs are always there. 

We need food, clothing and shelter, as well as security and protection. 

As we grow and mature in life, we may not cry out like babies or children for these basic needs. 

Instead, we will work and strive to meet these needs. 

When we are able to meet these needs, it does not mean that we will be contented and satisfied. 

Because, the next level of needs will come along. 

So, we will look at our place in society, and what we want to achieve in life. 

What will come along will be financial security and emotional security. 

We want to have a stable and secure job, we want to be independent, we will think about companionship and marriage to fulfil our emotional needs. 

In short, when our basic needs in life are achieved, what we will look for is meaning and direction in life. 

We want to live life with a purpose, and even to “give back to society”, and to help others in their need. 

In the gospel, the two disciples of John the Baptist were also looking for meaning, direction and purpose in life. 

They saw in John the Baptist, as someone who has found the meaning and the purpose of life. 

But John the Baptist knew that more than just having meaning and purpose, he had a mission in life. 

He knows that there is someone coming after him, someone who is greater than he is, and his mission is to point out that someone. 

So, when Jesus came along, John the Baptist looked hard and intensely at him. 

And then he proclaimed to his disciples: Look, there is the Lamb of God. 

The two disciples knew what he meant, and they went and followed Jesus. 

Jesus turned around, saw them following, and ask them a straightforward question: What do you want? 

The two disciples knew what they wanted, and they were equally straightforward with their response: Rabbi, where do you live? 

That straightforward and frank exchange between Jesus and the two disciples is enough to make us think. 

Just as He asked the two disciples, Jesus is also asking us: What do you want? 

Yes, what do we want in life? Well, there are many things we want in life. 

For students who just got their “O” Level results, they would want to go to the school of their choice. Or, for some students, they may have to think of something else. 

Other than that, we want financial and emotional security, we want to be happy, we want to be healthy. 

Yes, we want all that. But, what is it that we really need? 

We may need to look at John the Baptist who stepped aside and even fade it off when Jesus came into the scene. 

For John the Baptist, his food, clothing and shelter were not much to begin with. He also didn’t have much material securities in life. 

But, he had a purpose in life. He had a mission in life. 

He is the prophet who would point out Jesus the Saviour for others. 

One of his famous quotes is this: He must increase, I must decrease. 

For John the Baptist, he followed the tradition of the prophets before him, by listening and looking at what and where God is pointing to. 

Like the prophet Samuel in the first reading, it is this: Speak Lord, your servant is listening. 

John the Baptist has shown us what we really need in life. And that is to listen, and look at what and where the Lord is pointing us to. 

Then we will know what is our purpose and mission in life. 

Then we will be happy, we will be contented, we will be at peace.

Epiphany, Year B, 07.01.24

 Isaiah 60-1-6 / Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6 / Matthew 2:1-12   

Today's feast goes by a name that may need some explanation, if we don't know what it means. 

The word “Epiphany” is Greek in origin, and it means revelation. 

This feast follows closely after the feast of Christmas. 

At Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ at Bethlehem was announced to the shepherds by an angel. 

The shepherds were told where to find the newborn infant King of the Jews. They were told that He would be wrapped in swaddling cloths, and lying in a manger. 

And when they went to Bethlehem, it was exactly as what they had been told. 

At the feast of the Epiphany, the birth of Jesus Christ was revealed to the world. 

And the wise men came from the East to pay homage to the newborn King. 

But for the wise men, it was not that clear, and there was no angel to give them specific instructions. 

Although the star revealed to them the birth of the infant King, the star wasn't always there to guide them. 

So, they went to Jerusalem, thinking that the infant King would be born there. 

King Herod came to know of their purpose, and he used them to find out more details. 

But it was then that the wise men came to know about the prophecy, that the infant King was to be born at Bethlehem. 

It was a further revelation for the wise men in their search for the infant King. 

But for king Herod, it was a revelation that led him to think of an evil thing.

The star appeared again and it finally led the wise men to the infant King. 

They paid homage to Him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And here, there is another revelation. 

Those three gifts, as much as they are valuable, they are also mystical. 

Gold symbolized royalty, that the infant is a King. 

Frankincense symbolized divinity, that the infant is God became man.

And the myrrh symbolized the humanity of the infant King. 

And the revelation goes further, as the wise men were warned in a dream not go back to king Herod, and they returned to their own country by a different way. 

So, the feast of the Epiphany is filled with revelations and meanings. 

The birth of Jesus Christ was revealed to the world, and the wise men came to pay homage. 

It shows that people who do not know of the prophecies in the Scriptures, will also come to know of the Saviour of the world. 

And the three gifts also revealed the true identity of Jesus Christ, that He is the King, and He is Divine as well as human. 

This feast of the Epiphany shows that God reveals Himself through people, as well as through gifts. 

At Christmas, we received gifts from others, and there could be a revelation for us. 

I remembered that some years back, I came to take charge of this Parish about three weeks before Christmas. 

Besides being unfamiliar with the parish and the parishioners, it was also a hectic time in preparation for Christmas. 

Burdened with worry and anxiety, I was stressed up and tired out. 

Then one day, a lady and her young son came to my office. 

They asked if I'm the priest, and then the boy said that they have a Christmas present for Jesus. 

The lady said that her son wanted to give Jesus a present, and so they went shopping and bought the present and came to Sacred Heart Church.

The gift wasn't even wrapped, and without saying much, the lady and her son left, and I never saw them again. 

The gift was a toy, and batteries are not included. 

It was a radio-control car, in the shape of a police car.

As I looked at it and reflected on it, I saw it as a revelation from God. 

God was telling me that He will protect me and the parish and keep us safe. 

That was what the radio controlled toy police car revealed to me. 

God reveals Himself through people and their gifts to us. 

Let us reflect deeper on these people and their gifts, and we will be as wise as the wise men.