1st Sunday of Lent, Year A, 22.02.2026

 Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7 / Romans 5:12-19 / Matthew 4:1-11  

Over the festive period of the last few days, we may have done the annual visitation of our elders and relatives. 

Of course, we will be able to collect “ang pows” from them, but that will also come at a price. 

Because we will have to bear with those usual questions, or interrogation, like:

Which school are you in? 

When are you getting married? 

How many children do you have?

Other than bearing with that, the next best thing to do will be to stay at home and watch movies on TV. 

There are Chinese New Year movies, blockbuster movies and those cute animated movies like “Kung Fu Panda” and “Finding Nemo”. 

Animated movies are not just computer-generated graphics and drawings and images. 

Animated movies have human voices behind the characters. 

And those voices often belong to movie stars and celebrities. 

It is only when we read the movie credits at the end that we will know the face of the voice behind the character.

Otherwise, it can be difficult to guess the face behind the voice. 

Similarly with songs. We may not know the face of the singer until we see the picture of the singer. 

And quite often, our imagination of the face behind the voice is quite different from the reality. 

The gospel begins with this line: Then Jesus was led by the Spirit out into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 

Jesus came to save us from our sins, and to free us from the snares of the devil. 

He wants to face the devil and whatever the devil is going to use as temptations. 

The devil did not disguise himself or hide behind any of his operatives. 

It was a face-to-face confrontation. 

It was unlike the 1st reading, when the devil disguised himself as a snake to tempt Eve. 

Eve, as well as Adam, may not have seen through the devil’s disguise. 

They saw the snake and they heard the voice, but they may not have seen the face of the devil, or realised that it was him. 

And they fell into the temptation. They wanted to believe that they can be like God. 

So, the core of the temptation is about pride. 

The pride of men is to think that they are God, or want to be like God. 

In the confrontation with the devil and his temptations, Jesus turned to Scripture, and with humility, He overcame the devil. 

The devil could not tempt Jesus, but he knows he can tempt Adam and Eve, and he knows he can also tempt us. 

The devil also knows what our main weakness is, and that is our pride. 

And so, the devil will tempt us through using the voices of other people. 

Instead of asking us to turn stones into bread, we might hear people comment about why our children didn't go to an elite school, and we feel our pride hurt.

Or we may hear snide remarks about our state of life and our profession and feel belittled.

So, it is the game of pride. 

Or we may hear voices questioning our faith and luring us into an argument, then we lose our self-control and fall into the trap.

Again, it is the game of pride. 

But Ephesians chapter 6:10-13 tells us this:

“Grow strong in the Lord, with the strength of His power.

Put God's armour on so as to be able to resist the devil's tactics."

For it is not against human enemies that we have to struggle, but against the Sovereignties and the Powers who originate the darkness in this world, the spiritual army of evil in the heavens.

That is why you must rely on God's armour, or you will not be able to put up any resistance when the worst happens, or have enough resources to hold your ground.”

At the core of the temptations of the devil is the question of pride. 

For the devil it is a game of pride and he makes use of other humans to lure us to play by his rules, which means that we will lose. 

But when we put on God’s armour of humility, we will be able to see that the devil makes use of people who are often our human adversaries or enemies, and we will be able to discern their voices.

For this season of Lent, let us embark on almsgiving, fasting and prayer so that we will learn humility, and be protected by God. 

May the Lenten disciplines of almsgiving, fasting and prayer also lead us to forgive those who have hurt us and done us wrong. 

Let us follow Jesus in His prayer on the Cross: Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.

6th Ordinary Sunday, Year A, 15.02.2026

 Ecclesiasticus 15:15-20 / 1 Cor 2:6-10 / Matthew 5:17-37  

The Lunar New Year, or Chinese New Year, is up and coming, and we can feel it almost immediately after Christmas. 

Actually the Chinese New Year decorations were already available in December.

And the traditional colour of this festival is none other than red. 

So, from decorations to desserts, from packages to dresses, there must be a flash of red. 

Now, we in the church were wondering about what kind of decorations to put up. 

We didn’t want it to be too overwhelming, as the second day of the Chinese New Year is the beginning of Lent. 

So, after discussing and praying about it, (oh yes, we have to pray but what kind of decorations to put up), we decided on simplicity, dignity and meaning. 

So, we chose only one type of decoration, and that is to get some pots of kumquat plants, real plants.

Because it represents life, it represents dignity, and it represents simplicity. 

In Chinese culture, the kumquat plant represents blessings and prosperity, as seen by its golden colour an abundant fruit. 

And we didn’t forget that dash of red, so there are little red ribbons tied to the branches. 

So it is not a loud or fancy decoration, but it leads us to think about life, about God’s blessings, and to give thanks. 

What we have learned is that as much as we want to have decorations, whatever decorations we put up should point us to the meaning of the festival and to the blessings of God. 

In the gospel, Jesus declared that He did not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. 

Rather, He came not to abolish but to complete the Law and the Prophets. 

Jesus goes on to say that not one dot, not one little stroke, shall disappear from the Law until its purpose is accomplished. 

Jesus then brought up what was taught, what the people have learned, and to look deeper at it. 

So, we know the Commandment that forbids us to kill. 

Jesus teaches us that more than just the act of killing, our words can also kill. 

So, curse words like “fool” and “idiot” disregard and also do not respect the dignity of the person who is made in the image of God. 

Needless to say, when we gossip and slander others, we may not be shedding blood. 

But we are committing character assassination in a vicious and sneaky way. 

So too, for the act of adultery. It may not be done physically with the other person. 

But to desire and lust for another person destroys the respect for dignity of that other person. 

So, we have learned a lot, and we also know a lot, but does all that bring us closer to God? 

From what we have learned and from what we know, do we also find meaning in life and walking in the ways of the Lord? 

Are we growing in holiness by loving God and loving others? 

As we ponder about these questions, we may also be uncertain about the answers. 

Here is where the “I don’t know” prayer comes in, although we may not know what that prayer is. 

So, what is this “I don’t know” prayer all about?  

First, we need to go to somewhere quiet, like the Church or the Adoration Room. 

As we sit at the feet of Jesus, let our prayer be this three simple words: I don’t know. 

So, we tell the Lord Jesus this: 

I don’t know what to do.

I don’t know where to go from here. 

I don’t know what is happening. 

I don’t know how to handle this situation. 

I don’t know, but Lord Jesus, You know. 

Yes, we tell the Lord Jesus all the “I don’t knows” that burden our hearts.

And then with faith and love, we say: I don’t know, but Lord Jesus, You know. 

And the Lord Jesus who knows all and who sees all that is in our hearts, will reveal to us what we need to know. 

As the 1st reading tells us: For vast is the wisdom of the Lord, He is almighty and all seeing. His eyes are on those who fear him. 

So, we have learned a lot, and we also know a lot. 

But let us also learn to walk in the ways of the Lord, and to know that He will guide us and show us the way to life and to love.

5th Ordinary Sunday, Year A, 08.01.2026

 Isaiah 58:7-10 / 1 Cor 2:1-5 / Matthew 5:13-16  

When it comes to preferences, we are certainly inclined to go for what is real. 

Because when we say that something is real, some thoughts will immediately come to mind. 

When we say that something is real, it means that it is authentic, it is genuine. 

So, more than just saying that it is real Chinese food, we may say that it is authentic Cantonese cuisine, or authentic Hakka cuisine, or authentic Teochew cuisine. 

When we say that something is real, it is not just a slogan, like a brand of soft drink is called “the real thing”. 

To be real is also to be truthful, to be honest, and to be sincere. 

But as much as we are inclined to go for what is real, we often settle for less. 

In that less can be anything from the substitute to the artificial. 

The attraction here is that the substitute, or the artificial, can seem to be better than the real, or the genuine or the authentic. 

So, the substitute like the artificial sweetener can give the benefits of a sweet taste without all those health concerns. 

But the word artificial has taken on a more extensive role in the development of consumer and industrial electronics. 

Because artificial intelligence is inserted into home appliances like the vacuum cleaner, washing machine, cooker, air con and almost everything we can think of. 

In the area of industrial electronics and manufacturing, artificial intelligence is not just found in robotics, but it has also given rise to humanoids. 

So, all those robots in the movies of the past like Star Wars and Terminator are becoming a reality. 

But it is a reality that is showing concerns about the future of humanity and about humanness. 

In the gospel, Jesus calls us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. 

Salt and light are realities as well as everyday examples that we can immediately relate with. 

Salt gives taste to the food. The uniqueness of salt is that we can’t see it but we can taste it. 

And of course, too much salt will also ruin the taste of the food. 

So, when Jesus calls us to be the salt of the earth, we are also reminded our presence should be pleasant and peaceful for others. 

Similarly, light scatters the darkness, and gives out a warm and welcoming glow. 

But when the light is too bright, it will cause a blinding effect on others. 

So, when Jesus calls us the light of the world, we will remember that instead of complaining about the darkness, let us be the light that shines brightly and warmly to bring about sight and comfort. 

But there are also such things as artificial salt and artificial light. 

Artificial salt, like that of the artificial sugar, gives taste without those health concerns. 

Artificial light, like torchlights, can be very useful in dark and hidden corners that are devoid of natural light. 

But, Jesus calls us to be like the real salt and the real light. 

To be like real salt, let us first taste our own words. 

As it is said, may our words always be sweet, in case we ever have to eat them. 

But more than just sweet and tasteful words, let us also remember that others can also taste the real meaning of our words. 

So, we have to be honest and sincere in our words, words that will encourage and affirm others. 

And of course, if we have nothing good to say then let us be silent, so as not to be distasteful with our words. 

To be the light, we need to remember that we are not the source of the light. 

We are called to reflect the true light which is Jesus Christ. 

Jesus shines His light on us, so that we will reflect His light to others. 

Just as the light does not argue or fight with the darkness, may we also not get distracted or disturbed by the wickedness and the evil that we see around us. 

Like the moon that reflects the light, let us just keep shining in the dark. 

And when we speak, may we give others a sweet taste on the Good News of salvation, so that they too would want to give a good taste and a warm and comforting light to the world.