Genesis 9:8-15 / 1 Peter 33:18-22 / Mark 1:12-15
We have already begun the season of Lent on Ash Wednesday, and today is the 1st Sunday of Lent. But with the CNY beginning on Friday and spilling into the weekend, the Year of the Dog is barking with festive celebrations instead of fasting and penance.
Anyway we have already done our fasting on Wednesday, so we can do with a bit of feasting (more than a bit …)
By now we should know that according to the Chinese zodiac, the New Year has ushered in the Year of the Dog. So for those who born in the Year of the Dog, and for dog-lovers, let us see what the Bible has to say about dogs.
Dogs are frequently mentioned both in the Old and New Testaments. Dogs were used by the Hebrews as watchdogs for their houses (Isaiah 56:10), and for guarding their flocks of sheep (Job 30:1). These are domesticated dogs.
But there were also then, as there are now, packs of semi-wild and wild dogs that wander about devouring dead animals and even dead bodies. So these kinds of dogs were considered unclean and they can be quite fierce.
In one gospel passage about the exchange between Jesus and the Canaanite woman, the word "dogs" are used.
In response to her pleas to drive off the devil from her daughter, He answered by saying, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." (Mt 15:26) In this instance Jesus was referring to the wild dogs.
But the woman replied, "Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." (Mt 15:27) Her reference was to the domesticated dogs or the pet dogs. And with that Jesus granted her wish.
So in the Bible, there are generally two categories of dogs - the wild dogs, and the domesticated pet dogs which at times are considered “a man’s best friend”.
In the gospel, we heard that the Spirit drove Jesus out into the wilderness and He remained there for 40 days and was tempted by the devil. He was with the wild beasts and the angels looked after Him.
So during those 40 days in the wilderness of the desert, Jesus faced two dangers. One was the temptations of the devil and that challenged Him in the spiritual realm, as to test whether He will stand firm on the side of God or not.
The other danger was on the physical realm. With the wild beasts roaming around and maybe among them were some wild savage dogs, would He succumb to fear and run off to safety and give up His mission?
The temptations from the devil were subtle. In the other gospels, we hear of those temptations: turn stones to bread, to jump off the parapet of the Temple, to bow down to Satan. The depths of the Heart of Jesus was tested to see where He stood and who He was.
But while the temptations of the devil were subtle, the danger from the wild animals was real, because they can cause harm and injury.
St. Teresa of Avila once said: “I do not fear the devil. But I do fear his agents.” In other words, those agents of the devil are to be reckoned with because they are the physical weapons of the devil.
When sin entered the world, sin turned the world into a wild world. The peace of the Garden of Eden was broken and so were the relationships between God and man, and man and nature.
Jesus went into the wilderness to restore the brokenness and to reconcile man with God and man with nature. He fought off the devil’s temptations. He faced the wild animals, not to fight them but to tame them. And if there were any wild and savage dogs among them, then Jesus would also want to tame them and turn them into pet dogs.
It is said that when properly trained, a dog can be a man’s best friend. Now, listen to this twist: when properly trained, a man can be a dog’s best friend.
And indeed, the season of Lent is a season of grace and the Good News is that through repentance, this wild world can be made into the Kingdom of God.
The spiritual exercises of prayer, fasting and almsgiving are to help us to go back to the spiritual basics and to train us in the ways of God.
And here the humble pet dog can also show us a few things. (It is said that God loves dogs. Because “dog” is “God” spelled backwards. Maybe that’s why God is using the dog to show us a few things about life)
So what can the dog show us? For us who have pet dogs, we can immediately understand this:
1. Loyalty – a dog is naturally born with a sense of loyalty for its owner, and each dog displays this loyalty in its own unique way. And that reminds us that we are made to be faithful and loyal to God who is our Creator.
2. Compassion – no matter how sad or upset you are, a dog always knows how to give you love and comfort. It reminds us that God’s compassion for us is boundless.
3. Unconditional love – a dog loves with no strings attached. If that can be said of a dog, then what can we say about God’s love for us, especially when we look at the cross.
4. Selflessness – a dog's first focus is to provide you with its joy and it is not vain or selfish. If you show it love and kindness, it will be your ultimate selfless companion. But it also reminds us of what we are called to be for others.
5. Forgiveness – we humans have a hard time forgiving each other, we hold on to hurt and anger forever, but not a dog. He will forgive you for anything you do to him, even if you take it out on him. That is something we can learn from a dog.
Come to think of it, we are much more than dogs, because we are much more in the eyes of God.
Yet the humble dog can show us something of who we truly are. Of course we are not called to be like a dog, on the contrary, we are called to be like God.
And God will send His angels to help us just like how the angels looked after Jesus in the wilderness of the desert. Most angels have wings, but some may choose to have fur.
So if you have a pet dog, then may you be the person that your dog thinks you are.
If we don’t have a pet-dog, there is no need to go and get one. But let us remember many of the qualities that come so easily to a well-trained dog – loyalty, devotion, selflessness, love – seems to be so elusive to humans.
A well-trained dog can be a man’s best friend. But similarly a well-trained man can be a dog’s best friend. And a well-trained man can also be God’s best friend.
So let us go with Jesus into the spiritual wilderness and be trained by Him with prayer, fasting and almsgiving to fight temptation and to bring peace to a wild world.
Click the links under My Blog List to get to Chinese and English weekday homilies.
Saturday, February 17, 2018
Saturday, February 10, 2018
6th Ordinary Sunday, Year B, 11.02.2018
Leviticus 13:1-2, 45-46 / 1 Cor 10:31 – 11:1 / Mark 1:40-45
If looks don’t give an impression, or don’t give any impression, then there is no need for mirrors.
Certainly, good looks are important in so far as to give a good first impression.
And when it comes to good looks, it is more than just having nice clothes. It is about the hair and how to stop the receding hairline. It’s about the body and how to reduce the expanding waistline. It’s about the face and how to get rid of those stretch-lines.
And talking about the face, that’s what we usually look at in a photo, especially our face.
We rather not look at those photos in which we are not happy about how we look. But then there are no bad photos actually, because that’s how our faces look like sometimes; either it’s the wrong angle or the wrong pose.
But the fact is that many people complain about their looks, but almost none will complain about their brains, although the face and the brain are so close.
And more fundamentally, the Bible tells us that as much as man looks at the outward appearance, God looks at the heart (1 Sam 16:7).
Yes, God looks at the heart, whereas we tend to be captivated by outward appearances.
So we may admire or envy those who look good and gain easy acceptance. But at the same time, we also feel sorry for those who look less than plain or ordinary. They are often overlooked and swept under the carpet.
But being plain or ordinary looking is certainly not as bad as repulsive- looking that people would want to avoid.
Such was the case of the leper in the gospel. How he contracted leprosy, we were not told. But the 1st reading tells us how the religious law at that time looks at lepers.
If a swelling or a scab or shiny spot appears on a man’s skin, a case of leprosy of the skin is to be suspected. Then comes the action to be taken – the leper must wear torn clothes, his hair disordered, must live apart and outside the camp, and go around crying out “Unclean, unclean…”
Regardless of whether it was contagious or not, the disease has rendered the leper to be physically unclean as well as spiritually unclean. That was why the leper was separated from his people, as well as forced to be separated from God.
For the leper, it was not so much the pain of leprosy that was eating away at him physically. It was the pain of separation and rejection that was eating into him spiritually.
As if the separation and rejection of his own people was not painful enough, he had to find out if God was also rejecting him. That was like the last straw that will break him.
Whatever he knew or believe about Jesus, the leper came to Him and pleaded on his knees, “If you want to, you can cure me.” It was really a life-or-death moment for the leper. It may sound more like a demand, but good manners may not be needed in a desperate matter.
Yes, Jesus felt sorry for him, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said, “Of course I want to! Be cured.”
To a desperate demand, Jesus responded with a demanding decision, “Of course I want to! Be cured.”
When Jesus looked at the leper, He was not looking at the disfigurement. Jesus looked beyond and into the leper’s heart, which was broken by separation and rejection, a heart disfigured by pain and rejection.
Jesus came to seek and save what was lost. He came for the sick, not the healthy. He came for the sinners, not the saints.
Jesus is looking at each one of us and what does He see? As we look at ourselves in the mirror, what do we see? It is not what we are looking at that really matters, but what we see.
Whatever or whoever we see in the mirror, maybe we can think about this: If the whole world was blind, how many people would we be able to impress?
If it is going by looks, then the answer is obvious.
We may not suffer from leprosy, but it hurts and it is painful when people give us dirty looks.
The pain and the hurt of the leprosy of rejection and separation eat into us.
That’s when we must turn to Jesus and plead, “If You want to, You can cure me.” And Jesus will respond, “Of course I want to! Be cured.”
And He stretched out His hands on the cross and died for us. By His wounds we are healed. Because Jesus came to take away our pain and He carried our hurts for us.
But we must have faith in Jesus that He wants to do that for us. We too must go down on our knees and plead with Him. But we must put our faith in Him.
Because pain and rejection look backward. Fear looks around. But faith always look forward.
Yes, Jesus looks at us, He looks into us so that we can be healed, so that we can look forward with faith and proclaim the wonders that He has done for us.
If looks don’t give an impression, or don’t give any impression, then there is no need for mirrors.
Certainly, good looks are important in so far as to give a good first impression.
And when it comes to good looks, it is more than just having nice clothes. It is about the hair and how to stop the receding hairline. It’s about the body and how to reduce the expanding waistline. It’s about the face and how to get rid of those stretch-lines.
And talking about the face, that’s what we usually look at in a photo, especially our face.
We rather not look at those photos in which we are not happy about how we look. But then there are no bad photos actually, because that’s how our faces look like sometimes; either it’s the wrong angle or the wrong pose.
But the fact is that many people complain about their looks, but almost none will complain about their brains, although the face and the brain are so close.
And more fundamentally, the Bible tells us that as much as man looks at the outward appearance, God looks at the heart (1 Sam 16:7).
Yes, God looks at the heart, whereas we tend to be captivated by outward appearances.
So we may admire or envy those who look good and gain easy acceptance. But at the same time, we also feel sorry for those who look less than plain or ordinary. They are often overlooked and swept under the carpet.
But being plain or ordinary looking is certainly not as bad as repulsive- looking that people would want to avoid.
Such was the case of the leper in the gospel. How he contracted leprosy, we were not told. But the 1st reading tells us how the religious law at that time looks at lepers.
If a swelling or a scab or shiny spot appears on a man’s skin, a case of leprosy of the skin is to be suspected. Then comes the action to be taken – the leper must wear torn clothes, his hair disordered, must live apart and outside the camp, and go around crying out “Unclean, unclean…”
Regardless of whether it was contagious or not, the disease has rendered the leper to be physically unclean as well as spiritually unclean. That was why the leper was separated from his people, as well as forced to be separated from God.
For the leper, it was not so much the pain of leprosy that was eating away at him physically. It was the pain of separation and rejection that was eating into him spiritually.
As if the separation and rejection of his own people was not painful enough, he had to find out if God was also rejecting him. That was like the last straw that will break him.
Whatever he knew or believe about Jesus, the leper came to Him and pleaded on his knees, “If you want to, you can cure me.” It was really a life-or-death moment for the leper. It may sound more like a demand, but good manners may not be needed in a desperate matter.
Yes, Jesus felt sorry for him, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said, “Of course I want to! Be cured.”
To a desperate demand, Jesus responded with a demanding decision, “Of course I want to! Be cured.”
When Jesus looked at the leper, He was not looking at the disfigurement. Jesus looked beyond and into the leper’s heart, which was broken by separation and rejection, a heart disfigured by pain and rejection.
Jesus came to seek and save what was lost. He came for the sick, not the healthy. He came for the sinners, not the saints.
Jesus is looking at each one of us and what does He see? As we look at ourselves in the mirror, what do we see? It is not what we are looking at that really matters, but what we see.
Whatever or whoever we see in the mirror, maybe we can think about this: If the whole world was blind, how many people would we be able to impress?
If it is going by looks, then the answer is obvious.
We may not suffer from leprosy, but it hurts and it is painful when people give us dirty looks.
The pain and the hurt of the leprosy of rejection and separation eat into us.
That’s when we must turn to Jesus and plead, “If You want to, You can cure me.” And Jesus will respond, “Of course I want to! Be cured.”
And He stretched out His hands on the cross and died for us. By His wounds we are healed. Because Jesus came to take away our pain and He carried our hurts for us.
But we must have faith in Jesus that He wants to do that for us. We too must go down on our knees and plead with Him. But we must put our faith in Him.
Because pain and rejection look backward. Fear looks around. But faith always look forward.
Yes, Jesus looks at us, He looks into us so that we can be healed, so that we can look forward with faith and proclaim the wonders that He has done for us.
Saturday, February 3, 2018
5th Ordinary Sunday, Year B, 04.02.2018
Job 7:1-4, 6-7 / 1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-23 / Mark 1:29-39
Some names in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, are not that easy to pronounce. Some are tongue-twisters, while others seem to have at least two ways of pronunciation, e.g. the name of the prophet Isaiah.
But the name of the character in the 1st reading should be easy to pronounce. His name has only three letters – J-O-B. So it’s pronounced as “job” as in “office-job”.
Now, about the character called Job in the 1st reading, what he said in the passage seems to be like a description of his life which sounds like some kind of lousy job: “Is not man’s life on earth nothing more than pressed service, his time no better than hired drudgery? Like the slave sighing for the shade, or the workman with no thought but his wages”.
That may somewhat make us think about our jobs. Do we love our jobs, or do we just need our jobs? Seems like we just need it more than we love it.
We can tell our boss to give us a raise because there are three companies after us. Well, that’s no lie, because the three companies are the PUB, HDB and Singtel. But they are after us for other reasons.
Someone else that has a similar name as Job is the late Steve Jobs. He has this to say: The only way to do a great job is to love what you do.
Of course he can say that. He is Steve Jobs, and he did a great job with the iPad and the iPhone.
But we are no Steve Jobs. On the contrary, we may have no job satisfaction, no job security and no job suits us. So in short, it is “no job, no hope, no cash”.
And even if we get a new job, we may probably not like it any better, and so as we begin Monday, we long for Friday.
So Job said it quite right in the 1st reading – Life on earth is nothing more than pressed service, no better than hired drudgery, like a slave sighing for the shade.
And then at the end of that 1st reading, we say “Thanks be to God”. Seriously? But it is the Word of the Lord, so we better say “Thanks be to God”. Seriously!
So the 1st reading seems to say that life is like a lousy job. And we might want to chip in and say that life is not just like a lousy job; life is just lousy.
The pessimistic summary of life can be put into just three words – hard, suffering, pain. Yes, life is hard, there is suffering, there is pain.
In the gospel, Peter’s mother-in-law would initially agree with that. As she lay in bed with fever, she would be thinking about how hard life is, and now she is suffering from fever that weakened her and made her lie in bed.
But the fever could just be the symptom. There could probably be a fire burning within that is consuming all her joy and happiness in life. In other words, life had become like a lousy job, having to always give, give, give and being taken for granted, always having to be around the house to make sure things are provided for and yet not a word of thanks.
That could also be our complaint about life. As the fire burns and consumes within, we become dissatisfied about our jobs, unhappy about our family and relationships, unsure about the present and uncertain about the future. Yes, life has become like a lousy job.
But in the gospel, we hear that Jesus went to the mother-in-law, took her by the hand and helped her up. And the fever left her and she began to wait on them.
Interestingly, if it was the fever, we would think that Jesus would have laid His hand on her head to cure her fever. Yet, He took her hand. Seems like the fever is just a symptom. Seems like there is a fire burning within and Jesus came to heal that. So when Jesus took her by the hand, the fever left her.
Maybe there is also a fire burning within that makes us feel that life is like a lousy job.
But just as Jesus cured many who were suffering from diseases of one kind or another and cast out many demons, He also want to do the same for us.
Jesus came to confront our suffering and pain and to cast out the demons of selfishness, greed, pride, unfaithfulness and disobedience so that we will realise that life is not like a lousy job.
Some people have a job because they need it. But Jesus wants to take us by the hand so raise us to life so that we can love and serve.
The difference between a job and a loving life is that if we are doing it because no one else will, then it is just a job. But if we are doing it because of Jesus, then it is a service.
If we quit because someone criticized us, then it is a job. If we keep on serving, then it is love.
If we do it as long as it does not interfere with our other activities, then it is a job. But if we are committed to serving even if it means letting go of other things, then it is a life lived with love.
If we quit because no one thanked us or praised us, then it is a job. If we stick with it even though no one recognized our efforts, then our reward is in God’s blessings.
God calls us to a life of love and service. Let us not make it into a job.
But let us first stretch out our hand and let Jesus take us by the hand to lead us to that quiet place of prayer where He will heal us and drive away those demons and turn that consuming fire within into a flame of love and service.
Conversion begins by first being with God in prayer, and only then can we be of love and service to others.
God is calling us to repentance and conversion, so that He can give us a life to be lived in love and service.
Let us not turn our life into a job, and then make it into a lousy job.
Some names in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, are not that easy to pronounce. Some are tongue-twisters, while others seem to have at least two ways of pronunciation, e.g. the name of the prophet Isaiah.
But the name of the character in the 1st reading should be easy to pronounce. His name has only three letters – J-O-B. So it’s pronounced as “job” as in “office-job”.
Now, about the character called Job in the 1st reading, what he said in the passage seems to be like a description of his life which sounds like some kind of lousy job: “Is not man’s life on earth nothing more than pressed service, his time no better than hired drudgery? Like the slave sighing for the shade, or the workman with no thought but his wages”.
That may somewhat make us think about our jobs. Do we love our jobs, or do we just need our jobs? Seems like we just need it more than we love it.
We can tell our boss to give us a raise because there are three companies after us. Well, that’s no lie, because the three companies are the PUB, HDB and Singtel. But they are after us for other reasons.
Someone else that has a similar name as Job is the late Steve Jobs. He has this to say: The only way to do a great job is to love what you do.
Of course he can say that. He is Steve Jobs, and he did a great job with the iPad and the iPhone.
But we are no Steve Jobs. On the contrary, we may have no job satisfaction, no job security and no job suits us. So in short, it is “no job, no hope, no cash”.
And even if we get a new job, we may probably not like it any better, and so as we begin Monday, we long for Friday.
So Job said it quite right in the 1st reading – Life on earth is nothing more than pressed service, no better than hired drudgery, like a slave sighing for the shade.
And then at the end of that 1st reading, we say “Thanks be to God”. Seriously? But it is the Word of the Lord, so we better say “Thanks be to God”. Seriously!
So the 1st reading seems to say that life is like a lousy job. And we might want to chip in and say that life is not just like a lousy job; life is just lousy.
The pessimistic summary of life can be put into just three words – hard, suffering, pain. Yes, life is hard, there is suffering, there is pain.
In the gospel, Peter’s mother-in-law would initially agree with that. As she lay in bed with fever, she would be thinking about how hard life is, and now she is suffering from fever that weakened her and made her lie in bed.
But the fever could just be the symptom. There could probably be a fire burning within that is consuming all her joy and happiness in life. In other words, life had become like a lousy job, having to always give, give, give and being taken for granted, always having to be around the house to make sure things are provided for and yet not a word of thanks.
That could also be our complaint about life. As the fire burns and consumes within, we become dissatisfied about our jobs, unhappy about our family and relationships, unsure about the present and uncertain about the future. Yes, life has become like a lousy job.
But in the gospel, we hear that Jesus went to the mother-in-law, took her by the hand and helped her up. And the fever left her and she began to wait on them.
Interestingly, if it was the fever, we would think that Jesus would have laid His hand on her head to cure her fever. Yet, He took her hand. Seems like the fever is just a symptom. Seems like there is a fire burning within and Jesus came to heal that. So when Jesus took her by the hand, the fever left her.
Maybe there is also a fire burning within that makes us feel that life is like a lousy job.
But just as Jesus cured many who were suffering from diseases of one kind or another and cast out many demons, He also want to do the same for us.
Jesus came to confront our suffering and pain and to cast out the demons of selfishness, greed, pride, unfaithfulness and disobedience so that we will realise that life is not like a lousy job.
Some people have a job because they need it. But Jesus wants to take us by the hand so raise us to life so that we can love and serve.
The difference between a job and a loving life is that if we are doing it because no one else will, then it is just a job. But if we are doing it because of Jesus, then it is a service.
If we quit because someone criticized us, then it is a job. If we keep on serving, then it is love.
If we do it as long as it does not interfere with our other activities, then it is a job. But if we are committed to serving even if it means letting go of other things, then it is a life lived with love.
If we quit because no one thanked us or praised us, then it is a job. If we stick with it even though no one recognized our efforts, then our reward is in God’s blessings.
God calls us to a life of love and service. Let us not make it into a job.
But let us first stretch out our hand and let Jesus take us by the hand to lead us to that quiet place of prayer where He will heal us and drive away those demons and turn that consuming fire within into a flame of love and service.
Conversion begins by first being with God in prayer, and only then can we be of love and service to others.
God is calling us to repentance and conversion, so that He can give us a life to be lived in love and service.
Let us not turn our life into a job, and then make it into a lousy job.
Saturday, January 27, 2018
4th Ordinary Sunday, Year B, 28.01.2018
Deuteronomy 18:15-20 / 1 Cor 7:32-35 / Mark 1:21-28
One week has passed and we are back again here in church for Mass.
One week is not that long a time. But let’s ask ourselves this: What was it at Mass last week that made an impression on me? Was there anything that I remembered at Mass last week?
Although it was just seven days ago, we might not be able to recall anything of significance at last week’s Mass.
Oh yes, we were on our Sunday routine – we came for the same Mass time, we probably sat at the same pew or around there, the same things were being done. Nothing special, nothing impressionable, nothing impressive.
Not that we have a bad memory or suffer from a memory loss. Anyway if we can remember that we didn’t for Mass last Sunday, then we would have gone for Confession already.
Otherwise, we would say that everything went on as per normal at last week’s Mass. There was nothing out of the ordinary and nothing special.
Well on that Sabbath day in the synagogue as we heard in the gospel, the assembly gathered there also thought that it was just another ordinary Sabbath.
Until Jesus came along and He began to teach. And His teaching made a deep impression on them because He taught with authority.
And not only that, when there appeared a man possessed by an unclean spirit and challenged Jesus, Jesus expelled the unclean spirit from that man.
Certainly, for the people gathered at the synagogue, it was a Sabbath to remember. They were astonished and wondered what it all meant. But it also made a deep impression on them.
Now back to us who are gathered here for Mass on this Sunday. Will there be anything spectacular happening? Will there be anything that will make a deep impression on us?
Well, on the surface level, not likely. Unless the choir sings really off-key, or the wardens forget to go around for the collection, or the air-con breaks down. But no one will be shouting or screaming or making a scene.
So on the surface level, all seems normal and under control. But that’s only on the surface level. But there is also the spiritual level to consider.
And here is where we need to be quiet. We need to be silent so as to listen. Anyway “silent” and “listen” are made up of the same letters.
We need to be silent so as to listen to the prayers and to the Word of the Lord. If we were asked what were the Scripture readings of last Sunday, we will probably roll our eyes upwards as if the readings are on the ceiling.
And if we are asked if we remember any of the prayers said at Mass last Sunday, we will probably only remember saying “Amen”. Everything else seem to have gone in one ear and out from the other by the other ear.
Even though we may remember only saying “Amen”, yet that one word is a powerful affirmation. It means “Yes! It shall be!
We say it at the beginning and at the end of the Mass. We say it at end of every prayer. All in all we say “Amen” no less than ten times at Mass.
What we are saying is that what we have listened to and what we have prayed for will be fulfilled. As Jesus said, “This is being fulfilled today, even as you listen.”
So how is it fulfilled even as we listen and say “Amen” that it will happen.
In the Offertory Prayer last week, there is this word “salvation.” And the gospel of last week is about the call of the disciples.
A few days ago last week, a lady, who was a non-Catholic, came with her Catholic friend to see me.
She stays nearby and she ventured into the Church a couple of times during Mass and so she decided to ask her Catholic friend to accompany her to see a priest and so they ended up seeing me.
She made her queries, talked about her challenges and wondered if God wants her to be a Catholic.
As I listened to her, the words of last Sunday’s Mass “salvation” and “call” came to my mind, and then I realized that I was seeing it happening to that lady as she was talking.
Indeed the Lord will fulfill the prayers that we “Amen” to and He will also fulfill the Word that He spoke to us.
God will give us signs and will work wonders for us. We do not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord, because the Word of the Lord is spirit and they give us life and light.
So let us be quiet. Let us be silent and listen, so that the Word of the Lord and our prayers at Mass will make an impression on us as we await the signs and wonders that the Lord will work for us.
One week has passed and we are back again here in church for Mass.
One week is not that long a time. But let’s ask ourselves this: What was it at Mass last week that made an impression on me? Was there anything that I remembered at Mass last week?
Although it was just seven days ago, we might not be able to recall anything of significance at last week’s Mass.
Oh yes, we were on our Sunday routine – we came for the same Mass time, we probably sat at the same pew or around there, the same things were being done. Nothing special, nothing impressionable, nothing impressive.
Not that we have a bad memory or suffer from a memory loss. Anyway if we can remember that we didn’t for Mass last Sunday, then we would have gone for Confession already.
Otherwise, we would say that everything went on as per normal at last week’s Mass. There was nothing out of the ordinary and nothing special.
Well on that Sabbath day in the synagogue as we heard in the gospel, the assembly gathered there also thought that it was just another ordinary Sabbath.
Until Jesus came along and He began to teach. And His teaching made a deep impression on them because He taught with authority.
And not only that, when there appeared a man possessed by an unclean spirit and challenged Jesus, Jesus expelled the unclean spirit from that man.
Certainly, for the people gathered at the synagogue, it was a Sabbath to remember. They were astonished and wondered what it all meant. But it also made a deep impression on them.
Now back to us who are gathered here for Mass on this Sunday. Will there be anything spectacular happening? Will there be anything that will make a deep impression on us?
Well, on the surface level, not likely. Unless the choir sings really off-key, or the wardens forget to go around for the collection, or the air-con breaks down. But no one will be shouting or screaming or making a scene.
So on the surface level, all seems normal and under control. But that’s only on the surface level. But there is also the spiritual level to consider.
And here is where we need to be quiet. We need to be silent so as to listen. Anyway “silent” and “listen” are made up of the same letters.
We need to be silent so as to listen to the prayers and to the Word of the Lord. If we were asked what were the Scripture readings of last Sunday, we will probably roll our eyes upwards as if the readings are on the ceiling.
And if we are asked if we remember any of the prayers said at Mass last Sunday, we will probably only remember saying “Amen”. Everything else seem to have gone in one ear and out from the other by the other ear.
Even though we may remember only saying “Amen”, yet that one word is a powerful affirmation. It means “Yes! It shall be!
We say it at the beginning and at the end of the Mass. We say it at end of every prayer. All in all we say “Amen” no less than ten times at Mass.
What we are saying is that what we have listened to and what we have prayed for will be fulfilled. As Jesus said, “This is being fulfilled today, even as you listen.”
So how is it fulfilled even as we listen and say “Amen” that it will happen.
In the Offertory Prayer last week, there is this word “salvation.” And the gospel of last week is about the call of the disciples.
A few days ago last week, a lady, who was a non-Catholic, came with her Catholic friend to see me.
She stays nearby and she ventured into the Church a couple of times during Mass and so she decided to ask her Catholic friend to accompany her to see a priest and so they ended up seeing me.
She made her queries, talked about her challenges and wondered if God wants her to be a Catholic.
As I listened to her, the words of last Sunday’s Mass “salvation” and “call” came to my mind, and then I realized that I was seeing it happening to that lady as she was talking.
Indeed the Lord will fulfill the prayers that we “Amen” to and He will also fulfill the Word that He spoke to us.
God will give us signs and will work wonders for us. We do not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord, because the Word of the Lord is spirit and they give us life and light.
So let us be quiet. Let us be silent and listen, so that the Word of the Lord and our prayers at Mass will make an impression on us as we await the signs and wonders that the Lord will work for us.
Saturday, January 20, 2018
3rd Ordinary Sunday, Year B, 21.01.2018
Jonah 3:1-5, 10 / 1 Cor 7:29-31 / Mark 1:14-20
As we sit down to listen to the homily, some of us may habitually or instinctively glance at our watches. It is not that we want to time the homily to see how long it is going to take. (Anyway I have already timed it – it’s going to take about 7 minutes)
Since most of us wear a watch or have some kind of timepiece, it only goes to show how important time is to us.
More than just wanting to know the time of the day, we also want to know how much time we have for the next appointment, whether we will be on time or not, and just how much time we have for the things that we have planned.
But we also understand time in a much broader sense. There is the “first time” that marks a new experience or a new encounter.
There is the “next time” where we will be more prepared from what we have learnt before. There is the “last time” which can mean how we have always done things in the past, or when we want to put an end to something.
And of course there is the famous “no time” to mean how busy we are. But actually it is just another way of saying that it’s not our priority so we have no time for it. Or that we just don’t want to do it, so we say we have no time.
If we noticed in the 1st reading, it begins with “The word of the Lord was addressed a second time to Jonah”. So it was the second time that God called Jonah. So what happened at the first time?
Putting it simply, at the first time, Jonah had no time because he didn’t want to do what God wanted of him, because it was not to his liking.
God told him to go east to Nineveh, and he went west to go sailing. God told him to preach, but he went to the beach. In other words, God said “go” but he said “no”.
We might have heard of the story of Jonah, how he sailed off to escape from God, but a storm blew up and he had to be thrown overboard to quell the storm, and got swallowed up by a big fish, often-known-as, a whale.
But even the big fish can’t stand him because after three days in its belly, it threw him up on the shore. It was probably the first time and the last time that Jonah would want to be in the belly of a big fish.
But those three days in the belly of the big fish has a spiritual meaning. Because it was a time for Jonah to think about things. The point of all this is that Jonah was taken into the depths so that he could rise again. It was as if that for Jonah to move onwards, he must pass inwards.
Something in Jonah must give in before he can give up. Enlightenment can only come about after an experience of purification. And Jonah’s experience indeed has a lesson for us.
Like Jonah, we may not have paid attention at the first time; we may not have responded to God’s direction for us. But God still calls out to us the second time, or even the next time.
But the 2nd reading also tells us that our time is growing short, and that our time in this world is passing on, slowly but surely.
And Jesus, in the gospel, would announce it even more urgently: The time has come, and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent and believe in the Good News.
In whatever time of our life that we are in, there is an appointed time when God calls out to us and waits for our response.
When the appointed time came for Jonah, he had to respond. When the appointed time came for Simon and Andrew, for James and John, they too responded and did what God wanted of them.
They left their nets and their boats and followed Jesus, and they can only trust Him that He knows the plans He has for them, plans for their good and not for disaster, plans to give them hope and a future. (cf Jeremiah 29:11)
Doing what they did would certainly leave us feeling insecure. And at times we might feel that we are like being swallowed up by a big fish and left tumbling and swirling around in the darkness of the belly of the world.
Here is where a reflection of time can be helpful and it is put in just four words – First, Next, Then, Last.
First: God brought me to this. The will of God will never take me to where the grace of God will not protect me. In that I will be at peace.
Next: God will keep me in His love to behave as His child in this trial. God will never give us more than we can take. He will let us bend, but He will never let us break.
Then: He will turn the trial into a blessing and will teach me lessons that He wants me to learn. God doesn’t just want us to go through it; He wants us to grow through it.
Last: In God’s good time, He will bring me out and let me rise and shine. Then we realize that in order for the light to shine brightly, the darkness must be present.
So just four words connected with time – First, Next, Then, Last. May we know that time after time, whether it is First, Next, Then or Last, it is all in God’s appointed time.
We end off with a short prayer to the statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus that stands at the entrance of the Church:
O Jesus, You stand there, generation after generation
Receiving our prayer and petition
Stretching out Your hands in love and mercy
Touching ours that are so unworthy
Healing our sins and sorrow
Giving us hope for tomorrow. Amen.
As we sit down to listen to the homily, some of us may habitually or instinctively glance at our watches. It is not that we want to time the homily to see how long it is going to take. (Anyway I have already timed it – it’s going to take about 7 minutes)
Since most of us wear a watch or have some kind of timepiece, it only goes to show how important time is to us.
More than just wanting to know the time of the day, we also want to know how much time we have for the next appointment, whether we will be on time or not, and just how much time we have for the things that we have planned.
But we also understand time in a much broader sense. There is the “first time” that marks a new experience or a new encounter.
There is the “next time” where we will be more prepared from what we have learnt before. There is the “last time” which can mean how we have always done things in the past, or when we want to put an end to something.
And of course there is the famous “no time” to mean how busy we are. But actually it is just another way of saying that it’s not our priority so we have no time for it. Or that we just don’t want to do it, so we say we have no time.
If we noticed in the 1st reading, it begins with “The word of the Lord was addressed a second time to Jonah”. So it was the second time that God called Jonah. So what happened at the first time?
Putting it simply, at the first time, Jonah had no time because he didn’t want to do what God wanted of him, because it was not to his liking.
God told him to go east to Nineveh, and he went west to go sailing. God told him to preach, but he went to the beach. In other words, God said “go” but he said “no”.
We might have heard of the story of Jonah, how he sailed off to escape from God, but a storm blew up and he had to be thrown overboard to quell the storm, and got swallowed up by a big fish, often-known-as, a whale.
But even the big fish can’t stand him because after three days in its belly, it threw him up on the shore. It was probably the first time and the last time that Jonah would want to be in the belly of a big fish.
But those three days in the belly of the big fish has a spiritual meaning. Because it was a time for Jonah to think about things. The point of all this is that Jonah was taken into the depths so that he could rise again. It was as if that for Jonah to move onwards, he must pass inwards.
Something in Jonah must give in before he can give up. Enlightenment can only come about after an experience of purification. And Jonah’s experience indeed has a lesson for us.
Like Jonah, we may not have paid attention at the first time; we may not have responded to God’s direction for us. But God still calls out to us the second time, or even the next time.
But the 2nd reading also tells us that our time is growing short, and that our time in this world is passing on, slowly but surely.
And Jesus, in the gospel, would announce it even more urgently: The time has come, and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent and believe in the Good News.
In whatever time of our life that we are in, there is an appointed time when God calls out to us and waits for our response.
When the appointed time came for Jonah, he had to respond. When the appointed time came for Simon and Andrew, for James and John, they too responded and did what God wanted of them.
They left their nets and their boats and followed Jesus, and they can only trust Him that He knows the plans He has for them, plans for their good and not for disaster, plans to give them hope and a future. (cf Jeremiah 29:11)
Doing what they did would certainly leave us feeling insecure. And at times we might feel that we are like being swallowed up by a big fish and left tumbling and swirling around in the darkness of the belly of the world.
Here is where a reflection of time can be helpful and it is put in just four words – First, Next, Then, Last.
First: God brought me to this. The will of God will never take me to where the grace of God will not protect me. In that I will be at peace.
Next: God will keep me in His love to behave as His child in this trial. God will never give us more than we can take. He will let us bend, but He will never let us break.
Then: He will turn the trial into a blessing and will teach me lessons that He wants me to learn. God doesn’t just want us to go through it; He wants us to grow through it.
Last: In God’s good time, He will bring me out and let me rise and shine. Then we realize that in order for the light to shine brightly, the darkness must be present.
So just four words connected with time – First, Next, Then, Last. May we know that time after time, whether it is First, Next, Then or Last, it is all in God’s appointed time.
We end off with a short prayer to the statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus that stands at the entrance of the Church:
O Jesus, You stand there, generation after generation
Receiving our prayer and petition
Stretching out Your hands in love and mercy
Touching ours that are so unworthy
Healing our sins and sorrow
Giving us hope for tomorrow. Amen.
Saturday, January 13, 2018
2nd Ordinary Sunday, Year B, 14.01.2017
2nd Sunday OT B-2017 14-01-18
1 Sam 3:3-10, 19 / 1 Cor 6:13-15, 17-20 / John 1:35-42
Between sight and sound, it is difficult to say which has a more appealing advantage.
Before the era of television, when radio ruled the airwaves, listening is understanding. But with television, seeing is believing.
Still, hearing is essential. Try to watch a movie without the audio, or with a lousy audio, and it can be very frustrating.
And it can be equally frustrating for a hearing-impaired or a deaf person. While a blind or visually-impaired person is easily noticeable, a deaf or hearing-impaired person looks as ordinary as the rest.
Hearing aids may be helpful but it depends on the situation and surroundings.
An elderly man had serious hearing problems for many years. Finally he went to see a doctor and then the doctor had him fitted with new hearing aids and told him to come back a month later.
A month passed and the elderly man went back to the doctor and the doctor asked about his hearing aid.
The elderly man said that it was working very well. And the doctor said, “Oh, your family must be happy that you can hear again.”
The elderly man replied, “Oh, I haven’t told them. I just sit around and listen to their conversations. And I have already changed my will three times. ”
Yes, be careful with what we say. Even walls have ears. And hearing aids can make a difference!
In the 1st reading, the young Samuel heard a voice and he thought it was Eli calling him. But after the third time, Eli understood that it was the voice of the Lord calling out to Samuel and he taught Samuel how to respond: Speak Lord, your servant is listening.
And with that Samuel became the prophet of God and the voice of the Lord was now heard through him.
In the gospel, there was the voice of another prophet – John the Baptist. He had this to say, “Look, there is the Lamb of God” as he pointed out Jesus to his disciples.
Hearing this, the two disciples followed Jesus. Jesus turned round, saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”
So the voice of the Lord as we heard in the 1st reading is calling out to us, and the voice of Jesus as we heard in the gospel is asking us, “What do you want?”
As we think about what Jesus is asking us, as we think about what we want, there is an article in the Catholic News about the 19 Catholic clergy and religious who were killed in Algeria between 1993 and 1996, during the armed conflict that devastated Algeria.
Among the 19 were seven French Trappist monks who were kidnapped from their monastery of Tibhirine and later killed by the extremist rebel groups.
Their story is made into a movie titled “Of Gods and Men” The monks of the Tibhirine monastery knew they were in danger, and would be killed if they remained in Algeria and they had a choice to leave the country. But they deliberated and debated among themselves, prayed and listened to the voice of the Lord, and they chose to stay.
Fr Christian de Cherge, the slain abbot of the monastery, had written in a letter nearly three years before his death that he and the other monks would willingly offer themselves as a sacrifice for the people of Algeria.
“When the time comes, I would like to be able to have that stroke of lucidity which would permit me to ask forgiveness of God and of my brothers in humanity, forgiving wholeheartedly, at the same time, whoever my killer may be,” he wrote, “May we meet each other again, happy thieves, in paradise, should it please God.”
Even though they lost their lives, their martyrdom teaches us something about listening to the voice of the Lord in the face of danger and death.
The title of the movie made about them “Of Gods and Men” is also rather enigmatic. It refers to a verse from Psalm 82 shown at the beginning of the film -“I said, ‘You are “gods”; and all of you, sons of the Most High.’ But you will die like men; you shall fall like any of the princes.”
The gods of this world with their shrilling voices are shouting at us, taunting us, with their power and might, and luring us to play into their games of hatred and violence.
These false gods claim to have powers of divinity by wielding weapons of violence and bloodshed. Their murderous voice stirs fear and confusion in us that tempt us to fight back with violence and hate.
But it is the voice of the true God that passes judgement on these false gods and those seven Trappist monks were the instruments of God’s judgement.
By the gospel values of love and peace and forgiveness, by prayer and the Word of God, those monks listened to the voice of the true God and became His instruments of judgement as the mighty are cast down from their thrones and the lowly are raised.
Yes, we must listen to the voice of the one true God. As Jesus asks us what do we want, let us ask Jesus to grant us the faith to believe in His truth, that through prayer and perseverance, with love and forgiveness, we will overcome the power and might of those false gods and silence their taunts.
Like Samuel, let us say, “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.” When the Lord speaks, we will know, because it is a voice that speaks of peace, it is a voice of love.
1 Sam 3:3-10, 19 / 1 Cor 6:13-15, 17-20 / John 1:35-42
Between sight and sound, it is difficult to say which has a more appealing advantage.
Before the era of television, when radio ruled the airwaves, listening is understanding. But with television, seeing is believing.
Still, hearing is essential. Try to watch a movie without the audio, or with a lousy audio, and it can be very frustrating.
And it can be equally frustrating for a hearing-impaired or a deaf person. While a blind or visually-impaired person is easily noticeable, a deaf or hearing-impaired person looks as ordinary as the rest.
Hearing aids may be helpful but it depends on the situation and surroundings.
An elderly man had serious hearing problems for many years. Finally he went to see a doctor and then the doctor had him fitted with new hearing aids and told him to come back a month later.
A month passed and the elderly man went back to the doctor and the doctor asked about his hearing aid.
The elderly man said that it was working very well. And the doctor said, “Oh, your family must be happy that you can hear again.”
The elderly man replied, “Oh, I haven’t told them. I just sit around and listen to their conversations. And I have already changed my will three times. ”
Yes, be careful with what we say. Even walls have ears. And hearing aids can make a difference!
In the 1st reading, the young Samuel heard a voice and he thought it was Eli calling him. But after the third time, Eli understood that it was the voice of the Lord calling out to Samuel and he taught Samuel how to respond: Speak Lord, your servant is listening.
And with that Samuel became the prophet of God and the voice of the Lord was now heard through him.
In the gospel, there was the voice of another prophet – John the Baptist. He had this to say, “Look, there is the Lamb of God” as he pointed out Jesus to his disciples.
Hearing this, the two disciples followed Jesus. Jesus turned round, saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”
So the voice of the Lord as we heard in the 1st reading is calling out to us, and the voice of Jesus as we heard in the gospel is asking us, “What do you want?”
As we think about what Jesus is asking us, as we think about what we want, there is an article in the Catholic News about the 19 Catholic clergy and religious who were killed in Algeria between 1993 and 1996, during the armed conflict that devastated Algeria.
Among the 19 were seven French Trappist monks who were kidnapped from their monastery of Tibhirine and later killed by the extremist rebel groups.
Their story is made into a movie titled “Of Gods and Men” The monks of the Tibhirine monastery knew they were in danger, and would be killed if they remained in Algeria and they had a choice to leave the country. But they deliberated and debated among themselves, prayed and listened to the voice of the Lord, and they chose to stay.
Fr Christian de Cherge, the slain abbot of the monastery, had written in a letter nearly three years before his death that he and the other monks would willingly offer themselves as a sacrifice for the people of Algeria.
“When the time comes, I would like to be able to have that stroke of lucidity which would permit me to ask forgiveness of God and of my brothers in humanity, forgiving wholeheartedly, at the same time, whoever my killer may be,” he wrote, “May we meet each other again, happy thieves, in paradise, should it please God.”
Even though they lost their lives, their martyrdom teaches us something about listening to the voice of the Lord in the face of danger and death.
The title of the movie made about them “Of Gods and Men” is also rather enigmatic. It refers to a verse from Psalm 82 shown at the beginning of the film -“I said, ‘You are “gods”; and all of you, sons of the Most High.’ But you will die like men; you shall fall like any of the princes.”
The gods of this world with their shrilling voices are shouting at us, taunting us, with their power and might, and luring us to play into their games of hatred and violence.
These false gods claim to have powers of divinity by wielding weapons of violence and bloodshed. Their murderous voice stirs fear and confusion in us that tempt us to fight back with violence and hate.
But it is the voice of the true God that passes judgement on these false gods and those seven Trappist monks were the instruments of God’s judgement.
By the gospel values of love and peace and forgiveness, by prayer and the Word of God, those monks listened to the voice of the true God and became His instruments of judgement as the mighty are cast down from their thrones and the lowly are raised.
Yes, we must listen to the voice of the one true God. As Jesus asks us what do we want, let us ask Jesus to grant us the faith to believe in His truth, that through prayer and perseverance, with love and forgiveness, we will overcome the power and might of those false gods and silence their taunts.
Like Samuel, let us say, “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.” When the Lord speaks, we will know, because it is a voice that speaks of peace, it is a voice of love.
Saturday, January 6, 2018
Epiphany, Year B, 07.01.2018
Isaiah 60:1-6 / Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6 / Matthew 2:1-12
By now we would have settled back into normal routine. The holidays are over, Christmas Day had come and gone, we are already into the new year, all the festive excitement has died down.
So it’s back to work and back to school with appointments and assignments, schedules and what-have-you.
Well, we are looking into the new year and there are targets to set and goals to achieve. All engines are fired up and it’s full speed ahead.
No one would think of taking leave at this time of the year. There is just no mood for this. We have already relaxed enough over the holidays and there is back-log to clear and much to do.
Even for the Church, after this weekend, we are going to take down and keep the Christmas décor. Already they are looking a bit tired and waiting to be cleared.
But just when we thought that things are back to routine, we may notice that the Nativity scene is a bit crowded today, and there are three additional figures there.
And these three figures are quite a contrast compared to the other figures. Their dressing is exotic with rich robes and crowns on their heads and gifts in their hands.
So it’s guest appearance and it’s just for this weekend only, we have the 3 wise men (let’s just take it that there is three) aka the 3 Magis, or the 3 kings (and that is where we have that song “We three Kings of Orient are”).
And sure enough they were from the Orient as the gospel tells us that they are from the East.
They saw “His star” rising and they have come to do homage to the infant king of the Jews.
And that perturbed king Herod and the whole of Jerusalem. How was it that he didn’t know that a new king was born!
But there was another group of “wise” men who knew – the chief priests and the scribes. And they can even say “At Bethlehem in Judaea” – Well, they knew, but they just sat on it. They did nothing about it.
And so king Herod sent the wise men from the east to Bethlehem, to find out more about this infant king. His motive was to use them as his informants.
And when they found the infant Jesus, they did Him homage and opening their treasures, they presented Him with the 3 symbolic gifts: gold to honour His kingship, frankincense to worship His divinity, myrrh to acknowledge His humanity.
So Christmas is the great celebration of the birth of our Saviour, but of significance is the celebration of the Epiphany when the Saviour and King was manifested or revealed. Epiphany means manifestation or revelation.
The wise men from the east may seem to be just making a guest appearance in the whole Christmas celebration, but they are probably the first to know about the birth of Jesus, through the sign of the star. But they were also the last to come and pay homage to Him.
They saw His star rising. There were probably many other stars in the night sky, but this star called out to them and they responded.
It was a journey across barren desert sands and harsh conditions but they had to stay together because they only had each other along the journey.
The star was not always there to guide them and lead them and that was why they ended up at the palace of king Herod and were even used by him.
But they eventually found who they were looking for and by their gifts, they became witnesses of the royalty, divinity and humanity of the infant Jesus.
And truly they were wise men. Of course they were wise enough to know which star to follow.
But they were also wise because they learned many things from their difficulties in their search.
And we can learn from them. One is about the star (Jesus). In this world there are movie stars, pop stars, sports stars, we may even want to be a star. But there is only one star that will lead us to God.
About the gold. All that glitters and all we treasure must be offered to Jesus because our true treasure is in heaven.
Frankincense is used in worship. We offer worship to the one true God, no one else.
Myrrh has medicinal properties. It is offered to Jesus because Jesus is our Healer who will heal us and save us from our sins.
The wise men may be the latecomers or last-comers but we still want to celebrate with them. Because they found who they were truly searching for.
And they have this to tell us: We too will find Jesus. We just have to learn from them.
By now we would have settled back into normal routine. The holidays are over, Christmas Day had come and gone, we are already into the new year, all the festive excitement has died down.
So it’s back to work and back to school with appointments and assignments, schedules and what-have-you.
Well, we are looking into the new year and there are targets to set and goals to achieve. All engines are fired up and it’s full speed ahead.
No one would think of taking leave at this time of the year. There is just no mood for this. We have already relaxed enough over the holidays and there is back-log to clear and much to do.
Even for the Church, after this weekend, we are going to take down and keep the Christmas décor. Already they are looking a bit tired and waiting to be cleared.
But just when we thought that things are back to routine, we may notice that the Nativity scene is a bit crowded today, and there are three additional figures there.
And these three figures are quite a contrast compared to the other figures. Their dressing is exotic with rich robes and crowns on their heads and gifts in their hands.
So it’s guest appearance and it’s just for this weekend only, we have the 3 wise men (let’s just take it that there is three) aka the 3 Magis, or the 3 kings (and that is where we have that song “We three Kings of Orient are”).
And sure enough they were from the Orient as the gospel tells us that they are from the East.
They saw “His star” rising and they have come to do homage to the infant king of the Jews.
And that perturbed king Herod and the whole of Jerusalem. How was it that he didn’t know that a new king was born!
But there was another group of “wise” men who knew – the chief priests and the scribes. And they can even say “At Bethlehem in Judaea” – Well, they knew, but they just sat on it. They did nothing about it.
And so king Herod sent the wise men from the east to Bethlehem, to find out more about this infant king. His motive was to use them as his informants.
And when they found the infant Jesus, they did Him homage and opening their treasures, they presented Him with the 3 symbolic gifts: gold to honour His kingship, frankincense to worship His divinity, myrrh to acknowledge His humanity.
So Christmas is the great celebration of the birth of our Saviour, but of significance is the celebration of the Epiphany when the Saviour and King was manifested or revealed. Epiphany means manifestation or revelation.
The wise men from the east may seem to be just making a guest appearance in the whole Christmas celebration, but they are probably the first to know about the birth of Jesus, through the sign of the star. But they were also the last to come and pay homage to Him.
They saw His star rising. There were probably many other stars in the night sky, but this star called out to them and they responded.
It was a journey across barren desert sands and harsh conditions but they had to stay together because they only had each other along the journey.
The star was not always there to guide them and lead them and that was why they ended up at the palace of king Herod and were even used by him.
But they eventually found who they were looking for and by their gifts, they became witnesses of the royalty, divinity and humanity of the infant Jesus.
And truly they were wise men. Of course they were wise enough to know which star to follow.
But they were also wise because they learned many things from their difficulties in their search.
And we can learn from them. One is about the star (Jesus). In this world there are movie stars, pop stars, sports stars, we may even want to be a star. But there is only one star that will lead us to God.
About the gold. All that glitters and all we treasure must be offered to Jesus because our true treasure is in heaven.
Frankincense is used in worship. We offer worship to the one true God, no one else.
Myrrh has medicinal properties. It is offered to Jesus because Jesus is our Healer who will heal us and save us from our sins.
The wise men may be the latecomers or last-comers but we still want to celebrate with them. Because they found who they were truly searching for.
And they have this to tell us: We too will find Jesus. We just have to learn from them.
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