31st Ordinary Sunday, Year B, 03.11.2024

 Deuteronomy 6:2-6 / Hebrews 7:23-28 / Mark 12:28-34

No one can be forced to listen to a message that they are not prepared to receive. 

They may have heard the message many times over, but they do not respond to it, or act on it. 

They may even know the contents of the message, but they do not really put it into practice.

Over the past two days, the Church celebrated two feasts that have a profound impact on our lives. 

And these two feasts make us reflect on our lives and how we should go on living. 

The first is the feast of All Saints, in which we express our belief in the Communion of Saints. 

We are reminded of the call to holiness, that the Saints are praying for us to join them in heaven to praise God in eternity. 

The second is the feasts of All Souls, in which we remember our departed loved ones and all the faithful departed. 

We offer Mass and pray for them, so that they will be purified and rest in the eternal peace of God. 

So, the feast of All Saints reminds us of our eternity. 

And the feast of All Souls reminds us of our mortality. 

The message is plain and clear, and it grounds us down to this reality: 

We were born without bringing anything into this world. 

We die without taking anything with us. 

But the surprising thing is that in the interval between life and death, we fight for what we did not bring in, and we desire for what we cannot take away. 

In other words, we forget about our mortality and our eternity. 

We know the message, we have heard it numerous times, but we forget to put it into practice. 

In the gospel, the scribe asked Jesus about which is the first of all commandments. 

As a scribe, he should know the answer to his own question. 

For whatever motive he had in asking that question, Jesus replied plainly and clearly: “This is the first: Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You must love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.”

Then at that moment, the scribe seemed to be enlightened and he realized what the Commandment is about. 

Jesus seeing how wisely he had spoken said, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” 

This gospel passage tells us that there will be an appointed time when we will realize the truth of life and the reality of love. 

For me, the appointed time has come in my last weekend of ministry and service in this parish. 

The truth of life is that there will be changes, but God has His plans for me and for this parish community. 

But in the midst of changes, the reality of love and blessing does not change. 

I came to this parish about 10 years ago wondering what is God's plan for you and me. 

As God’s plan unfolded, it was blessing upon blessing, and love upon love. 

From you, I have learned what is simplicity and humility, and to love God with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind and with all my strength.

And I hope that I have shown you how to love God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.

I have received abundant blessings from the Lord, and I also wanted to share God's blessings with you. 

Some of you may have received unique showers of blessings of Holy Water on your hair, running down your face, and maybe into your eyes and into your ears. 

Yes, God loves us and blesses us abundantly. 

May we also love God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind and with all our strength. 

Then we will not be far from the kingdom of God.

30th Ordinary Sunday, Year B, 27.10.2024

 Jeremiah 31:7-9 / Hebrews 5:1-6 / Mark 10:46-52

A disadvantage is understood as an unfavourable position or circumstance, or a condition that reduces the chances of success or effectiveness. 

Whether the disadvantage is personal or external, it is not something that we are happy about. 

A disadvantage can also be called a problem, and as with any problem, we want to look for solutions. 

So, if we are poor and the others around us are rich, then we wouldn’t buy what those others could buy, and we couldn’t live the lifestyle that those others could have. 

We will have to settle for the minimum.

Or, if we are of poor health, then we can forget about competing in sports or winning medals and trophies. 

But with every problem, there can a solution. It is futile to keep complaining about problems without looking for a solution or an alternative.

But there are some problems that may not have immediate solutions. 

There is this story of a young man who is poor and unhappy because he couldn't find a girlfriend and he wanted to get married. 

So, he went to see a wise men for advice. The wise man looked at him and said, “You will be poor and unhappy and unmarried till you are 40.” 

Then the young man asked, “Until 40? Then after that?”

The wise man replied, “After that you will get used to it.”

Maybe there are some disadvantages and problems in life that require some getting used to. 

In the gospel, Bartimaeus, or the son of Timaeus, was in a difficult disadvantage and with many problems. 

He was blind, and he had to beg for people's sympathy to get on with life, and he had to get used to it. 

More than that, he doesn't seem to have an identity of his own. He was called the son of Timaeus. 

He was really in the depths of poverty. He has no identity, no dignity and maybe even no sympathy. 

Because when he heard that Jesus was passing by, he shouted for Jesus to have pity on him. 

And the people around him scolded him and told him to keep quiet. 

But Bartimaeus only shouted all the louder for Jesus to have pity on him. 

The disadvantage of Bartimaeus was that he couldn't see. 

But his ears could hear that Jesus was near, and he still had a voice to call out to Jesus. 

Even though the people around him tried to silence him, there was one thing that was his advantage, and that was pointed out by Jesus. 

When Jesus asked Bartimaeus what does he want, Bartimaeus asked to let him see again. 

The reply of Jesus is truly a revelation for Bartimaeus - Go, your faith has saved you. 

The disadvantage of Bartimaeus was his blindness. 

But his advantage was that he had ears of faith to hear that Jesus is near. 

He also had a voice of faith to call out to Jesus to have pity on him.

Each of us has our own disadvantages in life as well as our problems. 

Even the famous biblical characters have their struggles: 

Moses had a speech impediment. 

David was considered too young and inexperienced to fight Goliath. 

And when he became a king, he committed two grave sins of adultery and murder. 

Peter was impulsive. 

Paul was a ferocious persecutor of Christians. 

But at the very core of their lives, they had faith in God. 

With faith, we will face our problems with prayer. 

And with prayer God will turn our disadvantages into revelations of how marvellous and wonderful His love is for us. 

And may our prayer be: Jesus, have pity on me.  

Mission Sunday 2024, 20.10.2024

 Isaiah 2:1-5 / Ephesians 3:2-12 / Mark 16:15-20

The word “go” gives the idea that there is a movement. 

The word “go” is usually followed by a phrase that indicates some kind of activity. 

So, it could be go for a meal. Or go for a walk. Or go shopping. Or go somewhere for holiday. 

Those kinds of activities give a sense that the activity is enjoyable and relaxing, and we look forward to it. 

But it may not be so for all activities that follow after the word “go”. 

To go for a meeting may be boring if we just have to be present and listen to presentations. On the other hand, it could be stressful if we have to give a presentation to our bosses. 

So, we would like to know what it is that is after the word “go”. Like … go away? Or, do what? Or, meet who? 

In the gospel, Jesus tells His disciples to go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation. 

He told them that they will be given gifts that will show that they are God's messengers. 

In His name, they will cast out devils, they will have the gift of tongues, they will pick up snakes in their hands, they will be unharmed should they drink the poison, they will lay hands on the sick who will recover. 

So, they went out, preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the message of salvation with signs from God. 

But the mission is not without difficulties or danger. There was rejection and persecution. 

Some had to lay down their lives in witness to the Good News. 

But the mission continued to this day and the mission reminds us of this: that the Good News is a divine message and not a human initiative. 

And because it is a divine message, it comes with blessings for the messenger as well as for the listener. 

The gospel tells us that Jesus ascended to heaven, and there at the right hand of God, He took His place. 

The right hand of God is the sign and the symbol of the power and the blessing from God. 

Jesus gives us the power to proclaim the Good News and He gives us His blessing to carry it out. 

Mission Sunday is a call to discover God's gift in us and to discern our mission as Christians.

If we have a St. Benedict's medal, we will see that on one side is a symbol of the Cross with some inscriptions around it. 

On the other side is a figure of St. Benedict holding a Cross on one hand and a book on the other. 

St Benedict used the Cross to preach the Good News. The book is the rule that he used to promote the monastic life. That was Saint Benedict's calling. 

Then there's also the image of a raven carrying a loaf of bread and its beak, and there is also a cup with a snake crawling out of it. 

The story is that the enemies of St. Benedict wanted to harm him by poisoning his bread and drink.

But when St. Benedict said the blessing over his food, a raven came along and carried the bread away, and a snake crawled out of the cup. 

So, the Lord Jesus protected St. Benedict from harm as he carried out his mission

And the Lord Jesus will also protect us when we respond to His call to go and proclaim the Good News

On this Mission Sunday, let us ask Jesus to help us discover our gifts and to respond to His call. 

And as we go forth to be messengers of the Good News, Jesus will work with us and He will give us the signs to confirm the truth of the message.

28th Ordinary Sunday, Year B, 13.10. 2024

 Wisdom 7:7-11 / Hebrews 4:12-13 / Mark 10:17-30

Many sayings and opinions have been expressed about the subject of money. 

And it cannot be denied that money is indeed a very useful thing. 

With money we are able to fulfil our basic needs of food, clothing and shelter. 

With money, we will have a comfortable life and we are able to afford the luxuries of life. 

On the noble side, money is used to help the poor and needy, and to fund humanitarian projects. 

Generally speaking, no one would say that they don't want money, or that they have no need for money. 

Indeed, money is useful, and he who has money can be quite powerful. 

But there are things that money cannot buy and have no power over. 

Money certainly cannot buy life. Money can never bring the dead back to life. 

And money cannot buy true friendships. 

And money also cannot buy love. 

In fact, when we have no money, then we will know who will help us, who are our true friends and who will really love us. 

In the gospel, a man ran up to Jesus, knelt before him and asked what must he do to inherit eternal life.

The man kept all commandments and he wanted to know if there is anything else to do. 

Jesus looked steadily at him and loved him. Then he told the man to sell off everything he owned, give the money to the poor and he will have eternal life. 

But that man's face fell, and he walked away sad, because he was a man of great wealth. 

Jesus had looked steadily at him and loved him. 

That man looked at his wealth, but did not look into the eyes of Jesus. 

It is said that the eyes are the windows of the soul. 

Just as Jesus looked steadily at that man and loved him, Jesus looks at us and loves us too. 

But just as that man looked at his wealth, we may be too busy looking at other things. 

Our eyes look and not just money and wealth. Our eyes look at what we desire for sensual pleasure and luxurious possessions. 

When it comes to food, our eyes become bigger than our stomachs and we eat till we overeat. 

So, we are busy looking at earthly desires and our eyes avert from looking at Jesus. 

Still, Jesus continues to look at us with that look of love, with eyes that want to tell us something. 

But we are busy, as busy as a bee. 

Bees may be busy, but they still have time to talk to the flowers. 

It seems that flowers talk to bee using static electricity. If a flower hasn't been visited recently by a bee, it gives off static electricity. 

That static electricity tugs at the tiny hairs on the bees’ back, letting them know which flower still has nectar. 

Like how the flower prompts the bee, Jesus prompts us to look at Him as He looks at us. 

As we feel His promptings, may this hymn also come to our minds: 

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, 

look full in His wonderful face. 

And the things of earth 

will grow strangely dim 

in the light of His glory and grace.

27th Ordinary Sunday, Year B, 06.10.2024

 Genesis 2:18-24 / Hebrews 2:9-11 / Mark 10:2-16

One of the basic and fundamental needs in life is the need for survival. 

From the moment we came into the world, we instinctively made it known that we want to live and survive. 

So, even though when we were helpless little babies, we would cry out for attention in our need for food. 

And as we started to crawl around, we would put into our mouths anything we can lay our hands on, and our parents would go into alarm or panic mode. 

When our need for food is met, and we have a stable supply of food, we will turn our attention to something else. 

Not being satisfied with just having food to survive, we now want to have our place in this world. 

So, we begin the quest for recognition and status, for academic qualifications, for job promotions and for material possessions. 

Instinctively, we will look for what benefits us and we will avoid what are burdens to us. 

So, it is like when we have to go out on a rainy day, we will look for an umbrella, for the benefit of keeping dry. 

But, when the rain has stopped, or when we have no more need for the umbrella, then it becomes a burden, because we have to carry it around. 

So, in life, our human survival instinct tells us to get what benefits us, and to avoid and reject what are burdens to us. 

In the gospel, Jesus gave a teaching about marriage, and He stated that from the beginning, marriage was instituted by God. 

That beginning is what we heard in the 1st reading, when God said: It is not good that the man should be alone. I will make him a helpmate. 

The Lord God made the man fall into a deep sleep, and then took to a rib from the man and created the woman. 

So, something was taken from the man and given to the woman. 

So, it can be said that a man and a woman commit themselves to marriage because they want to give themselves to the other. 

Marriage is not for self-benefit, neither is it to think of the other as a burden. 

When marriage is understood as a self-sacrifice for the other, then there will be love in the marriage. 

Needless to say, that in marriage, one spouse cannot think of the other as an umbrella for rainy days, and a burden when the rain has stopped. 

Rather, one becomes the umbrella and a shelter for the other in rainy days. 

This self-sacrifice of love is what parents will teach and show to their children. 

I once watched a movie clip about a father who went to fetch his twin children from kindergarten on a rainy day.

When the father reached the kindergarten and saw his two children happily waiting for him, he realized that he had only one umbrella, and it was not a big umbrella. 

For a moment, the father looked at his children and looked at the umbrella. 

The next scene showed him holding the umbrella over his two children, and he was wet in the rain. 

What he did for his children, he would also do for his wife, and his wife would also do likewise. 

And that is how we see the meaning of our life. 

More than just food and other things for survival, we live because of love. 

To survive is just to exist. But to live is to love. 

God created us in love, with love and for love. 

Let us go forth and share God's love with our world.

26th Ordinary Sunday, Year B, 29.09.2024

 Numbers 11:25-29 / James 5:1-6 / Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

One of the essential aspects of building relationships is that there is a common interest. 

Individuals would instinctively gather themselves in groups when there is a shared common interest. 

These groups are usually informal or casual, and it can consist of several members. 

There is no written constitution or stipulation about leadership or membership. 

The individuals gather together as a group because of a similar interest, and that is also the basis of their relationship. 

Sometimes these groups are called “kakis” in our local Singlish. 

For those who like playing mahjong, they are called mahjong khakis. 

And there are others like jogging kakis, cycling kakis, dancing kakis, music kakis and of course makan kakis. 

These groups usually gather to enjoy the common interest. 

But, they can also become exclusive and ambitious, in that they compete against other groups and criticize other groups. 

When Jesus chose the Twelve, they were not called a group or a club. 

They were called “Apostles” as it was Jesus who called them and sent them to preach the Good News.

He also gave them authority and power to cast out devils and to cure the sick. 

In the gospel, John, who was one of the Apostles, saw a man who was not one of the Apostles, casting out devils in the name of Jesus, and wanted to stop him. 

But Jesus said: You must not stop him. No one who does a miracle in My name is likely to speak evil of Me. Anyone who is not against us is for us. 

Jesus said that because John's complaint was a telltale sign that the apostles were beginning to see themselves as an exclusive group. 

And they were also beginning to think that only they were specially entitled to have the power and authority to cast out devils and to cure the sick. 

It is like as if they had the monopoly to that power and authority. 

Anyone, or any other group, who does what they are doing is not legit, and so has to be stopped. 

Jesus had to bring the Apostles back to their calling and their mission. 

It was He who called them, and they responded because they loved Him. 

But Apostles were beginning to think that they were exclusive and elite. 

Pride and ego were setting in, and they felt threatened and insecure when others were able to do what they were doing. 

As for us, we are Christians because Jesus loved us and called us to belong to Him. 

And we have responded because we love Jesus, and we must always remember that our love for Jesus is the essence and foundation of our unity. 

Because we love Jesus, hence we want to share with non-Christians the living waters of salvation by journeying with them to know and to love Jesus. 

Because we are Christians, we will cut off our pride and ego, and to let simplicity, humility and charity be the foundations of our unity. 

And because we love Jesus, we too will love one another with forgiveness, compassion, patience and kindness. 

In his recent Apostolic visit to Singapore, Pope Francis reminded us that ultimately, life always brings us back to one reality, and that is, without love we are nothing.

In all we have and in all we do, there must be love, without which everything is futile. 

Jesus is our love, and He unites us in His love. 

With Jesus, we will be able to share that cup of living water with a world that is thirsting for God's love.

25th Ordinary Sunday, Year B, 22.09.2024

 Wisdom 2:12, 17-20 / James 3:16 – 4:3 / Mark 9:30-37

Everyday, our ears do a lot of hearing and listening. 

In the early morning, our ears hear the ringing of the alarm clock, and we wake up for the day. 

We listen to the voices of our family members in order to know how they feel and what they need. 

At work, we listen to the boss in order to know what is required of us and what we need to do. 

We also have to listen to our colleagues in order to have a better understanding and working relationship. 

So, every day our ears do a lot of hearing and listening. 

And when we listen to what others are saying, we also want to understand what they are saying. 

When we understand what others are saying, then we are able to respond with words and actions. 

But quite often, even as we are listening to others speaking, we are already thinking of how to reply. 

So, even before others have finished speaking, we already know what we want to say. 

We may even interrupt when others are still speaking, which is a telltale sign that we are not really listening. 

That happens specially in an argument, when emotions are running high. 

In an argument, everyone is talking, but no one is really listening, and words are rough and sharp. 

In the gospel, Jesus told His disciples that He will be delivered into the hands of men, He will be put to death, but He will also rise again. 

The disciples did not understand what Jesus said, and they were afraid to ask Him. 

Indeed, it was difficult to understand what Jesus said. 

And then, almost at the next moment, the disciples began a discussion that led to an argument. 

They did not discuss about what Jesus told them. 

Instead the topic of their discussion was about who among them was the greatest. 

There could be many reasons as to why the disciples enter into that discussion. 

It could be about who deserves more merit and credit. 

It could be about who did more work than the rest. 

It could be about who had the highest qualification, or who had earned more money in the past, or about who was more popular. 

Whatever it is, the discussion is about boastful comparisons that led to petty arguments. 

The 2nd reading has a teaching for this as it says: 

“Where do these wars and battles between yourselves start? 

Isn't it precisely in the desires fighting inside your own selves? 

You want something and you haven't got it, so you are prepared to kill. 

You have an ambition that you cannot satisfy, so you fight to get your way by force.” 

That is a reflection of what is happening in the world where the is violence, war and bloodshed. 

In short, it is about the desire to be the greatest, the strongest, the richest and the highest. 

In the jarring noise of this world what are we listening to? 

Yes, we need to listen to the Word of God. 

And in order to listen, we need to be silent. 

The famous classical musician Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart said this: 

The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between the notes. 

When we understand that, then we will also know that we listen to the Word of God in the language of silence. 

And that would also lead us to listen to what others are saying with a heart of silence. 

Yes, to listen is to be silent, and we will be able to understand what others are saying. 

And we will also be able to listen to what God is saying to us.