11th Ordinary Sunday, Year B, 16.06.2024

 Ezekiel 17:22-24 / 2 Cor 5:6-10 / Mark 4:26-34  

From the moment we came into this world, we embarked on a learning process. 

We learn to recognize our parents and the people around us. 

We learn how to get attention when we are in some kind of need. 

We learn how to use the things around us for our benefit. 

Life is a learning process and it is a lifelong learning. 

And we go to school to acquire knowledge, and we get to understand more about people, about the world, and also about ourselves. 

But no matter how much we learn and how much knowledge we acquire, there will always be something that we don't know or understand. 

For example, we use our mobile phone so often, but we don't really know how it works. 

We ride on vehicles like cars, and trains and airplanes, but we don't know how they work. 

We hear an amplified voice of a person at a distance, and we don't know how a microphone or a sound system works. 

But, we don't have to ask all those questions when those things work, and there are no problems. 

We will only ask questions when things don't work, and when it becomes an inconvenience or a problem for us. 

In the gospel parable, we hear of a man who throws seeds on the land. 

Night and day, while he sleeps, when he is awake, the sea is sprouting and growing. How, he does not know. 

But of its own accord, the land produces first the shoot, then the ear, then the full grain of the ear. 

And when the crop is ready, he loses no time. He starts to reap because the harvest has come. 

All that sounds like nature's manufacturing process, and the results are expected. 

But there are five words that call out for our attention and reflection. 

Those five words are: How, he does not know. Those five words reveal the limitation of human knowledge and understanding. 

And those five words reveal the wonders and the marvels of the mystery and the power of God. 

Yes, it is God who creates, who gives life, who brings about growth. 

And human knowledge and understanding cannot fully grasp the mind of God and His ways. 

In the 1st reading, the Lord God has this to say: Every tree of the field will learn that I, the Lord, am the One who stunts tall trees and makes the little ones grow, who withers green trees and makes the withered green. 

Indeed, who can fully understand the mysterious ways and the power of God. 

But we know that the Lord God looks with favour on the lowly and humble, and those who put their faith and trust in Him. 

On the side altars of our Lady and St. Joseph, there are more than 5,000 petitions gathered from the triduum and feastday celebrations.

We do not know how God is going to answer those prayer petitions, but we do know that God will answer them. 

There are many things about life, about people, about the world, and about ourselves, that we do not know or understand. 

And when we are faced with trials and tribulations, and we do not have the solution, let us say the “I don't know” prayer. 

Let us come before the Lord with our struggles and troubles, and humbly say that we don't know how to handle the situation. 

We just have to say: Lord, I don't know, but You know.

Yes, the Lord knows, and He will show us the wonder and the marvel of His knowledge and His power.

10th Ordinary Sunday, Year B, 09.05.2024

 Genesis 3:9-15 / 2 Cor 4:13 – 5:1 / Mark 3:20-35  

One of the means of communication is with words. The primary form of interaction with others is through the spoken word. 

Although text messaging is popular, the human social inclination is to meet up and have a face-to-face interaction. 

In such interactions, words are spoken to express thoughts and emotions. 

Whether it is a casual or formal conversation, there is a need to be aware of what we say. 

There is a Chinese saying that we can be reckless with what we eat, but we have to be careful with what we say. 

But actually, we also need to be careful with what we eat, so as not to have digestive problems. 

So, we have to be careful with what we eat, as well as to be careful with what we say. 

But it seems like we are more discerning with what we eat than what we say. 

Because there are instances when we are so careless with our words. 

There are many reasons why we are careless with our words. 

It could be when we are angry and we lose our temper. And when we lose control of our temper, we also lose control of our tongue, and we say mean and hurtful words. 

Or, we may want to be sarcastic so as to insult and put down others. We will use words that are sharp and cutting and make others cringe and feel disgusted. 

By and large, we become careless with our words when we lose control of ourselves and give in to temptation. 

That's when we will say things that are false, or tell lies, or even to the extent of saying things that are outright evil. 

In the gospel, Jesus says that all men's sins will be forgiven, and all their blasphemies. But let anyone blaspheme against the Holy Spirit, and he will never have any forgiveness: he is guilty of an eternal sin. 

Jesus said that because some people were saying that an unclean spirit is in Him. 

To say that there is an unclean or evil spirit in a person is a grave and serious matter. 

More so when it is not a factual statement, and it is said to criticize a person out of jealousy or to discredit or out of some malicious intent. 

We may not say something that grave and serious. 

But, we may give in to the temptation of cursing, and say things like “that person can go to hell”. 

That is certainly not a casual statement and it implies that a person is evil. 

As Christians, such words or phrases cannot come out of our mouths. 

Because from what fills our hearts, our mouths will speak. 

Let us remember that evil can only multiply when we lose control of ourselves and give in to temptation. 

We will speak words of evil and sow words of evil into the hearts of those who hear it. 

But when our hearts are filled with the Holy spirit, we will speak what is good and loving, what is right and true. 

The Holy Spirit leads us to do the will of God. 

To do the will of God is to speak about the will of God. 

And the will of God is that we speak words that are gentle and kind and compassionate. 

We speak words that encourage, words that affirm, words that heal. 

And may the Holy Spirit help us to speak words of Truth and Love.

Corpus Christi, Year B, 02.06.2024

 Exodus 24:3-8 / Hebrews 9:11-15 / Mark 14:12-16, 22-26

Human beings have a wonderful and amazing ability in them, and it is also fascinating. 

We use this ability so often that we expect to have it always. But when that ability doesn't function well, or when we lose it, then we will realize how important it is. 

Human beings have a memory, and we use it to remember and to recall so many things. 

With our memory we remember occasions like birthdays and anniversaries. 

With our memory we remember experiences that shaped and formed us. 

With our memory we remember our relationships with others and how they have influenced us. 

We may forget some things here and there, and we may get some things mixed up. 

But we will remember what is necessary and what is important. 

But there is also such a thing called erasing the memory, and it is used to exterminate a race or a nation. 

So, the aggressor will begin by destroying the books, the culture and the history. 

Then new books will be written, and a new culture will be imposed, and a new history will be invented. 

In a matter of time, the race or the nation will begin to forget who they are and what they are. 

So, the struggle of humanity against oppression and extermination, is the struggle of keeping the memory from being erased and forgotten. 

We come to Church every Sunday. Coming to church is more than just a ritual or a habitual thing to do. 

We have come to recall and remember an important and fundamental aspect of our faith. 

We come for Mass to recall, and to remember God's love for us. 

And at Mass, we receive Holy Communion, we receive the Body of Christ, and we recall and remember those words of Jesus: Do this in memory of me. 

More than just recalling the historical event of the Last Supper, it is also a living memory. 

We remember how much Jesus loves us as we receive Him in Holy Communion. 

Today's feast of Corpus Christi, the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, is the celebration of the living memory and the loving presence of Christ in the Church, and in us the Body of Christ. 

One of those who are baptized at Easter was sharing with me how happy she was to be baptized and to receive Holy Communion. 

She said that in receiving Holy Communion, she felt a belonging to Christ and to the Parish Community. 

That is quite an amazing and profound statement from a newly baptized. 

And that is also a reminder for us Catholics to keep this belonging by keeping the memory and remembering what Jesus gave us at the Last Supper. 

Because the distractive and corruptive trends of the world are powerful enough to erase our memory. 

We see it in Catholics who have stopped coming to Church, and in those who have forgotten what their faith is about. 

But let us not forget, and let us always remember and recall who we are and why we are here at Mass. 

We must remember that we belong to Christ, and that we are members of the Body of Christ. 

And let us always remember what Jesus said to us at the Last supper: Do this in memory of me.

Trinity Sunday, Year B, 26.05.2024

  Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40 / Romans 8:14-17 / Matthew 28:16-20

We are gathered in this church every week for one main purpose. And that purpose is to pray and to offer worship to God. 

As individuals, we want to pray for our own needs and intentions. But united in faith, we become the People of God, offering prayer and worship for ourselves, for the Church and for the world. 

We believe that God hears our prayers, that God watches over us, that God protects us and grants us our needs. 

And God has also revealed a truth that will lead believers, and even non-believers, to wonder and to ponder. 

That truth about God is that the essence of God is the unity of the Holy Trinity. The Holy Trinity is the unity of the Father, and the Son and the Holy spirit. 

It is a truth that God reveals to us, and we profess our belief in that truth when we make the sign of the Cross and say: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 

We also believe that God is love. And God the Holy Trinity is united in a relationship of love. 

So, it is with love and in love that the Father created us in the image of God. 

It is with love and in love that Jesus Christ the Son saved us from the corruption and disfiguration of sin. 

And it is with love and in love that the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts and makes us the temples of God. 

We believe in God who is love, and that God loves us. 

We also ponder about this truth that God is united in the Holy Trinity. But this truth about the Holy Trinity is not a concept or an idea about God. 

The truth of the Holy Trinity is also the truth about ourselves. It is a truth about who we are, and what our faith is really about. 

Because what we believe in, we must eventually become. 

So, when we believe that God is love, then we too must strive to be a person of love. 

We would want to be like God the Father, who created each person in love and with love. 

So, we would look at each person with love, and uphold the dignity of each person as God's beautiful creation. 

Yet, we do not deny the destructive effects of sin, that has disfigured and corrupted each person. 

So, we look at God the Son, who was obedient to being crucified on the Cross to save us from our sins. 

We would unite ourselves to Jesus, and offer prayer, penance and reparation for our sins and for the sins of others. 

And we would be attentive to the gentle promptings of God the Holy Spirit to be holy and faithful members of the Church and members of the Body of Christ. 

So, the truth about God is also the truth about ourselves. 

The truth about God is that God is love, and God is united in the love of the Holy Trinity. 

We believe in that truth, and in that love. What we believe in, we too must become, because we are called to become like God. 

So, we witness to the loving mercy of God the Father; we witness to the loving obedience of God the Son; and we witness to the love and gentleness of the Holy Spirit. 

When we become God's truth and love, then others will see God in us, and they will also want to believe what we believe in.

Pentecost Sunday, Year B, 19.05.2024

  Acts 2:1-11 / 1 Cor 12:3-7, 12-13 / John 20:19-23

The reality of this world can be generally divided or categorized into two realms. 

One realm is the visible reality, and the other is the invisible. Although invisible, it is still a reality. 

Understandably, we are more familiar with the visible reality or the visible realm. 

That visible realm or reality is not limited to only what can be seen. It is also about what can be heard, what can be touched, what can be smelled and what can be tasted. 

In other words, the reality of the visible realm is what can be experienced by the five senses. 

That is what we are familiar with as we are able to experience that reality with our senses. 

What we may not be familiar with is the spiritual realm. 

On this Feast of Pentecost, the spiritual realm is revealed to us in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. 

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third Person in the unity of the Holy Trinity. In the Creed, we profess that the Holy Spirit is Lord and the Giver of Life. 

We often associate the Holy Spirit as something like a powerful wind or tongues of fire, as we heard in the 1st reading. 

And Holy Spirit is also often associated in the form of a dove, as the Holy Spirit came down in the form of a dove at the baptism of Jesus. 

But on this Feast of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit comes down upon the Church, upon each of us, to reveal Himself more to us, and to give us a deeper understanding. 

As on that first Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples and they went out bravely to proclaim the marvels of God.

So, the Holy Spirit is revealed in the members of the Body of Christ. 

Over and above the five senses with which we experience the reality of the visible realm, the Holy Spirit gives us another sense. 

The Holy Spirit gives us the spiritual sense, with which we are able to experience the invisible realm. 

So, the Holy Spirit reveals to us the ways of God in this world. The Holy Spirit also reveals to us how God works in and through us. 

The 2nd reading, from one Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13, tells us this: There is a variety of gifts but always the same Spirit. There all sorts of service to be done, but always to the same Lord, working in all sorts of different ways in different people, it is the same God who is working in all of them. The particular way in which the Spirit is given to each person is for a good purpose. 

So, with the Holy Spirit in each of us, we become a part of God's revelation in the Church, and to the world. 

The most profound sign of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is when we, the People of God, are gathered in prayer. 

The disciples were gathered in prayer in the upper room, and the Holy Spirit descended upon them. 

As we gather in worship and prayer, Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit upon us, and we respond in thanksgiving and singing the praises of God. 

In worship and in prayer, the Holy Spirit unites us as the Church and as the Body of Christ. 

And guided and prompted by the Holy Spirit, we reveal God to each other and to the world. 

We reveal the presence of God through acts of love and words of peace. 

We reveal the compassion and the forgiveness of God. 

Over and above the five human senses, we bear witness to the divine sense, which is the spiritual sense. 

When we bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit, which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, others will be able to sense the presence of God.

That is our Christian mission, and may Holy Spirit help us to fulfil that mission.

7th Sunday of Easter, Year B, 12.05.2024

 Acts 1:15-17, 20-26 / 1 John 4:11-16 / John 17:11-19

No one can really say that they don't have any problems in life. Even a carefree person will be bothered by flies and mosquitoes, and will have some complaints about life. 

So, whenever we are faced with the problems of life, especially the big and difficult problems, we will certainly resort to complaining. 

We know that complaining is not the solution to our problems in life. In fact, complaining only creates more problems for us. 

But in our anger and frustration, we want to complain, and we may even blame others for our problems. 

And it can also be quite convenient to blame God for all our problems. 

Also, when we pray for God's help to solve our problems, we don't seem to get an answer. 

But the truth of life is that life is difficult. 

And so it is with faith; faith is also difficult. 

So, we not only have problems with life, we also have problems with our faith. 

In the gospel, Jesus says that we belong to the world no more than He belongs to the world. 

But Jesus is not asking God to remove us from the world. 

So, Jesus is not asking God to remove all our problems in life. 

Rather, Jesus is asking God for something more crucial and more important, and that is that God protects us from the evil one. 

Life is difficult, and we will have our problems in life. 

And then the evil one will lurk around to tempt us, and use our problems to pull us down. 

And when we give in to the temptations of the evil one, then the problems in life will overwhelm us, and we will begin to drown in disappointment and frustration. 

That is why Jesus ask God to protect us from the evil one. 

On our part, we must look to God for help and protection. 

In the gospel, Jesus gave us a posture of prayer, a posture to turn to God for help and protection. 

The gospel passage begins with: Jesus raised His eyes too heaven. 

When we come to Church, what will catch our attention are the brightly-lit stained glass images of Jesus, Mother Mary and Saint Joseph.

When we raise our eyes and attention to the sacred images, we will know that Jesus is our Saviour, and Mother Mary and Saint Joseph are praying for us for God's help and protection. 

But if we keep looking down, then the evil one will only pull us further down. 

And talking about raising up and looking down, there is this legend about St. Teresa of Avila, the Carmelite nun who reformed the Carmelite Order in the 16th century. 

St. Teresa of Avila was serious about reforming, but she was also witty and funny, even in the face of persecution and temptation. 

Legend has it that one day while she was in the toilet, the evil one popped up and began mocking her. 

St. Teresa prayed and then retorted to the evil one with this: What comes out from my mouth goes up to God. What comes out from the other end is for you the evil one. 

So let us raise our minds and hearts to God and let what comes out from our lips give praise and thanks to God. 

God will bless us with joy and protect us from the evil one. 

May the joy of the Lord be our strength to face the difficulties of life. 

May the joy of the Lord be our protection against the temptations of the evil one.

6th Sunday of Easter Year B, 05.05.2024

  Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48 / 1 John 4:7-10 / John 15:9-17

There are many ways to describe what life is like, and what life is about. 

It can be said that life is like boarding a train and going on a long long journey. 

When we go on board a train, there are already people on it. 

As the train moves along, we will gradually strike up conversations, and make friends with people. 

There are some whom we will easily make friends with because of similarity in personality, and common interests. 

And then there are some who will just be acquaintances, and we won't know much about them, and they also will not know much about us. 

And then there might be some whom we will keep a distance from, for one reason or another. 

As the train travels from station to station, some people will come on board, while some will alight the train.

So, there are some people that we will meet, and then there will be some friends that we will miss, and we wonder if we will ever meet them again. 

And then there will be some who will remain on the train with us along the journey. 

They may become our good friends, and some may also become our best friends. 

So, life is like a train journey where we will meet people. And in that journey, we don't merely look at the passing scenery in solitude. 

Rather, we develop relationships, and some of these relationships will last throughout the journey. 

And when these relationships are enriching, then the journey of life will truly be beautiful and wonderful. 

In the gospel, Jesus tells us that He calls us friends, because He has made known to us everything He has learned from His Father. 

In the Bible, the word “friend” is more than an interpersonal relationship. 

In the Bible the word “friend” also expresses a deep personal relationship between God and man. 

God refers to Abraham as “my friend” (Isaiah 41: 8). And the Lord speaks to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend (Exodus 33:11). 

When Jesus calls us friends, He means to say that He knows us through and through. 

He was with us when we came into this world, and He will be with us right till the day when we leave this world. 

Yes, Jesus is with us all throughout the journey of life. He chose us to be His friends, and He wants to be our good friend, to be our best friend. 

But, as in any friendship and relationship, the test will come. 

Jesus wants to be our friend, a friend who would be willing to make the sacrifice and to lay down His life for us. 

Jesus showed what a friend He is to us, by dying on the Cross in order to save us. 

Truly, a man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends. 

Yes, what a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs He bears. And what a privilege to carry everything to Him in prayer. 

Let us be a friend to Jesus by being with Him in prayer, daily and faithfully. 

When we have a friend in Jesus, He will also bless all our friendships. 

Then the journey of life, and the journey in life, will be beautiful and wonderful.