Baptism of the Lord A- 2026, 11.01.2026

Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 / Acts 10:34-38 / Matthew 3:13-17

Going overseas for holidays during the mid-year and year-end school holidays is a popular trend among Singaporeans. 

So much so that if we don’t go overseas for holidays, some people might even ask us, “How come you don’t go overseas for holidays?” 

So, going everywhere for holidays is a popular trend among Singaporeans, (going everywhere except to the moon). 

Then it comes to packing up the luggage for the overseas trip. 

Some pack light as they intend to go shopping overseas. They buy things like food, souvenirs and clothes. 

Then there are some who pack like as if they are migrating to another country. 

And even then, there will be always something that they forgot to pack in, like nail-clippers, cotton buds, body powder and whatever. 

But whether lightweight or heavyweight luggage, the thrill is in the excitement of going overseas for a holiday. 

But besides going overseas for holidays, there are also people who go overseas for a pilgrimage. 

There are many overseas pilgrimage sites to choose from. 

Going to the Holy Land is a popular pilgrimage. 

And the Holy Land pilgrimage would also likely to include a visit to the river Jordan. 

It is somewhere along the river Jordan that Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist. 

The river Jordan is a river of revelations. 

When the Israelites crossed the river Jordan into the Promised Land, the waters stopped and they crossed over, just like how they crossed the Red Sea as they left Egypt. 

It was along the river Jordan when Jesus after His baptism, was revealed as the Beloved Son of God. 

Jesus came down from heaven, took on human nature, and His baptism shows that Jesus is like us in all things except sin. 

In a way, it can be said that Jesus left heaven and came to earth with very few belongings. 

Jesus laid aside His glory and majesty, and in humility entered into humanity. 

His baptism affirms his human nature, as well as initiated Him into His mission of salvation. 

Jesus was baptised so that He can begin his mission of salvation. 

We are baptised so that we can receive the gift of salvation from Jesus. 

And salvation means that we set our sights on heaven because we want to go there. 

With baptism, it is like preparing ourselves to migrate to heaven.

With this thought of migration, then we must know what we need to hold on to, and what we need to let go off. 

We need to hold onto our baptismal promises and become like the water that we are baptised in, so that we can be the water of love and life for others. 

This world thirsts for the waters of love, waters of love that bring about life and growth. 

Being baptised in the waters of life and love, let us also share these waters with others. 

And may the waters of our baptism wash away and cleanse us and help us to let go of the fires of sinful desires. 

Those sinful desires like pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony, and sloth, burn away our focus and longing for salvation, and also burn away our focus and longing to be with God in heaven. 

May the waters of our baptism bring about growth of holiness with the fruits of the Holy Spirit and growth in virtues like Humility, Charity, Chastity, Kindness (or Gratitude), Patience, Diligence, and Temperance (or self-control). 

In His baptism, Jesus is revealed as the Beloved Son, and God’s favour rest on Him. 

May our baptism also remind us that we are God’s beloved children, and His favour rest on us too. 

Let us continue the saving mission of Jesus by sharing the waters of life and love with others.

Let us also lead them to baptismal waters of salvation, and to let them experience God’s life-giving love. 

Epiphany, 04.01.2026

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

One of the practices during Christmas is to give presents. 

The presents can be quite a surprise as they are often wrapped. 

The purpose of giving gifts and presents during Christmas is to share the joy of Christmas with others. 

By and large, those presents are either food or accessories. 

When it is food, then it is usually chocolates or some festive biscuits or cookies or cakes. 

If we have received such gifts, then it is either the giver knows we have a sweet tooth. 

Or that the giver is wishing us an abundance of sweet and rich foods. 

When it comes to accessories, there is a wide variety.

It can come in the form of clothes, and it may mean that the giver is telling us to update our attire. 

Or it may be some kind of jewellery, and it may mean that the giver wants us to look nice and pretty and stylish. 

Or, it may be accessories and gadgets and whatever the giver thinks we might need. 

The main purpose of gifts is to thank the other person for the friendship, and so the gifts are signs of love. 

So, if we still have our Christmas presents with us, let us take a look at them again and see what the gifts are telling us. 

In the gospel, after Jesus had been born at Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of king Herod, some wise men came to Jerusalem from the east. 

They had seen a star as it rose, a unique star that pointed to the birth of the king of the Jews. 

The star beckoned the wise men to look for the newborn king and to pay Him homage. 

They had thought that the new born king would be found in Jerusalem. 

Instead, their arrival startled king Herod who was perturbed by the news. 

He then consulted the chief priests and the scribes, who told him that the king would be born in Bethlehem. 

But it seems that the chief priests and scribes were rather indifferent about the prophecy and they did nothing about it. 

So, king Herod used the wise men to get more information about the newborn king, as he had ulterior motives. 

So, the star that beckoned the wise men was not always there to lead them. 

But after leaving king Herod, the star appeared again and led the wise men to Bethlehem to where Jesus was. 

The wise men were delighted to see the star, but they were also surprised. 

They were surprised at the poor and humble place of the newborn king, which was a stable for animals and He was lying in a manger. 

And the parents were just poor and humble and ordinary people. 

So, did the wise men get it wrong, or did the star got it wrong? 

But when they saw the newborn baby, their eyes and their minds were opened. 

That is the new born king of the Jews, and they opened up their treasures and offered Jesus their gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. 

(There is this corny joke which said that those gifts were rather impractical. If it were the three wise women, and they would have brought milk powder, diapers and wet wipes.) 

But the feast of the Epiphany is not about being practical, or logical or reasonable. 

It is about a divine revelation, a revelation for us, a revelation for the Church, a revelation for the world. 

Those gifts were for a new born king. Those gifts have meaning, and they also have a revelation. 

The gold is a gift for the new born king. But the gold also reveals that the king is not just the king of the Jews, but the King of the universe, the King of all creation. 

The frankincense is to honour the new born king. But the frankincense also reveals the divine nature of the new born king, that is, Jesus is divine as well as human. 

The myrrh is a precious medicine. It also reveals that Jesus is the Saviour, and He came to forgive and heal our sins. 

Yes, gifts have a meaning, and they also have a revelation. 

There was one day when I was passing by a marketplace and there were a few of those makeshift stalls. 

I casually stopped by a stall selling accessories and gadgets, and I picked up a cute little radio with MP3 player. 

The lady saw me looking at it and she said, “Laylong, laylong, cheap cheap, clearance sale, buy la, buy la.”

I thought for a while and I wanted to buy it for my mother as a portable radio, as well as a Christmas present. 

Then, at the feast of Holy Family, I thought about family prayer and my mother. 

So, I recorded some prayers into the radio-MP3 player, so that my mother can pray with it. 

So, from a simple gadget, it became a gift and it became a revelation of how my mother could pray with me even though I may not be by her side. 

The feast of the Epiphany reminds us that while our thoughts are on the practical, the logical and the reasonable, God reveals His ways and His wonders in the simple, the humble and even the unusual. 

The wise men were truly wise as they were able to see the divine revelation in their gifts. 

May we to be wise enough to see God’s revelation in the gifts we have received from others.

Holy Family, Year A, 28.12.2025

  Ecclesiasticus 3:2-6, 12-14 / Colossians 3:12-21 / Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23

The usage of words presumes that they are used correctly and the meaning is clear. 

So, in a discussion or in a deliberation, words are used to express ideas and concepts. 

When the ideas are understood, and the concepts are clear, then the discussion or the deliberation will be fruitful. 

But there are times when words are joined awkwardly and the meaning can be rather humorous. 

Like for example, we have heard of this phrase “unexpected emergency”. But thinking about it deeper, all emergencies are unexpected; there is no planning for an emergency to happen. So, in short, there is no need to have an “unexpected” before emergency. 

The same can be said about “final outcome”. Is there like a “non-final outcome”? 

Or, how about “extra bonus”. Bonus, by definition is already something extra. 

Other phrases that have this redundant repetition are phrases like “new innovation” and “repeat again”. 

We have used these phrases, but they are understandable when used casually. 

Today, we come across the term that has a profound and unique meaning, and that is “Holy Family”. 

The word, “family”, is understandable in logical and conceptual terms. 

But the word “family” also touches on the emotional, because it is a reality in our lives; we all come from a family; we all have a family. 

And with the word “holy” before “family”, then our attention is turned to the family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. 

Much has been said about the holiness of that family that is expressed in kindness, gentleness, compassion, understanding, patience and unity. 

But we would shy away from using the word “holy” for our families. 

Although we strive to be like the Holy Family, we cannot deny that it is indeed challenging and difficult. 

On the other hand, we have seen and heard of broken families, dysfunctional families and other negative adjectives that come before the word “family”. 

Still, when it comes to our families, we hope that we will at least be a happy family, living simply with charity, and striving for harmony and unity. 

In other words, deep within, we want our families to be like the Holy Family, especially in times of trials and tribulations. 

In the gospel, we heard of how the Holy Family endured challenges and difficulties. 

But they were able to journey on because of their faith in God and their love for each other. 

Every family will have to face their moments of crisis. 

A crisis can be a source of division resulting in hurt, bitterness and resentment. 

Or, a crisis can be an opportunity of discovery and the renewal of faith and love, as well as the strengthening of the emotional bonds that are deep within our humanity. 

There is this story, or practice, among the nomadic communities in the Gobi desert of Mongolia. 

When Mongolian camels reject their newborns, the herders do not respond with force or other means of control. 

Instead, they turn to an ancient ritual rooted in patience, empathy and sound. 

For generations, those nomadic communities have practiced khöölökh, which is a soft repetitive, coaxing song, sung directly to the distressed camel. 

Accompanied at times by the low tones of a horse head fiddle, the song is meant to calm the mother camel and re-awaken her maternal bonds with her calf. 

As the melody continues, the camel often becomes still, and tears begin to form in her eyes. 

Eventually, she lowers her head and allows the baby camel to nurse and accept it as her own. 

Across the harsh grasslands where survival depends on livestock, the practice of khöölökh has saved countless newborns. 

It stands as a reminder that some of the oldest knowledge systems recognise a truth that modern societies often forget. 

The truth is that emotional and family bonds are not repaired through force or control. 

But it is through the means of a soft song and mellow music that the powerful emotions of love are awakened, and that will bring about healing and bonding. 

And we have that means. The soft, repetitive sounds of family prayer and hymns will awaken and renew the powerful human family emotions of love, that will lead us to desire for peace and harmony, kindness and forgiveness, understanding and patience towards our family members. 

When families are united in faith and love, the parish community and the Church will also be united in faith in love. 

May the prayers of Jesus, Mary and Joseph be heard in our families, in our parish and in the Church, so that the world will be awaken by love, a love that will bring about God’s blessings of peace to the world. 

Christmas, 25.12.2025

 Even before Christmas Day has arrived, we have already kind of celebrated Christmas. 

For the past two weeks or so, it was one Christmas party after another. 

So, we have already eaten the turkey and all the things that are stuffed in it. 

The fridge still has some remnants of the log-cake, and maybe a few more uneaten ones. 

Next to the log-cakes are also pieces of the honey-baked ham. 

So, it is the usual festive foods that we are looking at. 

The presents may also have been given out and exchanged. 

So yes, the celebrations have begun even before Christmas Day has arrived. 

So, now that Christmas Day is here, it is to eat up whatever that is left and to open those presents. 

In a way, it can be a good thing, because having already done all that, it leaves us to focus on what Christmas is really about. 

As we come for Mass, we also go back in time to Bethlehem. 

Bethlehem means “the house of bread”, but we are not looking for bread. 

We come to the animal shed, and we look at that manger, which is the feeding trough of the animals. 

And lying there, wrapped in swaddling clothes, is a newborn child. 

The setting is rather difficult to comprehend, or to understand. 

How can a baby be born in such a place? 

And also among those animals? 

But we look, we ponder and we wonder. 

We are told that this is the Son of God, the Prince of Peace, the Word made flesh.

He was not born in a palace, or in a clean and decent place.

And because there was no room at the inn, so He was born in a resting place for animals and laid in a manger. 

Yes, that is God became man, the Saviour, and He went through all that just to be with us. 

Jesus came into the world to show us how much God loves us. 

But the world was not prepared to welcome Him.

But that did not stop Jesus from coming into the world. 

And Jesus wants us to learn this lesson from Him. 

In life we will face the closed door, or many closed doors. 

It is like there is no room at the inn. 

But Jesus tells us that when life shuts the door, then open it again. 

That is how the door works. Doors can be shut; they can also be opened. 

Jesus found an open door in the hearts of Mary and Joseph. 

May Jesus also find an open door in our hearts. 

And as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, may we open the doors of our hearts to peace and reconciliation, to kindness and forgiveness.

And may closed doors be opened to let hope enter, so that there will be room for God’s love to come into the world.

4th Sunday of Advent, Year A, 21.12.2025

 Isaiah 7:10-14 / Romans 1:1-7 / Matthew 1:18-25

There is a game quiz that tests our knowledge of song titles or movie titles. 

In this game quiz, a word is given, and with a time limit, the contestant or contestants have to give the song titles or movie titles that has that word. 

So, let’s say that the word is “love”, and in 30 seconds, we have to name as many song titles as we can with the word “love” in it. 

Some of the song titles can be oldies like “Love me tender”, or from the pop era it will be “Endless love”. 

So, let’s say now the word is “dream” or “dreaming”. Let us think of some songs with the word “dream” or “dreaming” in it. 

Probably, the first song to come to mind during this season will be “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas”. 

From the 60s it may be this: All I have to do is dream.

Other songs from the 70s will be “I like dreaming”. 

Or from the 80s it will be “Sweet dreams are made of this”. 

Each generation will have their songs about dreams or dreaming. 

And each of us will also have our dreams about who we want to be, and what we want in life. 

To dream is to be able to imagine what kind of future we want for ourselves and how to achieve it. 

For Mary and Joseph, they too had their dreams about life. 

And their dreams became more distinct and directional when they were betrothed to each other. 

Mary would have thought of becoming a loving and caring wife and a devoted mother. 

Joseph would have thought of being a faithful husband and providing for the future family. 

They were not just in their own personal dreams. They had each other in their dreams. 

And then their dreams began to change when the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to tell her that God had plans for her. 

Mary said “yes” and she conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. All this is beyond reasoning and understanding. 

When Joseph found out that Mary was with child, we can imagine his reaction, which could be rather unpleasant. 

But still, being a man of honour, he wanted to spare Mary the publicity and decided to divorce her informally.

He had decided to do this when he had a dream, in which God spoke to him and told him to take Mary home to be his wife. 

It is a life changing dream, and Joseph could have rejected it. 

After all, his original dreams about the future with Mary and having a family seemed to have crumbled, and it is understandable that Joseph was confused and disappointed, to say the least. 

For Mary and Joseph, God entered into their dreams and their lives are going to be changed forever. 

But God was not just a dream, God became a reality in the child that Mary conceived, and Joseph is to name him Jesus. 

In the 1st reading, the prophet Isaiah told king Ahaz that God will give him a sign, although king Ahaz didn’t want that sign because he had no faith and trust in God.

Nonetheless the sign was given. A maiden is with child and will soon give birth to a son whom she will name Immanuel, a name which means God-is-with-us. 

That prophecy is fulfilled in the gospel, when the angel told Joseph to name the child “Jesus”, the name which means “God saves” or “God is salvation”. 

So, in Jesus, the hopes and dreams of the people of God in the Old Testament and the New Testament is fulfilled. 

And Jesus came to be with us, and He wants to be in our dreams. 

We may be dreaming of a white Christmas, but it is not about snow or with everything nice and bright. 

Jesus wants to be in our Christmas dream, so then we will dream about the true meaning of Christmas. 

We dream about peace to people of goodwill, and joy to a world that have seen sadness, pain and suffering. 

There’s this song from the early 80s and the lyrics are worth reflecting. The title is “I have a dream” and it goes like this:

I Have a Dream, a song to sing

To help me cope, with anything

If you see the wonder, of a fairy tale

You can take the future, even if you fail

I believe in angels

Something good in everything I see

I believe in angels

When I know the time is right for me

I'll cross the stream, I Have a Dream

Let us dream, and may Jesus come into our dreams. 

When Jesus is in our dreams then … 

we will sing the songs we want to sing, 

we will forget about that perfect rendering,

because there is a crack in everything, 

but that is how the light shines in. 

May the light of Christ shine into our dreams, and may we dream of a truly blessed Christmas for us and for the world.

3rd Sunday of Advent, Year A, 14.12.2025

 Isaiah 35:1-6, 10 / James 5:7-10 / Matthew 11:2-11

In life, we have our expectations, but we also have to expect surprises. 

In other words, it comes back to that saying, “expect the unexpected”. 

And the unexpected will certainly be a surprise. 

The following conversation between a man and God may give us an idea of what an unexpected surprise is. 

Once, a man asked God, “What is a million years to You?” God replied, “Well, it is just a minute.” 

The man asked God again, “What is $1,000,000 to You?” God replied, “Oh, it is just one cent.”

So the man said to God, “Then, can You give me one cent?” God replied, “Sure, just wait a minute.” 

To believe in God is to expect the unexpected, and also to be surprised. 

Simply because God’s ways are not man’s ways, and God’s thoughts are not man’s thoughts. 

And if we think that those who have a strong faith in God will be prepared for the unexpected, then we might just be surprised. 

In the gospel, John the Baptist was in prison, and he had heard what Jesus was doing, and he sent his disciples to Jesus with this question: 

Are you the one who is to come, or have we to wait for someone else? 

John the Baptist had foretold that there is someone more powerful who is coming after him. 

That someone will baptise with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 

John the Baptist had expected that someone to bring about judgement and to reward the just and punish the wicked. 

John the Baptist had expected Jesus to be the one, but now he wasn't sure, he has his doubts. 

Jesus preached about love and forgiveness, He healed the sick, the blind, the lame, the deaf and the lepers. 

That was not what John Baptist expected, so he had his doubts about Jesus, and he sent his disciples to ask Jesus if He was the one. 

What Jesus did was not what John the Baptist expected, and he was surprised, and that surprise became a doubt. 

John the Baptist had to ask the question, and Jesus gave him a reply to think about. 

In life, we too have our questions when the unexpected surprises us. 

We have our questions when people do not respond as expected to our need for help, and we get disappointed. 

The following story has a lesson for all of us.

A mouse, looking through a hole in the wall, sees the farmer and his wife open a package. He was terrified to see that it was a mousetrap. 

He ran to the barn to warn everyone, “There is a mousetrap at home!”

The chicken says: "Excuse me, Mr. Mouse, I understand that it is a big problem for you, but it does not hurt me at all."

So, the mouse went to the sheep and he says the same thing. But the sheep replied, "Excuse me, Mr. Mouse, but I don't think I can help you."

The mouse went to the cow and she said: "But am I in danger? I don’t think so!"

The mouse returned to the house, worried and dejected to face the farmer's mousetrap.

That night a loud noise was heard like that of the mousetrap catching its victim, and the farmer’s wife ran to see what was caught.

In the dark she did not see that the mousetrap caught the tail of a venomous snake.

The speedy snake bit the woman, and the farmer immediately took her to the hospital, but she came back with a high fever.

The farmer wanted to comfort her with a nutritious soup, and so he grabbed the knife and went to find the main ingredient: the chicken. 

But the woman did not get better, so friends and neighbours went to visit her, and the farmer slaughtered the sheep to feed them. 

The woman did not get better and she died. And in the end, the husband sold the cow to the slaughterhouse to cover the funeral expenses.

So, when we say it is not our problem, we might just end up with a bigger problem for ourselves. 

Let us look at Jesus who took the problem of our sins on Himself. 

On the Cross, Jesus bore the punishment of our sins and saved us. 

So, when someone comes to us with their problems, let us bear the burden with them, and be a part of their solution. 

May we follow Jesus by showing compassion to others, and may we too receive compassion in our time of need. 

2nd Sunday of Advent, Year A, 07.12.2025

 Isaiah 11:1-10 / Romans 15:4-9 / Matthew 3:1-12

It is said that life is like a toilet paper roll. As it comes closer to the end, it runs out faster and faster. 

The same can be said about time. We are already one week into December, and in less than three weeks’ time, it will be Christmas. 

It seems that as we come to the last month of the year, time is really rolling and flying. 

Time is not only rolling and flying, there are also many things happening. 

People are going off for holidays, schedules are changed here in there. Christmas decorations must be put up quickly at home, in the office and also in church. 

Of course, when it comes to Christmas decorations, the must-have item is the Nativity Scene, because that is what Christmas is about. 

Then the rest are things like the Christmas tree, fairy lights, Santa Claus and reindeers and whatever. 

But no Christmas decoration would ever have a figure or a picture of John the Baptist. 

Anyway, why should John the Baptist appear in the Nativity Scene or in any Christmas decorations. 

With that kind of attire, and that kind of diet, John the Baptist is just so out of place in this festive season. 

But on this 2nd Sunday of Advent, the gospel brings in John the Baptist. 

He preached in the wilderness of Judaea, and this was his message: Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is close at hand. 

His message is straight and direct, and the prophet Isaiah spoke of him as a voice crying out in the wilderness, “Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight.” 

His message was also accompanied by a baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

But John the Baptist had tough words for those who take repentance and the baptism lightly. 

John the Baptist says this: Even now, the axe is laid to the roots of the trees, so that any tree that fails to produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown on the fire. 

Yes, tough words that are accompanied by an uncomfortable image of the axe at the roots. 

If John the Baptists were to come and take a look around, he might take that axe and cut down a few things. 

We like our Christmas decorations to be nice and pretty. 

But John the Baptist will remind us that this is still the season of Advent, and he will take down those things that will distract us from the spirit of preparation and repentance. 

And going down to the root of the matter, John the Baptist wants us to remember this:

Our lives are rooted in Jesus Christ, and when we are rooted in Christ, then we will bear fruits for Christ. 

But along the way, our roots have gone to look for the waters of worldly pleasure and sensual desires. 

Slowly we begin to drink in the contaminated waters of addiction to porn and immorality, and living by the ways of the world. 

We slowly forget about the clean waters of our baptism, and walking in the straight ways of the Lord.

John the Baptist wants to give us an Advent present, and that present is an axe.

With that axe, we need to look at the roots of our lives that have gone the wrong way. 

Let us start by looking at those roots that have made us produce bad and rotten fruits. 

Let us get down to looking at the behaviours and the attitudes of our lives. 

Behaviours and attitudes like: jumping to conclusion, passing the buck, throwing our weight around, making mountains out of molehills, blowing our own trumpet, adding fuel to fire, pushing the blame. 

Let us cut off all the crooked and twisted attitudes and behaviours of our lives. 

Then the roots of our lives will thirst for the living water of Jesus Christ, and we will bear fruits of love for Jesus and for others. 

Then we will learn how to swallow our pride, , walk away from gossips and bickering, speak the truth, pick up the pieces of our disappointments and frustrations and giving them to Jesus, take responsibility, live with honesty and sincerity.

When we are rooted in Jesus Christ, we will see the straight path and walk towards Jesus Christ, from this Advent to Christmas, and always.