Isaiah 62:1-5
Acts 13:16-17, 22-25
Mathew 1:18-25
This evening, we are gathered for a very special celebration.
Yes, we are here to celebrate the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
It is a very defining moment when at the appointed time, God fulfilled His promise of salvation, and His Word was made flesh in Jesus Christ.
Indeed, God has fulfilled His promise and that is why we gather in such numbers to testify that God has indeed fulfilled His promise.
We are not here just for the Christmas mood.
Because if we just want to have some Christmas mood, we might as well go down to Clarke Quay or Orchard Road.
But with the crowds and the jam, our Christmas mood might end up being Christmas moody.
So we made the right choice to be here, right?
Quite comfy, most of us have a seat, some are standing, but it is okay, we are happy to be here.
We are happy to be here to celebrate the birth of Christ 2000 years ago.
But we are here this evening for yet another defining moment.
Because we are here to witness God making another promise to us.
That promise we heard in the Gospel, that God is with us and that He promised to be with us always.
And that is why we are here to celebrate this Christmas Mass – we are here to testify that God has fulfilled His promise of a Saviour and God is promising us that His Saviour is not going to leave us, that He is going to be with us always.
Because God is with us, we are assured that He knows what we need, He knows the longings of our heart, He knows our anxieties and our worries.
Maybe that is why children are usually fascinated with Santa Claus, because they think or expect him to know what they want.
How children communicate with Santa Claus I am not sure, but let me share this joke with you,
Santa Claus was in the toys section of a department store and a little girl came up to him.
So Santa asked the little girl: Well, my dear girl, what do you want for Christmas?
The little girl stared at Santa, her jaw dropped and she looked surprise and shocked. So Santa asked her what was the matter.
The little girl asked Santa: You mean, you did not get my email?!
Oh yes, the way we communicate nowadays have gone electronic.
But God hoes not communicate with us by email.
Because His Word is now made flesh in Jesus, and Jesus is the new promise that “God is with us”.
The birth of Jesus tells us that we don’t have to always be chained to the stupidities of the past and its darkness.
Because Jesus is the light that brings new hope and a new vision that challenges our pessimism and opens our eyes to His presence among us.
Let me share with you a story about a pair of twins whose resemblance to each other was only in their looks.
They are opposite in every way. One being a bright optimist and the other a gloom and doom pessimist.
Just to see what would happen, to see if anything would change, on Christmas Day, when the family was out, the father had the pessimist son’s room filled with every imaginable toy and game.
The optimist son’s room was loaded with horse manure.
When the family came home, the father waited a while and then he walked past the pessimist son’s room.
He found him sitting with his new toys but crying bitterly, and the father asked him why.
The pessimist son replied: Because my friends would be jealous, I’ll have to read all the instructions before I can play with them, I’ll constantly need new batteries, and my toys will eventually be broken.
The father sighed and then he walked past the optimist son’s room.
He found him dancing for joy in the pile of horse manure.
So the father asked: What are you so happy about?
The optimist son answered: Well, I got my Christmas wish; there must be a pony somewhere.
So do you think the father will get him a pony? Sure, why not?
Christmas us a time for us to open our eyes to God’s blessings and graces, and to see his greatest gift of love, and that is Jesus.
Because with Jesus, we can only look forward for the best, and not fear and prepare for the worst.
Because of Jesus, we do not need to worry and fret when things start to crack.
After all, there is a crack in everything.
But, that’s how the light gets in.
Click the links under My Blog List to get to Chinese and English weekday homilies.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year C, 20 Dec
1st Reading Micah 5:1-4a
2nd Reading Hebrew 10:5-10
Gospel Luke 1:39-45
Every year around this time, a particular town would come into prominence.
Because the name of that town would be mentioned in Christmas cards, in scripture readings, and maybe even in holiday tour brochures.
Well, needless to say, that town is Bethlehem.
I think it is a town because that is how the Christmas carol goes: O little town of Bethlehem…
Whether it’s still a town or whether it has become a city, I am not sure because I have not been there yet.
But I would like to go and see Bethlehem.
Besides being the birthplace of our Saviour, Bethlehem has a deep faith significance.
Bethlehem was the fulfillment of a promise, God’s promise.
We heard about that promise in the 1st reading.
We will hear about it again at the feast of the Epiphany when the wise men asked about where the infant King of the Jews was.
But let us remember that from the time of the prophecy by the prophet Micah, which we heard in the 1st reading, to the fulfillment of that promise with the birth of Jesus at Bethlehem, it was a 700-year wait.
Now 700 years is a long wait, a very long wait.
That makes me recall a joke about a man who had a burning question to ask God.
So finally, God appeared to him and asked him what was his question.
So the man asked: O Lord, how long is a million years to you?
God answered: Like just a second.
Then the man asked: Then how much is a million dollars to you?
God replied: Like just a cent.
Then the man asked: So can I have a million dollars?
And God replied: Sure, just wait a second.
So, we just have to wait, whether it is just a second ,or for 700 years, we just have to wait, because what God has promised, He will certainly fulfill.
But it is not just a question of waiting for God’s promises to be fulfilled.
It is also the question of believing that God’s promises would be fulfilled.
Today, the Gospel shows us how Mary herself came to believe in the fulfillment of God’s promises.
Today’s Gospel presents us with the scene of the Visitation.
There are a few reasons why Mary went all the way to visit Elizabeth.
Earlier, at the Annunciation, she had been told that she herself would conceive the Son of God by the power of the Holy Spirit.
At the same time, Mary was also told that her kinswomen Elizabeth, who was said to be barren, was in her 6th month of pregnancy, and that nothing is impossible for God.
So Mary went to visit Elizabeth to see for herself this marvelous wonder that God has worked in Elizabeth.
In doing so, Elizabeth also confirmed for Mary the even greater wonder that the Son of God has been conceived, and conceived in her.
Through this occasion, both Mary and Elizabeth grew deeper in their faith in the Lord’s promises.
Both Mary and Elizabeth kept pushing in their faith in the Lord’s promises.
But what did they push? Well, it’s not so much a physical kind of push, but a spiritual kind of push.
When I say spiritual kind of push, I mean to say that PUSH is an acronym.
PUSH is an acronym that stands for Pray Until Something Happens.
Indeed, for Elizabeth, she prayed that God would remove her barrenness, and then something happened.
For Mary, she prayed for God’s fulfillment of the coming of
the Messiah, and then something happened, and it happened in her!
So whether it is God’s promises or our desperate petitions, let us just PUSH, let us just Pray Until Something Happens.
Meanwhile, we just have to Wait and Push; wait and pray until something happens.
Let me share with you a story about waiting and praying until something happens.
The director of a big company plans to retire and he intends to choose among his top executives the next CEO.
So he called all of them together and gave them each a seed.
He told them: Plant this seed, and after 6 months, I will call all of you to show me how your plants are doing.
The one with the most healthy and beautiful plant will be the next CEO.
So all the executives brought back their seed and planted it.
One of the executives by the name of James, a hardworking and honest man, did the same.
He chose the best soil, sowed the seed in a nice pot, watered it, put it under the sun and waited.
And he waited and waited for it to sprout.
After one month, nothing happened. After two months, nothing happened.
He got a bit anxious, and asked his fellow executives how their seeds were doing.
All of them said that theirs have sprouted and growing into beautiful plants.
James got worried and he added more fertilizer, watered it, put it under the sun, even prayed over it, and waited.
Three months passed, and nothing happened. Four months passed, still nothing happened.
By now, the executives were showing off their plants to each other, and James was feeling dejected.
He thought to himself: I can’t even grow a plant, how can I become the CEO.
But he still did not give up hope. He added fertilizer, watered it, put it under the sun, and of course prayed over it, and waited.
Five months passed, nothing happened. Six months passed, and the day came when the executives were summoned to bring in their plants.
Now James was resigned to be a laughing stock, as he brought his pot with nothing growing, and he felt like a fool.
The executives placed their plants before the company director and he inspected the plants.
When all was over and done, the director said: I have inspected all your plants, they are all very beautiful.
I will now announce the one who will be the next CEO of the company. The next CEO will be James.
Everyone, including James, were surprised, bewildered.
The director then said: The seeds I gave all of you were actually dead seeds. They have been boiled over. They could not have sprouted.
So James will be the next CEO, because he has the honest and integrity to head the company.
Well, just a story to help us understand we may have to wait and PUSH, wait and pray until something happens.
But even if nothing happens, even if nothing seems to be happening, God will still keep His promises.
After all, He promised to send His Son and He has fulfilled that promise.
But whether it is God’s promises or our petitions, let us join Mary and Elizabeth in waiting and praying.
It is in waiting and praying, that something is happening.
Like Mary, in waiting and praying, something is indeed happening… and it is happening in us.
2nd Reading Hebrew 10:5-10
Gospel Luke 1:39-45
Every year around this time, a particular town would come into prominence.
Because the name of that town would be mentioned in Christmas cards, in scripture readings, and maybe even in holiday tour brochures.
Well, needless to say, that town is Bethlehem.
I think it is a town because that is how the Christmas carol goes: O little town of Bethlehem…
Whether it’s still a town or whether it has become a city, I am not sure because I have not been there yet.
But I would like to go and see Bethlehem.
Besides being the birthplace of our Saviour, Bethlehem has a deep faith significance.
Bethlehem was the fulfillment of a promise, God’s promise.
We heard about that promise in the 1st reading.
We will hear about it again at the feast of the Epiphany when the wise men asked about where the infant King of the Jews was.
But let us remember that from the time of the prophecy by the prophet Micah, which we heard in the 1st reading, to the fulfillment of that promise with the birth of Jesus at Bethlehem, it was a 700-year wait.
Now 700 years is a long wait, a very long wait.
That makes me recall a joke about a man who had a burning question to ask God.
So finally, God appeared to him and asked him what was his question.
So the man asked: O Lord, how long is a million years to you?
God answered: Like just a second.
Then the man asked: Then how much is a million dollars to you?
God replied: Like just a cent.
Then the man asked: So can I have a million dollars?
And God replied: Sure, just wait a second.
So, we just have to wait, whether it is just a second ,or for 700 years, we just have to wait, because what God has promised, He will certainly fulfill.
But it is not just a question of waiting for God’s promises to be fulfilled.
It is also the question of believing that God’s promises would be fulfilled.
Today, the Gospel shows us how Mary herself came to believe in the fulfillment of God’s promises.
Today’s Gospel presents us with the scene of the Visitation.
There are a few reasons why Mary went all the way to visit Elizabeth.
Earlier, at the Annunciation, she had been told that she herself would conceive the Son of God by the power of the Holy Spirit.
At the same time, Mary was also told that her kinswomen Elizabeth, who was said to be barren, was in her 6th month of pregnancy, and that nothing is impossible for God.
So Mary went to visit Elizabeth to see for herself this marvelous wonder that God has worked in Elizabeth.
In doing so, Elizabeth also confirmed for Mary the even greater wonder that the Son of God has been conceived, and conceived in her.
Through this occasion, both Mary and Elizabeth grew deeper in their faith in the Lord’s promises.
Both Mary and Elizabeth kept pushing in their faith in the Lord’s promises.
But what did they push? Well, it’s not so much a physical kind of push, but a spiritual kind of push.
When I say spiritual kind of push, I mean to say that PUSH is an acronym.
PUSH is an acronym that stands for Pray Until Something Happens.
Indeed, for Elizabeth, she prayed that God would remove her barrenness, and then something happened.
For Mary, she prayed for God’s fulfillment of the coming of
the Messiah, and then something happened, and it happened in her!
So whether it is God’s promises or our desperate petitions, let us just PUSH, let us just Pray Until Something Happens.
Meanwhile, we just have to Wait and Push; wait and pray until something happens.
Let me share with you a story about waiting and praying until something happens.
The director of a big company plans to retire and he intends to choose among his top executives the next CEO.
So he called all of them together and gave them each a seed.
He told them: Plant this seed, and after 6 months, I will call all of you to show me how your plants are doing.
The one with the most healthy and beautiful plant will be the next CEO.
So all the executives brought back their seed and planted it.
One of the executives by the name of James, a hardworking and honest man, did the same.
He chose the best soil, sowed the seed in a nice pot, watered it, put it under the sun and waited.
And he waited and waited for it to sprout.
After one month, nothing happened. After two months, nothing happened.
He got a bit anxious, and asked his fellow executives how their seeds were doing.
All of them said that theirs have sprouted and growing into beautiful plants.
James got worried and he added more fertilizer, watered it, put it under the sun, even prayed over it, and waited.
Three months passed, and nothing happened. Four months passed, still nothing happened.
By now, the executives were showing off their plants to each other, and James was feeling dejected.
He thought to himself: I can’t even grow a plant, how can I become the CEO.
But he still did not give up hope. He added fertilizer, watered it, put it under the sun, and of course prayed over it, and waited.
Five months passed, nothing happened. Six months passed, and the day came when the executives were summoned to bring in their plants.
Now James was resigned to be a laughing stock, as he brought his pot with nothing growing, and he felt like a fool.
The executives placed their plants before the company director and he inspected the plants.
When all was over and done, the director said: I have inspected all your plants, they are all very beautiful.
I will now announce the one who will be the next CEO of the company. The next CEO will be James.
Everyone, including James, were surprised, bewildered.
The director then said: The seeds I gave all of you were actually dead seeds. They have been boiled over. They could not have sprouted.
So James will be the next CEO, because he has the honest and integrity to head the company.
Well, just a story to help us understand we may have to wait and PUSH, wait and pray until something happens.
But even if nothing happens, even if nothing seems to be happening, God will still keep His promises.
After all, He promised to send His Son and He has fulfilled that promise.
But whether it is God’s promises or our petitions, let us join Mary and Elizabeth in waiting and praying.
It is in waiting and praying, that something is happening.
Like Mary, in waiting and praying, something is indeed happening… and it is happening in us.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
First Sunday of Advent , Year C, 29.11.09
Jeremiah 33:14-16
Luke 21:25-28, 34-36
I wonder what you will think of when I mention these 4 numbers. And these four numbers are 2012.
Well, some of us may think that it is 4D number and might want to try our luck.
For some of us, 2012 is a movie, which is currently showing.
For those of us who have seen the movie, we will know it’s about the end-times, with catastrophe and devastation, worst than some kind of a nuclear disaster.
And there is this haunting line in the movie trailer: You have been warned.
Anyway, 2012 is about the year 2012, which is like 2 or 3 years away.
But we are not scared or frightened.
As we sit back comfortably and watch the movie, we will be impressed by the CGI (computer generated imagery) movie effects.
There is the aircraft carrier being rolled over by the tidal waves, massive earthquakes and skyscrapers tumbling, there is even a scene in which the dome of St Peter’s Basilica is being washed away by the waves.
But it is just a movie with good impressive effects. A must watch, if got time.
It is some kind of apocalyptic movie, but we are not going to be frightened or scared, even though it says: You have been warned.
At times I wonder if coming for Mass is like coming for a movie.
We come to church, we walk down the aisle, we go to our favourite seat, we sit back in air-con comfort.
Very much like going for a movie, isn’t it?
Then we hear some kind of end-of-the-world and out-of-this-world dooms-day message.
But we are not alarmed, we are not frightened, we are not scared even.
And what’s all that got to do with our Xmas preparations?
The world out there seems to be more prepared for Xmas.
Orchard Rd is dressed up to the hilt, the Xmas light-up this year was earlier than usual, on the radio Xmas carols are like the top 10 songs.
So while the world is preparing for a festive holiday, the Church on this 1st Sunday of Advent seems to be preparing us for dooms-day.
So strange, so out-of-touch, and every year it is like this :
1st Sunday of Advent, it is about devastation, and nothing about Xmas celebration.
So what is the meaning of all this? What is the religious meaning of the 1st Sunday of Advent?
Well, a calmer, more sober reflection of the gospel message is this.
And that is, the impermanence of the things of this world. In other words, nothing is permanent, everything is temporary, everything is passing on.
Well, the Xmas decorations and the lights we see now, will have to be taken down very soon after Xmas.
The Xmas carols that are flooding the airwaves will soon fade off and fade out, in fact almost immediately after Xmas day.
And not just the decorations and the lights and the carols.
Life is also passing on, and moving towards the final destiny, moving on towards God who is Everlasting.
So the gospel message is not about doom and gloom.
In fact it is about Vroom … Vroom! That’s the sound of acceleration, the sound we get when we throttle the engine of a car or motorbike.
We want to prepare to celebrate Xmas so that we can move on and move forward.
The celebration of Xmas is the celebration of one promise that was fulfilled 2000 years ago.
The celebration of Xmas is also the renewal of another promise yet to be fulfilled.
So Advent is to remind us of this 2nd promise and to prepare us for the fulfillment of this promise.
The gospel characters like Mary and Joseph, Elizabeth and Zechariah, were told of the 1st promise of the coming of the Saviour, and they saw its fulfillment.
In today’s gospel, we are told of the promise of the 2nd coming of Christ.
So we have been told, we have been warned. So are we prepared?
On this 1st Sunday of Advent, we bless the Advent wreath and we light the 1st candle.
Why the Advent wreath, and why must it be made of evergreens like holly and fir.
The story has it that the trees of the forest were told to stay awake till the rising of the sun.
As the night drew on, some trees dozed off. As the night went deeper, some trees fell asleep.
By the time of the first rays of the rising sun, the only trees still awake were the cedar, the pine, the spruce, the fir, the holly and the laurel.
So these trees were blest to be evergreens and to be guardians of the forest.
In the seeming dead of winter, when the rest of the trees lose their leaves and sleep, the evergreens keep watch with their green leaves and they are the visible signs of life in the dead of winter.
In the blessing of the Advent wreath, we are reminded that like the evergreens, we are called to be on the watch for God’s promptings around us.
And that is why the Advent wreath is circular, to symbolize that God is eternal and everywhere.
We are also reminded to be signs of life and love in a world that just wants to go on a eat-drink-sleep and rush cycle.
I would like to share with you how people often sleep-rush through life.
The place was Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. A man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about an hour.
During that time, approx. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.
After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.
4 minutes later, the violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.
6 minutes later, a young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
10 minutes later, a 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pulled hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time.
This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.
45 minutes later, the musician was still playing continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 people gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.
1 hour later, he finished playing and then silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
What no one knew that day was this - the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world.
He played one of the most intricate musical pieces ever written, on a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.
Two days before, Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 a piece.
This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in that metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.
The questions raised were: in a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?
Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?
One question for reflection is this :
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made.....
How many other things are we missing?
So maybe, let us begin our Advent preparation by just looking and reflecting on the Advent wreath.
Let us see in it the sign of God’s eternity and encircling presence among us.
May the evergreens also remind us to be signs of life and light to others.
May it also remind us to be alert and on the watch for God’s promptings during this period of preparation.
Otherwise we might just sleep-rush through Xmas, right through to 2012, and may not even be awake in eternity.
Luke 21:25-28, 34-36
I wonder what you will think of when I mention these 4 numbers. And these four numbers are 2012.
Well, some of us may think that it is 4D number and might want to try our luck.
For some of us, 2012 is a movie, which is currently showing.
For those of us who have seen the movie, we will know it’s about the end-times, with catastrophe and devastation, worst than some kind of a nuclear disaster.
And there is this haunting line in the movie trailer: You have been warned.
Anyway, 2012 is about the year 2012, which is like 2 or 3 years away.
But we are not scared or frightened.
As we sit back comfortably and watch the movie, we will be impressed by the CGI (computer generated imagery) movie effects.
There is the aircraft carrier being rolled over by the tidal waves, massive earthquakes and skyscrapers tumbling, there is even a scene in which the dome of St Peter’s Basilica is being washed away by the waves.
But it is just a movie with good impressive effects. A must watch, if got time.
It is some kind of apocalyptic movie, but we are not going to be frightened or scared, even though it says: You have been warned.
At times I wonder if coming for Mass is like coming for a movie.
We come to church, we walk down the aisle, we go to our favourite seat, we sit back in air-con comfort.
Very much like going for a movie, isn’t it?
Then we hear some kind of end-of-the-world and out-of-this-world dooms-day message.
But we are not alarmed, we are not frightened, we are not scared even.
And what’s all that got to do with our Xmas preparations?
The world out there seems to be more prepared for Xmas.
Orchard Rd is dressed up to the hilt, the Xmas light-up this year was earlier than usual, on the radio Xmas carols are like the top 10 songs.
So while the world is preparing for a festive holiday, the Church on this 1st Sunday of Advent seems to be preparing us for dooms-day.
So strange, so out-of-touch, and every year it is like this :
1st Sunday of Advent, it is about devastation, and nothing about Xmas celebration.
So what is the meaning of all this? What is the religious meaning of the 1st Sunday of Advent?
Well, a calmer, more sober reflection of the gospel message is this.
And that is, the impermanence of the things of this world. In other words, nothing is permanent, everything is temporary, everything is passing on.
Well, the Xmas decorations and the lights we see now, will have to be taken down very soon after Xmas.
The Xmas carols that are flooding the airwaves will soon fade off and fade out, in fact almost immediately after Xmas day.
And not just the decorations and the lights and the carols.
Life is also passing on, and moving towards the final destiny, moving on towards God who is Everlasting.
So the gospel message is not about doom and gloom.
In fact it is about Vroom … Vroom! That’s the sound of acceleration, the sound we get when we throttle the engine of a car or motorbike.
We want to prepare to celebrate Xmas so that we can move on and move forward.
The celebration of Xmas is the celebration of one promise that was fulfilled 2000 years ago.
The celebration of Xmas is also the renewal of another promise yet to be fulfilled.
So Advent is to remind us of this 2nd promise and to prepare us for the fulfillment of this promise.
The gospel characters like Mary and Joseph, Elizabeth and Zechariah, were told of the 1st promise of the coming of the Saviour, and they saw its fulfillment.
In today’s gospel, we are told of the promise of the 2nd coming of Christ.
So we have been told, we have been warned. So are we prepared?
On this 1st Sunday of Advent, we bless the Advent wreath and we light the 1st candle.
Why the Advent wreath, and why must it be made of evergreens like holly and fir.
The story has it that the trees of the forest were told to stay awake till the rising of the sun.
As the night drew on, some trees dozed off. As the night went deeper, some trees fell asleep.
By the time of the first rays of the rising sun, the only trees still awake were the cedar, the pine, the spruce, the fir, the holly and the laurel.
So these trees were blest to be evergreens and to be guardians of the forest.
In the seeming dead of winter, when the rest of the trees lose their leaves and sleep, the evergreens keep watch with their green leaves and they are the visible signs of life in the dead of winter.
In the blessing of the Advent wreath, we are reminded that like the evergreens, we are called to be on the watch for God’s promptings around us.
And that is why the Advent wreath is circular, to symbolize that God is eternal and everywhere.
We are also reminded to be signs of life and love in a world that just wants to go on a eat-drink-sleep and rush cycle.
I would like to share with you how people often sleep-rush through life.
The place was Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. A man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about an hour.
During that time, approx. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.
After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.
4 minutes later, the violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.
6 minutes later, a young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
10 minutes later, a 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pulled hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time.
This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.
45 minutes later, the musician was still playing continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 people gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.
1 hour later, he finished playing and then silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
What no one knew that day was this - the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world.
He played one of the most intricate musical pieces ever written, on a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.
Two days before, Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 a piece.
This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in that metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.
The questions raised were: in a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?
Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?
One question for reflection is this :
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made.....
How many other things are we missing?
So maybe, let us begin our Advent preparation by just looking and reflecting on the Advent wreath.
Let us see in it the sign of God’s eternity and encircling presence among us.
May the evergreens also remind us to be signs of life and light to others.
May it also remind us to be alert and on the watch for God’s promptings during this period of preparation.
Otherwise we might just sleep-rush through Xmas, right through to 2012, and may not even be awake in eternity.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
All Saints Day 01.11.09
Rev 7:2-4,9-14
1 Jn 3-1-3
Mt 5:1-12a
Ever since the Church came into existence, the Church has issued some very bold statements. Of course, these statements or teachings are made through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
One such statement is that the communion host is the Real Presence of Jesus. In other words, the communion host is indeed the real body of Christ.
On this feast of All Saints, we recall yet another bold statement that the Church has made, and in fact, is still making.
On this feast of All Saints, the Church proudly, and confidently and bravely proclaims the names of those who have gone to heaven.
In the name of God, the Church issues, with certainty, the list of the names of these people, and gives them the title of Saints.
In this official list are the familiar names like St. Peter, St. Paul, St. Jude, St. Anthony, etc.
And just recently, on the 11th October, the names of St. Damien (the leper priest) and St. Jeanne Jugan, the foundress of the Little Sisters of the Poor, were added on to this official list of saints.
The Church’s official list has more than 10,000 canonized saints.
But that is just the official list. Heaven certainly has much more than that.
Because in the 1st reading, we hear of a huge number of people, impossible to count, from every nation, race, tribe and language.
Nonetheless, the Church issues this list of canonized saints to affirm one reality – the reality of heaven, and that people have gone there.
So besides these, more than 10,000 canonized saints who are in heaven, who else can be there?
Recently in the newspapers, the picture of the body of a blue whale washed ashore, reminded me ironically of a joke.
The joke goes like this : A science teacher was telling the class about sea creatures and came to the topic of whales.
A little girl stood up and said : I know something about whales. A whale swallowed the prophet Jonah and he was in its belly for 3 days.
The teacher frowned and said that it was impossible for a whale to swallow a man because of the size of its throat, and also, a man cannot possibly survive in the stomach of a whale, etc., etc.
But the little girl was adamant and said : Ok, when I go to heaven, I will ask Jonah whether it is true or not.
Then the teacher said : But what if Jonah is in hell.
The little girl said : Then, you go and ask him.
Just a joke, but I am sure that little girls will go to heaven and meet people like Jonah and the rest of that countless number whose names are not in the official list of canonized saints.
And if heaven has a big aquarium, then we might even find the whale that swallowed Jonah, swimming there somewhere.
Anyway, the meaning of the feast of All Saints is that we believe that people have gone to heaven, and they are praying and waiting for us to join them there.
Yes, we believe that they are there, and we also want to know how they got there, so that we have an example and a direction to follow.
We may tend to think that saints are people who did great and heroic acts that made people gasp in awe.
Well, some of them actually did, like the martyrs who courageously suffered horrendous torture in their witnessing for Christ.
For e.g., St. Perpetua who was heavily pregnant at the time when she was caught in the persecution of Christians.
She gave birth only a few days before her martyrdom.
The soldier who witnessed her crying out in the pains of childbirth said to her : You cry out now in so much pain. What will you do when you are suffering in the arena at the jaws of the wild animals?
Her reply was : Then another One will suffer in me, referring to Christ within her.
Such was her courage and her faith in Christ
We may think that such faith and courage belonged to a bygone era, and the skeptic in us may even think that the stories and lives of the saints have gone through some kind of embellishment, or some kind of dramatization.
If that is the case, then how about the story of the recently canonized St. Damien, the leper priest.
He is hailed a hero for going to Molokai and ministering to the leper colony there. Unfortunately he contracted the disease and died of it.
But from his own writings, he revealed the ordinary human struggles he had to endure in order to overcome his revulsion for the day-to-day life with his flock of lepers.
He wrote : The flesh of the leper gives out a repulsive and foul odor ; even the breath of the leper becomes so foul that the air around is poisoned with it.
I have great difficulty in getting used to such an atmosphere.
One day at a Sunday Mass, I found myself so stifled that I thought I must leave the altar to breathe a little of the outside air.
But I restrained myself, thinking of our Lord Jesus who reached out to the leper. These are the words of St. Damien himself.
So when we look at it deeper, we can see that saints are holy not because they love to do great and heroic deeds for God.
Rather they are holy because they do things for God with great love.
That is what today’s gospel of the Beatitudes tell us.
It is not how great or heroic the act is, but rather, how great the love is for God.
Our love for God should tell us to put our trust in God, rather than on wealth and riches.
Our love for God should tell us to hunger and thirst for what is right and good.
Our love for God should tell us that true greatness lies in forgiveness and mercy, instead of revenge and hatred.
Our love for God should tell us that life is not about good looks and appearances, but rather a good, clean and pure heart.
The world doesn’t need us to be a hero. What the world wants to see is that we are holy.
Because to be holy is to be like God.
One last story about St. Damien, the leper priest.
When St. Damien went to the leper colony at Molokai to minister to them, he met the hostile opposition of one leper who did not want to have anything to do with him.
That leper used to taunt him, saying : Go home, priest! Since your God does not cure us, what is the point of believing in Him?
Now many years later, when that leper was coming to the end of his life, he called for St. Damien.
And he said : Priest, I have been watching you. And now I want to believe.
If you were only a man, you would have run away from this island, and you would have failed long ago.
But you stayed, you have not failed, you must be more than a man. You must have a God in you.
Tell me about the God that is dwelling in you, so that I may receive him as well.
Indeed, holiness is to be like God ; holiness is to have God dwelling in us.
With God in us, we can fight the good fight, we can run the race to the finish, we can keep the faith.
And, we can become saints while still on earth.
1 Jn 3-1-3
Mt 5:1-12a
Ever since the Church came into existence, the Church has issued some very bold statements. Of course, these statements or teachings are made through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
One such statement is that the communion host is the Real Presence of Jesus. In other words, the communion host is indeed the real body of Christ.
On this feast of All Saints, we recall yet another bold statement that the Church has made, and in fact, is still making.
On this feast of All Saints, the Church proudly, and confidently and bravely proclaims the names of those who have gone to heaven.
In the name of God, the Church issues, with certainty, the list of the names of these people, and gives them the title of Saints.
In this official list are the familiar names like St. Peter, St. Paul, St. Jude, St. Anthony, etc.
And just recently, on the 11th October, the names of St. Damien (the leper priest) and St. Jeanne Jugan, the foundress of the Little Sisters of the Poor, were added on to this official list of saints.
The Church’s official list has more than 10,000 canonized saints.
But that is just the official list. Heaven certainly has much more than that.
Because in the 1st reading, we hear of a huge number of people, impossible to count, from every nation, race, tribe and language.
Nonetheless, the Church issues this list of canonized saints to affirm one reality – the reality of heaven, and that people have gone there.
So besides these, more than 10,000 canonized saints who are in heaven, who else can be there?
Recently in the newspapers, the picture of the body of a blue whale washed ashore, reminded me ironically of a joke.
The joke goes like this : A science teacher was telling the class about sea creatures and came to the topic of whales.
A little girl stood up and said : I know something about whales. A whale swallowed the prophet Jonah and he was in its belly for 3 days.
The teacher frowned and said that it was impossible for a whale to swallow a man because of the size of its throat, and also, a man cannot possibly survive in the stomach of a whale, etc., etc.
But the little girl was adamant and said : Ok, when I go to heaven, I will ask Jonah whether it is true or not.
Then the teacher said : But what if Jonah is in hell.
The little girl said : Then, you go and ask him.
Just a joke, but I am sure that little girls will go to heaven and meet people like Jonah and the rest of that countless number whose names are not in the official list of canonized saints.
And if heaven has a big aquarium, then we might even find the whale that swallowed Jonah, swimming there somewhere.
Anyway, the meaning of the feast of All Saints is that we believe that people have gone to heaven, and they are praying and waiting for us to join them there.
Yes, we believe that they are there, and we also want to know how they got there, so that we have an example and a direction to follow.
We may tend to think that saints are people who did great and heroic acts that made people gasp in awe.
Well, some of them actually did, like the martyrs who courageously suffered horrendous torture in their witnessing for Christ.
For e.g., St. Perpetua who was heavily pregnant at the time when she was caught in the persecution of Christians.
She gave birth only a few days before her martyrdom.
The soldier who witnessed her crying out in the pains of childbirth said to her : You cry out now in so much pain. What will you do when you are suffering in the arena at the jaws of the wild animals?
Her reply was : Then another One will suffer in me, referring to Christ within her.
Such was her courage and her faith in Christ
We may think that such faith and courage belonged to a bygone era, and the skeptic in us may even think that the stories and lives of the saints have gone through some kind of embellishment, or some kind of dramatization.
If that is the case, then how about the story of the recently canonized St. Damien, the leper priest.
He is hailed a hero for going to Molokai and ministering to the leper colony there. Unfortunately he contracted the disease and died of it.
But from his own writings, he revealed the ordinary human struggles he had to endure in order to overcome his revulsion for the day-to-day life with his flock of lepers.
He wrote : The flesh of the leper gives out a repulsive and foul odor ; even the breath of the leper becomes so foul that the air around is poisoned with it.
I have great difficulty in getting used to such an atmosphere.
One day at a Sunday Mass, I found myself so stifled that I thought I must leave the altar to breathe a little of the outside air.
But I restrained myself, thinking of our Lord Jesus who reached out to the leper. These are the words of St. Damien himself.
So when we look at it deeper, we can see that saints are holy not because they love to do great and heroic deeds for God.
Rather they are holy because they do things for God with great love.
That is what today’s gospel of the Beatitudes tell us.
It is not how great or heroic the act is, but rather, how great the love is for God.
Our love for God should tell us to put our trust in God, rather than on wealth and riches.
Our love for God should tell us to hunger and thirst for what is right and good.
Our love for God should tell us that true greatness lies in forgiveness and mercy, instead of revenge and hatred.
Our love for God should tell us that life is not about good looks and appearances, but rather a good, clean and pure heart.
The world doesn’t need us to be a hero. What the world wants to see is that we are holy.
Because to be holy is to be like God.
One last story about St. Damien, the leper priest.
When St. Damien went to the leper colony at Molokai to minister to them, he met the hostile opposition of one leper who did not want to have anything to do with him.
That leper used to taunt him, saying : Go home, priest! Since your God does not cure us, what is the point of believing in Him?
Now many years later, when that leper was coming to the end of his life, he called for St. Damien.
And he said : Priest, I have been watching you. And now I want to believe.
If you were only a man, you would have run away from this island, and you would have failed long ago.
But you stayed, you have not failed, you must be more than a man. You must have a God in you.
Tell me about the God that is dwelling in you, so that I may receive him as well.
Indeed, holiness is to be like God ; holiness is to have God dwelling in us.
With God in us, we can fight the good fight, we can run the race to the finish, we can keep the faith.
And, we can become saints while still on earth.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
28th Ordinary Sunday, Year B, 11.09.10
Wis 7:7-11
Hebr 4:12-13
Mk 10:13-30 (or 17-27)
I think it would be nice to have a guest preacher once in a while, and hear a different tone and a different style.
Well, I have tried to get a guest preacher for this weekend.
But because he is a celebrity, and very much in demand, hence it was difficult for him to fit us into his schedule.
I wanted him to share with us the secret of his success so that we might be stimulated and helped by his story.
Although he can’t be here in person, nonetheless, I have a transcript of his sermon.
Also, I have his poster, so although he can’t be here with us today, I would like to show you who he is.
So our preacher for this weekend…presenting…Mickey Mouse from Disneyland.
And this is the transcript of his sermon:
Thank you, thank you very much for inviting me to your church.
I must admit, at first, I was surprised that a church would ask me to give a sermon.
Oh, I have been invited to churches to give out Disneyland goodie bags. But to give a sermon is something new.
But after I thought about it, I kind of see that Disneyland and the church do have a lot in common.
As I began to organize my thoughts, I believe that if your church were to apply our principles, you would become as successful as Disneyland.
Well, firstly, make sure that your Church seems exciting, even dangerous, much like our joy rides, but be quick to let your people know that there is really no danger at all. Give the illusion of great risk, but make sure everything is perfectly safe.
Secondly, go into the entertainment business mode.
People don’t care what you say as long as they are entertained. Keep your people happy. Don’t tell them anything negative and don’t make demands on them. Just keep them diverted from the ugly reality of today’s world and they’ll keep coming back for more.
Finally, pretend that there are no problems. At Disneyland, we dress up our security guards as smiling rabbits and friendly bears, because we don’t want anyone’s experience at Disneyland to be spoilt by the sight of law enforcement personnel.
Disguise your problems and failures with a warm smile and a firm handshake. Leave the problems at home, and let the church be a happy place where there are no ugly problems. Just friendly priests and smiling wardens.
The point here is that people today want good clean entertainment. They want an environment that is safe for children and they want a place that is safe for their family and friends.
Well, I am so glad that you have invited me here. Thank you once again and see you soon at Disneyland. Bye!
We might clap for Mickey if he were here ; or would we clap at all?
Certainly, all that he said earlier is something we know that the church should not be.
But yet for all that he said, could it be that it was something we, the church are becoming, or have become?
I was thinking of the part about making the church exciting, even dangerous, but yet actually there is no danger at all.
Just giving the illusion of great risk, but actually everything is perfectly safe.
Well, is this what Christianity is all about?
Is this what is being Church all about?
Is this what following Jesus is all about?
Maybe that is what the rich young man in today’s gospel thought it was all about.
He had kept the law from his earliest days. He had met the requirements and the religious standards.
He thought he had made it, and that was it.
So as he approached Jesus, he was confident that he would get a pat on the back and maybe even held up as a model for others.
When he came before Jesus, he fell on his knees and told Jesus where he was at.
But when Jesus told him where he should go, and what he should do, his face fell and he went away sad.
Now, we came to church today, we genuflect, we fall on our knees in prayer.
But when we heard the gospel, did our faces fall like the face of the rich young man?
Maybe not. Because we would be thinking to ourselves: Jesus does not mean it literally, right? He does not expect us to sell everything and give it to the poor, right?
Whatever it is, we want to have a safe worship, we want to be comfortable, the message of Jesus might sound dangerous and risky, but we won’t be pushed to do anything strange or funny.
But if that is the case, we might have become the church of Mickey Mouse and not the Church of Christ the King.
We might have blunted the double-edged sword of the Word of God and made it into a joy-ride.
As in it looks exciting, looks even dangerous, but actually there really is no danger at all. Quite safe.
But Christianity is not about safety. Because Christianity points to the Cross.
St Paul would say this in the letter to the Galatians (2:19):
With Christ I hang upon the cross.
And if we hang upon the cross, then nothing and no one can ever save us except Jesus Christ.
On the cross, our money can’t save us, our health can’t save us, our abilities can’t save us, our achievements can’t save us.
Only Jesus Christ who was crucified on the cross, died, buried but rose from the dead, only He can save us.
Not even Mickey Mouse, with all his success and fame can ever save us.
But yet behind the Mickey Mouse character is an interesting story of 2 men and their strong but volatile friendship.
One is the famous Walt Disney and the other is his side-kick Ubbe Ert.
Both were animation artists, and though they were talented in their own ways, they had to struggle to prove themselves.
Eventually, they started their own company, with Disney providing the ideas and Ubbe Ert coming with animation and thus they created the famous MM character.
But Disney had a short and fierce temper, which was often dumped on Ubbe Ert who was more introvert and mild.
But one day, Ubbe Ert shocked Disney by making a secret arrangement with a competitor so that he would break out on his own.
That caused Disney to lose a lot of money and nearly become bankrupt. We must remember it was the days of the Great Depression in the US and things were not easy.
But Ubbe Ert failed in his venture and was left penniless and destitute.
Meanwhile, Disney managed to climb back from his severe setback.
When Disney heard what happened to Ubbe Ert, instead of gloating over it, he went in search of him, and when he found him, he invited him to work with him again.
There was no mention of the betrayal, no mention of revenge, no mention of pay back time.
Now, we would certainly not do that. How can we forget the pain of betrayal, the hurt of being played-out, the anger of being stabbed in the back.
Well, for whatever reason, Disney took that dangerous path with Ubbe Ert.
And together, they brought up Walt Disney Studios to what it is today.
So behind the smiling MM character was of a volatile yet close friendship.
Similarly, behind the cross, is an invitation to hang upon the cross with Christ.
To hang upon the cross with Christ means to let go of ourselves.
It is not just our money or wealth – that would be easy to do.
Compared with the hurt, the resentment, the anger we want to vent, the revenge we want to inflict.
Let us hang all those on the cross with Christ, so that in return we would dare to love again, in spite of the risks.
Note: Sermon of the Mouse is adapted from "Get 'em Talking: 104 Great Discussion Starters for Youth Groups" by Mike Yaconelli & Scott Koenigeaecker.
Hebr 4:12-13
Mk 10:13-30 (or 17-27)
I think it would be nice to have a guest preacher once in a while, and hear a different tone and a different style.
Well, I have tried to get a guest preacher for this weekend.
But because he is a celebrity, and very much in demand, hence it was difficult for him to fit us into his schedule.
I wanted him to share with us the secret of his success so that we might be stimulated and helped by his story.
Although he can’t be here in person, nonetheless, I have a transcript of his sermon.
Also, I have his poster, so although he can’t be here with us today, I would like to show you who he is.
So our preacher for this weekend…presenting…Mickey Mouse from Disneyland.
And this is the transcript of his sermon:
Thank you, thank you very much for inviting me to your church.
I must admit, at first, I was surprised that a church would ask me to give a sermon.
Oh, I have been invited to churches to give out Disneyland goodie bags. But to give a sermon is something new.
But after I thought about it, I kind of see that Disneyland and the church do have a lot in common.
As I began to organize my thoughts, I believe that if your church were to apply our principles, you would become as successful as Disneyland.
Well, firstly, make sure that your Church seems exciting, even dangerous, much like our joy rides, but be quick to let your people know that there is really no danger at all. Give the illusion of great risk, but make sure everything is perfectly safe.
Secondly, go into the entertainment business mode.
People don’t care what you say as long as they are entertained. Keep your people happy. Don’t tell them anything negative and don’t make demands on them. Just keep them diverted from the ugly reality of today’s world and they’ll keep coming back for more.
Finally, pretend that there are no problems. At Disneyland, we dress up our security guards as smiling rabbits and friendly bears, because we don’t want anyone’s experience at Disneyland to be spoilt by the sight of law enforcement personnel.
Disguise your problems and failures with a warm smile and a firm handshake. Leave the problems at home, and let the church be a happy place where there are no ugly problems. Just friendly priests and smiling wardens.
The point here is that people today want good clean entertainment. They want an environment that is safe for children and they want a place that is safe for their family and friends.
Well, I am so glad that you have invited me here. Thank you once again and see you soon at Disneyland. Bye!
We might clap for Mickey if he were here ; or would we clap at all?
Certainly, all that he said earlier is something we know that the church should not be.
But yet for all that he said, could it be that it was something we, the church are becoming, or have become?
I was thinking of the part about making the church exciting, even dangerous, but yet actually there is no danger at all.
Just giving the illusion of great risk, but actually everything is perfectly safe.
Well, is this what Christianity is all about?
Is this what is being Church all about?
Is this what following Jesus is all about?
Maybe that is what the rich young man in today’s gospel thought it was all about.
He had kept the law from his earliest days. He had met the requirements and the religious standards.
He thought he had made it, and that was it.
So as he approached Jesus, he was confident that he would get a pat on the back and maybe even held up as a model for others.
When he came before Jesus, he fell on his knees and told Jesus where he was at.
But when Jesus told him where he should go, and what he should do, his face fell and he went away sad.
Now, we came to church today, we genuflect, we fall on our knees in prayer.
But when we heard the gospel, did our faces fall like the face of the rich young man?
Maybe not. Because we would be thinking to ourselves: Jesus does not mean it literally, right? He does not expect us to sell everything and give it to the poor, right?
Whatever it is, we want to have a safe worship, we want to be comfortable, the message of Jesus might sound dangerous and risky, but we won’t be pushed to do anything strange or funny.
But if that is the case, we might have become the church of Mickey Mouse and not the Church of Christ the King.
We might have blunted the double-edged sword of the Word of God and made it into a joy-ride.
As in it looks exciting, looks even dangerous, but actually there really is no danger at all. Quite safe.
But Christianity is not about safety. Because Christianity points to the Cross.
St Paul would say this in the letter to the Galatians (2:19):
With Christ I hang upon the cross.
And if we hang upon the cross, then nothing and no one can ever save us except Jesus Christ.
On the cross, our money can’t save us, our health can’t save us, our abilities can’t save us, our achievements can’t save us.
Only Jesus Christ who was crucified on the cross, died, buried but rose from the dead, only He can save us.
Not even Mickey Mouse, with all his success and fame can ever save us.
But yet behind the Mickey Mouse character is an interesting story of 2 men and their strong but volatile friendship.
One is the famous Walt Disney and the other is his side-kick Ubbe Ert.
Both were animation artists, and though they were talented in their own ways, they had to struggle to prove themselves.
Eventually, they started their own company, with Disney providing the ideas and Ubbe Ert coming with animation and thus they created the famous MM character.
But Disney had a short and fierce temper, which was often dumped on Ubbe Ert who was more introvert and mild.
But one day, Ubbe Ert shocked Disney by making a secret arrangement with a competitor so that he would break out on his own.
That caused Disney to lose a lot of money and nearly become bankrupt. We must remember it was the days of the Great Depression in the US and things were not easy.
But Ubbe Ert failed in his venture and was left penniless and destitute.
Meanwhile, Disney managed to climb back from his severe setback.
When Disney heard what happened to Ubbe Ert, instead of gloating over it, he went in search of him, and when he found him, he invited him to work with him again.
There was no mention of the betrayal, no mention of revenge, no mention of pay back time.
Now, we would certainly not do that. How can we forget the pain of betrayal, the hurt of being played-out, the anger of being stabbed in the back.
Well, for whatever reason, Disney took that dangerous path with Ubbe Ert.
And together, they brought up Walt Disney Studios to what it is today.
So behind the smiling MM character was of a volatile yet close friendship.
Similarly, behind the cross, is an invitation to hang upon the cross with Christ.
To hang upon the cross with Christ means to let go of ourselves.
It is not just our money or wealth – that would be easy to do.
Compared with the hurt, the resentment, the anger we want to vent, the revenge we want to inflict.
Let us hang all those on the cross with Christ, so that in return we would dare to love again, in spite of the risks.
Note: Sermon of the Mouse is adapted from "Get 'em Talking: 104 Great Discussion Starters for Youth Groups" by Mike Yaconelli & Scott Koenigeaecker.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
24th Ordinary Sunday, Year B, 13.09.09
1st Reading:Is 50:5-9a
2nd Reading: Jas 2:14-18
Gospel: Mk 8:27-35
The face of Singapore has changed tremendously over the past 30 to 40 years.
When I say the face of Singapore, what I am talking about are the places and buildings we see now, as compared to how we remembered them 30 to 40 years ago.
Many old buildings have been torn down and big gleaming high-rise buildings now stand in their place.
But the good thing is that the government has gazetted some old historical buildings and sites to be preserved.
But one of the places or sites that won’t be slated for preservation is the cemetery.
In Singapore where land is scarce, resting in peace is not a certainty.
But with the reclamation of old cemeteries like Bidadari, then gone are those grand tombs, and the sentimental, and at times, enigmatic epitaphs.
Enigmatic epitaphs like this one that I once saw on a tomb at Chao Chu Kang cemetery.
It’s not exactly an epitaph, but on one side of the tomb were these words in mosaic : Life is but a dream.
Kind of enigmatic isn’t it – Life is but a dream
I wonder if those words were what the deceased wanted on the tomb, or were those words used to describe what the life of the deceased was all about.
Whatever the case may be, how are we going to describe our lives when it is all over?
Or what will others say about us when our lives are over and done?
That is why what is said about the deceased at a funeral service can be rather sensitive. It can even be embarrassing if the wrong thing was said.
Maybe let me share with you a joke to let you know what I mean.
At a funeral service, the priest was delivering the homily. So he began : Well John (the deceased) was a good husband and a good father. He was a patient and a kind man, loving and understanding towards his wife, always helping her with the housework, …
Now, the wife of the deceased, as she was hearing all this, she slowly elbowed her son who was sitting next to her.
And she whispered to him : Go over and open the lid, and see if that is your father …
So you see, we priests are always in some kind of a situation when it comes to funerals.
So it’s safer to say something in general. Or sometimes, it may be something profound, but it can be misunderstood as something profane.
I remember that occasion when my friend’s father passed away, and so he had to arrange the obituary.
His father’s favourite scripture verse was this : Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing. The words of Jesus on the cross.
And indeed his father was an understanding and forgiving man. And so it was decided that those words are to be included in the obituary.
But the layout of the obituary turned out to be like this : the father’s photo, followed by the scripture verse “Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing”
And then below that, the names of the wife, the children and the grandchildren.
Somehow, it just didn’t look right, so the scripture verse had to be removed, to prevent any awkward misunderstanding.
But seriously, what do others think about us? What are they saying about us?
It is a sensitive question, and we may not even want to know what others think, or say about us.
But yet, that is preciously what Jesus asked His disciples in today’s gospel : Who do you say I am?
It is a very direct and personal question. They can’t borrow answers from others. They have to give their own answers.
So who do we say Jesus is? Who do you say Jesus is? Who do I say Jesus is?
Well, so who do I say Jesus is? Over the years, my answer to that question has changed from the conventional and conservative titles like Lord or Saviour, to a very personal and down to earth answer – Jesus is my best friend.
Well, I have good friends, but not a best friend.
Until I discovered that Jesus is indeed my best friend who is always with me, who is always there for me.
And that gives me a lot of consolation and comfort.
You see, as a priest, most of the time, I am alone. So when I am thinking about something, or if something is bothering me, of when I am anxious about something, I don’t usually have someone to talk with, or to share with.
So in the past, I had this habit of talking to myself.
I think most of us do that right? We talk to ourselves.
I think that’s pretty ok, as long as we don’t talk to ourselves in public.
But I have come to realize that talking to myself did not bring me anywhere better, nor did it give me any comfort.
In fact whenever I think, and talk to myself about something disturbing, or frustrating, or annoying, I was like digging deeper into the dark hole of resentment and even anger.
But over the years, I have come to realize, and experienced, that when I start talking with Jesus, it is just so comforting and consoling. There is this healing effect.
So if you happen to see me talking to myself, please don’t be alarmed, please don’t worry or think that some wire up there is disconnected.
I am just talking with Jesus, my best friend.
And it’s also good for mental health and spiritual health, to be talking with Jesus, instead of talking to yourself.
Even 1 Pet 5:7 would urge us to “unload all our worries on to Him, since He is looking after you”.
So, how else to unload our worries but by talking with Jesus.
If we talk to ourselves, we only stress ourselves. But when we talk with the Lord, then He will come to our help.
Yes, the Lord comes to our help to unload all our worries because He is taking care of us.
So that’s why I say that Jesus is my best friend. He is always there whenever I want to talk with Him.
Jesus is not only my best friend. He wants to be your best friend too.
We may have a lot of good friends, or we may even have a best friend.
But they can’t be with us all the time, especially when the crosses of life come our way.
Then we will find ourselves having to face the pains, the difficulties and uncertainties of life alone.
St Peter had to face his cross alone when he was asked if he knew Jesus. He denied knowing Jesus. He alone had to take the consequences of his denial.
Yes, there will come a time when we alone have to face the cross of life, and all our friends can’t be there with us.
I remembered visiting someone in hospital before he had to undergo a major surgery.
He told me that he was afraid of being alone because no one will be with him as he goes for his operation.
I gave him the Anointing of the Sick and Holy Communion, and I told him that Jesus is now with him, and he is not alone, and he need not be afraid.
Then I noticed he relaxed and calmed down, and I told him to call on Jesus to be with him when he is being wheeled in for the operation.
Thanks be to God, the operation was successful and after he was discharged, he told me that as he prayed when he was being wheeled into the operating theatre, he felt a warm sensation over his heart, and he knew that Jesus was with him in his loneliest and fearsome moment.
Even for Jesus, we might think that He was alone in the Garden of Gethsemane. Even His disciples were asleep.
But He was not alone. He was talking with God His Father, and He was strengthened to face His cross.
Jesus in turn, now wants to enter into our hearts whenever we face loneliness and distress.
So, whoever you might say that Jesus is, just know that He is there for you, whenever you want to talk with Him.
Because Jesus is the Christ ; He is also our Lord, our Saviour, our Good Shepherd, our Healer, and also our Best Friend.
2nd Reading: Jas 2:14-18
Gospel: Mk 8:27-35
The face of Singapore has changed tremendously over the past 30 to 40 years.
When I say the face of Singapore, what I am talking about are the places and buildings we see now, as compared to how we remembered them 30 to 40 years ago.
Many old buildings have been torn down and big gleaming high-rise buildings now stand in their place.
But the good thing is that the government has gazetted some old historical buildings and sites to be preserved.
But one of the places or sites that won’t be slated for preservation is the cemetery.
In Singapore where land is scarce, resting in peace is not a certainty.
But with the reclamation of old cemeteries like Bidadari, then gone are those grand tombs, and the sentimental, and at times, enigmatic epitaphs.
Enigmatic epitaphs like this one that I once saw on a tomb at Chao Chu Kang cemetery.
It’s not exactly an epitaph, but on one side of the tomb were these words in mosaic : Life is but a dream.
Kind of enigmatic isn’t it – Life is but a dream
I wonder if those words were what the deceased wanted on the tomb, or were those words used to describe what the life of the deceased was all about.
Whatever the case may be, how are we going to describe our lives when it is all over?
Or what will others say about us when our lives are over and done?
That is why what is said about the deceased at a funeral service can be rather sensitive. It can even be embarrassing if the wrong thing was said.
Maybe let me share with you a joke to let you know what I mean.
At a funeral service, the priest was delivering the homily. So he began : Well John (the deceased) was a good husband and a good father. He was a patient and a kind man, loving and understanding towards his wife, always helping her with the housework, …
Now, the wife of the deceased, as she was hearing all this, she slowly elbowed her son who was sitting next to her.
And she whispered to him : Go over and open the lid, and see if that is your father …
So you see, we priests are always in some kind of a situation when it comes to funerals.
So it’s safer to say something in general. Or sometimes, it may be something profound, but it can be misunderstood as something profane.
I remember that occasion when my friend’s father passed away, and so he had to arrange the obituary.
His father’s favourite scripture verse was this : Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing. The words of Jesus on the cross.
And indeed his father was an understanding and forgiving man. And so it was decided that those words are to be included in the obituary.
But the layout of the obituary turned out to be like this : the father’s photo, followed by the scripture verse “Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing”
And then below that, the names of the wife, the children and the grandchildren.
Somehow, it just didn’t look right, so the scripture verse had to be removed, to prevent any awkward misunderstanding.
But seriously, what do others think about us? What are they saying about us?
It is a sensitive question, and we may not even want to know what others think, or say about us.
But yet, that is preciously what Jesus asked His disciples in today’s gospel : Who do you say I am?
It is a very direct and personal question. They can’t borrow answers from others. They have to give their own answers.
So who do we say Jesus is? Who do you say Jesus is? Who do I say Jesus is?
Well, so who do I say Jesus is? Over the years, my answer to that question has changed from the conventional and conservative titles like Lord or Saviour, to a very personal and down to earth answer – Jesus is my best friend.
Well, I have good friends, but not a best friend.
Until I discovered that Jesus is indeed my best friend who is always with me, who is always there for me.
And that gives me a lot of consolation and comfort.
You see, as a priest, most of the time, I am alone. So when I am thinking about something, or if something is bothering me, of when I am anxious about something, I don’t usually have someone to talk with, or to share with.
So in the past, I had this habit of talking to myself.
I think most of us do that right? We talk to ourselves.
I think that’s pretty ok, as long as we don’t talk to ourselves in public.
But I have come to realize that talking to myself did not bring me anywhere better, nor did it give me any comfort.
In fact whenever I think, and talk to myself about something disturbing, or frustrating, or annoying, I was like digging deeper into the dark hole of resentment and even anger.
But over the years, I have come to realize, and experienced, that when I start talking with Jesus, it is just so comforting and consoling. There is this healing effect.
So if you happen to see me talking to myself, please don’t be alarmed, please don’t worry or think that some wire up there is disconnected.
I am just talking with Jesus, my best friend.
And it’s also good for mental health and spiritual health, to be talking with Jesus, instead of talking to yourself.
Even 1 Pet 5:7 would urge us to “unload all our worries on to Him, since He is looking after you”.
So, how else to unload our worries but by talking with Jesus.
If we talk to ourselves, we only stress ourselves. But when we talk with the Lord, then He will come to our help.
Yes, the Lord comes to our help to unload all our worries because He is taking care of us.
So that’s why I say that Jesus is my best friend. He is always there whenever I want to talk with Him.
Jesus is not only my best friend. He wants to be your best friend too.
We may have a lot of good friends, or we may even have a best friend.
But they can’t be with us all the time, especially when the crosses of life come our way.
Then we will find ourselves having to face the pains, the difficulties and uncertainties of life alone.
St Peter had to face his cross alone when he was asked if he knew Jesus. He denied knowing Jesus. He alone had to take the consequences of his denial.
Yes, there will come a time when we alone have to face the cross of life, and all our friends can’t be there with us.
I remembered visiting someone in hospital before he had to undergo a major surgery.
He told me that he was afraid of being alone because no one will be with him as he goes for his operation.
I gave him the Anointing of the Sick and Holy Communion, and I told him that Jesus is now with him, and he is not alone, and he need not be afraid.
Then I noticed he relaxed and calmed down, and I told him to call on Jesus to be with him when he is being wheeled in for the operation.
Thanks be to God, the operation was successful and after he was discharged, he told me that as he prayed when he was being wheeled into the operating theatre, he felt a warm sensation over his heart, and he knew that Jesus was with him in his loneliest and fearsome moment.
Even for Jesus, we might think that He was alone in the Garden of Gethsemane. Even His disciples were asleep.
But He was not alone. He was talking with God His Father, and He was strengthened to face His cross.
Jesus in turn, now wants to enter into our hearts whenever we face loneliness and distress.
So, whoever you might say that Jesus is, just know that He is there for you, whenever you want to talk with Him.
Because Jesus is the Christ ; He is also our Lord, our Saviour, our Good Shepherd, our Healer, and also our Best Friend.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
21st Ordinary Sunday, 23.08.09
1st Reading: Josh 24:1-2a, 15-17, 18b
2nd Reading: Eph 5:21-32
Gospel: Jn 6:60-69
If you are to stand here, where I am standing, and look at what I’m looking at, then, like me, you would also say it’s awesome.
And to know that there are so many pairs of eyes looking your way, and so many pairs of ears listening to what you are going to say, you can be sure that this is not child’s play.
In fact, some of the visiting priests have commented that the size of the congregation, especially at the 11.30am Mass, can be quite overwhelming.
Yes, we are proud that this parish community is big, and still growing, and at times overwhelming.
But let’s say that the Church lifted this thing about the Sunday obligation.
Let’s just say that coming for Mass on a Sunday is not obligatory but optional.
Now, if that’s the case, would we still want to come to Church for Mass on Sunday?
We have to consider the fact that there are so many other things that we want to do on Sunday.
We can sleep in till noon, and then wake up for this thing called “brunch”, a word now found in the dictionary.
For some people, Sunday can be the laziest day, or the busiest day.
You can sleep right into the late afternoon and wake up for a combination of lunch and dinner. (I don’t know what to call that. If breakfast and lunch is called brunch…)
Or if you have young children, you may not even have time to eat because you will be busy bringing them around from enrichment classes to your parents’ places. (Oh, I forgot, of coz, Sunday catechism classes, how can I forget huh)
So for some, it’s “Thank God it’s Friday”, for some it’s “Thank God it’s Monday”.
But whatever it is, for us, Sunday is to come to church to thank God.
But for us who come to church on Sunday, we also know of someone who does not come to church anymore.
There many reasons why they don’t come to church anymore.
Some are valid reasons; others are just excuses.
Whatever it is, they have made their choice, which is also their decision.
The readings we have heard earlier, also have this underlying aspect of the freedom of choice, and it’s a choice that expresses a decision.
In the first reading, Joshua asked the people – choose today whom you wish to serve.
In the 2nd reading, St Paul urged his people to choose the way of love so as to be obedient to Christ.
In the gospel, when people began leaving Jesus because they could not take what he said about eating His flesh and drinking His blood, He turned to His apostles and asked: What about you, do you want to go away too?
It is said in three different ways, but essentially it is about exercising the freedom of choice, and the choice is decisive.
So, to reply the question of Jesus: What about you, do you want to go away too? We might just give the textbook answer of St Peter and said: Lord, who shall we go to?
But let’s just say, that Jesus would ask this next question: So why do you want to stay?
How are we going to answer that?
We just can’t have a textbook answer for this. We are not going to find the answer in “Facebook”either.
The answer has got to come from your own book, and my own book.
Yes, it has to be a personal answer. And we have to make that personal choice, and it’s a choice that is decisive.
Let me share with you a story of a salesman, a salesman was dealing with audio equipment and accessories.
His basic pay was not much and neither was his commission, but because his clientele was large, so he could make ends meet.
Then came along a competitor company, and it offered him three times his current salary, as will as a higher commission from the sales.
It was certainly a more than attractive offer, but what was unwritten but understood, was that he would have to bring his clientele along.
For this salesman, the monetary benefits would be enough reason for him to leave his present company.
But as he thought about it, he painfully decided not to leave his present company.
So what made him stay on? It is a matter of integrity.
Because to bring his clientele along to the next company would mean that he would be the talk of the town and end up with a bad name.
So it was a choice between a quick gain or a good name, and his choice was a decision for integrity.
We might say; Ya… but integrity will only keep you hungry…”
Well, not the end of story yet. As things turned out, a few years later, that competitor company, due to bad management, began firing its sales personnel and executives.
That salesman could only give thanks to God for helping him make the good and right choice.
Talking about choices, when I was a seminarian, people often asked me about my calling and why I wanted to become a priest.
Now that I am a priest, not many people have asked me why I want to stay on as a priest.
Of course, if I am asked that question, I can always resort to the textbook answer that the priesthood is indelible, as in “once a priest, always a priest”, much like baptism and marriage.
But why do I want to stay on as a priest? Of course there is the joy of seeing people experiencing the love of God and growing in love for the Lord as I carry out my priestly ministry.
Yet there are also the trials and challenges of meeting the expectations as well as demands of the people.
Some people may even think that a priest is like some kind of holy superman, always smiling, always saying Yes to any requests, wont be angry and wont scold people.
Of coz, I want to be a holy man, but a superman ….???
But what is the primary reason that I want to stay on as a priest?
Well, its all about integrity and responsibility.
I have made my choice to answer God’s call. That is my decision. I will be responsible for my decision and I will be faithful to my decision. For me, there will be no other options.
In many ways, I learnt integrity and responsibility from my own father.
My father is an easy going simple family man. He works hard although his salary was not much.
He stays at home to be with his wife and children and goes to church with them.
In short, my father is a simple, responsible man, who is faithful to what he has committed himself to.
Yes, from my father, I learnt responsibility and faithfulness to commitment.
And one more thing, and that is I don’t want to entertain any other options. It is either I stay on, or I stay on.
May you also stay on in whatever good decisions that you have made in life. Let there be no other options.
Let God be our only option. When we choose God and God alone, then we choose life, as well as eternal life.
2nd Reading: Eph 5:21-32
Gospel: Jn 6:60-69
If you are to stand here, where I am standing, and look at what I’m looking at, then, like me, you would also say it’s awesome.
And to know that there are so many pairs of eyes looking your way, and so many pairs of ears listening to what you are going to say, you can be sure that this is not child’s play.
In fact, some of the visiting priests have commented that the size of the congregation, especially at the 11.30am Mass, can be quite overwhelming.
Yes, we are proud that this parish community is big, and still growing, and at times overwhelming.
But let’s say that the Church lifted this thing about the Sunday obligation.
Let’s just say that coming for Mass on a Sunday is not obligatory but optional.
Now, if that’s the case, would we still want to come to Church for Mass on Sunday?
We have to consider the fact that there are so many other things that we want to do on Sunday.
We can sleep in till noon, and then wake up for this thing called “brunch”, a word now found in the dictionary.
For some people, Sunday can be the laziest day, or the busiest day.
You can sleep right into the late afternoon and wake up for a combination of lunch and dinner. (I don’t know what to call that. If breakfast and lunch is called brunch…)
Or if you have young children, you may not even have time to eat because you will be busy bringing them around from enrichment classes to your parents’ places. (Oh, I forgot, of coz, Sunday catechism classes, how can I forget huh)
So for some, it’s “Thank God it’s Friday”, for some it’s “Thank God it’s Monday”.
But whatever it is, for us, Sunday is to come to church to thank God.
But for us who come to church on Sunday, we also know of someone who does not come to church anymore.
There many reasons why they don’t come to church anymore.
Some are valid reasons; others are just excuses.
Whatever it is, they have made their choice, which is also their decision.
The readings we have heard earlier, also have this underlying aspect of the freedom of choice, and it’s a choice that expresses a decision.
In the first reading, Joshua asked the people – choose today whom you wish to serve.
In the 2nd reading, St Paul urged his people to choose the way of love so as to be obedient to Christ.
In the gospel, when people began leaving Jesus because they could not take what he said about eating His flesh and drinking His blood, He turned to His apostles and asked: What about you, do you want to go away too?
It is said in three different ways, but essentially it is about exercising the freedom of choice, and the choice is decisive.
So, to reply the question of Jesus: What about you, do you want to go away too? We might just give the textbook answer of St Peter and said: Lord, who shall we go to?
But let’s just say, that Jesus would ask this next question: So why do you want to stay?
How are we going to answer that?
We just can’t have a textbook answer for this. We are not going to find the answer in “Facebook”either.
The answer has got to come from your own book, and my own book.
Yes, it has to be a personal answer. And we have to make that personal choice, and it’s a choice that is decisive.
Let me share with you a story of a salesman, a salesman was dealing with audio equipment and accessories.
His basic pay was not much and neither was his commission, but because his clientele was large, so he could make ends meet.
Then came along a competitor company, and it offered him three times his current salary, as will as a higher commission from the sales.
It was certainly a more than attractive offer, but what was unwritten but understood, was that he would have to bring his clientele along.
For this salesman, the monetary benefits would be enough reason for him to leave his present company.
But as he thought about it, he painfully decided not to leave his present company.
So what made him stay on? It is a matter of integrity.
Because to bring his clientele along to the next company would mean that he would be the talk of the town and end up with a bad name.
So it was a choice between a quick gain or a good name, and his choice was a decision for integrity.
We might say; Ya… but integrity will only keep you hungry…”
Well, not the end of story yet. As things turned out, a few years later, that competitor company, due to bad management, began firing its sales personnel and executives.
That salesman could only give thanks to God for helping him make the good and right choice.
Talking about choices, when I was a seminarian, people often asked me about my calling and why I wanted to become a priest.
Now that I am a priest, not many people have asked me why I want to stay on as a priest.
Of course, if I am asked that question, I can always resort to the textbook answer that the priesthood is indelible, as in “once a priest, always a priest”, much like baptism and marriage.
But why do I want to stay on as a priest? Of course there is the joy of seeing people experiencing the love of God and growing in love for the Lord as I carry out my priestly ministry.
Yet there are also the trials and challenges of meeting the expectations as well as demands of the people.
Some people may even think that a priest is like some kind of holy superman, always smiling, always saying Yes to any requests, wont be angry and wont scold people.
Of coz, I want to be a holy man, but a superman ….???
But what is the primary reason that I want to stay on as a priest?
Well, its all about integrity and responsibility.
I have made my choice to answer God’s call. That is my decision. I will be responsible for my decision and I will be faithful to my decision. For me, there will be no other options.
In many ways, I learnt integrity and responsibility from my own father.
My father is an easy going simple family man. He works hard although his salary was not much.
He stays at home to be with his wife and children and goes to church with them.
In short, my father is a simple, responsible man, who is faithful to what he has committed himself to.
Yes, from my father, I learnt responsibility and faithfulness to commitment.
And one more thing, and that is I don’t want to entertain any other options. It is either I stay on, or I stay on.
May you also stay on in whatever good decisions that you have made in life. Let there be no other options.
Let God be our only option. When we choose God and God alone, then we choose life, as well as eternal life.
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