Pentecost Sunday, Year B, 19.05.2024

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We reveal the compassion and the forgiveness of God. 

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

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

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

7th Sunday of Easter, Year B, 12.05.2024

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But the truth of life is that life is difficult. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

6th Sunday of Easter Year B, 05.05.2024

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5th Sunday of Easter, Year B, 28.04.2024

 Acts 9:26-31 / 1 John 3:18-24 / John 15:1-8

When we came into this world, we were like a blank piece of paper. 

From the moment we were born, the people around us began writing on that piece of paper, the paper of our lives. 

Our parents wrote on it, and they wrote things that we treasure, like love, joy, care, protection, happiness, concern and family values. 

Our siblings wrote about sharing and helping each other. 

As we journey on in life, our relatives and friends, our teachers, our schoolmates, our colleagues also wrote on our paper of life. 

In that paper of life, there was some good and beautiful things that made us into a good and pleasant person. 

But, there were also some bad and unpleasant things that made us behave badly and poorly. 

Then we came to know about Jesus Christ, who also wants to write something on our paper of life. 

But, Jesus is not just one among the many others who wrote on the paper of life. He is the Author of our lives. 

He created that paper of our lives, and Jesus wants to write His Word of love and truth on that paper. 

That paper of our life can also be called the paper of our hearts. 

Jesus wants to write the word “home” on that paper of our hearts, because He wants to make His home in our hearts. 

In the gospel Jesus says that He is the vine and that we are the branches. 

When we are united with Jesus like the vine and the branches, He will make His home in our hearts. 

He will also look at what is written in that paper of our hearts. 

From what is good in there, He will make it bear fruit, good and abundant fruit. 

Or what is bad, like mistakes and regrets, bitterness and resentment, hurts and pains, Jesus will correct it. 

He will prune it, He will heal it, so that what seems to be dead will be brought to life, and once again to bear fruit, and to bear good fruit. 

When we reflect about our lives, and what is written in our hearts, we will come to see that the good that we do, and the good that we can do, comes from the love and truth that Jesus writes in our hearts.

There is a story of an old man who met a young man, and the young man asked him, "Do you remember me?”

And the old man says “No.” Then the young man tells him he was his student, and the teacher, that old man asks,“What do you do in life?”

The young man answers,“Well, I became a teacher.”

“Ah, how good, like me?” asks the old man.

“Well, yes. In fact, I became a teacher because you inspired me to be like you.”

The old man, who was curious, asked the young man at what point in his life did he decided to become a teacher. 

And the young man tells him the following story:

“One day, a friend of mine, also a student, came in with a nice new watch, and I decided I wanted it.

I stole it, I took it out of his bag when nobody was looking.

Shortly after, my friend noticed his watch was missing and immediately complained to our teacher, who was you.

Then you addressed the class saying, ‘This student's watch was stolen during class today. Whoever stole it, please return it.’

I didn't give it back because I was afraid to do so.

You closed the door and told us all to stand up and form a circle and to look outwards.

You were going to search our pockets one by one until the watch was found.

However, you told us to close our eyes, because you would only look for the watch if we all had our eyes closed.

We did as instructed.

You went from pocket to pocket, and when you went through my pocket, you found the watch and took it. You kept searching everyone's pockets, and when you were done, you said ‘Open your eyes. We have found the watch.’

You didn't say it was me who stole the watch, and you never mentioned the episode.

That day you saved my dignity forever. It was the most shameful day of my life.

But that is also the day I decided not to become a thief, or a bad person. 

You never said anything, nor did you even scold me or take me aside to give me a moral lesson.

I received your message clearly.

Thanks to you, I understood what a real educator needs to do.

Do you remember this episode, teacher?

The old teacher answered, ‘Yes, I remember the situation with the stolen watch, which I was looking for in everyone’s pocket. I didn't remember you, because I also closed my eyes while looking.’

That is the essence of teaching:

Correction does not require humiliation.

Jesus is our Master and our Teacher. He teaches us what is good, and He also corrects what is needed.

But we must be united with Jesus, and accept to be pruned and corrected. 

Then we will bear good fruit for glory of God and for the good of others.

4th Sunday of Easter, Year B, 21.04.2024

 Acts 4:8-12 / 1 John 3:1-2 / John 10:11-18 

Between God and human beings, there is one great and fundamental difference.

Basically and essentially, it is this: God is divine and we are only human. 

Reflecting further on this, it is God who created us and the rest of creation. We humans did not create anything at all. 

A human being cannot become God. Those who wanted to, or tried to become God, embarked on a quest for immortality, eternal youth, everlasting power, strength and might. 

But the history of humanity is splattered with such cases, and they are cases of futility. 

That is the truth, and it is an eternal and irrevocable truth. 

And we Christians bear witness to that truth by our faith. 

As we profess in the Creed, God is the Almighty Creator, and He is also our Father. 

And next comes the astounding truth, and that is God became man in Jesus Christ. 

That truth is a deep mystery that needs to be reflected and meditated upon, and it can only be done with the enlightening love from God. 

Jesus Christ is our Lord and God, He is our Saviour, and in today's gospel, He tells us that He is our Good Shepherd. 

That image of the Good Shepherd and the sheep will certainly help us to understand the loving relationship between Jesus and us. 

A Good Shepherd protects and takes care of His sheep. 

He will even lay down His life for His sheep when there is harm and danger. 

That is how much God loves us, even to the extent of dying for us in order to save us. 

And Jesus calls us to be His sheep and to follow Him. 

Jesus is the Good Shepherd who calls us to be His good sheep. 

And a good sheep listens to the voice of the Good Shepherd. 

This Sunday is also known as Good Shepherd Sunday, and the emphasis is on vocations to the priesthood, as well as to the religious life. 

A good sheep listens to the voice of the Good Shepherd. 

And a good sheep may also listen to a deeper call in the voice of the Good Shepherd. 

Jesus will not leave His Church without priests, priests who will listen to His voice. 

Because Jesus calls priests to lead the People of God in worship and prayer, and preach the Word of life and love. 

Priests are called by Jesus to celebrate the Eucharist, and to offer the sacrifice in memory of Him. 

The voice of the Good Shepherd is echoed in the voice of the priest, so that the People of God, the flock that belongs to the Good Shepherd, will walk in the way of salvation. 

So, Jesus has called those He has chosen to be His priests, and also those to the religious life. 

Jesus calls and He waits for their response. 

As for us, the People of God, let us also echo the call of a Good Shepherd to those He is calling. 

But whether the call is to be a priest, or a religious, the call is always to be a good sheep. 

And whether it is a priest, or a religious, or a sheep that belongs to the flock of Jesus, we are called to be like the Good Shepherd. 

The Good Shepherd laid down His life for us. 

Let us also lay down our lives to love and to serve others, and to help them listen to the voice of Jesus our Good Shepherd.

3rd Sunday of Easter, Year B, 14.04.2024

  Acts 3:13-15, 17-19 / 1 John 2:1-5 / Luke 24:35-48  

The act of eating is often seen as a casual act, and we won't think too much about it. 

But a number of processes are activated in the act of eating. The mouth opens with the help of the muscles so that we can put food into our mouth. 

The taste buds are activated, the jaw moves and the teeth chew the food, and after which the food is swallowed. 

Besides and before all that, we also choose what we want to eat, and also what we should not eat. 

But eating is not just about consuming food. Eating is an act of life. We eat to Live. 

Our stomach will tell us that we are hungry, and hence we need to eat something, otherwise we may end up with some health issues.

And going beyond that, there is the social dimension in eating. 

No doubt, a person can eat in solitude, but that would give the impression of loneliness. 

Because, when it comes to eating, there is a social and communal expression in it. 

Even with simple home cooked food that is eaten with family and friends, relationships are renewed and deepened. 

In other words, eating with others is a celebration of life and relationships. 

In the gospel, when the Risen Lord Jesus appeared to His disciples, they were alarmed and frightened. They thought they were seeing a ghost. 

Jesus greeted them with peace, and showed them His hands and side, and even ask them to touch Him. 

But they still could not believe it, and they stood there dumbfounded. 

So Jesus asked them for something to eat. They offered Him a piece of grilled fish which He took and ate before their eyes. 

That act of eating the grilled fish dispelled the fears and doubts of the disciples. 

That simple act of eating assured the disciples that Jesus is real and alive. 

But even before that, the two disciples had told their story of what had happened on the road, and how they recognized Jesus at the breaking of bread. 

So, it was earlier, at a meal setting, the Jesus had revealed Himself to the two disciples. 

Today, as we come for Mass, we are also going to partake of a meal. 

At Holy communion, we are going to receive the Body of Christ. 

It is Jesus Himself who prepared this sacred meal as He offers us the heart of all meals, and that is His Body. 

In receiving the Body of Christ, we receive life and love from the Risen Lord Jesus. 

We become the living members of His Body, and filled with love, we go forth to share that life and love. 

And this brings us to think about our family and whether we have family meals. 

We can say that a family that eats together will stay together. 

It may be difficult to have a family meal because of the business of our work and schedules. 

But it is so necessary, if we think that family life and relationships are important. 

It is also the same when it comes to Mass. If we think that our faith is important and necessary, we will come for Mass, and we will also invite others to come back for Mass. 

Because at Mass, when we partake of the Sacred meal at Holy Communion, Jesus will tell us that He is real and alive. 

And He will also have a revelation for us about ourselves. 

That as we have our family meals and other social meals, He will be present, and He will make each meal, a meal of life and love, a meal of forgiveness and reconciliation.

2nd Sunday of Easter Year B, 07.04.2024

  Acts 4:32-35 / 1 John 5:1-6 / John 20:19-31   

In our busy lifestyles, time is an important factor for us. 

There doesn’t seem to have enough time everyday to do the things we want to do. 

We may even cut down on our sleeping time to clear off some of the items in our to-do list for the day. 

But that may not be productive, and our health gets affected. We may end up getting more tired out, and we slow down, and we take more time to get other things done. 

So, the cycle goes on, we have things to do, we tire ourselves in order to get more things done, and we end up taking more time. 

And with that, we have become impatient and frustrated with delays and lateness, because time is wasted. 

When we order the food at the food stall, the food must be ready in 10 minutes, otherwise we will get agitated and frustrated. Hunger can lead to anger. 

When we order an item online, it must come within a couple of days, or better still, the next day. 

And this attitude may also creep into our spiritual life. We pray and we want our prayers to be answered immediately. 

And when we think that God is not listening to our prayers, or taking His time to answer prayers, then we get agitated, frustrated and disappointed. 

In the gospel, the disciples were huddled in fear in a room with the doors locked. 

Jesus was dead and buried, and their lives were also like dead and buried. 

Then suddenly, the Risen Lord Jesus came and stood among them, and greeted them with “Peace be with you”. 

It was a stunning moment for the disciples, but they were filled with joy. 

All the disciples were there in the room, except for one - Thomas. 

And when the disciples told him that they had seen the Risen Lord, Thomas refused to believe. 

He also demanded that he wants to put his finger and his hand into those wounds in order to believe. 

Eight days later, the Risen Lord Jesus appeared again to the disciples, and this time Thomas was with them. 

Thomas saw and he believed. He may not even need to touch those wounds to believe. 

We may wonder, why does it have to take 8 days later for the Lord Jesus appear again to His disciples. 

Couldn't He appear as soon as Thomas was with the disciples, or ASAP?

And by extension, we also wonder, why doesn't God answer our prayers immediately, or ASAP? 

Thomas had to wait 8 days to see the Risen Lord. With our busyness and urgency in life, we would like our prayers to be answered in 8 minutes, or 8 hours. 

8 days would seem too long because we don't like delays or to wait. 

But the number 8 has the biblical meaning of revelation. 

The 8th day means in God's time, and His will and His plan will be revealed to us and we will also be able to accept it. 

There was this occasion when I went to the hospital to visit a patient. The patient's daughter was there and she lamented about the problems and stress she was facing in life.

So, I gave her the Sacred Heart prayer card, and told her to send in a petition, or better still, to come for the Devotion to the Sacred Heart. 

She looked surprised, and she said that she heard about the Devotion to the Sacred Heart, but thought that it was not practiced anymore.

I shared with her that prayers have been answered, and she should pray for the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 

As I reflected about it, for that lady, it was the 8th day for her, a revelation for her,  as Jesus revealed to her His Heart. 

Let us continue to pray with faith and hope, and our 8th Day will come when Jesus will reveal His love for us. 

And then, like Thomas, we will exclaim “My Lord and my God”.