Posted in Corpus Christi, Housekeeping, Jesus, Ordinary Time, Sacred Heart, Sunday, Weekday
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For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:
7 June 2015 – Corpus Christi
8 June 2015 – Monday of Week 10 Year 1
9 June 2015 – Tuesday of Week 10 Year 1
10 June 2015 – Wednesday of Week 10 Year 1
11 June 2015 – Saint Barnabas, Apostle
12 June 2015 – The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Solemnity
Among the many organs in our body, the heart is among the more important organs. Your brain and other organs may fail, but you would be able to continue surviving as long as your heart is pumping and distributing blood to other parts of your body. Once your heart stops, you will die. The heart is also commonly used as a symbol of love. But the kind of love we profess to each other is imperfect, compared to the kind of love God has for us.
In today’s first reading, we come across a God who loves Israel so much and poured so much affection on them, even though they had not appreciated God’s love. Even though God had been angry with Israel’s conduct, He relented and did not destroy Israel, as the reading tells us about God: “I will not give rein to my fierce anger, I will not destroy Ephraim again, for I am God, not man: I am the Holy One in your midst and have no wish to destroy.” Such is the magnitude and immensity of God’s love. Likewise, the second reading tells us of God’s tremendous love for us, that He sent His Son Jesus to save us and strengthen us: “Out of his infinite glory, may he give you the power through his Spirit for your hidden self to grow strong, so that Christ may live in your hearts through faith, and then, planted in love and built on love, you will with all the saints have strength to grasp the breadth and the length, the height and the depth; until, knowing the love of Christ, which is beyond all knowledge, you are filled with the utter fullness of God.” Moreover, in the Gospel, we are reminded of God’s love when Jesus was crucified and died to save us from our sins.
If God loves us so much and even sent His only Son to save us, then how are we showing such love to others around us? Notice that God did not send His Son only to a certain group, and He did not love only a certain group; God loves everyone, regardless whether they are good or bad. The Sacred Heart of Jesus is a reminder to us that God’s love has no limits or bounds, and that He loves all of us, and we are encouraged, not forced, to return to His friendship and build a close relationship with Him. May we open our hearts and let the Sacred Heart of Jesus guide us, so that we too can love others the way Jesus loves us, and together grow as brothers and sisters in Christ, one family of God.
It is not easy when people that we know and have come to love and appreciate need to part ways and be transferred elsewhere. We try to cling on to them, since we have already become familiar with their habits and idiosyncrasies. Eventually, the person would need to move on, as is usually the case for priests and religious. As priests and religious, we are given responsibility to care for a community only for a certain period of time, and once the time is up, we move on to other places where we would be needed. “This is the story of our lives,” as one elderly padre quipped (“and we will drink to that” is the response, as the same elderly padre also remarked).
In today’s reading, we are told: “the Holy Spirit said, ‘I want Barnabas and Saul set apart for the work to which I have called them.’ So it was that after fasting and prayer they laid their hands on them and sent them off.” God requires us to be ever ready and willing to move to different places at different times to serve different communities. Our being in a place is merely transient, and sometimes moving off could be a good thing, since it offers us opportunities to grow and mature. May we be humble and joyful in moving on when the time comes, and continue to do the will of God for His greater glory.
From time to time, we come across people who claim to have received some great revelation from God and they begin to preach their own version of the Good News. Quite often, such people would preach the Good News to their advantage or benefit, and we have seen several instances where such people would embezzle wealth and property, and then make a disapperance after they have gotten what they wanted.
In today’s Gospel: “Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete them. I tell you solemnly, till heaven and earth disappear, not one dot, not one little stroke, shall disappear from the Law until its purpose is achieved. Therefore, the man who infringes even one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be considered the least in the kingdom of heaven; but the man who keeps them and teaches them will be considered great in the kingdom of heaven.'” This shows that Jesus was not changing or customising the Law or the Prophets by offering new material. Rather, Jesus was helping his disciples and us too to return to the original meaning of the Law and the Prophets, since the original meaning had been diluted and interpreted to suit the scribes and the Pharisees. In the same way, we too are reminded to faithful in preaching the Good News by teaching what Jesus taught, and not bring in our own interpretation or opinion.
Throughout our lives, we would have used the words “yes” and “no” several times. Sometimes both words are used quite a bit in a day. We may say “yes” when the circumstances befits us or provides us with some benefit or advantage. However, saying “yes” does not necessarily mean we are in agreement or we are happy, because sometimes we say “yes” out of peer pressure, or to save one’s skin, or to fit in with the crowd. Thus, our “yes” may not always bring us peace and happiness.
However, there is a “yes” which is more satisfying and uplifting which we can never find on earth. That “yes” is from God and in God. Today’s reading tells us: “with Him (Jesus) it was always Yes, and however many the promises God made, the Yes to them all is in him. That is why it is ‘through him’ that we answer Amen to the praise of God. Remember it is God himself who assures us all, and you, of our standing in Christ, and has anointed us, marking us with his seal and giving us the pledge, the Spirit, that we carry in our hearts.” At our baptism, we said “YES” to Jesus, and we received the Holy Spirit to guide us and help us throughout our lives. As we continue to say “YES” to Jesus, we are assured by Him and there is no need for us worry or fear of anything else. Let us thus joyfully, consistently and confidently say “YES” to Jesus, for it is in Him that we can find true joy, happiness and peace.
Whenever we are faced with difficulties, challenges in life, or even persecution, what do we do? Some may try to isolate themselves and lick their wounds, some may think that God has abandoned them and allow such things to take place. But if we consider for a moment, what should a Christian response be in the face of such difficulties, challenges or persecution?
In today’s Gospel, our response to difficulties, challenges and persecution should be one of happiness. Some may wonder, are we being crazy or weird for being happy in such matters? Actually, it is a matter of perspective and purpose. Being happy, as described in the Gospel, is not because we are being gratified or exalted or even having an ego boost. Instead, being happy is when we have the opportunity to glorify God in all we do, including when we are facing difficulties, challenges and persecution, since we are being witnesses to the Good News. Let us therefore take courage, knowing that our happiness is in the Lord, and He will guide us and reward us for our faithfulness and love.
Why do we attend Mass? Some do so because they supposingly want to be closer to God and be part of a community of believers; but sometimes their actions and attitude seem to show that they are only concerned about themselves or their families and friends. There are people who come to church for Mass, and find that the church parking space is getting congested, then what do they do? Some just park indiscriminately and enter the church. Then when others affected by such indiscriminate parking find that they are unable to move their vehicle, tempers begin to flare and people who call themselves so called brothers and sisters in Christ, end up screaming and shouting at each other. There also are some who, upon entering the church, find that many of the seats have already been booked or “chope” by others who only want their family members or friends to seat together (a common tactic theses people use is to place a bag, handbag or some personal item on the seat). When we do these kind of things, are we really coming to church for the right reasons? What has happened to our being brothers and sisters in Christ?
When we celebrate the Mass, Jesus extends hospitality to all of us. He does not extend hospitality only to those who are thought to be good and holy, but also to strangers, lukewarm Christians, and sinners. The Mass is not confined only a few select people, but all are welcomed to be nourished and cared for. Also, we sometimes come across Christian communities who have broken into factions. There are factions between the rich and the poor. There are those who think themselves holier than others. There are those who support a certain leader and others who support another leader. But in the Mass, there can be no room for factions. All are united in the Body of Christ, and we should die to ourselves, die to our selfishness, our pride and prejudice, our suspicion of others.
Perhaps we should take a good look at ourselves and be honest: why do we come for Mass? Do we really come as a community of brothers and sisters in Christ? Or have we become individualistic and indifferent towards others? Every Mass is meant to be an occasion and a great opportunity for each and every one of us to extend hospitality to others, especially strangers, migrants, the weak, the elderly, little children and those who seem to be alone. We should not think that such a task is meant only for the hospitality ministers or the parish priest, but each and every one of us are expected to do our part, if we call ourselves Christians, the body of Christ, a member of God’s family, brothers and sisters in Christ. After all, Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. As Christians, followers of Christ, are we not to do the same?
For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:
31 May 2015 – Pentecost – Mass of the Day
1 June 2015 – Monday of Week 9 Year 1
2 June 2015 – Tuesday of Week 9 Year 1
3 June 2015 – Wednesday of Week 9 Year 1
4 June 2015 – Thursday of Week 9 Year 1
5 June 2015 – Friday of Week 9 Year 1
Do you believe that miracles can happen? Have you experienced a miracle before in your life? There are some who do not seem to believe that miracles happen, since they seem to take on a worldly view that science could give an answer and if it doesn’t, then they would accept the fact that their fate is sealed. The funny thing is, such people sometimes experience a miracle and become believers. Such is the power of our loving God, who does wonders for us, though at times we may not realise it or experience it directly.
In today’s reading, we see a series of miracles happening. In the reading, Anna was so full of joy of being able to see her son again that she exclaimed: “Now I can die. I have seen you again.” We must remember that the Jews were in exile in Nineveh at that time and they were facing persecution, and for a Jew to leave Nineveh safely and return safely was indeed a miracle. Tobias used the fish gall on his father’s eyes as medicine and as a result, Tobit was able to see again. Once again, another miracle had happened. Who would have thought that fish gall could be used to make a blind man see, but that was exactly what happened. Then, to top up the series of miracles, Tobias was able to bring Sarah his wife home. Sarah, in case some of you may not know, had been given in marriage seven times, and that Asmodeus, that worst of demons, had killed her bridegrooms one after another before ever they had slept with her as man with wife. But this time, God had intervened and the angel Raphael had chased the demon Asmodeus away, so that Sarah and Tobias could be together in peace.
Indeed, miracles do happen. Sometimes we realise it and give thanks to God. At other times, we may not realise it. But perhaps one miracle which we experience each day but we may of taken for granted, is the miracle of life. The fact that each of us is able to wake up every morning is already a miracle. Are we thankful for the gift and miracle of life that God has granted us each day?