For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:
24 Jan 2016 – 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
25 Jan 2016 – Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle – Feast
26 Jan 2016 – SS. Timothy & Titus, Bishops – Memorial
27 Jan 2016 – Wednesday of Week 3 Year 2
28 Jan 2016 – Thursday of Week 3 Year 2
29 Jan 2016 – Friday of Week 3 Year 2
Many of us became Christians when we were baptised as babies. Some of us became Christians when we were baptised as adults. But whatever the circumstances may be, we are Christians and as Christians, Jesus has commissioned us to go forth and proclaim the Good News. This is not merely a request, but a command, an order, a duty. We should not be shy or timid in fulfilling our duty, as St. Paul in today’s reading reminds us: “That is why I am reminding you now to fan into a flame the gift that God gave you when I laid my hands on you. God’s gift was not a spirit of timidity, but the Spirit of power, and love, and self-control. So you are never to be ashamed of witnessing to the Lord, or ashamed of me for being his prisoner; but with me, bear the hardships for the sake of the Good News, relying on the power of God who has saved us and called us to be holy.”
The question we need to ask ourselves is this: Have we become complacent or comfortable with our lives, that proclaiming the Good News has become less and less important? Have we become more and more attracted to the ways of the world, and forgotten or ignored or feel ashamed of witnessing to the Lord? May we with renewed zeal and vigour fan into a flame the gift that God has given us, and fearlessly and enthusiastically share His Good News with all around us, remembering that ultimately, our lives are meant to give glory to God.
Whenever we encounter a person who is known to be notorious for persecuting Christians, what would we do? Perhaps some of us may try to avoid such a person at all costs. Some of us may pray that God would protect us from such a person. Some of us may even petition to God that such a person has a change of heart and stop such persecutions.
But sometimes, God can do something beyond our expectations. In the case of Saul, whose conversion we celebrate today, he was transformed from a fierce persecutor of Christians, to a fierce defender of the Christian faith. Saul became known as Paul, and he suffered much to bring the Christian faith to the gentiles, the very Christian faith he had once so enthusiastically persecuted.
If God can change a person from a monster to a saint, just imagine what He can do to us. We have seen the wonders He has done time and again, transforming people who many thought to be beyond hope, to something better for His glory. May we have faith and trust in our loving God, knowing that He will take care of things for us, for His glory.
It is interesting to observe how some families arrange their family altars at their homes. They would usually have a statue of Mother Mary or Jesus at a prominent place on the family altar, some rosary beads, and quite often a bible placed prominently on a stand, opened to a particular chapter and verse which may be the favourite of the family members. But the bible is not meant only to be a decorative item on the family altar, or to be kept in the study. The bible is meant to be read, and its words are meant to nurture us spiritually.
When we go for Mass, we are not only going for nourishment from the Eucharist during the Liturgy of the Eucharist, we are also receiving nourishment from God’s Word during the Liturgy of the Word. The question is: Do you really pay attention to the readings or are you just waiting to receive Holy Communion? If we have not paid attention to the readings during the Liturgy of the Word or taken the trouble to read and study the bible, we may have left out an important aspect of the Mass, that is the Liturgy of the Word. The Liturgy of the Word is no less important than the Liturgy of the Eucharist, as both are equally important. Jesus is present in the Blessed Sacrament as well as in the word proclaimed during the first half of the Mass.
In today’s Gospel, we are reminded that Jesus is the Word of God who has come “to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and to the blind new sight, to set the downtrodden free, to proclaim the Lord’s year of favour.” If we have not paid attention to the readings every Sunday, we may have lost out on these promises. If we are not making effort to hear God’s word, we may be hearing only ‘bad news’ which society and our experiences choke us each day. The Good News is that in spite of all the evil that we see, hear and experience around us, God’s salvation is far greater; and that Jesus, the Word of God, has conquered evil and death. Those who fail to listen to God’s word continue to be imprisoned by fear and uncertainty; but Jesus promised us that He has come to proclaim liberty to the captives, and He can free us if we listen to Him. Those who fail to listen to God’s word will continue to be blind to our own mistakes and our sinfulness; but Jesus has come to set us free and give us back our sight if we cling on to His words. We are free and are able to see, if we listen to God’s word and act upon it.
So what does this mean to us? It means that we should make more effort to pay attention to the Word of God. The Word of God must have a central and prominent place within the community and also be the basis of our lives. It is not enough to merely recite prayers and attend Mass. We must read and study the bible, and listen attentively to the Word of God at Mass, so that the Word of God can become our daily guide and find fulfillment in our lives. May we find spiritual nourishment from Jesus through His Word and through the Eucharist, and share His Good News to all around us.
For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:
17 Jan 2016 – 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C
18 Jan 2016 – Monday of Week 2 Year 2
19 Jan 2016 – Tuesday of Week 2 Year 2
20 Jan 2016 – Wednesday of Week 2 Year 2
21 Jan 2016 – Thursday of Week 2 Year 2
22 Jan 2016 – Friday of Week 2 Year 2
Each and every one of us have got abilities and talents which are unique to us. We do not have any duplicates as we are made different and special in the image of God. As St. Paul in the second reading tells us: “There is a variety of gifts but always the same Spirit; there are all sorts of service to be done, but always 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.” This means that, no matter how much talent or how little talent we may have, all these talents are meant for us to glorify God, not to be kept to ourselves. But the question is: Do we see a variety of gifts manifested in different ways in our parish? Do we see God’s spirit working in our parish through the many people who volunteer for ministry? Are you using your gift for the service of the community and the church?
God has given each and every one of us talents and abilities to help the church and the Christian community grow and mature. The issue is, we sometimes fail God and the community, especially when we do not acknowledge our gifts and the gifts of others in the community. A community can only flourish if its members are able to recognise their own gifts and affirm the gifts of others. A community is in danger of disintegrating when its members are only always expecting something from others and are not prepared to give or share; when its members are constantly criticising and finding fault with one another; when the gifts of its members are suppressed rather than identified and nurtured; and figuratively speaking, when the wine runs out.
In today’s gospel, we are reminded of the story of the wedding at Cana. This joyous occasion nearly ended in disaster because they ran out of wine. Sometimes in our churches, we see the same people serving in church year in year out without any successor, any change or new blood. We begin to think that the wine is also running out as there seems to be no new leaders and no new members. In the old testament, the Israelites also thought that the destruction of their country meant the end of everything. But such thinking is wrong, since Isaiah in the first reading gives a message of hope. All is not lost because God will redeem them. This led the Israelites to realise that glory and blessings came from God alone. Only God can ensure that the wine will never run out.
So what do we need to do? We should realise that our Christian community still has plenty of chances to grow and become stronger. We must recognise that we need a conversion of heart. We need to put God back into the center of our lives. If we have become complacent and satisfied with what we have, its time to wake up. It’s not enough to maintain the things that we have or remain as status quo. The community and the church must grow, and we must encourage and nurture new leaders and new members to eventually take over; otherwise, our community will eventually die. Let us pray that our community will be renewed by the Holy Spirit and that we will recognise our gifts and the gifts of others, and how we can use these gifts to serve the church and for the glory of God.
For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:
10 Jan 2016 – Baptism of the Lord
11 Jan 2016 – Monday of Week 1 Year 2
12 Jan 2016 – Tuesday of Week 1 Year 2
13 Jan 2016 – Wednesday of Week 1 Year 2
14 Jan 2016 – Thursday of Week 1 Year 2
15 Jan 2016 – Friday of Week 1 Year 2
For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:
3 Jan 2016 – Epiphany
4 Jan 2016 – Monday after Epiphany
5 Jan 2016 – Tuesday after Epiphany
6 Jan 2016 – Wednesday after Epiphany
7 Jan 2016 – Thursday after Epiphany
8 Jan 2016 – Friday after Epiphany
Great events come and go, and sometimes the people who should be aware and recognise such great events end up ignoring or failing to recognise such great events. One reason why they fail to do so is because of their mentality or way of thinking. Some people think that great events only happen in great or important places. Such people are unable to comprehend or accept such great events happening in what they perceive to be lowly or insignificant places. But sometimes, great events do happen in the most unlikely or least expected places.
We know that the Jews were supposed to be God’s chosen people. They were supposed to have been aware of the events that took place in the scriptures and the various prophecies foretold. However, it was the gentiles, the Magi, who recognised a great event instead. The Jews were ignorant and failed to recognise such a great event, possibly because they were so used to thinking about their religion in fixed ways. In their mind, God is found on sacred mountains, in the Temple and in holy places. The Messiah being such a great figure in the prophecies must be born into wealth and power. They were not prepared to accept the fact that God may choose to be born in a stable. Sometimes we too may be so fixed in our ways of thinking and are not open to new ideas. Whenever someone has an idea or suggestion, we shoot it down with our pessimism. Because of this attitude, we stifle growth and change and also put obstacles in the way God is trying to reveal His will to us.
Today’s Gospel challenges us to recognise the stars, especially the star that led the wise men or Magi to Jesus. Our God is a God of surprises and we must be open to Him choosing the way in which He wishes to reveal Himself. Whenever we follow the star, a sign from God, a new idea or a new direction, we may not know where it will lead us. Instead, we are asked to walk by faith, knowing and trusting that God will be there to help and guide us along the way. There may be times that we feel like giving up or we may encounter other distractions. But if we get lost, there is always the star to remind us of our direction and destination. The star isn’t our destination but points to us the way to Jesus, the Light of the World, who has come to show us the way to the Father. May we humbly and joyfully follow Jesus, our star, and remain in His care and love.
Posted in Christmas, Holy Family, Housekeeping, Octave, Sunday, Weekday
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For your easy reference, the following is a list of weeks and years with their corresponding date:
27 Dec 2015 – Holy Family
28 Dec 2015 – The Holy Innocents, Martyrs – Feast
29 Dec 2015 – 5th day within the octave of Christmas
30 Dec 2015 – 6th day within the octave of Christmas
31 Dec 2015 – 7th day within the octave of Christmas
1 Jan 2016 – Mary, Mother of God – Solemnity