Life is Worth Living

WHO IS AN ANTICHRIST?  “Antichrist” is a word everyone is almost familiar with. But who is an antichrist? In contemporary Christianity, the word “antichrist” seemed to have assumed a very ridiculous meaning. For most people, an “antichrist” is that frightening fire-vomiting hydra-headed beast or that grotesque human-like creature with horns and so on whose sole mission is to stamp people with the so-called number 666 (a mark of the beast) and killing those who refuse to cooperate. What a laughable description! In our time, we are flooded with such conspiracy theories that project all sorts of outlandish ideas about the identity and mission of the antichrist (who or what the antichrist is AND what the antichrist has come to do). The Bible specifically describes an ANTICHRIST as “anyone who denies that Jesus is the Christ; anyone who denies that the Father and the Son are one (1 Jn. 2:22); or anyone who does not confess that Jesus came in the flesh” (1 Jn. 4:2-3; 2 Jn. 1:7). To deny ...

In 1 John 2:12-17, John addresses three groups of people (little children, fathers and young men) in which every one of us can perfectly fix himself or herself. On account of the revelation of God in and through Christ, St John strongly believes that we are now forgiven, that we can now claim a better knowledge of God, that we are now stronger, better equipped with God’s Word and are now victorious over the Evil One. From the above, we learn that the coming of Christ has brought about FORGIVENESS of sins, RECONCILIATION with God, FULL REVELATION of God’s face and ASSURANCE of victory over the Evil One. These are clear expressions of God’s special love for all of us. And on the basis of that special love, St John advises us not to love the world or the things of the “world”. Here, the “world” is a metaphor of anything that is UNGODLY, EVIL and UNRIGHTEOUS. So, to love the “world” is to hate God: “If any one loves the world, love for the Father is not in him” (1 Jn. 2:15). Sometimes, we ...

Fifth Day within the Christmas Octave In the writings of John, Jesus is copiously described with a lot of imageries: He is described as as the WORD (Jn. 1:1), the LIGHT (Jn. 1:5; 8:12; 1 Jn. 1:5); LOVE (Jn. 3:16); and so on. From whichever way we look at it, those imageries interpenetrate each other because they describe one person, Jesus. If Jesus is the “Word” and the “Light”, then we can as well say that the Word is Light. If Jesus is “Love” and “Light”, then we can as well say that Love is Light. On the basis of the above, St John writes that “He who loves his brother abides in the light. And he who says that he is in the light and hates his brother is in the darkness still” (cf. 1 Jn. 2:9-11). The simplest connection is this: “Jesus is Love; Jesus is Light. He who abides in Jesus abides in LOVE and LIGHT and should be an agent of love”. In Luke 2:22-35, the old man Simeon prophesied that Jesus is a light for revelation to the Gentiles. In those days, the Jews regarded the Gentiles...

Herod’s massacre of the innocent male infants is considered to be one of the cruelest and most dehumanizing acts of violence in the New Testament. The Bible and some writings record that Herod “the Great”, king of Judea, was unpopular with his people because of his religious indifference. Hence, he was insecure and fearful of any threat to his throne. Having become greatly troubled when he heard that there was “a newborn king of the Jews” (Jesus Christ), Herod (a man known to be a tyrant capable of extreme brutality) became furious and ordered the massacre of all the male infants (who were two years old or below) in Bethlehem where Jesus was born (cf. Matthew 2:13-18). In the first reading, St John says that “…God is light and in him is no darkness at all” (1 Jn 1:5b). In another place, he exhorts that “… if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 Jn 1:7). Now, let us pay attention to ...

Introduction We celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph: a family of faith, love and hope; a family that is presented to us today for our inspiration and imitation.  Reflection In the scriptures, Abraham is presented to us as a father figure much known for his unflinching faith in God. He came to limelight in Genesis 12; and that is where his faith story began as he journeyed into an unknown land in obedience to the voice of God. From the Ur of Chaldeans, Abram went through Egypt. In Genesis 14, he moved further through the kingdoms of Shinar, Ellasar, Elam and many other kingdoms that engaged one another in fierce wars. His was a tough and arduous journey, harassed by marauders and citizens of those countries through which he journeyed. When the journey appeared to have become tougher, God appeared to him and spoke these words to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be great”. But at the time God made this promise, Abram had n...

The world into which Jesus was born was thickly enveloped with the darkness of violence and wickedness. If we look beyond the joyous circumstances of Christ’s birth, we would see the shades of rejection, hostility, wickedness and violence that also surrounded His birth. We remember that there was no room at the inns in Bethlehem for Mary to give birth to Jesus. We remember that Herod the reigning king of that time wanted to track down the baby Jesus and do away with Him. We remember that Mary and Joseph, together with the baby Jesus the newborn king, had to cover miles as they journeyed far away into Egypt trying to escape the clutches of the bloodthirsty King Herod. With all of these in mind, we will be able to see the connection between the birth of the Savior and the martyrdom of St Stephen. Stephen suffered martyrdom because he professed Jesus as Lord and Savior. He was filled with grace and power on account of his relationship with Jesus. He spoke with wisdom, and by the power of ...

  When I was a lad, if anyone had asked me WHAT CHRISTMAS IS, I would have said that CHRISTMAS IS THAT TIME OF THE YEAR WHEN WE GET SPECIAL SETS OF CLOTHES, SPECIAL CUISINES, SPECIAL SPECTACLES, AND SO ON! This response would have been informed by those special things provided for us by our parents. However, those things have nothing to do with Christmas. What is Christmas??? Maybe, the readings of this Christmas day may help us understand what we celebrate! The prophecy of Isaiah 52:7-10 was a message that the exiled people of Israel longed to hear when they were languishing in Babylon. As they languished in exile, they longed for GOOD NEWS of their freedom, they longed for PEACE, and they longed for SALVATION. It must have then been a moment of great joy when they heard Isaiah publish the news which they had earnestly desired to hear. There are three words used to describe that news: a message of PEACE (shalom), GOOD TIDINGS OF THE GOOD and SALVATION. The first point is that they...

In some hours time, we will observe the Vigil of the Nativity of Our Lord (Christmas Vigil). And that begins the Christmas celebration which many of us have meticulously expected and prepared for. I am sure we may have made great plans; we may have conceived very laudable ideas as to how we would want to celebrate Christmas. However, we must always remember that SOMETIMES GOD'S PLANS OR THOUGHTS MAY NOT BE OUR PLANS OR THOUGHTS (cf. Isa. 55:8-9). In 2 Samuel 7, David had a wonderful plan, a lofty idea: TO BUILD A TEMPLE FOR THE LORD. But God sent His prophet Nathan to go and tell David, "No, I have a better and bigger plan for you: TO MAKE YOU A HOUSE, TO GIVE YOU PEACE, TO RAISE A KING FROM YOUR HOUSE WHOSE DYNASTY AND KINGDOM WILL BE ESTABLISHED FOREVER."  Even after David had lived and died, it took so many years for that plan or promise of God to come to full fulfilment in the person of Jesus the King whose dynasty and kingdom had been established forever. Filled with...

Introduction The days of the Messiah will be days of purification and cleansing. As we prepare to welcome Him, let us also prepare to accept the truth which His message communicates  Reflection Many of us only welcome and accept a version of Christianity that appeals to our sensibilities. The Saviour must tell us what we want to hear; and He must do what we want Him to do. His words must always be soothing, make us feel so good and should never challenge us to work on ourselves and be better. For many of us, we must not go through challenges and struggles in order to be saved; and so on. If it has cost God a lot to initiate a project for the salvation of humankind, it must also cost humanity a lot to procure that salvation. Salvation can’t be obtained on a platter of gold. To be saved from sin is like walking through fire. Prophet Malachi describes the days of the Messiah as the days of the refiner's fire (cf Mal. 3:2-3). This is a description that may not appeal to our sensibiliti...

I have clearly understood that LOVE is a very powerful emotion. It can make the “hard-hearted” become soft. It can make a lion act like a lamb. Sometimes, it can even make a wise person appear stupid. That is the NATURE and POWER of love! And that is the nature of the God who we expect. In fact, that is what He is and who He is. It is easier for me to describe God as love than as any other thing. I don’t need to read theological books for me to understand that God is love. His words, His thoughts and actions towards me have fully convinced me that He is nothing but love. God beautifully created us, gave us power and authority over created things and placed us in a palace of palatial beauty and wonder. All of these were pure acts of love! Even when we sinned and disobeyed Him, He still FEELS for us. Yes, we may continue to sin but we are still the BELOVED of God! We are still the “apple” of His eyes. Just as it is described in the Song of Solomon (2:8-14), our voices still soften God’s ...

Introduction Are we ready to set ourselves out for greatness and miracles? Then, let us prepare to build a house for God, let us prepare to show Him some love! Reflection It is said that the basic needs of man are food, shelter and clothing. Amongst these three basic needs, let us concentrate more on shelter as we reflect on the readings of the Fourth Sunday of Advent. One of the most horrible experiences any person wishes and prays not to go through is to exist or live without a shelter, without a decent place or house comfortable enough for him or her to lay his/her head. We may be lucky enough that we have places where we can lay our heads at night and sleep. But I wish we can step into the shoes of those who don’t have a house or even a tent, it will help us understand how basic the need for shelter is. And so, it should be considered a great act of love to provide a decent shelter for one who does not have any. It is fitting that we reflect on this today, the Fourth Sunday of Adve...

  The situation of childlessness and its attendant problems can cast a shadow of darkness on one’s faith. Manoah and his wife were childless for years (cf. Judges 13:2-7.24-25a). Zechariah and the wife Elizabeth were also childless for years (cf. Luke 1:5-25). But despite the challenge of childlessness, they still walked in God’s commandments. At the appointed time, God visited Manaoh’s wife and promised that they would have a son. She received God’s message with faith and never doubted the promise of the Most High. At the appointed time, God also visited Zechariah with a message of hope that he and his wife Elizabeth would have a son. Zechariah doubted God’s message because of the natural impossibility of having a child in old age. Because he doubted, he was struck dumb. From the above description, the first point that we must hold onto is that “GOD IS GOD, HE IS NOT MAN”. We can never comprehend him entirely. We can never use our reasoning power to evaluate, weigh and completely ...

About the Messiah, Jeremiah also prophesied, “Behold the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a RIGHTEOUS BRANCH, and He shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute JUSTICE and RIGHTEOUSNESS in the land. And this is the name by which He will be called: 'The Lord is our RIGHTEOUSNESS' ” (cf. Jer. 23:5-8). About the same Messiah, the Psalmist sang, “In his days shall JUSTICE flourish, and great PEACE forever” (Psa. 72:7). Many many years ago, that Messiah came in time as the son of Joseph born in Bethlehem. And those who prepared for his coming in the flesh also prepared to be ambassadors of righteousness, justice and peace. A good example of such people is Joseph the husband of Mary, the foster father of the Messiah (cf. Matt. 1:18-24). The Bible describes him as a “JUST MAN”; in some translations of the Bible, he is described as a “righteous man”. As a Jew, Joseph had the right to follow the provisions of the Jewish law in response to Mary’s...

You're welcome to the OCTAVE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, beginning from today, December 17! When God entered into a covenant with Abraham, He pronounced blessings upon him and promised that he would be a father of many nations (cf. Gen. 12:1-3); and that his descendants would be as many as the stars of heaven (cf. Gen. 26:4). Abraham accepted it with faith; but he died without seeing the multitude of descendants that God promised him. In fact, thousands of years have gone by, God’s PROMISE OF MULTITUDE OF DESCENDANTS TO ABRAHAM continues to unfold. When God promises, He never fails! Years may roll by, but God can never renege on his promises! In Gen. 49:2.8-10, Jacob pronounced God’s blessings on Judah that “the scepter shall never depart from him, nor the ruler’s staff between his feet, until tribute comes to whom it belongs; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples”. Again, it took so many years before this blessing of kingship finally came to full realization in Christ. Even befor...

According to St Theresa of Avila, St John of the Cross and other giants in the spiritual life, the “DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL” is an unavoidable stage in spiritual growth. As we all know, darkness is very depressing! Darkness spells gloom and doom! No one sees in the dark. Darkness is dangerous. Darkness connotes negativity. From the above description of darkness, it is not a sweet experience for a soul to experience a “dark night”. What is the “dark night” of the soul? It is that point in one’s spiritual journey when he or she cannot but ask, “Christ, are you the one who is to come or should I expect another?” It is that inauspicious moment in one’s spiritual journey when one can’t help but ask, “Is God really alive? Is He with me? Is He actually the God who saves or is there another?” When such questions begin to pop up in your mind, know that you are going an unavoidable experience needed for growth and maturity in the spiritual life. Isaiah knew that such moments are unavoidable. And ...

  Andrew Murray could not have put it better when he said, "Pride must die in you, or nothing of heaven can live in you".  A proud heart is congested and filled up, often with self-importance! A proud heart is impenetrable. A proud heart is like a jar completely filled with trash, leaving no space for something better outside of itself. A proud person says, “It is all about me; I am the only one that matters: my opinion is the best and must be accepted; my life is the best; I must be the focus; I am self-taught and self-guided; I am perfect; I am self-sufficient; I know it all; I don’t need others; I don’t need God!” In the heart of a proud person, God is displaced; good and selfless human relationships are non-existent; partnership is self-centered. For a proud person, the necessity of grace makes no sense. In the life of a proud person, glory is taken away from the Creator and placed on the lap of the creature. That is why Proverb 16:5 says, "Everyone who is proud in h...

  Introduction The trajectory of the life of St John of the Cross moved from the “DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL” to “ASCENT TO MT CARMEL”. His life is a reflection of the immense power of the Cross and the authority of those who identify with it. Even in his sufferings, imprisonments and banishments, St John never felt intimidated by those who opposed goodness and discipline; he never lost sight of the track, his Christian identity was never blurred; he never lost his voice, never lost his Christian power and authority in the midst of thousands who chose the wrong way, who preferred darkness to light. St John of the Cross teaches us not to feel intimidated by the “world” or anything that opposes goodness. Even as the voice of evil roars, may we always let the voice of goodness in us roar louder! Even if the darkness of immorality thickens more and more, let us not allow the few stars of moral of decency in us to be suffocated by the thickness of the darkness around us. We must continue to...

INTRODUCTION Today is the Gaudete Sunday (Rejoice Sunday). We must rejoice because the Lord is near; our salvation is near. We must rejoice because in Christ and through Christ we too have received a good measure of the Spirit just as Christ did; and by that Spirit, we have been equipped to combat sin, evil and wickedness in the world, equipped to set those in captive free.  REFLECTION  “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near” (Phil 4:4-5). Someone, commenting on this quotation, said something very funny. He said: If St Paul were to be physically present here, I would have asked him: “Who are you telling to rejoice in this hardship? Don’t you see that there are families struggling to feed three times in a day, why should they rejoice? People are being harassed and abused in so many ways, and many are being uprooted from their homelands and catapulted to places where they languish in suffering and in pains. St Paul, how can such persons be ha...

  Introduction Fire purifies through burning. The word of God is fiery. For the word of God to burn away anything in us that is not of God, we must be exposed to it.  Reflection In the first reading (cf. Sirach 48:1-4.9-11b), Elijah is likened to fire. Almost everything about him was fiery: for three times, he called down FIRE from heaven; his words were FIERY; he brought down the FIRE of famine and drought upon the people; at the end of his life on earth, he was taken up by a whirlwind of FIRE in a chariot with horses of fire. Just like the fictional spider-man, Elijah was a fire-man. Everything about Elijah was fire because he possessed the Word of God. In Jeremiah 23:29, God told prophet Jeremiah that His Word is like FIRE and like hammer that breaks a rock in pieces. During the time of Elijah, there was a lot of moral rottenness in Israel that nothing but fire could bring about the needed purification. And that was the mission of Elijah and all the prophets. Israelites wer...

  Introduction We are still waiting and preparing for the appearance of the Holy One of Israel who would be our teacher and guide. If we listen to Him and follow His ways, we shall prosper; we shall know peace and we shall have life and light. Reflection Psalm 1 says something that is worth reflecting upon: “Blessed indeed is the person who follows not the counsel of the wicked but whose delight is the law of the Lord”. Why is such a person blessed? Because “he or she is like a tree that is planted beside the flowing waters, that yields its fruit in due season, and whose leaves never fade; and all that he or she does shall prosper.” But such a tree will not be spared of the harsh weather conditions (scorching rays of the sun, the dry harmattan wind, etc) and even the unintended human and animal activities. Considering all these inclement and unpleasant conditions that the tree may be subjected to, can we still say that such tree is blessed? Yes, it is blessed inasmuch as it remains...

Introduction The One who is coming is our helper; the Holy One of Israel is our Redeemer. With Him, everything will be possible. Since He will fight for us and help us, then there should be no room for compromise. With His grace, let us make it a duty not to yield to the pressures of sin and evil in our world. Homily Proper The opening words of the prophecy of Isaiah 41:13-20 (FEAR NOT, I WILL HELP YOU) should communicate to us the ever-abiding presence of God, even when we walk in the valley of death. Maybe, the people to whom this prophecy was primarily addressed might have been lost in thought as to the possibility of them leaving Babylon after so many years of oppression. Isaiah encourages them that even when the hurdle appears completely impossible for them to scale, God will make such impossible situations possible. God’s promises are that he will open rivers on the bare heights, fountains in the midst of the valleys, a pool of water in the wilderness and springs of water in dry ...

Introduction It is not the will of God that any of us should perish. He goes on searching for the lost; and once he finds the lost, he rejoices. In this Advent, in this period of preparation, we can more actively present ourselves to God to be found as He searches for us. Homily Proper Some people think of or might have thought of God as a very mean being up there, ever ready to punish us severely, destroy us and push us into burning flames if we sin; as a being who is ever ready to inflict us with diseases and difficulties whenever we sin. It reminds me of an article about Pope Francis that I read. Someone was surprised to see the pope (His Holiness) skiing. He had always thought that the Pope should be in his white cassock, blessing people wherever he goes and saying prayers continuously. When he saw the pope playing, he said that he has seen another side of holiness. That is by the way! Yes, our God is the God of justice; but he is also the God of mercy (Ps. 103:8: rich in graciousn...

We believe that God in His eternal form (not the God-made-man) is very powerful and pains don’t penetrate Him. According to Christian scholars, this attribute of God is called the “impassibility” of God. in the first reading (Isa. 40:25-31), Isaiah points to this very attribute of God as he describes Him as an everlasting God who does not grow tired or weary, who gives power to the faint; and those who wait for Him shall renew their strength: they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. These are beautiful descriptions of those who identify with such a powerful God.  But then, the reality is that we experience pain and suffering in life, we grow tired and faint; and we also suffer when we see our loved ones in pain. In other words, we are not powerful as we have been described; we are powerless. It becomes more worrisome when we reflect on the fact that our God claims to be all powerful and we appear to be powerless and sometimes helpless. Does it mean that God i...