Life is Worth Living

Helmsmen (i.e. those who steer heavy vessels on the sea) will be in a better position to tell us the state of a ship that is disconnected from its rudder (a rudder is an underwater vane that controls the movement of the ship). That ship will continue to wander aimlessly at the middle of the sea, neither moving forward nor backward. So it is in our spiritual life: if we are disconnected from our main mission on earth (the mission of love), then we will run the risk of becoming stunted in our spiritual growth. Deuteronomy 26:16-19 is so emphatic about keeping the commandments of the Lord. And what are these commandments? Jesus tells us that they are only two: LOVE OF GOD AND TO LOVE OF NEIGHBOUR (cf Mk. 12:20-31). On this, St John says that “whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar” (1 Jn. 4:20). In order words, there is only one commandment: TO LOVE OUR NEIGHBOUR WITH OUR WHOLE HEART. In the responsorial psalm, the psalmist says that “blessed are those who walk...

Sometimes, we tend to be more comfortable with the belief that God will punish us if we die in sin. Upon further reflection, I choose to stick more to the belief that whatever that happens to us is a clear choice that we’ve made for ourselves. The earlier we understand that our fate is dependent on our choices, the better for us. Through the prophet, God says that “He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that he should turn from his way and live” (cf. Ezek. 18:23). If we continue with sin and suffer the consequences, it is our choice. If we turn away and begin to reap the fruits of repentance and conversion, it is still our choice. Inasmuch as we long to reconcile with God, we still have a condition which we must meet before we can be reconciled with God: and that is reconciliation with others. Jesus makes it clear that our relationship in God must flow from relationship with others: “If you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has somethi...

Some background information may help us understand what is actually happening in Esther 14:1.3-4.11.13-14. When the Jews were under the authority of the Persians, they faced an imminent threat of extermination because a certain man called Haman who hated the Jews and felt threatened by their presence had influenced the king to issue a decree of extermination of the Jews. But luckily for the Jews, the queen of the Persian Kingdom was a Jewess, a Jewish lady by name Esther. Mordecai, a very prominent Jewish elder, had recourse to Esther for her to use her position as the queen to work for the salvation of the Jews. Esther 14:1.3-4.11.13-14 presents to us the heartfelt prayer of Esther as she prepared to talk to the king. Her prayer reveals a heart that trusted God beyond all telling. She did not just reassure herself that her mere position as a queen would procure salvation for her people. She believed that it is only God who can bring about the salvation which they urgently longed for. ...

After Jonah’s experience in the belly of the fish (cf. Jonah 1:17), God COMMANDED him for the second time to go and preach a message of repentance to the people of Nineveh (cf. Jonah 3:2). When COMMANDS are given, they convey a sense of urgency, emergency and danger: “danger” because if nothing is done about whatever has been commanded, something disastrous may happen. A teacher commands a student to study or else he/she will fail. A mother gently commands the child to move away from fire or else he/she will get burnt; and so on. What was even so special about the city of Nineveh that God should be concerned about it in the first place? Nothing except the fact that there were human beings there who ought to be saved. Our souls are too precious to God that He can do anything within His power to save us, even if it means COMMANDING a “Jonah” a million times to attend to our souls. In the 5th and 10th verses of Jonah Chapter 3, the outcome of Jonah’s preaching is that: “The people of Nine...

Relationships are sustained through communication. The commonest means of communication is through words, but not all communication requires the use of words. Inasmuch as there is understanding and trust, parties to a relationship do not need too many words in order to communicate. If we accept that God is our father, then it is presumed that we are in a father-child relationship with Him. For such relationship to be fruitful and sustainable, there must be understanding and trust. God is faithful and His words are to be trusted. He says that “the WORD that goes forth from His mouth shall not return to Him empty but shall accomplish that which He intends, and shall prosper in the thing for which He sent it” (cf. Isa. 55:11). On our part, if we accept that we are in a father-child relationship with God, then prayer should not be seen as an endless rambling. And that is why Jesus recommends that “When we pray, we shouldn’t heap up EMPTY PHRASES as the Gentiles do; for they think that they...

Within the context of groups, gatherings or occasions, the word “chair”, when used for the one who presides, is a powerful symbol of authority, unity and leadership. That is why we talk about “chair-man”, “chair-woman” or “chair-person”. A chair-person wields some authority within the group or gathering. He/she ensures that there is unity of purpose and a sense of direction within the gathering. When we talk about the “Chair of St Peter”, we are simply making reference to that divine authority given to Peter, authority to act as a leader and a unifier. This divine stamp on St Peter has trickled down to his successors and to the successors of the apostles, to the successive popes we have had, even to the current Pope we have: Pope Francis. The successive line of leadership beginning from Peter down to our current visible head (Pope Francis) is one of the historical facts that should convince us that the Catholic Church is the only Church that can trace an unbroken line of origin to Jesu...

INTRODUCTION "Consider yourselves fortunate, my brothers and sisters, when you meet with every kind of trial, for you know that the testing of your faith makes you steadfast” (Jas. 1:2-3). Lenten period specially reminds us that sometimes God leads us into the desert in order to recreate, purify, strengthen and renew us as we go through the fires of trials and tribulations. Whenever we tempted and tested, let us not disappoint God. REFLECTION Our eyes are naturally and unconsciously drawn to NEW and BEAUTIFUL things. But behind the "beauty" and "newness" of anything or any achievement, there is a patchwork of patience, hard work, trials and intermittent triumphs and failures. Lets keep this in mind as we reflect on the readings. Genesis 9:8-15 presents us with an account of the emergence of a new world. But what happened to the old world? How did the new world come about? After the fall (the sin of Adam and Eve), the Bible narrates that the wickedness of man wa...

During this season, we are constantly reminded of the need for repentance and conversion. We can’t talk about the need for repentance and conversion if we are sinless. Thus, there is need for repentance and conversion because of our sinfulness. The word “sinfulness” might appear to be too vague and abstract that we may find it difficult to relate more concretely with. But when we reflect on our concrete inter-personal relationships (relationship with others), we would immediately come to see that there are areas in our relationships with others where we are not getting it right. In the 1st reading (cf. Isa. 58:9c-14), Isaiah pointed out to the people of Israel some of those practical areas where they are not getting it right. And all of those areas have to do with their relationship with one another: “the pointing of the finger, speaking wickedness, not caring for the hungry and satisfying the desires of the afflicted.” Those are some of the areas that would help us understand in very ...

The passage of Isaiah 58:1-9a is taken from the third part of Isaiah which reflects the situation of the people of Judah/Israel after the exile. Those who came back from exile had a project: rebuilding of the Temple and the reformation of life. By this time, they had become very much aware that it was their sins that made them suffer political captivity and bondage in a foreign land. Of course, this is expected from the people of Israel who had a deep-seated belief that affliction is connected to sin. As it was the practice, they needed to fast, do penance and be sorry for their sins. But as they fasted and prayed, they felt nothing: it was as if they were pouring water on a stone. They did not feel the nearness of God and His grace. And so, there came a question: “Why have we fasted and you see it not?” To this, God responded that the people can’t claim to be fasting from their sins while they are still living in sin: “seeking pleasure on fast days, oppressing workers, quarreling and ...

INTRODUCTION On this second day of our Lenten journey, today’s readings, particularly the gospel, are inviting us to reflect more deeply on the image of the cross; and to cherish the truth that it reveals.   REFLECTION In the first reading (cf. Deut. 30:15-20), Moses presents the people of Israel with two contrasting realities: LIFE-AND-GOOD on one hand; and DEATH-AND-EVIL on the other; and he invites them to make a choice. Now, to help them make an informed choice, Moses explains that the only path to life is obedience to God’s statutes; and the only path to death is unfaithfulness (that is, “…when they are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them”). With no intention of leaving them at the mercy of their choices, Moses admonishes them to “choose life, that they and their descendants may live, loving the Lord and obeying his voice…” (Deut 30:16).  From the above, it is clear that the discourse is all about the COMMANDMENTS of God: obedience to them leads to life; while...

  INTRODUCTION We’ve entered a very special season in the Church, a season in which we are seriously confronted with our fragility (our sinfulness); a season in which we specially recommit ourselves to the mercy of God as we mourn for our sins. A machine that is not serviced occasionally will certainly knock and malfunction one day. This is a special period for heart and soul servicing. It is another golden opportunity for us to be very sorry and remorseful for those times we’ve manhandled our souls through sin; a time for us to rethink, reexamine, recollect. As a step towards this journey of repentance, let us be remorseful for our many sins and ask for God’s pardon and mercy.  REFLECTION The Israelites traditionally express their sorrow and remorse for sins committed by smearing themselves with ashes, tearing of garments, wearing of sackcloth and intensive fasting. At one of those moments of faith crisis in Israel, the Prophet Joel made known to them what the Lord told him t...

In Chemistry, we learn that yeast is a fungus that ferments (or breaks down) carbohydrates. In the bakery, yeast is used as a leavening which converts fermentable sugars present in the dough into carbon dioxide and ethanol, thus resulting in the fluffy loaves which we are familiar with. One thing about a yeast is that a little of it (i.e. yeast or leaven) added to the flour grows and spreads right through the flour. In bakery, yeast is very useful and indispensable. But in the scriptures, it is often used as a metaphor for sin or evil. Just like a yeast, a speckle of sin or evil can infiltrate the entire system and grow out of proportion. In Genesis 6:5-8; 7:1-5,10, we see that what led to building of the ark was the cancerous growth of sin like a yeast. That single act of disobedience in the Garden of Eden degenerated into great acts of wickedness on the face of the earth. God observed that the wickedness of man was great and He regretted having created man. His next line of action wa...

In the story of Cain and Abel, what baffles me most is the reason for the murder; the Scripture articulates it in the following words: “The Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard” (Gen 4:4b-5). From this, it is clear to us that Cain killed his brother just for a very flimsy reason: because God had no regard for his own offering; because God rejected his sacrifice. He killed for the sake of sacrifice. Maybe, he did not remember that the acceptability of any sacrifice is not dependent on the quantity and quality of the offering or the item of sacrifice made to God. It is not so much about the gifts offered, but about the HEART that offers the gifts. And that is why the Psalmist quickly interjects and tells us what God actually wants from us: “Do I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Offer to God a SACRIFICE OF THANKSGIVING, and pay your vows to the Most High.’” (Ps 50:13-14.16). God is not so much concerned about the bul...

  INTRODUCTION The first reading indirectly confronts us with the tragic reality of our common sickness (the sickness of sin which renders unclean). The gospel helps us understand that no situation is so terrible that we can’t rise from it. Jesus is ever ready to help us rise from our mess. Of course He wants to cleanse us and make us whole. In order to celebrate this mass worthily, let us then acknowledge our sins and then ask for God’s pardon and mercy… HOMILY PROPER Next Wednesday is Ash Wednesday which begins the Lenten Season. The readings of this mass may serve as a prelude to the season of Lent. We understand the season of Lent as that season which brings us face to face with the reality of sin. And this is very important because we live in a world that is fast losing the consciousness of sin. Pope Pius XII said that “The greatest sin of our time is the loss of the sense of sin”. We are living in a world that is gradually but forcefully reshaping our moral perspectives: thin...

INTRODUCTION We may have suffered different degrees of leprosy; but no matter the degree, the good news is that it is only Jesus that can make us clean again. In order to celebrate this mass worthily, let us then acknowledge our sins and then ask for God’s pardon and mercy… HOMILY PROPER If you must pray for or against anything, please don’t forget to pray not to be rejected. One of the worst things that can happen to any person is to be rejected or feel rejected. The psychological harm of rejection is huge. Studies have shown that people who were somehow rejected during their childhood grew up feeling socially insecure, psychologically inferior and emotionally wounded. In the olden days, rejection or banishment was the order of the day: people were rejected or banished whenever the community deemed it necessary, for reasons best known to them. The readings of this Sunday address the problem of exclusion and rejection.  For the Jews, the most dreaded of all sicknesses is leprosy, a...

After munching the forbidden fruit, the Lord God called to the man, and asked, “WHERE ARE YOU?” (Gen. 3:9) When the man heard the sound of God, he quickly hid himself. God could have gone straight to the matter and asked: “What have you done?” But He did not. Rather, He asked, “WHERE ARE YOU?” In asking the question, it implies that God wanted to make the first move towards the man. The question “WHERE ARE YOU?” also implies that the man had moved away from where he was supposed to be to where he should not be. Sin catapults us from the realm of grace and innocence to the realm of guilt and helplessness. That’s why we “hide” and feel distant from God whenever we sin. When God asked the man, “WHERE ARE YOU?”, He wanted to offer him reconciliation rather than condemnation. Like the merciful and forgiving father in Luke 11, God seeks us out in order to have us back whenever we toe the path of prodigality and sin. He is ever MERCIFUL and COMPASSIONATE. We see this compassionate and mercifu...

Introduction In John 10:10, Jesus says that the devil comes to steal, kill and destroy; but He has come to give life, life in abundance; to restore what has been damaged or stolen by the devil. May we open our ears to hear Jesus calling us back to life; may we open our eyes to see the light of His love and mercy; may we open our lips to call out to Him for help when threatened by the devil. Reflection  The darkest periods of history have always been those moments we shut out ears from hearing from God, those moments we become deaf to His instructions, those moments we choose not to involve Him in our affairs. Read about World War 1 and World War 2, and search properly and ask: Where was God in human affairs? Read about Reformation and Counter-Reformation in the history of the Church! When crises overwhelmed the Church with Martin Luther threatening to pull out of the system, I can’t remember having read anywhere that the Church sought the face of God in the midst of those crises. A...

INTRODUCTION  In the first reading, we have the story of the creation of woman as a helper to man. In the gospel reading, we have the story of Jesus and the Syro-Phoenician woman. In each story, there is a suppression of barriers and recognition of what binds us together which should be the basis of our relationship with one another. REFLECTION  The accounts of our creation and the creation of the world in general give us enough information on how we are to live, interact with others and with nature. The question we should be asking ourselves at every point in time especially when confusion arises is: HOW WAS IT IN THE BEGINNING?   Gen. 2:18-25 is an account of the creation of woman described as “as a helper fit for man”. In the first place, man did not explicitly tell God that he needed a woman. God saw that there was a need for a woman because man was alone. Sometimes, it can be dangerous to be alone. Sometimes, one can even be helpless when alone. And this may be ...

The second account of creation (cf. Gen. 2:4-9. 15-17) fleshes out the details of the creation of the human person. First, God formed man of dust from the ground. At this stage, “man” was not yet a living being; it was just a mere statue made from dust. The transformation of the statue into a living soul/being happened when God breathed the breath of life into the nostrils of the statue. Thereafter, a simple command was given: Man, be free to eat of every tree of the garden, but don’t eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil which is capable of bringing about your death. Man received life from the breath of God which went into him and was warned that he would die by what would go into him (the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil). We eat to live, but not everything that we eat is capable of giving us life. If we eat orange, we receive some vitamins for healthy life. If we eat poisoned or spoilt food, we ingest pathogens capable of killing us. If what ...

INTRODUCTION  In the first reading, we get to the highpoint of God’s creative work: the creation of humankind in His own image and likeness: in the image of love, image of kindness, image of goodness. But it appears we have failed to reflect what we are (image of God) and have chosen to reflect what we are not (puppets or slaves to traditions and inhuman laws).  REFLECTION  Going through Gen. 1:20-2:4a, some questions readily come to mind: Why did God crown the human person and elevated him above all the creatures? Why did God not think of making some other creature in His own image and likeness? Why did He not command and empower another creature to have dominion over the entire creation? By and large, these questions reflect THE GOODNESS OF GOD SO MYSTERIOUS, SO INCOMPREHENSIBLE. No amount of thinking can completely untangle such puzzle! What has become clear, so to say, is that the beauty of the entire creation reached its apex at the creation of the human person. And ...

Prior to creation “the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep” (Gen. 1:2)! At the beginning of creation, “God said, ‘Let there be LIGHT’; and there was LIGHT” (Gen. 1:3). Let's pay particular attention to these words: FORMLESSNESS, DARKNESS and LIGHT. The word “FORMLESSNESS” conveys an idea of drabness, shapelessness, tastelessness or gloominess. When something is without form, it means that it is uninteresting, bland, tasteless and shapeless. Correspondingly, the word “DARKNESS” connotes NEGATIVITY or EVIL. On the contrary, the word “LIGHT”, in the main, connotes GOODNESS or POSITIVITY. In Genesis 1, we have a beautiful story of how God created and introduced light into the primeval darkness; how He created order out of a disordered space; and how He called THINGS into existence out of NOTHING. The creation and introduction of LIGHT into the primordial DARKNESS kick-started the triumph of GOODNESS over EVIL. And that is why it was continuously ...

INTRODUCTION We may have been strongly tempted to give up on God on account of the contradictions of life. The good news is that God still cares about us. He remains the perfect healer and mender of broken hearts. Let us always turn to Him in prayer and remain positive in our faith. REFLECTION I am sure you are as disturbed as I am when you look around and see contradictions of life everywhere: oppression, sickness, poverty, misery, barrenness and so on. Much more disturbed should we be when we reflect on the fact that we have a God who is so powerful yet we see ourselves wallowing in pains, suffering and injustice. Where is God when bad things happen? Is He really with us in this world of pains? Is He powerful as we think and believe He is? If you have ever been disturbed about the fact that there is evil in a world created and controlled by our good and powerful God, then you will better understand the feelings of Job (cf. Job 7:1-4.6-7). Job was a righteous man; he obeyed the laws ...

In the 13th chapter of the Letter to the Hebrews, one of the pieces of advice given by the writer is OBEDIENCE TO and IMITATION OF RELIGIOUS LEADERS. The letter gives further details as to why we must obey and imitate our religious leaders. To this end, it highlights: “Obey your leaders and submit to them; FOR THEY ARE KEEPING WATCH OVER YOUR SOULS AND WILL GIVE ACCOUNT” (cf. Heb 13:17a). What is at stake here is the welfare of the soul. And whatever that directly concerns the soul must be given prior and serious attention. Lifestyles that harm souls are as good as nothing and should be discontinued with or discarded forthwith. Our religious leaders are not just mere figures of entertainment and public adulation; they are caretakers of the soul. We must be certain that any religious leader who is sure of what he/she is or represents will not intentionally do anything that would be inimical/harmful to souls. And that is why we must obey and submit to them as to the Lord. At the end of t...

It’s a normal experience for people to dish out brief but highly condensed pieces of advice or words of encouragement towards the end of a letter written to a friend, an associate or a family member. Oftentimes, those last words seem to be weightier than other parts of the letter maybe because of the emotion with which those words are written. If care is not taken, one may hurriedly go through such important details without paying serious attention to the messages they convey. The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews seems to be concluding his letter, and such brief advisory expressions have greatly characterized the concluding part of that letter. There are many areas being retouched in today’s section of the letter (cf. Heb. 13:1-8): he briefly talks about love, hospitality to strangers, care for those in prison, marriage, love of wealth, imitation of religious leaders, and so on.  The responsorial psalm (Ps 27:1a) implicitly tells us that one can only be actively attentive to the...