Friday, March 29, 2024

Good Friday 2024

The most prominent symbol of Christianity is the Cross. 

Later, in the unveiling of the Cross, we will see that it is not just the Cross. 

On the Cross is the figure of Jesus Christ nailed to it, or what is called the Crucifix. 

Today, we acknowledge that the Cross points to suffering and shame. 

We know too well the Cross of suffering and shame, because we have carried that Cross before. 

But today, we adore and worship the One who carried the Cross, and died on that Cross of suffering and shame. 

And that is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who suffered, was mocked, and shamed, and died on that Cross. 

Although He was Son, Jesus shows us how to be obedient to the Father through suffering, shame and death on the Cross. 

And through the obedience of Jesus, God the Father will show us that suffering, shame and even death will not be the final end.

Because God will save Jesus out of death. 

And we believe that, and we express that belief by coming up later to venerate the Cross. 

We embrace Jesus and the Cross, and we will also accept our Cross of suffering and shame. 

And we believe that with Jesus, the Cross of suffering, shame and death will be turned into the glorious Cross of life, and love, and salvation. 

The Cross is not our enemy. Rather the Cross will be our victory. And it is Jesus who is showing us that.







Thursday, March 28, 2024

Holy Thursday 2024

Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14 / 1 Cor 11:23-26 / John 13:1-15 

The mysteries of our faith are truly profound, and yet at times, they also confound us. 

We began the Sacred Triduum by remembering how Jesus instituted the Holy Eucharist. 

Jesus changed the bread and wine into His Body and Blood, to show how perfect His love is for us. 

And so, we celebrate the Eucharist in memory of Him, as He commanded us to do so. 

Yet, other than the 2nd reading which mentions about the Body and Blood of Christ, the Gospel only mentioned about Jesus having supper with His disciples. 

And then, the focus turned to the washing of feet. 

Jesus washed the feet of His disciples. 

That confounded His disciples. And that should also confound us. 

We may ask: What has the holy Eucharist got to do with the lowly washing of feet? 

When we think about it deeper, we will see that the Eucharist is for everyone, regardless of the state of holiness or sinfulness or worthiness. 

In other words, Jesus offers His love for saints as well as for sinners. 

In the washing of the feet, Jesus is showing us that He cares about the lowest, the neglected and even the despised. 

Jesus gave us the example of humility and charity by being a servant who washes the lowly feet. 

In partaking of the Eucharist, we follow Jesus by being servants of humility and charity.

In partaking of the Eucharist, we become servants to the lowly and the lowest, to the neglected and the despised. 

In partaking of the Eucharist, we will go down on knees with Jesus, and wash those lowly feet. 

That is what Jesus, our Lord and Master did. 

Let us follow Jesus and do likewise.



Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Wednesday of Holy Week, 27-03-2024

Isaiah 50:4-9 / Matthew 26:14-25   

Tomorrow evening, the Church enters into the Sacred Paschal Triduum, which is the mystery of the suffering, death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

It is going to be three days of intense spiritual activities in which we are led to contemplate and participate in the saving mission of Jesus.

So today we take time to prepare our hearts and minds to be in union with the Church as we journey together with Jesus in this Paschal mystery.

We need to focus on Jesus so as to be in union with Him during the next three days.

Essentially we need to listen to the Word of God during the next three days.

As the 1st reading says: Each morning, the Lord wakes me to hear, to listen like a disciple. The Lord has opened my ear.

We listen to the Word of God so that we may have a disciple’s tongue and to encourage the wearied.

We listen to the Word of God so that, like Jesus, we will be able to accept the struggles and troubles of this world.

We listen to the Word of God, so that, like Jesus, we will not fear the sharpness of the insults and the betrayals of those who are against us.

Like Jesus, we will not be ashamed or cover our face nor resist, but we will be courageous.

We will follow Jesus to face the crosses of our lives, and witness to the Good News.

Because we know that through the Cross, Jesus will grant us strength and courage, and with Jesus, we will rise to victory over sin.




Monday, March 25, 2024

Tuesday of Holy Week, 26-03-2024

Isaiah 49:1-6 / John 13:21-33, 36-38  

God made man in His image, and that means that mankind is created in love, with love and for love.

So, in every human heart, there is the goodness of love, and every human being reflects this goodness, which is created by God.

With love, there is freedom, and that also means that every human being has the freedom of choice.

Every person can choose to do good with love, or he can choose to do what is bad or even evil.

One of the grave human failings is the act of betrayal, in which relationships are broken and destroyed.

But the act of betrayal is not committed out of wickedness, but rather out of weakness.

The weakness is often for a selfish motive at the expense of the relationship with the other person or persons.

In the gospel, Judas was so determined to betray Jesus that he would not even reconsider what he was going to do.

The weakness of Judas was exploited further by the evil one and there was no turning back for Judas, although Jesus gave him ample signs of His love for him.

During this Holy Week, we are reminded of the goodness of God within us, and how much Jesus loves us.

Let us acknowledge our sinful weakness before Jesus, and He will heal and strengthen us with the goodness of His love.

Sunday, March 24, 2024

Monday of Holy Week, 25-03-2024

Isaiah 42:1-7 / John 12:1-11    

Money is important, and no doubt our money is hard-earned.

So when it comes to buying things, we have to spend our money wisely and carefully.

At times, we may even be so frugal that we may make the mistake of being “penny wise, pound foolish”.

And we would not even think of spending a year’s salary on some exotic essential oil, even though it may be extremely useful and beneficial for health.

That was about the price of the pure nard that Mary bought to anoint the feet of Jesus.

And it was not even used sparingly. She probably used it all at one go. 

And she even did this cringy act of wiping the feet of Jesus with her hair.

Maybe, we, like Judas, would also question what Mary did.

But from what Jesus said, we can understand that only God knows the true intentions.

So it is not about the amount of money spent or given, but the intention behind it.

Similarly, it is not so much about what good deed we do, but how much love is in that deed.

Jesus loves us, and He loved us even it comes to giving up His life for us.

It is a love that no money can buy. Mary understood that. May we understand that too.

Saturday, March 23, 2024

Palm-Passion Sunday, Year B, 24.03.2024

 One of the realities that we see around us, is the fact that everything is changing. Change is always happening around us. 

Some changes are fast and happen quickly, while some changes happen slowly. 

When we look at the palm branches in our hands, we can see how much changes they had undergone. 

Just a few days ago, they were growing healthily on the plant. 

Then they were cut off from the plant and brought to Church. 

They were blessed at the beginning of the Mass, and later they will be brought back to our homes, where they will dry up slowly and turn brown and hard. 

For these palm branches, the reality is the change from life to death. 

In the gospel, the reality for Jesus is also the change from life to death. 

From the Last Supper, to the Agony in the Garden, to His Suffering and Death on the Cross, and His burial, the changes in His life happened quickly. 

But those changes from His life to His death also changed the whole world, and will change our lives as well. 

Though the gospel ended with the death and burial of Jesus, the changes do not stop there. 

Let us wait, because there will be another change, and will be a great and wonderful change. 

That change will also change the world, and it will also change our lives. 

As we unite ourselves with Jesus in His suffering and death, let us pray and wait. 

From death, Jesus will rise to a glorious new life, and He will also raise us up with Him. 

When we understand that life is a continuous change of dying and rising, then we will know that we too will change. 

We will change from sinfulness to holiness. 

We will change to be more like Jesus Christ our Lord and our Saviour.

Friday, March 22, 2024

5th Week of Lent, Saturday, 23-03-2024

Ezekiel 37:21-28 / John 11:45-56   

In order to better understand what is said or what is written, we need to know the context.

So what is said by a stand-up comedian and what is said by a politician certainly does not mean the same thing although it may sound similar.

In the gospel, when the high priest Caiaphas said that it is better for one man to die for the people, than the whole nation to be destroyed, there are a couple of ways to interpret it.

On the political level, what Caiaphas said is a pragmatic solution to the threat that Jesus posed to the Romans and to the nation.

But on the spiritual level, and because of his appointment and his office, Caiaphas proclaimed a prophecy, even though he may not be aware of it.

And that prophecy would be fulfilled, on the political level, as well as on the spiritual level.

The 1st reading begins with “The Lord says this:” 

So it is a prophecy as well as a promise, and it is the Lord God who is proclaiming it.

Let us read it again and meditate on it. The Lord God is saying that He will be our God and we shall be His people.

We don’t need to understand it further. Let us believe in it and be God’s people and live according to His ways.