God the Father

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Thursday, 21 February 2013 : 1st Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Peter Damian, Bishop and Doctor (Scripture Reflection)

The Lord our God provides for all of us, and He cares for us. For He is our Father, the creator of all things in this universe. Therefore it is only fitting that He gives us all that we need, and no, those are not material goods and wealth, but love, His love, which fulfills us and make us whole in Him. All if we just simply ask Him, to open ourselves to Him who loves us. God is willing to give many things to us, but many times, we are simply not receptive to His approach and His outstretched hands. Even at other times we turned our back on God, and rejected His love and kindness to us, in favour of the pleasures and good things that the world has to offer us.

Indeed, the world does have many good things, and many of us are fortunate enough to have a comfortable life and enough in all things and material goods that we need to do so. However, many of us, especially those of us who are prosperous, increasingly in these recent years, are growing in their spiritual hunger, in the search of something that can satisfy their life. For material goods and wealth, although may bring joy at first, but it cannot continue to sustain our joy and happiness, not without the Lord as the centre of our life.

For life without God is ultimately empty. Men can gather as much money and wealth that they want, and then spend them as lavishly as they wish. However, as history has often told us, many of these people have no true happiness, since in dealing with their immense worldly possessions, they built for themselves the illusion of happiness, sustained by these wealth, and which blinded us not only to God, but also the plight of many among us who are indeed less fortunate.

Therefore, let us indeed aspire to become more like the Lord, who listens and who pays attention to those who come to Him, just as we are well received when we go and seek for Him in sincerity, and open the doors of His heart to us when we pray to Him in our hearts; Therefore, we too should make ourselves available and reachable to those around us, our friends, our relatives, those whom we do not know but need our help, and even those who hated us and persecuted us.

Let these people come to us, and when they ask, let us not turn them away, just as the Lord does not turn us away when we ask Him for mercy and favour. Open the door for them, and through us, let us be the channel of God’s love. Just as God’s love, grace, and blessing came to us, let us share these blessings, in whatever form, either material or even spiritual with those around us who are lacking. For as many as there are who still suffer from poverty and material deficiency, there are even more people in this world today, who suffer from the poverty of the soul, the emptiness of the soul, only curable by God Himself.

Let us endeavour to bring God to those who seek Him, and let us not deny them this chance, and therefore through us, God has made His work of redemption manifest, to bring the sacrifice of Christ on the cross into completion. Christ offered Himself for our sake that we can be saved, but there are still many who reject Him and reject His teachings.

Today, we commemorate the memorial of St. Peter Damien, was a well-known and respected Cardinal of the Church in the early medieval era, well known for his reform of the religious orders and monastic practices, and the priesthood in general. His great piety and humility, and constant acts of penitence showed his great quality in the faith, and especially important is the numerous writings attributed to him on the faith and the Church, and how these writings had considerable impacts on the later saints, which includes St. Francis of Assisi and other great medieval saints and doctors of the Church, which St. Peter Damian was one of them, a Doctor of the Church through his extensive and influential works on our Christian faith, helping to define the Church in the next centuries following his death.

Like St. Peter Damian too, we can follow in his footsteps and that of other great saints, whose great love for the Lord has made them to seek the Lord and ask Him for strength and perseverance to serve the people of God, and bring God’s love to them. We too can do so in our own ways, in our own daily lives, and among our own relatives, friends, and neighbours. Reach out and share with one another the love and faith you have in God. Remember that a light is not to be hidden, but to be put on a lampstand that all can see in its light. Let us bring light to everyone, through us, who has a share in the Light that is God, that all mankind will one day be united in Christ, in God who loves us dearly.

St. Peter Damian, pray for us, and pray for God’s holy Church in this world, for all the bishops, and for our Pope, who in his great humility as you were, gave up his position so that others who are more capable of the great ministry can help accomplish the works that he has begun. St. Peter Damian, we also ask you to pray for Monsignor William Goh, who will be ordained as a bishop tomorrow, that he will be always strong and empowered by the Holy Spirit in his ministry. Amen.

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Thursday, 21 February 2013 : 1st Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Peter Damian, Bishop and Doctor (Gospel Reading)

Matthew 7 : 7-12

Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives; whoever seeks, finds; and the door will be opened to him who knocks. Would any of you give a stone to your son, when he asks for bread? Or give him a snake, when he asks for a fish?

As bad as you are, you know how to give good things to your children. How much more, then, will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! So, do to others whatever you would that others do to you : there you have the Law and the Prophets.

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Tuesday, 19 February 2013 : 1st Week of Lent (Scripture Reflection)

Jesus, who is the Word of God made flesh, as mentioned in the beginning of the Gospel of John, has indeed come forth from the Lord who is our Father, God the Father, and down to us, on earth, as one of us, the mankind, save without sins unlike us. The Word of God was with the Father before creation, and before all ages, and is part and indivisible with the Father in the unity of the Holy Trinity with the Holy Spirit, one God, the living God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who saved the people of Israel and brought them out of the land of Egypt into the promised land, and promised salvation to them through the being of the Messiah.

Prophets had risen and announced the future coming of Christ, who is the Messiah. Who can guess that this Messiah is none other than that Word of God Himself, as prophesied by the prophet Isaiah in the first reading today. Through Him, indeed, that He accomplished much for the Lord, His Father, and the purpose for which He has been sent into this world, He obediently followed unto His own death on the cross for our own redemption for sin and death.

Remember that in Creation, the Lord spoke, and the Word of God made the creation manifest, from light, to the skies, to the sun, the moon, and the stars, to all the animals, and finally to all of us, His beloved children. This Word of God is Christ who is one with the Father and indivisible in Holy Trinity, with the Holy Spirit whom gave us life, just as God breathed life into the dust that was Adam, this life-giving breath is the Holy Spirit, one with the Father in the sacred and indivisible Holy Trinity. Three equal and distinct part of the one, true God, but at the same time indivisible and perfect in unity.

Then, finally, through Jesus, that Word of God, and the Son of God, who came down through Mary to become humble man like us, we too, have been made the children of God, for Jesus is our Brother, and just as He call God the Father, His Father, we too call God our Father.

This is the centre of the very prayer, the perfect prayer that Christ taught His disciples, and through them, this prayer, descended to us, who know the prayer as the Pater Noster, or the Lord’s Prayer, or ‘Our Father’, whom we all should know by heart, since we always pray it during every Mass that we celebrate. This prayer is not a prayer of selfishness, and not a prayer of incessant requests, but it is a pure prayer coming out of the very Word of God, Christ, the Messiah, that begins by glorifying God, His Holy Name and His magnificence in heaven and earth, as Lord over all creations, over angels and mankind alike, and in humility asks the Lord for just what is enough, our daily bread, that we can be satisfied enough, and have enough, but not excessively.

Then, what is even more important, as this is tied with the message of Love, the commandments of Love that Christ brought, to perfect the Laws and the commandments given to Moses, is the prayer for forgiveness, but which requires us, to first take the action to forgive others, out of love. For it is indeed very difficult to forgive, and it is our very human nature that tempted us to hate, and to attack others who had hurt us, either physically or mentally. However, this hatred and violence merely lead to even more hatred and violence, and even death, through an endless cycle of hate, suffering, sin, and death. Christ taught us to take the courageous first step to reject Satan and his temptations for us to enter this cycle of death, and be courageous to forgive those who has done bad things to us.

For this creates a new cycle, a cycle of love, in which, we counter not the assaults others made with hatred, and even more assaults on our own, but we surrender ourselves entirely to God’s love, and let God’s love take over all our being, and make us an instrument of His love, through forgiving others, even those who had hurt us the most. This is why we pray that we will not fall into temptation, and ask the Lord to help us from the evil one, Satan, who always tries to pit one man against another.

Let us today reflect on the words of the Word of God, who is Christ, the Word of God made flesh through Mary, and through whose ministry, He returned to the Lord not empty-handed, but brought with Him the entire human race, saved from the slavery of Satan and sin. Let us be brave and fill ourselves with God’s love, and faith in God, that we are able to take the courageous step to start forgiving those who are our enemies, those who had hurt us, those who had persecuted, or neglected us. That in doing so, we know that not only that our sins, the sins of those who hated and persecuted us, are forgiven, but that we know that we have a part in the Messianic mission of the Word of God, whom since creation has loved us with the Father, and will always love us, through His death, and until His second coming, when all creations will be made good once again.

May God, our Father, bless us with grace this day, and forever after. May God be with all of us always, especially at the time of our greatest need. Amen.

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Tuesday, 19 February 2013 : 1st Week of Lent (Gospel Reading)

Matthew 6 : 7-15

When you pray, do not use a lot of words, as the pagans do, for they believe that the more they say, the more chances they have of being heard. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need, even before you ask Him.

This, then, is how you should pray :

Our Father in heaven, holy be Your Name.

Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our debts, just as we have forgiven, those who are in debt to us.

Do not bring us to the test, but deliver us from the evil one.

If you forgive others their wrongdoings, your Father in heaven will also forgive yours. If you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive you either.

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(Special Mass of Our Lady of Lourdes) Monday, 11 February 2013 : Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes (Scripture Reflection)

Today we commemorate especially our Lady of Lourdes, Mary, who appeared to St. Bernadette Soubirous 155 years ago, in February 1858, who showed her to a spring, which today is well-known as the grotto with the spring, where if one who is sick is to immerse himself or herself in it, in faith, they will be healed. This is why, today, is also the World Day of Prayer for the Sick. All the sick in this world are commemorated today. But not only physical illness we should consider, but rather, we should also pray for all those mentally sick, and most importantly those who are empty spiritually and seek the Lord.

Today also, we have received the news of the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, which will be effective at the last day of this month on 28 February 2013, at 8.00 pm Rome time. He has been discerning on this matter for years of his Pontificate, and finally came into a decision which he announced today, well, to the surprise of the entire Church and the world. Our Pope too is old, and he will be turning 86 years old this coming April. His walking is increasingly becoming difficult, and he has to use a portable platform to move around in his celebrations of the Mass and Vespers at the Vatican.

One would also note that the Pope no longer travel overseas much in these past two years. Our Pope loves to travel and visit the faithful, his flock, around the world, and he placed a great importance in his Apostolic journeys. However, as his strength to do so is waning, this is another reason why he decided to withdraw from the office of the Bishop of Rome and pray. That the next Bishop of Rome, as our Pope will be able to continue his works, and once again visit God’s people around the world.

Mary is honoured in our faith, as the mother of Christ, and our Pope has deep devotion to Mary, and our late Pope too, Blessed Pope John Paul II had very great dedication to her, especially in his motto, Totus tuus, in which he give himself totally to God, through Mary, which in his coat-of-arms is symbolised as the letter ‘M’ at the foot of the cross, just as Mary once stood faithfully, though sorrowful, watching at her crucified and beloved son.

God who created our world and our universe, loves all His creations so much, and that is why He said that all are good. Sadly, the power of the rebellious angel, Lucifer, as Satan, has ruined that perfect goodness, and brought men away from the Lord. Mankind, being the Lord’s most beloved creation, has been taken away, and an unbridgeable chasm lay between the Lord and us. However, so great is God’s love for us that He is willing to come down to us, to reach out to us, through Jesus His Son, whose sacrifice on the Cross on calvary became the great bridge that span the chasm between us and God, finally allowing us to return to He who created us.

Mary, who we commemorate today as the Lady of Lourdes, is the one who made all this possible, through her great dedication to God, by allowing God’s will to manifest through her, that by the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ was incarnate as man, through Mary. Through her, we have Salvation in Christ. Her life and her steadfastness in her support of her Son in His ministry is an example to all of us who believe in Christ. Despite all the challenges and humiliations, she stayed strong and did not leave the side of her Son until the very end.

Mary is our great intercessor, and the greatest Saint of all, who is the first to be brought to heaven, bodily in the Assumption, when Mary was brought up to heaven by the Lord Himself, her Son, at the end of her earthly life. She often then came again to visit this world, through visions to those whom the Lord has chosen, of which one of this occured in Lourdes 155 years ago.

She always called the world to repent from the sins it has made, and for all people to return back to Christ, who is the source of all Salvation. She longs for all of us to be able to be reunited with God the Father, through Christ His Son, who as the great bridge, becomes our sole hope of reunion with the Father. Mary is like the handmaid of the Lord, who nourishes us along the way of the great bridge, and the guide, who keeps us at the centre of the cross that is the bridge.

Even when we are crossing that great bridge, temptations and sins are abound, and we may sway to the left or right, we may fall off the bridge, into the chasm that is death and ultimate separation from God in hell. Never fear though, for in Mary indeed, we have our greatest guide. For who is better to lead us to Christ than through Mary, His mother? Just like in Cana, in the wedding, that Mary made Christ manifested His first miracle, as Christ is obedient to His mother and her love for mankind, just as He is obedient to the will of the Father.

Through Mary, we can better reach God our Father, through Christ His Son. Let us all pray that with Mary’s intercession, the Lord will listen to our sincere wish to be reunited with Him, and our sincere wish to repent from our sins and our sinful ways, and to rejoice forever in Him who created us and loved us dearly.

Let us also pray for our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, who in his great humility and his great devotion to Mary, has decided to resign his office, to dedicate himself in prayerful life to the end of his life. He also dedicated our Church to Mary and to the Lord, whom he asked to guide the Cardinal electors in their election of the new Pope. May God be with all of them, with all of us, with the Church God has established on this world, that we will always, led by the Bishop of Rome, as Christ’s Vicar in this world, be a shining beacon of light in the great darkness of this world. Amen.

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Wednesday, 6 February 2013 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Sts. Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs (First Reading)

Hebrews 12 : 4-7,11-15

Have you already shed your blood in the struggle against sin? Do not forget the comforting words that Wisdom addresses to you as children : “My son, pay attention when the Lord corrects you and do not be discouraged when He punishes you. For the Lord corrects those He loves and chastises everyone He accepts as a son.”

What you endure is in order to correct you, God treats you like sons and what son is not corrected by his father?

All correction is painful at the moment, rather than pleasant; later it brings the fruit of peace, that is, holiness to those who have been trained by it. Lift up then, your drooping hands, and strengthen your trembling knees; make level the ways for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled but healed.

Strive for peace with all and strive to be holy, for without holiness no one will see the Lord. See that no one falls from the grace of God, lest a bitter plant spring up and its poison corrupt many among you.