salvation

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Sunday, 24 February 2013 : 2nd Sunday of Lent (Psalm)

Psalm 26 : 1, 7-8, 9abc, 13-14

The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the rampart of my life; I will not be afraid.

Hear my voice when I call, o Lord, have mercy on me and answer. My heart says to You, “I seek Your face, o Lord.”

Do not hide Your face from me nor turn away Your servant in anger. You are my protection, do not reject me.

I hope, I am sure, that I will see the goodness of the Lord, in the land of the living. Trust in the Lord, be strong and courageous. Yes, put your hope in the Lord!

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Friday, 22 February 2013 : Feast of Chair of St. Peter the Apostle (Additional Second Reading)

(This reading is used in important Masses on the Feast of Chair of Saint Peter, including Episcopal Ordinations)

2 Corinthians 5 : 13-21

Now, if I have spoken foolishly, let God alone hear; if what I have said makes sense, take it for yourselves. Indeed the love of Christ holds us and we realise that if He died for us all, all have died. He died for all so that those who live may live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again for them. And so from now on, we do not regard anyone from a human point of view; and even if we once knew Christ personally, we should now regard Him in another way.

For that same reason, the one who is in Christ is a new creature. For Him the old things have passed away; a new world has come. All this is the work of God who in Christ reconciled us to Himself, and who entrusted to us the ministry of reconciliation. Because in Christ, God reconciled the world with Himself, no longer taking into account their trespasses and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

So we present ourselves as ambassadors in the name of Christ, as if God Himself makes an appeal to you through us. Let God reconcile you; this we ask you in the name of Christ. He had no sin, but God made Him bear our sin, so that in Him we might share the holiness of God.

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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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Friday, 15 February 2013 : Friday after Ash Wednesday (Scripture Reflection)

Today, and many other days in this season of Lent, we are asked to do penance, and repent, and truly focus our attention back to the Lord. Also today being friday, we usually do the practice of abstinence, that is to abstain from eating meat, particularly red meat today. We also have the practice of fasting, which all of us Catholics must do on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, on which day we fast, by eating only a full meal and up to two smaller meals or snacks.

Have we done our part in doing these fasting and abstinence practices? These are the practices highly recommended for us to be done during this season of Lent. One may ask, then why don’t we fast like those Muslims or other religions do? That when they fast, they do not eat for long hours of the day, and fast for a whole month, then why don’t we just fast for the whole of the 40 days, and eat only once per day? Does it not fit better with the description of Lent as a season for fasting?

No, the reason we do not fast for such periods is because, we do not want to lose the focus of fasting, that fasting should not be done for the sake of fasting, that fasting should indeed be done out of sincere love for God and desire to turn back fully to the Lord. Fasting should be a facilitator of our repentance and a vessel through which we can better focus our attention to God. For in the reading today, the Lord tells us that He do not desire our fasting and abstinence, but rather our hearts, our broken and sinful hearts, that truly change and repent into renewed and sanctified hearts through our complete transformation, not only physically, but most importantly, the transformation of what is inside us.

Therefore, what matters this Lent is that we strive to make changes in our life, from those things that we have done in sin, slowly and surely we turn these into things done for the glory of God. For when we fast, it is to actually turn our focus and attention into our hearts, to look inside, whether we have done what is concrete to change from our sinful ways and walk into the light. For it is wrong when we fast or abstain, but we end up doing the opposite, for example, there are some who abstain on Fridays of the Lent, but then gather together and have a seafood BBQ or seafood party. Well technically you are not eating meat indeed, and fish is the alternative allowed, but then you are missing the point of fasting if you do so.

The same is also when you fast, but then during the fast, you grumble and think why should I waste my time with this fast, and look forward to the meal time, and when the meal time comes, you just devour as much food as you can. This is also missing the point on doing fasting during this holy period of Lent.

Therefore brothers and sisters in Christ, in this Lenten period, do fast, and do abstain, and if you like even not only on Fridays, but also on other days of the Lent if you want to, but most importantly, do not forget that what matters is to make sure that we are changed internally, and that we make use this time, to bring ourselves closer to God, closer to Him who loves us, and willing to accept us back into His embrace, if only we reject our sins and turn our face back towards the Light. May God bless all of us in this Lent, and have a blessed fast and abstinence everyone! Amen.

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Wednesday, 13 February 2013 : Ash Wednesday (Second Reading)

2 Corinthians 5 : 20 – 2 Corinthians 6 : 2

So we present ourselves as ambassadors in the name of Christ, as if God Himself makes an appeal to you through us. Let God reconcile you; this we ask you in the name of Christ. He had no sin, but God made Him bear our sin, so that in Him we might share the holiness of God.

Being God’s helpers we beg you : let it not be in vain that you received this grace of God. Scripture says : “At the favourable time I listened to you, on the day of salvation I helped you. This is the favourable time, this is the day of salvation.”

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Tuesday, 5 February 2013 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Agatha, Virgin and Martyr (Scripture Reflection)

Today, the readings showed us that to God, nothing is impossible. For He has all the authority on this world and beyond. All lives lay under His power, and even death could not escape Him. This is because Christ Himself would conquer death, through His own death on the cross. His resurrection proved that death no longer has power over mankind. Christ bought us with His priceless and precious Blood from the enslavement of death and sin.

It is through His suffering on the cross, that Christ made all of us, especially those who believe in Him, pure and worthy of God’s Kingdom. It is through faith, that we are saved, just like the woman with the bleeding, whom out of her great faith, dared to push on and approached Jesus to be healed. Her effort paid off when the Lord healed her and also praised her for her great faith. Jairus, too, in his great faith, knowing that the Lord can save his daughter, reached out to Jesus, humbly asking Him to be willing to heal her.

Can we also be as humble and as faithful as they are? Many of us in this modern world, are particularly too proud to admit that we had erred, and that we had made mistakes in our lives. If we are so proud and unwilling to admit our faults to our fellow man, then even more so we are unwilling to admit our sin to God, and even to ask for forgiveness with great humility. Let us be not like the people in Jairus’ house, who laughed at Christ, and did not believe in Him, and His mastery over even death.

However, again, let us not be mistaken, that faith alone can save us fully and entirely, without any action in the practice of our faith. Our faith is not an instantaneous matter, since it takes action to nurture our faith in God, and our love of others. Just like Jairus who went all the way to seek for Jesus to heal his daughter, and the woman, who braved through the immense crowd to reach Jesus to touch His cloak. Can we also strive to do this extra effort to bring our faith into practice, to reach out to one another, and therefore in the end able to reach the Lord? Remember that Christ told us that whatever we do for those who are the least and weakest in our society, that we do it to the Lord, and in doing so, the Lord knows us and recognises us, as those worthy of Him and His Kingdom.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agatha_of_Sicily

Today, we also commemorate the feast day of St. Agatha, a well known martyr of the third century AD, who was martyred by the then still pagan Roman Empire. St. Agatha dedicated her virginity to God, and God alone, in a similar way to the nuns and religious today do. She was also very firm in her faith and deeply against paganism and idol worship in the Roman society at the time. When a pagan Roman prefect named Quintianus made approaches to her, she rejected him firmly, and this eventually led to her martyrdom, in defense of her faith, and of her virginity that she dedicated to God.

St. Agatha’s deep faith and practice of her faith through her martyrdom should be a great example to all of us the faithful in Christ. Not to follow her into martyrdom, but in always ensuring that our faith remain strong and alive, that when temptations and challenges come, we will be able to stand fast to our faith, and did not falter, even when faced with suffering or death. Let us live in accordance with the example made by St. Agatha and other holy saints of God, so that we too are found worthy to God and worthy of life eternal.

St. Agatha, Virgin and Martyr, pray for us. Amen.

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Sunday, 3 February 2013 : 4th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Scripture Reflection)

The Lord presented to us, the greatest thing of all that exists in this world. This thing is Love. Love is the centre of all things, and indeed, love is at the very centre of the salvific mission of Christ in the world. For it may be asked, why God who is so great and so divine, would be willing to lower Himself such as to become a humble human like us. It is all because of love. Just as said in John 3 : 16, how God loves as so much that He gave us His only Son, Jesus Christ, that we can be saved and have hope for eternal life. If God has no love for us, surely He would not have done that.

Love is indeed essential for all of us, and as the Lord mentioned the most important things of all, faith, hope, and love, with love being the most important of the three. For faith is inseparable from love, since when we have faith in someone, particularly God, we must also have love, since it is impossible to believe and put all of one’s trust in someone, when in that one’s heart, there is no love at all for the other person. The Lord, who is full of love is therefore also faithful to us, and despite our constant rebellions and sinful ways, He is always ready to welcome us back if we are truly sorry of our faults and once again love Him.

Hope itself is also tied with love, as one cannot hope without love in their hearts. Since first, because all hopes are ultimately directed to God, how can one hope without first having love and faith in God? Indeed, one has to first believe in God and His power, that there is hope. It is through faith in God that we can have hope in Him, and indeed, hope in all mankind. By having faith, it means we also have love, and thus, this is why, love is at the centre, the most important thing of all that matters.

It is important to love, as without love, we are just a husk of flesh and blood without character, since our character is defined by love that is in us. Love that we have in God allows us to remain faithful to Him and keep Him always in our hearts, and always keep hope in Him, that even in the greatest darkness and times of greatest trouble, we still believe that God will help us find a way, such is the great love that He has for us, especially when we love Him too in return.

For the Lord has suffered greatly on the cross for us, all for our sake and for our liberation from sin, out of simple and pure love. It is Christ’s love for His Father that helped Him to persevere through His Passion, and allowed Him to accept willingly the chalice of suffering that He is to drink. This chalice of suffering, which then is filled with His Precious Blood, is the new covenant upon which we have our hope of eternal life. For the Lord brought with Him a new covenant in place of the old, that now through His great love for all mankind, all creation can be saved instead of just the people of Israel, God’s chosen people.

The people of Israel indeed has been God’s chosen people, and God has endured their numerous rebellions and protests with His love and patience, to still save them through the Sacrifice of His Son. However, ultimately, God’s love is such that He wants all of mankind to be saved and reunited with Him once again.

Thus, the new Covenant made by Christ covers all mankind, and no longer just cover only the people of Israel. Jesus made this clear in the Gospel today, as He mentioned how God sent His prophets to the people that do not belong to the Houses of Israel, even when there are so many others in Israel that need them as well. This is because even within Israel itself at the time, there are many who turned deaf to the word of God, shunned and even killed His prophets. Indeed, there are many examples given such as the widow of Zarephath and Naaman, the Syrian, who shows that faith and thus the love of God too existed in all peoples, even beyond Israel.

It does not mean that God hates the people of Israel and do not love them anymore. On the contrary, His love is as great as it has always been. Indeed, God sent His Son to be born into the House of David, as a fulfillment of His promise to David that his line and descendant will rule forever. This is fulfilled in Christ, who is both the Son of God, and the descendant of David, who will rule as King of all the Universe for all time. You can indeed see how faithful God is indeed to all His promises, just as how great is His love. God loves His chosen people, the first-called people of Israel, but He also love all others, all Gentiles, even more.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, all of us has an important mission in our lives. Just like Jeremiah, who was chosen and called by God to be His prophet to all people, we too have been called, through our baptism. We all have a priestly, kingly, and prophetic role to fulfill upon our baptism, as we are called to be all these three, just as Christ who is our God, and also our High Priest, our great King, and our great Prophet of the Good News.

We have to bring the Good News to all around us, especially for those who seek the Word of God and have no chance to do so. In our daily lives too, we all should strive to put love at the centre of all our actions. In doing so, not only that we do the will of God by both loving Him with all our hearts, our minds, and our souls, but also love our neighbour as we love ourselves, just as Christ commanded us through His new commandment of love. Our faith will also grow and blossom, and bear fruits many hundredfold if we keep ourselves anchored in the love of God.

Remember, that God is Love (Deus Caritas est). Amen.

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Friday, 1 February 2013 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Hebrews 10 : 32-39

Remember the first days when you were enlightened. You had to undergo a hard struggle in the face of suffering. Publicly you were exposed to humiliations and trials, and had to share the sufferings of others who were similarly treated.

You showed solidarity with those in prison; you were dispossessed of your goods and accepted it gladly for you knew you were acquiring a much better and more durable possession. Do not now throw away your confidence that will be handsomely rewarded. Be patient in doing the will of God, and the promise will be yours : “A little, a little longer – says Scripture – and He who is coming will come; He will not delay. My righteous one will live if he believes; but if he distrusts, I will no longer look kindly on him.”

We are not among those who withdraw and perish, but among those who believe and win personal salvation.