Sunday, April 30 – Do This In Memory Of Me

30 Apr – Third Sunday of Easter

Our Advocate With The Father

We celebrate with the living Christ, our advocate with the Father, in whose name repentance for the forgiveness of sins is preached to all the world.

(from the Sunday Missal)
_____________________

Acts of the Apostles 3:13-15, 17-19

Peter said to the people: "You are Israelites, and it is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, who has glorified his servant Jesus, the same Jesus you handed over and then disowned in the presence of Pilate, after Pilate had decided to release him. It was you who accused the Holy One, the Just One, you who demanded the reprieve of a murderer while you killed the prince of life. God, however, raised him from the dead, and to that fact we are the witnesses.

"Now I know, brothers, that neither you nor your leaders had any idea what you were really doing; this was the way God carried out what he had foretold, when he said through all his prophets that his Christ would suffer. Now you must repent and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out.
___________________

1 John 2:1-5

I am writing this, my children,
to stop you sinning;
but if anyone should sin,
we have our advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ, who is just;
he is the sacrifice that takes our sins away,
and not only ours,
but the whole world's.
We can be sure that we know God
only by keeping his commandments.
Anyone who says, 'I know him',
and does not keep his commandments,
is a liar,
refusing to admit the truth.
But when anyone does obey what he has said,
God's love comes to perfection in him.
_____________________

Luke 24:35-48

The disciples told their story of what had happened on the road and how they had recognised Jesus at the breaking of bread.

They were still talking about this when Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you!" In a state of alarm and fright, they thought they were seeing a ghost. But he said, "Why are you so agitated, and why are these doubts rising in your hearts? Look at my hands and feet; yes, it is I indeed. Touch me an see for yourselves; a ghost has no flesh and bones as you can see I have." And as he said this he showed them his hands and feet. Their joy was so great that they could not believe it, an they stood dumbfounded; so he said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?" And they offered him a piece of grilled fish, which he took and ate before their eyes.

Then he told them, "This is what I mean when I said, while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets and in the Psalms, has to be fulfilled." He then opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, "So you see how it is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that, in his name, repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached to all the nations, beginning with Jerusalem. You are witnesses to this.
_____________________

For those of you who are married and with a family, how well do you remember the day you were married, the day that your first child was born? For those of you who were converts to Christianity, how well do you remember the day of your baptism? And for those who are cradle Catholics, how well do you remember your first communion? Those who do not fall into any of these categories, try to remember the happiest day of your life.

Now, can you remember how happy you were on that day? Would it be better if you had a text to read about what happened on that day? Would you be able to experience it better? How about if you had a video recording of the events that took place that day? Would it be a better experience? Or even better, how about if a group of people came together to help you act out what transpired that day? Would it make the experience more real to you?

Better still. What if you were given the opportunity to open a window through time and actually go there and be present at that event again. How would you feel? Would not the experience be relived? No, not relived, because the experience would be happening as it did then. It is not a reliving of the experience. It is living the same experience, as it happened, as it is happening before your eyes.

This is what participation in the Holy Eucharist means. At the celebration of every Mass, every Catholic present is given the opportunity to open a window through time and actually be present at the Lord's Supper, through his Passion, death and resurrection.

Sure, the experience may not be there for many of us during Mass. It might just be another boring Mass to us. Likewise whenever there is a reading of an event that took place in history, or the screening of a video recording, or even during a skit, there is always a group of people who occupy or entertain themselves instead of paying full attention to what is going on. There are always people who are distracted by something or someone else. But then, there are also always people who are able to participate fully in any of these events. How else can we explain how some people can leave a Stations of the Cross service in nonchalance, while others leave it in tears?

Every Mass, every Eucharistic celebration, is a time and opportunity for us to be "witnesses to this" death and resurrection of Christ for the forgiveness of sins. It is a chance for us to, as Jesus commands, "Do this in memory of me". Not merely as a reading of gospel text, not merely as a screening of the Passion of the Christ, not merely as acting out a Passion play, but being actually present at the event itself which is taking place on the altar of sacrifice.

You are witnesses to this.
_____________________

Prayer: We pray for all Christians to be open to a deeper revelation of the Holy Eucharist, God's sacrament of divine mercy for all his people.

Give Thanks to the Lord for: The Holy Eucharist.

Upcoming Readings:
Mon, May 1 – Acts 6:8-15; John 6:22-29; Feast of St. Joseph the Worker
Tue, May 2 – Acts 7:51 – 8:1a; John 6:30-35; Memorial for St. Athanasius, bishop, doctor
Wed, May 3 – 1 Corinthians 15:1-8; John 14:6-14; Feast of Sts. Philip and James, apostles
Thu, May 4 – Acts 8:26-40; John 6:44-51
Fri, May 5 – Acts 9:1-20; John 6:52-59
Sat, May 6 – Acts 9:31-42; John 6:60-69
Sun, May 7 – Acts 4:8-12; 1 John 3:1-2; John 10:11-18; Fourth Sunday of Easter; World Day of Prayer for Vocations
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Disclaimer: The reflections expressed in this e-mail are the writer's own. They may not necessarily reflect the teachings of the Catholic Church. Nonetheless we should all be able to learn something from it.

Saturday, April 29 – Your Sins Are Forgiven

29 Apr – Memorial for St. Catherine of Siena, virgin, doctor

ASKING FOR FORGIVENESS

Satan was complaining to God, "You're unfair. So many sinners do wrong and you take them back. In fact, some come back half a dozen times and you always welcome them. I make one big mistake and you condemn me forever; it is not fair."

Said the Lord, "Did you ever ask for forgiveness or repent?"

- Christopher Notes (1000 Stories You Can Use, Volume One by Frank Mihalic, SVD)
__________________

1 John 1:5 – 2:2

This is what we have heard from Jesus Christ,
and the message that we are announcing to you:
God is light there is no darkness in him at all.
If we say that we are in union with God
while we are living in darkness
we are lying because we are not living the truth.
But if we live our lives in the light, as he is in the light,
we are in union with one another,
and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
If we say we have no sin in us,
we are deceiving ourselves
and refusing to admit the truth;
but if we acknowledge our sins,
then God who is faithful and just
will forgive our sins and purify us
from everything that is wrong.
To say that we have never sinned is t call god a liar
and to show that his word is not in us.
I am writing this, my children, to stop you sinning;
but if anyone should sin,
we have our advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ, who is just;
he is the sacrifice that takes our sins away,
and not only ours, but the whole world's.
_____________________

Matthew 11:25-30

Jesus exclaimed, "I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

"Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light."
_____________________

I heard a priest share this last weekend. In the Hougang region of Singapore, there used to be a large Teochew community there which attended Mass at a particular parish. Even today, many of the Teochew people continue to attend Mass and go for confession there, although it is largely the older generation that makes their confessions in Teochew.

The priest shared this experience:

I went into the confessional and an elderly lady came in to make her confession. But she said that, "Father, I have no sin."

I responded, "If you have no sin, then you must be a seng hu lang (saint or holy person)."

"No, Father," the lady replied in Teochew. "Wa im si seng hu lang; wa si teochew lang." (I am not a holy person; I am a Teochew person.)

Today a teenager said to me that she would rebel against her parents simply to prove them wrong, even if she knew that they are in the wrong. It's about not giving in.

Sometimes we too are spiritual teenagers. Knowing that we are in the wrong, we remain stubborn and refuse to admit that we're in the wrong. How then can God forgive us if we do not turn to him for forgiveness? Every parent wants to forgive their child when the child does something wrong or hurts them. And it is important for the child to know that his or her parent wants to say to them, "I forgive you." But if the child does not tell the parents, "I am sorry. Please forgive me." How can the parent ever tell the child the words that he or she so badly needs to hear?

In the same way, when we sin against God, God so badly wants to tell us that we are forgiven. It's one thing to know that God loves us so much that he will forgive any sin we commit, and quite another thing to actually hear those words coming from someone who can reveal God's tender love to us. But unless we turn to God and ask him for forgiveness, we will never be able to hear those words that we so badly need to hear.

This is the beautiful gift of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, where a penitent can come to a priest, his spiritual father, and ask for forgiveness. The priest, by the authority of the apostles given by Christ himself, passed down through the generations by the laying of hands, then becomes an instrument through which God himself is made real and present to the penitent, saying the words that the penitent so badly needs to hear, "Your sins are forgiven."

Let us thank God today for this absolutely beautiful gift of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, which continues makes God's love real and present to us today, both in body and soul. Let us also pray that more Catholics may come to realise this truly awesome gift of God's – a God of spirit made real and present to us in body and soul, the very same constituents of humans.
_____________________

Upcoming Readings:
Sun, Apr 30 – Acts 3:13-15, 17-19; 1 John 2:1-5a; Luke 24:35-48; Third Sunday of Easter
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Disclaimer: The reflections expressed in this e-mail are the writer's own. They may not necessarily reflect the teachings of the Catholic Church. Nonetheless we should all be able to learn something from it.

Friday, April 28 – Focus On God

28 Apr – Memorial for St. Peter Chanel, priest and martyr

PRAYING BEFORE WORK

The governor of Wisconsin was called in to mediate in a three-day deadlock occurring when some employees and employers got entangled in a strike. Arriving on the scene in the middle of a heated debate that was already merging into the wee hours of the morning, he merely stepped up and naively said, "My mother always told me to invoke God before nay important action." … and forthwith he intoed the "Our Father", which was answered and completed in a sort of mumble by all present. Fifteen minutes later the strike ended.

- Quote (1000 Stories You Can Use, Volume One by Frank Mihalic, SVD)

Do you always pray before work?
__________________

Acts 5:34-42

But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, respected by all the people, stood up and ordered the men to be put outside for a short time. Then he said to them, “Fellow Israelites, consider carefully what you propose to do to these men. For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him; but he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and disappeared. After him Judas the Galilean rose up at the time of the census and got people to follow him; he also perished, and all who followed him were scattered. So in the present case, I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone; because if this plan or this undertaking is of human origin, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them – in that case you may even be found fighting against God!”

They were convinced by him, and when they had called in the apostles, they had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. As they left the council, they rejoiced that they were considered worthy to suffer dishonour for the sake of the name. And every day in the temple and at home they did not cease to teach and proclaim Jesus as the Messiah.
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John 6:1-15

After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.” When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
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“If this plan or this undertaking is of human origin, it will fail.” Why would it fail? Why? There are many times when I undertook certain things. Like when I was in Sec 3, I started doing some sort of training/running every morning. After a few months I stopped. Why? Because it was too difficult to wake up earlier just to exercise. But in the end, maybe it was because P.E classes stopped after Sec 3. So, the ‘training’ had served its purpose and could be dispensed with. And for many of us Catholics, praying the rosary every day has at one point of time become something we undertook. I started many times.. and stopped as many times. And so the list grows. It’s pretty funny ‘funny’ in fact how we always start things with such high enthusiasm, and then slowly fall into boredom, lack of interest or dejectedness. Till we then abandon our ‘great projects’.

But it’s true. I often hear (and I often said it myself to others), “If your main focus is God, whatever you do, it will turn out right.” And indeed, even in the littlest of things, if God is not the main focus (whether consciously or subconsciously), at one time or the other, that littlest of things will crumble. Like saying good morning to your family, or teaching good manners to a one or two (or 22) year old kid. And that’s why things that are focused on God can also fail. Like praying every day. The focus is ON God, but is the focus God?

It’s also true that it’s difficult to really have God as focus. I won’t pretend to know how to, because I don’t know how to. That’s why for many of us, every day is a struggle. A struggle to know what we are supposed to do, how we are supposed to act or react and so on. But it’s also true that “My grace is sufficient for you, for [my] power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 9). It is when we are weak that God’s power is able to work perfectly in us. For then we rely totally on Him and not at all on our own strength. We ask Him to help us wake up, stay awake, or keep on going because we need Him. And somehow it happens.

But for the longer or lifetime ‘undertakings’, one other thing that is required is commitment, and there again if God isn’t our focus, these will at one time become really difficult to hang on to, the highest form of commitment being that to religious life or marriage. Commitment is no longer ‘en vogue’ nowadays. You are unhappy -> divorce. There’s not even a focus, or even if there is, many times it is to make oneself feel happy. It’s hard to live our values in this modern world, but we should not give up hope and always remember to keep God as our focus.

(Today's OXYGEN by Lyndley Ah Qune)
_____________________

We pray for: those who have chosen a religious life, those who are married and for all of us. May we always keep God as our focus.

Thanks be to God for: the many people who brought us back when we were lost sheep.

Upcoming Readings:
Sat, Apr 29 – 1 John 1:5 – 2:2; Matthew 11:25-30; Memorial for St. Catherine of Siena, virgin, doctor
Sun, Apr 30 – Acts 3:13-15, 17-19; 1 John 2:1-5a; Luke 24:35-48; Third Sunday of Easter
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Disclaimer: The reflections expressed in this e-mail are the writer's own. They may not necessarily reflect the teachings of the Catholic Church. Nonetheless we should all be able to learn something from it.

Thursday, April 27 – Set Apart

27 Apr

EQUAL RIGHTS FOR MEN

In a certain college the trustees thought it would be smart to hire the wives of some of the faculty members, as these women often were well-qualified and available at minimum salaries.

Trustees did so and the plan worked quite well for a while. Then they began having trouble with pregnancies. Wives in an expectant state all wanted to go on teaching right up to the immediate date of delivery.

So the board of trustees made a rule. All wives were to stand facing a wall with their toes touching the baseboard. If they stood erect and their tummies didn't touch the wall, they could go on teaching.

The wives accepted the rule, but they insisted it must apply to male faculty members as well.

When the trustees put the men to the test, they lost five professors and three department heads.

- Fred A. Myers (1000 Stories You Can Use, Volume One by Frank Mihalic, SVD)

Can you meet the standards that you place on others?
_____________________

Acts of the Apostles 5:27-33

When the officials had brought the apostles in to face the Sanhedrin, the high priest demanded an explanation. 'We gave you a formal warning' he said 'not to preach in this name, and what have you done? You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and seem determined to fix the guilt of this man's death on us.' In reply Peter and the apostles said, 'Obedience to God comes before obedience to men; it was the God of your ancestors who raised up Jesus, but it was you who had him executed by hanging on a tree. By his own right hand God has now raised him up to be leader and saviour, to give repentance and forgiveness of sins through him to Israel. We are witnesses to all this, we and the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.'

This so infuriated them that they wanted to put them to death.
_____________________

John 3:31-36

John the Baptist said to his disciples:

'He who comes from above
is above all others;
he who is born of the earth
is earthly himself and speaks in an earthly way.
He who comes from heaven
bears witness to the things he has seen and heard,
even if his testimony is not accepted;
though all who do accept his testimony
are attesting the truthfulness of God,
since he whom God has sent
speaks God's own words:
God gives him the Spirit without reserve.
The Father loves the Son
and has entrusted everything to him.
Anyone who believes in the Son has eternal life,
but anyone who refuses to believe in the Son will never see life:
the anger of God stays on him.'
_____________________

There has been rather much talk of late regarding equality for all, especially with regards to politics. However, we just have to face facts. There is true equity in this sense. Everywhere you go, there will be a group(s) of individuals who just have an advantage of some sort. It may or may not be the result of terms some would consider unfair but nonetheless, the extra leverage is there. Everyone can see that.

This bunch of folks is obviously viewed (to some extent at least) as being in a different league by everyone – those who support them, those who don't and neutral parties. Again, not always fair in the eyes of some. I suspect some will have issues with this scenario raised but its just an analogy and is not the point here. The main question, brothers and sisters, is with regards to that said group recognising their special position and acting accordingly.

Christians are a people set apart; we have enough scripture to tell us why and how. Today's readings are two examples. The common thread in both of them is the recognition of that special status Christians are accorded and responding suitably. Back then, it was proclaiming salvation in the name of Christ in the face of opposition from the leaders of the community at large. The circumstances we ourselves are facing today, both individually and as a group, may differ in the details but ultimately, our challenge remains the same – to stand up for the truth.

Some of us actually have things much easier and end up taking matters for granted. It is then imperative that part of discernment involves consideration of how we stand out from the crowd. My brothers and sisters, this Easter, can those around us see that we are Christian?

(Today's OXYGEN by Aloysius Ting)
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Prayer: That we may use our gifts in the service of others and by extension, God.

Give Thanks to the Lord for: Granting different gifts for different purposes.

Upcoming Readings:
Fri, Apr 28 – Acts 5:34-42; John 6:1-15; Memorial for St. Peter Chanel, priest and martyr
Sat, Apr 29 – 1 John 1:5 – 2:2; Matthew 11:25-30; Memorial for St. Catherine of Siena, virgin, doctor
Sun, Apr 30 – Acts 3:13-15, 17-19; 1 John 2:1-5a; Luke 24:35-48; Third Sunday of Easter
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Disclaimer: The reflections expressed in this e-mail are the writer's own. They may not necessarily reflect the teachings of the Catholic Church. Nonetheless we should all be able to learn something from it.

Wednesday, April 26 – The Light

26 Apr

HEAVEN

There is a legend of a wealthy woman who, when she reached heaven, was shown a very plain mansion. She objected, "Well," she was told, "that is the house you prepared for yourself."

"Whose is that fine mansion across the way?" she asked.

"It belongs to your gardener."

"How is it that he has one so much better than mine?"

"The houses here are prepared form the material that are sent up. We do not choose them: you do that by your earthly faithfulness.

- Bruno Hagspiel (1000 Stories You Can Use, Volume One by Frank Mihalic, SVD)

What is the quality of materials that you are sending up?
_____________________

Acts of the Apostles 5:17-26

The high priest intervened with all his supporters from the party of the Sadducees. Prompted by jealousy, they arrested the apostles and had them put in the common gaol.

Bt at night the angel of the Lord opened the prison gates and said as he led them out, "Go and stand in the Temple, and tell the people all about this new Life." They did as they were told; they went into the Temple at dawn and began to preach.

When the high priest arrived, he and his supporters convened the Sanhedrin – this was the full Senate of Israel – and set to the gaol for them to be brought. But when the officials arrived at the prison they found they were not inside, so they went back and reported, "We found the gaol securely locked and the warders on duty at the gates, but when we unlocked the door we found no one inside." When the captain of the Temple and the chief priests heard this news they wondered what this could mean. Then a man arrived with fresh news. "At this very moment," he said, "the men you imprisoned are in the Temple. They are standing there preaching to the people." The captain went with his men and fetched them. They were afraid to use force in case the people stoned them.
_____________________

John 3:16-21

Jesus said to Nicodemus:

"God loved the world so much
that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost
but may have eternal life.
For God sent his Son into the world
not to condemn the world,
but so that through him the world might be saved.
No one who believes in him will be condemned;
but whoever refuses to believe is condemned already,
because he has refused to believe
in the name of God's only Son.
On these grounds is sentence pronounced:
that though the light has come into the world
men have shown they prefer
darkness to the light
because their deeds were evil.
And indeed, everybody who does wrong
hates the light and avoids it,
for fear his actions should be exposed;
but the man who lives by the truth
comes out into the light,
so that it may be plainly seen that what he does is done in God."
_____________________

During the Japanese Occupation in Singapore, there were two groups of people that are especially remembered. One group formed the resistance movement that continued to fight against the Japanese, even though they had to put their lives and the lives of their families in grave danger. The other group betrayed Singaporeans, and acted as go-betweens for the Japanese to rule over the people in Singapore. Perhaps they did this to save themselves or the lives of their families. Whatever the reason, they stood to gain as long as the Japanese were in power.

But as we know, the Japanese did not remain in power for very long. A few years later, the British came back and drove away the Japanese. What happened to these two groups of people then? The resistance came out of hiding and although they might have committed wrong acts, their conscience was clear because they did what they did for the good of the land they love. The other group went into hiding, because they knew that what they did was wrong.

In today's gospel reading, we read about two groups of people as well. The first group does what is right and shows itself to the light. It knows that the light will not condemn them for what they did, even if some of their acts were wrong, because their conscience is clear. They did what they did because they loved the light and what it stood for. The other group hides from the light. Even though some of the deeds the other group did was right, their consciences are not clear because they know that they have done wrong. They know that what they did was not for what the light stands for, and they are afraid that they will be condemned and judged for it.

"I am the light of the world," says Jesus (John 9:5). And, in 1 John 3:19-22, it says:

Only by this can we be certain
that we are children of the truth
and be able to quieten our conscience in his presence,
whatever accusations it may raise against us,
because God is greater than our conscience and he knows everything.
My dear people,
if we cannot be condemned by our own conscience,
we need not be afraid in God's presence,
and whatever we ask him,
we shall receive,
because we keep his commandments
and live the kind of life that he wants.
And John goes on to tell us his commandments in the next verse:
His commandments are these:
that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ
and that we love one another
as he told us to.
In other words, as St. Augustine aptly put it: Love, and do what you will.
_____________________

Prayer: We pray for all people to learn to love God, his will and his Law, to keep his commandments not just out of fear or even duty, but out of love.

Give Thanks to the Lord for: The Saints, who are our models of love for God.

Upcoming Readings:
Thu, Apr 27 – Acts 5:27-33; John 3:31-36
Fri, Apr 28 – Acts 5:34-42; John 6:1-15; Memorial for St. Peter Chanel, priest and martyr
Sat, Apr 29 – 1 John 1:5 – 2:2; Matthew 11:25-30; Memorial for St. Catherine of Siena, virgin, doctor
Sun, Apr 30 – Acts 3:13-15, 17-19; 1 John 2:1-5a; Luke 24:35-48; Third Sunday of Easter
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Tuesday, April 25 – Having Faith

25 Apr – Feast of St. Mark, evangelist

GOD ROUNDABOUT

A boat was drifting helplessly in the Amazon estuary. It SOSed for water. A passing ship signalled three times that they should just drop their buckets over the side – all the water was fresh. They thought it a joke – but finally did.

God is all around us; dip your bucket where you are.

- Christian Family (1000 Stories You Can Use, Volume One by Frank Mihalic, SVD)

Looking for God?
____________________

Mark 16:15-20
Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them: "Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

Then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.
____________________

The other day I had a friend, a non-Christian, who scoffed at the miracles that take place during healing rallies. He remains unconvinced at the authenticity of those supposed "miracles", and attributed them to either some massive conspiracy between the healer and the healed, or some strange psychological effect which makes the healed person think he is already healed. I told him that it was all about faith.

The waters which flows from the spring at Lourdes always has tons of people bottling it greedily, drinking it and using it to wash themselves. At the end of the day, the water is probably just water, not some miracle drug. But in the hands of a believer, it becomes something else, something capable of miraculous deeds. It is our faith in God that gives the water that power.

Signs, wonders and miracles are nothing much in themselves, for they all point to a larger truth, a truth which will become so obvious to us when we possess a simple faith. Not by using our head to rationalise things out, but by letting our heart lead the way.

(Today's OXYGEN by Koh Hsing Dee)
____________________

We pray for: A strong faith to weather the storms in our lives and to bear witness to the joy of the gospel.

We give thanks for: The reassurance that God is always there.

Upcoming Readings:
Wed, Apr 26 – Acts 5:17-26; John 3:16-21
Thu, Apr 27 – Acts 5:27-33; John 3:31-36
Fri, Apr 28 – Acts 5:34-42; John 6:1-15; Memorial for St. Peter Chanel, priest and martyr
Sat, Apr 29 – 1 John 1:5 – 2:2; Matthew 11:25-30; Memorial for St. Catherine of Siena, virgin, doctor
Sun, Apr 30 – Acts 3:13-15, 17-19; 1 John 2:1-5a; Luke 24:35-48; Third Sunday of Easter
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Monday, April 24 – To Be Born Again

24 Apr – Memorial for St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen, priest, martyr

OYSTER OR EAGLE?

Have you ever watched an oyster or clam on the seashore? It stays hidden inside its sturdy house, it never comes out even for a walk. It just lets the tide shove it around. When it is hungry, it just opens its mouth and water flows in and out bringing food with it.

Now, raise your eyes to the highest treetop and beyond, and see the eagle up there in the sky sailing along without moving a wing. He builds his nest in the highest tree where gales blow. he hunts for his food … swooping down upon it, carrying it away in his talons… Flags have eagles, not clams!

- Quote (1000 Stories You Can Use, Volume One by Frank Mihalic, SVD)

Do you prefer to be an oyster or an eagle?
_____________________

John 3:1-8

There was one of the Pharisees called Nicodemus, a leading Jew, who came to Jesus by night and said, "Rabbi we know that you are a teacher who comes from God; for no one could perform the signs that you do unless God were with him." Jesus answered:

"I tell you most solemnly, unless a man is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Nicodemus said, "How can a grown man be born? Can he go back into his mother's womb and be born again?" Jesus replied:

"I tell you most solemnly,
unless a man is born through water and the Spirit,
he cannot enter the kingdom of God:
what is born of the flesh is flesh;
what is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Do not be surprised when I say:
You must be born from above.
The wind blows wherever it pleases;
you hear its sound,
but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.
That is how it is with all who are born of the Spirit.
______________________

"Unless a man is born through water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God".

Through baptism, God allows us to share in his divine life, to live with his kingdom for ever. Sometimes, we like Nicodemus too ask, "can a grown man be born?" "Can he go back into his mother's womb?" In other words, does Baptism and the sharing in God's divine life sound to good to be true? Does the Resurrection of Christ, which makes the sharing of God's divine life possible sound to good to be true?

As St. Thomas Aquinas says, homo non proprie humanus, sed superhumanus est. We were not created to be simply human beings, but something more than human from our very beginning, which beginning ultimately was not ours to set in motion.

The greatest of the heresies is that this world is enough for us. The second greatest of the heresies is that God could not have asked us to live in this world because it is so full of evil and imperfection, including our own. Therefore there is no God. Or is there yet another even greater heresy? That we can by ourselves make a perfect world, a world created in defiance both of the natural order and of revelation’s relation to it? Is the "will to power" the only reality? Are we subject only to ourselves?

It is easier to comprehend the Passion of Christ than to comprehend his Resurrection, though we cannot understand the one without the other. The alternative to the Resurrection is never to die in the first place, something evidently once offered to us. Men misjudge when they think that the most difficult thing to understand is "Why do we suffer?" and "Why do we die?" No, the most difficult thing to comprehend is "Why do we know joy?" Ultimately, joy is closer to the heart of things. We do not cause it to be what it is. – From Fr. James V. Schall "Easter the defiant feast"

Available at http://www.ignatiusinsight.com/features2006/schall_easter_apr06.asp 

(Today's OXYGEN by Nick Chui)
_____________________

Prayer intention: To experience the joy of the risen Lord and the promise of baptism.

Thanksgiving: For our baptism.

Upcoming Readings:
Tue, Apr 25 – 1 Peter 5:5b-14; Mark 16:15-20; Feast of St. Mark, evangelist
Wed, Apr 26 – Acts 5:17-26; John 3:16-21
Thu, Apr 27 – Acts 5:27-33; John 3:31-36
Fri, Apr 28 – Acts 5:34-42; John 6:1-15; Memorial for St. Peter Chanel, priest and martyr
Sat, Apr 29 – 1 John 1:5 – 2:2; Matthew 11:25-30; Memorial for St. Catherine of Siena, virgin, doctor
Sun, Apr 30 – Acts 3:13-15, 17-19; 1 John 2:1-5a; Luke 24:35-48; Third Sunday of Easter
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Sunday, April 23 – Christian Communism

23 Apr – Divine Mercy Sunday

Faith: Our Victory Over The World

We come together today like that first group of believers, united hear and soul, and celebrating our victory over the world through our faith in Christ, the Son of God.

(from the Sunday Missal)
_____________________

CHRIST THE KING

In Richmond, Virginia, they had ordered a large statue of General Robert E. Lee. It arrived at the depot and someone remarked, "My, but it will take a lot of horses to pull those tons o metal uptown."

Someone heard this remark and answered nobly, "Horses? Oh, don't let horses pull General Lee. Let's pull him ourselves."

The idea caught fire. every edition of the papers carried the thought. Every conversation centered on the plan. The great day was set. School children were given a holiday. Banks, stores and restaurants were closed. Flags, bunting, popcorn, peanuts and red lemonade were everywhere. Happy throngs crowded the footpaths and porches. Veteran soldiers were everywhere.

In the middle o the main street were three large wagons fastened end to end. Tied to the first truck was a rope at least half a kilometre long. Fining a place to grasp it were children and grownups, rich men, fat men, thin men, short men, tall men, white men and black men… there were ladies in high heels and children in bare feet… With songs and tears and cheers, the crowd triumphantly pulled General Lee tot eh place on Monument Avenue where he sits on his bronze horse today.

When the job was over, every puller cut off a piece of that rope, put it into his pocket and took it home as a souvenir… the rope disappeared like magic…

Every Christian wants to do his or her share in placing Christ in a place of honour… by all working together, each doing his or her little bit.

- Tonne (1000 Stories You Can Use, Volume One by Frank Mihalic, SVD)

What is the little bit that you are doing?
_____________________

Acts of the Apostles 2:32-35

The whole group of believers was united, heart and soul; no one claimed for his own use anything that he had, as everything they owned was held in common.

The apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great power, and they were all given great respect.

None of their members was ever in want, as all those who owned land or houses would sell them, and bring the money from tem, to present it to the apostles; it was then distributed to any members who might be in need.
_____________________

1 John 5:1-6

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ
has been begotten by God;
and whoever loves the Father that begot him
loves the child whom he begets.
We can be sure that we love God's children
if we love God himself and do what he has commanded us;
this is what loving God is -
keeping his commandments;
and his commandments are not difficult,
because anyone who has been begotten by God
has already overcome the world;
this is the victory over the world -
our faith.
Who can overcome the world?
only the man who believes that Jesus is the Son of God;
Jess Christ who came by water and blood,
not with water only,
but with water and blood;
with the Spirit as another witness -
since the Spirit is the truth.
_____________________

John 20:19-31

In the evening of that same day, the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, "Peace be with you," and showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord, and he said to them again, "Peace be with you.

"As the Father sent me,
so am I sending you."

After saying this he breathed on them and said:

"Receive the Holy Spirit.
For those who sins you forgive,
they are forgiven;
for those whose sins you retain,
they are retained."

Thomas, called the Twin, who was one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. When the disciples said, "We have seen the Lord," he answered, "Unless I see the holes that the nails made in his hands and can put my finger into the holes they made, and unless I can put my hand into his side, I refuse to believe." Eight days later the disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. The doors were closed, but Jesus came in and stood among them. "Peace be with you," he said. Then he spoke to Thomas, "Put your finger here; look, here are my hands. Give me your hand; put it into my side. Doubt no longer but believe." Thomas replied, "My Lord and my God!"

Jesus said to him:

"You believe because you can see me.
Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe."

There were many other signs that Jesus worked and the disciples saw, but they are not recorded in this book. These are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing this you may have life through his name.
_____________________

A friend asked me today, "What's the difference between Christianity as seen in the first reading, and communism?" It's a question that I have long asked and haven't found an answer to. But on reflecting on the readings through the three(!) Sunday Masses I attended, I've come to realise that the one thing that sets Christian communism apart from political communism is love.

I know, it sounds cliché, but it's the honest to goodness truth. In Christianity, members of the community are motivated to share their goods with the poorer members of the community based on love. You don't see that taking place in communism. All you see is the members doing what is best for the community. The sense of individuality within communism is lost; whereas in Christianity, you have love for neighbour as the prime motivation for sharing.

We might say that Christian communism hardly exists nowadays, but that's not true. Not true at all. On a small scale, we have religious congregations that demonstrate to us that it is very possible to live as a loving community. But what about something on a scale that involves you and me?

During one of the weeks of Lent, Singapore Catholics were invited to donate sums of money to the Catholic Welfare Services, who in turn distributed the money collected to the needy. This is precisely the form of Christian communism that took place in the first reading, where the more well-to-do Christians donated their wealth to the apostles who then distributed the money to those in need.

But this is done not for political or even societal reasons; this is carried out of love for our neighbour, even those that we do not see. The poor and needy neighbours that we do not see are seen by those in the respective fields. How many of you have actually stepped into the home of a poor neighbour? How many of you have walked in the shoes of a destitute? In modern affluent Singapore, it is hard to believe that there still are many needy and poor people. But the truth is, they do exist.

How do we know that they exist? Based on the authority of those who minister to these people. As Jesus told Thomas, "You believe because you can see me. Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe."

The resurrected Christ continues to live on within modern and affluent Singapore, most prominently not in our spanking new churches, but in the hearts of the poor and needy around us, especially the invisible ones, the ones that we don't see. But the Church tells us that they do exist and we believe in their word, because we are an apostolic church, a church that is handed down to us from the apostles.

Let us continue to live as a community modelled after the first Christian communities. Let us, the more well-off ones who have land and houses, donate our excesses to the Church, the apostles, who will then distribute it to any members who might be in need, so that no one will be in want. It is through our love for one another, a commandment of Christ for us to follow, a commandment that if followed demonstrates our love for God, that others will know that we are disciples of Christ, and be drawn to the community.
_____________________

Prayer: Let us pray for the Catholic Welfare Services, their staff, their volunteers, and their sponsors, that they may continue to carry out the good work they do, of distributing our excesses among those who might be in need.

Give Thanks to the Lord for: Models of Christian living.

Upcoming Readings:
Mon, Apr 24 – Acts 4:23-31; John 3:1-8; Memorial for St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen, priest, martyr
Tue, Apr 25 – 1 Peter 5:5b-14; Mark 16:15-20; Feast of St. Mark, evangelist
Wed, Apr 26 – Acts 5:17-26; John 3:16-21
Thu, Apr 27 – Acts 5:27-33; John 3:31-36
Fri, Apr 28 – Acts 5:34-42; John 6:1-15; Memorial for St. Peter Chanel, priest and martyr
Sat, Apr 29 – 1 John 1:5 – 2:2; Matthew 11:25-30; Memorial for St. Catherine of Siena, virgin, doctor
Sun, Apr 30 – Acts 3:13-15, 17-19; 1 John 2:1-5a; Luke 24:35-48; Third Sunday of Easter
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Saturday, April 22 – It’s Easier That Way

22 Apr – Easter Saturday

SYMPATHY, EMPATHY

An American businessman travelled to Oberammergau to view the famous Passion Play. The Easter season drama enthralled him. In rapt attention, the businessman watched the events leading up to a dramatic crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

After the play, he made his way backstage to meet Mr. Anton Lang, who played the part of Christ. After taking a picture of the actor, the man noticed a large, wooden cross resting in the corner. It was the same cross Mr. Lang carried in the play.

"Here," the businessman said to his wife, "You take the camera. When I lift the cross on my shoulder, snap the picture."

Before the actor could speak, the businessman stooped to lift the prop onto his shoulder. He was amazed that the cross would not budge. It was made of heavy oak beams and could be moved only with great difficulty. Panting from strain and frustration, he turned to Mr. Lang and said, "Why, I thought it would be light. I thought the cross was hollow. Why do you carry a cross so heavy?"

The actor replied, "Sir, if I don't feel the weight of the cross, I could not play this part."

- Bruno Hagspiel (1000 Stories You Can Use, Volume One by Frank Mihalic, SVD)

Do you feel the weight of the cross as you play the part of a Christian?
_____________________

Acts of the Apostles 4:13-21

The rulers, elders and scribes were astonished at the assurance shown by Peter and John, considering they were uneducated laymen; and they recognised them as associates of Jesus; but when they saw the man who had been cured standing by their side, they could find no answer. So they ordered them to stand outside while the Sanhedrin had a private discussion. "What are we going to do with these men?" they asked. "It is obvious to everybody in Jerusalem that a miracle has been worked through them in public, and we cannot deny it. But to stop the whole thing spreading any further among the people, let us caution them never to speak to anyone in this name again."

So they called them in and gave them a warning on no account to make statements or to teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John retorted, "You must judge whether in God's eyes it is right to listen to you and not to God. We cannot promise to stop proclaiming what we have seen and heard." The court repeated the warnings and then released them; they could not think of any way to punish them, since all the people were giving glory to God for what had happened.
_____________________

Mark 16:9-15

Having risen in the morning on the first day of the week, Jesus appeared first to Mary of Magdala from whom he had cast out seven devils. She then went to those who had been his companions, and who were mourning and in tears, and told them. But they did not believe her when they heard her say that he was alive and that she had seen him.

After this, he showed himself under another form to two of them as they were on their way into the country. These went back and told the others, who did not believe them either.

Lastly, he showed himself to the Eleven themselves while they were at table. He reproached them for their incredulity and obstinacy, because they had refused to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. And he said to them, "Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation."
_____________________

One would think that the disciples were just being cautious when they were slow to believe that Jesus had risen, but Jesus' reproach shows that it was not the case; they were not just being cautious. Rather, they were being stubborn. They were fixed in their mindsets that their Lord and Master, Jesus, was dead. As none of them, except for perhaps John, was present at the cross when Jesus died, we can only draw that the disciples learnt of Jesus' death through others who had seen him die, most particularly the women who followed Jesus. And if one of these women who had seen Jesus die, suddenly came to them and said that he was alive, then how is it that the disciples did not believe her? Why is it that the disciples would rather believe what they had heard from others?

I don't really know the answer, but I would think that it had something to do with the disciples' individual betrayal of Jesus, their individual abandonment of their Lord and Master at the hour of his arrest, suffering, and subsequent death. They felt guilty of what they had done to their Master whom they loved. They could not bear the thought of meeting him again. Maybe they were afraid that he would confront them and ask them why they ran away. Better to believe that he was dead. It's easier that way.

We see the same reaction in the Jewish rulers. Two lay uneducated Jews had just cured a man crippled from birth in the name of the man that they, the rulers, had crucified. Only God himself could have cured the cripple, and if it had been in the name of Jesus that the cripple was cured, then it can only mean that Jesus was indeed who he claimed to be – God. In other words, they, the Jewish rulers, had crucified God. This is why they too were stubborn; they refused to admit their guilt, just like the disciples in the gospel reading. Better to believe that Jesus was dead and out of their lives for good. It's easier that way.

Sometimes, we too are like that. We say that we love God, but we read in the gospel that Jesus says, "Anyone who loves me will keep my commandments." And we know that we have not been keeping Jesus' commandments. We become stubborn and refuse to admit our guilt, even though we clearly know that we are in the wrong, just like the disciples in the gospel reading, just like the Jewish rulers in the first reading. So we shelve Jesus away and keep him in the closet, opening the door only when we need his help, and then conveniently closing the door when we have received what we want from him. Better to believe that Jesus is the God who provides, better to believe that Jesus is the almighty powerful God who can do anything we ask him to do. It's easier that way, easier to believe in just that than to consider that the only way to the Father is through the way of the cross, the path of suffering.
_____________________

Prayer: We pray that we may never let Jesus' passion and death become in vain when we decide to follow Jesus without the cross, when we decide to follow the glorified but uncrucified Christ.

Give Thanks to the Lord for: Showing us the way to the Father.

Upcoming Readings:
Sun, 23 Apr – Acts 4:32-35; 1 John 5:1-6; John 20:19-31; Divine Mercy Sunday
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Friday, April 21 – How Will I Respond?

21 Apr – Easter Friday

CREDIT WHERE DUE

Auto safety inspector John Williams of Piqua, Ohio, a highway patrolman and a civilian inspector checks vehicles for defects. The group inspects about 2,000 vehicles a month in four countries and some of the inspections are unusual. One morning, they stopped a Cadillac in Shelby Country and found several hogs in the back seat. "I'd been on the job three or four years at the time," said Williams, "and I thought I'd seen everything. There were big clumps of mud as big as your fist all over the car. It looked like a barnyard."

When the owner of the car was asked if he thought it was a bit strange to be hauling swine in a new Cadillac, he answered, "If it weren't for all my pigs, I wouldn't be able to drive a Cadillac."

- Bruno Hagspiel (1000 Stories You Can Use, Volume One by Frank Mihalic, SVD)

Do you give credit for your trials that made you the person you are today?
_____________________

Acts 4:1-12

While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came to them, much annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming that in Jesus there is the resurrection of the dead. So they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who heard the word believed; and they numbered about five thousand.

The next day, their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, with Annas, the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high priestly family. When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. This Jesus is

‘the stone that was rejected by you, the builders;
it has become the cornerstone.’

There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.”
_____________________

John 21:1-14

After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.

When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
____________________

I remember from somewhere (whether from a homily, a reading, or something else, I don’t know) a long long time ago that the disciples should have been ‘dead’ tired. They had been fishing for a whole night and had caught nothing, adding disappointment to their weariness. But just as they were going to give up and go back, a stranger (for they did not yet know it was Jesus) comes along and tells them, “hey, throw the net to your right and you’ll catch some fish”. Now, what would have been our reaction? On certain days, I’d just scoff at that stranger.. “what would he know? We’ve been at it the whole night, we threw that net countless numbers of times all around us and there were no fish”. On other days, I’d be discouraged.. “I’m tired, I don’t care, I can’t bother throwing the net once more.. leave me alone”. Yet other times, I might just throw the net for fun.. “aya, he tells us to throw the net again, just throw la.. maybe the Almighty will finally give us some fish (intended as a joke)”. Or I might truly believe that this stranger brings good fortune with him and hence throw the net.. “I’ll trust that stranger. If nothing comes out of it, it won’t be for lack of trying. If we really get fish, then thanks be to God.” What the actual mindset of the disciples was, I don’t know.. but what I can take out from this is how I respond to difficulties, to problems that have been going on for much too long in my life. What would be my attitude to something that is wearing me out? Would I scorn, would I be discouraged, would I just laugh it off or would I trudge on?

And then again, from somewhere else (I again forgot the source of this..). Jesus always asks for our contribution, in any and every little thing. There already was fish on the fire and bread, but still, Jesus told them to bring something of their own for the meal. Maybe there wasn’t enough fish, but if Jesus had brought the fish and bread with him, he certainly could have brought enough so that there would be fish for all of them. In fact, what they brought was what they had caught because of Jesus, and all they had done was just obey and carry out his instructions. And how great was their reward. Sometimes, all Jesus asks of us is to trust in him, to listen to what he says, as simple as that. But many times, cynicism takes over, despair and discouragement drag us down. “I can’t bother anymore, leave me alone..” is what resounds more strongly, even more so because we are weary because of studies, work, financial or social problems, relationships. How will we then respond? It is when we are at our worst that we even more need to listen to God.

(Today's OXYGEN by Lyndley Ah Qune)
______________________

We pray for: the strength to keep on going through our difficulties, that we may still listen to His voice although we may be weary and troubled.

Thanks be to God for: the people who never fail to believe in us, who are always there to give us their support – most notably Mom and Dad.

Upcoming Readings:
Sat, 22 Apr – Acts 4:13-21; Mark 16:9-15; Easter Saturday
Sun, 23 Apr – Acts 4:32-35; 1 John 5:1-6; John 20:19-31; Divine Mercy Sunday

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