Tuesday, May 1 – The holiness of work

01 May – Memorial for St. Joseph the Worker

Talk or action

In My Fair Lady, Eliza Doolittle is fed up with Freddy’s letters, and his daily protestations of his love for her. His letters arrived every day, and his whole conversation was about how much he loved her. In the total frustration, she sings the song, “Show Me”. In the song she says she’s sick of words, of talk, of a love like the stars, etc. “If there’s any love burning in your heart,” she sings< “show me.”

- Love is not love until it is put into action.

- “Faith without good works is dead.” (James 2:26)

- What you do can speak so loudly that people won’t hear what you say.

- taken from “150 More Stories for Preachers and Teachers” by Jack McArdle
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Colossians 3:14-15, 17, 23-24

Over all these clothes, to keep them together and complete them, put on love. And may the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, because it is for this that you were called together as parts of our body. Always be thankful. Never say or do anything except in the name of the Lord Jesus. Always be thankful. Never say or do anything except in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Whatever your work is, put your heart into it as if it were for the Lord and not for men, knowing that the Lord will repay you by making you his heirs. It is Christ the Lord that you are serving.
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Matthew 13:54-58

Jesus came to his home town and taught the people in their synagogue in such a way that they were astonished and said, “Where did the man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? This is the carpenter’s son, surely? Is not his mother the woman called Mary, and his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Jude? His sisters, too, are they not all here with us? So where did the man get it all?” And they would not accept him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is only despised in his own country and in his own house,” and he did not work many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
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When socialism and communism began their organizing in Europe, they chose May 1 as a special day to honour the worker and to demonstrate on behalf of their revolution. On May 1, 1955, Pope Pius XII established this day as the feast of St. Joseph the Worker, to counter the doctrines of communism.

Communism stresses the utility of labour yet leaves the labourer as a cog in the machine of the state. Christianity, however, stresses the worth of the worker and his dignity as a child of God. St. Joseph, the humble carpenter of Nazareth, portrays the dignity of the manual labourer, and the provider and guardian of the worker’s family. That God placed his only son in the care of St. Joseph establishes forever the worth of the labourer.

The social doctrine of the Catholic Church offers us an alternative vision to the materialism of socialism, communism, and capitalism. In this teaching, the Church proclaims the dignity of work as a sharing in the creative work of God, the rights of workers to a fair wage, to safety, and to organize.

Work is part of the ordinary daily activities that most people participate in. In an address made by Pope John Paul II, he said that St. Josemaria Escriva, founder of the Prelature of Opus Dei, was chosen by the Lord to announce the universal call to holiness and to point out that daily life and ordinary activities are a path to holiness. What this means is that holiness consists of doing our work well. It is through doing our work well and putting our hearts into it that many of us will attain eternal life.

A good number of us dread going back to work on Monday mornings. For many of us, we wish the weekend were longer, and that we didn’t have to go back to work so soon. Yet, if we understood that through our work we can enter into heaven, we will start to treat our work with greater respect.

I once mentioned that I had been very busy at work to a friend of mine. His response has stayed with me since. He said, “Since through my work I serve God, so whenever I have more work, I realise that it is an opportunity to serve God more.”

In the past week, I’ve had a question repeated to me by different people. They asked me, “What are your working hours like?” My response is taken from an article on Father Valerian Cheong in the previous issue of Catholic News. At the end of it, he says: “When you love your job, the clock doesn’t quite exist for you.”

Today, let us thank God that we have work. Let us pray that we will learn to treat our work with greater respect and that we might be able to put our whole heart into it and do our work well, working for the Lord as we do. And we pray that through this we may become holier people who will one day enter into eternal life with God.
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Upcoming Readings:
Wed, 02 May – Acts 12:24-13:5a; John 12:44-50; Memorial for St. Athansius, bishop, doctor
Thu, 03 May – 1 Corinthians 15:1-8; John 14:6-14; Feast of St. Philip and James, apostles
Fri, 04 May – Acts 13:26-33; John 14:1-6
Sat, 05 May – Acts 13:44-52; John 14:7-14
Sun, 06 May – Acts 14:21b-27; Revelation 21:1-5a; John 13:31-33a, 34-35; Fifth 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.

Monday, April 30 – The urgency of evangelisation

30 Apr – Memorial for Pius V, pope, religious

Antonio Ghislieri (1504-1572) was born to impoverished Italian nobility, the son of Paolo Ghislieri and Domenica Augeria. He worked as a shepherd as a boy, and received an excellent education in piety and holiness, including a scholastic education from a Dominican friar. He joined the Order in 1518, taking the name Michele. He studied in Bologna, Italy, and was ordained in 1528 in Genoa.

He was appointed teacher of philosophy and divinity in Genoa, and was a professor of theology in Pavia for 16 years. He was the Master of novices and prior of several Dominican houses, and he worked for stricter adherence to the Order’s rule.

He was an inquisitor in Como and Bergamo, and the commissary general of the Roman Inquisition in 1551. On Sep 4, 1556, he was ordained Bishop of Nepi and Sutri against his will. He was Inquisitor in Milan and Lombary in the same year, and created cardinal on Mar 15 the following year, made Grand Inquisitor on Dec 14, 1558, and was part of the conclave of 1559. He was appointed Bishop of Mondovi, Italy on Mar 17, 1560. As bishop, he worked to lead his flock with words and examples, and served as a continual messenger encouraging personal piety and devotion to God.

He became the 225th pope in 1566, and immediately faced the task of enacting the reforms of the Council of Trent. New seminaries were opened, a new breviary, new missal, and new catechism were published. Foundations were established to spread the faith and preserve the doctrine of the Church. He spent much time personally working with the needy. He built hospitals and used the papal treasury to care for the poor. He faced many difficulties in the public forum, both in the implementation of the Tridentine reforms and interaction with other heads of state. He created 21 cardinals. At the time of his death he was working on a Christian European alliance to break the power of the Islamic states.

- Patron Saint Index
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Acts of the Apostles 11:1-18

The apostles and the brothers in Judaea heard that the pagans too had accepted the word of God, and when Peter came up to Jerusalem the Jews criticised him and said, “So you have been visiting the uncircumcised and eating with them, have you?” Peter in reply gave them the details point by point: “One day, when I was in the town of Jaffa,” he began, “I fell into a trance as I was praying and had a vision of something like a big sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners. This sheet reached the ground quite close to me. I watched it intently and saw all sorts of animals and wild beasts – everything possible that could walk, crawl or fly. Then I heard a voice that said to me, ‘Now Peter; kill and eat!’ But I answered: Certainly not, Lord; nothing profane or unclean has ever crossed my lips. And a second time the voice spoke from heave, ‘What God has made clean, you have no right to call profane.’ This was repeated three times, before the whole of it was drawn up to heaven again.

“Just at that moment, three men stopped outside the house where we were staying; they had been sent from Caesarea to fetch me, and the Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going back with them. The six brothers here came with me as well, and we entered the man’s house. He told us he had seen an angel standing in his house who said, ‘Send to Jaffa and fetch Simon known as Peter; he has a message for you that will save you and your entire household.’

“I had scarcely begun to speak when the Holy Spirit came down on them in the same way as it came on us at the beginning and I remembered that the Lord had said, ‘John baptised with water, but you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.’ I realised then that God was giving them the identical thing he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ; and who was I to stand in God’s way?”

This account satisfied them, and they gave glory to God. “God,” they said, “can evidently grant even the pagans the repentance that leads to life.”
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John 10:1-10

Jesus said: “I tell you solemnly, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate, but gets in some other way, is a thief and a brigand. The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the flock; the gatekeeper lets him in, the sheep hear his voice, one by one he calls his own sheep and leads them out. When he has brought out his flock, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow because they know his voice. They never follow a stranger but run away from him: they do not recognise the voice of strangers.”

Jesus told them this parable but they failed to understand what he mean by telling it to them.

So Jesus spoke to them again:

“I tell you most solemnly,
I am the gate of the sheepfold.
All others who have come
are thieves and brigands;
but the sheep took no notice of them.
I am the gate.
Anyone who enters through me will be safe:
he will go freely in and out
and be sure of finding pasture.
The thief comes
only to steal and kill and destroy.
I have come
so that they may have life
and have it to the full.”
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I have heard some Catholics say that, unlike Jews, Catholics can eat pork and other ritually unclean meat because of the above passage. However, this passage has nothing to do with food. It is talking about the Jewish Christians’ relationship with non-Jews.

In the time of the apostles, the Jews still saw themselves as the chosen people, the only people who were saved. Thus when they learnt that the Jews were not the only people to be saved, they were surprised at God’s generosity.

Today, we still have many Christians who believe that only Christians will be saved. We have many Catholics especially, focusing only on their own salvation, and not bothering to share the good news of Jesus Christ with other people.

Our faith teaches us that only through Christ is one saved. But in order for a person to believe in Jesus, he or she first has to hear about Jesus. And that is where we come in. When we introduce them to the person of Jesus, if they are God-fearing people, they will recognise Jesus as what their own religion has always taught them. Jesus is the fulfilment of all religions. A holy man or woman, whatever his or her religion, will recognise in Jesus what his or her own religion teaches.

If, however, a person wants to enter God’s kingdom but rejects the person of Jesus and what he stands for, you can be sure that such a person is up to no good. He is a thief and a brigand with ulterior motives for entering the kingdom.

How are you introducing the person of Jesus to others who do not know him yet? Sure, there are many who have heard of Jesus, but most do not know him. How can you play a better part in spreading the good news to the people around you?
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Prayer: Let us pray for all Christians to be reminded daily of their mission to spread the good news of Jesus Christ.

Give Thanks to the Lord for: Protestants who show Catholics the urgency of evangelisation.

Upcoming Readings:
Tue, 01 May – Acts 11:19-26; John 10:22-30 or Genesis 1:26-2:3 or Colossians 3:14-15, 17, 23-24; Matthew 13:54-58; Memorial for St. Joseph the Worker
Wed, 02 May – Acts 12:24-13:5a; John 12:44-50; Memorial for St. Athansius, bishop, doctor
Thu, 03 May – 1 Corinthians 15:1-8; John 14:6-14; Feast of St. Philip and James, apostles
Fri, 04 May – Acts 13:26-33; John 14:1-6
Sat, 05 May – Acts 13:44-52; John 14:7-14
Sun, 06 May – Acts 14:21b-27; Revelation 21:1-5a; John 13:31-33a, 34-35; Fifth 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.

Sunday, April 29 – God’s Guarantee

29 Apr – Good Shepherd Sunday

The Lamb Will Be Our Shepherd

We offer in sacrifice the Lamb that takes away the sins of the world. He who was slain is now our Shepherd. He will lead to springs of living water all who do not reject him.

- the Sunday Missal
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Getting our own back

A foolish man heard that Buddha taught that you should never return evil for evil. One day the man met Buddha, and decided to test him to see if he practised what he taught others to do. The man began to heap all kinds of verbal abuse upon the great teacher, shouting at him, and calling him all kinds of names.

All the while, Buddha listened quietly. When the man had run out of things to say, Buddha said to him, “My son, if a man declines a gift from another, to whom does the gift go?”

“Any fool knows that,” sneered the man, “the gift goes back to the giver.”

“My son,” said Buddha, “you have just given me much verbal abuse. I decline to accept your gift.” The man made no reply.

Buddha continued, “My son, a man who slanders a virtuous person is like a man who spits at the sky. The spit doesn’t soil the sky: it returns to soil the face of the man who spat.”

- taken from “150 More Stories for Preachers and Teachers” by Jack McArdle
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Acts of the Apostles 13:14, 43-52

Paul and Barnabas carried on from Perga till they reached Antioch in Pisidia. Here they went to synagogue on the sabbath and took their seats.

When the meeting broke up, many Jews and devout converts joined Paul and Barnabas, and in their talks with them Paul and Barnabas urged them to remain faithful to the grace God had given them.

The next sabbath almost the whole town assembled to hear the word of God. When they saw the crowds, the Jews, prompted by jealousy, used blasphemies and contradicted everything Paul said. Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, “We had to proclaim the word of God to you first, but since you have rejected it, since you do not think yourselves worthy of eternal life, we must turn to the pagans. For this is what the Lord commanded us to do when he said:

I have made you a light for the nations,
so that my salvation may reach the ends of the earth.”

It made the pagans very happy to hear this and they thanked the Lord for his message; all who were destined for eternal life became believers. Thus the word of the Lord spread through the whole countryside.

But the Jews worked upon some of the devout women of the upper classes and the leading men of the city and persuaded them to turn against Paul and Barnabas and expel them from their territory. So they shook the dust from their feet in defiance and went off to Iconium; but the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.
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Revelation 7:9, 14-17

I, John, saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands. One of the elders said to me, “These are the people who have been through the great persecution, and because they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb, they now stand in front of God’s throne and serve him day and night in his sanctuary; and the One who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. They will never hunger or thirst again; neither the sun nor scorching wind will ever plague them, because the Lamb who is at the throne will be their shepherd and will lead them to springs of living water; and God will wipe away all tears from their eyes.”
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John 10:27-30

Jesus said:

“The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice;
I know them and they follow me.
I give them eternal life;
and no one will ever steal them from me.
The Father who gave them to me is greater than anyone,
and no one can steal from the Father.
The Father and I are one.”
_____________________

There are some people who call themselves Christians yet they do not hesitate to hurl blasphemies against the Church. There are some Catholics who say terrible things like the Catholic Church has lost its way, or is in the control of the devil, etc. One group of people who tend to say such bad things about the Church is the same group that does not accept that the Church should do anything to foster good relationships with members of other religions. They believe that the Church has watered down many of its teachings and practices to accommodate other religions, and like what Paul and Barnabas experienced from the Jews, these people will use blasphemies and contradict everything that you say.

It is quite sad to think that after 2,000 years of preaching the Good News, the Church still faces people who are not open to the message of Jesus Christ, that all men and women are to be brought to Him through the Church. It is quite sad to think that there are people who think that they know better than the Church how to listen to the voice of Jesus. Yet what strikes me most about listening to these people is how little they mention the name of Jesus. Instead, usually another name, the name of another man, is heard much more frequently, and there is nothing divine about that name.

Jesus tells us that the sheep that belong to him listens to his voice and they follow him. No one can ever steal them from him. This is significant because Jesus and his Church are one. If it is true that the Church has lost its way, then it means that Jesus is a liar. What’s more, if the Church has lost its way and now teaches wrong doctrines, then what makes its other doctrines right and infallible? Nothing.

Jesus and his bride, the Church, are one. Jesus is also one with the Father. Hence the Father and the Church are one. The Father is greater than anyone, and no one can steal from the Father. Hence no one can steal from the Church. One of the constant beliefs of the Church is: Where the Bishop of Rome is, there is Peter; where Peter is, there is Christ; therefore, where the Bishop of Rome is, there is Christ.

In other words, so long as we follow the Pope, the successor of Peter and the Bishop of Rome, we are following Christ. We have Christ’s own promise that the gates of the underworld will never prevail against his Church. The Church cannot lose its way. That is God’s guarantee, for Jesus has promised to be with us always.

It is true that the Pope, as a man, can lose his way, for he is a man. But as the Bishop of Rome, as the leader of the Catholic Church which Christ established, the Pope cannot lose his way. This is why we must pray constantly for our Pope, our shepherd. Pray that as a man, he may not lose his way and may always be a source of guiding light, not only for the Catholics in the world, but for all who believe in Christ.

There will always be people ready to use blasphemies against the pope and the Church. There will always be people ready to contradict everything you say. Paul and Barnabas gave us a good example to follow – don’t get into an argument with these people. Just shake the dust off your feet and walk away. There are many more people out there waiting to hear the good news you bear.
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Prayer:
Lord Jesus, we pray today for the Pope, our shepherd, that he may always have a strong and close relationship with you, so that he may draw strength, courage and wisdom from your most sacred heart. Watch over him, as well as all our shepherds – bishops and priests. Give them the grace to be a guiding light for all the people they encounter, and help them to continue to draw all people to you. Amen.

Give Thanks to the Lord for: A good pope.

Upcoming Readings:
Mon, 30 Apr – Acts 11:1-18; John 10:1-10; Memorial for Pius V, pope, religious
Tue, 01 May – Acts 11:19-26; John 10:22-30 or Genesis 1:26-2:3 or Colossians 3:14-15, 17, 23-24; Matthew 13:54-58; Memorial for St. Joseph the Worker
Wed, 02 May – Acts 12:24-13:5a; John 12:44-50; Memorial for St. Athansius, bishop, doctor
Thu, 03 May – 1 Corinthians 15:1-8; John 14:6-14; Feast of St. Philip and James, apostles
Fri, 04 May – Acts 13:26-33; John 14:1-6
Sat, 05 May – Acts 13:44-52; John 14:7-14
Sun, 06 May – Acts 14:21b-27; Revelation 21:1-5a; John 13:31-33a, 34-35; Fifth 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.

Saturday, April 28 – Taking the easy way out

28 Apr – Memorial for St. Peter Chanel

St. Peter Chanel (1803-1841) was born to a peasant family and was a shepherd as a boy. He was an excellent student and was ordained at 24. He was assigned to Crozet, a parish in decline; he turned it around, in part because of his ministry to the sick, and brought a spiritual revival. He joined the Society of Mary (Marist Fathers) in 1831, and taught in the Belley seminary for five years.

In 1836, he led a band of missionaries to the New Hebrides, an area where cannibalism had only recently been outlawed. He converted many, often as a result of his work with the sick. He learned the local language and taught in the local school. He was killed by order of Niuliki, a native king who was jealous of Peter’s influence. He was the first martyr in Oceania.

“He loves us. He does what he teaches. He forgives his enemies. His teaching is good.”
- one of St. Peter’s catechumens, explaining why he believed Peter’s teachings.
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Acts 9:31-42

The churches throughout Judaea, Galilee and Samaria were now left in peace, building themselves up, living in the fear of the Lord, and filled with the consolation of the Holy Spirit.

Peter visited one place after another and eventually came to the saints living down in Lydda. There he found a man called Aeneas, a paralytic who had been bedridden for eight years. Peter said to him, ‘Aeneas, Jesus Christ cures you: get up and fold up your sleeping mat’. Aeneas got up immediately; everybody who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they were all converted to the Lord.

At Jaffa there was a woman disciple called Tabitha, or Dorcas in Greek, who never tired of doing good or giving in charity. But the time came when she got ill and died, and they washed her and laid her out in a room upstairs. Lydda is not far from Jaffa, so when the disciples heard that Peter was there, they sent two men with an urgent message for him, ‘Come and visit us as soon as possible’.

Peter went back with them straightaway, and on his arrival they took him to the upstairs room, where all the widows stood round him in tears, showing him tunics and other clothes Dorcas had made when she was with them. Peter sent them all out of the room and knelt down and prayed. Then he turned to the dead woman and said, ‘Tabitha, stand up’. She opened her eyes, looked at Peter and sat up. Peter helped her to her feet, then he called in the saints and widows and showed them she was alive. The whole of Jaffa heard about it and many believed in the Lord.
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John 6:60-69

After hearing Jesus, many of his followers said, ‘This is intolerable language. How could anyone accept it?’ Jesus was aware that his followers were complaining about it and said, ‘Does this upset you? What if you should see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before?

‘It is the spirit that gives life,
the flesh has nothing to offer.
The words I have spoken to you are spirit
and they are life.

‘But there are some of you who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the outset those who did not believe, and who it was that would betray him. He went on, ‘This is why I told you that no one could come to me unless the Father allows him’. After this, many of his disciples left him and stopped going with him.

Then Jesus said to the Twelve, ‘What about you, do you want to go away too?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘Lord, who shall we go to? You have the message of eternal life, and we believe; we know that you are the Holy One of God.’
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What strikes me in today’s Gospel is when the Jews complain that Christ’s words were intolerable language. I have made the same complain about certain teachings of the Church. There are times where one feels down and dejected because this fundamental issue brings to the forefront a conflict that seems so terrible and heartbreaking. It makes one question why do they exist and whether they are God’s teachings or man-made rules.

Many have chosen the easier way by making the choice to leave the Church or find another place of worship which does not emphasise on this issue that they face. This might be the easier way out for most but from my personal experience, this issue will come back to haunt you later and manifest itself in a different manner.

Let us make an effort to be like Peter, who made the decision on behalf of the apostles; to decide to follow the Lord who has the message of Eternal Life. Every time we utter this phrase, we remember that the teachings of the church serve to bring us closer to God. In God’s time will we understand why.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Nick Chia)
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Prayer: Lord, we ask you to pray that you send your Holy Spirit down to quell the conflict and tension that people face in their hearts whenever they disagree with your Church’s teaching.

Give thanks for: The few that have chosen to continue to follow the faith despite personal conflicts.

Upcoming Readings:
Sun, 29 Apr – Acts 13:14, 43-52; Revelation 7:9, 14b-17; John 10:27-30; Fourth Sunday of Easter; Good Shepherd Sunday
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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 27 – Knowing and Believing

27 Apr

Doing or knowing the truth

There is a story told about a guy called Hubert Courtney, who was arrested for car theft. He was a real con artist and was always ready to pull a stunt to get himself out of a jam.

To help his protestations of innocence, he stripped off his shirt to expose a tattooed chest with the words, “Crime Does Not Pay” written across it.

The judge, who was convinced of the man’s guilt, remarked that the tattoos made the man even more blame-worthy, because there was such a wide gap between what he did and what he proclaimed.

- We Christians can never say we didn’t know, because God sent his own Son to tell us.

- Jesus says, “The words I have spoken will be your judge…” (Jn 12:48)

- taken from “150 More Stories for Preachers and Teachers” by Jack McArdle
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Acts of the Apostles 9:1-20

Saul was still breathing threats to slaughter the Lord’s disciples. He had gone to the high priest and asked for letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, that would authorise him to arrest and take to Jerusalem any followers of the Way, men or women, that he could find.

Suddenly, while he was travelling to Damascus and just before he reached the city, there came a light from heaven all around him. He fell to the ground, and then heard a voice saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” “Who are you, Lord?” he asked, and the voice answered, “I am Jesus, and you are persecuting me. Get up now and go into the city, and you will be told what you have to do.” The men travelling with Saul stood there speechless, for though they heard the voice they could see no one. Saul got up from the ground, but even with his eyes wide open he could see nothing at all, and they had to lead him into Damascus by the hand. For three days he was without his sight, and took neither food nor drink.

A disciple called Ananias who lived in Damascus had a vision in which he heard the Lord say to him, “Ananias!” When he replied, “Here I am, Lord,” the Lord said, “You must go to Straight Street and ask at the house of Judas for someone called Saul, who comes from Tarsus. At this moment he is praying, having had a vision of a man called Ananias coming in and laying hands on him to give him back his sight.”

When he heard that, Ananias said, “Lord, several people have told me about this man and all the harm he has been doing to your saints in Jerusalem. He has only come here because he holds a warrant from the chief priests to arrest everybody who invokes your name.” The Lord replied, “You must go all the same, because this man is my chosen instrument to bring my name before pagans and pagan kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he himself must suffer for my name.” Then Ananias went. He entered the hose, and at once laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, I have been sent by the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on your way here so that you may recover your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately it was as though scales fell away from Saul’s eyes and he could see again. So he was baptised there and then, and after taking some food he regained his strength.

After he had spent only a few days with the disciples in Damascus, he began preaching in the synagogues, “Jesus is the Son of God.”
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John 6:52-59

The Jews started arguing with one another: “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” they said. Jesus replied:

“I tell you most solemnly,
if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man
and drink his blood,
you will not have life in you.
Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood
has eternal life,
and I shall raise him up on the last day.
For my flesh is real food
and my blood is real drink.
He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood
lives in me
and I live in him.
As I, who am sent by the living Father,
myself draw life from the Father,
so whoever eats me will draw life from me.
This is the bread come down from heaven;
not like the bread our ancestors ate:
they are dead,
but anyone who eats this bread will live for ever.”
____________________

I remember an incident back in university when we had a campus outreach booth for the Catholic Students Society. In those days, we frequently had Protestant fundamentalists come to our booth to attack the Catholic faith. So in subsequent years we made sure that at all times, there would be at least one Catholic who was equally good at defending the faith.

This particular incident that I recall broke out into a heated argument between one such Protestant fundamentalist and one Protestant fundamentalist turned Catholic, so much so that at the end, when the Protestant left the booth in the huff, the Catholic called out after him, “Brother, I pray for you that God may touch you and like Paul, the scales may fall from your eyes!” That was the first time that I had heard this phrase of scales falling from a person’s eyes.

Another person recently remarked to me that Protestant fundamentalists take the bible literally in all things, but conveniently miss out a few crucial things that really should be taken literally, not symbolically. One of those things is found in today’s gospel reading, where Jesus says, “If you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will not have life in you.” These Protestant fundamentalists are somehow able to say that Jesus means this symbolically, while saying that everything in the Bible is to be taken literally.

However, before we point fingers at other Christians, Catholics must look at ourselves and ask, “Do I really believe that the Eucharist is really the body and blood of Christ?”

Just a couple of days ago, there was a news report on how Singaporeans know that piracy is wrong, but can’t resist downloading stuff from the Internet any way. Actions speak louder than words. We know that this is wrong only in our heads; it hasn’t made that long journey from head to heart yet.

Similarly, many Catholics believe that the Eucharist is the body and blood in our heads, but not in our hearts. This is clearly seen in the reverence that we show the Eucharist. How many of us receive the Eucharist with reverence? How many of us spend time alone before and after Mass adoring the Blessed Sacrament? How many of us take time off our busy week to spend some time with Jesus in an adoration room where the Blessed Sacrament is exposed?

Indeed many of us know that the Eucharist is the body and blood of Christ, but sadly, we do not believe it. We are no better than Protestant fundamentalists in this aspect; we are worse off. We are like Saul who, even with his eyes wide open, could not see anything. We can stand before Jesus and receive Him in our hands, but even if we were looking at the Eucharist in front of us, we still cannot see Jesus. We are blind.

Let us pray therefore for the Spirit of the Lord to awaken within us a deep reverence for the Holy Eucharist, the body and blood of Jesus, the real food and real drink for our spiritual lives, and we ask that the scales may fall from our eyes, so that once again we may be able to see Jesus in the Eucharist. Amen.
____________________

Give Thanks to the Lord for: Always being with us, even though at times we are blind to His presence.

Upcoming Readings:
Fri, 27 Apr – Acts 9:1-20; John 6:52-59
Sat, 28 Apr – Acts 9:31-42; John 6:60-69; Memorial for St. Peter Chanel, priest, martyr
Sun, 29 Apr – Acts 13:14, 43-52; Revelation 7:9, 14b-17; John 10:27-30; Fourth Sunday of Easter; Good Shepherd Sunday
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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 26 – Progression to Fullness

26 Apr

We can make a difference

One day as he began his daily prayer, a holy hermit saw passing by, a cripple, a mother begging for food for her pathetically malnourished child, and the victim of what must have been a very severe beating. Seeing them, the holy man turned to God and said, “Great God! How is it that such a loving Creator can see so much suffering and yet do nothing about it?” And deep within his heart he heard God reply, “I have done something about it. I made you.”

- Jesus ascended into heaven and took the body he had with him. Now he has no other hands but ours.

- To see Christ in others, and to be Christ to others – that’s the ideal that the Spirit within us can make real and possible.

- taken from “150 More Stories for Preachers and Teachers” by Jack McArdle
__________________

Acts of the Apostles 8:26-40

The angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, ‘Be ready to set out at noon along the road that goes from Jerusalem down to Gaza, the desert road.’ So he set off on his journey. Now it happened that an Ethiopian had been on pilgrimage to Jerusalem; he was an eunuch and an officer at the court of the kandake, or queen, of Ethiopia, and was in fact her chief treasurer. He was now on his way home; and as he sat in his chariot he was reading the prophet Isaiah. The Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go up and meet that chariot.’ When Philip ran up, he heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’

‘How can I’ he replied ‘unless I have someone to guide me?’ So he invited Philip to get in and sit by his side. Now the passage of scripture he was reading was this:

Like a sheep that is led to the slaughter-house,
like a lamb that is dump in front of its shearers,
like these he never opens his mouth.
He has been humiliated and has no one to defend him.
Who will ever talk about his descendants,
since his life on earth has been cut short!

The eunuch turned to Philip and said, ‘Tell me, is the prophet referring to himself or someone else?’ Starting, therefore with this text of scripture Philip proceeded to explain the Good News of Jesus to him.

Further along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, ‘Look, there is some water here; is there anything to stop me being baptised?’ He ordered the chariot to stop, then Philip and the eunuch both went down to the water and Philip baptised him. But after they had come up out of the water again Philip was taken away by the Spirit of the Lord, and the eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing. Philip found that he had reached Azotus and continued his journey proclaiming the Good News in every town as far as Caesarea.
___________________

For the past two and a half weeks, the Gospel readings have fallen into two categories; those with Christ teaching the true meaning of the kingdom and those that had Him opening the minds of His disciples to the fullness of His teachings. The readings from Acts showed how the Apostles led by Peter went about bringing the message of Jesus throughout the whole of Jerusalem, seeking to open the minds of the people to the fullness of what had transpired since the Passion and Resurrection.

Today’s first reading pretty much paints a picture of the road that lies ahead of Easter Sunday. It gives a hint at just how large an area covered by this path is. For the first time, we see the Apostles directly reaching out to bring the Good News to a non-Jew. This whole encounter is rich with symbolism and relevance to Christians of every day and age. We see first how the angel of the Lord gave Philip instructions, evidence that this was a God-inspired event. The sentence “So he set off on his journey” is meaningful with regards to both the obedience of Philip and him beginning a mission.

This mission begins wonderfully with another Spirit-inspired encounter with an Ethiopian official who was interested in God but was till then disadvantaged. Philip provided the insight and instruction needed for the eunuch to understand the fullness in the words of scripture, words which led him to Jesus Christ. An equally amazing event takes place at the end of the episode. Philip and the official are separated suddenly, with not a chance to say goodbye. Yet, they displayed no sadness and instead carried on their ways proclaiming the joy they had in God.

Like the disciples, as we go through the Easter period, we are exposed to the same enlightening process that prepares us for and climaxes in Pentecost. It must be remembered though this fullness is unattainable unless we want to have our minds and hearts opened. Not just for the sake of that alone too, but in order to likewise bring the same fullness to others who would be seeking it but need that little prompt. This is the way God touches the lives of each person who wants to know Him; not through overt displays of who is stronger or in the right, but through a steady progression of understanding after which the fullness of Himself is revealed. My sisters and brothers, let us prepare to make this progression towards love.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Aloysius Ting)
___________________

Prayer: Lord, may we seek to know you more and more each day.

Give thanks to the Lord for: The elderly, who have led full and fruitful lives.

Upcoming Readings:
Fri, 27 Apr – Acts 9:1-20; John 6:52-59
Sat, 28 Apr – Acts 9:31-42; John 6:60-69; Memorial for St. Peter Chanel, priest, martyr
Sun, 29 Apr – Acts 13:14, 43-52; Revelation 7:9, 14b-17; John 10:27-30; Fourth Sunday of Easter; Good Shepherd Sunday
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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 25 – Letting Go and Letting God

25 Apr – Feast of St. Mark

St. Mark is believed to be the young man who ran away when Jesus was arrested (Mark 14:51-52), and the “John whose other name was Mark” (Acts 12:25). He was a disciple of St. Peter who travelled with him to Rome, and was referred to as “my son Mark” by the first Pope. He was the author of the earliest canonical Gospel. He travelled with his cousin St. Barnabas, and with St. Paul through Cyprus. He evangelized in Alexandria, established the Church there, and founded the first famous Christian school.

- Patron Saint Index
__________________

1 Peter 5:5b-14

Humility towards one another must be the garment you all wear constantly, because God opposes the proud but accords his favour to the humble. Bow down, then, before the power of God now, so that he may raise you up in due time; unload all your burden on to him, since he is concerned about you. Keep sober and alert, because your enemy the devil is on the prowl like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand up to him, strong in faith and in the knowledge that it is the same kind of suffering that the community of your brothers throughout the world is undergoing. You will have to suffer only for a little while: the God of all grace who called you to eternal glory in Christ will restore you, he will confirm, strengthen and support you. His power lasts for ever and ever. Amen.

I write these few words to you through Silvanus, who is a trustworthy brother, to encourage you and attest that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it!

Your sister in Babylon, who is with you among the chosen, sends you greetings; so does my son, Mark.

Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to you all who are in Christ.
____________________

Mark 16:15-20

And he said to them, ‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These are the signs that will be associated with believers: in my name they will cast out devils; they will have the gift of tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands and be unharmed should they drink deadly poison; they will lay their hands on the sick, who will recover.’

And so the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven; there at the right hand of God he took his place, while they, going out, preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word by the signs that accompanied it.
____________________

Some of us must have come across the phrase “let go and let God” at some point, and found it good advice.

Today, despite the many instructions we see in the readings, we can see it again. Let go, and let God — let Him reveal Himself, to us and through us. By keeping these instructions in mind today, we can do this.

“Let go and let God” is not a call to do nothing; it is a call to let God’s will be done!

(Today’s OXYGEN by Regina Xie)
____________________

Prayer: Holy Spirit, help us to be alert especially when we are prone to do things our way instead of listening to You. Amen.

Give thanks to the Lord for: letting us be His instruments.

Upcoming Readings:
Thu, 26 Apr – Acts 8:26-40; John 6:44-51
Fri, 27 Apr – Acts 9:1-20; John 6:52-59
Sat, 28 Apr – Acts 9:31-42; John 6:60-69; Memorial for St. Peter Chanel, priest, martyr
Sun, 29 Apr – Acts 13:14, 43-52; Revelation 7:9, 14b-17; John 10:27-30; Fourth Sunday of Easter; Good Shepherd Sunday
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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.

Tuesday, April 24 – La la la!

24 Apr – Memorial for St. Fidelis Sigmaringen, priest

St. Fidelis Sigmaringen (1577-1622) was a lawyer and teacher of philosophy. Disgusted by the greed, corruption, and lack of interest in justice by his fellow lawyers, Mark Rey abandoned the law, became a priest and a Franciscan friar with his brother George. He changed his name to Fidelis and gave away his worldly wealth to poor people in general, and poor seminarians in particular. He served his friary as guardian, and worked in epidemics, especially healing soldiers. He led a group of Capuchins to preach to Calvinists and Zwinglians in Switzerland. The success of this work, and lack of violence suffered by mission was attributed to Fidelis spending his nights in prayer. He was, however, eventually martyred for his preaching.

“Woe to me if I should prove myself but a halfhearted soldier in the service of my thorn-crowned Captain.”
- St. Fidelis
_________________

Acts of the Apostles 7:51 – 8:1

Stephen said to the people, the elders and the scribes: “You stubborn people, with your pagan hearts and pagan ears. You are always resisting the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do. Can you name a single prophet your ancestors never persecuted? In the past they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, and now you have become his betrayers, his murderers. You who had the Law brought to you by angels are the very ones who have not kept it.”

They were infuriated when they heard this, and ground their teeth at him.

But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right hand. “I can see heaven thrown open,” he said, “and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” At this all the members of the council shouted out and stopped their ears with their hands; then they all rushed at him, sent him out of the city and stoned him. The witnesses put down their clothes at the feet of a young man called Saul. As they were stoning him, Stephen said in invocation, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and said aloud, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them”; and with these words he fell asleep. Saul entirely approved of the killing.
___________________

John 6:30-35

The people said to Jesus: “What sign will you give to show us that we should believe in you? What work will you do? Our fathers had manna to eat in the desert; as scripture says: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”

Jesus answered:

“I tell you most solemnly,
it was not Moses who gave you bread from heaven,
it is my Father who gives you bread from heaven,
the true bread;
for the bread of God
is that which comes down from heaven
and gives life to the world.”

“Sir,” they said, “give us that bread always.” Jesus answered:

“I am the bread of life.
He who comes to me will never be hungry;
he who believes in me will never thirst.”
____________________

Recently, I read an article that says that majority of the people in the largely Catholic country of the Philippines are open to the use of contraceptives. That troubles me, because a person who approves of the use of contraceptives is very likely to also approve of abortion. Why? Simply because abortion finishes the job where contraceptives fail.

No contraceptive is 100% foolproof. There is always a certain failure rate. Contraceptives are used when a couple does not want children. When a child is conceived “by accident”, it is unwanted and hence aborted.

When I read today’s first reading, where the elders of the people shout out and stop their ears, I imagine a person stopping their ears and going, “La la la! I am not hearing anything you are saying!” What’s amazing is that our ears, unlike our eyes, cannot be closed naturally. We have eyelids to prevent something from entering our eyes, but we have no earlids. We need to use something, like our hands, to prevent unwanted things from entering.

A woman’s vagina also doesn’t close naturally. We need to use something to prevent “unwanted” things from entering if we do not want the natural biological result. But the Church does not forbid contraception because it is artificial, for if it did, then the Church would have to forbid all forms of Western medicine as well.

No, the Church forbids contraception because it goes against the natural order of human beings. That natural order tells us that when a man and a woman engages in sexual intercourse, the man’s sperm enters the woman’s vagina and into her womb. This process is necessary for the sperm to meet the egg, fertilize it, and allow life to be created. This brings life into the world.

When we use contraceptives, we are behaving like the elders of the people in today’s first reading, stopping our ears and shouting out to prevent “unwanted” things from falling into our lives. In so doing, we prevent life from entering into our worlds, our lives. When we do this, we deprive our world, our life, of vitality. We die slowly from the inside, because we say ‘no’ to God, the giver of life. The proof is in the ordinary progression when contraceptives fail. The fruit of contraception is abortion, the snuffing out of a life.

When you approve of contraception, you cannot help but approve of abortion, because they are related. But there is hope yet, for God’s mercy extends beyond our sinfulness. Jesus has told us, “Anyone who eats my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life.” Jesus is the answer to the culture of death that approves of contraception and abortion. Go to him for life. Receive him in the sacraments that give us unlimited grace to go through life in full support and approval of the culture of life.
___________________

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we pray for the Catholics in the world who approve and practise contraception. We ask that they may come to realise their refusal to allow Jesus, the prince of life, to enter into their lives, and that through your Holy Spirit, they may turn from their evil ways and enter into eternal life with you. Amen.

Give Thanks to the Lord for: The Church, the guardian of truth and life.

Upcoming Readings:
Wed, 25 Apr – 1 Peter 5:5b-14; mark 16:15-20; Feast of St. Mark
Thu, 26 Apr – Acts 8:26-40; John 6:44-51
Fri, 27 Apr – Acts 9:1-20; John 6:52-59
Sat, 28 Apr – Acts 9:31-42; John 6:60-69; Memorial for St. Peter Chanel, priest, martyr
Sun, 29 Apr – Acts 13:14, 43-52; Revelation 7:9, 14b-17; John 10:27-30; Fourth Sunday of Easter; Good Shepherd Sunday
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Monday, Apr 23 – Grace

23 Apr – Memorial for St. George, martyr

St. George (d. 304) was a soldier who was martyred for his faith. That’s all we know for sure.

Several stories have been attached to St. George, the best known of which is the “Golden Legend”. In it, a dragon lived in a lake near Silena, Libya. Whole armies had gone up against this fierce creature, and had gone down in painful defeat. The monster ate twoo sheep each day; when mutton was scarce, lots were drawn in local villages, and maidens were substituted for sheep. Into this country came St. George. Hearing the story on a day when a princess was to be eaten, he crossed himself, rode to battle against the serpent, and killed it with a single blow with his lance. George then held forth with a magnificent sermon, and converted the locals. Given a large reward by the king, George distributed it to the poor, then rode away.

Due to his chivalrous behaviour (protecting women, fighting evil, dependence on faith and might of arms, largesse to the poor), devotion to St. George became popular in Europe after the 10th century. In the 15th century, his feast day was as popular and important as Christmas. Many of his areas of patronage have to do with life as a knight on horseback. The celebrated “Knights of the Garter” are actually “Knights of the Order of St. George”. The shrine built for his relics at Lydda, Palestine, was a popular point of pilgrimage for centuries.

He is also one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers.

- Patron Saint Index
__________________

Acts of the Apostles 6:8-15

Stephen was filled with grace and power and began to work miracles and great signs among the people. But then certain people came forward to debate with Stephen, some of Cyrene and Alexandria who were members of the synagogue called the Synagogue of Freedmen, and others from Cilicia and Asia They found they could not get the better of him because of his wisdom, and because it was the Spirit that prompted what he said. So they procured some men to say, “We heard him using blasphemous language against Moses and against God.” Having in this way turned the people against him as well as the elders and scribes, they took Stephen by surprise, and arrested him and brought him before the Sanhedrin. There they put up false witnesses to say, “This man is always making speeches against this Holy Place and the Law. We have heard him say that Jesus the Nazarene is going to destroy this Place and alter the traditions that Moses handed down to us.” The members of the Sanhedrin all looked intently at Stephen, and his face appeared to them like the face of an angel.
____________________

John 6:22-29

After Jesus had fed the five thousand, his disciples saw him walking on the water. Next day, the crowd that had stayed on the other side saw that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not got into the boat with his disciples, but that the disciples had set off by themselves. Other boats, however, had put in from Tiberias, near the place where the bread had been eaten. when the people saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into those boats and crossed to Capernaum to look for Jesus. When they found him on the other side, they said to him, “Rabi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered:

“I tell you most solemnly,
you are not looking for me
because you have seen the signs
but because you had all the bread you wanted to eat.
Do not work for food that cannot last,
but work for food that endures to eternal life,
the kind of food the Son of Man is offering you,
for on him the Father, God himself, has set his seal.”

Then they said to him, “What must we do if we are to do the works that God wants?” Jesus gave them this answer, “This is working for God: you must believe in the one he has sent.”
____________________

I spoke to a friend of mine over the weekend. She was upset that the Church in Singapore seems to place so much emphasis on the vocation of priesthood and religious life, as though it was a more special and holy vocation than all other vocations. I brought this friend of mine to attend the talk on marriage by Msgr Cormac Burke who was in town for a visit.

There was several parts of Msgr Burke’s talks that struck me, what the one line that I liked the most is this: Married people need to learn that they have been called to a vocation, and that there are graces made available through this sacrament of marriage.

In today’s first reading, we recall that the apostles have laid hands on Stephen and ordained him a deacon. He has been called to and has received the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Because of this sacrament, “Stephen was filled with grace and power” and this allowed him to work great miracles and signs among the people. In addition to this, he was able to defend himself from the attacks made on him because “the Spirit that prompted what he said”.

Today’s first reading is a clear sign of the graces that flow from the Sacrament of Holy Orders. This sacrament is not a one-time thing, but a continual state. When priests and deacons go through times of stress, they need to remember that they have received the Sacrament of Holy Orders, and recall the unlimited graces that flow freely from it that grants them the strength, the courage, the will to overcome their trials.

These graces made available to priests and deacons through the Sacrament of Holy Orders are made equally available to married people through the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony (marriage). Like priests and deacons, married people receive graces through the sacrament which unites them and keeps them together.

Married people often encounter various difficulties in their marriage which seem to require almost superhuman strength to overcome. It is periods like these that they need to remember that they have received the sacrament of marriage and from this sacrament draw the strength and wisdom needed to overcome their present difficulties.

I recall an article written by Father Frans de Ridder some time ago which ruffled some feathers. He wrote that a woman had a son who she saw as a sacrament, a source of God’s grace. Because of her son, she could continue her difficult life as it was. It is no secret that children keep marriages together. Couples with children are far less likely to divorce than couples without children. Because of the children, they stick together. How many marriages have been saved because of the children? Indeed children are a sacrament, a source of grace that gives married couples the strength to keep on going together.

Through their perseverance in their marriage, the married couple makes visible to others the power of God’s grace which allows them to continue living as they do. This is why both marriage and holy orders are sacraments – because they show others that through God’s grace it is possible to achieve happiness through the difficulties of life.

One final part about sacraments is their purpose, which is to make people holy and to prepare them for heaven. The sacraments are necessary for salvation, says the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Very true, because sacraments give us the grace that we need to be loving, that is, to be self-giving. Heaven is a state where we become totally loving, totally self-giving. Conversely, hell is when we become totally self-centered.

God’s grace is required for us to give of ourselves. And the sacraments are the means by which God transmits his grace. They are necessary for us to experience continual transformation into the people who are prepared to enter heaven.

Another friend likens the sacraments to a billionaire who tells you, “I have lots of money to give you to help you through your life. Here is my ATM card and my PIN number. Any time you need some money, just come to the ATM and withdraw some for your use.” This is the kind of food that the Son of Man is offering you, as it says in the gospel reading.

It is a stubborn and proud person who would say, “I don’t need this help. I can manage on my own.” A wise person would not reject such help readily given and would make frequent trips to the ATM to withdraw the money he needs to go through life. Likewise, a wise person would receive the sacraments frequently so as to receive God’s graces to go through life and enter into heaven.
___________________

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, help us to see the graces that you are making available for us so readily in the sacraments, and grant us the humility to receive them. Lord Jesus, we entrust into your hands all the recipients of the sacraments of holy orders and marriage. Help these people to humbly come before you to receive the graces you make freely available for them to live out their vocation. Let all your people be open and available to the Holy Spirit working in their lives. Amen.

Give Thanks to the Lord for: The vocations of married people, priests, and deacons.

Upcoming Readings:
Tue, 24 Apr – Acts 7:51 – 8:1; John 6:30-35; Memorial for St. Fidelis Sigmaringen, priest
Wed, 25 Apr – 1 Peter 5:5b-14; mark 16:15-20; Feast of St. Mark
Thu, 26 Apr – Acts 8:26-40; John 6:44-51
Fri, 27 Apr – Acts 9:1-20; John 6:52-59
Sat, 28 Apr – Acts 9:31-42; John 6:60-69; Memorial for St. Peter Chanel, priest, martyr
Sun, 29 Apr – Acts 13:14, 43-52; Revelation 7:9, 14b-17; John 10:27-30; Fourth Sunday of Easter; Good Shepherd Sunday
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Sunday, Apr 22 – If you love Christ, you would obey him

22 Apr – Third Sunday of Easter

It Is The Lord

In this eucharist we proclaim that Christ is the Lord, the Lamb that was sacrificed and who is worthy to be given power, riches, wisdom, strength, honour, glory and blessing. The apostles accepted every kind of humiliation rather than give up proclaiming his name.

- the Sunday Missal
___________________

God’s plan for us

Once upon a time three young trees were growing side by side in a huge plantation. With typical youthful enthusiasm, they shared with one another their hopes for life when they reached maturity.

One hoped to be used in the building of some mansion, so that its grain and quality would be admired by the great and famous.

The second hoped to form the tallest mast in the most beautiful sailing ship, thus gaining full attention as it sailed into any port.

The third hoped to be part of some big public spectacle, well out in the open, so that passers-by would stop and look on in wonder.

The reality for the trees, according to the legend, was:
- the first was cut down, and part of it was used to make a trough for animals, and it later became a manger in a stable.
- the second was cut down, and part of it was used to make a very simple fishing boat that spent a lot of its time tied up on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.
- the third was cut down, and part of it was used to form the beams of a cross, which was used for crucifixion.

- Despite the dreams of each individual tree, God had a personal plan and purpose for each.

- The ideal is to be available for God to use me in any way he chooses to establish, to promote, and to build up the kingdom of his Son Jesus Christ.

- taken from “150 More Stories for Preachers and Teachers” by Jack McArdle
___________________

Acts of the Apostles 5:27-32, 40-41

The high priest demanded an explanation of the apostles. “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 our 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.” They warned the apostles not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them. And so they left the presence of the Sanhedrin glad to have had the honour of suffering humiliation for the sake of the name.
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Revelation 5:11-14

In my vision, I, John, heard the sound of an immense number of angels gathered round the throne and the animals and the elders; there were ten thousand times ten thousand of them and thousands upon thousands, shouting, “The Lamb that was sacrificed i worthy to be given power, riches, wisdom, strength, honour, glory and blessing.” Then I heard all the living things in creation – everything that lives in the air; and on the ground, and under the ground, and in the sea, crying, “To the One who is sitting on the throne and to the Lamb, be all praise, honour, glory and power, for ever and ever.” And the four animals said, “Amen”; and the elders prostrated themselves to worship.
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John 21:1-19

Jesus showed himself again to the disciples. It was by the Sea of Tiberias, and it happened like this: Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee and two more of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.” They replied, “We’ll come with you.” They went out and got into the boat but caught nothing that night.

It was light by now and there stood Jesus on the shore, though the disciples did not realise that it was Jesus. Jesus called out, “Have you caught anything, friends?” And when they answered, “No”, he said, “Throw the net out to starboard and you’ll find something.” So they dropped the net, and there were so many fish that they could not haul it in. The disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” At these words “It is the Lord”, Simon Peter, who had practically nothing on, wrapped his cloak round him and jumped into the water. The other disciples came on in the boat, towing the net and the fish; they were only about a hundred yards from land.

As soon as they came ashore they saw that there was some bread there, and a charcoal fire with fish cooking on it. Jesus said, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore, full of big fish, one hundred and fifty-three of them; and in spite of there being so many the net was not broken. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples was bold enough to ask, “Who are you?”; they knew quite well it was the Lord. Jesus then stepped forward, took the bread and gave it to them, and the same with the fish. This was the third time that Jesus showed himself to the disciples after rising from the dead.

After the meal Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these others do?” He answered, “Yes Lord, you know I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He replied, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Look after my sheep.” Then he said to him a third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was upset that he asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” and said, “Lord you know everything; you know I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.

“I tell you most solemnly,
when you were young
you put on your own belt
and walked where you liked;
but when you grow old
you will stretch out your hands,
and somebody else will put a belt round you
and take you where you would rather not go.”

In these words he indicated the kind of death by which Peter would give glory to God. After this he said, “Follow me.”
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As you might know, religious profess three vows – poverty, obedience, and chastity. I have heard a religious say before: “When you are young, chastity is the hardest vow to keep. But when you are old, it is obedience that is the hardest to keep.” And I’ve also heard from another religious just this week that the vow of obedience has never been a problem with her because she’s never had a problem with authority.

But some of us do. Some of us have a problem with authority. We don’t like people telling us what to do, and asking us to go places that we don’t want to go. There are many people who have left the Catholic Church because they could not stand being told what to do, especially by people who themselves were not obedient to the church. I know I did, once.

However, the obedience to the church is not mere obedience to a bunch of old men in some part of Europe who are not in touch with the reality that we are living. If we believe that obedience is to that bunch of old men, we are forgetting that these old men, bishops, are the apostles, the direct successors of Jesus’ chosen Twelve. And we are discounting or neglecting the promise that Jesus gave to them, and to us, that “I will be with you till the end of time”. We are forgetting that when these old men gather to pray and to decide the direction that the church will take, the Holy Spirit is with them and guiding their every move.

Remember what Gamaliel told the high priests in a reading earlier this week: if it comes from men, it will die out, but if it comes from God, you might find yourselves fighting against God.

Similarly, when we rebel against church authority, are we rebelling against human authority or authority that comes from God? We never really know, actually, but time will tell. Take one simple example which many Catholics have a problem with – contraception. The church has always taught that contraception is evil and Catholics should not use it. Even though it was not able to give a proper explanation why back in the 1960s, the Church now can, thanks to Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body.

For those who obeyed back then, they have reaped the fruits of using Natural Family Planning over those who use contraception. One of those fruits is a lasting marriage. For reasons I won’t go into here, but you can read up on your own in Theology of the Body, the use of contraception adds a great risk to the survival of a marriage, especially over a long period of time.

We didn’t know that back in the 1960s, and some Catholics thought that since they weren’t satisfied with the explanation the Church gave, they would leave the Church. But some others decided that even if they didn’t understand it, they would obey. And they have reaped the fruits of that obedience.

For Jesus has said to us, “If you love me you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15). When we rebel against the Church, we are rebelling against God. When we choose to follow our own beliefs which are contrary to the teachings of the Church, we are choosing to love ourselves more than loving God, for Christ cannot be separate from his Church. The Church is the Body of Christ.

Obedience is about love, and about trust. We find it difficult to obey someone we do not love. We find it difficult to obey someone we do not trust. We cannot love and trust a person that we do not have a relationship with. We cannot love and trust God if we do not have a relationship with him. The key to obedience to God is to first have a relationship with God, one that allows us to trust and love God with all my heart, and to be available for God to use us in any way he chooses to build up the kingdom of Christ.

We learn to obey God when we learn to love him. That is why Jesus asks Peter many times, “Do you love me?” And when Peter says, “Yes Lord I love you”, Jesus gives him instructions to be obeyed. Obedience without love is slavery. We are not slaves. We are children of God, hence we obey with love and because of love, even though it is still difficult.
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Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we ask you to grant us the grace to love you more than we love ourselves, to choose to obey your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and his Church which He has entrusted with the Truth. Please help us to realise that your Holy Spirit has always been and will always be with the Church, and that by our love for you, we might come to be more obedient to the teachings of the Church. Amen.

Give Thanks to the Lord for: Those who lead by example of obedience.

Upcoming Readings:
Mon, 23 Apr – Acts 6:8-15; John 6:22-29; Memorial for St. George, martyr
Tue, 24 Apr – Acts 7:51 – 8:1; John 6:30-35; Memorial for St. Fidelis Sigmaringen, priest
Wed, 25 Apr – 1 Peter 5:5b-14; mark 16:15-20; Feast of St. Mark
Thu, 26 Apr – Acts 8:26-40; John 6:44-51
Fri, 27 Apr – Acts 9:1-20; John 6:52-59
Sat, 28 Apr – Acts 9:31-42; John 6:60-69; Memorial for St. Peter Chanel, priest, martyr
Sun, 29 Apr – Acts 13:14, 43-52; Revelation 7:9, 14b-17; John 10:27-30; Fourth Sunday of Easter; Good Shepherd Sunday
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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.