Ascension The Feast of the Ascension of Jesus Christ (also called the Solemnity of the Ascension of Jesus Christ, Ascension Day, Ascension Thursday, or sometimes Holy Thursday) commemorates the Christian belief of the bodily Ascension of Jesus into Heaven. It is one of the ecumenical (shared by multiple denominations) feasts of Christian churches, ranking with the feasts of the Passion and Pentecost. Following the account of Acts 1:3 that the... Continue Reading →
21 April, Monday — The lesser-known disciples
Easter Monday Acts 2:14,22-33Mt 28:8-15 While they were on their way, some of the guard went off into the city to tell the chief priests all that had happened. When I was going through the readings for today, I was slightly surprised to see that the Gospel passage – for Easter Monday, the day after... Continue Reading →
21 March, Friday — Insights from Joseph’s story
Friday of the 2nd Week of Lent Gen 37:3-4,12-13,17-28Mt 21:33-43,45-46 But Reuben heard and he saved him from their violence. "We must not take his life” he said. I only knew about Joseph’s thrilling tale from the musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, and appreciated the chance to read his story more closely for... Continue Reading →
20 March, Thursday — Considering the Small Things
Thursday of the 2nd Week of Lent Jer 17:5-10Lk 16:19-31 And at his gate there lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to fill himself with the scraps that fell from the rich man's table. Today’s Gospel passage on Lazarus and the rich man, whom I read somewhere is left unnamed... Continue Reading →
9 February, Sunday — God calls us first
5th Sunday in Ordinary Time Isa 6:1-81 Cor 15:1-11Lk 5:1-11 With this he touched my mouth and said: "See now, this has touched your lips, your sin is taken away, your iniquity is purged." Both the passages set for today’s First Reading and Gospel are familiar ones which have been used before. But when I... Continue Reading →
16 January, Thursday – Our Father and Mother want to heal us
Thursday of Week 1 in Ordinary Time Heb 3:7-14Mk 1:40–45 Feeling sorry for him, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him. “Of course I want to!" he said. "Be cured!” I recently attended the 5th Lourdes Experience in Singapore, an event of prayer for the sick and devotion in honour of Our Lady of... Continue Reading →
27 November, Wednesday — Persevering in hope
Wednesday of Week 34 in Ordinary Time Apo 15:1-4Lk 21:12-19 "Your endurance will win you your lives." I always feel slightly unsettled by the readings at mass every November as the liturgical year draws to an end, especially with the passages from the book of Revelations. The nightmarish images of frightening beasts and destroying angels... Continue Reading →
18 October, Friday — Being unprepared for the journey
Oct 18 – Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist St. Luke (d. 74) was born to pagan Greek parents, and possibly a slave. He was one of the earliest converts, and a physician studying in Antioch and Tarsus. He probably travelled as a ship’s doctor, and many charitable societies of physicians are named after him.... Continue Reading →
15 October, Tuesday — Appreciating the importance of unity
Oct 15 – Memorial for St. Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor Also known as Teresa of Avila, Teresa of Jesus (1515–1582) was born to the Spanish nobility, the daughter of Don Alonso Sanchez de Cepeda and Dona Beatriz. She grew up reading the lives of the saints, and playing at ‘hermit’ in the garden.... Continue Reading →
7 September, Saturday — Strengthening our relationship with Jesus
Saturday of Week 22 in Ordinary Time 1 Cor 4:6-15Lk 6:1-5 One sabbath Jesus happened to be taking a walk through the cornfields, and his disciples were picking ears of corn, rubbing them in their hands and eating them. The experience of watching the series, The Chosen, has made it easier for me to imagine... Continue Reading →
OXYGEN 