Sep 8 – Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary The birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary announced joy and the approaching salvation of a lost world. Mary was brought into the world not like other children of Adam, infected with the contagion of sin, but pure, holy, beautiful, and glorious, adorned with... Continue Reading →
7 September, Sunday — “The eye of the needle…”
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Wis 9:13-18Phi 9-10, 12-17Lk 14:25-33 “So in the same way, none of you can be my disciple unless he gives up all his possessions…” I believe that all of us are hoarders, even though you may claim that you are not, or that you do a ‘Marie Kondo’ once every... Continue Reading →
6 September, Saturday — St Paul is a real person
Saturday of Week 22 in Ordinary Time Col 1:21-23Lk 6:1-5 …now he has reconciled you, by his death and in that mortal body. Now you are able to appear before him holy, pure and blameless… Today’s first reading is from St Paul’s epistle (letter) to the church in Colossae. This chapter in the New Testament... Continue Reading →
4 September, Thursday — Better Be Obedient
Thursday of Week 22 in Ordinary Time Col 1:9-14Lk 5:1-11 “…but if you say so…” We often can’t see what’s ahead of us. This is especially true for what God’s plan is for us. I can still remember very vividly one morning, what Jesus told me to do. For months, I had been praying for... Continue Reading →
2 September, Tuesday — Through the darkness
Tuesday of Week 22 in Ordinary Time 1 Ths 5:1-6,9-11Lk 4:31-37 …we do not belong to the night or to darkness, so we should not go on sleeping, as everyone else does, but stay wide awake and sober. I once belonged to the night and darkness. Losing someone you love does that. I was in... Continue Reading →
1 September, Monday — You’ve been sent
Monday of Week 22 in Ordinary Time 1 Ths 4:13-18Lk 4:16-30 He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor. At the end of mass, the priest will say “Go forth, the Mass is ended." For a long time, I did not know that it means we are being sent forth to... Continue Reading →
31 August, Sunday — Pride goes before a fall
22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Ecc 3:19-21,30-31Heb 12:18-19,22-24Lk 14:1,7-14 The greater you are, the more you should behave humbly… So if humility is so important, why is it so that people in high positions are so arrogant? Is it because in rising to their lofty positions, they feel self-important that they forget where they came... Continue Reading →
30 August, Saturday — Being Faithful Stewards
Saturday of Week 21 in Ordinary Time 1 Ths 4:9-11 Mt 25:14-30 “...we do urge you, brothers… to make a point of living quietly, attending to your own business and earning your living…” I wonder if the parable of the three stewards in today’s Gospel had different situations and outcomes? What if, as a thought... Continue Reading →
26 August, Tuesday — A True Heart for God
Tuesday of Week 21 in Ordinary Time 1 Ths 2:1-8Mt 23:23-26 …we are not trying to please men but God… I used to serve in a few different ministries in a parish in Singapore. For the most part, people were genuine and kind towards one another, putting aside personal differences for the sake of being... Continue Reading →
24 August, Sunday — Because I love you
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Isa 66:18-21Heb 12:5-7,11-13Lk 13:22-30 My son, when the Lord corrects you, do not treat it lightly, but do not get discouraged when He reprimands you. For the Lord trains the ones that he loves, and He punishes all those that He acknowledges as His sons. We do not like being... Continue Reading →