Aug 25 – Memorial for St. Louis of France, married man; Memorial for St. Joseph Calasanz, priest, religious founder As king of France, Louis (1214-1270) made numerous judicial and legislative reforms. He promoted Christianity in France; established religious foundations, aided mendicant orders, propagated synodal decrees of the Church, built leper hospitals, and collected relics. “In... Continue Reading →
15 August, Friday — Magnificent Love and Sacrifice
Aug 15 -- Solemnity of The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary The commemoration of the death of the Blessed Virgin Mary (the Dormition, or falling asleep, as it was known in the East) is known as the Assumption because of the tradition that her body did not decay but that she was raised up,... Continue Reading →
30 July, Wednesday — Personal Quests
Jul 30 – Memorial for St. Peter Chrysologus, Bishop & Doctor An adult convert, St. Peter (406-450) fought paganism and heresy, enforced reforms, and built several churches and ornate altars in his see. A preacher with outstanding language skills, he was given the name ‘Chrysologus’, referring to his ‘golden word’. 176 of his sermons have... Continue Reading →
7 July, Monday — Having Faith in God’s Healing
Monday of Week 14 in Ordinary Time Gen 28:10-22Mt 9:18-26 "If I can only touch his cloak I shall be well again." In Singapore, there is a church known as the Church of St Alphonsus. However, most people refer to it as the ‘Novena Church’ because of the multiple Novena devotions that are held every... Continue Reading →
29 June, Sunday — Captain, Pilot, North Star…
Jun 29 – Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, apostles Peter (c.1–64) was a professional fisherman. He was the brother of St. Andrew the Apostle, the man who led him to Christ. Given the name Simon, he was renamed “Peter” (rock) by Jesus to indicate that Peter would be the rock-like foundation on which the... Continue Reading →
11 June, Wednesday — The Courage to Encourage
Jun 11 – Feast of St. Barnabas, apostle St. Barnabas (martyred 61) founded the Church in Antioch. He was a Levite Jewish convert, coming to the faith soon after Pentecost. Barnabas is mentioned frequently in the Acts of the Apostles, and is included among the prophets and doctors at Antioch. Like Paul, Barnabas believed in... Continue Reading →
13 May, Tuesday — My God knows me
Tuesday of the 4th Week of Easter Acts 11:19-26Jn 10:22-30 When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart. As I sit with today’s readings, I find myself feeling exposed and humbled. The verse from Acts speaks deeply to... Continue Reading →
31 March, Monday — A new path, a new calling.
Monday of the 4th Week of Lent Isa 65:17-21 Jn 4:43-54 I create new heavens and a new earth, and the past will not be remembered. As I revisit my archive of reflections, I realize that I wrote about these exact readings back in 2018, when I was wrestling with whether to continue in ministry. It... Continue Reading →
19 March, Wednesday — Gift of faith
19 Mar – Solemnity of St. Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary Joseph is a descendant of the house of David. A layman and a carpenter, he was the earthly spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and foster and adoptive father of Jesus Christ. He was a visionary who was visited by angels, and... Continue Reading →
19 February, Wednesday — Talk is cheap
Wednesday of Week 6 in Ordinary Time Gen 8:6-13,20-22Mk 8:22-26 A thanksgiving sacrifice I make to you, O Lord. I feel that God has decoded a mystery to me in the scripture readings today – that there is more than one component to having faith in God. The words of the Responsorial Psalm stuck with... Continue Reading →