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Are we living free in the joy and love of our Risen Lord? Or are we still mourning and weeping for our sins? Or have we instead allowed our hearts to harden that we have become oblivious to sin and guilt. Thinking all is OK and peachy unaware that we are slowly dying first spiritually. The day of reckoning is coming whether or not we are ready, like a thief in the night.

Turn back to the Lord always. For He stands ready and waiting to embrace you. We are meant to live out our lives to the full in His love, peace and joy. To love and be loved. To live out our mission of discipleship to bring others the to the knowledge and joy of the Gospel where they will find Jesus our Lord and saviour.

O sign of God our Father’s great love for us, Jesus our Lord be with us now always. Amen

First reading

Galatians 4:22-24,26-27,31-5:1
Christ freed us: do not submit again to slavery

The Law says, if you remember, that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave-girl, and one by his free-born wife. The child of the slave-girl was born in the ordinary way; the child of the free woman was born as the result of a promise. This can be regarded as an allegory: the women stand for the two covenants. The first who comes from Mount Sinai, and whose children are slaves, is Hagar – The Jerusalem above, however, is free and is our mother, since scripture says: Shout for joy, you barren women who bore no children! Break into shouts of joy and gladness, you who were never in labour. For there are more sons of the forsaken one than sons of the wedded wife. So, my brothers, we are the children, not of the slave-girl, but of the free-born wife.
When Christ freed us, he meant us to remain free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.

Gospel

Luke 11:29-32
As Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be a sign

The crowds got even bigger, and Jesus addressed them:
‘This is a wicked generation; it is asking for a sign. The only sign it will be given is the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. On Judgement day the Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here. On Judgement day the men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation and condemn it, because when Jonah preached they repented; and there is something greater than Jonah here.’

Take heed that our bodies, mind and spirit must be constantly renewed through our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. By the ascent of our prayers, the indwelling of His precious word and the frequent reception of the sacraments given to us by His love. The Sacrament of reconciliation and Holy Eucharist.

Evil and its curses will have no hold over us. We live as free men and women in God’s precious love. Indeed even if we were to walk through the darkest valley, no evil shall we fear! For the Lord walks with us. Yes our bodies may be frail but we have been given a most powerful advocate to accompany us on our journey. Who fortifies and guides us through the many challenges and obstacles we may face.

Come Holy Spirit come. Come dwell in my heart, now and forever. Amen

First reading

Galatians 3:7-14
The sons of Abraham are those who rely on faith

Don’t you see that it is those who rely on faith who are the sons of Abraham? Scripture foresaw that God was going to use faith to justify the pagans, and proclaimed the Good News long ago when Abraham was told: In you all the pagans will be blessed. Those therefore who rely on faith receive the same blessing as Abraham, the man of faith.
On the other hand, those who rely on the keeping of the Law are under a curse, since scripture says: Cursed be everyone who does not persevere in observing everything prescribed in the book of the Law. The Law will not justify anyone in the sight of God, because we are told: the righteous man finds life through faith. The Law is not even based on faith, since we are told: The man who practises these precepts finds life through practising them. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by being cursed for our sake, since scripture says: Cursed be everyone who is hanged on a tree. This was done so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might include the pagans, and so that through faith we might receive the promised Spirit.

Gospel

Luke 11:15-26
The finger of God has overtaken you

When Jesus had cast out a devil, some of the people said, ‘It is through Beelzebul, the prince of devils, that he casts out devils.’ Others asked him, as a test, for a sign from heaven; but, knowing what they were thinking, he said to them, ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is heading for ruin, and a household divided against itself collapses. So too with Satan: if he is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? – since you assert that it is through Beelzebul that I cast out devils. Now if it is through Beelzebul that I cast out devils, through whom do your own experts cast them out? Let them be your judges then. But if it is through the finger of God that I cast out devils, then know that the kingdom of God has overtaken you. So long as a strong man fully armed guards his own palace, his goods are undisturbed; but when someone stronger than he is attacks and defeats him, the stronger man takes away all the weapons he relied on and shares out his spoil.
‘He who is not with me is against me; and he who does not gather with me scatters.
‘When an unclean spirit goes out of a man it wanders through waterless country looking for a place to rest, and not finding one it says, “I will go back to the home I came from.” But on arrival, finding it swept and tidied, it then goes off and brings seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and set up house there, so that the man ends up by being worse than he was before.’

2018-10-10
Peace Be With You
Welcoming community of CPS Changi

Peace be with you somehow does not come easy for me

Julian repeating it so much since I started meeting him at the reflection sessions started making it easy for me to repeat the greeting in return …

Standing at the entrance to our EC room – this weekly tabernacle of our Lord – greeting Peace Be With You to the community felt strangely comforting – the welcome we gave was returned warmly by most, who smiled brightly too – communion of saints

And many you could see, who wanted to dive straight into the tabernacle of the Lord for solace comfort strength – snapped out momentarily of the “stupor”, perchance feeling welcomed.

I would do it again because we are building the community here and over time we would start recognising faces, going beyond pleasantries, greeting each other by name and God willing, have a deeper relationship with each other in this CPS Changi Community and Ephraim SCC.

Jude-Maria (Meng)

In an effort to encourage growth within our small Christian community including a spiritual one I invited our members to welcome the congregation of Changi business park before the lunch time Eucharistic Celebration. Two ladies joined me. I then requested they share their experience.

Rose shared that it was a warm feeling to welcome them. Especially those she recognised as regulars but never had a chance to even say hi.

This is Tiffany’s sharing in her own words…

In an effort to encourage growth within our small Christian community including a spiritual one I invited our members to welcome the congregation of before the lunch time Eucharistic Celebration. Two ladies joined me. I then requested they share their experience.

Rose shared that it was a warm feeling to welcome them. Especially those she recognised as regulars but never had a chance to even say hi.

This is Tiffany’s sharing in her own words…

Sharing my thoughts as i stood at the door last Wed before Eucharistic Celebration welcoming the congregation….

when standing at the door that day, i am reminded of my visit to my granny’s Christian Church when we were asked to visit (for the first time) as they were having a ‘memorial service’ for all those departed in that month. the moment my aunt, brother & myself stepped out of the lift, the ushers at the door recognized that we were there for the first time. it was as if they knew every single person in that hall of about close to 100! they immediately asked us to write down our contact details put at a table nearby. they were warm; friendly immediately felt like home. i wondered then how many of us Catholics actually know if anyone in our congregation were there for the 1st time (be it at CPS or at our parish)? for me, i wouldn’t know!

how then can we build bonds in the community instead of just coming to Church every Sun just fulfilling our Sunday duties? this set me thinking …

When Jesus touches you in a profound way there is no room for doubt. His love embraces you, His precious blood covers you and takes away all your blemishes. You are made pure to love and to serve. His mission for you is clear and concise. There is no need to fear, worry or even discern. For you hear His voice, you know Him and you follow.

Our human bodies are frail and that is the only reason why we need to come into our Lord’s presence from time to time. To allow Him to minister to us. So that we can be nourished and revitalised to continue our journey. Never allow your mobile phones, tight busy schedules, worldly cares distract you from Your precious quiet time with Him. For without Him we run on empty!

Jesus my love, embrace and protect me from all evil. That I may always be able to dwell deeply in Your love, to be nourished so as to serve. Amen

First reading

Galatians 1:13-24
God called me through his grace and chose to reveal his Son in me

You must have heard of my career as a practising Jew, how merciless I was in persecuting the Church of God, how much damage I did to it, how I stood out among other Jews of my generation, and how enthusiastic I was for the traditions of my ancestors.
Then God, who had specially chosen me while I was still in my mother’s womb, called me through his grace and chose to reveal his Son in me, so that I might preach the Good News about him to the pagans. I did not stop to discuss this with any human being, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were already apostles before me, but I went off to Arabia at once and later went straight back from there to Damascus. Even when after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and stayed with him for fifteen days, I did not see any of the other apostles; I only saw James, the brother of the Lord, and I swear before God that what I have just written is the literal truth. After that I went to Syria and Cilicia, and was still not known by sight to the churches of Christ in Judaea, who had heard nothing except that their one-time persecutor was now preaching the faith he had previously tried to destroy; and they gave glory to God for me.

Gospel

Luke 10:38-42
Martha works; Mary listens

Jesus came to a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. She had a sister called Mary, who sat down at the Lord’s feet and listened to him speaking. Now Martha who was distracted with all the serving said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do the serving all by myself? Please tell her to help me.’ But the Lord answered: ‘Martha, Martha,’ he said ‘you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken from her.’

God is good all the time! Praise the Lord!

This morning I went to a unisex toilet, priority for the handicapped just outside my office area. I totally forgot I left my mobile phone on top of the toilet roll dispenser.

I then went about my morning routine getting my hot drink and topping up my thermos Flask with hot water. Went back to my seat in the office and before I knew it it was even missing, a female colleague from another department calls out to me and says “I believe this is yours.”

How did she know I asked her? She smiled and said “what picture do you see when you open the cover?” Surely it must be Julian’s I thought to myself said my colleague.

Praise the Lord!

Servant of All: Scott Hahn Reflects on the Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Readings:

Wisdom 2:12,17–20
Psalm 54:3–8
James 3:16-4:3
Mark 9:30–37

In today’s First Reading, it’s like we have our ears pressed to the wall and can hear the murderous grumblings of the elders, chief priests, and scribes—who last week Jesus predicted would torture and kill Him (see Mark 8:31; 10:33–34).
The liturgy invites us to see this passage from the Book of Wisdom as a prophecy of the Lord’s Passion. We hear His enemies complain that “the Just One” has challenged their authority, reproached them for breaking the law of Moses, for betraying their training as leaders and teachers.
And we hear chilling words that foreshadow how they will mock Him as He hangs on the Cross: “For if the Just One be the Son of God, He will . . . deliver Him . . . ” (compare Matthew 27:41–43).

Today’s Gospel and Psalm give us the flip side of the First Reading. In both, we hear of Jesus’ sufferings from His point of view. Though His enemies surround Him, He offers Himself freely in sacrifice, trusting that God will sustain Him.
But the Apostles today don’t understand this second announcement of Christ’s passion. They begin arguing over issues of succession—over who among them is greatest, who will be chosen to lead after Christ is killed.
Again they are thinking not as God, but as human beings (see Mark 8:33). And again Jesus teaches the Twelve—the chosen leaders of His Church—that they must lead by imitating His example of love and self-sacrifice. They must be “servants of all,” especially the weak and the helpless—symbolized by the child He embraces and places in their midst.
This is a lesson for us, too. We must have the mind of Christ, who humbled Himself to come among us (see Philippians 2:5–11). We must freely offer ourselves, making everything we do a sacrifice in praise of His name.
As James says in today’s Epistle, we must seek wisdom from above, desiring humility, not glory, and in all things be gentle and full of mercy.

The Lord our God sends His priests, laity, Holy spirit filled men and women to guide and show us the way. Often times very different ways from what we are used to. Do we complain and compare one with another? Or accept that whatever the case it is meant for our spiritual growth. For even in dryness we learn to thrive without consolation.

Even if we disagree and feel that we are being led in a different direction. Know that our Lord Jesus Christ can make all crooked lines or paths straight. His chosen are spiritual only because they are tapped into the source of life, our Lord and God.

Let us then strive to be one just as He is one. And remain focused on Christ alone and our mission to save souls. Amen

First reading

1 Corinthians 3:1-9
Neither the planter nor the waterer matters, only God, who makes things grow

Brothers, I myself was unable to speak to you as people of the Spirit: I treated you as sensual men, still infants in Christ. What I fed you with was milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it; and indeed, you are still not ready for it since you are still unspiritual. Isn’t that obvious from all the jealousy and wrangling that there is among you, from the way that you go on behaving like ordinary people? What could be more unspiritual than your slogans, ‘I am for Paul’ and ‘I am for Apollos’?
After all, what is Apollos and what is Paul? They are servants who brought the faith to you. Even the different ways in which they brought it were assigned to them by the Lord. I did the planting, Apollos did the watering, but God made things grow. Neither the planter nor the waterer matters: only God, who makes things grow. It is all one who does the planting and who does the watering, and each will duly be paid according to his share in the work. We are fellow workers with God; you are God’s farm, God’s building.

Gospel

Luke 4:38-44
He would not allow them to speak because they knew he was the Christ

Leaving the synagogue, Jesus went to Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever and they asked him to do something for her. Leaning over her he rebuked the fever and it left her. And she immediately got up and began to wait on them.
At sunset all those who had friends suffering from diseases of one kind or another brought them to him, and laying his hands on each he cured them. Devils too came out of many people, howling, ‘You are the Son of God.’ But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak because they knew that he was the Christ.
When daylight came he left the house and made his way to a lonely place. The crowds went to look for him, and when they had caught up with him they wanted to prevent him leaving them, but he answered, ‘I must proclaim the Good News of the kingdom of God to the other towns too, because that is what I was sent to do.’ And he continued his preaching in the synagogues of Judaea.

Yes there are many who do not share the faith with others for fear of not knowing enough or not being eloquent enough. Nor will they offer to pray with or over another afterall they feel they are not Holy enough. Then there are some willing to share or pray but rely on their own knowledge and strength.

All power and knowledge of Christ comes from Christ Jesus Himself. By deepening our relationship with Him through His word, living it and prayer we become one with Him. His spirit lives in us so that whatever we say or do, we do so in the spirit. While we certainly will not know everything there is to know, the Holy Spirit will guide us to say what is needed and when. In awe of what is mentioned through our mouths we give Him glory and thanks.

Let us always remain docile to the promptings of the Holy Spirit so we may be powerful instruments of His love through Christ our Lord. Amen

First reading

1 Corinthians 2:10-16
The Spirit reaches even the depths of God

The Spirit reaches the depths of everything, even the depths of God. After all, the depths of a man can only be known by his own spirit, not by any other man, and in the same way the depths of God can only be known by the Spirit of God. Now instead of the spirit of the world, we have received the Spirit that comes from God, to teach us to understand the gifts that he has given us. Therefore we teach, not in the way in which philosophy is taught, but in the way that the Spirit teaches us: we teach spiritual things spiritually. An unspiritual person is one who does not accept anything of the Spirit of God: he sees it all as nonsense; it is beyond his understanding because it can only be understood by means of the Spirit. A spiritual man, on the other hand, is able to judge the value of everything, and his own value is not to be judged by other men. As scripture says: Who can know the mind of the Lord, so who can teach him? But we are those who have the mind of Christ.

Gospel

Luke 4:31-37
‘I know who you are: the Holy One of God’

Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath. And his teaching made a deep impression on them because he spoke with authority.
In the synagogue there was a man who was possessed by the spirit of an unclean devil, and it shouted at the top of its voice, ‘Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God.’ But Jesus said sharply, ‘Be quiet! Come out of him!’ And the devil, throwing the man down in front of everyone, went out of him without hurting him at all. Astonishment seized them and they were all saying to one another, ‘What teaching! He gives orders to unclean spirits with authority and power and they come out.’ And reports of him went all through the surrounding countryside.

We are called to lead one another to right worship of the Lord our God. And we do this by our faith, honour, integrity, most of all our love for Him.

Therefore at every Eucharistic Celebration we lead everyone into the sacred. The focus then and always will be our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. Whose life, death and resurrection liberated is from sin and brought us hope in everlasting life with Him. Hence receiving the sacraments of reconciliation and Holy Eucharist is key to a grace filled life in Him. Are there then constant burdens placed on the congregation before they are allowed to partake or receive that which comes from Christ?

Lord Jesus have mercy on us and lead us always in Your ways. Amen

St Monica pray for us…

First reading

2 Thessalonians 1:1-5,11-12
We thank God for your faith and your love

From Paul, Silvanus and Timothy, to the Church in Thessalonika which is in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ; wishing you grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We feel we must be continually thanking God for you, brothers; quite rightly, because your faith is growing so wonderfully and the love that you have for one another never stops increasing; and among the churches of God we can take special pride in you for your constancy and faith under all the persecutions and troubles you have to bear. It all shows that God’s judgement is just, and the purpose of it is that you may be found worthy of the kingdom of God; it is for the sake of this that you are suffering now.
Knowing this, we pray continually that our God will make you worthy of his call, and by his power fulfil all your desires for goodness and complete all that you have been doing through faith; because in this way the name of our Lord Jesus Christ will be glorified in you and you in him, by the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Gospel

Matthew 23:13-22
Alas for you, blind guides!

Jesus said: ‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who shut up the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces, neither going in yourselves nor allowing others to go in who want to.
‘Alas for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You who travel over sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when you have him you make him twice as fit for hell as you are.
‘Alas for you, blind guides! You who say, “If a man swears by the Temple, it has no force; but if a man swears by the gold of the Temple, he is bound.” Fools and blind! For which is of greater worth, the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred? Or else, “If a man swears by the altar it has no force; but if a man swears by the offering that is on the altar, he is bound.” You blind men! For which is of greater worth, the offering or the altar that makes the offering sacred? Therefore, when a man swears by the altar he is swearing by that and by everything on it. And when a man swears by the Temple he is swearing by that and by the One who dwells in it. And when a man swears by heaven he is swearing by the throne of God and by the One who is seated there.’

It just dawned on me that it has come full circle.

I was chosen a few weeks back to proclaim the first reading today in my Parish. And surely without a doubt it is the Lord that selected this particular passage for me.

Glory and Praise to our Lord Jesus Christ. Indeed how lovely is Your dwelling place O Lord my God!

(yes this little reflection may be cryptic to most but it is of a personal nature ❤️)

Then after this little reflection as I was heading home on my bike, I find this at the side of the traffic light on the grass patch.

On further reflection Today’s Gospel also reminded me of the vision I had at the labourer’s retreat..

Labourers In The Vineyard 

A dear sister in Christ shared this simple yet powerful testimony to God’s love and the importance of belonging to a community. Praise the Lord!

This is what a prefect day resembles.

You are able to share in the love of the Lord in the morning at the Eucharistic celebration.

In the afternoon during lunchtime you are able to share in the love of the Lord with your sisters and brothers in Christ in working community.

In the night you are able to share in the love of the Lord with other sisters and brothers in Christ who belong to varied church communities.

A day to be cherished indeed. Glory and Praise to our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

Ever since I attended the combined Ministry retreat under the umbrella of a ‘Small Christian community’ and during the Adoration session; I received a prompting to return to serving in ministry in my Parish. Initially I thought it meant going back to serving as a Eucharistic minister of Holy Communion in which I had served faithfully for seven years before leaving for personal reasons.

So I requested a few prayerful people to pray for me and help me discern. I even requested my spiritual director to do likewise. With deeper reflection and discussion I was led to consider joining another ministry.

Today while praying rosary before the Eucharistic Celebration started, I saw visions of myself presenting to the members of this ministry, serving the parishioners and leading both into the sacred. Ten minutes before the EC started the vice chair of that ministry approaches me to see if I could help out during the celebration as they were short. Well needless to say I was convinced the Lord had clearly pointed the way for me.

During the Eucharistic Celebration the message I received was crystal clear, and that I was being sent to where I am most needed. After the Eucharistic Celebration, a very brief conversation with the longest serving and senior member confirmed my role. A challenging one indeed so in faith and trust, I boldly declare that my Lord’s grace is sufficient for me. 🙏

I am still very much in awe of the Lord’s hand in our prayer meeting last night. In only the second meeting this loving community bared their souls and shared their pain and challenges. I am certain they felt our Lord Jesus’s healing touch one way or another. As He gently made His presence known.

The desire of the community to pray and intercede for others not present with us, was a testimony to the Lord’s love in us all.

May our Lord Jesus Christ continue to bless all loving communities gathered in His name. And may we all continue to grow in love and deepen our relationship with Him. Amen

2 Cor 13:12

We should never take for granted what we have built and should continue to greet one another with an offering of the peace of Christ and a warm hug. This comes from a relationship built upon our rock Christ Jesus. For it is only through His love that we are able to do so. Many who might have thought it awkward in the beginning have begun to realise and appreciate the depth of growing in His love through these small acts of love for one another. This is a truth that not everyone will grasp or embrace but it is a truth nonetheless. ❤️

I AM Community…

Some time back I gave a short talk about being a loving, growing community. I began with sharing that the first community is the Holy Trinity. Three persons One God in an all loving, giving relationship. One in which all communities should emulate while they dwell on and in the mystery. Therefore a simple statement as I Am Community has greater depth in meaning and application.

A Community therefore can only grow in love if it responds to the call to love by the Holy Trinity.

How is that love expressed?

1. By making a commitment to come together in the presence of the Lord to pray and testify to His love.

2. To share our vulnerabilities and our hopes in the Risen Lord knowing that we do so on sacred ground bound in love for one another.

3. Putting aside all judgements of one another looking to the strengths that each of one poseseses instead of the weaknesses. Affirming one another while encouraging, nurturing the growth of our God given talents and gifts.

4. To always be outward looking as we spread the love we receive through our sharing in His love and to invite others to do the same.

5. To remain steadfast in prayer for one another and to fast when there are occasions that calls for fasting for one another.

6. To encourage one another to grow in our love and relationship with our Lord through His living Word.

7. To help and encourage one another to live His word in our lives.

I AM Community and so am I in Him. Are you? ❤️

We look at Adam and Eve and think to ourselves, No we would never do what they did. And yet we do likewise nonetheless. When we choose our careers and ambitions above all else. When we decide on our own what is best for us. When we give in to temptation and sin to satisfy our desires. When we choose not to heed our Christian call to love and be holy. When there is little or no time for prayer or to be in His presence.

How then can we truly love our family let alone friend or neighbour? For to love them as we ought to, can only come from our love of the Lord our God. For God is love, life giving liberating love. A love that wills the good in another. For by His love we become little to ourselves and our love grows bigger for others. By His love we can love the stranger amongst us and welcome them as His children our brethren.

Lord teach me to love as You do. Amen

First reading

James 4:1-10
Resist the devil and he will run away

Where do these wars and battles between yourselves first start? Isn’t it precisely in the desires fighting inside your own selves? You want something and you haven’t got it; so you are prepared to kill. You have an ambition that you cannot satisfy; so you fight to get your way by force. Why you don’t have what you want is because you don’t pray for it; when you do pray and don’t get it, it is because you have not prayed properly, you have prayed for something to indulge your own desires.
You are as unfaithful as adulterous wives; don’t you realise that making the world your friend is making God your enemy? Anyone who chooses the world for his friend turns himself into God’s enemy. Surely you don’t think scripture is wrong when it says: the spirit which he sent to live in us wants us for himself alone? But he has been even more generous to us, as scripture says: God opposes the proud but he gives generously to the humble. Give in to God, then; resist the devil, and he will run away from you. The nearer you go to God, the nearer he will come to you. Clean your hands, you sinners, and clear your minds, you waverers. Look at your wretched condition, and weep for it in misery; be miserable instead of laughing, gloomy instead of happy. Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up.

Gospel

Mark 9:30-37
Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me

Jesus and his disciples made their way through Galilee; and he did not want anyone to know, because he was instructing his disciples; he was telling them, ‘The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men; they will put him to death; and three days after he has been put to death he will rise again.’ But they did not understand what he said and were afraid to ask him.
They came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the road?’ They said nothing because they had been arguing which of them was the greatest. So he sat down, called the Twelve to him and said, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last of all and servant of all.’ He then took a little child, set him in front of them, put his arms round him, and said to them, ‘Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name, welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.’

Yesterday morning and through out the whole day I was feeling out of whack. My body ached and I was running a fever. Still I pushed on at work as I wanted to finish some important stuff.

When I got home my wife was sweet enough to dish out food for me. I popped two annarex tablets and lay on the couch to relax for a bit. Was thinking to myself that if things didn’t improve I would have to see a doctor. My daughter then comes up to me and asks if we were going to have family prayers? She likes praying the rosary and loves to say at the end of each decade “St Joseph” and when the rest of us responds “pray for us” she will quickly lead with the ave Maria. Anyhow while I was not quite up to it, I told her to ask the rest of the family if they wanted to pray. She ran off enthusiastically and she managed to get them all to agree.

My wife suggested instead that we pray the divine mercy. While my daughter was not to happy about it in the beginning since she was not familiar with the prayer, she decided to join us in the middle. I decided that we should end with the divine praises and so led in it. Praise be to God that His mercy was indeed upon me as I started to feel better before going to bed. By morning today I was good to go to work!

Blessed indeed is a praying family.

Open my eyes to see You Lord…

So two weeks ago I went for my annual foot and eye check up as part of the diabetes follow up regime. The clinic tech took snapshots of my eyes and told me if they did not call or message me then everything was fine.

Last week however I got a message to see a specialist for a follow up assessment on the eyes. Well of course I was a little concerned but decided to leave it in the hands of the Lord. So this morning I showed at the specialist clinic which had a very peaceful ambience. There was even a station to make a cuppa nescafe ☕.

So I made myself one and took out my copy of the Catholic news to read. A lady patient who had just come out of the doctor’s office sat opposite me and told me that the doctor is Catholic too. So I asked if she might be a fellow sister in Christ and found out that she is a parishioner of Our Lady Star of the Sea. But because there are renovation works going on, she attends the Eucharist at Holy Spirit Church. We chatted for a while before it was my turn to see the doctor. I quickly introduced myself and she shared that her name is Nellie.

The doctor 😷 was a pleasant and rather friendly chap. After the initial check up he told me all looked good but that they would have to dilate my eyes to check deeper. After about half an hour I went back in for a further examination. He then asked if my previous doctor mentioned or checked for glaucoma? He told me it was probably nothing but I needed to get a photo scan to be sure. While waiting for it I prayed to the Lord to please let the results be clear. He had already showed Himself to me in Nellie and the doctor. And I wouldn’t want to have anything hamper me from serving Him fully. But then,His will be done.

While waiting for the doctor, Nellie who had already gone off, came back just to let me know that she was done at the clinic and was heading home. How sweet… I prayed for God’s blessings upon her as she left.

Saw the doctor and the results were negative, every thing was fine! Praise the Lord! ❤️ And so I fixed my appointment for next year.

How wonderful to be able to see God’s hand in everything. Alleluia!

God our Father in His infinite wisdom and love gave us His commandments and laws so that we can live ordered lives in His love. Jesus by His life, death and resurrection completes this act of love.

Turning our backs on them simply brings about disorder and chaos into our lives through our sin and disobedience. We know this to be true having experienced it in our own lives. Only when we turned to Jesus with contrite hearts did we begin to experience peace and joy once again.

It is not enough that we abide by them on our own, we must teach our family and others too. So that we all can lead fruitful lives in God’s love. Amen

First reading

Deuteronomy 4:1,5-9
Keep these laws and observe them

Moses said to the people:
‘Now, Israel, take notice of the laws and customs that I teach you today, and observe them, that you may have life and may enter and take possession of the land that the Lord the God of your fathers is giving you.
‘See, as the Lord my God has commanded me, I teach you the laws and customs that you are to observe in the land you are to enter and make your own. Keep them, observe them, and they will demonstrate to the peoples your wisdom and understanding. When they come to know of all these laws they will exclaim, “No other people is as wise and prudent as this great nation.” And indeed, what great nation is there that has its gods so near as the Lord our God is to us whenever we call to him? And what great nation is there that has laws and customs to match this whole Law that I put before you today?
‘But take care what you do and be on your guard. Do not forget the things your eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your heart all the days of your life; rather, tell them to your children and to your children’s children.’

Gospel

Matthew 5:17-19
I have not come to abolish the Law and the Prophets but to complete them

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete them. I tell you solemnly, till heaven and earth disappear, not one dot, not one little stroke, shall disappear from the Law until its purpose is achieved. Therefore, the man who infringes even one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be considered the least in the kingdom of heaven; but the man who keeps them and teaches them will be considered great in the kingdom of heaven.’