Theme - Holy Family The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph – Feast falls within the octave of Christmas. As we honor the Holy Family, we prayerfully ponder the daily life the Holy Family shared: the kindness, respect, obedience, unity, charity, and every other Christian virtue that they lived, becoming the model for our Christian living and for [...]
Luke 2:41-52 The union of man and woman that establishes the family life is a sacred reality given by the grace of God and is at the very foundation of the social order. The family, if bounded in love and in obedience to the Lord of life, will reflect the holiness of the Holy Family, centered on Jesus. There is [...]
Luke 1:39-45 The Fourth Sunday of Advent is a time to look forward to Christmas which means a closer look at the birth of Jesus. Ponder how he was born and where he was born. The king in a stable. The Lord of Lords born in such lowly environment. This birth invites us to reflect on important matters such as [...]
Octave? Octavius? I vaguely remember the name Octavius from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and my piano-playing days too lie in the dust but I know an octave is eight notes (I did pass some music theory exams! Do-ray-me-far-so-lah-ti-do!) But what exactly are Octave Days? Let’s break it down. Christmas is too huge to squeeze into a single day. We’re not [...]
The reading of this weekend invites us to dwell in the joy of the expected coming of our Saviour. The expected coming is very near as when John the Baptist preached the people were so moved that they thought the Messiah was coming soon. We rejoice a little bit as we are aware that we are soon going to celebrate [...]
As Catholics, the season of Advent invites us to prepare for more than the historical birth of Jesus—it calls us to reflect on His second coming. Is the second coming in the future? The apocalyptic event? Let me throw a spanner in the works. The second coming of Christ is here and now; it is deeply personal. Three Comings [...]
Luke 3:1-6 All the names mentioned in the Gospel – Pontius Pilate, Herod, Annas and Caiaphas- belong in the Passion of Christ. Ever wondered why do we hear them now before the Lord’s birth? This is to remind us the reason for our Lord’s birth: “Jesus Christ was born for our salvation through his obedience to our Father.” The winding [...]
Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night, unable to move? Your eyes are open but your limbs betray you. I started experiencing this as a teenager and thought it was because I was so darn tired after school. It did not just happen at night. It would happen when I was taking afternoon naps. It was [...]
Luke 21:25-28, 34-36 We are now in the new liturgical year and it begins with Advent. The new year begins with the admonition to ‘Stay awake'. It is apt for us to hear this as it is during this time that most of the world is preparing to celebrate Christmas with the usual gaiety. There will be much preparation for [...]
Something has changed within me Something is not the same I'm through with playing by the rules of someone else's game Too late for second-guessing Too late to go back to sleep It's time to trust my instincts Close my eyes and leap It's time to try defying gravity I think I'll try defying gravity And you can't pull me [...]