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 [...]
John 18:33-37 In John 18:33-37, we witness a profound dialogue between Pilate and Jesus, where Pilate questions Jesus about His kingship. Pilate asks, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus responds by clarifying that His kingdom is not of this world. If it were, His followers would have fought to prevent His arrest. Jesus declares, “My kingdom is not [...]
Two words I added to my vocabulary bank this year. Ennui (pronounced On-Wee) is a new emotion of the main character Riley in the movie “Inside Out 2” and Ennui appears in the film performing actions on her handphone from her couch, and exhibits a ‘whatever’ attitude toward life (oh, how I hate that word ‘whatever’). Ennui is the French [...]
Mark 13:24-32 In today’s readings, we are reminded of God’s love and protection for all of us in all circumstances. Hardships in life presents itself in many forms and often we lament and question why certain conditions or challenges are manifesting, and we find ourselves entrapped in a vicious cycle of sense making powered by human knowledge. We are prompted [...]
I have always loved fairy tales. One of them is a lesser-known tale called King Thrushbeard(1) ("Thrushbeard") by the Brothers Grimm. What attracts me is the interesting storyline. Unlike most fairy tales, the Princess in Thrushbeard starts out as a selfish, entitled snob. She insulted every nobleman who came to the castle to ask for her hand. The Princess cruelly dubbed the [...]
In today’s gospel, Jesus encountered scribes who look so highly of themselves and think they are more important than everyone else. They were proud and show-offs and enjoyed the praise and recognition of people. Jesus challenges us to reflect on our motivations and the way we treat others. The scribes’ self-importance serves as a reminder to approach life with humility, [...]