Matthew 13:44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy, he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field." During the time of Jesus, the people are used to hiding their treasures in case of raids from their enemies or theft. Therefore, the treasure does [...]
In the parable of today’s gospel, the enemy sows darnel into the wheat field. As the darnel grows become evident, the neighbours around this farmer will laugh at him and say that he does not know how to prepare the soil for the sowing. The enemy wants to shame the farmer because he does not like the farmer to prosper. [...]
A question to consider is: ‘Who is the Sower?’ The immediate answer for most is that it is Jesus. If we consider the ancient world, it could be the owner of the plantation, the tenant farmer, or the peasant worker. If it was the owner, he would be despised by the peasant who are hearing this parable. If there were [...]
Rejoice! The King is Coming! The first reading is a song of praise for the coming of the Kingdom of God. The King is victorious; he is triumphant. He comes to us in humility by riding on a donkey. In ancient times, a king would ride on a donkey to signify that he is coming in peace. He rides a [...]
In Genesis 31: 34-35, “Meanwhile Rachel had taken the household images, put them inside the camel’s saddlebag, and seated herself upon them. When Laban had rummaged through her whole tent without finding them, she said to her father, “Do not let my lord be angry that I cannot rise in your presence; I am having my period.” So, despite his [...]
This Sunday’s readings are a reminder of the paradox of the cross that in order to live one must die. Dying to oneself is something that is avoided because it is uncomfortable. Familiarity is comforting and choosing situations which make one feel comfortable is natural. Even in church, worshippers often find themselves sitting at the same spot during Eucharistic celebrations, [...]
40 years. The number sounds familiar? Well, that was also me ignoring the Holy Spirit. In my 20s and 30s, the only times I made the sign of the cross – Father, Son & Holy Spirit, was when I entered the church. It was not until I attended Life in the Spirit Seminar in my 40s, that my eyes were [...]
The First Reading and the Responsorial Psalms contain tones of restlessness and complain. The prophet Jeremiah in the First Reading was experiencing such tumult as he fought futilely against the onslaught of despair, sorrow, and terror. As a prophet of God, he was afraid for his life, so much so that he scolded God for beguiling him with a [...]
My family keeps a pet hamster, well technically it belongs to my sister, but we take turns taking care of it when she goes away on holiday. Recently, this pet hamster passed on. It was 2 and a half years old – considered very old in hamster age, and when it died, it had been struggling with hamster cancer in [...]
Singapore’s population is aging, and households are having fewer children too. We are facing an unprecedented decline in vocations to the priestly and religious vocations. Following the results from a Catholic News 2008 survey, which then recorded the average age of priests in Singapore as 55 years old, the statistical results from the recent Catholic Conversation (Catholic.sg, 2021) show that [...]
