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, [...]
Earlier on in history, religion was filled with animal sacrifices and superstitions. The practices were mostly out of fear and sacrifices were made to supplicate the gods. This changed over time and after many centuries later, Jesus moves them to another plain and that is of love, as he gives us the commandment, "You shall love the Lord your God [...]
This year, at the meeting of the Ordinary Consistory of Cardinals, Pope Francis approved the canonisation of 15 people, including the millennial Blessed Carlo Acutis. On 20 October 2024, 14 of these were canonised as saints. They were: The Martyrs of Damascus, a group of 11 men who were executed in 1860 for refusing to renounce their Christian faith and [...]
When I was in my twenties, I wanted to start a company. I was then reading up a lot on Greek mythology. And I wanted to name the company Pyro Communications. In Greek, Pyro means fire. But I hesitated. Perhaps not so much that I was a Christian (and should not be trying to name my company after a Greek [...]
First Reading Jeremiah predicts that the day would come when everybody would know God. It contains great promises concerning the gathering of lsrael. Jeremiah points out the stupidity of the people in thinking they can do as they wish and still expect God to save them. Second Reading, ln this passage, the writer of Hebrew explains how Jesus humanity makes [...]
A few years ago, I chanced upon these two Christian classics, Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawence and Abandonment to Dividend Providence by Jean Pierre De Caussade. These two books left a deep impression on me as they gave me very practical tips on daily Christian living, despite being written almost three centuries ago. Incidentally both authors [...]