Don’t Be Ungrateful 不要忘恩負義

Seventh Ordinary Sunday, Year C
Theme: Don’t Be Ungrateful 不要忘恩負義

Without God’s help, it is impossible to put our faith into practice because we are faulty and fragile. Last week, Jesus told us that true happiness lies in poverty (Luke 6:20). To be candid, who wants to remain poor in a commercial city like Hong Kong these days? Who doesn’t want to work harder and earn more money, to save up or to invest for the future? Today, Jesus goes further by challenging us to love our enemies and to turn the other cheek when people strike us etc. (6:27; 29). Who don’t want to strike back when unprovoked, bullies start abusing us physically! Unless our survival is under threat, we will definitely stand up to defend our dignity. Jesus has a big heart and prayed for those who crucified him, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” (23:34a). He has demonstrated the possibility of showing mercy towards our enemies. As genuine followers of Christ, we too should be doing similar if not the same things. Do not think that Christians are standing on a higher moral ground than the Israelites in the Old Testament. The first reading today refutes our pride and our vainglory.

Saul, the first Israelite king lost favour with God who after King Saul’s disobedience, anointed and appointed David “after His own heart” to be the next ruler of His people (1 Samuel 13:14). Saul was unable to contain his jealousy and attempted to have David killed by the hands of the Philistines but failed (18:17; 25). “Then Saul realized that the LORD was with David … So Saul feared David all the more and was his enemy ever after” (18:28-29). Saul’s story was a tragedy. In the first reading today, we read of the story of how David spared Saul the second time! Previously in a cave occupied by David and his men in the desert near Engedi (24:2) Saul was relieving himself. He was careless not to send his men to clear the cave before he entered! Inside the cave, David listened to the suggestion of his servants, but instead of killing Saul, David simply cut off an end of Saul’s robe. David was so stealthy that Saul was not aware of it until David showed himself and called out after Saul had gone on his way. Perhaps God had made David invisible! What was David’s motive in sparing Saul? The same reason we heard today the second time he spared Saul. Like last time, Saul pursued David with 3000 elite soldiers. This time, King Saul had learnt his lesson. At night, “Saul was lying within the camp, and all his soldiers were bivouacked around him” (26:5b). David and his companion Abishai reached the encampment. Abishai offered to spear Saul to the ground with just one strike for David but David stopped him saying, “Do not harm him, for who can lay a hand on the LORD’s anointed and remain innocent?” (26:9) David was surely the apple of God’s eye (Psalms 17:8). Instead of allowing Abishai to nail King Saul to the ground, David took the spear and the water jug from their place at Saul’s head, “and they withdrew without anyone seeing or knowing or awakening. All remained asleep, because a deep slumber from the LORD had fallen upon them” (26:12b)! Sounds familiar, huh?

Indeed, even without conjuring the “variable of God”, David’s decision was the best strategy! From his defeat of Goliath and all subsequent military successes, David believed that God was on his side, fighting for him. But he was still a fugitive running away from the murderous attempts of the LORD’s anointed one! He had not yet gathered sufficient military strength to confront and combat King Saul. Meanwhile, King Saul was losing the hearts of the people and his madness was worsening. In particular, Saul ordered Doeg the Edomite to kill all 85 priests and slaughtered all living things in the priestly city of Nob (22:18-19) because they had given David and his men shelter and food! Why did Saul order an Edomite to kill the priests? It was because his own guards “refused to raise a hand to strike the priest of the LORD” (22:17b). It was only a matter of time for King Saul to fall and David would surely outlived him if he was patient and careful enough! Had David killed Saul, he would have failed to win the people to his side. I am sure David must have had pity on King Saul who led a life like a wounded animal caged inside his kingship and tortured by his own jealousy and fear. Authority corrupts indeed! Even the king after God’s own heart was not exempted. In the future, David would commit a sin similar to that of King Saul’s after he had sat on the throne. He secretly ordered his commander Joab to send Uriah to the front of the besieged city Rabbath and let the Ammonites kill Uriah to cover up his affair with Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife (2 Samuel 11:14)! Sounds familiar, huh? Even the king after God’s own heart was flawed and fragile.

The gospel text that touched my heart today is, “But rather, love your enemies …, for He [the Most High] Himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked” (Luke 6:35d)! I’m sure none of us sitting in the pews are wicked, but we can be ungrateful, particularly for those of us who are advanced in age and positions! People in position would feel that they have sacrificed and contributed a lot to the well-being of the others. The subordinates should at least show gratitude and respect to them more often than they do! In short, people in position have less opportunities to be grateful! Similarly, foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong would be deeply hurt when their family members are ungrateful after they have made all those sacrifices in order to improve the living conditions of their families back home. They have sacrificed their time, their youthfulness and their relationships so that their loved ones may have a fuller life, a better off life back home! Their ungratefulness must have felt like Judas’ betrayal!

Beloved brethren! Very often, we cherish a short-sighted sense of justice in which we expect an “exchange of equivalence”, namely “eye for eye, tooth for tooth” (Exodus 21:24, Leviticus 24:20, Deuteronomy 19:21). My experience tells me that when I was able to lend you money, say ten thousand dollars, I could spare it. When I am able to work and sacrifice for my loved ones, I am still healthy. When I am able to contribute to the society in high positions, I am simply discharging the duties expected of me. Suppose you returned the full amount of debt later, I could not care less because I did not need it. However, when I was in need of money, then the ten thousand you returned would mean more than ten thousand to me! Even if you failed to repay me when I was in deep financial troubles, I believe that God shall provide (Genesis 22:8). Just pray for me if you are still unable to repay me. Today, Jesus says, “Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back” (Luke 6:30). Implicitly, Christ is saying that He shall provide and pay you back when you are in need (16:9). This is the hope we should enkindle in whoever is in despair during this Jubilee. Amen.
God bless!

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2022 Reflection
Picture Credit: creator.nightcafe.studio

Happiness Breeds Woes 福兮禍之所伏

Sixth Ordinary Sunday, Year C
Theme: Happiness Breeds Woes 福兮禍之所伏

Last week, we read of Jesus’ making the four fishermen “fisher of men” (Luke 5:10b). A lot of things happened before we arrived at the narrative today, including healings, calling more disciples, conflicts with Jewish religious authorities and choosing the Twelve etc. Today, we hear of the Lukan beatitudes, the start of a collection of Jesus’ teachings to the public. Before we meditate on the Lukan version of beatitudes, we need to harmonize its differences with the Matthean version. The first contrast is the location. The Matthean version took place “up the mountain” (Matthew 5:1) while the Lukan version “down … on a stretch of level ground” (Luke 6:17). The contrast is understandable because Matthew wants to tell his audience that Jesus Christ is a greater teacher than Moses who went up Mount Sinai to receive the Law from Yahweh to teach the Israelites how to become a holy People of God; whereas Luke wants to tell the disciples that Jesus Christ, the merciful Son of God came down from heaven to teach us, pitiful sinners, how to return to the merciful Father in heaven. The second contrast is the number of Beatitudes. There are eight in Matthew and only four in Luke. Why? Whose version is more original?

First of all, Luke was not present when Jesus proclaimed the Beatitudes but Matthew was. In Luke’s own words, “Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning and ministers of the word have handed them down to us, I too have decided, after investigating everything accurately anew, to write it down in an orderly sequence for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may realize the certainty of the teachings you have received” (1:1-4). Luke has done a lot of research before he puts into writing the biography of Jesus. Let’s be realistic. Are you able to remember, without opening the gospel of Matthew, the eight Beatitudes? You cannot blame Luke for distilling for us from his collection the best teachings of Jesus Christ in public. As for Matthew’s version, we can only have a greater confidence that it is closer to the source, but we cannot guarantee that Matthew put it into writing while he still remembered! Surely he has done some editorial works to present Jesus’ teachings according to his agenda.
Secondly, Luke deploys a different format, namely four woes follow immediately to lay before the audience a stark different consequence in making fundamental choices (6:24-26). Modern psychologists agree that the attention span of common people are limited to seven plus or minus two. Therefore, eight, or in the Lukan version, four plus four, is the optimal arrangement.
Thirdly, Luke uses the second person to make the beatitudes and woes more personal. In the second and third groups, Luke even adds the word “now” to stress the immediacy of Jesus teaching. You don’t wait until the end of the world to see the fulfilment of God’s promises and condemnation! After ironing out the differences, let us dive into the Lukan beatitudes.

With the advent of the age of artificial intelligence, men can no longer hold on to intelligence to define their humanity. If what make human human are their virtues, we would naturally ask what the highest form of virtue is. Let us sample the major civilizations to obtain a rough sketch. Greeks advocate the four cardinal virtues, namely prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance. Christians uphold three theological virtues, namely faith, hope and charity. In St. Paul’s words, “So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). But we cannot ignore her roots, namely Judaism. What is the highest form of virtue for the Jews? We find them in the first reading and the Responsorial Psalms today, namely, to follow the guidance of Torah. In Jeremiah, we find the Lukan version in reverse, namely the curse (Jeremiah 17:5-6) before the blessing (17:7-8). Jeremiah deploys the well-known image in Psalms 1, which is the Responsorial Psalm today, to remind the audience of the importance of making the right choice. Again, the warning goes first, but with a twist. So what incurs the curse? “Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings, who makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD” (17:5). While Jeremiah was direct and point-blank as a prophet, the Psalter was more sophisticated and mature as a poet. The Psalter wraps blessedness in a negative way! “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in company with scoffers. Rather, the law of the LORD is his joy; and on His law he meditates day and night” (Psalms 1:1-2). So, while Matthew is pedagogical and catechetical like a prophet in listing the beatitudes in a positive sequence, Luke is more meditative like the Psalter in laying before the audience blessings and woes side by side.

When St. Ambrose, a Church Father, wrote an Exposition on Luke, he was able to derive the remaining beatitudes through the four cardinal virtues! From poverty through temperance, he derived purity of hearts; hunger through justice, derived compassion/mercy; weeping through prudence, peace; and lastly persecution through fortitude comes meekness. St. Ambrose’s eloquence is commendable and we are on the right path when we pay greater attention to virtues rather than intelligence. But I love St. Ambrose’s meditation more. For the sake of sinners, the Son of Man incarnated and made Himself poor. He hungered in the wilderness to teach us how to withstand temptations. He wept for humanity when He entered Jerusalem in triumph (Luke 19:41-44) and lastly, He received hate, insults and rejection when He was crucified outside Jerusalem! In short, the four Lukan beatitudes suffice our salvation!

How can we deal with blessings and curses at the same time? I opine that we have to understand the spirit of the Middle Way. Simply put, do not go to the extreme. When Jesus blesses the poor, He wants us to come close to the Father. Don’t forget that poverty can be an evil when it prevents people from fully develop the image God intended for us when He created us. He gave us original graces and potentials to develop and grow. Eradication of poverty is a laudable project but accumulating wealth can also be harmful at the expenses of our physical health, our relationships with others and most important of all, with God. Jesus warns, “No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24). Simply put, money can be our slave or our master. Manage it wisely to benefit yourselves and the needy. Then being rich is blessing and not a curse! Alas! The commercial society is instilling a wrong kind of value-system among the general public. It encourages people to labour harder in order to gain more. Many people simply follow the herd because they believe that following the flow is the safest strategy in life. However, when we do not discern the will of God and go to the extreme, we fall into this slavery trap and lose sight of our true destiny!

Beloved brethren! Laozi says well, “Misery! Happiness is to be found by its side! Happiness! Misery lurks beneath it! Who knows what either will come to in the end? 禍兮福之所倚，福兮禍之所伏。孰知其極？” (Dao De Jing #58) You can be cautious to avoid going to the extremes. Or you may let go, surrender to God’s will and allow Him to take charge of your life. Or you may take the wheel of your life in your own hand, make mistakes and crash. Then learn from your mistakes, get up to drive a wounded vehicle again. I am sure no single path is applicable for all. Each one of us is unique and our paths are ours to take. Nobody can take your place and walk in your stead. In the end, God holds you, and you alone, accountable. Amen.
God bless!

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2022 Reflection
Picture Credit: creator.nightcafe.studio

Awakening 覺今是而昨非

Fifth Ordinary Sunday, Year C
Theme: Awakening 覺今是而昨非

As a spokesperson of God, a prophet cannot speak on his own without having received instructions from God first. Logically, God calls a prophet and sends him to proclaim His will. In fact, many books of the prophets begin with the narration of how God’s words/visions came to the prophets. For example, “The word of the LORD came to him [Jeremiah] in the days of Josiah, son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign” (Jeremiah 1:2). “In the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was among the exiles by the river Chebar, the heavens opened, and I saw divine visions” (Ezekiel 1:1). “The word of the LORD that came to Hosea son of Beeri, in the days …” (Hosea 1:1). Isaiah seems not to be of much difference. The book begins, “The vision which Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah” (Isaiah 1:1). He was just one of the prophets in the south, so we think. Naturally, Isaiah speaks highly of Jerusalem and Sion. For example, we find this text “Many peoples shall come and say: Come, let us go up to the LORD’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may instruct us in His ways, and we may walk in His paths. For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem” (2:3c).

But Isaiah is no ordinary prophet in the south. Today, we find yet another narrative of the call of Isaiah, which seems to overturn, to renounce his previous mission. Isaiah confesses, “Woe is me, I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts” (6:5). Even if the Israelites were “a people of unclean lips”, how could Isaiah renounce the words of God which he had previously proclaimed to the rebellious Israelites? Besides trumpeting the glory of Israel, a propaganda of the supremacy of Jacob over all peoples, does not the “For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem” show God’s love to Jacob and through Jacob His blessing to humanity? Isaiah was not advocating nationalism but manifesting God’s will. In fact, Jesus quoted Isaiah’s Song of the Vineyard in His Parable of Wicked Tenants, “A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press and built a tower …” (Matthew 21:33; Mark 12:1; Isaiah 5:1-2a). So, when Isaiah says that he was a man of unclean lips, he could not be denying God nor negating his former mission. I would suggest Isaiah was undergoing a new awakening of his mission as a prophet. The conversion of Saul to Paul might shed light on a better understanding of Isaiah’s lament.

The second reading today tells Saul’s story forcefully in one single verse, “For I am the least of the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God” (1 Corinthians 15:9). Saul encountered the risen Jesus on the way to Damascus (Acts 9:5). Later, he became a fervent missionary and changed his name to Paul (13:9). During his preaching of the risen Christ in cities around the Mediterranean Sea, many overseas Jews opposed him. So, when he returned to Jerusalem, the local Jews intended to kill him. Let us listen to how Paul presented himself before the Jews in Jerusalem, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city [Jerusalem]. At the feet of Gamaliel I was educated strictly in our ancestral law and was zealous for God, just as all of you are today” (22:3). Before his conversion, Christians were heretics in Saul’s eyes following a carpenter turned rabbi. Saul genuinely believed that he was doing God’s will when he tried to wipe Christians out to preserve the purity of Judaism! But when Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus, the encounter struck him blind for three days, an awakening blow on his zeal and his understanding of Mosaic Law and Judaism. Saul was able to see a bigger and more catholic picture of God’s will. He understood that the Lord had chosen him to be His instrument “to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and Israelites” (9:15b).

Isaiah’s vision in the Temple was a watershed in his ministry. Isaiah might not be a court prophet like Nathan who could see the king at any time in the palace. But at least he had been a “seer”, a “man of God” and was able to command respect from kings and commoners alike. Yet, in his Temple vision, Isaiah became aware of his unworthiness as a prophet, “I am a man of unclean lips living among a people of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5). Actually, even if Isaiah had spoken of the glory of the Israelites in the future, the prophecies could not be his inventions. But suddenly God revealed to him a universal salvation plan. From then on, Isaiah spoke not so much about Jerusalem and Judah but more inclusively, namely the Emmanuel (7:14), the shoot from the stump of Jesse (11:1) and even a Persian Messiah (45:1)!

In the gospel reading today, we find an even more unworthy candidate. Neither was he a legal expert like Saul, nor a prophet like Isaiah. He and his companions were fishermen, who were working in the Lake of Gennesaret (Luke 5:1), variously known as Sea of Galilee and Sea of Tiberias, a nobody from nowhere. His routine had been casting nets to catch fish in the night, using a torch to attract the fish to swarm in (5:5a). Catches might be irregular though the lake must have been fertile enough to support several fishing towns along the shore, including Capernaum (4:31). The synoptic gospels mention that Simon had a mother-in-law (4:38). Fishing in the Lake of Gennesaret enabled him to sustain a family with sufficient income to lead a decent enough life. Readers might wonder why, when Jesus had finished preaching from Simon’s boat and told Simon to put out into deep water and lower his nets for a catch, Simon obeyed his command so readily (5:4-5). It was not surprising because previously Jesus had cured his mother-in-law of fever (4:38-39) and perhaps Simon had witnessed the exorcism Jesus performed in the synagogue (4:33-37). However, this catch in the Lake of Gennesaret was so overwhelming that Simon had to fall at the knees of Jesus and say, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man” (5:8b). Never in his fishing career had Simon caught so many fish that their nets were tearing, and two boats were in danger of sinking (5:6-7)! Isaiah, Simon Peter and Paul shared this sense of unworthiness before God. Moreover, each of them took up a different path thereafter. Among the three, Simon Peter was the most unworthy and yet, Jesus intends to build His Church upon this unworthy rock against which the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail (Matthew 16:18).

Beloved brethren! Put our hope in the unfailing Lord. Despite our continual failures and unworthiness, He shall faithfully accompany and support us. St. Paul says well in the second reading today, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me has not been ineffective” (1 Corinthians 15:10a). Let us let go of our vanity and achievements, surrender to His will and bring hope to people “who sit in darkness and death’s shadow” (Luke 1:79a). Amen.
God bless!

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2022 Reflection
Picture Credit: creator.nightcafe.studio

Love Hurts 愛到痛

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord
Theme: Love Hurts 愛到痛

The meditation of today’s gospel is dark, though it is one of the five Joyful Mysteries that we are meditating. Life is truly mystical and paradoxical. It is paradoxical because it tastes sweet and sour at the same time. It is also mystical because joy and sorrows always mingle. So, allow me to meditate on the pains of this Joyful Mystery.

The Feast of Presentation is joyful because we are celebrating the incarnation of the Son of God. God broke into human history to kick off His salvation project. “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law …” (Galatians 4:4-5a). Remember that God transcends time. Thus, what St. Paul writes about “when the fullness of time had come” is only meaningful to men who live in history. The “woman” has already been foretold in the Law/Torah (Genesis 3:15). In God’s mind, He already had the idea to send His only begotten Son to take flesh to save Adam and his descendants. In an earlier enigma, “… From [the tree of knowledge of good and evil] you shall not eat; when you eat from it you shall die. The LORD God said: It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suited to him” (2:17-18). Isn’t this statement an obvious reason for the creation of Eve? Why is it an enigma?

Firstly, Adam would have been immortal if he had listened to and obeyed God. Then, it would have been unnecessary for Adam to have descendants. Even if it is not good to be alone and having descendants is a necessity, God would have cloned innumerable copies of Adam. Yet, God created Eve out of Adam! Notice that both Adam and Eve would have exactly the same DNA and ignoring mutations for the sake of argument, all subsequent human beings would be mere clones of Adam! Therefore, making a helper suited to Adam must be an enigma carrying more meanings than the creation of Eve! I buy the theological opinion that the Blessed Virgin Mary is the “new Eve” who not only gave flesh to the Son of God but works closely with Him and the Holy Spirit to give birth to other members in the Mystic Body of Christ as well! The BVM is the helper suited to the Son of God. It is simply unimaginable to have the Nativity of the Lord without the Blessed Virgin Mary! Similarly, it would be God’s unthinkable blunder had Jesus forgotten to say “Woman, behold your Son” on the cross (John 19:26b)!

Satan has enslaved humanity long enough. The Torah, which helps humanity to seek the LORD and would have been sufficient to save humanity, has itself been abused by the contemporary legal experts to persecute the Son of God. After proving that the Old covenant is insufficient to redeem, God unfolds further His redemption project. “And the LORD whom you seek will come suddenly to His Temple” (Malachi 3:1b). This is what the Feast of Presentation celebrates; namely that the LORD, the Messiah suddenly came to His own Temple, thus fulfilling the pledge He made through prophet Malachi. Joseph and Mary were devout Jews. They obeyed the prescriptions of the Torah, took the 40-day old infant Jesus to Jerusalem and offered sacrifice to present infant Jesus to God (Luke 2:22). In so doing, the Son of God satisfied the prescriptions of the Torah and He did more than that. He was “born under the law, to ransom those under the law” (Galatians 4:4b-5a). But God’s plan is catholic, meaning its scope is universal. The Son of God ransoms more people than the Jews, those under the Torah. The word of God never fails. In time, He shall honour His pledge to Abraham, namely that “All the families of the earth will find blessing in you” (Genesis 12:4b). We are blessed and joyful indeed to be born of the Blessed Virgin Mary and born under the law to celebrate this feast of the Presentation of the Lord today.

However, my meditation inevitably gravitates towards Simeon’s word, “And you [the BVM] yourself a sword will pierce” (Luke 2:35a). Of course, Simeon was referring to the sorrows inflicted upon the BVM in her collaboration with the Son of God to redeem humanity. It is more than inevitable collateral damages of God’s redemptive project, once the BVM pronounces her Fiat out of her free will (1:38). In general, all Christian denominations before Reformation uphold two Marian dogmas which defend the divinity and humanity of the Son of God, namely the BVM is the Mother of God in 431 and her Perpetual Virginity in 649. The Catholic Church professes two more Marian dogmas, namely the Immaculate Conception of the BVM in1854 and her Assumption in1950. After all, the BVM is also a creature. The Catholic Church acknowledges the necessity of her need of Christ’s redemption when the Church declared the dogma of her Immaculate Conception. Simply put, God the Father had prepared before Creation an immaculate ground for the incarnation of His only begotten Son. Thus, the BVM enjoys an exemption from the contaminations of the Original Sin the very moment of her conception. As a result, the BVM has an immaculate heart so pure that she is blessed with a beatific vision of God throughout her existence (Matthew 5:8). Thus, not only does she see God, she knows God’s will which she does not understand. And yet she obeys, anticipating all the sorrows and pains without shielding. If the heart is the throne of love, the love of the BVM towards her divine Son as well as all members of the Mystical Body of Christ must be the purest of all. In contrast, our hearts are filled with lust, greed, pride and wrath etc.; and our egos inflate. We protect our interests and our emotions with smart defence mechanisms, such as denial, projection, repression and transference etc. so that we may suffer less physical and emotional pains. Thus, the sword that pierces the Immaculate Heart of Mary would be unimaginably agonizing! She loves until it bleeds. Her love reminds me of an inmate I visited in the Tai Lam Centre for Women, with a difference. Love can be impure and still hurts!

I have visited only a handful of Chinese inmates in the Tai Lam Centre for Women. One of them was a Catholic on remand who survived a double-suicide with a married man, not her husband, in a hotel room. By Common Law, she was charged with murder and scheduled to appear in a legal court. During my visits, she requested seeing one particular priest for confession. I made the arrangement and sometime later, she died of cardiac arrest before appearing in court. I believe that her attempted suicide was genuine, though the situation was questionable. She must have gone through unspeakable agony before deciding to end her life with a man whom she should not have loved. But I believe that her contrition was genuine and her sins absolved through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. She might repeat Simeon’s words, “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace” (Luke 2:29a). May her soul rest in peace, amen!

Beloved brethren! Our hearts are inevitably impure. Don’t be discouraged because the Father is happy to give us His Holy Spirit with whom He renews the face of the earth (Psalms 104:30). With continuous renewal, our hearts will become pure one day. Let this hope sustain us with patience on our pilgrimage on earth. Amen.
God bless!

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2022 Reflection
Picture Credit: creator.nightcafe.studio

Jubilee Pilgrimage to St. Thomas the Apostle Church

Jubilee Pilgrimage to St. Thomas the Apostle Church

by Deacon Alex

Reality is both meaningful and paradoxical at the same time. For example, most lost sheep are not aware that they are lost! Life can be reassuringly good when there is abundant green grass and streaming water. A lost sheep feels safe when there are other sheep like it grazing along on the move. A routine life is comfortable with few challenges. Occasionally, they need to walk farther in order to obtain what they need. As long as you are easily contented, the band will keep playing on. But among the herd there are a few sheep playing scouts. They would go an extra mile ahead to ensure that the path is safe and the supply is sufficient. These scout sheep are the only ones which know that the herd gets lost!

This was what happened during the second Jubilee Pilgrimage the OLMC English Community went on January 31, 2025. They started on time, riding 4 coaches from Dominion Centre in Wan Chai to Tsing Yi. They celebrated mass immediately after arrival. The homily was inspiring and a parishioner of St. Thomas the Apostle Church delivered an informative presentation about this pilgrimage site. After giving the participants sufficient time for group photos as well as selfies, we ate a light lunch in the Tsing Yi Park next door followed by group games. Everything went on smoothly according to schedule before we trekked along the Tsing Yi Nature Trails which normally takes less than two hours to complete. In the end, we took nearly three hours to finish. Why? We got lost because it was a pilgrimage!

The Trails provide several photo-taking spots for hikers to take breath-taking pictures of the Tsing-Ma Bridge, Ma Wan Channel, HK Disneyland as well as the International Airport further west! The Trails are not boring because hikers may take alternate routes to arrive at the photo-taking spots. There are stairs as well as granite-paved roads going uphill and downhill, lined by trees on both sides. We could feel God caressing our hairs and faces with His fresh air and cool breezes. Nobody felt tired. Even the elderly in their walking sticks trod briskly. Time seemed not to take toll on anybody. Oh! How intoxicating pilgrimage can be! The organizers began answering calls from coach drivers waiting for us at the exit point. They knew the situation and they put up a brave face. The guideposts are not of much help. But there was one certainty: we could not go on the same path in the opposite direction. It would only lead us back to the entrance and not the exit. Our scouts needed to rely on God’s guidance, as well as common sense, in order to bring us to the Trails’ exit. At last, we made to the scheduled exit and all of us enjoyed the three-hour trek very much, chit-chatting cheerfully along the way.

Beloved brethren! The God we believe in is an almighty and merciful God. In Him we fully trust. But we exist in the time dimension and we need patience to witness the fulfilment of God’s promises. St. Paul writes, “Affliction produces endurance; and endurance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint” (Romans 5:3b-5a). In this 2025 Jubilee, let us be Pilgrims of Hope to inspire endurance and patience in our loving Father in Heaven among the people we encounter. Amen. God bless!