Gospel Introduction John 12:20-33 28 March 2009

Gospel Introduction John 12:20-33 28 March 2009

In tonight Gospel reading, our Lord revealed to the Gentiles the purpose of his coming, to lay down His life for His sheep.

The time was less than a week before Crucifixion. He had already shown himself as the Resurrection by raising Lazarus from the Dead; He had fulfilled for His own people an ancient prophecy concerning His humble but triumphant entrance into Jerusalem. Now it was time for the Gentiles to be given a lesson concerning the reason for his coming. The Gentiles were here reprensented by the Greeks.

The enemies were plotting to kill Him, the Greeks wished to see Him....

The hour has come for the son of man to be glorified....

He reminded us the importance to die to ourselves.... not to clinch to the things of this world... He reminded all of us that resurrection requires death.

“It is good that Lazarus died. For then, he will rise again.”...

What shall I say: Father, save me from this hour? This is a crucial observation that speaks deeply about our love for this world. We are often not ready or prepared to die. We secretly hope for resurrection but we do not want to die..... So we hang on to our lives.... We hung on to our trophies, our dreams, our dark areas, our worldly desires, our material kingdom here on earth..... We want to preserve them, or we are simply afraid to let them die..... It is such a paradox.... without letting them die, how can there be resurrection?

As we approach the final week of the Lenten season, let us practice resurrection, let us practice dying.... dying well....

“It is good that Lazarus died. For then, he will rise again.”

Tonight, Jesus uses the wheat grain as an analogy for us,.... if it dies, it yields a rich harvest. If you clinch on to your life you will lose it, if you hates this world, you will have eternal life....

Let us all rise and receive the Good news.

ARM & HAND 26 Mar 2009

Theme: Arm & Hand 26 March 2009

Gospel Introduction: John 10:22-30

When our Lord declared Himself to be the son of God and One with His Heavenly Father, His enemies made attempts on His Life. Several attempts were made on His life; most of them during one of the great feasts but always after He had proclaimed His Divinity.

The first attempt was in Nazareth, his own country....where he proclaimed “The spirit of the Lord has been given to me, for he has anointed me....... This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen.”..... The respond from his own countryman was “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary?”

Another assault on his life came after the curing of the disabled man at Bethsaida on the Sabbath day where he spoke of God as his own father, and so made himself God’s equal. “My father goes on working, and so do I”

Another attempt was on the Feast of the tabernacles where he said ”My teaching is not from myself; it comes from the one who sent me” He was claiming to be God in the form of man.

In tonight Gospel, He visited the last remnant of the old temple, which was known as Solomon’s porch during the Feast of Dedication(8 days), the last great feast before to the Passover, in Jerusalem. His enemies, the Jews gathered round him and asked him “ If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”..... Noticed the line of questioning is very similar to the Temptation in the wilderness “ If you are the son of God......”

Jesus responded “I have told you, but you do not believe.” “The Father and I are one.” ..... so, there go another stoning again....

Why the Jews... have eyes but yet cannot see?

1) Their ideas of a Messiah did not correspond with God’s idea of a Messiah.They could not conceive of the humiliation of God in the form of man. Could God go so low?

2) “You are only a man and you claim to be god.” His answer was that though a mere man could not be God, God could become man, while still remaining God.

May I suggest that this is the biggest “stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to Gentiles?” The “intelligent” being cannot accept such proposition – This in fact is the stumbling block for the Synagogue and Islam. Neither can accept a God who is so human. He must remain Almighty... Majesty...... but not to the point of paying for the faults of His own creatures, for their sins.”........

We must all remove this obstacles & stumbling blocks before we can be healed & delivered..... The whole world need healing & deliverance.

God Loves Us 21 March 2009

GOD LOVES US John 3:14-21 21 March 2009


Our Almighty God, Our father in Heaven loves us, His creation. He has plans for us all. We just have to “depend on him”... His plans are good for us. We just need to put our complete trust in him.


But throughout history, human has time & time again refused His plans, we did not put our complete trust in him. We want our own plan, we want to depend on ourselves, we want to be in total control.... self sufficient so to speak.... as a result of this lack of trust, we sin........
God, nevertheless.... never give out on us.... each time God extended the scope of His covenant with us.


Starting from Eve & Adam, our fore parent broke the covenant with God.... God continued to extend his covenant, first a household covenant with Noah, then a tribal covenant with Abraham, then a covenant with Moses for the 12 tribes of Israel, then a national kingdom covenant with David and finally through his own beloved son, Jesus Christ, a new Covenant ... a worldwide covenant, a universal covenant, a Catholic Covenant. God loves us. It is demonstrated in all of the above salvation history for human..... God loves us, his creation so much that, he finally gave his only son to us... not to condemn us, but to redeem us. “We are God’s work of art, created in Chirst Jesus to live the good life as from the beginning he had meant us to live it.” He wants to call us back into His plan. He wants to restore us into his plan.


Through Jesus, the objective redemption was completed. He had already done all that was needed to redeem our sin. He died for us on the cross. We just need to believe and say “Yes” to him. Then we complete the subjective redemption on our part through his grace.


Let us pour ourselves to Jesus. Let us put our complete trust in Jesus. Let us lives by the truth, Let us comes out into the light, Let us walk the path of Christ Jesus. Let us all stand & listen to the Gospel.

Session 7. Defending the Faith in a Pluralistic Society

Session 7. Defending the Faith in a Pluralistic Society

1. Give away Catholic books, DVDS, CDs to people
2. Thru technology – Website, Blog e.g. EWTN, open line, blogger.com, Utube e.g. St Francis de Sales – use of printing press, composed Apologetic tracks, 60,000 Calvinists were converted to Catholic through Printing Press

Session 6 : Why be Catholic? Why am I a Catholic?

Session 6 : Why be Catholic? Why am I a Catholic?

1P2:15 – ready to defend
1P2:16 – reason to do it with gentleness & respect.

1. Convince that Catholic Church is the church established by Jesus Christ.

a. Historical Argument – John Henry Newman
b. Visibilities – you can see it Matt Chapter 5
c. Matt 16:15 – on this rock, I will built my church
d. Matt 28:18 – all authority has been given to me... go therefore, make disciples of all nations
e. Luke 10:16 – Authority of Christ
f. Teaching Church – teach them all that I have commanded you.
g. Perpetual Church – existence until the end of time.
h. Before 1809 – no Mormon, 7th Adventist, Jehovah Witness
i. Before 1509 - No protestant, no church of England, Baptist, Uniting Church, Methodist
j. Church started by Human Beings, not by Jesus Christ

2. Everything that Catholic teaches is true, not everything is easy

3. Papacy – built upon the Rock

4. Communion with Mary & Saints

5. Holy Eucharist

6. Moral Teaching

7. The Devil knows that the Bread & Wine is Jesus Christ.

Mission: My Goal is Heaven, My cause is for the Christ.

Session 5: Living marriage to the fullest & Raising Holy Family for Christ

Session 5: Living marriage to the fullest & Raising Holy Family for Christ

1. Learn to unlearn things of the youth – Self-centredness
2. Learn to give & take
3. Learn to do without for the good of the family – self sacrifice, putting oneself last
4. Be visibly Catholic – Don’t be afraid, do the little things ...
5. Listen to the Church

“To have Holy Marriage, listen to the Church, frequent the Sacrament, don’t be selfish”

“Because of your Holy Marriage, you are going to be saved!”

Session 4: Becoming Men after God’s own Heart

Session 4: Becoming Men after God’s own Heart

Act13:20 & 1Samuel 13

Seeking after God’s will

How do we become men after God’s own Heart

a) Faith, Hope Charity – foundation
b) Rely upon God – not your own strength
c) Faithful to his teaching Luke 10:16 & Matt 28
d) Man of Prayers
e) Man of Good Example – acting in conformity of what we believe.
f) Man of Hard Work
g) Realistic & practical
h) Rely on Divine Providence to supply the need of our family
i) To be Servant Leader – Best Model is Jesus Christ – servant, leader & God
a. Not by commanding, but showing
b. Show by example, humility, obedience, submissive
c. Servant subordinate to higher authority
d. Servant serves others
e. Service based on Love
f. Servant hood based on Sacrifice..... CROSS
g. Death to Self
h. Love, Charity, Compassion, Integrity & Honesty

Leadership is mirror of servant-hood.

1) Leader is not necessarily smarter, better, holier than people he serves.
2) Leader is given responsibility to lead. Sacred Duty – Do the best thing for the people they serve.
3) Leader knows where they are going – Heaven, Church, Sacrament, Family
4) Leader knows how to get there – involves knowledge & methodology to get there
5) Leader helps others how to get there
6) Leaders have humility
7) Leader is not mandatecious (deceptive)
8) Leader has dedication – 24/7 “Conqueror”
9) Leaders motivate others to raise higher than their capabilities
10) Leader sacrifice – Martyrdom that only God know.
11) Leader knows that the mission is more important than the Leader
12) Leader leads by example – by serving the people that they lead.

Session 3: To be Christian is to be Holy

Session 3: To be Christian is to be Holy

“To grow in Holiness is to die well”
“To die in state of sanctifying Grace i.e. in friendship with God”

a) Strive to live well
b) Learn to die to the world
c) Perseverance to Charity, Hope & Faith
d) Ready to meet Christ
e) Remain detach from worldly possession.
f) Be sober, just & pious
g) Pray fervently
h) Practise Fasting
i) Give generously the gift that God has given you.
j) Be faithful to your baptismal promises.
k) Use the gift you have received in confirmation.
l) Receive the Holy Eucharist worthily
m) Confess you sin with true contrition
n) Revere Sacred Things
o) Love & Honour your spouse & Children
p) Guard your senses against sin – chastity of your eyes
q) Resolve to die well

Steps to Holiness

1. Answer Christ’s invitation through a closer union with HIM.
2. Recognise the love that God created you.
3. Recognise that you need to be yourself
4. Love Christ crucified
5. Seek union with each person of the Blessed Trinity

Session 2: Man’s influence, effect and power

Session 2: Man’s influence, effect and power

“If you want to be a good leader, you have to be a good man”....”Be a good man”

Ingredients to be a good man e.g. Saints

“Virtue” – Latin word for Man, True man – good man with virtue

a) Charity – love, will to the proper influence of God. I am choosing to do the right thing even it is difficult.
b) Faith – conviction that what God tells us is true, what Christ has done for us on the Cross is true.
c) Hope – it is what Judas didn’t have at the end, lapse in despair
d) Humility – meek & humble of heart.
e) Magnanimity – stretch forth the mind to great thing i.e. call to do out of glory of God.
f) Prudence – Knowledge of what to seek & what to avoid
g) Courage – fortitude i.e. willingness to suffer danger for the sack of doing good.
h) Self Control – Roman 13:14
i) Justice – Righteousness / Right standing /merciful, not tyrant, love those for the sack of God.

Session 1: Men called to lead

Growing in Holiness by Patrick Madrid

Session 1: Men called to lead

Wisdom on Leadership from Biblical Giant

“You can’t lead unless you learn to follow”....
Following the Lord is the path to Leadership

“Martyrdom”- Greek word meaning “witness” i.e. lifetime of standing up to the truth. It involves suffering & sacrifice

a) Leadership by Example. Model after Jesus Christ

b) Leadership thru Exaltation. Speak the truth. Know the truth, the truth will set you free

c) Leadership by Compassion

d) Leadership by FAITH. Rely upon the Lord.

Transfiguration 25/09/08

GOSPEL introduction – John 1-14

Tonight, in the Gospel, we celebrate the Glory of GOD.

The Word was made flesh.... God, Divinity, Heaven... Pure & Holy entered into the world....
HE became man, so that through HIM, our linkage to HEAVEN is re-established.
His Mission was the CROSS.... to save Adam’s race.... corrupted by SIN.

Like James, John & Peter, we too, do not understand HIS MISSION,
“Why the CROSS?.... Why the suffering, pain, trial & tribulation... Why?”
Peter protested against the CROSS, James & John the throne seekers also did not understand ..... so Jesus brought these three apostles to the mountaintop to show the Glory that lay beyond the CROSS.... a glimpse of the Glory of God through “Transfiguration”... beyond the CROSS.

So, do we understand the CROSS? Do we understand our Mission here on earth? Jesus too invites all of us to the mountaintop to show us “a glimpse of what is beyond the cross” ....his “Transfiguration” – the GLORY of GOD.

Everyday of our life, we can meet Jesus in the mountaintop...we can climb up to his tabernacle, in his Church. We can call upon His name, Jesus Jesus Jesus.....

He lives among us....as we share ....God’s Words, as we received him in the Holy Communion, as we offered up our prayers in this Community. We too can see his GLORY!

What is beyond the CROSS?..... It is the joy of the radiance, the resurrected life, the eternal life in Heaven, the GLORY of GOD .... full of Grace & Truth.

Let us all stand and open our hearts to receive Jesus.

Gospel - 2 Oct 2008

Tonight Gospel taken from Mat 11:2-6 occurred during a time when there were growing opposition to Jesus.

In PRISON, John the Baptist, heard the work of the Messiah & sent his disciples to ask Jesus “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?”.... This line of questioning expressed the doubt of John. “He heard of the work of the Messiah... he questioned”. John the Baptist had a different expectation. John’s expectation from Jesus mission was one of fiery judgement.

Contrary to John’s expectation, Jesus did not come to judge.... but Jesus mission was the cross. The Messiah will die on the cross to bring salvation to all mankind....

What about us? What is your expectation from the GOSPEL?

Does the GOSPEL promise easy success? a comfortable life? lots of blessing?

The Gospel makes demands and, at the same time, it is a great promise – the promise of eternal life in Heaven.... the promise of victory through faith for man, who is subject to many trials & setbacks.

The Gospel contains a fundamental paradox; to find life, one must lose it; to be born, one must die; to save oneself, one must take out the cross. This is the essential truth of the Gospel.

But, in our PRISONs, in our moment of weaknesses & our human knowledge & understanding,
we too protest, question & doubt ... like Peter, John & James.... But... Jesus does not ask for our knowledge & understanding... He demands for our FAITH.

Let us all stand and open our hearts to receive the GOSPEL.

Forgiveness 12/09/2008

Tonight, we hear from the Gospel: the servant begging: “Give me time”.... “I will pay the whole sum”

“And the servant’s Master felt so sorry for him that he let him go and cancelled the debt.

But this wicked servant shows no mercy to his debtor but put his debtor in prison.

The Servant’s Master asked “I cancelled all that debt of yours when you appealed to me”
“Were you not bound, then, to have pity on your fellow servant just as I had pity on you?”

So, are we too as wicked as this servant? Have we shown mercy to our debtors? Or have we put our debtors in prisons too?

Tonight, in the Gospel, Jesus forewarns us that “Our heavenly Father will deal with us unless we forgive our debtors from our heart.”

I do not tell you to forgive seven times, but seventy-seven times.

Why? ...... For each time you forgive, you grow in holiness... you grow closer to our forgiving Lord.

“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” This clear instruction from our Lord Jesus is a daily path to Holiness.

Tonight, on this cross, Jesus is uttering & pleading for us once again:”Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing.”

The first Christian Martyr St Stephen, uttered this last word “Lord, do not hold this sin against them”. And St Paul was there... This last word of St Stephen must have a deep impression on Saul’s conversion ! We too like St Stephen, can be an instrument to help in someone’s conversion through our act of forgiveness.

Brothers & sisters in Christ, each time we forgive from our heart, we store within our spiritual beings an abundant wealth & blessings from our almighty God. This is a gift from God.

TRIUMP of the CROSS 13/09/2008

Tonight is a joyful Night ! .... No Pain, No Gain..... No CROSS, No Crown

Tonight, the son of man who was lifted up to Heaven reminds all of us of the power & victory of the cross ------ his glorious victory over evil..... But, is it just his victory?

This Cross.... an instrument of humiliation, torture & death.... brings about the joy of our Salvation.

“Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life.”

The triump of the Cross is in essence our victory..... through the sacrifice of our Saviour & Creator.

“For God did not send his son into this world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him”

This Cross which is the cause of our joy is to give us the strength to defeat evil and to embrace the divine filiation which is the essence of the Good News. God gives this power to all humankind through Jesus Christ. So, we the disciples of Christ, the messengers of the Good News.... must be joyful !

Indeed, we must celebrate this joyful moment.

For this indestructible life, revealed in the Resurrection of Christ “swallows up,” so to speak, death.

“Where , Oh death, is your victory?” asks the St. Paul, with his eyes fixed on the RISEN Christ.
Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

This Cross.... our greatest inheritance from our Redeemer, our Lord Jesus Christ.... brings about the joy of our redemption.

This Cross.... indeed is our greatest joy, our greatest “Wealth”.

Let us all stand up & celebrate the joy of the triump of the Cross by welcoming the Gospel.

Jews 14/11/2007

What if I am a Jews?

I think I would be very proud of my ancestor Abraham, Moses & King David.

Fascinated by power of the Jewish community, people like Eistein, Karl Marx & Jesus and their profound influence & ideology all over the world.

I will be counted as one in the 13 million left in this world. Probably residing in Israel or the United States. I would continue to be faithful to the Old Testament. Very proud of being the chosen race. Definitely, very stubborn… Still awaiting for the coming of the Messiah.

Tonight, in the second reading, we are reminded of the unbelieving & rejection of the Gospel & New Testament by the Jewish people. For over 2000 years, Israel has stumbled over CHRIST. Indeed its stumbling has been a blessing to the GENTILES.

Paul hinted at the untold benefits for the world that would come with the full acceptance of JESUS as MESSIAH by the JEWS. If their action has so far resulted in such incredible benefits then what will their full acceptance mean?

The Jews rejection of the Gospel resulted in the reconciliation of the world.

St Paul explained how the lopped off branches will be able to find life again in the Parent stock of Abraham.

“The Jews are enemies of God only with regard to the goods news, and enemies only for your sake but as the chosen people, they are still loved by God, loved for the sake of their ancestors.”

As it is written in the scripture, “You will all lose faith” We have all been unfaithful to God, who make use of such infidelity to manifest to all of us his bounty & mercy, to reveal just what kind of God he really is.”

The Parable of the Wedding Feast 11/10/2008

Tonight, the Gospel is taken from Matthew 22: 1-14

Tonight, we rejoice in the celebration of Our Lord’s Wedding Feast in the Kingdom of Heaven.

1. Who were invited to this wedding feast?
At first, it was only meant for the privileged few...the Israelites.... But they were not interested, more than that, they maltreated & even killed the servants who were sent by our Heavenly Father to invite them to the Wedding Feast. The privileged proved themselves unworthy!

2. Then, the Wedding Feast was opened to all, bad & good alike.
For this Grace & blessings, we were all invited...
We are all reminded that, as servants of God, we too, have the duty to go out and invite , everyone we can find to the wedding, bad & good alike......

3. We are also reminded tonight that we must put on our wedding garments to the banquet. All are welcomed, bad & good alike. The condition for entrance into the Wedding Feast is wearing of the wedding garment. The Wedding Garment is the call for our faith & conversion of our heart & mind..... the call for our believe & repentence.... “Believe & Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is close at hand”.

4. Brothers & Sisters, we are also reminded tonight that we need to prepare the best wedding garment... we need to keep it pure, white, clean and remember to iron it. We need to persevere, for we are warned that “many are called, but few are chosen.”

5. Are our Wedding Garments ready?
Let us all stand and face the Gospel.... and ask our Almighty Tailor to help us made the Weddings Garments that are pleasing to Our Heavenly Father.

Baptism of the LORD - Mark 1:7-11 10/01/2009

Baptism of the LORD - Mark 1:7-11 10 Jan 2009

Tonight, we recalled Mark’s account of Jesus Baptism at the Jordan River. We revisit a personal account of Jesus being anointed by His Heavenly Father.

No sooner had Jesus come up out of the water, Jesus saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit, like a dove, descending on him. It was a private affair, only Jesus saw it. It was a private revelation for Jesus. Only Jesus heard this voice;

OUR Heavenly Father spoke to him personally, “YOU ARE MY SON, THE BELOVED; MY FAVOUR RESTS ON YOU.”

In our own baptism, do we have this personal encounter with our Heavenly Father?
Where we can see “Heavens torn apart, Spirit descending on us. Encountering our Heavenly Father speaking to us directly”

“My beloved son & daughter, Go and Proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of Heaven”

Let us all stand & listen to Mark’s account of the Baptism of the LORD.

AUTHORITY - Mk1:21-28 31/01/2009

Tonight, in the Gospel according to Mark, we are told that

JESUS taught them with AUTHORITY.

Many times, in the Gospel according to Mark, Jesus often exhorts those with whom he comes into contact not to tell others about him. It gives a very deep impression that he wants to stay low profile, to keep that “Messianic secret”.

Ironically, the messianic secret seems to be known by everyone in the Gospel who should not know it, whereas those who should know who the Messiah is do not ever seem to recognise him.
In the Gospel tonight, unclean spirit shouted, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? ...... I know who you are: the Holy One of God”.....

The holy one of God.... a title which was used only in the first verse of the Gospel and by the voice from the heavens in a private moment following Jesus’ baptism and transfiguration.

This pattern will continue to be seen throughout the rest of the Gospel. The unclean spirits, the outcasts, those who should not know who Jesus is will constantly be proclaiming the truth while those who should be able to identify him, the disciples, never seem to get it.

Who is JESUS?.... This is the Question that Mark is challenging us to question ourselves.............. Do we truely know who Jesus is ?

RIGHT HAND - Act 2:32-36 12/03/2009

The event took place on the day of Pentecost. You can imagine, it must have been a very exciting day, for it was the day of the birth of our church, all were at the assembly.... they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.... they were speaking foreign languages ... as the Holy Spirit gave them the gift of speech. Are these people drunk?

Now, it must also have been a very exciting day for our first Pope, Simon Peter who took the stage & addressed the Men of Judaea in Jerusalem.... “These men are not drunk, as you imagine; why, it is only the third hour of the day (9 o’clock in the morning)... Our first Pope reminded the crowd of what Prophet Joel spoke of “In the days to come – it is the Lord who speaks- I will pour out my spirit on all mankind.....All who call on the name of the Lord will be saved”

Then our first Pope, Simon Peter, the rock.... proclaimed to the Israelites, that Jesus of Nazareth, the one that you delivered to the sinners to be crucified and killed, was indeed the LORD that David spoke about. God raised Jesus to life and released him from the pain of death, because it was impossible for him to be held in the power of death. David foresaw that one of his descendants will succeed him on the throne. He saw of the resurrection of the Messiah. “He would not be left in the region of the dead, nor would his body experience corruption.” He would be raised to the heights by God’s right hand.

In our own time, we also need to renew our excitement of the time when our first Pope took the stage to Proclaim these words. “Jesus of Nazareth, the one that you delivered to the sinners to be crucified and killed....... was indeed the LORD.... The Lord was raised to the heights by God’s right hand.”

He was, is and will always be the resurrected victorious Messiah... seated at God’s right hand.

David himself said this “The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for you.”