Hosea 8

Ancient people often fell into idolatry. Idolatry is not a mental exercise. There is a man-made idol, usually a statue, and people believe the artifact is a god and they worship the artifact. This is hard to understand for most contemporary people in our times. However, we can view idols as symbols of uncontrollable fortunes. Idols can represent fertility, abundance, victory, etc. Ancient people believed these gods could dispense fortunes at their pleasure. So people offered all kinds of things, animals, and even human beings to idols to have favours from these gods. Therefore, we can also consider idols as the projections of human desires. Each idol can be seen as a representation of a desire or desires. For instance, one famous idol in the Bible is Baal. Often this god is associated with fertility. Then, Baal seems a projection of human desires for prosperity and sensuality. Thus, we can say idol worship or idolatry is, in fact, worship of human desires.

Then, what is wrong with worshipping human desires? As we know by experiences, human desires are in conflict with one another, and human beings are in conflict with one another to satisfy desires. In other words, when I pursue my desires, I fall in confusion within myself with conflicting desires, and I face infinite competitions against others to fill my desires. Interiorly or externally, we will not be fulfilled if we worship our desires.

This is why God warned Israel of idolatry as we heard in the first reading. Idolatry only leads to chaos and destruction. There is no true peace while we have to infinitely fight within and without.

I have never personally seen anyone in my life worship an artifact as an idol. But I wonder if I have ever worshipped my desires in any form. One question to test any idolatry in me is this: “Do I have any constant dissatisfaction?”

Matthew 9

Today we read the gospel from Matthew. But Mark’s gospel describes the same episode with more lively details. The young girl’s father’s name was Jairus, a synagogue official.

When Jairus came to Jesus for help, there was already a great crowd around Jesus. And the crowd followed Jesus on the way to Jairus’ home. They surrounded Jesus pressing on him while they moved. The procession sounds a little chaotic. The crowd must have been excited to see what Jesus would do to Jairus’ daughter. I guess all walked rather in a hurry and talked to one another with excitement. In the middle of this moving commotion, the woman with hemorrhages strove to touch Jesus at least by his clothes. The woman and Jesus knew what had happened, but Jesus couldn’t even see her touch his clothes because of the pressing crowd. Jesus wanted to see her. And she came while trembling and fell down before Jesus. But Jesus praised her faith.

In today’s episode, two people are saved – the daughter of Jairus and the woman with hemorrhages. Don’t you think it is interesting that only two people were healed among so many people? Do you think these two were the only ones with sickness among all the crowd? Which do you think, if we have any group of people, is easier, whether to find a perfectly healthy person or to find a person with a medical condition? In reality, it is rare to find a person with perfect health. Are you in perfect health? Not me. Jesus was surrounded by people, and, probably, not all of them were perfectly healthy. They were already pressing in on Jesus. But None of them were healed except the woman who had to swim through the crowd and touched Jesus just by the fringe of his garment.

We surround Jesus every day in our prayers and every Sunday at Mass. But do we approach him desperately like the woman with hemorrhages or just move along with him leisurely like the crowd who were only bystanders. Do I realize how much healing I need for my soul? How many of us approach him with truth faith and touch him with humble hearts?

Even at the news of the young girl’s death, Jesus said, “Do not fear, only believe.” When we have true faith, Jesus can cause so much more than we can ever expect.

Matthew 11

This pandemic has changed many aspects of our daily life. What about our faith life? Certainly, the parish life has visibly changed a lot. Some Christians would say these visible changes are only external. It is absolutely true that there is no change in the Church’s teaching. Nor is there any degradation of Christian values. However, we should pay attention to changes in the visible exercises of faith. It’s because these visible exercises of faith are the reflections of our spirits. Our body is the image of our spirit, as our whole being is the image of God. Let us spend some time examining what visible changes there have been since the pandemic in our faith life and reflect on them for their spiritual significances.

The greatest change would be our Sunday obligation. It has been about three months since the obligation was lifted for everyone in our diocese. No one has to go to church now. But does that mean everyone and anyone can worship our Lord enough by oneself and for oneself?

From the beginning of the Old Testament, our God always called people to himself out of the world. In a sense, he would separate us from the world. Look at Abraham and Noah and the whole Exodus account. Israel was called out of Egypt to became God’s people to worship God. Jesus summoned his disciples out of the Jews and made them a new people. This ‘called-out’, ‘summoned-out’, or ‘assembly’ is the original meaning of the Latin word for church ‘ecclesia’. We are called out of the world to become a worshipping community. Thus it becomes the Church, a word originally meaning ‘the Lord’s house’. Therefore, gathering is essential for Christians. And the Sunday obligation reminds us of our Christian identity of God’s chosen people.

Then, can we say the dispensation from the Sunday obligation due to the pandemic removes our essential identity as the people who are called out from the world and worship God as a community? Absolutely not.

The Sunday obligation points out another important aspect of the Christian life. That is to keep the Lord’s day holy. Sunday is the day of Christ’s resurrection. From the beginning of the Church, Christians gathered and celebrated the Lord’s resurrection every Sunday. It has been reserved for the Lord. We spend this day in the Lord. It is a holy day.

Then, can we say the dispensation from the Sunday obligation allows us to spend Sunday in whatever way we like? Can we forget about the Lord on the Lord’s day? Attendance at church is not obligatory. However, we still have an obligation to spend Sunday in the Lord. We Christians are the people of Sunday. If we behave no different from non-Christians on Sunday because there is no Sunday obligation, we are no Christian in the heart.

Matthew 9

I saw many new converts enjoy more blessings of the Lord. In the meantime, I found many cradle Catholics tangled with many do’s and don’ts. What makes new converts lively in faith? And what oppresses lifelong Catholics in their faith life?

Those new Catholics seem to speak much more about Jesus. On the other hand, many cradle Catholics feel they are restricted by all the religious structures and practices. For the people who newly found Jesus, Christ Jesus is all. But many who were born to Catholicism experience first Catholic practices, customs, regulations, moral codes, hierarchy, and structures. Often, they discover Jesus later on in their life.

In today’s gospel, Jesus reminds us of what is more important in religion. It is the Bridegroom. Often, we forget the Bridegroom and focus on wedding ceremony details. Our faith is not in an institution or a set of moral codes but the Person of Christ. Christianity is about Christ not about the hierarchical structure of the Church. Our religion becomes alive when we encounter living Christ. It turns lifeless when we lose focus on Christ.

Christ Jesus is ever alive and ever new. To be with him, we should renew our faith. It begins with recognizing him at the centre of our faith. Let us encounter him first. He is with us.

John 20

Without faith in humanity, we cannot continue our daily life. If I were to doubt everything and everyone, I couldn’t even drink water from the tap on the sink, because it is not proven safe. But we drink water from the tap without testing it each time because we believe that those in charge of providing water make sure it is safe. And in almost all cases, our faith in humanity works fine without proofs, because humanity is real. In almost all our activities, we depend on faith. Faith is a way of knowing realities that are not visible. That’s why we can say certain faith is right or wrong.

In today’s gospel, Thomas first could not accept the reality of the resurrection of Christ Jesus, because he didn’t see the risen Christ. He demanded evidence. He didn’t have faith in resurrection yet. Now, when Jesus appeared again and Thomas saw him, Thomas didn’t have to believe in the resurrection, because he now saw the reality itself. For Thomas, the resurrection of Jesus was a reality and a fact that was visible and no longer demanded any proof or evidence. Likewise, in the Creed, we simply state the resurrection of Christ as a fact, not as what we confess to believe. In the Creed, what we profess to believe is the future resurrection of the body that will happen after we die and at the judgment of the whole world.

When Thomas saw the risen Christ, he didn’t say he now believed the Lord’s resurrection. Instead, he exclaimed, “My Lord and my God!” What his eyes saw was the wounds of Christ, but what his faith saw was the transcendent lordship and divinity of Christ. That was a statement of faith in an invisible reality, not a description of an observable phenomenon. The faith of Thomas made him know the true identity of Jesus. Once again, faith is a way of knowing realities.

And this way of knowing invisible realities is a gift and a blessing. That’s why Jesus tells, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

Matthew 9

The paralytic man who was brought to Jesus in today’s gospel symbolizes all who are born under the original sin of Adam. As a paralyzed person cannot do anything without the help of others, all men who are born in the original sin of Adam are paralyzed in the spirit in need of help.

None of us found Jesus without any help from other faithful. As the paralytic man was carried by his friends who had faith in Jesus, we were also brought to Jesus by other faithful – whether by our parents or friends or even unknown preachers on the radio. Someone has to bring the Good News to us and to carry us before our Lord. Even St Paul, who had directly heard the voice of Jesus on the way to Damascus, needed Ananias who found him and baptized him, and also Barnabas who brought him to the apostles to explain his conversion.

We never merited our faith. Did the first disciples simply discover Jesus? No. John the Baptist spurred them to follow him. When we are born, we do not know God. This ignorance cannot produce a true knowledge of God. We need help. And this help comes through the faith of others.

I wonder if I have ever carried anyone in spiritual paralysis to Jesus. I pray that the Lord gives me the courage and strength to carry one.

Matthew 8

“Seek good, not evil, that you may live.” Does this sound easy? Who does not want to do good? Or who wants evil? However, when I look at the world, I find enough people to doubt if the man has a natural ability to seek good and to avoid evil. I don’t have to go too far to find these people, because I am one of them.

Sometimes I feel it is almost impossible to do good things although I wish for good things. And I am shocked and disgusted at my wickedness when my mind and heart are filled with jealousy, resentment, vengefulness and hatred.

These are the moments, in a sense, I am possessed with unclean spirits. Then, it is painful to stand before the presence of the Lord. His radiant goodness burns my wickedness. “What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” This is what the two demoniacs shouted at Jesus in today’s gospel. Filled with evil thoughts, I tremble before the Lord. Facing Jesus is unbearable.

The only way to cast out these evils from my mind and heart is to bring myself before the Lord. And this means I must acknowledge my sinfulness and helplessness. Before the presence of the Lord, I wring and twist with throbbing and burning pain. But Christ our Lord is much stronger than our sinfulness. He casts out our evil thoughts but also heals us with forgiveness and peace. I hope you don’t need this, but I need Jesus to exorcise me every day.

Matthew 8

As Jesus rebuked his disciples in today’s gospel, the disciples in the boat didn’t have strong faith enough to disregard the storm. However, they didn’t forget they were with Jesus and asked him for help in the storm. Although Jesus replied with a scolding, he didn’t refuse their petition.

I believe this is important – to cry for help. When we face a threat or danger beyond our power, the first thing to do is to cry for help. It is not a shameful thing to call for help. We don’t feel ashamed to call 911.

But many Christians don’t ask Jesus to help them in their crises, especially in spiritual or moral struggles. When I have a hard time with forgiveness, I cry to Jesus for help. When my heart is overwhelmed by anger, jealousy or resentment, I ask the Blessed Mother for help. And they calm my stormy heart with peace.

But I found one thing to remember when I ask for help. It is that I am only asking for help, not dictating or ordering or controlling. I need to trust our Lord. I should follow his guidance and teaching. I am not in control of the crises. Jesus is in the control room.

There are too many things in our life that are beyond our control. That’s why we need to pray all the time. Masters of spiritual life are masters not in the sense that they can control everything in their hearts and their life, but in the sense that they know how to ask our Lord for help in every struggle.

Matthew 16

In many places of the four gospels, St Peter’s words meet corrections from Jesus. But today’s gospel passage is an exception. St Peter confesses his faith in Jesus by correctly identifying Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of the living God” while other people called Jesus with all wrong names.

How does this happen? How did St Peter have this insight? Jesus gives an explanation, saying “For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.”

Then, my question is “how did God reveal this truth to St Peter?”

Before the Transfiguration, none of the four gospels nor tradition gives any hint that Peter received any vision or heard voices about the true identity of Jesus. Then, why did Jesus say God the Father revealed to Peter? Was there an episode of revelation that is not written in the gospels? Perhaps yes.

But when we review the context of this Peter’s confession, Jesus was asking what his disciples thought about him. Jesus was not checking or reminding of a previous event of revelation. He first asked what other people considered him. Then he asked who his disciples were regarding him. He was asking if they had any insight into his true identity. To this question, Peter told his thought. And Jesus confirmed Peter’s insight.

Then, how did Peter reach this truth? This is the mystery of faith and knowledge. Peter did not conclude by arguments or evidence or testimonies. His faith in Jesus, even if not perfect, shed light on the true identity of Jesus. That faith was not Peter’s work, but God’s gift. This is what Jesus meant by saying his Father in heaven had revealed to Peter. Faith, essentially God’s gift, brings us heavenly knowledge. As we all can testify, none of us merited faith by our efforts. And without this gift of faith, none of the knowledge of faith could be understood. We can boast of God for his work in us, but not of our faith or knowledge. If we can confess Jesus as our Lord, it is God’s generous gift.

2 Kings

I wonder if any priest began their journey of priesthood without knowing any priest. It is not impossible, but it is very unlikely a boy or a young man has an aspiration to the priesthood without actually seeing and hearing a priest at least. And I also wonder how many priests developed their vocations to the priesthood without any kind of relationship with other priests. It is also not impossible, but it will be a very difficult and lonely journey.

I saw many priests in my parish since I was very young. I did not have much opportunity to know most of them very well, but as an altar server and a lector, I had much time to see and hear them. As a young boy, to serve them at the altar and to see them from a close distance certainly affected me to have a dream of becoming one of them.

Later on, as a young man, I met a few priests who left me with impressions that made me seriously think about the priesthood. They did not suggest the priesthood. But, the relationships with them led me into the decision to enter the seminary.

I don’t exactly know why, but I always enjoyed friendships with priests as a boy and a young man. I welcomed those God’s servants, and I became one of them. I received the greatest gift in my life, the priesthood, just by welcoming priests in my life, not so much by asking for it.

The woman in the first reading of this Sunday who welcomed the prophet Elisha and provided a small house received a gift of a son without asking for a son. And, in the gospel, Jesus tells us we will receive a prophet’s reward if we welcome a prophet. When we welcome Jesus in our lives and our family, we will receive the reward of Jesus – life eternal. All we need is to welcome him and build a relationship with him.