God is not asleep

Feast of St. Monica

For those of us who have been through a crisis would know what it means to be gripped by panic, doubt, fear.  One likely reason for such anxiety is that we begin to wonder whether God is really paying attention to us during our distress or had slept off on the watch. It is enough to drive a man crazy when he is confronted with the deafening silence of God.

Today the church celebrates the feast of St. Monica. She is one of my favourite saints. St. Monica was a tenacious, patient and persistent prayer warrior who pray for 17 years for the conversion of her son, Augustine, who later became so strongly drawn to the faith that he was eventually canonised as one of the church's greatest teachers and philosophers and was designated as a doctor of the church. Wow...17 years of patient and persistence!

As we celebrate the Feast of St. Monica, her life story provides us some insights about God's silence. The silence of God should not be interpreted as His refusal to answer, nor does it indicate that He is disinterested in our affairs. The silence itself is an answer. Today, we may be in the midst of a difficult situation, we may be facing a problem that seems so huge. In human experience, God does not always intervene or seem to intervene as we would desire and our cries of agony often continue unattended. Rather than the presence of God, we perceive only his absence. 

God in His infinite wisdom, reveals Himself both in word and in silence. Both serve His purpose. Both silence and revelation bring us to a point of decision, offering us faith that goes beyond the superficial, a deepened relationship with God, a broadened understanding of who He is. In his silence we come to discover that true joy is not the absence of pain but the presence of God. As we come to accept his Silence, we humbly acknowledge that in this life God never fully discloses all the answers to our questions. Our comprehension will always remain as at dusk, between the full illumination of understanding and the darkness of complete ignorance. We may know enough to see, but not enough to fathom its depth. He has given us what is sufficient for the next stage of our journey, and allows us to crave for more. With that mystery, with that craving, there is a lesson to be learnt - God is to be trusted. This will stand us in good stead for what lies ahead.

However, the good news is God does not remain silent forever, and he is definitely not sleeping on the job. God will speak from the centre of the maelstrom to declare his authority over the mess in our lives, and God will rise up to calm the storms that continue to assail the illusory and temporary calmness of our lives. So, in the face of such stormy weather, what should we do? Pressing the panic button, fleeing or just throwing in the towel are certainly not viable solutions. We recognise that great temptation to abandon faith in God who seems to have abandoned us to our troubles. So, even when He seems silent or asleep, don’t PANIC! Believe that He is firmly in charge and He will steer us on course. 

Regina caeli, laetare, alleluia

Queenship of Mary 

Many of us have our favourite devotions to our Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary, under various titles, such as Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of Perpetual Succour and our Lady of Good Health. Today the church celebrates the Queenship of Mary, which can be found in the annunciation narrative. For the angel tells her that her Son will be King over the house of Jacob forever. So she, His Mother, would be a Queen.

The titles "king" and "queen" are often used loosely, for those beings that excel in some way. Thus we call the lion the king of beasts, the rose the queen of flowers. Surely Our Lady deserves the title richly for such reasons. But there is much more. The solidly theological reasons for her title of Queen are expressed splendidly by Pope Pius XII, "He, the Son of God, reflects on His heavenly Mother the glory, the majesty and the dominion of His kingship, for, having been associated to the King of Martyrs in the unspeakable work of human Redemption as Mother and cooperator, she remains forever associated to Him, with a practically unlimited power, in the distribution of the graces which flow from the Redemption. Jesus is King throughout all eternity by nature and by right of conquest: through Him, with Him, and subordinate to Him, Mary is Queen by grace, by divine relationship, by right of conquest, and by singular choice [of the Father]. And her kingdom is as vast as that of her Son and God, since nothing is excluded from her dominion." (Radiomessage to Fatima, Bendito seja)

Notice that there are two titles for the kingship of Christ: divine nature, and "right of conquest", Eg, the Redemption. She is Queen "through Him, with Him, and subordinate to Him." The qualifications are obvious, and need no explanation. Mary's Queenship is basically a sharing in the royalty of her Son. We do not think of two powers, one infinite, the other finite. No, she and her Son are inseparable, and operate as a unit.

In fitting tribute to Mary, Queen of Heaven, the Holy Theotokos, I close with the lyrics of this hymn that shows the profound connection between Mary and her son Jesus. 

Mary the dawn, Christ the Perfect Day;

Mary the gate, Christ the Heavenly Way!

Mary the root, Christ the Mystic Vine;

Mary the grape, Christ the Sacred Wine!

Mary the wheat, Christ the Living Bread;

Mary the stem, Christ the Rose blood-red!

Mary the font, Christ the Cleansing Flood;

Mary the cup, Christ the Saving Blood!

Mary the temple, Christ the temple's Lord;

Mary the shrine, Christ the God adored!

Mary the beacon, Christ the Haven's Rest;

Mary the mirror, Christ the Vision Blest!

Mary the mother, Christ the mother's Son

By all things blest while endless ages run. Amen.

Victory of Love

Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary 

Today, the church celebrates the great Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Church celebrates this feast in commemoration of its solemn belief that at the end of her earthly life, Mary was taken in soul and body to heaven, that is, to the glory of eternal life, in full and perfect communion with God. Our brothers and sisters from the Eastern Christian tradition, on the other hand, celebrate the event as the Dormition, or Falling asleep, of the Holy Theotokos, the Mother of God. From ancient times, this event has been regarded by Orthodox Christians in the light of a second Pascha, or a second Easter. Thus, the Assumption finds its true glorious meaning in the revealing radiance of the Easter dawning sun.

As we raise our eyes above and through our imagination try to behold the splendour of this wondrous event of our Blessed Mother being assumed body and soul into heaven into the welcoming arms of the Holy Trinity in the presence of the angelic hosts and saintly choir, our vision looks beyond the person of Mary. The Assumption provides us with a glimpse of our future glory, our final home, the holy beatitude of heaven. Pope Benedict speaks to us of the power of this feast as one which “impels us to lift our gaze to Heaven; not to a heaven consisting of abstract ideas or even an imaginary heaven created by art, but the Heaven of true reality which is God himself. God is Heaven. He is our destination, the destination and the eternal dwelling place from which we come and for which we are striving.”

Today’s feast announces the victory of love over death. St Baldwin of Canterbury once delivered this beautiful homily on love and death.   “Death is strong: it has the power to deprive us of the gift of life. Love is strong: it has the power to restore us to the exercise of a better life. Death is strong, strong enough to despoil us of this body of ours. Love is strong, strong enough to rob death of its spoils and restore them to us. Death is strong; for no man can resist it. Love is strong; for it can triumph over death, can blunt its sting, counter its onslaught and overturn its victory. A time will come when death will be trampled underfoot; when it will be said: ‘Death, where is your sting? Death, where is your attack?” On this feast of Assumption, death is trampled beneath the foot of the woman who bore the Saviour of the world. Today, we celebrate the love of God and the love of our Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary, the Holy Theotokos, the New Eve, the Second Pascha and Hodegetria, She who shows the Way. We celebrate love’s triumph and victory over death. Today, we echo the hope of Mary in affirming the greatness of God – this is the God, who according to St. Paul, will put all his enemies including death under his feet.

Infinite Glory

Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

Today the church celebrates the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. One may ask what is the significance of this mysterious appearance which we celebrate today. In today's feast celebration, it revealed to us the true identity of our Lord as the Beloved Son of God, Light from Light, True God from True God. We get a glimpse of this when the disciples see Jesus transfigured on the mountain and His face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white (Mark 9:2-3).  

But this momentous event reveals something more! It reveals what is to become of us. The Transfiguration peels away the seemingly impenetrable veil that separates the world of the Invisible from our realm of the Visible. As we encounter the toils of our existence, the many tragedies that life brings, we need the light of the Transfiguration to keep us focused, strengthened, and faithful to the journey with Christ into the wilderness and along the Via Dolorosa of his Passion. We need to have before us the Transfiguration so that we may have a glimpse of the end of the story, the dawning glory of Easter, in order to be sustained in the midst the darkness, pain and isolation that we must endure not just in the forty days during Lent but also throughout our life long Lent. In the Transfiguration we taste the sweetness often hidden in the bitterness of failure, suffering and pain. In the Transfiguration we behold the beauty and glory often covered beneath layers of soot and the grime, concealed by the awful and scandalous experience of humanity’s suffering! In the Transfiguration, we finally receive the answer to the inexplicable mysteries concealed by death, an answer that can only be found in the Resurrection!

Food that endures to Eternal Life

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B

Life satisfaction is the way a person evaluates his or her life and how he or she feels about where it is going in the future. It has been measured in relation to economic standing, as well as many other topics. The basic fundamental of economic will tell you that human will never be satisfied. No matter what circumstances we are in, we are longing for more. 

Last month, I have had an opportunity to speak with a group of RCIA candidates in my parish. We discussed on the topic of life - in search of meaning in life. Most of us would agree that we are on a constant search and will never be satisfied with the things that we have. Eg: the latest iPhone that I have will never hit the same satisfaction level when I first bought the phone.

If we examine the things that we want, we will realise that our wants change with the circumstances of our lives. When we have obtained the thing that we want, there will always be something else that will catch our attention. Fulfilling our wants will merely give us temporary satisfaction. We noticed that when our lives are controlled by our wants and desires, there will never be an end to our dissatisfaction and complaints. No matter how much we may possess or acquire, it is never enough. If our only purpose in life is to satisfy our wants and desires, we will never be satisfied.

In the First Reading, the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, or more accurately against God, for leading them out into the desert wastelands where they were confronted with the reality of starvation. While in Egypt, they complained to God that they were not free. They seem to have made a short memory of things. Now at the slightest inconvenience they began to grumble over their predicament again, saying that it would have been better to stay a slave in Egypt where at least they were fed bread and didn’t starve. But despite their turning away from God and complaining, God heard them, and made a promise to their leader Moses. God said that he would provide food for them both in the morning and in the evening. God will provide for his people. This may have satisfied them temporarily but there will be other complaints to come.

So, what kind of food can satiate our deepest longing? The answer is given in today’s gospel where Jesus speaks of food and bread. He cautions the crowds not to look for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life. The crowds had witnessed the miracle of the multiplication of loaves and had become recipients themselves. Thus, Jesus was clearly aware of their motives in searching for him. They were not looking for him as such but as to what he could offer them. How wonderful it would be to possess an inexhaustible source and supply of food? They would no longer be hungry or in need. 

But Jesus now explains that it is not simply physical bread or food which is being given, but the true bread of heaven is that which feeds the soul of a person.  It lasts forever. He wishes to raise their attention from their stomachs to their hearts. This leads to the beautiful, poetic and moving “I” message of Jesus: “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

Jesus is not speaking of physical bread here but spiritual bread, bread that feeds a person’s spirit. Jesus is that bread. In the context of the Eucharist, this takes on an even more pointed and beautiful meaning, because Jesus becomes one with the physical bread that feeds us both temporally and spiritually. St Ignatius of Antioch used the following analogy to speak of the wonder of the Eucharist when he described it as “the one Bread which is the medicine of immortality and the antidote against death, enabling us to live forever in Jesus Christ.” In this heavenly meal, heaven meets earth and earth meets heaven, and we encounter our Lord in a "uniquely intense" way. This is a concept that is so beautiful, so moving, so intricate that I don’t think anyone can be unmoved by it, if they meditate on it at all.

I guess most of us are like blind beggars, unappreciative of the treasure that we are given at every mass whilst continuing to clamour for things that momentarily satisfy our wants and desires but leave us hungering for more. How can we acquire a greater appetite for Christ? St. Paul reminds us in today’s second reading: “You must give up your old way of life; you must put aside your old self, which gets corrupted by following illusory desires. Your mind must be renewed by a spiritual revolution so that you can put on the new self that has been created in God’s way, in the goodness and holiness of truth.” What is the new self and new life which Paul is speaking about? The new life is the life in Jesus, the Bread of Life and those who partake of him will never be hungry or ever thirsty again. If our lives undergo a “spiritual revolution,” if we are able to die to our old selves – to our old selfish ways, and allow Christ to be at the heart and center of our lives, then there is no need for us to crave for anything else. If we have Jesus in our hearts, there is nothing more that we should desire. The problem for many Christians is that in spite of receiving Jesus, they still want more. This may indicate that they have not accepted the fact that he is the bread of life who satisfies our every want and need. We remain hungry and thirsty because Jesus remains in the periphery. 

Appetite has always been a barometer of health. But eating in itself need not necessarily be an indicator that we are on the right track. Obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes and a whole long list of ailments are evidence that we sometimes pay too much attention to eating rather than healthy living. The oft repeated adage, ‘Eat to Live, Don’t Live to Eat,’ proves to be a better guide in matters of food, health and life. Today, Jesus invites us to work for food that guarantees eternal life, medicine for immortality, an antidote for death. He is that food, that Bread of Life which should become our most important staple meal. Only when we eat of his flesh and drink of his blood, can we truly say that we ‘eat to live’ and not just ‘live’ but to live forever.