Make straight His path, our liberation is coming

I guess none of us love to seat for exam. Exam is an occasion that does not seem favourable to all level of people in the society. During my university days, exam seems to bothering me the most toward the end of each semester. The reason being is because I need to sacrifice all my outdoor activities to make sure I'm fully equipped with those exam answers.

Sitting in front of the book for several hours is something that I do not really enjoyed. Perhaps, sometimes can be quite torturing for me mainly because that is not the subject matter that I love to read. Well, as a student, I guess all of us have a common goal that we desire. The common goal of getting good grade. No matter how tough the preparation might be, our common interest of that is to get good score for each subjects. Better still, 4.0 CGPA! 

In today's first reading, the prophet Isaiah also speaks of preparation. "Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths." The monumental feat which is implied by this text may be entirely lost on us unless we have travelled along one of these mountainous winding roads, especially those that cut across treacherous terrain. As we stand in awe of such magnificent engineering, a question often crosses our mind would be this, “How in the heavens did they manage to do this?!” Today, modern technology has vastly simplified the construction of tunnels, bridges and roads with the invention of dynamite, excavators, tractors, tunnel drills and other engineering equipment. Despite all the technological know-how and heavy machineries, any engineer or contractor would still tell you that it is anything but an easy feat. But now try to imagine the same feat accomplished by human hands with only the aid of axes, hammers and stone. 

Understanding the biblical allusion, the historical context, and the phenomenal physical challenge of the project would help us understand and appreciate the call of John the Baptist in today’s gospel.

First, the passage is a quotation, with minor alterations, from the Old Testament. Although, he attributes everything to the prophet Isaiah, St Mark is actually quoting two different biblical references to speak of the ministry of John the Baptist and the content of his message. The first part of the prophecy which refers to the ministry of John the Baptist as the messenger is actually a paraphrase taken from Malachi 3:1 which speaks about the prophet Elijah returning to prepare the way presumably for the Messiah. Later, St Mark would provide a detailed description of the clothing and diet of John the Baptist which is almost identical with that of the prophet Elijah, the Tishbite, mentioned in the First Book of the Kings. With Elijah’s reappearance, the long awaited Messiah would not be too far behind. When that day finally arrives, Israel’s liberation and vindication would be at hand.

But it is the second part of the text when it speaks of the voice and the message announced that draws our attention to the preparation needed to welcome the Lord. Again here, we see another paraphrase of the Old Testament, in this case from Isaiah 40, which we had heard in today’s first reading. Isaiah 40 was written as a message of hope to Israelites and Judeans who were in exile in Babylon, promising them that they will return home to the Promised Land from their long exile, a journey that will take them over the desert sands. Thus at one level, it is message that promises liberation from captivity – good news that the Israelites who have lived as prisoners in exile will now finally experience freedom and be able to return to their beloved homeland. At a second level, it speaks of their foundational experience, liberation from slavery in Egypt and their journey in the desert for forty years under the guidance of the Lord.

But the text still has another older historical allusion. The idea is taken from the practice of eastern monarchs, who, whenever they entered upon an expedition or took a journey, especially through desert and unchartered territory, sent harbingers before them to prepare all things for their passage, and pioneers to open the passes, to level the ways, and to remove all impediments. This was usually done during times of peace. In times of war, the hazardous or difficult terrain often offered a natural defense or barrier against the enemy. The king or his country would not gain any advantage by remodeling the terrain to facilitate an easier passage. But during times of peace, especially after the king had won a great victory, his victory procession returning to his capital would be supplemented with an exaggerated ceremonial pomp and pageantry. It would be unsightly and unbecoming if the king had himself to maneuver across these natural barriers and obstacles. Thus, the leveling of the hills, the filling of the valleys and the straightening of the paths became symbolic of his victory not only over his enemies but also over the forces of nature. It was a great homecoming.

A well documented example of this monumental engineering feat is that of the funeral procession of Alexander the Great, whose body was transported in a golden pavilion pulled by sixty over mules from Babylon in the East to the distant oasis town of Siwa in Egypt in the West. Historians record that an army of craftsman, labourers and engineers had been sent ahead of the funeral cortege in order to ‘prepare the way’ that was befitting for a man, an emperor who had united the known world from the East to the West.

Having looked at both the scriptural and historical allusions, we still have to consider one last feature, which is the enormous physical challenge of the project. Why did Isaiah and later the gospel writers choose this imagery? It is apparent that these were not minor public works like the periodic repairs and maintenance conducted by our Jabatan Kerja Raya (JKR). Rather, it involved reshaping the terrain on a monumental scale. Thus when both the Prophet Isaiah and John the Baptist made this call, it can only be understood as a call to re-landscape our lives. It is a call for radical conversion. This is reinforced by the image of the desert. The desert, in any event, can be a formidable foe. The desert changes anyone who dares to accept its challenge. The Israelites traverse the desert for 40 years after their departure from Egypt before they could arrive in the Promised Land. The 40 years did not only symbolised a whole generation, but a radical transformation of these people from being just slaves, no-people, a people without identity or nationality into God’s own people.

Thus, both the physical challenge of the project of landscaping and the desert imagery emphasises the extent of the change required to welcome the King. Conversion is anything but easy. Rearranging your furniture is much easier than changing persons. It is not enough to make cosmetic changes to our life, for example, stop or reduce your smoking; becoming a bit more patient with the people you live with, coming for Mass on Christmas Day, coming for prayer meeting every week, or making little changes here and there. In order to prepare for the coming of Jesus, our lives must undergo a deep and thorough conversion. It involves dying and being reborn. There is a need for repentance, a turning away from our sins, a rejection of our old way of life especially when that was leading us away from God.

Thus, the readings for us are a call to make preparation through repentance and conversion. We need to sincerely identify the obstacles that impede the coming of the Lord into our lives. Selfishness, sloth, greed, lust, vanity, indifference and sin marks the mountains, the valleys and the crooked ways which form an obstacle to Christ making his way into our hearts and into the world.

Today, these themes of liberation, peace, victory, homecoming and conversion converge in St Mark’s introduction to the gospel, the good news, of Jesus Christ. John the Baptist, the harbinger of the king, the new Elijah, the herald and forerunner of the Anointed one, appears on the scene to call for this radical and monumental work in preparation for the coming King. This time, it would be no ordinary mortal that we are awaiting for. It is no human king who would eventually witness the disintegration of his kingdom, as Alexander posthumously did. This is a king that could only be judged by radically different categories as John the Baptist pointed out – “One that is mightier than I is coming … I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the Spirit.” So let us “prepare the way of the Lord, and make straight his paths” because our liberation is coming, he is the Prince of Peace and our Victorious King.

Be Watchful, Be Alert

First Sunday of Advent - Year B

I guess many (not all) might not aware the calendar that we are using called Gregorian Calendar. Gregorian calendar, also known as Western calendar is internationally the most widely used civil calendar. Interestingly, it is named for Pope Gregory XIII, who introduced it in 1582. The introduction of the Gregorian calendar was a refinement to the Julian Calendar.  

Usually, each new year begin with the month of January, but for us Christian, our new year start with the season of advent. Yes, today we begin the season of Advent, a new liturgical year for us, Christian. Advent is a season observed in many churches as a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of Christmas. 

Besides that, Advent celebrates primarily two comings. The first coming of Christ in Bethlehem over two thousand years ago. The incarnation, the Word make flesh, the Word of God taking flesh, seems to be a fulfillment of what the Prophet Isaiah writes in today's first reading -  it is the prophecy of how the Lord "would tear the heavens open and come down." The whole of humanity who had waited for aeons for the coming of its deliverer, its new Joshua who will lead them to the Promised Land, is not disappointed, as the Saviour has indeed come - He is Jesus the Christ. But Advent does not only prepare us for the first coming which we commemorate every year at the Feast of Christmas, but also points us to the future, to Christ's second coming in glory, to judge and deliver the world from sin, evil and death. 

Our Christian faith is eschatological to its core. What do I mean by eschatological? The word 'eschatology' refers to the Last things that we had learnt in our catechism - heaven, hell, death and judgement, the four eschata. But the real focus of eschatology is the last thing, which is not exactly a thing, in the sense of being an event or an object - it is God himself, the Eschaton. God is the source and summit of our lives, he is the beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega. Eschatology is not purely confined to these vague, deeply profound and theological concepts of the future. Eschatology has everything to do with our present lives. The eschatological vision shapes our christian world-view. It reminds us that our objective and purpose in life does not reside in the past or even in the present, it is posited in the future. The final solution would not be found here in this life - the final solution can only be found in God. It provides us with a new benchmark of evaluating our priorities in life- are our preparations only for this earthly life or are they for eternal life? and finally, this eschatological dimension of our faith points to our basic orientation and disposition in life - how do we respond to Christ's coming? The answer is this - It is through watchfulness. 

But is this the kind of watchfulness which Jesus is speaking of? I guess that these are more distractions rather than authentic watchfulness. We are invited by the readings to watch for the Lord, and especially for his coming. Firstly, this requires patience because as Jesus noted, ‘you never know when the time will come.’ The problem is that our attention span is often too short. We constantly look for distractions or loose interest when results are not immediately forthcoming. In a world that seeks immediate gratification, quick final solutions are the only acceptable options. Patience teaches us to respect God's time and not dictate it. 

Watchfulness calls for fidelity or faithfulness to our duty. Take note that in today’s gospel, the image of the master entrusting the servants with a duty to watch for his coming, reminds all of us that being watchful is not just merely an individual vocation. The servants’ lack of watchfulness may cost the entire household its property or even the life of its members. We are called to be watchful not only for ourselves, but also for our family members, our children, future generations, our neighbours, our BEC members, our non-Christian friends, colleagues and everyone else. If we let down our guard, others apart from us will suffer too.

The third aspect of this watchfulness is expounded by St Paul in the second reading. He exhorts the Corinthians that while waiting for the Lord’s coming, to keep ready and without blame until the last day.’ Staying awake and being watchful means that we need to guard against sin. Sin dulls our senses to the promptings of God. Sin blinds us from recognizing Christ in our lives. Sin distracts us from waiting and watching for the Lord. That is why Advent is also a penitential period for the whole Church. It is a time for us to honestly search our hearts, seek the Lord’s forgiveness, celebrate His mercy and the gift of repentance in order to make ready the way for the Lord’s coming.

We should take Advent as seriously as a new mother takes her pregnancy. The Christmas season is not merely a memory, celebration, or blessing, but a new, extremely important encounter with the incarnate Jesus. St. Charles Borromeo taught: "This holy season (Advent) teaches us that Christ's coming was not only for the benefit of His contemporaries; His power has still to be communicated to us".

Therefore, our Advent preparation for Christmas is very important for God's kingdom, the Church, the world, the future, our families, and ourselves. "Our hearts should be as much prepared for this coming of Christ (Christmas) as if He were still to come into this world" (St. Charles Borromeo). Moreover, if we are not prepared for Christ's unique Christmas coming this year, we are not prepared for His coming at the end of the world. 

Consequently, "be constantly on the watch! Stay awake! You do not know when the appointed time will come" (Mk 13:33). "Wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor 1:7). Make this the best Advent ever, preparing for Christ's greatest Christmas coming of your life.

He is Christ the King, King of the universe

Solemnity of Christ the King - Year A

The famous science fiction disaster adventure film - '2012', directed and co-written by Roland Emmerich, become the top grossing movie that hit the top 10 of the box office. The movie speaks of an American geologist visits astophysicist in India and learns that neutrinos from a massive solar flare are causing the temperature of the Earth's core to increase rapidly. Therefore, this American geologist bring this information and presents it to the White House Chief staff. Eventually, the U.S President got to know about it and begin a secret project to ensure humanity's survival together with other international leaders. Wow! Sounds frightening right?

The released of the movie make people feel the world is coming to an end, which we always see it as the frightening image of the Day of Judgement - it describes it as a Day of God's wrath, a day when the world will be dissolved into ashes, a day when God sits as judge firmly and strictly investigating everything. Nothing will be hidden from His sigh, no evil will remain unpunished. This frightening image of the Last Day, the Day of Judgement, would obviously not sit well with anyone today.

In fact, the Latin hymn, Dies Irae , which was a characteristic part of the Catholic Requiem Mass before renewal of the liturgy after Vatican II, was removed from the present Catholic funeral liturgy, because some felt that the hymn was saturated with negative spirituality inherited for the Middle Ages. They felt that the song had overemphasized judgement, fear and despair whereas the funeral liturgy should actually focusing on the hope and joy of the resurrection. So, the song got the boot!

We see in today's Gospel reading, the story of how Jesus separates the sheep from the goats. Read on any other occasion, it would not be too hard for someone to conclude that the whole crux of the story is this: all it takes to get to heaven is to offer a cup of water to someone who is thirsty, because you will notice at the end you are offering it to Christ himself. It is certainly a nice interpretation to the story that reminds us of the responsibility of fraternal charity. There is nothing wrong with this reading, but is it adequate?

Do remember that this is a parable of judgement. More importantly, Christ is presented as a cosmic all-powerful king sitting on his throne and as a judge summoning the accused to trial. Perhaps, this setting is entirely lost to most of us because the gravity and seriousness of the Day of Judgement is no longer emphasized in our modern liturgy. In fact, the parable of Jesus presents two images of Christ, both seemingly at opposite ends of a spectrum. One image is that of a God who is transcendent, who is distant from us, who sits as king in judgement of us. The other image is an image of a God who is immanent, who dwells among us, who is in complete solidarity with us, and who identifies with us. In other words, one presents us a God hidden behind the clouds and another, a God who looks just like us. The parable reminds us that both these images of Christ are not mutually exclusive. One does not cancel out the other. 

Often, our preferences for the more gentle image of Jesus betrays a certain erroneous belief on our part. The idea of a remote or formal king doesn't resonate with us. What we want is one whom we can identify with, one who is like us; an approachable, compassionate and gentle king. Unfortunately, it is not a matter of choosing one image over the other. Jesus is that cosmic king seated on his throne of judgement - and there is a chasm which separates us lowly creatures from his august presence. Majesty which deserves worship and adulation is always marked by distance. You admire and worship someone only when you admire them from a distance, not when they are standing next to you and doing the same things as you. At the same time, this is a Jesus who has chosen to cross that chasm, knowing that no man nor woman will be able to make that journey; this is supreme judge who understands that no mortal is able to bear the sentence for which is accused, and who finally chooses to cross the distance from the bench to the gallery to take the place of the accused, the condemned in the dock, and to be punished and executed in his stead. It is one thing to know that someone has died for you. It is another thing entirely to know that a king or a God has chosen to do this. 

It is easier to understand why the world requires a loving and compassionate king, a king who soothes us when we fall, a king who embraces us when we are lonely, a king who kisses our wounds to make the pain go away. Who wouldn't want to have this kind of a king? But I believe Jesus came not merely to act as life’s panadol, a painkiller, for us. Jesus came to show us how God must ultimately be lord and master of our lives, there lies our salvation. 

The world is in need of a king who calls and challenges them to greatness rather than mediocrity. The world is in need of king who gives them a chance to experience the perfection and the holiness of the divine rather than just being satisfied with our human weakness. The world is in need of a king who demands a radical self-giving and loving and not only when it suits us. The world needs a king to inspire us, not a king who looks and behaves just like us. 

Today, in our attempt to make God and the divine more accessible, for example, by transforming the sanctuaries of our churches into empty spaces barren of beauty, in the removal of communion rails, in the singing of music that approximates the kind of music we listen to in our daily mundane existence, there is something about the character of the liturgy that is lost – we loose focus of the object of our liturgy, which is to worship God. In place of this, man is worshipped in his stead. But it is not just liturgy which suffers. Christian life suffers too when we choose to depict Christ merely as an ordinary people like us. There is no challenge to aim for loftier goals. At the end of the day, when Christ becomes ordinary, he will soon be forgotten, since he only acts as a functional implement or tool whenever we need him.

We have reduced Christ to a mere panacea or an intoxicant that serves to make us feel good in our otherwise miserable existence. But, this is Christ, King of the Universe, the one whom we must subject ourselves to. This is Christ, the Judge, who will call us to account for our actions, and who would demand evidence that we had recognised him in his people. This is Christ, our Lord and God, who chooses to come among us,God who becomes man in order that men may become gods. This is Christ who inspires us and reminds that we are made in his image and likeness, a royal priestly people called to give glory to God. Let us not make the mistake of reducing him into nothing more than an image of ourselves.

true wisdom? 智慧？

Thirty Third Ordinary Sunday Year A

Each culture has developed a whole collection of wise sayings and proverbs. We also grew up with lots of advice from our elders. "Don't judge a book by its cover" (人不可以貌相）; "Take care of one's need first before thinking of others", "Don't put all eggs into one basket" etc. 

Being ethically Chinese, I have come to realize how we have often equated wisdom with knowledge and also good business acumen. A man who knows how to save, how to make good investments, who become rich as a result of his own hard work of intelligence, he is regarded by society as a wise man. 

All these wise sayings have their place in our lives. However, holdings onto some of them may cause us to loose sight of the most important wisdom of all. The wisdom that tells us that all comes from God and will return to God. It is the wisdom that reminds us that the most important things in life are not just having friends, having lots of children, having lots of money, prosperity and luck. The most important thing in our faith in God who promised eternal life for us, and this is for eternity. To understand this is true wisdom. 

I remembered during my university days, lectures often remind us of this : University is a platform to prepare you for the outside world. Hence, word hard and be prepared! I guess this may be also one of the contributing factor that creates fierce competition among students. In today's world, society often judged based on your qualification, result and skill as a determination of getting a secure job-  as if these are the pass or gateway to paradise. A person's wisdom or perhaps the word which commonly known as intelligence often based on how great is your achievement in the past. But we fail to see that all these investment on earth are just temporary, and it will end at death.

Undeniably, many people are good at making investment- buying the right shares, making the right business assessment. However, many people are really bad at making spiritual investments. We work so hard in life in order to make life easier for ourselves and for our future generations and we end up at death with nothing. We are prepared for any eventuality in life - education, business, family life, but we are not prepared for eternal life.

Now my dear friends, I have a question for you.  Are you prepared to meet the lord at any time? It could be today, tomorrow, this week, next month or next year. Have you made the right investments? Have you invested for eternal life? Or have you put all your investments in looking for worldly pleasure, riches, ambition, fame, and power. You may have all these things - power, riches and fame - but they will serve you no good at your death.

When people tell us to be wise, and not be foolish, let us heed their call. But let us also understand what is true wisdom. True wisdom is investing for eternal life, not this life, not in riches, not in possessions. No! True wisdom is being always prepared to meet the Lord who may call us home at any time. So now, are you ready? Are you prepared?

This week's reading give us and insight on what it means to be ready. Being ready is not merely making sure that we have made our confession before our death. Being ready is not just merely avoiding wrong doing as much as possible. Being ready doesn't mean just waiting for death to happen. These are insufficient.

Being ready means that we must be constantly at our mission, fulfilling the vocation that God has given us. Each of us is entrusted with certain talents. Each of us have been given certain responsibilities - we have responsibilities as a parent or as a children or as a worker or as a member of the community or as Catholic etc. These talents are gifts from God and come with a responsibility. We are to use them for the mission which has been entrusted to us.

Many people go through their life without living out their full potential. Many people are satisfied with only doing the "bare minimum." Their philosophy is "why do more when you can do less!" God did not create us to live only a fraction of our lives. If we only live 10% of what we are capable of living, then the other 90%  is wasted.

Being ready means giving our all for the glory of God. We may not be able to do everything. We may not be able to do all things well. We may not even able to achieve within our  lifetime all our goals. Nevertheless, whatever we do, if we do it to the best of our ability and for the glory of God, is enough.

In today's first reading uses the symbol of a wise wife or perfect wife as the model of a disciple. A wise wife knows that "charm is deceitful and beauty empty" what is important is that she is able to fulfill her role and responsibility as a dutiful wife - bringing "advantage and not hurt to her husband all the days of her life." She is always busy at work and has no time for idleness, gossip of unfruitful activity. The wise wife is thus a model for all of us. We are made for the glory of God and not bring hurt to him or to others. We are created with gifts and talents  in order for us to realize our mission and vocation in this life.

Similarly, the Gospel tells us the story of the three servants who receive different amount of talents from their master. The amount that they received is not important. Sometimes we may feel that others have more than we have. We feel that this is unfair. We may never know the reasons for this. But we know that the one receives, the more is expected of that person. Those who have been given more greater responsibility to use those talents and gift for the good of others and for the glory of God. If we just complain that we do not have enough, if we do not do anything with the little that we have, then even what we have will be taken away.

Make the best of your life. You may be rich or you may be poor, you may be beautiful or you may look ordinary, make the best of your life. Use whatever talents or gifts the Lord has given you for his greater glory. Don't hesitate any longer because as St. Paul tells us in the second reading "the Day of the Lord is going to come like a thief in the night", so stay wide awake and sober. 

Sign of Unity

Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

Today the church celebrates the feast of the dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome.I guess many of us might not even aware of this feast. This leads to a reluctance to celebrate the dedication of a building stems from a fact which we rarely dare to admit. There are just too many "Protestants"in the Catholic Church so much so that this feast does not really make any sense. The Lateran Basilica was built by the Emperor Constantine on the Lateran Hill in Rome. 

Today's feast became a universal celebration in honor of the basilica called "the mother and head of all churches of Rome and the world" (omnium urbis et orbis ecclesiarum mater et caput). The purpose of us celebrating the feast as a sign of love for union with the See of Peter. In fact, this basilica was the first to be built after Emperor Constantine's edict, in 313, granted Christians freedom to practice their religion. Initially, the observance of this feast was confined to the city of Rome, then beginning in 1565, it was extended to all the Churches of the Roman rite. The honoring of this sacred edifice was a way of expressing love and veneration for the Roman Church, which, as St. Ignatius of Antioch says, "presides in charity" over the whole Catholic Communion. 

On this solemnity, the Word of God recalls an essential truth: the temple of stones is a symbol of the living Church, the Christian community, which in their letters the Apostles Peter and Paul already understood as a "spiritual edifice," built by God with "living stones," namely, Christians themselves, upon the one foundation of Jesus Christ, who is called the "cornerstone". Jesus began the church with 12 apostles and by the power of the Holy Spirit, these apostles and other disciples of Christ formed other small Christian communities. These communities were united with the Lord and the other Christian communities through the bishops of their regions.  

The beauty and harmony of the churches, destined to give praise to God, also draw us who are limited and sinful to convert to form a "cosmos," a well-ordered structure, in intimate communion with Jesus. 

In today's Gospel reading, we see Jesus' dramatic cleansing of the temple was seen by his disciple as a prophetic sign of God's action. The temple was understood as the dwelling place of God among his people. When God delivered his people from slavery in Egypt, he brought them through the sea, and finally to Mount Sinai where he made a covenant with them and gave them a new way of life embodied in the Ten Commandments. 

God gave Moses instruction of worship and for making the Tabernacle, or tent of meeting, which was later replaced by the temple. The New Testament tells us that these serve as a copy and shadow of the heavenly sanctuary. Jesus' cleansing of the temple is also a prophetic sign of what he wants to do with each of us. He ever seeks to cleanse us a sin and make us living temples of his Holy Spirit.  

Through Jesus' death and resurrection, He not only reconciles us with God, but he fills us with his Holy Spirit and makes us temples of the living God. God's word enlightens our minds and purifies our hearts that we may offer God fitting worship and enjoy his presence both now and forever. 

As what Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI reminds us during his Angelus address, today's feast celebrates a mystery that is always relevant: God’s desire to build a spiritual temple in the world, a community that worships him in spirit and truth (cf. John 4:23-24). But this observance also reminds us of the importance of the material buildings in which the community gathers to celebrate the praises of God. Every community therefore has the duty to take special care of its own sacred buildings, which are a precious religious and historical patrimony. For this we call upon the intercession of Mary Most Holy, that she help us to become, like her, the “house of God,” living temple of his love.

Pray for the dead

The Commemoration of all of the Faithful Departed

Yesterday (1st November 2014), we celebrated the Solemnity of all Saints. It is very significant and appropriate that after the Solemnity of All Saints, the Liturgy has us celebrate the Commemoration of all of the Faithful Departed. The "communion of saints", which we profess in the Creed, is a reality that is constructed here below, but is fully made manifest when we will see God "as he is" (I Jn 3:2).

Today the Church calls us to pray for the dead, since we believe death does not necessarily mean immediate entry into heaven or hell. However, Protestant theology typically rejects the idea of Purgatory entirely. Protestants would consistently reject certain things connected to the doctrine of Purgatory. Numerous justification given by the Protestant are by faith alone, the fate of the dead should not be affected by their suffering nor by the prayers and other works of the living. They also rejected the role for church here- in granting indulgences and so forth. All of this comes from the "usual" Biblical basis for those Protestant doctrines, without specifically addressing Purgatory. 

Purgatory is, according to the Catholic Church teaching, the state or place of purification or temporary punishment by which those who die in a state of grace are believed to be made ready for the Beatific Vision in Heaven. 

There are few biblical reference in regards to this. The Bible indicates this when Paul mentions the Corinthian practice of baptizing the dead by proxy (1 Cor 15:29). Also, Judas' providing sacrifices for the dead is considered "excellent and noble" (2 Mc 12:43). In addition to these Scriptural references, the Holy Spirit has taught believers over the centuries to pray for the dead and has confirmed this practice by repeated prophecies. 

It is the reality of a family bound together by deep bonds of spiritual solidarity that unites the faithful departed to those who are pilgrims in the world. It is a mysterious but real bond, nourished by prayer and participation in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. In the Mystical Body of Christ, the souls of the faithful meet, overcoming the obstacle of death; they pray for one another, carrying out in charity an intimate exchange of gifts. In this dimension of faith one understands the practice of offering prayers of suffrage for the dead, especially in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, memorial of Christ's Pasch which opened to believers the passage to eternal life. 

In today's commemoration of the Faithful Departed, it is a great time for us to ponder and reflect on this: Is your hope in this present life only? What about the life to come after our physical death? God puts in the heart of every living person the desire for unending life and happiness. While physical death claims each of us at the appointed time, God gives us something which death cannot touch - his own divine life and sustaining power. 

Jesus made an incredible promise to his disciples and a claim which only God can make and deliver: Whoever sees and believes in Jesus, the Son of God, shall have everlasting life and be raised up at the last day (John 6:40)! The Lord makes his presence known to us in the reading of his word, in the breaking of the bread, and in his church, the body of Christ. 

Jesus also reveals himself in many countless ways to those who seek him with eyes of faith. When we read the word of God in the Bible Jesus speaks to us and he reveals to us the mind and heart of our heavenly Father. When we approach the table of the Lord, Jesus offers himself as spiritual food which produces the very life of God within us (I am the bread of life, John 6:35). He promises unbroken fellowship and freedom from the fear of being forsaken or cut off from everlasting life with God. And he offers us the hope of sharing in his resurrection - abundant life without end. So now, do you recognize the Lord's presence in your life and do you long for the day when you will see him face to face? 

We need Saints

Solemnity of All Saints

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of All saints. It would seem unfair to single out one single saint where our feast calls for us to contemplate the whole plethora of them- the entire sanctoral pantheon of heaven. St. Pope John Paul II, who recently canonized by Pope Francis, often being accused of operating a "factory of saints." He refuted the claim that we have "too many" saints. During his 26 years of pontificate, he named more saints and blessed than all his predecessors combined. He celebrated 147 beatification ceremonies, during which he proclaimed 1,338 blessed and performed 51 canonisations for a total of 482 saints. Now, one of you may ask why should our praise and glorification, or even the celebration of this feast day mean anything to the saints? What do they care about earthly honours when their heavenly Father honours them by fulfilling their faithful promise of the Son? What does our commendation mean to them? 

The saints have no need of honour from us; neither does our devotion add the slightest thing to what is theirs. Clearly, if we venerate their memory, it serves us, not them. According to the Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Cardinal Jose Saraiva, there were three principal reasons for Saint Pope John Paul II enthusiasm in seeing the beatification of saints or the beautification of the church.

First, the Pope gave was that he, by beatifying so many Servants of God, did no more than implement the Second Vatican Council, which vigorously reaffirmed that holiness is the essential mark of the church; that the Church is holy: ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC, APOSTOLIC (4 marks of the church). Saint Pope John Paul II said that if the Church of Christ is not holy, it isn't the Church of Christ, the true Church of Christ, the one he desired and founded to continue his mission throughout the centuries. Therefore, he added, holiness is what is most important in the Church. What better way to demonstrate this by highlighting and presenting to all Catholics many models of holiness in the form of saints?

Second, the extraordinary ecumenical importance of holiness. In the Pope's Agenda for the Third Millennium, the Pope said that the holiness of the saints, blessed and martyrs is perhaps the most convincing form of ecumenism, because holiness has its ultimate foundation in Christ, in whom the Church is not divided. Therefore, the ecumenism we all want calls for many saints, so that the convincing ecumenism of holiness is placed in the candelabrum of the holiness of the Church.

The third reason was that "the saints and blessed manifest the charity of a local church." Saint Pope John Paul II correctly noted that local churches are far more numerous than in the 10 centuries. Therefore, we shouldn't be surprised that there are also more saints, more blessed who express and manifest the holiness of these increased local churches. 

Today, let us praise and thank God for the little saints, past and present - even the saints that are present in our midst. Each of you have your baptism name, a name of a saint. Today is everyone's feast day. Happy Feast Day to one and all of you!