Feast of the Holy Family 2023

Where this is no Sunday between 25th Dec and 1st January, the feast is celebrated on 30th Dec. In 2022, it was marked on Friday. Whether it be 30th Dec or on the Sunday after Christmas, it makes a lot of sense to celebrate the Solemnity or Feast of the Holy Family right after Christmas.

What do the readings tell us about the Holy Family? In the 1st Reading, Abram and Sarah were given the promise of an abundance of descendants despite the sheer reality of the impossibility that accompanies declining years. Yet God’s promise was fulfilled when an old man and a barren woman was gifted with a son Isaac. The 2nd Reading simply repeated the saga of Abram and Sarah in the context of faith in the Lord. This leads us to the Gospel. Both Mary and Joseph, according to the customary practice, brought Jesus to the Temple, fulfilling the instructions found in the Book of Exodus that every 1st born male child be consecrated to the Lord. Meeting both Simeon and Anna in the Temple who both predicted the future of the Child, both Joseph and Mary kept faith in the Lord.

Faith in God and His promise fulfilled seem to run through the readings. Even though the focus is on faith, the spotlight is not on God because faith already presumes that there is a divine being. The attention is rather on the subjects, that is, on those who have faith. In the context of this Sunday’s celebration, the Holy Family, the focus may not really be on the faith per se but on the family itself.

What is it to be called the Holy Family? We should perhaps begin with our understanding of an ideal of what it means to be a model family. The notion of an ideal or a model suggests of nobility or excellence. In other words, what should the best expression of a family that has faith in God be like?

In a way, our perception of the Holy Family is derived from present experiences of celebrities and personalities. It feels like the way we appreciate holiness is to begin with the all too familiar experience of dysfunctionality. We have Joseph, the silent type who did not want anything to do with a younger woman pregnant with a child not from him. Mary conceived a child out of wedlock. Jesus lived with His parents until He was 30 and then became an itinerant preacher. Somehow there is comfort when the Holy Family looks less holy and more like us.

Such a description reveals that our definition does not begin with a call but rather a mirroring. Perhaps it explains our mediocrity more than anything else. Holy is considered too holy or out of reach for most of us. Sadly, one of the excuses we hear all too frequently is that the models of personal holiness encountered in Church are hypocritical and Pharisaical. If not, the holiness of saints, judging by the iconography is rather insipid or lifeless. Imagine statues and images of St Joseph holding lilies, never mind that the flowers symbolise his purity and abstinence. In defining the Holy Family through our experiences, in trying to make them identify with us, we may have settled on mediocrity in the matter of holiness.

While it may be true that the circumstances surrounding the Holy Family resemble many typical families, the truth is, unwittingly we may have replaced beauty with ugliness. Thus, the Holy Family is not an ideal to strive for, as we are more comfortable defining them according to our moral state of being. Since we are unable to ascent the steep incline to holiness, we are more likely to shape holiness according to our poor standards. Across the board we can recognise this turning in on ourselves. In fact, we desire a Church that reflects our sensibilities rather than a Church, like a good mother, challenging us to a higher moral standard.

The Holy Family is like us but we are not the standard. They still remain the measure for our families. The circumstances affecting Joseph, Mary and Jesus have shown us that the climb to holiness is hard work. Joseph despite his reservation took on the mantle of fatherhood for Jesus born of Mary. In all the travails from the Annunciation to the Resurrection, Mary is measured by one thing. She pondered everything in her heart. She must have had many experiences but never once did she step away from the will of God. This is why the Holy Family is holy.

In being the Holy Family, the greatest challenge that Joseph, Mary and Jesus posed to us is how we want to define a family. What is a family? In as much as we attempt to make dysfunctionality the model for the Holy Family, we will find ourselves struggling to define what marriage is and what it is supposed to consist of. We also find ourselves agonising over what a family is. The Catechism is quite clear on this matter that “a man and a woman united in marriage, together with their children, form a family”. (CCC2202). This definition is increasingly challenged by what is seemingly a progressive society that measures “improvement” from the perspective of accommodating any permutations possible in the way we arrange human relationships. Anyone who dares question the morality of possibility will be judged as uncompassionate. The present moral code stands as anything which is possible should be permitted and it does feel like that some parts of the Church are already giving in to the secular[1] definition of marriage and family.

The idea that celebrates Mary as an unwed mother is not correct because she conceived at a time when she was already betrothed to Joseph which meant that he too played a role in the Incarnation of the Son of God. In the context of marriage, God chose a proper family for His Son to be born into. Christ was born into a family where motherhood and fatherhood are part of His human experience.

The Holy Family is not holy simply because of who they are. Jesus is the Son of God, sure. He is by nature, holy. Mary is conceived without Original Sin, sure. She is holy by grace. Joseph is a good father, sure. He is a holy and honourable man. No, they are holy not because of who they are. They became holy because in their lives, they strained and strove to do the will of God the Father. Rightly so, the Church proposes the Holy Family as the ideal for our contemplation because they may resemble us but there is more to their resemblance. By their faith they point us in the direction of God to whom their holiness is modelled on.



[1] I dare not even use the word “unholy”. That is how fearful one must be of the thought-police.

Christmas Mass of the Day Year B 25th Dec 2023

We have arrived at the “final” Mass for the Solemnity of Christmas. The Vigil last evening was the first of four Masses. Each Mass has been allocated its own set of readings to assist us in contemplating Christ’s birth. The Vigil taken from Matthew’s Gospel focused on the genealogy of Christ. The Midnight Mass spoke of Christ’s humble birth through Luke’s Gospel. The Mass at Dawn continues with the narrative surrounding the birth of Christ that ended with the Shepherd’s visit. The Mass of the Day with its Gospel from John makes the connexion creation and God’s salvific action through the Incarnation. At the same time it also highlights the true cost of discipleship.

The evangelist John does not have the Infancy Narratives that are found in both Matthew and Luke. The language is poetic but more than that, it is spiritually symbolic because it copies the Book of Genesis by using the same words, “In the beginning…”. The Evangelist draws us into the drama of creation by bringing us back even before the advent of time to illustrate that the Logos, already present when time and space were created, is now the Word made flesh.

The Evangelist quickly introduces the Baptist whose sole purpose was simply to be the precursor to the Light. Before the Word was made flesh, the humanity only knew the Laws. As the 2nd Reading reminds us, if in the past God spoke to us through the Prophets, He now speaks to us through His Son.

There is not a hint of sentimentality in the 4th Gospel but it is still most powerful because it goes into the very purpose of Christ’ birth at Christmas. Jesus is how the Father would speak to us and to those who accept Him, He gives power to become His children. In Christ, we have a secure path to the Father because no one has seen the Father except the Word made visible.

Caught up in the celebration, we might have difficulties appreciating that God has spoken to us through His Son. Thus, if we remove all the partying and the Christmas paraphernalia prior to 25th Dec, we may be able to appreciate better what Christmas stands for. Why? For even 24th Dec remains a part of Advent, the period that prepares for Christ’s birth and properly the season of Christmas begins only on 25th itself. How many of us can wait until 25th itself to begin our Christmas celebration? Practically nobody and in fact, by today, Christmas proper, many of us would have had enough—drinks, food and parties. Some malls are already dismantling their Christmas décor in favour of Chinese New Year trinkets.

What is most jolting are some of the days organised after Christmas. Tomorrow is the Mass of St Stephen. In every sense of the word, he is called Proto-Martyr. It is true that he was stoned to death post-Easter but right after Christmas the Church commemorates St Stephen, sending a loud and clear message on the link between Christmas and discipleship. To become children of the Father and brothers and sisters to Christ, the cost of discipleship is real. In fact, just three days after Christmas and two days after St Stephen’s, we encounter the “comites Christi”, (companions of Christ) the Holy Innocents whose very short lives gave unique witness to Christ.

Fun and frolic belong with Christmas. We ought to celebrate Christ’s birth because the Bridegroom is with us. But Jesus Himself told the Disciples, the days of fasting will come when the Bridegroom will be taken away. If we play hard, then we should remember to pray hard, that is, by keeping an eye on Christ for Who He is and what He represents. He is the Light that shines in darkness. And we must never forget how pervasive the darkness of sin can be. Even then, we should be prepared to follow the footsteps of John the Baptist in bearing His light and bringing His love to others through our witnessing meaning that sometimes we may even have to pay with our very own lives. But losing our lives is not a loss. Instead, martyrdom is a gain as St Irenaeus used to say, “God did not tell us to follow Him because He needed our help, but because He knew that loving Him would make us whole”. The real value of Christmas is counting the cost of the Cross, the true price of discipleship. Enjoy life because it is a gift to us but always keep close to Christ and His Cross.

Christmas Midnight Mass Year B 24th Dec 2023

The liturgy close to midnight celebrates the birth of the Son of God. The Gospel taken from Luke narrates the occasion of Christ’s birth in Bethlehem. It was not only a stupendous event but importantly, it was one that fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy. For today is born for us a Saviour. Rightly so, the Responsorial Psalm acknowledges that the Saviour is Christ the Lord.

So close to Christmas proper, the darkness rejoices at the birth of Jesus. Recently, Times Square in New York City took up the Nativity scene with surrounding screens projecting a panoramic video leading to Bethlehem. It was captivating to watch shoppers stopped in their tracks, more so with Silent Night as the background carol. It sent out a comforting vibe because the birth of God’s Son seemed to pierce through even the most hardened shield of rabid consumerism. It exuded a soothing reassurance that Christ’s light has not been in any way dimmed.

The scene at Times Square felt as good as in the past when Scripture exulted: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light and on those who dwelt in endless gloom a light has come. For a child is born this day. Rejoice. Rejoice. Daughters of Zion awake. The glory of God is near”.

We may not be fully aware of what Christmas stands for. Somehow, there is a qualitative difference in how we appreciate Easter and Christmas. Easter is the central Solemnity of the Church. Without a doubt it is the Solemnity of Solemnities. In fact, our ordinary week is patterned after Easter which explains why every Friday is a day of abstinence (except when a solemnity falls on that day) and that each Sunday is a mini-Easter. Yet Christmas gets all the glamour. We may prepare for Easter through Lenten practices but we go all out for Christmas. Nobody changes the decor of the house for Easter but we bedazzle the senses with the glitz and the gleam of Christmas frills and fuss.

Glitz and glamour, parties and presents have a way of limiting our vision of Christmas. We most certainly curb our horizon when we focus on Christmas as simply a historical commemoration. That He came to us has a rather passé perception when we remember that event as a happening in the past. However, He is born for us TODAY expands our vision giving us a sense that He is as present to us NOW even though He was born in the past.

Mass at Midnight expresses the Mystery of the Incarnation that goes beyond the anniversary of Christ’s birth. Indeed a Saviour is born today points to Christ’s birth in the past and through His birth, it refers to the salvation that He has initiated. However, the description or designation of His birth “TODAY” means that it is still ongoing. In other words, even though the sacrificial act of Christ’s redemption of humanity took place at a definite time, the Incarnation at the Annunciation and the subsequent birth of the Saviour at Christmas broke the barriers of time and space so that He can be with us and we can have access to Him today. Christmas is deeply a celebration of the True Presence of Christ, the Word made flesh.

In conclusion, we are good at celebration. No doubt we excel in fun and living it up. Eat, drink and be merry. But we should be better at discipleship. Christ showed us the perfect example. While He feasted with men, He also fasted. He came and we rightly celebrate His birthday. We feel good. But He came so that we can be good too. To feel good and to be good, though related, can be miles apart. The 2nd Reading is our clue and instruction. To feel good is quite straightforward and rather uncomplicated. However, in order to be good, we have to give up everything that does not lead to God. We restrain ourselves in order to live good and religious lives. To be good is as simple as “giving up everything that does not lead to God”. Easier said than done. Everyone knows that to be good takes an entire lifetime.

He is born TODAY makes Christmas a season of strength. In the midst of having a good time, the vocation is to be good. His coming as Man is our lifeline to His strength to be good disciples for He is also Mighty God. Every Christmas, we are reminded that His reign will never end. The Prince of Peace is here to stay and therefore we can draw grace and strength from Him to be good. The most powerful access to Him are His Sacraments. Blessed Christmas and be good.

Christmas Vigil Mass Year B 24th Dec 2023

We begin with the end. In Matthew 28: 20, in Galilee at the appointed mountain, the Evangelist concludes the Gospel with the promise of Jesus Himself that He would be with the Church until the end of time. Tonight, Matthew’s genealogy which meanders through characters and plots is truly a testament of God’s promise to be “Emmanuel”, that is, to be with us. Jesus fulfils the promise made to Israel and from Israel to the world.

As the night skies over Gaza light up with bombs and while the military strikes continue in Ukraine, we might ask ourselves how present God is to humanity when at the moment that Christ’s birth is celebrated, the world seems to be tethering on the brink of global annihilation.

In this moment of uncertainty and confusion, the Gospel today is our source of hope. When our tired and harassed spirits look for rest from the relentless struggles surrounding the world, we should contemplate the genealogy. It is through Joseph’s ancestry that we come to know that the Child, born of Mary, is the one who will save us from our sins. The list of names in Jesus’ ancestry reads like a litany sinners rather than a litany of saints. Through these colourful characters, the genealogy truly represents the history of a God who is forever the faithful Saviour. The messy imperfection reflected in the family tree is a strong reminder that we should never give up hope. Whatever struggles we have in our family’s past, with ourselves in our concrete present and in our encounters with the world, we can hold onto Christ.

In the context of hope as we cling onto our Lord, what the Vigil Mass teaches most is the value of praying. A vigil is a time of patient waiting for the Lord to make known His salvation. What is patient waiting if not prayer? It is not easy because we are used to a sort of mechanical and logical thinking. We expect life to behave like it is a well-oiled machine when in reality, life does not always obey logic. On the contrary, what the genealogy of Jesus has revealed is how unwieldy life can be. What makes life less tolerable or harder to bear is a confusion and an expectation that we have imported into our spiritual world.

As more of normal everyday existence is organised by artificial intelligence, we have come to expect that the concept of immediate result or instant solution can be applied to life. What we demand in life is exemplified by the electrical switch. Clap your hands and the light is turned on. Press a switch and the coffee is brewed. Turn on the tap and water flows out. The expectation of immediacy can actually deepen our anxiety or as the Teochews call it, “pek chek”. When solutions are not immediate, one is easily overwhelmed and afflicted by minor complications that one becomes depressed and gives up hope. We are readily affected by inconvenience. The proof is how we complain but most of all, how one simply stops praying. How many of us have given up praying because the solution is not immediate? Why pray when nothing seems to work?

We assume that life should follow a mechanical trajectory or that it should always be smooth sailing. More so when we pray. We have come to expect that God will bend to our will and things must turn out well. But Christ’s ancestral history reveals an important truth. Life is definitely messed up and nobody is born without a history. And crucially, when we find ourselves in such Prayers might not solve our problems because they do not guarantee solutions. Yet, no matter how dire a situation can be, darkness cannot overcome the Light. In fact, darkness has never overcome the Light. Considering the numerous flaws of the kings and leaders of Israel, what is crucial to note is that every single character is a milestone along the path of salvation. Each ancestor of Christ was a witness to the history of salvation—each one stood as a solid reminder that creation, since the beginning of time, has been waiting for the Saviour to come.

Indeed, our wait is coming to an end. The Vigil beckons us to place our trust in God who will keep His promise to us. What we need to do, and do constantly, is to keep praying as St Paul had counselled. If peace eludes or escapes the world, then it just means more prayers are needed for the cosmos to recognise, acknowledge and accept the Prince of Peace. However, we pray not only for answers but also for the patience to wait for God to reveal His salvation. In any situation which is difficult and tough, more prayers are needed, not less, for the clarity of God’s light to shine through.

The Vigil signals that the end is in sight. God’s love through the birth of the Saviour shows forth His great love for humanity. So, today, as we enter into the spirit of Christmas, we dare to rejoice because God is in charge. We are joyful because God will prevail. We are exultant in appreciation and joyful in praise because Christ, the true Holy Communion between God and humanity, is born tonight. We are happy because the God who is with us is also the God who saves us.

4th Sunday of Advent Year B 2023

Last Sunday the focus was still on John the Baptist. Today the spotlight lands on Mary. Later in the evening and much later into the night, the stage belongs to Jesus. What can be said about Mary in the drama surrounding the incarnation and the birth of Christ? Since Mary is at the centre of the Annunciation, the Gospel is rightly taken from Luke.

Both John and Mary prepare for the coming of the Messiah. Through the figure of John the Baptiser, we are reminded that we can be so jaded as to be unawares that Christ is already amongst us. Through Mary, we are shown what our response should be to the Lord when He comes.

In the 1st Reading, King David felt that he needed to remedy a situation. Moved with devotion, David intended to render to his Lord God an abode befitting His honour. The Lord did not reject David’s good intentions. Instead, He furthered David’s response through a promise. In other words, David, rather than rushing off to prove his love for God was given a promise of the future, one which would be time-proof. A temple can surely decay or be destroyed but God’s promised future will stand the test of time. David’s great temple would be a living Ark of the Covenant.

David’s desire and God’s promise remind us that there exists an unequal relationship between God and man but it is definitely one which opens up to great possibilities. Therefore, when the angel appeared to Mary to announce the birth of God’s Son, Mary’s question was unlike Zechariah’s. The old man had asked for proof of Elizabeth’s pregnancy. Whereas Mary’s “How can it be since I am a Virgin?”, was a question that opened up the possible.

Mary’s question actually furthered her desire to cooperate fully with God. In the first place, children should naturally be expected in any marriage, meaning that when one enters into marriage, the children should come as part of the package. Mary’s dialogue with the Archangel makes no sense unless her question can be rephrased as “How can it be since I intend to remain a Virgin?”. Here, virginity should be seen as an expression of self-donation to God and understood within the context of desiring to do God’s will.

Mary’s total self-giving to God now takes on a new expression. Giving herself entirely to the Lord, He elevates her virginity through the Incarnation and the birth of Jesus the Son of God. In a way, Mary shatters the idea of freedom centred on autonomy. We define freedom as self-fulfilment, meaning that we want to be able to live according to our desires. Whereas Mary defined freedom as the will of God to be done in her life. Indeed, Mary’s fiat challenges our modern mentality where the more we try to define freedom as absolute autonomy, the less free we become. But the more we embrace God’s will, the freer we become.

At the cusp of Christmas, both David and Mary are symbols of humanity. While both figures stand for the possibilities of love for God, Mary’s total love gave us the fullest expression of God’s love for us—God’s only Son. Christmas is the fruit of the Incarnation of God’s love for Man. You may know of how a parent and a child play the game of love. One says, “I love you”. The other replies, “I love you more”. Well, whenever we desire to love God, He responds by loving us more. Naïvely or innocently, we believe that we can love God by performing great feats for Him. Our example was David through his temple. But in the Annunciation to Mary, our greatest achievements pale in comparison to God’s gift to us.

Today’s focus on Mary at the Annunciation reveals not only the possibility of Man’s response to God but it also represents the depth of God’s love for us. In Mary’s “fiat”, she became the bearer of God, the true Ark of the Covenant. She alone carried God in her womb making her the only Theotokos. But Mary is not alone. In her response, she invites us also be the bearer of Christ her Son. Her “yes” to God gives us to the courage to say yes to God.

Christmas is later tonight when all our Advent preparations will come to their conclusion. At this 4th Sunday of Advent, we stand alongside Mary, the Theotokos, praying that our preparations can pave the way for Christ, her Son to be born in our hearts, both through our thoughts and actions. That way, we can become truly Christotokos[1] in the world and for the world.


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[1] Theotokos and Christotokos belong the controversy that gave rise to the Nestorian heresy. The original discussion centred on Mary and who she is in relation to Jesus. Is she the bearer of God or the bearer of Christ (the man)? The Council of Ephesus settled on Mary’s title as the bearer of God. Mary is Theotokos because the divine person of Jesus Christ has two natures—human and divine. As such Mary is rightfully the mother of God. The usage of the terms here respects Mary as truly the Mother of God for she alone bore God physically in her womb. Whereas we are not bearers of God physically. We bear Him morally and so we can be called the bearers of Christ in and to the world. The use of the term Christotokos here does not carry the same baggage of the Nestorian heresy. We are truly bearers of Christ (Christotokos) who is both human and divine.

3rd Sunday of Advent Year B Gaudete Sunday 2023

Gaudete Sunday in Cycle B makes a transition from Mark to John’s Gospel. Today we are still focused on John the Baptist and the Gospel passage is made up of two parts. First, there is a part of the Prologue that points to John and second, we witness John himself having a conversation with some enquirers. In this dialogue we find the basis for our celebration today. John alerted his hearers that the Messiah was already with them but they did not recognise Him.

In a way, Advent’s Gaudete signals that Jesus the Saviour is already here and for this very reason we dare to rejoice. Visually, the colour change in the vestment symbolically expresses a tension that we feel in our lives brought about by a reality characterised as the “already and the not yet”. 

This contradiction between the “already and not yet” is observed in the Gospels where Jesus Himself makes such opposing remarks. In Mark 1:15, we hear “The Kingdom of God is at hand” whereas in John 18:36, Christ says, “My Kingdom is not of this world”. Such a tension is natural or expected because on the one hand, Christ’s Kingdom is partially realised in the Church He had founded. We experience this concretely in the saints who enjoy full communion with God in heaven. On the other hand, we are keenly aware that there are aspects of the visible Church that are still in need of renewal and thus acknowledge that the full realisation of the Kingdom will only take place when He comes again to establish the new heaven and the new earth.

The framework between what has already begun but not finished provides space for rejoicing. How does one rejoice? Despite the reality of incompleteness, St Paul describes to the Corinthians that it is possible to rejoice even though there is sorrow, to enrich others even though one is poor and to possess everything despite having nothing. This ability to embrace the tension of waiting for final fulfilment is crucial because our notion of joy is diametrically opposed to the idea of suffering, or pain or privation. For many, joy is indistinguishable from emotional happiness and it is associated with being on top of the world, unencumbered by pain or suffering. For example, can a person be joyful despite having cancer? Can a person rejoice when he or she has lost her sight?

We find such scenarios rather difficult to imagine because the idea of joy seems to exclude discomfort. To be joyful despite pain and sorrows requires that we hold a more sober view of this world. Sadly, what we have done is to have erased from our philosophical framework the truth of Original Sin and in a manner of speaking “photo-shopped” or edited this imperfect world of this wrinkle. In unwittingly editing out Original Sin, the result is we no longer need a Saviour nor His salvation. Instead, the world can go on and on because there is basically no Resurrection to look forward to.

The focus has shifted from a “heteronomous” vision to an “autonomous” worldview. Take a look at how “justice” is conceived of in such a “perfect” world. Especially in the arena of politics, the game consists of trying to find the sordid past of a public figure in order to disqualify him or her. A good example is “Black Face” or having an opinion in the past that in the present slights or denigrates a group considered specially protected. Whenever a past sin is uncovered, there is no consideration that perhaps the person who did something wrong years ago may have changed. [1] The cynical part of me is already rolling the eyes but conversion is always a possibility because of grace. Closer to reality is that the “past sin” is held against the person as if he or she were conceived without Original Sin and that one should never have fallen. In other words, he or she were born perfect and therefore could do no wrong.

In a perfect world, without Original Sin, what need would we have of a Saviour and His salvation? Without redemption, the idea of the Resurrection does not make sense. In any attempt to right a wrong in the past, it would be incredibly unjust if there were no Resurrection. Why? It would mean that an undetected crime in the past that remained unpunished would amount to an eternal miscarriage of justice. Without the Last Judgement those who have suffered and are uncompensated are irretrievably lost. Think of all the Holocaust victims or victims of unjust wards. In short, losers!

The idea of the Resurrection corrects this illusion of a perfect world. It is linked to the 2nd Coming of Christ and it provides a big picture. No, it does not make the world better because it does not remove our suffering or any prevailing injustice. Instead, the Resurrection gives space for us to let God be in charge. If one were to think about it, the current woke ideology and its deformed baby cancel culture operates from a constricted and temporal space whereby all imperfections have to be resolved within this lifetime because the conclusion of this life is a sad end.

The tension of the “already and not yet” provides freedom for going beyond a notion of reconciliation that is fixated by temporal resolution, that is, we do not need to settle everything here on earth. It is this space that allows for us to rejoice despite not having any resolution to the injustice of the world. Or even in the face of suffering, persecution, dishonour etc. Joy cuts through all these and it makes sense of what Jesus Himself told the Disciples: 

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”. 

We dare to rejoice because the Lord has entered into this tension of waiting by coming near to us. The joy of Gaudete is related to Christ’s proximity and it beckons us to let Him take charge of what is beyond our control. Joy means letting God be God because Jesus is the Lord. He is coming. He is here.

[1] It may not even be wrong in the past because it was accepted behaviour. Extreme, corporal punishment of children then followed the adage, “spare the rod and spoil the child”. Today that is considered child abuse.

2nd Sunday of Advent Year B 2023

This Sunday, the spotlight lands on John the Baptist. Mark does not have an Infancy Narrative. It starts simply with the figure of John, the voice in the desert who is the bridge between the Old Testament and the New Covenant. Everything about John is preparation and into the mixing bowl of watchfulness, there are a few inter-related themes. Today’s 1st Reading actually foretold the coming of the Precursor and when he came, he preached repentance as preparation for the coming of the Messiah. As part of our readiness to welcome the Christ, the 2nd Reading chimes in with the encouragement to grow in holiness.

The idea of progressing in holiness makes sense since we are making a transition from the Laws and Prophets to the truth and grace that Christ would bring when He came. John humbly recognised his unworthiness to untie the sandals of the Redeemer, noting that his baptism with water would be enriched by the baptism of the Spirit.

For some of us, holiness sounds like an impossible word. Given the innate sense of unworthiness, it appears that we can never be holy or worst still, some are allergic to being “too holy”. The fear concerning our “worthiness” arises because we are performance-centred, meaning that we look at holiness as a box to tick off. In other words, holiness feels like an achievement but it is not. Instead, holiness is more a state of being or better still it expresses a desire to draw towards the Lord. Take a look at both the Collects and Prayers over the Offerings for last Sunday and this. They help us to reframe the way we conceive and think of holiness.

For the 1st Sunday of Advent, the Collect reads as “Grant your faithful the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ”. For today, “May no earthly undertaking hinder those who set out in haste to meet your Son”. Both these express the sentiment that holiness comes from the resolve and haste to meet the Christ.

The weakness of present society is to define who we are in terms of what we can achieve. Nobody should be a failure for life. It is important to succeed and while a sense of accomplishment is crucial to one’s mental health, the Prayer over the Offerings last Sunday and today acknowledge that firstly, everything we are and have is God’s gift to us and secondly, that we have no merit to plead our own cause. Nothing is ever ours which should draw us into an acute awareness that we are dependent on God to deepen our desire to meet His Christ.

Think, for example, of the simple suggestion last Sunday to pray as a family around the Christmas wreath. It was a means to an end but some might find that too troublesome because we are unused to making spiritual preparations. Moreover it requires a silence which we are unaccustomed to. Even though we may be quiet, the fact is that our lives are too noisy. A preparation to welcome the Saviour as suggested by John calls for a cultivation of an interior life.

In fact, the desert of Advent symbolises the meeting between God and the soul. There is a way of creating the desert which has fallen out of use. In the past, when a Jesuit went for his annual retreat, no newspapers would be the first thing he noticed. Then there were no TVs nor radios. The privation (or lack of outside engagement) was to provide for little or no distraction so that the soul may encounter the Creator where one was either challenged (on account of our sins) or comforted (on account of our brokenness) by Him. Outside the retreat setting, this space for encounter was created by what we called “major silence” where all forms of noisy activities ceased and Jesuits retreated to the room for quiet, to calm the senses and also to heighten the senses for a greater reception of God.

Today, such practices have fallen on the wayside. No newspapers? No problem. Podcasts or YouTube are now streamed into the cell (or the hermitage) and no one is ever disconnected. In other words, the desert of silence has surrendered its walls.

Holiness requires the cultivation of an interior life. It is not focused activity per se. St Ignatius defines any spiritual exercise (activity) as a training of the soul for the long run. Just like jogging, running, weight-lifting are all training that benefit the physical body, the activities we engaged in are merely means to an end. The goal is a soul disposed to or opened to the will of God. Holiness is not an activity nor even a series of activities but really a way of life. Activities does not prove holiness as much as holiness manifests itself through every action that we take.

There is a popular adage, whether fact or fiction, that might give us a sense of where society is. “Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times.” There may be truth that wealth and an easy life does make for decadence in society. The notion of a “snowflakes or strawberry” generation comes from this observation. What is relevant is how we are having life so good that we might find it difficult to conceive the idea of giving ourselves over to God for a better life. After all what can God promise that we are not already enjoying it? The best luxury holiday in a remotest corner of the world. The most delectable durian you can sink your teeth into. The creamiest cheese cake to ever roll through your tongue. Contrast that with many who are dedicated to God. They suffer. So, how can we buy into the proposition that doing God’s will can ever bring us the deepest happiness.

Which is why without an interior life, we will always be distracted by the momentary pleasures the world promises. Athletes take a couple of months prior to a major competition to intensify their training in order to be prepared for that moment. Lent and Advent provide space for the growth of our interiority. The voice in the wilderness cries out, “Make straight a path for the Lord”. Next Sunday it is Gaudete. The colour change in liturgical vestment creates a sense of what it means to be near to the Lord. The self-denial we practise these days is not meant to deprive us but to heighten our anticipation so that when He comes our hearts are already primed to receive Him.

Finally, apart from the Christmas wreath you may have set up, other exercises during Advent might help to prepare for the coming of the Lord. First, gather as a family for prayers around the Christmas wreath. Second, go for your confession. Third, if you are attending Mass only on Sunday, go for one more during the week and finally, adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. Take the extra step by giving more time to the Lord because holiness springs from our desire to encounter Christ. As Paul advised Timothy. “Train yourself for devotion for, while physical training is of limited value, devotion is valuable in every respect, since it holds a promise of life both for the present and for the future”.

1st Sunday of Advent Year B 2023

We begin the new Church Year of Cycle B by using Mark’s Gospel. Like last Sunday, the passage for today is taken from a point in the life of Jesus just before He enters into His Passion. The mood this Sunday feels like there is no difference between the end of the liturgical year and its new beginning because the theme continues with watchfulness.

With regard to the next two Sundays we will circle round two Advent themes. First, we are longing for the coming of the Christ. In our case, it is the Second Coming at the end of time which is ritualised through a yearly remembrance of His Birth. Second, the figure of John Baptist looms large. He, who plays a pivotal role as the precursor to Christ, is a symbol of watchfulness and preparation in both words and deeds.

In memorialising Christ’s birth in the past, the Gospel reminds us that there is need to be ready for we do not know the exact time that He will come again. The obvious question is how we can be prepared.

At a basic level, a “commercialised and consumption-fuelled” Christmas, with twinkling lights and rounds of merry making, can distract and lure us away from being watchful. The purple of Lent is replayed during Advent which should actually make us stop to think for a while. Death, a taboo topic, is very much a part of this readiness. As the Lord says in the Gospel that no one knows the hours of His return, this scenario is played out daily for us especially when death catches us unawares. Basically, to be prepared is to be prepared for death because we never know the moment we kick the bucket. A few days ago, a death notice went viral, of a religious priest who up until two weeks ago, was healthy and yet he passed away rather suddenly. Unexpected death reminds us not to be lulled by a false security that life is a given and to remember that life is more contingent than certain. Here today. Gone tomorrow.

Advent does not mean that we have to wallow in sorrow or sadness. It does mean we need to think how we can prepare for Christmas. We are experts at living it up. We know how to have fun meaning that we are adept at the physical preparations that make Christmas feel Christmassy. Already, the tree if it is old, it has to be dusted and be brought out for putting up. The tinsels and the trinkets too. Cakes and cookies have to be baked, presents have to be bought and wrapped, carols have to be sung and parties have to be organised etc. Christmas joy is coming.

While it is right to think of having a great and grand Christmas celebration, what we might miss out would be the spiritual preparation. Think of a home enhanced by the beauty of a realistic crib with its exquisite figurines, a majestic Christmas tree by the side decked with glass baubles, angels and encircles by twinkling lights. While it is natural to desire a beautiful Christmas celebration with family and friends, what about the accompanying spiritual preparation?

We begin with Jesus. You may have seen tee-shirts spotting the slogan that “Jesus is the reason for the season”. Indeed He is to be born in our hearts but will our hearts to be like the inn, unable to welcome Him. Every crib sets is a stark reminder of how little prepared the heart can be to accept its Lord and Saviour.

If the crib represents the state of our heart, then the challenge is to balance our disproportionate preparation. If we go through lengths and jump through hoops to make sure that we can have a great Christmas, we can certainly make the same preparation spiritually. For example, the Cathedral does not have the Christmas Advent wreath. This tradition can be adopted by the family and it is even more meaningful because the family can gather for a short prayer each day or night. Each candle proper to the Sunday in Advent is lit every night and the family may spend some reading the Gospel narratives of the Birth of Christ and pray the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary. This is a simple form of a spiritual preparation for the family.

A more fitting spiritual prelude to Christmas is to go for confession. There is no reason to wait until the penitential service since confession is available before Mass. Even though there is no sin for missing out on the penitential services, confession acknowledges that we need the Saviour. To fully grasp the depth of Christ’s love for us we must accept that we are unable to save ourselves. Self-help cannot bring us to heaven. The Israelites in the 1st Reading knew most keenly that redemption required the Redeemer.

Finally, there are many ways to prepare ourselves spiritually. One of them is to be conscious of our ecological responsibility. The spirit of Christ poor and humble calls us to reduce the wastage of food and drink. St Paul warned us against intemperate living and overindulge. Christmas is not just a season of plenty. It is also a season of wastage.

The result of overindulgence is always dissatisfaction suggesting that we should enter Advent preparing not just practically but also spiritually. The result will change us. According to Saint Augustine, Mary before she conceived Jesus in her womb, she had already conceived the Word in her heart. So, whilst she carried the Baby Jesus physically in her womb over a period of 9 months, she had already given birth to Him in her heart when she said yes to God. Advent invites each one of us to make our journey toward Christmas spiritual so that like Mary, before all else, we can give birth to the Lord in our hearts first. Let Jesus be born in our hearts. The rest is just icing on the cake!!