A Meal for Strangers, A Meal that Unites, A Meal for Mission

Corpus Christi Year C

Much has been written and spoken about the Eucharist. Can anything else be said about it? I believe that the three readings of today can still give us some new insights.

In the first reading, we have Melchizedek, a foreigner, extending hospitality to Abraham. Melchizedek is not of the same race as Abraham, neither is he a close acquaintance. Melchizedek is in fact a stranger who goes out of his way and shows unusual hospitality to Abraham. Everytime we celebrate the Mass, Jesus extends hospitality to us. He does not only extend hospitality to those who are considered good and holy but also to strangers, luke-warm Christians, and sinners. The Eucharist is not an exclusive meal confined to only a few select people. We must always remember to extend hospitality to all who come to our Church, because in various ways they are hungering and seeking for meaning to their lives.

In the second reading, we read of St. Paul’s harsh words to the Corinthians. The main problem of the Corinthian church was the existence of factions. There were those who were rich and those who were very poor. There were those who thought themselves holier than others. There were those who were followers of Paul and others who were followers of Apollos. But in the Eucharistic community established by Jesus, there can be no room for factions. All are united in the Body of Christ. That is why St. Paul tells us that every time, we eat this bread and drink this cup, we are “proclaiming Christ’s death.” The Eucharist calls us to die to ourselves – to die to our selfishness, our prejudice, our suspicion of others.

Finally, the gospel tells us that the Eucharist calls us to be involved. There is no room for indifference and pushing the responsibility to others in the Eucharistic community. Jesus challenges us at every Mass – “give them something to eat yourselves.” The Mass does not depend on the priest alone. It depends on every one of you – in the way you participate in the Mass. You cannot complain of receiving nothing during the Mass if you do not take the trouble to contribute something. Each of you can contribute something by preparing yourself well before the Mass, by participating in the singing and the responses, and by listening attentively to the Word of God.

Every Mass is an occasion and an opportunity to extend hospitality to others- especially to strangers, the weak, the elderly, little children and those who seem to be alone. Every Mass is an occasion for us to die to ourselves and to our prejudices. Every Mass is an opportunity for us to participate in the mission of Jesus to establish God’s kingdom on earth. Let us pray during the Mass, for the grace to grow in our hospitality, in our self-denial and finally in our participation in the works of Christ.

Living the Word of God

May 29, 2010 – Saturday – Feast Day
“Living the Word of God”

Homily Outline

• The Word of God is like a seed that is planted in soil. Unless the seed bears fruit, then the planting will be in vain.
• Last two days, we have learnt how to read and pray the bible. Today, we must allow the Word of God which is planted in us to grow and bear fruit.
• Mary is the example of someone who lives the Word of God.
1. She was obedient to the Word of God delivered to her by the angel Gabriel.
2. Because of her obedience, the Word took flesh and dwelt among us. – Jesus came into the world through Mary.
3. Mary did not keep the Word a secret but went to share the good news she has received with Elizabeth. She is a woman of Witness– we too must share the Word that we have received.
4. The Word bore fruit in her life by making her a Woman of Prayer – e.g. Magnificat. She was also someone who always contemplated the events of her life.
5. She was also a Woman of Communion – she was in communion with the poor (birth of Jesus at Bethlehem), with those in need (Wedding at Cana), and with those who suffer (especially her son on the Cross), with the Church at Pentecost.
6. She was a Woman of Ministry – who served the needs of others (Wedding at Cana) and must have taught her son the important lesson of serving with unconditional love.
7. Most of all, even though she was the mother of Christ, she was His best disciple – she was a Woman Disciple of the Lord – listening to Jesus, suffering with Jesus on the Cross

• From Mary, we learn these 5 important lessons of how to live a Christian life, how to live the Word of God:
1. WARMER through fellowship or communion,
2. DEEPER through discipleship,
3. STRONGER through prayer,
4. BROADER through ministry, and
5. LARGER through witnessing.
• We must have all these elements in our Christian life and community life. To only focus of one and not the other would make us less Christian.

God Reveals Himself in Love

Holy Trinity Sunday

Whenever some of us talk about the Holy Trinity, we often get a headache? Many of us are often caught up in the problem of numbers and mathematics – how can three be one and how can one be three? We often forget that this isn’t what the doctrine of the Holy Trinity is all about. Today’s readings give us three areas of reflection.

The doctrine of the Trinity highlights the fact that God is mystery. In the old testament, we read about God appearing on mountain tops and speaking from clouds. Mystery here doesn’t mean that God has kept many things secret. On the contrary, God has fully revealed himself in the person of Jesus Christ. When we speak of mystery, we are speaking of the limitations of human knowledge. Man may have advanced in science and medicine and many other fields, but he is still unable to explain everything. This is because man is himself a mystery. Life and death are mysteries. The universe is a mystery. Suffering is a mystery. Love is a mystery. And finally God is a mystery. Learning this truth will make us more humble. Learning this truth will make us understand that we do not have all the answers to all the problems in the world. Learning this truth will allow us to depend wholly on God and allow him to take charge of everything.

The second truth which we can learn from today’s feast is that God is a God of relationships. Mystery does not mean that God keeps at a distance. Although we can never fully know or understand the depth of God’s mind, we can still have an intimate relationship with him. In fact, man was created for relationship with God. This is possible only because God chooses to come close to us. He does not come close to us by descending from the clouds. God comes close to us by becoming one of us. God the Son came into the world in order to save it. God the Son became human, became one of us, so that we might become one with God.

God chooses to come close to us because he is love. This is the third truth that we can learn from today’s feast. If there is any quality which can best describe the nature of God, it is Love. The Trinity is not a thing. It is a relationship of persons. The Father loves the Son and the Son loves the Father and this love is perfected by the bond of the Holy Spirit. That is why St. Paul reminds us that we should “grow perfect; help one another, …be united, live in peace” because we are made in the image and likeness of this God of love and peace.

If we are to be signs of the Trinity in today’s world, then we must be people who are able to live with mystery. In other words, we must remind the world that there is more than meets the eye, that there is a greater truth than that which is revealed by science – it is God. We are also called to be witnesses of the Trinity through our way of life. We must strive to build communities where we can live in unity and peace and in mutual forgiveness. When we are able to express this in our actions and words, the Trinity ceases to be a mere concept but becomes alive in each of our lives.

Praying the Word of God

May 28, 2010 – Friday

Guide Outlines
• Goal for Praying the Bible - Our real goal is to meet our Lord as we read his Word and allow him to transform our lives to be more like him through the work of the Holy Spirit.
• Promote the Divine Office and Lectio Divina

Guidelines for Lectio Divina
LECTIO – READING
1. Reading the Scripture passage humbly and prayerfully. Do not rush. So begin with a prayer and ask the Holy Spirit’s assistance Read the passage slowly and carefully.
2. Avoid looking at commentaries at this stage.
3. Have a notebook and pencil ready. Underline, or make a note of, any words or phrases that stand out to you. Write down any questions that occur to you.
4. Read the passage several times and read it aloud. Give yourself time to understand and appreciate what is being said.

MEDITATIO – MEDITATION
1. Here are some suggested approaches you may find helpful.
a. Use your imagination. Picture the passage; put yourself into the scene and become part of the story. See things through the eyes of the other characters, listen to what they say, watch their reactions, imagine how they feel. Keep coming back to Jesus.
b. Ask questions. Use your questions to think more deeply about the passage and what God wants to say to you. Ask Jesus why he did and said what he did. Try to understand his mind. Allow time to be quiet, to listen and hear his answer.
c. Let the Word be a mirror for you. We see how God’s Word applies to our daily life, as an individual, and as part of our community and society. We will find promises and encouragement, challenges and demands.
d. Take the word or phrase into yourself. Memorize it and slowly repeat it to yourself, allowing it to interact with your concerns, memories, and ideas.

ORATIO – PRAYER
1. Using the words of the responsorial psalm can help us but we can also use our own words to have a conversation with a very special friend.
2. We can bring what is happening in our own life and in our community before God.
3. We speak and listen, listen and reflect – it is a conversation with God.

CONTEMPLATIO – CONTEMPLATION:
1. We now move from active reflection which uses words and thoughts to a time of silent contemplation. It is like to persons in love who move from discussion to just silently appreciating each other’s company.
2. Few words are necessary here. Let go of words and images, or just stay with one word or one image.
3. Enjoy time in his presence. Just be with him and let him love you. Let him refresh your soul.

Review
After you have finished you may want to jot down in a notebook any experiences or thoughts that particularly impressed you. You may find it helpful to look back at these later.

Reading the Word of God

Homily Outline for 1st day of Parish Triduum

What is the Bible?
Biblos – Library of Books – “The Bible is God’s self revelation to man in history inviting man to respond” or “The WORD OF GOD in the words of men”

Definition helps us to have 2 attitudes when reading the Bible:
1. It is God’s Word – it is truly God speaking to us and inviting us to respond – so we must read with the eyes of FAITH;
2. It is written in the words of men – God chooses human persons like you and me to write down his Word. These human authors live at a certain time, in a certain place, have a certain culture, speak a certain language. So it is equally important to try and discover and understand all these factors if we are to read, study and understand the Word of God.

Here are some important points:
1. Select a good bible (good and accurate translations, footnotes and good introductions)
2. Note Geographical, Historical and Cultural Background.
3. Know the Circumstances of Writing: Audience, Time, Place and Other Factors.
4. Interpret According to the Purpose of the Writer.
5. Recognise the Form of Literature.
6. Interpret According to the Grammar of the Passage.
7. Get at the Meaning of Single Words, but always study them in their setting.
8. Interpret a Passage in the Light of its Context.
9. Interpret any Passage in the Light of the Whole Bible Teaching & Analogy of Faith (Analogy of Faith/ Rule of Faith – what is necessary in terms of faith and morals for salvation)
10. Interpret it within the Church – the light of Tradition guided by Magisterium

How do we start?
1. Start by reading the gospel (esp the Gospel of Mark), because the whole Bible is focused on the gospel of Jesus Christ. Old Testament is preparation for the gospel of Jesus Christ. The New Testament is how the Christian community lives out the gospel.
2. Use the Sunday readings or daily mass readings – there are reflections which can be found in Shalom, Word Among us (Tamil/Mandarin – you have other resources including The Herald)
3. Join a Bible Study group or start one among your friends or in your BEC.

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Good Friday

Good Friday is the Friday of Holy Week, and commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus. Good Friday is a fast day in the Catholic Church, and falls within the Paschal Triduum. In 2010, Good Friday falls on April 2.

Introduction

Good Friday is the Friday within Holy Week, and is traditionally a time of fasting and penance, commemorating the anniversary of Christ's crucifixion and death. For Christians, Good Friday commemorates not just a historical event, but the sacrificial death of Christ, which with the resurrection, comprises the heart of the Christian faith. The Catholic Catechism states this succinctly:

Justification has been merited for us by the Passion of Christ who offered himself on the cross as a living victim, holy and pleasing to God, and whose blood has become the instrument of atonement for the sins of all men (CCC 1992).

This is based on the words of St. Paul: "[Believers] are justified freely by God's grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as an expiation, through faith, by his blood... (Romans 3:24-25, NAB). The customs and prayers associated with Good Friday typically focus on the theme of Christ's sacrificial death for our sins.

The evening (at sunset) of Good Friday begins the second day of the Paschal Triduum. The major Good Friday worship services begin in the afternoon at 3:00 (the time Jesus likely died). Various traditions and customs are associated with the Western celebration of Good Friday. The singing (or preaching) of the Passion of St. John's gospel consists of reading or singing parts of John's gospel (currently John 18:1-19:42 in the Catholic Church). The Veneration of the Cross is also common in the Western Church. This is when Christians approach a wooden cross and venerate it, often by kneeling before it, or kissing part of it. In addition to these traditions, Holy Communion with the reserved host is practiced. In the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, no Masses are said on Good Friday or Holy Saturday, therefore the reserved host from the Holy (Maundy) Thursday Mass is used. This is called the "Mass of the Pre-Sanctified." Many Churches also offer the Stations of the Cross, also called the "Way of the Cross," on Good Friday. This is a devotion in which fourteen events surrounding the death of Jesus are commemorated. Most Catholic Churches have fourteen images of Jesus' final days displayed throughout the parish, for use in public Stations of the Cross services. Another service started by the Jesuit Alphonso Messia in 1732, now less common, the Tre Ore or "Three Hours," is often held from noon until 3:00 PM, and consists of seven sermons on the seven last words of Christ. This service has been popular in many Protestant churches. Good Friday, along with Ash Wednesday, is an official fast day of the Catholic Church.

The Eastern Churches have different customs for the day they call "the Great Friday." The Orthodox Church begins the day with Matins (Morning Prayer), where the "Twelve Gospels" is chanted, which consists of 12 passages drawn from the Passion narratives. In the morning, the "Little Hours" follow one after the other, consisting of Gospel, Epistle, and Prophet readings. Vespers (Evening Prayer) ends with a solemn veneration of the epitaphion, an embroidered veil containing scenes of Christ's burial. Compline (Night Prayer) includes a lamentation placed on the Virgin Mary's lips. On Good Friday night, a symbolic burial of Christ is performed. Traditionally, Chaldean and Syrian Christians cease using their customary Shlama greeting ("peace be with you") on Good Friday and Holy Saturday, because Judas greeted Christ this way. They use the phrase "The light of God be with your departed ones" instead. In Russia, the tradition is to bring out a silver coffin, bearing a cross, and surrounded with candles and flowers. The faithful creep on their knees and kiss and venerate the image of Christ's body painted on the "winding sheet" (shroud).

History

The celebration of Good Friday is ancient, and some of the practices associated with Good Friday are attested to by Egeria in the 4th century. The day gradually became a time of penance and fasting as the anniversary of the death of Christ. The name "Good Friday" possibly comes from "God's Friday," although the exact reason for the current name is unclear. The custom of venerating the cross on Good Friday probably originated in Jerusalem in the 7th or 8th century, and continues to this day in many Western Churches. Pre-sanctified Masses are referenced in the documents of the Quinisext Council, which was held in AD 692, which means the practice pre-dates the seventh century. The Council mentions pre-sanctified liturgies as occurring primarily during Lent. Various churches observe Good Friday in addition to Catholics and Eastern Christians. Anglicans, Methodists, and Lutherans all observe Good Friday to varying degrees.

What are the Western Catholic Fast Guidelines for Good Friday?

Fasting means eating only one full meatless (no animal flesh) meal on this day. However, one may still eat a breakfast and even a lunch in addition to a full meal if the two additional small meals do not add up to a second full meal. Snacking is not allowed. Drinking coffee, tea, juices, etc, between meals is permitted on fast days. The requirements are slightly different for those of certain ages. Fasting is only required of those from ages 18-59, although parents are expected to teach their children the reasons behind their fasting, etc. Those with health conditions are excluded.

Where is God?!

Good Friday


At Christmas, we proclaim the birth of Jesus. We proclaim his title “Emmanuel”, meaning “God with us.” Its hard to identify that same beautiful baby in the manger with the terribly disfigured and tortured man nailed to the cross. But we must put these two images together if we are to have a complete picture of Jesus. Jesus is the Son of God born into this world as a human just like you and me. He was born not only with the best features that are available to mankind, but also born with the ability to suffer, to grieve, to cry, to feel pain, to experience failure and rejection and even the ability to die.

How can we say that God is truly with us, if he is with us only in good times? No. He is both God of our joys as well as our sorrows. He is God of our health as well as our sickness. He is God of life as well as God of our death. Here on the cross, hangs God. Here is Emmanuel. He is truly one with us. He is one with us not only in sharing a human life just like the rest of us but also one with us in death.

In a way, Good Friday is God’s answer to human suffering and pain. When faced with disaster and tragedy, many people often ask: “Where is God?” Today’s liturgy gives the clear answer. Here is God. Here lies our Almighty God who chose to be like us, to walk in our shoes, to share our joys and sorrows and also to experience our pain and suffering. Here lies the creator of the universe, He who formed the stars of the heaven and shaped the earth and all that was on it. Now on the cross, he lies dead. He is crucified by our own sinfulness, our indifference, our ambitions, our greed, our selfishness. Jesus could have chosen a natural death that comes after a long life. This is the death of a good man. But Jesus chose to die on the cross, the death of a criminal. God is one with us not only when we are good. God is one with us in our sinfulness even though he has no sin. This is so hard to understand. Perhaps, we can understand this only when we measure God’s love against our own inadequate and limited love.

Many parents often tell their children: “I will love you if you are good.” “If you are naughty, I will not love you.” Although I understand the reason why parents say these things, nevertheless, the picture that children get is that they are loved only when they are good. They begin to feel that they unloved when they are naughty and do bad things. In turn, these children also grow up learning only how to love conditionally. Love is the reward for goodness. One needs to earn love.

Today, we are told that all of this is not true. Love is not only the reward for goodness. One cannot earn love. God shows us that love is given to both saint and sinner. God loves us even while we were still sinners. The cross is proof of this. The cross is the symbol of God’s unconditional love. The cross shows that God is even prepared to take the place of the worst kind of sinners by being executed like a criminal. This is the message of the cross. God is telling us: “Whether you feel good or bad about yourself. I still love you. I love you so much that I’m prepared to give my life for you. I am with you not only when things are going well between us. I am with you also when you have forgotten me, when you have turned your back on me, when you have rejected me. I am with you always both in life and in death. I am with you here and now.”

Holy (Maundy) Thursday

Maundy Thursday, known officially in the Catholic Church as Holy Thursday, is the Thursday of Holy Week. Maundy Thursday commemorates the institution of the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Ordination, and begins the Paschal Triduum. In 2010, Holy Thursday falls on April 1.

Introduction

Jesus shared the final meal with his disciples, called the Last Supper, on the night before he was crucified. The institution of the Holy Eucharist occurred during this meal, as indicated from the gospel excerpt below:

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is my body." And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I shall not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom" (Matthew 26:26-29 RSV)

Since Scripture and Tradition tell us that Jesus was crucified on a Friday, Jesus shared the important Last Supper with his apostles on a Thursday. The synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) seem to suggest that the Last Supper was a Passover Meal. However, John suggests that Jesus was crucified before the Passover Meal, on the Day of Preparation. Perhaps the Last Supper was done in anticipation of the Passover Meal, or was a Kiddush or some other religious meal. The gospel of John does not record the Institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper, while the synoptic gospels do. However, John's gospel records Jesus washing the disciples' feet. Holy Thursday traditions are derived from all four gospels.

Thus Holy Thursday, also known as Maundy Thursday, is the Thursday of Holy Week, commemorating the Institution of the Holy Eucharist and the Sacrament of Ordination. Holy Thursday also celebrates the agony of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, and the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot, events that took place on the night before Jesus' crucifixion. The Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday begins the Triduum, which is the three-day celebration of the heart of the Christian faith: Christ's death and resurrection. The Paschal Triduum begins on the evening of Holy Thursday and concludes with the Evening Prayer (Vespers) of Easter. Thus the Triduum includes Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and reaches it high point at the Great Easter Vigil. The name "Maundy" comes from the Latin antiphon Mandatum Novum, i.e. "a new mandate." This new mandate from Jesus is taken from John 13:34: love one another as I have loved you.

Various traditions and customs are associated with Maundy Thursday, including the reciting of the creed by Catechumens from memory, the washing of feet, reconciliation of penitents, and the consecration of holy oil (chrism). The modern Western Holy Thursday service has an option for the blessing of chrism and the washing of feet. After the Maundy Thursday evening Mass the altars are stripped, the holy water stoups are emptied, and the Blessed Sacrament is carried through the church in procession to a place of reposition,. Traditionally the Pange Lingua (the last two stanzas which are known as Tantum Ergo) is sung during this procession. Adoration of the blessed sacrament for an extended period of time is then encouraged. The consecrated host is then used for Good Friday Masses. The alternate and uncommon name Shear Thursday comes from the ancient custom of trimming one's beard and hair that day as a sign of spiritual preparation for Easter.

History

A special commemoration of the Institution of the Eucharist on the Thursday of Holy Week is first attested to in the documents of the North African Council of Hippo (AD 393). References to Holy Thursday celebrations are abundant after this date. Since 1955 in the Catholic Church, the Maundy Thursday Mass is only celebrated in the evening, although in earlier times as many as three Masses a day were said. Traditionally, Maundy Thursday fell within the Lenten Season, although in post-Vatican II Catholic practice, Maundy Thursday is not liturgically a part of Lent, although it is still reckoned as part of the "forty days of Lent." In many Protestant churches, Holy Thursday is still liturgically part of Lent, since many Protestant churches do not recognize the Triduum as distinct from Lent.

Love one another as I have loved you

Holy Thursday


“Love one another as I have loved you.” In these words, Jesus summarizes his whole message. Love was the reason why God send his only begotten Son to come among us and to die for us. Love was the reason why Jesus was prepared to be humiliated, be stripped naked and to be nailed on the cross. Love was the cause of the resurrection because there is nothing stronger than love, not even death could hold love back. And finally, it is through love that we would be recognized as disciples of Christ.

“Love one another as I have loved you.” This is the new commandment which Jesus gives to us. What is so new about this commandment? It is new because we no longer need to measure love based on how much we are capable of loving. Rather, we measure love based on how much we are loved by Jesus himself. We love inadequately. We love imperfectly. Only Jesus loved us totally as the Father had loved him and as he had loved the Father.

In today’s liturgy, we are reminded of this commandment. Jesus gives us the mass. At every mass, the priest repeats the words of Jesus: “Do this in memory of me.” “Do this in memory of me” does not only mean that we repeat the gestures of Jesus at our mass. “Do this in memory of me” means that we are to imitate the entire life of Jesus. We must love as he loved. We must forgive as he forgave. We must show compassion as he showed compassion. We must serve one another as he served his brothers and sisters. We must give up our lives as he did on the cross. “Do this in memory of me” becomes the expression of the new commandment “Love one another as I have loved you.”

Jesus will show us the extent of his love for us through his actions. We will soon witness how Jesus washes the feet of his disciples as the priest reenacts the scene of the Last Supper. Jesus would humble himself to take on the role of a slave to serve others. Every time when we celebrate the mass, we too are challenged to serve as he did. We too must put aside our pride and humble ourselves before others. We must not look for honour. We must not look for power. We must not seek to be great. We must not demand to be served by others. Instead, we are called to be a servant of one another.

Tomorrow Jesus will show a greater sign of his love. He will be nailed to the cross and die for us sinners. Every time when we celebrate the mass, we too are reminded of the sacrifice of the cross. We are challenged to put aside our selfishness and centredness. We are challenged to put aside all our masks, the masks that we wear in our homes, our schools, our offices and in church. We are challenged to die for one another – to give up our lives for love.

This is the standard of love which Jesus presents to us: “Love one another as I have loved you.” “Serve one another as I have served you.” “Die for one another as I have died for you.” If we come to understand and appreciate the true meaning of this commandment, then we will understand our mass better. The mass is not a set of empty rituals. The mass reenacts the sacrifice of Christ. The mass makes real the commandment of love. The mass challenges us to live out that same sacrifice and commandment to love one another as Jesus loves us.

The lesson of ashes

Ash Wednesday


It is interesting to note that no matter how beautiful, varied and different everything that we see may be, all are reduced to ashes when subjected to fire. A beautiful and priceless painting, a human body, stacks of money, expensive clothes and flowering trees, all become in differentiable when reduced to ashes. It may normally seem strange to admire ashes. It’s just dust – no shape, no beauty, no use, no value. Yet, ashes take on an entirely new meaning when we view it through the eyes of faith. Ashes remind us that all the things which we treasure in this life, our money, our possessions, our environment and even our loved ones are impermanent. Ashes then become our teacher – for they teach us to understand that we cannot place our trust and hope in things which will eventually disappear, things that will become ashes. Ashes point to our own mortal lives – in spite of how long we may live or how healthy we may be, one day, all of us, without any exception would become ashes.

Today, we celebrate Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the period of Lent. Ash has often been used as a sign of death and grieving. For us Christians, ash is also used as a sign of penance. Each of us may come from different backgrounds. Some of us are rich while others poor. Some may hold very important positions while others perform clerical task and other manual work. No matter who you are or where you come from, all are invited to come forward to place ashes on your forehead. Rich or poor, young or old, powerful or weak, stranger or friend - all equally sinners in need of salvation. In this way, we are all equal in the eyes of God. We all require forgiveness and redemption. We all need to die to our old sinful self in order to be reborn into the new life with Christ. When all is reduce to ashes, there are no longer differences among us.

This is season of Lent is therefore an opportunity for us to die to sin. When we die to sin we also die to the illusions and lies caused by sin. Sin tells us that we only need to think of our own needs without having to think of others. Sin tells us to make a big show of our spiritual exercises e.g. prayer, fasting, coming to church etc. Sin blinds us to the kingdom of God and tempts us with worldly values that are impermanent. Today, on this first day of Lent, let us pray that the Lord will burn away our sins and the illusions caused by such sin. Ashes reveal the truth. As our sin and illusions are reduced to ashes, our focus is now turned toward God. In God, we shall find everything that is good and beautiful. In God, shall we have the promise of eternal life which will not be reduced to ashes. In God, we will find a place where all are welcome, both sinner and saint, young and old, sick and healthy, poor and rich. In God, we will find our resting place and true home.

Every year, Lent is a period for us to examine our lives and experience repentance in order to make a new start. It is not a time for sorrow and false humility. Rather, Lent should be an occasion for joy. Let us therefore joyously begin our Lenten preparation for Easter with the call to “turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel.”