OVERCOMING FEAR IN THE MIDST OF THE STORMS OF LIFE

20250201 OVERCOMING FEAR IN THE MIDST OF THE STORMS OF LIFE

 

 

01 February 2025, Saturday, 3rd Week in Ordinary Time

First reading

Hebrews 11:1-2,8-19

Abraham looked forward to a city founded, designed and built by God

Only faith can guarantee the blessings that we hope for, or prove the existence of the realities that at present remain unseen. It was for faith that our ancestors were commended.

  It was by faith that Abraham obeyed the call to set out for a country that was the inheritance given to him and his descendants, and that he set out without knowing where he was going. By faith he arrived, as a foreigner, in the Promised Land, and lived there as if in a strange country, with Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. They lived there in tents while he looked forward to a city founded, designed and built by God.

  It was equally by faith that Sarah, in spite of being past the age, was made able to conceive, because she believed that he who had made the promise would be faithful to it. Because of this, there came from one man, and one who was already as good as dead himself, more descendants than could be counted, as many as the stars of heaven or the grains of sand on the seashore.

  All these died in faith, before receiving any of the things that had been promised, but they saw them in the far distance and welcomed them, recognising that they were only strangers and nomads on earth. People who use such terms about themselves make it quite plain that they are in search of their real homeland. They can hardly have meant the country they came from, since they had the opportunity to go back to it; but in fact they were longing for a better homeland, their heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, since he has founded the city for them.

  It was by faith that Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac. He offered to sacrifice his only son even though the promises had been made to him and he had been told: It is through Isaac that your name will be carried on. He was confident that God had the power even to raise the dead; and so, figuratively speaking, he was given back Isaac from the dead.

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Responsorial Psalm

Luke 1:69-75

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel! He has visited his people and redeemed them.

He has raised up for us a mighty saviour

  in the house of David his servant,

as he promised by the lips of holy men,

  those who were his prophets from of old.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel! He has visited his people and redeemed them.

A saviour who would free us from our foes,

  from the hands of all who hate us.

So his love for our fathers is fulfilled

  and his holy covenant remembered.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel! He has visited his people and redeemed them.

He swore to Abraham our father

  to grant us that free from fear,

  and saved from the hands of our foes,

we might serve him in holiness and justice

  all the days of our life in his presence.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel! He has visited his people and redeemed them.

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Gospel Acclamation

cf.Ps26:11

Alleluia, alleluia!

Instruct me, Lord, in your way;

on an even path lead me.

Alleluia!

Or:

Jn3:16

Alleluia, alleluia!

God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son:

everyone who believes in him has eternal life.

Alleluia!

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Gospel

Mark 4:35-41

'Even the wind and the sea obey him'

With the coming of evening, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Let us cross over to the other side.’ And leaving the crowd behind they took him, just as he was, in the boat; and there were other boats with him. Then it began to blow a gale and the waves were breaking into the boat so that it was almost swamped. But he was in the stern, his head on the cushion, asleep. They woke him and said to him, ‘Master, do you not care? We are going down!’ And he woke up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Quiet now! Be calm!’ And the wind dropped, and all was calm again. Then he said to them, ‘Why are you so frightened? How is it that you have no faith?’ They were filled with awe and said to one another, ‘Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey him.’

 

OVERCOMING FEAR IN THE MIDST OF THE STORMS OF LIFE

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SCRIPTURE READINGS: [HEB 11:1-2,8-19; LUKE 1:69-75; MARK 4:35-41]

It is natural for us to be fearful when we are under threat, especially when our reputation or physical life is in danger.  So, we can appreciate how frightened the disciples were when the “gale and waves were breaking into the boat so that it was almost swamped.”  Even though some were fishermen, others perhaps were not good swimmers.  We too would be terrified sitting in a boat that was being tossed up and down by the waves.  So, in their fear they woke the Lord who was sleeping soundly “in the stern, his head on the cushion.”  They cried out to the Lord, “Master, do you not care? We are going down!”  Isn’t that how we feel every time we are in deep trouble, perhaps suffering from a severe illness, terminal disease, financial difficulties, betrayal, an injustice or a failed relationship?  Where is God in the midst of all these?

Today, we are asked to place our trust in God who cares for us more than we think.  Jesus might have appeared to be sleeping in the boat but He was aware that the storm would not overcome them.  He had complete confidence in His Father and that was why He did not panic.  He knew that His Father was in charge and in control.   So, when He was awakened, He “rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Quiet now! Be calm!’ And the wind dropped, and all was calm again.”  It is significant that Jesus commanded the sea the way He commanded the evil spirit to be quiet.  This was because the ancient people believed that evil monsters, such as Leviathan, lived in the sea and was responsible for such natural disasters.  The sea embodied what was evil in the bible.

But this faith must go beyond trusting in God to perform miracles in our lives.  Otherwise, our faith in God will remain infantile.  Indeed, many people come to God only when they need their prayers to be answered, especially temporal favours, such as healing from sickness, help for financial difficulties or when taking exams or for success in their projects.  God becomes a dispensing machine for all our favours.  We become inward-looking and earthly.  Yet, as the letter of Hebrews tells us, our homeland is not on this earth.  Like the Fathers of Israel, they all “died in faith, before receiving any of the things that had been promised.”  The promises of a land where they could be settled comfortably was never realized in their time.

“All these, but they saw them in the far distance and welcomed them, recognising that they were only strangers and nomads on earth.”  Indeed, we are strangers and nomads on this earth.  We are all passing through like the nomads in the desert, searching for a better homeland.  No matter what we have in this world, we remain strangers because we are just in sojourn, a temporary resident for a while.  Eighty or even a hundred years of life compared to eternity is but a split second.  That was why when the Fathers of Israel moved out of their country, such as Abraham from the rich and developed city of Ur in Chaldea, they never returned back to their homeland.  As the letter to the Hebrews said, “People who use such terms about themselves make it quite plain that they are in search of their real homeland. They can hardly have meant the country they came from, since they had the opportunity to go back to it; but in fact, they were longing for a better homeland, their heavenly homeland.”

Faith ultimately is our hope to be with God.  Only God can give us real and lasting happiness.  This is our real hope in life.  This is what faith does for us.  If our hope is just for this life, we are a most pitiable people.  (1 Cor 15:9) This is where God is all in all. (1 Cor 15:28) Our eternal resting place is to be with God.  Hence, the author wrote, “That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, since he has founded the city for them.”

This hope is certain.  This is why certainty is one of the qualities of faith.  “Only faith can guarantee the blessings that we hope for, or prove the existence of the realities that at present remain unseen.”  Faith is to be sure that what we hope for, even if we cannot see clearly now with our eyes, will be given to us.  It is our confidence in what we hope for in Christ, that gives us power over sin and makes us loving towards our neighbours.

This is what the first reading wants to underscore.  A firm faith and confidence in the hope before us is seen in our love for our brothers and sisters.  As St James says, “So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.”  (Jm 2:17) The author in this chapter did what St James did, by demonstrating the effects of faith as seen in the actions of those who had faith in God, such as Abraham and Sarah, Moses and other Israelite heroes.  Abraham believed in God at every moment of his journey.  It began with a call to leave his country and culminated in his obedience to God when he was asked to sacrifice his only son, Isaac.   He submitted in faith and in obedience to God’s voice.  Even though he did not see the promises which were still far off, in faith, he trusted that God would be faithful.  This hope of “a city founded, designed and built by God” was only realized in Christ thousands of years later.  Even though he could not see his descendants like sand on the seashore, yet through Isaac his name would live.  The author remarked, “He was confident that God had the power even to raise the dead; and so, figuratively speaking, he was given Isaac back from the dead.”  Through Christ, the Church becomes the new People of Israel and we live forever through His death and resurrection.  With faith, fear of death is overcome.

Faith makes us act differently because we no longer live for this world, or for ourselves, for this life only, but for God and for others and for the next life.  This is why the world does not understand why we sacrifice our lives, our pleasure, our time and our resources for others.  With faith, we will do the impossible, even to suffer unjustly like our Lord in the hands of our enemies.  Indeed, St Peter wrote, “an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”  (cf 1 Pt 1:3-9) Similarly too, when we have faith in someone, we bring out the best in that person.  Many of us have much latent potentials in us, but because we do not have faith in ourselves, others consequently have no faith in us either.  When we have faith in God and in ourselves, we can do great wonders for God and for humanity.

How, then, can we acquire this kind of faith that enables us to overcome all fears and trials in life?  We need to learn from the example of Abel, Enoch and Noah.   Their faith is described in the missing lines of today’s first reading, verses 3-7.  Abel taught us to be patient for God to vindicate us. His righteous faith made it possible for him to continue to speak even though he died.  (Heb 11:4; cf Gn 4:10) But his blood must also be linked to Christ’s blood shed for us.  Whilst Abel’s blood cried out for vindication, Jesus’ blood offered us forgiveness.  His faith was one of trust and acceptance of whatever happened, just like Jesus who surrendered justice to the Father.  God is faithful and will justify us.  Abel’s faith, like that of Jesus, was a trusting and waiting faith.  From Enoch, we learn that faith grows in intimacy when we walk with the Lord.  Enoch, because of faith, turned away from sin and godlessness when he was warned by the Lord. (cf Gn 6:5) As a consequence, “by faith Enoch was taken so that he did not experience death; and ‘he was not found, because God had taken him.’ For it was attested before he was taken away that ‘he had pleased God.'” (Heb 11:5 cf Gn 5:25)

Finally, from Noah, we learn to persevere in our faith.  His faith enabled him to see the coming of the Flood that would destroy humanity.  “By faith Noah, warned by God about events as yet unseen, respected the warning and built an ark to save his household; by this he condemned the world and became an heir to the righteousness that is in accordance with faith.”  It was unimaginable for anyone to believe him at that time.  He would have been mocked for building a ship a hundred miles from the nearest sea.  He trusted in God against all odds.

This is why Hebrews concludes, “without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Heb 11:6) Indeed, anyone who believes in God would be saved.  Hence, even those who have not yet heard of the gospel, could also be saved so long as they believe in God.  This was the case of those who came before our Lord and all those who still have not yet come to know Jesus as well.  Whilst faith can be stimulated through reason and the study of nature and science can lead us to believe in God’s existence, (cf Rom 1:19f; Ps 8, 19), ultimately, the wisdom of the world cannot find Him unless God reveals Himself.  (1 Cor 1:21) But once we begin with a belief in God, He will grant us the grace to find Him eventually in Christ. (Acts 4:12)

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Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.

PATIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE IN FAITH

20250131 PATIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE IN FAITH

 

 

31 January 2025, Friday, 3rd Week in Ordinary Time

First reading

Hebrews 10:32-39

We are the sort who keep faithful

Remember all the sufferings that you had to meet after you received the light, in earlier days; sometimes by being yourselves publicly exposed to insults and violence, and sometimes as associates of others who were treated in the same way. For you not only shared in the sufferings of those who were in prison, but you happily accepted being stripped of your belongings, knowing that you owned something that was better and lasting. Be as confident now, then, since the reward is so great. You will need endurance to do God’s will and gain what he has promised.

Only a little while now, a very little while,

and the one that is coming will have come; he will not delay.

The righteous man will live by faith,

but if he draws back, my soul will take no pleasure in him.

You and I are not the sort of people who draw back, and are lost by it; we are the sort who keep faithful until our souls are saved.

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Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 36(37):3-6,23-24,39-40

The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

If you trust in the Lord and do good,

  then you will live in the land and be secure.

If you find your delight in the Lord,

  he will grant your heart’s desire.

The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

Commit your life to the Lord,

  trust in him and he will act,

so that your justice breaks forth like the light,

  your cause like the noon-day sun.

The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

The Lord guides the steps of a man

  and makes safe the path of one he loves.

Though he stumble he shall never fall

  for the Lord holds him by the hand.

The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

The salvation of the just comes from the Lord,

  their stronghold in time of distress.

The Lord helps them and delivers them

  and saves them: for their refuge is in him.

The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.

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Gospel Acclamation

Ps118:27

Alleluia, alleluia!

Make me grasp the way of your precepts,

and I will muse on your wonders.

Alleluia!

Or:

Mt11:25

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessed are you, Father, 

Lord of heaven and earth,

for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom

to mere children.

Alleluia!

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Gospel

Mark 4:26-34

The kingdom of God is a mustard seed growing into the biggest shrub of all

Jesus said to the crowds: ‘This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man throws seed on the land. Night and day, while he sleeps, when he is awake, the seed is sprouting and growing; how, he does not know. Of its own accord the land produces first the shoot, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the crop is ready, he loses no time: he starts to reap because the harvest has come.’

  He also said, ‘What can we say the kingdom of God is like? What parable can we find for it? It is like a mustard seed which at the time of its sowing in the soil is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet once it is sown it grows into the biggest shrub of them all and puts out big branches so that the birds of the air can shelter in its shade.’

  Using many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, so far as they were capable of understanding it. He would not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything to his disciples when they were alone.

 

PATIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE IN FAITH

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SCRIPTURE READINGS: [HEB 10:32-39; PS 37:3-6,23-24,39-40; MARK 4:26-34]

In the first reading, the author of Hebrews recounted the trials that the early Christians had to go through.  “Remember all the sufferings that you had to meet after you received the light, in earlier days: sometimes by being yourselves publicly exposed to insults and violence, and sometimes as associates of others who were treated in the same way.”  One can imagine how much the early Christians had to suffer for their faith in Christ.  For them to do so, they must have had strong faith in Him.  They must have had a deep encounter with the Lord to be able to make the sacrifices they did in following Him.  Otherwise, how do we explain their willingness to undergo insults and violence on His account?  No one would want to sacrifice or suffer in vain!

Today, not many Catholics are willing to suffer for their faith in Christ.  We might be willing to make some sacrifices for being Catholic, like observing some of the commandments, fulfilling the days of obligations, the days of fasting and penance, praying regularly, helping in some church ministries, giving some donation to the church and to charity, and do good.  In our days, being a member of the Catholic Church is not always a dishonourable thing.   We have our enemies and detractors but in general, the Catholic Church, being so established as an institution, is well respected and regarded by many, especially for her works of charity and justice, particularly expressed by the Holy Father, the head of the Catholic Church.  So, for most, it is seen as a good religion to belong to.

But the danger is that when we become too comfortable with our place in the world, we lose our resilience to persecution, opposition and marginalization.  The real danger of the Church today is that she is trying to be popular in the world by making herself acceptable to society.  We are afraid to stand up for the gospel truth because we fear repercussion, rejection and losing our place in the world.  We want to be part of the mainstream.  Indeed, the Church is trying too hard to please the individualistic and materialistic trends of the world.  We want to dilute our moral doctrines to accommodate those who are advocating lifestyles contrary to the bible, whether it is same-sex union, transgenderism, or the radical views of activists for human rights and equality.   So, we make compromises in our doctrines, so much so we have lost credibility in the world.  Christianity has been subsumed by the world and we are not much different from the world.  We are no longer a witnessing faith, being the light of the world and the salt of the earth.  When Christianity adopts the worldly values and individualistic trends, we lose our status as a force in the world. We no longer offer anything that is different from what the world espouses.

Indeed, to stand up for the truth of what the scripture has always taught us today requires courage and honesty.  It means that we are ready to sacrifice our position of honour in the world.  In order to speak honestly, it requires the courage to be different.  And most of all, to be ridiculed, marginalized and to lose our popularity.  But how many of us are willing to sacrifice our position in the political, corporate and even religious world? We want to be respected, to be honoured, to enjoy the privileges that come with it.  So, what is required for us to remain faithful to the faith and what the scriptures have taught us?

Firstly, the author of Hebrews asks us to consider everything in view of our hope.   “For you not only shared in the sufferings of those who were in prison, but you happily accepted being stripped of your belongings, knowing that you owned something that was better and lasting. Be as confident now, then, since the reward is so great. You will need endurance to do God’s will and gain what he has promised.”  Having a clear hope of what has been promised to us was what motivated the Christians to offer themselves as witnesses to the faith and suffer disadvantages in society or even being martyred.  This is because they had a certain hope in the promises of Christ.  At that time of course, they thought the second coming was near.  This gave them greater impetus to sacrifice their present for the future.   “Only a little while now, a very little while, and the one that is coming will have come; he will not delay.”

Truly, we are reminded that a courageous faith and confident hope is what is required to help us to continue to persevere.  “The righteous man will live by faith, but if he draws back, my soul will take no pleasure in him.  You and I are not the sort of people who draw back, and are lost by it; we are the sort who keep faithful until our souls are saved.”  We need to cling to our faith and not allow fear or the things of the world to hold us back.  This is what the psalmist also assures us.  “If you trust in the Lord and do good, then you will live in the land and be secure. If you find your delight in the Lord, he will grant your heart’s desire. Commit your life to the Lord, trust in him and he will act, so that your justice breaks forth like the light, your cause like the noon-day sun. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord, their stronghold in time of distress. The Lord helps them and delivers them and saves them: for their refuge is in him.”

Of course, we must not expect that by standing up for our beliefs and values, we will see the results of our faith immediately.  The establishment of the kingdom of God takes time.  The Lord teaches us to allow the grace of God to work in the world.  We might appear helpless.  We might stand out as a minority.  But by standing up for our beliefs, God will ensure that His kingdom grows in spite of man’s attempts to hinder it.   “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man throws seed on the land.” Indeed, with faith and hope, we will see the kingdom growing even when it is imperceptible, just like the man who “Night and day, while he sleeps, when he is awake, the seed is sprouting and growing; how, he does not know. Of its own accord the land produces first the shoot, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the crop is ready, he loses no time: he starts to reap because the harvest has come.”  But the kingdom is gradually taking shape.  No one can stop the plan of God for humanity.  God’s work continues and a time will come when it is ready for harvesting.

This is why we must be patient at the work of God in the world.  As the psalmist says, “For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past, or like a watch in the night. You sweep them away; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning; in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers.”  (Ps 90:4-6) Consequently, we must not look at the growth of the Kingdom from our narrow and human perspective.  We are all laying the stones for the future of the kingdom.  Instead of looking at what is happening in the world with despair, we must look with confidence and hope.  So long as we believe in God, there is no room for despair and hopelessness. 

Indeed, the other parable of the mustard seed should encourage us and not be worried at the small steps and achievements we have made.  We never know how from a mustard seed, we can become a tree where birds could come to find shelter and rest. So, we can be confident that the seeds we sow now will bring about a harvest.  We have already witnessed it.  When we see how Christianity started in the early Church, facing all sorts of persecutions and marginalization, and how it eventually became the dominant faith all over Europe and then spreading to the entire world, we know that it is the work of God and the work of grace.   Many priests and religious sacrificed their lives for the sake of the gospel and travelled to distant countries to bring the gospel to the peoples.

Today, we must not let our forefathers down and let all their sacrifices be made in vain.  We must continue to be true to the faith that has been handed down to us.  We must stand up against all those who seek to dilute the faith and make false compromises with the world so that they could retain their popularity and their privileges.  And we can be faithful if only we remain within the circle of Jesus as the disciples did.  “He would not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything to his disciples when they were alone.”

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Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved. 

RENEWING RELATIONSHIPS WITH GOD AND WITH OTHERS

20250129 RENEWING RELATIONSHIPS WITH GOD AND WITH OTHERS

 

 

29 January 2025, Wednesday, Lunar New Year

Num 6:22-27

22 The Lord said to Moses, 23 “Say to Aaron and his sons, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, 

24 The Lord bless you and keep you: 

25 The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you: 

26 The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. 

27 “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”

 

Ps 90:1=17

1 Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place^* 

in all generations. 

2 Before the mountains were brought forth, 

or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, 

from everlasting to everlasting thou art God. 

3 Thou turnest man back to the dust, 

and sayest, “Turn back, O children of men!” 

4 For a thousand years in thy sight 

are but as yesterday when it is past, 

or as a watch in the night. 

5 Thou dost sweep men away; they are like a dream, 

like grass which is renewed in the morning: 

6 in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; 

in the evening it fades and withers. 

7 For we are consumed by thy anger; 

by thy wrath we are overwhelmed. 

8 Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, 

our secret sins in the light of thy countenance. 

9 For all our days pass away under thy wrath, 

our years come to an end^f like a sigh. 

10 The years of our life are threescore and ten, 

or even by reason of strength fourscore; 

yet their span^g is but toil and trouble; 

they are soon gone, and we fly away. 

11 Who considers the power of thy anger, 

and thy wrath according to the fear of thee? 

12 So teach us to number our days 

that we may get a heart of wisdom. 

13 Return, O Lord! How long? 

Have pity on thy servants! 

14 Satisfy us in the morning with thy steadfast love, 

that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. 

15 Make us glad as many days as thou hast afflicted us, 

and as many years as we have seen evil. 

16 Let thy work be manifest to thy servants, 

and thy glorious power to their children. 

17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, 

and establish thou the work of our hands upon us, 

yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.

 

Col 3:12-17

12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and patience, 13 forbearing one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, and sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Matthew 6:31-34

31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well. 

34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day.

 

RENEWING RELATIONSHIPS WITH GOD AND WITH OTHERS

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SCRIPTURE READINGS: [NUM 6:22-27; PS 90:1-17; COL 3:12-17; MATTHEW 6:31-34 ]

We are gathered here to celebrate Lunar New Year, a Spring festival celebrated not just by the Chinese but also by the Vietnamese and Koreans.  Spring is the beginning of new life.  This is why Lent and Easter always fall during the season of spring, about the same time when we celebrate Lunar New Year.  However, this festival in Singapore has gone through much evolution that many have lost the purpose of the New Year Celebration, mainly because the younger generation is not brought up in the culture of our forefathers.  What gave excitement for the New Year is also not as enticing for us today as it was for our forefathers, where there was abundant food, new clothes, and competition to see whose fire crackers burnt longer.   For many Chinese, it is now simply a holiday which could be used for travelling or a staycation in one of the hotels so that we can avoid entertaining visitors coming to our house.  But this is contrary to the spirit of the Lunar New Year celebration.  It is fundamentally about relationships – renewing relationships, strengthening relationships and building new relationships.

Consequently, we need to rediscover the meaning of this celebration.  In the first place, celebrating the New Year is an occasion for us to begin anew the way we want to live our life.  It means letting go of the past, forgiving those who have offended us and forgiving ourselves for the mistakes we have made.  St Paul in the second reading tells us, “bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.”  Indeed, the first thing we do when we celebrate the New Year is to let the old year pass and give everyone a chance to begin everything anew, especially when it has to do with repairing relationships.  Forgiveness is central to the celebration of the New Year.  Without forgiveness, there is no way for us to have a fresh start for the New Year.  The old year will continue to haunt us and prevent us from receiving the blessings of the New Year.  When we do not forgive, we are hanging on to the past, and most of all, a negative past.  What we should do is to let go, forgive and begin anew simply because we are human beings, imperfect in love, insecure and self-preservative.

Fortunately, I believe that whilst many Chinese customs have been abandoned by the modern generation of Chinese, this one tradition of having a reunion dinner is still largely kept by most families.  Indeed, this is one of the most important highlights of the Lunar New Year Celebration.  By coming together as a family for dinner, it is an occasion for the family to renew their relationships with each other.  By coming together, it also means that we want to forgive whoever is going to celebrate the dinner with us.  In the olden days, the meaning of reunion dinner was much richer because everyone in the house would be involved in the preparation of the food for that evening, which also brought them together.  Today, because most adults are working, they do not have time to prepare the meal and so most dine out at restaurants.  Still, the spirit of reunion is there – of wanting to share a common meal.  This is what St Paul is asking us all to do, “And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body.”

Another important aspect of the Lunar New Year celebration is the visitation, especially for the younger people to pay respects to their elders.  Unfortunately, this tradition of visiting our loved ones and friends is gradually dying out because people want to be alone to rest.  They do not like to welcome visitors because it is too tiring to entertain them.  Yet, it is in this yearly visitation that we show our hospitality and love for those who come to visit us.  We are called to go beyond ourselves to embrace others.  It is a time to renew old ties and friendships.  It is a time to strengthen our bonds with each other.  As St Paul said, “Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”  It is always a joy to know how each person is doing and how they have overcome trials in their lives.  Indeed, renewing friendship and ties is a very important aspect of the New Year celebration.

What is also significant is that the food that we consume and things that are displayed and numbers that are used, are all symbolic of our hope for the New Year.   If we have hot-pot, it is symbolic of the family gathering round the hot-pot sharing life and love together.  And all the food, whether it is fish or Yu Sheng, are symbolic of success, prosperity and blessings.  Indeed, in Chinese customs everything is given a symbol, such as oranges and abalone as symbols of gold and wealth, leek for us to have plenty of money, melon seeds as a symbol of fertility and progeny.  We give ang-pows for good luck and the amount must be an even number, and better still, in eights, because it means fortune.  In other words, it is our common wish that we have plenty for our sustenance, that we will be successful and prosperous in our work and business, and that our family will grow in strength and unity.   These are basic aspirations of every human person and family.

Of course, for us Christians, we too can seek for all these things as well.  But the gospel reminds us that we should trust in divine providence.  Jesus said to His disciples, “Do not worry; do not say, ‘What are we to eat? What are we to drink? How are we to be clothed?” It is the pagans who set their hearts on all these things. Your heavenly Father knows you need them all.'”  Indeed, what is more important for Jesus is for us to “Set your hearts in his kingdom first, and on his righteousness, and all these other things will be given to you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow: tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”  Seeking His righteousness means that we strive with His grace to live a righteous life, with regard to our relationships with our neighbours and with God.  If we seek to live according to the gospel and the teaching of our Lord, we will be blessed with peace and joy.  Trusting in divine providence does not mean that we do nothing but it means that we do our best according to the gifts we have been given and the opportunities offered to us.  God will help us to grow and be happy in our life.

This year we celebrate the year of the snake.  This zodiac sign reminds us often of the Evil One because the bible depicts the devil as a serpent that tempted Adam and Eve to fall from grace.  The serpent acts swiftly and is also cunning in protecting itself and in attacking its enemies.  The serpent is our enemy.  But we can also learn from the snake as well because the bible also used the serpent as a symbol of repentance, healing and wisdom.  It is significant that the snake is a medical sign that represents the medical profession and is often depicted as a staff with a snake or snakes coiled around it.  (cf Num 21:4-9) This is why in the Book of Numbers, God told Moses to tell the people who were bitten by the serpents to look at the Bronze serpent lifted up on a pole and they will be healed.  Jesus also taught His disciples to be as gentle as a dove but as wise as a serpent.  (cf Mt 10:16) Consequently, we are called to learn the good qualities of a serpent, in being swift, and wise in protecting ourselves.

Finally, we are called to look up to Jesus who hung on the cross like the people who looked at the bronze serpent to find healing and mercy.   We learn from Jesus to pray and forgive our enemies.  The Lord told Moses, “This is how you are to bless the sons of Israel. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord let his face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord uncover his face to you and bring you peace.”  So too, we must keep our eyes on the Lord so that we will always walk in the ways of truth and love.  Seeing the face of God in Jesus will give us the strength to continue loving difficult people in our life.  Seeing His face will give us the grace to persevere because we know that He is with us in our life journey.  Indeed, let us pray with the psalmist, “Make us know the shortness of our life that we may gain wisdom of heart. Lord, relent!  Is your anger for ever? Show pity on your servants. In the morning, fill us with your love; we shall exult and rejoice all our days. Show forth your work to your servants; let your glory shine on their children.”

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Written by His Eminence, Cardinal William SC Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All Rights Reserved.