Spiritus Sanctus

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)
Wisdom 12:13,16-19 | Psalm 85(86):5-6,9-10,15-16 | Romans 8:26-27 | Matthew 13:24-43

We live in the midst of evil.

That’s the almost-daily reminder of our government, that there are terrorists active in neighboring countries, and more returning from failed escapades in Syria, Iraq and other trouble spots.

So too are we surrounded by spiritual darnel, those who would actively oppose us for our beliefs and choke our faith, a few physically, others with scorn, still others by flaunting temptations in our faces.

It’s that last group that is the most dangerous, who seduce with the fear of missing out (FOMO) on the earthly pleasures that everyone else is enjoying, espousing the popular thesis that you only live once (YOLO):

Aiyah, why you Catholics must fast on Fridays one? Too bad you can’t eat this delicious fried chicken. C’mon, just smell it, don’t you just want a taste?

Or the fear of being caught off-guard, with serious consequences:

You better bad-mouth him to your boss first, then confess at church later. God sure forgive one, OK? Anyway, if you don’t sabo him, you sure kena sabo yourself, and then how’s your God gonna help you?

Sometimes, as darnel only shows its true colour (black) when fully ripe, so do these antagonists only show their true colours after we’ve known then for a significant period.

But as the parable in today’s scripture reminds us, we have to live with them for the time being. We just have to stay faithful, and vigilant, and uninfected.

Yet, we are weak. There’s no denying that. This is why St. Paul reminds us through the Romans:

The Spirit comes to help us in our weakness. (Romans 8:26-27)

We are encouraged, nay, we must open ourselves up to the Holy Spirit, and to the Wisdom that is the Lord:

how the virtuous man must be kindly to his fellow men,
and you have given your sons the good hope
that after sin you will grant repentance. (Wisdom 12:19)

In the spirit (pun intended) of acronymic inscrutability, let us pray:

COSMAS (Come, O Spirit, ‘Midst All Strife),
DAMIAN (Dominate All Minds, Inspire All Nations),
so that we may
LOVE (Lift Our Voices Everyday)
in praise to our Creator.

Amen.

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)
Isaiah 55:10-11 | Psalm 64(65):10-14 | Romans 8:18-23 | Matthew 13:1-23

Yesterday, a South Indian man boarded a Circle Line train bound for Dhoby Ghaut at Paya Lebar station. He looked around, then up at the route display. Within a few seconds, his face was a mass of confusion, but he continued to stare at the display.

He finally gave up whatever mental gear-grinding he was performing, and turned to the guy who appeared beside him, preparing to exit at the next station.

That guy…was me.

Lalsdfen Cawejr?

Pardon?

Losdaje Coerjt?

Sorry, still not understanding you.

It took several more rounds of confusion before I realized that he was asking:

Lorong Chuan?

I then informed him that he was traveling in the wrong direction, but another bumbling exchange made it clear that we had a language mismatch.

So I beckoned him to follow me out of the train at the next stop, walked him over to the station list at the center of the platform, pointed out each station up to Lorong Chuan (so that he could count off the stops to be sure), pointed him to the correct side of the platform to wait for the Harbourfront-bound train, then waved goodbye.

✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞

Regular readers of this blog would’ve noticed that my posting frequency has gone from daily to sporadic. I’ve been firing mental and spiritual blanks more often than not in recent times, and while I understood that it would probably happen at some point, it was a little disturbing to run up against roadblocks so early in my God-blogging “career”.

Looks like it’s time for another spiritual refocusing, a conscious examen of the dark corners in my faith life, a quieting of my restless spirit, and a deep breath of the Ruach HaKodesh, the Holy Spirit.

But like the South Indian man I met yesterday, I had to overcome my own pride and ask for help from the One who knew better than anyone else the turmoil in my heart and head.

We’ve all encountered such personal “blockages” at one point on another, but do we trust Him enough to turn Son-wards as a first recourse, rather than a desperate final “roll of the dice”? Only when we collectively find the courage to do this, will scenes like this be commonplace again:

Jesus left the house and sat by the lakeside, but such large crowds gathered round him that he got into a boat and sat there. (Matthew 13:1)

Amen.

Thursday of Week 14 in Ordinary Time (Year A)
Genesis 44:18-21,23-29,45:1-5 | Psalm 104(105):16-21 | Matthew 10:7-15

In today’s reading, Joseph finally reveals himself to the brothers who sold him into slavery.

We too reveal ourselves to everyone around us, whether we know it or not. The way we treat others, our words both loving and judgemental, we basically show our inner selves, as we admit in our weekly Confiteor:

in my thoughts, and in my words,
in what I have done, and in what I have failed to do

Just yesterday, I was at the Church of the Holy Family with my oldest and avidly-atheist friend, who wanted to donate some of his old but otherwise usable shoes to the parish’s thrift shop.

On the spur of the moment, I asked him to wait for me, while I dashed upstairs to say a quick prayer.

To my surprise, he asked to follow me into church. This, coming from the man who asked not to be my best man at my wedding almost 20 years ago, so that he wouldn’t have to set foot in church.

After a few minutes in prayer, with my friend sitting quietly behind me, we repaired to the coffee shop next door for a refresher.

✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞

How time has changed us all, as it mellowed the hatred of Joseph’s brothers and caused them to reflect on the harm they did to their kin.

Is this not a reminder to us all, to reflect on our own relationship with our Creator and our fellow beings? To reexamine our thoughts, our words, our deeds and omissions?

To, perhaps, make time for “coffee with Jesus”, as a fellow choir member providentially shared just this morning?

Amen.

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)
Zechariah 9:9-10 | Psalm 144(145):1-2,8-11,13b-14 | Romans 8:9,11-13 | Matthew 11:25-30

See now, your king comes to you;
he is victorious, he is triumphant,
humble and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9)

I attended evening mass at my parish yesterday, wanting to see how the newly-formed choir was doing.

I ended up singing with them, and it was a refreshing experience.

There’s something about a new group still feeling their way around liturgy, keeping it simple by singing everything in unison, but with a voice or two braving a harmony line on occasion.

There’s something about a group of new choristers with little musical training and no scores, yet still singing with both heart and head.

In humble beginnings are the seeds of triumphant and heartfelt worship. Zechariah’s words are a reminder to his fellow Judeans, and to us through the mists of time, that victory can be cloaked in humility.

Perhaps there’s a lesson in there for my own seasoned choir, as we welcome half a dozen youths into our ranks as part of their Ministry Involvement Program.

Amen.

Thursday of Week 13 in Ordinary Time (Year I)
Genesis 22:1-19 | Psalm 114(116):1-6,8-9 | Matthew 9:1-8

Abraham called this place ‘The Lord Provides’, and hence the saying today: On the mountain the Lord provides. (Genesis 22:14)

Jehovah-jireh, “The Lord provides”. The Truth is often found in simple statements such as this, without nuances, or qualifications, or handwaving.

Sailing through the air en route to a date with early death twenty-six years ago, the Lord provided a sturdy car around me to crumple into oblivion, and let me walk away mostly unscathed.

On Mount Sinai seven years ago, when I ascended in the darkness with hundreds of others to greet the rising sun, the Lord provided a sure footing and a heart full of love to sing with all sincerity “How Great Thou Art”, while bathed in the blinding light of the Risen Son.

On this site a year ago, the Lord provided the courage to begin baring my soul in love for Him, and the words to tell each day what He has done for me.

And every night, even on the nights when I fail to conclude my daily blog, the Lord provides me with the peace of mind to lay down each day’s burdens, and the health and strength to take them up again the next morning.

Most importantly, He has given me, and all who believe in Him, the Spirit of good counsel, to guide our thoughts and words and deeds in His holy Way.

All we need to do…is follow.

✞ ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞

Brothers and sisters, the Lord gives us everything we need, without surfeit or triviality. Sufficient unto the day are His provisions for all mankind.

Blessed be His name forever.

Amen.