Bill Hao

Jonah and the Gourd Plant Synopsis of the Book of Jonah The story of Jonah has great theological significance. It is about a disobedient prophet who rejected his divine commission, was cast overboard in a storm and swallowed by a great fish, rescued in a marvelous manner, and returned to his starting point. He then obeyed God and went to Nineveh. The Ninevites listened to his message of doom and repented immediately. From the king to lowliest subject, the Ninevites…

The Power of the Holy Name of Jesus The power of the Holy Name of Jesus is deeply rooted in the Sacred Scriptures. Several episodes in the New Testament refer to the power of the invocation of the Holy Name: In Mark 9:38-39, demons were driven out; in Acts 3:6, Peter makes a crippled man walk and in Acts 9:32-34, Peter heals a paralyzed man. Reverence for the name of Jesus is emphasized in Philippians 2:10: “That in the name…

Rebirth in the Holy Spirit Synopsis of the Baptism of the Lord: John the Baptist preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As a result, a crowd of sinners – tax collectors, prostitutes, soldiers, and even a few Pharisees and Sadducees – came to be baptized by John. Then Jesus appeared and approached John for baptism. The Baptist hesitated, but Jesus insisted and was baptized. Then the Holy Spirit, in the appearance of a dove, came upon…

In Search of Wisdom The Feast of the Epiphany commemorates the manifestation of Jesus Christ to the gentile nations. The Magi, who came from the East, represent the gentile nations. The Magi travelled far and wide in search of the King of the Jews, but what they found was no ordinary king – the found the King of Kings. An interesting thing to note is that while the Gospel of Matthew is the only Gospel that contains the story of…

Simeon’s Prophecies Ever since Israel had been delivered from slavery in Egypt around the 13th century BC, the firstborn of the Jews has been consecrated to God. (Exodus 13:1-2) Therefore, Mary and Joseph brought the infant Jesus to the Temple in order to be presented to the LORD. At the same time, Mary also went for the ritual of Purification forty days after childbirth. According to the Law, the Purification offering required a lamb, or for those who are poor,…

Mary, Full of Grace It has been said that the Annunciation is Mary’s call to discipleship in Christ. When she said yes to God’s will that she be the mother of His Son, she accepted the call to become her Son’s disciple. Therefore, the Gospel of Luke presents Mary as the first disciple of Jesus Christ. Mary was the first to hear the call and to accept it. Jesus said: “Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and…

Know Christ, Know Yourself The Prologue of the Gospel according to John introduces us to Jesus Christ: He is the Eternal Word, who is eternally with God, for He is God. Through Him, all things came to be, and without him nothing came to be. Through Him came life, and this life was the light of the human race; that light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:1-5) Fulton Sheen had some interesting things…

Prepare your heart    “Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God. (Isaiah 40:1)” – The time and place of this proclamation was near the end of the long captivity of the Judean exiles in Babylon. The exhortation to comfort the people was directed to the priests and prophets; they are to console the people with an assurance that better times were ahead. This proclamation of good news gave the exiles renewed hope to start over and rebuild their…

Stay Awake    The Book of Isaiah chapter 63 talks about an event which took place around 500 B.C.; this event was the return of the Israelites from exile in Babylon. It expressed hope that despite the people’s sinfulness and neglect, God will not forsake them. It says: “Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down… no ear has ever heard, no eye ever seen, any God but you doing such deeds for those who wait for Him…