An eye for an eye In Ｍatthew’s Gospel, Jesus quotes the Book of Exodus on the subject of personal injury, which said: “But if injury ensues, you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” (Ex 21:23-25) These words actually limit the degree of retaliation one can inflict on others; i.e., if one is unjustly injured by another, the ensuing retaliation cannot…
The Spirit of the Law In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches us about anger, adultery and the taking of false oaths. In each case, Jesus goes beyond what was prescribed by the Mosaic Law by teaching us the deeper meaning of these commandments. And in doing so, Jesus teaches us to observe not only the letter of the law but more importantly, the spirit of the law. When one follows the letter of the law, one follows only the literal interpretation…
Persecution and Martyrdom in the History of Salvation In 2020, which was plagued by disasters, there were in addition many persecutions all over the world. In today’s society, we must rely on God to give us the strength to stand up and defend the values of the Church. Let us prepare our hearts to understand and meditate on the history and significance of the history of salvation, and how to apply it in our own spiritual life. Note: this retreat…
Salt and Light Jesus used this metaphor of salt as a teaching tool for His disciples. He calls His disciples “the salt of the earth.” But immediately, He warns them: “But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.” (Mt 5:13) In these modern times, it is not easy to understand how salt can lose its taste, because salt is a very…
The Presentation of the Lord The Gospel of Luke 2:22-40 contains two pairs of things. The first pair is the two religious obligations fulfilled by Mary and Joseph: one for Jesus, and one for Mary. The second pair is the two oracles spoken by Simeon: one about Jesus, and one about Mary. 2 religious obligations: (1) The consecration of the firstborn is based on the Book of Exodus chapter 13 verses 11-15. In commemoration of Passover, when the angel of…
Happy Chinese New Year! Happy Chinese New Year 2020! Since its inception 4,000 years ago, the Chinese Lunar calendar has a 60-year cycle which consists of five 12-year segments. The year 2020 repeats another 12-year segment with the year of the rat. And with the beginning of each New Year, there comes a great sense of joy and hope for what the New Year brings. At the Holy Name of Jesus Chinese Catholic Mission, our Chinese New Year celebration begins…
The Holy Name of Jesus The Church reveals to us the wonders of the Incarnate Word by singing the glories of His Name. The name of Jesus means Savior. Persons who played prominent roles in the history of salvation received their names from God Himself. Adam means “man of the earth”; Eve means “mother of all the living”; Abraham means “father of many nations”; Peter means “the rock”. Even the Savior’s forerunner (John the Baptist) was given the name which…
Sacrament of Baptism There are three places in Sacred Scripture whereby Jesus Christ instituted the sacrament of baptism. The first is when Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan (Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22). The second is found in the Gospel of John 3:1-6, when Jesus spoke to Nicodemus and affirmed the necessity of baptism for salvation. The third is found in the Gospel of Matthew 28:19, when Jesus commanded his disciples to baptize in the…
Herod and the Magi The Epiphany story is about a search and a discovery. Having the intention of paying homage to the newborn king of the Jews, the Magi went off on their search, but what they discovered was something quite unexpected. From all accounts, they never expected to find a baby lying in a manger and wrapped in swaddling clothes. On the other hand, the Epiphany story is also a story about defiance and treachery. When King Herod heard…
The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph The Feast of the Holy Family is a liturgical celebration in the Catholic Church in honor of Jesus, his mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and his foster father, Saint Joseph, as a family. The purpose of this feast day is to present the Holy Family as a model for Christian families. The Holy Family is basically a human family. They would have had to fulfill daily chores, earn a living to put…