Behind every family is a mother whose love holds everything together.

This Mother’s Day, we celebrate the incredible mothers and mother figures in our community whose love and resilience inspire us every day. ❤️💐

Today, we celebrate your love, strength, sacrifice and unwavering care for your families and those around you.

Thank you for being a source of comfort, hope and compassion.

May you be blessed with joy, good health and love today and always.

Happy Mother’s Day 💖 ... See MoreSee Less

[SSVP Reflection - May]

In the Gospel from John 14: 1-12 and in verse 14:9 Jesus said to Philip “have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me?” Philip was his disciple. Philip was a friend. And yet, Jesus looks straight into Philip’s eyes and asks, “still, Philip?” Still, you do not know me? After all this time? After all these years?

To understand Jesus' disappointment with Philip we need to look at what Philip said to Him, “Lord , show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus had to respond to him “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?”

Basically, Philip didn’t grasp His true nature. Jesus had revealed to His disciples in His teachings to them that He reveals God’s character. He embodies God’s nature, will, and love. He is the ultimate revelation of God and through Him they and we can understand the Father’s nature and love. In short, to understand Jesus is to understand the Father. See John 14: 9 -11.

Yes, Philip had missed this vital spiritual truth. What if Jesus looks straight into our eyes and asks us - “Still, you do not know me?” What will be our answer to Jesus’ question? This straight question, Jesus is asking us is if we really know Him? So what’s our truthful answer? Will we be surprised, confused if we are asked? Because after all we believe we all have read and studied the scripture and understood the teachings given to us at masses and at retreats.

But then, we may still fail to understand like Philip as we may fail to differentiate the two kinds of knowing. The first kind of knowing is head knowledge which we are very capable of doing. The other type of knowing is something deep, something rich, something incredibly intimate through experience or encounter. We cannot have this level of knowing unless we have the relationship and a profound relationship at that. Unfortunately, like it or not we all live in the first type of knowing world. And indeed we know a great deal of this type of knowing. On this type of knowing we are just at the level of familiarity with God. And at this level we are just having acquaintanceship with God which is easy and requires very little effort. Whereas, true knowing is a more difficult task of relationship.

Unfortunately, we often regard intimacy with God as a luxury item, one that we can afford if we have the time. We are somehow like the Pharisees, we can believe the Bible is true. We can read it, study it, memorise it. We can attend service and listen to podcasts. And yes with all that, it is still possible we can miss Jesus just like Philip. Yes, each of us lives a Pharisee and like them sometimes we’re frustrated with Jesus. If we don’t surrender to the Living Word, allowing Him to speak to us and in us and over us, then the written Word will be just lines in a page. If we are not entering union with God, the Scriptures will act as our judge, mirroring how badly we have missed God. The core truth is that Jesus wants our hearts not only our heads. He wants us to believe Him, really believe, when even all looks lost and hope is dwindling. He is asking for our trust, not just our mental assent. Repeat this again.

Yes, our God is inviting us to experience intimacy, not simply a relationship born of surface association. Yes, Jesus understands this spiritual truth is a process and Jesus is patient with our growth. In fact, knowing God intimately is the reason for our existence- “When you come looking for Me” God tells us, “You’ll find me” (Jer 29: 13). Indeed, intimacy with God invites a decision: full communion or nothing at all. It invites us to stay present with the One we love. Intimacy wants every part, every moment, no withholding.

One way which can help ourselves is we can invite Him to reveal Himself as Moses did on Exodus 33:18 “Show me your glory, I pray” As we do this, as we ask God for God to teach us the real Him, and He responds to this prayer with abundance as He says to Peter in Matthew 16: 17- “God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.” God Himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am.

Finally, we should take note that the ultimate means by which we know and understand Jesus is not just by the scripture alone but also the Eucharist, for the Eucharist is Christ Himself, personally, and actively present.

To conclude, give consecrated time and space as well as our souls and read Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know Me.”
- Be still and know my love.
- Be still and know my heart.
- Be still and know intimate conversation.

End with Glory Be.

SSVP Faith Formation and Development Team ... See MoreSee Less