William Cardinal Goh The Shepherd's Voice

To live in the presence of the Lord does not mean that we are free from the trials and sufferings of life, but it means that we can go through all these with joy and peace of mind. How does one live in the presence of the Lord?

In today’s first reading, St Paul speaks about the importance of our belief in Christ’s resurrection. With the confession of faith in the Risen Christ, we know for certain that death has been overcome and that we do not just live for this world but for the life that is to come.  Do I truly believe in the resurrection of Christ and that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life? How am I witnessing to...

The Resurrection is the basis of our belief in Christ. It is His Resurrection that reveals His identity as the Son of God who conquered the grave, and that makes certain out destiny – that we too, will experience resurrection of our own. We are invited to an encounter of the crucified and risen Lord like that of St. Paul’s that in turn transformed his life. Will you open your heart to an encounter...

It can be hard to uphold the Truth while trying to make the faith relatable to others as we evangelise. As we continue to navigate this tension, we are reminded to do all things with love and to allow love to prevail, for truth and love must always go together.

Do we truly believe that we are servants of God? When we are conscious that we are Christ’s servants, it causes us to examine our attitude and intentions towards the work that we have. Are we grateful to God for the role that we possess, or do we feel we are entitled to the role? Do we work for God’s or our own glory, and what prevents us from working for the glory of God?

In a world that values intelligence, competency and efficiency, it is easy to overlook those who seem less skilled and knowledgable. Scripture reminds us that the most important value to possess, especially as a leader, is humility. Only when we are humble, are we able to surrender and obey the Lord. When we are ready to surrender in faith to the Lord, we grow in faith that God will do great thing...

Today’s scripture readings reminds us that God is the only one who makes things grow. We must spend time with God in prayer, in contemplation of His love and mercy, meditating on the Word of God and examining ourselves, so that we can be one with the Lord and be His effective witnesses.

We are reminded today of the importance of encountering the crucified Christ over the importance of sacraments. While the sacraments can help us to encounter the Lord, it is only a personal encounter of the Kerygma – the passion, death and resurrection of Christ, that will truly transform our hearts.

Saint John the Baptist was ready to stand up for the truth, even at the expense of his own life. This was in contrast to Herodias who had a dead conscience, Herod who while was a good man had a weak conscience, as well as Herodias who could not take a stand of her own. What is the state of our conscience? Is it weak like Herod’s, or strong enough to stand against trials like Saint John the Baptist...

Today’s readings remind us of our responsibility to be a good witness of Christ, even in the workplace. When we are driven by selfish motives or lose sight of the important mission of the Gospel in our daily living, we become counter witnesses and fail to bring glory to Him. Let us pray for the grace to be purified of our intentions, so that we may be more effective witness of Christ’s goodness.

Whatever we do, we must be led to a deeper relationship with God. While sacred traditions of our faith are important, we need to be careful that we do not merely perform or observe them. They are means to help Catholics to appreciate Jesus more in their life, experience Him and to grow in union with Him. As we practise the sacred traditions of our faith, how is it helping us to encounter the Lord...

Conflict and misunderstanding in community are bound to happen due to how we see the world and our fallen nature. Today’s Gospel teaches us how we can reconcile with those who have hurt us or those whom we have hurt, reminding us that reconciliation is possible when we come to the Lord in prayer. Scripture Readings: Ezekiel 9:1-7,​ 10:18 -22; Matthew 18:15 -20

Today's Gospel teaches us that a childlike attitude is essential for embracing God's Word, even when it challenges our perceptions. This requires a humble heart. Recognising God as our loving Father and provider, how can we effectively share the Word of God with those who are lost? Scripture Readings: Ezekiel 2:8-3:4; Matthew 18:1-5,10,12-14

In today's Gospel, Jesus reminds us that He came not to just heal our bodies but to save our souls through the call of repentance and forgiveness of sins. How can we proclaim the Truth of the Gospel, even when we are faced with possible rejection and slander? Scripture Readings: Amos 7:10 -17, Psalm 19:8-11, Matthew 9:1-8

Listening to the Word of God, Christ our light will enlighten us in the truth about life, about ourselves and about God. Walking in the way of our Lord, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life, we will find life to the fullest, on earth and in heaven. If Christ is the light and the Way, as Christians, we do not seek any other way, certainly not the ways of the World to find true happiness.

The rejection and condemnation of Jesus continues today even in our hearts on this Good Friday. Look at Christ on the cross and allow the power of the cross to reign in our hearts as God's grace, mercy and love are poured into our lives.

The deeper meaning of the washing of feet is the total self-emptying of Jesus in love. When we truly love, we need to empty ourselves of pride, honour, ego and recognition. This is what we are called to imitate today so that we can feel with our brothers and sisters, identify with each other and share in the same humanity - for that is the perfection of Love.

Christian Joy does not mean a joy without suffering. Christian joy means we are joyful in suffering; joyful in bearing the cross of Jesus, because of love. When there is love, there is joy in suffering. Without love, suffering will cripple us.

God does not exercise His power like worldly kings. He does not command His creatures to serve Him because He wants to make use of them. He does not impose rules on them for His sake but for their good. Jesus comes to bring us peace. But we must be ready to change our expectations of God. We must not expect God to fulfil our images of Him. Rather, we must accept God on His own terms. We must accep...

To celebrate the dedication of the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, is really to celebrate our own dedication to God. We are the living temple of God. No matter how beautiful the temple, or the Church is, what is most important is what about the living Church, the people of God. That should be our focus. If the people are vibrant and full of faith, you can be sure the temple will be great. But if p...

As we journey into a new year, let us turn to our Blessed Mother, because she is the one who will lead us and show us how to make a journey of faith. Mary will show us the face of our Lord Jesus if we journey with her. Let us also support one another, just as Mary supported Jesus all the way to the Cross.

The Good News that we proclaim and celebrate at Christmas is that the Saviour has come. Jesus and His love for us is freely given and without exception, even though we are unworthy. God has become man in Christ Jesus to assume our humanity, so that we in turn can share in the divine life of Christ.

The kingship of Christ is not a matter of space or territory. The only space Jesus as King wants to occupy is our hearts and minds. We need to ask ourselves how we are going to extend the rule of Christ, through the vocations we choose and how we use our talents.

Our position in society, our role in life and in the community, our talents and our skills are all given by God in accordance with His plan. We must never think that we are the best person, the smartest and the best leader in our community or in the world.  God chose us in very mysterious ways, often surprising the expectations of the world.

When we know our ultimate goal is to be with the Lord - to share in His glorified life - then we will take this life seriously. Our lives will already be a reflection of the life that is to come. Mary lived that glorified life, always in union with Christ.