Day: January 24, 2014

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Saturday, 25 January 2014 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle (Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today is a great feast in the Church, and a day when we should really celebrate, that is because today we celebrate the conversion of St. Paul the Apostle, which was a great event that had repercussions and effects, even on all of us here. Today commemorated that day when God appeared to St. Paul, then known as Saul, and made him to have a total change of heart.

St. Paul was once Saul, a great sinner, the enemy of the Church and all the faithful of God, and the scourge of the Christians and all those who believed in Jesus. Saul was a typical zealot of the faith of the people of God, the Jews, educated in the courts and learnt the faith following the ways of the Pharisees and the scribes, and he developed a particularly hostile and violent opposition to the faithful ones of Christ.

In accordance with the stance of the Pharisees and the Temple against the followers of Jesus, Saul went even further and mercilessly imprisoned many of the faithful, without even showing mercy to women and children. In his burning zeal for the Lord and in his misguided state due to the teachings of the Pharisees, he mistook the purpose that God had for him, and instead committed great sins by condemning many innocents who kept their faith in God.

But it was also in Saul, later to be called Paul after his conversion, that God had a great plan of renewal. The conversion of Paul was accompanied with his baptism by Ananias, and indeed that experience of conversion was truly akin to that of baptism, with our own baptism, that is with total and profound change of the heart. God called Saul on the way to Damascus, in his hot pursuit of God’s faithful, and revealed to him the false way that he had been following all those while.

In Paul, God wants to show us that there is no sinner who is beyond salvation or hope. Yes, just as Christ Himself said that He came to seek sinners and to bring them back into the light of God, embracing those who were rejected and cast out of the society because of their sinfulness. The conversion of Paul showed that, even with the numerous sins he had committed by torturing and participating in the massacre of the faithful including that of St. Stephen, the first martyr, he was not beyond redemption.

God called him and he listened. He let the Lord to enter into his heart and spoke to Him. And he did not refuse to listen to the truth being transmitted to Him, either directly or through Ananias, who baptised him and marked him to belong in God and His Church. The Holy Spirit therefore came into Paul, and the blindness that had afflicted him for so long, that is the blindness of his heart and his spirit, was removed.

When Paul was healed from his blindness by Ananias, it was not just that he could physically see again, but through the water of baptism, he could then see the truth behind the Lord and His plan of salvation which He had brought via Jesus, which Paul had been mistakenly condemning and attacking, in blind obedience to the false and corrupted faith of the Pharisees.

Paul therefore, was turned from once the greatest enemy of the faith and all the Church of God, into its greatest champion, the bravest and most courageous defender of the faith, who daringly went to testify for the Lord, for the truth that had been revealed to him in his conversion, from the way to Damascus, and all the way to the end of his life in martyrdom in Rome.

St. Paul was a crucial persona in the era of the early Church, for it was St. Paul who helped to bridge the Church from its earliest foundations in Jerusalem and Judea, to be a truly universal Church, by spreading it throughout the Roman Empire, not least helped by St. Paul’s own extensive visits throughout the Empire, in his four journeys, which saw him travelling to cities across the Mediterranean, spreading the faith, correcting errors in the faith and guiding the people to God.

St. Paul and his letters to the various Church communities and peoples also helped further in this evangelisation of the Good News, especially to those who had never seen or experienced Christ before when He was still in this world. St. Paul built a stronger foundation and affirm the cornerstone, the prime foundation which Christ had placed on Peter, His Vicar, and together with Peter, he became the cornerstones of the Universal Church, enabling it to persevere through centuries of persecutions by the pagan Emperors and to eventually thrive and save countless souls from damnation.

But the works of St. Paul were not done there yet. Even though he and the other Apostles and disciples of Christ, with other innumerable martyrs met their end at the hands of their executioners, the mission that Christ had laid on them never ended. To proclaim the Good News to all creation, and to make all mankind the disciples of the Lord through baptism and faith, these are the missions which ring true even today.

Today the world is increasingly covered again in darkness, with many people turning their back on the faith and God, and many of them even actively and openly attack the Church through various means, that were meant to harm the Church directly or harm the faithful ones, that is us. It was on a way not much different from how it was in the early days of the Church, when the followers of Christ were looked at with suspicion and were hunted by the likes of St. Paul when he was still Saul, the enemy of Christ.

And following on the example of the conversion of Saul, from enemy to hero and defender of the faith, we too then can also draw the parallel to our modern day society. It is very easy indeed for us all to condemn and fight back against those who hated us and persecuted us, many of whom even were once our brethren in faith. Yet, is hatred and violence the way? No! That is because if we hate them, then we are no better than them.

Instead we should follow in the example of St. Stephen, who forgave his enemies and asked God not to take them into account for their sins. He and many other saints, and ultimately God Himself see in people like Saul and those who persecuted the faith, a hope, for their own redemption. Nobody is beyond redemption, and we too therefore should not close our gates to redemption. We should not exclude them or bar them from redemption through our actions.

Instead, follow in the example of St. Paul himself and other saints, loving these enemies of ours and turning them into our brethren. Welcome them into our hearts and open the gates of our love for them. Let them therefore experience the richness of God’s infinite love and mercy, that they may eventually see the light and repent, as St. Paul once did.

Forgiveness, mercy, and love can go a long way, brothers and sisters in Christ, and as disciples of Christ in this increasingly darkened age, we have lots of things to do, and much is expected from us. Let us pray therefore, that we will be strengthened in our resolve, and that through our deeds and actions we may proclaim the Lord and bring salvation to those who had abandoned God and His ways. God be with us all, always and forever. Amen.

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Saturday, 25 January 2014 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Mark 16 : 15-18

Then He told them, “Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation. The one who believes and is baptised will be saved; the one who refuses to believe will be condemned. Signs like these will accompany those who have believed :

“In My Name they will cast out demons and speak new languages; they will pick up snakes, and if they drink anything poisonous, they will be unharmed; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”

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Saturday, 25 January 2014 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 116 : 1, 2

Alleluia! Praise the Lord, all you nations; all you peoples, praise Him.

How great is His love for us! His faithfulness lasts forever.

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Saturday, 25 January 2014 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 22 : 3-16

Paul said, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up here in this city when I was educated in the school of Gamaliel, according to the strict observance of our Law. And I was dedicated to God’s service, as are all of you today. As for this way, I persecuted it to the point of death and arrested its followers, both men and women, throwing them into prison.”

“The High Priest and the whole Council of elders can bear witness to this. From them I received letters for the Jewish brothers in Damascus and I set out to arrest those who were there and bring them back to Jerusalem for punishment. But as I was travelling along, nearing Damascus, at about noon a great light from the sky suddenly flashed about me.”

“I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me : ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’ I answered : ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me : ‘I am Jesus the Nazarean whom you persecute.'”

“The men who were with me saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me. I asked : ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord replied : ‘Get up and go to Damascus; there you will be told all that you are destined to do.’ Yet the brightness of that light had blinded me and so I was led by the hand into Damascus by my companions.”

“There a certain Ananias came to me. He was a devout observer of the Law and well spoken of by all the Jews who were living there. As he stood by me, he said : ‘Brother Saul, recover your sight.’ At that moment I could see and I looked at him. He then said, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know His will, to see the Just One and to hear the words from His mouth.'”

“‘From now on you shall be His witness before all the pagan peoples and tell them all that you have seen and heard. And now, why delay? Get up and be baptised and have your sins washed away by calling upon His Name.'”

Alternative Reading

 

Acts 9 : 1-22

Meanwhile Saul considered nothing but violence and death for the disciples of the Lord. He went to the High Priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues of Damascus that would authorise him to arrest and bring to Jerusalem anyone he might find, man or woman, belonging to the Way.

As he travelled along and was approaching Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul! Why do you persecute Me?”

And he asked, “Who are You, Lord?” The voice replied, “I am Jesus whom you persecute. Now get up and go into the city; there you will be told what you are to do.”

The men who were travelling with him stood there speechless : they had heard the sound, but could see no one. Saul got up from the ground and, opening his eyes, he could not see. They took him by the hand and brought him to Damascus. He was blind and he did not eat or drink for three days.

There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, to whom the Lord called in a vision, “Ananias!” He answered, “Here I am, Lord!” Then the Lord said to him, “Go at once to Straight Street and ask, at the house of Judas, for a man of Tarsus named Saul. You will find him praying, for he has just seen in a vision that a man named Ananias has come in and placed his hands upon him, to restore his sight.”

Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man and all the harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem, and now he is here with authority from the High Priest to arrest all who call upon Your Name.”

But the Lord said to him, “Go! This man is My chosen instrument to bring My Name to the pagan nations and their kings, and the people of Israel as well. I Myself will show him how much he will have to suffer for My Name.”

So Ananias left and went to the house. He laid his hands upon Saul and said, “Saul, my brother, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me to you so that you may receive your sight and be filled with Holy Spirit.” Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes and he could see; he got up and was baptised. Then he took food and was strengthened.

For several days Saul stayed with the disciples at Damascus, and he soon began to proclaim in the synagogues that Jesus was the Son of God. All who heard were astonished and said, “Is this not the one who cast out in Jerusalem all those calling upon this Name? Did he not come here to bring them bound before the chief priests?”

But Saul grew more and more powerful, and he confounded the Jews living in Damascus when he proved that Jesus was the Messiah.

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Friday, 24 January 2014 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus called His disciples in the Gospel today, the ones He had chosen to be the messengers of His Good News, to be the ones who would continue His works in this world after His departure. They were called to be the servants of God’s people, in the same way that Christ Himself had made Himself a servant of God’s people.

They were called to be the examples of God’s message to mankind. God revealed Himself to the world in Jesus, and He taught the people the revelation of God’s true purpose for mankind, and to His Apostles, the Twelve called and chosen, He revealed even greater amount of the truth of the Lord.

And today in particular, we should focus on the values of mercy and love. Today’s first reading is about the story of David and Saul, when David was in run from the king and his forces, who sought to kill him and remove the threat David posed to the kingship of Saul. It was what David did, which showed us a lot about the true nature of our faith, and the nature of mercy and love.

Continuing from the same theme of the previous days’ topic on obedience and human fragility, we see how David was surely tempted by the attraction of power and glory. Indeed, David had been chosen by God to be the next king of His people Israel. He was the anointed one, who had been chosen to be the king, and there in the cave, the opportunity to gain the rightful position he had been chosen for! David had the opportunity handed to him on a golden platter.

He was the chosen king, and God had withdrawn His favour from Saul. David could just strike at Saul and claim His rightful throne at that time, but he did not do so, and he turned away from that golden chance. He had been given great favour by the Lord, but David did not boast of his favoured status and remained humble and even loyal. After all, Saul was still the king of Israel, and also anointed one of God.

David also expressed great regret after having decided to cut a piece of cloth from the sleeves of Saul, and even revealed the truth about the temptations that faced him to Saul, who considered him his mortal enemy. He was honest, upright, and merciful, as well as forgiving. He loved his enemies, even when his enemies wanted to kill and destroy him.

That was what Christ had taught His disciples and the people who heard His teachings. It is all familiar to us, is it not? Love your enemies and pray for those who persecuted you, and love one another just as the Lord has loved you. Brothers and sisters in Christ, God called not just David and the Apostles, the Twelve, to be His servants and disciples. He also called all of us, that we too may walk in the same way as they did.

God calls us to be like His servant David, to be upright in all our ways, and to love God with all our hearts, as well as to give our love to those who hated us and who persecuted us, to be rich in forgiveness and mercy, like what David had done to Saul, despite what Saul was trying to do with him.

It is not easy to do so, but we need to make the first step, or otherwise, we will never proceed on the way. Let us be ever better servants of the Lord with each passing day, giving thanks to the Lord for all the love and grace that He had shown us.

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Francis de Sales, a renowned saint who lived during a time of great tragedy and division in the Church, at the time when the Church was fighting back the tide of heresy that had befallen the Church due to the heretical Protestants and their so-called reformation. St. Francis de Sales was a God-fearing man, who trembled at first in his youth, against the wrath of God, with St. Francis de Sales having come to the full realisation of his sinfulness.

But later on, St. Francis de Sales would learn of the Lord’s infinite mercy and love, and therefore came to terms with his fear of the Lord, and from then on, he tried his best to share that fact, through his works and actions with the people of God. He promoted virtuous living and loving conversion of the heretics back to the true faith, not through violence, but through love and gentleness.

Yes, for even though the Protestant heretics deserved condemnation and destruction for their sins of having disobeyed the authority of the Lord in the Church and causing a split in the One united Body of Christ, God wanted them to repent their sins and return to the true faith, and it was St. Francis de Sales who became God’s tool of delivering this message of love and mercy to them.

St. Francis de Sales showed us that we too have the capacity to do as what he had done, that is to spread the love of God to others, and to bring back to the light a people who had fallen into the darkness. We are called to be the disciples of the Lord, and to follow in the footsteps of those that God had chosen, including the Twelve Apostles, as well as that of St. Francis de Sales, and we are encouraged to imitate what they had done. For God truly loves us, very much.

May He give to us the same blessing as He had given to David His servant, that we too, like the Twelve Apostles, may be His beloved and chosen people called to greatness. Amen.

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Friday, 24 January 2014 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Mark 3 : 13-19

Then Jesus went up into the hill country, and called those He wanted, and they came to Him. He appointed twelve to be with Him, and He called them ‘apostles’. He wanted to send them out to preach, and He gave them authority to drive out demons.

These are the Twelve : Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James, son of Zebedee, and John his brother, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, which means ‘men of thunder’; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alpheus, Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him.

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Friday, 24 January 2014 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 56 : 2, 3-4, 6 and 11

Have mercy on me, o God, have mercy, for my soul takes refuge in You; I will find shelter in the shadow of Your wings till the disaster has passed.

I call on God the Most High, on God who has done everything for me : may He send from heaven a Saviour and put my oppressors to shame. May God send me His Love and faithfulness.

Be exalted, o God, above the heavens! Your glory be over all the earth! For Your love reaches to the heavens, and Your faithfulness, to the clouds.

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Friday, 24 January 2014 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

1 Samuel 24 : 3-21

So Saul took three thousand picked men from all Israel and went in search of David and his men to the east of the Wild Goat crags. When he came to the sheepfolds along the way, he entered a cave to relieve himself.

Now David and his men were far back in the cave. David’s men said to him, “This is the day which YHVH spoke of : look I will deliver your enemy into your hands and you will do with him as you see fit.” So David moved up and stealthily cut off an end of Saul’s robe.

But afterward, David regretted having cut off an end of Saul’s robe, and he said to his men, “Let me not lay my hands on my master, for he is YHVH’s anointed.” With these words, David restrained his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. Saul then left the cave and went on his way.

Then David himself stepped out of the cave and called after Saul, “My master, the king!” When Saul looked back, David knelt and then bowed to the ground in homage and asked him, “Why do you listen to those who say that I want to harm you? Look, today you have seen that YHVH delivered you into my hands in the cave, and I was told to kill you but I held myself back and I said : ‘I will not lift my hands against my master who is YHVH’s anointed.'”

“My father, look at this end of your robe which I am holding! I cut off the end of your robe but did not kill you. Now you may know that I mean you no harm or treason. I have done you no wrong and yet you are hunting me down to kill me. May YHVH be judge between you and me and may He exact justice from you in my case, but I shall do you no harm.”

“As the saying goes, ‘From the wicked comes wickedness.’; as for me, my hand shall not harm you. But who is it you are after, o king of Israel? Are you pursuing a dead dog? A flea? May YHVH be judge between you and me. May He see and uphold my cause and deliver me from your hands.”

After David had spoken these words, Saul asked, “Is that your voice, my son David?” He wept aloud and said to David, “You are right and I am wrong, for you have repaid with kindness the harm I have inflicted on you. This day you have shown your righteousness to me by not taking my life when YHVH put me into your hands.”

“For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go unharmed? May YHVH reward you for what you have done for me today. Now I know for certain that you shall reign and the kingdom of Israel will be firm in your hand.”