Day: February 20, 2014

by

Wednesday, 19 February 2014 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Mark 8 : 22-26

When they came to Bethsaida, Jesus was asked to touch a blind man who was brought to Him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When He had put spittle on his eyes and laid His hands upon him, He asked, “Can you see anything?”

The man, who was beginning to see, replied, “I see people! They look like trees, but they move around.” Then Jesus laid His hands on his eyes again and the man could see perfectly. His sight was restored and He could see everything clearly.

Then Jesus sent him home, saying, “Do not return to the village.”

by

Wednesday, 19 February 2014 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 14 : 2-3ab, 3cd-4ab, 5

Those who walk blamelessly and do what is right, who speak truth from their heart and control their words.

Who do no harm to their neighbours and cast no discredit on their companions, who look down on evildoers but highly esteem God’s servants.

Who do not lend money at interest and refuse a bribe against the innocent. Do this, and you will soon be shaken.

by

Wednesday, 19 February 2014 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

James 1 : 19-27

My beloved, be quick to hear but slow to speak and slow to anger, for human anger does not fulfill the justice of God. So get rid of any filth and reject the prevailing evil, and welcome the Word that has been planted in you and has the power to save you.

Be doers of the Word and not just hearers, lest you deceive yourselves. The hearer who does not become a doer is like that one who looked himself at the mirror. He looked and then promptly forgot what he was like. But those who fix their gaze on the perfect law of freedom and hold onto it, not listening and then forgetting, but acting on it, will find blessing on their deeds.

Those who think they are religious but do not restrain their tongue, deceive themselves and their religion is in vain. In the sight of God, our Father, pure and blameless religion lies in helping the orphans and widows in their need and keeping oneself from the world’s corruption.

by

Tuesday, 18 February 2014 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time (Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Brothers and sisters in Christ, doubt should never be inside our hearts, particularly not doubt in God. We should never lose faith in God because of the various reasons that mankind often employed against Him. God did not destine us for destruction, because what He wants from us and what He ask of us is our love and undivided attention and devotion.

Doubt opens the way to temptation of the evil one, and it distances us from God and His love. Yet doubt is always present in this world, and many of us mankind refused to acknowledge God as our Lord and Saviour, trusting in the power of men instead of putting our trust in Him. Even the holy disciples and apostles of Christ were not immune.

Yes, they and many of the people God even today, failed to understand and appreciate God’s love. We taken God’s love lightly and were not faithful to Him. They doubted in their hearts and did not put their complete trust in the Lord, just as how the disciples of Christ failed to realise in Jesus, the greatness of God and His love.

Very often, we blame God for the misfortunes that befall us, and the difficulties that we face, without knowing that God was truly not the One who gave us all of those challenges. More often than not, those difficulties and challenges came about because of our own lack of faith in God, and therefore due to our wickedness and disobedience against the will of God.

We who follow the ways of this world, are bound to be affected by the evils that affect this world. It does not mean that we ought to isolate ourselves or hate the world, but the crucial issue is whether we are able to open the doors of our hearts and welcome the Lord into our house, inside our hearts, or whether we keep our hearts closed against Him.

We mankind have lived so long in sin that we tend to not realise when we commit things that cause us to sin and become wicked before God. We have been desensitised against evil and wickedness, and often we even become indulgent and seeking for sin. We enjoy the pleasures of this world and that is why, when the Lord comes into our presence, we are often like the disciples, who were unsure and let their doubts took over.

Through Jesus, as mentioned in the first reading, we have been given the truth, about all things, and about the Lord. He told us the revelation of God’s love. The Lord showed that by giving Jesus, He had given mankind salvation and a way to escape the punishment and slavery of sin. And He did this because He cares for them and wants them to be by His side. Yes, all of us are wanted by the Lord, and He wants to give us His love.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all cast aside the veil of lies which the devil had put on us. The devil certainly does not want us to be in the grace and favour of God. That is why it is important for us to seek for the truth in Christ, which He had passed down to us through the Church, through which the knowledge of the truth and its revelation is made available to us.

Let us keep by God’s truth and devote ourselves solely towards Him. Do not be misguided by the forces of evil, and from now on, let us deepen our faith and commitment in God. Love God and our fellow brethren more and more, that the Lord will see us and our faith, and reward us with eternal glory. God be with us all. Amen.

by

Tuesday, 18 February 2014 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Mark 8 : 14-21

The disciples had forgotten to bring more bread, and had only one loaf with them in the boat. Then Jesus warned them, “Keep your eyes open, and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.”

And they said to one another, “He saw that we have no bread.” Aware of this, Jesus asked them, “Why are you talking about the loaves you are short of? Do you not see or understand? Are your minds closed? Have you eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear?”

“And do you not remember when I broke the five loaves among five thousand? How many baskets full of leftovers did you collect?” They answered, “Twelve.” “And having distributed seven loaves to the four thousand, how many wicker baskets of leftovers did you collect?”

They answered, “Seven.” Then Jesus said to them, “Do you still not understand?”

by

Tuesday, 18 February 2014 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 93 : 12-13a, 14-15, 18-19

Fortunate the one You correct, o Lord, the one You teach Your law; You give them relief from distress.

The Lord will not reject His people nor will He forsake His heritage. Justice will return to the just, and the upright will follow in its wake.

No sooner did I say, “My foot is slipping,” Your kindness, o Lord, held me up. The more worries and trouble assailed me, the more You consoled me.