Day: June 7, 2015

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Wednesday, 10 June 2015 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Matthew 5 : 17-19

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Do not think that I have come to annul the Law and the Prophets. I have not come to annul them but to fulfill them. I tell you this : as long as heaven and earth last, not the smallest letter or dot in the Law will change until all is fulfilled.”

“So then, whoever breaks the least important of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be the least in the kingdom of heaven. On the other hand, whoever obeys them, and teaches others to do the same, will be great in the kingdom of heaven.”

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Wednesday, 10 June 2015 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 98 : 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Extol the Lord, our God; worship at His footstool. Holy is He! And mighty!

Among His priests were Moses and Aaron, and Samuel among those who called on His Name. They called to the Lord, and He answered them.

In the pillar of cloud He spoke to them, and they kept His statutes and the decrees He gave them.

O Lord our God, You responded to them; You were a patient God for them, but You punished their wrongs.

Extol the Lord our God; worship at His holy mountain. Holy is the Lord our God!

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Wednesday, 10 June 2015 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

2 Corinthians 3 : 4-11

This is how we are sure of God, through Christ. As for us we would not dare consider that something comes from us : our ability comes from God. He has even enabled us to be ministers of a new Covenant no longer depending on a written text but on the Spirit. The written text kills, but the Spirit gives life.

The ministry of the Law carved on stones brought death; it was nevertheless surrounded by glory and we know that the Israelites could not fix their eyes on the face of Moses, such was his radiance, though fleeting. How much more glorious will the ministry of the Spirit be!

If there is greatness in a ministry which uses to condemn, how much more will there be in the ministry that brings holiness? This is such a glorious thing that in comparison the former’s glory is like nothing. That ministry was provisory and had only moments of glory; but ours endures with a lasting glory.

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Tuesday, 9 June 2015 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Ephrem, Deacon and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Doctors of the Church)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard the two phrases that we surely are familiar with, namely the salt of the earth and the light of the world. These two are the qualities that our Lord Jesus Christ described as those that are part of the virtues of the faithful ones.

All of us have been given our respective skills and talents, which differ from one to another person. Each of us were given unique abilities so that we may be able to use them to complement each other and help each other. Each of us have our own strengths and weaknesses. This is important to take note because many of us do not realise the gifts which had been given to us, or on the other hand, we just use them to satisfy our own needs and wants.

What is the meaning of salt of the earth and light of the world? Just as Jesus Himself had explained it to His disciples, it means that we have a duty and indeed responsibility, to use the gifts which had been given to us, for the sake of the Lord, in serving our community and helping each other in the larger community of the faithful in the Church and in the world at large.

And on top of that, we who have been baptised and received into the Church of God, and having been confirmed in faith gave received the Holy Spirit from God Himself, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit itself are plenty in form, and abundant in nature. If we who have received the Holy Spirit in us do not make use of the gifts in us, then indeed, we are like salt that has lost its saltiness and light that had been hidden under the table.

For salt and light have their uses, and each of them are used to add flavours and goodness to whatever they are used in. When there is blandness in the food, the salt gives it good taste and flavours, while when there is darkness, the light reveals things in the darkness otherwise not visible to our eyes. If salt is no longer salty then it is useless and it adds no flavour to the food, and if light is hidden, it does not help anyone who need it in the darkness, and thus they become useless.

Remember, brethren, that one commonly forgotten and overlooked form of sin, is the sin of ignorance, of omission and of the lack of action. We do not sin just because we do something wicked and obviously in direct opposition to God’s ways, but also when we see an opportunity to do something good, and when we are in position to help and contribute when there is someone who needs us and fail to do so.

Jesus said that at the Last Judgment, the righteous will be separated from the wicked and the condemned. Do we remember what Jesus rebuked the wicked ones with? He rebuked them for having ignored the plight of others around them, particularly that of the least and weakest in the society, the ones most hated and unloved. They had not shown love and compassion, and neither have they lifted up their hands to help. And thus they receive their just reward.

Today, we commemorate the memory of St. Ephrem, Deacon and Doctor of the Church. If we examine his life and work, we can see how this faithful servant of God had done so much good things for the benefit of many of the faithful, through his numerous writings and works that discussed and explained many tenets and teachings of the Church.

St. Ephrem used his writings and his other works to combat heresies in the Church and among the faithful. Through them, he explained the true faith in great clarity and depth, to bring the people who had fallen into darkness into realisation of their sins and mistakes, that they may repent and be saved. St. Ephrem had therefore done what God had asked us to do, and he was truly a genuine salt of the earth and light of the world.

Let us all be inspired by his examples and commit ourselves to an ever stronger faith to our God. May we all be more active in our faith and commit it through real actions, showing love for each other, so that we may truly become salt of the earth and light of the world. God bless us all. Amen.

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Tuesday, 9 June 2015 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Ephrem, Deacon and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Doctors of the Church)

Matthew 5 : 13-16

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt has lost its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It has become useless. It can only be thrown away and people will trample on it.”

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a mountain cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and covers it; instead it is put on a lampstand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way your light must shine before others, so that they may see the good you do and praise your Father in heaven.”

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Tuesday, 9 June 2015 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Ephrem, Deacon and Doctor of the Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Doctors of the Church)

Psalm 118 : 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 135

Wonderful are Your decrees; my soul cannot but keep them.

As Your words unfold, light is shed, and the simple-hearted understand.

I gasp in ardent yearning for Your commandments that I love.

Turn to me then and be gracious as to those who love Your Name.

You promised to direct my steps; free my path from evil.

Favour me with Your smile and teach me Your statutes.

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Tuesday, 9 June 2015 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Ephrem, Deacon and Doctor of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Doctors of the Church)

2 Corinthians 1 : 18-22

God knows that our dealing with you is not Yes and No, just as the Son of God, Christ Jesus, whom we – Silvanus, Timothy and I – preach to you, was not Yes and No; with Him it was simply Yes.

In Him all the promises of God have come to be a Yes, and we also say in His Name : Amen! giving thanks to God. God Himself has anointed us and strengthens us with you to serve Christ; He has marked us with His own seal in a first outpouring of the Spirit in our hearts.

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Monday, 8 June 2015 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard in the Gospel the famous Beatitudes, or the Sermon of Jesus on the Mount. In this Beatitudes, we heard the series of blessings which our Lord gave all those who have listened to Him and followed in His ways. Thus blessed are all those who are peacemakers and those who are merciful and gentle, loving and caring for others, and those who are unbending even in the face of persecution, keeping their faith in God peacefully.

In the Beatitudes, what Jesus wanted to tell the people is that those are the qualities and virtues which He expects the faithful to have, so that having done all these, or some of those qualities, they would be found worthy to share in the eternal glory and life everlasting which the Lord our God had promised all those who have kept their faith in Him.

And another theme of today’s readings which we heard, is the reward which God has given to all those who have done all that He had instructed, and which He will also give to those who are walking in His ways. In the first reading from the second letter of St. Paul to the faithful in Corinth, he also affirmed this that God will succour and comfort all those who have suffered and grieved because of their continued faith in Him.

God will grant all that we need, and to those who walk in His ways, He shall show His favour. They will never be in need again, for God Himself is with them. We have to take note that it is often that the ways of the Lord are at opposites and at contradiction with the ways of this world. And therefore, those who seek to be accepted by the world, shall likely not receive the blessings and graces of the Lord.

After all the way of this world is selfishness, self-aggrandisement, violence, war and conflict, desire and greed, and the glorification of the self, shutting out the call of others around us who are in need, and ultimately, the closing of ourselves against the love of God. And indeed, we cannot serve two masters at the same time, just as Jesus said that we will love one and despise the other, so that we cannot both serve the interests of the world and the interests of God at the same time.

The Beatitudes is there not just for us to admire or to dream about. Otherwise, it would forever remain just like that, a dream and a wish, forever beyond our grasp and reach. On the other hand, Jesus taught the people and showed His generous blessings in the Beatitudes is to push us all to be proactive, that is to take up the challenge and responsibility which has been entrusted to us as the children and servant of the Lord, to be the bearers of the Good News of God.

We have to break free from norms and the confines of the world, and often we may need to stand up for our Faith and its truth, even against the opinions of the world and the society around us. Where there is war and conflict, let us all bring peace, even while many people clamoured for fighting and violence. Let us be the ones who challenge the world and its ways, and show to others around us that the Lord has the truth that will dispel the darkness and lies in the world.

When we see anyone unloved, ostracised and abandoned around us, instead of becoming bystanders or worse by joining in ostracising these people, we should go forth and embrace these brethren of ours who need our love. We must not be afraid to do this, or else we will be forever passive and we will forever do nothing. Our Lord wants us all to have a proactive faith, and not a passive one.

Therefore, on this day and from now on, let us all renew our commitment to the Lord, that we may grow ever stronger in our faith, and become more committed in our hearts and be more stirred to do something to help our brethren in need around us, to love them and to love and serve the Lord our God. God bless us all. Amen.