Month: January 2016

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Friday, 29 January 2016 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

2 Samuel 11 : 1-4a, 5-10a, 13-17

In the spring of that year, when kings usually set out to fight, David sent out Joab, his officers and all the Israelite troops. They slaughtered the Ammonites and attacked Rabbah, while David remained in Jerusalem.

One afternoon, David got up from his siesta and took a walk on the roof of the royal house. From the rooftop, he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful. David sent to inquire about the woman, and was told, “She is Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam and wife of Uriah, the Hittite.” So David sent messengers to have her brought to him.

As the woman saw she was with child, she sent word to David, “I am with child.” David then sent a message to Joab, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent Uriah to David. When Uriah came, David asked him about Joab, how the people were and how the war was proceeding; then he told Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.”

Uriah left the palace and the king had a portion from his table sent to him. Uriah, however, did not go down to his house but slept by the door of the king’s palace with all the servants of his lord. David was told that Uriah did not go down to his house.

David invited him to table and he ate and drank until he was drunk. When evening fell, however, he went to lie down on his couch with the guards of his lord instead of going down to his house. The next morning, David wrote Joab a letter to be taken by hand by Uriah, in which he said, “Place Uriah in the front row where the fighting is very fierce and then withdraw from him so that he may be struck down and die.”

When Joab was attacking the city, he assigned Uriah to a place where he knew was being defended by strong warriors. And the defenders attacked the men of Joab. Some of David’s soldiers and officers were killed; Uriah the Hittite also died.

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Thursday, 28 January 2016 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard the message of the Sacred Scripture telling us that God had promised David and his descendants a rich blessings, for if they stayed faithful as David was faithful to God, then forever they should enjoy the rich fruits of God’s grace and blessings, and God promised David that his kingdom would last forever, a prophecy which was fulfilled through his Heir, Jesus, Who was both Son of God and descendant of David Who would rule over all creation forevermore.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this is linked closely to what Jesus our Lord Himself in the Gospel passage we heard today, about the light that should be placed on a lampstand or otherwise it would become useless, which is in essence, the usefulness of all of us who have received God’s graces and blessings, the gifts of the Holy Spirit which He had poured onto us.

King David is an example of those who have listened to the Lord, followed in His path, walked along the path of salvation, and practiced their faith in God in real actions. And as we heard our Lord Jesus spoke to His disciples today, we also heard how He said of those who have produced something more, more shall also be given to them, while from those who have produced little or none, even whatever they had will be taken away from them.

This means that if we are faithful, and act in the way that God has prescribed for us, doing things that please the Lord our God, then our reward shall be great, and He will bless us and glorify us in the life that is to come. But if we are not faithful, then we shall be cast out and have no part in the inheritance and in the blessings which our Lord promised to all those who believe in Him.

It is therefore a challenge to us, whether we are willing to go forth and challenge ourselves to break ourselves free from the trap of our comfort zone. Indeed, it is good for us to remain in our comfort zone, among those who loves us and cares for us, but it does us no good as we remain in lack of action, in apathy and without good graces of our faithfulness that bring us no blessing from God.

If we do not do anything to help our brethren who are in need of our help, even though we are perfectly capable of doing so, then their fate will also fall upon us, as remember that sin is not just the sin of action, but also the sin of omission. All of us who have the faith in God and who have received the Lord’s Holy Spirit have been given the strength to carry forth the words of the Holy Gospels to the many nations and peoples.

If we do not carry out our mission and obligation as what has been given to us, then we are truly like light that has lost its light, or like in another parable that Jesus had delivered to His disciples, likened to salt that has lost its taste and saltiness. What else can be done to these useless things but to dispose of them and to throw them away?

Instead, today, after having heard of the faithfulness of king David, let us also hear the faithfulness of the great saint whose feast we celebrate today, that is St. Thomas Aquinas, a great theologian, philosopher, writer and a great thinker, and ultimately a great and yet humble servant of the Lord. St. Thomas Aquinas was renowned for his theology and for his numerous writings which became the foundation of many theological teachings of the Church.

St. Thomas Aquinas was a Dominican priest who devoted his entire life into researching the depth of the Lord’s great knowledge, and by trying to comprehend even a small portion of the Lord’s mystery, he helped bring more and more people, many souls closer to the Lord’s presence. He also ministered to those who have not yet understood the word of God, and helped open their eyes to the Lord and to His will.

He had many opponents, those who were jealous of his popularity and his teachings, those who refused to believe in his way of thinking, and those who thought of him as a nuisance and as a threat to their own existence and power. And he was indeed persecuted and ridiculed at times, but he continued to devote himself without end, and continued to persevere and work hard for the sake of the Lord and His people.

From this, surely all of us can gain the rich insight and experiences, and from all these let us all draw the strength and inspiration to be more committed and devoted disciples of our Lord, that in all the things we say and do, we will be able to commit ourselves ever more and do more for the sake of God, and therefore be justified through our righteous actions, and like king David, be granted eternal blessings and eternal grace. God bless us all always, now and forever. Amen.

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Thursday, 28 January 2016 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Mark 4 : 21-25

At that time, Jesus also said to His disciples, “When the light comes, is it put under a tub or a bed? Surely it is put on a lampstand. Whatever is hidden will be disclosed, and whatever is kept secret will be brought to light. Listen then, if you have ears!”

And He also said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear. In the measure you give, so shall you receive, and still more will be given to you. For to the one who produces something, more will be given, and from him who does not produce anything, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

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Thursday, 28 January 2016 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 131 : 1-2, 3-5, 11, 12, 13-14

Remember David, o Lord, and all his readiness, how he swore an oath to the Lord, to the Mighty One of Jacob.

I will not enter my house nor get into my bed. I will give no sleep to my eyes, no slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.

The Lord swore to David a promise, and He will remain true to it : “I will keep your descendants on your throne.”

If your sons keep My covenant and the decrees I have taught them, their sons, too, will sit forever upon your throne.

For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling. This is My resting place forever, this I prefer, here will I dwell.

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Thursday, 28 January 2016 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

2 Samuel 7 : 18-19, 24-29

Then King David went in, sat before YHVH and said, “Who am I, o YHVH God, and who is my family that You have brought me so far? Yet this was not enough for You, o YHVH God, for You have also spoken of Your servant’s house for a long time to come. Is this the way men act, o YHVH God?”

“You have set apart Your people Israel to become Your people forever; and You, YHVH, have become their God. Now, o YHVH God, keep forever the promise You made and have now revealed to me regarding myself and my family, that Your Name may be honoured forever and people may say, ‘YHVH of hosts is God over Israel'”

“The house of Your servant David will be secure before You because You, o YHVH of hosts, God of Israel, have made it known to Your servant and have said to him : ‘Your family will last forever.’ This is why I have dared to address this prayer to You.”

“So now, o YHVH God, since You are the faithful God, and have promised me this good thing, please bless my descendants, that they may continue forever before You. For You, o YHVH God, have spoken and, with Your blessing, my family shall be blessed forever.”

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Wednesday, 27 January 2016 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Angela Merici, Virgin (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Virgins)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard firstly about the king David of Israel, who desired to build for the Lord a house of residence, just as he thought that because he lived in a palace, it was unfitting for the Lord to live in such a condition as it was, that is in a tent. But the Lord spoke through the prophet Nathan, that he was not to build the house of God for His sake, but rather that his son would do it instead.

Thus was the Temple of Solomon known as it was, being built by king Solomon, David’s heir. It was renowned as a grand place, a grand edifice and building filled with much gold and silver, with many craftsmanships and works of art, as we can see ourselves in the extensive description of the Temple architecture and interior as explained in the Book of Kings and in the Book of Chronicles.

However, there is one thing that we have to realise that, for all of its greatness, for all of its grandeur, the Temple of Solomon, or any forms of worldly and grand house of God, all of these are nothing compared to the Temple that God had prepared for Himself as He entered into the world. This Temple is not like the Temple of Solomon, or any other temples and houses made by the hands of men.

What is this Temple? It is none other than ourselves, the Temple of our bodies, the Temples of God’s Holy Presence, the Holy Spirit Who dwells in us. And this is related to what Jesus told His disciples about the parable of the seeds and the sower in our Gospel reading today. We heard about how the seeds spread by the sower spread out in various places and how they ended in different fates.

The seeds in fact represent the word of God, being spread from the Lord, Who was the sower, into every sorts of situations and places, which represent all of us mankind in various conditions and places, and let me explain each and every condition that applies to what Jesus had mentioned. The word of God came to every men, but depending on how they treat it, the outcome is different.

The seeds that fell on the roadside and which was eaten by the birds were those who have listened to the words of the Lord, received His teachings, but these were swept away by the temptations and the lies that the devil and his allies used in order to sway those people to abandon the truth in the words of God and instead follow the falsehoods and the lies of the devil.

The seeds that fell on the thistles and brambles were those who received the word of God, and yet the concerns and worries of this world, the temptations of pleasure and the temptations of power and desires prevented them from allowing the word of God to grow and blossom within them, and as a result, they too fell along the way and failed to attain salvation.

The seeds that fell on rocks and did not manage to grow roots were those who have the faith in God, and yet this faith was not deeply rooted in them. That is why when difficulties, challenges and tribulations came their way, they readily and quickly gave up, leaving behind their faith for safety and comfort the world could give them. And thus, they too fell behind in the path towards salvation in God.

And the seeds that fell on the rich soil, they grew and multiply in massive numbers, growing healthily and strong, and they provide numerous bounties and returns incomparable and far beyond all the efforts put into helping them to grow up. This represents what the faith can do, when faith is cultivated well, and when the people of God listens to the word of God and practice it in their lives.

In this, we can also follow the examples of St. Angela Merici, the faithful servant of God, a holy virgin who devoted herself and her life totally to God. St. Angela Merici was an Italian woman who founded the society of the sisters of Ursula, or the Ursuline sisters, and who devoted herself to the advancement of Catholic education and teachings.

She was a very beautiful woman who once had many suitors who tried to earn her hand in marriage, but those suitors were unsuccessful, as St. Angela Merici had dedicated her entire life in a vow of perpetual virginity, devoted entirely to the Lord. She even coated her hair and clothing in ash and with other things that hid her beauty so that people would no longer go after her.

St. Angela Merici devoted herself to the Lord, and through her works, she inspired many others who also followed in her footsteps, as what would become the Ursuline sisters, one of the foremost in the field of Catholic education and service of the people of God. Through education, St. Angela Merici helped many people who have become wayward and erred in their path to rediscover their path to God, and at the same time, also guiding the young generation towards the Lord.

In all these, we can see how all of us have much to learn from this holy saint, and how each one of us indeed have become God’s Holy Temple. Remember that Jesus our Lord Himself had given all of us His own Body and Blood to eat and drink, and by them, He dwells in each and every one of us the faithful who have worthily accepted Him into ourselves.

All of us are His Houses of dwelling, where He dwells inside each of us. If we do not make ourselves worthy, then how will we have any part in God’s salvation. God will reject us instead and cast us into the eternal damnation and hellfire prepared for Satan and his angels. But if we show our faith through real action and devotion, then our reward in God will be truly great and rich.

May God bless us all, and may He strengthen in all of us the spirit and the desire to love Him and to commit ourselves to Him in the same manner as St. Angela Merici had been. May all of us draw ever closer to God and to His salvation. God be with us all. Amen.

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Wednesday, 27 January 2016 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Angela Merici, Virgin (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Virgins)

Mark 4 : 1-20

At that time, again Jesus began to teach by the lake, but such a large crowd gathered about Him, that He got into a boat and sat in it on the lake, while the crowd stood on the shore. He taught them many things through parables.

In His teaching He said, “Listen! The sower went out to sow. As he sowed, some of the seed fell along a path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some of the seed fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil; it sprang up immediately because it had no depth; but when the sun rose and burnt it, it withered because it had no roots.”

“Other seed fell among thornbushes, and the thorns grew and choked it, so it did not produce any grain. But some seed fell on good soil, grew and increased and yielded grain; some seed produced thirty times as much, some sixty, and some one hundred times as much.” And Jesus added, “Listen then, if you have ears.”

When the crowd went away, some who were around Him with the Twelve asked about the parables. He answered them, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But for those outside, everything comes in parables, so that the more they see, they do not perceive; the more they hear, they do not understand; otherwise they would be converted and pardoned.”

Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand any of the parables? What the sower is sowing is the word. Those along the path, where the seed fell, are people who hear the word, but as soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.”

“Other people receive the word like rocky ground. As soon as they hear the word, they accept it with joy, but they have no roots, so it lasts only a little while. No sooner does trouble or persecution come because of the word, than they fall. Others receive the seed, as seed among thorns. After they hear the word, they are caught up in the worries of this life, false hopes of riches and other desires. All these come in and choke the word, so that finally it produces nothing.”

“And there are others who receive the word as good soil. They hear the word, take it to heart and produce : some thirty, some sixty, and some one hundred times as much.”

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Wednesday, 27 January 2016 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Angela Merici, Virgin (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Virgins)

Psalm 88 : 4-5, 27-28, 29-30

I have made a covenant with David, My chosen one. I have made a pledge to My servant. I establish his descendants forever, I build his throne for all generations

He will call on Me, “You are My Father, My God, My Rock, My Saviour.” I will make Him the highest of the kings of the earth.

I will keep My covenant firm forever, and My love for him will endure. His dynasty will last forever, and His throne as long as the heavens.

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Wednesday, 27 January 2016 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Angela Merici, Virgin (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Virgins)

2 Samuel 7 : 4-17

But that very night, YHVH’s word came to Nathan, “Go and tell My servant David, this is what YHVH says : ‘Are you able to build a house for Me to live in? I have not dwelt in a house since I brought the Israelites up from Egypt to the present day, but I went about with a tent for a shelter.'”

“‘As long as I walked with the Israelites, did I say anything to the chiefs of Israel whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel? Did I say : Why have you not built me a house of cedar?” Now you will tell My servant David, this is what YHVH of hosts says : ‘I took you from the pasture, from tending the sheep, to make you commander of My people Israel. I have been with you wherever you went, cutting down all your enemies before you.'”

“‘Now I will make your name great as the name of the great ones on earth. I will provide a place for My people Israel and plant them that they may live there in peace. They shall no longer be harassed, nor shall wicked men oppressed them as before. From the time when I appointed judges over My people Israel if is only to you that I have given rest from all your enemies. YHVH also tells you that He will build you a house.'”

“‘When the time comes for you to rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your son after you, the one born of you and I will make his reign secure. He shall build a house for My Name and I will firmly establish his kingship forever. I will be a Father to him and he shall be My son.'”

“‘If he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod, as men do. But I will not withdraw My kindness from him as I did with Saul when I removed him out of your way. Your house and your reign shall last forever before Me, and your throne shall be forever firm.'”

Nathan repeated these words and related this vision to David.

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Tuesday, 26 January 2016 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Timothy and St. Titus, Bishops (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard the message from the Sacred Scriptures speaking to us about the Lord Who sent His disciples to precede Him, to go before Him and prepare the way for Him before He came to the places where He would perform the good works of God and save the people of God. Today we heard the Lord Jesus reminding those disciples about what they should expect about the mission they were to embark on.

The Lord spoke of a harvest, and the labourers for the harvest, that how the harvest and all the crops are truly plentiful but there were few if any workers were available to help harvest all of the rich crops and goods. This was what the Lord used to show the reality about the works that He had established on earth, that while there are ample opportunities and chances available to bring salvation to God’s people, but there had been few of those who took up the mantle and took part in the works of salvation in God.

The field represented this world and all of its people, which presents to us, even more so in this time and era, a rich and vast ocean of opportunities, where many people are awaiting the fruits of the good works of God’s salvation, and yet they were unable to receive them and be saved, simply because there were no workers to collect them. Those workers are all of us, God’s faithful people and God’s faithful followers.

The Lord needs workers for His field, and who else but all of us could rise up to the call of the Lord? It is our duty and responsibility to take up what God had entrusted in us. Otherwise, the rich harvest would be wasted, and all the good crops and plants would be destroyed, which symbolises the loss of the potential of all those who should have received God’s salvation through us.

Now, our world today is a difficult world for us if we want to be faithful to the Lord and be committed to Him. There are simply way too many distractions and temptations for us, through which the devil and his allies are constantly trying to lure us all away from the path leading towards the Lord our God. And in the eyes of many, the path of dedication and commitment to God had become difficult and unappealing.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this world is in ever greater need for those who responded to the Lord’s call and devoted themselves to His service, those in the religious life and even more importantly those who have devoted themselves into the order of sacred priesthood. There are ever increasing attacks and troubles facing these faithful servants of our Lord, and there is also an ever growing need for more young people to take up the challenge and follow the Lord.

Let us all heed the examples of the two saints whom we are celebrating today, namely St. Timothy and St. Titus, both of whom had letters addressed to them by St. Paul, enshrined in our New Testament in the Sacred Scriptures, where they were encouraged and strengthened in their works and commitments to the cause of the Lord by St. Paul and his courageous and faithful devotion.

St. Timothy and St. Titus were among the first bishops of the Church, those who were appointed to lead the Church in the local communities, and help to guide the faithful to reach out to the Lord. They were those who were entrusted with the leadership and the guidance of the people of God, in finding the way to salvation. Their duties were many, and their works were not easy, as challenges and obstacles always came their way.

And yet, they did not give up or became distracted in their mission, and both St. Timothy and St. Titus continued to faithfully serve the people of God under their charge. This is an example that all of us should take note of, and especially the young ones among us should heed, that if the Lord calls us, we should be ready to take up the cross and lead the way so that through us, God’s work of salvation can be made ready and true for many people who need it.

May God bless us all in our works, and may He awaken in all of us the heart for service, so that all of us will realise how important it is for us to do the will of God, and to walk in His path faithfully, realising whatever roles we can play in helping to bring God’s salvation to one another. May God be with us all, now and forever. Amen.