Day: June 10, 2017

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Wednesday, 14 June 2017 : 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 fulfil 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, 14 June 2017 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green
Psalm 98 : 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Extol YHVH, 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 YHVH, 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 YHVH our God, You responded to them; You were a patient God for them: but You punished their wrongs.

Extol YHVH our God, worship at His holy mountain. Holy is YHVH our God!

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Wednesday, 14 June 2017 : 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 used 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, 13 June 2017 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, in today’s Gospel, we heard the famous parable of our Lord Jesus Christ, the parable of the salt and the light, which He used in comparison to all of us His people, in how we ought to live our lives, filled with faith and commitment to Him, or else, we will be like those who claim to hold the faith, and yet have nothing in us to prove it.

Salt and light are two very important commodities at the time of Jesus, just as they are still important today. We may primarily know salt as a substance that gives our food its saltiness and good taste, but do you know that in the past, before refrigerators and electricity are available, salt is also a very important commodity used in the preservation of food products? Its saltiness preserves the food and kills any bacteria or dangerous pathogens that would otherwise grow in the food.

Similarly, light is very important for us, because without light, we cannot see anything. Our eyes can see the world and all the things around us simply because light is reflected off them and gets into our eyes, which is then processed by our brain and seen as a vision. Without light, vision is impossible. In our world today, inundated with various artificial light sources due to electricity and technology, it is often that we take light for granted.

But do you know that in the past, after the sun had set, which is our main source of light, there is really total darkness? There is no electricity or lightbulbs, or any artificial light source by whatever means? The only source of light at that time, was fire, and the ability of mankind in using fire was recognised as being very crucial in the development of our human societies.

Without the light, and also the heat, provided by the flame, using lighted candles, mankind could not do much at night time, when there was no sunlight. It was the light which allowed them to see in the darkness, dispelling the darkness and providing them with vision. It allowed people to travel safely at night and not veering off the road or falling into a ravine or into danger.

Therefore, Jesus our Lord used these two examples because they were very, very important to the people living at that time, referring to their usefulness. If they became useless by losing their prized properties, saltiness for the salt and light for the flame of the lighted candle, then they would be of no use and would be thrown away and discarded.

Thus, as Christians, as all those who believe in the Lord Jesus as our God and Saviour, all of us must not be complacent, or be ignorant of what we are supposed to do in our respective lives. We must not be found lacking of Christian virtues and live as if we are not Christian at all. Otherwise, we will indeed be like salt that has lost its saltiness, and light that no longer dispels darkness.

As Christians, we must be truly devoted to the Lord, in actions, words and deeds, so that in everything that we say and do, we glorify the Lord through them. Today, as we also celebrate the feast of St. Anthony of Padua, let us all also learn from his examples, as he was well known for his dedication and love to the people of God, especially to the poor, the downtrodden and all those who have lost hope.

He preached among the people, calling them to repent from their sinful ways, and he was so eloquent in his teachings that people came to him in droves, and believed in the Lord through him. He worked hard throughout his life, serving the poor and the sick, all those who have been suffering in this world. He did his best, in whatever way he could, to help the people of God, his fellow brothers and sisters.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, by looking at the examples of St. Anthony of Padua, all of us ought to be following his examples in our own lives. Let us all be true Christians in actions and deeds, doing whatever we can to love our God, and to love our brethren in the same way, as He had commanded us to do. Let us all be truly salt of the earth and light of the world, as our Lord called us to be.

May the Lord bless us all, and may He guide us all through in our actions, so that in everything that we say and do, we will always glorify the Lord and His holy Name, and will always be found worthy of His grace and love. Amen.

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Tuesday, 13 June 2017 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White
Matthew 5 : 13-16

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples and to the people, “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, 13 June 2017 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White
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, 13 June 2017 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White
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, 12 June 2017 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, in today’s Gospel, we heard the famous Beatitudes or the Sermon on the Mount, which our Lord Jesus made on the mountain before the people, listing all the blessings and fortunes which He bestowed on all those who have been doing all that He was praising and encouraging the people to do.

The essence of the Beatitudes is that as Christians all of us are compelled and indeed, obliged to live in the manner as prescribed in the Beatitudes. What our Lord Jesus told the people at that time during His sermon was not just empty words, but strong exhortation for them to live in accordance with the ways which He had shown them, and He even detailed out what a Christian should be like, living with the virtues of the Beatitudes.

First of all, a Christian must be poor in spirit, which does not equate to material poverty. Instead, the term poor in spirit means that we as sinners, weak and unworthy human beings, all of us ought to realise just how insignificant and sinful we are in our lives, and just how much we need to be helped in our journey towards the Lord. It is by being humble and desiring for our conversion, that we are poor in spirit, shunning all of our human pride and greed, which have become great obstacles for us.

Then, a Christian must also be gentle and merciful. There are in reality many Christians who have acted with violence and greed upon others, causing suffering and pain, by our refusal to show love in our words and actions. We slander upon others, backstabbing our relatives and friends to achieve our own objectives, wants and desires. We have not shown mercy to those who seek to be forgiven, and we keep grudge in our hearts and minds.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, these are not the traits of us as Christians. And if we have done all these in our lives, perhaps we should reevaluate the way we have lived these lives, and think of what we can do, in order to turn away from all those things, wicked and un-Christian in nature which we have committed all these while. We must be more loving, more gentle towards each other, and be ready to forgive and to let go if we wish to be forgiven ourselves from our sins.

And it is important for us Christians to be peacemakers, to be those who seek and desire for peace in this world. Unfortunately, many Christians do not show peace or support peace in their lives. Instead they caused divisions, conflicts, and a lot of anger and hatred between each other, by their failure to give way and by giving in to their pride, ego and human desires.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, peace is important, for if we are not at peace, even within ourselves, we will always be tormented and never find the peace of God. When we are always worrying about what we are to have today, what profit we are able to gain from our work and actions, then we will always seek for more, and try to exploit whatever opportunities we can gain, even if we have to step over the rights of others while doing so.

But remember, brethren, when we do so, we will constantly be hounded with anxiety, worry and even more lack of satisfaction. It is our human nature that we are always desiring for more and more, and even once we have what we want, we will not be easily satisfied, and we desire even more. And the more we want, the more we will end up clashing with one another, ending up in conflict, pain and harm.

Last of all, as Christians, all of us are called to persevere through the challenges and difficulties that will come our way as we live our Christian lives with zeal and devotion. There will be challenges and difficulties, even coming from those whom we consider to be friends, relatives and close confidants. There will be a lot of moments when we will be rejected, ridiculed, and even persecuted for our faith, but we must persevere, for the glory of the Name of our Lord.

Through our perseverance and strength, through our patience and faith, through our commitment and devotion, we shall find our way to the Lord, and we shall inspire many others to do the same as well. This is what we all need to do, brothers and sisters in Christ, as those whom God had chosen to be His own people. Let us all seek to be what the Lord Jesus had described in His Beatitudes, and strive to do our best to serve Him as He had taught us how to do so.

May the Lord bless us all, and continue to guide us in our path in life, so that in all of our words, actions and deeds, we may always be pleasing to Him, and are always worthy of His grace at all times. Amen.

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Monday, 12 June 2017 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green
Matthew 5 : 1-12

At that time, when Jesus saw the crowds, He went up the mountain. He sat down and His disciples gathered around Him. Then He spoke and began to teach them :

“Fortunate are those who are poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Fortunate are those who mourn, they shall be comforted.”

“Fortunate are the gentle, they shall possess the land. Fortunate are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be satisfied.”

“Fortunate are the merciful, for they shall find mercy. Fortunate are those with a pure heart, for they shall see God.”

“Fortunate are those who work for peace, they shall be called children of God. Fortunate are those who are persecuted for the cause of justice, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

“Fortunate are you, when people insult you and persecute you and speak all kinds of evil against you because you are My followers. Be glad and joyful, for a great reward is kept for you in God. This is how this people persecuted the prophets who lived before you.”

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Monday, 12 June 2017 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green
Psalm 33 : 2-3, 4, 5, 6-7, 8-9

I will bless the Lord all my days; His praise will be ever on my lips. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the lowly hear and rejoice.

Oh, let us magnify the Lord, together let us glorify His Name!

I sought the Lord, and He answered me; from all my fears He delivered me.

They who look to Him are radiant with joy, their faces never clouded with shame. When the poor cry out, the Lord hears and saves them from distress.

The Lord’s Angel encamps and patrols to keep safe those who fear Him. Oh, see and taste the goodness of the Lord! Blessed is the one who finds shelter in Him!