Day: May 18, 2018

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(Usus Antiquior) Pentecost Sunday (I Classis) – Sunday, 20 May 2018 : Introit and Collect

Liturgical Colour : Red

Introit

Wisdom 1 : 7 and Psalm 67 : 2

Spiritus Domini replevit orbem terrarum, Alleluja : et hoc quod continet omnia, scientiam habet vocis, Alleluja, Alleluja, Alleluja.

Exsurgat Deus, et dissipentur inimici Ejus : et fugiant, qui oderunt eum, a facie Ejus.

Response : Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto, sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper : et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

 

English translation

The Spirit of the Lord had filled the whole earth, Alleluia, and that which contains all things had knowledge of the voice, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

Let God arise, and His enemies be scattered, and let those who hate Him fly before His face.

Response : Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

 

Collect

Deus, qui hodierna die corda fidelium Sancti Spiritus illustratione docuisti : da nobis in eodem Spiritu recta sapere; et de ejus semper consolatione gaudere. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate ejusdem Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

 

English translation

O God, You who on this day had instructed the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant us, by the same Spirit, to relish what is right and ever to rejoice in His consolation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the same Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

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Saturday, 19 May 2018 : 7th Week of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day as we enter into the conclusion of the Season of Easter, we also end the readings and discourses from the Acts of the Apostles. We have heard of the many works of the Apostles in ministering to the people of God and in testifying for their faith, saving many souls through their actions and dedication.

In today’s first reading, we heard about the story of St. Paul in Rome, at the last legs of his earthly ministry. St. Paul continued to work and dedicate himself to the faithful in the city of Rome, and spoke to the Jewish community living there. He has done many good works for the Lord’s sake, and even at that time, he still performed one last great work for God, in helping to establish the foundation of the Church at the heart of the Empire in Rome.

In today’s Gospel passage, we heard the Lord’s words to His Apostles, at the time after He had risen from the dead. What we have heard was basically normal human emotions and reaction, for the Apostles themselves were still humans as well. It was the jealousy and rivalry that still existed in their hearts at that time, stemming from the fact that St. John, the youngest one among the Twelve, was the Lord’s favourite.

In fact, St. John, together with St. James, his brother and St. Peter himself, was counted among the three of the closest confidants of the Lord, whom He always brought with Him to the important events of His life, such as the Transfiguration and the moment just before His Passion at the night after the Last Supper. But sometimes, as humans, we may be tempted by power, and by the seduction of glory and praise.

St. John and St. James had their mother to come to the Lord together, asking Him whether they could be granted special position among the Apostles, by conferring on them positions on His left and right when He entered into His kingdom. But the Lord chastised and rebuked them, saying to them, that true discipleship is not about worldly glory and prestige, and not about honour and position, but rather, about dedication and even sacrifice.

Later on, the Apostles themselves would realise this truth, and they no longer sought for worldly glory and honour as they had before. In truth, just as St. Paul had shown us, they were willing to give it all for their service to God. It is what they had to endure for their faith in the Lord Jesus, and they persevered through all those challenges and difficulties with commitment, zeal and love for God and for their fellow men alike.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, now, all of us are called to follow the examples of these holy Apostles and servants of the Lord. We are called to be faithful and to be devoted to Him, in all of our ways and actions. However, as what we may have realised and seen, many of us Christians are not doing what we should have done as expected of us as disciples and followers of the Lord.

Instead, we often bicker among ourselves and are bitterly divided and we are jealous of each other’s achievements and possessions. Why is this so? This is because we are unable to resist the temptation of worldly pleasures, glory, honour, wealth and all sorts of things that Satan and his allies are using in order to distract us and to pull us away from God’s path, and into our downfall.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us resist the temptation for all these transient and impermanent glories, for all those pleasures that do not last forever. Let us all instead seek the true joy and happiness, the satisfaction and eternal glory that we can gain in God alone. And as Christians, we do not need to worry about all of them, as God Who is always with us, will reward us for our faith and commitment to Him.

Let us all therefore, as we come to celebrate the Solemnity of the Pentecost tomorrow, remember that each and every one of us have received the Holy Spirit and His many gifts. Let us remember that all of us ought to make use of these gifts for the greater glory of God, and for the good of our fellow men. May the Lord be with us always, and may He continue to guide us in our path. May God bless us all. Amen.

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Saturday, 19 May 2018 : 7th Week of Easter (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 21 : 20-25

At that time, Peter looked back and saw that the disciple Jesus loved was following as well, the one who had reclined close to Jesus at the supper, and had asked Him, “Lord, who is to betray You?”

On seeing him, Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain until Income, does that concern you? Follow Me!” Because of this the rumour spread in the community that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus had not said to Peter, “He will not die,” but, “Suppose I want him to remain until I come.”

It is this disciple who testifies about the things he has written here, and we know that his testimony is true. But Jesus did many other things; if all were written down, I think the world itself could not contain the books that should be written.

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Saturday, 19 May 2018 : 7th Week of Easter (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 10 : 4, 5 and 7

The Lord is in His holy place – our God Whose throne is in heaven. He looks down to earth to observe the race of Adam.

The Lord searches both righteous and wicked. He hates those who delight in violence, for the Lord is righteous; He loves justice. The upright will see His face.

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Saturday, 19 May 2018 : 7th Week of Easter (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 28 : 16-20, 30-31

Upon our arrival in Rome, the captain turned the prisoners over to the military governor but permitted Paul to lodge in a private house with the soldier who guarded him. After three days, Paul called together the leaders of the Jews.

When they had gathered, he said to them : “Brothers, though I have not done anything against our people or against the traditions of our fathers, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. They examined me and wanted to set me free, for they saw nothing in my case that deserved death.”

“But the Jews objected, so I was forced to appeal to Caesar without the least intention of bringing any case against my own people. Therefore, I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I bear these chains.”

Paul stayed for two whole years in a house he himself rented, where he received without any hindrance all those who came to see him. He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught the truth about Jesus Christ, the Lord, quite openly and without any hindrance.

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Friday, 18 May 2018 : 7th Week of Easter, Memorial of Pope St. John I, Pope and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we listened to the Scriptures through which we are reminded that as Christians all of us are ultimately bound to live by the will of God, and we will be led in our lives to where God wants us to be, and it is often that life will not go according to how we want it to be, no matter what we have done and are going to do in order to secure our desire.

In the first reading today, we listened to how St. Paul defended himself before the king of Judea, Agrippa, as well as the Roman governor of Judea, Festus. He spoke with such a wisdom and eloquence that he even almost persuaded them to be Christians. He has appealed to the Emperor, and would go on to Rome, in order to face the judgment as meted by the most powerful man in the world at that time.

In his earlier years, St. Paul was known as Saul, a fanatical and influential young Pharisee, who was renowned and glorified for his intense persecution of all Christians and all those who profess faith in the Lord Jesus. He seemed to be destined for a life of greatness and influence among the people of God, to be among the elites of the society as member of the Pharisees.

However, God did not wish it to end that way, that Saul remained a great enemy of Christ and His faithful ones. God instead called Saul and gave him an entirely new purpose and calling in life. And Saul chose to accept that role given to him, a role through which he would save countless souls, through his direct teaching and efforts, as well as through the many disciples and students he had led through those years of his service.

Then, in the Gospel today, we also heard about another Apostle, St. Peter, the head and appointed leader of the Apostles. The Lord Jesus entrusted His Church to his care, just as He had said before, that He would build His Church upon the foundation of Peter, the Rock. And the Lord Jesus said to St. Peter about the same expectation as I have just mentioned, that at the end of it all, it was God’s will that will prevail.

God said to St. Peter that he would have to suffer for being a disciple of His, and he would be led to places that he would not want to go. That was a foretelling of what he had to encounter, to be brought to Rome, where he would meet his martyrdom just as St. Paul would. He was crucified upside down in the place where the Basilica of St. Peter now stands, while St. Paul was beheaded at around the same place.

Today we also remember the memory of another good servant of God, one of the early successors of St. Peter the Apostle, as the Vicar of Christ and Bishop of Rome. Pope St. John I was a devout servant of God, humble and faithful, elected to become the successor of St. Peter and lead the Church. At that time, the Church in Rome was under the rule of those who followed the false Arian heresy, and Pope St. John I was caught in the great dilemma of having to accommodate between the two sides in argument.

King Theoderic the Great of the Ostrogoths, who was an Arian, demanded that the Pope present his argument before the Roman Emperor in the city of Constantinople, that toleration and concessions must be given to those who believe in the Arian heresy. However, Pope St. John I resolutely supported the position of the Orthodox and true teachings of the faith as espoused in the Ecumenical Councils of the Church, and in the end, he was imprisoned by the king.

Pope St. John I would eventually die a prisoner of the faith, refusing to bend to the demands of the king. He and the Apostles of the Lord had shown us that, even many in the world will oppose us and persecute us, just because we believe in God and walk in His ways. They entrusted themselves to the Lord, and remained true and faithful to Him. And despite having suffered and died in pain, they now enjoy forever the glory of heaven.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, now, as Christians, all of us are also expected to have that same faith and commitment to the Lord, just as shown by our holy and devout predecessors. Let us all henceforth renew our commitment to our faith, and spend more time and effort in our relationship with God. May the Lord be with us all, and may He continue to be with us and bless us, all the days of our lives. Holy Apostles, St. Peter and St. Paul, and Pope St. John I, holy martyr, pray for us all. Amen.