Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we listened to the words of the Scripture in which we listened first of all to the destruction which God brought about to the two cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, because of the great sins and wickedness committed by the people living in those cities. But God at the same time also showed His merciful love to those who were righteous and faithful to Him.

That was how He rescued Lot from the destruction of the two cities, by sending His Angels to rescue him and to tell him to get out of Sodom and Gomorrah with his whole family before it was too late for them. There was likely no one else who were righteous in that city besides Lot and his family. Earlier on, in yesterday’s first reading we heard the part from the Book of Genesis where Abraham pleaded with God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah should there be some righteous remaining there, but unfortunately, there were so few of the righteous that not even the two cities could be spared.

God would have spared the two cities as He listened to the pleas of His servant Abraham. And ultimately, we have to remember that God does not easily punish or bring destruction upon His people. We must not have that wrong impression and understanding that God is a scary and fearsome God, Who punishes His people with impunity. Instead, God is a loving, compassionate and merciful God, Who wants to love His people and forgive them, and be reconciled with them.

But at the same time, God is also all good and perfect, and no impurities and wickedness of sin can be before Him. As a result, the destruction and punishment that apparently came towards the people of Sodom and Gomorrah was caused not by God’s desire to destroy them, but rather from their own refusal to abandon their sinful ways and wickedness, their stubbornness in refusing God’s mercy and forgiveness.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, in what we have heard, and then continuing to the Gospel passage, each and every one of us should realise that we must really have faith and trust in God, no matter what. God loves each and every one of us and He will not abandon us all unless it is us who have abandoned Him. He is ever loving and forgiving, full of mercy and compassion, and it is He Who will take care and provide for us all.

In our Gospel passage we heard of the Lord Jesus and His disciples as they were caught in a great storm that threatened to overcome the boat they were in, and the disciples were all frightened and despairing, thinking that they definitely would perish for sure. They went to the Lord and woke Him up, begging for His help. The Lord chided and rebuked them for their little faith and fear, and calmed the whole storm before them.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day all of us are called to reflect on our lives and how we have been living our faith in God all these while. Have we put our trust in God all these while and believe in His love, mercy and compassion? Or have we instead lived our lives like the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, continuing to disobey God and refusing to believe in Him? The choice is truly ours, and we must make the stand to either follow God or to abandon Him.

Let us all therefore renew our faith and trust in God, and devote ourselves with ever greater commitment and dedication from now on. Let us all draw ever closer to God from now on, distancing ourselves from sin and seek to be righteous and true to God’s path from now on, so that the fate of those who perish in Sodom and Gomorrah that day will not be ours, and instead, we may be worthy to enter the eternity of glory with God. Amen.