Year: 2020

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Monday, 22 June 2020 : 12th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Paulinus of Nola, Bishop, and St. John Fisher, Bishop and Martyr, and St. Thomas More, Martyr (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops) or Red (Martyrs)

2 Kings 17 : 5-8, 13-15a, 18

The army of the king of Asshur subjected the whole of Israel, coming to Samaria and laying siege to it for three years. In the ninth year of the reign of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria, exiled the Israelites to Asshur and made them settle in Halah, at the banks of Habor, the river of Gozan, as well as in the cities of the Medes.

This happened because the children of Israel had sinned against YHVH, their God, Who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, where they were subject to Pharaoh. But they had turned back to other gods. They followed the customs of the nations which YHVH had driven out before them.

YHVH warned Israel and Judah through the mouth of every prophet and seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep My commandments and precepts according to the laws which I commanded your fathers and which I have sent to you by My servants, the prophets.” But they did not listen and refused, as did their fathers, who did not believe in YHVH, their God. They despised His statutes and the Covenant He had made with their fathers.

So YHVH became indignant with Israel and cast them far away from His presence, leaving only the tribe of Judah.

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Sunday, 21 June 2020 : Twelfth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this Sunday as we listened to the words of the Scripture, all of us are reminded yet again and again to put our complete trust and faith in God, and give our best to serve Him for if we are truly faithful to Him, then we have nothing to fear in this world, and we have no need to be worried about. God has always been with us and He will never abandon us to the darkness.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah, the part in which he lamented about the treatment he received from many of those who rejected him and refused to listen to him. The prophet Jeremiah laboured hard for many years in the kingdom of Judah and Jerusalem, and yet, for all those years as he spoke to the people of God’s words and warned them of their upcoming doom if they continued to disobey God, his words went unheeded and many opposed him and his works.

And they treated him so badly that Jeremiah almost lost his life on few occasions. When his enemies plotted against him and threw him into a drainage sewer to die, it was only by the help of his few friends and the cooperation of the king that prevented him from being killed. There were indeed so many occasions in which Jeremiah had to suffer and endure all sorts of trials and indignities, humiliation and discomfort. Yet, Jeremiah trusted in the Lord and committed himself wholeheartedly in Him, and God protected him and was with him throughout the mission and journey.

In the end, the Lord’s faithful will triumph against the wicked, their enemies and all those who persecuted them. This is what the Lord Himself has said and reassured us as we have heard in our Gospel passage today when He spoke of us needing not to fear those who can destroy the body, but rather fear the One Who can destroy both body and soul. And God assured us all that every single one of us are precious to Him, and each and every one of us will be well taken care of.

That was why, God has sent us His own beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be our Saviour and to be the source of all hope and strength for each and every one of us. We must not lose sight of this hope and light that we have received from God, and we must trust that God will always protect us and provide us no matter what, and no matter how difficult and challenging the situation may be for us. And St. Paul in his Epistle to the Romans, our second reading today reassured us in just the same manner. Though sin may have once reigned over us and made us to fear, but through Christ, we have received the path out and liberation from this tyranny of sin and death.

By His most loving, selfless and perfect sacrifice on the Cross, our Lord Jesus Christ has delivered us from certain destruction due to our sins. As mentioned, the disobedience of Adam brought sin into the world, as disobedience against God led to sin, and sin brought about our sundering and separation from God, and separation from God led us to death. Yet, the Lord loved each and every one of us so much that He has given us His Son, to suffer for us and to die for us that by His suffering and death, we may live.

What does this mean for us, brothers and sisters in Christ? It means that reflecting on our own current situation and our world condition today, just as we know how challenging and difficult things are for so many of us these days, we must remain positive and hopeful. We have to be the source of hope and beacons of light in the darkness for one another, and we must not give in to despair, just as even the prophet Jeremiah did not give up despite all that he had to suffer and endure, all the years of trials and persecutions.

We have definitely suffered in one way or another during this difficult and uncertain time, and we must also have known those who have lost their jobs, their sources of income, and worse still, having lost their loved ones, our own loved ones and those who are known to us due to the terrible impact of this still ongoing and raging coronavirus pandemic. Many among us then also worry or fear for our own future when we see our once seemingly secure and stable income collapsed and disappeared without much notice.

And we have seen how all these challenges and trials led to many among us acting and reacting irrationally, irresponsibly and selfishly, with each one of us trying to secure our own security, safety, means of living among other things. We have heard and seen how people hoarded essential goods and even fought over those important commodities and goods, how we become intolerant and easily agitated by what is happening all around us. We see all the instances of civil disturbances, rise in racism and prejudices among us in our communities.

All of these were caused by our own insecurities and desires, our wishes to secure for ourselves the good living we used to enjoy before these difficult days and times. But when we allow ourselves to be swayed and tempted by these, and controlled by our desires, by our fears and insecurities, then it is what will bring us into our downfall, just as Adam fell into the devil’s temptations and sinned against God through disobedience. It was the same traps that the evil one and all the forces of evil have placed and arrayed against us all.

That is why during these difficult and challenging times, all the more that we all need to refocus our attention on God and put Him at the very centre of our lives and existence. Unless we put God at the centre of our lives, it will be easy for us to lose our way, to be swayed and tempted, to be turned into slaves of our own desire and our own fears and insecurities, as the events unfolding in the past few weeks and months had shown us. As Christians therefore we are challenged to be bringers of God’s hope and light into the midst of our communities, to our families and among all those whom we know and encounter in life.

Are we able to commit ourselves, brothers and sisters in Christ? Are we able to live our lives ever more faithfully from now on, and leading a life and existence blessed by God? Let us all embrace our Christian calling, to follow the examples of the Apostles, the prophets and saints, our holy predecessors, all those who have entrusted themselves to God, and those who did not let fear or insecurities, worldly concerns, matters and desires to lead them astray. Let us all be inspiration for one another, learning from the very same inspiration of our holy predecessors in faith, in living our lives centred on God.

May the Lord continue to guide us and strengthen us in faith, and may He give us the courage and the ability to persevere through whatever challenges and trials we may encounter in life, knowing first and foremost that He is always ever present by our side and that no matter what, He will always be ever faithful to the Covenant that He has established with each and every one of us, His beloved ones. May God bless us all, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 21 June 2020 : Twelfth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Matthew 10 : 26-33

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “There is nothing covered that will not be uncovered. There is nothing hidden that will not be made known. What I am telling you in the dark, you must speak in the light. What you hear in private, proclaim from the housetops.”

“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but have no power to kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of Him Who can destroy both body and soul in hell. For a few cents you can buy two sparrows. Yet not one sparrow falls to the ground without your Father knowing. As for you, every hair of your head has been counted. Do not be afraid : you are worthy more than many sparrows!”

“Whoever acknowledges Me before others, I will acknowledge before My Father in heaven. Whoever rejects Me before others, I will reject before My Father in heaven.”

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Sunday, 21 June 2020 : Twelfth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Romans 5 : 12-15

Therefore, sin entered the world through one man; and through sin, death; and later on, death spread to all humankind, because all sinned. As long as there was no law, they could not speak of disobedience, but sin was already in the world. This is why, from Adam to Moses, death reigned among them, although their sin was not disobedience, as in Adam’s case – this was not the true Adam, but foretold the Other, Who was to come.

Such has been the fall, but God’s gift goes far beyond. All died, because of the fault of one man, but how much more does the grace of God spread, when the gift He granted, reaches all, from this unique Man, Jesus Christ.

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Sunday, 21 June 2020 : Twelfth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 68 : 8-10, 14 and 17, 33-35

Since I am held in contempt for Your sake, and shame has covered my face. I have become a stranger to my kindred, an alien to my mother’s sons. Zeal for Your house consumes me, as fire, and those who insult You, insult me as well.

But I pray to You, o YHVH. At a time most favourable to You, in Your great love, o God, answer me, with Your unfailing help. In Your mercy, o YHVH, give me a good answer; in Your great compassion, turn to me.

Let the lowly witness this, and be glad. You who seek God, may your hearts be revived. For YHVH hears the needy; and does not despise those in captivity. Let the heaven and earth praise Him, the seas and whatever moves in them.

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Sunday, 21 June 2020 : Twelfth Sunday of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Jeremiah 20 : 10-13

I hear many people whispering, “Terror is all around! Denounce him! Yes, denounce him!” All my friends watch me to see if I will slip : “Perhaps he can be deceived,” they say; “then we can get the better of him and have our revenge.”

But YHVH, a mighty Warrior, is with me. My persecutors will stumble and not prevail; that failure will be their shame and their disgrace will never be forgotten. YHVH, God of Hosts, You test the just and probe the heart and mind. Let me see Your revenge on them, for to You I have entrusted my cause.

Sing to YHVH! Praise YHVH and say : He has rescued the poor from the clutches of the wicked!

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(Usus Antiquior) Third Sunday after Pentecost (II Classis) – Sunday, 21 June 2020 : Offertory, Secret Prayer of the Priest, Communion and Post-Communion Prayer

Liturgical Colour : White

Offertory

Psalm 9 : 11-12, 13

Sperent in Te omnes, qui noverunt Nomen Tuum, Domine quoniam non derelinquis quaerentes Te : psallite Domino, qui habitat in Sion : quoniam non est oblitus orationem pauperum.

English translation

Let them trust in You, those who knows Your Name, o Lord, for You have not forsaken those who seek You. Sing all of you to the Lord, Who dwells in Zion, for He had not forgotten the cry of the poor.

Secret Prayer of the Priest

Respice, Domine, munera supplicantis Ecclesiae : et saluti credentium perpetua sanctificatione sumenda concede. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Dei, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

Look upon the offerings of Your suppliant Church, we beseech You, o Lord, and grant that, by Your continual sanctification, that they may conduce to the salvation of those who partake of them with faith. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.

Communion

Luke 15 : 10

Dico vobis : gaudium est Angelis Dei super uno peccatore poenitentiam agente.

English translation

I say to you : there is joy before the Angels of God upon one repentant sinner.

Post-Communion Prayer

Sancta Tua nos, Domine, sumpta vivificent : et misericordiae sempiternae praeparent expiatos. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Dei, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

May Your holy things which we have received, o Lord, fill us with life, and prepare for Your everlasting mercies, those whom You have purified. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.

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(Usus Antiquior) Third Sunday after Pentecost (II Classis) – Sunday, 21 June 2020 : Holy Gospel

Liturgical Colour : White

Sequentia Sancti Evangelii secundum Lucam – Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke

Luke 15 : 1-10

In illo tempore : Erant appropinquantes ad Jesum publicani et peccatores, ut audirent illum. Et murmurabant pharisaei et scribae, dicentes : Quia hic peccatores recipit et manducat cum illis. Et ait ad illos parabolam istam, dicens : Quis ex vobis homo, qui habet centum oves : et si perdiderit unam ex illis, nonne dimittit nonaginta novem in deserto, et vadit ad illam, quae perierat, donec inveniat eam?

Et cum invenerit eam, imponit in humeros suos gaudens : et veniens domum, convocat amicos et vicinos, dicens illis : Congratulamini mihi, quia inveni ovem meam, quae perierat? Dico vobis, quod ita gaudium erit in caelo super uno peccatore poenitentiam agente, quam super nonaginta novem justis, qui non indigent poenitentia.

Aut quae mulier habens drachmas decem, si perdiderit drachmam unam, nonne accendit lucernam, et everrit domum, et quaerit diligenter, donec inveniat? Et cum invenerit, convocat amicas et vicinas, dicens : Congratulamini mihi, quia inveni drachmam, quam perdideram? Ita dico vobis : gaudium erit coram Angelis Dei super uno peccatore poenitentiam agente.

English translation

At that time, the publicans and sinners drew near unto Jesus to hear Him, and the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, “This Man received sinners and ate with them.” And He spoke to them this parable, saying, “Which man among you who had a hundred sheep, and if he lost one of them, would he not leave the ninety-nine in the desert, and go after the one which was lost, until he finds it?”

“And when he had found it, he lays it upon his shoulders rejoicing, and coming home, calling together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost.” I say to you, that this was even how there shall be joy in heaven upon the repentance of one sinner, more than upon the ninety-nine who do not need penance.”

“Or which woman having ten drachmas, if she loses one drachmas, would not light a candle, sweeping the house, and seeking diligently until she finds it? And when she finds it, she will call together her friends and neighbours, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found the drachma I had lost.’? So I say to you, there shall be joy before the Angels of God upon the repentance of one sinner.”

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(Usus Antiquior) Third Sunday after Pentecost (II Classis) – Sunday, 21 June 2020 : Gradual and Alleluia

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 54 : 23, 17, 19 and Psalm 7 : 12

Jacta cogitatum Tuum in Domino : et ipse Te enutriet.

Response : Dum clamarem ad Dominum, exaudivit vocem meam ab his, qui appropinquant mihi.

Alleluja, Alleluja.

Response : Deus judex justus, fortis et patiens, numquid irascitur per singulos dies? Alleluja.

English translation

Cast your care upon the Lord and He shall sustain you.

Response : When I cried to the Lord He heard my voice, from those who draw near to me.

Alleluia, Alleluia.

Response : God is a just Judge, strong and patient. Is He angry every day? Alleluia.

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(Usus Antiquior) Third Sunday after Pentecost (II Classis) – Sunday, 21 June 2020 : Epistle

Liturgical Colour : White

Lectio Epistolae Beati Petri Apostoli – Lesson from the Epistle of Blessed Peter the Apostle

1 Peter 5 : 6-11

Carissimi : Humiliamini sub potenti manu Dei, ut vos exaltet in tempore visitationis : omnem sollicitudinem vestram projicientes in eum, quoniam ipsi cura est de vobis. Sobrii estote et vigilate : quia adversarius vester diabolus tamquam leo rugiens circuit, quaerens, quem devoret : cui resistite fortes in fide : scientes eandem passionem ei, quae in mundo est, vestrae fraternitati fieri, Deus autem omnes gratiae, qui vocavit nos in aeternam suam gloriam in Christo Jesu, modicum passos ipse perficiet, confirmabit solidabitque.

Ipsi gloria et imperium in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

Dearly beloved, may you be humbled under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in the time of visitation, casting all your care upon Him, for He had cared for you. Be sober and watch, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goes about seeking whom he may devour. Who may resist You, those strong in faith, knowing that the same affliction befalls your brethren who are in the world. But the God of all grace, Who had called us unto His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little, will Himself perfect you and confirm you and establish you.

To Him be glory and empire forever and ever. Amen.