Liturgical Colour : White
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are reminded to remain true and faithful to the Lord, no matter what happens. We are reminded to stay committed to His truth even amidst the many challenges and trials that we may have to endure in order to live our lives in the way that the Lord has presented to us. The Lord revealed to us that becoming His disciples would not be an easy matter, and there would be hard truths that we have to accept and not only that, but to proclaim in our own communities.
In our Gospel reading today, taken from the Gospel of St. John, we heard the conclusion of the account of the Bread of Life discourse by the Lord Jesus to the people who were gathered to listen to Him, as He revealed to them the truth about Himself, as the One Who would give Himself for the salvation of the world, the Paschal Lamb, by Whose sacrifice all of mankind would be given the path out of the darkness of the world, and through Him all will once again be reconciled and reunited with God. He would offer Himself as the worthy sacrifice to the Father on our behalf, as the atonement for our sins, with His Body broken for us, and His Blood shed for our salvation.
Much like in the time of the original Passover during the Exodus of the Israelites who were enslaved under the tyranny of the Egyptians, the Passover lamb was slaughtered and its body broken and shared to be eaten by the members of all the people of Israel, while the blood marks the doorposts of the houses of the faithful, by which they were spared from the terrible punishment that God sent upon the land of Egypt, the Angels that brought God’s retribution and judgment upon all the firstborn children of Egypt. The Lord saved His people from destruction, and not only that, but made a Covenant with them, sealing them with the blood of a lamb.
Then, when the Lord Himself came into this world to save His people from the tyranny of sin and evil, He gave Himself as the Paschal Lamb, the Lamb of God, to be sacrificed and crushed for our sake. His own Precious Body and Blood given to us through the Holy Eucharist that He has instituted and given to His Church, to all of us, at the Last Supper and which was perfectly fulfilled through His Passion and death, His crucifixion on which He was laid as the sacrificial victim on the Altar of the Cross. His Blood flowed down from the Cross to the earth, marking each and every one of us who believe in Him, and who share in His Body and Blood, with faith, as His own beloved children and beloved people.
And having received and witnessed this truth, the Apostles and the disciples of the Lord went forth to proclaim the Lord to all the people, calling on them to believe in Him and to put their trust in Him, and no longer doubt in Him anymore but believe. The Lord entrusted to His Church and His disciples the very important mission of the conversion of the whole world, that all the children of man may come to be reconciled with God through Him. By His grace we have been offered this path out of the darkness and despair surrounding us, and He sent His disciples to come to us and to reach out to us, that now each one of us have become those who believe in Christ and share the gift of our baptism.
As we heard in our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, detailing to us the works of the Apostles who ministered to the faithful and tirelessly travelling all over the region to proclaim the Lord to more people, we heard how St. Peter the Apostle performed a great miracle in raising up Tabitha, a faithful disciple and follower of the Lord who had fallen sick and died. St. Peter prayed over her and by the power of God raised her from the dead, much as how the Lord Jesus had once raised the daughter of the synagogue official, the son of the widow of Nain and also Lazarus, one of His own friends. By this act, we can see how the Lord’s truth was shown to all, that despite His passing from this world, His works remain through His Church and those to whom He has entrusted power and authority.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all hence reflect on the meaning and significance of what we had heard in our Scripture readings today, and see in what way we can answer God’s call better, just as He has called us all to follow Him and to become His faithful disciples. We have to be active members of the Church and be courageous and proactive in living our lives in the most worthy way possible, by obeying God’s Law and commandments, and in leading a way of life that is truly in harmony with God and His truth. We are all the ones who have received the Lord Himself, His own Precious Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist, a people He had set aside to be His own, blessed and called to be holy.
May all of us continue to strive to live in holiness and do our very best so that in our every words, actions and deeds, we may indeed be the source of inspiration and hope for many others, and that we may help more and more people to find their way to God and His salvation. Let us be strengthened by the Holy Eucharist that we have partaken, and remind ourselves to put our complete faith and trust in Him, Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life and Lamb of God, our Lord and Saviour, now and always. Amen.
petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang 