Month: December 2022

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Tuesday, 3 January 2023 : Weekday of Christmas Time, Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Jesus (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 97 : 1, 3cd-4, 5-6

Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done wonders; His right hand, His holy arm, has won victory for Him.

The farthest ends of the earth all have seen God’s saving power. All you lands, make a joyful noise to the Lord, break into song and sing praise.

With melody of the lyre and with music of the harp. With trumpet blast and sound of the horn, rejoice before the King, the Lord!

Alternative Psalm (Mass of the Most Holy Name of Jesus)

Psalm 8 : 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

When I observe the heavens, the work of Your hands, the moon, and the stars You set in their place – what is man, that You be mindful of him; the Son of Man, that You should care for Him?

Yet You made Him a little less than a god; You crowned Him with glory and honour and gave Him the works of Your hands; You have put all things under His feet.

Sheep and oxen without number, and even the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, the fish of the sea, and all that swim the paths of the ocean.

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Tuesday, 3 January 2023 : Weekday of Christmas Time, Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Jesus (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

1 John 2 : 29 – 1 John 3 : 6

You know that He is the Just One : know then that anyone living justly is born of God. See what singular love the Father has for us : we are called children of God, and we really are. This is why the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

Beloved, we are God’s children and what we shall be has not yet been shown. Yet when He appears in His glory, we know that we shall be like Him, for then we shall see Him as He is. All who have such a hope try to be pure as He is pure. Anyone who commits a sin acts as an enemy of the law of God; any sin acts wickedly, because all sin is wickedness.

You know that He came to take away our sins, and that there is no sin in Him. Whoever remains in Him has no sin, whoever sins has not seen or known Him.

Alternative reading (Mass of the Most Holy Name of Jesus)

Philippians 2 : 1-11

If I may advise you, in the Name of Christ, and if you can hear it, as the voice of love; if we share the same Spirit, and are capable of mercy and compassion, then I beg of you, make me very happy : have one love, one spirit, one feeling, do nothing through rivalry or vain conceit.

On the contrary, let each of you gently consider the others, as more important than yourselves. Do not seek your own interest, but, rather, that of others. Your attitude should be the same as Jesus Christ had :

Though He was in the form of God, He did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking on the nature of a servant, made in human likeness, and in His appearance found as a Man.

He humbled Himself by being obedient to death, death on the cross. That is why God exalted Him and gave Him the Name which outshines all names, so that at the Name of Jesus all knees should bend in heaven, on earth and among the dead, and all tongues proclaim that Christ Jesus is the Lord to the glory of God the Father.

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Monday, 2 January 2023 : Weekday of Christmas Time, Memorial of St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we are still progressing through the season and time of Christmas which will still last for another week at least. Liturgically, the season of Christmas lasts up to the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord which will happen about a week from now and traditionally, Christmas is celebrated right up to the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord on the second day of February, making a whole forty days of the Christmas season. That is why we are still continuously being reminded of the Lord and His coming into this world, the salvation and truth that He has brought into our midst among other things. The Lord and His coming into this world has brought upon us all a new hope and renewal, as Christ assured us all that if we have faith in Him, we shall receive the guarantee of eternal life and grace.

However, as we heard in our first reading today, there were a lot of those who threatened to derail our path towards the Lord, as we heard from the Epistle of St. John to the faithful people of God and the Church, detailing how there were antichrists and false prophets, false teachers and messengers, all those who taught different messages and Gospels from what has been delivered and taught by the Apostles. St. John warned the faithful against all of those, the heresies which had risen even as early as the beginning of the Church, as those who sought to subvert and change the Church teachings and doctrines to suit their own desires and wishes, caused divisions among the faithful and confusion, which led to some of the faithful falling into heretical ways.

Among those heresies were those that denied the Divinity of Christ, or even denying the existence of Christ Himself, and those who considered the Lord Jesus as a false Messiah, and claiming to be the Messiah themselves. Those false leaders and teachers harmed the unity of the Church and led many to the wrong paths, which then caused many to fall away from the path of righteousness and truth. St. John reminded all the faithful of everything that they had received from the Lord, the gift of the Holy Spirit and the anointing which has been given to them through baptism and chrism, and the Wisdom and strength which they had received so that they might all persevere amidst all the challenges, trials and all the false leads that they had to face.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the confrontation between the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law with St. John the Baptist, who was the one sent by God to prepare the way for His Son, the true Messiah, Saviour of the whole world. Those Pharisees and teachers of the Law questioned St. John the Baptist, asking him why he was doing everything that he had done, in calling the people to repentance and to be baptised by him in the River Jordan, as they doubted his authenticity and they refused to believe in him simply because his path and ways did not agree with the way that the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law had set for themselves. For those people, anyone who did not share their perspective or belong to their group were not legitimate, and they even condemned others as sinners and blasphemers for that.

St. John the Baptist rebuked the Pharisees and their high-handed and proud attitude, and told them that he was truly the one that God had sent into this world to prepare the way for the Saviour, in the words of the prophet Isaiah, ‘I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness : Make straight the way of the Lord!’ This must have been well-known by the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who knew the prophets and their teachings and prophecies well, but their pride and hardened hearts still prevented them from believing in the truth, despite having seen the proof of the fulfilment of God’s words and prophecies before their own eyes. They continued to doubt him and asked if he was the Messiah that was to come into this world.

It was there then that St. John the Baptist again told those hardened hearted Pharisees that he was merely the one who came to prepare the way for the Lord, and that he was unworthy even to untie the straps of His sandals. As we can see here, contrasted with the antichrists, the false Messiahs and all those who claimed to have the truth as St. John highlighted in our first reading today, St. John the Baptist remained firmly entrenched in the truth and did not let worldly glory, fame and other sorts of temptations to get to him. He could very well have claimed to be the Messiah given his great popularity among the people just like some others had done at that time, but St. John the Baptist did not do so. He humbly did what he was sent to do, and committed himself wholeheartedly to God. This is what we have to follow as well, as Christians.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of two great saints whose dedication and commitment to God can and should become the source of inspiration for us to follow in how we can be better and more committed Christians in life. St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory Nazianzen were two great contemporaries whose life and works inspired countless people to be faithful to God, and who were also instrumental in the evangelisation of the true faith, especially against the many heresies, falsehoods and lies rampant at their time. Both of them were considered among the original Doctors of the Church, and were widely venerated for their great contributions to the Church and their service to the people of God, which we ourselves can follow as well.

St. Basil the Great was the Bishop of Caesarea Mazaca in Cappadocia in what is today part of Turkey, who was a great theologian and leader of the Church especially against all those who upheld heretical teachings particularly the Arians. Those Arians who listened to the heretic Arius claimed that Jesus Christ is not Co-Equal and Co-Eternal with God, but was a Being created and inferior to God Himself. This false teaching gained large amount of support among the people and not few bishops also joined the cause of the Arians, causing divisions and splits within the Church in various places. St. Basil the Great together with other faithful bishops, including that of St. Gregory Nazianzen, another great theologian and bishop, struggled and resisted the power and influence of the Arians, and defended the true, orthodox Christian faith and teachings.

Both saints inspired the Church and their flock, as well as their brother bishops to take a stand against the heresies and the falsehoods, and working to heal the divisions among the faithful through their great knowledge in theology and also skills in preaching the faith. St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory Nazianzen did not have it easy of course, as they faced great opposition from all those who supported the Arian position and teachings, but they persevered on and kept on going, doing their best to serve the Lord, by continuing to proclaim the true faith among the people of God, as well as calling on all of them to remain steadfast and strong in the faith. These kind of actions and zeal are what should also inspire each one of us in our own faith. Can we do the same and commit ourselves to God as they had done?

May the Lord continue to guide us all to Himself, and through the good examples of St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory Nazianzen, let us all live a more devoted and holy Christian living at all times, drawing ever closer to God in all things. Let us all continue to renew our faith in the Lord and keep our focus in God as we continue to progress through this season of Christmas, as we keep reminding ourselves Who it is that we are celebrating for, that is for Christ our Lord and Saviour, and not for ourselves. May God bless us always and may He empower all of us to live ever more faithfully in His presence, now and always. Amen.

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Monday, 2 January 2023 : Weekday of Christmas Time, Memorial of St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 1 : 19-28

This was the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites to ask him, “Who are you?” John recognised the truth, and did not deny it. He said, “I am not the Messiah.”

And they asked him, “Then who are you? Elijah?” He answered, “I am not.” They said, “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Tell us who you are, so that we can give some answer to those who sent us. How do you see yourself?”

And John said, quoting the prophet Isaiah, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness : Make straight the way of the Lord!”

Those who had been sent were Pharisees; and they put a further question to John, “Then why are you baptising, if you are not the Messiah, or Elijah, or the Prophet?” John answered, “I baptise you with water, but among you stands One Whom you do not know; although He comes after me, I am not worthy to untie the strap of His sandal.”

This happened in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptising.

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Monday, 2 January 2023 : Weekday of Christmas Time, Memorial of St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 97 : 1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4

Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done wonders; His right hand, His holy arm, has won victory for Him.

The Lord has shown His salvation, revealing His justice to the nations. He has not forgotten His love nor His faithfulness to Israel.

The farthest ends of the earth all have seen God’s saving power. All you lands, make a joyful noise to the Lord, break into song and sing praise.

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Monday, 2 January 2023 : Weekday of Christmas Time, Memorial of St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

1 John 2 : 22-28

Who is the liar? The one who denies that Jesus is the Christ. This is an antichrist, who denies both the Father and the Son. The one who denies the Son is without the Father, and those who acknowledge the Son also have the Father.

Let what you heard from the beginning remain in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, you, too, will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise He Himself gave us : eternal life.

I write this to you thinking of those who try to lead you astray. You received from Him an anointing, and it remains in you, so you do not need someone to teach you. His anointing teaches you all things, it speaks the truth and does not lie to you; so remain in Him, and keep what He has taught you.

And now, my children, live in Him, so that when He appears in His glory, we may be confident and not ashamed before Him when He comes.

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Sunday, 1 January 2023 : Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God, and World Day of Prayer for Peace (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday and New Year’s Day we celebrate together as the whole Universal Church the great celebration of the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, as we also mark the last day of the Christmas Octave, that is the eighth day of Christmas. On this day we honour Mary, whom the Church had honoured greatly with the title of the Mother of God, which is also one of the four Marian Dogmas, the Dogma of the Divine Motherhood of Mary, stating that Mary is truly the Mother of God by her being the Mother of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world and the Son of God. Because we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, therefore it is only natural that Mary should also be the Mother of God, as the Mother who brings forth into this world God Himself, incarnate in the flesh.

Back then, in the early Church, there was significant divisions and disagreements between various members of the Church and teachers of the faith regarding the nature of the Lord and also the relationship between Mary and her Son as the Saviour of the world. Some within the Church, like those who followed the heretical Arius, claimed that the Lord Jesus was not co-equal and co-eternal with God the Father, and was merely a created being, and as such, the disagreements also extended to Mary’s nature, on whether she was the Mother of God or whether she was merely the mother of Jesus the Man, the Man born in Bethlehem in Judea about two millennia ago. There were also other heretical thoughts developing afterwards on the extremes of Monophysitism and Nestorianism. The former contended that the human and divine natures of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, was one and indivisible, meanwhile the latter contended that the human and divine natures of the Lord were separate.

It was thus against the false teachings of Nestorius that this Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God is celebrated, reminding all of us not just that Mary is truly the Mother of God and not just the Mother of Jesus Christ, as Nestorius and his supporters contended, but also in our core belief that the Lord Jesus Christ, is not merely just Man, but also God in His nature and existence. If the same Jesus Christ that Mary had given birth in Bethlehem is not truly God, then we cannot call Mary as the Mother of God. Our Christian faith believes that Jesus Christ is truly God and truly Man, having two distinct but inseparable natures, Divine and Human. His Divine nature and Human nature are both united in the inseparable bond of perfect love, in the one Person of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Saviour of the whole world.

What might have made those people to refuse to believe in the Divine Motherhood of Mary was likely their inability to accept the fact and truth that Mary, as a woman, could have become the Mother of God. They must have contended in their hearts that it was impossible for a mere woman to be the Mother of the infinite and Almighty God. Yet, that was exactly what the Incarnation of the Lord was all about. What we celebrate at Christmas is the celebration of the Incarnation of the Divine Word of God, the Son, Who has assumed our humble human nature so that by His coming into this world, in His aspect as the Son of Man, He might unite all of us to Himself, gathering all of us together from being scattered all over the world, the lost sheep of the Lord’s flock, and gathering us as our Good Shepherd that we may find our way back to the Lord and His grace.

At the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea and the subsequent Ecumenical Council of Constantinople, the Arian heresy was outlawed and rejected, and a formal form of the Creed which we still use today, the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed was formulated. This stated that Jesus Christ is indeed Co-Equal and Co-Eternal with God the Father and the Holy Spirit, as a Triune God, One God with Three Persons of Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, highlighting that the Saviour Jesus Christ born into this world and Who died for us on the Cross, was indeed God Incarnate in the flesh. Then, afterwards, in the important Ecumenical Council of Ephesus, the issue of the Divine Motherhood of God was discussed and addressed. Although Nestorius was then the powerful and influential Archbishop of Constantinople, the capital of the Roman Empire with a lot of support even from the highest positions in the Empire, but his heretical teachings were soundly rejected by those who adhered to the true and orthodox Christian faith.

The Ecumenical Council of Ephesus formalised the Dogma of the Divine Motherhood of God, affirming what the Church and the faithful people of God had believed since the earliest days of the Church, that Mary is truly the Mother of God, and that Jesus Christ is indeed God, appearing before us all as the manifestation of God’s perfect and ever enduring Love. The Love of God manifested in the person of Jesus Christ, and the love which His mother Mary showed to her Son, and also to all of us, her adopted children, are what we rejoice for on this most blessed day. On this day, as we begin this new solar calendar year, let us all reflect first of all, of the love that God has shown us, and also the love that makes this joyful Christmas season. Without God’s love, we had no reason to rejoice, especially not during this Christmas season.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we gather together today to celebrate in the new year and to rejoice at the glorious Divine Motherhood of God of Mary, Blessed Mother ever-Virgin, let us all hence spend some time to reflect on our way of life and actions, and what we plan to do for this coming year ahead of us. If we have been spending a lot of time the past year and also this Christmas season mostly on worldly things and matter, and in our pursuit of worldly glory, fame, achievements, then perhaps we should reconsider our path and direction in life. We should reconsider once again why we rejoice and celebrate in this season and time of celebration. We should think of why we rejoice and celebrate this new year too. Why do we celebrate? Is it because we enjoy in all the celebrations, revelries and merrymaking? Or is it because we look forward to the opportunities that the new year is going to provide us?

Brothers and sisters in Christ, no one can truly know how the future is going to unfold, and no one knows what will come our way, what opportunities are there for us. It is up to us nonetheless how we are going to live out our lives, whether we are going to walk in the path that the Lord has set before us and shown us, or whether we will rather walk in the path of worldliness and temptations, following the path of those false leaders and guides who had once misled so many among the faithful to the wrong paths. The choice is ours to make, brothers and sisters. How we are going to shape our year ahead is in our hands, and we have been given the free will to choose our course of actions. But we are reminded that should we choose to reject the path of the Lord and continue walking down the path of sin, the reckoning will likely be damnation and destruction for all of us.

As Christians, all of us have been shown good role models and examples for us to follow in our way of life that we may continue to walk down the right path towards God and His salvation. And there is no better example and guide than Mary herself, together with her Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. We are reminded of the love of God which has been shown to us in the most concrete way through Christ, through all that He had done for us, by suffering and dying for us all. He showed us all perfect obedience to the will of His heavenly Father and therefore becoming for us the example of righteousness and faith that we should all follow. Then, His own Mother Mary is also a great role model and example for us, in her unwavering love and faith in her Son, as she continued to care for Him throughout His earthly life, and as she has then showed us all the same love and care as well.

The Lord has entrusted His own Mother to us from His Cross, as He entrusted her to His trusted disciple St. John the Apostle. Similarly, He has also entrusted us all to her, that we all become her own children, to be loved and cared for by this same Mother of God, who has loved her Son so thoroughly. Can we follow our loving Mother in her ways and entrust ourselves to her and to her Son? Can we love the Lord more through His mother Mary, by ensuring that our lives and actions are truly worthy and appropriate of those who call ourselves as Christians? We are reminded again and again this Christmas season of what we are celebrating and what our Christian faith is all about, and hence, let us all begin our new year with the right mindset and spirit, and ensure that we conform ourselves once more to the Lord and His ways. And also, today being the World Day of Prayer for Peace, let us also pray for peace all around the world, particularly in Ukraine, where conflicts still rage on daily after almost a whole entire year, of senseless killings and destructions.

May the Lord continue to guide us and bless us in the year ahead, bless our world and all its peoples with peace and harmony, and with the guidance of His blessed Mother, Mary, the Holy Mother of God, let us all draw ever closer to Him and commit ourselves ever more wholeheartedly to Him, in all of our actions and lives. May God bless our works and efforts, our endeavours in this coming year, and may He bless all of us and our loved ones, at all times. Have a blessed New Year, brothers and sisters! Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

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Sunday, 1 January 2023 : Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God, and World Day of Prayer for Peace (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 2 : 16-21

So the shepherds came hurriedly, and found Mary and Joseph, and the Baby lying in the manger. On seeing Him, they related what they had been told about the Child, and all were astonished on hearing the shepherds.

As for Mary, she treasured all these words, and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds then returned, giving glory and praise to God for all they had heard and seen, just as the Angels had told them.

On the eighth day the circumcision of the Baby had to be performed; He was named Jesus, the Name the Angel had given Him before He was conceived.

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Sunday, 1 January 2023 : Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God, and World Day of Prayer for Peace (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Galatians 4 : 4-7

But when the fullness of time came, God sent His Son. He came born of woman and subject to the Law, in order to redeem the subjects of the Law, that we might receive adoption as children of God.

And because you are children, God has sent into your hearts the Spirit of His Son which cries out : Abba! That is, Father! You yourself are no longer a slave but a son or daughter, and yours is the inheritance by God’s grace.

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Sunday, 1 January 2023 : Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God, and World Day of Prayer for Peace (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 66 : 2-3, 5, 6 and 8

May God be gracious and bless us; may He let His face shine upon us, that Your way be known on earth and Your salvation among the nations.

May the countries be glad and sing for joy, for You rule the peoples with justice and guide the nations of the world.

May the peoples praise You, o God, may all the peoples praise You! May God bless us and be revered, to the very ends of the earth.