Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Lord in the Scriptures, all of us are reminded of what it means for us to be Christians, that is as faithful disciples and followers of Our Lord and Saviour, living our lives in the path and ways that He has shown and revealed to us. The Lord Himself has revealed His teachings and truth, through His Church and His disciples and their successors, our bishops and priests, who have handed down to us what the Lord Himself has given to His Apostles and disciples. That is why each and every one of us are called to turn once again towards Him and His truth, distancing ourselves from sin and wickedness, and from all the things which have often separated us from the love of God, all the temptations and forces which have kept us from embracing God’s most generous love and compassion, all these while.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles about the life of the early Christian community, which members were filled with love and compassion for one another, as they shared their goods and properties, their blessings with those who have less with them so that none among them lived in want or in misery. In their way of life, those early Christians highlighted what it truly means to be followers and disciples of Christ, in their obedience to God’s will and adherence to His commandments and Law. They loved the Lord and placed Him at the centre of their community and their lives, and they also loved one another and cared for the needs of those around them, instead of selfishly seeking only to satisfy themselves. They are our role models and examples in how we should live our own lives in this world, and all of us should indeed make good use of the time and opportunities presented to us so that we may also live our lives worthily of the Lord.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the passage from the Gospel of St. John in which we listened to the story of the time when Nicodemus the Pharisee came to meet Jesus at night time, and discussed about many things, including the identity of the Lord and what He has come into this world for. In that passage we heard how the Lord Jesus told Nicodemus that everything which He had revealed to the latter was in fact the revelation of the Spirit, and in order for one to truly be able to believe in what He has spoken, then he or she would have to allow the Spirit to perform His works within them, transforming and guiding them to the path of truth. Without this openness and willingness to let the Lord and His Spirit to guide us in our path and way of life, unfortunately, we will likely end up walking down the wrong path in life and fall into sin.

That is why, all of us are reminded that we should be inspired by the examples of the Holy Apostles, the disciples of the Lord, and those early Christians, all of whom have given themselves to the service of God. All of us are called to show our faith in our way of life and in our every actions and deeds, so that we ourselves may become good source of inspiration for each other, and that we may help to lead more and more people to the Lord, as good and faithful Christians, dedicated and committed missionaries. That is why all of us are reminded of this, when we heard these Scripture passages today, so that we may truly live our lives genuinely as Christians and not just merely in formality only. It is easy for us to fall to the trap of doing what we are expected to do, but lacking in the true appreciation and understanding of what being Christians is truly all about.

As we continue to progress through this season of Easter, all of us should spend some time at least to reflect on what Easter truly means for us. Easter is a time of celebration and rejoicing because we have seen the light of the Risen Lord, all that He had done for our sake, in lifting us all up from the depth of the darkness of sin, into the light of God’s salvation and grace. Through Easter, all of us have been shown the promise of God’s providence and faithfulness, in ensuring that we have the sure path to eternal life through Him. The Resurrection of the Lord proved to us that not even death can separate us from the love of God. As long as we continue to place our trust in the Lord and do whatever we can to be faithful to the Lord’s commandments and path, we shall be assured of an everlasting happiness and joy with Him.

However, in our world today, there are truly a lot of distractions and things that can become serious obstacles and challenges for us in our path, and there are plenty of temptations and false sources of joy and pleasures which can lead us astray from the path of the Lord. That is why we are always constantly reminded to be vigilant and to be strong amidst all of these distractions and challenges, so that we do not easily falter in our journey of faith and life. All of us have to strengthen our relationship with God, and deepen our understanding of our Christian faith and truth, so that we can resist the temptations and the things that the devil and all of those seeking our destruction may send our way. We must always have the faith that God is always by our side, and that with Him, there is indeed plenty of hope and redemption.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore do our part as Christians, as we continue to carry on living our lives in this world, and let us be good role models and examples in all things so that through our works, actions and deeds, we may inspire many more people to come to believe in the Lord. Let us all strive to be the good disciples and followers of our Lord, doing our best to proclaim the truth of God, the glory of Our Lord and Saviour in our every actions and words. Let all of our lives, in in the smallest and simplest things, be the shining beacons of Christ’s Light and Hope, illuminating all those who are still living in the darkness, and are still lacking hope and strength. Let our actions and interactions with our fellow brothers and sisters in need help us to show them the path to the true hope and eternal joy in the Lord.

May the Risen Lord continue to guide us and strengthen us in our journey of life, that we may resist the many temptations and pressures all around us. May the Lord be with us and may He empower each one of us to be prepared and ever ready to do His will, and may continue to inflame us with His Holy Spirit, to allow us to walk with faith in the Lord. May God bless us always in all things, in our every good works and deeds, now and always, forevermore. Amen.