Month: October 2023

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Friday, 27 October 2023 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded by them to be ever vigilant and careful lest we may be swayed, tempted and misguided by the various temptations to sin and to disobey the Lord, because of the weaknesses and the vulnerabilities of our human physical selves and the weakness of our existence in the flesh, ever susceptible to corruption by sin and the wickedness of this world all around us. We must always remind ourselves that the wage and consequence of sin is death and destruction for us, while the reward for faith and obedience to God is eternal life and true joy with Him. The Lord has shown us all the path of righteousness and virtue worthy of Him, and laid before us what we all should do in obeying Him and His commandments. Ultimately, it is our choice to make, for us to choose either God’s path or the path of sin.

In our first reading today, we heard from the continuation of this past two weeks or so discourse from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans, in which the Apostle spoke to the faithful in Rome about how the nature of their human flesh and existence may bring about conflict and interference with their obligation in serving the Lord and following Him. St. Paul mentioned how he himself was also constantly tempted and persuaded by the desires of the flesh and the body, which was contradictory to the path of the Lord. He mentioned that while his inmost self and overall his whole being agreed with the Lord and obeyed Him, yet, there was indeed that part of him which kept on trying to drag him out of the path of righteousness and obedience to God, which is caused by the temptations and the weakness of our human flesh and existence.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this is a reference to the fact of how we are still susceptible to sin and evil, even after the Lord Himself has come to us, in saving us through His ultimate sacrifice on the Cross. He has indeed redeemed and liberated us from the tyranny and dominion of sin, which had ruled and reigned over us ever since the beginning of time, when our ancestors first fell into temptations, disobeyed God and sinned against Him. The Lord had liberated us all from the tyranny and dominion of this original sin of ours, but our human nature and existence remained bound to the world and as long as there is still evil in this world, the temptations to sin and all, we will still be vulnerable and susceptible to sin, and all of its corrupting influences.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the Lord Jesus speaking to His disciples and to the people regarding the matter of signs of nature and how He used that example and comparison to highlight how all of us must always be ever vigilant in keeping mind that at any time, any one of us can be called to be accountable for our lives, our every actions, works and deeds. When will this happen, brothers and sisters in Christ? It is at the end of our worldly existence, our earthly lives, which we absolutely have no idea of when this will exactly happen. This is something that we all must be mindful of, that there is nothing more certain than the certainty of death, that each and every one of us will certainly and definitely die one day, at the time of God’s own choosing. On the contrary, there is nothing more uncertain than the time of our passing from this world.

That is why we must always be prepared for any eventualities and we cannot assume that we still have the time and opportunities to fix whatever is wrong and improper in our lives. The Lord has given us ample time and opportunities to do what He has called, taught and shown us all to do, and we should always strive to do what is right and just in God’s eyes such that we can be truly exemplary in our faith and way of life, in inspiring our fellow brothers and sisters to do the same in their own lives as well. We should always do our best such that our every words, actions and deeds may always truly show our faith, our obedience and commitment to God. It means that we cannot be idle in living our lives as Christians, and we should not be ignorant in not realising what we are all supposed to do each day in our lives.

The Lord pointed out in our Gospel passage today, that we can discern things happening in our world or predict what will happen by observing our environment and all the signs that we can see and feel from the nature. Therefore, if we can do that, in the same way, we should have been capable in discerning how our lives are like as compared to what we are expected to do as Christians, that is as God’s followers and disciples. We all should have heeded God’s call and understood the urgency with which the Lord has always called and reminded us, that we may all live our lives with faith and virtues at all times. We should not allow ourselves to be easily swayed and misguided by sin and all of its allures, its falsehoods and wickedness.

We must also be ever vigilant lest we fall into the temptations and the coercions leading us into the path of sin. Often times, throughout our lives, there will likely be a lot of occasions when we will have to choose between obeying God and His Law, and to follow the path of worldly desires and ambitions, the path of conforming to the norms and habits of this world, which are often against the Lord and His truth. There will be a lot of times when our faith will likely be tested and we will be tempted to do what is against God and His path, but which is more convenient and comfortable for us. The choice is ours whether we want to conform to that easier path, or whether we want to stay faithful and committed to the Lord, although the latter path might be more difficult and challenging for us.

What is important is for each and every one of us to keep in mind and to remember at all times that the Lord has always given us the chance and the help, the guidance and encouragement that we may truly be courageous and strong in our journey of faith. Let us all now therefore be receptive and willing to embrace God and His truth, His love and guidance, so that in each and every moments of our lives, we may always strive to be righteous, just and worthy of Him, and resist all the temptations and the false paths of sin, evil and wickedness of this world, and instead continue to dedicate ourselves wholly to God at all times. May the Lord be with us always and may He empower each and every one of us, in our every moments in life, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Friday, 27 October 2023 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 12 : 54-59

At that time, Jesus said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming’; and so it happens. And when the wind blows from the south, you say, ‘It will be hot’; and so it is. You superficial people! You understand the signs of the earth and the sky, but you do not understand the present times.”

“And why do you not judge for yourselves what is fit? When you go with your accuser before the court, try to settle the case on the way, lest he drag you before the judge, and the judge deliver you to the jailer, and the jail throw you into prison. I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the very last penny.”

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Friday, 27 October 2023 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 118 : 66, 68, 76, 77, 93, 94

Give me knowledge and good judgment, for I trust in Your commands.

You are good, and Your works are good; teach me Your decrees.

Comfort me then with Your unfailing love, as You promised Your servant.

Let Your mercy come, to give me life; for Your Law is my delight.

Never will I forget Your precepts; for with them, You give me life.

Save me, for I am Yours, since I seek Your statutes.

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Friday, 27 October 2023 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Romans 7 : 18-25a

I know, that what is right, does not abide in me, I mean, in my flesh. I can want to do what is right, but I am unable to do it. In fact, I do not do the good I want, but the evil I hate. Therefore, if I do what I do not want to do, I am not the one striving toward evil, but sin, which is in me.

I discover, then, this reality : though I wish to do what is right, the evil within me asserts itself first. My inmost self, agrees and rejoices with the Law of God, but I notice in my body, another law, challenging the Law of the Spirit, and delivering me, as a slave to the law of sin, written in my members.

Alas, for me! Who will free me from this being, which is only death? Let us give thanks to God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

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Thursday, 26 October 2023 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, through the Scripture readings we have heard today, we are all reminded that each and every one of us have been called to follow the Lord in our everyday living and at every moments. All of us as Christians must always be filled with the desire and passion to serve the Lord our God in all circumstances and we must always have the strong commitment to follow the Lord in all things, and live our lives ever more faithfully and courageously in accordance with what God Himself has shown and taught us all. We must not be complacent or be ignorant of our calling to be truly righteous, good, just and worthy of the Lord in all of our actions, words, deeds and way of life at all times. That is because we will likely often face situations and moments when we will have to stand up for our faith, make a firm commitment and choice for the Lord or against the Lord.

In our first reading today, we heard the continuation from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans in which the Apostle highlighted of the contrast and differences between the path of sin, evil and wickedness, with the path of righteousness, justice and virtue, in which the first one is the path that is against God, in rebellion against Him, and therefore leads to death and destruction, eternal damnation and suffering. On the other hand, the other path is the path of obedience to God, of following whatever He has led us into, and in doing all that He has commanded us to do. This latter path leads us into the assurance of eternal life, true joy and glory, which God promised to all of His faithful and beloved people. We have once been subjected to the power of sin and evil, and we have been dominated by them in the past, but through Christ, all of us have been shown and delivered to freedom from the dominion of sin.

Yes, brothers and sisters in Christ, as St. Paul himself had elaborated to the faithful people of God in Rome, all of us who have been called and brought out of the darkness of sin, through the power of Christ, our Lord and Saviour, each and every one of us should no longer do things that are contrary to God’s will, Law and commandments. As Christians, God’s chosen and beloved people, all of us should always strive to do what is right and worthy of God, keeping ourselves pure and blameless, resisting the temptations and the pressures for us to conform to the corrupted ways of sin and disobedience against God, the worldliness and all the attachments to worldly pleasures, glory, achievements and ambitions that can lead us astray from the path that we have been shown towards the Lord, our God. The path of the Lord is different and distinct from the path of sin.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard the Lord pointing out to His disciples and followers, how His coming into this world would not usher an era of peace, harmony and glory for the people, but instead, it would lead to division and disagreements, disunity and resistance, as there would be those who refused to believe in God and His truth, and those would likely oppose the ones who have embraced the Lord and His truth as revealed through Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. At that time, the Jewish people, the people of God had been awaiting for the coming of the Messiah, the One Whom God had promised to His people, that He would come to them, bringing about God’s salvation and liberation from their troubles. However, many of the people thought that the Messiah would come and liberate them all from their Roman and other foreign oppressors, restored an era of peace and glory for Israel, and reestablished David and Solomon’s glorious kingdom.

This was where the Lord Jesus revealed to all of His disciples that the truth about His mission and coming into this world was not that which the people had expected or assumed to be. Instead of bringing about immediately an era of glory and peace to the people of God, the reality is that, such fulfilment of what God promised to His people, to all of us, will come in the future, at the time of His own determination. And His first coming into this world was meant to proclaim God’s truth, Good News and salvation to everyone. Essentially, He was gathering all of His beloved people, His flock back towards Himself. Yet, not all of them would listen to Him, as some of those to whom the Lord had revealed Himself rejected Him and chose to trust in their own path and beliefs, refusing to believe in Him, even though He has shown them all His wisdom and power, His assurance and truths. Why is that so? That is because they allowed themselves to be swayed by worldly temptations and sins, and hence, fell into the wrong paths.

The conflict and disagreements, divisions and hardships that came about because of the disagreements and incompatibilities between those who sided with the Lord and those who refused to believe in Him inevitably happened. That was also exactly why throughout the history of the Church and our Christian faith, many of our predecessors have faced multiple challenges, trials and difficulties because they remained firmly faithful to the Lord, and chose to follow the Lord and trust in Him rather than to obey and conform to the worldly norms and paths. Some chose to abandon God’s path and conform to the path of worldliness and sin to save themselves, but many remained true to their faith in God, and faced persecution, oppression and opposition from even within their own families and friends. Not few among the saints experienced these trials and challenges.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, for all of us, what truly matters is that we need to be prepared to stand up for our faith, and to be true to our calling and mission as Christians. Each and every one of us should always remind ourselves and one another that we are all as members of God’s Church, as parts of His one united Body, we must always stand together, and be filled with the fullness of God’s grace, love and truth. We should always strive to be exemplary and inspirational in how we live our lives, in our every words, actions and deeds, so that even in the smallest of things, in the seemingly least significant of our works, actions and all that we do, and our every interactions with each other, we may always strive to glorify God, and be genuine and faithful Christians.

May the Lord our God continue to strengthen and empower us all, so that in our every day moments, and in our every efforts, good works and commitments, we may always be strong and courageous in living our lives according to the path that God has shown us. Let us all help and support one another so that despite the many trials and challenges that we may have to face amidst our commitment and obedience to God, we will always remain firm and strong in our faith and trust in the Lord. May the Lord bless our efforts and works, and may He continue to journey with each one of us, in our journey of faith, that we may be truly worthy shining beacons of His Good News and truth, leading countless more towards Him. Amen.

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Thursday, 26 October 2023 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 12 : 49-53

At that time, Jesus said to the people, “I have come to bring fire upon the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and what anguish I feel until it is finished! Do you think that I have come to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on, in one house five will be divided : three against two, and two against three.”

“They will be divided, father against son and son against father; mother against daughter and daughter against mother; mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

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Thursday, 26 October 2023 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 1 : 1-2, 3, 4 and 6

Blessed is the man who does not go where the wicked gather, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit where the scoffers sit! Instead, he finds delight in the Law of YHVH and meditates day and night on His commandments.

He is like a tree beside a brook producing its fruit in due season, its leaves never withering. Everything he does is a success.

But it is different with the wicked. They are like chaff driven away by the wind. For YHVH knows the way of the righteous but cuts off the way of the wicked.

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Thursday, 26 October 2023 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Romans 6 : 19-23

You see, that I speak in a very human way, taking into account that you are not fully mature. There was a time, when you let your members be slaves of impurity and disorder, walking in the way of sin; convert them, now, into servants of righteousness, to the point of becoming holy.

When you were slaves of sin, you did not feel under obligation to righteousness, but what were the fruits of those actions, of which you are now ashamed? Such things bring death. Now, however, you have been freed from sin and serve God. You are bearing fruit, and growing in holiness, and the result will be life everlasting.

So, on one side is sin : its reward, death; on the other side, is God : He gives us, by grace, life everlasting, in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

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Wednesday, 25 October 2023 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, each and every one of us are reminded that we are all the ones to whom God has entrusted His creations and all of this world, for us all to govern and take care of them. This also includes our responsibilities and our areas of involvement in various parts of this world, as we carry out our actions, works and interactions with one another, with our fellow brothers and sisters, our loved ones, family members, relatives and friends, and even with acquaintances and strangers in our midst. All of us are expected as Christians to be ever worthy of God, by doing what we have been shown and taught to do, by our Lord Himself, and through the Law and commandments, and all the guidance which He has imparted upon us through His Church.

In our first reading today, from the continuation of the passages from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans which we have heard for much of these past two weeks, we heard of the important reminders from the Apostle St. Paul to all of us the faithful people of God that we should not allow ourselves to be easily tempted and swayed by sin and all of its dangerous allures, all of which may end up leading us down into the wrong path, into our downfall and destruction. God has brought us out of our slavery and subjugation to sin, freed and delivered us from sin’s dangerous threats and control. But this does not mean that we are not going to face any trouble from sin anymore, as there are always those who wait all around us, seeking our destruction and downfall at all times.

Yes, brothers and sisters in Christ, the devil and all of his fellow wicked forces of evil, all of them are always ready at any moment to strike at us and to bring upon us the temptations and allures so that we may end up disobeying God and falling into those temptations, hence committing sin once again, and be corrupted by the sins and the evils we have done. We must not allow sin and evil to have any control over us, and therefore, it is imperative that we attune ourselves well to the Lord, to know Him better and to find out what He truly wants from each and every one of us, that we may always live our lives in the manner that is truly worthy of God, in obeying His Law and commandments, just as the Lord Jesus Himself has shown us, through the perfect obedience that He has shown to us in fulfilling the mission that His heavenly Father has entrusted to Him.

The Lord has come into our midst, bearing His truth and Good News, and brought upon us deliverance and freedom from the tyranny and domination by sin, which have plagued and affected us for so long all these time. He obeyed His Father and showed us all the grace of God, His love and compassionate mercy, all manifested through the ultimate expression of love that Christ has shown us, by His willing endurance and suffering for our sake, by putting our sins and the punishments and consequences due for those sins upon His own shoulders, so that by His wounds and pains, all of us may be healed from our hurts and sins, and be reconciled completely and fully to God, being forgiven and absolved from all of our past wrongdoings, mistakes, evils and failures. Through the Lord, His love and kindness, and the kind of faith that He has shown us and expected us to have, we are all reminded that we should always strive to live lives that are truly holy and worthy of God.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard the Lord speaking to His disciples and followers, and all those who have been there to listen to Him, using the parable of the diligent and lazy stewards to highlight to them why it is really very important for all of them, and hence, all of us as well, to be ever vigilant and to do what we have been expected to do as God’s disciples, followers, as His beloved people. Each and every one of us are truly the stewards that God has entrusted with various aspects of His creations, this world and all that are in them, and we are all entrusted with various talents, abilities and opportunities, that are distinct and unique to each one of us so that hopefully we may indeed make good use of them for the good purposes and for the benefits of all those whom we encounter in our daily lives and at every moments.

The lazy steward is truly representing all those who have been idle and ignorant of their calling and mission in life, to do what God has entrusted each and every one of them to do, in making use of their gifts, talents and abilities for everyone’s benefits. Instead, they wasted their potential, their time and effort on seeking for their own personal ambitions, worldly pleasures and all those things which brought them further and further away from the path of God. Meanwhile, the diligent steward represents those among us who have responded positively to the Lord’s call and commit themselves wholeheartedly to the mission and works which God has entrusted to each and every one of us. In the end, as we heard, when the master came back, the diligent steward was rewarded greatly while the lazy steward received his just punishment.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this is why each and every one of us must always be reminded that we should never allow the allures of worldly pleasures, attachments, the glory of worldly fame and other forms of worldliness, its vices and evils to tempt and lead us astray from the right path. We must not allow sin and evil to enter into our hearts and minds, corrupting them and perverting them away from the path of righteousness and justice. Instead, as Christians, we must always be filled with genuine faith and commitment to God, and we must always strive to do His will, at all times, throughout our whole lives. The Lord has given us many opportunities, means and the various ways for us to contribute our parts and to do what we can in order to glorify Him by our lives, and we should do so, at all times.

Let us all be exemplary in our every words, actions and deeds, and let us do our very best so that we may always be worthy of the Lord in all things. May the Lord continue to help and strengthen us in our journey of faith and life, in each and every moments of our lives, so that we may draw ever closer to God and so that we may continue to serve Him ever more wholeheartedly, and be filled with God’s grace and love, His strength, wisdom and courage. May God bless our efforts, good works and endeavours for His greater glory, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 25 October 2023 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 12 : 39-48

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Pay attention to this : If the master of the house had known at what time the thief would come, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.”

Peter said, “Lord, did You tell this parable only for us, or for everyone?” And the Lord replied, “Imagine, then, the wise and faithful steward, whom the master sets over his other servants, to give them wheat at the proper time. Fortunate is this servant if his master, on coming home, finds him doing his work. Truly, I say to you, the master will put him in charge of all his property.”

“But it may be that the steward thinks, ‘My lord delays in coming,’ and he begins to abuse the male servants and the servant girls, eating and drinking and getting drunk. Then the master will come on a day he does not expect, and at an hour he does not know. He will cut him off, and send him to the same fate as the unfaithful.”

“The servant who knew his master’s will, but did not prepare and do what his master wanted, will be soundly beaten; but the one who does unconsciously what deserves punishment, shall receive fewer blows. Much will be required of the one who has been given much, and more will be asked of the one who has been entrusted with more.”