Liturgical Colour : Green
Psalm 150 : 1-2, 3-4, 5-6
Alleluia! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in the vault of heaven. Praise Him for His mighty deeds; praise Him for His own greatness.
Praise Him with trumpet blast; praise Him with lyre and harp. Praise Him with dance and tambourines; praise Him with pipe and strings.
Praise Him with clashing cymbals; praise Him with clanging cymbals. Let everything that breathes sing praise to the Lord. Alleluia!
Liturgical Colour : Green
Revelations 4 : 1-11
After this, I looked up to the wall of the sky and saw an open door. The voice which I had first speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here and I will show you what will come in the future.”
Immediately I was seized by the Spirit. There, in heaven, was a throne and One sitting on it. He Who sat there looked like jasper and carnelian and round the throne was a rainbow resembling an emerald. In a circle around the throne are twenty-four thrones and seated on these are twenty-four elders, dressed in white clothes, with golden crowns on their heads.
Flashes of lightning come forth from the throne, with voices and thunderclaps. Seven flaming torches burn before the throne; these are the seven Spirits of God. Before the throne there is a platform, transparent like crystal. Around and beside the throne stand four living creatures, full of eyes, both in front and behind.
The first living creature is like a lion, the second like a bull, the third has the face of a man and the fourth looks like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures has six wings full of eyes, all around as well as within; day and night they sing without ceasing, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, Master of the universe, Who was, and is and is to come.”
Whenever the living creatures give glory, honour and thanks to the One on the throne, He Who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him and worship the One Who lives forever and ever. They lay their crowns in front of the throne and say, “Our Lord and God, worthy are You to receive glory, honour and power! For You have created all things; by Your will they came to be and were made.”
Liturgical Colour : Green
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, it is clear that we are all reminded to repent from our many wickedness and sins, to stop our acts of disobedience towards God and all the things which had separated us from Him, all the things that had kept us from being able to commit ourselves thoroughly and wholeheartedly to His path. All of us are reminded that God has always been rich in mercy and generous in offering us His compassionate love and kindness, and all of us are truly precious to Him, being those whom He has always loved and cared for from the very beginning, and He has created us all with love and truly intends for us all to enjoy the fullness of His love and grace.
In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Revelations of St. John the Apostle, we heard of the words of the Apostle reminding the faithful people of God throughout the many prominent early churches that were spread then across Christendom of the words of the Lord that had been passed and revealed to him in the series of the revelations and visions he received while he was exiled to the Island of Patmos, many decades after the Lord’s Passion, suffering, death and Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven. The Lord showed St. John what happened to those who have not obeyed the Lord and followed His ways, those who have fallen into the path of wickedness and evil, and refused to listen to Him and turn towards the light of God. He also showed then what those who have been living righteously and worthily of the Lord will enjoy at the end of time.
Thus, St. John passed on the words of the Lord delivered through the visions that he had received to the faithful people of God across Christendom, reminding them and all of us of all that we are expected to do as God’s people, His disciples and followers. We must not be lukewarm in our faith and be ignorant of our calling and the missions which God has entrusted to us, reminding all of us that everything that we should be actively doing in our lives, in each and every one of our actions and interactions with one another. We must show love and compassion to our fellow brothers and sisters around us, to be the shining beacons of God’s light, hope and truth to everyone, so that everyone may know the Lord through our dedication and commitment, our every examples and inspiration in life.
Then, from our Gospel passage today taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke we heard of the famous story of the encounter between the Lord Jesus and Zaccheus the infamous tax collector, which I am sure that all of us are quite familiar with. At that occasion, as we heard from the Gospel, the Lord was visiting the place where Zaccheus lived in, and Zaccheus, being intrigued and wanting to meet the Lord, made the effort to go and climb up a tree to be able to see Him, as he was short in stature. And already here in that part, we see the first of Zaccheus’ good qualities, being the effort that he put into seeking the Lord, going out of his way to seek Him and to find Him, when many others could be less bothered to do the same, ignoring Him and even rejecting His message and refusing to believe in Him.
Then, not only that, but Zaccheus also pledged Himself to the Lord in a most public manner before everyone who were assembled there, pledging that he would undo whatever wicked things and deeds that he might have done in the past as a tax collector. One of the many reasons why tax collectors during the time of the Lord Jesus were often reviled, hated and ostracised was that they were themselves corrupt, putting heavier taxes on the people while pocketing some of those gains for their own selfish desires and ambitions. Zaccheus must have been doing the same and hence, he was mentioned as being quite notorious among the people. But the Lord did not care about all that, as what He truly saw in Zaccheus is the potential as well as the strong desire to seek Him, which Zaccheus committed firmly in his public confession of faith and desire to repent from his many sins.
Zaccheus showed us all that even the greatest of sinners may have a change of heart and repent from his or her many sins, provided that the sinner is willing to embrace God’s most generous and wonderful love and mercy, like Zaccheus had done. His public form of repentance and commitment, as well as the desire to follow the Lord is an inspiration for many of us that God truly loves us all and wants us all, His beloved children and people to come back to Him and to be reconciled and reunited with Him without any exception. No one is truly beyond God’s rich mercy and love, and we should keep this in mind as we continue to progress through this life. We must not forget that God loves each and every one of us and He does not discriminate us one from another. It is always us who made artificial and man-made categories and barriers separating us from other people.
We should begin with following the example of humility that Zaccheus had shown us all and also the realisation that we are all sinners, imperfect and flawed, needing God’s healing and mercy above all else. We cannot and should not think that we are better and superior than others, or that there are those who does not deserve God’s love and kindness. In fact, if we see around us that there are those who are bereft of love, compassion and kindness, we should lead the way in showing them the genuine love that our Lord Himself has shown to us. In each and every one of our actions, words and deeds, in our every efforts and works, in our every interactions, we should always show love, care and concern for everyone without prejudice, and strive to seek the Lord together, helping and supporting one another in this endeavour.
May the Lord, our ever loving and compassionate God, our patient and ever caring Father, continue to bless us all with His love and grace, and help us to open our hearts and minds to Him, to get rid of the pride and stubbornness which had prevented us to come towards His salvation. May His compassionate love and mercy embrace us all much as He Himself has embraced Zaccheus the penitent in the past. May God always be with us and may He continue to journey together with us as He has always done, in our every efforts and endeavours, now and forevermore. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : Green
Luke 19 : 1-10
At that time, when Jesus entered Jericho and passed through the city, a man named Zaccheus lived there. He was a tax collector and a wealthy man. He wanted to see what Jesus was like, but he was a short man and could not see Him because of the crowd.
So he ran ahead and climbed up a sycamore tree. From there he would be able to see Jesus, Who was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, “Zaccheus, Zaccheus, come down quickly, for I must stay at your house today.” So Zaccheus climbed down and received Him joyfully.
All the people who saw it began to grumble, and said, “He has gone as a guest to the house of a sinner.” But Zaccheus spoke to Jesus, “Half of what I own, Lord, I will give to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will pay him back four times as much.”
Looking at him Jesus said, “Salvation has come to this house today, for he is also a true son of Abraham. The Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”
Liturgical Colour : Green
Psalm 14 : 2-3ab, 3cd-4ab, 5
Those who walk blamelessly and do what is right, who speak truth from their heart and control their words.
Those who do no harm to their neighbours and cast no discredit on their companions, who look down on evildoers but highly esteem God’s servants.
Those who do not lend money at interest and refuse a bribe against the innocent. Do this, and you will soon be shaken.
Liturgical Colour : Green
Revelations 3 : 1-6, 14-22
Write this to the Angel of the Church in Sardis, “Thus says He Who holds the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars : ‘I know your worth : you think you live but you are dead. Wake up and strengthen that which is not already dead. For I have found your works to be imperfect in the sight of My God.”
“‘Remember what you were taught; keep it and change your ways. If you do not repent I will come upon you like a thief at an hour you least expect. Yet, there are some left in Sardis who have not soiled their robes; these will come with Me, dressed in white, since they deserve it. The victor will be dressed in white and I will never erase his name from the book of life; instead, I will acknowledge it before My Father and His Angels.'”
“‘Let anyone who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the Churches.'”
Write this to the Angel of the Church in Laodicea, “Thus says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of God’s creation : ‘I know your works : you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! You are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold so I will spit you out of My mouth.'”
“‘You think you are rich and have piled up so much that you need nothing, but you do not realise that you are wretched and to be pitied, poor, blind and naked. I advise you to buy from Me gold that has been tested by fire, so that you may be rich, and white clothes to wear so that your nakedness may not shame you, and ointment for your eyes that you may see. I reprimand and correct all those I love. Be earnest and change your ways.'”
“‘Look, I stand at the door and knock. If you hear My call and open the door, I will come in to you and have supper with you, and you with Me. I will let the victor sit with Me on My throne just as I was victorious and took My place with My Father on His throne. Let anyone who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the Churches.'”
Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Dedication of the Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church marks the occasion of the Dedication of the two great churches of Christendom, following after just over a week ago the celebration of the Dedication of the Lateran Archbasilica, the Archbasilica of the Most Holy Saviour and of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist in Lateran, the Cathedral of the Vicar of Christ in Rome, the Mother Church of the whole world. Today, the two other great churches, namely the Papal Basilica of St. Peter in Vatican and the Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls are remembered in their dedication and consecration to become hallowed and worthy places of Divine worship and the sacred offering of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, to be the dwelling place of God Himself amongst us.
The Basilica of St. Peter in Vatican and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls together with the Lateran Archbasilica and the Basilica of St. Mary Major are altogether known as the Four Major Papal Basilicas, which were all built and then consecrated to God in the city of Rome, where the Apostolic See and the Throne of St. Peter, the first Pope and Vicar of Christ as Bishop of Rome was established. And these two great Basilicas which Dedication we remember today are celebrated together because of the importance of both St. Peter and St. Paul both to the Church in Rome as well as to the whole entire Universal Church. St. Peter as mentioned was the first Pope and the Vicar of Christ as the leader and Prince of the Apostles, while St. Paul was the Apostle to the Gentiles, the great missionary and evangeliser who dedicated his life to proclaim the Good News of God to everyone.
And these two great Basilicas are truly strongly intertwined with the story of these two Apostles as they were related to the history of their last mission and work in Rome, then the capital of the great and mighty Roman Empire, proclaiming the Word of God and His Good News to the still mostly pagan people of Rome and its surrounding regions. The Basilica of St. Peter in Vatican, in the region that is now the Sovereign State of the Vatican City stood atop the ancient area which was just outside the city of Rome during the time of the early Church, where a great Circus existed, for the purpose of races and games by the Romans, and where many of the faithful were persecuted and made to suffer martyrdom there, including that of St. Peter himself, who was martyred by the intense persecution of Christians under the Roman Emperor Nero about three decades plus after the death of Christ.
St. Paul was also martyred during that same period of intense persecution of Christians by the Romans, when many of those faithful were framed by the Roman Emperor Nero according to historical tradition, for the Great Fire of Rome that destroyed much of the city of Rome. The truth according to many historians is that probably the Emperor himself was the one responsible for the great fire, but the eccentric Emperor found it very convenient to put the blame on the Christians of Rome which were seen as foreign by the Romans due to their beliefs, and were also hated by the Jewish diaspora who disagreed with the Christian teachings. Therefore, it is easy for them to be targetted by the persecutions and the oppressions from the Roman state, especially as the Christians also refused to offer sacrifices to the pagan Roman idols and to the deified Roman Emperors.
In any case, the persecution ended with many Christians being martyred as mentioned, and like St. Peter, who was crucified upside-down in the ground that was to become the Vatican Necropolis and the Basilica of St. Peter, St. Paul himself was beheaded. The site that is to become the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls was the place where the Apostle lived during his stay in Rome which was recorded at the last part of the Acts of the Apostles, which we heard in our first reading passage today. Both of those holy places therefore served as important reminder of these two great saints of God, the ones whom God had entrusted with the mission and guidance of the Universal Church, either through the faithful leadership of St. Peter as the Chief of all the Apostles and Vicar of Christ, as well as the vigorous evangelising missionary efforts of St. Paul.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we all also listened in our Gospel passage today in commemoration of the Dedication of the two Basilicas, we heard of the story of the time when the Lord Jesus appeared to the disciples who were in the middle of the lake, attacked and troubled greatly by the storm which were happening all around them, with the great waves and wind threatening to sink the boat that they were all in. The Lord appeared to them at that darkest of moments as a source of Hope to all of them. They were all terrified thinking that He was a ghost, but the Lord told them all not to be afraid and to trust in Him. St. Peter was the first to say to the Lord that if He was truly their Lord and Master, then he would be able to walk on the water towards Him, which he then did, after the Lord invited him to do so. We heard how St. Peter stumbled and doubted seeing all the great waves and storm, and began to sink, only to be rescued by the Lord, Who then proceeded to calm the storm.
This is a reminder for all of us that the Apostles themselves were once humble men and women like us, and just like us, they were also sinners, with their doubts and imperfections, and they also face the same struggles as we do. St. Peter himself according to Apostolic tradition faced difficulties and struggles throughout his life and ministry, on top of his doubts as recorded in the Scriptures where he denied knowing the Lord during the time of His Passion. Then at the time of his suffering and martyrdom in Rome, it was told that St. Peter faltered somewhat having seen all the persecutions and martyrdom happening all around him, and he fled the city of Rome, only to encounter a vision of the Lord Jesus Himself bearing His Cross to Rome.
When St. Peter asked the Lord where He was going, the Lord told him that He was going to Rome to be crucified again. Humbled by shame at his indecisiveness and lack of faith, St. Peter went back to Rome and gave himself to be martyred, and asked to be crucified upside down as he felt unworthy to die in the exact same manner as his Lord and Master. Then, St. Paul himself as all of us know well, was a great enemy and persecutor of early Christians as an overzealous and fanatical young Pharisee, striking at many of the believers of the Lord and arresting many of them on behalf of the chief priests and the members of the Sanhedrin. But the Lord had a different plan for this young man, whom He encountered and called on the way to Damascus, which eventually led to the conversion of the young Saul, who henceforth as St. Paul devoted himself wholly to the service of God.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore as we rejoice greatly on the occasion of the celebration of this anniversary of the Dedication of the two Basilicas, dedicated to the two great servants of God, St. Peter and St. Paul, whose lives we have just discussed about, let us all therefore be reminded of their great courage and faith, and also how they have turned their lives for the better by following the Lord and committing themselves to Him. They both serve as great reminders for all of us that we ourselves have also been called to be great servants and disciples of the Lord, to proclaim Him in our world today and to do what the Lord has entrusted us all to do in our own respective capacities and opportunities we have been given.
Let us all therefore strive to be ever more faithful to the Lord in all things, being ever more filled with God’s love and grace and to be truly worthy of Him, dedicating ourselves ever more to His cause. May the Lord continue to help us and strengthen each one of us, that He will always grant us His power and blessings in all the efforts and endeavours we carry out in life, now and always. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Dedication of the Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls)
Luke 18 : 35-43
At that time, when Jesus drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road, begging. As he heard the crowd passing by, he inquired what was happening, and they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was going by.
Then he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” The people in front of him scolded him. “Be quiet!” they said, but he cried out all the more, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Jesus stopped, and ordered the blind man to be brought to Him; and when he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And the man said, “Lord, that I may see!” Jesus said, “Receive your sight, your faith has saved you.”
At once the blind man was able to see, and he followed Jesus, giving praise to God. And all the people who were there also praised God.
Alternative reading (from Mass for Dedication of the Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls)
Matthew 14 : 22-33
At that time, immediately, Jesus obliged His disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowd away. And having sent the people away, He went up the mountain by Himself, to pray. At nightfall, He was there alone. Meanwhile, the boat was very far from land, dangerously rocked by the waves, for the wind was against it.
At daybreak, Jesus came to them, walking on the sea. When they saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, thinking that it was a ghost. And they cried out in fear. But at once, Jesus said to them, “Courage! Do not be afraid. It is Me!” Peter answered, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
Jesus said to him, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water to go to Jesus. But seeing the strong wind, he was afraid, and began to sink; and he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately stretched out His hand and took hold of him, saying, “Man of little faith, why did you doubt?”
As they got into the boat, the wind dropped. Then those in the boat bowed down before Jesus, saying, “Truly, You are the Son of God!”
Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Dedication of the Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls)
Psalm 1 : 1-2, 3, 4 and 6
Blessed is the one 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 the Lord 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 the Lord knows the way of the righteous but cuts off the way of the wicked.
Alternative reading (from Mass for Dedication of the Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls)
Psalm 97 : 1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 5-6
Sing to YHVH a new song, for He has done wonders; His right hand, His holy arm, has won victory for Him.
YHVH 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 YHVH, 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, YHVH!
Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Dedication of the Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls)
Revelations 1 : 1-4 and Revelations 2 : 1-5a
The Revelation of Jesus Christ. God gave it to Him to let His servants know what is soon to take place. He sent His Angel to make it known to His servant, John, who reports everything he saw, for this is the word of God and the declaration of Jesus Christ.
Happy is the one who reads aloud these prophetic words, and happy those who hear them and treasure everything written here, for the time is near. From John to the seven Churches of Asia : receive grace and peace from Him Who is, Who was and Who is to come, and from the seven Spirits of God which are before His throne.
Write this to the Angel of the Church in Ephesus, “Thus says the One Who holds the seven stars in His right hand and Who walks among the seven golden lampstands : ‘I know your works, your difficulties and your patient suffering. I know you cannot tolerate evildoers but have tested those who call themselves Apostles and have proved them to be liars. You have persevered and have suffered for My Name without losing heart.”
“Nevertheless, I have this complaint against you : you have lost your first love. Remember from where you have fallen and repent.”
Alternative reading (from Mass for Dedication of the Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls)
Acts 28 : 11-16, 30-31
After three months, we boarded a ship that had spent the winter at the island. It belonged to an Alexandrian company, and carried the figurehead of Castor and Pollux as insignia. We sailed for Syracuse, staying there for three days; and, after circling the coast, we arrived at Rhegium.
On the following day, a south wind began to blow, and, at the end of two days, we arrived at Puteoli, where we found some of our brothers, who invited us to stay with them for a week. And that was how we came to Rome. There, the brothers and sisters had been informed of our arrival, and came out to meet us as far as the Appian Forum and the Three Taverns.
When Paul saw them, he gave thanks to God and took courage. Upon our arrival in Rome, the captain turned the prisoners over to the military governor, but permitted Paul to lodge in a private house, with the soldier who guarded him.
Paul stayed for two whole years, in a house he, himself, rented, where he received, without any hindrance, all those who came to see him. He proclaimed the kingdom of God, and taught the truth about Jesus Christ, the Lord, quite openly and without any hindrance.
petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang 