Month: December 2024

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Friday, 20 December 2024 : 3rd Week of Advent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Luke 1 : 26-38

In the sixth month, the Angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth. He was sent to a young virgin, who was betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the family of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

The Angel came to her and said, “Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you.” Mary was troubled at these words, wondering what this greeting could mean. But the Angel said, “Do not fear, Mary, for God has looked kindly on you. You shall conceive and bear a Son, and you shall call Him Jesus. He will be great, and shall rightly be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the kingdom of David, His ancestor; He will rule over the people of Jacob forever, and His reign shall have no end.”

Then Mary said to the Angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” And the Angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, the Holy Child to be born of you shall be called Son of God. Even your relative Elizabeth is expecting a son in her old age, although she was unable to have a child; and she is now in her sixth month. With God nothing is impossible.”

Then Mary said, “I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me as you have said.” And the Angel left her.

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Friday, 20 December 2024 : 3rd Week of Advent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 23 : 1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6

The earth and its fullness belong to the Lord, the world and all that dwell in it. He has founded it upon the ocean and set it firmly upon the waters.

Who will ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who will stand in His holy place? Those with clean hands and pure heart, who desire not what is vain.

They will receive blessings from the Lord, a reward from God, their Saviour. Such are the people who seek Him, who seek the face of Jacob’s God.

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Friday, 20 December 2024 : 3rd Week of Advent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Isaiah 7 : 10-14

Once again YHVH addressed Ahaz, “Ask for a sign from YHVH your God, let it come either from the deepest depths or from the heights of heaven.”

But Ahaz answered, “I will not ask, I will not put YHVH to the test.” Then Isaiah said, “Now listen, descendants of David. Have you not been satisfied trying the patience of people, that you also try the patience of my God? Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign : The Virgin is with Child and bears a Son and calls His Name Immanuel.”

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Thursday, 19 December 2024 : 3rd Week of Advent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we continue to draw ever closer to the coming of the Christmas season and as we reflect upon the words of the Sacred Scriptures that had been presented to us, we are reminded that all of us must always be rooted firmly in our faith in God and we must always centre our attention on Him as we prepare for the celebration of His coming into this world in Christmas and not be easily swayed by all the false pleasures, resisting them and striving to do our best to obey the Lord and to do His will at all times, being good examples, role models and inspirations for each other in every moments of our lives. We are reminded this day of the great examples shown by two holy men of God who had been called by the Lord and consecrated to Him since their time in their mothers’ womb and how their faith and courage can inspire us in our own lives.

In our first reading today we heard from the Book of the Judges of Israel in which the story of a famous Judge of Israel was told to us, namely that of Samson, one of the later judges of Israel, hailing from the tribe of Dan, and born from the union between Manoah and his wife. At that time, his wife had not been able to bear children despite having definitely made the attempts, but God told Manoah and his wife through His Angel that she would conceive and bear a son, and how this son would be consecrated to God. From the description of what the Angel of God told Manoah and his wife, it was obvious that according to the Law of God, the son to be born to them would become a Nazirite. A Nazirite was someone put aside for the Lord and was consecrated to Him, and he could not touch any alcoholic drinks or cut his hair, among other rules imposed on them.

Therefore, that was how Samson came to be miraculously conceived in the womb of his mother and became a servant of God ever since before he was even born. He led a life in the wilderness in his youth and God was with him, giving him a great strength surpassing that of many others, which eventually made him to be the Judge or leader of all the Israelites, who were then suffering from the attacks and the actions of their Philistine neighbours. Samson led Israel to great many victories against these Philistines and liberated them from their bondage and troubles. God gave him the power and strength to lead His people to victory and triumph against their many enemies, and to restore peace to them.

Later on, if we read on further about the life and works of Samson, we would find out how he fell to the trickery of the Philistines who employed a woman Delilah to seduce him and to cut his hair, which made him to be powerless, and was caught by the Philistines and imprisoned. To the very end, Samson remained faithful to God nonetheless, and in his final moments of life, Samson prayed to God asking for strength and one last support as he brought down the whole building on all the Philistines who were assembled to mock him and to watch him being chained and humiliated. Many of the Philistines perished that day, and God showed His strength and providence yet again for His people, through this most faithful servant of his. Samson was one of the last judges before the days of the Kings, like the famous King David of Israel who would unite all of Israel and bring them to glory and greatness.

Then, in our Gospel passage today from the Gospel of St. Luke the Evangelist we heard the story of another servant of God whose life and details of ministry are somehow seemingly very similar and a close parallel to that of Samson, the Judge of Israel mentioned earlier. St. John the Baptist was born to Zechariah and Elizabeth, and at that time Elizabeth had not been able to conceive a child for many years, just like that of Samson’s mother. And then, the Angel of God, traditionally associated with the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah and told him about how his wife Elizabeth would conceive a child, and how God would be with this child and how his child would become God’s servant, much as how Samson had been, and he would name him John, or in the original Hebrew, Yohanan.

But Zechariah doubted at first and was unsure of what the Angel had told him, and as a result, he became mute until the time of the birth of the child as we heard in our Gospel passage today. When the child had been conceived and then born of Elizabeth, miraculously Zechariah’s mouth was opened again as he wrote down the name that the boy was supposed to be called according to the words and instructions of the Angel of God. This event was a great miracle and cause of rejoicing for many who noted that God was with the child, and indeed, as we follow and read on more about the life of St. John the Baptist, we will realise that his life would be truly very similar to that of the Judge Samson discussed just earlier on. He would also spend much of his time in the wilderness, not cutting his hair and leaving them unkempt like a Nazirite, and it was also mentioned that he did not touch alcoholic drinks.

Later on St. John the Baptist would call on all the people to return to the Lord and to repent from their sins, baptising them with the water of the River Jordan which was how he got the epithet ‘Baptist’ or ‘Baptiser’ that he became well-known for. People in their thousands came to seek him, to be baptised by him, and they sought the Lord and His forgiveness through that symbolic act of baptism by St. John. St. John the Baptist also faced a lot of hurdles as Samson the Judge had faced earlier on, as he had to contend against the stubborn attitudes and actions of the chief priests and the Pharisees who questioned him, doubted his authenticity and refused to listen to him despite his efforts and works that he had done to bring the people of God back towards Him. Later on he would be martyred in the prison of King Herod after he was arrested and then executed by beheading through the machinations of Herodias, the wife of King Herod.

Therefore, we can see how God had brought unto us the great examples of these two holy men and great servants of God, namely that of Samson and St. John the Baptist. Those two great men of God lived their lives faithfully and courageously, devoting their whole lives to God and the mission that He has entrusted to them. We too should be reminded of the missions which God has given to us all, and especially as we prepare for the celebrations around His coming this Christmas, let us all renew our commitment and desire to focus our whole lives, our every efforts and our Christmas preparations and celebrations on the Lord, the One true reason for the Joy of Christmas. Let us always remind ourselves of all that the Lord has done for us, His great love and compassion, and let us continue to proclaim His truth and love in our world today, following in the footsteps of Samson and St. John the Baptist, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 19 December 2024 : 3rd Week of Advent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Luke 1 : 5-25

In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there lived a priest named Zechariah, belonging to the priestly clan of Abiah. Elizabeth, Zechariah’s wife also belonged to a priestly family. Both of them were upright in the eyes of God, and lived blamelessly, in accordance with all the laws and commands of the Lord, but they had no child. Elizabeth could not have any and now they were both very old.

Now, while Zechariah and those with him were fulfilling their office, it fell to him by lot, according to the custom of the priests, to enter the Sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. At the time of offering incense, all the people were praying outside; it was then, that an Angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. On seeing the Angel, Zechariah was deeply troubled and fear took hold of him.

But the Angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, be assured that your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son and you shall name him John. He will bring joy and gladness to you, and many will rejoice at his birth. This son of yours will be great in the eyes of the Lord. Listen : he shall never drink wine or strong drink; but he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb.”

“Through him, many of the people of Israel will turn to the Lord their God. He, himself, will open the way to the Lord, with the spirit and power of the prophet Elijah; he will reconcile fathers and children; and lead the disobedient to wisdom and righteousness, in order to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Zechariah said to the Angel, “How can I believe this? I am an old man and my wife is elderly, too.” The Angel replied, “I am Gabriel, who stands before God; and I am the one sent to speak to you, and to bring you this good news! My words will come true in their time. But you would not believe; and now, you will be silent and unable to speak until this has happened.”

Meanwhile, the people waited for Zechariah; and they were surprised that he delayed so long in the Sanctuary. When he finally appeared, he could not speak to them; and they realised that he had seen a vision in the Sanctuary. He remained dumb and made signs to them. When his time of service was completed, Zechariah returned home; and, some time later, Elizabeth became pregnant.

For five months she kept to herself, remaining at home, and thinking, “This, for me, is the Lord’s doing! This is His time for mercy, and for taking away my public disgrace.”

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Thursday, 19 December 2024 : 3rd Week of Advent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 70 : 3-4a, 5-6ab, 16-17

Be my Rock of refuge; a Stronghold, to give me safety; for You are my Rock and my Fortress. Rescue me, o my God, from the hand of the wicked.

For You, o YHVH, have been my Hope; my Trust, o God, from my youth. I have relied on You from birth : from my mother’s womb You brought me forth.

I will come to Your strength, o YHVH, and announce Your justice, Yours alone. You have taught me from my youth and, until now, I proclaim Your marvels.

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Thursday, 19 December 2024 : 3rd Week of Advent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Judges 13 : 2-7, 24-25a

There was a man of Zorah of the tribe of Dan, called Manoah. His wife could not bear children. The Angel of YHVH appeared to this woman and said to her, “You have not borne children and have not given birth, but see, you are to conceive and give birth to a son.”

“Because of this, take care not to take wine or any alcoholic drink, nor to eat unclean foods from now on, for you shall bear a son who shall be a Nazirite of YHVH from the womb of his mother. Never shall his hair be cut for he is consecrated to YHVH. He shall begin the liberation of the Israelites from the Philistine oppression.”

The woman went to her husband and told him, “A messenger of God who bore the majesty of an Angel spoke to me. I did not ask him where he came from nor did he tell me his name.” “But he said to me : ‘You are to conceive and give birth to a son. Henceforth, you shall not drink wine or fermented drinks, nor eat anything unclean, for your son shall be a Nazirite of God from the womb of his mother until the day of his death.’”

The woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson. The boy grew and YHVH blessed him. Then the Spirit of YHVH began to move him when he was in Mahane Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.

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Wednesday, 18 December 2024 : 3rd Week of Advent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Scriptures and as we continue to move ever closer towards the joyous time of Christmas, we are reminded ever more of everything that the Lord had done for our sake, His beloved ones, as He sent unto us all His Beloved Son, to be our Saviour and Redeemer, freeing us from the chains of sin and death that have afflicted us and prevented us from finding our way back to Him. God has always been ever patient in loving us and in showing us the way to Himself so that we may not be lost forever to Him, but we may be rescued and reunited with Him once again, through everything that He has done for our sake by His Son and all that He showed us, a pure love that has been manifested in our midst.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah, we heard of the Lord reassuring His people with the words of comfort and faithfulness, reminding them that He will send to them His deliverance through the House of David, the prophecy of the Messiah that would restore everything to the people of God, bringing them once again to His righteousness and loving embrace, and breaking them free from the bondage to sin, while referring to what He had once done through the liberation of their ancestors in the days of the Exodus from Egypt. The Lord told all of His people how they would remember Him no longer by what He had done in the earlier case, but in what He has done henceforth, in bringing them all free from the bondage to evil and sin, leading them all to eternal life and true happiness with Him.

And that is exactly what the Lord had done with all of us through the sending of His Son, Jesus Christ, to bring us all from the slavery to sin and evil, just as He had brought His first chosen people the Israelites out from the slavery in Egypt to the Egyptians and their Pharaoh. That time when the Lord brought His people, the Israelites out of the land of Egypt it was in fact a premonition and precursor of the far greater deed that He would do later on, in freeing not just the select few among mankind to bring them out of their physical slavery to freedom, but He would lead all of mankind to the liberation and freedom through His Son, opening the path to the eternal life and true happiness with Him, just as He had brought and led His people to the Promised Land earlier on.

He also made and renewed the Covenant which He had once made with His people, and this time, it would be an Eternal and unbreakable Covenant, sealed not by the blood of animals and sacrificial offerings, but by the very Blood of the Lamb of God, the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ Himself, Who would go on to offer Himself on the Altar of the Cross. Through His most loving sacrifice, the Lord our Saviour has restored us and redeemed us from our many sins and mistakes, His Precious Blood having purchased the price of our redemption, much as how the blood of the unblemished lamb in Egypt had allowed the Israelites to escape the final plague of death while the Egyptians suffered from it. Through the new Christian Passover, the Lord has liberated us all from certain death and destruction, by the power of His loving and ultimate sacrifice.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of how St. Joseph and Mary came together at the time when the Lord was conceived in the womb of Mary through the power of the Holy Spirit and by the will of the Father. At that time, St. Joseph was betrothed to Mary, but he found out as mentioned in the passage that Mary was with Child, not knowing earlier on that the Child was truly the Saviour, the Son of God incarnate in the flesh. Yet, we heard how St. Joseph was truly an upright and just man, who considered carefully what he was about to do, as it was quite obvious that St. Joseph also trusted Mary, knowing her and how upright and virtuous she was, that it was also impossible for her to have any extramarital relationships with another man before her marriage. If a woman were to be known to have such an affair, the punishment for that was being stoned to death, and it was likely that St. Joseph wanted Mary to avoid that fate.

Then we heard how God sent His Angel to tell St. Joseph in his dream that the Child inside the womb of Mary is none other than the Son of God Himself, the One Who was promised to the world, the Saviour of all, and it was truly by God’s will that Mary had borne this Child. The Angel strengthened and reassured St. Joseph, who faithfully and willingly bore the part that he was to play in becoming the foster father of Our Lord and Saviour, the father figure of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the protector of the Holy Child, caring and taking care of the Lord when He was still young, being His foster father and teacher, teaching Him about the necessary skills and wisdom of the world as He was growing up in Nazareth before His ministry among the people of God.

This link to St. Joseph was highlighted to us in our Gospel passage today to remind us all that Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour is truly the One promised by God, the Son and Heir of David Who had been sent into this world in order to save it from destruction, leading us all from the edge of damnation and back into the path towards eternal life. This is because St. Joseph according to his genealogy was the senior heir of King David by descent from him, and by the order of succession in the ancient Israelite kingship, and hence, by his legal fatherhood as the husband of Mary, the Mother of Our Lord Jesus, this made the Lord Jesus to be the legitimate Heir of David, and hence, the fulfilment of all the prophecies that God had made to His people about the coming of His salvation.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore continue to uphold this faith which all of us should have in our Saviour, Jesus Christ, the One Whose coming into this world we are about to celebrate this upcoming Christmas season. Let us all as Christians be good role models in how we live our lives so that by our every actions, words and deeds, and by how we prepare our Christmas festivities and celebrations, we will always put Christ at the centre of all things and place Him at the heart of everything that we say and do. Let us all be good inspiration to everyone around us and be the good and worthy bearers of God’s light, hope and truth to all, to bear forth the Good News of God to everyone we encounter in each and every moments of our lives.

May the Lord continue to guide and strengthen us in our Advent journey and preparations so that all of us may find this time fruitful and meaningful in helping us to centre our focus and attention once again to the Lord in this coming joyful season and time of Christmas. Amen.

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Wednesday, 18 December 2024 : 3rd Week of Advent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Matthew 1 : 18-24

This is how Jesus Christ was born : Mary His mother had been given to Joseph in marriage, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph, her husband, made plans to divorce her in all secrecy. He was an upright man, and in no way did he want to disgrace her.

While he was pondering over this, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, she has conceived by the Holy Spirit, and now she will bear a Son. You shall call Him ‘Jesus’ fo He will save His people from their sins.”

All this happened in order to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet : The Virgin will conceive and bear a Son, and He will be called Emmanuel, which means : God-with-us. When Joseph awoke, he did what the Angel of the Lord had told him to do, and he took his wife to his home.

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Wednesday, 18 December 2024 : 3rd Week of Advent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 71 : 1-2, 12-13, 18-19

God, endow the King with Your justice, the royal Son with Your righteousness. May He rule Your people justly and defend the rights of the lowly.

He delivers the needy who call on Him, the afflicted, with no one to help them. His mercy is upon the weak and the poor; He saves the lives of the poor.

Praised be YHVH, God of Israel, Who alone, works so marvellously. Praised be His glorious Name forever; may the whole earth be filled with His glory! Amen. Amen.