Month: February 2025

by

Friday, 7 February 2025 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the kind of life and actions that we are all expected to do as Christians, that is as those who are considered as followers and disciples of the Lord, and who have professed our faith in God. Each and every one of us as Christians must always strive to be truly devoted, genuine and committed to God, doing whatever we can so that by our holy and exemplary lives, we may always be good examples, role models and inspirations to everyone whom we encounter daily in life. We should be the shining beacons of God’s light, hope and truth, showing forth Who our Lord and Saviour is through our good examples and lives.

In our first reading today, taken from the continuation of the discourse from the Epistle to the Hebrews, we heard of the words of the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews exhorting the faithful people of God from among the Jewish community to follow the path which the Lord has shown and taught them, that they all ought to obey sincerely and truly the Law and commandments of God by living their lives as good and devout followers of God, in being faithful to one another, as spouses and members of the family and the loving community of God’s people, to be ever righteous and just in everything that they say and do, so that they may be good examples to everyone. They were reminded to be kind and loving to those who are suffering, and to follow the examples of Christ Himself.

All of us as Christians ought to embody our faith in our everyday living, doing our best so that we may reveal the Lord and His truth to everyone we encounter in our daily living. It is through each and every one of us that God may be proclaimed and glorified, and it is indeed our duty and responsibility to be missionary and evangelistic in our everyday actions and life. If we cannot carry out these faithfully and live our lives instead in the manner that is contrary to our faith, full of sin and wickedness, then we cannot call or consider ourselves as true Christians, as God’s truly beloved and faithful disciples, the ones whom He had called and chosen to be His own. Many people throughout history had been called by God and came to His salvation through the great examples of many of those who have lived their lives worthily as Christians, and equally many had been prevented and repulsed from doing so by the wickedness of those who called themselves as Christians as well.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Mark the account of the time when St. John the Baptist, the Herald of the Messiah was imprisoned after having been arrested by King Herod Antipas upon his criticism and rebuke of the adulterous relationship which the king had with his own brother’s wife, Herodias, the wife of Philip, the brother of Herod Antipas himself. This relationship was considered as adulterous because according to inferences of Scriptural records and historical evidence, Philip, the brother of Herod was still very much alive, and this marriage had produced a daughter, the one named as the daughter of Herodias in the Gospel today, likely the stepdaughter of Herod. As Herod’s brother was still alive, for him to take his own brother’s wife as his own was adulterous.

Therefore, St. John the Baptist harshly rebuked the immoral behaviour of the king, which did not show a good example for the people under his dominion and leadership, among other wicked deeds he had done. And as we heard, this led to him being hated especially by Herodias, who plotted to have him killed, and this succeeded when Herodias managed to get Herod to make promises to her daughter, when he was bewitched by her beauty during a celebration, and hence, as we heard, Herod had no choice but to order the execution of the holy man of God, who was beheaded, and his head was delivered to Herodias on a platter. St. John the Baptist, the Herald of the Messiah, the one to announce the coming of the Lord, was faithful to the very end, and showed his faith to all of us as good inspiration and example.

This is of course contrasted to the wicked deeds of Herod Antipas, which if we recall what we have just discussed from our first reading today, is yet another reminder for us why all of us as Christians cannot act and live our lives in a manner that is contrary to God’s Law and commandments, to His will and path, and to cause scandal because of our immoral and improper way of life. All of us as God’s people ought to reflect His light, truth and love, and this has to be done in each and every moments of our lives, or else we are no more than hypocrites who claim to profess in believing in God, and yet, we do not truly believe in Him wholeheartedly as we all should have done. Each one of us have indeed been saved by our faith in God, but this faith has to be made concrete and alive through true action in our lives, or else, it is just merely empty, dead and meaningless faith.

And we must remember that our every actions, words and deeds, our whole lives and every moments in our existence will be held accountable on the Day of Judgment. If we have been faithful and committed ourselves sincerely and lovingly to the Lord, to the cause He has entrusted to us, and doing what we can to glorify God even in the smallest things we do in life, then we shall be righteous and justified because of this living and genuine faith which we have in God. On the contrary, if we have ignored our calling and mission in life, refusing to do what we are able to do to help others around us, to do what is God according to God’s Law and commandments, then those failures and omissions will be judged against us, and the Lord may count us among the unworthy and the condemned.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore let us all continue to do whatever we can so that in our everyday living. we may always be good and faithful beacons of God’s light to everyone, to be great examples and inspirations to our brothers and sisters in our midst, to help many others to come to know the Lord and His truth, by sharing our faith with them, and by walking this path of life with righteousness and virtue in all the things that we say and do. May God bless us always, and may He empower us in all the efforts and works that we do so that our every good works and endeavours may bring even more good things and be ever more fruitful, now and forevermore. Let us all be good and worthy disciples of God, His beloved and holy children, His holy people. Amen.

by

Friday, 7 February 2025 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Mark 6 : 14-29

At that time, king Herod also heard about Jesus, because His Name had become well-known. Some people said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in Him.” Others thought, “He is a prophet like the prophets of times past.” When Herod was told of this, he thought, “I had John beheaded, yet he has risen from the dead!”

For this is what had happened : Herod had ordered John to be arrested, and had had him bound and put in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. Herod had married her, and John had told him, “It is not right for you to live with your brother’s wife.”

So Herodias held a grudge against John; and wanted to kill him, but she could not, because Herod respected John. He knew John to be an upright and holy man, and kept him safe. And he liked listening to him, although he became very disturbed, whenever he heard him.

Herodias had her chance on Herod’s birthday, when he gave a dinner for all the senior government officials, military chiefs, and the leaders of Galilee. On that occasion the daughter of Herodias came in and danced; and she delighted Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want and I will give it to you.”

And he went so far as to say with many oaths, “I will give you anything you ask, even half my kingdom.” She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” The mother replied, “The head of John the Baptist.” The girl hurried to the king and made her request, “I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist, here and now, on a dish.”

The king was very displeased, but he would not refuse in front of his guests because of his oaths. So he sent one of his bodyguards with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded John in prison; then he brought the head on a dish and gave it to the girl. And the girl gave it to her mother.

When John’s disciples heard of this, they came and took his body and buried it.

by

Friday, 7 February 2025 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 26 : 1, 3, 5, 8b-9abc

The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the rampart of my life; I will not be afraid.

Though an army encamp against me, my heart will not fail; though war break out against me, I will still be confident.

For He will keep me safe in His shelter in times of misfortune; He will hide me beneath His roof, and set me high upon a rock.

I seek Your face, o Lord. Do not hide Your face from me nor turn away Your servant in anger. You are my Protector, do not reject me.

by

Friday, 7 February 2025 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Hebrews 13 : 1-8

Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to offer hospitality; you know that some people have entertained Angels without knowing it. Remember prisoners as if you were with them in chains, and the same for those who are suffering. Remember that you also have a body.

Marriage must be respected by all and husband and wife faithful to each other. God will punish the immoral and the adulterous. Do not depend on money. Be content with having enough for today for God has said : I will never forsake you or abandon you, and we shall confidently answer : The Lord is my Helper, I will not fear; what can man do to me?

Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Consider their end and imitate their faith. Christ Jesus is the same today as yesterday and forever.

by

Thursday, 6 February 2025 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the mission and vocation that each and every one of us as Christians, as God’s holy people, as His disciples and followers had been entrusted with. All of us have been given the various responsibilities, missions and all the things that we are supposed to do in our world today, amongst our communities and our circles of friends, families and to everyone whom we encounter daily in life. We should keep in mind how blessed and fortunate all of us have been, to be beloved and taken care of by the Lord, Who has patiently kept His attention on us, in His persistent and patient love for us, despite our frequent disobedience and rebelliousness, that He still always provide us the path and the assurance to return to Him, so that we may be forgiven from our sins and be truly reconciled with Him.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle to the Hebrews, we heard of the words of the author recounting the events of the moment when the Israelites, the ancestors of the Jewish community to whom he was addressing in this Epistle, encountered the Lord at the moment of their time in Mount Sinai, the Mountain of God. The author recounted the events that happened and how terrifying signs and wonders occurred on that day, with great thunder and loud sounds, as the glory of God descended to the mountain, to the people that He has chosen and loved. Yet, the author also reminded the people of the reality of just how fortunate all of them had been because God had come into their midst and how they all have been called to share in the glorious inheritance that He had intended for all of them.

Therefore, at the same time, the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews reminded the faithful among the Jewish community about the greatness of God and why they ought to worship Him as their one and only God, and at the same time also highlighting how God, despite being great beyond compare and transcendent, Almighty and all-glorious, but He also loves all of His children equally, wanting all of them to share in His love, and He has called on all of them to come to Him, to share in the joy of their loving Father, Who created them out of love, and Who showed them how they could return to Him through all the guidance and help that He has provided to them. God reminded His people therefore through this Epistle that He has made Himself available top us, and He did this especially through none other than His own only Begotten Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the moment when the Lord Jesus sent out His disciples on mission, in pairs as He gave them the commandment to carry out the works He entrusted to them, giving them the power and authority to heal the sick and perform various miracles, casting out demons and doing many other good works that He has tasked them all to do, to spread forth and expand ever further the reach of God’s love and care for His people, His beloved ones. And this is yet another reminder for us of the great love which God has for each and every one of us, showing us just how generous He has been in caring for us and in His desire to see us liberated from the tyranny of sin and death, offering us all freely His salvation through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour.

And through what we heard in our Gospel passage today, we are being reminded of the important missions which God has entrusted to all of us in His Church. The works of the Church and the missions initiated by the Apostles and the disciples of the Lord back then were still far from over, as each and every day, there are ever more opportunities and places, times and moments when there are more and more souls in need of the knowledge of God and His salvation. Many are also still enslaved by the power of sin and darkness, and unless we do something, many of our fellow brothers and sisters will succumb to the darkness and may slip away from the Lord towards eternal damnation. And this is not what we should allow to happen, as long as we can do something to prevent that.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Paul Miki and his companions, also known as the Holy Martyrs of Japan or the Twenty-Six Holy Martyrs of Nagasaki. St. Paul Miki himself was a Japanese layman who was born to a rich and noble family. He and his family, like many Japanese of that time, especially in the region of Nagasaki and Kyushu, converted to the Christian faith due to the efforts and hard work of the Jesuit missionaries, who laboured hard and spent a lot of time preaching about the Good News of God to the Japanese. It was told that about three hundred thousand or so Christians, both among the commonsfolk and the nobility existed at that time in Japan, and many more were converting to the faith. St. Paul Miki himself joined the Jesuits or the Society of Jesus after his conversion, and afterwards worked in evangelising his fellow Japanese, gaining many more converts to the Church.

It was at that time that the then de facto ruler of Japan, the Kampaku or Regent, Hideyoshi Toyotomi, who began to fear the influence that Christianity and its apparent supporters, the Western powers like Spain and Portugal, had on Japan, and therefore, began to implement edicts and orders to restrain the spread of the Christian faith, as well as persecuting those who have converted to Christianity, including also the missionaries, both the foreign and local missionaries alike. Many Christians were forced to abandon their faith in the Lord on the pain of persecution and torture, and while some gave in to the temptations and pressures, many others refused to give up their faith and chose to suffer and die for the Lord and for their faith in Him.

In the case of St. Paul Miki, he and other missionaries and Christian converts were arrested and tortured, and after they had been sentenced to death in Kyoto, the then capital of Japan, for refusing to give in to their faith, it was famously told that they were forced to march almost a thousand kilometres from Kyoto to the city of Nagasaki, the place of their martyrdom. While they were marching, tortured and persecuted, they continued to hold up their faith in God confidently, singing the Te Deum, the glorious hymn praising and glorifying God as they went on the journey towards their martyrdom. St. Paul Miki and his companions in martyrdom, all the twenty-six of them were crucified at the hill overlooking the city of Nagasaki, where their shrine now stands today.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore continue to keep in mind God’s great love for us, and hence, show our appreciation and gratitude through our own strong and genuine faith, one that is inspired by the great faith and dedication of the holy saints, our predecessors, particularly those of St. Paul Miki and his companions in holy martyrdom, the Holy Martyrs of Japan. Let us all continue to follow in their footsteps in glorifying God, in proclaiming Him before everyone we encounter in life by living our lives most worthily as Christians, in all circumstances, making great use of every opportunities that God has provided to us. May God be with us always and may He bless each and every one of us, now and forevermore. Amen.

by

Thursday, 6 February 2025 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Mark 6 : 7-13

At that time, Jesus called the Twelve to Him, and began to send them out two by two, giving them authority over evil spirits, and He ordered them to take nothing for the journey, except a staff : no food, no bag, no money on their belts. They were to wear sandals and were not to take an extra tunic.

And He added, “In whatever house you are welcomed, stay there until you leave the place. If any place does not receive you, and the people refuse to listen to you, leave after shaking the dust off your feet. It will be a testimony against them.”

So they set out to proclaim that this was the time to repent. They drove out many demons and healed many sick people by anointing them.

by

Thursday, 6 February 2025 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 47 : 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 9, 10-11

Great is YHVH, most worthy of praise in the City of God, His holy mountain. Beautifully elevated, it is the joy of all the earth.

Mount Zion, heavenly mountain, the City of the great King. Here, within her lines of defence, God has shown Himself to be a sure fortress.

As we have heard, so have we seen, in the City of YHVH of hosts, in the City of Our God, the City God founded forever.

Let us recall Your unfailing love, o God, inside Your Temple. Let Your praise, as does Your Name, o God, reach to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is ever victorious.

by

Thursday, 6 February 2025 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Hebrews 12 : 18-19, 21-24

What you have come to, is nothing known to the senses : nor heat of a blazing fire, darkness and gloom and storms, blasts of trumpet or such a voice that the people pleaded, that no further word be spoken.

The sight was so terrifying, that Moses said : I tremble with fear. But you came near to Mount Zion, to the City of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem, with its innumerable Angels. You have come to the solemn feast, the assembly of the firstborn of God, whose names are written in heaven.

There is God, Judge of all, with the spirits of the upright, brought to perfection. There is Jesus, the Mediator of the New Covenant, with the sprinkled Blood that cries out more effectively than Abel’s.

by

Wednesday, 5 February 2025 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Agatha, Virgin and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded of the hope that we all ought to have in the Lord, our God, Who is also our most loving Father and Creator. As long as we continue to have faith in Him, we will not be disappointed, and we will be assured the glorious inheritance that He has promised to all of us, the many graces and blessings which He, our loving Father has prepared for all of us, whom He has adopted to become His own most beloved sons and daughters. All of us must have faith in the Lord even when others despise us and make our lives difficult and challenging, as it is through the Lord alone that we shall be triumphant in the end against all of those who seek our destruction and damnation. There is truly no hope and future for us beyond the Lord.

In our first reading today, taken from the continuation of the discourse from the Epistle to the Hebrews, in which the author reminded the faithful among the Jewish community of the reality of how the Lord their God has adopted all of them as His own beloved children, and how He has loved them, guided them, helped and chastised them as a loving Father would do to His children, to help and guide them in their journey throughout life so that they will not end up falling into temptations and the path to ruin. This is contrasted to the traditional perception of God among the Jewish community at that time and previously, which perceived God as distant, invisible and transcendent beyond the reach of the people. But the Incarnation of the Saviour, the Son of God Himself in the flesh, has made God to be approachable and tangible for us.

The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews had spent a lot of time and effort throughout his Epistle to elaborate about the nature and role of the Messiah, the One Whom God had sent into the world to be the Liberator and the One to redeem us from our many sins, all the things that had separated us from God, our most loving and gracious Father and Creator. Therefore, he told the Jewish community how this same Saviour that God had sent into the world was truly the Son of God, and by His incarnation, He has become one like us, sharing our human existence and nature, and by doing so, He has made us all to share in His relationship with the Heavenly Father, and allow us all to become the adopted sons and daughters of God, while at the same time restoring the grace that has been lost to us, by His action in redeeming us through His loving sacrifice on the Cross.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist in which we were told that after the miraculous resurrection of the daughter of Jairus, the synagogue official which we heard in yesterday’s passage from the same Gospel, the Lord went back to His hometown of Nazareth and taught in the synagogue, only to be ridiculed and to face rejection from His own townspeople, who doubted Him and ridiculed Him because they thought they knew Who He was, as the supposed Son of the lowly carpenter, St. Joseph. At that time, carpenters, while performing an important and good work, were often looked down upon as being low in education and status in the society, as compared to the highly educated ones like the Pharisees and those scribes and teachers of the Law.

Therefore, they could not reconcile this bias and belief in such a prejudice that the mere Son of a carpenter could have done so many great and wonderful deeds that they had heard from the news that had spread around the region about the miracles and other things that the Lord Jesus had done. When they themselves heard the Lord proclaiming His teachings and truths with such great wisdom and authority, their bias and prejudice were what kept them from being able to listen to the Lord and believe in Him. And in this example, we have seen the ugly side of our human nature, our attitudes in being prejudiced against others, and in thinking that we are better than those around us, striving to be greater, more powerful and mighty than others. And that is why we often competed and bickered with each other.

The Lord Jesus Himself therefore showed us that this path of pride and ego, self-righteousness and prejudice have no place amongst us as Christians. It was after all these attitudes of succumbing to our ego and pride, our desires and ambitions, our endless pursuits for power, glory and greatness, for ambitions and pleasures of the world that had led so many among us and our predecessors to fall into sin. The Lord showed by example, through His most generous and selfless love for us, by humbling Himself so much so that He was willing to come down to us, assuming our human existence and nature, being born of a Woman, Mary, His mother, and coming into the family of a carpenter, that is St. Joseph’s, who although was a lowly carpenter, yet, was the direct heir of King David. All these happened so that God could fulfil everything which He has promised us from the very beginning, that is to liberate us all from the power and dominion of sin and death.

God our loving Father and Creator has always been very patient with us, in loving and caring for us, and in guiding us all towards His Presence. He has always loved us and been patient with us even when we constantly disobeyed His Law and commandments, betraying and abandoning Him for other gods and idols, or for other worldly pursuits and ambitions. He has always given us opportunities, one after another, hoping that at least some of us will come to see the errors of our ways and repent from our sins. That is just how loving God has been towards us, and we should truly consider ourselves very fortunate for this. He has also chastised and punished us justly whenever we erred, with the hope and intention that we may come to find the path of righteousness in Him, and not to fall further into sin and darkness.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of the renowned martyr, St. Agatha, also known as St. Agatha of Sicily, a faithful and holy martyr of the Church who was persecuted for her faith during the time of great tribulation by the then hostile Roman Imperial administration under the rule of the Emperor Decius, an infamous persecutor of Christians, who launched a particularly harsh and brutal persecution on the Church. Back then, the young St. Agatha had made vow of virginity and refused the advances of the pagan Roman prefect named Quintianus, who was mesmerised by her great beauty. Therefore, after repeated refusals and rejections from St. Agatha who kept on faithfully observing her vow of virginity, Quintianus, who knew that St. Agatha was a Christian, reported her to the authorities.

Hence, this led to St. Agatha being arrested and persecuted, and threatened with certain sufferings and deaths. The same Roman prefect Quintianus himself was the official in charge of the region and therefore over the case of St. Agatha, and he hoped that the threats and sufferings would change her mind and accept his proposals. St. Agatha remained firm in her faith and commitment, publicly embracing her faith in God and proclaiming her dedication to Him. No matter how Quintianus tried to punish and force St. Agatha, including sending her to a brothel, none of those efforts could dissuade or force St. Agatha to abandon her faith in the Lord. Eventually, after more dramatic confrontations with Quintianus, the Roman prefect sentenced her to more punishments and prison, where she eventually died as a martyr a while later. She remained ever committed to God right to the very end, and became the great inspiration for many others.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore as we have discussed from the passages of the Sacred Scriptures and from the life of St. Agatha, holy martyr of the Church, let us all remember God’s most generous love for us as our loving Father, in all that He had done for us, and in how He guided us all patiently throughout even the most difficult and challenging moments in life. We are also reminded to be faithful like how St. Agatha had been faithful in all things, and in how she had maintained her faith courageously despite all the sufferings and martyrdom that she had to endure. That is why, today all of us as Christians are called and reminded to be good examples and inspirations for each other, to be the beacons of God’s light and hope for everyone around us. Let us all continue to love the Lord our God with all of our hearts and might, and help one another in accomplishing our respective missions in this world.

May the Lord bless us all in our every good endeavours, efforts and works, and may He continue to help and guide us in our journey through life so that in all things and at all opportunities, we will always strive to be good, faithful and worthy Christians, to be faithful and righteous as our holy predecessors had been, like St. Agatha before us. Amen.

by

Wednesday, 5 February 2025 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Agatha, Virgin and Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Mark 6 : 1-6

At that time, leaving the place where He resurrected the daughter of Jairus, Jesus returned to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue, and most of those who heard Him were astonished.

But they said, “How did this come to Him? What kind of wisdom has been given to Him, that He also performs such miracles? Who is He but the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? His sisters, too, are they not here among us?” So they took offence at Him.

And Jesus said to them, “Prophets are despised only in their own country, among their relatives, and in their own family.” And He could work no miracles there, but only healed a few sick people, by laying His hands on them. Jesus Himself was astounded at their unbelief.

Jesus then went around the villages, teaching.