Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the need for all of us as Christians to adopt a truly Christian way of life in all of our actions throughout life, in all of our words, actions and deeds, in our relationships with one another, especially with those whom we love, and also with those whom we encounter in our daily living. All of us as Christians are challenged to live our lives in the manner that is truly fitting for us as the disciples and followers of our Lord and God. We should not live our lives in the manner that is contrary to the path that God Himself has set before us, and we are constantly reminded that we should inspire and be good role models for everyone around us through our way of life, truly in accordance with God’s ways.

In our first reading today, we heard from the continuation of the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in the city and region of Colossae in Asia Minor, the Apostle continued with his exhortations reminding them all to stay true to their faith as the followers of Christ, to be truly dedicated to what he has taught and shown them, the teachings and ways of the Lord, the Christian faith and all of its truth, amidst all the temptations and challenges of the world that they might be facing. St. Paul exhorted the Colossian faithful to stay away from all sorts of immorality, worldliness and everything that could keep them away from God and from His salvation. It is easy for them to be tempted to abandon the path of the Lord as they encountered the hardships and challenges, all the different pressures and coercions all around them.

It was indeed challenging for one at that time to be living amidst the worldliness and the pagan ways common to the world, and increasingly the early Christians were persecuted, marginalised and considered as nuisance and even threats by the local authorities, on top of the opposition that they were already facing from the Jewish authorities and the local pagans. But St. Paul encouraged the faithful in Colossae and also elsewhere to remain firm and steadfast in their faith no matter what, and this applies even to us all living in our world today. That is because throughout the history of the Church and Christendom, there had been many occasions where it was indeed challenging to remain faithful to the Lord, and even in our world today, with its own set of difficulties and challenges, many Christians still face persecutions and hardships in maintaining their faith.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist in which the Lord proclaimed to them the famous Beatitudes, or Eight Beatitudes, also known as the Sermon on the Mount, as this set of blessings or beatitudes were proclaimed by the Lord as He was speaking to the people gathered to listen to Him on a mountain or hill. And in these words that the Lord had spoken, He essentially assured all those who have been living their lives in the manner that God had taught them, the path of virtue and righteousness, so that they would continue to be strengthened and be willing to walk ever more faithfully in the path that God had led them through. And we ourselves are reminded that we too should follow in what the Lord Himself had taught us.

First of all, the Beatitudes began with the blessings that the Lord pronounced for those who are poor, hungry and sorrowful, because the kingdom of God would be theirs, and they would be satisfied and consoled at the time of reckoning, for the Lord is truly a loving and just God Who will not let the sufferings of His beloved people to go unanswered. God has always heard the cries of His faithful and He would not ignore their plight, no matter how difficult the challenges they might have to face. He would be with them always, giving them the strength and encouragement amidst even the darkest moments in their lives. In the end God will bring freedom and true joy to all those who have remained true in their faith in Him, and continued to strive to do their best to serve and glorify Him.

Then, we heard the Lord continuing with the blessings for those who have been hated and rejected by the community and others, those who have been persecuted because of their faith and obedience to the Lord. The Lord will rescue them and their faith and commitment in Him will be remembered, and they shall not be disappointed for having committed themselves to the Lord. The Lord is always close to those who are faithful and committed to Him, and even as they suffered in this world, God hears their pleas for help, their cries for justice and their love for Him. Each and every one of these will be remembered on the Day of Judgment, and the Lord will be with those who have held on firmly to their faith in Him, rewarding them greatly for all that they had done for His sake.

We are all therefore reminded that as Christians, each and every one of us should always be ready to carry ourselves in life, to act and behave in the manner that is truly fitting as Christians, as those who truly have faith and obedience to the Lord and His ways. We should not be easily dissuaded by the many temptations and pressures pushing us to conform to the ways of the world and abandoning the path of the Lord, as it is by our actions and deeds, grounded in our real faith in the Lord, that we are the light of inspiration for all other Christians everywhere, and also role models and examples for any other people we encounter in life. If our actions and deeds align with the Lord’s path, then we will be able to guide so many more people towards the Lord, and we will be greatly blessed and rewarded for this.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we recall the Beatitudes that the Lord Himself had presented and spoken to the disciples, and as we remember the words that St. Paul the Apostle spoke of to the faithful people of God in Colossae, we are all therefore reminded that we should do our best so that we may truly embody the Beatitudes in each and every moments of our lives. In all of our actions, in all of our activities and interactions with one another, we should always be truly full of faith in the Lord in the manner that the Beatitudes had described for us. May the Lord continue to strengthen and empower us all in His truth and love, encouraging us all to do our very best, to be true Christians in all things. Amen.