Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Lord from the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that each and every one of us as the disciples and followers of Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, and as God’s holy and beloved people, each and every one of us ought to be good role models and examples for one another in faith, and we should always strive our best to fulfil our respective calling and mission as Christians in each and every moments in our lives. All of us are reminded and challenged that we must not be idle in living our lives with faith but that we must always inspire by our examples in even the smallest things that we say and do so that many more people may come to believe in God through us and our inspiration as well.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to his protege and disciple, St. Timothy, we heard the Apostle telling St. Timothy about the manners and the expectations which are made of those who seek to be the elders and ministers of the community of the faithful. He highlighted two roles, namely those of overseers and deacons in today’s passage. For the context, this position of overseer or elder is what is now known as bishops, the ones entrusted with the care of the flock of the Lord’s faithful. And therefore as those entrusted with this heavy responsibility ought to have good morals and obedience to the Law and commandments of God, or else it will be easily a scandal of the faith and if the shepherds themselves were unfaithful, then how can they expect the people of God to be faithful as well?

Meanwhile, the deacons were those who were entrusted with the care of the physical needs and requirements of the people, in sharing the goods and alms of the Church, supporting the communities of the faithful and also caring for the poor, the sick and the less privileged within the communities of God’s people. Those who had been chosen and selected as deacons in the early Church spent their time, efforts and works to mingle among the people of God, caring for them and ministering to them, spending a lot of time in their midst. And it is then the deacons who brought up the needs and the concerns of the faithful to the assembly of the Church, to the bishops and the priests entrusted with the leadership and care of the flock of God’s faithful.

In the same manner, those who have been chosen to that office of deacons, and also the other ordained ministries indeed should be of good and faithful qualities in life, and they should indeed be good role models and examples for everyone around them. However, this should not be restricted only to those who have been chosen as the leaders of the faithful, but in fact serve as reminders and inspirations for all of us, God’s faithful and holy people, that as Christians, each and every one of us are also expected to carry ourselves with faith and dedication to God, to live our lives in the manner that is truly worthy of Him, in each and every moments of our lives. We must not allow ourselves to bring scandal to our faith simply because we are unable to stay true to our calling and mission as those whom God had called and chosen.

In today’s Gospel passage, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the story of the moment and time when the Lord Jesus came to a town called Naim, where there was a procession of a widow’s deceased son as he was being brought to be buried, and the Lord had pity on the old widow, and He miraculously brought the widow’s son back to life by His power, and many of the people who were there including the Lord’s own disciples witnessed that miraculous occasion. That is what He has shown to all of them regarding His obedience to the will of His heavenly Father, and how those who belong to the Lord ought to behave and act, in showing love, mercy and compassion to everyone around them.

The Lord Himself spent a lot of time and effort in caring for the needs of those who sought Him, those who were troubled in body and spirit, those who had the need to be healed and made whole again, and He patiently did all of these, even when He and His disciples were very tired. The Lord spent His time to reach out to those who are downtrodden and troubled, those who have been ignored, abandoned and ostracised by the community to show them the true and enduring love of God, which He has manifested before us in the most perfect and best way possible. And it is by this example that we are all called to follow in our own respective lives, in how we carry out our actions with the fullness of God’s love, truth and grace.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of two great saints and holy men of God, namely that of Pope St. Cornelius, Successor of St. Peter the Apostle as Bishop of Rome and St. Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage in North Africa. Both of these great servants of God had indeed exemplified what St. Paul had told St. Timothy in our first reading passage today, in their dedication to God and in their faith, in how they carried out their missions and in their commitments to God’s people, the flock entrusted to their care. Pope St. Cornelius and St. Cyprian both led the Church through times of divisions and difficulties, rampant with external threats and persecutions as well as disagreements and divisions among the faithful.

At that time, the Church was bitterly divided between those who advocated harsh stance against those Christians who had lapsed from their faith or who had offered sacrifices to the pagan gods and idols, many of whom had to do so under pressure and duress from the Roman state, and those who advocated a more moderate and forgiving stance in relation to those who have lapsed from their faith for various reasons, as long as they repented sincerely and genuinely. Those who advocated harsh and strict opposition against readmitting lapsed Christians were led by one popular priest Novatian, who was elected as an Antipope in opposition to the legitimate Pope in Rome, arguing that those who have lapsed from the faith had been barred from returning and they had been denied salvation, while those led by Pope St. Cornelius and his immediate predecessors championed a more conciliatory tone and attitude.

Eventually, the cause championed by Pope St. Cornelius and St. Cyprian of Carthage won in the end, overcoming the challenges from those who supported the strict and unbending ideals of Novatian and his group. Through the patient efforts of both of these great servants of God, eventually, slowly but surely, the unity of the Church was restored and many of the faithful came to embrace their fellow brethren who had lapsed from the faith, due to various reasons, as long as they were committed and willing to make themselves worthy and full of God’s grace again, through embracing His forgiveness and mercy. Both Pope St. Cornelius and St. Cyprian of Carthage were eventually martyred during the intense persecutions against the Church which were carried out by the Roman state during the middle of the third century, but their courage, faith and dedication remained great inspirations to many even to this very day.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we reflect upon the words of the Sacred Scriptures and upon the faith and dedication which Pope St. Cornelius and St. Cyprian had done, let us all continue to do our best to live in the most righteous, virtuous and worthy manner, in doing what we can as Christians, as those whom God had called and chosen, so that we may be good inspirations and role models for everyone around us, and to all those whom we encounter each day. May the Lord also continue to strengthen our faith within us, and give us the courage and perseverance to remain ever more faithful and committed to what He has shown and taught us to do in our lives. May God bless our every good efforts, works and endeavours, now and always. Amen.