Abbots

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Wednesday, 17 January 2024 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Anthony, Abbot (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are reminded of the Lord’s love, guidance and providence for all of us, in how He cared for us all in our darkest and most difficult moments, and how through Him we shall truly be delivered from the challenges and trials facing us. Through what we have heard today, we are reminded to keep our focus on the Lord at all times, and to place our faith and trust in Him, just as David as we heard about him in our first reading today had done, and just as how the man paralysed on his hand was healed by the Lord because of his faith and trust in Him. Each and every one of us as Christians are reminded of the great graces and love of God that we all have truly been so fortunate in receiving, and why we must really be thankful for all of that.

In our first reading today, we heard about the famous story of how David, the one chosen by God to be king over all of His beloved people Israel, triumphed and won against the great and mighty champion of the Philistines, Israel’s bitter enemy, who was represented by the giant and powerful warrior Goliath. The story of David and Goliath had been well-known throughout time and history, and I am sure we are all familiar with how David, who was much smaller than Goliath, managed to overcome the much larger and more powerful Goliath, through not the force and power of arms, but through God’s guidance, and through the wisdom and knowledge that He had given to him, in protecting him from harm and in providing everything for him and the Israelites to triumph against their adversities.

David placed his faith and trust in God while Goliath the Philistine put his trust in his personal might and physical prowess, in his weapons and armour, and the latter ridiculed David for his small stature, lack of armour and proper battle gear. David chose to put his trust in God rather than any worldly means and human power because in the end, even the greatest of human might and designs could fail in the midst of trials and dangers. And in his pride, arrogance and haughtiness, Goliath thought he could ridicule David and crush him, even to the point of toying around with him and blaspheming against God. This became his undoing as David, guided by God’s strength, wisdom and power, managed to defeat Goliath, silencing his arrogance and blasphemy once and for all.

The Lord had indeed intervened and helped His servant David, as well as His beloved people Israel, in their hour of greatest need. He showed His love and faithfulness, His steadfast strength and guidance to those who have entrusted themselves to Him. By defeating Goliath, David showed us all that in God we can truly find true satisfaction and hope, strength and comfort, because through Him we shall gain greatly in the path towards eternal life and true glory, salvation and liberation from the forces of all those arrayed against us. Each and every one of us should also have faith and trust in the Lord, in following Him and the path that He has shown and revealed to us so that by our lives, lived in obedience to God’s guidance and ways, will come ever closer to His love and grace.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the Lord Who healed a man with a paralysed hand, which happened on the day of the Sabbath, which earned Him a rather stern criticism and opposition from among the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who were assembled there. Not only that, but those same Pharisees and the teachers of the Law even planned and plotted to accuse the Lord of wrongdoing and breaking the Law, trying to test if He would indeed heal the paralysed man there before them on the Sabbath day. For the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, the Sabbath laws and practices were very important, and they truly enforced them very strictly, not allowing even any kinds of actions and works to be done, no matter what the circumstances were.

That was where the Lord pointed out the folly of their ideals and ways, with the words, ‘What does the Law allow us to do on the Sabbath? To do good or to do harm? To save life or to kill?’ in order to highlight that God never intended for the Law of the Sabbath to be so restrictive and problematic for everyone that it ended up placing lots of restrictions, hardships and inconveniences for people to come closer to the Lord, which is what the Law was actually about. The Law of God was meant to bring God’s people, that is all of us, ever closer to Him, and to help us all to refocus our attention on Him once again. That Sabbath rule and laws were meant to help the people to spend some time with their Lord and Master, that they should not be tempted by endless pursuits of worldly glory and comfort, attachments and desires.

However, over time, this Law became misunderstood and misrepresented, and taken to the extremes with the way how the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law interpreted those rules and practices, that led to them rigidly trying to enforce the letter of the Law but without understanding and appreciating the true intention and purpose of the Law. What was meant to bring the people of God closer to Him, became a source of hardships and divisions, and became an obsession for those who were obsessed with the ways and the implementations of their version of the Law of God. This was why just like David and Goliath earlier in our first reading today, we are reminded that the path of those who sought worldly justification and emphasis was wrong, as those Pharisees and teachers of the Law spent a lot of time and effort in obsessing over their laws and customs, and how they are observed and practiced, that they have overlooked and forgotten about God.

Today, the Church also celebrates the feast of St. Anthony the Abbot, also known as St. Anthony of Egypt or St. Anthony the Great, who was renowned and famous for his great faith in God, his piety and dedication, holiness and actions. He was a great monk who was born to a wealthy family, but quickly found his calling as he felt the call to the ascetic and solitary lifestyle, leaving behind all forms of worldly greed and ambitions, and retreated into the desert, where he spent the rest of his life in a prayerful life, focused on the Lord. He was therefore also known as the ‘Father of Monasticism’ as his practices, while not the first among Christians then, was the beginning of the surge in the ascetic lifestyle, leading many to follow in his footsteps, in becoming closer to God and abandoning the temptations of worldly glory. St. Anthony was known for his great piety, and for the attacks that the devil made on him, which he resisted and endured with great faith. For his whole life, St. Anthony continued to lead a most worthy life, and become great inspiration for many others.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore renew our faith in the Lord, and let us all turn towards Him with renewed heart and commitment, with the desire to follow and serve Him like what David, the king of Israel had done, and just as how St. Anthony the Abbot has shown us by his abandonment of worldly glory and ambitions. Let us always put our faith and trust in God, and not in any earthly means and ways, in any worldly glory and power, and we must not allow our ego, greed and desire from dragging us into the path towards of our downfall and destruction. Let us all do our best that we may be good and worthy examples of our Christian faith, and do our part in proclaiming the Good News and truth of Christ to the world, by our obedience to the Law of God, through proper and meaningful understanding, appreciation and internalisation of what we have been taught and shown to do by the Lord Himself. May the Lord be with us all in our efforts and journey, and may He bless us all in everything we say and do, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 17 January 2024 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Anthony, Abbot (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Mark 3 : 1-6

At that time, again, Jesus entered the synagogue. A man, who had a paralysed hand, was there; and some people watched Jesus : would He heal the man on the Sabbath? If He did, they could accuse Him.”

Jesus said to the man with the paralysed hand, “Stand here, in the centre.” Then He asked them, “What does the Law allow us to do on the Sabbath? To do good or to do harm? To save life or to kill?” But they were silent. Then Jesus looked around at them with anger and deep sadness at their hardness of heart. And He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.”

He stretched it out, and his hand was healed. As soon as the Pharisees left, they met with Herod’s supporters, looking for a way to destroy Jesus.

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Wednesday, 17 January 2024 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Anthony, Abbot (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 143 : 1, 2, 9-10

Blessed be YHVH, my Rock, Who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle.

My loving God, my Fortress; my Protector and Deliverer, my Shield; Where I take refuge; Who conquers nations and subjects them to my rule.

I will sing a new song to You, o God; I will make music on the ten-stringed harp, for You, Who give victory to kings and deliver David, Your servant.

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Wednesday, 17 January 2024 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Anthony, Abbot (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

1 Samuel 17 : 32-33, 37, 40-51

David said to Saul, “Let no one be discouraged on account of this Philistine, for your servant will engage him in battle.” Saul told David, “You cannot fight with this Philistine for you are still young, whereas this man has been a warrior from his youth.”

David continued, “YHVH, Who delivered me from the paws of lions and bears, will deliver me from the hands of the Philistine.” Saul then told David, “Go, and may YHVH be with you!”

David took his staff, picked up five smooth stones from the brook and dropped them inside his shepherd’s bag. And with his sling in hand, he drew near to the Philistine. The Philistine moved forward, closing in on David, his shield-bearer in front of him. When he saw that David was only a lad, (he was of fresh complexion and handsome) he despised him and said, “Am I a dog that you should approach me with a stick?”

Cursing David by his gods, he continued, “Come, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field!” David answered the Philistine, “You have come against me with sword, spear and javelin, but I come against you with YHVH, the God of the armies of Israel whom you have defied. YHVH will deliver you this day into my hands and I will strike you down and cut off your head.”

“I will give the corpses of the Philistine army today to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, and all the earth shall know that there is a God of Israel. All the people gathered here shall know that YHVH saves not by sword or spear; the battle belongs to YHVH, and He will deliver you into our hands.”

No sooner had the Philistine moved to attack him, than David rushed to the battleground. Putting his hand into his bag, he took out a stone, slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead; it penetrated his forehead and he fell on his face to the ground. David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, felling him without using a sword.

He rushed forward, stood over him, took the Philistine’s sword and slew him by cutting off his head. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they scattered in all directions.

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Thursday, 23 November 2023 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Clement I, Pope and Martyr, and St. Columban, Abbot (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Abbots)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all reminded of the need for all of us to remain steadfast in our faith despite the challenges, trials and difficulties that we may have to face in the midst of us living up to the faith which we have in God. As the Scripture passages today ought to have highlighted to us, there may likely be circumstances and moments when we will end up being forced to choose between obeying God and His Law, and following the ways and customs of this world, and the frictions and challenges that happen may lead us to many sufferings and trials in our paths ahead in life.

In our first reading today from the Book of the Maccabees, we heard of the continuation of the discourse from the Maccabean Revolt moments, especially focusing on the moment when the revolution began, as the King of the Seleucid Empire, Antiochus IV Epiphanes tried to enforce all the people throughout his vast empire to follow the ways and customs of the Greeks, abandoning the customs, ways and practices of their ancestors. This was likely meant by the king to help unite his often fractious empire, which was then wrecked by repeated rebellions and civil wars. However, this was met with a particularly heated and vigorous opposition from the Jewish people that resided mostly in Judea, Samaria and Galilee, the regions that were then under the Seleucid dominion.

As we heard in that passage today, the king’s officials went around the whole region trying to impose the pagan worship and Greek customs and ways on all the people, and while some of the Jewish people followed the demands of the king and his officials, many of them resisted the king and refused to obey his commands, just as the priest Mattathias led the uprising and opposition against the king, killing the official who tried to impose pagan worship on the people. That event marked the origin and beginning of the Maccabean Revolt, in which the Jewish people and forces rose up against the Seleucids and eventually, after many years of struggles, hardships and trials, they managed to gain independence against their enemies and oppressors.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the frustrations and sorrows which the Lord had uttered against Jerusalem, for all the wickedness and all the evils that the people there had done, represented by Jerusalem as a metaphor, in not obeying God’s Law and commandments, in committing sinful actions and worshipping pagan and evil gods, and in doing what was wicked in the sight of God and men alike. The Lord has come into this world to bring forth His Good News and truth, His salvation and grace, and yet, His people were being difficult, in stubbornly refusing to accept and embrace His generous love and compassionate kindness. This was why the Lord lamented over Jerusalem, in great anguish over just how ungrateful and wicked His beloved people had been in the way they treated Him.

This is why, through what we have heard in our Scripture passages today, we are all reminded that being Christians is often something that is not easy for us to do. There may be plenty of challenges and trials for us in our journey, as we may have to endure persecutions, rejections, betrayals and difficulties as we carry on living our lives faithfully in the way and path of the Lord. There may be those who are opposed to our choice and faith, and those who persecute and oppress us because of this, and hence, this may likely lead to difficulties and hardships for us, but this does not mean that we should give up our faith or betray our Lord for the false ways and idols that may mislead us down the wrong paths in life towards our downfall and destruction.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of Pope St. Clement I and St. Columban, both being great men of God, who dedicated themselves to lives of great dedication to God, committing themselves to do God’s will and to obey Him amidst the many challenges, distractions and oppositions in this world. Pope St. Clement I was one of the early successors of St. Peter as the Pope and Vicar of Christ, as the leaders of the faithful people of God, in his efforts and works, leading the people of God through difficult and turbulent times, amidst persecutions and challenges they faced at the time. He wrote extensively to the various parts and communities of the Church, some of which letters and their excerpts survived to this day in various forms. He dedicated himself to the flock entrusted to him by the Lord, and died as a martyr amidst his ministry, in proclaiming God’s Good News and in remaining steadfast and faithful to Him.

Meanwhile, St. Columban was an abbot and a missionary who was remembered for his great dedication to his works and ministry, and for his establishments of many monasteries throughout several parts of Christendom. He encountered some difficulties from local figures and even some of the local Church hierarchy and members amidst his works, but this did not make St. Columban to give up on his works and efforts. Instead, it made him to commit himself all the more to his works and efforts, as he continued to do his best in glorifying God by his life at each and every moment. He continued to labour for the people of God, and many were inspired to follow his examples and to join the monasteries he had established throughout his ministry.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let the good examples and inspirations from Pope St. Clement I and St. Columban be sources of strength and inspiration for each and every one of us so that in all the things we say and do, in all things throughout our lives, we may always aspire to be fully and thoroughly committed to God, despite and regardless of any challenges and trials that we may have to face in life. May the Lord continue to guide and bless us in our lives of faith, and bless our many good works and efforts, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 23 November 2023 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Clement I, Pope and Martyr, and St. Columban, Abbot (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Abbots)

Luke 19 : 41-44

At that time, when Jesus had come in sight of the city, He wept over it, and said, “If only today you knew the ways of peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. Yet days will come upon you, when your enemies will surround you with barricades, and shut you in, and press on you from every side.”

“And they will dash you to the ground and your children with you, and not leave stone upon stone within you, for you did not recognise the time and the visitation of your God.”

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Thursday, 23 November 2023 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Clement I, Pope and Martyr, and St. Columban, Abbot (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Abbots)

Psalm 49 : 1-2, 5-6, 14-15

The God of gods, YHVH has spoken; He summons the earth, from the rising of the sun to its setting. God has shone from Zion, perfect in beauty.

Gather before Me, My faithful ones, who made a Covenant with Me by sacrifice. The heavens will proclaim His sentence, for God Himself is the Judge.

Yet, offer to God a sacrifice of thanks, and fulfil your vows to the Most High. Call on Me in time of calamity; I will deliver you, and you will glorify Me.

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Thursday, 23 November 2023 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Clement I, Pope and Martyr, and St. Columban, Abbot (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Abbots)

1 Maccabees 2 : 15-29

In the meantime, the king’s representatives, who were forcing the Jews to give up their religion came to Modein to organise a sacred gathering. While many Israelites went to them, Mattathias and his sons drew apart.

The representatives of the king addressed Mattathias, and said to him : “You are one of the leaders of this city, an important and well-known man, and your many children and relatives follow you. Come now, and be the first to fulfil the king’s order, as the men of Judah have already done, and the survivors in Jerusalem as well. You and your sons will be named friends of the king and the king will send you gold, silver and many other gifts.”

But Mattathias answered in a loud voice : “Even if all the nations included in the kingdom should abandon the religion of their ancestors and submit to the order of king Antiochus, I, my sons and my family will remain faithful to the Covenant of our ancestors. May God preserve us from abandoning the Law and its precepts. We will not obey the orders of the king nor turn aside from our religion either to the right or to the left.”

When he finished speaking these words, a Jew came forward, in the sight of everyone, to offer incense on the altar that was built in Modein, according to the king’s decree. When Mattathias saw him, he was fired with zeal. His heart was stirred; and giving vent to his righteous anger, he threw himself on the Jew and cut the man’s throat on the altar. At the same time, he killed the king’s representative who was forcing the people to offer sacrifice; and then tore down the altar. In doing this, he showed his zeal for the Law, as Phinehas had done with Zimri, son of Salu.

Mattathias then began to proclaim loudly in the city : “Everyone who is zealous for the Law and supports the Covenant, come out and follow me!” Immediately, he and his sons fled to the mountains and left behind all they had in the city. Many Jews who looked for justice and wanted to be faithful to the Law went into the desert.

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Tuesday, 11 July 2023 : 14th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Benedict, Abbot (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, all of us are reminded that each and every one of us have been called and chosen by God to be His disciples and followers, as those whom He has shown His favour and blessings on, and of us, He therefore requires our commitment and efforts, contributions and dedication, just as He has committed Himself to the Covenant which He has established with all of us. All of us are truly blessed to have been given this opportunity and grace by God, Who has always patiently loved us and cared for each one of us, without exception. None of us are truly beyond God’s love and attention, and none of us can be separated from the most wonderful love of God unless it is we ourselves who have constantly and repeatedly rejected and refused His love and kindness.

In our first reading passage today, taken from the Book of Genesis, we heard of the moment when Jacob, the ancestor and forefather of all the Israelites, came back to the Promised Land of Canaan with his wives and children, with his whole family and possessions, and in the region of Bethel, where Jacob had once passed through on his way to flee from his brother’s wrath, he encountered the Lord Himself, Who was disguised in the form of a great Man, that struggled with Jacob till the daybreak. That was how Jacob became known as Israel, as one who has struggled and brawled with the Lord Himself and prevailed. God therefore showed His reassurance and guidance to Jacob, reminding him of His ever presence and providence throughout the path that Jacob had walked through, and how He would continue to affirm and bless him and his descendants just as He has promised them all.

At that time, Jacob had spent many years in the land of Harran beyond the Euphrates River, in serving Laban, his uncle, and he has grown rich and great, with many children that God has blessed him with. Jacob brought his family back to his ancestral lands, to return to his father Isaac and hopefully to reconcile with his brother Esau, whom he had fled from. That God has blessed him such was a proof of His faithfulness to the Covenant which He has made with His loved ones. Jacob and his descendants would become the chosen people of God, the Israelites, who would prosper greatly and gained the grace of God. He called on them therefore to put their trust and faith in Him, and to continue to live ever more faithfully in His Presence, following His commands and walking in the path that He has revealed before them.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the Lord performing His miracles and wonders, as He healed two blind men and then cast out the evil spirits and demons from a man who had been struck dumb because of the demonic possession. The people hailed the Lord Jesus for His works, rejoicing because such great miracles and wonders had not been seen among the people before. Truly, Christ was the love and promises of God made manifest in the flesh, the Divine Word Incarnate, the Son of God, Who came into our midst bearing the will and desire of His Heavenly Father, our Lord and Master, Who sought to be reconciled and reunited with us all. Yet, the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law disparaged Him and refused to believe in Him, and even went on to the point of accusing Him falsely of colluding with the prince of demons in His works.

Now, we all can see there just how stubborn some of the people of God could be, all because of their pride and ego, their unbridled desires and ambitions, through which they had been blinded and their thoughts muddled. Those Pharisees and teachers of the Law, the elders and the chief priests were easily swayed by the temptations of worldly desires and wants, so much so that they were willing to persecute the Lord for crimes and faults that He did not do, and to put obstacles and trials in His path simply because they saw Him as a rival to their power, influence and privileges. Yet, the Lord was still patient in showing His love and care even to those who have rejected and refused to believe in Him. We are all truly undeserving of God’s love, and yet, just as He has affirmed His love to Jacob and to our forefathers, He has renewed this love to us all.

That is why as Christians, all of us whom God had called and chosen, and made to be His own beloved and precious ones, all of us are called to commit ourselves to the Lord in the way that our righteous and holy predecessors had done, just as they all have committed their lives to God, and did what the Lord had commanded and asked them to do. This is something that is easier said than done, just as the Lord Himself in our Gospel passage today had said, asking His disciples to pray and ask the Master of the harvest to send the labourers to gather His harvest, as the harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few. This highlights to us just how few of us have truly dedicated ourselves to follow Him, and if only more people are willing to entrust themselves to the Lord, then there would have been more people who will come to know of the Lord, His love and truth, through us and our good examples.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of a great and renowned saint whose life can and should indeed be a source of great inspiration for all of us as Christians, as God’s beloved people. St. Benedict, also known as St. Benedict of Nursia, was the founder of the Benedictine Order, and is also the Patron Saint of Europe, whose influence and works lasts till this very day in the large number of religious organisations, institutions that are directly descended from his original Benedictine Order, as well as the many other religious institutes that follow his Rule of St. Benedict, as well as countless others who had devoted themselves to the Lord while following the examples and inspirations of this great saint and man of God. St. Benedict is indeed a great role model for us in how each and every one of us ought to live our lives as devout and committed Christians.

How is that so? St. Benedict was the son of a Roman noble in what is now part of Italy, who was well-educated in his youth but became disillusioned with the excesses of worldliness, and beginning to seek a new life of being a hermit and monk. Thus, he began to live in seclusion, away from the glory and temptations of the world, in which he continued to grow in wisdom and holiness, and in his love and commitment for God, which drew many to be attracted to his way of life, establishing the foundation for the later Benedictine Order and the flourishing of religious life and monasteries all throughout Christendom. Through St. Benedict and his great examples in faith and commitment to God, many came to seek the Lord and abandon the excesses of this world, in exchange for the true happiness that one can find in God alone. Thus was how many were called to God and His salvation by the great faith and examples shown by St. Benedict.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, are we willing and able to commit ourselves to follow the Lord wholeheartedly, and to dedicate ourselves each day and at every moment, so that we may indeed be worthy followers and disciples of our Lord, inspired by His holy servants like St. Benedict and many others? Are we able to entrust ourselves to His cause, and do whatever we can to glorify the Lord by our lives? May the Lord continue to guide and strengthen us, and may He empower us all to live ever more worthily in His Presence, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 11 July 2023 : 14th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Benedict, Abbot (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 9 : 32-38

At that time, as the two blind men were going away, some people brought to Jesus a man who was dumb, because he was possessed by a demon. When the demon was driven out, the dumb man began to speak. The crowds were astonished and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”

But the Pharisees said, “He drives away demons with the help of the prince of demons.”

Jesus went around all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom; and He cured every sickness and disease. When He saw the crowds, He was moved with pity; for they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are only few. Ask the Master of the harvest to send workers to gather His harvest.”