bishops

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Thursday, 1 August 2024 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 13 : 47-53

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a big fishing net, let down into the sea, in which every kind of fish has been caught. When the net is full, it is dragged ashore. Then they sit down and gather the good fish into buckets, but throw the bad away. That is how it will be at the end of time; the Angels will go out to separate the wicked from the just, and to throw the wicked into the blazing furnace, where they will weep and gnash their teeth.”

Jesus asked, “Have you understood all these things?” “Yes,” they answered. So He said to them, “Therefore, every teacher of the Law who becomes a disciple of the kingdom of heaven, is like a householder, who can produce from his store things both new and old.”

When Jesus had finished these parables, He left that place.

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Thursday, 1 August 2024 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 145 : 1-2, 3-4, 5-6ab

Alleluia! Praise YHVH, my soul! I will sing to YHVH all my life; I will sing praise to God while I live.

Do not put your trust in princes, in a great one, who cannot save. Not sooner his spirit has left, that he goes back to the earth; on that very day, any plan comes to nothing.

Blessed are they whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in YHVH their God, Maker of heaven and earth, the sea and all they contain.

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Thursday, 1 August 2024 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Jeremiah 18 : 1-6

This is the word of YHVH that came to Jeremiah : “Go down to the potter’s house and there you will hear what I have to say.”

So I went to the potter’s house and found him working at the wheel. But the pot he was working on was spoilt in his hands, so he reworked it all over again into another pot that suits his desire.

Meanwhile YHVH sent me His word, “People of Israel, can I not do with you what this potter does? As clay in the potter’s hand so are you in My hands.”

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Tuesday, 30 July 2024 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Peter Chrysologus, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, each and every one of us are reminded that we are all beloved by God, and God has always given us the opportunities and the means for each and every one of us to return to Him with contrite hearts and repentance, ever showing us all His rich mercy and forgiveness, as well as the desire to be reunited with us. We must always remember that God has always been patient in reaching out to us, caring for us and showing us His providence and compassion at each and every moments, and we should never take this for granted, or else, we may regret it when it is too late for us.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah in which the prophet spoke about the desolation and destruction that the people of God in the lands and the kingdom of Judah had been facing at that time, having endured all those because of the sins and wickedness that they had committed, and as they persecuted the prophets and messengers of God, refusing to listen to God’s words and reminders, refusing to obey the Law and commandments of God, all of which led to them being punished and chastised for all the wicked deeds which they had done. But the Lord wanted to tell His people that they are not forgotten, and that He still loved them all nonetheless, and everything that He had done, was meant to help bring them all back to Him.

That was why the prophet Jeremiah said all the words of prayer we have heard in our first reading today, calling upon the Lord to have mercy on the people, all of whom had indeed sinned against God and failed to follow His ways. But the people also realised their sinfulness and many among them wanted to return to the Lord, and thus, the prophet Jeremiah echoed and showed this sentiment and desire to the Lord through His prayers and words to Him, calling on Him to plead for the sake of the ones whom God had beloved and cared for. And through that, each and every one of us are also therefore reminded of this fact of how we are truly the holy and beloved people of God, called and chosen to do God’s will in our world today, and to reject sin and evil in our lives.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew, we heard of the Lord explaining the parable of the weeds and the wheat in a field to His disciples and the ones assembled to listen to Him. Through that parable, the Lord told them all of an enemy who plotted against the master and sower of seeds in the field by sowing weeds upon the same field, and which caused the weeds to grow in between the crops and the desired plants. The Lord explained to His disciples how that parable is a representation of the Lord and the evil one competing for the hearts and minds of the people, those in whom God and the evil one have sowed respectively, the seeds of faith, hope and love, as well as the evil one’s seeds of doubt, despair and hatred, among many others.

This parable highlighted the reality that each and every one of us have received these various ‘seeds’ planted in us, and it is therefore now up to us to cultivate the right kind of ‘seeds’ in our lives. We have been given the choice and the free will by God to decide on how we ought to live our lives, and what path we are to choose in our path going forward in life. The fact that the wheat and crops are growing together with the weeds and the other undesirable plants is a reality that every one of us living in this world are struggling with daily, as our lives are truly a tapestry of things that are good and righteous, as well as those that are sinful and unworthy of God, through our disobedience against God and sins against Him.

The choice is therefore ours whether we want to do what is right and just according to God’s will or whether we prefer to do things in our own way, in listening to the devil and all of his wicked lies and deceptions. And in that same Gospel passage today, in the Lord’s explanations, the Lord made it clear that the weeds shall be uprooted and destroyed in the fire at the time of the reaping and the harvest, reminding all of us that if we continue to embrace those sinful ways and path in life, then in the end, there will be nothing left for us but regret because we have chosen to reject the ever generous and gracious love of God. That is why we are all called and reminded to embrace God’s righteousness and grace, His love and truth, and strive our best to live our lives according to this path.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Peter Chrysologus, a great and holy man of God whose life and devotion to God, great works and efforts should be great inspiration and model for all of us to follow. St. Peter Chrysologus was born in what is now part of northern Italy during the final decades of the Roman Empire in the Western Mediterranean, where he became first a deacon and then archdeacon in service to the Church, before the then Pope appointed him as the Bishop of Ravenna, which was then the de facto capital of the Western Roman Empire. It was told in Church tradition that the Pope saw a vision of St. Peter the Apostle and St. Apolllinaris of Ravenna pointing to a young man who would become the new Bishop of Ravenna, and this vision referred to the then young St. Peter Chrysologus.

St. Peter Chrysologus gained his epithet of Chrysologus or ‘Golden-worded’ exactly because of his often simple yet powerful homilies which touched the lives and hearts of countless people who were under his care and listened to him. St. Peter Chrysologus explained the Scriptures and the Christian teachings well and he also made a firm and courageous stand against all the falsehoods, heresies and other evils of his time, doing his best to lead the people of God in the path towards God all throughout his whole life. St. Peter Chrysologus is truly a great example for all of us as Christians, in everything that he had done and in the efforts that he had in devoting himself completely and wholeheartedly to the Lord.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore follow in the footsteps of St. Peter Chrysologus and the many other saints, holy men and women of God in our lives, so that we may continue to do our best to grow ever stronger in our faith in the Lord, and that we may be truly worthy and faithful in everything that we say and do, in our every interactions with one another. Let us all be the rich and bountiful crops and not be the weeds in the Lord’s field that is this world, making best use of the opportunities and time given to us to do His will, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 30 July 2024 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Peter Chrysologus, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops)

Matthew 13 : 36-43

At that time, Jesus sent the crowds away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” Jesus answered them, “The One Who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world; the good seed are the people of the kingdom; the weeds are those who follow the evil one. The enemy who sows the weeds is the devil; the harvest is the end of time, and the workers are the Angels.”

“Just as the weeds are pulled up and burnt in the fire, so will it be at the end of time. The Son of Man will send His Angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom all that is scandalous and all who do evil. And these will be thrown into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the just will shine, like the sun, in the kingdom of their Father. If you have ears, then hear.”

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Tuesday, 30 July 2024 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Peter Chrysologus, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops)

Psalm 78 : 8, 9, 11, 13

Do not remember against us the sins of our fathers. Let Your compassion hurry to us, for we have been brought very low.

Help us, God, our Saviour, for the glory of Your Name; forgive us for the sake of Your Name.

Listen to the groans of the prisoners; by the strength of Your arm, deliver those doomed to die.

Then we, Your people, the flock of Your pasture, will thank You forever. We will recount Your praise from generation to generation.

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Tuesday, 30 July 2024 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Peter Chrysologus, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops)

Jeremiah 14 : 17-22

This you will say to them : Let My eyes shed tears night and day without ceasing! For a great wound has the virgin daughter of My people been wounded, a most grievous wound. If I go into the country, I see those slain by the sword. If I enter the city I see the ravages of famine. For the prophet and the priest did not understand what was happening in the land.

Have You then rejected Judah forever? Do You abhor Zion? Why have You wounded us and left us with no hope of recovery? We hoped for salvation but received nothing good; we waited for healing, but terror came! YHVH, we know our wickedness and that of our ancestors, and the times we have sinned against You.

For Your Name’s sake do not despise us; do not dishonour the throne of Your glory. Remember us. Do not break Your Covenant with us! Among the worthless idols of the nations, are there any who can bring rain, or make the skies send showers? Only in You, YHVH our God, do we hope, for it is You Who do all this.

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Saturday, 20 July 2024 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Apollinaris, Bishop and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded to be ever more faithful to the Lord in all things, to do His will and not to give in to the temptations of worldly glory and power, all of which can lead us astray down the path of disobedience, evil and sin. We must always strive to be upright and good in all things, doing whatever we can so that by our good examples and actions grounded and anchored upon our firm foundation of faith in God, we will always be the worthy and faithful bearers of our Christian faith and truth in our world today. All of us should always be the guardians of the truth and of all that our Christian faith teaches us and shows us.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Micah in which the Lord told His people through Micah of His anger and the coming punishments and consequences awaiting His wicked and disobedient people, all of whom had chosen to disobey Him, walking down the path of rebellion and wickedness, choosing to obey the lies of the devil rather than to trust in the Lord, their God and Master. The prophet Micah was sent to the people of the southern kingdom of Judah, during the time of the downfall of the northern kingdom of Israel and the Assyrian invasion and domination of the kingdom of Judah by King Sennacherib. He was one of the prophets who were active at the time, and he brought God’s words to His people in Judah.

We heard about all the things that would soon happen to the people and kingdom of Judah, the downfall of those who have long disobeyed His commandments and preferring to follow the wicked paths of the false idols and pagan gods rather than to trust and have faith in their Lord and Master Who had taken care of them all, all throughout the years of their prosperous existence in Judah and Israel. The consequences for those sins have to be faced by the people themselves, and that was why the Lord gave them all this warning and premonition through Micah. Of course, He did so while also telling them of His love and mercy, and showing them the prophecy of the coming liberation and salvation that they would receive from God.

Through this, the Lord wanted to show His people that He truly loved each and every one of them, and He did not truly want to punish them or make their lives difficult, but it was rather their hardened hearts and minds, their stubbornness and their continued rebellion against God which had condemned them and led them to their predicaments. They did not trust in the Lord and refused to obey by His Law and commandments, and as a result, they suffered, they became lost and they were muddled in their paths and thoughts. But the Lord never gave up on them, and He continued to send His help and guidance through His prophets, and promised them the ultimate salvation that He ultimately fulfilled and accomplished through the sending of His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard from the passage taken from the Gospel of St. Matthew in which the Lord Jesus and how He was treated by the Pharisees and many of the religious elites of His time were highlighted to all of us. The Lord Jesus was indeed the One Whom God had sent into this world, the Son of God Incarnate in the flesh, the Son of Man, through Whom God would gather everyone to Himself, all of His beloved ones, showing them all His love manifested perfectly in the flesh. And yet, He was rejected and opposed by those who were supposedly the most knowledgeable about the Law and the teachings of the prophets, as they saw in Him a great Rival and even threat to their own power, influence and authority among the people of God.

Nonetheless, the Lord continued to do His best to reach out to those who are dear and beloved to Him, caring for them as best as He could, showing them His ever generous and patient love even when the people had disobeyed Him and refused to follow His path, through their stubbornness and disobedience. He still reached out to them, performing His works and miracles in their midst, sending His disciples to share with them all His truth, Good News, love and guidance. The Lord did everything just as the prophets had foretold of Him, loving all of them wonderfully and generously, reaching out to the greatest sinners and those deemed most unworthy in the midst of the people, like the prostitutes and tax collectors, those who were suffering from maladies and diseases, and those possessed by evil spirits.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Apollinaris, a great and holy servant of God whose life and commitment to the Lord is truly inspirational and a great example for all of us to follow in our own lives. He was also known as St. Apollinaris of Ravenna after the place of his ministry as bishop and his martyrdom in the early history of the Church. He was likely born in Antioch or in its surrounding region in Syria, and he was either one of the seventy-two disciples or a disciple of St. Peter according to Apostolic history and tradition. St. Apollinaris was appointed as the first Bishop of Ravenna, covering the region of northern and eastern parts of what is today Italy, as the early Church kept on growing rapidly and gaining more and more converts, expanding the reach of its works to the people who have not yet known the Lord and His salvation.

St. Apollinaris dedicated much of his life and ministry to proclaim the Good News of God to more and more people in his diocese, spreading the Christian faith and truth to those who still believed in the pagan faith of the Roman Empire. He managed to convince quite a number of people to embrace the Lord as their God and Saviour, establishing a vibrant Christian community in Ravenna and its surrounding regions. Despite all the challenges and persecutions that he had to endure and suffer, including being beaten and left half-dead at the seashore by the pagans, and being forced to walk on burning coals, St. Apollinaris continued to remain firmly faithful and committed to his mission, captured and beaten more times, only to miraculously survive and continuing on with his missions. In the end, he was persecuted and beaten again close to death, and before he died, he predicted that while the Church would continue to be persecuted, but it will eventually be triumphant with God.

From the examples shown by the great St. Apollinaris, his life and courageous martyrdom, all of us are reminded that as Christians we have been entrusted with the mission to proclaim the salvation of the Lord and His Good News which we have received and believed in, so that in all the things that we say and do, in our every moments in our respective lives, we will continue to be great role models and inspirations in faith for one another just like how St. Apollinaris and the many other saints, holy men and women of God have inspired us all as well. May all of us continue to be inspired and strengthened to do what God had taught, commanded and entrusted to us to do, now and always, and may He bless us in all of our every good works and deeds, in our every good efforts and endeavours. Amen.

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Saturday, 20 July 2024 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Apollinaris, Bishop and Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Matthew 12 : 14-21

At that time, the Pharisees went out, and made plans to get rid of Jesus. As Jesus was aware of their plans, He left that place. Many people followed Him, and He cured all who were sick. But He gave them strict orders not to make Him known.

In this way, Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled : Here is My Servant, Whom I have chosen; the One I love, and with Whom I am pleased. I will put My Spirit upon Him; and He will announce My judgment to the nations. He will not argue or shout, nor will His voice be heard in the streets. The bruised reed He will not crush, nor snuff out the smouldering wick until He brings justice to victory, and in Him, all the nations will put their hope.

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Saturday, 20 July 2024 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Apollinaris, Bishop and Martyr (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Psalm 9 : 22-23, 24-25, 28-29, 35

Why, o YHVH, do You stand afar? Why hide from us in times of distress? The wicked are in power; the weak suffer harassment; the poor become victims of evil schemes.

Exploiters boast in their power and greed; the covetous blasphemes and defies God. In their pride the wicked say, “There is no God.” They see no further.

Their mouths are filled with cursing, deceit and threats; spite and mischief are under their tongues. They lie in ambush near the villages, murdering the innocent and the unfortunate, spying upon their next victim.

But You see those in misery, o God, and You take it in hand. The unfortunate commits himself to You; the orphan turns to You for help.