bishops

by

Friday, 23 February 2024 : 1st Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Ezekiel 18 : 21-28

If the sinner turns from his sin, observes My decrees and practices what is right and just, he will live, he will not die. None of the sins he committed will be charged against him, he will live as a consequence of his righteous deeds. Do I want the death of the sinner? – word of YHVH. Do I not rather want him to turn from his ways and live?

But if the righteous man turns away from what is good and commits sins as the wicked do, will he live? His righteous deeds will no longer be credited to him, but he will die because of his infidelity and his sins. But you say : YHVH’s way is not just! Why, Israel! Is My position wrong? Is it not rather that yours is wrong?”

“If the righteous man dies after turning from his righteous deeds and sinning, he dies because of his sins. And if the wicked man does what is good and right, after turning from the sins he committed, he will save his life. He will live and not die, because he has opened his eyes and turned from the sins he had committed.”

by

Wednesday, 21 February 2024 : 1st Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Peter Damian, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded of the need for us all as Christians, as God’s beloved and holy people to heed God’s call and embrace His mercy, compassion and love. Each and every one of us have been given the opportunities and chances to come back to Him, as He offers us always His ever generous and plentiful mercy and redemption. Yet, many of us still resist God’s generosity and love, preferring to follow our own path filled with sin and wickedness. That is why many of us are still distant from the grace and righteousness that God has called us into, and many of us are still trapped by the many attachments we had for worldly matters, goods and things around us. Those temptations have often become serious obstacles preventing us from returning to the Lord.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jonah in which the ministry of Jonah to the city and the people of Nineveh has been highlighted to us all. At that time, the prophet Jonah had been sent by God to the people of Nineveh, the then great capital of the mighty Assyrian Empire, which had ruled over many other nations and states, and committed many atrocities and vile deeds during their campaigns of destruction and conquest. They were a warlike and proud race of people, who had glorified themselves over their conquest of many of those whom they had defeated, and therefore, God sent Jonah to them to remind them of the consequences and the retribution for their many sins and wickedness, and that in the end, whatever earthly glory they had gained and amassed, all are nothing before the Lord.

That was why Jonah spoke of the great destruction that would soon befall Nineveh, the great and mighty city, because of the multitudes of their sins, a fate that was echoed and preceded by the well-known case of the destruction and doom of Sodom and Gomorrah, which were destroyed by the Lord for their many sins and wickedness. Those people had disobeyed the Lord, followed the path of worldliness and sins, and as such, they were crushed by a storm of fire and brimstones, and the whole two cities were overturned, crushed and destroyed completely, erased from the face of the earth. The same fate could have befallen Nineveh as well, if they had not repented in the manner that they did, like those people who once lived in Sodom and Gomorrah.

Yet, as we heard and as I mentioned, the people of Nineveh immediately believed in the Lord and in the warnings which He presented to them through the prophet Jonah. They humbled themselves and repented from their sins, showing genuine regret for all the wicked things which they had done, and hence, the Lord did not carry out the destruction and the damnation which He had planned for them. This also shows us all that God’s love for us is truly great and wonderful, and that even sin and darkness, evil and wickedness of the world cannot come in between us and God’s love and grace. God’s mercy and love transcends the chasm of sin which had separated us from the grace and love of God all these while.

Then in our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel of St. Luke in which the same story of Jonah and the people of Nineveh were also presented to us, in the manner how the Lord Jesus used that together with the story of the coming of the Queen of the South or the Queen of Sheba to Jerusalem, in order to highlight how many of the people to whom the Lord had been sent to, were lacking in their faith and trust in God, that they failed to believe in the One Whom God had sent into their midst, despite the obvious signs and all that the Lord Jesus Himself had done, in fulfilling everything that God had promised to His people from the very beginning of time. This was also presented as an irony and comparison, between the attitudes of the people of that time with those in Nineveh and that of the Queen of the South.

That is the people who should have believed in the Lord and followed Him, chose to shut their ears, close their hearts and minds against Him, rejecting and doubting Him, questioning His authenticity and authority, refusing to trust in Him or put their faith in Him. They turned their backs against the Lord Who has always been so loving and merciful, kind and compassionate towards them, seeking in the false leads and pleasures of the world instead. Meanwhile, the tax collectors, prostitutes, foreigners and pagans whom the Jewish people, especially the Pharisees among them, had looked down upon, were indeed closer to God and His salvation, because they, like the people of Nineveh in the past, sought to repent and turn away from their sins, embracing God’s love and mercy. This is what we all should be doing as well, brothers and sisters in Christ.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Peter Damian, a great servant of God and a holy man of God, whose dedication and actions, contributions to the Church and the community of the faithful inspired many throughout Christendom and through time right to this very day. St. Peter Damian was a great religious and servant of God, who had dedicated his life to the works of the Lord and to the good of His Church, and he was also involved in the great reforms of the Church which he spearheaded, as he was involved in many programs to help restore the sanctity and purity in the Church, especially amongst the members of the clergy and the Church hierarchy. He himself resisted the temptations of worldly glory, and giving up any such ambitions, chose to become a religious and dedicated himself to God as a religious.

St. Peter Damian however was deeply involved in the works of the reforms of the Church, due to his good friend, who would eventually be elected as Pope St. Gregory VII. As a religious Benedictine monk, although he lived in his monastery, but St. Peter Damian continued to watch closely the affairs and workings of the Church of his time, and later on, when Pope St. Gregory VII chose his advisors, he placed St. Peter Damian as one of his close collaborators, being therefore closely involved in the process of reforms. The next Pope who succeeded Pope St. Gregory VII also treasured the contributions of St. Peter Damian and insisted to make him as a Cardinal, which St. Peter Damian resisted for a while, before eventually relenting and he was thus consecrated as the Cardinal Bishop of Ostia as a chief and very important advisor to the Pope, continuing with his works and missions in reforming the Church.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore make good use of the examples shown to us by this holy man of God, St. Peter Damian, in all that he had done for the sake of God’s Church, and also remind ourselves of the need for us to repent and turn away from all of our many sins and wickedness. Let us all be the beacons of hope and strength for one another, doing whatever we can so that by our loving examples and inspirational actions, filled with love and grace of God, we may help many others to come ever closer towards God, and to be redeemed from their sins, like how the people of Nineveh had done in the past, in embracing God with great desire to be forgiven and to be redeemed from their sins. Let us all come towards the Lord with contrite hearts and minds, and seek Him with ever greater commitment from now on, especially as we journey through this blessed time of Lent. May God be with us always throughout this journey of faith and life, and throughout this Lenten season. Amen.

by

Wednesday, 21 February 2024 : 1st Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Peter Damian, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Luke 11 : 29-32

At that time, as the crowd increased, Jesus spoke the following words : “People of the present time are troubled people. They ask for a sign, but no sign will be given to them except the sign of Jonah. As Jonah became a sign for the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be a sign for this generation.”

“The Queen of the South will rise up on Judgment Day with the people of these times and accuse them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and here, there is greater than Solomon. The people of Nineveh will rise up on Judgment Day with the people of these times and accuse them, for Jonah’s preaching made them turn from their sins, and here, there is greater than Jonah.”

by

Wednesday, 21 February 2024 : 1st Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Peter Damian, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 50 : 3-4, 12-13, 18-19

Have mercy on me, o God, in Your love. In Your great compassion blot out my sin. Wash me thoroughly of my guilt; cleanse me of evil.

Create in me, o God, a pure heart; give me a new and steadfast spirit. Do not cast me out of Your presence nor take Your Holy Spirit from me.

You take no pleasure in sacrifice; were I to give a burnt offering, You would not delight in it. O God, my sacrifice is a broken spirit; a contrite heart, You will not despise.

by

Wednesday, 21 February 2024 : 1st Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Peter Damian, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Jonah 3 : 1-10

The word of YHVH came to Jonah a second time : “Go to Nineveh, the great city, and announce to them the message I give you.”

In obedience to the word of YHVH, Jonah went to Nineveh. It was a very large city, and it took three days just to cross it. So Jonah walked a single day’s journey and began proclaiming, “Forty days more and Nineveh will be destroyed.”

The people of the city believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. Upon hearing the news, the king of Nineveh got up from his throne, took off his royal robe, put on sackcloth and sat down in ashes. He issued a proclamation throughout Nineveh :

“By the decree of the king and his nobles, no people or beasts, herd or flock, will taste anything; neither will they eat nor drink. But let people and beasts be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call aloud to God, turn from his evil ways and violence. Who knows? God may yet relent, turn from His fierce anger and spare us.”

When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, He had compassion and did not carry out the destruction He had threatened upon them.

by

Saturday, 3 February 2024 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr, and St. Ansgar, Bishop (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

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

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard from the Sacred Scriptures the words of the Lord in which we are all reminded to seek the Lord whenever we have any need or problems, and we should always keep our faith in Him regardless of the challenges, trials and difficulties that we may encounter in our lives and respective journeys. We must always be faithful to God and trust in Him in whatever path that He has called us into, and we must not allow the temptations of worldly glory and pleasures to distract and discourage us from this path that we have been called and led into by the Lord. We should also seek the Lord for help, guidance and strength, in all occasions and opportunities.

In our first reading today, we heard of the young King Solomon of Israel, who had just taken over the rein of the kingdom from his recently deceased father, King David of Israel. The young Solomon was lacking in experience and his youth is something that had often been taken against rulers of his age, by the people and the important figures of the kingdom. Hence, he came to Gibeon to offer prayers to God, and in that prayer, he sought God’s guidance and help, asking Him for wisdom and knowledge, the understanding and the ability to judge well, between things that are good and evil. And we heard how God was pleased with Solomon and his prayers, and blessed him more than what he had asked for, because he had not asked for wealth, worldly glory or power, as what many others would have done instead.

Through this simple example of the prayer of Solomon, we are all reminded that we should always anchor ourselves firmly and faithfully in God, and not to allow ourselves to be easily swayed and turned by our desires and by all other sorts of wicked things and temptations present all around us. We must remain firm in our commitment and in our desire to walk down this path of righteousness, grace and virtue as the Lord Himself has shown and led us through. Like Solomon and his father David before him, we should also humble ourselves before the Lord and ask Him for help and assistance, guidance and strength that we may be better able to live our lives worthily and with devotion as good and faithful Christians, in all moments and opportunities that have been provided to us.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the moment when the Lord and His disciples were ministering to the multitudes of people who came to them seeking the Lord, wanting to listen to His teachings and wanting to be healed and freed from their diseases, ailments and problems. We heard how the Lord and His disciples had been working for a very long time and how exhausted and tired they were. They were looking for a place to rest and to eat properly, but the people kept looking for the Lord and they all went before the Lord and His disciples, waiting for them and giving the Lord and His disciples no proper time to even rest and relax. Yet, we heard how the Lord had compassion on them all and He preached to them and taught them all, seeing that they were all like sheep without a shepherd.

From this short passage of course we are reminded that often as Christians we tend to take for granted those whom the Lord had sent to help, guide and minister to us. We often took them for granted and mistreat them, thinking that they had to work for us and to cater to our every desires and needs. We must keep in mind that they are also humans like us, who needs rest and sustenance, and we must also help and support them so that they can better minister and help us in our lives and journeys of faith. Then, at the same time, we are also reminded of just how beloved and precious we are by God, that He was willing to spend more time and effort to care for us, to help and guide us like what the Lord Jesus had done.

The Lord was also responding to the people’s desire to look for Him for guidance, and the many multitudes of people who were all looking for Him showed us all the desire they had in seeking for God’s help and guidance, and the Lord responded to that desire, as He also showed them all His great love, compassion and generosity. And therefore, we are all reminded that we should not take for granted this great love of God which He has shown to all of us, and we must always do our best such that in all occasions and opportunities provided to us, we are always grateful for the love and generous compassion which God has provided to us all these while. We should never forget how He has blessed us with many wonderful things throughout our lives, and we must keep ourselves rooted firmly in Him, at all times.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of two holy saints, namely St. Blaise and St. Ansgar, whose lives and examples can hopefully inspire us all in how we should lead lives that are truly worthy of the Lord. First of all, St. Blaise was the renowned saint whom many of us will remember for his intercessions for the sake of those who are suffering from throat problems and diseases, and the related popular Blessing of the Throats and the intercession of St. Blaise. St. Blaise was also a renowned physician who helped to treat many people for their diseases and ailments. He performed many miracles and healings which made him to be well-sought and respected by so many people, and which led him to be elected by the people who acclaimed him to be their bishop, in the area of Sebastea in Asia Minor. St. Blaise continued to care for the needs of the people under his care, and devoted his time and effort for their sake.

During that time, the Church and its Christian faithful had been under constant threats of persecutions and hardships, and despite the Edict of Milan which had been declared by the then Roman Emperors Constantine the Great and Licinius, very soon, in the Eastern parts of the Roman Empire ruled by the Emperor Licinius, the suspicion of that Emperor against the plans and support that Constantine the Great tacitly gave to the Christians and to the Church led to renewed persecutions against the faithful in his dominion, including that of St. Blaise’s diocese and domain. The governor arrested St. Blaise and persecuted him, and amidst all that, in what would make him well-known for his intercession for those afflicted with throat maladies, a woman who had a boy choking to death because of fish bone in his throat placed that son at his feet as he was led to his torture place, and the boy was miraculously healed almost immediately. In the end, as St. Blaise continued to resist the efforts to turn him away from his faith, he was martyred, and yet, his examples, courage and faith continued to inspire many others throughout history.

Meanwhile, St. Ansgar was known well for his many efforts and missionary works among the Germans, whom at the time were still following their pagan ways. He devoted much of his time and efforts to proclaim the Word of God and the Good News of His salvation to those who still followed their pagan ways, as he was sent in his capacity of a missionary. He went to proclaim the truth of God amidst the challenges, hardships and trials which he had to endure throughout that journey and efforts, going back and forth between many places, caring for the needs of the countless souls who have been attracted to God thanks to his efforts and works. Eventually he was made a bishop, and he continued to devote himself to his work, and which made him known as the ‘Apostle to the Germans’ or the ‘Apostle of the North’, marking his commitment to his mission to those who have not yet known the Lord, which he continued to do till the end of his life.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have listened through today’s Scripture readings of putting our trust and faith in the Lord, and also through the lives and works of St. Blaise and St. Ansgar, let us all therefore do our best so that in each and every moments of our lives, we may continue to live ever more worthily in God’s Presence, and to come ever closer to the Lord. Let us all therefore come to the Lord, asking Him to help and guide us, and strengthen and encourage us in our path, so that in everything that we say and do, we will continue to glorify God, and that like St. Blaise and St. Ansgar before us, we may be the shining examples of our faith, commitment and love for God, now and always. Amen.

by

Saturday, 3 February 2024 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr, and St. Ansgar, Bishop (Gospel Reading)

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

Mark 6 : 30-34

At that time, the Apostles returned and reported to Jesus all they had done and taught. Then He said to them, “Let us go off by ourselves into a remote place and have some rest.” For there were so many people coming and going that the Apostles had no time even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a secluded area by themselves.

But people saw them leaving, and many could guess where they were going. So, from all the towns, they hurried there on foot, arriving ahead of them. As Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He had compassion on them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd. And He began to teach them many things.

by

Saturday, 3 February 2024 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr, and St. Ansgar, Bishop (Psalm)

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

Psalm 118 : 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14

How can young people remain pure? By living according to Your word.

I seek You with my whole heart; let me not stray from Your commands.

In my heart I have kept Your word, that I may not sin against my YHVH.

Praise to You, o YHVH; instruct me in Your statutes.

That, with my lips, I may declare all Your spoken decrees.

I delight in following Your laws, more so than in all riches.

by

Saturday, 3 February 2024 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr, and St. Ansgar, Bishop (First Reading)

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

1 Kings 3 : 4-13

The king used to sacrifice at Gibeon, the great high place; on the altar there he had offered a thousand burnt offerings. It was in Gibeon, during the night, that YHVH appeared to Solomon in a dream and said, “Ask what you want Me to give you.”

Solomon answered, “You have shown Your servant David my father a great and steadfast love because he served You faithfully and was righteous and sincere towards You. You have given him proof of Your steadfast love in making a son of his sit on his throne this day.”

“And now, o YHVH my God, You have made Your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a young boy who does not know how to undertake anything. Meantime, Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen – a people so great that they can neither be numbered nor counted.”

“Give me, therefore, an understanding mind in governing Your people that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this multitude of people of Yours?”

YHVH was pleased that Solomon had made this request. And He told him, “Because you have requested this rather than long life or wealth or even vengeance on your enemies; indeed, because you have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, I shall grant you your request. I now give you a wise and discerning mind such as no one has had before you nor anyone after you shall ever have.”

“I will also give you what you have not asked for, both wealth and fame; and no king shall be your equal during your lifetime.”

by

Friday, 26 January 2024 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Timothy and St. Titus, Bishops (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the Feast of the two great saints and Church fathers, St. Timothy and St. Titus, both of whom were the disciples and followers of St. Paul the Apostle, the Apostle to the Gentiles. Both of them were inspired and mentored by St. Paul who taught them more about the Christian faith and guided them in their path, that they, in their own ways, contributed greatly to the development and the growth of the early Church. St. Timothy and St. Titus were among the earliest bishops of the Church, as those who have been chosen and appointed to be the successors of the Apostles, who had the Apostles laying their hands upon them, giving them the strength and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

St. Timothy was one of the companions of St. Paul during his missionary journeys, and as mentioned, the latter was the mentor of St. Timothy, guiding him in the way of the Christian faith. He was a native of Lystra or Derbe in what is today part of Turkey, then known as Anatolia, one of the places that St. Paul visited during his missionary journeys, and where he performed miracles and healings that brought quite a number of the locals, likely including that of St. Timothy, to embrace the Christian faith. Eventually, St. Timothy became the disciple of St. Paul, and helped him during the later missionary journeys that he carried out, proclaiming the Good News of God to more and more people all throughout the region, where many accepted the Lord as their God and Saviour.

St. Timothy continued the works of St. Paul when he left for Rome in his final missionary journey, which would led to St. Paul’s martyrdom there. He was appointed as bishop in Asia Minor, likely in Ephesus, one of the great early centres of Christianity. There, he continued to work hard for the glory of God and for the salvation of souls, courageously spreading the Word of God and His Good News to more and more people. According to the Apostolic and Church traditions, he was also persecuted and endured prison more than once, eventually suffering martyrdom for his faith and commitment to God, after many decades of continuous and courageous hard work for the Lord. Yet, his examples continued to inspire many people long after his time.

Meanwhile, St. Titus also had a similar story to St. Timothy, as he was also likely converted by St. Paul, and then later on followed him on his missionary journeys, assisting him as a scribe and interpreter. He was sent by St. Paul from Ephesus to Corinth to settle the issues which arose there, and which was highlighted in St. Paul’s Epistle to the Corinthians. He managed to resolve the issue and the situation successfully, and later on continued to join St. Paul in his various further missionary and evangelising works. Eventually St. Titus was also chosen and appointed as bishop to succeed and continue the works of the Apostles, and was entrusted with the care of his native island of Crete. There he continued to minister to the people of God much as St. Timothy had done, and perhaps had also suffered martyrdom as well, although the information was scant regarding this.

This is the essence of what we have heard from the Gospel passage today, in which the account of how the Lord Jesus sent out the seventy-two disciples on various missions was told to us. At that time, the Lord appointed and sent out the seventy-two disciples, most of whom were not known by name, but all those people were instrumental in extending even further the reach of the Lord’s works, beyond what His Twelve Apostles had done and could do. Some of those among the seventy-two disciples were themselves appointed later on as the successors and companions of the Apostles, and through them, their witnessing of the Lord’s ministry and good works, and through the knowledge of truth that they had received from the Lord Himself and through the Holy Spirit, they passed on that truth to the Church of God, and therefore, eventually to all of us.

The Lord sent them all out to prepare His path and to do His works among the people of God, and telling them to be strong and courageous, and to remain faithful and committed to their mission, because they would likely face persecutions, hardships and trials for what they have done and worked for. Yet, the Lord also reassured all of them that He would be with them, guiding and helping them along the way. He told them to go to the houses of those who received them well and accepted their message, while those who have stubbornly refused to believe in the truth of God, they should ignore and leave behind. Through this reminder, the Lord wanted to tell His disciples and followers to place their trust in Him, and follow Him.

As we have heard from the lives and examples of St. Timothy and St. Titus, their courage and faith in God, and also from the passages of the Sacred Scriptures that we have heard today, let us all therefore discern carefully what the Lord may intend for us to do in our respective lives. Each and every one of us should always be attuned to the Lord and be willing to listen to Him, so that we all may know what it is that we are all called to do in our lives, in our respective vocations and areas of responsibilities. This is why we should not remain idle in life, but do our best, in showing by our own good examples, what we all can do in our everyday moments. Let us all be the good and worthy role models for others to follow.

May the Lord be with us always, and may He empower everyone of us, so that we can follow in the footsteps of His faithful servants, St. Timothy and St. Titus, in doing what we can for the glory of His Name and in proclaiming His truth and love to more and more people, all around us. May God bless our every good works and endeavours, now and forevermore. Amen.