bishops

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Saturday, 15 July 2023 : 14th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us are reminded that God always loves each and every one of us, more than any others among His creation, and all of us are truly precious to Him, and hence, we have no need to be afraid or fearful at all, particularly when we are perhaps encountering challenges and difficulties. The Lord is always there by our side, providing and caring for us, even when we often do not realise it and even when we often do not know that He is there for us. The Lord has shown us all His promise from time to time, and never ceases to surprise us all just how dedicated He has always been to the Covenant and to the promises that He has made and established with us.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Genesis, we heard of how both Jacob and Joseph reached the end of their lives in the land of Egypt, in the story that capped and concluded the Book of Genesis and its accounts of the lives of the forefathers of the Israelites before the time of the Exodus. Jacob was already old by the time he was reunited with his long-lost son, Joseph, and he passed away surrounded by his many sons and children, and gave them all his blessings, the blessings that God has assured and given to him and his ancestors. We heard of how Jacob was buried back together with Abraham and Isaac, his forefathers in the Promised Land, and how the brothers of Joseph were reassured by Joseph himself that he would care for them and not seeking revenge against them.

God would indeed bless Jacob and his descendants, and just as Joseph was about to pass on from this life, we heard from him the words that he spoke to his descendants and relatives, asking him to bring his bones back to the land of Canaan, the Promised Land that God had promised to his forefathers, foretelling the coming of God’s time when He would lead them all out from the land of Egypt and back to the Promised Land, as how it would indeed happen during the Exodus hundreds of years later. The Lord would indeed remember His promises, and brought all of His people out from Egypt, and led them back patiently through the desert despite their many transgressions and wicked deeds, under the leadership and guidance of Moses, until they finally reached the land promised to them, while renewing His Covenant with them.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the Lord speaking to His disciples regarding the matter of trusting in the Lord and not needing to fear the evil and the darkness, or the challenges and the sufferings that the disciples might have to endure as part of their work and ministry. The Lord reassured them using the parables to explain to them how they were part of the greater things and have the assurances of the guidance of God, by comparing the wicked ones and those who oppressed them with the evil ones, led by the princes of demons like Beelzebul. Such a mention was made because those princes of demons were imperfect, wicked and flawed, as compared to the perfection and the power of God, to Whom even those demons and wicked ones had to submit themselves.

The Lord also used the parable of the light and how that light will uncover everything that is hidden in the dark, showing that the truth of God cannot be hidden or be oppressed by anyone. Even if the disciples in the future will be facing hardships, trials and obstacles amidst their ministry, but they will always have the Lord by their side, and nothing can stop them from proclaiming the Good News of God. They should not be afraid of all those who could harm them physically, all the oppressions and the hardships that they would have to endure from the many persecutions they would have to face from the worldly authorities, because all those things cannot harm them in a lasting manner.

This is contrasted to what will happen to us if we choose to side with the world and all the evil temptations which may lead us to good reprieve from hardships and persecutions, but in the end, we may fall away from the path that the Lord has shown us, essentially leading us to our downfall and destruction. However, this is what many of us may choose to do when we are faced with fear and uncertainties in life, threats and dangers that can lead us down the wrong path and into damnation. We are often worried because we are concerned about our well-being and livelihood, but we forgot that the Lord has always been watching over us, caring for us and in the end, we will be satisfied because of His providence and compassionate care. Sometimes we focus so much on ourselves and our needs and desires that we became blinded and unable to see God’s love being shown to us in our midst.

That is why today we are reminded that we should renew our trust and faith in God, and learn to follow His path and examples, while resisting the temptations of the world and the pressures all around us which may try to force us to succumb to those temptations and abandon our faith in the Lord. That is why today we should look upon the great faith shown by our predecessors, all those servants of God, disciples and followers of the Lord who had given their all in order to serve Him. Today we celebrate the feast of one of those servants of God, namely St. Bonaventure, a renowned Franciscan bishop, theologian and Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, who was later on declared as one of the Doctors of the Church for his great contributions to the Christian faith and the Church, as well as his commitment to Church reforms.

He joined the Franciscan Order and had an interaction with its founder, the other renowned saint, St. Francis of Assisi. He wrote extensively on theological matters, so much so that he was known well as the ‘Seraphic Doctor’ by his contemporaries and later Church theologians. He was also elected as the leader of the Franciscan Order as its Minister General, and was instrumental in guiding the order through its works and principles, and at the same time also involving himself in greater and wider whole Church reforms. He was elevated to the Cardinalate by the Pope for his influential efforts and works in securing his election, and in his many other contributions to the good of the Church and the faithful people of God. The great examples of St. Bonaventure still inspired many people right even up to this very day.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all today therefore be strengthened and encouraged by the great examples and inspirations shown by St. Bonaventure and the many other holy men and women of God, whose lives have been truly worthy of Him, so that we too may follow in their footsteps. May the Lord continue to strengthen and guide us in our path, in our faithful commitment to His cause, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

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Saturday, 15 July 2023 : 14th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 10 : 24-33

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “A student is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. A student should be content to become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If the head of the household has been called Beelzebul, how much more, those of his household! So, do not be afraid of them!”

“There is nothing covered that will not be uncovered. There is nothing hidden that will not be made known. What I am telling you in the dark, you must speak in the light. What you hear in private, proclaim from the housetops. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but have no power to kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of Him Who can destroy both body and soul in hell.”

“For a few cents you can buy two sparrows. Yet not one sparrow falls to the ground without your Father knowing. As for you, every hair of your head has been counted. Do not be afraid : you are worth more than many sparrows! Whoever acknowledges Me before others, I will acknowledge before My Father in heaven. Whoever rejects Me before others, I will reject before My Father in heaven.”

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Saturday, 15 July 2023 : 14th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 104 : 1-2, 3-4, 6-7

Give thanks to YHVH, call on His Name; make known His works among the nations. Sing to Him, sing His praise, proclaim all His wondrous deeds.

Glory in His holy Name; let those who seek YHVH rejoice. Look to YHVH and be strong; seek His face always.

You descendants of His servant Abraham, you sons of Jacob, His chosen ones! He is YHVH our God; His judgments reach the whole world.

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Saturday, 15 July 2023 : 14th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Genesis 49 : 29-32 and Genesis 50 : 15-26a

Jacob then gave his sons these instructions : “I am soon to be gathered to my people; bury me near my fathers, in the cave in the field of Ephron, the Hittite; in the cave in the field of Machpelah, to the east of Mamre in Canaan, the field that Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite as a burial place. It was there that Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried. There they buried Leah. The field and the cave in it were purchased from the Hittites.”

When Joseph’s brothers realised that their father was dead they said, “What if Joseph turns against us in hate because of the evil we did him?” So they sent word to Joseph saying, “Before he died your father told us to say this to you : Please forgive the crime and the sin of your brothers in doing evil to you. Forgive the crime of the servants of your father’s God.”

When he was given the message, Joseph wept. His brothers went and threw themselves down before him, “We are your slaves,” they said. But Joseph reassured them, “Do not be afraid! Am I in the place of God? You intended to do me harm, but God intended to turn it to good in order to bring about what is happening today – the survival of many people. So have no fear! I will provide for you and your little ones.” In this way he touched their hearts and consoled them.

Joseph remained in Egypt together with all his father’s family. He lived for a hundred and ten years, long enough to see Ephraim’s great-grandchildren, and also to have the children of Machir, the son of Manasseh, placed on his knees after their birth.

Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am going to die, but God will surely remember you and take you from this country to the land He promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” Joseph then made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “When God comes to bring you out from here, carry my bones with you.” Joseph died at the age of one hundred and ten.

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Thursday, 29 June 2023 : Solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul, Apostles (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we celebrate the most wonderful occasion and the great Solemnity of the two Holy Apostles, St. Peter and St. Paul, whom we celebrate together first of all because they are the two Apostles who laid the foundation of the Church in Rome, at the then capital of the Roman Empire, which then becomes the heart of Christendom for the next two millennia up to this very day. Both St. Peter and St. Paul were crucial in their roles in establishing the Church not just in Rome but elsewhere throughout Christendom, but today in particular we remember their roles in building up the Church in Rome, of which our Pope, the Vicar of Christ, is St. Peter’s direct successor as the Vicar of Christ and leader of the whole Universal Church. St. Paul is the Apostle to the Gentiles, who was truly instrumental in his role in expanding the reach of the Church and the Good News to the non-Jewish people, the Gentiles.

St. Peter and St. Paul were two very distinct men that God had called to become His disciples, and eventually as His Apostles, with Apostle coming from the Greek word ‘Apostolos’ meaning ‘person that is sent’, with significance that they had been personally sent and entrusted by the Lord to be the chief bearers of His truth and Good News, and as the ones who are the pillars of the Church that God Himself has established in this world. Both of them were instrumental in their immense contributions to the Church and the Christian faithful, and also in the establishment of the Roman Church, which we all belong to, the Roman Catholic Church, with its centre in Rome, and hence, is why we are celebrating this day with a particularly great Solemnity, in the memory of these two holy Apostles, most faithful servants of God.

As mentioned just earlier, St. Peter and St. Paul were both distinct in their origin and characters, and therefore, it is indeed unimaginable and must have been strange in the eyes of many who know them and their history, of how they both can come together and become part of the Lord’s ministry and works. For example, St. Peter was an illiterate fisherman from the shores of the Lake of Galilee, taken from his humble origins and his uneducated and brash background, while St. Paul could not have been more different from St. Peter, as St. Paul was a member of the Pharisees, one of the two most influential groups in the Jewish community back then, and not only that, but he was also a Roman citizen, a truly remarkable feat and status for a Jew at that time, because Roman citizenship at that time was only reserved for the most powerful and influential among the non-Roman and non-Italian people at that time.

Not only that, but St. Peter himself, as Scriptural accounts have told us, was also complicit in abandoning the Lord in the moment of His Passion and suffering, when He was put on trial after the betrayal of Judas Iscariot and His arrest. St. Peter, who had earlier on bravely proclaiming that he would even die for the Lord, denied knowing the Lord not just once, but three times. At that moment, his faith was wavering, and faced with the opposition of the whole Sanhedrin, the Jewish High Council, and the people around, St. Peter did what he would immediately regret later on, that is to give in to his fears. Meanwhile, St. Paul was known as Saul, the Pharisee and an overzealous young man who sought to destroy the Church and all Christian believers, and went so far as to arrest and persecute every Christians he encountered throughout Judea and even almost went on as far as Damascus in doing so, before he encountered the Lord, was called and converted.

Nonetheless, God called each one of them and the other Apostles, all from their diverse origin and background, and made them to be His most faithful and dedicated workers of His vineyard, that is this world. He sent them all as the Apostles, true to their office, to evangelise and proclaim His truth and Good News to the nations, and to make more disciples of the many nations. St. Peter presided over the Church, and also as highlighted in the Acts of the Apostles, the first Council of the Church in Jerusalem to resolve issues and divisions within the Church, and he also went on to establish many churches and communities, becoming the first Bishop of Antioch, the place where the first tangible Christian community was known as Christians, and then becoming the first Bishop of Rome, where he established the office of the Bishop of Rome, and as the Pope and Vicar of Christ, becoming the centre of Christendom and as the pinnacle of the Church hierarchy, as the very Vicar of the Lord Himself in this world. To St. Peter, God has entrusted the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and built the foundation of His Church, on the firm faith that he has in Him, as we heard in our Gospel passage today.

On the other hand, St. Paul as we are familiar from the Acts of the Apostles and from his many Epistles that form the bulk of the New Testament as we know it, was very much involved in many missionary works and journeys, embarking on four major evangelisation and missionary journeys throughout the regions, visiting towns and villages, moving from place to place, sometimes by himself and other times with companions, in proclaiming the truth and Good News of God to more and more people throughout the known world. In his many Epistles, the letters and other works meant to be communicated to the faithful, St. Paul made clear his commitment to his mission as well as his wishes and desires for the faithful people of God to follow their Lord and Master with greater faith and dedication, staying true to the teachings of the Lord which had been passed down to them through His Apostles.

Both of them eventually made their way to Rome, and were martyred there, at the time when Christians were greatly persecuted during the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero. St. Peter as the Bishop of Rome and the leader of the Church, according to Apostolic traditions, went through the great persecutions, and in one occasion, went away from Rome in order to hide from the enemies of the Church and the Lord. In that moment, he saw the vision of the Lord carrying His cross towards Rome, in one of the ways towards the city. St. Peter in one of his famous sayings mentioned, ‘Quo vadis?’ which means, ‘Where are You heading to, Lord?’, to which the Lord replied with ‘Eo Romam iterum crucifigi’, that means ‘I am going to Rome, to be crucified (again).’

This apparition of the Lord strengthened St. Peter and affirmed him that the Shepherd is always with His flock, and St. Peter as the shepherd of the Lord’s flock, should remain and suffer with the flock of God, much as Christ Himself, the Good Shepherd, has suffered and laid down His life for His sheep. St. Peter hence went back to Rome, and faced martyrdom with great faith, and just as what our Gospel passage today had highlighted, that according to the Lord Himself, that when he grew old, St. Peter’s enemies and persecutors would bind him and lead him to where he would not want to go. Regardless, St. Peter faced martyrdom and was crucified at where now stands the great Papal Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican, certainly the most famous church of all of Christendom, where his tomb now still stands. He felt unworthy to be crucified and to die in the manner that his Lord had died, and thus, he asked to be crucified upside down. Thus was how this great man of God passed into the life everlasting with God.

St. Paul was also brought to Rome and had to await the decision of the Emperor when he appealed to the Emperor against the many accusations that the Jewish leaders had brought up against him. When the Great Fire of Rome happened under the reign of the same Emperor Nero, Christians were persecuted and made as scapegoats for the fire, which many actually attributed to the deliberate actions of the Emperor himself. St. Paul was one of the Christians being persecuted and martyred, being put to death as a Roman citizen, through beheading, during the height of that persecution. But till the very end, St. Paul still continued to do what he had always done, in proclaiming the truth and Good News of God, right up to his martyrdom, like what St. Peter and the other Apostles had done.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today we are truly very fortunate and blessed in being able to commemorate the memories of these two great Man of God, two of the Lord’s Holy and Glorious Apostles, St. Peter and St. Paul, the Prince of the Apostles and the Apostle to the Gentiles respectively. Each one of them has shown us great examples and inspirations through their lives and tireless efforts in ministering to the Church and to countless people whom they have encountered throughout their work and ministry. Now, are we all able to follow them in their footsteps and carry out God’s will, obey His commands and continue His missions and works in the same way as well? All of us who have received the same faith and gift of the Holy Spirit from the Lord, sharing in the joy of the Apostles, have the same calling and mission to spread the Word of God and truth to more and more people throughout the world.

Let us all therefore be encouraged and strengthened, that in our every good works and endeavours, we will always glorify the Lord by our lives, and proclaim His truth and Good News by every actions, words and deeds in our every moments. Let us be empowered by the Lord through the gifts of His Holy Spirit, and by the burning love that we have in our hearts, just like those of the Apostles, especially St. Peter and St. Paul, in doing God’s will. Remember that while the Apostles, like St. Peter and St. Paul, were all called from humble, imperfect, and even questionable origins, being sinners just like us, but God made them all into His most worthy and amazing servants, in doing many of His good works, and the same can happen to us all as well. This is the time for us to decide if we want to follow the Lord wholeheartedly like how St. Peter and St. Paul had followed Him.

May the Lord, who is glorified through His Apostles, St. Peter and St. Paul, continue to bless us all and guide us, His Church, His faithful ones, so that in our every good works and endeavours, we will bring ever greater glory to Him, and bring many more people ever closer to salvation and grace in Him. May our lives and actions always be exemplary and worthy of the Lord, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 29 June 2023 : Solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul, Apostles (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Matthew 16 : 13-19

At that time, Jesus came to Caesarea Philippi. He asked His disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They said, “For some of them, You are John the Baptist; for others Elijah, or Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”

Jesus asked them, “But you, who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “It is well for you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for it is not flesh or blood that has revealed this to you, but My Father in heaven.”

“And now I say to you : You are Peter; and on this Rock I will build My Church; and never will the powers of death overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven : whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you unbind on earth shall be unbound in heaven.”

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Thursday, 29 June 2023 : Solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul, Apostles (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

2 Timothy 4 : 6-8, 17-18

As for me, I am already poured out as a libation, and the moment of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Now, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, with which the Lord, the just Judge, will reward me, on that day, and not only me, but all those who have longed for His glorious coming.

But the Lord was at my side, giving me strength, to proclaim the Word fully, and let all the pagans hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will save me from all evil, bringing me to His heavenly kingdom. Glory to Him forever and ever. Amen!

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Thursday, 29 June 2023 : Solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul, Apostles (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 33 : 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

I will praise YHVH all my days; His praise will be ever on my lips. My soul makes its boast in YHVH; let the lowly hear and rejoice.

Oh, let us magnify YHVH; together, let us glorify His Name! I sought YHVH, and He answered me; from all my fears He delivered me.

They who look to Him are radiant with joy, their faces never clouded with shame. When the poor cry out, YHVH hears and saves them from distress.

YHVH’s Angel encamps and patrols, to keep safe those who fear Him. Oh, see and taste the goodness of YHVH! Blessed is the one who finds shelter in Him!

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Thursday, 29 June 2023 : Solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul, Apostles (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Acts 12 : 1-11

About that time king Herod decided to persecute some members of the Church. He had James, the brother of John, killed with the sword, and when he saw how it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also.

This happened during the Festival of the Unleavened Bread. Herod had him seized and thrown into prison with four squads, each of four soldiers, to guard him. He wanted to bring him to trial before the people after the Passover feast, but while Peter was kept in prison, the whole Church prayed earnestly for him.

On the very night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound by a double chain, while guards kept watch at the gate of the prison. Suddenly, an Angel of the Lord stood there and a light shone in the prison cell. The Angel tapped Peter on the side and woke him saying, “Get up quickly!”

At once, the chains fell from Peter’s wrists. The Angel said, “Put on your belt and your sandals.” Peter did so; and the Angel added, “Now, put on your cloak and follow me.” Peter followed him out; yet he did not realise that what was happening with the Angel was real; he thought he was seeing a vision.

They passed the first guard, and then the second, and they came to the iron door leading out to the city, which opened by itself for them. They went out and made their way down a narrow alley, when suddenly the Angel left him. Then Peter recovered his senses and said, “Now I know that the Lord has sent His Angel and has rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from all that the Jews had in store for me.”

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(Usus Antiquior) Feast of the Holy Apostles, St. Peter and St. Paul (I Classis) – Thursday, 29 June 2023 : Offertory, Secret Prayer of the Priest, Communion and Post-Communion Prayer

Liturgical Colour : Red

Offertory

Psalm 44 : 17-18

Constitues eos principes super omnem terram : memores erunt Nominis Tui, Domine, in omni progenie et generatione.

English translation

You shall make them princes over all the earth, they shall remember Your Name, o Lord, throughout all generations.

Secret Prayer of the Priest

Hostias, Domine, quas Nomini Tuo sacrandas offerimus, apostolica prosequatur oratio : per quam nos expiari tribuas et defendi. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

May the prayer of Your Apostles, o Lord, accompany the sacrifices which we offer to be consecrated to Your Name, and through it do You grant us to be pardoned and defended. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

Preface of the Apostles

Vere dignum et justum est, aequum et salutare : Te, Domine, suppliciter exorare, ut gregem Tuum, Pastor Aeterne, non deseras : sed per Beatos Apostolos Tuos continua protectione custodias. Ut iisdem rectoribus gubernetur, quos operis Tui vicarios eidem contulisti praesse pastores. Et ideo cum Angelis et Archangelis, cum Thronis et Dominationibus, cumque omni militia caelestis exercitus hymnum gloriae Tuae canimus, sine fine dicentes :

English translation

It is truly meet and just, right and profitable, humbly to beseech You, o Lord, to forsake not the flock of which You are the eternal shepherd, but through Your holy Apostles ever to guard and keep it, so that it be governed by those rulers whom You had set over it to be its pastors under You. And therefore with the angels and archangels, with the Thrones and Dominations, and with all the array of the heavenly host we sing a hymn to Your glory and unceasingly repeat :

Communion

Matthew 16 : 18

Tu es Petrus, et super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam Meam.

English translation

You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church.

Post-Communion Prayer

Quos caelesti, Domine, alimento satiasti : Apostolicis intercessionibus ab omni adversitate custodi. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

Preserve, o Lord from all dangers, by the intercession of Your Apostles, those whom You have filled with Heavenly nourishment. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.