Church fathers

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Thursday, 24 August 2023 : Feast of St. Bartholomew, Apostle (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Revelations 21 : 9b-14

And one of the seven Angels who were with the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues said to me, “Come, I am going to show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”

He took me up, in a spiritual vision, to a very high mountain, and he showed me the holy city Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven, from God. It shines with the glory of God, like a precious jewel, with the colour of crystal-clear jasper. Its wall, large and high, has twelve gates; stationed at them are twelve Angels.

Over the gates are written the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. Three gates face the east; three gates face the north; three gates face the south and three face the west. The city wall stands on twelve foundation stones, on which are written the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.

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Thursday, 10 August 2023 : Feast of St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate together the Feast of St. Lawrence of Rome, the great man of God who was one of the seven deacons of the city and See of Rome, and hence was a very important and prominent member of the Roman Church at that time. St. Lawrence was also the first among those seven deacons, as the Archdeacon of Rome, a position of great importance as he was indeed the right hand man of the then reigning Pope, Pope St. Sixtus II, whose feast we have just celebrated a few days ago. St. Lawrence of Rome was martyred at about the same time as Pope St. Sixtus and quite a number other Christians, who were persecuted during an episode of attack against the Church under the reign of the then Roman Emperor Valerian.

St. Lawrence himself was born in what is today part of Spain, where the later Pope St. Sixtus II met him in what is today Zaragoza, then known as Caesaraugusta. According to Church traditions, his parents were also Christians and were themselves martyrs, likely prior to the mission and works of St. Lawrence as deacon in Rome. Pope St. Sixtus II and St. Lawrence both travelled to Rome, where the former eventually became Pope succeeding his predecessor, Pope St. Stephen I. And as a trusted friend and member of his close inner circle, St. Lawrence was therefore appointed as the Archdeacon of Rome, responsible for the distribution of goods and for the care of the faithful people of God in the Diocese of Rome. He held the control and key of the treasuries and material goods of the Roman Church, and he did his duties most obediently, committing himself to care those entrusted under his supervision.

Then, at that time, the Roman state under Emperor Valerian began an intense persecution of Christians, arresting Pope St. Sixtus II and many others, who were martyred for their faith. As was customary, all those who were executed by the Roman state had their possessions and property confiscated and gathered to be added to the Imperial treasury. Hence, in order to avoid the property and goods of the Church meant for the people of God, especially the poor and the needy to fall into the hands of those who did not deserve them, St. Lawrence quickly worked to distribute the property of the Church to those who needed them, to the faithful so that they would not be seized. The Roman prefect of the city demanded and ordered St. Lawrence to hand over all the goods and properties of the Church, which was then responded by St. Lawrence who gathered the poor and the needy, and showed them as the true treasures of the Church.

That enraged the Roman prefect such that he ordered St. Lawrence to be arrested and tortured, and put on a great and hot gridiron, where this holy man of God was put to suffer terrible tortures. Yet, St. Lawrence fearlessly and courageously faced those sufferings and his upcoming martyrdom with calmness and joy, knowing that everything that he and the other martyrs had to suffer, were nothing compared to the true joy and glory that they would receive through the Lord. According to the Church traditions, St. Lawrence even cheerfully commented to his tortures to turn him over as in his own words, ‘I am well done on this side. Turn me over!’ All these showed just how courageous and brave St. Lawrence was in enduring those great persecutions and hardships, for the sake of God and His people. Eventually, he was executed and died as a martyr like many others.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, all the examples which St. Lawrence, holy deacon and martyr had shown us exemplified what we have heard from our Scripture passages today. In our first reading passage, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians in which St. Paul spoke of those who sowed meagrely and how they would also reap meagrely while those who sowed generously would also reap generous harvests. This is showing how our faith in God must be truly filled with true dedication and commitment to God, and not merely an empty faith and proclamations only. Like St. Lawrence, who devoted himself to the cause of the Lord, that he risked his life in doing his mission and in ensuring that the properties and goods of the Church entrusted to his care did not fall into the wrong hands, and faced suffering and martyrdom for those, thus, we should also do our part in living our lives with true dedication and faith.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard a related account of the Lord Jesus speaking to His disciples using a simple parable of comparing a grain of wheat that ought to fall to the ground and ‘die’ first so that it might bear plenty of fruits as the seed in the wheat would then germinate and grow into a new wheat plant that would bear many new wheat crops, and hence, be truly fruitful. This is related to the famous phrase of ‘the blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians’ which reminded us all of the sufferings and hardships that many of our predecessors had to face in the midst of living their faith. Yet, their faith and commitment to God, their courage and bravery, like what was shown by St. Lawrence as mentioned earlier, should inspire all of us to live our lives with great faith and dedication to God, and to be inspirational in our way of life.

This means that in our every moments and in our every words, actions and deeds in life, all of us should do our best so that we may be the shining light of God’s truth and love, the light of hope for many of our fellow brothers and sisters who may be facing a lot of hardships and challenges in their lives. Like St. Lawrence, whose faith and commitment, courage and dedication had strengthened the faith of so many of those who came after him, in how they endured the challenges and persecutions against their faith. All of us should live in accordance to the Law and the path that God has shown us, the path of His righteousness so that we may all walk down this path and not be swayed easily by the temptations of worldly glory and by the fear of sufferings and death. Becoming Christians mean that we have to be prepared to suffer for the Lord, but we must always remember that we never suffer alone, for the Lord is always ever by our side.

May the Lord continue to watch over us and strengthen us in our ways, and may His wonderful saints, St. Lawrence and many of our other holy predecessors continue to inspire us by their great examples and role models, and may they intercede for us sinners, that God may deign to show His mercy and kindness upon us, especially in the moments of our hardships and challenges. May God bless us always in all things and may He empower us all to be His worthy disciples in all things. Amen.

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Thursday, 10 August 2023 : Feast of St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

John 12 : 24-26

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly, I say to you, unless the grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Those who love their life destroy it, and those who despise their life in this world save it even to everlasting life.”

“Whoever wants to serve Me, let him follow Me; and wherever I am, there shall My servant be also. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honour him.”

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Thursday, 10 August 2023 : Feast of St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 111 : 1-2, 5-6, 7-8, 9

Alleluia! Blessed is the one who fears YHVH, who greatly delights in His commands. His children will be powerful on earth; the upright’s offspring will be blessed.

It will be well with him who lends freely, who leads a life of justice and honesty. For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered and loved forever.

He has no fear of evil news, for his heart is firm, trusting in YHVH. His heart is confident; he need not fear; he shall prevail over his foes at the end.

He gives generously to the poor; his merits will last forever; and his head will be raised in honour.

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Thursday, 10 August 2023 : Feast of St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

2 Corinthians 9 : 6-10

Remember : the one who sows meagerly will reap meagerly, and there shall be generous harvests for the one who sows generously. Each of you should give as you decided personally, and not reluctantly, as if obliged. God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to fill you with every good thing, so that you have enough of everything, at all times, and may give abundantly for any good work.

Scripture says : He distributed, He gave to the poor, His good works last forever. God, Who provides the sower with seed, will also provide him with the bread he eats. He will multiply the seed for you and also increase the interest on your good works.

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Tuesday, 25 July 2023 : Feast of St. James, Apostle (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the Feast of one of the Lord’s great Twelve Apostles, namely St. James the Greater, the elder brother of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, and one of the sons of Zebedee who followed the Lord Jesus since the very beginning of His ministry. St. James was also one of the closest among all of the Lord’s disciples, part of the three disciples that the Lord often brought with Him in important occasions, together with St. Peter, the leader and chief of all the Apostles, and St. John himself, St. James’ younger brother. All the three of them were present at every major occasions in the Lord’s ministry, such as at the Transfiguration of the Lord, the healing and the resurrection of the daughter of Jairus, the synagogue official, as well as the moment of the Lord’s agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, among others.

And as compared with St. John the Apostle, his brother, St. James was also notable as being likely the first among the Apostles to die of martyrdom, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, with Apostolic and Church traditions placing his martyrdom just a decade or so from the time of the Lord’s death and Resurrection. On the other hand, St. John was the last of all the Apostles to pass away, and the only one among all of them who did not die of martyrdom, although he did suffer a lot of persecution, sufferings and oppressions throughout his many years of life. Nonetheless, both brothers have followed the Lord faithfully and with great dedication to the very end, enduring many challenges and hardships, struggles and difficulties throughout their ministry, and they did all that they could to proclaim the Good News of God.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the same two brothers St. James and St. John, who came together with their mother, and at that time, their mother asked the Lord to grant the two of them the places of honour by the left and the right hand side of the Lord. As we heard, this action brought about a lot of insecurities and jealousy from the other disciples of the Lord, and it highlighted to us the dangers of temptations of worldly power and glory, and one which we should resist or else we may end up falling into the wrong paths in life, and not the path that the Lord has shown us. Then, we must understand the context that at that time, many of the people living at the moment of the Lord’s work and ministry thought that the Messiah, that is the Saviour to be sent by God, would be a great conquering King and Ruler, born of the House of David so that the Kingdom of Israel of old can be restored.

That was why among many of the disciples of the Lord, there might have been many who hoped that the Lord Jesus, Whom they considered as the Messiah, would be the One to bring back the glorious days of the Kingdom of Israel, and liberate them all from the hands of their foreign oppressors and rulers, the Romans as well as the foreign rule of the Idumaean Herodian kings. Therefore, when the mother of St. James and St. John made such a request, and the displeasures and jealousy of the other disciples at that time, were all borne out of the misguided ideas and misunderstandings regarding what the Lord’s mission truly was, and what His disciples and followers would have to go through and experience in the midst of their own ministries and works. Thus, the Lord told the two brothers, St. James and St. John, that it was not for Him to decide Who should sit on His left and right, and if they would be able to drink of the cup of suffering that He Himself was about to drink.

Through this, the Lord Himself wanted to reveal the kind of hardships and sufferings, challenges and trials that St. James and St. John and also all the other Apostles and disciples of His, may have to undergo and endure in the midst of their ministries and works. St. James himself eventually was to go on his missionary works and trips, proclaiming the Good News to the far ends of the world, most well-known of which is in the region of Hispania, in what is now parts of Spain, where he proclaimed the Lord and His Good News to many of the people there, and to whom Our Lady herself, Mary, the Mother of God, appeared to in order to encourage and strengthen him, in the apparition known now as Our Lady of the Pillar. St. James’ ministry is the reason why his greatest shrine is now located at the place of his former ministry, in what is now known as Santiago de Compostela, named after the Apostle himself.

St. James eventually would be martyred after that in Jerusalem, as we heard in the Acts of the Apostles, when king Herod Agrippa who wanted to gain favour with the Jewish leaders and elders, persecuted the Christians and their leaders, arrested St. James and then executed him. He was thus likely the first of the Apostles to die in martyrdom, and many of the other Apostles would also suffer and die in the subsequent years and decades. Nonetheless, their faith and commitment to God remained firm and strong even throughout those difficult years, and that faith is something that all of us as Christians should also be inspired with, and be strengthened from. And we have also been constantly reminded that the works of the Lord which He had begun and entrusted to His Apostles like St. James and others, have not yet been completed, and there are still many areas and circumstances where we are called to be like the Apostles in proclaiming the truth of God, His Good News and salvation.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be strengthened by the examples and dedication shown by St. James the Apostle, all his work and ministry, and in his courage to spread the word of God and the faith, and in having indeed drunk of the cup of suffering and martyrdom that the Lord Himself had drunk from. Let us all be genuine and committed disciples of the Lord ourselves and let us all seek to do what the Lord had called us to do, and be ever more faithful to Him in all of our ways. Let us all be exemplary and good in our every words, actions and deeds, in our every interactions and relationships with one another. We are all parts of the Church and its mission to evangelise and to proclaim God’s truth, salvation and Good News to all the whole world, and each one of us have to commit ourselves to this mission in whichever areas and parts that we are able to contribute in.

May the Lord continue to strengthen and guide each one of us, and may the intercession of St. James, His Apostle continue to help us in our journey, and empower us all should we face many challenges and trials throughout our journey of faith and life. May God bless us all and may He bless our every works and good deeds, efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 25 July 2023 : Feast of St. James, Apostle (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 125 : 1-2ab, 2cd-3, 4-5, 6

When YHVH brought the exiles back to Zion, we were like those moving in a dream. Then, our mouths were filled with laughter, and our tongues with songs of joy.

Among the nations it was said, “YHVH has done great things for them.” YHVH had done great things for us, and we were glad indeed.

Bring back our exiles, o YHVH, like fresh streams in the desert. Those who sow in tears will reap with songs and shouts of joy.

They went forth weeping, bearing the seeds for sowing, they will come home with joyful shouts, bringing their harvested sheaves.

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Tuesday, 25 July 2023 : Feast of St. James, Apostle (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

2 Corinthians 4 : 7-15

However, we carry this treasure in vessels of clay, so that this all-surpassing power may not be seen as ours, but as God’s. Trials of every sort come to us, but we are not discouraged. We are left without answer, but do not despair; persecuted but not abandoned, knocked down but not crushed.

At any moment, we carry, in our person, the death of Jesus, so, that, the life of Jesus may also be manifested in us. For we, the living, are given up continually to death, for the sake of Jesus, so, that, the life of Jesus may appear in our mortal existence. And as death is at work in us, life comes to you.

We have received the same Spirit of faith referred to in Scripture, that says : I believed and so I spoke. We also believed, and so we speak. We know that He, Who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us, with Jesus, and bring us, with you, into His presence. Finally, everything is for your good, so that grace will come more abundantly upon you, and great will be the thanksgiving for the glory of God.

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Thursday, 20 July 2023 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Apollinaris, Bishop and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the love and kindness of God, Who has always loved us all, His beloved ones. Through the examples highlighted in our reading passages today, and by the Lord’s own words, we are reminded of God’s ever gracious kindness and love, in caring for the needs of His people, and in delivering them out of the hardships and challenges that they are all facing in this world. We heard from the Book of Exodus of the sending of Moses to the Israelites in Egypt, in order to deliver them all out of the hands of the Egyptians and their Pharaoh, while the Gospel today reminded us of the love of God Who wanted us all to come to Him and receive rest in Him, to share our burdens and sufferings together.

In our first reading today, from the Book of Exodus as mentioned, we heard of the moment when God reassured Moses, His servant, as He called him at Mount Horeb through the miraculous burning bush. God introduced Himself clearly as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Whose Name is I AM WHO AM (YHVH), the God of Israel and God of all mankind, the Creator and Master of all the whole universe. Moses believed in the Lord and wanted to do what he has been asked to do, but he was still uncertain as he was afraid that he would not be well-received among the Israelites, and that he was not eloquent in speech or charism. But God reassured Moses and told him that He would guide him in everything that he would be doing for the sake of His people, and told him how He has endeavoured to bring all of His people, the Israelites, out of the land of Egypt.

Back then, the Israelites, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, had been living in Egypt for about four centuries, where they had spent many generations building their lives and grew rapidly in numbers, being blessed bountifully by God, which brought about fear, jealousy and opposition from the Egyptians and their Pharaoh, the one reigning then who did not know of the great deeds of Joseph, who had once led Egypt as Regent in avoiding great disasters due to the extensive famine that happened during his time. The Lord has blessed Joseph and his whole family, keeping in mind what He has promised to his father Jacob and his ancestors, in blessing them and providing for them, and thus in the land of Egypt, the Israelites prospered and multiplied greatly in numbers, which led to the persecution and oppression of God’s people by the Pharaoh and the Egyptians who enslaved them.

God did not forget about His people, and through Moses, God was delivering them all from their darkness and suffering into the new light and hope that He reassured all those who have kept their faith in Him. God did not wish to see the suffering of His faithful, which was caused by the wickedness of man’s evil desires, their jealousy, greed and fears, which manifested in such acts of tyranny and evil, in how the Egyptians and their Pharaoh treated the Israelites, as slaves and less than human beings. Therefore, God reassured Moses and sent him into Egypt so that He might rescue the Israelites through him, and bringing them all out of the land of Egypt by His great power, God proved ever true and faithful to the Covenant that He had made and renewed again and again with us, showing us just how patient and enduring His love for us has been.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the Lord Jesus speaking to His disciples telling all of them and all the people to come to Him, all those who are heavily burdened, troubled and are in suffering, and that He will give them all rest in Him because His yoke is light and He is truly filled with love for each and every one of His beloved ones, whom He was willing to gather from all the far corners of the whole world. Through all of these words, just as the Lord reassured Moses and His people Israel of His salvation, thus, the Lord Jesus manifested God’s love and compassion towards us in an even more perfect manner, being the Love of God manifested in the flesh, as God Himself came into our midst, descending from His heavenly Throne, to come and dwell with us. He gathers us all to Himself and reminds us all of the love He has for us, through which He willingly leads us to freedom from our sins, which has enslaved us all.

Yes, this means that just as the Israelites had been freed from their enslavement by the Egyptians and their Pharaoh, thus all of us in the similar manner have also been liberated and made free from the tyranny of sin and the evil one and his forces seeking our destruction and damnation. At the same time, if we pay more attention to what we have heard from the Lord’s words, He is also reminding us all that to follow Him does not mean that we will immediately be freed from all sufferings and that we will immediately enjoy eternal bliss and joy. Much like the Israelites who have endured forty years of journey in the desert after their Exodus from Egypt, due to their stubbornness and continuous failures to resist the temptations of sin, thus all of us in our own lives, we are also called to be prepared for what may be an arduous journey of faith and life, in striving for the glory of God and His salvation.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Apollinaris, a great saint and man of God whose life and works, whose actions, words and more things about him may hopefully inspire more and more amongst us to be ever more faithful to the Lord and to be more worthy of Him. St. Apollinaris, also known as St. Apollinaris of Ravenna was the Bishop of Ravenna and one of the earliest Church fathers being according to the sacred traditions, a contemporary of the Holy Apostles. St. Apollinaris was probably also one of the disciples of the Lord, and at least was a disciple of St. Peter the Apostle, the first Pope. According to Church traditions and martyrology, St. Apollinaris was a dedicated bishop and servant of God, who devoted his life to the care of his flock, much like how the Lord Himself has sought His lost sheep as we heard in our Scriptures today.

Consequently, he cared for them and remained firm in his faith and dedication to God despite the challenges that he had to face throughout his ministry, amidst the many persecutions and oppressions against the early Christian communities, the Church of God by the Roman authorities. St. Apollinaris did what he could to protect those under his care, hid many of the Christians including those who have been banished, exiled and punished for their faith in God. Eventually, he himself was persecuted and martyred for everything that he had faithfully done for the Lord’s sake and in defiance against the orders from the Roman state itself, and to the very end, he remained firmly faithful, and prophesied that eventually the Church would triumph against all of its oppressors, which indeed did come true.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all hence follow the examples of St. Apollinaris of Ravenna and remind ourselves of all of his dedications and works for the glory of God and for others, just as we also recall the great love and kindness that God has shown us. Let us all remember that each one of us as Christians have important duties and responsibilities, in proclaiming the truth and Good News of God to the whole world. May the Lord continue to guide us in our path, and empower us so that we may continue to strive to do our best in faith, in persevering strongly despite the many trials and challenges we may have to face in our path. May God bless us all and our every good efforts and endeavours. Amen.

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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.