Doctors of the Church

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Wednesday, 13 September 2023 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 144 : 2-3, 10-11, 12-13ab

I will praise You, day after day; and exalt Your Name forever. Great is YHVH, most worthy of praise; and His deeds are beyond measure.

All Your works will give You thanks; all Your saints, o YHVH, will praise You. They will tell of the glory of Your kingdom; and speak of Your power.

That all may know of Your mighty deeds, Your reign, and its glorious splendour. Your reign is from age to age; Your dominion endures, from generation to generation.

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Wednesday, 13 September 2023 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Colossians 3 : 1-11

So then, if you are risen with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things that are above, not on earthly things. For you have died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, Who is your life, reveals Himself, you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

Therefore, put to death what is earthly in your life, that is immorality, impurity, inordinate passions, wicked desires and greed, which is a way of worshipping idols. These are the things that arouse the wrath of God. For a time, you followed this way and lived in such disorders. Well then, reject all that : anger, evil intentions, malice; and let no abusive words be heard from your lips.

Do not lie to one another. You have been stripped of the old self and its way of thinking; to put on the new, which is being renewed, and is to reach perfect knowledge, and the likeness of its Creator. There is no room for distinction between Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, foreigner, slave or free, but Christ is all, and in all.

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Monday, 28 August 2023 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded of the need for all of us to be truly and genuinely faithful to the Lord, in all things so that we may indeed be exemplary and be good role models in faith to one another so that in whatever we say and do, we will always be the great inspiration and the examples for everyone else to follow, and so that God’s truth and Good News may be revealed and shown to more and more people through us and our works. Each and every one of us must be truly dedicated and obedient to the Lord, and understand His Law and commandments, or else, we may end up being no better than hypocrites and unbelievers.

In our first reading today, we have heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in the city of Thessalonica, in which the Apostle greeted the faithful there and praised all of them for the examples of the faith, the good actions and dedication which they had all done for the sake of the Lord, in how they had lived their lives and did their best despite the challenges and various hardships that they might have to encounter and endure along the way. St. Paul reminded all of them of the gifts of God and the Holy Spirit that they have all received from the hands of the Apostles and the other missionaries of the Lord, and then encouraged them all to continue living their lives with faith, and to keep on doing their best to proclaim the Good News and truth of God by their lives.

As St. Paul pointed out to us all in that same passage, the faith, lives and exemplary actions of the Thessalonian faithful were very well-known and widespread, that all of those who have heard and witnessed their lives were truly inspired and touched by their examples and actions. St. Paul praised them for their dedication in turning away from the path of wickedness and evil, and from the worship of false idols and pagan gods, into the worship of the one and only True God. Through their upright lives and in the positive attitude which they had shown in welcoming the Apostles and the other missionaries, and in embracing the path and the truth that they had been shown and guided towards, the faithful people of God in Thessalonica had become the shining beacons of God’s path to others.

This can then be contrasted with the attitude shown by the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law which the Lord Jesus highlighted and criticised in our Gospel passage today. In that occasion, the Lord told His disciples and the people of the hypocrisy and the lack of faith which those who had been entrusted with the guardianship over the Law and the well-being of the people of God had shown. The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law have often paraded around their piety and dedication to God, and how they have strictly observed the Law and the commandments of God, in their very rigid and overly strict interpretation of God’s Law. They prayed publicly, and wore their religious garments, for the show to the people.

While it was indeed right for one to do what the Law has commanded him or her to do, but the problem as highlighted here by the Lord, was the fact that they themselves did not truly follow or obey the commandments of the Lord as they should, interpreting those Law and commandments, bending the rules and regulations all for their own benefits and prestige, as well as for their own purposes and advantages. This was also coupled with their elitist and exclusivist attitudes, in which they often condemned and ostracised those who they disagreed with, all those whom they deemed to be less worthy than they were. They should have helped the people of God to come closer to their Lord and Master, but they instead made it difficult for those who need God’s salvation the most.

This is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, all of us are reminded by these Scripture passages that we should not allow worldly glory, ambitions, fame and other attachments, which had caused the lukewarmness of the faith among the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, and their constant refusal to believe in God. They were misled and blinded by their attachments to worldly glory, temptations, and all the things which kept them from the path of God’s truth. If only that they learn to humble themselves and to open their hearts and minds to welcome the Lord into them, they would be like the faithful in Thessalonica, who had lived their lives faithfully and in accordance with God’s ways, and became the source of faith and hope for many others.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Augustine of Hippo, a great saint and servant of God who is one of the original Doctor of the Church, a great Church father and role model for all of us, God’s faithful people. St. Augustine of Hippo was indeed very well-known and looked up to as a great man of God, however, he was not always a faithful person from the very beginning. At the start, St. Augustine was born into a Roman pagan noble family, to a patrician named Patricius and his mother, St. Monica, a Christian believer. St. Augustine was raised up as a pagan and brought up well in the ways of the world, and had a great interest in intellectual pursuits, being highly intelligent and curious by nature.

However, St. Augustine lived his early youth life in hedonistic pursuits and lifestyle, being swayed by the various temptations of worldly glory and the pleasures of the flesh, even leading to him fathering a child with a woman out of wedlock. All those things brought about a great misery and heart pain for his loving mother, St. Monica, who devoted herself to her son very much, and who prayed daily for the conversion of both her husband and her son. Eventually, St. Monica’s efforts, prayers and actions led to the conversion, first of her husband before his passing, and finally, that of St. Augustine himself, who was called by God, abandoning his earlier wicked lifestyle and worldly pursuits, embracing God wholeheartedly ever since afterwards.

St. Augustine thereafter led a truly faithful and exemplary way of life, as one of the most influential Church rfathers of all time, whose faith and devotion became truly shining beacons of God’s light and truth. He wrote extensively on many aspects of the faith, and his many works influenced many other saints, theologians and others in the Church long after his passing into the glory of Heaven. His works, including that of De Trinitate, a treatise on the Trinitarian nature of God, and others like the famous City of God remained as great literary and theological works, which made him honoured as one of the original Doctors of the Church, having brought so many people to the path of God and his salvation, be it directly or indirectly.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, having heard of all these things, from the Scriptures and from the examples shown by St. Augustine of Hippo, our great and holy predecessor, our brilliant role model, can we all be inspired to live our lives with true faith and dedication to the Lord as well? Can we be truly devout and faithful in our way of life as well, so that by our every words, actions and deeds, our every moments in life, we may help to lead others to God and to inspire them all in their path, that more and more people may come to know the Lord, his love and truth. Let us all therefore do our part so that we may indeed be worthy of the Lord, and be worthy of the eternal glory and true joy that He has promised to all those who are faithful to Him. May God bless all of us in our every good efforts and endeavours. Amen.

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Monday, 28 August 2023 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 23 : 13-22

At that time, Jesus said to the people and to His disciples, “But woe to you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door to the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You, yourselves, do not enter it, nor do you allow others to do so.”

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You devour widows’ property; and as a show, you pray long prayers! Therefore, you shall receive greater condemnation. Woe to you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel by sea and land to make a single convert; yet, once he is converted, you make him twice as fit for hell as yourselves!”

“Woe to you, blind guides! You say : To swear by the temple is not binding; but, to swear by the gold of the temple is binding. Foolish men! Blind men! Which is of more worth : the gold in the temple, or the temple which makes the gold a sacred treasure? You say : To swear by the altar is not binding, but to swear by the offering on the altar is binding. How blind you are! Which is of more value : the offering on the altar, or the altar which makes the offering sacred?”

“Whoever swears by the altar, is swearing by the altar and by everything on it. Whoever swears by the temple, is swearing by the temple, and by God, Who dwells in the temple. Whoever swears by heaven, is swearing by the throne of God, and by Him, Who is seated on it.”

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Monday, 28 August 2023 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 149 : 1-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b

Alleluia! Sing to YHVH a new song, sing His praise in the assembly of His saints. Let Israel rejoice in his Maker; let the people of Zion glory in their King!

Let them dance in praise of His Name; and make music for Him with harp and timbrel. For YHVH delights in His people; He crowns the lowly with victory.

The saints will exult in triumph; even at night, on their couches, let the praise of God be on their lips. This is the glory of all His saints. Alleluia!

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Monday, 28 August 2023 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

1 Thessalonians 1 : 1-5, 8b-10

From Paul, Sylvanus and Timothy, to the church of Thessalonica, which is in God, the Father, and in Christ Jesus, the Lord. May the peace and grace of God be with you.

We give thanks to God, at all times for you, and remember you in our prayers. We constantly recall, before God, our Father, the work of your faith, the labours of your love, and your endurance, in waiting for Christ Jesus our Lord.

We remember, brothers and sisters, the circumstances of your being called. The Gospel we brought you was such, not only in words. Miracles, the Holy Spirit, and plenty of everything, were given to you. You, also, know how we dealt with you, for your sake.

The faith you have in God has become news in so many places, that we need say no more about it. Others tell, of how you welcomed us, and turned from idols, to the Lord. For you serve the living and true God, and you wait for His Son, from heaven, Whom He raised from the dead, Jesus, Who frees us from impending trial.

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Tuesday, 1 August 2023 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we listened to the words of the Lord contained in the Scriptures which reminded us all of the great love and compassion, mercy and kindness which He has often shown us all, we mankind who are sinners and unworthy of His love, having often betrayed and abandoned Him for false gods and idols, and all the other distractions and temptations which kept us away from the path that the Lord has shown us. Each and every one of us have been given this great grace of God’s mercy and love, which He constantly showered upon us, as He wants us all to return to Him, and to find our way back to Him, as we are all truly precious and important to Him, and He does not hold grudge or hate us because of the fact that we are sinners, as He despises not us, but our sins and wickedness.

That is why, as we listened to our first reading today from the Book of Exodus, we are reminded of this great love and compassionate mercy of God, as Moses came to the Tent of Meeting where the Lord’s Presence resided, shortly after the people of Israel had been chastised and punished for their great betrayal of the Lord in the building of the golden calf idol at Mount Sinai, at the time when the Lord was establishing His new Covenant with all of them and was giving them all His Law and commandments. The Lord in His righteous anger had wanted to destroy the people for their sins, but Moses pleaded before the Lord to spare them, and after the golden calf idol had been destroyed, as we heard in our first reading today, he once again pleaded to the Lord to show mercy upon the people who had sinned against Him and disobeyed His Law and commandments.

Moses went to the Tent of Meeting to meet God Himself, Who came clad in the a mighty pillar of cloud and light, and he called upon the Lord to show His kindness and to continue to dwell along His people even when they had disobeyed and refused to listen to Him in numerous occasions. The Lord then responded in showing him and all the Israelites that He was indeed full of mercy and compassion, as the One and only True God of all, Who wants to be reconciled and reunited with all of His scattered and lost loved ones, the lost sheep of the Lord’s flock. The Lord then at the same time also highlighted that He would still punish those who committed sins and evil deeds, and mete out justice against those who have not walked in the path of righteousness and those who have committed sins and wickedness in His sight and presence. It is a reminder for us that God loves us, but He does not tolerate our sins and wickedness, our waywardness and disobedience.

This is why we need to be alert and vigilant against the temptations of evil and all the allures of worldly pleasures and ambitions. We should not allow ourselves to be easily tempted and swayed by all those falsehoods and lies, which the devil and all of his wicked allies propagated in order to lead us all down the wrong paths to our downfall and damnation. In our Gospel passage today, the Lord Jesus highlighted to His disciples and hence to all of us, the parable of the weeds in the field, which is related to the parable of the sower which the Lord elaborated just earlier on. In that parable of the weeds, the Lord mentioned how the enemy came to sow the seeds of weeds among the good seeds of the crops of the field spread by the master and owner of the field. Those bad seeds represent all the wickedness and evils present in us, which the devil and all of his forces had constantly spread in our midst, in trying to pull us away from God and His salvation.

At the same time, God, the Master of all of us, and the Lord and Master of this whole world has planted in us the seeds of His truth, the seeds of faith and love, the seeds of righteousness and justice, the seeds of His Wisdom and grace. These gifts and good things are present in us, just as the weeds and all the vices and wickedness are present within and all around us, in our lives and in our beings, in our communities and in all of our families and circles of friends. It is a reminder for us, through that parable of the weeds, that in the end, all the weeds will be gathered, burnt and destroyed, while the good crops, the wheat and other fruitful harvest will be gathered into the Lord’s glorious kingdom one day. It is representative of how the wicked and those who commit evil shall one day have to answer for their wickedness and evils, and meanwhile, the righteous and the just shall be made worthy by their obedience and faith in the Lord.

Now, the question is, what are we then going to do with our lives? Are we going to allow the seeds of evil and wickedness, the seeds of weeds to grow and suffocate us all in our lives? And are we going to let them to mislead us down the path of damnation and downfall? Or can we resist those temptations and strive instead to remain faithful and true to the Lord in all of our dedication and faith towards Him? Can we commit ourselves once again to walk with zeal and true faith in God? Just as Moses and all the whole people of Israel came before the Lord with repentance and regret for their sins and wickedness, can we all do the same as well? It is our pride and greed, our inability to resist the many temptations and evils around us that had often led us down the wrong path, and hence, we should now entrust ourselves wholly to the Lord, and humbly seek Him with faith and genuine love, as our holy predecessors and the many holy men and women of God have shown in their lives.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Alphonsus Liguori, the renowned founder of the religious order known as the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, also known as the Redemptorists. St. Alphonsus Liguori was truly a great man of God, a bishop and faithful servant of the Lord, who dedicated his whole life to the service of God, his Lord and Master. He was born into a small minor noble family, and went on to excel in his academics and studies, and became a lawyer for quite a number of years. However, he did not truly find true satisfaction and joy in life, and was looking for deeper meaning in his life. St. Alphonsus Liguori then eventually sought the Lord in the consecrated life, as a priest and missionary of the Lord, in proclaiming the love and truth of God to many people, with his initiatives and efforts reaching out to tens of thousands of people, who were touched by his genuine and clear sermons, filled with truth and genuine love of the Lord.

St. Alphonsus Liguori desired to show more of the Lord’s compassionate and merciful side to many of the people who have been lost to Him, while at the same time also stressing the importance of repentance and turning away from one’s sins. St. Alphonsus Liguori hence established the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, the Redemptorists, which began a great campaign of ministry all throughout the whole world, in bringing the knowledge of the Divine Redeemer, the Mercy of God to more and more of the people of God. Later on, the order would also add on to their charism and ministry, the propagation of the devotion to Our Mother of Perpetual Help, having been entrusted by the Pope himself with the care of the Byzantine Icon of the Mother of Perpetual Help, which complemented and added on to their missions in seeking the salvation of souls, the redemption of sinners and the liberation of the whole world from the forces of sin and darkness.

St. Alphonsus Liguori himself, despite having been appointed and made a bishop in his later years continued to dedicate himself wholeheartedly to the people entrusted to his care, never ceasing to carry out his hard work and efforts for the salvation of souls. He ensured the discipline and the well-being of his priests and members of his congregations, encouraging more and more among the people of God to lead a life that is truly worthy of the Lord. Hence, all of us should really look carefully upon the examples and the actions which St. Alphonsus Liguori had done in his life, in all of his ministry and works, and be inspired by them, so that we ourselves may also carry out the same mission and work, in dedicating ourselves to the glory of God, and to the salvation of our fellow men, all those who are still suffering the tyranny and bondage to sin.

Let us all therefore renew our commitment to the Lord, and being inspired by the examples of the saints, the holy people of God, particularly that of St. Alphonsus Liguori, let us all hence be great role models and inspirations ourselves, in leading lives that are truly worthy of the Lord, by doing God’s will and obeying His Law and commandments at all times. May the Lord continue to help and guide us in our journey, and may He empower us all to carry on with our lives with great zeal and obedience to God, now and always, forevermore. St. Alphonsus Liguori, holy servant of God, pray for us all sinners, that the Lord, the Most Holy Redeemer, may always show His mercy and compassion towards us all. Amen.

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Tuesday, 1 August 2023 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 13 : 36-43

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

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

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Tuesday, 1 August 2023 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 102 : 6-7, 8-9, 10-11, 12-13

YHVH restores justice and secures the rights of the oppressed. He has made known His ways to Moses; and His deeds, to the people of Israel.

YHVH is gracious and merciful, abounding in love and slow to anger; He will not always scold nor will He be angry forever.

He does not treat us according to our sins, nor does He punish us as we deserve. As the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His love for those fearing Him.

As far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove from us our sins. As a father has compassion on his children, so YHVH pities those who fear Him.

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Tuesday, 1 August 2023 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Exodus 33 : 7-11 and Exodus 34 : 5b-9, 28

Moses then took the Tent and pitched it for himself outside the camp, at a distance from it, and called it the Tent of Meeting. Whoever sought YHVH would go out to the Tent of Meeting outside the camp. And when Moses went to the Tent all the people would stand, each one at the entrance to his tent and keep looking towards Moses until he entered the Tent.

Now, as soon as Moses entered the Tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and remain at the entrance to the Tent, while YHVH spoke with Moses. When all the people saw the pillar of cloud at the entrance to the Tent, they would arise and worship, each one at the entrance to his own tent. Then YHVH would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his neighbour, and then Moses would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua, son of Nun, would not leave the Tent.

And Moses called on the Name of YHVH. Then YHVH passed in front of him and cried out, “YHVH, YHVH is a God full of pity and mercy, slow to anger and abounding in truth and loving kindness. He shows loving kindness to the thousandth generation and forgives wickedness, rebellion and sin; yet He does not leave the guilty without punishment, even punishing the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.”

Moses hastened to bow down to the ground and worshipped. He then said, “If You really look kindly on me, my Lord, please come and walk in our midst and even though we are a stiff-necked people, pardon our wickedness and our sin and make us Yours.”

Moses remained there with YHVH forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. He wrote on the tablets the words of the Covenant – the Ten Commandments.