Doctors of the Church

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Friday, 21 July 2023 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Lawrence of Brindisi, Priest and Doctor of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Exodus 11 : 10 – Exodus 12 : 14

Moses and Aaron had worked all these marvels in the presence of Pharaoh, but YHVH had made Pharaoh obstinate and he would not let the people of Israel leave his country.

YHVH spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt and said, “This month is to be the beginning of all months, the first month of your year. Speak to the community of Israel and say to them : On the tenth day of this month let each family take a lamb, a lamb for each house. If the family is too small for a lamb, they must join with a neighbour, the nearest to the house, according to the number of persons and to what each one can eat.”

“You will select a perfect lamb without blemish, a male born during the present year, taken from the sheep or goats. Then you will keep it until the fourteenth day of the month. On that evening all the people will slaughter their lambs and take some of the blood to put on the doorposts and on top of the doorframes of the houses where you eat.”

“That night you will eat the flesh roasted at the fire with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Do not eat the meat lightly cooked and boiled in water but roasted entirely over the fire – the head, the legs and the inner parts. Do not leave any of it until the morning. If any is left till morning, burn it in the fire.”

“And this is how you will eat : with a belt round your waist, sandals on your feet and a staff in your hand. You shall eat hastily for it is a Passover in honour of YHVH. On that night I shall go through Egypt and strike every firstborn in Egypt, men and animals; and I will even bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt, I, YHVH! The blood on your houses will be the sign that you are there. I will see the blood and pass over you; and you will escape the mortal plague when I strike Egypt.”

“This is a day you are to remember and celebrate in honour of YHVH. It is to be kept as a festival day for all generations forever.”

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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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Wednesday, 28 June 2023 : 12th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Irenaeus, Bishop, Martyr and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us are reminded through the Sacred Scriptures that we are all ought to follow the Lord and His truth, His righteousness and virtuous path. The Lord has shown us the path of righteousness and virtue, and taught us His Law, commandments and precepts, and we should do well to resist the temptations to disobey and to abandon Him, for the many wickedness and the evils of this world, which will likely lead us down the path to ruin and destruction. And we should not allow ourselves to be so easily misled and misguided by those who sought to corrupt us and to turn us away from the path of God’s truth and grace. We must also always be vigilant and careful lest we are easily persuaded by the false prophets and teachers who will lead us to our downfall if we are to follow them.

In our first reading today, we listened to the words of the Lord contained within the Scriptures, taken from the Book of Genesis, in which we heard of the moment when God made His Covenant with Abraham, our father in faith, whom He had called from the distant lands of Ur of the Chaldeans, following Him in His commands, all the way to the land of Canaan, which He promised to give to Abraham and to his descendants, even when Abraham himself had not had any son or child to continue his line and inheritance. Abraham was already old and his wife, Sarah was already way beyond the age of childbearing. Yet, Abraham entrusted himself wholly to God and obeyed the Lord wholeheartedly, knowing that God will truly provide for him and his descendants, even when he had not seen all that God had promised yet.

That was why God chose to make His Covenant with Abraham, because of the latter’s tremendous faith and commitment for Him, in his total obedience and commitment to His precepts and path. The Lord knows the heart and the mind, and He knows that the faith in Abraham’s heart is truly true and tested, even amidst the many challenges and trials, and hence, God made His Covenant with him, to be the example to all of mankind, to all of His people, of the love and commitment that He Himself would show them, in caring for them most compassionately, and with the greatest of dedication. The Lord has not abandoned His people and wanted all of them to receive the fullness of His love, and that is why, He called Abraham and all of us to follow Him.

He taught us all that His way is the path of righteousness and justice, which all of us should very well embody in our own lives. Each and every one of us should follow the examples of Abraham, in his unwavering faith and commitment to God, in his conviction to live righteously and worthily in God’s Presence. All of us should follow in the examples of our good, holy and worthy predecessors, while keeping in mind what the Lord Jesus Himself warned His disciples in our Gospel passage today, regarding the matter of false prophets and how those false prophets can mislead and bring about our downfall should we listen to them and follow in the path that they have shown and preached to us. We must not waver in our faith, but remain strong in our dedication and commitment, to serve the Lord ever more worthily in each and every moments.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, all of us as Christians, all of us are God’s people, and therefore, all of us are reminded to be truly His, and His alone, as the Lord went on to use the example of good tree and good fruits that tree will bear, as opposed to the rotten and bad fruits that bad trees will likely bear. Since God is all good and perfect, hence all of us should also show this goodness and perfection in us, within our every words, actions and deeds, and in our every interactions with each other, and in our commitment to follow the Lord in all of our lives, in doing His will and in obeying His Law and commandments, just as how Abraham, our father in faith, and many other holy saints and martyrs, holy men and women of God, our holy predecessors had done.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of the great St. Irenaeus, a renowned Church father, holy bishop and martyr of the Faith, who was recently recognised by Pope Francis as one of the venerable Doctors of the Church, with the title of Doctor of Unity, in recognition for his efforts in defending the faith against the heresy of gnosticism and other false teachings, and in his commitment to the Lord, his many works and writings, which inspired many long after his passing, to follow the Lord and to dedicate themselves to Him ever more wholeheartedly. St. Irenaeus had learnt and heard from the other Church fathers, the faith and inspiration of the Apostles, which he carried on to his own mission in becoming the bishop and shepherd of the flock of the Lord in Lyon, in the southern part of what is now known as France.

St. Irenaeus dedicated himself to proclaim the faith in God as a missionary and also as a loving bishop and shepherd, in caring for the needs of those who have been entrusted under his care. He spent a lot of effort in combatting the aforementioned gnostic heresy, dedicating himself to many writings that affirmed the teachings of the Church and God’s truth, and spending a lot of time among his flock to care for them and to lead them from the threats of the false prophets and false teachers who might attempt to twist the truth and misguide those who were not strong enough in their faith and those who were not vigilant against the temptations of the evil one. According to tradition, he was martyred for his faith like many other early Christians and Church fathers, wholly committed to the Lord to the very end.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all hence be inspired by the great examples shown by St. Irenaeus, in his faithful dedication to God and in his courage to stand up for the truth of God, and in his perseverance in his ministry, in how he has faithfully dedicated himself to God and to all those who have been entrusted under his care. Let us hence be inspired by his examples and also by the many others of our holy predecessors, father Abraham, and many of our fellow brothers and sisters, who have lived worthy and holy lives. May God be with us always, and may He empower each and every one of us so that in our every actions, we may always glorify Him by our lives, at all times. Amen.

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Wednesday, 28 June 2023 : 12th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Irenaeus, Bishop, Martyr and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Matthew 7 : 15-20

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Beware of false prophets : they come to you in sheep’s clothing; but inside, they are voracious wolves. You will recognise them by their fruits. Do you ever pick grapes from thorn bushes; or figs, from thistles?”

“A good tree always produces good fruit. A rotten tree produces bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit; and a rotten fruit cannot bear good fruit. Any tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruit.”

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Wednesday, 28 June 2023 : 12th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Irenaeus, Bishop, Martyr and Doctor of the Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 104 : 1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9

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.

He remembers His Covenant forever, His promise to a thousand generations, the Covenant He made with Abraham, the promise He swore to Isaac.

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Wednesday, 28 June 2023 : 12th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Irenaeus, Bishop, Martyr and Doctor of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Genesis 15 : 1-12, 17-18

After Abram met with Melchizedek, the word of YHVH was spoken to Abram in a vision : “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward will be very great!” Abram said, “My Lord YHVH, where are Your promises? I am still childless and all I have will go to Eliezer of Damascus. You have given me no children, so a slave of mine will be my heir.”

Then the word of YHVH was spoken to him again, “Eliezer will not be your heir, but a child born of you (your own flesh and blood) will be your heir.” Then YHVH brought him outside and said to him, “Look up at the sky and count the stars if you can. Your descendants will be like that.”

Abram believed YHVH Who, because of this, held him to be an upright man. And He said, “I am YHVH Who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as your possession.” Then Abram asked, “My Lord, how am I to know that it shall be mine?” YHVH replied, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtle dove and a young pigeon.”

Abram brought all these animals, cut them in two, and laid each half facing its other half, but he did not cut the birds in half. The birds of prey came down upon them, but Abram drove them away. As the sun was going down, a deep sleep came over Abram, and a dreadful darkness took hold of him.

When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch passed between the halves of the victims. On that day YHVH made a Covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this country from the river of Egypt to the Great River, the Euphrates.”

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Tuesday, 27 June 2023 : 12th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cyril of Alexandria, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, all of us are called and reminded to follow the Lord wholeheartedly and not to allow ourselves to be tempted by worldly vices, desires and ambitions. All of us as Christians are God’s beloved people, and naturally all of us should also reflect His love and truth in our lives. That is why all of us have been reminded today of our obligations and callings as Christians, to walk ever more faithfully in God’s presence and to follow Him at all times, so that by our every actions and deeds, we may truly be the great role models and inspirations as Christians to everyone, at all times and occurrences, in every opportunities and places. All of us are the bearers of God’s light and truth, and we should do well to do as God has told and taught us to do.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Genesis, we heard of the story of Abraham and Lot, Abraham’s nephew, who came along with Abraham and his family from their ancestral lands in distant Ur of the Chaldeans to the Promised Land of Canaan. As mentioned, both Abraham and Lot were very wealthy and had a lot of possessions, including large number of flocks. Hence, there were disputes between the servants of Abraham and the servants of Lot, which then led to Abraham and Lot to agree to part ways and to separate themselves, staying at different parts of the land of Canaan so that they and their workers would not continue to bicker over the land and their territories. Abraham entrusted himself in the Lord and did as the Lord has told and commanded him to do.

That was why the Lord repeated again His promises to Abraham, that He would establish His Covenant with him, and all of his descendants after him. Abraham followed the Lord and committed himself thoroughly to His cause, following His path and abandoning even the gods and idols of his ancestors and family, leaving everything to seek the Lord, Whom he has embraced as his own Lord and Master. God made His Covenant with the one whom He was pleased with, and the one whose heart and mind had been set and focused in God. Abraham had a lot of money, material wealth and possessions, but he did not let all those things to distract him from following the Lord, and committing himself to His cause completely, and truly, he is our exemplary and great role model.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard from the Lord Himself telling His disciples that they should not give what is holy to the dogs and the treasures to the pigs, lest they be trampled and crushed, which symbolised the comparison between choosing the treasures and the riches of the world, against choosing to follow the Lord and His truth. This was then added on with the Lord saying that the path towards salvation is through a narrow gate, reminding His disciples and all of us that following Him is not something that is very easily done, requiring commitment and effort, and often along the way many might end up faltering and failing, not being able to reach the Lord and His salvation, because they are not able to resist the pull of worldly temptations and vices, all the things that had often kept us separated from God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today through these readings from the Scriptures therefore, we are all reminded that each and every one of us have to our part as Christians, in obeying the Law and commandments of God, and in doing God’s will. The Lord has taught us and shown us what it means for us to live our lives in accordance to His ways, and it is now up to us to do what He has revealed to us. We also have the examples of our holy predecessors like that of Abraham, our father in faith, as well as many others who had lived their lives most nobly and excellently in accordance to God’s ways. They are all the great role models, inspirations and wonderful examples that we should follow in our own lives, so that we may walk the right path and not end up falling into the path of evil and darkness, the path of disobedience and sin against God.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Cyril of Alexandria, a great and holy bishop, and a renowned Church father, honoured as one of the venerable Doctors of the Church for his great contributions to the Church and the Christian faithful. St. Cyril of Alexandria has dedicated himself to the service of the Church and his flock, and was remembered for his staunch defence of the faith and truth of God, amidst the many challenges he had to face, and the great heresy propagated by the heretic Nestorius and his followers. St. Cyril did not let the power and influence of the heretical party to dissuade him from his works and efforts, and he did not allow himself to be swayed by the persuasions and the struggles which he had to endure. Instead, he committed himself all the more to do God’s will and to help his flock to remain firmly faithful to God.

St. Cyril as the Patriarch of Alexandria was one of the most influential leaders of the Church of his time, and he was committed in caring for the need of his flock, their spiritual well-being and also in continuing to expand the Church’s influence and teachings among the people. He was particularly influential in convoking the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus in which the teachings of the heretic Nestorius and his supporters were deemed as heretical and unlawful, and where the Church fathers affirmed their support to the unity of the dual nature of Our Lord and Saviour, Who is both Man and Divine in nature, when the supporters of Nestorius argued that the Lord Jesus was separate in His Human and Divine nature, which the Council of Ephesus repudiated and opposed with the declaration of the Motherhood of God, Mary as the Theotokos, confirming that the One born of Mary was truly both Man and Divine, inseparable though distinct in His two natures. St. Cyril had to endure arrest and persecution for this, but he continued to labour in faith to the very end.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all be inspired by the faith and the commitment showed by St. Cyril of Alexandria, our holy predecessor, just as we are inspired by Abraham, and our many other holy men and women, all our fellow brothers and sisters who had lived their lives with so great a faith, that they become for us a source of inspiration, hope and encouragement. Let us all therefore also live our lives most faithfully and commit ourselves anew to the Lord, from now on, in all of our actions and works, and may all of us continue to live our lives worthily, in the way that the Lord had taught and shown us. May God be with us always, and may He strengthen us and empower us, to live our lives as great and most dedicated Christians, now and always. Amen.