Liturgical Colour : White
Psalm 131 : 1-3
O YHVH, my heart is not proud nor do I have arrogant eyes. I am not engrossed in ambitious matters, nor in things too great for me.
I have quieted and stilled my soul, like a weaned child, on its mother’s lap; like a contented child is my soul.
Hope in YHVH, o Israel, now and forever.
Liturgical Colour : White
Isaiah 66 : 10-14
Rejoice for Jerusalem and be glad for her, all you who love her. Be glad with her, rejoice with her, all you who were in grief over her, that you may suck of the milk from her comforting breasts, that you may drink deeply from the abundance of her glory.
For this is what YHVH says : I will send her peace, overflowing like a river; and the nations’ wealth, rushing like a torrent towards her. And you will be nursed and carried in her arms and fondled upon her lap. As a son comforted by his mother, so will I comfort you. At the sight of this, your heart will rejoice; like grass, your bones will flourish.
For it shall be known that YHVH’s hand is with His servant, but His fury is upon His enemy.
Liturgical Colour : White
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened from the readings of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded of God’s ever generous and wonderful love which He has given to each and every one of us, His beloved people. God has always been patient in loving and caring for us, that He has tirelessly and constantly sent unto us His reassurances and love, His patient care and guidance through His many prophets and messengers, and last and greatest of all through His own Beloved Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the One Whom He had sent into this world in order to show us the sure path and assurance of salvation and eternal life, as the perfect manifestation of His love for us in the flesh, becoming tangible and approachable for us.
In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Zechariah, in which God told His people that in the future to come, all the people would come to praise Him and gather to worship Him, and how His salvation and grace would be opened and offered to all the peoples of all the nations. This hopeful message of the future showed how God is calling on all the children of mankind to follow Him and not reserving this only to the Israelites and their descendants. The prophet Zechariah was sent to the remnants of Israel who had been allowed to return to their homeland during the time of the reign of the Persians, and as they were rebuilding their cities and their lives, God restored their dignity and fortunes, and it was at that time this hopeful message was given to His people.
God did not abandon His people even in their darkest hours and during their most difficult times and moments, even after they had frequently and repeatedly disobeyed Him and refusing to listen to Him. He still kept on guiding them, helping and encouraging them in their journey, sending messengers and helpers like that of the prophet Zechariah himself to encourage them to continue journeying faithfully towards Him. He reminded them all of His ever generous and patient love, which has always been so great that He wants to share it all with the whole world, beginning from them, the people whom He had first called and chosen, and then to all the sons and daughters of mankind, all the whole descendants of Adam and Eve without exception.
Then, from our Gospel passage today, from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the moment when the Lord Jesus and His disciples were passing by the region of Samaria where the Samaritans lived in, on their way to Judea and Jerusalem, and it was told to us how the Samaritans in the village would not welcome them because they were all heading to Jerusalem. This highlighted to us the bitter nature of the feuds and conflicts between the Jews and the Samaritans at that time, as each groups really hated and despised each other, to the point that they would not even come together or visit each others’ places, and although the Samaritans were generally quite welcoming towards the Lord, but in that instance we heard how them knowing that the Lord was on His way to Jerusalem led them to shut their doors against Him.
Historically, the Jews were the direct descendants of the people of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, the direct descendants of the people whom God had called and chosen as His own, who had returned to the land of Judea and also Galilee after their exile in Babylon and elsewhere. Meanwhile, the Samaritans were the descendants of the people living in the land of Samaria where the centre of the northern kingdom of Israel used to be located at, and for which the Samaritans were known as, which according to Scriptural and historical evidences, they were descended from a mixed people, of both the people of the northern kingdom of Israel as well as the people which the Assyrians and the other conquerors like the Babylonians had brought into that land to replace the people whom they uprooted and brought into exile.
Over the centuries afterwards, the Samaritans developed a unique expression of the faith, as they believed in their own version of the Torah, known as the Samaritan Torah, which had some important differences as compared to the Jewish Torah, the latter which formed the base of the first five books of the Old Testament in our Bible. The Samaritan Torah claimed that the place to worship God is in Mount Gerizim in Samaria, while the Jewish Torah claimed that God should be worshipped in Mount Zion at where Jerusalem is located at. These factional differences and disagreements between them gradually grew over time, and became more bitter and intense as misunderstandings arose and gathered between the two people.
But the Lord Jesus had Himself highlighted in one occasion where using the story of a Good Samaritan, He showed the Jewish people that the Samaritans were not as bad as they thought they were, as the Jewish people thought negatively of the Samaritans, just as the Samaritans themselves thought negatively about the Jewish people, and all those feuding led to more and more misunderstandings and divisions between them. The reality is indeed that both the Jewish people and the Samaritans, and any other people, all are equally beloved children of God, all are equally precious and worthy in the eyes of God, as long as they believe in Him, listen to His truth and walk faithfully in His ways and doing His will.
Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Jerome, one of the renowned Church fathers and one of the original Doctors of the Church, together with St. Augustine of Hippo, St. Ambrose, St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory Nazianzen. He was one of the most esteemed Church figure from Western Christendom, as he was instrumental in his role in the reforms of the Church at the time and was especially remembered for his role in compiling the Latin translation of the Bible, also known as the Vulgate Bible from the Greek version, the Septuagint. And linking to what we have been listening and reflecting on in our Scripture passages today, this opened the rich words of the Scriptures, the Word of God itself to those in the western part of the Roman Empire who spoke mostly Latin. And not only that, for many centuries afterwards, the Latin Vulgate Bible became the source and foundation for other translations of the Bible to this very day.
St. Jerome also had many contributions in the reforms of the Church as mentioned, as the Pope himself entrusted St. Jerome with various tasks necessary for the governance and reforms of the Church institutions of the time. This was what made St. Jerome to be often depicted with Cardinalatial insignia and appearance although the College of Cardinals did not exist yet at that time. St. Jerome took important works and roles in reforming the practices of the Church and its institutions at a time of great change for the Church and the faithful, helping the Church and its members and ministers to keep themselves free from the corruptions and temptations of worldliness that had been creeping its way into even the Church and its communities. The works, faith and commitment which St. Jerome showed us all are truly incredible and should serve as inspirations for all of us to follow.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have reflected from the readings of the Sacred Scriptures today and from the life and works of St. Jerome, holy man of God and revered Doctor of the Church, let us all therefore do our best to put our faith in the Lord, our ever loving God, Master and Creator. God has shown us His most generous love and He wants all of us to practice that same love towards each other, to our neighbours and everyone whom we encounter daily and regularly in life. We should love one another generously and willingly, just as the Lord Himself has done towards us. May the Lord be with us always and may He continue to strengthen us in our faith and conviction to follow Him ever more faithfully at all times. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : White
Luke 9 : 51-56
At that time, as the time drew near when Jesus would be taken up to heaven, He made up His mind to go to Jerusalem. He sent ahead of Him some messengers, who entered a Samaritan village to prepare a lodging for Him. But the people would not receive Him, because He was on His way to Jerusalem.
Seeing this, James and John, His disciples, said, “Lord, do You want us to call down fire from heaven to reduce them to ashes?” Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they went on to another village.
Liturgical Colour : White
Psalm 86 : 1-3, 4-5, 6-7
He Himself has built in in His holy mountain; YHVH prefers the gates of Zion to all of Jacob’s towns. Great things have been foretold of you, o City of God.
Between friends, we speak of Egypt and Babylon; and also Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia : “Here so-and-so was born.” But of Zion, it shall be said, “More and more are being born in her.” For the Most High Himself has founded her.
And YHVH notes in the people’s register : “All these were also born in Zion.” And all will dance and sing joyfully for You.
Liturgical Colour : White
Zechariah 8 : 20-23
YHVH, the God of hosts speaks, “Peoples will come from other nations, people from great cities. The inhabitants of one town will talk with those of another, and, say : ‘Come, let us go and implore the favour of YHVH, and I, too, will seek YHVH.’ Many great peoples and powerful nations will come, seeking YHVH, God of hosts, in Jerusalem and pray to Him.”
YHVH, the God of hosts assures you. “In those days, ten men of different languages spoken in various lands, will take hold of a Jew by the hem of his garment and say : We, too, want to go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”
Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops and Holy Virgins)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that each and every one of us are called to live in the manner that the Lord our God Himself has shown and taught us all. As Christians, each and every one of us who have been called to follow the Lord should be good role models and inspirations for all those whom we encounter in our daily living such that through everything that we say and do, in embodying our faith through real and concrete actions in every parts of our lives. Unless we do so, we have not been truly faithful and we cannot call ourselves as true and genuine Christians, as if our actions contradict our faith, then we may even end up scandalising our Christian faith and dishonour the Holy Name of Our Lord and God.
In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to St. Timothy, in which we continue to hear the words of the Apostle exhorting his protege to continue propagating the messages of God’s truth to the faithful, encouraging the latter to be ever more committed to the Christian way of life, to conduct themselves in the manner that is suitable and pleasing to God, and to centre themselves upon the Lord, Our Saviour and King, Whose truth and Good News have been revealed to us, as shining Light of truth to illuminate our paths in this journey of faith and life, and as we move forward towards our true destination that is Heaven. Each and every one of us as Christians should always live in the manner that is worthy of our identity as Christians.
And this means that in all circumstances, our actions should always reflect that truth of God, showing His most wonderful and generous love at all times, so that by our good examples and inspirations in love, in how we show care, concern and love to those around us, we will always touch the lives of others and make them to come to know the love of God as well. This is why each and every one of us in our respective areas in life and in our various callings, missions and vocations, we will always be the shining examples of our faith to all those who witness our lives and actions. This is what we are all called to do, that even in the smallest things that we do in life, we will always be exemplary and inspirational, and help many others to come ever closer to God.
Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus to His disciples and followers, of Him lamenting the fact of how the people were so fickle in their behaviour and faith in God, that they kept on changing their attitudes and actions, in their judgmental responses and attitudes against those whom the Lord had sent into their midst to help and guide them all. Those people, especially the leaders and elders of the Jewish people, the members of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, often criticised both Jesus Himself and His herald, St. John the Baptist, using different reasons to try to justify their criticism.
But in essence, everything was in fact due to their sense of superiority, in their refusal to accept and admit that they could be wrong in their ways and thinking. That was why no matter what they encountered, whether the ways and actions of St. John the Baptist, or whether the actions of the Lord Jesus Himself, none of these could satisfy or be accepted by those religious and intellectual elites of the community. The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law considered their ways and teachings to be the only correct versions, and hence, nothing that is different from their teachings could be tolerated or accepted. This is something the Lord Himself wanted to remind us all that we do not walk down the same stubborn and rebellious path in our own respective lives.
We are all reminded that as Christians, all of us need to be humble in how we live our lives, in our words and actions, in our interactions with one another, in everything that we commit ourselves to, so that our faith may truly be genuine, and we may indeed be worthy of being called and considered as the people whom God had called and chosen. If we allow our pride to distract us from our true path in life, in obeying God, in listening to Him speaking to us and in leading us down the right path, then we are no better than those Pharisees and teachers of the Law who had frequently criticised and opposed the Lord and St. John the Baptist, and like how their ancestors had also opposed the works and actions of the prophets and messengers of God.
Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of two great servants of God, whose great examples and inspirations should serve as the guiding principles and inspirations for all of us to follow so that we may also live our lives worthily in the manner that the Lord Himself has shown and taught us. First is St. Robert Bellarmine and second is St. Hildegard of Bingen. St. Robert Bellarmine was an Italian Jesuit and great theologian, who was very involved in the implementations of the reforms of the Council of Trent during the time of the Counter-Reformation. He became a priest and theologian and was noted for his great talent in teaching and theology, as the first Jesuit to teach about theology in the University of Leuven in Brabant, in what is today part of Belgium.
St. Robert Bellarmine was therefore deeply involved in the works of the Church, as the Pope and other Church leaders entrusted to him the ministry of diplomacy and outreach to the different segments of the Church, and was appointed as Archbishop of Capua in Italy, in which capacity he firmly implemented the reforms of the Tridentine Council, in opposition to the wickedness and corruptions that had permeated into the local Church at that time, uprooting all those corruptions and dedicating his efforts and works to combat both the nepotism among the members of the clergy, the corrupt behaviours and attitudes, and also the bad attitudes among both the clergy and the laity alike, which brought about scandal to the Christian faith. He was eventually also appointed as a Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, and was instrumental in the many works of the reforms of the Church, which he dedicated himself towards until the end of his life.
Meanwhile, St. Hildegard of Bingen was a renowned mystic, and was also a Benedictine abbess, as one of the Doctors of the Church together with St. Robert Bellarmine for her great contributions to the faith in various areas such as theology and Church music, through the works that she had written and her faith experiences, which served as great inspirations for many people during and after her lifetime. St. Hildegard was born as the youngest child of a large noble family, and she has always been pious and faithful in her life since her early childhood. She had that spiritual awareness of herself and the understanding of her faith in God, beginning to receive visions even from her youth, which eventually led her to join the Benedictine monastery and dedicating her whole life to the service of God in prayer.
In her community, St. Hildegard of Bingen was well respected for her great piety and character, and was unanimously elected by her fellow nuns as the leader of their community, as abbess. She devoted herself into leading her fellow nuns, but encountered challenges and problems from her community, facing opposition from an Abbot who wanted to place her and her community under his leadership. Nonetheless, through her patience and perseverance, eventually St. Hildegard of Bingen prevailed in getting her community of nuns to have their own monastery, and even founded a second monastery in the region. She continued to receive visions which she recounted in her works and through her many other contributions, many people truly benefitted from her efforts and devotion.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore reflect carefully upon the words of the Scriptures which we have heard and received, and having heard of the lives and examples shown by both St. Robert Bellarmine and St. Hildegard of Bingen. Let us all do our very best so that we may also follow their good examples in how we are to live up to our faith as well, and let us all continue to strive to glorify God by our lives and actions. Let us not be disheartened by the challenges and struggles which we may have to encounter in our paths and journeys, but instead continue to be courageous in each and every moments of our lives, glorifying God by our actions, words and deeds at all times. Let us all be the shining examples of our faith, continue to be humble and obedient to the will of God always. May God be with us all and bless us all in our every endeavours, now and forevermore. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops and Holy Virgins)
Luke 7 : 31-35
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “What comparison can I use for the people? What are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace, about whom their companions complain, ‘We piped you a tune and you would not dance; we sang funeral songs and you would not cry.'”
“Remember John : he did not eat bread or drink wine, and you said, ‘He has an evil spirit.’ Next, came the Son of Man, eating and drinking; and you say, ‘Look, a glutton for food and wine, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But the children of Wisdom always recognise her work.”
Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops and Holy Virgins)
Psalm 110 : 1-2, 3-4, 5-6
Alleluia! I thank YHVH with all my heart in the council of the just, in the assembly. The works of YHVH are great and pondered by all who delight in them.
Glorious and majestic are His deeds, His righteousness endures forever. He lets us remember His wondrous deeds; YHVH is merciful and kind.
Always mindful of His Covenant, He provides food for those who fear Him. He shows His people the power of His arm by giving them the lands of other nations.
Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops and Holy Virgins)
1 Timothy 3 : 14-16
I give you these instructions, although I hope I will see you soon. If I delay, you will know how you ought to conduct yourself in the household of God, that is, the Church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth. How great, indeed, is the mystery of divine blessing!
He was shown in the flesh and sanctified by the Spirit; presented to the Angels and proclaimed to all nations. The world believed in Him : He was taken up in glory!
petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang 