Feast

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(Usus Antiquior) First Sunday of Advent (I Classis) – Sunday, 1 December 2024 : Introit and Collect

Liturgical Colour : Violet

Introit

Psalm 24 : 1-3 and 4

Ad Te levavi animam meam : Deus meus, in Te confido, non erubescam : neque irrideant me inimici mei : etenim universi, qui Te exspectant, non confundentur.

Vias Tuas, Domine, demonstra mihi : et semitas Tuas edoce me.

Response : Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto, sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper : et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

To You, o Lord, have I lifted up my soul : in You, o my God, I put my trust, let me not be ashamed. Neither let my enemies laugh at me, for none of them who wait on You shall be confounded.

Show, o Lord, Your ways to me, and teach me Your paths.

Response : Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Collect

Excita, quaesumus, Domine, potentiam Tuam, et veni : ut ab imminentibus peccatorum nostrorum periculis, Te mereamur protegente eripi, Te liberante salvari. Qui Vivis et regnas in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

Bestir, o Lord, Your might, we pray to You, and come, that, defended by You, we may deserve rescue from approaching dangers brought on by our sins, and being set free by You, obtain our salvation. You Who lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

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Saturday, 30 November 2024 : Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle, one of the Twelve Apostles of the Lord and the brother of St. Peter the Apostle, and was the very first one of the Lord’s disciples and followers, hence why he is also sometimes known as St. Andrew the First-Called. On this day we honour this great man of God, who has devoted himself thoroughly to the service of God, and given himself to the ministry of the proclamation of the Good News of God to the many people and communities he encountered. St. Andrew the Apostle is truly a great inspiration to all of us in how he has lived his life with fervent desire to glorify God in his many missionary works and actions.

Now, first let us all begin with a revisiting of the passages from the Scriptures which we had received and heard earlier. In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in Rome, where where the Apostle was very clear in his words and reminders to the people of God regarding who it is that they believe in and worshipping, namely the Lord God, our Saviour, Jesus Christ, the Son of God Who has brought into this world the assurance of His salvation, the promise of eternal life, true joy and glory with God, offered to all of mankind, everyone without any exception, bias or prejudice, whether they were Jews or Gentiles. And this message truly brought great hope to everyone who heard it.

This is because at that time, the belief among the Jewish people, the descendants of the original chosen people of God, the Israelites was that the Jews were the only ones deserving of God’s favour and salvation, while the Gentiles, who were mostly pagans and unbelievers were seen as defiled, corrupt, wicked and unworthy, and would be condemned unless they adopted wholly the ways and practices of the Jews, such as the strict laws and rules according to the Law of God as revealed to Moses including all the subsequent additions, modifications and changes. The problem is that the requirements were so stringent that even the Jews themselves have great difficulty obeying them, and all the more difficult for the Gentiles to do so.

In addition to this, based on historical evidence and Church records, the practices and customs of the Jews such as circumcision and the dietary preferences among other things were abhorrent and considered as alien and undesirable by many of the Gentiles, and forcing the Gentiles to adopt such practices would indeed have made their lives extra difficult, on top of the challenges that they would already have to face by being a follower of Christ. That was why St. Paul made it clear that the belief in the salvation in Jesus Christ, the Saviour of all is universal, and not reserved only for any particular group of people. Anyone who truly believe in Him and obey Him, following His teachings and ways will be saved, and they shall all share in the fullness of grace and glory of God.

Then, in our Gospel passage today taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle, we heard of the moment when the Lord called His disciples, the first ones that He had, from among the fishermen of the lake of Galilee. St. Andrew was among these fishermen, and he was likely the one to introduce the Lord to his brother, then known as Simon, the future St. Peter the Apostle, as well as to the two sons of Zebedee, namely St. James the Apostle and St. John the Apostle. According to Apostolic and Church tradition, St. Andrew was also a disciple of St. John the Baptist, and was one of the two disciples of St. John the Baptist who went to follow the Lord after He was baptised by the former. This is why St. Andrew is also known as St. Andrew the First-Called as mentioned earlier.

The Lord then called him and the other fishermen, the other disciples to be the ‘fishers of men’, to be the ones to gather all mankind to the Lord, to lead them all to His salvation, just as they had gathered fish in their earlier work and livelihood. Through them, the Lord would reach out to many more people and bring them all towards His loving embrace and compassionate mercy, and that is the very important role which the Lord has entrusted and called the Apostles like St. Andrew to do. They would be the ones proclaiming the Good News of God, bringing hope and light of Christ to those who have suffered and waited in the darkness of this world, separated and sundered from God’s love and grace.

And now, let us revisit the life and examples of St. Andrew the Apostle especially after what was written in the Scriptures. According to Apostolic tradition, St. Andrew would go on to various places to proclaim the Gospels, the Good News of the Lord, including places such as Georgia, Greece and Asia Minor, parts of southern Russia and Ukraine around the Black Sea region, Romania, Cyprus, Malta and other places where he touched the hearts and minds of many with the Good News of the Lord, with His love and kindness, which have been freely and generously given to us. He established many churches and the foundations of the Christian communities in all those places, and was eventually martyred in Patras in southern Greece, being crucified on an X-shaped cross, which henceforth is known as ‘St. Andrew’s Cross’.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore learn and be inspired from the good and worthy life, examples and commitment which St. Andrew has shown to the Lord and to the people he had been sent to. All of us should also have the same vigour and courage in proclaiming the Good News of God like that of St. Andrew and that of the other Apostles because they have shown us what it truly means to be good and faithful Christians, not just in name and formality only, but also through real actions, words and deeds based upon that living and genuine faith in God. We must embody our faith in our daily living and in how we interact with one another, with those whom we encounter, even acquaintances and strangers.

May the Lord, our ever loving and compassionate God continue to bless and guide us all in our journey in life so that by His blessings and providence, by His encouragement and strength we may continue to do our best in our respective lives, continuing the good works which the Apostles such as St. Andrew had done in their lives. May our own lives and works be truly worthy of being Christians, and may we continue to be good role models and inspirations for each other, now and always. Amen.

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Saturday, 30 November 2024 : Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Matthew 4 : 18-22

At that time, as Jesus walked by the lake of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. He said to them, “Come, follow Me; and I will make you fish for people.”

At once they left their nets and followed Him. He went on from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John, in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus called them.

At once, they left the boat, and their father, and followed Him.

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Saturday, 30 November 2024 : Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 18 : 2-3, 4-5

The heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament proclaims the work of His hands. Day talks it over with day; night hands on the knowledge to night.

No speech, no words, no voice is heard – but the call goes on, throughout the universe, the message is felt to the ends of the earth.

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Saturday, 30 November 2024 : Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Romans 10 : 9-18

You are saved, if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord, and, in your heart, you believe that God raised Him from the dead. By believing from the heart, you obtain true righteousness; by confessing the faith with your lips, you are saved.

For Scripture says : No one who believes in Him will be ashamed. Here, there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; all have the same Lord, Who is very generous with whoever calls on Him. Truly, all who call upon the Name of the Lord will be saved.

But how can they call upon the Name of the Lord without having believed in Him? And how can they believe in Him, without having first heard about Him? And how will they hear about Him, if no one preaches about Him? And how will they preach about Him, if no one sends them?

As Scripture says : How beautiful are the feet of the messenger of Good News. Although, not everyone obeyed the Good News, as Isaiah said : Lord, who has believed in our preaching? So, faith comes from preaching, and preaching is rooted in the word of Christ.

I ask : Have the Jews not heard? But, of course, they have. Because the voice of those preaching resounded all over the earth, and their voice was heard, to the ends of the world.

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Sunday, 24 November 2024 : Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Thirty-Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday is the Thirty-Fourth and therefore the Last Sunday of Ordinary Time for this current liturgical year. Beginning next Sunday, the season of Advent will begin and it will also mark the beginning of the new liturgical year cycle. On this Sunday therefore we celebrate the great occasion of the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, celebrating and honouring the Kingship of Our Lord, His Universal Dominion and Kingship, Mastery and Rule over the whole Creation and over all things. On this day we glorify our Lord and King, proclaiming Him as our only Sovereign and Master, the One Who is ruling over our lives, renewing our commitments and dedication to Him, as His followers and disciples, and as His one united people, the Church of God.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Book of the prophet Daniel in which the vision of Daniel was recounted to us, the vision of God on His Throne, One of a Great Age and the Son of Man, to Whom Daniel saw that the One of Great Age had granted power, sovereignty and dominion over the whole world. This vision was in fact a prelude and premonition of Christ’s coming into this world, the revelation that God would indeed send none other than His own Beloved and Begotten Son, the Divine Word of God, to be incarnate in our midst and to dwell among us, ruling over us all as our Lord and King. And as He comes upon us in the flesh, adopting our human nature and existence, He also made His Kingdom to be manifest in our midst, as something that is real and tangible.

We are also reminded that ultimately, our allegiance and obedience lies and rests in God. Of course we are parts and members of our own respective countries, states and other worldly authorities that we are under and subject to, but we must always keep in mind and remember that all the authority and power they have ultimately came from God, our true Lord and King, our Master and Ruler, Who has entrusted and delegated His power and authority to those whom He had chosen and called to be the ones to exercise that power and authority on daily basis, be it in the secular world, in our states and countries, our governments and worldly rulers, as well as in the Church of God, the Pope and the many bishops all around the world, who have been entrusted with all of us, God’s flock and holy people.

Then, in our second reading this Sunday, we heard from the Book of Revelations of St. John the Apostle where St. John recounted to us his heavenly vision of the events of the end of times and the Final Judgment, the ultimate triumph of the Lord and His victory over all evil, sin and death. St. John had witnessed all those things so that he might be able to encourage and strengthen every one of us, God’s holy and faithful people, reminding us that Our Lord, He Who is Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Lord, Master and Ruler of all will come again in the end of times, to gather us all and to lead us into the eternal bliss, true happiness and joy that He has promised and reassured us all these while. As long as we have faith and trust in Him, and commit ourselves wholeheartedly to Him, we will be saved.

From our Gospel passage this Sunday, taken from the Gospel according to St. John, we heard of the account of the time when the Lord was going through His Passion or Suffering, when Pontius Pilate, the Governor and Procurator of Judea was questioning Him about why the chief priests handed Him over to him to be condemned to death and crucified. Then, in that conversation and exchange we heard Pilate’s question to Jesus, asking Him about the accusations that the chief priests had been making against Him regarding the claim that He called Himself as the King of the Jews. This false claim and accusation was made by the chief priests against the Lord because they knew that it was high treason for anyone to claim to be king and ruler when the land was under Roman dominion and rule.

It was then that the Lord replied to Pilate that He is indeed a King, although not in the manner that he would think or know of. The Lord Himself mentioned that His Kingdom is not of this world, in the sense that His Kingdom, Dominion, power and sovereignty cannot be bound or described in the manner that any other earthly kingdoms and dominions, states and realms can be defined and bound. His Kingship is truly Universal and all-encompassing, and every nation, dominions, realms and other earthly boundaries are all under His rule and power, and this is the truth and reality that every one of us have to believe and trust in, knowing that because God is our Lord and King, hence, we are all the people of the King of Kings, the ones whom He had called and chosen to be His own beloved people.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to these words from the Scriptures and as we all ponder upon the reality of the Kingship of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, let us all therefore renew our faith and commitment in the Lord, to proclaim Him as our one true Lord and King. And if we truly believe and accept our Lord Jesus as King, then we must truly enthrone Him in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, in our whole being, and strive as always to put Him at the very centre of our existence and lives. This is what we have been invited and reminded to do, to follow and obey Our King at all times and in all circumstances. As Christians, we must always be ready to proclaim our allegiance to God and our adherence to His ways and teachings, His Law and commandments at every moments in our lives.

The problem often then lies in the fact that many of us do not truly proclaim and hold fast to the fact and belief that Our Lord Jesus Christ, our God, is our Lord and King, our Master and Ruler. Why is that so, brothers and sisters? That is because we often allow the temptations present all around us, the temptations of power, money, worldly desires and attachments to distract us and pull us away from God and His path. And we also end up making those things to be our idols and masters instead of the Lord. Indeed, there are plenty of false idols around us, the idol of money, possessions, ambitions and other forms of worldly pursuits and desires that can keep us away from being truly committed and faithful to the Lord, our true Master and King.

May our Lord and Saviour, our King and Master, Jesus Christ, the Almighty and All-Encompassing Master and Ruler of the whole entire Universe and Creation continue to bless and guide us in all of our every endeavours, efforts and works. May all of us as His beloved and faithful people, His one flock and nation, all remain united in total obedience and commitment to Him as our Lord and King, our true Master in all things. Let us all and our devotion to our King continue to inspire many others in how we live our lives, becoming the great and shining beacons of truth, hope and love, revealing the Good News of God to all creation. Christus Vincit! Christus Regnat! Christus Imperat! Amen.

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Sunday, 24 November 2024 : Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Thirty-Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 18 : 33b-37

Pilate summoned Jesus and asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” Jesus replied, “Does this word come from you, or did you hear it from others?” Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed You over to me. What have You done?”

Jesus answered, “My kingship does not come from this world. If I were a King, like those of this world, My guards would have fought to save Me from being handed over to the Jews. But My Kingship is not of this world.” Pilate asked Him, “So You are a King?” And Jesus answered, “Just as you say, I am a King. For this I was born and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is on the side of truth hears My voice.”

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Sunday, 24 November 2024 : Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Thirty-Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Revelations 1 : 5-8

And from Jesus Christ, the faithful Witness, the Firstborn of the dead, the Ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him Who loves us and has washed away our sins with His own Blood, making us a kingdom and priests for God His Father, to Him be the glory and power forever and ever. Amen.

See He comes with the clouds and everyone will see Him, even those who pierced Him; on His account all the nations of the earth will beat his breast. Yes. It will be so. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, He Who is, Who was and Who is to come : the Master of the universe.

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Sunday, 24 November 2024 : Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Thirty-Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 92 : 1ab, 1c-2, 5

YHVH reigns, robed in majesty; YHVH is girded with strength.

The world now, is firm; it cannot be moved. Your throne stands from long ago, o YHVH; from all eternity You are.

Your decrees can be trusted; holiness dwells in Your House, day after day, without end, o YHVH.

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Sunday, 24 November 2024 : Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Thirty-Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Daniel 7 : 13-14

I continued watching the nocturnal vision : One like a Son of Man came on the clouds of heaven. He faced the One of Great Age and was brought into His presence. Dominion, honour and kingship were given Him, and all the peoples and nations of every language served Him. His dominion is eternal and shall never pass away; His kingdom will never be destroyed.