Lent

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Saturday, 29 March 2025 : 3rd Week of Lent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Hosea 5 : 15b – Hosea 6 : 6

For in their anguish they will earnestly seek Me.

“Come, let us return to YHVH. He Who shattered us to pieces, will heal us as well; He has struck us down, but He will bind up our wounds. Two days later He will bring us back to life; on the third day, He will raise us up, and we shall live in His presence.”

“Let us strive to know YHVH. His coming is as certain as the dawn; His judgment will burst forth like the light; He will come to us as showers come, like spring rain that waters the earth.”

“O Ephraim, what shall I do with you? O Judah, how shall I deal with you? This love of yours is like morning mist, like morning dew that quickly disappears. This is why I smote you through the prophets, and have slain you by the words of My mouth. For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice; it is knowledge of God, not burnt offerings.”

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Friday, 28 March 2025 : 3rd Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as all of us gather together to listen to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded that during this Lenten season we have been given the opportunity to experience more fully God’s compassion and loving grace, His generous mercy and kindness, all the love which God has shown us throughout time, again and again. Unfortunately, we have often spurned and rejected His love and kindness, and therefore we find ourselves in this predicament because of our own lack of faith and trust in God, and because we allowed ourselves to be easily tempted and swayed to follow the false path of the devil, and all the distractions and temptations around us which brought us into this path towards darkness and damnation.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Hosea, we heard of the words of the prophet Hosea who was sent to the people of the southern kingdom of Judah during the late years of its existence, after the downfall of the northern kingdom of Israel. At that time, many among the people of God had been wandering off from the path which God has shown and taught them through their ancestors, through Moses and the prophets sent to them to guide and remind them. Thus, the Lord had sent His prophets to warn them of the impending consequences and sufferings which the people would have to suffer because of their disobedience and sins. But despite all these warnings and harsh punishments, ultimately, the Lord still loved His people and cared for them.

And that was why amidst the warnings and words of doom, the Lord spoke words of reassurance just as what we have heard through the prophet Hosea, calling on all of those same people to turn away from their sins and wickedness because He would show all of them His most generous mercy and heal them from all of their problems and troubles. God would not abandon them all to the darkness, and He would lead them all once again down the path of righteousness, showing each and every one of them how they should live their lives so that they would no longer be separated from Him, and would once again be worthy of Him through their renewed faith and righteousness, purified from all of their wickedness and faults. And this is an important reminder and assurance for all of us that we ourselves will have this same forgiveness and healing given to us if we commit ourselves anew to the Lord.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist we heard the words of the Lord Jesus to a teacher of the Law who went to ask Him regarding which among all the commandments of the Law of God is the most important one. In order to understand this, we must then understand that in the Jewish customs and practices of the time, there were at least six hundred and thirteen rules and precepts in the Law of God revealed through Moses, all of which were imposed by the religious elites of the people, namely the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law. At that time, the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law in particular observed a very strict and extensive version of the Law, which were cumbersome and difficult to practice.

Not only that but those elders and leaders of the people also used those Law and commandments to actively discriminate against those whom they disapproved of, making themselves superior and better than everyone around them. But this was not what the Lord intended with the Law that He has given to His people, as the Law was never meant to discriminate or to make the people’s livelihood challenging and tough. The Law has always been meant to show the people of God on how one ought to love their loving God and Master, how they can love one another in the same way so that they can truly be worthy to be called the children of God, the children and the beloved ones of the One Who has always loved them from the beginning regardless of their sins and trespasses, their imperfections and faults.

And that is why the Lord told the teacher of the Law that in essence, the whole entire Law, all the precepts and rules were all pointing to two main, essential ideals, and that is the manner how one ought to love the Lord with all of their might, strength and capabilities, to love Him above all other things, and then secondly as He Himself had mentioned, to love one another in the same way that God Himself has loved us, and at least as much as we have loved ourselves. Love is the hallmark of our Christian faith and life, and we cannot be without this love, both for God and for our fellow brothers and sisters, for without love, then we are nothing, and our faith, without love, is truly meaningless, empty and dead. With love, through what God Himself has shown and taught us, all of us are shown the path towards our loving Father and Creator, the path to our salvation.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, during this time and season of Lent, we are therefore reminded and called to return to the Lord, our most loving God and Father, to repent from our faults and mistakes, and to embrace our Father’s most generous and rich mercy, to come back towards Him with the sincere desire to be forgiven from our many sins and wickedness. We should no longer be ignorant of these opportunities which the Lord had provided to us in order to help us find our way back to Him. Instead, we should do our very best so that by our every moments in life, we will always be exemplary and be truly worthy of the Lord, by our obedience and humility, in recognising that each one of us need God’s Presence and love. By God’s love we have all been redeemed, and therefore we too should love Him wholeheartedly as well.

May the Lord, our most loving Father and Master continue to love us most wonderfully as He has always done, all these while. May He continue to inspire us all and teach us to love Him by following His own example of love. May He continue to give us the courage and strength, the determination and willingness to love our fellow brethren around us in the same manner as well. May all of us be truly full of love from God, and be truly worthy of God’s grace and love, now and always. Amen.

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Friday, 28 March 2025 : 3rd Week of Lent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Mark 12 : 28b-34

At that time, a teacher of the Law came up and asked Jesus, “Which commandment is the first of all?”

Jesus answered, “The first is : Hear, Israel! The Lord, our God is One Lord; and you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. And after this comes a second commandment : You shall love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these two.”

The teacher of the Law said to Him, “Well spoken, Master; You are right when You say that He is one, and there is no other besides Him. To love Him with all our heart, with all our understanding and with all our strength, and to love our neighbour as ourselves is more important than any burnt offering or sacrifice.”

Jesus approved of this answer and said, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that, no one dared to ask Him any more questions.

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Friday, 28 March 2025 : 3rd Week of Lent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 80 : 6c-8a, 8bc-9, 10-11ab, 14 and 17

Open wide your mouth and I will fill it, I relieved your shoulder from burden; I freed your hands. You called in distress, and I saved you.

Unseen, I answered you in thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Hear, My people, as I admonish you. If only you would listen, o Israel!

There shall be no strange god among you, you shall not worship any alien god, for I the Lord am your God, who led you forth from the land of Egypt.

If only My people would listen, if only Israel would walk in My ways. I would feed you with the finest wheat and satisfy you with honey from the rock.

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Friday, 28 March 2025 : 3rd Week of Lent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Hosea 14 : 2-10

Return to your God YHVH, o Israel! Your sins have caused your downfall. Return to YHVH with humble words. Say to Him, “Oh You Who show compassion to the fatherless forgive our debt, be appeased. Instead of bulls and sacrifices, accept the praise from our lips. Assyria will not save us : no longer shall we look for horses nor ever again shall we say ‘Our gods’ to the work of our hands.”

I will heal their wavering and love them with all My heart for My anger has turned from them. I shall be like dew to Israel like the lily will he blossom. Like a cedar he will send down his roots; his young shoots will grow and spread. His splendour will be like an olive tree. His fragrance, like a Lebanon cedar.

They will dwell in My shade again, they will flourish like the grain, they will blossom like a vine, and their fame will be like Lebanon wine. What would Ephraim do with idols, when it is I Who hear and make him prosper? I am like an ever-green cypress tree; all your fruitfulness comes from Me.

Who is wise enough to grasp all this? Who is discerning and will understand? Straight are the ways of YHVH : the just walk in them, but the sinners stumble.

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Thursday, 27 March 2025 : 3rd Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us are reminded of our sins and evils, all caused by our disobedience against God and our refusal to listen to Him and our persistence in doing things that are contrary to His will and teachings. We must not allow our stubbornness and all the wicked desires and temptations in us and around us to distract us from the Lord and from the path that He has guided us through in this life. We must not allow ourselves to be divided easily one against another because of the instigation and the efforts of those wicked forces of evil which will often play on our insecurities, desires, ambitions and all the means they have in their disposal to bring us to our ruin and downfall. That is why during this time of Lent, each and every one of us should reevaluate our paths and choices in life through these reminders.

In our first reading passage today, taken from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah, we heard of the words of the Lord to His people, showing the frustrations that the Lord had in guiding all of them, despite having shown them and their forebears, all of their ancestors, a lot of loving care and patience in guiding and helping all of them, in reassuring them constantly and defending them from all of their enemies, and in being always true to the Covenant which He had made with them and their ancestors. The people of Israel however were unfaithful, and they were stubborn in their consistent refusal to obey Him wholeheartedly, falling ever constantly into the temptations to sin, being swayed by the many desires and ambitions they were tempted with, that they ended up disobeying Him and walking down the path of rebellion, getting further and further away from their loving God and Master.

That was why the Lord put those words of warning through the prophet Jeremiah, whom He had sent to the people and the kingdom of Judah in order to remind them all of their waywardness and their lack of faith in Him, all of which had led them all deeper and deeper into the path of darkness and sin. And through these warnings and reminders, God wanted to tell them all to stop from going down this path of rebellion so that they would not continue to suffer the effects of their disobedience. This came at the important juncture of the history of the people of God, many of whom had suffered the effects of their sins, with those who used to live in the northern kingdom of Israel had been conquered and had their kingdom destroyed by the Assyrians, and brought into exile in the distant and far-off lands.

And those in the kingdom of Judah, while they had seen for themselves and witnessed how their northern brethren had suffered because of the wickedness and sins that they had committed, that were relatively greater than their own ones, but they still did not repent from their own sins and wickedness. And while their sins were perhaps less severe due to some of the kings of Judah being faithful and devout followers of God that periodically led the people back to the true path of God, but nonetheless, they too would suffer a similar fate. They would also be conquered by the Babylonians in a short while from the time that those words of the Lord were pronounced to them, their cities destroyed and the Temple that was in Jerusalem, the House of God would be destroyed, as the clear sign of the Divine displeasure over the sins and wickedness of His people.

But God was not all full of anger and without compassion, for He ultimately still loved His people despite of their many sins and evils. He gave them opportunities, reminders and help throughout their history, their journey and existence, sending the prophets like Jeremiah among many others to assist them. He reassured them all of His salvation, and He gathered them all back from the lands of their exile, allowing them to return back to their homeland and settle back in the lands promised to them and their ancestors. He still showed them all His compassion and love, giving them the means to reach out to Him, to overcome the temptations and all the other obstacles which had prevented them all from coming back to Him. And ultimately, He gave us all the ultimate gift in His only Begotten Son, Whom He sent to us to find, gather and bring us all back to Him.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of how the people of the time of the Lord treated this same Saviour and Son of God Who had been sent into our midst in order to save us all. The elders and the religious, intellectual elites of the people, namely many of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law doubted the Lord and sowed dissension amongst the people by accusing the Lord falsely of collusion with the prince of demons in the performance of His miracles and works. They attributed His miracles to the works of Beelzebul, a known prince of demons, besmirching the Lord’s good reputation and directly spreading doubt on the authenticity and authority of the Lord’s works and miracles. And the Lord quickly went to rebuke those people for saying such false and baseless accusations by pointing out the utter folly in their arguments.

The Lord pointed out that if a kingdom had its members divided against each other, plotting and attacking one another, then that kingdom would quickly and readily be destroyed. In the same manner therefore, it does not make sense for the forces of evil to be divided against each other. In fact, they are more united than ever as always in their desire and efforts to see us all destroyed and dragged in damnation together with them. It was likely that all the accusations and the efforts of those Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who were jealous of the great successes of the Lord were instigated by those same wicked spirits and evil forces who worked really hard to divide us one against another, in their attempts to prevent the Lord from accomplishing His missions and works.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore let us all keep in mind all these things that we have heard and discussed earlier through the Sacred Scriptures. Let us remember that God’s love is so great and indeed is and has always been so great that it surpasses all evil and all those who have placed themselves in between us and God’s offer of salvation and eternal life. It is now up to us to embrace His love and mercy wholeheartedly, as we dedicate ourselves anew to His cause, doing our very best to live our lives from now on in the manner that is truly worthy of God. We are called to come to the Lord with a contrite heart full of sorrow and regret for our many sins. May the Lord be with us always during this time and season of Lent, and may He continue to bless and empower us with the courage and strength to be good examples, inspirations and role models for one another. May all of us continue to have a blessed and fruitful Lenten season and observance, and come ever closer to the Lord and His salvation. Amen.

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Thursday, 27 March 2025 : 3rd Week of Lent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Luke 11 : 14-23

At that time, one day Jesus was driving out a demon, which was mute. When the demon had been driven out, the mute person could speak, and the people were amazed. Yet some of them said, “He drives out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the chief of the demons.” Others wanted to put Him to the test, by asking Him for a heavenly sign.

But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them, “Every nation divided by civil war is on the road to ruin, and will fall. If Satan also is divided, his empire is coming to an end. How can you say that I drive out demons by calling upon Beelzebul? If I drive them out by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive out demons? They will be your judges, then.”

“But if I drive out demons by the finger of God; would not this mean that the kingdom of God, has come upon you? As long as a man, strong and well armed, guards his house, his goods are safe. But when a stronger man attacks and overcomes him, the challenger takes away all the weapons he relied on, and disposes of his spoils.”

“Whoever is not with Me is against Me, and whoever does not gather with Me, scatters.”

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Thursday, 27 March 2025 : 3rd Week of Lent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 94 : 1-2, 6-7, 8-9

Come, let us sing to the Lord, let us make a joyful sound to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before Him giving thanks, with music and songs of praise.

Come and worship; let us bow down, kneel before the Lord, our Maker. He is our God, and we His people; the flock He leads and pastures. Would that today you heard His voice!

Do not be stubborn, as at Meribah, in the desert, on that day at Massah, when your ancestors challenged Me, and they put Me to the test.

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Thursday, 27 March 2025 : 3rd Week of Lent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Jeremiah 7 : 23-28

YHVH says, “One thing I did command them : Listen to My voice and I will be your God and you will be My people. Walk in the way I command you and all will be well with you. But they did not listen and paid no attention; they followed the bad habits of their stubborn heart and turned away from Me.”

“From the time I brought their forebearers out of Egypt until this day I have continually sent them My servants, the prophets, but this stiff-necked people did not listen. They paid no attention and were worse than their forebearers. You may say all these things to them but they will not listen; you will call them but they will not answer.”

“This is a nation that did not obey YHVH and refused to be disciplined; truth has perished and is no longer heard from their lips.”

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Wednesday, 26 March 2025 : 3rd Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Lord in the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the Law which the Lord has presented and given to all of us through the Scriptures and His Church, which has revealed and taught us this Law and the various commandments that we ought to follow and obey in our lives. Each and every one of us as Christians are bound to follow and obey these Law and commandments that God had given to us, as part of the Covenant which He had established and made with all of us. And what we heard today in our Scripture readings are reminders for us to follow these laws and commandments with appreciation and understanding of their importance and significance for us.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Deuteronomy in which Moses, the leader of the Israelites told all the people to be obedient to the Law of God and to follow His commandments, instead of being rebellious and hardened in heart as they had often done during their Exodus from Egypt and the journey through the desert. Moses told the people the reason why God gave His Law and commandments to them, and everything ultimately pointed towards the desire that God had in ensuring that His people would be forgiven from all of their many sins, to be guided in their paths and ways so that they would no longer be lost to Him and be condemned to the eternity of suffering and damnation like what the evil ones will be suffering from.

This is something which we need to be acutely aware of, realising that our sins like those sins of the people of Israel can lead us all into certain destruction, which God wants to prevent us from suffering such a fate. And this was why He gave us His Law and commandments just as He had once revealed it to the Israelites through Moses. They were meant to serve as a guide and assistance to the people of God so that they would live worthily and be strengthened in their desire to follow God wholeheartedly amidst the many temptations and coercions of worldly desires, pleasures and ambitions found all around them. Thus, unless we ourselves also obey the Law and commandments of God wholeheartedly and with true understanding of God’s love and will, then we may find it difficult to remain faithful to Him.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Evangelist, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus speaking to His disciples and all those who were following Him in which He made it clear that He did not mean to change or abolish the Law of God, contrary to the perception and misconception that many among the Israelites, particularly among the religious and intellectual elites, had in Him, His teachings and actions. Those leaders often assumed that Jesus and His works and teachings were contrary to the Law of God revealed through Moses, particularly in their frequent clashes on the matter of the Sabbath Law. To the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, the Sabbath Law was sacrosanct in the manner that they observed it, refusing to allow any kinds of activities on that day.

However, the Lord told the people the true intention of the Lord when He instituted the Sabbath Law, and that was to help all of His people to come to Him and to remember the need to focus their lives on Him, and not on their various other pursuits and desires in life, in this world present around us. We may easily be tempted and swayed by our many attachments and desires, in all of our works and activities in this world that we forget our obligation and relationship with God. And that is why God instituted this Day of Rest, the Sabbath Day such that the people of Israel might have the time to take a break from their busy daily activities and works, and dedicate this time to worship the Lord and to strengthen their relationships with Him.

But, unfortunately, by the time of the Lord and His ministry, the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law had misunderstood the intention and purpose of the Law of God, using them instead to impose unrealistic expectations and observances on the people of God. In the matter of the Sabbath Law, it was so strictly enforced that the people were not allowed to do anything even good and virtuous deeds that may benefit the people around them. And this was what the Lord highlighted to those hypocrites, those Pharisees and teachers of the Law, who have misled the people through their wrong teachings and interpretations of the Law, and their elitist attitudes in claiming to be better, more pious and holier than everyone else, and in their judgmental and biased attitudes against those they deemed to be unredeemable sinners like the tax collectors and prostitutes.

And what we are being reminded of today is the love of God manifested through His Son, Our Lord Jesus Himself, Who has renewed the Covenant that God had made with His people, the love which He has shown us all again and again in many occasions, and which He has constantly reminded us through His Son and through the Law that He has taught and shown to us. What He wants us all to know is that He has given us all those Law and commandments to help and guide us in our path so that we may truly come to Him and embrace His great love and compassion without falling into the wrong path or be distracted by the many temptations and coercions found all around us. God, as our most loving Father and Creator wants us all to be reconciled and reunited with Him.

That is why, let us all make the conscious effort during this time and season of Lent so that in everything we do, in all of our Lenten observances, and in how we obey the Law and commandments of God that had been given to us through the Church, we may all continue to obey them with the right understanding and mindset, knowing that we do all them out of the sincere love for God and from the desire to be reconciled and reunited with the Lord, our loving Father and Creator. May He continue to bless and guide us in our journey so that by our examples and obedience, we may be good role models and inspirations to everyone else around us, to lead more and more people towards God and His mercy. Amen.