Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)
Psalm 55 : 10, 11-12, 13-14
My enemies turn back when I call on You for help; now I know, that God is for me.
In God, Whose word I praise; in God I trust, without fear. What can mortals do against me?
I am bound to You by vows, o God; I shall offer my thanksgiving. For You have rescued my soul from death and my feet from stumbling; that I might walk in God’s presence, in the light of the living.
Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)
1 Corinthians 15 : 35-37, 42-49
Some of you will ask : How will the dead be raised? With what kind of body will they come? You fools! What you sow cannot sprout unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body of the future plant, but a bare grain of wheat or any other seed.
It is the same with the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in decomposition; it will be raised never more to die. It is sown in humiliation, and it will be raised for glory. It is buried in weakness, but the resurrection shall be with power. When buried, it is a natural body, but it will be raised as a spiritual body. For there shall be a spiritual body, as there is, at present, a living body. Scripture says that Adam, the first man, became a living being; but the last Adam has become a life-giving Spirit.
The Spirit does not appear first, but the natural life, and afterward comes the Spirit. The first man comes from the earth and is earthly, while the second One comes from heaven. As it was with the earthly one, so is it with the earthly people. As it is with Christ, so with the heavenly. This is why, after bearing the image of the earthly one, we shall also bear the image of the Heavenly One.
Liturgical Colour : Red
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day as we listened to the words of the Scripture we are all reminded that as Christians, it is our primary objective in life to love, and not just any kind of love, but love in a selfless way, to love God with all of our might and strength, and to give of ourselves with love to one another, and not to be selfish and haughty, but rather place ourselves in the way of God’s love. This is why we are all reminded that as Christians it is very important for all of us to apply what we believe in our Christian faith and teachings in our daily living, in the manner of how we love those whom God has placed in our lives for us to love, our most beloved and precious ones, as well as those who need our love, care and attention. This includes even all those strangers who passed by our lives and who can benefit from the love that we genuinely show them.
In our first reading today, we heard St. Paul in his Epistle to the Church and the faithful in Corinth reminding all of them of the importance of love to all of them, and how love is at the core of the Christian tenet, virtues and teaching. He highlighted how without love, then no matter whatever gifts and talents, graces and abilities we have received, then everything is meaningless. And the Apostle also highlighted that true love is pure, and is truly wonderful, and that love is never selfish and is about caring and truly being attentive and concerned about the needs of others. St. Paul essentially exhorted all the faithful to follow the examples of the Lord and His Apostles in love, in being generous in giving and in the sharing of that love, rather than following the selfish ways of the world.
It is by our love that we will be recognised as Christians, as God’s own beloved ones and people, as His followers and those who have lived according to His Law and His ways. That is what is alluded in our Gospel passage today when we heard the Lord speaking about how the people failed to recognise Him and St. John the Baptist. He elaborated how the people looked down and were judgmental against St. John the Baptist because of his appearance, and the same people also judged against the Lord because He interacted and reached out to sinners. All of these were caused by their lack of love, their inability to appreciate God’s love and all that He has done for the sake of us all mankind. They were too engrossed and preoccupied in themselves that they have ended up being blinded to the truth and the love of God. That is precisely why, despite their intelligence and great power, but without love, all these were of no use, as these referred to many among the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who criticised St. John the Baptist and the Lord, being considered the most well-educated and influential among the Jews.
It was those who did not hold on to their pride and ego, their preconceived notion of superiority that came to believe the Lord wholeheartedly and genuinely, for they perceived God’s love in the way that those who had allowed their pride and desires to get the better of them could not. They saw the Lord and all that He had done for the sake of His people, and came to believe in Him not just through words but also through His loving actions. That is why, it is similar for us as well. If we truly want to make others to believe in God, then we must first apply what we profess to believe in our own daily actions and lives, or else, we are no more than hypocrites and all those who do not truly love the Lord, but instead, we love ourselves and our ego more than our love for Him and those whom He has entrusted to us to love.
Meanwhile, the Lord often rebuked the Pharisees and also warned those who listened to Him, not to follow the examples of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who did not follow the Law in the manner that they should have. He told them to listen to these teachers of the faith, but not to follow their examples, as their actions and deeds, their behaviours were done in order to satisfy their own personal desires and greed, and hence, they were misguided and in turn, could misguide others in their journey towards God. Brothers and sisters in Christ, once again, today’s set of Scripture readings remind us that the Lord has called us to be His faithful witnesses in all things and in all occasions, and the best way for us to do that, is to be His witnesses of love, that is by showing love in each and every one of our daily lives’ actions, being genuine in our love and tender care for each other, in the concern we show towards others who are suffering and less fortunate than us.
Today, the Church celebrates the feast of two great and holy men, whose faith and lives can and should indeed give us the inspiration and courage to carry out our lives and actions in accordance with God and His path. Pope St. Cornelius was the leader of the Universal Church during the time of great persecutions against the Christians throughout the Roman Empire, and also during a time when the Church was torn apart by great disagreement and schisms, particularly by those who disagreed with the practice of readmitting those who had lapsed in their Christian faith, or practiced pagan ways in order to protect themselves and avoid the harsh persecutions common at that time. Those who refused to allow those lapsed Christians who repented to rejoin the Church were known as the Novatianists after their most prominent leader, whom they elected as a rival Pope or Antipope.
That leader, Novatian, rejected the election of Pope St. Cornelius as the leader of the Church succeeding the martyred Pope St. Fabian because to the former, the latter was too lenient in allowing the lapsed Christians to rejoin the Church as according to the Novatianists, once a Christian has lapsed in the faith, then they can no longer be forgiven or be readmitted in their lives, in a rather self-righteous and almost Pharisaical kind of attitude, without understanding and appreciating how the Lord Himself would have reached out to those lapsed Christians and those who had been lost, like the ones who during the time of the Lord’s ministry were deemed as unworthy and sinful, like the tax collectors, prostitutes and those who suffered from ailments and demonic possessions. In the same manner therefore, Pope St. Cornelius and his compatriot, St. Cyprian of Carthage, another renowned leader of the Church, sought to champion this true ideal of the Church.
Essentially, as what we all still believe to this day, all of us believe that the Church is not just a museum for the ones who are holy, but is also a hospital for sinners. The Church is the Lord’s manifest outreach to the whole world, to all of the children of mankind, that each and every one of them may come to know the Lord, and be part of the one Body of Christ, called and chosen from the world to walk once again righteously in the path that God has shown them. The Church should not close its doors to those who truly and genuinely repented, and have been willing to carry out the penance for their sins, if the sinners desired to return to the Lord and to seek His mercy. After all, that is what the Lord Himself entrusted to His Church through St. Peter, as He entrusted to him the keys of the kingdom of Heaven, the power to bind or loosen those on earth that they may also be either bound or loosened in Heaven.
Pope St. Cornelius and St. Cyprian both courageously led the Church and resisted against all the efforts of those who sought to exclude the lapsed Christians from returning to the Lord, and their great efforts and works eventually prevailed, as the support for the Novatian heretics floundered and the Church kept its open arms and doors, ever ready to welcome those sinners who come seeking God’s forgiveness and grace. This is therefore also a reminder to all of us that we should not allow ourselves to be swayed by the sense of pride and self-righteousness, which may end up causing us to behave in the same Pharisaical and prideful way as those Novatianists, but instead, we should always be caring and concerned about our fellow brothers and sisters, many of whom are in need of our help and assistance in their struggles to live lives worthy of the Lord.
Let us all therefore today resolve to live our lives ever more worthily of the Lord, by doing what He has willed and commanded us to do, obeying Him as best as we are able to, in every moments and opportunities. Let us all remind one another of God’s ever gracious and generous love for us, His mercy and compassion which have always been generously given to us, at all times. Let us also help one another to walk with ever greater dedication in the path of our Christian faith, and be great role models, examples and inspirations to one another, now and always, in truly loving one another most generously and genuinely at all times. May God bless each one of us in our every good efforts and endeavours. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : Red
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 : Red
1 Corinthians 12 : 31 – 1 Corinthians 13 : 13
Be that as it may, set your hearts on the most precious gifts, and I will show you a much better way.
If I could speak all the human and Angelic tongues, but had no love, I would only be sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, knowing secret things, with all kinds of knowledge, and had faith great enough to remove mountains, but had no love, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I had to the poor, and even give up my body to be burnt, if I am without love, it would be of no value to me.
Love is patient, kind, without envy. It is not boastful or arrogant. It is not ill-mannered, nor does it seek its own interest. Love overcomes anger and forgets offences. It does not take delight in wrong, but rejoices in truth. Love excuses everything, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love will never end. Prophecies may cease, tongues be silent and knowledge disappear. For knowledge grasps something of the truth and prophecy as well. And when what is perfect comes, everything imperfect will pass away. When I was a child, I thought and reasoned like a child, but when I grew up, I gave up childish ways.
Likewise, at present, we see dimly, as in a mirror, but, then, it shall be face to face. Now, we know, in part, but then I will know as I am known. Now, we have faith, hope and love, these three, but the greatest of these is love.
Liturgical Colour : Red
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the occasion of the Feast of the Passion of St. John the Baptist, in which we remember the courageous faith and dedication that St. John the Baptist, the Herald of the Lord and Messiah had given to his Lord and Master, in all the things he had done, and in his whole life until even facing persecution, hardships in prison and eventually martyrdom for his righteous life and commitment to God, and his refusal to bend to the forces of the world, the forces of wickedness and evil. Through his courageous proclamation of the Lord’s coming and by calling on everyone to seek the Lord once again, turning away from their wickedness and sins, St. John the Baptist had brought more and more people closer to the Lord’s Presence and had done much in preparing the path for the Lord’s coming, which was indeed his mission in life.
At that time, St. John the Baptist, whom God had called and chosen since before he was even conceived and born, and whose miraculous birth and life had surprised many, went on with his mission, calling on the people of God to return to the Lord and to embrace His mercy, baptising countless thousands and more as a symbolic commitment that they would make for the Lord, in cleansing themselves from the corruption and taint of their past wicked and sinful lives. St. John the Baptist brought the words of God’s consolation and the assurance that the Messiah, that is the Saviour long promised by God would come very soon. He did not hold his tongue or words against those who were wicked, unjust and proud, like that of the Pharisees and the elders who were corrupt and wicked in their ways, calling them brood of vipers when they questioned him and doubted his authority in teaching and doing his mission.
Then, which led directly to today’s Gospel passage events, St. John the Baptist also spoke up courageously against the wickedness and evils of King Herod Antipas, the King and ruler of Galilee, who had taken the wife of his own brother Philip, who was likely still alive at that time according to historical records and evidence, as his own wife. Herodias, who was Philip’s wife, was therefore Herod’s own sister-in-law, and as we heard of one daughter of Herodias being mentioned in that Gospel passage today, it means that daughter was likely the child of Philip and Herodias, which according to the laws and customs of God’s Law and commandments, meant that the marriage had been consummated and could not be legally dissolved or annulled in any way. This also means that Herod committed the sin of adultery with Herodias, a fact that St. John the Baptist fearlessly criticised both of them for.
This was why Herodias held a grudge against St. John the Baptist, and wanted his death, which was only stopped by Herod’s admiration for the holy man of God. While Herod arrested St. John the Baptist and placed him in prison, he did not harm him any further otherwise as mentioned in today’s Gospel. But then we heard of Herodias’ machinations and wicked plans through which she brought about the death and martyrdom of St. John the Baptist. It was Herod’s own weakness of the flesh, which led him to commit the sin of adultery and then the sin of lust, by lusting for his own sister-in-law’s daughter that led him to his downfall, in becoming complicit in the murder and killing of the holy servant of God, because of his inability in resisting worldly temptations and the allures of worldly pleasures and vices.
That is why, all of us today are reminded on this celebration in the memory of the glorious and most courageous martyrdom of this great servant of God, St. John the Baptist, that each and every one of us must first of all be inspired by the great examples of this holy servant of God, in giving our best effort and time, our attention and focus so that we may truly serve the Lord faithfully in all things, and that we may be great examples and inspiration for one another as well. Living our lives as Christians, in following God in our world today may be a challenge for us, as we may encounter rejection and even persecution, hardships and challenges, obstacles and all sorts of things that may discourage us from continuing our path in following God. But we must not easily allow the temptations of the world, the allures of worldly pleasures and desires to mislead us down the path of evil and vice, as it had done to King Herod, Herodias, many among the Pharisees and many others.
Instead, we have to continue to dedicate ourselves to the path that the Lord has shown and guided us into. Just as St. John the Baptist, who had devoted his whole life to the service of God, and who walked faithfully in the path of righteousness without any reservations, and with all of his might, hence, that is how we should also live our lives, that is with great faith and commitment to God. We should always be strong in our desire to follow the Lord wholeheartedly and in leading a life that is truly worthy and good, upright and exemplary, so that others who see us, hear us and witness our actions and works may come to believe in God as well through us, just as St. John the Baptist in all of the commitments and works he had done, showed us what it truly should be like for us to be one of God’s faithful disciples and followers.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all remember therefore the courageous and faithful life of St. John the Baptist, and follow him in his courage and examples. At the same time, let us also be vigilant and careful so that we do not end up falling into the same trap of sin, evil and worldly vices that King Herod and Herodias had fallen into, the temptations of worldly pleasures, lust and desires, as well as the temptations of worldly pride, ego and ambition that many among the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law had fallen into. Let us all help one another to remain truly faithful to God so that we do not end up falling into the wrong path, and let us all remind one another so that we may help to encourage our fellow brethren whenever they are downtrodden and are facing hardships and challenges in life. Let us be the shining beacons of God’s hope, love and light in the midst of our darkened world today.
May the Lord continue to bless us all in our every good efforts, works and endeavours, and may He empower all of us in our every dealings and interactions, and in our commitments and lives, so that we may truly be His faithful disciples at all occasions, and be the beacons of light through which many others may come to find God and His salvation, just as St. John the Baptist had done to us, through his life, works and martyrdom. St. John the Baptist, Herald of the Messiah, Holy Man of God, pray for us all sinners. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : Red
Mark 6 : 17-29
At that time, this is what had happened : Herod had ordered John to be arrested; and had had him bound and put in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. Herod had married her; and John had told him, “It is not right for you to live with your brother’s wife.”
So Herodias held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him; but she could not, because Herod respected John. He knew John to be an upright and holy man, and kept him safe. And he liked listening to him; although he became very disturbed whenever he heard him.
Herodias had her chance on Herod’s birthday, when he gave a dinner for all the senior government officials, military chiefs, and the leaders of Galilee. On that occasion, the daughter of Herodias came in and danced; and she delighted Herod and his guests.
The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want and I will give it to you.” And he went so far as to say with many oaths, “I will give you anything you ask, even half my kingdom.” She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” The mother replied, “The head of John the Baptist.”
The girl hurried to the king and made her request, “I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist, here and now, on a dish.” The king was very displeased, but he would not refuse in front of his guests because of his oaths. So he sent one of the bodyguards, with orders to bring John’s head.
He went and beheaded John in prison; then he brought the head on a dish and gave it to the girl. And the girl gave it to her mother. When John’s disciples heard of this, they came and took his body and buried it.
Liturgical Colour : Red
Psalm 70 : 1-2, 3-4a, 5-6ab, 15ab and 17
In You, o YHVH, I seek refuge; let me not be disgraced. In Your justice help me and deliver me; turn Your ear to me and save me!
Be my Rock of refuge; a Stronghold, to give me safety; for You are my Rock and my Fortress. Rescue me, o my God, from the hand of the wicked.
For You, o YHVH, have been my hope; my trust, o God, from my youth. I have relied on You from birth : from my mother’s womb You brought me forth.
My lips will proclaim Your intervention and tell of Your salvation all day. You have taught me from my youth and, until now, I proclaim Your marvels.
Liturgical Colour : Red
Jeremiah 1 : 17-19
But you, get ready for action; stand up and say to them all that I command you. Be not scared of them or I will scare you in their presence! See, I will make you a fortified city, a pillar of iron with walls of bronze, against all the nations, against the kings and princes of Judah, against the priests and the people of the land.
They will fight against you but shall not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue you – it is YHVH Who speaks.
Liturgical Colour : Red
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures we are all presented with the words of the Lord calling on us to guard ourselves against all sorts of worldly temptations, and in particular today we are called to focus our attention on the sin of the flesh, the desire that we mankind often have for the pleasures of the body, which led us down the path of sin and wickedness as we are often tempted to seek for the worldly pleasures first and ignoring the Lord’s truth and teachings. That is also why many people had ended up being deep in the state of sin, as well as breaking up families and relationships as they are not able to love those whom God had entrusted them to in the manner that is proper and right, instead leading to instances of cheating and unfaithfulness.
In our first reading today taken from the Book of the prophet Ezekiel, we heard the Lord speaking to His people through Ezekiel regarding all that He had done for them, for all the years and ages, throughout all the generations. He had made His Covenant with them, blessed them and gave them and their ancestors much blessing and bounty, providence and help, as He rescued them, took good care of them, guided them, purified and made them clean again when they had erred and fallen into the wrong paths. He rescued them from their enemies and struck their enemies down before them, guarding and strengthening them, giving them glory and joy.
Yet, as we heard the Lord spoke, He showed His frustrations and lamentations at how those same people continued to be wayward, rejecting Him and His ways, choosing instead to forge their own path and committing whatever is wicked in the sight of God and men alike. They worshipped the pagan idols and gods, persecuted God’s prophets and messengers who had been sent to them to guide them and remind them to stay faithful to the truth of God. The people had chosen to trust in their own strength and judgment, turning deaf ear to the Lord’s call. Yet, the Lord was still ever patient and continued to reach out to them nonetheless, listening to their cries and sending them His deliverance and providence, constantly, again and again.
That was what He told the people through Ezekiel, as He presented this truth to the people in exile in Babylon, reminding them that God still loved all of them regardless, and wanted to reach out to them, embracing them with love and forgiving them their sins. He would renew His Covenant with them, which He had always ever been faithful to, all those years, if only the people were willing to listen to Him, hearken to His call and answer Him with faith. The Lord has always been generous with His love, compassion and mercy, and in the end it is really up to those people to embrace what God had generously given and presented to them.
In our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Lord speaking to the Pharisees with regards to their question whether divorce was lawful or not according to the Law and whether it should be allowed or not. The Lord then highlighted the fact that the Law of God as revealed through Moses had been modified and changed according to the preferences of the people, as even Moses himself was scandalised by the behaviour of the Israelites back then, who hardened their hearts against God and gave them some concessions so as to help them accept the Law of God better, but those concessions ended up making them even more complacent and in the end, misunderstanding the whole purpose and intention of the Law.
And as today we focus on the matter of familial relationship, marriage and also obedience to God, we are all reminded how God had always intended for us to do His will, and each one of us as the Lord highlighted in His words, had our own particular calling and vocation in life. For those who have been called to married life, that bond of marriage as the Lord had defined it, is everlasting and unbreakable, and one who sought to break that bond with the reason other than that is acceptable, such as the desire to marry another person, is essentially committing a sin against God, the sin of adultery for both parties involved, as they failed to honour and fulfil the commitments that they had made.
The Lord highlighted that there are also others called to different calling and purposes in life, such as those who are destined for a life of service to God, and many among them will remain unmarried, and instead dedicating themselves wholly to God and His people. What is important here is that, whatever it is that God has called us to do, in our various vocation and calling in life, each one of us are called to listen to God and to dedicate ourselves more to Him, and to listen to Him earnestly, not hardening our hearts and minds against Him as our predecessors had often done. We should also resist the many temptations present all around us, in the desire and pressure to seek worldly pleasures and satisfaction among other things.
That is why, today all of us as Christians, we are all reminded that we need to grow in our true love and dedication to God. We should not allow our prejudices, biases and desires, our ego and pride to come between us and God. This is why we should seek and be inspired by the great examples set by our holy predecessors, the holy men and women who had lived their lives worthily and righteously in God’s path. Today, the Church celebrates the feast of the renowned St. Maximilian Kolbe, whose actions should be great inspiration for us all in how we ought to live our lives as faithful, loving and devoted Christians. St. Maximilian Kolbe was a Polish priest and missionary well-remembered for his works and dedication to God, in proclaiming Him to many people throughout his missions, in his time and efforts spent to reveal more of the Lord to those who have not yet known him.
As a Conventual Franciscan, St. Maximilian Kolbe spent some time in the Far East, in Japan and other places in Asia, in spreading the Good News of God, and was also active in promoting the devotion to the Blessed Mother of God, Mary in her Immaculate Heart and love for all of us. St. Maximilian Kolbe was also remembered for his publications and editorial works with the periodical Knights of the Immaculata, promoting devotions to the Lord and His Blessed Mother, calling on Christians to holiness. Eventually he returned to Poland where during the years of the Second World War, he was eventually arrested and brought to the infamous Auschwitz prison, where he and other priests and friars were incarcerated. It was there then another very well-known action that St. Maximilian Kolbe did, happened, as he offered himself in exchange of a Polish inmate who was to be executed because he failed to escape from the concentration camp.
At that time, the NAZI German regime oppressed many of the people and they indiscriminately tortured and executed many people in the many concentration camps they established, especially in the Auschwitz concentration camp. Many tried to escape, and while some succeeded, many including that Polish man failed and were bound to be executed. When that man, named Franciszek Gajowniczek cried out, ‘My wife! My children!’, St. Maximilian Kolbe offered his life in exchange of the man. Hence, St. Maximilian Kolbe was led to the execution cell, and was eventually executed after several days, dying as a martyr and a true Christian, devoting himself wholeheartedly to the Lord and doing what God Himself has done for us, that is to give his life for the sake of another, just as Christ Himself has suffered and died, and given His life for us and our salvation.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us are reminded that we should all also be like St. Maximilian Kolbe and other saints, holy men and women of God, who have truly loved the Lord and loved their fellow brothers and sisters, even to the point of facing hardships, trials and even martyrdom in doing so. Let us all be truly faithful once again to the Lord, and let us all be inspiration and great examples to one another in faith just as St. Maximilian Kolbe and other saints have been our inspiration, in how we should live our lives in the manner that is truly worthy and just. May God be with us always and may He bless and empower us in each and every moments of our lives, now and forevermore. Amen.
