Ordinary Time 2023

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Thursday, 5 October 2023 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Faustina Kowalska, Religious (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Religious)

Psalm 18 : 8, 9, 10, 11

The Law of YHVH is perfect : it gives life to the soul. The word of YHVH is trustworthy : it gives wisdom to the simple.

The precepts of YHVH are right : they give joy to the heart. The commandments of YHVH are clear : they enlighten the eyes.

The fear of YHVH is pure, it endures forever; the judgments of YHVH are true, all of them just and right.

They are more precious than gold – pure gold of a jeweller; they are much sweeter than honey which drops from the honeycomb.

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Thursday, 5 October 2023 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Faustina Kowalska, Religious (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Religious)

Nehemiah 8 : 1-4a, 5-6, 7b-12

In the seventh month, all the people gathered as one man in the square before the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra to bring the book of the Law of Moses, which YHVH had given to Israel. Ezra brought the Law before the assembly, both men, women and all the children who could understand what was being read.

It was the first day of the seventh month. So he read it before the plaza in front of the Water Gate from dawn till noon, before the men, women and those children who could understand. All the people were eager to hear the book of the Law. Ezra, the teacher of the Law, stood on a wooden platform built for that occasion.

Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was in a higher place; and when he opened it, all the people stood. Ezra praised YHVH the great God; and all the people lifted up their hands and answered, “Amen! Amen!” And they bowed their heads to the ground.

The Levites explained the Law to the people who were standing. They read from the book of the Law of God, clarifying and interpreting the meaning, so that everyone might understand what they were hearing. Then Ezra, the teacher of the Law, said to the people, “This day is dedicated to YHVH, your God, so do not be sad or weep.”

He said this because all wept when they heard the reading of the Law. Then he said to them, “Go and eat rich foods, drink sweet wine and share with him who has nothing prepared. This day is dedicated to the Lord, so do not be sad. The joy of YHVH is our strength.”

The Levites also calmed the people down, saying, “Do not weep. This day is a festival day. Do not be sad.” And the people went their way to eat, drink and share, and they had a great feast, because they had understood the words that had been proclaimed to them.

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Wednesday, 4 October 2023 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded of the calling that each and every one of us have received as God’s people, to follow Him and to do His will, in whatever parts and places that He has sent us to, and in whatever vocation or ministries that He has entrusted to us, for us to carry out with faith and commitment, in each and every moments of our lives. As Christians, it is our calling and mission to embrace God’s mission and to go forth actively, proclaiming Him to all the people of all the nations, in our every words, actions and deeds. We must not be idle or ignorant of what we all have been called to do, but we have to strive to do our part in the mission and works of the Church, through our best efforts in living a most virtuous and worthy Christian living at all times.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Nehemiah, we heard of the sorrow of Nehemiah, who was a high ranking official and cupbearer in the service of the Great King of Persia, Artaxerxes. At that time, although historical evidences and timeline were a bit uncertain, the people of Judah, the descendants of Israel, had returned back to their ancestral lands and began rebuilding their homes and cities in the land that had been desolated for many decades by the conquests of the Assyrians and the Babylonians earlier on, which devastated the land and caused its depopulation, when many of the people of God were brought off into exile in far-off lands of Assyria and Babylon. They were allowed to return to their lands by King Cyrus of Persia, who was likely one of King Artaxerxes’ predecessors.

Then, as we heard in today’s account, we heard how Nehemiah longed for his homeland and was moved to help rebuild the cities of Israel and also the Temple and House of God. Nehemiah had a really good life and enjoyed great favours of the King, and he could have continued to live in great abundance and comfort, without any worries or hardships if he so chose to do. However, in his heart, he has that strong longing for the Lord and for his homeland, as he was called to go there and do his part in the rebuilding efforts and to reestablish God’s House and city. Thus, we heard how Nehemiah, great in favour with the King, was granted leave from his service to the King so that he could attend to his mission and works in the land of Judah, in rebuilding the cities and the House of God.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the Lord who encountered several people who wanted to follow Him, and the Lord pointed out to them how following Him was like truly putting their faith in what is unknown, presenting the reality of how He had nowhere to truly lay His head, as unlike the other earthly leaders and rulers, He did not have any place as His power base or palace, or centre of power and authority. He frequently wandered off in the wilderness and walked among the less fortunate and all those rejected and abandoned by the society. To follow Him, it means that many of the disciples would likely have to give up their comforts and convenience in life. Things would not be easy for them, but they ought to trust in the Lord.

When the Lord pointed out to the man who said that he would have to go back and bury his father first, before he would follow the Lord, it would seem indeed that the Lord was being quite rude to the man. However, the Lord actually pointed out our common nature of making excuses that we keep on trying to evade and get away from our responsibilities and commitment to God. Indeed, the man would settle his family matters first before following the Lord, but then, what if other matters considered important to us also then happen? Will we then make that as yet another excuse for us not to commit ourselves to the Lord wholeheartedly? Or will all those attachments and conflicting commitments prevent us from truly giving our best to live a most Christ-like life and existence?

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of a great saint whose life and actions should be great source of inspiration for many of us, in how we ourselves should commit ourselves to the Lord, and in doing our best to live worthily in the path that the Lord has set before us. St. Francis of Assisi, born as Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, the son of rich merchant Pietro di Bernardone, who was also known as Francis or Francesco because of his father’s liking for the French and all of his businesses there. St. Francis of Assisi’s father desired his son to be a successful businessman and merchant just as he was, and hoped that he would continue carrying on the family legacy and properties. Thus, he was brought up in great riches and wealth, and lived a lavish lifestyle, full of hedonism and waste.

However, all these eventually felt empty and meaningless to the young St. Francis of Assisi, who grew disillusioned with the riches and excesses of the world that he enjoyed at the time, and he began to seek true satisfaction and fulfilment, which he could not get from all the worldly glory and pleasures that he had been exposed and inundated with since early in his life. He joined a military venture and expedition, in that pursuit, which ended in him being injured and becoming a captive, and being ill as well, which led him down the path of self-introspection and rediscovery. He began to associate with beggars and in search of poverty, and abandoning the great riches of the world, in seeking true satisfaction in the Lord.

In a well-documented event surrounding his life, St. Francis of Assisi received a vision and call from the Lord as he passed by a dilapidated church, which is now known as the San Damiano Church. In that forsaken and dilapidated church, St. Francis saw a vision of the Christ Crucified speaking to him, asking him to go forth and ‘repair His Church, as it was currently in ruins’. The Lord was actually calling upon St. Francis of Assisi to go forth and begin a process of renewal and reform for the Church, that had by that time been afflicted with excesses and worldly corruptions among the members of the clergy and the laity alike. However, the latter misunderstood and thought that the Lord literally meant that he should go and rebuild that dilapidated church in San Damiano.

Thus, St. Francis of Assisi secretly took some of his father’s cloth products and sold them for some proceeds, which he offered to the local priest. The priest refused to accept the money because it had been gained from inappropriate actions like stealing. The young St. Francis was angry and fled, fearing the wrath of his father, hiding in the local caves for a whole month. His father was indeed angry, beating and harassing the young St. Francis, and not only demanding that the latter paid off all the gold and money that he had owed him from stealing his wares, but also to renounce his inheritance. St. Francis famously took off everything he had and renounced everything that he had ever received from his father, to which the local diocesan bishop covered the naked St. Francis with his cloak.

Ever since then, St. Francis continued to devote himself thoroughly to the Lord, assembling more and more like minded men and people, to live in a state of graceful poverty, which led to the foundation of the Order of the Friars Minor, also better known as the Franciscans after their founder. St. Francis of Assisi dedicated himself and his fellow order members to a life of great charity and devotion to God, living together in faith and love, and in ministering to the people of God all around them. St. Francis was also known well for his stigmata wounds, that he received in a great vision of the Seraphim of God, that inflicted upon him the wounds that the Lord and Saviour Himself had endured. To the end of his life, St. Francis lived worthily of the Lord, in a life full of holiness and virtues, and he inspired countless others during and long after his passing to be ever more faithful to God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, now that we have heard today’s Scripture passages and having been reminded of the need that we have in obeying God and His Law, in following Him and entrusting ourselves to Him, and as we have heard the account of the life of St. Francis of Assisi, his works and ministry, let us all therefore do our very best to live our lives worthily of the Lord, listening to the call and the reminders that the Lord has given to us in our lives, deep in our hearts and minds, and in following Him at all times. Let us all not easily be swayed by the many temptations and worldly excesses around us, but instead, learn to better trust in the Lord, and have greater faith in Him, just as Nehemiah and St. Francis of Assisi had done. May the Lord continue to bless us and guide us all in all things, and help us so that we may always be ever inspired to live our lives each day ever more worthily, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

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Wednesday, 4 October 2023 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 9 : 57-62

At that time, as Jesus and His disciples went on their way, a man said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.” Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

To another, Jesus said, “Follow Me!” But he answered, “Let me go back now, for, first, I want to bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their dead; as for you, leave them, and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

Another said to Him, “I will follow You, Lord, but first let me say goodbye to my family.” And Jesus said to him, “Whoever has put his hand to the plow, and looks back, is not fit for the kingdom of God.”

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Wednesday, 4 October 2023 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 136 : 1-2, 3, 4-5, 6

By the streams of Babylon, we sat; and then wept, as we remembered Zion. When, on the poplars, we hung our harps.

Our captors asked for song. Our tormentors wanted songs of joy : “Sing to us one of the songs of Zion!”

How could we sing YHVH’s song in a strange and alien land? If I forget you, o Jerusalem, may my right hand fall useless!

May my tongue cleave to my palate if I remember you not, if Jerusalem is not the first of my joys.

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Wednesday, 4 October 2023 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Nehemiah 2 : 1-8

In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of king Artaxerxes, I was doing my duty as cupbearer. I took up the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad before the king in the past. So, the king said to me, “Why do you look sad? You do not look sick. Is there something that bothers you?”

I became hesitant. And I said, “May the king live forever! How could I afford not to be sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins and its gates are burnt down?” The king said to me, “What do you want, then?” I asked help of God from heaven and said to the king, “If it seems good to the king and if he is pleased with my work, then may he send me to the land of Judah, to the city where my ancestors are buried, that I may rebuild it.”

The queen was sitting beside the king, and the king asked me, “How long will you be gone? When will you be back?” I told him the date and he allowed me to leave. And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, may you give me letters for the governors of the province of the other side of the River that I may travel to Judah; and also a letter to Asaph, the caretaker of the king’s forest, for I will need wood for the gates of the citadel near the Temple, for the walls of the city and for the house where I shall live.”

The good hand of God was supporting me, so that the king gave me what I asked.

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Tuesday, 3 October 2023 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, each and every one of us are reminded that we should always listen to the Lord and obey His words and commandments, His Law and walk always in His path at all times. All of us should always strive to follow the Lord in everything we say and do, so that in our every actions, words and deeds, we will always be exemplary and be truly filled with faith, with inspirational examples and grace of God. Each and every one of us as Christians should be truly faithful not just in mere formality and appearances only, but we must also embody our faith truly in every aspects of our lives. We must not be idle in how we live our faith, and definitely, we cannot act in ways that are contrary to our faith and beliefs in God.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Zechariah, we heard of the words of the Lord being spoken to His people, the Israelites, who had earlier on been exiled by their defeat at the hands of the Assyrians and the Babylonians. The prophet Zechariah came to the people of God after they had been allowed to return to their homeland, and when they had begun to rebuild their livelihood and towns. And we heard how the prophet mentioned God’s words to His people, reminding them that He is calling on all the people, of all the whole world to come to Him, and that they, the Jewish people, was to become the examples and role models for all the others to follow, as the ones whom God had first chosen and called from among the nations.

This highlighted the fact that God does not just exclusively give His love, attention and grace upon the Israelites alone, contrary to the belief of some who thought that the Israelites and their descendants, the chosen people of God, were the only ones worthy of God and His salvation. On the contrary, God Himself had made it clear that everyone in this world who desire to seek Him and follow Him, all those who are willing to obey Him, His Law and commandments, will also be His people, and become part of the one flock and body of the believers that God would assemble, and all these had come to fruition and fulfilment through Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the whole world, through Whom everyone has been called, gathered and united as one people, as part of His one Body, the Church.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the Lord Jesus and how He was not welcomed by a village of the Samaritans, who refused to allow Him to enter because they knew that He was on His way to Jerusalem. In order to understand and appreciate the significance of this event better, we must first understand the dynamics of the often complicated relationship and interactions between the Samaritans and the Jewish people at that time. The Samaritans were the descendants of the Israelites who once lived in the territories of the northern kingdom of Israel, and who had intermingled with the other peoples that settled in the region after the destruction of that kingdom by the Assyrians. They still practiced the belief in God, and had their own Scriptures similar to the Jewish Scriptures, but with some differences emphasising that their version of belief and faith was superior than that of the Jews.

Meanwhile, the Jewish people, who were descended from the Israelites who lived in the southern kingdom of Judah, and were exiled in Babylon, and who have always centred their worship and community in Jerusalem, their Holy City and capital, contended that their faith and belief are the ones that are true, while the Samaritans were heretics, or even worse still, pagans and unbelievers. All of these differences, disagreements and misunderstandings eventually led to bitter discord and unresolved hatred between the two peoples. While the Samaritans were often welcoming and open to listening to the Lord, as shown in other parts of the Gospels, on this regard and example, when they found that the Lord was on His way to Jerusalem, they too hardened their hearts and minds like those of the Jews, in refusing to listen to the Lord and in refusing to welcome Him.

This is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, as we heard these Scripture readings today, all of us are reminded that we should not allow ourselves to be easily misled and misguided by our prejudices, biases and all the other things which often kept us away from the truth of God and His love. We should not allow the devil and all those who have often tempted us with falsehoods and lies to bring us to the wrong path in life, and we certainly should not allow ourselves to be easily swayed by those temptations and evils, that we end up being prejudiced and held up grudge or hatred against others, or comparing ourselves and looking down upon others simply because we think that we are somehow better than them or more worthy than they are.

Let us all instead heed God’s call faithfully once again in our hearts and minds, and be touched by His love and truth, His grace and goodness in all things. Let us all remind ourselves what it truly means for us to be Christians, that is to love the Lord our God with all of our strength, with all of our capacity and abilities, and to love in the same way to our neighbours and fellow brothers and sisters around us, not looking or focusing on our differences and disagreements, but instead striving to overcome them, and to rebuild genuine connections and fill ourselves once again with God’s generous love and kindness, with His goodness and grace. Each and every one of us as Christians should indeed be great role models of love and faith for our fellow mankind, in all of our works, actions, words and deeds.

May the Lord, our most loving God and Master continue to guide us in our journey of faith and live, and may He continue to empower and strengthen each and every one of us so that we may truly indeed glorify Him by our every efforts and actions, in all the things we do and act in our daily living. May God bless our efforts and works, and guide us all so that we may truly be worthy and good role models, and as shining beacons of His light and truth, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 3 October 2023 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

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.

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Tuesday, 3 October 2023 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

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.

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Tuesday, 3 October 2023 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

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.”