Popes

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Saturday, 18 May 2024 : 7th Week of Easter, Memorial of Pope St. John I, Pope and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we gather together as one united and holy people of God at the eve of the end of the glorious and most joyful season of Easter which will come to its conclusion tomorrow with the Solemnity of Pentecost Sunday. Today, the readings from the Sacred Scriptures remind us all of the continuing works that each and every one of us as Christians have been entrusted with. All of us as the people whom God had called and chosen, we are all given the respective talents, gifts, blessings and all the things which can help us in our path, in leading lives that are truly worthy of God, in doing our best so that we may inspire others to follow in the path of righteousness and in God’s grace. We must always be the ones to bring forth the light and Good News of God’s salvation to our world today, which is still enshrouded in darkness of sin and evil.

In our first reading today, we heard of the last part of the ministry of the Apostle St. Paul who finally arrived in Rome after a long and arduous journey that we would know and remember if we have read the earlier parts of the Acts of the Apostles. This was the last of all of St. Paul’s missionary journeys, which he undertook to follow God’s guidance and will, to proclaim the Word of God and His salvation to the people of Rome, which was then the capital of the great and mighty Roman Empire. St. Paul therefore braved through the many dangers and challenges that he had to face as he embarked on this journey towards the Eternal City, as Rome has been commonly known by, to proclaim the Lord to everyone, and to establish the foundations of the Church there together with the other missionaries, like St. Peter, who was the first Bishop of Rome.

We heard how the Lord was with St. Paul and his mission and despite him having been technically under arrest of the earlier charges put against him, as he awaited his appeal to the Roman Emperor, he was actually given a lot of freedom to come and go as he pleased, as he continued his ministry and works among the people of Rome, to both the Jews and the Gentiles or non-Jewish people alike, many of whom became believers in Christ, embracing the love of God and His salvation which He has revealed through His Son and His Apostles. St. Paul continued to commit himself thoroughly to fulfil whatever the Lord had entrusted to him to do in proclaiming His Good News, all the way to the end of his life in martyrdom, as Apostolic traditions put St. Paul as being martyred in Rome during the great persecution of Christians by the Emperor Nero.

Then, in our Gospel passage today taken from the Gospel of St. John, we heard of the conversation between the Lord Jesus and His disciples, in which the Lord told His disciples at the Last Supper when they were all discussing about His words and what He had revealed to them, firstly about the one who would betray Him, referring to Judas Iscariot, whom at the time no one would have expected to betray the Lord. Then, they also spoke about the disciple whom the Lord loved, referring to St. John the Apostle himself, the writer of this Gospel. As was common and expected, there was a kind of rivalry and jealousy existing between the disciples, as they all definitely tried to get more favour in the eyes of the Lord, and St. John in particular was one who was a target of the other disciples.

That was because in another occasion in the Gospels, we heard how St. John and St. James, together with their mother came before the Lord, and the mother asked the Lord Jesus for special favours for her sons, to sit by His left and right sides, an act which was met by an immediate unhappiness and discord among the Lord’s disciples. At that time, some if not many among the Lord’s followers did follow Him hoping that He would be the Messiah to restore the Kingdom of Israel, and they likely hoped to gain benefits and honour, glory and power for themselves in the event that the Lord accomplished His works and missions. But they failed to understand that this was not what the Lord intended to do, and as the Lord Himself pointed out to everyone, that it was not their business to know or understand if the disciple beloved by the Lord, St. John the Apostle would not die before he was to see His coming.

Those words indeed came to be true as Apostolic traditions again showed that St. John the Apostle was the only one among all the Apostles who did not suffer martyrdom, and St. John would also see the Lord’s salvation through visions at the Island of Patmos, which he then recorded in his Book of Apocalypse or Revelations. All the other Apostles including that of St. Paul eventually met their end through martyrdom, giving their lives after various kinds of sufferings and persecutions to glorify God. They did not give up on their faith in God, and they continued to labour hard for God and for the people they had been entrusted with. However, this did not mean that St. John did not suffer for his faith and commitment to God. Being the last among the Apostles to survive, he endured many decades of hardships and challenges, persecutions and exiles, including to the Island of Patmos mentioned earlier. In a sense, he was also a martyr, as he endured ‘white martyrdom’ not by shedding his blood but by enduring great sufferings for the Lord’s sake throughout his ministry.

Today, the Church also celebrates the feast of a great Church father and devoted man of God, whose faith and commitment to God can be a great inspiration and strength for all of us. Pope St. John I was one of the early leaders and Popes of the Church, who was known especially for his courage and dedication to God in standing up against even the powerful secular power and bureaucracy, eventually martyred for his faith in God and for his commitment to his mission, just as his many predecessors before him. He was elected as Pope during a rather turbulent time for the Church especially in Rome, due to the clashes between the secular rulers of Italy, then under the Ostrogothic Kingdom, led by its Arian heretic rulers and the Roman Emperors in Constantinople.

Pope St. John I was torn between protecting the orthodoxy of the Christian teachings and faith which the Arian Ostrogothic rulers did not adhere to, and protecting the well-being and the safety of the many people and clergy under his care in Rome and its associated territories. He went on a mission to the Imperial capital in Constantinople to try to mediate the situation and was well received by the Emperor who tried to help the Pope as best as he could do. However upon his return to Rome, Pope St. John I was arrested by the Ostrogothic King, Theodoric the Great who was suspicious at the Pope of having possibly colluded and plotted against him and his kingdom with the Roman Emperor. Thus, Pope St. John I was imprisoned and eventually died in prison from maltreatment and neglect, as a martyr of the faith.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, the Lord wants to remind us all today through all these passages of the Sacred Scriptures and from the life and examples of Pope St. John I, holy Pope and Martyr of the Church, that each and every one of us must be always ready and committed to follow whatever the Lord had called us to do, and to do His will, to proclaim Him, His truth, His Good News and love to everyone, despite the challenges, hardships and trials that we may have to encounter in our paths. We must always remember that God is always by our side and He will continue to provide for our efforts and works in our journey of faith, and while we may have to suffer, but we are suffering together with Him.

Let us all therefore continue to do God’s will and strive to be the most faithful disciples and followers, to be His shining beacons of light and truth in our communities and respective societies today. Even though the season of Easter is coming to an end, let us always remember this does not mean that our responsibilities and commitments as Christians, as an Easter people blessed by the Risen Lord come to an end. Instead, as we continue to carry on living our lives each day, we should continue to commit ourselves each day with ever greater zeal and love for God in all things, now and always. Amen.

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Saturday, 18 May 2024 : 7th Week of Easter, Memorial of Pope St. John I, Pope and Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

John 21 : 20-25

At that time, Peter looked back and saw that the disciple Jesus loved was following as well, the one who had reclined close to Jesus at the supper, and had asked Him, “Lord, who is to betray You?”

On seeing him, Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain until I come, does that concern you? Follow Me!” Because of this the rumour spread in the community that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus had not said to Peter, “He will not die,” but, “Suppose I want him to remain until I come.”

It is this disciple who testifies about the things he has written here, and we know that his testimony is true. But Jesus did many other things; if all were written down, I think the world itself could not contain the books that should be written.

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Saturday, 18 May 2024 : 7th Week of Easter, Memorial of Pope St. John I, Pope and Martyr (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

Psalm 10 : 4, 5 and 7

The Lord is in His holy place – our God Whose throne is in heaven. He looks down to earth to observe the race of Adam.

The Lord searches both righteous and wicked. He hates those who delight in violence, for the Lord is righteous; He loves justice. The upright will see His face.

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Saturday, 18 May 2024 : 7th Week of Easter, Memorial of Pope St. John I, Pope and Martyr (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

Acts 28 : 16-20, 30-31

Upon our arrival in Rome, the captain turned the prisoners over to the military governor but permitted Paul to lodge in a private house with the soldier who guarded him. After three days, Paul called together the leaders of the Jews.

When they had gathered, he said to them : “Brothers, though I have not done anything against our people or against the traditions of our fathers, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. They examined me and wanted to set me free, for they saw nothing in my case that deserved death.”

“But the Jews objected, so I was forced to appeal to Caesar without the least intention of bringing any case against my own people. Therefore, I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I bear these chains.”

Paul stayed for two whole years in a house he himself rented, where he received without any hindrance all those who came to see him. He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught the truth about Jesus Christ, the Lord, quite openly and without any hindrance.

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Tuesday, 30 April 2024 : 5th Week of Easter, Memorial of Pope St. Pius V, Pope (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures presented to us in which the Lord wanted to remind us that we must always be strong amidst all the challenges and trials that we may face in our lives, in the midst of our works and efforts to proclaim His Good News and truth, at all times. We should not allow fear or indecisiveness, doubt or temptations of the world from dissuading and preventing us from following the Lord and doing His will. All those things can keep us from living in the manner that the Lord wants us all to live our lives, that is as worthy and righteous followers and disciples of His, in all that we say and do, in our every actions, words and deeds.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles in which we heard how the Apostles and disciples of the Lord faced hardships, struggles and difficulties in their path, as they encountered significant opposition in their efforts to proclaim the Lord’s truth and Good News to the various people they encountered throughout their ministry. The example given was the experiences endured by St. Paul and St. Barnabas who were persecuted by some of the Jews who refused to believe in the Lord, and incited the people to persecute and attack the two of them, leaving them almost dead in the process. And yet, this did not dampen the spirit and the willingness of the two of them to continue their mission and journey.

We heard how the Apostles and disciples of the Lord gathered and regrouped, supported and strengthened one another, reminding one another that each and every one of them ought to be strong in their ministry and calling in ministering to the people of God and in their missionary and evangelising work, proclaiming the truth and Good News of God to more and more people. The Lord Jesus Himself had told and forewarned His disciples of the challenges, trials and sufferings that they might have to face in the midst of their work and ministry, and the obstacles and enemies they might have to endure just as He Himself had faced many difficulties and oppressions, as shown by His Passion and death on the Cross.

This is the same reminder and reassurance that the Lord Himself had told His disciples as described and mentioned in our Gospel passage today, in which the Risen Lord made His appearance before the disciples, telling them that they should not be afraid, and that He has indeed truly risen from the dead just as He had said and predicted to them. And therefore, if He had told them truthfully of everything that would happen, including the kind of sufferings and tribulations that the disciples of the Lord, His Church, all of us faithful people of God would have to endure for the sake of the Lord, then therefore, He also reassured us all with His Presence, that He would never abandon us or leave us alone in our struggles.

He reminded the disciples and hence all of us that in Him alone we can have true and lasting peace, true satisfaction and joy in life, things that the world cannot provide us. We should not doubt the Lord’s providence and love, which He has always readily and generously provided towards us, as He continues to love each and every one of us with great and most sincere love, through His compassion and care for us, His desire to be reconciled with us and to provide us all with what we need. Through Him indeed we shall receive great favours and graces, and assured of the eternal life and glory which the Lord has prepared and reserved for all those who are faithful and committed to Him. Each and every one of us as Christians must always keep this in mind and make the conscious effort to continue loving the Lord with all of our strength and might.

Like what the Apostles and disciples of the Lord had done, we must continue to have faith and trust in the Lord, believing in His providence and guidance, allowing Him to lead us in the path that He has called us into, and doing our best to accomplish whatever it is that He has entrusted to us to do in our respective lives. We should be always ever ready to support one another in our various endeavours and efforts, and be there to support each other amidst the challenges, trials and difficulties that we may be facing in our paths as children of God. Our efforts and works should always be directed towards uniting our every actions, words and deeds, combining what we have done for the greater glory of God, and helping one another to persevere through the many challenges and trials present in our midst in this world, in answering God’s call and mission.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of a great saint and man of God, whose commitment and hard work for the Lord and His Church can be source of great inspiration for all of us in how we should live our own lives as well. Pope St. Pius V was remembered for his crucial role in steering and leading the Church through very difficult and turbulent times when the Church and the Christian communities were assailed both from within and outside, with threats and dangers facing many souls, both physically and spiritually at that time. It was a time of great trial and hardship for the people of God which were under threat from the forces of the unbelievers under the then powerful Ottoman Empire, bound for conquest and attacks against various parts of Christendom, and at the same time, the divisions caused by the Protestant ‘reformation’ was tearing the unity of the Church and the Christian faithful apart, as many fell into the heretical teachings and false ways advocated by those who had veered off from the true teachings of the Church.

Pope St. Pius V contributed greatly in his role in countering and leading the Church against those two great threats, uniting the Christian faithful against those who sought their destruction. He was instrumental in uniting Christendom and its various forces to build a mighty Crusade in opposing the forces of the Ottoman Empire, which would eventually lead to a great victory at the Battle of Lepanto, where the forces of Christendom crushed the forces of the Ottomans, and therefore averted great threat against the Church and the faithful people of God, beginning a reversal of fortune for Christendom against its external enemies. At the same time, through his efforts in concluding the Ecumenical Council of Trent, and enforcing its many reforms, Pope St. Pius V energised the Church and the Counter-Reformation, which managed to stem the tide of Protestant heresies, and reunited parts of the Church that had been separated from the Holy Mother Church.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, through the many contributions and efforts which Pope St. Pius V had shown us, all of us are reminded that we are also called in our own unique and diverse ways by the Lord to contribute to the good works of the Church’s efforts and missions, which we can do through our sacrifice and offerings of our efforts and endeavours, even in the smallest things we do. We must be encouraged that in whatever we do, even in those seemingly small and insignificant things, all of these will ultimately come together to great deeds and works that may be even beyond our imagination. As members and parts of this same Body of Christ, the Church, each and every one of us are called and reminded to do our part to glorify God by our lives, and to continue to proclaim Him in our world today, amidst all the trials and challenges facing us.

May the Risen Lord continue to be with us all, His Church and people. May He continue to strengthen and empower us all, in all the things we say and do. May our lives be great inspiration and light for others to follow, so that in all things, we may help to bring one another and everyone ever closer to the Lord, to His salvation, truth and love, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 30 April 2024 : 5th Week of Easter, Memorial of Pope St. Pius V, Pope (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 14 : 27-31a

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Peace be with you! I give you My peace; not as the world gives peace do I give it to you. Do not be troubled; do not be afraid. You heard Me say, ‘I am going away, but I am coming to you.’ If you loved Me, you would be glad that I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.”

“I have told you this now before it takes place, so that when it does happen you may believe. It is very little what I may still tell you, for the prince of this world is at hand, although there is nothing in Me that he can claim. But see, the world must know that I love the Father, and that I do what the Father has taught Me to do.”

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Tuesday, 30 April 2024 : 5th Week of Easter, Memorial of Pope St. Pius V, Pope (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 144 : 10-11, 12-13ab, 21

All Your works will give You thanks; all Your saints, o Lord, will praise You. They will tell of the glory of Your kingdom and speak of Your power.

That all may know of Your mighty deeds, Your reign and its glorious splendour. Your reign is from age to age; Your dominion endures from generation to generation.

Let my mouth speak in praise of the Lord, let every creature bless His holy Name, forever and ever.

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Tuesday, 30 April 2024 : 5th Week of Easter, Memorial of Pope St. Pius V, Pope (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 14 : 19-28

Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and turned the people against Paul and Barnabas. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the town, leaving him for dead. But when his disciples gathered around him, he stood up and returned to the town. And the next day he left for Derbe with Barnabas.

After proclaiming the Gospel in that town and making many disciples, they returned to Lystra and Iconium and on to Antioch. They were strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain firm in the faith, for they said, “We must go through many trials to enter the Kingdom of God.”

In each Church they appointed elders and, after praying and fasting, they commended them to the Lord in Whom they had placed their faith. Then they travelled through Pisidia, and came to Pamphylia. They preached the Word in Perga and went down to Attalia. From there they sailed back to Antioch, where they had first been commended to God’s grace for the task they had now completed.

On their arrival they gathered the Church together and told them all that God had done through them and how He had opened the door of faith to the non-Jews. They spent a fairly long time there with the disciples.

Apostolic Journey of Pope Francis to Singapore (11-13 September 2024)

Apostolic Journey of Pope Francis to Singapore
(11-13 September 2024)

Celebrating with great joy upon the announcement that His Holiness Pope Francis will be visiting Singapore between 11-13 September 2024!

This is the second Papal trip to the Republic of Singapore, the first being that of Pope St. John Paul II on 20 November 1986, 38 years ago.

Official website:
http://popefrancis2024.sg

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Saturday, 13 April 2024 : 2nd Week of Easter, Memorial of Pope St. Martin I, Pope and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the need for all of us to continue to put our trust and faith in the Lord, focusing our efforts and attention on the Lord, doing whatever we can so that in each and every moments of our lives we will always continue to walk in the path that the Lord has shown us and staying faithful to Him. This is because during our journey in life we may encounter many moments when our faith and trust in the Lord may be tested and put on trial, as we face the challenges and difficulties present in our path and the many obstacles we may have to face as we journey together in proclaiming the Good News and truth of the Lord in our daily lives.

In our first reading today, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, we heard of the moment when the order of deacons were instituted in the Church because there were discrepancies in the distribution of the resources and goods for the faithful especially among those who came from non-Jewish or Gentile origins. At that time, we must understand the situation and the context such that the earliest Christian communities lived communally and pooled together their resources just as described by the same Acts of the Apostles. At the time, there were some expectations that the Lord would return again soon, and hence, many among the community of the believers chose to live their lives in shared existence and means, abandoning private ownership and goods, sharing them with one another instead.

However, this system was not sustainable and was ultimately no longer used as the Christian community kept gaining large number of converts to the faith, which resulted in many more resources needed to sustain them all. And while it lasted, this system was also biased as many among the early Christians belonged to the Jewish converts, some of them from the Pharisees who held firmly to the Jewish traditions and customs, and had inherent prejudices against those who did not fully subscribe to their way of observing the Law of God and also against the non-Jewish people or the Gentiles. They favoured their own Jewish background, practices and customs, and it was likely that those entrusted to share the resources shared them more with their own fellow Jewish converts rather than with those converts originating from among the Gentiles.

That was why the Apostles decided to institute the order of deacons, appointing first of all seven men who were deemed worthy from among the faithful, to be the ones to minister to the people of God as the first deacons of the Church. This was how the Lord guided His Church and faithful ones amidst the many challenges that they had to endure as they navigated the intricacies of living amidst the rule of the Romans and having the Jewish authorities harassing and oppressing them at every possible turns. Many of those faithful servants of God, including those deacons had to bear the brunt of the sufferings and persecutions, like that of St. Stephen, who was the very first martyr or protomartyr of the Church, killed because he was oppressed for his faith in God.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the moment when the Lord appeared to His disciples at the Lake of Galilee where a storm with strong waves and wind were battering at their boat, and they were all very afraid that the boat would sink and then they perished in that lake. But it was at that time the Lord appeared to them and walked on the water, and He told them all not to be afraid, calming the waves and the wind, bringing them all to safety at the shore where they were going to. This was very symbolic and important reminder for all of us that no matter whatever hardships and dangers, trials and tribulations that we may face amidst our struggles in faith, in our commitment to the Lord, He will always be there by our side, guiding and strengthening us, leading us all to the right path.

This is because the boat with the disciples inside it is a representation of the Church of God, which is often represented as a boat, like that of Noah’s Ark that saved Noah and his family, with the other living things inside it, from the Great Flood. The waves and the wind represented the challenges and trials that the Church of God would be facing, the sufferings, persecutions and hardships that the Christian faithful would have to suffer in the path of their lives and ministry as God’s faithful people and missionaries. But all of us must not be afraid, as the Lord, Who is the Head of the Church is with us, and with Him as the Guide and the Leader of all of us, not even the greatest challenges and trials can overcome us, the Church of God, which He has built in this world. This is why we must always keep our focus firmly directed towards God at all times.

Today, the Church also celebrates the feast of Pope St. Martin I, a great leader of the Universal Church and the last among the Popes who died as a martyr for his faith and commitment to God. Pope St. Martin I is a good example of a great leader of the faithful and a role model for all of us in how we should continue to persevere in faith despite the challenges and trials that we may be facing in life. He was an abbot earlier on in life, and eventually becoming the Apostolic Legate of several Popes at the court of the Roman Emperor in Constantinople before being elected as Pope and Successor of St. Peter the Apostle, as leader of the whole Universal Church. And as Pope, he stood firm amidst the heresies and challenges that were rampant among the Imperial court at the time.

At that time, the heresy of Monothelitism was widespread, in which this heresy believed falsely that Christ, Our Lord and Saviour has only one single will, as contrary to the accepted truth and teaching of the Church that Christ has two wills, that corresponds to the two distinct natures He has, that is Divine and Human, though inseparable due to perfect union of love in the Person of Jesus Christ. Yet, this Monothelite heresy brought many people to abandon the true Church teachings, and had the support of even the then Roman Emperor in Constantinople and other powerful members of the court and society. Pope St. Martin I strongly condemned the Monothelite heresy, and convened the Lateran Council in the year of Our Lord 649 to address this heresy. As a result, he was arrested by the Emperor with false accusation of treason, was imprisoned and eventually banished, where he died as a martyr of the Church.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, the Scripture readings today and the examples of the life and ministry of Pope St. Martin I showed and reminded us all that we are likely to face sufferings, difficulties and hardships amidst our lives and journey of faith as Christians, and unless we remain focused on the Lord, Our Hope and Guide, then it may be easy for us to be swayed and to be tempted to abandon the Church, where we may then end up being swept away by the currents of worldly temptations into our downfall and destruction. Instead, all of these should remind us to keep firmly faithful in our commitment to the Lord, to proclaim Him ever more faithfully at all times. May the Lord be with us always, and may He continue to help and lead us in our journey of faith, and in our respective missions as Christians, now and always. Amen.