priests

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Friday, 6 October 2023 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Bruno, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Lord contained in the Scripture passages, we are all reminded that our sins and disobedience had caused us to be sundered and separated from God, and because of that, like our forefathers before us, we have fallen into the path of sin and evil, and became wayward. Yet, God has always been very patient and kind towards us, in reminding us and helping us in our journey and path. He has always been persistent in reaching out to us and helping us to find the right path, despite our disobedience and refusal to follow Him, and our refusal to follow His Law and commandments. Yet, there is indeed a limit to His patience and love, as, if we continue to disobey and refuse to believe in Him, then it is by our own choice that we will have condemned ourselves to eternal damnation and destruction.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Baruch, we heard of the words of Baruch, a prophet who ministered to the people of the southern kingdom of Judah at the time of the end and final days of that kingdom, as a contemporary and friend of the prophet Jeremiah, who also spoke of God’s words and revelations to the people of God in that kingdom. Baruch was the scribe of Jeremiah, who helped him to record God’s words and the various proclamations and prophecies received from God, helping the man of God to carry out his works among the people, which was truly a difficult work to be done. Baruch assisted Jeremiah during the challenging and difficult times, and according to tradition, when Jeremiah had to hide from his enemies, Baruch was the one who carried out his works.

We heard of how the Lord reminded His people through the prophet Baruch, of their waywardness and sins, their wickedness and evils, all the things that they had done which prevented them from truly obeying and following God’s will, His Law and commandments, and which had led them into their downfall and destruction. The prophet Baruch in today’s first reading highlighted the faults and disobedience of the people, which therefore had led to the consequences, the failures and the downfall that they experienced, that Moses and the other prophets had warned them. As long as they kept themselves away from the Lord and His path, and trusted in their own power and ways, then they would likely face tribulations and failures, sufferings and lack of true satisfaction, which can be found in the Lord alone.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard from the passage from the Gospel of St. Luke in which the Lord rebuked the cities of Bethsaida, Chorazin and Capernaum, the cities in which He had often performed His works and miracles, taught and preached in their synagogues, and where there were frequently many signs and wonders that God had done for the people, revealing the truth about Himself and proclaiming the Good News and the truth which God has always desired to reveal to all of us. The Lord spoke in such a way because they had seen everything which the Lord Himself had done, repeatedly, again and again, and yet, many of them still failed to believe, hardened their hearts and minds, refusing to trust in Him, and continuing to doubt Him despite having been reassured and shown the truth.

This also showed us the need for us all to turn away from worldly temptations and desires, so that in our way of life and in our every actions and deeds, we may always strive to do what the Lord has commanded us to do, and not to be easily misled and misguided by the falsehoods present and found all around us. Each and every one of us must keep an open mind and welcome the Lord into our hearts and minds, so that through Him, we may truly gain understanding and appreciation of what it really means for us to have faith in the Lord, and to walk in His path. Through this, we may also have better understanding and appreciation of what we have been taught and shown by the Lord, our loving God and Saviour.

This means that, each and every one of us as Christians, we should heed God’s words always, and remember His love and kindness, appreciating how His love and mercy has done so much amazing things for us, all these while. We should not take any of these for granted any longer, and we should begin to appreciate just how fortunate we truly are, for having been so beloved and cared by the Lord, our most loving God, at all times and circumstances. We should be thankful to Him and we should strive to do whatever we can, so that we may indeed be obedient to Him, His Law and commandments, ever more, in all things, and so that we may grow ever stronger in our love and commitment towards Him, as we carry on living our lives.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Bruno, a holy man of God, whose life and actions can serve as a great example and inspiration for each and every one of us, in how we can and should live up to our faith in the Lord. St. Bruno, also known as St. Bruno of Cologne, was the founder of the Carthusian Order, and was a dedicated servant of God, in his many missions and contributions to the Church and the Christian community, in all of his works, as a great teacher of the faith and as a guide for many younger men and women of God, some of whom later on became great disciples of the Lord in their own way. He carried out many good works, and in his humility, he refused to become a bishop when he was about to be made one, as he renounced all the glory of the world, and all secular concerns and worldly attachments.

Instead, he continued to devote himself to his missions and works, and eventually gathering many followers who would become the foundation of the Carthusians, a group of faithful Christians and servants of God, dedicated to the life in service of God, in prayer and ministry among the people of God, living a worthy and good life, in accordance with God’s Law and commandments. The Lord has inspired many to follow in the footsteps of St. Bruno, and many were touched by the faith and commitment that this holy man of God had done. All of us should also therefore commit ourselves in the same way as St. Bruno had done, and do our part, in ensuring that our own actions and deeds may become truly worthy of God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all be committed anew to the Lord, living our lives ever more worthily in each and every moments, and let us all be exemplary in our whole actions, words and deeds, so that we may indeed be the good role models and examples for one another. May the Lord continue to guide each and every one of us, and may He empower all of us so that we may be the shining examples and role models for our fellow brothers and sisters, our fellow men and women, all around us, just as St. Bruno and other innumerable saints, holy men and women of God, had inspired us by their lives. Amen.

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Friday, 6 October 2023 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Bruno, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Luke 10 : 13-16

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Alas for you, Chorazin! Alas for you, Bethsaida! So many miracles have been worked in you! If the same miracles had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would already be sitting in ashes and wearing the sackcloth of repentance.”

“Surely for Tyre and Sidon it will be better on the Day of Judgment than for you. And what of you, city of Capernaum? Will you be lifted up to heaven? You will be thrown down to the place of the dead. Whoever listens to you listens to Me, and whoever rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me, rejects the One Who sent Me.”

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Friday, 6 October 2023 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Bruno, Priest (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Psalm 78 : 1-2, 3-5, 8, 9

O God, the pagans have invaded Your inheritance; they have defiled Your holy Temple and reduced Jerusalem to rubble. They have given Your servants’ corpses to the birds, and the flesh of Your saints, to the beasts of the earth.

They have poured out the blood of Your faithful, like water around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them. Mocked and reviled by those around us, we are scorned by our neighbours. How long will this last, o YHVH? Will You be angry forever? Will Your wrath always burn to avenge Your rights?

Do not remember against us the sins of our fathers. Let Your compassion hurry to us, for we have been brought very low.

Help us, God, our Saviour, for the glory of Your Name; forgive us, for the sake of Your Name.

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Friday, 6 October 2023 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Bruno, Priest (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Baruch 1 : 15-22

You will say : May everyone recognise the justice of our God but, on this day, shame and confusion befit the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem – our kings and princes, our priests, our prophets, and our fathers, because we have sinned before the Lord.

We have disobeyed Him and have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God, nor have we followed the commandments which the Lord had put before us. From the day that the Lord brought our ancestors out of the land of Egypt until this day, we have disobeyed the Lord our God and we have rebelled against Him instead of listening to His voice.

Because of this, from the day on which the Lord brought our ancestors out of the land of Egypt, so as to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, the evils and the curse which the Lord pronounced by Moses, His servant, have dogged our footsteps right down to the present day.

We did not listen to the voice of the Lord our God speaking through the words of the prophets whom He sent to us, but each one of us followed his perverted heart, serving false gods and doing what displeases the Lord our God.

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Saturday, 30 September 2023 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we have listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded yet again of just how fortunate we are to have been beloved by God so much, that He has provided us with such great graces, in sending us His most wonderful guidance and help throughout all these time, and how He gave us the assurance of His salvation that He has fulfilled perfectly and completely through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. The Lord has loved each and every one of us so much that He has given us the perfect gift, the manifestation of His wonderful love in His Son, that through Him, all of us have been shown and led to the path towards eternal life and true joy.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Zechariah, we heard of the vision which Zechariah received from God, a heavenly vision in which an Angel and a Man went around a heavenly Jerusalem, the Holy City, measuring its length and size, and how the Angel revealed to Zechariah that there would be no wall or protection required for the heavenly city of God, because the Lord Himself would be with His people, as He gathered all of His beloved people to Himself, calling all of them from wherever they had been scattered to, reuniting them all to Him, and reconciling them to Himself. They will be His people and He will be their God, and they all will enjoy forever the fruits of His love and kindness, blessings and graces.

We can understand this better if we know the context of the works and the ministry of the prophet Zechariah. The prophet Zechariah ministered to the people of God during the time after their exile and then return back to the land of their ancestors, and after they had started rebuilding their home back from the ashes and the destruction inflicted decades earlier by the Assyrians and the Babylonians. Back then, the city of Jerusalem was still in ruins, with not just its Temple, but the whole city and its walls had been torn down and destroyed. Therefore, God’s words to His people came at a most appropriate time, reminding all of them, that if they all trust in Him and walk ever more faithfully in His ways, then there is nothing that they should be afraid of. God Himself would protect them and defend them.

And as we heard from the Gospel passage today, we heard of how the Lord sent His Son into our midst as we have discussed just earlier on. And there, the Lord Jesus foretold of His upcoming sufferings, the moments of His Passion and struggles that would come upon Him, as He warned His disciples and followers so that they would be ready for those moments and remain strong in the faith, and not falling into temptation or despair, when the enemies of the Lord were to rise against Him. Linking to what we have heard in our first reading today, we should realise the significance of what the Lord had done for us. Just as He had come into our midst, and willingly took upon Himself our many sins and wickedness, He had put Himself between us and our accusers, Satan and all of his forces that sought our destruction.

Thus, that is how the Lord, our most loving God and Saviour, had suffered for all of us, as He looked lovingly upon us from His Cross. He chose to suffer so that we may all be saved and have eternal life and true happiness through Him. His love for us endures even through the various challenges and the many trials that He had to face, and through all the betrayals and stubbornness that He has suffered and faced from us. He reached out to us nonetheless, and tried His best to save us all, and to lead us all back to the right path, so that none of us may end up being lost from Him, and that we may enter into the glorious kingdom and inheritance prepared for us from the very beginning, just as He has always intended.

That is why, today, brothers and sisters, let us all discern carefully what we have heard and discussed earlier, and discern carefully our path forward in life. Are we going to continue to disobey the Lord and to harden our hearts and minds against Him? Or are we going to rectify our mistakes and errors, and listen to His words and advice being spoken in our hearts and minds? Let us all make best use of whatever time and opportunities that have been given to us so that we will always continue to live our lives most faithfully and worthily in all things, and that we ourselves may be good inspirations and role models for others all around us, in how we live our lives with faith in God. Let us all appreciate all the love we have received from God, and the compassion and mercy we have received from Him.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Jerome, a great priest and servant of God, who is one of the four original Doctors of the Church, who is a great disciple of the Lord, and whose life and holiness should inspire us all in how we can live our lives in a more committed way to the Lord. St. Jerome was well-known for his ascetic lifestyle and dedication to God, and he was also remembered for his many theological works and writings, as well as his efforts in compiling the Latin translation of the Greek Septuagint Bible, which would become the Latin Vulgate, the version of the Bible used by many others up to this very day. He was also active in his other contributions to the Church, including as an important and close advisor to the Pope, so much so that he was considered as one of the precursors of the Cardinals that assist the Pope in the governance of the Church today. He was a truly dedicated and holy servant of God, in all the things he has done.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, the faithful examples of St. Jerome, his works and commitment should inspire all of us to live our lives worthily of the Lord as well, with focus ever directed towards God and not upon our own personal ambitions and desires. We should also help one another in putting our faith and trust ever more in God, and in doing what we have been all called to do as Christians, as God’s people. Each and every one of us should always be filled with the desire to love the Lord our God and to have constant faith in Him, at all times. We should not easily be swayed or distracted by the many temptations and challenges present all around us. May God be with us always, and may He strengthen all of us in our devotion to Him. St. Jerome, holy man of God, and devout servant of God, pray for us all sinners. Amen.

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Saturday, 30 September 2023 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 9 : 43b-45

At that time, while all were amazed at everything Jesus did, He said to His disciples, “Listen, and remember what I tell you now : The Son of Man will be betrayed into the hands of men.” But the disciples did not understand this saying; something prevented them from grasping what He meant, and they were afraid to ask Him about it.

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Saturday, 30 September 2023 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Jeremiah 31 : 10, 11-12ab, 13

Hear the word of YHVH, o nations, proclaim it on distant coast lands : He Who scattered Israel will gather them and guard them as a shepherd guards his flock.

For YHVH has ransomed Jacob and redeemed him from the hand of his conqueror. They shall come shouting for joy, while ascending Zion; they will come streaming to YHVH’s blessings.

Maidens will make merry and dance, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness, I will give them comfort and joy for sorrow.

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Saturday, 30 September 2023 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Zechariah 2 : 5-9, 14-15a

Raising my eyes again, I saw a man with a measuring line in his hand. I asked, “Where are you going?” He answered, “I am going to measure Jerusalem, to find its width and its length.”

As the Angel who spoke to me came forward, another Angel met him and said, “Run and tell this to that young man : ‘Jerusalem will remain unwalled because of its multitude of people and livestock.’ For this is the word of YHVH : I, Myself, will be around her like a wall of fire, and also within her, in glory.”

“Sing and rejoice, o daughter of Zion, for I am about to come, I shall dwell among you,” says YHVH. “On that day, many nations will join YHVH and be My people.”

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Wednesday, 27 September 2023 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Vincent de Paul, Priest (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 and called to be truly faithful to God, turning ourselves away from the path of sin, evil and wickedness, and embracing once again God’s path, His Law and commandments so that we may all indeed be truly worthy of Him, and be righteous and virtuous in all things. The Lord has not forgotten about us and has always loved us despite of our disobedience and evils, all the wickedness and sins we have done in our lives. He wants us all to come back to Him and to His loving and holy Presence, and hence, extended His mercy and compassion, kindness and love, reminding us that we are truly His beloved children and people.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Ezra we heard the continuation of this week’s discourse from that Book, relating to us the events that happened during the time when the Israelites and their descendants returned to the land of Israel, the promised land, after decades of exile in distant Babylon and Assyria, as well as other places, by God’s grace and intervention, as He moved the heart and mind of the King of Persia, Cyrus the Great, who allowed them all to return back to their homeland and authorised the rebuilding of the House of God, the Temple of Jerusalem which had been torn down and destroyed by the Babylonians. Through these events, the people of God were finally restored to honour and grace in God, as God moved to forgive them from their past sins.

Their ancestors had foolishly abandoned the Lord, betrayed Him for the pagan gods and false idols of their neighbours, committing all sorts of evils and wickedness that were unworthy of being God’s beloved and holy people. They chose to depend on worldly powers and matters, means and strategies rather than to trust in the Lord Who has always been with them throughout all of their whole journey. That was why they met their downfall and destruction, their country, their cities and towns were destroyed, and they were exiled into far-off and distant lands, with foreigners and pagans being brought in to settle in their ancestral lands. All these humiliations and sufferings served to highlight the consequences of disobedience and sins against God.

The priest and prophet Ezra in our first reading passage today gathered the people of God after they have returned to their land and the rebuilding of Jerusalem and its Temple went well, and as we heard, he prayed to the Lord on behalf of all the people, gathering their prayers and thoughts to Him. Ezra conveyed the people’s remorse and regret over their many sins and wickedness, and also the faults of their predecessors and ancestors, showing the desire to once again follow the Lord their God wholeheartedly. At the same time, Ezra also reminded all of the people, of everything that God had done, in loving them and in being compassionate and caring for them, and hence, how they should all be grateful for what the Lord had done for them, and how they should all strive to do what God has commanded and called them to do.

Then in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the Lord Jesus sending out His disciples ahead of Him in order to do His works and ministry, among the people of God, proclaiming His Good News and truth, revealing God’s desire to save all of His people and calling all of them to the grace and mercy of God. The Lord sent all of them to show them His love and mercy that He has manifested into this world, embodied in Himself, as the Saviour of all, and how those disciples proclaim this same revelation and salvation in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Through all these, He wants us all to know that the path to His love, forgiveness and grace is always open, but the choice is ultimately ours to make, whether we want to embrace this path or not. Those who refuse to repent, and continue to sin against God, will have no part in the inheritance and eternal life promised to those who are faithful to God.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul, one of the very well-known saints of the Church, whose life, commitment and dedication to God are truly inspirational and exemplary. He was a truly great servant of God, who has devoted himself to the poor and the needy among other works. This French priest entered the seminary early in his life and gained education to be a priest, and when he had been ordained a priest, it was, according to history and tradition, that he was abducted on a ship on his way, by the then notorious Barbary pirates. He was auctioned off as a slave and spent two years in bondage, passing from master to master in several places before eventually ending up with a former priest that had renounced his faith, and who was convinced by St. Vincent de Paul’s life and actions, to bring the man of God back with him, and freed him from bondage.

Through this experience and others, St. Vincent de Paul always had the concern for those who were suffering and needy. He spent time ministering to the freed slaves, having experienced similar experiences as them, and then also among the poor in his ministry and journeys, eventually being part of the establishment of foundations and congregations of those who were concerned and involved in the care and ministry of those who were poor and had been neglected by the society, ignored and abandoned, with no one to help or assist them. His works and ministry inspired many others during his life and after his passing, that eventually led to the foundation of the modern day Society of St. Vincent de Paul that is renowned for its work for the poor and the needy throughout the world.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, having heard of today’s Scripture readings and also the life and works of St. Vincent de Paul, let us all therefore be filled with the conviction and the desire to love and serve God anew in our lives, and to be loving to our brothers and sisters around us, especially those who are in need of our love, help and kindness, like those who are poor and ostracised by the society, and all those who have been unloved. Let us all be exemplary, righteous and worthy in all of our actions, so that we may truly be good role models and inspirations for one another in our lives and actions, in our every endeavours and efforts. May God be with us always, and may He remind us all of our obligations and calling to serve Him with faith and commitment, and to proclaim His Good News and truth at all times, in every opportunities available to us. Amen.

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Wednesday, 27 September 2023 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Vincent de Paul, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 9 : 1-6

At that time, Jesus called His Twelve disciples and gave them power and authority to drive out all evil spirits and to heal diseases. And He sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He instructed them, “Do not take anything for the journey, neither staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even take a spare tunic.”

“Whatever house you enter, remain there until you leave that place. And wherever they do not welcome you, leave the town and shake the dust from your feet : it will be as a testimony against them.”

So they set out, and went through the villages, proclaiming the Good News and healing people everywhere.