Reflections

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Monday, 6 January 2025 : Monday after the Epiphany (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we heard from our Scripture passages today, once again we are all reminded of the need for each and every one of us as Christians to hold firmly to our faith in the Lord, to trust in Him and to walk ever more faithfully in the path that He has revealed to each and every one of us. We must not easily be swayed by the temptations and the falsehoods of the world, of all things which may lead us astray into the path towards our downfall and destruction if we are not careful and vigilant, in resisting the various temptations to disobey God and to embrace the different pleasures and false joys of the world instead of following the Lord and truly walking in the path of His virtuous righteousness and justice.

In our first reading today, this is what St. John spoke about in one of his Epistles, continuing from what we have heard from earlier parts of the Epistle in the earlier days. The Apostle reminded all the faithful people of God, including all of us to remain vigilant of what we listen to and receive, for there would indeed be false prophets, messengers and antichrists, all those who do not speak the truth and perhaps even try to distort the truth that God has given to us through His Son and through His Holy Spirit. St. John spoke clearly reminding all of us of the salvation which all of us have received and been reassured with by the coming of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, the One by Whom we have all been gathered and reunited once again with the Lord, our Creator and loving Father.

This is why as Christians, all of us must always proclaim Christ our Lord, our Saviour and King, our Divine Master and God, the One and only Master whom we honour and worship, and we remember His coming into our midst, in His incarnation in the flesh, by which He has made Himself approachable and visible to us, that He has bridged the gap between us and God, our Heavenly Father and Creator. We must always remember that the Christ our Lord is at the centre and is the focus of our whole existence, and we must not let the world and all those false prophets and messengers to distract us from the Lord by their offer of alternatives that do not adhere to the Lord’s teachings and truths. We must be vigilant and careful lest we may be tempted to follow those falsehoods, as many of our predecessors had fallen to their snare.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the passage from the Gospel of St. Matthew the Apostle in which the works of the Lord Jesus, the Saviour of the world are recounted to us, all that He has done for the sake of the people of God after He embarked on His ministry. St. Matthew in his Gospel also spoke clearly about how the Lord Jesus and everything that He had done were fulfilment of all the prophecies and the promises of God which He had made through His prophets such as Isaiah and many others. And if we understand the main target audience of this Gospel by St. Matthew, we will understand better why this was highlighted, as St. Matthew intended for his Gospel to be read and used by the Jewish Christians, those among the Jewish people who converted to the Christian faith and became believers in Christ.

Therefore, as this Gospel was mainly directed to the Jewish community and the early Jewish Christians, we can see that St. Matthew wanted to convince those Jewish people and community that the Lord Jesus was indeed the one True Messiah, the Saviour Whom God had promised to His people and renewed those promises through the prophets. At the time of the Lord’s ministry and even before that, historically there had been several failed rebellions, some of which were recorded in the Scriptures, of those who had claimed to be the Messiah, and yet, they were truly false Messiahs, having called on the people to believe in them, but they did not represent the truth and Good News that God only proclaimed and brought into our midst through Christ His Son alone.

And not only that, as the Jewish leaders, like the members of the Sanhedrin or the Jewish High Council, the members of the Pharisees and the Sadducees among others, many of them did not believe in the Lord Jesus, doubted and even openly opposed Him, both during His ministry and during the early days of the Church, by opposing the efforts of the Apostles and the other disciples and missionaries of the Lord, persecuting and oppressing them in many places and occasions. Therefore, St. Matthew testified that Jesus Christ was indeed the Messiah promised by God and His coming and His actions, in His many works and miracles, signs and wonders, in all of His words of wisdom, He has fulfilled the previous prophecies and predictions made about Him.

And this is why all of us should do our best to uphold this faith and trust in the Lord, in His Providence and everything that He has put in our path to help us in our journey of faith and life. All of us should remain firmly focused on the Lord and oppose all the falsehoods of the world, all the false teachings and ideas that can easily lead us astray down the wrong path, and be the good role models and inspirations to one another in how we all live up to our faith. We should not instead be the source of scandal and division, falsehoods and distractions ourselves, but be the worthy disciples and followers of the Lord, doing our best to glorify Him in each and every things that we do in our respective lives.

As we all continue to celebrate in the Lord’s coming in this season of Christmas, the season full of joy and celebration, let us all continue to remember why it is that we celebrate greatly this season, and continue to focus and help others to focus our attention towards the Lord in all things. May the Lord be with us always and may He give us all the strength and courage to continue living our lives from now on, ever virtuous and faithful, against all the challenges in life and against all the temptations that we may have to face in our journey. Amen.

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Sunday, 5 January 2025 : Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the joyful occasion of the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, marking the occasion when the Lord revealed and made Himself known to all the people of all the nations as represented by the Three Magi or the Three Wise Men or Three Kings, a story which we all are certainly familiar with, in how they came from their distant lands to seek the Saviour of the world, the Light of His salvation and grace, and found it in the Holy Child born in Bethlehem over two millennia ago. On this day we all rejoice in the great Christmas joy celebrating the salvation and hope which we have all received from God’s most generous love and compassionate Heart, manifested in real and tangible form in His Son, Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour.

In our first reading today, we heard about the premonition and prediction of this event which the Lord had made through His prophet Isaiah many centuries before everything came true. The prophet Isaiah had been sent to the people of God who have suffered difficulties, challenges and trials, as those in the southern kingdom of Judah had witnessed their northern neighbours and fellow Israelites in the kingdom of Israel conquered and having their cities destroyed by the Assyrians recently, and how many of those people had been brought into distant and far-off lands by those same Assyrians, bereft of their homeland and their dwelling, forced to live as exiles among the foreigners, all because of their lack of faith and virtue, their disobedience against God.

And similarly, those in Judah itself had not been spared from all those difficult moments, as in the context of the time when this prophecy was revealed through the prophet Isaiah, it was likely that the people of God in Judah had faced and survived the event when the King of Assyria, Sennacherib brought with him a mighty force numbering in the hundreds of thousands with the intent of conquering and destroying Judah and Jerusalem, just as they had done with their northern brethren earlier on. And as the Assyrians besieged Jerusalem, their king even mocked the Lord and made blasphemous comments about Him, trying to make the Israelites to give in to fear and despair, saying how the other gods of the other people the Assyrians had conquered were powerless to stop them.

But God showed His might and crushed all the forces of those Assyrians, and sent their king back home in great shame. And through this and many other events, the Lord proved His love and providence for His people, reassuring them of His constant presence and help, and as what we have heard in today’s first reading, the Lord promised the coming of His Salvation and Light which will be revealed and shared to all the nations, which will all come to Him, seeking His love and compassion, His kindness and grace. God does not desire the destruction or damnation of any one of His children and He loves all of us mankind without exception. That is why He gave us all His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, and revealed Him to everyone, and showed that His salvation is given freely to all and not just to a select group of people.

In our second reading today, St. Paul in his Epistle to the Church and the faithful people of God in Ephesus spoke of this same revelation, that God reveals the desire He has to save each and every one of us mankind, without exception, His love and kindness, His generous mercy, that all those who seek Him, regardless whether they are Jewish or non-Jewish, they will all be saved and become part of the one holy people of God, those whom God has called and chosen. This is the response to those whom at the time of the Lord’s ministry and the early Church who claimed that only the Jewish people deserved salvation from God, or that everyone who sought to be saved must adopt all the customs, practices and beliefs of the Jews to the extent that they themselves became Jewish.

Thus, St. Paul refuted such a claim, and the fact that it was he who did so is significant because St. Paul was a Pharisee who adhered to such beliefs in the superiority and exclusivity of salvation to only the Jewish people. But God revealed the truth to St. Paul, and upon whose conversion received the reality and true intention of God in calling all of His people to Himself, regardless of their background, race, origin or by any other worldly parameters we often differentiated ourselves by. To the Lord, everyone is truly equal, equal in stature, equal in opportunity and equally beloved by Him without prejudice or discrimination. And He has given us all the ultimate means to achieve this salvation, and that is through His Son and His coming into this world.

In our Gospel passage this day we then heard of the story of the moment that we are celebrating about this Epiphany of the Lord, when the Lord Jesus had been born in Bethlehem, the Saviour of the world and the Son of God Most High, the Divine Word of God Himself incarnate in the flesh. At that time, a great and bright sign has appeared in the sky, the Great Star of Bethlehem, clearly heralding the coming of the Saviour. And three wise men from the East, from distant places and renowned for their great wisdom and knowledge of astronomy, which were studied for signs from God and they all saw the great Star heralding the coming and arrival of the Messiah, the Saviour from God. The three of them went on a long journey towards the land of Judea, coming to seek the salvation of God, which has come into our midst, and the Lord showed Himself to everyone, symbolically presented through the Three Magi.

We heard how the Three Magi eventually found their way to Bethlehem to the presence of the Lord, the Holy Child after enquiring about Him at the court of King Herod the Great. The Three Magi came to the Lord to pay homage to Him, bearing the three unique gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Gold represents the kingship and the glory of Christ, while the frankincense represents both His Divinity and also His role as our Eternal High Priest, and lastly the myrrh represents the way how the Lord would accomplish His mission, through the suffering and death that He would have to endure during His Passion, for our sake and our salvation. Through all these three gifts therefore, we all come to know the full extent of Who the Lord our God is, and what He has done for us through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. This is the essence of what the Epiphany celebration is all about.

First of all, the gift of gold is a very symbolic sign of the kingship of Christ, as gold has always been a very valuable commodity and noble metal used in coinage and in collection of wealth, and they are often associated with power and worldly glory, and they also have associations with the Divine, as gold is often used on the ornaments and the worship of gods and idols in various cultures and traditions. Gold in this case symbolised that Christ is truly our Lord and King, the King of Kings, Lord and Master of all, all of creation and the whole of the Universe. It also showed the glory and divinity that our Lord and God has, and how each and every one of us are expected to give Him honour, glory and homage, as the King over all of us. He is the only One truly worthy of our worship and obedience.

Then, the gift of frankincense is a representation as earlier mentioned, of the divinity of Christ, as incense is often used in religious festivities and worship, and incense is used until this day in the Church to indicate the prayers of the faithful people of God rising towards God. At the same time, incense was also usually used by the priests in offering the sacrifices and offerings to God. Hence, this frankincense, which is among the finest type of incense available, is a representation that Christ our Lord is truly Divine, the Almighty God Who manifested Himself in the flesh, to be in our midst. Then, at the same time, it also highlighted Christ’s role as our one and true Eternal High Priest, the One Who would offer on our behalf the perfect and worthy offering, for the absolution and forgiveness of all of our sins.

Lastly, the gift of myrrh is the representation of what the Lord would do for our salvation, as myrrh is a precious spice used for the embalming of the bodies of the dead. It may indeed be a rather strange and curious gift for a newborn Child, but in this case, it is a representation of how Christ would suffer and die from the Cross that He Himself would bear, and through His death He would redeem all of us, by making us all free from sin, and then by His glorious Resurrection, He would lead us all into a new life, no longer subjected to sin and death, to evil and destruction. This is what the gift of myrrh had revealed to us, and we are all reminded that we are all truly so fortunate that God has done all of these for our sake. We must be thankful for all that He has done, and we must return to seek the Lord and His salvation.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we celebrate wonderfully during this time of the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, we are reminded through the three gifts of the Magi of the true nature of that Child Who has been born in Bethlehem two millennia ago, He Who revealed Himself to all of us through the symbolic representation of the Three Magi. In Christ our Lord, we have the Divine Lord Himself, Almighty and all-powerful coming down into our midst, to dwell among us and to be with us, and ultimately, to offer Himself for our sake, to suffer and die for us, so that all of us can receive the sure promise of eternal life and fullness of grace from Him. Let us all keep this in mind as we go forth to this world, to our communities around us, to proclaim the Lord our God and Saviour, He Who has come into this world and revealed His love, to everyone, calling them to His Presence and mercy.

May the Lord, Who has been manifested, ‘Epiphaneia’ in the flesh, revealed in His love and kindness through the Holy Child of Bethlehem, continue to be with us and bless our every endeavours and deeds, and may He continue to bless our every works, efforts and endeavours to glorify Him by our lives, our every actions, works and deeds. Holy God, Mighty God, Holy Immortal God, revealed to us all through the Wisdom and love You have shown us, have mercy on us and give us Your love and grace, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Sunday, 5 January 2025 : Second Sunday after Christmas (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday is the Second Sunday in the Christmas Season or the Second Sunday after Christmas. And as we are still currently celebrating the great joy of this Christmas time and season, we ought to continue reminding ourselves to keep the focus of our celebrations, festivities and rejoicing on Christ our Lord, the true reason for our joy and celebration this Christmas so that we do not end up forgetting the purpose, reason and intention why we are rejoicing during this period. We should always keep in mind that we rejoice not because we want to enjoy all the comforts and pleasures in life but rather we want to continue to be thankful to the Lord for all the love that He has shown us constantly all these while.

And as we all heard from our Scripture readings this Sunday, we are reminded of how God has sent us all His salvation, reassuring us all of His ever continued presence, guidance and help, loving us and giving us all the hope and light in the midst of the darkness surrounding us and our paths, so that by His light and hope we may be able to find our way out of our predicament and bondage to sin, and come to His loving Presence, be reunited and truly reconciled fully with Him. He has sent us all His Saviour in the form of His Son, the Divine Word Incarnate, Who has taken up our human existence and nature, dwelling in our midst and came to be born into this world through Mary, His Mother, the event which all of us celebrate as Christmas.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard of the words of the Lord’s assurance to His people, the Israelites and their descendants through the prophet Jeremiah in which the prophet spoke of God’s promise of redemption and help for all of them, liberation and good things to come. The prophet Jeremiah was known mostly for his message of warning against the sins of the people of God in the kingdom of Judah, the southern half of the once united Kingdom of Israel. Back then, the prophet Jeremiah ministered to the people of Judah during the last moments and years of its existence as an independent state, and Jeremiah spoke courageously on many occasions about the coming of destruction for Judah and Jerusalem because of the wickedness and sins of the people and also because they have all abandoned the Lord their God.

All of those things would indeed come true with the coming of the Babylonians and their mighty forces, the regional power of the time, which led to the siege of Jerusalem and the eventual downfall of the kingdom and the city of God’s people. Most of the people of Judah would be scattered to far-off places by the Babylonians, who burnt down the Temple of God and ransacked Jerusalem just as Jeremiah and many other earlier prophets had foretold. And yet, amidst all those prophecies as we have all heard today, God still did not give up hope on His people and He still loved them all nonetheless despite His anger against their wickedness and sins. Hence, Jeremiah also spoke of the love and compassion of God Who would eventually forgive His people and lead them and their descendants back once again to their lands.

In our second reading this Sunday, we then heard from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in the city and region of Ephesus in Asia Minor. St. Paul spoke to the faithful regarding what God had done for us all in His most generous love and kindness, in giving us all His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to be the Mediator of our salvation and to help bring us all back and reunite us with our loving Father. Christ our Lord, through everything that He has done, in His incarnation and entry into this world which we celebrate this Christmas, and ultimately in His loving and most selfless sacrifice on the Cross, the Lord has fulfilled everything that He has promised to us since the very beginning, all made and accomplished through His Son.

For by the power of the Cross, Christ has triumphed and conquered death, and also broke forever the chains and dominion of sin and evil over us. He has provided each one of us the sure path to eternal life and salvation in God, which we can attain only through Him alone. And this is why we have been reminded of this great act of love from God because everything has been possible thanks to the Lord and His ever enduring and patient love for each and every one of us, His constant Presence, providence and guidance for us, His perseverance in continuing to care for us and in showing us compassion and mercy despite our repeated stubborn attitude in disobeying Him and in disregarding His Law and commandments.

And the Gospel passage from the famous first chapter of the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle perfectly summarised what the Lord had done in loving us regardless of our sins and wickedness, and in His continued desire to seek to be reconciled and reunited with us. His Incarnation from the Divine Word of God, the Son of God Most High, becoming the Son of Man is the pivotal moment in which God opened the way for us to return to Him because by becoming Man like us, Jesus Christ, the Divine Word Incarnate showed us all the example of perfect obedience to the will of His Heavenly Father, and by being our Eternal and one True High Priest, He offered for us on our behalf the perfect offering of His own Most Precious Body and Blood, the Body and Blood of the Lamb of God, slain and sacrificed for us all.

This is why this Sunday we should reflect well on these messages from the Sacred Scriptures and on all that we have been celebrating and focusing on this whole Christmas season. Has the Lord become the centre and focus of our whole lives? Or have we marginalised and ignored Him, putting Him as secondary in importance as compared to all the worldly distractions and pursuits around us? That is why we should renew our commitment to the Lord, doing our best to live our lives according to His will and following His commandments once again. And let us all make this a reality, turning our lives over a new leaf and do what we can to live a most Christian life that we have been called to do.

May the Lord our loving God, our Saviour, our loving Father and Creator continue to be with us, guide us and empower us all, giving us the means and the strength to live our lives with faith and grace, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

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Saturday, 4 January 2025 : Weekday of Christmas Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Scriptures amidst our still continued celebration of the glorious and most joyful season and time of Christmas, we are all reminded that each and every one of us are the disciples and followers of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, Whose birth into this world and appearance in our midst we have been celebrating this Christmas season, and Who should indeed be the centre and focus of our whole lives and existence. And this is why each and every one of us must always strive to proclaim Him and His truth in all and every moments of our lives. We should not be easily distracted by the various desires and temptations all around us, and continue to stay faithful in the Lord, at all times.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. John the Apostle in which St. John spoke of the need for the faithful to be careful of the evil one and of all the falsehoods, evils and wickedness which the evil one and all of his forces will always be trying to attack us with, to distract and pull us away from God’s salvation and grace. St. John reminded all of the faithful of the truth which God has revealed to them through His Son, Whose coming into this world has brought into our midst the light of hope and salvation, redemption and freedom from the bondage to sin and darkness. St. John exhorted the people of God not to give in to their fears and uncertainties or to doubt in the power and providence of God.

And this is because the Son of God, Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, has come into our midst in order to undo the works of the evil one and to destroy the dominion and power of sin over us. God Who loves us very much certainly does not want any one of us to be lost to Him, and hence, He has endeavoured to do everything for our sake, and He did not spare even His own beloved and only begotten Son for us. God gave us all His Son as the perfect manifestation of His love, ever enduring, ever present and ever strong, to make this love tangible and approachable to us, without any exception. God has reassured us all that as long as we put our faith and hope in Him then we shall not be disappointed, and we shall find solace and true comfort, joy and happiness in Him.

Then in our Gospel passage today we heard of the moment when the Lord Jesus, the same Son of God and Saviour that St. John had spoken about, began His ministry and went on to call His first disciples. The Lord’s ministry began with His baptism at the River Jordan by St. John the Baptist, and that faithful servant of God then pointed out to some of His own disciples that the One Whom he had just baptised was indeed the One that he had been preaching and proclaiming about, pointing out to them that the Lord Jesus is indeed the Lamb of God, the One Who was going to take away the sins of the whole world and lead all mankind to salvation and liberation in God. One of these two disciples according to Church tradition was St. John the Apostle himself, together with St. Andrew, another Apostle and brother of St. Peter the Apostle.

We heard then how the two went to seek the Lord Who happened to be travelling towards their hometowns in Galilee, and when they found Him there, they introduced the Lord to their brothers, namely St. Peter the Apostle and St. James the Apostle, both of whom also became disciples of the Lord like their brothers. God called these simple and humble fishermen to be His followers and disciples, as the first ones among many others that would come to follow Him. And this is in fact a very important reminder for us that God is calling on everyone to follow Him and to be His disciples, regardless of our background and origin, and regardless our status and whatever things in this world that we have with us. All of us are equally precious and beloved by God, and we should remember that fact well.

Then, it is also a reminder for us that our Christian faith is by nature evangelising and missionary. Our faith is meant to be shared and spread to others around us, just as how St. John and St. Andrew both introduced the Lord to their brothers, convincing all of them to be the disciples of the Lord. Therefore, in the similar way, we are all called and expected to do as what they had done in leading others towards God and His salvation. As Christians, it is our obligation and calling, our mission and expectation to bring the Lord and His Good News to everyone whom we encounter in life, showing His truth and love, His light and grace so that we may let Him be known by more and more people all around the world. Through us and our actions, our exemplary lives and inspirations we can bring more people to God.

Now, the question is whether we are willing to commit to this path and do whatever is necessary for us to be good and worthy disciples and followers of the Lord. Are we willing to commit the time and effort to lead lives that are truly life-giving, Christ-like and centred on the Lord? Or do we prefer instead to follow the customs and ways of the world, all of its temptations and all the corrupt practices all around us? The choice and freedom to choose our path have been given to us by God and now what remains is for us to make that choice and commitment, and for us to do what is necessary in order to walk in His path and to be the worthy beacons of His truth, His Good News and to help more and more people to find their way to the Lord.

May the Lord be with us always and may He continue to bless us in our every endeavours and good deeds, our efforts to glorify Him and to proclaim Him in our every communities and among everyone we encounter in our path. May God grant us the courage, strength and perseverance to continue to live to the best of our abilities with faith, to put Him as the centre and focus of our whole lives and existence, just as how we put Him at the centre of our every Christmas joy and celebration. May God bless us always, and be with His Church and people now and forevermore. Amen.

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Friday, 3 January 2025 : Weekday of Christmas Time, Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Jesus (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all gather together as one people in continuing to celebrate this ever joyful season and time of Christmas, we are all reminded of the true reason of our joy and celebration today as we rejoice in honouring the Most Holy Name of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the One through Whom God has brought His salvation into the whole world. To Him has been given the Name which is above every other names, in Heaven, on and under the earth, in all the whole Universe and Creation. And it is in His Name and His coming into this world that all of us have rejoiced so greatly during this time of Christmas, celebrating the revelation and coming of the salvation of God, manifested in the flesh.

And that was what St. Paul the Apostle had written about in his Epistle to the Church and the faithful people of God in the city and region of Philippi in what is today Greece. He spoke of the salvation that has come into this world through Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Who has become incarnate in the flesh, becoming for us the manifestation of God’s love made real, tangible and approachable to us. And not only that, but by the coming of God through His Son in the flesh, in Him becoming the Son of Man and embracing our humanity, human nature and existence, He has become the New Adam, the New Man, Whose perfect obedience to the will of His heavenly Father has countered the disobedience of the first and original Adam which had led us all to sin.

The other reading from the Epistle of St. John also spoke of the same action from God Who has given us all His Son, as a sign and perfect proof of His ever enduring love and faithfulness to the Covenant and to all the promises which He had made with us and our ancestors. And He did all this by willingly embracing our humanity, emptying Himself of all glory and honour, power and majesty, which we saw in how He came into this world, not in a grand and majestic palace, but in a stable not even fit for the dwelling of men like us, and even more so especially at the moment when He embraced His Cross, and choosing willingly to suffer and die for our sake when He was without any blame, to be punished and scourged, condemned for our faults and mistakes.

And it is by this perfect obedience that the Holy Name of Jesus is truly the Name that is above all other names, above all powers and sovereignties, as the Name of the perfect Man, the One Who saved us all by His suffering, His wounds and His death on the Cross, He Who has conquered and destroyed death itself, overcoming the power and dominion of sin and evil by His perfect love and selflessness which has undone the hold of the original sin over all of us, caused by our disobedience, pride and greed. Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ in His perfect humility and obedience, and in His great and enduring love for each one of us, has shown us all the perfect manifestation of God’s ever wonderful, generous and magnificent love and grace for each one of us.

In the past, the Name of the Lord was so holy that no one could utter it on the pain of death and condemnation, because of the great sins that we have committed against God. Only the High Priest was allowed to utter the Holy Name of God at the Holy of Holies of the Temple of God and even then it was only allowed at one particular occasion in the whole entire year. Otherwise, the Name of God is something that is utterly taboo for the people to mention at all, and they cannot utter it no matter what, and usually the term Adonai or ‘Lord’ is used instead. The Name of God is difficult to utter and is usually represented by what is known as the Tetragrammaton, or the Four Sacred Letters written as YHVH or transliterated as ‘Yahweh’.

Now, by assuming the identity and nature of our humanity, becoming the Son of Man, God Himself assume a Name just as we all have been given and assigned a name, and through this act of Incarnation, not only that what was once invisible and vastly unapproachable to us has become tangible and real, in the love that God has manifested to us in Christ, His Son, but He has given us all a Name by which we can say and utter, the Name of God which has power and dominion over all things, the Name feared by Satan and all the forces of evil, from which they shall all flee from, and which we can all depend on, trusting always in His love and providence, in all that He has shown us in loving us and caring for our needs, in His ever patient love and generosity.

However, we must also realise that we should not use the Lord’s Holy Name in vain, as quite a few among us and in quite a few occasions the Name of the Lord had been used inappropriately and without reverence. While the Lord has made His Holy Name available and approachable to us, but it still remains the Holy Name of God, the Lord and Master of all, the King of Kings and our Almighty God and Father, which we should treat with utmost respect and deference, and not to use it for cursing others or in other situations when we make light of His Name, or worse still to make fun of it. Let us always remember that through this Name alone we have been saved, and we have received the assurance of eternal life and redemption.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all hence continue to keep our focus firmly in Christ our Lord, and put our trust in the Holy Name of Our Lord, Jesus, the Saviour of all, through Whom we shall be strengthened and healed from all of our predicaments. May the Lord continue to bless us all and strengthen us through the many challenges and trials that we may encounter in our lives, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 2 January 2025 : Weekday of Christmas Time, Memorial of St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Scriptures we are all reminded to stay true to the Lord and His truth, His Good News and all that He has revealed and taught to us through His Church. As we are still currently in the Christmas time and season, we are still constantly being reminded of the coming of God’s salvation in His Son, Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, through Whom we have received the assurance of God’s salvation and grace, His love and kindness which He has always provided for us, ever remembering the love that He has for each one of us, desiring us all to be reconciled and reunited fully and perfectly with Him in His heavenly Kingdom, no longer separated from Him because of our sins and wickedness.

In our first reading today, we heard of the words of St. John the Apostle in one of his Epistles in which he continued to speak about the lies and falsehoods of the antichrists, all the false prophets and messengers who did not speak truly about the Lord and His salvation, misleading the faithful people of God down the wrong path in life. And St. John also reiterated once again the truth and the Good News of God’s salvation which He has presented unto us and revealed to everyone through His Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of all the whole world. Amidst all the falsehoods and the heresies that happened even very early on in the Church history, which prompted St. John to speak up about it, the truth and the Good News of God’s salvation in Christ His Son remained firm and strongly entrenched in His Church and among the faithful.

However, it was indeed easy for many among the faithful and others to fall prey into those lies and falsehoods, and unless they all make the conscious effort to remain vigilant against those falsehoods and lies, and remain truly committed to the truth enshrined in the Church of God, it is really easy for all of us to fall astray and to be misled into the path towards our downfall, which was indeed the intention of the evil one and all of his wicked forces, that had led to this proliferation of lies and falsehoods, of salvation and joy that do not have their origin in Christ, Our Lord. That is why as Christians all of us ought to take a firm stand in defending our faith and in remaining true to our calling at all times, to proclaim the truth of God and to keep our focus in Christmas on Christ.

Then, from our Gospel passage today taken from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle, we heard of the words of the testimony of faith by St. John the Baptist when he was confronted and asked by the Jewish authorities, the elders of the people and the members of the Pharisees about his intentions, his true identity and his works. Back then, St. John the Baptist was truly very popular, as thousands came flocking to him seeking to listen to his words and to be baptised by him, heeding his call for repentance and to seek reconciliation with the Lord, their loving and compassionate God. He could very well have declared himself as the Messiah or Saviour from God, or as the great Prophet who was promised to come, but he did not do so, unlike some others during his time who claimed to be the Messiah.

Instead, first of all St. John the Baptist put it very clearly that he was not the Messiah and that he was merely the one who had been sent into this world and among the people of God in order to prepare the path for the One Who would save the world, that is the true Messiah. He did not give in to the temptations of power, glory, ambition, ego and greed to seek popularity, influence and power for himself, but as a faithful, humble and loyal servant of God, he did what he had been told to do, and courageously embraced the mission and tasks that he had been entrusted with. He spoke to the people and before all those leaders and Pharisees that he was a mere servant tasked to prepare the way for the Lord’s coming, and he did his works dutifully, criticising those leaders who have misled the people into the wrong path and calling on all sinners to return to God with repentance.

This is an important reminder for all of us that we should always live up to our Christian faith in each and every moments of our lives with true sincerity and desire to glorify God, distancing ourselves from the wickedness and temptations of the world so that we will not fall prey to those temptations and desires that may lead us all into our downfall and destruction. We have to remember our calling as Christians, our mission to proclaim the Lord and His salvation to more and more people throughout the world, to glorify Him by our lives and not to gain glory and fame for ourselves, for our selfish desires or ambitions. This is why, as we still continue to celebrate the joy of Christmas, it is important that we should always be focused on the Lord in all things.

Today the Church also celebrates the Feast of two great saints of God, namely St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory Nazianzen. St. Basil the Great, also known as St. Basil of Caesarea, was the Bishop of Caesarea in what is now part of Turkey. Meanwhile, St. Gregory Nazianzen was the Archbishop of Constantinople who was the close friend and contemporary of St. Basil. Both of them were remembered for the great faith and courage that they showed in their leadership in the Church, as shepherds of the flock of the Lord and also as theologians who were committed to proclaim the truth of God to the people who at that time faced a lot of falsehoods and heresies, just like it had been in the earlier years and times during the time of the Apostles.

St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory Nazianzen were both known for their great piety and staunch defence of the Christian faith throughout all their respective lives and ministries, standing up faithfully against the falsehoods spread by the popular Arian heretics and also by others who claimed to represent God’s truth. They worked tirelessly among the people of God to restore the unity among the faithful and to proclaim the truth about the Lord, opposing all the influences of the heretical teachers and all those who have subverted the Good News of God for their own selfish desires and ambitions. They are truly good role models and inspirations for each and every one of us, showing us all the path towards God and His true salvation and grace, away from all the falsehoods of the antichrists, false prophets and heretical teachings.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore commit ourselves anew to the Lord from now on, striving to do our best to glorify Him and to proclaim His truth and Good News as we should always do in our lives. Let us all continue to walk faithfully in the path that He has shown us, and remain firmly committed to Him as our Lord and Saviour, putting Him ever at the heart and centre of our whole lives. May the Lord continue to bless us all and guide us in our journey of faith and life so that we may be the shining beacons of God’s light, truth and love, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 1 January 2025 : Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, World Day of Peace (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today in our calendar is the first day of the Gregorian Year, the New Year’s Day of the Year of Our Lord 2025. On this day while we rejoice with many other people all around the world celebrating the arrival of the new year, and looking ahead with great hope and jubilation, the Church also celebrates the very important occasion of the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, or in the original Greek, ‘Theotokos’ which means ‘God-bearer’. This most honourable title is one which the Church had upheld and believed ever since the earliest days of the Church and which was later on then codified and formalised at the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus in the early fifth century, about four centuries after the Death and Resurrection of the Lord.

Together with the other three important Marian Dogmas, the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, the Dogma of the Perpetual Virginity of Mary and the Dogma of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven, this Dogma of the Divine Motherhood of Mary are the four Marian Dogmas that the Church and all Christian believers had believed and upheld since the very earliest days of the Church, passed down through the generations from the time of the Apostles, through their successors and right up to our present day world. And this day, the New Year’s Day, if we may wonder why is it that we accord such an important celebration to Mary, then it is important that we realise just how central the figure of Mary is to our salvation history and her connection to her Son, Our Lord and Saviour, the One Whom we celebrate this Christmas season, is something that we must always keep in mind.

Today being the eighth day since Christmas makes it the Octave Day of Christmas, the last day of the solemn Christmas Octave, an eight days period of great rejoicing and celebration, marking the memory of the first coming and arrival of the Saviour of the world, the Son of God, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, Who was born in the small town of Bethlehem in Judea more than two millennia ago. He was born not in a grand palace or into a family of royalty, or influential and rich people, but instead in a stable at Bethlehem, as the Son of a carpenter from Nazareth and his young wife, to people who were totally unknown to the world. And yet, His coming into this world restores light and hope to all of us who have lived in the darkness of sin and evil, and assures us all of God’s ever enduring and everlasting love, mercy, compassion and kindness.

And all of these have been made possible because of the faith that Mary has in the Lord and all of His plans, and the obedience and cooperation that she has exhibited upon listening to the words of the Lord and in doing His will made her obedience and trust that she has shown in all of her actions at that time. Mary is our great role model in faith, through her humility and commitment to God, her virtues and purity, in her fullness of grace and her love for, for all the tender and wonderful care and love that she has shown her Son throughout all of His life. By following her examples, her obedience and faith, we can truly find the best way to proceed towards the Lord and His salvation, and considering that she is not just the Mother of God, but also the Mother of all of us mankind.

Through Mary, His Mother, God showed us all His love even more wonderfully, by entrusting her to all of us to be our own loving Mother. That is why Mary in particular has made many attested and proven appearances or apparitions throughout history in various places and moments in time, calling on all of us her beloved children to come back towards her Son and to seek salvation in Him, rejecting the path and the temptations of sin and evil, so that we will not be lost forever to God. Her great love for her Son, our Lord and Saviour, has also been shown to us as well, and we really should consider ourselves really fortunate to have such a great mother who has loved us all so passionately and patiently, caring for us all as her own beloved children, guiding and interceding for us all throughout the way.

And yet, there are still those who refused to believe in this Dogma of the Divine Motherhood of God, as historically, there were those who reject this teaching of the Church that Mary is truly the Mother of God, and this debate came about especially as during the early history of the Church, there were still disagreements on the exact nature of Jesus Christ, the One born to Mary and Who has suffered and died for all of us mankind. While we now believe firmly that Jesus Christ is both Son of God and Son of Man, having both Divine and Human nature, distinct and yet indivisibly united in the One Person of Jesus Christ, but during the early centuries of the Church there were those who did not believe in this, and instead claimed that Mary cannot be the Mother of God because she was merely just the Mother of Jesus Christ the Man, and not of God.

Some of those who opposed the definition of Mary as the Mother of God offered alternatives such as Christotokos or ‘Christ-bearer’, a title that diminished her importance and also implied that the Humanity of Jesus is not truly united to His Divinity. All of these were at the centre of all the polemics and disagreements which were only settled definitively at the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus where Mary was defined as the Mother of God, ‘Theotokos’ and is accorded the honour befitting her position as the Mother of God, that while she herself is a human just like us, but by the virtue of her Motherhood of the Incarnate Son of God, the King of Kings and King of the Universe, she therefore merit the honour as the mother of the Divine Lord and King.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we rejoice greatly during this celebration honouring Mary as the Mother of God, let us all also remember her great examples in faith and dedication, her love for each and every one of us, her companionship towards us where she journeyed and guided us through difficult and challenging moments in life. Let us all follow in her examples and do our best so that all of us may be good examples, role models and inspirations ourselves in our own respective lives. And as we begin this New Year and continue to rejoice still in this Christmas season, let us always remember that Christ must always be at the centre and heart of everything that we do in our lives, with Mary, His mother and our mother ever close by our side, guiding and strengthening us in our journey.

May Mary, the Holy Mother of God continue to intercede for us all sinners and help us so that we may remain firm in our commitment to follow the Lord and to be good and worthy of God’s grace and love. May she continue to show us all her maternal love and tender care as she has always shown us, guiding us all to the path towards salvation and eternal life through her Son, Our Lord and Saviour. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

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Tuesday, 31 December 2024 : Seventh Day within Octave of Christmas, Memorial of Pope St. Silvester I, Pope (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures and as we continue to progress through this time and season of Christmas, the time of great rejoicing in celebrating the birth and arrival of the Saviour of the whole world, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the true reason of our Christmas joy and celebrations, we should always hold onto the fullness of truth, hope and reassurances that we have received from God Himself. All of us as Christians must be the bearers of the Good News of God’s salvation in how we live our lives each day and in how we celebrate Christmas, so that everyone may come to know more about the Lord through them. This Christmas is truly a great opportunity for us to tell everyone about the Lord and His salvation.

Unfortunately, the reality is such that many people around the world do not celebrate Christmas in this manner. Many people focused on all the excesses of worldly pleasures and desires, all the temptations of glamour, glory and merrymaking that cause us to indulge in those pleasures instead of rejoicing in the manner that we should have done. Christmas has often become so secularised and commercialised in many parts of the world that even Christians themselves had forgotten and overlooked the very reason why we all gather together and rejoice during this time and season of Christmas, that is to be joyful at the coming of the Lord’s Salvation into our midst and to thank Him for all the love that He has shown us.

Many celebrations of Christmas focused instead on the details about the festivities, all the food, drinks and gifts that we partake and share in. Those things became the focus and emphasis in many of our Christmas observances and celebrations, while the One Whom we all ought to be celebrating about was overlooked and forgotten. We can see clearly all around us during this time of Christmas festivities, how many of those celebrations and decorations actually include and depict the Lord and His Nativity, as compared to the focus on the gifts and grandeur of our celebrations, and all other things which may easily distract us away from the Lord and His righteous path. And unless we are vigilant, we may also fall into this same path, sometimes without us even realising it.

That is exactly what our first reading today from the Epistle of John the Apostle spoke strongly about the antichrists and the false prophets, all of whom proclaimed words and gospels that were different from what the Lord had revealed and spoken to His people. Even at that time during the early days of the Church, there were already those who tried to subvert the truth and the Good News of God to suit their own selfish purposes and desires, or trying to gain more popularity and power for themselves. St. John spoke of the need for all the faithful to reject the temptations of Satan, and to continue to uphold the righteous path which has been shown and taught to them by God through His Church.

Then, from our Gospel passage today taken from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the well-known and powerful revelation, testimony and declaration on Who the true identity of the Lord Jesus is, He Who is not just merely a Man and Son of Man, but Who is also the Divine Son of God, the Word of God incarnate in the flesh, appearing before all of us and dwelling in our midst just as He has promised to us, and which He has revealed through His prophets and messengers. Through this first chapter of the Gospel of St. John that revealed the nature of the Incarnation of the Word and the Divine Son of God, we are all reminded very clearly of what it is that we truly celebrate this Christmas, this time of glorious rejoicing and festivities, all made possible because God has come into our midst.

The Incarnation of the Word of God, and Him being conceived in the womb of Mary His mother, all of these came to fruition with the birth of this same Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, which happened in Bethlehem over two millennia ago. Christmas celebrates this very important moment of the Nativity of the Lord, the moment when the Lord was born into this world, which became the tangible, approachable and visible sign of God’s saving works, as He Himself has come into our midst to dwell among us, to be God Who is with us, Emmanuel, just as it has been prophesied by the prophets like Isaiah in the past. Through the historical coming of the Lord, and eventually His return in the future, all of us have received the renewal of hope and strength, courage and power through the love that the Lord has always had for each one of us.

Today, on this last day of the whole entire year, we are reminded of a great saint and man of God, this day being the Feast of Pope St. Silvester I, one of the Popes of the early Church. Pope St. Silvester I ruled as the Supreme Pontiff and Vicar of Christ for a long period of about twenty-one years, during the time of great changes and renewal for the Church. He became Pope succeeding his predecessor, Pope St. Miltiades shortly after the groundbreaking Edict of Milan, decreed and promulgated by the Roman Emperors Constantine the Great and Licinius, who then triumphed over their enemies and became the rulers of the Roman Empire. Both of them issues this Edict proclaiming toleration of the Christian faith and the ending of the official persecutions of Christianity that had taken place for centuries.

Pope St. Silvester I led the Church during this time of great change, overseeing the great liberation of the Christian worship in Rome and other parts of the Roman Empire, the establishment of many churches and basilicas from the strong support by the increasingly pro-Christian Emperor Constantine the Great. Halfway through his pontificate, another great event in the Church history also took place, namely the First Ecumenical Council, the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea. While Pope St. Silvester I himself did not attend the Council personally, he sent his representatives and legates to take part in the proceedings, and helped the Church to formulate the official codification and standardisation of the faith and teachings, rooting out false teachings and heresies. He performed many other great contributions and works to the end of his life.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore reflect upon what we have just discussed earlier on and from the life and ministry of Pope St. Silvester I. As we continue to progress through the celebration and festivities of this current Christmas season, let us all continue to stay focused on the Lord and put Him at the centre of all things and of all our celebrations and festivities. And as we are about to end this current year and begin a new year tomorrow, let us all strive to live a new life truly attuned to the Lord and be firmly faithful in all of our ways, so that by our every words, actions and deeds, we may reveal the Lord, His truth, His Good News and love to many more people around us, and inspire them all to come towards the Lord. May God be with us all, and may He continue to bless our every good efforts and endeavours. Amen.

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Monday, 30 December 2024 : Sixth Day within Octave of Christmas (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded to continue to keep our hope in the Lord and to resist all sorts of temptations and pressures so that we may continue to be righteous, just and worthy of God in all circumstances. We must not be ignorant of the dangers of the world and all the sins around us. If we do not take this seriously and do all the necessary preparations, it may be easy for us to be drawn into the path towards damnation and downfall, by losing sight in the true happiness and treasure that we will find in God alone. This is because the world and its many allures and alternative paths can indeed be very enticing and tempting, persuading us to take that path instead of God’s path.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. John the Apostle the exhortation that the Apostle made to the members of the faithful, addressed particularly to more senior members of the faithful, the fathers and parents who were supposed to bring up their children in the Christian faith, as well as the young men, those from the younger generation who have received the faith and its teachings from the Apostles and also from the guidance of their elders and seniors in their community. St. John exhorted all of them to put their faith in the Lord and in His salvation, in everything that He has done for our sake and overcoming all of the bondage for our sins and evils, all the things which had kept us tied and prevented from seeking God and His love and grace.

St. John also warned the faithful to be vigilant and to be wary of sin and all of its tempting allures, all the things that can lead us into downfall and destruction. He mentioned that if one loves the world and all the things that are in the world, then they will not have the love of God the Father in them. Essentially, it is not possible for one to be able to truly love the Lord and to love the world and all of its riches and temptations all at once. That is why St. John exhorted all the faithful so that they would not fall into this temptation and ended up on the wrong path in life, as if they are not careful, it is easy for them to end up falling ever deeper into the slippery slope of sin. This same reminder also applies to us all as well, and we should truly heed these reminders for our own good.

The Apostle also spoke of the fleeting and impermanent nature of the world against the permanence of God’s love and grace. This is a reality check for all of us especially if we reflect on all the things we often desire and want to pursue in our daily lives in this world. We must be aware that none of those things of the world that we seek, be it glory, fame, riches and wealth, material possessions, popularity and other forms of worldly parameters and things can truly satisfy us and none of them will also last and endure forever. All of them can be gone and disappear in mere moments, and none of us can bring them with us beyond this mortal life and existence we have on earth. The only thing that is truly everlasting is God’s Love and grace, His providence and salvation.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist in which the account of the time and moment when the Child Jesus was presented and offered at the Temple and House of God in Jerusalem, according to the Jewish laws and customs. At that time, the eldest child of the household and family of the Israelites ought to be dedicated and offered to God, about eight days after they were born. This was a sign of the renewal of God’s great Covenant, His love and enduring providence for all of His beloved people. Then, at that time, just as Mary and St. Joseph was at the Temple of God, two people came up to them and began to prophesy from God, giving thanks that they had managed to see the Saviour Himself appearing before them in the flesh. They were the old man Simeon and the prophetess Anna.

Both of them spoke of the many good things that the Lord God would do for His people through the Holy Child, and they also showed the first premonition of the kind of suffering and hardships which the Lord would eventually have to endure, and how that event would bring great sorrow and pain for Mary, His Mother. Yet, that was what the Lord had to go through in carrying out and completing His mission in this world, that is to bear the punishment and consequences for our many sins and wickedness, to bring forth into our midst the assurance of God’s salvation and grace, His forgiveness and ever enduring patience and love. And we are reminded of all these today in particular during this glorious and joyful season of Christmas so that we can continue to remember the true reason for our Christmas rejoicing and festivities.

The Lord and His love for us is and has always and will be so great that He has done everything for our sake, to help and rescue us from the depths of our predicament, from the darkness of our sins and troubles, from the snares of the devil and the threats of all those seeking our ruin and destruction. And because of this love all of us can now truly rejoice and be filled with hope, the hope for God’s salvation and the promise of eternal life and true happiness with Him. We should continue to put our faith in God and not easily allow ourselves to be distracted by the many temptations present all around us, all of which can lead us astray into the path towards our downfall. We should always trust in the Lord and distance ourselves from the excesses of worldly desires and pleasures, especially during this time of Christmas.

Let us all celebrate Christmas with proper understanding of its importance and significance to all of us, becoming the good role models for one another in how we put Christ at the heart and centre of all our festivities and rejoicing in this time and season. And at the same time, let us not be ignorant of and forget about the sufferings and trials that those who are around us may be facing in their lives. Some of us may also not be able to celebrate Christmas due to various difficulties and reasons, and all of us are therefore called and reminded to share our joy with one another. Let us all be the faithful and worthy bearers of the Light of Christ and His salvation to everyone, and may our Christmas joy be truly rooted and centred in Christ, as always. Amen.

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Sunday, 29 December 2024 : Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday, the first Sunday after the Nativity of the Lord we all celebrate the occasion of the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph which is indeed appropriate as after all that is what Christmas is all about, the Holy Family and everything that happened with them, especially in Christ Jesus, the Son of God Who is the centre figure of Christmas, the Holy Child born in Bethlehem in Judea over two millennia ago as the fulfilment of everything which God has promised to all of us, His beloved people throughout all of history and time. This Feast of the Holy Family is a reminder for all of us of the great love of God which He has shown us all, as our loving Father and Creator, and we are all part of God’s beloved Family.

On this day we recall that perfect and model family, the Family that is the inspiration for all of our Christian families, just as we heard from the evidence and the passages from the Sacred Scriptures on how this Family of the Lord is a real, loving and genuine family where each of the members of this Family performed their respective roles dutifully and faithfully, as an example for all of us to follow. This is also an inspiration and reminder for all of us as Christians, how we are to live our lives within our wider and greater Christian family in this world, the Church of God and the various communities that we have in the Church, in our own families and relatives. All of us should be inspired by this example so that our own families may be truly faithful and worthy bearers of God’s truth and love in our world today.

Now, let us first look through our Scripture passages, beginning from the first reading which was taken from the Book of the prophet Samuel about the story of the birth and early life of the prophet Samuel, the firstborn son of Hannah his mother with Elkanah, his father. For the context, Elkanah, Samuel’s father had two wives, named Penninah and Hannah. The other wife, Penninah, had borne Elkanah many children while Hannah, Samuel’s mother, was barren and unable to conceive a child. Not only that but since Elkanah loved Hannah more, Penninah often bullied Hannah and mocked her for her lack of a child and barrenness, which was a sign negatively viewed at the time. Hannah sought the Lord and prayed for a son, and God heard her.

Hannah also promised to dedicate her son to the Lord if He granted her wish, and that was what we heard in today’s first reading passage, which detailed how Samuel was born, and then at the appointed time after he has been weaned from his mother, Hannah and Elkanah brought him to Eli, the then High Priest and Judge of Israel, to consecrate and commit Samuel to the service of God. And that was how the story of Samuel began and how He eventually became God’s Prophet and the Judge over all of Israel, the last of the Judges before the days and time of the Kings. And we can see clearly in Samuel’s family how they all put God at the centre of all things, being faithful and committed to God, centred on prayer and devotion to Him.

We also can see how love is truly evident in Samuel’s family, as Elkanah mentioned earlier loved Hannah very much, and vice versa, and Hannah took good care of Samuel before he was dedicated to the Lord’s service. No doubt even after that, although it was unrecorded in the Scriptures, that Samuel’s family would continue to visit him from time to time as he grew up ever stronger in wisdom and in the ways of the world. Their exemplary faith and love, and how they kept putting God at the centre of their family and existence is something that we should also be doing in our own families. This is similar to what we then heard from our Gospel passage today regarding the Holy Family, about the time when the Lord Jesus stayed behind at the Temple of Jerusalem while He was just twelve years old.

As we heard and should well know, the Lord Jesus quietly stayed back at the Temple of Jerusalem, being drawn to the House of His Heavenly Father and as a revelation of His true identity as the Incarnate Son of God. But this made His Mother Mary and St. Joseph to be worried, and they spent time trying to find where He was, tracing their path back to Jerusalem and the Temple of God where they finally found Him. We heard how the Lord Jesus obeyed them and followed them back to Nazareth even though He desired to stay at His Father’s House. From the Lord Jesus we saw the example of obedience, which He later on would show again at the moment of His Passion, bearing up willingly the weight of the Cross for our salvation, obeying perfectly His Father’s will for our salvation.

And hence from Mary and St. Joseph we saw the great love that they had for their Son. Mary as the Mother of the Lord naturally loved Him and she devoted herself completely to Him, and later on, she would follow her Son throughout various parts of His ministry, and she followed Him all the way even to the Cross, as she faithfully stayed by His side to the very end. She nurtured the Lord Jesus and cared for Him throughout His whole life, and hence, she is truly deserving of the great honour that we have given to her as the Mother of God. At the same time, St. Joseph, despite not being the biological father of the Lord and was just His foster-father, he continued to devote himself, his time and effort to provide for and to protect Mary and her Holy Child, just as he had been entrusted to do.

Through the examples that we have been provided with today, we are all reminded that our families are truly important parts of our lives and they also serve as the foundations and integral parts of the whole Church of God. If our families are not rooted in the Lord and if we do not spend good and quality time together with our fellow family members, then it will be easier for the evil one to strike at us and break through us, dividing us among ourselves and weakening our connection both towards God and to our fellow brothers and sisters, especially to our fellow family members. This is why we need to strengthen our commitment to our families and take heed from the inspirations and examples shown and discussed this Sunday so that our families may grow ever stronger and more resilient against the many challenges and pressures from the world.

What all of us should do is, whichever members of our family we are, be it as a parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, sibling or others, all of us should strive and commit to spend good quality time with our fellow family members around us. If the family does not even spend good and quality time together at all, and instead being preoccupied by many distractions of worldly pursuits and ambitions, then how can the family stay together? Many families and marriages had faltered before and collapsed precisely because of this lack of good quality time that we should have spent with each other. And of course, another important part of our families must be God, and God should always be at the heart and centre of our every families.

Let us ask ourselves, when was the last time we spend good, quality and precious time with our family members, and as one family, praying together and doing activities together? If we have not done these recently, then it is imperative that we try our best to do them as soon as possible, and try to make the time for each other, even amidst our busy schedules and activities in life. Let us all realise the importance of good Christian families, all of which should be safe space and firm anchor for each one of us, as the strong pillars of our Church and faith, a safe place and space where each one of us can grow ever stronger in faith and grace of God. May the Lord be with us always, and may He continue to bless our families and their members. Amen.