Reflections

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Thursday, 9 May 2024 : Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, which is celebrated on the fortieth day in the season of Easter. Sometimes this celebration is moved to the Sunday after which is the Seventh Sunday of Easter. This important feast marks the moment when the Lord Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, Son of God and Son of Man, Who had risen triumphantly from the dead, ascended in glory into Heaven. Through His Ascension, He returned triumphantly and gloriously to where He had come from, the Throne of God as the only begotten Son of God and the Divine Word Incarnate, and to prepare a place for all of us, His disciples and followers in the world that is to come.

If the Resurrection proved that the Lord had conquered death itself, and broken the chains of sin and evil which had dominated us from the beginning of time, from the moment of our downfall, then the Ascension proved that the Lord truly had come down from Heaven itself, and He rose gloriously by His own power, to show that He is indeed the same Almighty God and Creator of all, one in unity with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Through His Incarnation, the Lord has shown us all His love and His Presence, manifested and made approachable to us in the flesh, and reminding us that we mankind are indeed made in the image of God. And He has also reassured all of His disciples and followers that He would still be with them even though He has ascended into Heaven and can no longer be physically present with them in the form they are familiar with.

In our first reading today from the Acts of the Apostles, that is what we heard from the accounts of the moment when the Lord ascended into Heaven. As mentioned, He reassured all His disciples that the Holy Spirit would be with them, guiding and strengthening them throughout their journey and ministry. The Holy Spirit would indeed come upon all the Apostles and disciples of the Lord at the Pentecost, ten days later, on the fiftieth day after the Resurrection at Easter, which we will celebrate soon as the Pentecost Sunday. Through the guidance, wisdom and strength provided to them through the Holy Spirit, the Lord’s disciples and followers were strengthened and encouraged to go and continue their works and missions in answering God’s call and in fulfilling what they had been entrusted to do, in proclaiming the truth and Good News of God to the nations.

This is the main purpose and mission which the Lord had entrusted to all of us the members of His Body, the Church of God, all the faithful and holy people who have received the truth and light of His salvation and grace. And since He has revealed to us all these, therefore each and every one of us are also entrusted with the same mission which the Lord had placed upon His Church, also known as the Great Commission, that is to make Him known to all the people of all the nations, and to proclaim His Good News and salvation in all the whole world, to lead the world and all mankind to return back towards God and be reconciled with Him. Then this will lead to the whole world to acknowledge that Christ is truly the Lord and Master of all, and receive baptism in the Name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Then in our second reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in Ephesus, we heard of the words of St. Paul the Apostle to the faithful reminding them all to remain united as one Body of Christ and one united community of believers, encouraged and strengthened by the same Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit Whom God had sent into this world, to dwell in His Church and among all of His faithful ones. The Apostle reminded all of them of the mission which the Lord had entrusted to each and every one of them through the bestowal of the Holy Spirit, by Whom God had guided and led His Church to continue the good works and missions which He Himself had begun in this world. He has bestowed upon His Church and the faithful many gifts and blessings, the many opportunities and chances for them all to proclaim the Gospel to all.

That was why St. Paul the Apostle also reminded all of the faithful in Ephesus and beyond, that each and every one of them have received those various and diverse gifts, blessings and talents, and everyone have their own calling and mission in life, in doing their part to contribute to the overall great and wonderful works of the Church. Some are meant to be preachers, while others are called to show their contributions in other ways, in their own daily living and actions, while others teach and help others to understand better the meaning of the Christian faith, and many more diverse calling and ministries are present in the Church. This applies to all of us even to this day, just as we all have been given diverse blessings, talents and opportunities in the Church, and in our world today, to which we are all called to minister as God’s disciples and followers.

In the Gospel passage, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus speaking to the disciples, proclaiming His guidance and providence to all of them, reassuring them that as long as they continue to proclaim His truth and Good News, while they might indeed encounter hardships and difficulties, challenges and tribulations, but they shall be protected and guarded, and the Lord would always be by their side, suffering and enduring all those things with them, and through His Holy Spirit, the Church and all the faithful servants of God will continue to be strengthened and empowered even through their greatest moments of hardships and their deepest trials. The Lord would guide and bless them so that they might indeed continue to live their lives worthily of Him, and to continue to proclaim His truth and Good News to all the people of all the nations.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore realise well that we are all called to continue the good works that the Lord had begun with His Apostles and our holy predecessors. There are indeed still many opportunities and chances presented to us in our world today, with its unique challenges and difficulties, and with many are still lost to the Lord, or having forgotten His love and truth, in their pursuit of worldly glory, ambition and pleasures. It is up to us then to make good use of the blessings, talents and opportunities that God has given to us so that we may continue to be good role models and inspirations for one another, at all times. Through our lives and examples, we may indeed be the shining beacons of God’s light and truth, proclaiming His Good News to all the people around us and beyond.

May the Risen Lord Who had ascended in glory into Heaven, as He takes up His Throne, continue to be with us all His Church, and continue to guide and strengthen us all in our path. May He continue to empower each and every one of us with the strength and courage to see things through and to persevere despite the many challenges and trials that we may have to encounter and endure in our respective paths in life and in our respective vocations and ministries. May He continue to bless and guide us in our every good works, efforts and endeavours, all for His greater glory and for the good and salvation of all mankind. Amen.

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Wednesday, 8 May 2024 : 6th Week of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Sacred Scriptures presented to all of us with the reassurance and reminder that as Christians, each and every one of us are the bearers of God’s truth and love, His salvation and light to the nations. Each and every one of us have received from God the assurance of His love and salvation, and He has blessed us all wonderfully with His care and compassion, leading us down the path of truth, and we are then entrusted with the responsibility and the mission to reach out to more and more of our fellow brothers and sisters so that through us and our efforts and works, through our every good actions, words and deeds, our interactions and outreach, we may inspire ever more people to come to believe in the Lord as well.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles of the time when St. Paul continued his missionary journey and this time, he went to Athens, the centre of Greek culture and civilisation for many centuries, and where philosophical debates and studies were commonplace. St. Paul went to Athens, to the place called the Areopagus, where historically philosophers went to debate and discern their philosophical theories and thinking. He spoke courageously to those who were there about their pagan ways and how they recognised an ‘Unknown God’ amidst their numerous gods and goddesses in their vast pantheon of divine beings. St. Paul introduced them all to the One and only True God, the Creator of the whole Universe, the Almighty God, the One that he associated with this Unknown God.

St. Paul presented it in a way that the Greeks had been worshipping inanimate objects and beings, and their pagan gods and goddesses, all the beings that were mythological and not real, and yet, the Lord and God that he was revealing to them was indeed true and genuine, and has shown His truth and might, His signs and wonders through none other than His own Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Son of Man, through Whom we have seen and witnessed the perfect manifestation of God and His love in the flesh. St. Paul told the Greeks and their philosophers in Athens of the truth of God, and of everything that He had done and revealed to us, through His Son and the Holy Spirit, and the wisdom and truth bestowed upon the Church.

He told the people not to worship the inanimate and created objects and beings of the Universe, which were what the Greeks worshipped then, the deities and false gods and goddesses based on natural phenomena and observances, as many if not most of their gods and goddesses were based on those aforementioned phenomena, places like the sky, the seas and the earth itself, which were given human perspective and actions to bring them to life, as those who are familiar with the Greek mythology and pantheon will quickly know and realise how the Greek gods and goddesses in their actions and behaviour, were no different at all from the people who were supposed to be their subjects, and in fact those gods and goddesses might even behave in a worse and more scandalous way than that of the people themselves.

That was why St. Paul presented to those philosophers and others who were there listening to him, the One and only True God, the One Who created all things and the One Who alone is worthy of all worship and honour, and not the inanimate idols and objects, or the natural phenomena and other things which the Greeks and other pagans had been adopting as their gods and deities. St. Paul tried very hard to convince them that the Lord alone is worthy of following and worship because He has indeed shown His truth, His identity and fulfilled all that He had promised through all the events which had happened and which St. Paul himself was one of the witnesses, sharing the many testimonials of faith made by the other ones who have seen and experienced the Lord’s works and wonders. And as we heard, while he was mocked by quite a number of those philosophers especially when he talked about the Resurrection, but there were also some who were genuinely intrigued and wanted to know more about God.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the words of the Lord speaking to His disciples, reminding them of His guidance and the Holy Spirit, the Helper and Advocate that the Father would be sending to all of them through Him. The Lord reminded His disciples that the Lord would send them all His wisdom and strength, His guidance and providence so that even after He had departed from them eventually, after He would ascend into the glory of Heaven, to return to where He came from, but the Church and all those who are part of it shall always be guided, strengthened and provided in their path and way by the Lord, through His many works and wonders, and through His guiding hand and encouragement, He would lead them to do great and wonderful things just as the Apostles like St. Paul and many others had done.

Therefore, each and every one of us as Christians today are also reminded to do the same as well in our own respective lives. All of us have been given various blessings, opportunities and vocations specific to whichever areas in life that God has called us into. The Lord entrusted to us His many blessings and wonders, so that through all these, we may truly do great things and proclaim His truth, Good News and salvation to many more people all around us. And hopefully, we may touch the lives of more people who have not yet seen and experienced God’s light, truth and salvation. Each and every one of us should indeed be good and worthy bearers of God’s truth and salvation, in living our own lives worthily, that our every actions and words, our every interactions will truly bear the light of God’s truth, that all may come to see Who He is, and realise that He alone is worthy of our worship and adoration.

Brothers and sisters, let us all therefore continue to live our lives with God’s guidance and help, so that we may continue to be good and shining examples of our Christian faith and virtues in wherever we are living in, in our various communities and areas of responsibility, in our dedication and commitment to God. Let our Christian faith and truth continue to lead more and more people towards the Lord, so that they may also be saved from the darkness and destruction because of sin. May God be with us all and with His Church, and may He continue to empower all of us to walk ever more faithfully in His path, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 7 May 2024 : 6th Week of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us are reminded through the reading passages taken from the Sacred Scriptures of the many trials, obstacles and challenges that we shall face as God’s holy people, as we embark on our respective missions and vocations in life. Each and every one of us must realise that to be Christians is not going to be like a walk in the park, as to be true, genuine and active Christians, we may often have to go up against the currents and customs of the world, just as the Lord Himself had done. If He Himself had been persecuted, endured hardships and rejection, then as He said to His disciples, then all of us can also expect similar treatment, challenges and difficulties in our path as well. But we must not worry or be afraid, because God is always ultimately by our side at every step of the way.

In our first reading today, we heard of the difficulties which the Apostle St. Paul and his companion, St. Silas encountered as they were carrying out their ministry among the people in Philippi, in the region of Macedonia in northern part of Greece. Over there, as they began the ministry among all those who have not yet known the Lord, they attracted the attention of many slaves in the region, who welcomed the message and encouragement of the Apostles and the other Christian missionaries who presented to them the message of Christian equality and egalitarianism in the face of the rampant slavery which was quite common at that time in the Roman Empire. Because slaves were often exploited and badly treated, therefore the promise of equality in the eyes of God and the liberation that Christ has brought and promised to everyone is truly promising indeed.

However, as we heard, this led to stiff opposition and rejection by the slave owners who considered the efforts of the Apostles and the Christian teachings to be great threats to their position, status and way of life. That was why St. Paul and St. Silas encountered such great hardships, as the slave owners rose up against them and plotted to throw them into prison with the assistance of the local magistrate and rulers. We heard how both of them were imprisoned by the machinations of their enemies, and how God intervened most miraculously when an earthquake struck the area and the prison, which allowed both of the Apostles not just being unharmed, but was also free to leave the prison. We heard how the jailor of the prison was so distraught at what happened that he almost wanted to take his own life, as undoubtedly, he would be blamed for the escape of the prisoners.

Yet, the Apostles intervened and reached out to the jailor, who became a believer in Christ together with that of his entire family. We heard how God was with His servants and messengers in their time of great need, being with them, guarding and providing for them whenever they were in need. Despite the sufferings they faced, and all the challenges they encountered, God gave them the courage and the necessary help, the opportunities, and even the chance to continue their mission in the most unexpected way, just as we have heard from the conversion story of the jailor and his family. The same therefore happened to the Church, which continued to grow and flourish even amidst the intensifying persecutions and challenges against them, and many more people would come to be believers in Christ in the years afterwards.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the Lord telling His disciples that He would go away from them, but He would still remain by their side, in His guidance through the sending of the Helper or the Advocate, the Holy Spirit. This was a reference of how the Lord Jesus eventually would leave the disciples physically and would no longer be visible to them after He has died, risen from the dead and then ascended into Heaven. Those same disciples witnessed the Risen Lord Who appeared to them on several occasions, and they saw His Ascension into Heaven, when the Lord reassured all of them once again of the promised Holy Spirit that God would send to them to help and guide them all in their work and ministry.

The Lord told them all everything that they might have to suffer and endure, and saying to them that the greatest flaw and sin that the world committed is that of disbelief, that is refusing to believe in the truth and love which God has revealed and shown to everyone, preferring to follow their own erroneous and wicked paths in life, ignoring the truth and the path which the Lord had revealed and shown to them, and this was often because they were not willing to open their hearts and minds to listen to His truth and to witness His loving care and compassion. Therefore, if the Lord Himself had faced this stubborn rejection and all sorts of persecutions and hardships, thus His Church and disciples might encounter the same things too.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore remind ourselves that living as Christians is not something that should be taken lightly and we should no longer be idle in our lives or in being ignorant of the truth which the Lord Himself has shown us. As Christians, that is as God’s chosen, holy and beloved people, we should always strive to be good role models and inspiration for one another in how we live our lives, in our every words, actions and deeds so that we may continue to proclaim the Lord and His truth in even the smallest actions we do, and like how the Apostles, the Christian missionaries and other holy men and women of God had inspired countless people to come and believe in God as well.

May the Risen Lord continue to guide each and every one of us, His Church, in our every efforts and endeavours so that by His guidance and strength, all of us may continue to persevere through the difficult challenges and trials which we may encounter in our journey. May all of us continue to put our trust and faith in the Lord and do our very best so that in everything that we say and do, we will always glorify the Lord and we will continue to proclaim Him in every occasions throughout our whole lives, now and always. Amen.

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Monday, 6 May 2024 : 6th Week of Easter (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 presented with the reminder of the calling that all of us as Christians have received from the Lord, that is for us all to follow the Lord our God with all of our heart, with all of our might and strength. Each and every one of us should be willing to trust in the Lord and to continue following His path despite the many challenges, trials and struggles which we may encounter in our journey towards Him. We should not be easily swayed and coerced by the pressures and temptations present all around us, many of which certainly attempt to turn us away from the path towards God, by showing us paths that may be easier and more convenient for us, and they may also try to pander to our pride and ego, our desires of this world, and many more.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles of the continuation of the missions of St. Paul the Apostle and his companions as we commonly heard throughout the season of Easter, as they proclaimed the Word of God and His Good News to everyone whom they encountered along their journey. They worked hard and courageously among the people, speaking the truth about God’s salvation and grace, which He has generously given to all of them through His Son, Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, and Whose truth and love have therefore been revealed to all through the hard work and efforts of the Apostles like St. Paul and many others. Through their labours, as we have constantly heard in the readings from the Acts of the Apostles, many people came to believe in the Lord and became Christian believers, baptised by the Apostles and the other missionaries, and welcomed into the Church of God.

We heard how both the Jewish people in the lands of Judea and Galilee, and the diaspora communities throughout the region, and even many among the Gentiles or the non-Jewish people became the followers of Christ, having seen and witnessed the great many wonders that His missionaries and disciples had done, and acknowledging the truth and wisdom which accompanied them and in everything that they had done, in how they lived their lives with great sanctity, love and devotion towards God and also towards one another. This kind of life and examples which the early Christians had shown inspired many others who were touched by their examples and sincerity, by their faith and love for God, and which therefore helped to convince many to turn towards the Lord and His truth.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus to His disciples in which He reassured all of them of God’s Presence and guidance in all things, that God would send unto them the Holy Spirit, Whom the Lord called as the Advocate or the Helper, as through the Holy Spirit God would strengthen, encourage and guide the disciples of the Lord and all Christians to embark on their missions and works, that they might be granted the wisdom and strength to carry out their missions and vocations successfully, in all the things that they would have to go through and encounter in their lives and respective ministries. Ultimately, through the Holy Spirit, God always reminds us that we are always in God’s sight and guidance, and that His Church is always anchored firmly in Him.

Through the power and encouragement of the Holy Spirit, that was how St. Paul and the other Apostles and disciples of the Lord were able to carry out their ministry and works faithfully and courageously amidst the various challenges and trials that they had to face, as they went on their missionary journeys from places to places, towns to towns, proclaiming the Good News and truth of God. The Lord was with them and strengthened them amidst all the challenges that they had to face, so that even though they had to bear a lot of hardships and challenges, but they continued on regardless, and carried on doing their responsibiities most faithfully, doing their very best to glorify the Lord by their lives and examples, so that by their lives, they may be great role models and inspirations for everyone.

The Lord at the same time also reminded all of His disciples that He is the True Vine, and everyone shall draw their truth and their inspiration from Him. Unless all of us are connected to the Lord and remain firmly anchored and attached upon Him, then it is likely that we will end up wandering off away from God’s truth and grace. This has happened many times throughout the history of the Church as time and again, many people had led to the break in the Church unity and harmony because they championed and supported their own erroneous way of thinking and interpretation of the Lord’s truth, not drawing from the deposit of truth as preserved in the Church of God. All these had caused so many to fall away from the path towards God’s salvation and grace.

This is why each and every one of us are reminded that we must always centre our lives, our focus and our every efforts and endeavours on the Lord. The works and efforts of the Church and all of its members and parts must always be united in purpose and focus on the Lord so that in all the things we say and do, we will always seek to glorify God and to lead others towards His light and truth, and not for our own personal ambition, glory and power. We must be careful lest the many temptations of this world may end up misleading us down the path of wickedness, evil and destruction. Hence, this is why we should always continue to strengthen our relationship with Him, reminding ourselves of the great examples of our holy predecessors, the Holy Apostles, saints and martyrs of the Church.

May the Risen Lord continue to help and guide us throughout our journey, as the members of the Church, so that each and every one of us can continue to draw strength from Him, staying inspired by Him and being committed to His cause, and doing whatever we can so that by our lives and good examples we may truly be the inspiration and encouragement for each other, in living our lives in the best manner, so that by our lives, God may be glorified, and His truth and Good News may be spread and proclaimed to the whole world, to all those whom we encounter in our daily living. May He empower each and every one of us, and strengthen us in faith, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 5 May 2024 : Sixth Sunday of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday, the Sixth Sunday of Easter, all of us are reminded yet again of why we celebrate most joyfully during this time and season of Easter, that is because the Lord has shown His love, kindness and compassion towards each and every one of us, and manifested that perfect and most wonderful love in His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, through Whom He has shown us all His ever enduring love and compassion, as He constantly reached out to us with great patience and ever-enduring care, seeking to reunite us with His loving Father and our Creator. God has indeed been so generous with His love and compassion that we should always be grateful and be reminded of His ever present love in our midst.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles of the experiences of St. Peter the Apostle, who went to the town and region of Joppa which was by the Mediterranean coast, where he encountered a Roman centurion named Cornelius who was well respected by the local community and his family, in which prior to that he experienced a vision from the Lord Who showed him all sorts of food and animals which the Jewish laws and customs had considered to be unclean, and how the Lord told St. Peter to eat of those, which initially he refused to do because those were unclean according to the old Jewish customs and laws. The Lord told St. Peter that whatever He had deemed to be clean, should not be deemed as unclean.

This was in fact a premonition of what St. Peter would soon encounter in his journey in Joppa as he encountered Cornelius and his family, and saw the great faith which they had in the Lord, the honour they showed to the Lord and His Apostles, and how they were willing to embrace God and His truth. However, at that time, the common perception among the Jewish people, especially those among the Pharisees was that the non-Jewish people, also known and called collectively as Gentiles, consisting of mainly the Romans and the Greeks, the Egyptians and other people of the region, all of them were commonly seen and considered as pagans and unworthy of God, and as recorded in the Gospels, this went to the extent that associating or going to the house or residence of a Gentile would render one unclean according to the Jewish laws and customs.

However, the Lord revealed that His grace and love, His mercy and compassion are extended towards everyone, and all the Gentiles have also been called and led into God’s love, as He sent to them the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit that He has sent to all of His Apostles and disciples. This was the testimony which St. Peter himself presented to the whole assembly of the faithful as they discerned and debated on what they ought to do regarding the believers who came from among the non-Jewish origins. We heard how the Holy Spirit descended upon the converts from among the Gentiles, as they received the same gifts that the Apostles had received, and hence, we heard how St. Peter baptised all those among the Gentiles who had been called by God and embraced Him as their Lord and Saviour.

In our second reading this Sunday, we heard of the words of the Apostle St. John in his Epistle directed to all the faithful people of God reminding them all of the truth of God’s loving nature, and how He loves every one of His beloved children and people, and manifesting this great and most generous love for us in His Son, Jesus Christ Our Lord and Saviour, the perfect example and manifestation of His eternal and ever-present love for each and every one of us. It is the same love which He has shown us all most generously, and which the Lord Himself said that God truly loved the world and all of us so much that He has given us all His only begotten Son, Jesus Himself, to be the bearer of God’s love and salvation for all of those who are truly precious to Him.

The love of God has been manifested in the flesh, and became tangible, approachable and reachable to us all. While once God was transcendent and far beyond our ability to comprehend Him and His love, but through His Son, all of us have received the assurance of His ever enduring love for us, and we have received from Him the perfect gift of His love and commitment to everything which He has promised to us since the very beginning of time. By the actions which the Lord Jesus had done, in His ministry and works in our midst, in His revelation of God’s truth and love, in explaining the Law and commandments that God had bestowed on us, out of His ever constant and enduring love, and ultimately, by His own perfect and most loving sacrifice on the Cross, each and every one of us have received through Christ the assurance of life eternal.

Then, in our Gospel this Sunday, we heard from the Gospel of St. John in which the Lord spoke to His disciples about His commandments to them, the Law of God which He has brought and revealed to them in all of its truth, in its intention and purpose, that is to teach us how to love God and one another just as He has first loved all of us. God has loved us all from the very beginning and it was love that led Him to create all of us, so that we may share in the fullness of His love and grace, to enjoy forever the favour and true bliss in our existence with Him. Unfortunately, this has been denied to us because of our disobedience against God and our refusal to believe in Him, and through this disobedience, sin has corrupted our hearts and minds, turning us away from the love of God and making us to fall ever further and deeper into the wrong paths in life.

That is why God in His infinite and most wonderful love for each one of us has always been so patient in reaching out to us in each and every moments, sending His servants and messengers at all times, trying to reach out to us and call us all out of the darkness and into the light. He does not want any one of us to be lost to Him, and He wants us all to be reconciled to Him, and find our way to Him, by showing us all the path of His love and redemption, and giving us all His Law and commandments, which were meant to help and lead us in our path in life so that we may do what is necessary that we may draw ever closer to Him and His salvation. Through His Law and commandments, the Lord wants to teach us all how to love Him and to love one another, that they may rediscover the joy of living in His Presence and the desire to be reunited with Him.

However, by the time of the Lord’s life and ministry in this world, many people had forgotten or ignored the truth and failed to realise the true significance and purpose of the Law and commandments which God had bestowed on them. Throughout the many centuries since the Law was first revealed to the people of God, it had undergone extensive modification and changes, as the elders and the people attempted to adjust the Law according to their own customs, preferences and ways, and by the time of the Lord Jesus’ ministry, a movement to impose a very strict and rigid, excessive and overbearing implementation of the Law and commandments of God came to rise with the group known as the Pharisees, who together with the teachers of the Law imposed this to the rest of the community of the people of God.

However, this led to the marginalisation of the ones whom the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law deemed and considered as being less than worthy of God’s salvation and love. They deemed all those who did not belong to their group and those who did not follow the Law of God as strictly and as particularly as they had done as being less than worthy, and they openly prejudiced and being judgmental against all those whom they deemed as unclean, sinners and cursed by God, such as the prostitutes and tax collectors, and all those who had been afflicted by diseases and ailments. This is however not what the Lord had desired from His Law and commandments, and it was not how He intended this same Law and commandments to be practiced and used by the people whom He has loved so much. He did not discriminate against anyone, and loves everyone equally.

Thus, He showed us this most perfect love through His own Son, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the One through Whom the salvation of the whole world had been presented to us. He revealed His love for us through His most selfless and wonderful sacrifice, as He endured all the beatings, the sufferings and pains, bearing all the whole burden of our sins and wickedness, all the punishments and consequences meant for us and our rebelliousness, and loving us truly very much, despite our own lack of faith and love towards Him, He showed us all by His own perfect example what true love is all about. True love is when one is willing to lay down everything, for the love of God and mankind alike just as Christ our Lord had done for us, to love truly from the heart and to show true care and compassion towards our fellow brothers and sisters.

Now, are we all willing to learn this path and way of love that the Lord Himself has shown us, and which He has entrusted to us through His Law and commandments, which the Church had faithfully preserved and taught to us? Let us all as Christians always be full of God’s love and commit ourselves ever more to the Law and commandments which He had taught and shown us, so that by our every actions, words and deeds, and by our way of life, we will show everyone we encounter and meet in life, how we should truly live our lives so that we may truly be worthy of Our loving God, our Lord and Creator. May God be with us always, and be with His Church, and may He continue to show us His ever generous love, just as we too share His love with one another, now and always. Amen.

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Saturday, 4 May 2024 : 5th Week of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures in which we are all reminded that as Christians, each and every one of us have been called from the world and chosen to be God’s own beloved people, as we have embraced His love and truth, His salvation and assurance of eternal life for all of us. All of us as His beloved and holy people have been called and expected to live our lives worthily of God, that we may do our very best in proclaiming His truth and love in our respective communities, in every opportunities and responsibilities entrusted to us. Each and every one of us as Christians have been called to be those who are truly exemplary and inspirational in our lives and actions so that by our every actions, words and deeds, we may continue to inspire and touch the lives of many others around us.

In our first reading today, we heard the continuation of the account from the Acts of the Apostles in which the works of St. Paul was further elaborated to us, in how he carried on his missionary journey and works among the people in various places. At that time in particular, St. Paul was travelling with his companions such as St. Timothy mentioned in the passage today, and others like St. Luke, St. Barnabas and more, all throughout the different parts and regions of Asia Minor, going from place to place, towns to towns to glorify the Lord and to proclaim His Good News and truth. Through their hard works and efforts, they had convinced many people to become Christian believers as well, embracing God’s fullness of truth and love, and entering into a new relationship with Him and a new life in Him.

We heard how the Lord was with His Apostles, guiding and strengthening them in their path as they carried out their mission, amidst all the challenges and trials that they were facing. He guided them through the Holy Spirit, Who led and guided them to go wherever God had wanted them to go to, just as we heard how the Spirit guided St. Paul to go to a certain place, giving him dreams and leads to bring him and his companions to places where there are more need for evangelisation and outreach towards all those who have not yet known the Lord. Essentially what we have heard was the way how the Lord exercised His guidance and providence for His faithful servants, guiding and leading the works and ministries of His Church so that through everything that they did, they might spread ever further the message of the Gospel of Christ, the Good News of God.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the words of the Lord Jesus Who reassured His disciples and reminded them all that if they were to suffer persecutions, oppressions and hardships in the future, then all those happened just because the world itself had also opposed and persecuted the Lord Himself, Who had to endure the most painful sufferings and the greatest of humiliations for the sake of our salvation, just as He took upon His Cross and faced the greatest of all of His trials, so that by His suffering and death, He might save all of us and bring us all into a new and eternal life with Him, reconciled and reunited with God. If the Lord Himself had suffered, then it is only natural that His disciples and followers would likely have to endure the same fate as well.

But the Lord reassured them all that they were not alone, and the Lord Himself would always be with them, promising them that the Advocate, the Helper, Who is the Holy Spirit, would come into their midst and be with them, helping and guiding them in their works and ministries, in everything that they say and do, for the greater glory of God. The Lord promised them all that their rewards would truly be great in Him and that He will be with them in all things and at all times, and would prepare for them the everlasting glory and honour reserved to those who have remained and kept their faith in Him, despite all the challenges, trials and sufferings that they had to face as the disciples, followers and missionaries of the Lord and Saviour of all.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to these words from the Sacred Scriptures, we are therefore reminded of the Lord’s Presence in our midst and in all the things that we say and do, in all of our efforts, endeavours and good works that He has entrusted to us and which we have carried out and are doing for the greater glory of God and for the salvation of souls. We are all called to continue the great works which the Lord had begun through His Apostles and disciples, all those who have given their best efforts and their whole lives for the Lord. There are still a lot of works for us to do in this world today, in our various communities and places of responsibilities, in proclaiming God’s Good News and truth to all the people of all the nations.

Each and every one of us have been entrusted with the gifts, abilities and opportunities which the Lord had provided to us and blessed us with. With these comes the responsibilities and calling through which we should commit ourselves in even the smallest ways that we will always continue to show the Lord’s Good News and truth, His love and ways to everyone whom we encounter and interact with. We should always strive to be the bearers of God’s truth and be good and worthy role models for one another. Like that of the Apostles and the disciples of the Lord before us, who have inspired us with their exemplary lives and actions, we should ourselves therefore be good and worthy disciples and followers of the Lord as well, in living our own lives led and strengthened by the Holy Spirit.

May the Risen Lord continue to be with us and guide us in all of our journey and efforts throughout life. May He continue to strengthen our resolve to live our lives worthily of Him and to endure all sorts of trials, challenges and tribulations, so that despite whatever it is that we may need to face in our lives, we will always be strong and inspired to follow His path, and the examples of the holy men and women who had gone before us, so that by our lives and perseverance, our own faith and commitment, more and more may come to believe in the Lord as well and be saved through God’s light and salvation. Amen.

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Friday, 3 May 2024 : Feast of St. Philip and St. James, Apostles (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the Feast of not just one but two of the Twelve Apostles of the Lord, namely that of St. Philip the Apostle and St. James the Apostle. The latter should not be confused with St. James the brother of St. John the Apostle, who was also an Apostle of the Lord. This St. James whose feast we are celebrating today with St. Philip was also known as St. James the Less or St. James the Lesser, called so not because he was less distinguished but rather because he was physically shorter than St. James the Greater, the brother of St. John. Both St. Philip and St. James the Less dedicated themselves to the Lord and to the missions entrusted to them, and they were faithful to the very end of their lives.

St. Philip was mentioned several times throughout the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles, as he accompanied the Lord on His mission and doing the works of the disciples of the Lord, and later on after the Lord had died, risen from the dead, and finally ascended into Heaven, St. Philip would go forth and do just as the other Apostles had done, in proclaiming the Good News of the Lord to many people, initially in the regions of Samaria where quite a few among the Samaritans had been receptive and welcoming towards the Lord and His messages and truth. St. Philip therefore continued the good works that the Lord and His disciples had begun in that region, as he laboured hard to preach the truth of God to more and more people.

According to the Acts of the Apostles, St. Philip was the one who preached the Good News to an Ethiopian official who was on his way back home from Jerusalem. St. Philip spoke with great wisdom and truth, and managed to convince the Ethiopian official, who agreed to be baptised and becoming a disciple of Christ, and hence, bringing the Christian faith back to his Ethiopian homeland. St. Philip would continue to carry on various works for the Lord, going forth on missionary journeys to various places, such as Greece, Syria and Asia Minor, where he spent time and effort going from place to place, town to town to spread the Gospels and to teach the people about the Lord, about His truth and salvation. Through his efforts, many were converted to the faith and became believers, although he did encounter significant opposition and obstacles as well.

St. Philip went through lots of tribulations and yet he still courageously carried on with his responsibilities, spending much time and sacrifices to do the will of God, endlessly and faithfully carrying out the mission entrusted to him. According to Apostolic tradition of the Church fathers, like most of the other Apostles, he went through sufferings and martyrdom at the end of his ministry and life, which happened in the region of Hierapolis in Asia Minor, where he performed his preaching and miracles, which led to the healing and conversion of the wife of the local proconsul, which enraged the latter and led him to order the arrest, torture and finally the martyrdom of both St. Philip and another Apostle, St. Bartholomew, who in some traditions were crucified upside-down.

Meanwhile, St. James the Less also carried out similar works of evangelisation and spreading of the Good News, beginning from the land of Judea and then to other places. Less information were available about him due to the frequent confusion between the identity of the one identified as St. James the Less, as some attributed him to St. James, son of Alpheus, one of the Twelve, and yet others attributed him to one St. James the Just, who was the first bishop of Jerusalem, and who was one of the Lord’s relative. Regardless of the true facts or the true identity of St. James, he did wonderful works for the Lord’s sake, and he patiently endured all the challenges and trials, guiding the faithful people of God to the right path, and was also martyred at the end of his life and ministry.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we recall the memory of their great faith and contribution to the Church and the faithful people of God, we remember how St. Philip and St. James the Less dedicated themselves to the Lord and spent their whole lives and ministries in trying to proclaim the truth and Good News of God to more and more people. They did not spare the effort and not even their own lives in doing so, and by their great examples and way of life, they have truly shown everyone what it truly means to be a disciple and follower of Christ, and how one should truly live his or her life so that he or she can truly be worthy of Him. The Lord had guided and strengthened them, and in the same manner, He has also guided and strengthened many others of our predecessors who have given their lives and efforts to glorify the Lord.

Now, what each and every one of us are called to do is to embrace God’s calling, to take up the missions which He had entrusted to us, in all the great diversities and types of missions, vocations and whatever it is that we have been entrusted with, in the various commitments, opportunities and in all the talents and abilities that we have been blessed with. Each and every one of us as members and parts of the Church of God, the same Body of Christ, are the ones who have been entrusted with the same missions as those of the Apostles. Therefore, we are also expected to do our best to proclaim the Lord, His Good News and truth to all the people in all the occasions and opportunities we have been presented with in our respective lives.

Let us all therefore continue to live our lives most worthily in the Lord, doing our very best so that in everything that we say and do we will always be ready to glorify God by our lives. Let us all be ever ready to walk the path that the Lord has shown us, even amidst the trials, challenges and obstacles that we may face in our daily living. Let the examples of the Holy Apostles, especially St. Philip and St. James continue to strengthen and encourage us to do our best in being worthy and faithful evangelisers and missionaries of the Lord, in even the smallest things that we do, in showing God’s Love and truth to all the people, through our own exemplary lives and actions. May the Risen Lord be with us all and may He empower us all to do His will, and to be His faithful disciples always. Amen.

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Thursday, 2 May 2024 : 5th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures we are all reminded of the need for us to follow and obey the commandments of God wholeheartedly and to understand what He has taught and entrusted to us so that in all the things we say and do, we shall always be focused and centred on the Lord, full of love and commitment for Him and then at the same time, also filled with genuine love for our fellow brothers and sisters all around us. We must not allow the temptations of worldly glory and desires from misleading us down the wrong path in life, as it is by following the Lord wholeheartedly and obeying Him that we shall find the path towards God’s grace and assured of His salvation.

In our first reading today, we heard of the continuation of the story from Acts of the Apostles when the Church was being divided on the issue of whether the Christian faithful ought to obey and follow the whole suit of the entire Jewish laws, customs, rituals and practices which was the favoured position of those who converted to the Christian faith from among the Pharisees and the more hardline ones among the Jewish people, demanding the Gentiles or the non-Jewish people to adopt wholesale the entire rules and laws concerning the Jewish customs and practices. This would have made it very difficult for the non-Jewish Christian converts to live their lives and consequently would have placed great burden on all those who seek to live their lives faithfully in God’s path.

That was why St. Paul and St. Barnabas adamantly insisted that this should not be the way how the Church should proceed forward. They brought the discussion to the table to the Apostles in Jerusalem, highlighting before the whole assembly of the faithful how God has done His great works, signs and miracles among the non-Jewish people as well, showing that He has truly called on everyone to follow Him regardless of their cultural, racial and original background, and He loved everyone regardless of their differences, and thus the Church should also act in the same manner by not making it difficult for those who did not come from Jewish background or origin to follow the Lord and His path, as the way how the Pharisees practiced the Law and the commandments of God was rather excessive and unnecessary.

Therefore in this first Council of the Church, historically known as the First Council of Jerusalem, the Apostles led by St. Peter, the first Pope and Vicar of Christ decided that all the faithful people of God are not bound to the extensive and rigid application of the Jewish laws, rules, customs and rituals, and they also set the standard of what the faithful ought to believe in, a standard which continued to evolve and became more standardised later on, and yet, in its basic form and core tenet remains what we also believe today in our Christian faith. We are all reminded through these that what truly matters in our faith as Christians is for us to follow the Lord faithfully and focus ourselves thoroughly in Him, making God as the centre and focus of our lives, and not like how those Pharisees and teachers of the Law who had become so obsessed in the laws and customs they preserved, that they ended up idolising those laws and customs while forgetting the very purpose why those laws and customs were given to us in the first place.

As Christians, all of us are reminded this day that we must truly have that strong and genuine love for the Lord our God and then also have the same love for our fellow brothers and sisters, our fellow men and women. All of us must always live our lives in a manner that is worthy of the Lord so that by our every actions, words and deeds, we will always continue to proclaim the glory of God and show His love and truth to everyone whom we encounter in life. Through our faithful and worthy lives therefore we may inspire countless others who have experienced us in their lives, either through their friendship or relationship with us, or through our simple actions and words, even for those whom we do not know at all, like strangers and others in our midst.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of a great saint and man of God whose life and contributions to the Church and the Christian faithful were truly great and remarkable. St. Athanasius was renowned for his courageous stand and defence of the true and orthodox faith against the dangerous threats of heresies and falsehoods which were rampant and common at that time, threatening not just the fate and salvation of many souls but also destroying the unity of the Church through schisms and the divisions because of all the heresies which had misled so many of the faithful into the wrong and evil paths. St. Athanasius in his role as a great Church father and leader of the Church especially as the Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria, is an inspiration for all of us to follow in how we ought to live up to our Christian faith.

St. Athanasius was born into a Christian family in Egypt during the time of Diocletianic Persecution, the last great official persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire. He grew up and matured just as the Christians throughout the Empire began to be emancipated and freed from all the many years of persecutions they were facing back then. He was well educated and eventually was prepared for clerical life by the then Bishop of Alexandria for his outstanding character and talents even early on in his youth. St. Athanasius became a great theologian and was a strong supporter of the orthodox Christian truth against the then popular and widespread heresy of Arianism popularised by the very charismatic preacher named Arius who turned many people from the true faith into heresy and who had many supporters from even among the bishops and priests of the Church, as well as among the secular rulers and nobles.

Yet, that did not dampen the spirit and courage shown by St. Athanasius, who as the Patriarch of Alexandria and as one the most influential leaders of the Church at the time became one of the champions of the true faith against all those who sought to pervert and change God’s teachings and truths for their own selfish ambitions and desires. He was one of the supporters of the true teaching of the Lord, defending the equality and the consubstantiality of the Son of God with the Father, something that the Arians refused to accept. He continued to minister faithfully to the people of God and to all the flock entrusted to his care amidst all the conflicts against the heretics, particularly with all the Arians and their supporters. He had to endure a lot of trials and challenges, and even exile at times from his See.

Yet, St. Athanasius continued to be firmly faithful and devoted himself thoroughly to his mission and calling in defending the faithful and the faith itself from being tainted by the falsehoods and heresies of his time. He wrote extensively on the many matters of the faith and his writings on the defence against the heresies of his time remained well-known and well-read to this day. St. Athanasius like those of St. Paul and St. Barnabas before him did his best to do God’s will and courageously stood up for the true Christian faith and teachings against all those who sought to change or corrupt those teachings for their own selfish desires and ambitions. Through his good examples and actions, he had brought so many people and souls closer to God’s salvation and grace, and many others to be inspired by their courage and examples.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore continue to proclaim the Lord’s truth and reach out to our fellow brothers and sisters, to all those who have not yet known or experienced the Lord in their lives. Let our own lives and examples, like that of St. Athanasius and the Holy Apostles, the many other saints and holy men and women of God, be the source of light and hope, inspiration and strength for others. May the Risen Lord continue to bless our every good efforts and endeavours, and may He empower us all to live ever more worthily in His Presence, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 1 May 2024 : 5th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the occasion of the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker, in conjunction with the secular celebration and commemoration of the May Day or Labour Day in many countries, celebrated on the first day of May each year. On this day we remember the workers in our midst, all of us who are working, labouring and toiling each day for our livelihood in various ways, in our respective areas in life, in whatever we are doing in this world to sustain ourselves, our families and our loved ones, and we unite all these efforts and works, with the great role model for all workers, that is St. Joseph himself, the Patron of all workers and all those who work hard to make ends meet for themselves and their loved ones.

St. Joseph, the foster father of Our Lord and Saviour, as His protector and guide was also a carpenter, who was hardworking and upright in his life and works. St. Joseph was not described much in the Gospels but according to what was available and to Apostolic tradition, he was a righteous man who dedicated himself to his family, and he was honest in his dealings, as a role model for his family and for the people all around him. At that time, being a carpenter was not an easy thing to do, as this job often required a lot of physical work and effort while at the same time, carpenters were often looked down upon by many people because it was considered as a menial and hard work, deemed as a job for the uneducated and poor people.

However, arguably St. Joseph was way better and more exemplary in his life than all those so-called educated and intelligent elites of the society, such as the Pharisees and the Sadducees, who dominated the politics and the community of the people of God at the time. While the latter disobeyed and disregarded God’s Law and commandments to satisfy their own desires and worldly ambitions, resisting the works and the words of the Lord Himself, preferring to keep on their own understanding and interpretation of the Law of the Lord, St. Joseph quietly listened to the Lord and obeyed, doing whatever he had been tasked and entrusted to do, humbly and without much noise or complaining, even when he was faced with a lot of difficulties.

For example, when St. Joseph had to protect the Holy Family, the Lord and His mother Mary from the great dangers facing them immediately after He was born, he had to take care of them and bring them away from the land of Judea, and into exile in Egypt away from those who sought to kill Him, just as earlier on he had to help the heavily pregnant Mary to find a place to stay in as she was about to give birth in Bethlehem during the census. Yet, despite all these things and all the hardships that he had to bear and endure, he did all of them quietly and faithfully, entrusting everything to the Lord and doing whatever he could in fulfilling what he had been entrusted to do. St. Joseph was a man of action and in all of his actions he always made sure that God is always at the centre of them all.

This is why St. Joseph is truly a great role model for all of us, as a faithful disciple and follower of the Lord, as a righteous and upright man, as a good and hardworking person, dedicated in whatever he does, so that in all that he had done, he always did them with grace and love, in remaining humble and unassuming in all things, allowing himself to be a great role model and inspiration to everyone else, in showing us all how we can live our lives worthily of the Lord and be the inspirations for others. By his labours and hard works done with righteousness and justice, St. Joseph showed us that it is truly better for us to do what is right and just in our actions and remain worthy in the eyes of the Lord rather than to gain the glory and riches of the world and yet losing our souls to the darkness of sin and evil. That is why we should follow his good examples.

Now, let us examine our Scripture passages carefully that just as St. Joseph had shown us through his actions and works, we may also be better able to live our lives worthily in the Lord at all times. In our first reading today, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles in which the arguments that happened between the Apostles and the members of the Church who proposed the imposition of the strict Jewish laws and customs upon all the faithful were told to us. At that time, the Church was growing rapidly and many people from both the Jewish community and diaspora as well as from the non-Jewish peoples, or the Gentiles, came to believe in the Lord and followed Him. However, some of them disagreed in the manner how they should live as disciples and followers of the Lord.

Some of the disciples came from among the Jewish elites like the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who were very particular and strict regarding the Law of God and the practices as revealed and passed down through the generations of many Israelites from the time of Moses. However, those practices would have made it rather difficult for many among the non-Jewish peoples to follow the Lord because of the cultural differences, obstacles and context of the time. But the two Apostles, St. Paul and St. Barnabas, who had ministered and proclaimed the Word of God among the Gentiles spoke up courageously and firmly against those who sought to impose false ways on the Church and the people of God. They laboured faithfully among the people in the mold of St. Joseph himself, in doing God’s good works and obeying His will, not for their own glory but for the greater glory of God.

Ultimately, they also carried out the good works of the Lord, Who had molded this world in the image that He had imagined for it. The Lord Himself was also often described as a Potter, as the Scriptures quoted Him as a Potter before, and like a carpenter such as St. Joseph, God sent out His servants into this world so that through each and every one of them might bear God’s truth and love to the world, and bring everyone ever closer towards Him. Through His countless efforts and works He made through His Apostles and disciples, and through His saints like the great St. Joseph, Holy Patron and Protector of workers, He has shaped us and our lives, and brought us all into this great Church, the great Ark through which He has gathered all of us much like what Noah had done, to bring us all out of the darkness and certainty of destruction into a new life and existence with Him.

Brothers and sisters, as we reflect upon the words of the Scriptures that we have heard today, and as we look upon the examples of St. Joseph, and also the Holy Apostles and the many other holy saints, holy men and women of God, let us all therefore be inspired by their examples and commit ourselves wholeheartedly to the Lord our God in all things. In all of our labours and works, let us always remind ourselves to do everything not for our own personal ambitions and desires, but instead seek to proclaim the truth and glory of God. We should also always be honest, righteous and good in all of our actions, words and deeds, to be exemplary in our faith at all times, following in the footsteps of St. Joseph the Worker.

May the Risen Lord continue to guide and strengthen us in all of our resolve and efforts so that we may continue to do great works for the glory of God and for the good of His people. May God be with us always, and may He empower and bless the Church, all of us, in all the things we say and do, now and always, forevermore. Holy Patron, St. Joseph the Worker, pray for us all to the Lord. Amen.

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

Liturgical Colour : White

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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