Reflections

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Thursday, 21 March 2024 : 5th Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we today as we listened to the words of the Lord contained in the Scriptures, all of us are reminded of God’s great love by which He has established and renewed His Covenant with us, again and again, from the beginning of time, and which He has constantly remembered, and last of all, He renewed it for all of us through none other than His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Through Jesus Christ, all of us have received the assurance of God’s love and grace, the promise of eternal life and true joy with Him, and all these have been shown to us through the New and Eternal Covenant which He has established through His Passion, suffering and death on the Cross, and ultimately through His glorious Resurrection.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Genesis in which the story of the moment when God established His Covenant with Abram, His faithful servant. Abram was called from the land of Ur to follow the Lord to the land of Canaan, which the Lord had promised to give to Abram and his descendants. Abram at that time while he was a really wealthy man, and yet he had no legitimate descendant to be his heir and successor, and yet such a promise from God might seem to be rather far-fetched, surreal and unrealistic. Yet, Abram trusted in the Lord and obeyed His call, leaving everything behind in his homeland and journeyed to wherever God wanted him to go. Thus, with the righteousness, obedience and virtues that Abram had shown, God blessed him and chose him to be the one with whom He would establish His Covenant with.

Thus, God reassured Abram of everything that He has promised, and as was common, He changed Abram’s name to that of Abraham, the name that we are all surely more familiar with. Abraham was the progenitor of many nations, the father of numerous peoples, and was especially the father of the nation of the Israelites, whom God would choose and call to be His first beloved nation and people. God was always faithful to His Covenant, guiding and leading those whom He had called and chosen, and as we all know, God kept faithfully guiding those same people despite their stubbornness and disobedience. He led them all out of the land of their misery and sufferings in Egypt, bringing them all the way to the land of Canaan, just as He has promised Abraham.

God remained faithful to His Covenant even when His people continued to disobey Him as just mentioned. If we read through the Old Testament and are familiar with the history of the Israelites, then surely we are all familiar with how those people of God had constantly rebelled against Him, turned their backs against His Law and His ways, and chose to follow instead the path of the pagan gods and idols, betraying the Covenant which the Lord had established and renewed with them again and again. God did chastise and punish those who have disobeyed against Him, but He did so out of love and compassion, as a loving Father Who truly cares for His wayward children, wanting to discipline and help them so that they all may grow ever better in their attitudes and righteousness in life.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the example of one such disobedient and stubborn attitude that God’s people has shown, in how the Jewish people treated the Lord Jesus, the One Who had been sent into our midst, Son of God Himself, incarnate in the flesh, so that by His revelation and truth, He might lead us all towards God and His salvation. Yet, those people, the Jewish people, descendants of the remnants of the Israelites, whom the Lord first ministered to, refused to believe in the words that God’s Saviour and Son has spoken to them. The Lord Himself has spoken such truth and wisdom that no one who heard them could have not believed in Him, and performed such miracles and wonders just as the prophets and messengers of God had spoken in the past, and yet, some of the people accused Him of colluding even with the prince of demons in doing so.

They refused to believe in the Lord and as we heard in today’s Gospel, they even accused Him of having a demon in Him just because they refused to believe in what He had presented to them. They refused to believe that the Lord was greater even than Abraham, their forefather, and claimed that just because they were the children and descendants of Abraham, then they knew it better than the Lord Himself and His truth. Why is that so? That is because of their ego and pride, which was a common attitude at the time, especially among the Jewish elites, namely the Pharisees and the Sadducees among them, who considered themselves better and superior to all those who have not believed in the same way as they have believed.

Yet, God still cared for them and patiently reached out to them nonetheless. And as a sign of things to come, as we are now about to enter into the most solemn celebrations of the Holy Week of the Lord’s Passion, suffering and death, therefore we heard how these confrontations and disagreements made it such that even the Lord had to hide Himself and not to show Himself in public places. Symbolically during this period of time this week and next week, also known as the Passiontide, the images and statues in the churches are covered and veiled, so that not only we can focus more on the important events of the Lord’s Passion during the Holy Week, but this also symbolically represented the Lord being in hiding during this period.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore do whatever we can so that we may grow ever closer to the Lord this time, and make best use of whatever opportunities and help that we have been given, so that we may grow ever stronger in our faith and commitment to God. As we approach ever closer to the momentous events we are going to commemorate during the upcoming Holy Week, let us all come ever closer to the Lord, doing whatever we can so that by our actions, words and contributions in life, we can continue to glorify the Lord by our lives. Let us all continue our Lenten journey faithfully, and remind ourselves ever of God’s love and His commitment to the Covenant which He has made with us. Let us all seek God’s mercy and love, and renew our desire to love Him once more with all of our heart and might. May God bless us always, in all of what we do, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Wednesday, 20 March 2024 : 5th Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded that we have to be truly and genuinely faithful to God in all things, in our dedication and commitment to Him, so that by our every words, actions and deeds, we may truly be the source of inspiration, strength and hope for everyone all around us. All of us who have received God’s grace and love, we have been blessed with His guidance and strength, and He reminds us today through the readings from the Scriptures that He will always be by our side, providing for us and journeying with us even through the most difficult and challenging moments in life. God had never abandoned those who are faithful to Him, and He will always be by our side, even in our greatest sufferings.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Daniel about the moment when the three friends of Daniel were punished by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon when they refused to worship the great golden statue built by the King in his own image in Babylon. At that time, Daniel and his friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, also known as Azariah, Hananiah and Mishael were among the many descendants of the Israelites who had been brought by force to the land of Babylon after the Babylonians had destroyed and conquered both Jerusalem and the kingdom of Judah. They were exiled in Babylon and had to endure humiliations and many challenges, which included how to remain faithful to the Lord in the land of those who did not believe in Him.

It was in one such occasion therefore, the three friends of Daniel stood their ground and refused to worship the great golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had built. All the other people from the many nations conquered by the Babylonians obeyed the King’s orders, bowed down and worshipped the golden statue, but the three friends of Daniel refused to betray and abandon the Lord, and obey the King’s order in this matter. That was when we also heard the testimony of faith that the three men spoke before the King and all the others who were there with them, showing their trust and faith in God, that He would be with them and safeguard them from harm, and even if He did not do so, they would still not disobey God and they would remain firm in their faith in Him.

They did not fear the King’s anger and retribution, the threat of being burnt alive in the great fiery furnace, and even when the King ordered that the furnace be made much hotter than before, the three men trusted fully and completely in God. That was why the Lord sent them His Angel to safeguard them from harm, and the three men were completely unharmed by the flames and the heat, protected by God’s providence, love and grace, to the astonishment of everyone who were present. The three men were rescued from the fire and even earned great praise from the King who was amazed and astonished at the faith that they all had in their Lord and God, in facing up and refusing even his own direct orders in staying true and faithful to their God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this is a reminder for each and every one of us that as God’s holy people, His followers and disciples, we must always be ready to stand up for our faith, that there will be challenges and hardships in our path if we decide to follow Him faithfully and genuinely. The Lord has shown us that throughout history it has been proven how becoming followers and disciples of His would often mean that one may have to face the disapproval, rejection, and even persecution as well as trials in this world, from all those around us who disagree with our beliefs and ways. We must always keep in mind that just like those friends of Daniel, there are likely many times in our respective lives when we may have to make a choice between following and obeying God, and doing what the world is expecting us to do and what the world commonly accepts. The choice is really ours to make on which path we are to follow.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard from the interactions between the Lord Jesus and the Jewish people to whom He had been sent to at first, bringing with Him the truth and the message of God’s salvation, to fulfil everything that God had promised to all of His people, His beloved ones. Yet, just as we had heard from that same passage, we heard how the people were stubborn and refused to believe in the truth of God which the Lord Jesus had spoken clearly and courageously among all of them. They had listened to the words of the Lord’s Wisdom through His Son, witnessed His power and miraculous deeds, in all the healing miracles and works that the Lord Himself had done, and yet, they all hardened their hearts against Him and refused to believe in Him. And from what they themselves had said, they had revealed why this was the case.

It was because they were all too proud and haughty, arrogant in thinking that just because they were descended from Abraham, that they were God’s chosen people, His favoured ones and therefore merited great honour, and were superior and better than everyone else. Yet, the reality could not be further than this, as they continued to persist in refusing to listen to God and His words, His revelations and truth spoken through His Son. This is why each and every one of us are reminded of this today, so that we may live our own lives worthily and full of faith in God. We must always be humble in realising that we are sinful, full of faults and mistakes, imperfections and all the things which have kept us away from attaining the fullness of God’s grace and love. We must not think that we know better than others, or that we are more worthy somehow, and that we are without fault.

For it was through pride that many among us and our predecessors have fallen into sin, just like the hubris of King Nebuchadnezzar who built that golden statue in his own image, and the hubris and ego of the Jewish people, especially the Pharisees among them who thought that their ways were right and that they had nothing to gain by listening to the words of the Lord. In this time and season of Lent, we are all reminded to turn away from this prideful and haughty ways, and return once again towards the Lord our God, with renewed hearts and minds, full of regret and sorrow for our many sins and wickedness. We are reminded that the Lord has always loved us generously, and He has always wanted to provide us with the opportunities to return to Him, to be forgiven from our sins and to be reconciled with Him. Let us all therefore commit ourselves to this path of repentance and renewal, and be inspired by the faith of our holy predecessors, like the three friends of Daniel who had stood up courageously and faithful for their faith in God.

May the Lord be with us always, and may He continue to bless and empower us so that we may continue to live ever more worthily from now on, in His Presence, be filled always ever with His grace and love, now and at all times. May God bless our every good works and endeavours, in all things, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 19 March 2024 : Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we mark and celebrate the great occasion of the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. St. Joseph according to the Scriptures and Church traditions was a carpenter living in the town of Nazareth of Galilee, who was the husband of Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ, Son of God and our Saviour. Therefore, as the Spouse of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, St. Joseph is the foster-father of Our Lord and Saviour Himself, and also an integral member and part of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. St. Joseph is also the Heir of David, being descended after many generations from King David through the kings of Judah and their descendants, as the one through whom God’s promises to David would be fulfilled.

And as St. Joseph was legally married to Mary, the Mother of Our Lord and Saviour, thus this made the Lord to be the legal heir of St. Joseph and hence, making Him the Heir and Son of David as in accordance to the Law of Moses. St. Joseph was also remembered as a great and righteous man, who was upright and just in all of his works and deeds, in all of his ways and obedience to God. He is therefore a great role model for us all and not merely meriting that great honour which had been given to him solely from being the foster-father of Our Lord. St. Joseph’s virtues and righteousness made him to be a truly ideal person to be the protector and guardian, and as an essential member of the Holy Family, as he carried out his responsibilities with great faith and commitment.

St. Joseph was upright, just and caring for others because as mentioned in the Scriptures, he could have divorced Mary or cancelled his engagement to her upon knowing that she had become pregnant. Before he knew more about it, he decided to do things quietly because if everyone else had known that Mary became pregnant outside of marriage and that the Child did not belong to St. Joseph, the young Mary could have been condemned and stoned to death according to the Law of Moses, as she would have then been accused of adultery and sin. But St. Joseph cared about Mary and wanted her to avoid that predicament. That was when the Lord told St. Joseph of everything that He had planned, and the true identity of the Child that Mary bore within her.

St. Joseph willing took up and shouldered the responsibilities that had been entrusted to him by the Lord. He took Mary as his own wife and accepted the Lord Jesus, the Child that Mary bore within her as his own even though He was not his biological Son. He devoted himself to a life of service to God, being the protector and head of the Holy Family henceforth, facing many struggles and difficulties, and helping both Mary and her Child to endure and persevere through all those issues all throughout their journeys. I am sure we are all well aware of how St. Joseph helped Mary on their way from Nazareth to Bethlehem when they were all expected to be part of the Roman Emperor’s great Census, while Mary was heavily pregnant and was almost due to give birth.

We all know how St. Joseph helped Mary to find a lodging in Bethlehem, despite having difficulties to get one because all the inns and houses were full. He helped the Holy Family to face the struggles and difficulties thereafter, evading Herod the Great’s efforts to destroy the young Messiah, the Lord Jesus, when he heard of His coming through the Magi. St. Joseph patiently and obediently led the Holy Family to seek refuge in Egypt, staying there until Herod had died, and then returning back to Nazareth. The last time he was heard in the Scriptures was in our Gospel passage today, where we heard how St. Joseph led the twelve years old Lord Jesus and His mother Mary to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover, and it was there that Jesus purposefully stayed behind in His Father’s House.

We heard how Mary and St. Joseph went to look for the missing Jesus, and found Him at the Temple of Jerusalem, speaking with the priests and others assembled there at the Temple. Throughout the whole thing, St. Joseph was shown as being the quiet one, but the Gospels recorded how the Lord Jesus went back to Nazareth together with His parents, and subjected Himself to their authority. It was likely from St. Joseph that the Lord learnt many skills in this world, as well as other knowledge and also understanding of God’s Law and commandments. He was not mentioned anymore after that, and it was likely that he had passed away before the Lord began His ministry, and yet, St. Joseph had done so much for the Lord, for His mother Mary and had become great role model and example for all of us.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today therefore on this great Feast and celebration of St. Joseph, head and protector of the Holy Family, Foster-father of Our Lord and Saviour, and the Spouse of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, let us all be inspired by all the good examples, righteousness and faith which St. Joseph has shown each and every one of us. St. Joseph has also been declared as the Patron and Protector of the Universal Church by Blessed Pope Pius IX over a century and half ago, and in that role, he continued to intercede on behalf of the Church, for all of us living in this world, as members of the Church, that his watching eyes and guidance continue to help us in living our lives and in doing what God had commanded us to do, just as St. Joseph himself had done earlier.

Let us all hence continue to live our lives faithfully as Christians, as God’s holy people, in all righteousness and justice, in following His Law and commandments, in being responsible towards our many commitments, responsibilities and missions in life, following the good and inspiring examples shown by St. Joseph himself. Great and holy Patron, St. Joseph, pray for all of us and pray for the Church of God, so that we will continue to be good role models and inspirations to everyone through our way of life, actions and works. May God be with us all and may He empower us to continue living our lives faithfully at all times. Amen.

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Monday, 18 March 2024 : 5th Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the Scripture readings, particularly the long reading from the Book of Daniel in our first reading, each and every one of us are reminded of the dangers of sin and how sin can lead us down the path of ruin and destruction, and how we have been constantly reminded to resist those temptations of sin, and stay within the path that God had shown and taught us all to walk in. But at the same time we are also reminded that God has the power to forgive us our sins, and to restore us to His grace and love, as long as we are willing to commit ourselves to Him, rejecting our past sinful way of life and embracing His forgiveness and mercy wholeheartedly, as we all should have. This season of Lent is the perfect time for us to seek the Lord with contrite and repentant hearts, to be reunited once again to Him.

In our first reading today, as mentioned, from the Book of Daniel we heard of the story of Susanna, the wife of a wealthy Jewish man in Babylon, during the time of the exile of the people of God in that land after the destruction of Jerusalem and Judah. We heard how two of the elders from the community of the exiled Israelites there grew to lust upon Susanna when they saw her bathing in her estate’s garden, and tried to force themselves upon her. When they could not get what they wanted, they tried to silence her and bring about false accusations upon her so that she would be punished and sentenced to death, which would therefore prevent their wickedness and their evils from being discovered, abusing their status and authority to serve their own selfish purposes.

But God intervened through Daniel, who was then a young man blessed by God’s favour and wisdom, and through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, God led Daniel to intercede for Susanna’s cause, asking the people to reconsider the judgment that they had prematurely given to Susanna based on the lies and false accusations made by the two elders against her. Therefore, we heard how Daniel, speaking with great wisdom from God, helped Susanna to escape her fated demise, and instead, by revelation of truth and the inconsistency of their lies, the two elders were judged by their own words and admissions, through which they revealed how they have lied about the affairs involving them and Susanna, the latter being cleared of all charges while the two elders were sentenced to death.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard from the Gospel of St. John the Apostle about the interactions between the Lord Jesus, the Pharisees, the teachers of the Law and a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law wanted to use the adulterous woman to trap the Lord in a difficult situation from which they likely hoped that they could benefit from, by accusing the Lord falsely of colluding with those who sinned against God, should He decide to be kind and nice to the adulterous woman, as they expected that He would, based on His other actions. Even if the Lord were to be harsh on the adulterous woman, they could still benefit from that by saying that what the Lord had done, was merely following what the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law themselves had done.

But the Lord knew everything that was planned against Him, and at the same time, He also saw the adulterous woman and had pity on her, knowing that this poor soul was also repentant and desiring His love and compassion, His mercy and forgiveness. That was why He told everyone that if any one of them was without sin, then he or she could throw the first stone at the woman. This Law was meant to discourage the people from sinning, but was never meant to cause people to discriminate against those whom they deemed to be less worthy or greater sinner than they were, just as the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law had done to many people including to the adulterous woman. The Lord wanted to guide all sinners back to Himself, and therefore, at that moment, He reminded all of those people of their sins.

No one present there obviously was without any sin, and hence, as we heard, beginning with the oldest ones among them, who had lived the longest and therefore were aware that they had committed the most sins and disobedience against God, and then to the youngest ones, all of them left one by one, realising that they themselves were sinners, ashamed and embarrassed, and no one dared to claim that any of them was without any sin, and hence, we heard how no one was left to condemn and punish the woman. What we must realise is the Lord Himself was actually the One Who was without any sin, and He could have condemned and punished the woman, and yet He did not do so, because He loved her and all sinners, and wanted everyone of us to return to Him, to be forgiven our sins and reconciled with God.

This is a reminder for all of us that we must not let sin to continue to be an obstacle in our path towards God and His salvation. We have to strive to do what the Lord has taught us all to do, to live faithfully and worthily in accordance with God’s will. What the Lord told the adulterous woman is a reminder for us not to sin anymore and to turn away from our evil and wicked ways, embracing God’s ever generous love and compassion, His mercy and desire to forgive us our many sins. That is why during this time and season of Lent, we should make good use of the opportunities and moments given to us so that hopefully we may come ever closer to the Lord with sincere, contrite and repentant hearts and minds, committed to walk once more in the path of God’s grace and righteousness.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, who was one the great early Church fathers, and honoured as one of the venerable Doctors of the Church for his many contributions to the Church. He was remembered for his great dedication to the Lord and His Church, for the many efforts and hard work that he had done as the Bishop of the prominent See of Jerusalem, in opposing the then terrible heresy of Arianism that was raging throughout the Church, leading countless souls astray from God’s path. He was locked in long years of struggles against the Arians, particularly with Metropolitan Acacius of Caesarea, a prominent Arian leader who had the support of the powerful members of the Roman state and governance at the time. St. Cyril had to face many struggles and even exile from his See at times, and yet, he remained firm in his dedication and conviction, doing his best to continue leading the people of God to the right path, especially through his many theological works refuting the falsehoods of Arianism and other heresies.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore reflect well upon what we have discussed today, and be inspired by the great examples that our holy predecessors, particularly that of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, so that our whole lives may be great examples and inspirations for everyone around us. May God be with us all at all times, and may He continue to guide and strengthen us in our journey of faith and life. May He empower and strengthen all of us so that we may continue to be strong and courageous in living our lives in His path, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 17 March 2024 : Fifth Sunday of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday is the Fifth Sunday of Lent, the last Sunday before we enter into the Holy Week when we shall celebrate and commemorate the most important week in the events of our salvation history. On this Sunday, we heard from the readings of the Sacred Scriptures the reassurances and promises that God has kept on giving us, that He will always be with us, guiding and protecting us in our journey of life, and as long as we keep our faith in Him, He shall always be faithful to the Covenant that He has made and repeatedly renewed with each and every one of us. We are all reminded that God has always been ever gracious and generous with His love towards us, calling each and every one of us to return to Him and to embrace once again the fullness of His love and compassionate mercy.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah in which the prophet spoke of the Lord’s words directed to His people, that despite their many sins and rebellions against Him, His love for all of them endured, and He has always been willing to reach out to them so that they all may receive pardon and forgiveness for their many faults and mistakes against Him, and that they may return to His loving embrace, receiving once again the fullness of His grace and love as He has always intended for them. Contextually, this happened at the time when the Israelites living in the kingdoms of Israel and Judah had long disobeyed the Lord, disobeyed His commandments and Law, refusing to listen to His messengers and prophets, choosing to walk their own path of rebellion and disobedience, turning away from the Covenant that He has made with His people.

That was why God sent His prophets and messengers to them, with the message warning them that if they continued to walk in such a rebellious path, then they would suffer consequences for their disobedience and wicked deeds, which would come true with the destruction of the kingdom of Israel and the deportation of many of its inhabitants to the distant lands of Assyria and beyond, scattering God’s people from their homeland, where they were forced to wander off in those distant places. They disregarded His commandments, rules and reminders for so long, and they persecuted those whom He had sent to help them, and hence, it was no wonder that they themselves then had to suffer for their lack of faith and trust in God, for their stubbornness and wickedness.

Those in the kingdom of Judah fared somewhat better as some of their kings still obeyed the Lord and still kept the commandments and Law of God to a certain extent. Nonetheless, by the time of the prophet Jeremiah, the kingdom and its people had also slipped further and deeper into the path of disobedience and evil, their constant rebellion against God and His path, and their trust in worldly powers and means rather than in their Lord and Master, eventually which would lead them to suffer the same fate as their northern neighbour, when they would also be defeated and conquered by the Babylonians, who would also deport many of them to the distant lands of Babylonia and elsewhere, where they would wander off for many decades.

Jeremiah was the one who was entrusted with this bad premonition and warning, but amidst all the doom and terrible things which he proclaimed as what would happen to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and Judah, he also spoke of God’s love and mercy as we heard it in our first reading passage today. This is therefore a very important reminder for each and every one of us that while sin is a very dangerous and serious threat to us, as it can lead us to be separated eternally from the Lord, but the Lord’s love for us, His forgiveness and mercy can lead us all into the sure and direct path to return to Him, to reconcile ourselves once again with Him, so that, by our redemption and reconciliation with God, we may once again enjoy the fullness of His grace and love, as God has always intended for us.

In our second reading this Sunday, we heard from the Epistle to the Hebrews, which was written and addressed to the Jewish population, particularly for the Jewish converts to the Christian faith, which made up a large proportion of the early Christian communities then. In that particular passage, the author wanted to highlight to the Jewish people that essentially, Jesus Christ, the One Whom some of the Jews considered as merely just a great Prophet and Messiah, was in fact not just Messiah in the manner that they thought He would be, like a great King Who would liberate them from the foreign rulers and oppressors. That was the common perception of who the Messiah would be at that time. The author therefore presented Christ as the One Who is the manifestation of God’s love and the Incarnate Son of God, the Divine Word that had taken up our human existence to be with us.

And the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews also highlighted how Jesus as the Son of God, obeyed His Father’s will perfectly, and showing unto us the perfect example of obedience and faith, such that we may also be inspired to follow His examples. Through His obedience, the Lord embraced His Cross and took it up willingly, enduring the worst and most bitter of sufferings and trials, difficulties and challenges so that by His obedience, by His most selfless and perfect sacrifice, His offering of Himself, His Most Precious Body and Blood for our sake, so that through this perfect offering we may be redeemed, forgiven and made whole again, reconciled fully and perfectly with God, our loving Father and Creator. The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews also often presented the Lord Jesus as the High Priest of all, offering on our behalf the perfect and most worthy offering of His own Body and Blood for our salvation.

In the Gospel passage this Sunday then, this is further elaborated with the passage about the interactions between the Lord Jesus and His disciples, at the moment when some of the Greeks came to Jerusalem and wanted to know more about Jesus, His teachings and works. It was there that the Lord proclaimed Himself symbolically to those Gentiles who were looking for Him, as He engaged in a conversation with His Heavenly Father about everything that would happen to Him. He was speaking about His moment of Passion, His suffering and death that would come soon, referring to the same actions highlighted by the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews. It is a reminder that Christ’s mission is ultimately to become the bridge between us and our Lord and God, leading us back to God our Father and Creator, Who wants us all to be reconciled to Him.

And these words and actions were conveyed to those Greeks through a miraculous voice from Heaven, and through this simple yet symbolic act, it represented how God’s salvation was offered freely to everyone, regardless whether they are Jews or Gentiles. The word ‘Gentile’ referred to those who did not belong to the Jewish people or nation, and was kind of synonymous as pagans or unbelievers in the sense the word was often used at that time. Many among the Jewish people at the time, especially those who belonged to the group of the Pharisees believed that they alone were worthy of God’s grace and salvation, and looked down on the Gentiles and the pagans because of this, thinking that they were unworthy of God, unclean and condemned by their status as being not counted among the Jews.

This was dispelled by the Lord Himself, Who repeatedly showed that His love was directed at everyone, at every descendants of Adam and Eve. He did not discriminate by their status, descent, or by any other earthly and worldly parameters that we often used to distinguish ourselves from others around us. He loved every one of us regardless of our conditions and differences, and all of us are truly dear and beloved to Him, and He wants to bring us all back to Himself, and hence, that was why He gave us all His Son. He did everything that He could so that each and every one of us have the chance to enter into His loving Presence once more, purified from our corruptions and sins. All of us should therefore be reminded of this fact, as we are about to enter into the most Holy and Solemn Week in the week ahead, so that we can truly celebrate and commemorate those important moments and events with great appreciation, understanding and faith.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore remind ourselves of God’s great love, which He has always shown to us, and His great mercy and love, by which He has given us all His beloved and only begotten Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, that while we are truly unworthy because of our many sins, due to our disobedience, rebellions and stubborn attitudes, but He has opened for us the sure and certain path towards Him and His grace. In this remaining time we have before the beginning of the Holy Week, let us all look back at our Lenten journey so far, and ask ourselves whether we have made good use of the time and opportunities given to us. Have we truly grown better and stronger in our relationship with God? Have we grown to know Him better and live our lives more in accordance with His will?

Let us all use the remaining time we have, in each and every moments to reflect well and discern on how we are going to continue carrying on living our lives. Let us all continue to do what we can so that by our lives, our every words, actions and deeds, and by our every good commitments, our Lenten observances and actions, we will be good role models and inspirations for everyone all around us. May God be with us always and may He bless us all in everything that we do, in our every good efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Saturday, 16 March 2024 : 4th Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that we are drawing ever nearer to the end of the season of Lent, as we are about to enter into Holy Week in just over a week’s time. That is why we have heard of the words of the Scriptures speaking to us all about the coming of tribulation for the One Whom the Lord had sent into our midst for our salvation, namely Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, the Son of God, Who would suffer and die for our sake, enduring bitter punishments and struggles, persecutions and hardships for the sake of us sinners. Through all these, God has opened the path and sure way for us leading to His salvation and the eternal life which He has promised to us.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah in which Jeremiah spoke with the Lord regarding the persecutions and hardships that he had endured during his ministry among the people of the kingdom of Judah. At that time, it was during the final years of the existence of Judah as a kingdom and entity, and the people there continued to live in sin and rebellion against God despite all the efforts which the Lord had done in sending His many messengers and prophets to them to remind and guide them in their path. They chose rather to believe in the false prophets and the falsehoods propagated by their leaders rather than to believe in the prophets like Jeremiah, who were oppressed and even killed on occasion.

But Jeremiah remained firm in his conviction to continue serving the Lord despite having faced such struggles and difficulties. He did grumble and complained to the Lord on occasions because of the hardships and trials that he had to face, and because of the stubborn attitude and the lack of faith among the people who continued to resist his efforts and rejected God’s generous offer of love and mercy to them. Jeremiah nonetheless kept his faith and obeyed the Lord, doing whatever he had been told to do, to proclaim God’s messages and will to the people even if it would mean suffering and hardships for him. He also brought to the people of Judah, the reassurance that while they would have to suffer the consequences for their sins against God, but God’s love for them endured nonetheless, and one day, God would lead them all towards His Presence and reconcile them with Him.

That same passage from the Book of Jeremiah also contained the prophecy of what would happen to the Saviour Whom God would send to His people, in the words that the prophet Jeremiah himself said, that ‘he is like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter’ and how the people treated him badly, and ‘would plot to remove him from the land of the living’. While this firstly referred directly to what Jeremiah had himself experienced, but it was in fact also a prediction of what the Messiah, Our Lord Himself would experience during His Passion, His suffering and death on the Cross. The Lord Jesus would endure all these challenges, trials and hardships, and eventually be slaughtered and killed, as the Paschal Lamb, sacrificed for us all, for our redemption and salvation.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the discord and disagreements between the members of the Sanhedrin, or the Jewish High Council with regards to the Lord Jesus, in what they were trying to decide to do about Him. Many of them were against the Lord and were skeptical about His teachings and works, while some were outright hostile in their opposition against Him, seeing Him as a great threat to the order and the influence that the members of the Sanhedrin, be it Sadducees or Pharisees, had over the community. And yet, there were also those like Nicodemus, who were sympathetic and supportive of the Lord, believing in Him.

The disagreements arose because those who supported the Lord tried to defend Him and His actions, while the majority who refused to believe in Him used arguments such as the fact that the Lord Jesus came from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to disprove the authenticity and the authority of the Lord as the Messiah promised by God, not knowing that the Lord Himself was born in Bethlehem, in the city of David, just as prophesied by the prophets, and all that He had done, essentially had affirmed and manifested that Jesus is truly the One Whom God had sent. He was opposed and persecuted because those religious leaders and societal elites could not bring it to humble themselves before God and listen to reason and truth.

Therefore, just as we listened from the Scripture readings today, let us all be reminded of everything that God had done for us through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, as we come ever closer to the beginning of the Holy Week, so that first of all we can be reminded of His love and kindness, His compassion and mercy for each and every one of us, and then, that we may be able to prepare ourselves well so that we can celebrate the Holy Week and the most wonderful mysteries and events surrounding the Easter Triduum with hearts and minds that are truly attuned to the Lord, and to be filled with the strong desire and love for God, as we all should have.

Let us all therefore do our part from now on, to live our lives worthily of the Lord, heeding His call and doing whatever He has asked us all to do, following the faithful example and perseverance of the prophet Jeremiah and the many other prophets and servants of God, and of course, ultimately, that of the Lord Himself, Who obeyed His Father’s will so perfectly, that He chose willingly to embrace His Cross, to suffer and die for us on that Cross, so that by His death and Resurrection, He may restore us all to new life with God. May all of us be blessed and guided by God, in all of our whole lives, now and always. Amen.

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Friday, 15 March 2024 : 4th Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Lord contained within the Scriptures, all of us are reminded of the need for all of us to be aware that in our lives as Christians, in our obligation, duty and way of life in living our lives faithfully as those whom the Lord has called and chosen, we may encounter lots of challenges, trials, difficulties and obstacles in our path, depending on the situation and conditions around us, which may be different from one person to another. The reality is such that the path of the Lord is often at odds with the norms and ways of the world, and therefore, if we follow the Lord faithfully and with commitment in every moments of our lives, we may have to face the same difficulties that the Lord and His many servants and messengers, His prophets and disciples had suffered.

In our first reading today we heard from the Book of Wisdom in which the author spoke about the sufferings, persecutions, challenges and difficulties that the servants and prophets of God had to endure throughout their ministry, all because of the stubbornness that the people to whom they had been sent to, their refusal to follow the Law of God and their rebelliousness, through which they had gone ever deeper into the path of sin and evil. The Lord nonetheless still loved them all, and patiently helped and guided them back towards Himself, sending to them those servants and messengers to assist and lead them all in the right path. Yet, they often rejected His offer of love and mercy, and many of them preferred to walk down in their own rebellious path. Thus, they persecuted those servants and messengers, making a mockery of their status as God’s beloved people.

As much as it was a story of what had happened in the earlier eras, this passage from the Book of Wisdom is at the same time also a prophecy and premonition of what was to come, when the Messiah or Saviour finally came into the midst of God’s people. Why is that so? That is because the same fate and sufferings which the prophets and messengers of God had often faced during their ministry and work, would also be faced by the Messiah of God. The Son of God, Our Lord Jesus Christ, Whom the Father had sent into our midst, had to experience suffering and rejection from those whom He had been sent to, and what the author of the Book of Wisdom had described, was everything which the world had plotted against this same One through Whom the salvation of the world would come from. He would be faced with stubborn opposition from those who were not willing to accept the truth of God.

That is because those people were filled with pride and ego, and with the desires and attachments of the world that they could not rid themselves of, allowing themselves to be swayed and tempted by those same temptations and allures of worldly glory, that they hardened their hearts and minds against God, and persecuting even the same Messiah that they had all long expected and been awaiting for. They refused to admit that they had been wrong, mistaken and erroneous in their way of following God and observing those Law and commandments which they had been entrusted with. This led to them plotting against the Lord, turning their backs against their own Saviour, abandoning the One Who had clearly presented to them with the undeniable proofs of God’s love and providence, leading to Him being persecuted and eventually crucified and died on the Cross.

This fact was highlighted in our Gospel passage today, in which the Lord Jesus spoke and elaborated about the challenges and persecutions that He Himself would soon face in Jerusalem, as He embarked on the last part of His earthly ministry. He had to face a lot of hardships and rejection, challenges from the Temple authorities, from the Sanhedrin or the Jewish High Council, many of whose members refused to accept the teachings and the works that the Lord had presented to them. They all believed that their way of observing the Law, their beliefs and their practices are superior than everyone else’s and that they could not have been wrong or mistaken, and hence, they treated the Lord as a great rival to them and a dangerous threat to their privileged existence and status in the community. That was why, they would eventually arrest Him and then condemned Him to death on the Cross through the means of the Romans.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have clearly heard from the readings of the Sacred Scriptures, there were indeed lots of tribulations, trials and challenges that the Lord Himself and His servants and messengers had suffered. The same sufferings and trials have also been faced by our predecessors in faith, just as the history of the Church and the story of the many saints and martyrs of the Church can tell us. This is a reminder therefore, that if we want to follow the Lord wholeheartedly and completely as we should, we may have to endure those same sufferings and challenges, trials and difficulties as well. But at the same time, we should not be afraid or fearful because the Lord Himself will be with us, by our side, protecting and guiding us in our respective journeys and paths.

In this season of Lent, we are given the time, opportunity and choice, whether we want to follow the path of those who have rebelled against God, disobeyed Him and refusing to follow His will, or whether we want to stay by His side, enduring whatever obstacles and trials that may come in our path as we continue living our lives faithfully in the presence of God. We should always remain firm in our faith and conviction, as well as in the desire to continue being good and worthy followers and disciples of God. It is why we are all reminded of all the dangers of sin and evil today through the Scriptures and in our past few days of readings. We should continue to strive to reject the temptations of the world, the allures of sin and evil, and do our best that our lives may truly be worthy of God, and be good examples and inspirations for others around us.

May the Lord continue to guide us in our journey of faith towards Him. May He empower each and every one of us so that we may always be strong and firm in our commitment to live our lives worthily of the Lord, at all times. Let us all continue to seek to glorify the Lord by our lives, by each and every one of our works, actions and deeds. Amen.

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Thursday, 14 March 2024 : 4th Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that we must all be truly faithful and committed to God, in following and obeying His Law and commandments, and not just merely paying lip service to the Lord. We must always be truly genuine in what we believe in, in all of our every words, actions and deeds, or otherwise we are no better than hypocrites and unbelievers who do not truly have faith in them. We have heard from the Scriptures and from past examples of our history how many people, our predecessors have disobeyed the Lord, refused to obey and follow His Law and commandments, and consequently fell into the path of sin, wickedness and evil. If our lives are not strongly anchored and rooted in Christ, then it will be very easy for us to fall deeper and deeper into the darkness of sin.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Exodus in which the story of the disgraceful moment when the Israelites, the people of God rebelled against God was told to us. At that moment, which was just very recently after the Israelites themselves had been led out of the land of Egypt by God Himself, from their slavery at the hands of the Egyptians and their Pharaoh, they had quickly turned away from the path of the Lord, abandoning Him for a false god and idol, making a fool of themselves and a mockery of their faith in God. They made for themselves an idol from molten gold, crafted ironically in the image of the gods of the Egyptians, a calf like that of a popular Egyptian deity, calling that idol the God Who had saved them from the land of Egypt, when it was the Lord Who had done so, and had been with them throughout the journey.

At that time, as we all should already well know, the Lord was giving to His people His Law and commandments, which He passed down to them through Moses, His servant and leader of the Israelites. Moses went up the mountain of God, Mount Sinai, after God had established His Covenant anew with His people, renewing the Covenant that He had made with their ancestors. God gave His Law and commandments, the rules and all matters that can help the people to remain firmly attached to the path of righteousness, only for those same people to quickly lose faith in Him, and thinking that Moses was already dead. Despite having witnessed God’s power and all the things He had done for them, in so many occasions, but they still failed to trust Him and did not truly have faith in Him. They hardened their hearts and minds against God, and rebelled against Him.

This is a reminder for all of us that each and every one of us must not merely be superficial in our faith in God. Unless we develop the genuine relationship and connection with God, deepening our trust and faith in Him, then there will be no way and path forward for all of us in our journey towards God and our salvation in Him. Moses had faith not only in God but also in all the people whom he cared and loved for, despite their stubbornness and wickedness, and interceded for them, pleading on their behalf before God, when God wanted to wipe them all out and destroy them for their wickedness, disobedience and unfaithfulness. But God also revealed that despite the anger He had towards the sins and wickedness which those people had committed against Him, He still loved them all nonetheless, and wanted them to return to Him with repentant and contrite hearts.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the same kind of stubbornness and wicked attitudes that the people of God had exhibited as they all refused to believe in the Lord Jesus, in everything that God had done for them through His Son, Who is Our Lord and Saviour. The Lord had brought to them His truth, His Law and commandments personified in Him, the very essence of the Law and the Word of God manifested to us in the flesh, and He has performed many wonders and miracles, fulfilling the many prophecies and predictions that the prophets and messengers of God in the past had all spoken about. Yet, it was those very people who were supposed to be most knowledgeable and understanding of the Law and commandments of God, the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who were the most stubborn in opposing God’s Saviour.

Why was that so? That was because they were prideful and arrogant, thinking that they were better than anyone else, that their way of observing the Law, their intellect and understanding of those laws and rules of the Lord could not be wrong, mistaken or superseded by the truth of God. That was why they hardened their hearts and minds against God, persecuting Him and rejecting His Saviour, doubting Him and making it difficult for Him to carry out His works and ministry among the people of God, saying that He had been acting and going against the Law when it was actually their stubbornness which made them to be unable to see the truth and accept that. It is why the Lord told them off very clearly that it would be Moses himself and the Law that would judge them, for their lack of understanding and appreciation of God’s Law and His true intentions.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we continue to live our lives well throughout this time and season of Lent, let us all continue to spend good and quality time to deepen our relationship with God. We have been given the time and opportunity to fix our mistakes and faults, and to reflect upon the wickedness and sins we have committed in our lives thus far. God has always been kind, merciful and compassionate, and He has always ever patiently reached out to us, showing His willingness to be reconciled with us, to forgive us all our sins and mistakes, and to lead us all patiently and lovingly to His Presence once again. Now, the question is, are we all willing to embrace His mercy, compassion and love? Are we willing to commit ourselves to the path of forgiveness and grace, and enduring the sufferings and challenges that we may have to encounter in this journey?

May the Lord our loving God and Master continue to love and guide us all in our journey in life, and may He empower each and every one of us in our path, so that we may continue to remain faithful to the calling, mission and vocations which He has entrusted to us. May God be with us all and may He bless us all with His guidance and strength, and bless our every good efforts, deeds and works, in all circumstances and things, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 13 March 2024 : 4th Week of Lent, Eleventh Anniversary of the Pontificate of Pope Francis (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we are all reminded through the readings of the Sacred Scriptures, we are presented with the important reminders of God’s salvation to all of us mankind, as He reached out to us with love, showing us all His compassion and mercy, the desire to forgive us all our many sins and wickedness, and His efforts in calling us all out of the darkness so that we may turn away from this path of evil and sin, embracing His ever generous mercy, compassion and love. During this time and season of Lent that we are currently progressing through, we should put a good and conscious effort to draw ever closer to God, renewing our commitment to follow Him and in doing our best to live out our lives ever more worthily in His path.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, we heard of the words of the Lord reassuring His people, the people of Israel, of the love and kindness, the mercy and compassion which He has always had for them, and which He will continue to show, despite their sins and rebelliousness, their refusal to obey His Law and commandments. God has always been patient in caring for those people He loved, and He has always reached out to them, sending unto them His prophets and messengers, reminding them to turn away from the path of sin, evil and wickedness, and calling upon all of them to embrace once again the fullness of His love and grace. The Lord has always loved all of us, and despite our fallen state and corruption by sin, He loves us all equally and if not even greater.

At that time, the people of Israel had been long rebellious and disobedient against God, and they had long chosen to follow the path of evil and sin. They have ignored the messages of the Lord, His reminders and calls which He had made to them through those same prophets and messengers. They rebelled against Him, chose to put their lot and side with the pagan gods and idols of their neighbours and enemies instead. They took for granted all the love, kindness and compassion which God has given to each and every one of them, all the generous blessings that they have received. God despised their sins and wickedness, but that cannot erase the fact that He still loved them all regardless. His love for us endured and is far greater than the power of our sins and wickedness.

Why is that so, brothers and sisters in Christ? That is because God created us all out of love, and He wanted to love us all, and sharing that love with us, and He still loves us so even after we have betrayed and abandoned Him, preferring to listen to and believe in the evil ones rather than to believe in and trust in Him. God does not want us all to be separated from Him, and His love endured through all time. If He had hated us personally, He could have erased us from existence easily by the mere will of His thought alone, as easily as He had created us, and yet, He did not do that, because He saw in us, the ability and the potential to seek forgiveness and to attain full reconciliation in Him.

That is why, He gave us all the opportunities, help, guidance and the many other means through which He hoped that many of us will come to see reason and His truth, and be called to enter once again into His grace and love, and to walk and journey towards His salvation. He has opened wide the doors of Heaven, His path of mercy to us, so that through His most wonderful love and mercy, He would continue to bring us ever closer to Him, and cleanse from us our corruptions and wickedness, that hopefully one day, upon the time of reckoning, we may all be found worthy and just, and can enter into the everlasting kingdom of true happiness and joy with Him, which we shall enjoy forever.

In our Gospel passage today, we continue to be reminded of this through the words of the Lord Himself, Who affirmed His status to His disciples, the truth about Himself as the Son of God, Who has been sent into this world to come into our midst, to dwell amongst us, and to gather each and every one of us so that through Him all of us may be saved and be reunited wholly with God. The Lord highlighted to the people how He as the Son had to obey the Father’s will, in doing everything that He had been entrusted to do. He had done everything so that He can be the perfect example of faith and obedience for all of us, as the role model for us to follow in how we live our own lives with faith.

In that same occasion, the Lord also made it clear to everyone that the time is coming when the moment of reckoning will come for everyone, be it living or dead, for them to render an account of their lives before the great Judge, the Lord Himself, the One Who will mark if a person is either worthy or unworthy of eternity in Heaven, at the Last and Final Judgment. This reminder is also important for us because of the consequences that our sins and wickedness, all those corruptions and evils can do to us, if we let them to continue ruining our lives and refusing to accept God’s forgiveness and mercy right up to the very last moments. We must not be ignorant of this same reminder and call that the Lord has given us all, firstly through the prophets and messengers, and finally through His own Son.

We must remember that ultimately, while God has always been full of love, mercy and compassion upon us, and while He has always readily extended His love and care for us, calling us ever more to follow Him and to come to His embrace, but we must not take all these for granted, as it is by our own stubbornness and foolish rejection of God’s generous love and compassion that many among us and our predecessors have ended up in Hell and eternal damnation. It is by our own conscious choice in choosing sin over God, evil over righteousness that we have ended up in the fallen state and damnation. We must remember this so that we will not continue to walk down this wrong path. We should also make use of this time and opportunity given to us to deepen our relationship with God and to help others to come closer to God as well.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore seek the Lord with renewed faith and contrite hearts, making best use of the opportunities that He has provided to us, especially during this time and season of Lent, so that we may be able to find our way back towards Him. May God continue to love us and help us in our journey of faith back to Him, lead and guide us ever always in the right path, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Tuesday, 12 March 2024 : 4th Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, in what we have heard in our Scripture readings today, we are all reminded of God’s ever present love, compassion and mercy towards each and every one of us. God has called us all to holiness and to leave behind our many wickedness and sins, so that we may be reconciled with Him, just as He has always been so generous in loving us and extending His mercy and compassion towards us. What matters it therefore for us to embrace God’s love and mercy, which He has extended to us through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. God has given us all His Son as a clear sign and perfect example of His love for us, and through this perfect Love He has manifested for us, He has gathered us all to Himself.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Ezekiel, in which the famous vision of Ezekiel of Heaven and its Temple was highlighted to us. In that vision, the prophet Ezekiel saw God’s Heavenly Temple in all of its glory, seeing the Son of Man bringing him around the place and measuring its dimensions. He witnessed the Holy Presence of God residing in that Temple and how a great stream came forth from the House of God to give life to whichever places and sites that it touched. The great river of life coming out from the Temple of God, that gave life to all things and purified the foul-smelling water, is a representation of Christ, Whose Body is the Church of God, and through His actions, His suffering and death, salvation came to all of us, through the gift of Baptism, that all of us may enter into a new life and existence in God.

This Lenten season, all of us are reminded to reflect more on our lives and actions, and consider carefully our path forward so that we may better know how we can progress in our lives to come ever closer to God. As we draw now ever closer to the beginning of the Holy Week, we are constantly and progressively being reminded more and more of everything that God had done for us, for the sake of our salvation and liberation. God has given us the means to new life and freedom from the tyranny of sin and evil, by sending down His Son, to lead us all through the darkness and guide us into the Light of His salvation, like how He led the Israelites through the Red Sea in the past, out of the land of their slavery in Egypt and into freedom, to the land promised to them. Thus, God has also led us all into our intended destination, that is eternal life with Him.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the miraculous healing done by the Lord Jesus on a paralysed man who had been lying in wait for a long time at the Pool of Bethzatha, as no one was willing to help him to reach the water of the pool when the Angel of God came to touch it, which according to tradition brought healing to whoever that managed to touch the water first. The Lord Jesus saw that poor man lying down by the poolside, and showed His love and compassion, healing the man from his condition and restoring him to good health. In a parallel to the story of the vision of Ezekiel from the Old Testament, we heard of God’s healing that had come upon the one who had faith in Him, believing in His love and mercy. While no one helped the man for a whole period of thirty-eight years, the fact that he remained there must also be caused by his unwavering faith and trust in the Lord.

This brought us to remember that as Christians, that is God’s beloved people, we must always have faith in the Lord, believing that God is with us, guiding us and journeying with us. He never leaves us alone, and He has always been by our side, providing for us and giving us the necessary strength and encouragement to follow Him with faith. While sufferings, challenges and difficulties may indeed come in our path, disturbing and making our way towards God difficult, but we must not lose heart, as the Lord Himself has reassured us of His continued guidance, help and presence in our midst. We have nothing to fear and we should continue to put our trust in God, regardless of the many challenges, trials and hardships that we may have to face in our lives.

All of us should come towards the Lord, seeking His help, kindness, guidance and help. Through His strength and providence, God will help us to remain firmly committed to His path, and strengthen us so that we may be strong in our endurance and persistence despite the many challenges present all around us. Despite the difficulties and trials we may have to face, but if we truly believe in the Lord and walk in His path, in the end, He will reward us all for our commitment and willingness to stay with Him and in living our lives worthily as Christians, in being good and worthy examples for our fellow brothers and sisters, for everyone all around us. Through our good actions and deeds, we should be the light and beacon for others to follow, to guide them on the path back towards God.

In this season and time of Lent, we should be more attuned with ourselves and with God. In this world where we often faced a lot of temptations, distractions and challenges, we should always keep in mind that God’s love for us and His Presence in our midst can help and strengthen us to face all those difficulties and challenges which we cannot resolve on our own alone. This is why we must keep our focus, attention and emphasis on following the Lord, in centering ourselves on Him. We should continue to be good role models and inspirations for our fellow brothers and sisters, to everyone whom we encounter in each and every moments of our lives. It is by our faithful Lenten actions and observances that we can be better disciples and followers of Christ.

May the Lord continue to guide and bless us in this journey of faith through life, and may He empower each and every one of us so that hopefully through our dedicated and faithful Lenten observances, by deepening ourselves in a life of prayer, in our fasting and abstinence to control our worldly desires and all the temptations in life, and by our ever more generous almsgiving, may all of us continue to draw ever closer to God and to His truth. May He bless our every good efforts, works and endeavours, and strengthen us in all things, now and forevermore. Amen.