Saints

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Thursday, 12 September 2024 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Most Holy Name of Mary)

Luke 6 : 27-38

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “But I say to you who hear Me : Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you, and pray for those who treat you badly. To the one who strikes you on the cheek, turn the other cheek; from the one who takes your coat, do not keep back your shirt. Give to the one who asks, and if anyone has taken something from you, do not demand it back.”

“Do to others as you would have others do to you. If you love only those who love you, what kind of grace is yours? Even sinners love those who love them. If you do favours to those who are good to you, what kind of grace is yours? Even sinners do the same. If you lend only when you expect to receive, what kind of grace is yours? For sinners also lend to sinners, expecting to receive something in return.

But love your enemies and do good to them, and lend when there is nothing to expect in return. Then will your reward be great, and you will be sons and daughters of the Most High. For He is kind toward the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

“Do not be a judge of others and you will not be judged; do not condemn and you will not be condemned; forgive and you will be forgiven; give and it will be given to you, and you will receive in your sack good measure, pressed down, full and running over. For the measure you give will be the measure you receive back.”

Alternative reading (Mass of the Most Holy Name of Mary)

Luke 1 : 39-47

Mary then set out for a town in the hill country of Judah. She entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leapt in her womb.

Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and, giving a loud cry, said, “You are most blessed among women; and blessed is the Fruit of your womb! How is it, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? The moment your greeting sounded in my ears, the baby within me suddenly leapt for joy. Blessed are you, who believed that the Lord’s word would come true!”

And Mary said, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit exults in God, my Saviour!”

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Thursday, 12 September 2024 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Most Holy Name of Mary)

Psalm 138 : 1-3, 13-14ab, 23-24

O YHVH, You know me : You have scrutinised me. You know when I sit and when I rise; beforehand, You discern my thoughts. You observe my activities and times of rest; You are familiar with all my ways.

It was You Who formed my inmost part and knit me together in my mother’s womb. I thank You for these wonders You have done, and my heart praises You.

Search me, o God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts. See if my steps are going astray, and lead me in Your eternal way.

Alternative reading (Mass of the Most Holy Name of Mary)

Luke 1 : 46-47, 48-49, 50-51, 52-53, 54-55

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit exults in God, my Saviour!

He has looked upon His servant, in her lowliness, and people, forever, will call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, Holy is His Name!

From age to age, His mercy extends to those who live in His presence. He has acted with power and done wonders, and scattered the proud with their plans.

He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and lifted up those who are downtrodden. He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty.

He held out His hand to Israel, His servant, for He remembered His mercy, even as He promised to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever.

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Thursday, 12 September 2024 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Most Holy Name of Mary)

1 Corinthians 8 : 1b-7, 11-13

We know that all of us have knowledge, but knowledge puffs up, while love builds. If anyone thinks that he has knowledge, he does not yet know as he should know, but if someone loves God, he has been known by God.

Can we, then, eat meat from offering to the idols? We know that an idol is without existence and that there is no God but one. People speak indeed of other gods in heaven and on earth and, in this sense, there are many gods and lords. Yet for us, there is but one God, the Father, from Whom everything comes, and to Whom we go. And there is one Lord, Christ Jesus, through Whom everything exists, and through Him, we exist.

Not everyone, however, has that knowledge. For some persons, who, until recently, took the idols seriously, the food remains linked to the idol, and eating of it stains their conscience, which is unformed. Then, with your knowledge, you would have caused your weak brother or sister to perish, the one for whom Christ died. When you disturb the weak conscience of your brother or sister, and sin against them, you sin against Christ Himself. Therefore, if any food will bring my brother to sin, I shall never eat this food, lest my brother or sister fall.

Alternative reading (Mass of the Most Holy Name of Mary)

Galatians 4 : 4-7

But when the fullness of time came, God sent His Son. He came born of woman and subject to the Law, in order to redeem the subjects of the Law, that we might receive adoption as children of God.

And because you are children, God has sent into your hearts the Spirit of His Son which cries out : Abba! That is, Father! You yourself are no longer a slave but a son or daughter, and yours is the inheritance by God’s grace.

Alternative reading (Mass of the Most Holy Name of Mary)

Ephesians 1 : 3-6

Blessed be God, the Father of Christ Jesus our Lord, Who, in Christ, has blessed us from heaven, with every spiritual blessing. God chose us, in Christ, before the creation of the world, to be holy, and without sin in His presence.

From eternity He destined us, in love, to be His adopted sons and daughters, through Christ Jesus, thus fulfilling His free and generous will. This goal suited Him : that His loving-kindness, which He granted us His beloved might finally receive all glory and praise.

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Monday, 9 September 2024 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Peter Claver, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Scriptures we are reminded that we should have true and genuine faith in the Lord, and not to allow ourselves to be tempted by the distractions and temptations present all around us in this world. Each and every one of us must always be committed to the Lord, our loving God and Master, and keep ourselves firmly rooted in our faith in Him, entrusting ourselves to Him in all things. We should not allow our pride and ego to be hurdles and stumbling blocks in our path, preventing us from coming closer to God and His salvation. Instead, we should continue to resist the temptations of the world, the temptations and allures of pride and ego so that we may truly come faithfully to the Lord’s Presence.

In our first reading today, from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians, we heard how St. Paul chastised the Corinthians and the faithful people of God there for their immoral and improper behaviour in how they carried out actions such as taking one’s own stepmother as a wife, and other scandals which were truly unbecoming of the Lord’s holy and beloved people. This together with other immoral actions and behaviours which St. Paul highlighted to the Christians in Corinth that they should not be doing those actions and that they should turn back once again towards the righteous and virtuous path of the Lord, throwing away the corruptions of worldliness and immorality, and all the things which may become stumbling blocks and obstacles in their path towards God and His salvation.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the occasion in the Gospel according to St. Luke in which the Lord Jesus healed a man with paralysed right hand before the eyes of the people and some of the Pharisees who were there watching and observing Him. Those Pharisees were very rigid in their interpretation of the Law of God, and they especially frowned upon any disobedience and improper following of the Law in accordance to their strict interpretation. In this regard, those Pharisees saw the Lord’s actions in carrying out His ministry and performing miracles and healing works on the day of the Sabbath as erroneous and even blasphemous. They criticised Him and saying that He should not have done that action, and the Lord rebuked them for their stubborn attitude and mistaken understanding of the true purpose of the Sabbath.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have heard from those passages in the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that we should not allow ourselves to be swayed by our pride and ego, just as how those Pharisees thought that they knew it better and that they were superior than any others around them. When we allow these temptations to sway us, that is when we may end up disobeying the Lord and falling into the wrong path, falling ever deeper into sin and away from God and His salvation. As Christians, all of us should always be humble, and be willing to listen to God and His words, as He calls upon us to follow Him and to do His will. Each and every one of us have to adhere faithfully to the path that the Lord has shown us and guided us to, and we should seek inspiration from our holy predecessors who have shown us how we can be truly faithful to the Lord.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Peter Claver, a holy man and dedicated servant of God who as a priest and missionary was remembered for his great contributions in bringing many people closer to God, in spreading God’s truth and Good News to many more people who have not yet received these. St. Peter Claver was born in Spain to a devout and prosperous family of farmers, who eventually went to join the Society of Jesus or the Jesuits after he completed his studies. Through his interactions with another great saint, St. Alphonsus Rodriguez, a Jesuit porter and laybrother during his formation years, who told him of God’s calling for him to go to New Spain, the territories of what is now the American continent, eventually St. Peter Claver embraced that call and volunteered himself to go there as a missionary.

St. Peter Claver was renowned in the region of New Spain as a courageous and fervent defender of the rights of the African slaves and others who have been marginalised, discriminated against and oppressed, standing by them and championing their rights. He also ministered among many of them, and spent a lot of time going to visit the various communities of people, and even visiting the filthy conditions of the ships carrying the slaves, and many of them accepted the Lord as their Saviour and Master, especially touched by the kindness and generosity which St. Peter Claver had shown them. He treated them as fellow Christians and urged them to consider one another as brethren to each other, showing respect and care for their fellow men.

According to Church tradition and history, St. Peter Claver personally baptised no less than three hundred thousand people and many others were impacted by his efforts and ministry. He showed great love and care for all people regardless of their background, and cared for the least, the lost and those who have suffered and faced terrible challenges and trials in life. He laboured and worked hard not minding his own needs and desires, and gave his all for many decades for the sake of God’s beloved people. To the very end of his life, St. Peter Claver committed himself to God’s missions, and in the end, after his passing, his reputation and holiness were widely known and he was revered for his great contributions and dedication to God’s people and His Church.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all hence be inspired by the great examples showed by St. Peter Claver, who has shown us how we all can also live our lives worthily as a disciple and follower of the Lord. Each and every one of us as part of God’s Church have the shared responsibility, mission and calling to do what He has entrusted to us to do, that is to proclaim God’s truth and love, His Good News and salvation to everyone, and we should do this while showing the same love which God has generously showered us with. Let us all continue to love one another and be gracious to all of our fellow brethren, especially those who are less fortunate and have no one to care for them. May God be with us all and may He bless each and every one of our good works and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Monday, 9 September 2024 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Peter Claver, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Luke 6 : 6-11

At that time, on another Sabbath, Jesus entered the synagogue and began teaching. There was a man with a paralysed right hand, and the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees watched Him : Would Jesus heal the man on the Sabbath? If He did, they could accuse Him.

But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to the man, “Get up, and stand in the middle.” Then He spoke to them, “I want to ask you : what is allowed by the Law on the Sabbath? To do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?” And Jesus looked around at them all.

Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored, becoming as healthy as the other. But they were furious, and began to discuss with one another how they could deal with Jesus.

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Monday, 9 September 2024 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Peter Claver, Priest (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Psalm 5 : 5-6, 7, 12

You are not a God Who delights in wickedness; evil has no place in You. The arrogant cannot stand before You. You hate all who do evil.

You destroy all who speak falsehood, who thirst for blood and live on lies; all of them YHVH detests.

But for those who take refuge in You, let them ever sing and rejoice. Let Your deliverance shield them, that they may praise You in gladness – those who love Your Name, o YHVH.

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Monday, 9 September 2024 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Peter Claver, Priest (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

1 Corinthians 5 : 1-8

You have become news, with a case of immorality, and such a case, that is not even found among pagans. Yes, one of you has taken, as wife, his own stepmother. And you feel proud! Should you not be in mourning, instead, and expel the one who did such a thing?

For my part, although I am physically absent, my spirit is with you and, as if present, I have already passed sentence on the man who committed such a sin. Let us meet together, you and my spirit, and in the Name of Our Lord Jesus, and with His power, you shall deliver him to Satan, for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit be saved in the day of Judgment.

This is not the time to praise yourselves. Do you not know that a little yeast makes the whole mass of dough rise? Throw out, then, the old yeast and be new dough. If Christ became our Passover, you should be unleavened bread. Let us celebrate, therefore, the Passover, no longer with old yeast, which is sin and perversity; let us have unleavened bread, that is purity and sincerity.

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Sunday, 8 September 2024 : Twenty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday all of us are reminded by the Lord through the readings of the Sacred Scriptures of the need for each and every one of us to turn towards the Lord, to trust in Him and to follow Him wholeheartedly all the days of our lives. Each and every one of us are called to open our hearts and minds, to welcome the Lord into our beings so that by embracing Him, we may truly be reunited to Him, reconciled and brought back from the depth of the darkness surrounding us. God wants us to be healed from our affliction and maladies, the troubles facing us in our bodies and hearts, our minds and souls, and He has reached out to us through HIs Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, through Whom He has manifested His love and compassionate mercy towards us.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Book of the prophet Isaiah in which the Lord spoke to His people through the prophet regarding how He would send them His deliverance and salvation, which He would indeed made manifest through the same Christ, His beloved Son, Whom He had promised to us all through His many prophets and messengers. By His Presence and love, all of us would be saved, strengthened and restored, and we should no longer be afraid or fearful of what we have suffered and endured, and instead, we should deepen our trust and faith in God, believing that we truly will be rescued, redeemed and brought to true happiness and joy by our faith in the most loving and merciful God Who is always by our side, at all times.

The people of Judah, to whom the prophet Isaiah had been sent to at the time, had faced a lot of challenges and trials, and they had experienced having their northern neighbours, the ten tribes of the Israelites, their own brothers and sisters, having been defeated and conquered, their kingdom destroyed and they themselves being taken out and exiled from their homeland. The people of Judah themselves were facing hardships and challenges from their enemies and they brought all of these upon themselves, just like their northern neighbours, out of their own disobedience against God and their refusal to obey the Lord and their unwillingness to follow His path. And yet, God Who has always loved them and cared for them, continued to reach out to them and reassured them of His love.

In our second reading today, we heard of the passage from the Epistle of St. James, in which the Apostle spoke about the need for us all as Christian believers to stop carrying out biased and judgmental attitudes against each other. All of us must not distinguish one another based on appearances and status, as ultimately, each and every one of us are beloved and precious to God, and all of us are equally blessed by Him, Who wants each one of us to come to Him, loving us regardless of our status and past. As Christians, it is important that we do not put importance and emphasis on worldliness and glory, as all those things are actually just temporary and illusory in nature. Instead, we should always seek to love one another equally just as the Lord Himself has done.

The challenge is of course how we should overcome the temptations present all around us, tempting us with all sorts of worldly glory, ambitions, and all the things which may become serious obstacles in our path and journey through life. We must not let our ego and pride to distract and mislead us down the wrong path in life, making us think that we are in any way superior or better than others around us. Instead, as Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people, each and every one of us must strive to live our lives worthily of Him, and we should always be humble and be willing to listen to Him speaking to us and teaching us His truth. We must always be open-minded and be willing to let God guide our path, and we should also deepen our faith and trust in Him, following whatever He has called us to do through His Church.

Then, in our Gospel passage this Sunday from the Gospel according to St. Mark, we heard of the Lord Jesus and His ministry in the region of Decapolis, as He went about from place to place, carrying out the missions and works which God has entrusted to Him. The Lord met a man who was deaf and mute, and He healed him in a miraculous occasion as He touched the man’s ears and tongue, and speaking the words, ‘Ephphata!’ which means ‘Be opened!’. Through this occasion and miracle, the Lord fulfilled everything that the prophets had spoken about Him, reassuring us all of the love of God and everything that He has promised us. Through His coming into our midst, not only that God showed us His love, but He also wants to make us all whole once again, united perfectly to Him in love.

Each and every one of us have also suffered from the torments and sufferings due to our many sins, our wickedness and evils. All these things prevented us from coming towards God and distracted us from our true focus and attention in Him. But God has offered us all His healing and redemption through His Son, and each and every one of us have been given this opportunity. What remains is for us to embrace this loving care and compassion which the Lord has freely and most generously shown us. We should not take God’s love and generous mercy for granted, and we should indeed appreciate His ever enduring love for each and every one of us. We need to be thankful for everything that He has done for us, in caring for us and being attentive to us, all these while, trusting in His providence and love.

Let us all therefore respond to God’s love and mercy with faith, and entrust ourselves to His care. We should no longer oppose Him and His desire to be reunited with us, but answer His call upon us and follow Him wholeheartedly from now on. May God bless each and every one of us, and may He give us the strength and courage to walk through this journey of faith towards Him, so that we may devote ourselves ever more to Him, in each and every moments of our lives. Amen.

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Sunday, 8 September 2024 : Twenty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Mark 7 : 31-37

At that time, again Jesus set out : from the country of Tyre He passed through Sidon and, skirting the sea of Galilee, He came to the territory of Decapolis. There, a deaf man, who also had difficulty in speaking, was brought to Him. They asked Jesus to lay His hand upon him.

Jesus took him apart from the crowd, and put His fingers into the man’s ears, and touched his tongue with spittle. Then, looking up to heaven, He said with a deep sigh, “Ephphata!” that is, “Be opened!”

And immediately, his ears were opened, his tongue was loosened, and he began to speak clearly. Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone about it; but the more He insisted, the more they proclaimed it. The people were completely astonished and said, “He has done all things well; He makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak.”

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Sunday, 8 September 2024 : Twenty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

James 2 : 1-5

My brothers and sisters, if you truly believe in our glorified Lord, Jesus Christ, you will not discriminate between persons.

Suppose a person enters the synagogue where you are assembled, dressed magnificently and wearing a gold ring; at the same time, a poor person enters dressed in rags. If you focus your attention on the well-dressed and say, “Come and sit in the best seat,” while, to the poor one you say, “Stay standing, or else sit down at my feet,” have you not in fact, made a distinction between the two? Have you not judged, using a double standard?

Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters, did God not choose the poor of this world to receive the riches of faith, and to inherit the kingdom, which He has promised to those who love Him?