Liturgical Colour : Red
Psalm 136 : 1-2, 3, 4-5, 6
By the streams of Babylon, we sat; and then wept, as we remembered Zion. When, on the poplars, we hung our harps.
Our captors asked for song. Our tormentors wanted songs of joy : “Sing to us one of the songs of Zion!”
How could we sing YHVH’s song in a strange and alien land? If I forget you, o Jerusalem, may my right hand fall useless!
May my tongue cleave to my palate if I remember you not, if Jerusalem is not the first of my joys.
Liturgical Colour : Red
2 Kings 25 : 1-12
In the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched with his entire army and laid siege to Jerusalem. They camped outside the city and built siege works all around it. The city was under siege up to the eleventh year of the reign of Zedekiah.
On the ninth day of the fourth month famine became a serious problem in the city, and throughout the land there was no bread for the people. When the city was opened by a breach in the wall, the Judean army fled through the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden, while the Chaldeans were still around the city; and they fled towards the Arabah. The Chaldeans followed in hot pursuit of king Zedekiah and caught up with him in the plains of Jericho. All his army deserted him and scattered.
The Chaldeans seized the king and led him away to Riblah in the territory of Hamath and there the king of Babylon passed sentence on him. There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah in his presence. He then put out the eyes of Zedekiah, bound him with a double bronze chain and took him to Babylon.
On the seventh day of the fifth month in the nineteenth year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan, commander of the captain of the royal guard and servant of the king of Babylon, entered Jerusalem and set fire to the House of YHVH and the royal palace, as well as to all the houses in Jerusalem. The Chaldean army under the commander of the bodyguard completely demolished all the walls around Jerusalem.
Nebuzaradan, commander of the bodyguard, carried off into exile the last of the Jews left in the city, those who had deserted to the king of Babylon and the remainder of the artisans. But he left those among the very poor who were capable of working in vineyards and cultivating the soil.
Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard from the words of the Sacred Scriptures in which we are all reminded that we must always put our faith and trust in the Lord, and building our lives upon a firm foundation in Him. Otherwise, if we place our trust and faith in the world and whatever things that we depend on in this world instead of putting our faith in the Lord, we will sooner than later realise that our trust in the things and matters of this world, in any of our worldly means and powers will not avail us through the difficult and challenging moments, and it is in the end, the Lord alone is our firm hope and foundation, through Whom we shall receive consolation, strength and providence, and it is He alone Who will not disappoint any one of us.
In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah of the continuation of the story of the people of God and the kingdom of Judah, in which we heard today of the last days of the existence of the independent kingdom of Judah, having once again disobeyed the Lord and left the righteous path which the previous King, King Josiah of Judah in our first reading yesterday had highlighted to us, in his efforts and endeavours to bring the people of God back towards obedience and commitment to God. Those efforts were ultimately in vain, as after the passing of King Josiah, the people of God and their kings went back to the path of disobedience and sins against God, and therefore, the kingdom went on its path to its eventual destruction.
Back then, the kingdom of Judah were in between the powerful kingdoms of Egypt and Babylon, with the former having attacked and overcome Judah after defeating King Josiah and his forces in battle earlier in the years prior to the parts mentioned in today’s first reading passage. Egypt subjugated the kingdom of Judah for a while and placed it under its sphere of influence, before as we heard today, the rising power of the Babylonians led to the forces of the King of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar to strike at Judah and Jerusalem, taking over the control and overlordship over Judah from the Egyptians to themselves. We heard how the king of Judah, Jehoiachin and many of the people of Judah were brought off into exile from Jerusalem and Judah after the King of Babylon besieged and attacked Judah and Jerusalem.
All these were likely caused by the people’s lack of faith in God, as they trusted more in worldly powers and in the worldly means, in the play of power and politics, all of which led to the eventual mistakes and repercussions which would end up in the divisions and destructions of the kingdoms of God’s people, as had once happened to the northern kingdom of Israel. The people and king of Judah depended on the Egyptians to protect themselves from the Babylonians, and on other occasions, on the Babylonians to protect themselves against the Egyptians, thinking that by depending on these powers of the world, on their alliances and intricate political links and arrangements that they could get themselves out of trouble and escape their predicament. Little that they know that all these would not avail them at all.
This is why we are all reminded that putting our trust and faith in worldly things and in all of our worldly means and powers will not give us true happiness and satisfaction, and while it may give us temporary reprieve, relief or joy, but in the end, it is with the Lord alone there is true fulfilment, satisfaction and joy, and in the end, if we remain truly faithful to God and trust in Him wholeheartedly, we shall have true joy and glory with Him, and we shall be freed from all the bonds and hardships facing us, and God shall bless us forevermore with the true and lasting peace, happiness and wonders, all of which He has promised to us, and which our holy and worthy predecessors have received and experienced, and which we too should be looking forward to.
In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus to His disciples and followers telling them all that unless they all have true, genuine and strong faith in Him, they shall not be able to partake in Him or be part of His inheritance, and no one unless those who truly anchored themselves in Him and in His truth will be able to bear through the many challenges, obstacles and hardships that they may likely encounter throughout their lives and existence in this world. The Lord used the parable of the houses and their foundations of sand and firm rock to highlight and explain these things to His disciples and followers, to make it clear that putting our faith in worldly things and in our worldly means and powers, as mentioned in the first reading today, is just like building our houses on the weak foundation of sand, and which will be easily toppled and destroyed.
Meanwhile, if we put our faith and trust in the Lord, as He Himself said, that it is like building upon the firm foundation of our faith in Him, and in His rock-solid commitment to us and to the Covenant which He had established with all of us. This is also a reminder for us that siding and putting our faith with the Lord, trusting and following Him do not mean that we will be free from challenges, hardships and obstacles in life. On the contrary, we may encounter even more difficulties, trials and oppositions than if we are to side with the world instead. However, with God by our side, as our firm foundation and as our Strength and Protector, we can be assured that we will be triumphant in the end of our journey and struggles throughout life.
Today, the Church celebrates the feast of a great Church father and man of God, whose life and inspirations can strengthen and empower us all in how we can live a more worthy and committed life in the Lord. St. Cyril of Alexandria was the Patriarch of Alexandria during the tumultuous time of the late Roman Empire, at the early fifth century, four centuries after the time of the Lord and His Apostles. At that time, the Church was divided between various sides who supported different heretical teachings, as well as those who upheld the true, orthodox and genuine faith in God. After the great troubles earlier on with Arianism and its false teachings, there then rose the heresy of Nestorianism, in which the nature of Our Lord’s Divinity and the relationship between His Divinity and Humanity was confused.
St. Cyril of Alexandria committed himself to the Lord and to the Church rather early in his life although details were rather scant on this part of his life, and eventually he rose to the position of priest, experiencing the theological disputes and the difficulties arising from the divisions within the Church at the time. He was appointed as the Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and it was told that there was disagreements and rioting in Alexandria between his supporters and those who supported his rival, the Archdeacon Timotheus. There were then also disputes with the local prefect and the Church hierarchy in the Eastern part of the Roman Empire which at that time were corrupt and infringing upon the rights and the practices of the Church, and eventually also siding with the Nestorians and their heretical teachings. St. Cyril of Alexandria courageously stood up against all these challenges and obstacles in his many years as the leader of his flock in Alexandria and beyond.
The disputes and disagreements with Nestorius, who was then the powerful and influential Archbishop of Constantinople, the capital of the Eastern half of the Roman Empire eventually led to the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus, in which after a long struggle, disputations and efforts from both sides, those who supported and defended the true Christian faith, that is the orthodox party, led by St. Cyril of Alexandria and many of his holy and faithful contemporaries eventually triumphed, and managed to get the false teachings of Nestorius to be condemned as heresy, managing to affirm the belief that the Divine and Human natures of the Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man are not separated unlike what Nestorius claimed, but rather, united perfectly in love in the One Person of Our Lord and Saviour Himself. St. Cyril faced many hardships and challenges throughout all these times, and had to face opposition from many people even after the Council of Ephesus had decided on the matter, but nonetheless, he carried out his mission faithfully to the end of his life.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore reflect upon what we have just discussed in the Scriptures and from the life and works of St. Cyril of Alexandria, holy servant of God and bishop. Let us all continue to commit ourselves to the Lord, doing whatever we can so that by our exemplary lives and works, we may always live lives that are worthy of God, truly holy and righteous in all things. May all of us be blessed and be strengthened, guided and empowered by God, our Lord and Master in all that we do, and be those who place their trust in God and build the foundation of our lives and faith firmly in Him, now and always. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops)
Matthew 7 : 21-29
At that time, Jesus said to the people, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My heavenly Father. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not speak in Your Name? Did we not cast out devils and perform many miracles in Your Name?’ Then I will tell them openly, ‘I have never known you; away from Me, you evil people!’”
“Therefore, anyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts according to them, is like a wise man, who built his house on rock. The rain poured down, the rivers flooded, and the wind blew and struck that house. But it did not collapse, because it was built on rock. But anyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act accordingly, is like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain poured, the rivers flooded, and the wind blew and struck that house; it collapsed, and what a terrible collapse that was!”
When Jesus had finished this discourse, the crowds were struck by the way He taught, because He taught with authority, unlike their teachers of the Law.
Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops)
Psalm 78 : 1-2, 3-5, 8, 9
O God, the pagans have invaded Your inheritance; they have defiled Your holy Temple and reduced Jerusalem to rubble. They have given Your servants’ corpses to the birds, and the flesh of Your saints, to the beasts of the earth.
They have poured out the blood of Your faithful, like water around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them. Mocked and reviled by those around us, we are scorned by our neighbours. How long will this last, o YHVH? Will You be angry forever? Will Your wrath always burn to avenge Your rights?
Do not remember against us the sins of our fathers. Let Your compassion hurry to us, for we have been brought very low.
Help us, God, our Saviour, for the glory of Your Name; forgive us, for the sake of Your Name.
Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops)
2 Kings 24 : 8-17
Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he succeeded his father, and he reigned for three months in Jerusalem. His mother was Nehushta, daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. Jehoiachin treated YHVH badly, as his father had done.
At that time, the officials of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came to attack Jerusalem, surrounding the city. Nebuchadnezzar came while the city was being besieged by his men. Jehoiachin, king of Judah, surrendered, together with his mother, his servants, his leaders and the palace officials. It was the eighth year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar.
Nebuchadnezzar captured them and he took away the treasures of the House of YHVH and of the king’s house. He also destroyed all the objects of gold which Solomon, king of Israel, had made for the Sanctuary of YHVH. So the word YHVH had spoken, was fulfilled.
Nebuchadnezzar carried off into exile all the leaders and prominent men, the blacksmiths and locksmiths, all the men of valour fit for war. A total of ten thousand were exiled to Babylon. Only the poorest sector of the population was left. Nebuchadnezzar also carried away Jehoiachin, with his mother, his wives, the ministers of the palace, and the prominent men of the land.
So all the prominent people, numbering seven thousand, the blacksmiths, numbering a thousand, and all the men fit for war were deported to Babylon by the king of Babylon. He made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king of Jerusalem, in place of Jehoiachin. And he changed his name to Zedekiah.
Liturgical Colour : White
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Universal Church celebrates the great occasion of the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, marking the moment when St. John the Baptist, the one whom the Lord had sent before Him to prepare His path, was born into the world, approximately six months before the Nativity of Our Lord Himself, based on the Scriptural tradition that Elizabeth, the mother of St. John the Baptist and the cousin of Mary, the Mother of Our Lord, had been pregnant for about six months when the Archangel Gabriel came to visit Mary in Nazareth to announce to her the Good News of the coming of the salvation of God. Elizabeth and Mary were both recipients of great graces from God, and their pregnancies were both miraculous and wonderful, truly graces and blessings of God.
We know that Mary became pregnant with the Lord Jesus, the Son of God Most High by the power of the Holy Spirit without any human intervention, a Virgin bearing a Child within her just as prophesied by the prophets of God. Meanwhile, Elizabeth was pregnant in her old age, way beyond a woman’s childbearing age after having waited for many years if not decades for a child without any success. She had been barren for a long time, and at that time, barrenness was a sign of curse and lack of God’s blessings, and people put a lot of emphasis on the ability for a woman to bear and raise a child. While Zechariah, her husband and priest of the Temple of Jerusalem and Elizabeth had been faithful to the Lord, they were childless, but God had a truly greater plan for them, as it was through them that the Herald of the Messiah, the one to prepare the way for the Lord would be born into this world.
Initially, Zechariah, St. John the Baptist’s father did not believe in the words of the Angel of God, which tradition assigned to be the same Archangel Gabriel, who appeared before him at the Temple, proclaiming the miraculous events that would transpire, and how he would become the father of God’s messenger and herald. Thus Zechariah was rendered mute, until the occasion as depicted in our Gospel passage today happened, which was the exact moment when the baby, St. John the Baptist was born of his mother, Elizabeth, and Zechariah proclaimed the name of the child, which the Archangel had told him, that was John. Thus Zechariah’s mouth was reopened and his tongue was loosened, and he immediately proclaimed the glory of God for all the great and wonderful deeds which the Lord had done for the sake of His people.
St. John the Baptist was the one who was to prepare the Lord’s path, straightening His path and calling upon the people of God to return back towards Him, repenting from their many sins and wicked deeds. His coming has been prophesied by the prophets, like we heard from the first reading today from the prophet Isaiah, which spoke of the coming of God’s salvation, and how He was going to send His servant, through whom the scattered people of Israel, the holy people of God would be gathered back and reunited with God. St. John the Baptist would labour hard and spent a lot of effort for years, calling on all the people of God to return back to the path of righteousness, and through his famous baptisms, he would gather many who sought and desired for the healing and reconciliation with God. Thus, he was known well as St. John the Baptist or the Baptiser.
Now, on this day as we rejoice in the celebration of the Nativity of this great servant of God, let us all remind ourselves that each and every one of us have been called to follow in the faith and in the footsteps of this great man of God, St. John the Baptist, who has faithfully served the Lord and committed himself thoroughly to the missions which had been entrusted to him. As we rejoice in his birth and coming into this world, let us all remember our own calling and ministry in our own respective areas in life so that we may know what we truly ought to be doing as part of our livelihood as God’s holy and beloved people. God has chosen St. John the Baptist to echo the call to all the people to embrace His salvation and grace, and we have been reminded of this call today.
All of us have received God’s love and His wonderful grace, His compassion and forgiveness, through which He has made us all whole once again, by the works and the loving sacrifice of His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, for Whom St. John the Baptist had toiled and laboured. Therefore, each and every one of us who have been made to be parts and members of the one Church of God, the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, all of us are reminded that we should always be in God’s love and grace, attuned to His will and obeying His commandments and Law. There are still plenty of areas and many people in this world who have not yet known the Lord and His truth, His Good News and salvation, and it is therefore up to all of us to proclaim Him, courageously and devotedly as St. John the Baptist had once done.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, all of us as members of the Church are also parts of its missionary and evangelising efforts, in reaching out to more and more people who have not yet known the Lord. In our own respective areas and vocations, be it as an ordained minister, or as a layperson, as a consecrated religious or in any other form of our unique vocations, in even the smallest and seemingly least significant efforts and works which we carry out in proclaiming the Lord and His Good News, all of these are important in bringing forth the works of God made evident and tangible through His Church. No matter how small our efforts or how insignificant it may seem, each and every one of our efforts and outreach, our exemplary lives and inspirations are part of the greater efforts of the Church.
Let us all therefore strive to do our best in our daily lives, to be truly faithful to God, to listen to God and His will, obeying His Law and commandments, following Him in whatever He commands us to do and fulfilling whatever vocations and matters He has entrusted to us. Let us all no longer be idle but be active, contributing and faithful Christians in all the things that we say and do, and let us all be the shining beacons of God’s light, His hope and love in our communities today, that we may strengthen and inspire others around us to come to believe in the Lord and to follow Him as well. May God be with us all, be with His Church and bless us in our every good efforts and endeavours, for His greater glory. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : White
Luke 1 : 57-66, 80
When the time came for Elizabeth, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbours and relatives heard that the merciful Lord had done a wonderful thing for her, and they rejoiced with her. When, on the eighth day, they came to attend the circumcision of the child, they wanted to name him Zechariah after his father.
But his mother said, “Not so; he shall be called John.” They said to her, “But no one in your family has that name!” and they made signs to his father for the name he wanted to give him. Zechariah asked for a writing tablet, and wrote on it, “His name is John;” and they were very surprised. Immediately, Zechariah could speak again, and his first words were in praise of God.
A holy fear came on all in the neighbourhood, and throughout the hill country of Judea and the people talked about these events. All who heard of it, pondered in their minds, and wondered, “What will this child be?” For they understood that the hand of the Lord was with him.
As the child grew up, he was seen to be strong in the Spirit; and he lived in the desert, until the day when he appeared openly in Israel.
Liturgical Colour : White
Acts 13 : 22-26
After that time, God removed Saul and raised up David as king, to whom He bore witness saying : I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all I want him to do.
It is from the descendants of David that God has now raised up the promised Saviour of Israel, Jesus. Before He appeared, John proclaimed a baptism of repentance for all the people of Israel. As John was ending his life’s work, he said : ‘I am not what you think I am, for, after me, another One is coming, Whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.’
Brothers, children and descendants of Abraham, and you, also, who fear God, it is to you that this message of salvation has been sent.
Liturgical Colour : White
Psalm 138 : 1-3, 13-14ab, 14c-15
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.
For Your marvellous deeds. Even my bones were known to You when I was being formed in secret, fashioned in the depths of the earth.
petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang 