Saints

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Tuesday, 12 December 2023 : 2nd Week of Advent, Memorial of Our Lady of Guadalupe (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet or White (Our Lady of Guadalupe)

Isaiah 40 : 1-11

Be comforted, My people, be strengthened, says your God. Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, proclaim to her that her time of bondage is at an end, that her guilt has been paid for, that from the hand of YHVH she has received double punishment for all her iniquity.

A voice cries, “In the wilderness prepare the way for YHVH. Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley will be raised up; every mountain and hill will be laid low. The stumbling blocks shall become level and the rugged places smooth. The glory of YHVH will be revealed, and all mortals together will see it; for the mouth of YHVH has spoken.”

A voice says, “Cry.” and I say, “What shall I cry?” “All flesh is grass, and all its beauty as the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower wilts, when the breath of YHVH blows upon it. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will forever stand.”

Go up onto the high mountain, messenger of Good News to Zion, lift up your voice with strength, fear not to cry aloud when you tell Jerusalem and announce to the cities of Judah : Here is your God! Here comes YHVH Sabaoth with might; His strong arm rules for Him; His reward is with Him, and here before Him is His booty. Like a shepherd He tends His flock : He gathers the lambs in His arms, He carries them in His bosom, gently leading those that are with young.

Alternative reading (Mass of Our Lady of Guadalupe)

Isaiah 7 : 10-14 and Isaiah 8 : 10c

Once again YHVH addressed Ahaz, “Ask for a sign from YHVH your God, let it come either from the deepest depths or from the heights of heaven.” But Ahaz answered, “I will not ask, I will not put YHVH to the test.”

Then Isaiah said, “Now listen, descendants of David. Have you not been satisfied trying the patience of people, that you also try the patience of my God? Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign : The Virgin is with Child and bears a Son and calls His Name Immanuel, for God-is-with-us.”

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Monday, 11 December 2023 : 2nd Week of Advent, Memorial of Pope St. Damasus I, Pope (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet or White (Popes)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we continue to progress through this time and season of Advent, all of us are continuously being reminded of the true reason why we celebrate in this time and season, the upcoming great joy and happiness we are looking forward to in Christmas, as well as the reason why we spend this time of Advent to prepare ourselves thoroughly so that hopefully we may be more prepared and worthy, properly oriented and focused in our Christmas commemorations and celebrations. Advent is a time for us to rediscover our love for God, and for us to redirect and reorientate ourselves that if thus far our lives have been focused on ourselves and worldly pursuits, we may return once again to lives that are centred on God.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, we heard of the Lord’s words of assurance to His people, reminding them all of His love and providence, and how He would come again into their midst to bless them and to make things right for them again, which would be marked with the appearance of wonderful miracles and supernatural events like that had never happened before. The Lord reassured His people of His love through Isaiah, as part of the prophecies that He gave them, to reveal to them the coming of His salvation through none other than Jesus Christ, His one and only begotten Son, Whom He would send into this world in order to lead us all into His loving Presence, to save us all from certain death and destruction.

All the signs and things which the Lord had spoken about and prophesied through Isaiah were meant to reveal to them the One in Whom the Lord would bring all of His people to true happiness and joy once again, free from the troubles and trials that beset them, and brought free from the slavery of sin much as how He had once so with their ancestors in Egypt as He led them out through Moses and Aaron, destroying the shackles of their slavery by Pharaoh and the Egyptians. Thus, this Advent, we ought to remember how the Lord, our God and Saviour, had liberated us all from the shackles and bonds of sin, and reunited us all with Himself, opening the direct and sure path to salvation and eternal life, by the coming of His Son, the Saviour of the world.

Meanwhile, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the story of the time when the Lord Jesus healed a paralysed man, who was unable to move at all, brought upon his mat to the presence of the Lord. And we heard how the Lord was moved by the faith of the paralysed man and his friends who brought him, and healed him from his ailment. This led to the criticism and opposition from the teachers of the Law who happened to be there at the place. Those teachers of the Law take offence at the Lord’s words to the paralysed man, as He forgave the latter his sins. The teachers of the Law argued that only God alone can forgive sin, and thus the Lord Jesus had committed blasphemy against God by claiming to be able to forgive sins.

Yet, this same Lord Jesus Christ is indeed the One Whom Isaiah and the other prophets had been prophesying about, with all the wonders and signs that had been predicted in the prophecies of the prophets, including the healing of the paralysed man, and many other wonders and miracles that the Lord Himself had done, often in the plain sight and witness of those same teachers of the Law and the Pharisees and Sadducees who were with them. Unfortunately, their pride and ego, their thinking that no one else could have known better about the Lord and His Law had clouded their minds and judgment, and which was likely the reason why they had hardened their hearts and minds against the Lord, refusing to believe in Him, and even placing obstacles in His path.

This is what we ourselves should not be doing, brothers and sisters in Christ. Like how many of us had often done ourselves, in closing off our hearts and minds against the Lord, we must be careful lest we fail to recognise the Lord being present in our lives in all circumstances. And in this time and season of Advent and upcoming Christmas season, this is where we often see God being neglected because we are so focused on all the festivities, celebrations and rejoicing that we end up forgetting the very One Whom we ought to be celebrating and commemorating about this Christmas, that is Christ Our Lord and Saviour, Whose coming into this world had brought unto us God’s love manifested before us, becoming tangible and approachable to us, and how He has reassured us all of His salvation and grace.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of Pope St. Damasus I, one of the leaders of the early Church who helped to strengthen the Church amidst turbulent and challenging times, as he was very committed in devoting his time and efforts to the Church, even from before the time he was elected and reigned as the Pope and hence leader of the Church. Pope St. Damasus I was an Archdeacon of the Church and according to tradition, he also followed the then Pope Liberius into exile when the latter was persecuted by the then Roman Emperor Constantius II who was a supporter of the Arian heresy. Later on, during his time as Pope, Pope St. Damasus I was a very ardent defender of the faith against various heresies plaguing the Church and the faithful at that time.

Pope St. Damasus I should serve as our inspiration and role model because he tirelessly dedicated himself in guiding and shepherding the faithful people of God and the Church against the forces of heretics and others who sought to divide the Church, as he had to face many challenges like the presence of an Antipope in opposition to his rule, as well as challenges from the nobles and other powerful factions in the Church. He carried out important reforms and works that were meant to help the Church to remain firmly rooted in the faith, and was the one who commissioned St. Jerome to compile the Latin translation of the Greek Septuagint Bible, which would later on become the Latin Vulgate. Truly, Pope St. Damasus I did many great works, in establishing the Church and its institutions for the good of the people of God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore, as we have been reminded and hopefully inspired by the faith and courage shown by Pope St. Damasus I, let us all therefore strive to commit ourselves anew to the Lord especially during this time and season of Advent so that, hopefully we may grow ever closer to God, and be able to inspire others to seek the true joy and reason for Christmas, that is Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, and celebrate Christmas together with right understanding and true joy, and not with the excesses of worldly festivities and celebrations. May God be with us always, and may He continue to bless us in all things, and guide us in our Advent journey, now and henceforth. Amen.

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Monday, 11 December 2023 : 2nd Week of Advent, Memorial of Pope St. Damasus I, Pope (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet or White (Popes)

Luke 5 : 17-26

At that time, Jesus was teaching and many Pharisees and teachers of the Law had come from every part of Galilee and Judea, and even from Jerusalem. They were sitting there, while the power of the Lord was at work to heal the sick. Then some men brought a paralysed man who lay on his mat.

They tried to enter the house to place him before Jesus, but they could not find a way through the crowd. So they went up on the roof, and removing the tiles, they lowered him on his mat into the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the man, “My friend, your sins are forgiven.”

At once the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees began to wonder, “This Man insults God! Who can forgive sins, but God alone?” But Jesus knew their thoughts and asked them, “Why are you reacting like this? Which is easier to say : ‘Your sins are forgiven’ or ‘Get up and walk’? Now you shall know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.”

And Jesus said to the paralysed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” At once the man stood before them. He took up the mat he had been lying on, and went home praising God. Amazement seized the people and they praised God. They were filled with a holy fear, and said, “What wonderful things we have seen today!”

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Monday, 11 December 2023 : 2nd Week of Advent, Memorial of Pope St. Damasus I, Pope (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet or White (Popes)

Psalm 84 : 9ab-10, 11-12, 13-14

Would that I hear God’s proclamation, that He promise peace to His people, His saints. Yet His salvation is near to those who fear Him, and His Glory will dwell in our land.

Love and faithfulness have met; righteousness and peace have embraced. Faithfulness will reach up from the earth while justice bends down from heaven.

The Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its fruit. Justice will go before Him, and peace will follow along His path.

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Monday, 11 December 2023 : 2nd Week of Advent, Memorial of Pope St. Damasus I, Pope (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet or White (Popes)

Isaiah 35 : 1-10

Let the wilderness and the arid land rejoice, the desert be glad and blossom. Covered with flowers, it sings and shouts with joy, adorned with the splendour of Lebanon, the magnificence of Carmel and Sharon. They, my people, see the glory of YHVH, the majesty of our God.

Give vigour to weary hands and strength to enfeebled knees. Say to those who are afraid : “Have courage, do not fear. See, your God comes, demanding justice. He is the God Who rewards, the God Who comes to save you.”

Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unsealed. Then will the lame leap as a hart and the tongue of the dumb sing and shout. For water will break out in the wilderness and streams gush forth from the desert. The thirsty ground will become a pool, the arid land springs of water. In the haunts where once reptiles lay, grass will grow with reeds and rushes.

There will be a highway which will be called The Way of Holiness; no one unclean will pass over it nor any wicked fool stray there. No lion will be found there nor any beast of prey. Only the redeemed will walk there. For the ransomed of YHVH will return : with everlasting joy upon their heads, they will come to Zion singing, gladness and joy marching with them, while sorrow and sighing flee away.

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Saturday, 9 December 2023 : 1st Week of Advent, Memorial of St. John Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet or White (Saints)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, all of us are reminded that all of us have been called and chosen to be His missionaries and messengers, that we should always strive to reach out to our fellow brothers and sisters all around us, while introducing and revealing the truth and Good News of God to everyone. And how should we do that? We should do that by truly living our lives in a most Christian manner, dedicating our time and works, our lives and examples to do what we can so that by our lives, God may truly be glorified and known by more and more people in this world, those whom we encounter and interact with in each and every moments of our lives. As we continue to progress through this blessed time and season of Advent, it is important that we should always do our best that we keep our gaze and attention focused on the Lord too.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Isaiah in which the prophet spoke to the people of God, relating to them how they would be reconciled to Him, helped and assisted in their troubles and challenges. Contextually, at that time, the people of God in the kingdom of Judah, to whom Isaiah ministered to, have faced a lot of trials and hardships, humiliations and challenges because of their own folly in rejecting God and abandoning Him for worldly temptations and the allures of false pleasures and comfort present around them. They had disobeyed the Lord and His commandments, persecuted His prophets and messengers who have been sent into their midst in order to help and assist them in their path.

The Lord therefore reminded all of His people that He still loved them while at the same time despising their sins and wickedness. As their loving Father and Creator, He wanted all of them to come back to Him, and to be reunited with Him, and hence, He promised them that His salvation will come into their midst, as He revealed His grace and love, His compassion and patience, in leading them all towards Himself. The Lord has sent to them His messengers and prophets, all the help and guide to allow them to find their way back to Him, and He would reveal Himself to them, just as the prophet Isaiah mentioned in today’s first reading passage, revealing the truth about His love and His Good News to all of His beloved ones, all of which are fulfilled with the advent and the coming of Jesus Christ, the long promised Saviour of the world.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the words of the Lord to His disciples and followers, reminding all of them that they are all labourers and workers in the field of the Lord. This field of the Lord refers to this world, all of its people and everything that we have all around us. These words are always important reminders for us, that in His own words, the Lord said that, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are only few. Ask the Master of the harvest to send workers to gather His harvest.” What this means is that, while there are many people out there who are ripe for the revelation of the Lord’s truth and Good News to be given to them, but there are few of those who are willing and are actually doing God’s works in revealing all these truth and love of God to those who have not yet to know the Lord and His salvation.

Now, each and every one of us as Christians have received this assurance of salvation and grace through none other than Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Our Lord and Saviour. All of us have been called to put our faith and trust in the same Lord and God, as we are all taught to do through the Church. And as we have been given the revelation of God, and have professed our faith and belief in Him, it is then only right that we should do what He has called and entrusted to us to do, that is to be the ones to proclaim the Good News to the nations, to proclaim God’s truth and love through our every actions, words and deeds in life, at each and every moments. All of us are the ones who ought to continue the works of the Apostles and disciples of the Lord, to be missionaries and evangelisers in our daily lives today.

That is why, all of us should lead by good example especially during this time of Advent and in the events leading up to Christmas that we all truly show the world Who it is that we are celebrating about, that is Christ our Lord, Who has willingly and generously come down to us, to dwell in our midst, showing all of us God’s perfect and ever enduring love in the flesh. That means our preparation for Christmas and its celebrations should always be centred on the Lord and be focused on Him, rather than on our own desires and wants for worldly glory and glamour. Unlike the secular celebrations of Christmas that are often devoid of Christ, our Christmas joy which we begin preparing this Advent should always be Christ-centric in all things.

Today the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. John Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, also known as St. Juan Diego, as we recall the life and holiness of this great man of God, whose devotion to Him and to His blessed mother had brought about great conversions and much good for the Church and for the people of God. St. John Diego was especially known for his role in revealing to the world the now world famous apparition of Mary, who appeared to St. John Diego as Our Lady of Guadalupe. At that time, not long after the conquest of the New World, the Americas by the Spanish forces, there were a lot of disruptions and chaos, which therefore brought the Blessed Mother of God herself to appear before her beloved children to remind them to turn away from their sins and wickedness, and return to the side of her Son, their Lord and Saviour.

St. John Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin was one of the early converts among the native populations of Central America, and he was known to be a devout person, dedicating himself to his new faith zealously, and he was also known to be a righteous and good person in his deeds. One day, at the hill of Tepeyac, where the great Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe now stands, St. John Diego saw the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, appearing to him like a woman of his own race, and she revealed herself to him as the Mother of God and told him to inform the local bishop that a shrine should be built at the site so that she could assist those who have been troubled and distressed. St. John Diego obediently told the bishop and after another apparition, again shared with the local bishop what he had witnessed.

And when the bishop requested from the Apparition for a heavenly sign to show the authenticity of the supernatural event, the Blessed Virgin Lady of Guadalupe told St. John Diego that she would provide one. But when St. John Diego’s uncle was very sick and he missed the appointed time of the apparition, and attending to his uncle, later on when Our Lady of Guadalupe once again appeared to St. John Diego, she chided him gently for not having sought for her intercession and help, telling him in the now famous words, ‘Am I not here, who am your Mother?’ Then, while assuring St. John Diego that his uncle has fully recovered, she told him to gather flowers that were blooming at the site, using his own mantle, known as tilma, to hold those flowers to be shown to the bishop.

The moment that St. John Diego returned to the bishop and revealed the unusual flowers that he had gathered from the Blessed Lady of Guadalupe, the bishop was astonished to have seen the imprint of Our Lady of Guadalupe herself on the tilma or cloak of St. John Diego. This assured the bishop that the Apparition was truly genuine, and he immediately venerated the Blessed Lady of Guadalupe. Henceforth, the devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe became very popular, bringing countless souls to God, being saved through His mother’s love and care for us, and until today, countless millions came to venerate Our Lady of Guadalupe at her shrines, and many more throughout the world devoted themselves to the Lord through her, His Blessed Mother, who is also our Mother.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, having heard the reminders from the Scriptures about the love and the salvation which God Himself has brought unto us through His Son, and also having listened to the great faith and dedication which St. John Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin has shown us, in his commitment to God, his obedience to His Blessed Mother, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and more of his other virtues, let us all therefore strive to be ever good and worthy in our own lives and deeds, so that by our good examples and actions, our every words and interactions with each other, we may always be the good role models and inspirations for all around us, that God may be better known to more and more.

Let us all also keep our focus and attention ever directed to God especially as we continue to prepare ourselves in this time and season of Advent for the upcoming joyful celebration of Christmas. May the Lord, Who has chosen to come to us, Incarnate in the flesh, continue to bless each one of us and bless our Advent observances and actions. Amen.

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Saturday, 9 December 2023 : 1st Week of Advent, Memorial of St. John Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet or White (Saints)

Matthew 9 : 35 – Matthew 10 : 1, 5a, 6-8

At that time, Jesus went around all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom; and He cured every sickness and disease. When He saw the crowds, He was moved with pity; for they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are only few. Ask the Master of the harvest to send workers to gather His harvest.”

Jesus called His Twelve disciples to Him, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out, and to heal every disease and sickness. Jesus sent these Twelve on mission, with the instruction : “Go, instead, to the lost sheep of the people of Israel. Go, and proclaim this message : The kingdom of heaven is near. Heal the sick, bring the dead back to life, cleanse the lepers, and drive out demons. Freely have you received, freely give.”

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Saturday, 9 December 2023 : 1st Week of Advent, Memorial of St. John Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet or White (Saints)

Psalm 146 : 1-2, 3-4, 5-6

Alleluia! How good it is to sing to our God, how sweet and befitting, to praise Him! YHVH rebuilds Jerusalem; He gathers the exiles of Israel.

He heals their broken hearts and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of stars; He calls each of them by name.

The Lord is great, and mighty in power; His wisdom is beyond measure. YHVH lifts up the humble, but casts the wicked to the ground.

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Saturday, 9 December 2023 : 1st Week of Advent, Memorial of St. John Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet or White (Saints)

Isaiah 30 : 19-21, 23-26

O people of Zion, who dwell in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. When you cry, He will listen; when He hears, He will answer. When the Lord has given you the bread of anguish and the water of distress, He, your Teacher will hide no longer. Your own eyes will see Him, and your ear will listen to His words behind you : “This is the way, walk in it.”

He will then give rain for the seed you sow and make the harvest abundant from the crops you grow. On that day your cattle will graze in wide pastures. Your beasts of burden will eat silage tossed to them with pitchfork and shovel. For on the day of the great slaughter, when fortresses fall, streams of water will flow on every mountain and lofty hill.

The light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun seven times greater, like the light of seven days, when YHVH binds up the wounds of His people and heals the bruises inflicted by His blows.

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Friday, 8 December 2023 : Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the great Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in which occasion, we commemorate the moment when the Blessed Mother of God, Mary, ever-Virgin and ever full of grace, was conceived Immaculate, that means, free from any taint of original sin and defects, and kept by the singular grace of God in the fullness of grace, and therefore, became the perfect Vessel through whom the Saviour of this world, Jesus Christ, Son of God Most High, enters into our midst through His glorious Incarnation in the flesh. Today’s celebration reminds us all that Mary is truly the New Ark of the New Covenant of God, bearing within her the Salvation which God has promised all of us.

Now, all of us need to understand the significance of the celebration today, and why the Church teaches that the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, has been conceived without any taint of sin, spared and protected from the corruption of evil and sin. This is because we must understand that first of all, sin did not exist in the beginning, as God created all things good and perfect, just as we heard them in the Book of Genesis during the time of Creation. Mankind were also created perfect in the very image of God, and were all meant to dwell with God forever, in a state of perfect happiness, harmony and bliss. That is because God loves each and every one of us, all those whom He has created out of His perfect and overflowing love.

God did not have need for anything or anyone, as He is all perfect and all encompassing. There is nothing and no one who can satisfy God, as in His perfection, He has no need for all those things. Yet, in the overflowing love that came forth from the perfect love and union in His Most Holy Trinity, the unity and love between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, God wants us all to share in this love. Hence, that is why God created us all so that we all may share in His generosity and compassion, His richness of love and mercy. God has never meant for us to suffer in this world, or to endure any hardships, bitterness, challenges or trials, as He wants us to be truly happy and blessed, at all times. And therefore, from the beginning of time, He has shown us His love, enduring ever always despite our many sins.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, it is crucial that we understand how our disobedience against God and His Law, His commandments and ways has led us into the path of sin. Sin has caused us to be corrupted and turned away into the path of wickedness and evil, and leading us down the path of rebellion against God. Through sin, we have been brought away from the righteous path of God, and we have been afflicted with this corruption of sin, which made us to be unworthy of God’s grace and love, that He has always ever generously given to us. We have rejected Him by our disobedience and preference to follow the path of Satan and sin, in turning away from His love and path. Thus, by our disobedience sin has been borne by us, and by sin thus we have entered into this state of suffering and we have to suffer death.

Yet, God’s love for each and every one of us endured, and that is why from the beginning He has already planned way ahead for our salvation and ultimate liberation from all those wicked forces and sin. He revealed to our ancestors and Satan himself, that through the Woman, the salvation of all mankind and this whole world would come, and Satan would be dealt a great defeat, and eventually he shall be thrust forever into Hell and destroyed. And this Woman is none other than Mary, the Mother of God, the one through whom the Saviour of the world, the Son of God Most High, Jesus Christ, would be born through. She is the Woman through whom God would restore all of His beloved people back to His grace and love, because by her ready acceptance of her role and part in the history of salvation, she has brought unto us the love of God made flesh, in Jesus Christ.

Then, as we have already spoken about how sin has led to the corruption and downfall of mankind, because we have been made corrupted and unworthy of God, Who is all holy and perfect, and hence, this is why this belief we have in the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and Bearer of the Messiah, is necessary and important. Why is that so, brothers and sisters in Christ? That is because for Mary to bear God Himself in her, present in the flesh in Jesus Christ, thus, she has to be immaculate and holy, perfect and free from the taint of sin. That is because no sin can exist in God’s Presence, and nothing impure and imperfect can be in the Vessel of His Saviour, His own Son, Who is co-equal and consubstantial with the Father.

In the past, the Ark of the Covenant was the centre and focus of the worship and the whole community of the people of Israel, because God Himself has hallowed and blessed it, and His Holy Presence came down upon the Ark and rested on it. The Ark was made by the craftsmen from the finest worldly materials, and was made to contain the two tablets on which the Ten Commandments of God were written, as well as the heavenly bread manna, by which God had fed His people with, and also the Staff of Aaron, the staff of authority by which God had performed His signs and wonders in the land of Egypt before the Pharaoh and the Egyptians. That Ark of the Covenant was the manifestation of God’s Presence among His people, and as it has been hallowed and made holy to allow God’s Presence to rest on it, thus, it cannot be touched by anyone, and there was a case when a priest accidentally touched the Ark, and he was struck dead on the spot.

Why is that so? That is because of our sins, which will be our undoing if we come to God in a state of sin and wickedness. Thus, that is why, in the same idea and logic, therefore, is the reason why Mary, the Mother of God, who was to bear the Lord Himself in her own hallowed womb, has to be truly free from any taint of sin, and thus, she, by the singular grace of God, had been kept from the taint of original sin and any other sin throughout her whole life. She is indeed the New Ark of the New Covenant of God, which the Lord Jesus would establish with all of us. This is also what is referred to by the Archangel Gabriel when he hailed Mary as ‘Full of Grace’. One who is in the state of fullness of grace means that the person is fully attuned and aligned with God and His will, and therefore, has no sin. This is why, the Church has consistently taught that Mary was conceived without sin in the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception, and then remained ever holy and pure throughout her life.

That is also why the Church teaches that Mary has also been assumed to Heaven at the end of her worldly existence, in the Dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, with the same reason that if sin has never corrupted her, then she should not suffer the consequences of sin, and thus, by the grace of God, she has been assumed and taken, body and soul into Heaven. Now, as we reflect on all these roles that Mary had played in the story of our salvation by God, let us all therefore remind ourselves to be more like her in all that she had done throughout her whole life. Mary was indeed honoured greatly and exalted, first and foremost because she is none other than the Mother of God herself, and if we truly love and honour the Lord our God, with all of our hearts and might, then we should also honour His mother in the same way.

However, we also honour Mary because of her great dedication and commitment to God, her ready and willing acceptance of God’s will and all that He had told her to do. She accepted everything humbly and lovingly, committing herself to what she had been entrusted to do. As the bearer of the Lord and His Mother, she has dedicated herself to care for her Son, Our Lord and Saviour, and she followed Him throughout His ministry faithfully, even to the foot of the Cross, where she saw with her very own eyes, the most painful suffering and death that her own Son had to suffer for the sake of our salvation, and to liberate all of us from the tyranny and dominion of sin and evil. All of these had been patiently endured by Mary, who continued to humbly and devotedly follow the Lord and fulfil her mission as intended.

Let us therefore as Christians be inspired by the examples and the faith of Mary, the Blessed ever Virgin, Mother of God, and do what we can so that our own lives may truly be worthy of the Lord, in obeying His will, Law and commandments at all times. Let us all strive to be ever more worthy of the Lord by doing what is right and just, and what He has taught and shown us all to do in our respective lives. May all of us as Christians be true and genuine disciples and followers of Christ in all things, and not merely a formality only. May all of us strive to keep ourselves away from sin and evil, as we ought to remember that we ourselves have been chosen and blessed to be God’s holy people, and hence, we should not allow ourselves to be corrupted by sin and evil, by distancing ourselves from the many temptations being present all around us.

May the Blessed Mother of God, Mary, most holy, the Immaculate Conception, be our guide and our help, in our journey of faith towards her Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. May God bless our every good efforts and endeavours, and may He continue to bless our lives and fill us all with His ever enduring love and grace. Amen.