Liturgical Colour : Red
Psalm 67 : 10-11, 20-21
Then You gave a rain of blessings to comfort Your weary children. Your people found a dwelling and in Your mercy, o God, You provided for the needy.
Blessed be the Lord, God our Saviour, Who daily bears our burdens! Ours is a God Who saves; our Lord lets us escape from death.
Liturgical Colour : Red
Acts 20 : 17-27
From Miletus Paul sent word to Ephesus, summoning the elders of the Church. When they came to him, he addressed them, “You know how I lived among you from the first day I set foot in the province of Asia, how I served the Lord in humility through the sorrows and trials that the Jews caused me.”
“You know that I never held back from doing anything that could be useful for you; I spoke publicly and in your homes, and I urged Jews and non-Jews alike to turn to God and believe in our Lord Jesus.”
“But now I am going to Jerusalem, chained by the Spirit, without knowing what will happen to me there. Yet in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that imprisonment and troubles await me. Indeed I put no value on my life, if only I can finish my race and complete the service to which I have been assigned by the Lord Jesus, to announce the Good News of God’s grace.”
“I now feel sure that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom of God will ever see me again. Therefore I declare to you this day that my conscience is clear with regard to all of you. For I have spared no effort in fully declaring to you God’s will.”
Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we are reminded that we must have strong faith and trust in the Lord, believing in the great and ever enduring love which He has always had for us, without exception and without limit. God has indeed always loved us all so generously, without any conditions and without any boundaries. And we should indeed consider ourselves truly fortunate to have been beloved in such a manner, and to have the Lord by our side at all times. We must not lose faith in Him and we should always strive to be faithful because it is in Him alone that we can find true assurance and strength, consolation and freedom. There is nothing that is impossible for us as long as we continue to have faith in the Lord, entrusting ourselves to Him and His will.
In our first reading today, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles of the ministry and works of St. Paul the Apostle and his companions in the work of evangelisation, as they continued on their missionary journeys across the known world, spreading the Word of God and the Good News of His salvation to all the people of all the nations. St. Paul in particular was known for his great outreach to the Gentiles, or the non-Jewish people that he has always championed and sought to lead towards God despite the opposition and resistance from some of the more hardline ones among the early Christians, particularly those belonging to the Pharisees that joined the Church. St. Paul kept on ministering faithfully to the Gentiles, and as we heard in today’s reading, he achieved great success in them.
We heard how St. Paul went to Ephesus and found some disciples there that had been baptised according to the way that St. John the Baptist did it, likely due to the works of the disciples gathered by St. John the Baptist that went to the diaspora communities. However, they had not yet known of the fullness of truth and the teachings of Christ, which St. Paul therefore told to them, which eventually led to them agreeing to be baptised in the Name of the Lord, and we heard how they all received the Holy Spirit, and became the disciples of the Lord. And through this we know that God truly calls on all the people to become His disciples and followers, and His grace, blessings and inheritance are to be shared by everyone without exception.
Then, from our Gospel passage today, we heard of the words of the Lord to His disciples who commented that He had finally revealed to them in plain words Who He was and what He was doing, and then the Lord told them a premonition of what would soon happen, in how they would all lose faith in Him and be overcome with doubt at the moment when He was facing His Passion, when all of the disciples would abandon Him and choose to safeguard themselves. And yet, He also told them all that He Himself remained steadfast in His mission, as the Father was with Him regardless, and He also prayed for the disciples that they would also be strengthened in their faith, and that they would not lose their faith going forward.
This is an important reminder for all of us that as Christians, we are all likely to encounter and face challenges, trials and difficulties in our path forward, and we must not easily lose faith and trust in the Lord, as the Lord Himself will indeed always be with us, guiding and providing for us, ensuring that we are all taken care of, and that we will never have to face all the challenges alone by ourselves. We have to trust in the Lord and have faith in Him so that we do not end up being easily distracted and swayed by the many temptations and pressures found all around us in this world. We have to remain strong, firm and resolute in our faith and trust in God, no matter what circumstances, and we should always have that conviction to continue moving forward with God as our Guide, at all times.
Today, the Church also celebrates the feast of two great and holy martyrs of the Church, namely that of St. Marcellinus and St. Peter. Both of these holy servants of God were not known much beyond some hagiographical stories about them, but they were greatly venerated by many generations of Christians after their time, for their great faith and courage in defending their faith in God. According to that hagiographical story, St. Marcellinus was a priest while St. Peter was an exorcist who lived and ministered to the faithful people of God during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian and his fellow co-Emperors. That time was a time of great challenge and difficulty for the Church of God, as intense persecutions against Christians was carried out by the state.
Many among the faithful people of God suffered, were arrested and tortured, and not few were martyred for their faith, including those of St. Marcellinus and St. Peter themselves. They refused to give up their faith in the Lord, and they continued to keep their trust in God to the very end, and they were executed for their Christian faith as example for many others. But the courageous examples that they had shown, together with the great inspirations they had made, the miracles associated to them strengthened many other fellow Christians both of their generations and those who came after them. And hopefully this also strengthens our own faith in the Lord, that we may not easily give up our own faith in the face of the many struggles and hardships we may have to face in our own paths and journeys towards God.
Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all hence continue to be ever more faithful and dedicated in proclaiming the Word of God, His Good News and love to all those whom we encounter in this world, in each and every moments of our lives, inspired by the great examples of all those who have gone before us. Let us all not be discouraged by fear and doubt, but instead be strengthened ever more by our faith and trust in the Lord. Let us also encourage and strengthen one another as well, now and always. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)
John 16 : 29-33
At that time, the disciples said to Jesus, “Now You are speaking plainly and not in veiled language! Now we see that You know all things, even before we question You. Because of this we believe that You came from God.”
Jesus answered them, “You say that you believe? The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each one to his home, and you will leave Me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with Me. I have told you all this, so that in Me you may have peace. You will have trouble in the world; but courage! I have overcome the world.”
Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)
Psalm 67 : 2-3, 4-5ac, 6-7ab
Arise, o God, scatter Your enemies; let Your foes flee before You. As smoke is blown by the wind, so blow them away; as wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish before You.
But let the righteous be glad and exult before God; let them sing to God and shout for joy. Sing to God, sing praises to His Name; the Lord is His Name. Rejoice in His presence.
Father of orphans and Protector of widows – such is our God is His holy dwelling. He gives shelter to the homeless, sets the prisoners free.
Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)
Acts 19 : 1-8
While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul travelled through the interior of the country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples whom he asked, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” They answered, “We have not even heard that anyone may receive the Holy Spirit.” Paul then asked, “What kind of baptism have you received?” And they answered, “The baptism of John.”
Paul then explained, “John’s baptism was for conversion, but he himself said they should believe in the One Who was to come, and that One is Jesus.” Upon hearing this, they were baptised in the Name of the Lord Jesus. Then Paul laid his hands on them and the Holy Spirit came down upon them; and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy. There were about twelve of them in all.
Paul went into the synagogue and for three months he preached and discussed there boldly, trying to convince them about the Kingdom of God.
Liturgical Colour : White
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today marks the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, on this last day of the month of May, which we all know is the month of Mary, the Mother of God. As we come to the end of this Marian month, we remember the great faith and role model that Mary has shown us all as the ideal and most amazing saint, as well as being our loving Mother, entrusted to us by the Lord Himself from His Cross. And this day in particular we remember that occasion when Mary was visiting her cousin Elizabeth, and both of them were pregnant at that time, with pregnancies that were both miraculous and wonderful in nature. The visitation of Mary upon Elizabeth and what happened during that event is a powerful reminder for us of God’s constant love for us and His ever powerful providence and help.
In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Zephaniah, we heard of the words of the Lord spoken through Zephaniah in which the Lord reassured all of His people, referred to as the daughters of Zion and Israel, that God would rescue all of them and restore them all once again to greatness, which they had lost because of their past and disobedience. The prophet Zephaniah carried out his ministry and works during the time and reign of King Josiah of Judah, towards the end of the days of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. By that time, the northern kingdom of Israel had been destroyed for about a century, with its people scattered and brought in exile by their conquerors, forced to wander off in distant and foreign lands, away from the lands of their ancestors.
At that time the kingdom of Judah itself was not really in a good shape, surrounded by its many enemies and powerful neighbours, and the end of the kingdom itself was fast approaching, although during the time and reign of the faithful king Josiah, this was not so evident and Judah was experiencing some resurgence during his reign. Nonetheless, it was far cry from the glorious days of the once united and powerful kingdom of the time of King David and King Solomon. Therefore, what the Lord told His people in Judah regarding these promises and reassurances are reminders that God has always loved His people unconditionally, no matter what, and He has always been very patient in reaching out to them and waiting for them to return to Him and to be reconciled to Him.
Even when those same people had erred against Him and frequently disobeyed Him and His Law, the Lord still patiently sent His prophets and messengers, His servants and many others to help lead and guide the people to return to Him, to walk once again in the path that He has taught and shown them. That is truly how much the Lord loved His people, and the other first reading passage today from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans told us all that we should embody this same love, this same unconditional and patient love that God has shown to us His people in how we love one another, with generosity and sincerity. And what St. Paul told the faithful in Rome is essentially what the Lord wants us all, His people to carry out in each and every one of our lives, to be truly good and faithful in all of our deeds and actions, in our every interactions and dealings with one another.
Then, from our Gospel passage today, we heard of course the account of the moment of the Visitation itself, when Mary went to visit Elizabeth, her elderly cousin, to find out about what the Archangel Gabriel had told her regarding her miraculous pregnancy, when she herself was also with Child in her, miraculously conceived by the will of the Father and by the power of the Holy Spirit. In both of Mary and Elizabeth therefore were contained the fulfilment of God’s great promises, which He has shown to His faithful, the long-awaited coming of His salvation, brought into this world through the Virgin, and the Herald that had also been promised, to be the one to prepare the path for the Saviour, the Holy One of God.
What happened then was Mary being filled with the Holy Spirit when Elizabeth greeted her as the Mother of her Lord and God, and we heard her song full of praise and thanksgiving to God, which we also know as the Magnificat, a great song of praise by Mary, highlighting her great joy and also summarising the joy that all of us mankind had felt and experienced as the Lord finally fulfilled everything that He has promised to us throughout all of history. And what is most significant and wonderful is the fact that the Lord had done all of these not through grand and mighty gestures or came as a conquering King, but He did so in His own mysterious and wonderful way, in miraculously lifting the shame of barrenness from an elderly woman, and also by fulfilling His promise of bringing forth the salvation through the Virgin.
All these remind us of the great love and kindness which the Lord has constantly shown us, in His patient and ever present love, compassion and kindness towards each and every one of us. He has never abandoned us in our hour and time of great need, but instead, He always fulfils His promises, and gave unto us all the most perfect of all gifts and wonders in His Son, Whom He has sent to be born of Mary, and through Him, and by His mother’s obedience, all of us have received the sure guarantee and assurance of eternal life and grace. And that is why we should truly be thankful and appreciative of everything which we have enjoyed through His love and kindness, and not to take all of these for granted. And we should also be inspired by Mary’s faith, obedience and examples in how we ought to live our lives as well.
May the Blessed Mother of God, Mary, our loving mother, continue to pray and intercede for all of us sinners, and may she continue to inspire us all by her own faith and examples, and by her tireless commitment and dedication to help us all, her beloved children, to bring us all ever closer to her Son, now and always. Mary, Holy Mother of God, pray for us all sinners now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : White
Luke 1 : 39-56
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 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! 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.”
Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months, and then returned home.
Liturgical Colour : White
Isaiah 12 : 2-3, 4bcd, 5-6
He is the God of my salvation; in Him I trust and am not afraid. YHVH is my strength : Him I will praise, the One Who saved me. You will draw water with joy from the very fountain of salvation.
Praise to the Lord, break into songs of joy for Him, proclaim His marvellous deeds among the nations and exalt His Name.
Sing to the Lord : wonders He has done, let these be known all over the earth. Sing for joy, o people of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
Liturgical Colour : White
Zephaniah 3 : 14-18
Cry out with joy, o daughter of Zion; rejoice, o people of Israel! Sing joyfully with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem! YHVH has lifted your sentence and has driven your enemies away. YHVH, the King of Israel is with you; do not fear any misfortune.
On that day they will say to Jerusalem : Do not be afraid nor let your hands tremble, for YHVH your God is within you, YHVH, saving Warrior. He will jump for joy on seeing you, for He has revived His love. For you He will cry out with joy, as you do in the days of the Feast.
I will drive away the evil I warned you about, and you will no longer be ashamed.
Alternative reading
Romans 12 : 9-16b
Let love be sincere. Hate what is evil and hold to whatever is good. Love one another and be considerate. Outdo one another in mutual respect. Be zealous in fulfilling your duties. Be fervent in the Spirit and serve God.
Have hope and be cheerful. Be patient in trials and pray constantly. Share with other Christians in need. With those passing by, be ready to receive them. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not wish evil on anyone. Rejoice with those who are joyful, and weep with those who weep.
Live in peace with one another. Do not dream of extraordinary things.
petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang 