Solemnities

by

(Usus Antiquior) Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord (I Classis) – Friday, 6 January 2023 : Holy Gospel

Liturgical Colour : White

Sequentia Sancti Evangelii secundum Matthaeum – Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew

Matthew 2 : 1-12

Cum natus esset Jesus in Bethlehem Juda in diebus Herodis regis, ecce, Magi ab Oriente venerunt Jerosolymam, dicentes : Ubi est, qui natus est Rex Judaeorum? Vidimus enim stellam Ejus in Oriente, et venimus adorare eum.

Audiens autem Herodes rex, turbatus est, et omnis Jerosolyma cum illo. Et congregans omnes principes sacerdotum et scribas populi, sciscitabatur ab eis, ubi Christus nasceretur. At illi dixerunt ei : In Bethlehem Judae : sic enim scriptum est per Prophetam : Et tu, Bethlehem terra Juda, nequaquam minima es in principibus Juda; ex te enim exiet dux, qui regat populum meum Israel.

Tunc Herodes, clam vocatis Magis, diligenter didicit ab eis tempus stellae, quae apparuit eis : et mittens illos in Bethlehem, dixit : Ite, et interrogate diligenter de puero : et cum inveneritis, renuntiate mihi, ut et ego veniens adorem eum.

Qui cum audissent regem, abierunt. Et ecce, stella, quam viderant in Oriente, antecedebat eos, usque dum veniens staret supra, ubi erat Puer. Videntes autem stellam, gavisi sunt gaudio magno valde. Et intrantes domum, invenerunt Puerum cum Maria Matre ejus, (genuflect here) ei procidentes adoraverunt eum.

Et apertis thesauris suis, obtulerunt ei munera, aurum, thus et myrrham. Et responso accepto in somnis, ne redirent ad Herodem, per aliam viam reversi sunt in regionem suam.

English translation

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of king Herod, behold there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who is born the King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east, and we have come to adore Him.”

And king Herod, hearing this, was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And assembling together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ should be born. But they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet, ‘And you Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the princes of Judah, for out of you shall come forth the ruler that shall rule My people Israel.'”

Then Herod privately calling the wise men, learnt diligently of them the time of the star which appeared to them, and sending them to Bethlehem, he said, “Go and diligently inquire after the Child, and when you have found Him bring word to me again, so that I may also come and adore Him.”

Having heard the king, they went their way, and behold the star which they had seen in the east went before them, until it came and stood over where the Child was. And seeing the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And entering into the house, they found the Child with Mary, His mother (kneel here) and falling down they adored Him.

And opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having received a vision in their sleep, that they should not return to Herod, they went back by another way into their own country.

by

(Usus Antiquior) Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord (I Classis) – Friday, 6 January 2023 : Gradual and Alleluia

Liturgical Colour : White

Isaiah 60 : 1 and Matthew 2 : 2

Omnes de Saba venient, aurum et thus deferentes et laudem Domino annuntiantes.

Response : Surge et illuminare, Jerusalem : quia gloria Domini super te orta est.

Alleluja, Alleluja.

Response : Vidimus stellam ejus in Oriente, et venimus cum muneribus adorare Dominum. Alleluja.

English translation

All those from Saba shall come, bringing gold and frankincense, and showing forth praise to the Lord.

Response : Arise and be enlightened, o Jerusalem, for the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

Alleluia, Alleluia.

Response : We have seen His star to the east and have come with gifts to adore the Lord. Alleluia.

by

(Usus Antiquior) Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord (I Classis) – Friday, 6 January 2023 : Epistle

Liturgical Colour : White

Lectio Isaiae Prophetae – Lesson from Isaiah the Prophet

Isaiah 60 : 1-6

Surge, illuminare, Jerusalem : quia venit lumen Tuum, et gloria Domini super te orta est. Quia ecce, tenebrae operient terram et caligo populos : super te autem orietur Dominus, et gloria ejus in te videbitur. Et ambulant gentes in lumine tuo, et reges in splendore ortis tui.

Leva in circuitu oculos tuos, et vide : omnes isti congregati sunt, venerunt tibi : filii tui de longe venient, et filiae tuae de latere surgent. Tunc videbis et afflues, mirabitur et dilatabitur cor tuum, quando conversa fuerit ad te multitudo maris, fortitudo gentium venerit tibi.

Inundation camelorum operiet te, dromedarii Madian et Epha : omnes de Saba venient, aurum et thus deferentes, et laudem Domino annuntiantes.

English translation

Arise, be enlightened, o Jerusalem, for your Light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold darkness shall cover the earth, and a mist shall cover the people, but the Lord shall arise upon you, and His glory shall be seen upon you. And the Gentiles shall walk in your light, and kings in the brightness of your rising.

Lift up your eyes round about and see, all these are gathered together, they have come to you, your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall rise up at your side. Then you shall see, and abound, and your heart shall wonder and be enlarged, when the multitude of the sea shall be converted to you, the strength of the Gentiles shall come to you.

The multitudes of camels shall cover you, the dromedaries of Median and Epha, all those from Saba shall come, bringing gold and frankincense, and showing forth praise to the Lord.

by

(Usus Antiquior) Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord (I Classis) – Friday, 6 January 2023 : Introit and Collect

Liturgical Colour : White

Introit

Malachi 3 : 1 and Psalm 71 : 1

Ecce, advenit dominator Dominus : et regnum in manu ejus et potestas et imperium.

Deus, judicium Tuum Regida : et justitiam Tuam Filio Regis.

Response : Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto, sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper : et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

Behold the Lord the Ruler has come, and a kingdom in His hand, and power and dominion.

Give to the King Your judgment, o God, and to the King’s Son Your justice.

Response : Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Collect

Deus, qui hodierna die Unigenitum Tuum gentibus stella duce revelasti : concede propitius; ut, qui jam Te ex fide cognovimus, usque ad contemplandam speciem Tuae celsitudinis perducamur. Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

English translation

O God, You who by the guidance of a star had revealed this day Your only begotten Son to the Gentiles, mercifully grant that we, who know You now by faith, may be so led as to behold with our eyes the beauty of Your majesty. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

by

Sunday, 1 January 2023 : Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God, and World Day of Prayer for Peace (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday and New Year’s Day we celebrate together as the whole Universal Church the great celebration of the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, as we also mark the last day of the Christmas Octave, that is the eighth day of Christmas. On this day we honour Mary, whom the Church had honoured greatly with the title of the Mother of God, which is also one of the four Marian Dogmas, the Dogma of the Divine Motherhood of Mary, stating that Mary is truly the Mother of God by her being the Mother of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world and the Son of God. Because we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, therefore it is only natural that Mary should also be the Mother of God, as the Mother who brings forth into this world God Himself, incarnate in the flesh.

Back then, in the early Church, there was significant divisions and disagreements between various members of the Church and teachers of the faith regarding the nature of the Lord and also the relationship between Mary and her Son as the Saviour of the world. Some within the Church, like those who followed the heretical Arius, claimed that the Lord Jesus was not co-equal and co-eternal with God the Father, and was merely a created being, and as such, the disagreements also extended to Mary’s nature, on whether she was the Mother of God or whether she was merely the mother of Jesus the Man, the Man born in Bethlehem in Judea about two millennia ago. There were also other heretical thoughts developing afterwards on the extremes of Monophysitism and Nestorianism. The former contended that the human and divine natures of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, was one and indivisible, meanwhile the latter contended that the human and divine natures of the Lord were separate.

It was thus against the false teachings of Nestorius that this Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God is celebrated, reminding all of us not just that Mary is truly the Mother of God and not just the Mother of Jesus Christ, as Nestorius and his supporters contended, but also in our core belief that the Lord Jesus Christ, is not merely just Man, but also God in His nature and existence. If the same Jesus Christ that Mary had given birth in Bethlehem is not truly God, then we cannot call Mary as the Mother of God. Our Christian faith believes that Jesus Christ is truly God and truly Man, having two distinct but inseparable natures, Divine and Human. His Divine nature and Human nature are both united in the inseparable bond of perfect love, in the one Person of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Saviour of the whole world.

What might have made those people to refuse to believe in the Divine Motherhood of Mary was likely their inability to accept the fact and truth that Mary, as a woman, could have become the Mother of God. They must have contended in their hearts that it was impossible for a mere woman to be the Mother of the infinite and Almighty God. Yet, that was exactly what the Incarnation of the Lord was all about. What we celebrate at Christmas is the celebration of the Incarnation of the Divine Word of God, the Son, Who has assumed our humble human nature so that by His coming into this world, in His aspect as the Son of Man, He might unite all of us to Himself, gathering all of us together from being scattered all over the world, the lost sheep of the Lord’s flock, and gathering us as our Good Shepherd that we may find our way back to the Lord and His grace.

At the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea and the subsequent Ecumenical Council of Constantinople, the Arian heresy was outlawed and rejected, and a formal form of the Creed which we still use today, the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed was formulated. This stated that Jesus Christ is indeed Co-Equal and Co-Eternal with God the Father and the Holy Spirit, as a Triune God, One God with Three Persons of Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, highlighting that the Saviour Jesus Christ born into this world and Who died for us on the Cross, was indeed God Incarnate in the flesh. Then, afterwards, in the important Ecumenical Council of Ephesus, the issue of the Divine Motherhood of God was discussed and addressed. Although Nestorius was then the powerful and influential Archbishop of Constantinople, the capital of the Roman Empire with a lot of support even from the highest positions in the Empire, but his heretical teachings were soundly rejected by those who adhered to the true and orthodox Christian faith.

The Ecumenical Council of Ephesus formalised the Dogma of the Divine Motherhood of God, affirming what the Church and the faithful people of God had believed since the earliest days of the Church, that Mary is truly the Mother of God, and that Jesus Christ is indeed God, appearing before us all as the manifestation of God’s perfect and ever enduring Love. The Love of God manifested in the person of Jesus Christ, and the love which His mother Mary showed to her Son, and also to all of us, her adopted children, are what we rejoice for on this most blessed day. On this day, as we begin this new solar calendar year, let us all reflect first of all, of the love that God has shown us, and also the love that makes this joyful Christmas season. Without God’s love, we had no reason to rejoice, especially not during this Christmas season.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we gather together today to celebrate in the new year and to rejoice at the glorious Divine Motherhood of God of Mary, Blessed Mother ever-Virgin, let us all hence spend some time to reflect on our way of life and actions, and what we plan to do for this coming year ahead of us. If we have been spending a lot of time the past year and also this Christmas season mostly on worldly things and matter, and in our pursuit of worldly glory, fame, achievements, then perhaps we should reconsider our path and direction in life. We should reconsider once again why we rejoice and celebrate in this season and time of celebration. We should think of why we rejoice and celebrate this new year too. Why do we celebrate? Is it because we enjoy in all the celebrations, revelries and merrymaking? Or is it because we look forward to the opportunities that the new year is going to provide us?

Brothers and sisters in Christ, no one can truly know how the future is going to unfold, and no one knows what will come our way, what opportunities are there for us. It is up to us nonetheless how we are going to live out our lives, whether we are going to walk in the path that the Lord has set before us and shown us, or whether we will rather walk in the path of worldliness and temptations, following the path of those false leaders and guides who had once misled so many among the faithful to the wrong paths. The choice is ours to make, brothers and sisters. How we are going to shape our year ahead is in our hands, and we have been given the free will to choose our course of actions. But we are reminded that should we choose to reject the path of the Lord and continue walking down the path of sin, the reckoning will likely be damnation and destruction for all of us.

As Christians, all of us have been shown good role models and examples for us to follow in our way of life that we may continue to walk down the right path towards God and His salvation. And there is no better example and guide than Mary herself, together with her Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. We are reminded of the love of God which has been shown to us in the most concrete way through Christ, through all that He had done for us, by suffering and dying for us all. He showed us all perfect obedience to the will of His heavenly Father and therefore becoming for us the example of righteousness and faith that we should all follow. Then, His own Mother Mary is also a great role model and example for us, in her unwavering love and faith in her Son, as she continued to care for Him throughout His earthly life, and as she has then showed us all the same love and care as well.

The Lord has entrusted His own Mother to us from His Cross, as He entrusted her to His trusted disciple St. John the Apostle. Similarly, He has also entrusted us all to her, that we all become her own children, to be loved and cared for by this same Mother of God, who has loved her Son so thoroughly. Can we follow our loving Mother in her ways and entrust ourselves to her and to her Son? Can we love the Lord more through His mother Mary, by ensuring that our lives and actions are truly worthy and appropriate of those who call ourselves as Christians? We are reminded again and again this Christmas season of what we are celebrating and what our Christian faith is all about, and hence, let us all begin our new year with the right mindset and spirit, and ensure that we conform ourselves once more to the Lord and His ways. And also, today being the World Day of Prayer for Peace, let us also pray for peace all around the world, particularly in Ukraine, where conflicts still rage on daily after almost a whole entire year, of senseless killings and destructions.

May the Lord continue to guide us and bless us in the year ahead, bless our world and all its peoples with peace and harmony, and with the guidance of His blessed Mother, Mary, the Holy Mother of God, let us all draw ever closer to Him and commit ourselves ever more wholeheartedly to Him, in all of our actions and lives. May God bless our works and efforts, our endeavours in this coming year, and may He bless all of us and our loved ones, at all times. Have a blessed New Year, brothers and sisters! Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

by

Sunday, 1 January 2023 : Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God, and World Day of Prayer for Peace (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 2 : 16-21

So the shepherds came hurriedly, and found Mary and Joseph, and the Baby lying in the manger. On seeing Him, they related what they had been told about the Child, and all were astonished on hearing the shepherds.

As for Mary, she treasured all these words, and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds then returned, giving glory and praise to God for all they had heard and seen, just as the Angels had told them.

On the eighth day the circumcision of the Baby had to be performed; He was named Jesus, the Name the Angel had given Him before He was conceived.

by

Sunday, 1 January 2023 : Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God, and World Day of Prayer for Peace (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

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.

by

Sunday, 1 January 2023 : Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God, and World Day of Prayer for Peace (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 66 : 2-3, 5, 6 and 8

May God be gracious and bless us; may He let His face shine upon us, that Your way be known on earth and Your salvation among the nations.

May the countries be glad and sing for joy, for You rule the peoples with justice and guide the nations of the world.

May the peoples praise You, o God, may all the peoples praise You! May God bless us and be revered, to the very ends of the earth.

by

Sunday, 1 January 2023 : Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God, and World Day of Prayer for Peace (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Numbers 6 : 22-27

Then YHVH spoke to Moses saying, “Speak to Aaron and his sons and say to them : This is how you shall bless the people of Israel; you shall say : May YHVH bless you and keep you! May YHVH let His face shine on you, and be gracious to you! May YHVH look kindly on you, and give you His peace!”

“In that way they put My Name on the people of Israel and I will bless them.”

by

Sunday, 25 December 2022 : Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord, Christmas Day Mass (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today is the glorious and joyful Christmas Day, the day we have been awaiting for throughout the previous season of Advent, and what we have been hopefully preparing for well, all these while. Today as we rejoice together with the whole entire Universal Church, we are all again reminded of what and why we celebrate Christmas in the first place. What is it that we are celebrating in Christmas, brother and sisters? It is the joyful celebration of the birth of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and hence is why we call it as Christmas in the first place. And why do we celebrate it then? It is because we rejoice at the coming of Our Lord and Saviour, through Whom all of us have seen the salvation and glory of God, made manifest through His Son.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, we heard of the Lord’s proclamation of joy and salvation for His people Israel, in which God proclaimed to them that He would restore the glory of His people and erase from them the shame of their forebears. Back then, the people of God had been suffering humiliations and sufferings one after another as they encountered various hardships and challenges, all of which were caused by their lack of faith and trust in God. Their disobedience and wickedness led to them being punished for their wrongdoings. But God did not despise them, as He still cared for them and loved them despite their constant disobedience and lack of faith. He showed them His love by sending them His salvation in the person of Jesus Christ, His own only begotten Son.

It is this same Jesus Christ mentioned in the beginning of the Gospel of St. John at our Gospel passage today, which in the past used to be the Last Gospel read at the end of every celebration of the Holy Mass, except on certain occasions. This reading being read on the Christmas Day must have been strange for some as unlike the other Gospel readings of the Christmas Masses, this one does not specifically mention about Jesus Christ and the account on His birth. Yet, if we read on more carefully, this Gospel passage is in fact a very important one as it highlighted to us the very importance and significance of why we even celebrate Christmas in the first place. If Christmas has been about the birth of just any other man, or any other persons, then it would not have the same significance or meaning to us.

Yes, brothers and sisters in Christ, if Christmas is about any other man, just a mere prophet or ordinary man, then His birth would have been just like any other men, with no special significance unless to those who knew Him well like His family and friends. On the other hand, it was what St. John the Apostle mentioned in his Gospel passage that indicated to us and also reminded us that, the One Whom we celebrate at this Christmas festivities and joy, is none other than God Himself, Incarnate in the flesh, entering into our world and existence as Man, the Divine Word Incarnate, the Word that was made Flesh, the Son of God and Son of Man. The One born over two millennia ago in Bethlehem in Judea is indeed the Saviour promised by God, and not just that, but God Himself has come to our midst to dwell among us and to be with us always.

He is no longer distant and intangible for us. He is no longer the God of the Old Testament that seems to be far and mighty beyond any of us human beings to approach. Instead, He showed us all that His love has made us to be the sharers of His most generous love and kindness, as He reached out to us and come to touch us and our lives, to bring us our of the darkness and into the light. God has always wanted us to be reconciled to Him, and to forgive us our sins when we desire to commit ourselves to the path of righteousness and be forgiven from our many faults. Yet, it is often that we do not have enough faith in Him, and we end up continuing to disobey Him, and walking down the path of sin, that lead us more often than not to our downfall.

God has taken up our human existence and our human nature, by the Incarnation of the Divine Word, His own Word that has proclaimed the creation of the whole world because through this act of perfect love and self-giving, God may reunite us all to Himself. God has reached our to us by sending His own Son to help lead us to Himself, and to gather us all as our Shepherd, so that all of us the lost sheep of the Lord’s flock may be gathered all once again, and become God’s flock once more, reunited and reconciled with Him. He also sent us His herald, St. John the Baptist, to be the one to prepare His way for Him, that more and more people may come to be saved. This task has then on be passed through to the Church, and hence, the Church today still has the obligation to care for those who have been lost from God, to follow in the example of Christ our Lord, by Whose love we have been saved and seen the salvation of God.

In coming into this world, the Lord has done what others may think to be irrational and impossible. Even many of the people of God at the time of the Lord’s coming refused to believe in Him and this truth, and some accused Him of blasphemy when He revealed later on before them, how He was truly the Son of God and Son of Man both. It might seem irrational because throughout history, mankind had always aspired to be great and to be like God, with dictators and those who sought glory and power desiring others to honour, respect and even worship them. And many people sought to become like God, to be invincible and mighty, and to be free from their limitations, without avail, throughout the history of the world, from desiring to live longer and to extend their lives, to gain more power and might, and to become indeed like God, which they all could not do.

There is then only one God and One Who willingly embraced us and willingly humbled and lowered Himself, that He was made sharer of our human existence, that God Himself might come and dwell with us, and to be by our side. Again these might have seemed impossible for some, and as mentioned, some did doubt the Lord and refused to believe in Him. Yet, because God is Almighty and All-Powerful, surely something like that is within God’s power to do? We simply think that just because God is great and Almighty that He will definitely not want to lower and humble Himself in this manner, and yet, that was exactly what God had chosen to do, and all of that was because of His continued and persistent love for each one of us. He did all of these for our sake, and that is what Christmas is all about and why we rejoice because of that.

God made Himself small and vulnerable as a Child, and as a Man like us so that through Him, and His sharing of our human nature and existence, He may bring unto us the perfection of love and obedience as our loving Shepherd and Guide, showing us what it truly means to be a disciple and follower of the Lord. Christ could have come as a conquering King and Mighty One, just as many believed or thought that He would have, but He chose to come to us in this way, because He wants to be the Mediator between us and our Heavenly Father, God in Heaven, becoming the Bridge through His Cross, suffering, death and resurrection, that bring us back to the Father, and reestablish the Covenant between Him and us, which had once been broken by our disobedience and sins. He became Man so that by uniting our human nature to Himself, we may see and receive the fullness of redemption and glory, together with Him.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we enter into this glorious and joyful season of Christmas, are we willing and ready to commit ourselves anew to the Lord, Our God and Saviour? We are reminded this Christmas of the great Love of God made Man, and because He has made Himself approachable and His most generous love tangible and within our reach, all of us no longer wallow and suffer in the darkness and sin. We are reminded that God is and has always been with us, no matter whenever it is, and regardless of the highs and lows in our lives. The love of God personified and manifested in Christ is what we are celebrating this time and season of Christmas, and it is what we all need to focus and put emphasis on during this time of grace.

Yes, brothers and sisters in Christ, it is important that this Christmas should be a reminder to all of us in living our lives that we may seek to become better Christians, and that we do not just be like nominal Christians, having faith in name only. How we celebrate Christmas is one of the way that this is reflected and shown. We can see just how easily we access the mostly secularised and hedonistic Christmas celebrations all around us are, and how even many among us Christians, we celebrate Christmas in the same way, with great excesses in pleasures, merrymaking and rejoicing, but one that is empty because Christ is not at the centre of all of our rejoicing and celebrations. Christ has often been forgotten and ignored at the celebration of His own birthday, and that is truly something that is sad at Christmas every year.

Many of us spent our Christmas busy in trying to outdo one another in celebrating our Christmas with parties and gift-exchanges, trying to have more of the celebratory moods and the feasting, focused primarily on indulging ourselves on the various goods and worldly excesses of the usual Christmas festivities. Many of us treat Christmas as a time of holiday and rejoicing, to gather back with our families and friends, and exchange various stories and experiences over good food and drink. Yet, again, we often ignored the Lord and did not leave Him any place in our hearts and minds, and leaving Him out of our Christmas rejoicing and merrymaking. It is not wrong to celebrate Christmas with great feasting and merrymaking, but we must not let those to distract us from the true meaning and purpose of Christmas.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore make good use of this time of Christmas to share the love of God which He has shown us to all of our fellow brethren, in becoming one like us and in dwelling with us, Incarnate in the flesh, by reaching out with love to all the people we meet and encounter, even to acquaintances and strangers. It is not a time to love ourselves and to immerse ourselves in our self-indulgence and excessive merrymaking. Instead, it should be a time for us to be more generous in the giving and sharing of our love and joy with others, especially with all those who are less fortunate and not capable of celebrating Christmas in the manner that we do. We should do our best to show others around us what Christmas truly means, and share whatever extra blessings and graces we have received, with those who have less or even none at all.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we enter into this Christmas season, let us all continue to make good use of the time and opportunity in order to deepen our relationship with God, and to immerse ourselves in the celebration of God’s love and compassion, to return our focus and attention, and all of our Christmas celebrations and joy on Christ as the reason why we rejoice throughout this glorious and most joyful season. Let us draw ever closer to the Lord and His love, and let us all be ever more exemplary in how we live our lives from now on, and also in how we share the love of God with one another. May God bless us in our every good efforts and endeavours, now and always, forevermore. Wishing all of us a most blessed and wonderful Christmas season for all of us and our loved ones. Amen.