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Friday, 18 February 2022 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

James 2 : 14-24, 26

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, to profess faith, without showing works? Such faith has no power to save you. If a brother or sister is in need of clothes or food, and one of you says, “May things go well for you; be warm and satisfied,” without attending to their material needs, what good is that? So, it is, for faith without deeds : it is totally dead.

Say to whoever challenges you, “You have faith and I have good deeds; show me your faith apart from actions and I, for my part, will show you my faith in the way I act.” Do you believe there is one God? Well enough, but do not forget, that the demons, also, believe, and tremble with fear!

You foolish one, do you have to be convinced, that faith without deeds is useless? Think of our father Abraham. Was he not justified by the act of offering his son Isaac on the Altar? So you see, his faith was active, along with his deeds, and became perfect by what he did. The word of Scripture was thus fulfilled, Abraham believed in God so he was considered a righteous person and he was called the friend of God.

So you see, a person is justified by works, and not by faith alone. So, just as the body is dead without its spirit, so faith, without deeds is also dead.

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Thursday, 17 February 2022 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all called to believe in the Lord wholeheartedly and to entrust ourselves to His cause and works, to follow Him without doubt and hesitation, and to give ourselves in every opportunities and chances to be the dedicated followers of Our Lord. We have to listen to Him and not to allow the devil, Satan, to tempt us with his lies and falsehoods that can lead us down the wrong path in life.

In our first reading today, we heard the continuation of the discourse from the Epistle of St. James, in which the Apostle spoke of the importance for Christians to heed the Lord’s words and commandments, His desire that all of them love one another and treat each other equally without prejudice and discrimination, unlike what had always frequently happened at that time, in a world filled with a lot of inequality and injustice, greed and worldly desires, ambition and ego, all of which had led to plenty of suffering and misery in our communities.

As Christians, all of us have been taught to love one another with sincere and genuine love, without prejudice and without discrimination. All of us have been taught to see each other as fellow brothers and sisters in the same Lord, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, in Whom we have shared in His suffering and death, and have received the sure promise of eternal life and salvation. All of us have to follow the examples of Christ in how He loved all of us without exception, and in how He loved even the most marginalised and the poorest among us, reaching out to us and even to all those who have persecuted Him.

In our Gospel passage today we then heard of the time when the Lord asked His disciples regarding Himself, considering the many speculations that must have arisen back then from all that He had done, all the miracles He had performed and all the great wisdom and truth of God which He had spoken to the people themselves, and which the disciples themselves had witnessed, heard and experienced directly. And they gave various answers, including that of a prophet, a holy man of God, and with St. Peter saying that He is the Messiah, or the Saviour that God had promised to His people.

Then the Lord revealed that yes, while He is truly the Messiah, but He would have to suffer rejection and to be persecuted, by the same people that He has been sent to. This must have been taken with a lot of surprise and consternation by the disciples and followers of Jesus who must not have taken nicely to the idea, as many among them if not most would have expected to have Jesus to be the liberator of the people of Israel, to be their King and Saviour, free from the tyranny of the Romans and any other powers. And thus St. Peter pulled him aside and protested strongly against the Lord for saying such things.

That was when the Lord then rebuked Satan who was likely trying to persuade the Lord to stop His efforts and trying to convince Him not to do as what He was supposed to do, in trying to tempt Him with power and worldly glory. The Lord would have none of it and He told the devil to get away from Him, not allowing Himself to be tempted by the common temptations of this world. He had been tempted and tested by Satan before, and He had prevailed, and that time was not to be any different from the previous occasions in which He was tempted.

Through this, the Lord wants us to know that in following Him we have to discard the old attitudes of our past, sinful lives, and instead, we should embrace the truth and love that God has shown us, dedicating ourselves to follow Him wholeheartedly, doing whatever we can to serve Him in every opportunities available to us so that we may inspire all those who have witnessed us and our actions, knowing that through those, we may become faithful witnesses of Our Lord’s love and all that He had done for us, to suffer the Cross for us and to endure the worst of sufferings just so that we may persevere and gain assurance of an eternity with Him. And Satan tried hard in vain to prevent this from happening.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us should follow the good examples set by our holy predecessors as we celebrate their feast day today, namely the Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order. These seven holy men of God, known by their names of Bonfilius, Alexis, Manettus, Amideus, Hugh, Sostene and Buonagiunta of Florence. All of them found each other in a bond of spiritual friendship which then grew on and having received a vision from the Blessed Mother of God, they were resolved to leave behind everything and followed God, marking the foundation of the Servite Order.

The seven holy founders worked hard and dedicatedly through the Order of the Servites, caring for the poor and the needy, those who were abandoned and without any proper attention and care. They all were dedicated with the care for the physical and material needs of those people, of whom the Lord Himself had said to us, that we have to show love and care for the least of our brethren, to the poor and those who had no one to love them and care for them. The seven holy founders of the Servites did their best within their capacity to care for these people.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, are we willing and able to follow the examples of our holy predecessors, the great saints especially the Seven Holy Founders of the Servites Order? Let us all be inspired by them and strive to do whatever we can to glorify God through our lives. May the Lord continue to watch over us and help us to persevere through the many challenges in life so that each and every one of us can always remain faithful to Him and be dedicated to the path that God has shown us, and easily tempted and swayed by the evil one. Seven Holy Founders of the Servites, pray for us. Amen.

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Thursday, 17 February 2022 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints)

Mark 8 : 27-33

At that time, Jesus set out with His disciples for the villages around Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He asked them, “Who do people say I am?” And they told Him, “Some say You are John the Baptist; others say You are Elijah or one of the prophets.”

Then Jesus asked them, “But you, who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” And He ordered them not to tell anyone about Him. Jesus then began to teach them that the Son of Man had to suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the Law. He would be killed, and after three days rise again.

Jesus said all this quite openly, so that Peter took Him aside and began to protest strongly. But Jesus turning around, and looking at His disciples, rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are thinking not as God does, but as people do.”

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Thursday, 17 February 2022 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints)

Psalm 33 : 2-3, 4-5, 6-7

I will praise YHVH all my days; His praise will be ever on my lips. My soul makes its boast in YHVH; let the lowly hear and rejoice.

Oh, let us magnify YHVH; together, let us glorify His Name! I sought YHVH, and He answered me; from all my fears He delivered me.

They who look to Him are radiant with joy, their faces never clouded with shame. When the poor cry out, YHVH hears and saves them from distress.

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Thursday, 17 February 2022 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints)

James 2 : 1-9

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

Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters, did God not choose the poor of this world to receive the riches of faith, and to inherit the kingdom, which He has promised to those who love Him? Yet, you despise them! Is it not the rich who are against you, and drag you to court? Do they not insult the Holy Name of Christ by which you are called?

If you keep the Law of the kingdom, according to Scripture : Love your neighbour as yourself, you do well; but if you make distinctions between persons, you break the Law, and are condemned by the same Law.

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Wednesday, 16 February 2022 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are reminded as Christians to be righteous and to follow the Lord in the path that He has set before us, in the way that He has shown us through His Church and through His many servants and messengers in our midst. The Lord has taught us how to live our lives faithfully as Christians and as His followers we are all expected to be genuine in our faith and not be lukewarm or only following our faith with formality.

In our first reading today we heard from the Epistle of St. James, the continuation of the Apostle’s discourse on the need for the faithful people of God to do as God has told us all to do. They had to be active in their faith and devote themselves to the Lord in all of their actions and deeds, or otherwise their faith would have been an empty and meaningless one, no better than that of hypocrites and unbelievers. St. James was well known for his advocacy of faith that is substantiated with actions, as in his own words in the other part of this same Epistle, he himself said that ‘faith without good works is dead’.

That is why St. James urged the faithful to reject the path of sin, to be vigilant and careful lest they might be tempted to sin. He reminded all of us, God’s faithful ones that we must resist the temptations of anger, of jealousy, of pride and other negative things and emotions we may often encounter in life so that we do not end up falling deeper and deeper into the path of sin and evil. All of us are reminded to keep ourselves free from the corruptions of this world, in whatever forms that these may come to us, so that we may always be great role models and inspirations for one another in faith.

In our Gospel reading today, we then heard of the Lord healing a blind man, who was not able to see at all. The blind man was touched by the Lord and he believed in Him, and soon his vision returned to him, and he could see once again. He was healed from his blindness and the Lord told him to return to his place while at the same telling him not to inform anyone about what had happened to him, likely to avoid undue attention and further efforts by the Pharisees to undermine His works, as they had often been agitated and angry over the Lord and His miracles.

Then, what is truly important for us? It is that we must realise how God has always attempted to reach out to us, and how in Him lies our hope and our salvation. And we are all like the blind man who was in need of healing, to be made whole once again. We may be physically healthy and all, but in truth, all of us are suffering from this sickness that is sin, without exception. Sinners as we are, regardless whether our sins be great or small, serious or trivial, we are suffering this malady which is corrupting us and our souls, and which God alone can heal.

The Lord has made Himself freely available to us, and what we all need is for us to be humble and accept His forgiveness and mercy, allowing ourselves to be healed and made whole again. Yet, it was often our stubbornness, pride and ego which prevented this from happening, just as how many among the Pharisees, the teachers of the Law and the chief priests often refused to listen to the Lord and also refused to believe in Him, doubting Him and making His works and efforts difficult because they all saw Him as threats to their power and influence, despite all the signs they themselves had seen pointing towards the Lord as the One Whom God had promised and sent to us to be our Saviour.

That was why many of them remained in darkness, and as the Lord Himself said in another occasion in the Gospels, that although their visions might be physically fine, but sin has blinded them to the truth, and their refusal to admit this leads to them continuing to live in the darkness of ignorance and sin. Their self-righteous attitude and their pride, their greed for power and worldly fame became their undoing. And this ought to be a reminder for each one of us not to easily allow those things to distract us from the Lord, His truth and His love.

That is why at each and every moments of our lives, we have to strive to do our best in all things to obey the will of God, following His Law and commandments. We have to be role models and examples for each other in how we live our lives so that all who see us and witness our works will come to believe in the Lord through us. May the Lord continue to provide for us and help us find our path in life that we may draw ever closer to Him in each and every moments from now on while being good role models for one another. Amen.

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Wednesday, 16 February 2022 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Mark 8 : 22-26

At that time, when Jesus and His disciples came to Bethsaida, He was asked to touch a blind man who was brought to Him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When He had put spittle on his eyes and laid His hands upon him, He asked, “Can you see anything?”

The man, who was beginning to see, replied, “I see people! They look like trees, but they move around.” Then Jesus laid His hands on his eyes again and the man could see perfectly. His sight was restored and he could see everything clearly. Then Jesus sent him home, saying, “Do not return to the village.”

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Wednesday, 16 February 2022 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 14 : 2-3ab, 3cd-4ab, 5

Those who walk blamelessly and do what is right, who speak truth from their heart and control their words, who do no harm to their neighbours.

Those who cast no discredit on their companions, who look down on evildoers but highly esteem God’s servants; who, at all costs, stand by a pledged word.

Those who do not lend money at interest and refuse a bribe against the innocent. Do this, and you will not be shaken.

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Wednesday, 16 February 2022 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

James 1 : 19-27

My beloved, be quick to hear but slow to speak, and slow to anger, for human anger does not fulfil the justice of God. So get rid of any filth, and reject the prevailing evil, and welcome the word that has been planted in you, and has the power to save you.

Be doers of the word, and not just hearers, lest you deceive yourselves. The hearer, who does not become a doer, is like that one, who looked at himself in the mirror; he looked, and then promptly forgot what he was like. But those who fix their gaze on the perfect law of freedom, and hold onto it, not listening and then forgetting, but acting on it, will find blessing on their deeds.

Those who think they are religious, but do not restrain their tongue, deceive themselves, and their religion is in vain. In the sight of God, our Father, pure and blameless religion lies in helping the orphans, and widows in their need, and keeping oneself from the world’s corruption.

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Tuesday, 15 February 2022 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scripture, we are all called to believe in the truth of God and to trust in Him. We should not be deceived by falsehoods and by the many distractions present all around us. We have to follow the Lord faithfully and remember everything that He had done for us. God has never abandoned us and left us alone, and He has always reached out to us, wanting us to be reconciled and reunited with Him, and therefore, to this extent, He has given us His salvation through Jesus Christ, His beloved Son.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. James the Apostle in which we heard of the Apostle’s reminder to all of us how each and every one of us can easily be swayed and tempted by our desires, by the many worldly concerns and thoughts, all the distractions that can lead us down the wrong path in life. It was not God Who tempted us because in truth it was us who gave ourselves to the temptations present all around us. We allow the allures of the world and its pleasures to delude us and to trick us down the wrong path.

If only that we have more faith in the Lord and trust in Him more, then it will be less likely for us to fall down this path. Unfortunately we often do not have enough faith in Him and we are still filled with doubt much as how the disciples of the Lord could not fully believe in all that they had seen and heard themselves in the miracles and signs that the Lord had performed before people. In this case, it refers to the miraculous feeding of the five thousand and then the other one when four thousand were fed with merely small amounts of bread. The Lord had done all that openly, and yet even His disciples were still slow to grasp its true meaning.

They must indeed have been amazed and probably even stunned by what they had observed and seen. Such deeds had not happened before in the past and it would not have been possible for it to be done by man alone. Even the prophets had not performed miracles to such a degree, and there was the Lord showing the truth about what He has constantly and gradually revealed to His people, in all that He had said and done. Yet, it was the stubbornness and the lack of genuine faith and trust in their hearts that had always constantly been the greatest barrier to them having a genuine faith in Him, preventing them from finding their path towards Him.

That was why, He reminded His disciples yet again about what they had seen, and reminding them that what they were following and committing themselves to were not just merely works of man alone. It was God’s works done in this world through Christ, His Son, through Whom God made Himself tangible and approachable by all of us. No longer that He spoke through messengers and intermediaries, for through Christ, His Son, He has come in the flesh, revealing the perfect manifestation of God’s enduring and infinite love for each and every one of us, His desire to care for us and to be reunited with us.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today’s Scripture readings serve as a reminder for each one of us just how much more we as Christians need to trust in the Lord. Too often we trust in our own power, strength and judgment that we ignored God and His guidance, thinking that we can do everything by ourselves. And many of us have lukewarm faith in the Lord, one not based on true and genuine love for God, but rather, for appearances alone. Many of us also did not take our Christian faith seriously and even took it for granted, remaining idle and not doing as what we have been expected to do as Christians.

Today, let us all spend some time to reflect on our calling as Christians, to be true and courageous witnesses of the Lord and His truth. However, before we can do so, we have to have genuine trust in the Lord first, and our relationship with Him should not be just one of formality only. Instead, we have to nurture a growing and living relationship with God, which we can do first of all by spending more time with God through prayer and by spending quality time in communicating with Him, something that for many of us often have become an afterthought and been forgotten.

May the Lord continue to help us and guide us in our journey of faith that hopefully we may continue to grow in faith in each and every moments of our lives. May He strengthen our resolve to resist the temptations of the world and to be strong amidst the challenges and trials we may encounter throughout our journey of faith towards the Lord. May God bless us all in all things, now and always, forevermore. Amen.