Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scripture we are reminded yet again of the need for each one of us as Christians to be always mindful and aware of what we all need to do in our lives, in doing the actions that are in accordance with God and His ways, obeying His will and commandments, and keeping in mind that each and every single things that we say and do, all these will be accountable to God on the Day of Judgment. And not only that, but in all the things that we are able to do and in the capacity of doing, but not doing because we neglect our responsibilities, we shall also be made accountable for them as well, for everything that we have failed to do when we are perfectly capable of doing them.
That was the gist of what we heard from the Book of Ecclesiastes or Qoheleth in our first reading today. We heard how the author reminded those who were young that they ought to keep those words in mind, reminding them that each and every one of their actions will be accountable to God. There is nothing that we do which will not be known or unveiled to God. The Lord knows everything in our hearts and minds, and He shall judge us all by everything He knows of us. We have been given the opportunities and the time to do the things that God has shown us, to be His faithful disciples and witnesses in the midst of our communities, in each and every chances and moments provided to us.
And we should not be ignorant of that calling to do something, to participate in the good works and efforts of the Church, in its various outreach and commissions, and not only that but also in our own individual capacities, even to the smallest and simplest things like living our lives worthily and faithfully in accordance to the Law and commandments of God. In a world where there are plenty of temptations for us to disobey God and to embrace the path of worldliness and sin, each one of us have been called to seek the Lord wholeheartedly and to follow Him, while knowing that this path that God has called us to walk in, may not be an easy or smooth one. There may be lots of hardships and challenges, but we must persevere and continue going on, with God by our side, guiding and strengthening us.
As we heard in our Gospel passage today, the Lord spoke to His disciples regarding Who He truly was, and what He was about to endure during the moments of His Passion, suffering and death. Back then, no one would have known or expected that the Lord would have suffered such a grievous fate. In fact, many among the followers of the Lord would have expected that He would lead them all into glory and victory against the Romans and other oppressors, and reestablish the kingdom of David, the kingdom of God’s people Israel. The coming of the Messiah was understood as a time of great glory and triumph, where the Lord would gather His people and give them the freedom and victory against their enemies.
But they had misunderstood the Lord’s intentions, and the Lord Himself told them that in truth, He, the Messiah, the Son of Man, just as the prophets themselves had predicted, particularly that of the prophet Isaiah, He would have to suffer grievously for the sake of His beloved ones. He would have to be rejected and oppressed, punished and tortured, scourged, beaten and spat upon for the sake of our salvation and liberation. And yet, knowing all that would happen to Him, and all the sufferings that He would have to endure, the Lord Jesus still obeyed His Father’s will perfectly and carried out everything to perfection, suffering and dying on His Cross at Calvary. Out of His ever enduring and amazing love, He willingly embraced His role in bringing forth our salvation.
Through that act of supreme love and sacrifice, the ultimate selfless expression of love, God has shown us first of all that He loves us in an infinitely wonderful way, and He has always cared for us all these times despite of our frequent disobedience and refusal to believe in Him. And not only that, but through His Son, the same Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the same suffering Son of Man, God showed us the perfect obedience and the perfect role model that His Son has done for us, so that we know that it truly means for us to be Christians. The Apostles and disciples of the Lord themselves followed His examples, remembering His new commandment and mandate at the Last Supper, that they ought to do whatever that their Lord and Master had done.
This is a reminder that each one of us following in the footsteps and examples of the Apostles and the innumerable saints, holy men and women of God, we have to listen to the Lord, obey His will, His Law and commandments, and do what He has called us to do and make good use of the time and opportunities that He has presented to us. We are all given many different and unique talents, opportunities and other things that can allow us to do so many great wonders, and we should realise that each one of us have this part to play as God’s people, to be active and committed in giving ourselves and our lives for the cause of the Lord at all times. This is what we should do instead of being distracted by the many temptations all around us, the temptations of power, wealth, worldly glory and many others.
Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of two great saints, St. Cosmas and St. Damian, whose faith and devotion to God, and whose actions and contributions to their fellow brothers and sisters, fellow faithful people of God, should inspire all of us to live our own lives faithfully and worthily of the Lord. St. Cosmas and St. Damian were known to be a pair of twin brothers who were both physicians, renowned for their care for the sick and the needy in their community, as they provided care for the physical ailments of the people, and gave the care for free to the poor and those who could not afford to be healed. Miracles were attributed to them, and many came to them seeking for help.
Their faith and dedication to God also became inspiration to many people, as they lived virtuously and with great dedication to God. And as they were arrested and persecuted by the local governor for being Christians, then being the height of the intense persecutions of Christians under the Diocletianic Persecution, they remained firm to their faith in God to the very end, as they gave up their lives in honouring God, in refusing to bend to the demands of the pagan authorities to obey the Emperor’s orders and to abandon their Lord, God and Master. They chose to live worthily and die in faith and obedience, showing every members of the Christian faithful what it truly means to be Christians.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, can we all therefore be inspired by these great examples as well, that each and every one of us should be great role models and inspirations ourselves to our fellow brothers and sisters, in all of our lives, actions and deeds. Let us all be the bearers of the light of God to our fellow brethren, especially all those who have not known God and His love, His truth and Good News. Let us all do our very best to glorify God by our lives and actions, and be with Him, doing our part to serve Him all the days of our lives, as we should have done. Amen.
