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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.

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Tuesday, 15 February 2022 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Mark 8 : 14-21

At that time, the disciples had forgotten to bring more bread, and had only one loaf with the in the boat. Then Jesus warned them, “Keep your eyes open, and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.” And they said of one another, “He saw that we have no bread.”

Aware of this, Jesus asked them, “Why are you talking about the loaves you are short of? Do you not see or understand? Are your minds closed? Have your eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear? And do you not remember when I broke the five loaves among five thousand? How many baskets full of letfovers did you collect?”

They answered, “Twelve.” “And having distributed seven loaves to the four thousand, how many wicker baskets of leftovers did you collect?” They answered, “Seven.” Then Jesus said to them, “Do you still not understand?”

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Tuesday, 15 February 2022 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 93 : 12-13a, 14-15, 18-19

Fortunate the one You correct, o YHVH, the one You teach Your Law; You give them relief from distress.

YHVH will not reject His people, nor will He forsake His heritage. Justice will return to the just; and the upright will follow, in its wake.

No sooner did I say, “My foot is slipping,” Your kindness, o YHVH, held me up. The more worries and trouble assailed me, the more You consoled me.

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Tuesday, 15 February 2022 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

James 1 : 12-18

Happy are those who patiently endure trials, because, afterward, they will receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to those who love Him. No one, when tempted, should say, “This temptation comes from God.” God is never tempted, and He can never tempt anyone. Instead, each of us is lured, and enticed, by our own evil desire. Once this desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin, when fully grown, gives birth to death.

Do not be deceived, my beloved. Every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of Light, in Whom there is no change, or a shadow of a change. By His own will, He gave us life, through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of offering to Him, among His creatures.

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(Singapore) Monday, 14 February 2022 : 125th Anniversary of the Dedication of the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church in Singapore celebrates the anniversary of the Dedication and Consecration of the Mother Church of our Archdiocese, namely that of Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, the seat of the Archbishop of Singapore and the epicentre and heart of our Christian community here in this Lion City. Today marks the 125th Anniversary since the moment when this great House of God was dedicated and consecrated for the purpose of divine worship, in the Year of Our Lord 1897, although the Cathedral itself had been around and functioning for five decades before that.

The Church in Singapore had its humble beginnings with the coming of the now saint, St. Laurent Imbert, who was then a French missionary on his way to other mission lands. Just over two hundred years ago, St. Laurent Imbert landed in Singapore on the start of its days as a British colony and trade entrepôt. He found Singapore as a place with very few Catholics who lived in a wretched condition, without any shepherds, guides and priests to guide them. He celebrated Mass here for the first time on this island and then, in the coming years many more missionaries came to this island of Singapore, beginning the foundation of the Church in Singapore.

With the labour and hardships of the early missionaries, the Christian community in Singapore began to be established, and one of the first churches to be established was the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd itself, as no more than just a small little hut and chapel, about a hundred and ninety years ago. That small community began to grow and before long, the need for a proper and permanent church came to pass, and it came to the hands of another French missionary and priest, Fr. Jean-Marie Beurel who spearheaded the efforts to establish the first Catholic church, that was eventually built and completed in the Year of Our Lord 1846.

The church was named after the Good Shepherd, inspired by the faith and the martyrdom of the earlier mentioned St. Laurent Imbert, who as the Vicar Apostolic to Korea was martyred a few years previously, giving up himself and his life for the sake of his flock, remembering the Lord’s own words, that ‘The Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep’. Thus, the new church was named in honour of the Good Shepherd and St. Laurent Imbert’s courage and faith. However, for many years after it has been completed, the then Church of the Good Shepherd was not yet consecrated as it took many years for it to be financially viable and the costs of its construction be paid off in full.

This House of God was finally consecrated to God and dedicated a hundred and twenty-five years ago, and today we remember the memory of that great occasion and we give thanks to God for His great providence both for the Church in Singapore and for all the faithful who have since multiplied since the time when the Mother Church of the Archdiocese of Singapore was established and dedicated to God. And more importantly, we remind ourselves as well that the Church is not just that of the physical building and this great House of God, but also the people of God, the flock of the Good Shepherd, all those who have believed in Him and entrusted themselves in Him.

It is important for us to recognise that all of us are the Living Church of God, the union of all the parts of the Body of Christ that the Church is all about. With Christ at our Head, all of us are the living and breathing members of the Church, the building blocks and the parts of the great works of the Church in doing God’s will and in responding to His call. All of us are part of this Church, and as God’s dwelling place, as He has came upon us and dwelled in our midst and within us, as we partake in His own Most Precious Body and Blood, the Holy Eucharist. And that is why all of us as Christians, all of us in Singapore are called to be partakers in God’s mission, what He has entrusted to us.

In our community today, all of us as Catholics living in Singapore are called to be good and faithful witnesses of God’s truth and love, to be genuine examples and inspiration of what Christians are supposed to be like. And yet, we often see around us plenty of indifference and lukewarmness of faith, the lack of joy and desire to proclaim the Gospel with sincerity and dedication. What I mean is that many of us profess to be Christians and we call ourselves as such, and yet we cause harm to others by our actions, our gossips and our selfish attitudes. And many of us also lack awareness and the understanding of the need of the poor and the needy in our midst, not just for physical needs but also for those who long for acceptance and love.

That is why today as we celebrate this great Solemnity of the Dedication of the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, the Mother Church of the Church in Singapore, all of us are reminded to do our part and glorify God by our lives. All of us should do whatever we can, in our own respective capacities and opportunities in life, to be role models and inspiration to each other, so that we may be the faithful and courageous bearers of God’s light, truth and love, just as St. Laurent Imbert, the many other early Christian missionaries and pioneers of the Church here in Singapore. We have to follow in their footsteps and do whatever we can to contribute to the good works of the Church.

May the Lord continue to guide us and show us the path forward in life. May He empower each and every one of us to live wholeheartedly in faith, so that we may dedicate ourselves more and more, in His service. May all of us, the Church of God, especially here in Singapore, continue to do our best to live our lives as genuine and faithful Christians at all times. May God be with us all and may He remain with us, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

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Monday, 14 February 2022 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cyril, Monk and St. Methodius, Bishop, Patron Saints of Europe (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scripture, we are all called to keep our faith in the Lord and do not let ourselves be swayed by the temptations of worldliness and vices all around us that we end up falling into the path of doubt and sin just as many of our predecessors had suffered from. We have to learn from their lessons so that we will not end up suffering the same fate as well. Believing in God is something that we have to inculcate in our hearts and minds.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. James in which the Apostle St. James spoke of the expectations for all of us as Christians in what each and every one of us should do in our respective lives. As Christians we have to put our faith and trust in the Lord, and not be easily swayed or frightened by trials and challenges of the world, and we have to believe in His providence and wisdom. We have to put ourselves in His hands and not depend only on our own worldly means and power.

For those who have no faith in God, they will be more easily tempted and swayed to follow the whims of their desires and worldly expectations, and they would also easily falter into the path of sin as they would end up closing their hearts and minds to the Lord and His truth as what had exactly happened to many of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, all those who worked hard to oppose the Lord and His many good works, all simply because they were too caught up in their jealousy and their fear of losing their worldly privileges and status.

That was why save for Nicodemus and some others among them like Joseph of Arimathea, many if not most of the Pharisees resisted the Lord for a long time, refusing to believe in His signs and miracles, in all of His wonderful works and the truth found in His Wisdom and words, although they were the ones supposedly most knowledgeable about the Scriptures and the Law, and knew the most about the prophets and their prophecies regarding the coming of the Lord, the Saviour of all, which had come to fruition and fulfilment in Jesus Christ, the One Whom they had seen with their own eyes.

And that was why they still doubted Him and asked Him for signs although obviously they had seen many of those signs. They were the ones who allowed their worldly desires and concerns, their desire to hold onto the power, privilege and status they had, to muddle their thoughts and faith, and ended up blinding them to the truth of God. They were the ones who were healthy in their physical vision and yet, blind in their spiritual vision as their own hearts and minds had been closed up tight against God, not allowing Him to enter even as He continued to knock on their doors.

That is why today, brothers and sisters in Christ, all of us are also reminded of this so that we may be more vigilant and careful in life, reminded that we should do our very best to follow the Lord and to be faithful to Him. We must restrain ourselves and our desires, and be vigilant against the temptations to sin against God. We should not let our worldly attachments to delude us and to distract us from the need for us to be faithful to the Lord. We are called to follow Him wholeheartedly and are reminded of this today through what we have heard from the Scriptures.

Today we can also look upon the great examples set by two of our holy and faithful predecessors, namely that of St. Cyril and St. Methodius, the two great servants of God and missionaries of faith, who are also the Patron Saints and Protector of the heart of Christendom in Europe. They were remembered for their dedication and great works in bringing the Christian faith to the people in Central and Eastern parts of Europe, the areas inhabited by the Slavic peoples, which by the efforts of St. Cyril and St. Methodius became Christians, which remain so until the present day.

St. Cyril and St. Methodius dedicated themselves to the Lord and to the mission entrusted to them, and they both spent their lives to minister to the people among whom they had been sent to proclaim the truth of God, and they were also remembered for their role in translating the texts of the Sacred Scriptures into the local Slavic language and in the development of the Cyrillic alphabet which are still in use until this day. Their contributions and hard work were truly inspirational and all of us Christians can do well to follow in their footsteps and heed their examples.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, are we going to be idle any longer? Are we going to ignore our calling as Christians and turn a deaf ear to the Lord’s call and to the plight of our brothers and sisters who are in need of our attention and love? Are we going to continue to be idle in our lives and instead indulging in our own personal desires and ambitions? Let us all therefore seek the Lord with renewed faith and conviction, and let us do our best to glorify the Lord by our lives and follow in the footsteps of His faithful servants, St. Cyril and St. Methodius, to walk ever more courageously in proclaiming the love of God and His truth in our community today. May God be with us always and may He bless us at all times. Amen.