Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we are all reminded that the Lord has entrusted to us many things and responsibilities which He has passed down unto us, giving us the means and the opportunities for all of us to do what He has called us to do, in doing our responsibilities and works for His greater glory. Each and every one of us have been entrusted with various missions in our respective lives, which God has given to us through His Church. Now, the choice is ours to make whether we want to follow His path and whether we want to commit ourselves to the missions and works which He has given to us. All of us have been called to embrace this calling and path, and be truly worthy and faithful in all of our actions and ways as Christians, as God’s beloved people.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Kings in which the moment when King David of Israel was about to die, and we heard how he passed over the kingship to his son, Solomon, who would become the King of Israel after him. King David reminded Solomon of what he should be doing as the king and ruler over the whole people of God, in doing what God has commanded him to do and in the responsibilities that he would be having as king. David reminded Solomon that he should always firmly hold onto the Law and commandments which God had entrusted to His people, and if he did so, then the Lord would continue to bless him and his descendants, and keep their reigns secure and strong as how it has been during the days of David’s reign.

Solomon took over from David as King of Israel and as we all should be familiar with, he was a truly mighty and wise king, whose reign was blessed by God in all things, and he was abundant in wealth and glory, and all of his works and designs were successful. Early in his reign, Solomon was faithful and obedient in following God’s commands and laws, and in doing what he has been entrusted to do. But, as the years gone by, and he grew ever more in wealth and power, gradually, he began to be swayed and tempted by power and corruptions, and he began to listen to his many wives and concubines instead of obeying God’s words, Law and commandments. That was how eventually Solomon fell into disobedience and sin against God, as he allowed pagan and idol worship to happen throughout the kingdom.

All of those things happened because Solomon became enamoured and misguided by all the power, glory and wealth which he had gained and accumulated, and he ended up falling deeper and deeper into the trap of the worldly desires and temptations, which led him and many others from the path of God’s righteousness and grace. And as a result, eventually after Solomon passed away, the kingdom of Israel was torn apart into two, the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah, which reminds us all that what God had told Solomon through David, were not just merely instructions, but they are reminders that God is always true to His words, and He also expects each and every one of us to do what we are supposed to do as His followers and people, or otherwise, we will have to suffer the consequences of our disobedience and sins, just as King Solomon and the Israelites had experienced.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the moment when the Lord Jesus sent out the Twelve disciples ahead of Him, for them to carry out their missions and works, in caring for the need of the people of God. They were told not to bring anything extra with them beyond just the minimum of what was necessary, except for a staff and the clothes that were on their bodies, with no food or money or bag on themselves. What this means is that, the disciples were told to trust in the Lord and in His providence, guiding them through the goodwill of all those to whom the disciples were sent to. There were bound to be those who would refuse to welcome them and rejected them, but there were also bound to be those who would accept them and embrace the truth and Good News which they brought with them.

Then, at the same time, the Lord wanted them all not to depend on their own strength and the worldly means to settle their troubles and issues. If the disciples had brought their money and possessions with them, then upon their success and moments of glory, they might instead put their trust in their own power, attributing their success to their own might, intellect and abilities. Like that of King Solomon mentioned in our first reading today, when one began to allow the temptations of worldly possessions, desires and attachments to overcome them, then, in the end, we will likely end up following the wrong path in life, and falling into the temptations to sin. This is why each and every one of us should also remind ourselves, that in all that we do, we must not allow worldly matters and means to mislead and corrupt us.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore as Christians, as those whom God had called and chosen to be His own beloved sons and daughters, we are all called to put our faith and trust in the Lord, and while carrying out what He has entrusted to us to do, like how He sent out His disciples, we should not depend on our own strength and might alone, but we must always have faith in the Lord, in all the things that we say and do, so that by our commitment and great efforts, works and actions, we will always glorify the Lord in all things, and remain firmly focused on Him. We should not allow ourselves to be so easily turned into the path of greed and desire, of ambition and vainglory. We have to resist these temptations that we will not end up being dragged down ever further into damnation and destruction.

May the Lord our most loving God and Father continue to help and guide us in our journey, so that in all the things that we do in this life, we will always strive to keep our faith in Him. May He empower each and every one of us and give us all the courage so that by our every commitment, works and deeds, by all of our whole lives and in each and every moments of our existence, we will continue to proclaim the truth and Good News of God, and remain truly in His grace and love, and continue to be faithful to Him, despite the many challenges and temptations present all around us. May God bless our every good efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.