10th Sunday of Ordinary Time

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Wednesday, 8 June 2022 : 10th 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 reminded of the faith that we have in the Lord, and how we have to commit to this faith and stand up for it in the face of the opposition and challenges that we may have to endure in the path of our lives as Christians. There are plenty of obstacles and trials that we may have to face just as our predecessors had experienced, as we heard it from our Scripture readings today, in the story of the prophet Elijah and how he went alone against the four hundred and fifty priests of Baal at Mount Carmel.

At that time, king Ahab of Israel had been persecuting those who were faithful to the Lord and the prophets of God, including Elijah and many other prophets. They had been persecuted, harassed and even killed, such that only Elijah remained among the prophets of God still actively working and ministering to the people of the land of the northern kingdom of Israel. Ahab also promoted the worship of the pagan god Baal, with the support from his wife, the queen Jezebel, who was a pagan worshipper. As such, that was why we saw how there were so many Baal priests assembled against Elijah before the people of Israel at Mount Carmel.

Elijah made his stand before king Ahab and the people of Israel, risking his own safety and life, to end the dispute once and for all, and to show the people who the real true God is, between the God of Israel, the God of their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, or Baal, the god of the pagans. Elijah went up alone against his enemies, but God was with him and guided him through those challenging moments. And Elijah showed that the Lord, the God of Israel is truly the one and only true God, when the false god Baal failed to intercede for all of his worshippers despite there being four hundred and fifty priests and many others including the king who sided with him against God.

Elijah remained firm and resolute, and prayed to God, asking Him to remember His people and the love He had for them, and for Him to show forth His might before all so that the people might come to know who the one and only true God is. God sent fire from Heaven that completely consumed the sacrificial offering and Altar that Elijah built on Mount Carmel even when he had poured a lot of water on the Altar, purposefully handicapping himself against the priests of Baal. With that, God showed the people of Israel that He was indeed the one true God, deserving of worship, and not Baal, the false idol and god.

But that was not the end of Elijah’s struggle, as due to the defeat of Baal’s priests, queen Jezebel held a strong hatred and grudge against Elijah, who had to endure the persecutions, and wandered off even into exile at times to continue to minister to the people of the northern kingdom of Israel that he had been sent to. Nevertheless, Elijah kept on going and did what he could to serve the Lord and to glorify His Name, to the best of his ability. He kept proclaiming the Lord and His truth to the people, even if many among them were stubborn and refused to budge and believe in God. And whatever he had revealed and spoken, was echoed by the Lord Jesus, our Lord and Saviour as well.

In our Gospel passage today, the Lord was going against His critics, who accused Him of trying to abolish the Law and to destroy the laws of Moses by His teachings and works. Contextually, the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law opposed the Lord Jesus because He refused to follow and has always critiqued their misrepresentation and flawed application of the Law of God as revealed through Moses and the prophets. Much like Elijah who had to go against the multitudes of the priests of Baal, the Lord Jesus also had to go against the many Pharisees, teachers of the Law and even the chief priests who were against Him.

But the Lord revealed that what He was doing was the real truth, and everything He did was to return the Law to its original intention and purpose, long misunderstood and misused by mankind, by the people of God, especially those who opposed Him because they preferred and were attached to their version of the Law which satisfied their own intentions and purposes, rather than obeying the will and desires of God. Just like Elijah revealing who the one and only true God is to the people, the Lord Jesus through His actions revealed that He is the Way, the Truth and Life, the One true God, incarnate in the flesh.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, the lessons from today’s Scripture readings remind us that as Christians we are likely to encounter some or even many challenges, trials and oppositions to our beliefs and way of life. Some of us have already suffered this, just as multitudes of our predecessors had, right from the beginning of the Church. Those who were faithful to God had faced a lot of trials and sufferings, and yet, they remained firm in their faith and were adamant in their desire to continue following and proclaiming the truth of the one and only true God, the same God we worship and believe in.

Are we willing to stand up for our faith, brothers and sisters in Christ, despite the challenges and trials we may have to face amidst those persecutions, difficulties and obstacles we encounter? We are all called to be genuine Christians in life and be the beacons of God’s light and truth in our world today, so that through us more and more people may come to know the Lord and believe in Him. And we should not worry as the Lord will always be with us and by our side. Let us all therefore dedicate ourselves anew to Him from now on, and commit ourselves to a life truly righteous and just, at all times. May God be with us always and may He bless us in our every good works and endeavours. Amen.

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Wednesday, 8 June 2022 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Matthew 5 : 17-19

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Do not think that I have come to annul the Law and the Prophets. I have not come to annul them but to fulfil them. I tell you this : as long as heaven and earth last, not the smallest letter or dot in the Law will change until all is fulfilled.”

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Wednesday, 8 June 2022 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 15 : 1-2a, 4, 5 and 8, 11

Keep me safe, o God, for in You I take refuge. I say to YHVH, “You are my Lord.”

Those who run after foreign gods only have their sorrows multiplied.

Let me not shed blood for them, nor their names be heard on my lips.

O YHVH, my inheritance and my cup, my chosen portion – hold secure my lot. I keep YHVH always before me; for with Him at my right hand, I will never be shaken.

You will show me the path of life, in Your presence, the fullness of joy, at Your right hand, happiness forever.

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Wednesday, 8 June 2022 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

1 Kings 18 : 20-39

So Ahab sent for all the people of Israel and gathered the prophets at Mount Carmel. Then Elijah addressed the people and asked, “How long will you follow two ways at the same time? If YHVH is God, follow Him; but if Baal is God then follow him.” The people remained silent.

So Elijah continued, “I am the only prophet of YHVH left here to face Baal’s four hundred and fifty prophets. Get us two bulls. Let them choose one bull for themselves, cut it into pieces and lay it on the wood; and I will do the same with the other bull. But we will not set it on fire. Then you shall call on the name of your gods while I shall call on the Name of YHVH. The God Who answers with fire is the true one.” Then the people answered, “That is right.”

Then Elijah told the prophets of Baal, “Choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first, for you are many. Then call on the name of your god lest you are left without fire!” So they took the bull and prepared it, and they called on the name of Baal, “Baal, answer us!” But there was no voice; and no one answered them while they went on, dancing on one foot around the altar they had built.

By noontime, Elijah began to mock them, “Shout out louder. Baal is a busy god; or he may have gone out, or perhaps he has gone on a trip, or he is sleeping and must be wakened.” So they shouted louder gashing their skin with knives, as they are used to doing, until they bled. It was already past noon and they were still raving on, until the time of the evening offering. But still there was no voice. No one answered or gave a sign of life.

Then Elijah said to the people, “Draw closer to me,” and the people drew closer to him. He then repaired the altar of YHVH which had been thrown down. He took twelve stones corresponding to the number of tribes of the sons of Jacob whom YHVH had addressed saying, “Israel shall be your name.” With these stones, he built an altar to the Name of YHVH; and dug a trench around it that would contain about thirty litres.

He then arranged the firewood, cut the bull in pieces and laid them on the wood. Then, he said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the firewood.” He said, “Do it again;” and they did it again; “one more time,” and they did it a third time. The water ran around the altar and filled the trench.

When the time of the evening offering came, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O YHVH, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that You are God in Israel; and that I am Your servant, doing all these things at Your command. Answer me, o YHVH, answer me so that this people may know that You, o YHVH, are God; and that You are turning back their hearts to You.”

Then the fire of YHVH fell and consumed the burnt offering, together with the wood, the stones also, and the dust; the water also dried up in the trench. All the people witnessed this. Then they fell on their faces and said, “YHVH is God! YHVH is God!”

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Tuesday, 7 June 2022 : 10th 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 all reminded that we are called to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, that is to be good and active in living our lives as Christians, such that we may inspire one another and even more people to be faithful to God and to follow Him just as we have followed and loved Him as Christians, those who believe in God and accept Him as our Lord and Saviour. We are all called to reach out to those who have not yet known the Lord and touch their lives much as how our predecessors had done, as we heard from our Scriptures today.

In our first reading today, we heard the story of the prophet Elijah when he came to the region of Zarephath beyond the land of the Israelites, during the time of a great drought and famine that affected not just the land of Israel but also the surrounding regions. Elijah went to Zarephath and he met a widow whom the Lord had told him earlier on that she would provide him with food. The famine was of such great intensity that many must have perished without food and provisions, or from lack of water and other needs. The widow herself suffered, and she and her only son had almost nothing left on them, save for a little bit of flour and oil that were enough only for themselves as one last meal.

The prophet Elijah came to the widow and asked of some food from her, and while the widow hesitated due to her own predicaments, Elijah reassured her and comforted her with God’s love and providence, that if she did everything in accordance with God’s will, all would be taken care of, and as per the Lord’s words, her supply of flour and oil would not run out until the drought and famine ended. The widow hence took the flour and oil and made food for the prophet, and miraculously her supply of flour and oil continued to flow and did not stop as long as the famine and drought continued, as God provided her and her family, as well as Elijah, by His kindness and compassionate care.

In our Gospel passage today, as I mentioned earlier on, we heard of the Lord calling on His disciples to become the salt of the earth and the light of the world, and that they must truly have that flavour of the salt and not hide their light, for salt that had lost its saltiness and light that is not placed on a lampstand or hidden truly have no meaning and use at all. As the Lord’s disciples and followers, each and every one of us are called to be these same salt of the earth and the light of the world. We may not understand fully the reason why the Lord called us to be such unless we understand the context of these two very important commodities.

First of all, we live at a time when salt and light are no longer difficult to come by, and where salt and light are in such great abundance that we tend to dismiss them as trivial things and matter. But at the time of the Lord and His ministry, as it was for most of our human history, salt and light were extremely important commodities and I could not highlight or emphasise any less just how important and crucial they were to many people and communities. For salt was used in the preservation of food at the time when refrigeration and other methods of preservation were still non-existent. Salt was used in flavouring food that would have otherwise been bland and tasteless, and it was also used for the preservation of the bodies of the dead and many other purposes.

Not only that salt was very useful but as compared to the present day, the process of extraction and obtaining of salt was really time consuming and labour intensive, and hence, salt was a truly important and even expensive commodity back then, so much so that many countries imposed taxes and monopolised salt production to ensure the happiness and well-being of their people. When the Lord called on all of us to be the salt of the earth, He truly called on us to be full of this flavour of faith, to be precious to Him, and to be exemplary in our way of life, actions, words and deeds such that in everything we have, we will be great inspiration for others who witness us and our actions.

Then regarding light, in a world today where light is in abundance, due to the prevalence of electricity and electric-based lighting all over the world, we may not see the significance and importance of light. However, back then, light was supremely important just as salt was. Back when electricity was still non-existent, at night time when the Sun had set, except for the light from the Moon and the stars, darkness would have completely engulfed the whole land, and no one would have been able to see things clearly, unlike the often light-saturated streets and homes that we are familiar with today. Back then, many wild animals and other dangers lurked around in the darkness, and people truly treasured light wherever and whenever they could get hold of it, be it light from candles, torches, or any other natural sources of light present around them.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, hence when the Lord called on us all to be the light of the world, we are all called to be that source of inspiration, strength and hope for others who are still lost and searching for the way forward in the darkness. We are the beacons of God’s light and the bearers of His Good News, the Good News and hope that will illuminate the path of those who are still in the darkness of the world, and also strengthen and invigorate those who have not yet tasted and known the goodness of the Lord, His love, kindness and compassion. That is why the Lord called and challenged us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us hence dedicate ourselves anew to the Lord and do whatever we can to glorify Him and to proclaim Him to our fellow brethren to the best of our abilities. Let us all inspire our fellow brothers and sisters, more and more people that they may also come to believe in the Lord just like we do. Let us always seek the Lord with a most loving heart, desiring to do our best to serve Him and to follow Him in each and every moments of our lives. May the Lord be with us always as well, and continue to strengthen each one of us in our faith. Amen.

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Tuesday, 7 June 2022 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Matthew 5 : 13-16

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples and to the people, “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt has lost its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It has become useless. It can only be thrown away and people will trample on it.”

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a mountain cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and covers it; instead it is put on a lampstand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way your light must shine before others, so that they may see the good you do and praise your Father in heaven.”

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Tuesday, 7 June 2022 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 4 : 2-3, 4-5, 7-8

Answer when I call, o God, my justice! When I was in distress, You gave me solace. Have compassion on me and hear my plea. And you, people, how long will you harden your hearts? How long will you delight in deceit and go in search of falsehood?

But you must know that YHVH has shown His kindness to me. When I call to Him, He hears me. Be angry, but do not offend. Keep your words to yourself, when you are in bed, and be still.

Many ask, “Who will give us a happy time? Would, that His favour shine upon us!” You, o YHVH, have put joy in my heart; more than by giving me wine and food.

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Tuesday, 7 June 2022 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

1 Kings 17 : 7-16

After a while, the brook dried up because no rain had fallen in the land. Then YHVH spoke to Elijah, “Go to Zarephath of the Sidonites and stay there. I have given word to a widow there, to give you food.”

So Elijah went to Zarephath. On reaching the gate of the town, he saw a widow gathering sticks. He called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel that I may drink.” As she was going to bring it, he called after her and said, “Bring me also a piece of bread.”

But she answered, “As YHVH your God lives, I have no bread left, but only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am just now gathering some sticks so that I may go in and prepare something for myself and my son to eat – and die.”

Elijah then said to her, “Do not be afraid. Go, and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me. Then make some for yourself and your son. For this is the word of YHVH, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of meal shall not be emptied nor shall the jug of oil fail, until the day when YHVH sends rain to the earth.’”

So she went and did as Elijah told her; and she had food for herself, Elijah and her son from that day on. The jar of flour was not emptied nor did the jug of oil fail, in accordance with what YHVH had said through Elijah.

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Monday, 6 June 2022 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today on the day after Pentecost Sunday we enter once again into the season of Ordinary Time, which will continue until the end of this current liturgical year in November this year. And today, we also mark the celebration of Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, or Mater Ecclesiae. This celebration began in the recent years commemorating what had been widespread acknowledgement of the role of Mary as the Mother of the faithful people of God and hence, also the Mother of the Church. Just as St. Joseph was made the Protector of the Universal Church, it is only right then that Mary is officially accorded the honour of being the Mother of the Church.

As we listened in our Scripture passages today, Mary is the Woman who has been long awaited by the world, to be the one through whom the salvation of this world would come through. Mary is the New Eve just as Christ is represented as the New Adam, the New Man, through Whom the salvation of the world would come from. In our first reading today from the Book of Genesis we heard of the story of how mankind had fallen into sin because they chose to listen to the lies and false promises of Satan, disguised as a snake, and chose to follow him instead of keeping the commandments of God.

Our first ancestors, Adam and Eve fell into sin because they gave in to the temptations presented to them by Satan. Satan tempted them with the knowledge of good and evil that he said would make both of them to be like God. That desire and pride in our ancestors led them to be swayed to turn away from God and His righteous path. Hence, instead of obeying God, mankind instead chose to listen to Satan and his lies, committed sin against God and hence, were sundered off from the fullness of God’s grace and blessings, cast out from Heaven and forced to wander off in the wilderness of this world, to suffer the consequences of our sins.

However, God did not abandon us or cast us out into eternal damnation, as He could have done so if He wanted it. He could have crushed and destroyed us all by the power of His will alone. Yet, His love for us endured even though we had sinned against Him. He continued to love us, and just as He pronounced what man would have to endure for their sins and disobedience, He also rebuked Satan and proclaimed His triumph against the wicked one and the salvation of man which would come through the Woman. While Satan and his forces would have dominion and power over men for a while, this dominion and stranglehold they had over us would not last forever.

That was already foretold by the Lord Himself as He spoke of the coming of His salvation through the Woman, from whom the dominion of Satan and the forces of evil would be broken forever. This is the salvation that Mary had a role in bringing unto this world, that by the grace and will of God, Mary, as the New Eve, through her complete obedience to the will of God, as contrasted to the disobedience of the old and first Eve, would bring unto mankind, the salvation and new life, new existence in God that they truly needed. Christ, the Mediator of the New and Eternal Covenant between God and His people, was born through Mary, and through Him, God willed to reconcile us to Himself, once and for all.

And Mary committed herself thoroughly to the mission and calling entrusted to her, loving her Son wholeheartedly, following Him and being with Him even to the foot of the Cross. As we heard in our Gospel passage today, Mary followed her Son, Our Lord and Saviour, right up to the feet of the Cross, seeing her own Son suffering and dying for the salvation of the whole entire world. She saw it all, all of her sorrow and pain, sharing in the pain suffered by her Son on His Cross. She has always been with her Son, all the time, and the Lord entrusted her henceforth, to His beloved disciple, St. John the Apostle, while at the same time, also entrusting St. John to His own mother, Mary.

Through this act, we have to realise that the Lord was not only entrusting Mary, His mother to St. John the Apostle, and St. John to His mother. St. John was in fact representing the whole Universal Church, and all of us have been entrusted to Mary, to be our own Mother. We are all her children by this entrustment and adoption, and hence, Mary and her title of the Mother of the Church made truly perfect sense. Mary is truly our Mother, who cares for us and has always reached out to us, and through her many apparitions in the past centuries, Mary has always shown us her motherly love, always ever reminding us to turn away from our sinful path, and to return to her Son.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore seek the Lord with renewed heart, faith and commitment, following His own Mother, Mary, the Mother of the Church, who is also our own Mother. Let us all therefore also entrust ourselves to her, and remind ourselves to follow her good examples in faith, her dedication and love for God, in our own lives. Let us also continue to do the good works of the Church, in evangelisation of the whole world, revealing the truth that God has shown us, and guided by His Holy Spirit, to continue to spread the light and hope of God’s truth to more and more people. O Mother Mary, our mother and the Mother of the Church, pray for us sinners always, and guide us all towards your Son’s light and salvation. Amen.

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Monday, 6 June 2022 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 19 : 25-34

At that time, near the cross of Jesus stood His mother, His mother’s sister Mary, who was the wife of Cleophas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw the mother, and the disciple whom He loved, He said to the mother, “Woman, this is your son.” Then He said to the disciple, “This is your mother.” And from that moment the disciple took her to his own home.

Jesus knew all was now finished and, in order to fulfil what was written in Scripture, He said, “I am thirsty.” A jar full of bitter wine stood there; so, putting a sponge soaked in the wine on a twig of hyssop, they raised it to His lips. Jesus took the wine and said, “It is accomplished.” Then He bowed His head and gave up the Spirit.

As it was Preparation Day, the Jews did not want the bodies to remain on the cross during the Sabbath, for this Sabbath was a very solemn day. They asked Pilate to have the legs of the condemned men broken, so that the bodies might be taken away. The soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man and of the other man, who had been crucified with Jesus.

When they came to Jesus, they saw that He was already dead, so they did not break His legs. One of the soldiers, however, pierced His side with a lance, and immediately there came out Blood and water.