12th Sunday of Ordinary Time

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Saturday, 29 June 2024 : Solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul, Apostles (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Universal Church mark the joyful and glorious occasion of the Solemnity of the two Holy Apostles, St. Peter the Apostle and St. Paul the Apostle, both of whom are among the most prominent of the Apostles, namely those who were considered the inner circle among the Lord’s disciples and followers, and who had been entrusted with the important roles in leading the spread and growth of the Church, with the mission to proclaim the Word of God and the Good News to all the people of all the nations. And in particular, this celebration of the two Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul here is related to their patronage over the city and Diocese of Rome, where the Vicar of Christ, the Pope, the Successor of St. Peter the Apostle as the leader of the whole Universal Church has his seat.

Yes, brothers and sisters in Christ, as we are part of the Roman Catholic Church, the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church formed and established by the Lord Himself in this world, and which He had entrusted to His Apostles and given to St. Peter in particular to lead and guide as His Vicar, therefore, the celebration of the Roman Church, that is the Diocese of Rome, the Pope’s See, is also a celebration that is celebrated throughout the whole entire world, throughout the whole entire Universal Church. It was these two great Apostles who helped to establish the Church in Rome, at the very centre and heart of the then mighty and powerful Roman Empire, the political giant and great power of its time, which ruled over the whole Mediterranean region and much of Europe, as well as the lands of the Holy Land where Our Lord carried out His ministry.

By establishing the presence of the Church in Rome, the Lord had called upon St. Peter and St. Paul to evangelise not only to the Jewish people, but as He had told them, to go forth to all the people of all the nations, and to proclaim His Good News and salvation to everyone, so that every people of every nations may come towards the Lord and receive salvation from Him. Therefore, while St. Peter had also founded the See of Antioch and was its first bishop, but it was the See of Rome that eventually became the See of the Vicar of Christ, St. Peter the Apostle and his successors, the Popes of the Church, right up to our current and reigning Pope, that is Pope Francis. Rome as the seat of secular and worldly power is symbolically made to be the seat of the Lord’s Vicar to highlight the authority that God has over all things, even over the secular world and rulers.

Rome was also most importantly the place where both St. Peter and St. Paul ended their respective ministries in martyrdom. St. Peter and St. Paul both encountered persecutions with the other Christians at that time in Rome during the reign of the infamous Roman Emperor Nero, who began the first intense persecution of Christians first in Rome and then elsewhere in the Empire. First to be martyred was St. Paul, who according to tradition was martyred by beheading at the time when the Great Fire of Rome happened in the Year of Our Lord 64. At that time, St. Paul had been in Rome for a while, awaiting the time of his appeal to the Emperor for the case raised against him by the Jewish authorities and the Sanhedrin. He and the other Christians persecuted were executed as they were blamed for causing the Great Fire of Rome, which according to historical evidences was probably started by the Emperor himself.

Meanwhile, St. Peter was also persecuted and was martyred slightly later, about four years later when he was crucified at the site where the great Basilica of St. Peter in Vatican now stands. Out of humility, St. Peter asked his executioners to be crucified upside-down so that he would not die in the same manner as his Lord and Master. And thus was how both St. Peter and St. Paul, Holy Apostles of the Lord, shed their blood and gave up their lives for the sake of the Lord, as they endured persecutions and oppressions in defending their faith, and in their commitment to continue proclaiming the truth of God to the people of all the nations. They did not fear persecution or death because they trusted in the Lord and they knew that even in martyrdom and death, they would share in the glory of God, Who Himself has suffered and died for the sake of all mankind.

If we wonder how we can follow in the footsteps of these two great saints, as we all indeed should do, we must first realise that they were all flawed and imperfect, normal human beings just like each and every one of us. They had their weaknesses and faults, just as we all had ours, but what matters is that, they let God guide them, answering His call and committing themselves to walk down the path which He has shown and told them to walk through. St. Peter himself was once a humble, illiterate and brash fisherman at the Lake of Galilee as Simon son of John, who would have been relegated to the footnotes of history and mankind’s existence just like many other countless fishermen and others out there from those seemingly humble backgrounds. He was not eloquent and he did commit mistakes, and he was also known for his not just once, but thrice denial of the Lord at the moment when He was arrested and persecuted at the beginning of His Passion.

Meanwhile St. Paul when earlier on he was still known as Saul, he was a great enemy of the early Church and Christians for his overzealous but ultimately misguided campaign to eradicate the followers of Christ. The young Saul was a young Pharisee who blindly followed the tenets and ways of the Pharisees, many of whom were also opposed to the Lord. Thus in his young, hot-tempered and overzealous passionate efforts, he brought a lot of grievances and hardships against the early Christian communities throughout Jerusalem, Judea and beyond. He was on his way to Damascus in Syria to continue the persecutions against the Christians there when the Lord appeared to him and had an encounter with him, which eventually led to Saul realising the mistakes and the folly of his misguided ways, and hence, embracing the Lord as his Saviour.

Both Simon and Saul had profound change in their lives upon encounter with the Lord, and they henceforth were known as Peter, from the word Petros in Greek, or the original Kephas or Cephas in Aramaic, which means ‘Rock’. Saul adopted the name Paul shortly after his conversion, and just like Abram and Jacob in the past, who both changed their names to Abraham and Israel respectively after life-changing moments, these name changes highlighted their commitment to a new life that is blessed and in accordance with God’s will. This is what we usually also practice as we adopt our baptismal names upon our baptism, and also when we add on our confirmation names as well. All of these symbolically signified our willingness to commit ourselves to the Lord, just as the two great Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul and other holy servants of God had done.

And even after they have embarked on the path of God’s righteousness, as Apostles, these two men were not perfect either. St. Peter himself still made mistakes, as when he initially followed the opinion of those who sought to introduce strict Jewish customs and practices, and the Lord corrected and helped him to understand what the true desire and intention of the Lord truly was. And according to Church tradition, just before he was to be martyred, it was famously said that St. Peter did flee the city of Rome to flee the intense persecutions then happening against Christians, and he encountered the Lord along the way, carrying His Cross. When St. Peter asked the Lord, ‘Quo Vadis?’ meaning ‘Where are You going?’, the Lord told St. Peter that He was going to Rome to be crucified again. St. Peter, embarrassed at his lack of courage, resolved to go back to Rome, and was crucified upside-down as mentioned earlier on. St. Paul on the other hand was also involved with disputes with the other disciples of the Lord and the Apostles, such as the dispute which he had with St. Barnabas the Apostle who accompanied with him in some of his missionary journeys.

All these showed us all that the Apostles, such as St. Peter and St. Paul, and just like the many other saints and holy men and women of God, are not supermen or superwomen, and they are not people who are greater than us in nature. But what makes them distinct and eventually revered, is the fact that all of them allowed the Lord to lead them in their lives, so that through their imperfections and sins, made better and more perfect, forgiven and reconciled to God by His mercy and love, they have shown us all that all of us indeed have the potential to be saints as well, brothers and sisters in Christ. Today, as we rejoice in this great Solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul, Holy Apostles of the Lord and the Patron saints of Rome and the Universal Church, we are all reminded that each and every one of us also have the same capacity and potential to be like them, and indeed, we have been entrusted with the same mission that the Lord had entrusted to His Apostles, to St. Peter and St. Paul, two millennia ago.

In our world today, there are still a lot of people who have not yet known the Lord and who are still living in the darkness, in ignorance of God’s truth and love. And it is up to us all, as members and parts of God’s One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, to continue the good works which the Apostles like St. Peter and St. Paul had started. All of us in our own respective areas in life, in our various commitments and vocations in life should always strive to do our best to sanctify our lives, our every good works and efforts, so that in everything that we say and do, in our every interactions with one another, we will always be the worthy and holy disciples and missionaries of the Lord, to proclaim the Good News and the Gospel of salvation through our own lives, just as the Holy Apostles had done. All of us are the ones who can touch the lives of many others and help them to come ever closer to God and His salvation.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore do our best to be good examples and role models for one another in our lives, to be like the Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul in their commitment and faith in the Lord. Let us all do our part as active and contributing members of the Church of God to evangelise and proclaim the Lord and His salvation to more and more people throughout the world. Let us joyfully reveal and show the Lord, His love and kindness to all, by our own loving actions and obedience to God’s will in our own respective lives, in how we love the Lord our God wholeheartedly, and in how we love one another, our fellow brothers and sisters, most generously and tenderly at all times. May God bless us all, and be with us in all of our journey throughout life, now and always. Amen.

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Saturday, 29 June 2024 : Solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul, Apostles (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Matthew 16 : 13-19

At that time, Jesus came to Caesarea Philippi. He asked His disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They said, “For some of them, You are John the Baptist; for others Elijah, or Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”

Jesus asked them, “But you, who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “It is well for you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for it is not flesh or blood that has revealed this to you, but My Father in heaven.”

“And now I say to you : You are Peter; and on this Rock I will build My Church; and never will the powers of death overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven : whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you unbind on earth shall be unbound in heaven.”

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Saturday, 29 June 2024 : Solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul, Apostles (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

2 Timothy 4 : 6-8, 17-18

As for me, I am already poured out as a libation, and the moment of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Now, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, with which the Lord, the just Judge, will reward me, on that day, and not only me, but all those who have longed for His glorious coming.

But the Lord was at my side, giving me strength, to proclaim the Word fully, and let all the pagans hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will save me from all evil, bringing me to His heavenly kingdom. Glory to Him forever and ever. Amen!

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Saturday, 29 June 2024 : Solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul, Apostles (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 33 : 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

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.

YHVH’s Angel encamps and patrols, to keep safe those who fear Him. Oh, see and taste the goodness of YHVH! Blessed is the one who finds shelter in Him!

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Saturday, 29 June 2024 : Solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul, Apostles (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Acts 12 : 1-11

About that time king Herod decided to persecute some members of the Church. He had James, the brother of John, killed with the sword, and when he saw how it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also.

This happened during the Festival of the Unleavened Bread. Herod had him seized and thrown into prison with four squads, each of four soldiers, to guard him. He wanted to bring him to trial before the people after the Passover feast, but while Peter was kept in prison, the whole Church prayed earnestly for him.

On the very night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound by a double chain, while guards kept watch at the gate of the prison. Suddenly, an Angel of the Lord stood there and a light shone in the prison cell. The Angel tapped Peter on the side and woke him saying, “Get up quickly!”

At once, the chains fell from Peter’s wrists. The Angel said, “Put on your belt and your sandals.” Peter did so; and the Angel added, “Now, put on your cloak and follow me.” Peter followed him out; yet he did not realise that what was happening with the Angel was real; he thought he was seeing a vision.

They passed the first guard, and then the second, and they came to the iron door leading out to the city, which opened by itself for them. They went out and made their way down a narrow alley, when suddenly the Angel left him. Then Peter recovered his senses and said, “Now I know that the Lord has sent His Angel and has rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from all that the Jews had in store for me.”

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Saturday, 29 June 2024 : Vigil Mass of the Solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul, Apostles (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

John 21 : 15-19

At that time, after Jesus and His disciples had finished breakfast, He said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these do?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, You know that I love You.” And Jesus said, “Feed My lambs.”

A second time Jesus said to him, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” And Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Look after My sheep.” And a third time He said to him, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?”

Peter was saddened because Jesus asked him a third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said, “Lord, You know everything; You know that I love You.” Jesus then said, “Feed My sheep! Truly, I say to you, when you were young, you put on your belt and walked where you liked. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will put a belt around you, and lead you where you do not wish to go.”

Jesus said this to make known the kind of death by which Peter was to glorify God. And He added, “Follow Me!”

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Saturday, 29 June 2024 : Vigil Mass of the Solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul, Apostles (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Galatians 1 : 11-20

Let me remind you, brothers and sisters, that the Gospel we preached to you is not a human message, nor did I receive it from anyone, I was not taught of it; but it came to me, as a revelation from Christ Jesus. You have heard of my previous activity in the Jewish community; I furiously persecuted the Church of God and tried to destroy it. For I was more devoted to the Jewish religion than many fellow Jews of my age, and I defended the traditions of my ancestors more fanatically.

But one day, God called me, out of His great love, He, Who had chosen me from my mother’s womb; and he was pleased to reveal, in me, His Son, that I might make Him known among the pagan nations. Then, I did not seek human advice nor did I go up to Jerusalem, to those who were Apostles before me. I immediately went to Arabia, and from there, I returned, again, to Damascus.

Later, after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to meet Cephas, and I stayed with him for fifteen days. But I did not see any other Apostle except James, the Lord’s brother. On writing this to you, I affirm before God that I am not lying.

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Saturday, 29 June 2024 : Vigil Mass of the Solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul, Apostles (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 18 : 2-3, 4-5

The heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament proclaims the work of His hands. Day talks it over with day; night hands on the knowledge to night.

No speech, no words, no voice is heard – but the call goes on, throughout the universe, the message is felt to the ends of the earth.

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Saturday, 29 June 2024 : Vigil Mass of the Solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul, Apostles (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Acts 3 : 1-10

Once when Peter and John were going up to the Temple at three in the afternoon, the hour for prayer, a man crippled from birth was being carried in. Every day they would bring him and put him at the Temple gate called “Beautiful”; there he begged from those who entered the Temple.

When he saw Peter and John on their way into the Temple, he asked for alms. Then Peter with John at his side looked straight at him and said, “Look at us.” So he looked at them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “I have neither silver nor gold, but what I have I give you : In the Name of Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, walk!”

Then he took the beggar by his right hand and helped him up. At once his feet and ankles became firm, and jumping up he stood on his feet and began to walk. And he went with them into the Temple walking and leaping and praising God. All the people saw him walking and praising God; they recognised him as the one who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple, and they were all astonished and amazed at what had happened to him.

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Friday, 28 June 2024 : 12th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Irenaeus, Bishop, Martyr and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded that if we put our trust in the Lord and follow Him, we shall gain assurance, providence and grace, and we shall be triumphant with Him in the end. Meanwhile, if we place our trust in worldly things and means, then we are likely to face disappointments and defeats handed down to us, as nothing in this world can give us the same assurance and providence as the Lord alone can give us. The examples shown in our Scripture passages today should serve as good examples for us of what will happen to us should we decide to follow the Lord and trust in Him versus putting our trust in the world and all the things it can provide us with, and the choice is ours to make on which path we want to choose in our own respective lives.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Kings of Israel and Judah in which the moments of the final defeat, downfall and destruction of the kingdom of Judah and the city of Jerusalem of the ancient Israelites came to fruition after the people of God had disobeyed Him, disregarded and refused to obey His Law and commandments for a long time, after many of the kings of Israel and Judah had led the people down a path of rebellion and sin, by following and worshipping pagan idols and foreign false gods instead of worshipping and obeying the Lord, their one and only True God, the One Who had liberated all of them from the hands of the Egyptians and their Pharaoh, and led them to the Promised Land where they had been dwelling in all those times.

Their disobedience and sins culminated in this tragic destruction of the lands of Judah and Jerusalem, as well as the many other cities and towns of the land, echoing what had happened about a century and a half earlier on, when the northern kingdom of Israel, the northern half of the kingdom of God’s people, the Israelites, was conquered and destroyed by the forces of the Assyrians, who also destroyed Samaria, the capital of Israel and the many cities belonging to the Israelites, carrying many of its people into exile. Thus, this same fate eventually befell those in the southern kingdom of Judah as well, with this time the Babylonians who came to crush the kingdom of Judah and its capital Jerusalem, also carrying many of its people to exile in distant lands.

All these as mentioned, happened because of the disobedience and sins which were committed by the people of God, in their refusal to follow the path and the Law which the Lord had provided to them, refusing to listen and to heed the words and reminders, the guidance and the help from the many prophets and messengers that God had sent to them to help them in their path. They also chose to trust in man’s power, in worldly powers and means instead of trusting in the Lord, their God. The prophet Jeremiah had warned the king and the people of Judah of the impending destruction, and not to rebel against the King of Babylon, or else Judah and Jerusalem would be destroyed.

Yet, the false prophets and the nobles all encouraged and forced the king to side with the Egyptians to free themselves from the dominion of the Babylonian kingdom, and this led to the rebellion as we heard in our first reading today, and its aftermath, after the King of Babylon Nebuchadnezzar brought his mighty force to besiege and destroy Jerusalem, and how the city was taken, the Temple and its hallowed halls were destroyed, the Ark of the Covenant disappeared, and the last King of Judah and his sons were captured, the former blinded while the latter were killed. All these things happened because of the lack of faith by those Israelites in God and His Divine providence and protection, choosing instead to trust in the worldly powers and false idols.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel of St. Matthew of the account of the moment when the Lord Jesus healed a leper who asked Him to help and heal him from his condition. Leprosy was a condition which was then feared and those who suffered from it were ostracised and cast out from the community, forced to wander off into the desert. This was interestingly the fate of the Israelites after both the kingdoms of Israel and Judah had been conquered and destroyed by Assyria and Babylon respectively, and many of the people of God had to wander off in exile, away in distant lands and cast out from the Promised Land of their ancestors and inheritance.

The Lord healed the leper and made him whole again, and told the leper to follow the customs of the Law, by showing himself to a priest as prescribed so that he could be readmitted once again into the community. Through this and what we have just discussed from our first reading passage today, all of us are reminded that first of all, in God we have the sure hope of salvation and liberation from all the troubles and trials facing us, from the corruption and depredation of sin and evil, represented by the leprosy that afflicted the man. And then, we are also reminded that if we allow worldly temptations and allures, corruptions and distractions to affect us, we will end up suffering like what the people of Israel had suffered in the past. But if we put our faith and trust once again in God, then we can have the sure path out of the darkness and into the light of God’s salvation and grace.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Irenaeus, one of the early Church fathers whose life and works, dedication and commitment to God can help inspire and strengthen us in our own paths in life so that we may continue to live worthily and faithfully in God’s Presence. St. Irenaeus lived during the second century, about a century or so after the time of the Lord’s ministry during the height of the Roman Empire and at a time when the Christian faith began to spread widely throughout the Empire, while facing persecutions from the Roman authorities at certain times. He was a priest in the area of Lyon in today’s southern part of France, and eventually became a bishop there. At that time, there were several heresies facing the faithful which threatened the unity of the Church and the salvation of the souls.

Some of these heresies include Montanism, Gnosticism, among others, which did not correspond or adhere to the true teachings of the Lord and to the deposit of faith handed down through the Church from the Apostles. St. Irenaeus spent a lot of time and effort combatting those heresies among his flock and wrote extensively on the matter, especially in his renowned treatise, Adversus Haereses, which literally meant ‘Against Heresies’, reminding the faithful throughout Christendom of the dangers of heresies and falsehoods which could mislead them into the wrong and sinful paths, and encouraging them to remain true to the Holy Mother Church and the true Christian faith. Eventually St. Irenaeus himself also faced martyrdom like many other early Christians of his time, but his many contributions continued to affect the Church for many centuries to come, even to this day.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, having heard the inspirational examples and commitment of St. Irenaeus in living a holy and worthy life in God, and in devoting himself to oppose all the false teachings and heresies that threatened the unity of the Church and the salvation of souls, therefore, all of us should be reminded that we too should also do the same in our own respective lives, in living a truly holy and worthy life centred on God, putting our faith and trust in Him, and helping to lead others around us by example so that more and more may come to know and recognise God and His truth, His love and salvation through us and our lives. Let us all continue to seek God’s grace, mercy and love, asking Him to strengthen us all in our every good efforts, endeavours and works for His greater glory.

May the Lord continue to inspire and strengthen us each day and at every moments of our lives, to be faithful to Him at all times, much as how His great servant, St. Irenaeus, holy bishop and martyr, great Doctor of the Church, had lived his life and inspired so many people after his lifetime. May God be with us all His beloved people and flock, with His Church, now and always. Amen.