12th Sunday of Ordinary Time

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Saturday, 1 July 2023 : 12th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Matthew 8 : 5-17

At that time, when Jesus entered Capernaum, an army captain approached Him, to ask His help, “Sir, my servant lies sick at home. He is paralysed and suffers terribly.” Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

The captain answered, “I am not worthy to have You under my roof. Just give an order and my boy will be healed. For I myself, a junior officer, give orders to my soldiers. And if I say to one, ‘Go!’ he goes; and if I say to another, ‘Come!’ he comes; and if I say to my servant, ‘Do this!’ he does it.”

When Jesus heard this, He was astonished; and said to those who were following Him, “I tell you, I have not found such faith in Israel. I say to you, many will come from east and west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob at the feast in the kingdom of heaven; but the heirs of the kingdom will be thrown out into extreme darkness; there, they will wail and grind their teeth.”

Then Jesus said to the captain, “Go home now. As you believed, so let it be.” At that moment, his servant was healed. Jesus went to Peter’s house and found Peter’s mother-in-law in bed with fever. He took her by the hand and the fever left her; she got up and began to wait on Him.

Toward evening, they brought to Jesus many people possessed by evil spirits; and with a word, He drove out the spirits. He also healed all who were sick. In this way, what was said by the prophet Isaiah was fulfilled : He bore our infirmities and took on Himself our diseases.

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Saturday, 1 July 2023 : 12th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Luke 1 : 46-47, 48-49, 50 and 53, 54-55

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit exults in God, my Saviour!

He has looked upon His servant, in her lowliness, and people, forever, will call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, Holy is His Name!

From age to age, His mercy extends to those who live in His presence. He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty.

He held out His hand to Israel, His servant, for He remembered His mercy, even as He promised to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever.

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Saturday, 1 July 2023 : 12th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Genesis 18 : 1-15

YHVH appeared to Abraham near the oaks of Mamre. Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent, in the heat of the day, when he looked up and saw three Men standing nearby. When he saw Them he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet Them. He bowed to the ground and said, “My Lord, if I have found favour in Your sight, do not pass Your servant by. Let a little water be brought. Wash Your feet and then rest under the trees. I shall fetch some bread so that You can be refreshed and continue on Your way, since You have come to Your servant.”

They then said, “Do as you say.” Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said to her, “Quick, take three measures of flour, knead it and make cakes.” Abraham then ran to the herd, took a fine, tender calf, gave it to the servant who hurried to prepare it. He took butter and milk and together with the calf he had prepared laid it all before Them. And while he remained standing, They ate.

They then asked, “Where is Sarah, your wife?” Abraham answered, “She is in the tent.” And the visitor said, “At this same time next year I will return and Sarah by then will have a son.” Now Sarah was behind him, listening at the entrance to the tent. Abraham and Sarah were old, well on in years, and Sarah no longer had her monthly periods.

Sarah laughed to herself saying, “Now that I am old and worn and my husband is an old man, am I to have this pleasure?” YHVH said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Am I really going to have a child now that I am old?’ Is there anything that is impossible for God? At this same time next year I will return and Sarah by then will have a son.”

Sarah denied saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. But He said, “You did laugh.”

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Friday, 30 June 2023 : 12th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, each one of us are reminded that God is always ever faithful to the Covenant which He has made with all of us, in His love for us and in His desire to be reconciled and reunited with us. He knows the heart and He sees the inside of our beings, the truth about ourselves, our every actions, words and deeds. Through His love and kindness, He reaches out to us, finding us the path to Him, and allowing us to walk once again in His grace and love. Once we have been separated and sundered from His love and compassion, but God’s love proved even greater, and His insistence in reaching out to us have reopened the path for us to eternal life and true joy.

In our first reading today, we heard the story of Abraham, our father in faith, as he was chosen by God to make a Covenant with Him. The Book of Genesis relates to us the time and moment when God renewed His promises to Abraham, and made a Covenant with him, as Abraham had been following Him for years, obediently and faithfully. Abraham still followed the Lord even when he was still childless and despite the Lord having promised him a son to continue his line and to inherit everything he had. Abraham even went to try to find his own way by having a son with his wife’s slave Hagar, who gave him Ishmael, but the Lord again reiterated that as He had said, He would give him a son, the promised son that would be born from his wife, Sarah. Sarah was already very old then and was way beyond childbearing.

Yet, the Lord told Abraham that he would have a son through Sarah, his wife, and at the same time, He also reassured him that He would still bless and take care of Ishmael, for he is after all still Abraham’s son. Abraham believed in the Lord and that was why God made His Covenant with him and his descendants, for all the faithfulness which Abraham had shown, in his commitment and dedication to Him, despite the uncertainties and the wait that he had to endure in expecting his heir, and in the other hardships and challenges that he had to go through. Abraham faithfully endured everything and still gave his best to the Lord regardless, and this is what all of us as Christians should do in obeying the Lord and His Law and commandments.

In our Gospel passage today, the Lord Jesus healed a leper who had come to Him for healing, and that leper had faith in the Lord that He could make him whole again. Thus, that was what the Lord Jesus had done, in healing the leper, caring for him and made him once again to belong to the community of the faithful, no longer an outcast and an exile. We must understand that back then, one who suffered from leprosy was often ostracised and cast out from the community, as the Law of God then stated that those who contracted leprosy had to be separated from the rest of the community, cast out in the wilderness until the moment when they have been healed from their leprosy. They had to prove that they had been healed before they could be readmitted to the community.

This leprosy was in fact not quite the leprosy as we know it today, but might have been skin condition and diseases that were easily transmissible, and hence, in a practical term, especially in the crowded condition during the Exodus and the journey from Egypt to the Promised Land of Canaan, it was expedient and practical to avoid the whole population from contracting the same diseases, but it became misunderstood and caused misery for those who had contracted the leprosy and other diseases, being cast out and mistreated for their condition. Hence, the Lord showed His mercy and love by healing the leper from his condition, allowing him to once again rejoin the community of the faithful people of God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today therefore we are reminded of the love that God has always had for us, and how He has reached out to us with this enduring love and compassion. And therefore, we are also reminded of what each one of us need to do in order to fulfil our part of the Covenant, which we have been so blessed and fortunate to be part of, a Covenant that God has so kindly established with us, and we have been made His beloved people, as part of His own Body, His Church. Thus, all of us should live our lives worthily of the Lord and His path, and we should do well to look upon the examples set by our faithful and holy predecessors, all those who have followed the Lord faithfully, and even suffered and gave their lives for the Lord.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church, commemorating all those who have perished in the great persecutions of the Christians in Rome, at the heart of the Roman Empire, also the heart of Christendom, during the time of the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero. At that time the early Christians began to grow in number across the Roman Empire, even at the very heart of the Empire in Rome. During the reign of the Emperor Nero, it happened that a great fire broke out throughout the city of Rome, what would be known as the Great Fire of Rome, in which the Emperor laid the blame on the Christians in the city, which were therefore persecuted and arrested, and many were martyred during this intense persecution.

Yet, despite the challenges and trials, the sufferings and hardships which they had to face, those faithful Christians in Rome endured and remained firm in their faith, and most did not give up their faith, although many were thrown to the lions and to be tortured. They were blamed for crimes and faults that they themselves did not commit, and most people in fact assigned the blame to the Emperor Nero himself, who obviously sought a scapegoat for his actions. Those faithful Holy Martyrs in Rome remained firm in their conviction and dedication to God, and they became the inspiration and strength for many others who were also facing hardships and trials in life throughout the succeeding years and generations. All of us should also therefore be inspired and strengthened in the same way as well.

Let us all hence commit ourselves wholeheartedly to the service of God from now on, and let us all be reminded of God’s ever gracious love and compassion, and do our part to love the Lord as well, as part of the Covenant which He has established with us. Like Abraham, our father in faith, and like the holy martyrs whose memories we venerate today, and our many other holy predecessors, let us always be filled with faith, love and commitment to God, and let us trust the Lord fully and wholeheartedly, in His providence and love. May the Lord be with us all and may He empower each one of us with His blessings, in all of our actions and deeds, now and always. Amen.

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Friday, 30 June 2023 : 12th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Matthew 8 : 1-4

At that time, when Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him. Then a leper came forward. He knelt before Him and said, “Sir, if You want to, You can make me clean.”

Jesus stretched out His hand, touched him, and said, “I want to, be clean again.” At that very moment, the man was cleansed from his leprosy. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you do not tell anyone; but go to the priest, have yourself declared clean, and offer the gift that Moses commanded as evidence for them.”

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Friday, 30 June 2023 : 12th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Psalm 127 : 1-2, 3, 4-5

Blessed are you who fear YHVH and walk in His ways. You will eat the fruit of your toil; you will be blessed and favoured.

Your wife, like a vine, will bear fruits in your home; your children, like olive shoots, will stand around your table.

Such are the blessings bestowed upon the man who fears YHVH. May YHVH praise you from Zion. May you see Jerusalem prosperous all the days of your life.

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Friday, 30 June 2023 : 12th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Genesis 17 : 1, 9-10, 15-22

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, YHVH appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty. Walk in My presence and be without blame! For your part, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you, generation after generation. This is My Covenant with you, that you will keep, you and your descendants after you : Every male among you shall be circumcised.”

God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai, your wife, no longer are you to call her Sarai, but Sarah. I will bless her, and I will give you a son by her. I will bless her and from her will come nations; kings and peoples shall come from her.”

Then Abraham fell face down, and he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? And can Sarah who is ninety have a child?” And Abraham said to God, “If only You would accept Ishmael as Yours!” But God said, “Not at all! It is Sarah, your wife, who will give birth to your son and you will name him Isaac. I will establish My Covenant with him and his descendants after him forever.”

“As for Ishmael, I heard you. I will bless him and make him fruitful, and I will multiply his race. He shall be the father of twelve princes and I will make of him a great nation. But My Covenant I will establish with Isaac, the child Sarah will have this time next year.” When He had finished speaking with Abraham, God went away from him.

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Thursday, 29 June 2023 : Solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul, Apostles (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we celebrate the most wonderful occasion and the great Solemnity of the two Holy Apostles, St. Peter and St. Paul, whom we celebrate together first of all because they are the two Apostles who laid the foundation of the Church in Rome, at the then capital of the Roman Empire, which then becomes the heart of Christendom for the next two millennia up to this very day. Both St. Peter and St. Paul were crucial in their roles in establishing the Church not just in Rome but elsewhere throughout Christendom, but today in particular we remember their roles in building up the Church in Rome, of which our Pope, the Vicar of Christ, is St. Peter’s direct successor as the Vicar of Christ and leader of the whole Universal Church. St. Paul is the Apostle to the Gentiles, who was truly instrumental in his role in expanding the reach of the Church and the Good News to the non-Jewish people, the Gentiles.

St. Peter and St. Paul were two very distinct men that God had called to become His disciples, and eventually as His Apostles, with Apostle coming from the Greek word ‘Apostolos’ meaning ‘person that is sent’, with significance that they had been personally sent and entrusted by the Lord to be the chief bearers of His truth and Good News, and as the ones who are the pillars of the Church that God Himself has established in this world. Both of them were instrumental in their immense contributions to the Church and the Christian faithful, and also in the establishment of the Roman Church, which we all belong to, the Roman Catholic Church, with its centre in Rome, and hence, is why we are celebrating this day with a particularly great Solemnity, in the memory of these two holy Apostles, most faithful servants of God.

As mentioned just earlier, St. Peter and St. Paul were both distinct in their origin and characters, and therefore, it is indeed unimaginable and must have been strange in the eyes of many who know them and their history, of how they both can come together and become part of the Lord’s ministry and works. For example, St. Peter was an illiterate fisherman from the shores of the Lake of Galilee, taken from his humble origins and his uneducated and brash background, while St. Paul could not have been more different from St. Peter, as St. Paul was a member of the Pharisees, one of the two most influential groups in the Jewish community back then, and not only that, but he was also a Roman citizen, a truly remarkable feat and status for a Jew at that time, because Roman citizenship at that time was only reserved for the most powerful and influential among the non-Roman and non-Italian people at that time.

Not only that, but St. Peter himself, as Scriptural accounts have told us, was also complicit in abandoning the Lord in the moment of His Passion and suffering, when He was put on trial after the betrayal of Judas Iscariot and His arrest. St. Peter, who had earlier on bravely proclaiming that he would even die for the Lord, denied knowing the Lord not just once, but three times. At that moment, his faith was wavering, and faced with the opposition of the whole Sanhedrin, the Jewish High Council, and the people around, St. Peter did what he would immediately regret later on, that is to give in to his fears. Meanwhile, St. Paul was known as Saul, the Pharisee and an overzealous young man who sought to destroy the Church and all Christian believers, and went so far as to arrest and persecute every Christians he encountered throughout Judea and even almost went on as far as Damascus in doing so, before he encountered the Lord, was called and converted.

Nonetheless, God called each one of them and the other Apostles, all from their diverse origin and background, and made them to be His most faithful and dedicated workers of His vineyard, that is this world. He sent them all as the Apostles, true to their office, to evangelise and proclaim His truth and Good News to the nations, and to make more disciples of the many nations. St. Peter presided over the Church, and also as highlighted in the Acts of the Apostles, the first Council of the Church in Jerusalem to resolve issues and divisions within the Church, and he also went on to establish many churches and communities, becoming the first Bishop of Antioch, the place where the first tangible Christian community was known as Christians, and then becoming the first Bishop of Rome, where he established the office of the Bishop of Rome, and as the Pope and Vicar of Christ, becoming the centre of Christendom and as the pinnacle of the Church hierarchy, as the very Vicar of the Lord Himself in this world. To St. Peter, God has entrusted the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and built the foundation of His Church, on the firm faith that he has in Him, as we heard in our Gospel passage today.

On the other hand, St. Paul as we are familiar from the Acts of the Apostles and from his many Epistles that form the bulk of the New Testament as we know it, was very much involved in many missionary works and journeys, embarking on four major evangelisation and missionary journeys throughout the regions, visiting towns and villages, moving from place to place, sometimes by himself and other times with companions, in proclaiming the truth and Good News of God to more and more people throughout the known world. In his many Epistles, the letters and other works meant to be communicated to the faithful, St. Paul made clear his commitment to his mission as well as his wishes and desires for the faithful people of God to follow their Lord and Master with greater faith and dedication, staying true to the teachings of the Lord which had been passed down to them through His Apostles.

Both of them eventually made their way to Rome, and were martyred there, at the time when Christians were greatly persecuted during the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero. St. Peter as the Bishop of Rome and the leader of the Church, according to Apostolic traditions, went through the great persecutions, and in one occasion, went away from Rome in order to hide from the enemies of the Church and the Lord. In that moment, he saw the vision of the Lord carrying His cross towards Rome, in one of the ways towards the city. St. Peter in one of his famous sayings mentioned, ‘Quo vadis?’ which means, ‘Where are You heading to, Lord?’, to which the Lord replied with ‘Eo Romam iterum crucifigi’, that means ‘I am going to Rome, to be crucified (again).’

This apparition of the Lord strengthened St. Peter and affirmed him that the Shepherd is always with His flock, and St. Peter as the shepherd of the Lord’s flock, should remain and suffer with the flock of God, much as Christ Himself, the Good Shepherd, has suffered and laid down His life for His sheep. St. Peter hence went back to Rome, and faced martyrdom with great faith, and just as what our Gospel passage today had highlighted, that according to the Lord Himself, that when he grew old, St. Peter’s enemies and persecutors would bind him and lead him to where he would not want to go. Regardless, St. Peter faced martyrdom and was crucified at where now stands the great Papal Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican, certainly the most famous church of all of Christendom, where his tomb now still stands. He felt unworthy to be crucified and to die in the manner that his Lord had died, and thus, he asked to be crucified upside down. Thus was how this great man of God passed into the life everlasting with God.

St. Paul was also brought to Rome and had to await the decision of the Emperor when he appealed to the Emperor against the many accusations that the Jewish leaders had brought up against him. When the Great Fire of Rome happened under the reign of the same Emperor Nero, Christians were persecuted and made as scapegoats for the fire, which many actually attributed to the deliberate actions of the Emperor himself. St. Paul was one of the Christians being persecuted and martyred, being put to death as a Roman citizen, through beheading, during the height of that persecution. But till the very end, St. Paul still continued to do what he had always done, in proclaiming the truth and Good News of God, right up to his martyrdom, like what St. Peter and the other Apostles had done.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today we are truly very fortunate and blessed in being able to commemorate the memories of these two great Man of God, two of the Lord’s Holy and Glorious Apostles, St. Peter and St. Paul, the Prince of the Apostles and the Apostle to the Gentiles respectively. Each one of them has shown us great examples and inspirations through their lives and tireless efforts in ministering to the Church and to countless people whom they have encountered throughout their work and ministry. Now, are we all able to follow them in their footsteps and carry out God’s will, obey His commands and continue His missions and works in the same way as well? All of us who have received the same faith and gift of the Holy Spirit from the Lord, sharing in the joy of the Apostles, have the same calling and mission to spread the Word of God and truth to more and more people throughout the world.

Let us all therefore be encouraged and strengthened, that in our every good works and endeavours, we will always glorify the Lord by our lives, and proclaim His truth and Good News by every actions, words and deeds in our every moments. Let us be empowered by the Lord through the gifts of His Holy Spirit, and by the burning love that we have in our hearts, just like those of the Apostles, especially St. Peter and St. Paul, in doing God’s will. Remember that while the Apostles, like St. Peter and St. Paul, were all called from humble, imperfect, and even questionable origins, being sinners just like us, but God made them all into His most worthy and amazing servants, in doing many of His good works, and the same can happen to us all as well. This is the time for us to decide if we want to follow the Lord wholeheartedly like how St. Peter and St. Paul had followed Him.

May the Lord, who is glorified through His Apostles, St. Peter and St. Paul, continue to bless us all and guide us, His Church, His faithful ones, so that in our every good works and endeavours, we will bring ever greater glory to Him, and bring many more people ever closer to salvation and grace in Him. May our lives and actions always be exemplary and worthy of the Lord, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 29 June 2023 : 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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Thursday, 29 June 2023 : 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!