Liturgical Colour : White
Psalm 105 : 19-20, 21-22, 23
They made a calf at Horeb and worshipped the molten image. They exchanged the glory of God for the image of a bull that eats grass.
They forgot their Saviour God, Who had done great things in Egypt, wonderful works in the land of Ham, and awesome deeds by the Sea of Reeds.
So He spoke of destroying them, but Moses, His chosen one, stood in the breach before Him to shield them from destruction.
Liturgical Colour : White
Exodus 32 : 15-24, 30-34
Moses then returned and came down from the mountain carrying in his hands the two tablets of the Testimony, tablets written on both sides, back and front. These tablets were the work of God and the writing graven on the tablets was the writing of God.
When Joshua heard the noise of the people who were shouting he said to Moses, “There is a sound of war in the camp.” But Moses answered, “It is not a victory song, nor the cry of defeat that I hear, but the sound of singing.”
When he drew near to the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burst forth and he threw down the tablets he was holding, shattering them at the foot of the mountain. Then he seized the calf they had made and burnt it in the fire, grinding it into a powder that he scattered over the surface of the water, and this he made the Israelites drink.
Moses said to Aaron, “What did these people do to you that you brought such a great sin on them?” And Aaron said, “Do not let your anger be roused. You know these people and how evil they are. They said to me : ‘Make us gods to go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us out of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’ I then said to them that whoever had gold was to give it over to me. I threw it in the fire and out came this calf!”
The next day Moses said to the people, “You have committed a very grave sin, but now I am going up to YHVH; perhaps I will obtain pardon for your sin.” So Moses went towards YHVH and said, “Ah! These people have committed a very great sin; they made a god out of gold. And now please forgive their sin… if not, blot me out of the book You have written.”
YHVH said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out from My book. Go now! Lead the people where I told you. My Angel will walk before you and on the day of punishment I will punish them for their sin.”
Liturgical Colour : Green
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday all of us are reminded by the passages of the Sacred Scriptures for us all to seek the true treasures of our lives that can be found in the Lord our God alone. Each and every one of us are reminded that as Christians, all of us have been called and chosen by the Lord to be His own beloved people, and we have also responded to this call through our baptism and initiation into the Church of God. All of us are brought into the presence of God, and have been blessed with the many gifts and blessings, rich graces and wonders, through the Wisdom that He has bestowed upon us, in the Holy Spirit that has come to dwell upon each one of us, as the members of His Church. The Wisdom of God has come to dwell in our midst, granting us the knowledge and understanding of truth, much as how God has blessed King Solomon with great wisdom and understanding unparalleled in his time.
In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Kings of Israel and Judah, the account of the moment from the youth and early days of the reign of King Solomon of Israel, just shortly he ascended to the throne following the death and passing of his father, King David of Israel. Both King David and King Solomon are remembered for their great and righteous rule, as great and noble kings, who ruled over great and golden era of the Kingdom of Israel, as righteous and just rulers over the people of God. King Solomon in particular was renowned for his great wisdom, his great riches and glorious rule over a vast kingdom, which were presented unto him by God, as we heard in that passage today. Solomon was initially still young and inexperienced, unsure about his rulership and uncertain about the challenges and other obstacles that he might have to face, and hence, he sought for God’s help, praying and asking Him for the gift of wisdom to help him in being a good and worthy ruler over God’s people.
And as we heard, that it was because of this request that God has blessed Solomon even more wonderfully and greatly, because he did not ask for any kind of worldly glory, greatness or material wealth, and all sorts of things that people may often be asking for. Instead, Solomon asked for the grace and the guidance to know what is right and just, the discerning and intuitive mind to do what is right and appropriate, the wisdom and intellect to do God’s will and to ability to govern the people of God well and with responsibility. Therefore, as Solomon was not asking for a selfish desire and want, and he was selflessly asking for a gift that was meant for the good of others, God granted him his wishes, and blessed him even far more than what he has ever asked. God blessed Solomon with such great wisdom and wealth, power and glory, that his name became famous throughout the world.
King Solomon was filled with God’s wisdom and grace, and his kingdom was great because of that. However, this does not mean that he was impervious to faults and mistakes, and he was neither perfect nor infallible. While mostly having reigned with great justice, wisdom and faith in the Lord, building up the great Temple dedicated to God in Jerusalem and leading God’s people and kingdom to its magnificent days, but later on in his life, King Solomon allowed himself to be swayed by the temptations and the attachments of worldly corruptions and pleasures. He had a large number of wives and concubines according to the later part of the Book of Kings, many hundreds of them, with many of them coming from the various peoples living in the lands surrounding the kingdom of Israel, and who brought pagan practices and wickedness into the king’s court.
Thus, while Solomon was guided by the Wisdom of God in the early and middle part of his reign, but later on, he allowed worldly glory, pride, wealth and all of his greatness to cloud his judgment and wisdom, and mislead him and the people into the wrong path, the path of evil and sin. That is why, linking to what we have heard in our Gospel passage today, in the Lord’s words to His disciples, speaking to them regarding what it means to come and seek the kingdom of God, to seek the true treasures that can be gained and found in the Lord alone. We should not allow ourselves to be deluded and tricked by the many false treasures present all around us, which offered us temporary and ultimately disappointing results and outcome, and which pleasure and joy do not truly lead to true satisfaction and happiness, unlike what is found in God.
For example, King Solomon himself, in his pursuit of power and glory, likely sought to gain alliances and worldly renown, as well as great prestige and fame from having so many marriages and concubines, as part of the customs of the world at that time. But instead of solidifying his rule and dominion, it led to the fracturing of his united kingdom shortly after his death, as the ten tribes of the Israelites broke free to form the northern kingdom of Israel, leaving just the tribes of Judah and Benjamin in the southern kingdom of Judah for the House of David, to Solomon’s descendants. And despite of his massive armies and huge armada of chariots according to the Scriptures, all of these came to naught, and the kingdoms after Solomon would fall apart due to civil wars, conflicts and would eventually be crushed and conquered by their enemies.
Through all of those examples and many other historical evidences in our world history, the Lord has shown us time and again how those who seek Him should commit themselves wholeheartedly to Him, and place Him at the centre and as the main focus of their lives. All of us are reminded of the limitations of our human power, abilities and intellect, all of which pale in comparison with the power and wisdom of God. The value and worth of following the Lord and His path, knowing and appreciating His truth and love are far beyond any treasures that this world can offer us, as while the treasures of this world can only offer us temporary joy in this world, and in accordance with what the Lord Himself told His disciples, that those could perish and be destroyed by fire and by the other forces of the world, there is nothing that can destroy or affect the true treasures that we can find in God alone.
Now, let us all ask ourselves what is our treasures in life and what it is that we are seeking for in our lives. Are these treasures referring to any kind of worldly glory, fame, wealth and other material goods and pleasures of this world? Are we looking for and being obsessed with all those desires and temptations being present all around us? Or do we rather seek the treasures of the Lord, the righteousness, justice and virtues in God? Do we rather seek the certainty and guarantee of God’s love and compassion, in everything that God has always been faithful and committed in providing to us, as He has proven yet again and again, in fulfilling the Covenant which He had made with each one of us. St. Paul in our second reading today, in his Epistle to the Romans also reassured us by reminding us of the ultimate gift of love from God, the gift of His own Firstborn Son, Jesus Christ, to be our Saviour and King, delivering us from the tyranny of sin and death, and into eternal life.
And nothing can truly separate us from the love of God, as not even sin and death can do that, less so even those worldly forces that can destroy any other false treasures of this world, but can never bring us apart from the Lord, Who willingly sought us out and did His best to reconcile us to Himself, by the most selfless sacrifice that His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, offered on the Altar of His Cross. All of us have been truly blessed to be beloved by the Lord in such a manner, and we have to be thankful for all that He has given and blessed us with, all these while. That is why we should strive from now on to live our lives no longer under the sway of any worldly temptations and desires, or influenced by the corrupt forces being present all around us. Let us all as Christians be exemplary in all of our actions, our way of life and our deeds that we may truly be worthy of the Lord and everything that He has assured and promised us all through His Son.
Let us all reject the path of sin and evil, and embrace anew the path of God’s righteousness and virtue, and entrusting ourselves anew to the Lord, like King Solomon of old, that God’s Wisdom may guide us and keep us firm in faith, and guard us against any forms of worldly excesses and wickedness that had brought about the downfall of many among our predecessors. May God be with us always and may He continue to show us His Wisdom, so that we may always be His most worthy and wise disciples and followers, whose actions and works, efforts and endeavours are for His greater glory alone. Let nothing deter us and stop us from seeking the Lord, our true Treasure in life. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : Green
Matthew 13 : 44-52
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, hidden in a field. The one who finds it, buries it again; and so happy is he, that he goes and sells everything he has, in order to buy that field.”
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a trader, who is looking for fine pearls. Once he has found a pearl of exceptional quality, he goes away, sells everything he has and buys it.”
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a big fishing net, let down into the sea, in which every kind of fish has been caught. When the net is full, it is dragged ashore. Then they sit down and gather the good fish into buckets, but throw the bad away.”
“That is how it will be at the end of time; the Angels will go out to separate the wicked from the just, and to throw the wicked into the blazing furnace, where they will weep and gnash their teeth.”
Jesus asked, “Have you understood all these things?” “Yes,” they answered. So He said to them, “Therefore, every teacher of the Law, who becomes a disciple of the kingdom of heaven, is like a householder, who can produce from his store things both new and old.”
Alternative reading (shorter version)
Matthew 13 : 44-46
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, hidden in a field. The one who finds it, buries it again; and so happy is he, that he goes and sells everything he has, in order to buy that field.”
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a trader, who is looking for fine pearls. Once he has found a pearl of exceptional quality, he goes away, sells everything he has and buys it.”
Liturgical Colour : Green
Romans 8 : 28-30
We know that in everything, God works for the good of those who love Him, whom He has called, according to His plan. Those whom He knew beforehand, He has also predestined, to be like His Son, similar to Him, so, that, He may be the Firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
And so, those whom God predestined, He called; and those whom He called, He makes righteous; and to those whom He makes righteous, He will give His glory.
Liturgical Colour : Green
Psalm 118 : 57 and 72, 76-77, 127-128, 129-130
You are my portion, o YHVH; I have promised to obey Your word. Your law is more precious to me than heaps of silver and gold.
Comfort me then with Your unfailing love, as You promised Your servant. Let Your mercy come, to give me life; for Your law is my delight.
I love Your commandments more than gold – the finest gold. Because my steps are guided by Your precepts, I hate all false ways.
Wonderful are Your decrees; my soul cannot but keep them. As Your words unfold, light is shed, and the simple-hearted understand.
Liturgical Colour : Green
1 Kings 3 : 5, 7-12
It was in Gibeon, during the night, that YHVH appeared to Solomon in a dream and said, “Ask what you want Me to give you.”
Solomon said, “And now, o YHVH, my God, You have made Your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a young boy who does not know how to undertake anything. Meantime, Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen – a people so great that they can neither be numbered nor counted.”
“Give me, therefore, an understanding mind in governing Your people that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this multitude of people of Yours?”
YHVH was pleased that Solomon had made this request. And He told him, “Because you have requested this rather than long life or wealth or even vengeance on your enemies; indeed, because you have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, I shall grant you your request. I now give you a wise and discerning mind such as no one has had before you nor anyone after you shall ever have.”
Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops or Saturday Mass of Our Lady)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures we are presented with the realities facing those who are faithful and committed to God, all the more so especially for those who have been called to be shepherds and ministers to the people of God, like that of the prophets and messengers of God. As we heard in our Scripture passages today, the prophets and servants of God often had to suffer a lot of rejection and even persecution unto death, as what many of faithful servants of God had experienced in the past, as well as many other holy men and women of God.
In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah of the confrontation between the priests and the false prophets of Judah with Jeremiah, who was at that time, the only faithful prophet and servant of God left in Judah, during the last days of that kingdom. Jeremiah had been delivering the words of God to His people in Judah, warning all of them that the city of Jerusalem and the whole of Judah would soon be destroyed because of the continued sins and the wickedness of the people who refused to listen to God or to repent from their sins and evil ways.
As such, Jeremiah was seen as a troublemaker and even a traitor by some among the people, and his messages contradicted those so called false prophets who conveyed their own messages and rhetoric of glory for the kingdom of Judah. Those false prophets told the king of Judah and the people that they would be able to overcome their enemies and they would triumph, when in truth, those words did not come from God. What Jeremiah spoke about would eventually come true when later on the Babylonians came, besieged and destroyed the kingdom of Judah and Jerusalem, and brought the people to exile.
When the priests and the false prophets confronted Jeremiah as we heard in our first reading today, we heard the bitter animosity that existed between them, and how Jeremiah was really alone in his struggle against them, and he was cornered and even had threats against him, as he was accused as a doomsayer and even traitor to the people and the kingdom, with people calling out for his death. But as we heard in our first reading today, Jeremiah made a firm stand before the people, and stating that everything he had said came from the Lord Himself, and saying that the people all needed to repent and turn away from their sins before it was too late for them.
That made some of the people to come to believe in Jeremiah and sided with him, including some of those who would eventually help him in his dire hours of need, and rescued him from his troubles later on. The Lord showed His providence for His faithful servants in this case, while making His will and words known to all. In our Gospel passage today, we also heard yet another one of His servants standing up for the truth, and admonishing those who had been disobedient against God, as was told in the case of St. John the Baptist and him admonishing king Herod and his unlawful, adulterous relationship with Herodias, his own brother’s wife.
St. John the Baptist was arrested and imprisoned because of what he did and said, but that did not dampen his spirit or stop him from continuing to rebuke the king for his continued lack of morality and his disobedience against God. And eventually as we heard in our Gospel passage today, Herodias, who held a deep grudge against St. John the Baptist, plotted his death by making use of her own daughter to seduce Herod during a celebratory party, and ended up in tricking him into ordering the execution of the faithful servant of God. St. John the Baptist was martyred for his commitment and faith in the Lord, for his desire to bring God’s salvation to His people.
Today, we also have yet another example of faith by one of our holy predecessors, namely that of St. Peter Chrysologus, a great priest, preacher and later on named as a Doctor of the Church. He was the Bishop of Ravenna during the heyday of the Roman Empire in the western parts of Europe, and was remembered for his great and very concise homilies and sermons, his great oratorical skills and ability to connect with the people which earned him the epithet, Chrysologus, which literally means, ‘golden-tongued’. St. Peter Chrysologus made such simple yet moving sermons which moved many of the people and turned many into the faith.
St. Peter Chrysologus devoted his life and effort to care for his flock and he was also very committed in combatting and opposing heresies and all false teachings that were rampant back then, guarding his flock against the corrupting forces of those who sought to mislead the people of God. His courage and determination in standing up for the true faith, for God and for his flock of the faithful was just like that of the prophet Jeremiah and that of St. John the Baptist, mentioned earlier today. All of these great saints and servants of God truly showed us what it means for us to be faithful Christians and committed disciples and followers of our God.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, having heard all of these wonderful and inspiring stories, let us all ourselves be motivated and inspired to live our lives faithfully from now on as Christians, not just in name only, but also through real deeds and actions. Let us all be inspired to walk down the path that God has set before us, to be faithful to Him, and for us to dedicate our time and effort, to glorify Him in all things. May the Lord continue to help and guide us in our journey, now and evermore. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops or Saturday Mass of Our Lady)
Matthew 14 : 1-12
At that time, the reports about Jesus reached king Herod. And he said to his servants, “This Man is John the Baptist. John has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in John.”
Herod had, in fact, ordered that John be arrested, bound in chains and put in prison, because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. For John had said to Herod, “It is not right for you to have her as your wife.” Herod wanted to kill him but he did not dare, because he feared the people, who regarded John as a prophet.
On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced among the guests; she so delighted Herod that he promised under oath to give her anything she asked for. The girl, following the advice of her mother, said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist, here, on a dish.”
The king was very displeased, but because he had made his promise under oath, in the presence of his guests, he ordered it to be given to her. So he had John beheaded in prison, and his head brought on a dish and given to the girl. The girl then took it to her mother.
Then John’s disciple came, took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.
Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops or Saturday Mass of Our Lady)
Psalm 68 : 15-16, 30-31, 33-34
Rescue me, lest I sink in the mire; deliver me from the storm and the deep waters. Let not the flood engulf me, nor the deep suck me in, let not the pit close its mouth upon me.
But I myself, am humbled and wounded; Your salvation, o God, will lift me up. I will praise the Name of God in song; I will glorify Him with thanksgiving.
Let the lowly witness this, and be glad. You who seek God, may your hearts be revived. For YHVH hears the needy; and does not despise those in captivity.
petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang 