1st Sunday of Lent

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Saturday, 15 March 2025 : 1st Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us as we listened to the words from the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the need for us to follow and obey faithfully the commandments of God, the Law that He has shown, revealed and presented to us. God has taught us all how we should be His followers and disciples, and we should make good use of everything that He has provided to us, all the guidance that He has given us, so that we may know how to live our lives worthily as Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people. All of us are God’s own beloved children, and as such, it is imperative that we live our lives in the manner that is pleasing and worthy of God, as if not, otherwise, we will sully and besmirch the Holy Name of Our Lord and God.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Deuteronomy in which the Lord reminded His people, the Israelites during the time of their Exodus and journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, of their obligations to fulfil the commandments and laws that have been presented and taught to them. God had created His Covenant with all of the people of Israel, and hence, as part of this Covenant, all of the Israelites were required to obey the Law and commandments that God has set before them, just as He would always be faithful to His people, providing and caring for them in everything that they needed. That is why, as His beloved and holy people, they were reminded to love God with all their might, and to do whatever they can such that they may be good examples and role models for the people all around them.

It is this same expectation therefore that the Lord expects from each and every one of us, as God’s holy and beloved people, as we Christians are the people whom God had called and chosen to be His own. Therefore, as we are also part of this same Covenant which God has established, renewed and made firm, once and for all through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, therefore, we are all expected and called to be faithful to the mission entrusted to each one of us as God’s holy and beloved people, to be truly devoted to the path that He has called and shown us to walk in, so that by our every moments in life, our every actions, words and deeds, we will be truly worthy of being called God’s chosen and holy people. God has always ever been faithful to His Covenant to us, but it is us all mankind who have often disappointed Him and chose to follow all other distractions in life, and not following God’s path.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the main essence of the Law of God as highlighted and explained by the Lord Jesus Himself to His disciples and all the people gathered to listen to Him. He told them all about the Law and the commandments, and how the people ought to follow them with sincerity of heart and the genuine desire to love God first and foremost, and then to love their fellow brothers and sisters with the same kind of love, and at least as much as they love themselves. The Lord told them all to love everyone without exception and prejudice, and not to reserve their love only for those who have loved them back, as true love truly should be unconditional, and not be transactional in nature.

The Lord Himself pointed out how even the pagans and unbelievers also loved one another, and loved those who have loved them back. Therefore, as Christians, all of us must be truly revolutionary in how we love others around us, and that means, loving and showing care and concern for those who have not loved us back, and even to those who have hated and persecuted us. This is of course something that is far easier said than done, as it is in our human nature to feel hurt and angry, to feel betrayed and frustrated because of what had been dealt to us, be it injustice, harsh words, unfair treatments, prejudices or other nasty things that we have ourselves often done to our fellow brothers and sisters around us. But, we are all challenged to overcome those negative feelings, all the anger, hurt and desire for vengeance, and be truly magnanimous, compassionate and loving.

And we do not need to look far for example, as the Lord Jesus Himself, our Lord and Saviour, has shown us the perfect example by His own life and works in our midst. While the Pharisees, the teachers of the Law, the elders of the people and the members of the Sanhedrin had made His ministry and works difficult all throughout, as those people questioned and doubted Him, refusing to believe in Him, spreading doubts about His authority and authenticity, challenging Him in many occasions, persecuting Him and His disciples, and yet, He still showed great patience in loving and caring for them nonetheless, chastising them all, rebuking them for their wicked actions and lack of true and genuine faith, their external and outward show of piety that were exclusivist in nature, among other things. But all these were done with the intention to make them realise the errors of their ways.

Then, ultimately, the Lord Himself showed the perfect action of love, compassion and magnanimity, when He forgave all those who have rejected and persecuted Him, praying for those who have betrayed and pushed for Him to be punished and crucified to death. He said, ‘Father, forgive them all for they do not know what they were doing.’, asking for them not to be punished or held accountable for their actions, because ultimately He Himself also offered His life on the Cross for everyone, for every sinners, including even those who have questioned, resisted and persecuted Him, all those elders who had betrayed and abandoned Him, for those who have crucified Him and tortured Him. The Lord Himself showed us all the perfect example of Christian love, on how we all should love our brethren around us in the most compassionate and generous manner.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, during this time and season of Lent, can we make the conscious effort to love everyone around us with more tender love and generous care, compassion and attention? Let us all continue to love others around us, even when our love may not be reciprocated, so that by our love, everyone may truly know God and His love, and that our love may touch the lives and hearts of many others, bringing them all together with us ever closer to the path towards God’s salvation. Let us all also continue to walk ever more faithfully down this path, and strive to deepen our relationship with God, our loving and most merciful Father, that one day, we will truly be worthy to share in His glorious and eternal inheritance. Amen.

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Saturday, 15 March 2025 : 1st Week of Lent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Matthew 5 : 43-48

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples and to the people, “You have heard that it was said : Love your neighbour and do not do good to your enemy. But this I tell you : love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in Heaven. For He makes His sun rise on both the wicked and the good, and He gives rain to both the just and the unjust.”

“If you love those who love you, what is special about that? Do not even tax collectors do as much? And if you are friendly only to your friends, what is so exceptional about that? Do not even the pagans do as much? As for you, be righteous and perfect in the way your heavenly Father is righteous and perfect.”

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Saturday, 15 March 2025 : 1st Week of Lent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 118 : 1-2, 4-5, 7-8

Blessed are they whose ways are upright, who follow the Law of the Lord. Blessed are they who treasure His word and seek Him with all their heart.

You have laid down precepts to be obeyed. O, that my ways were steadfast in observing Your statutes!

I will praise You with an upright spirit when I learn Your just precepts by heart. I mean to observe Your commandments. O, never abandon me.

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Saturday, 15 March 2025 : 1st Week of Lent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Deuteronomy 26 : 16-19

On this day, YHVH, your God, commands you to fulfil these norms and these commandments. Obey them now and put them into practice with all your heart and with all your soul.

Today YHVH has declared to you that He will be your God, and so you shall follow His ways, observing His norms, His commandments and His laws, and listening to His voice. Today YHVH has declared that you will be His very own people even as He had promised you, and you must obey all His commandments.

He, for His part, will give you honour, renown and glory, and set you high above all the nations He has made, and you will become a nation consecrated to YHVH, your God, as He has declared.

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Friday, 14 March 2025 : 1st Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures during this time of Lent, all of us are reminded to live our lives worthily of the Lord, distancing ourselves from any taints and corruptions of sin. We must strive to resist the many temptations of sin and evil around us, all of which were meant to distract and pull us away from the path towards God and His salvation. That is why this reminder has been presented for us today so that we may leave behind our past sinful way of life, embracing instead the generous love and the bountiful mercy of God that He has constantly presented to us all. All of us as Christians are expected to live a good, just and righteous way of life in the manner that the Lord has shown and taught us through His Church, becoming good and faithful role models to all.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Ezekiel in which the Lord told His people, the Israelites in exile in Babylon of the hope that He offered to all those who seek forgiveness and reconciliation with Him. He told them all through Ezekiel that even those who had sinned against Him, would be forgiven and receive His grace, love and kindness if they were to seek His mercy, and commit themselves to change their ways of wickedness and sins. As the Lord Himself mentioned clearly that He did not desire the destruction of any one of them, no matter how great a sinner each one of them had been. This is a reminder for all of us just how beloved all of us are by the Lord, and how fortunate all of us are to be the ones whom God shows His generous love to, because it is by His love that we have received this sure hope of salvation.

At the same time, God also reminded His people that even those who were righteous and then committed sin and disobedience against Him would have to account for their sins and wickedness if they fell into temptation and chose to disobey Him. Essentially what the Lord wants to remind each one of us is that, we are responsible for everything that we have done, be it good and just, in accordance with the ways of the Lord, or be it wicked and evil. In the end, we will be judged by all those deeds, good or evil, worthy or wicked before God, the One and only Judge Who will determine our fate in the end. If we have sincerely atoned for our sins and sought the forgiveness from God, then none of those sins will be counted against us, as God by His most wonderful love will erase them all.

On the other hand, as mentioned, if we allowed ourselves to be tempted by sin, disobeying God and doing what is wicked in the eyes of the Lord, then we will be held accountable for those sins, for our failures to obey the Law and will of God, and for all the things which had made us to be unworthy of God, as sin corrupted us and made us to be defiled, unworthy to be in God’s Holy Presence. God indeed certainly loved all of His people, each and every one of us without exception. However, at the same time, sin is a barrier blocking our path towards Him, and unless we get them settled, by entrusting ourselves to God’s forgiveness and mercy, then we may find ourselves on the wrong side of the Day of Reckoning, at the time of the Final and Last Judgment.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist in which the Lord Jesus spoke to His disciples about the way that they should live their lives in following Him and in being truly committed to the path that He has taught and shown them. He told them all that they should be truly genuine in how they obey the Law of God so that they would not merely just be paying lip service in obeying God, but be truly committed in loving Him and in doing His will. And this is easier said than done, as there are indeed many temptations and obstacles that may prevent us from truly being able to obey the Lord wholeheartedly and from following Him, as our own sins and those of our ancestors and predecessors have shown us.

The Lord told all those disciples that they should truly understand and appreciate what the Law of God wanted to teach and show them, in truly being good and loving, righteous and just in the manner that their loving Father, Creator and Master, the Lord Himself, has shown them. All of us should all be genuine in loving one another just in the same way that God has loved us all, even when we have sinned against Him and disobeyed Him. His willingness to forgive us all our sins is an example for each one of us to follow in our own lives, in how we should also forgive one another, and learn to love everyone as the Lord Himself had done. If we have not made peace with our brothers and sisters, how can we truly have peace in our lives? And how can we truly have peace with God and be reunited with Him if we still hold grudge against our brethren?

That is why during this time and period of Lent, all of us are presented with this wonderful opportunity for us to reflect carefully on our path in life, and for us to reconsider our directions and paths, or our actions and way of living our lives, on whether we have truly been obeying the Lord and whether we have been practicing our faith actively and faithfully, or whether we have allowed ourselves to be swayed, distracted and tempted by the many wicked desires and ambitions present around us. Are we capable of turning away from our wicked and sinful past way of life, and embracing God’s love and mercy instead? He has shown the perfect example of love, forgiveness and mercy, forgiving even those who have persecuted Him, and thus, we too should follow in His footsteps and show love and mercy to others as well.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore strive to be good Christians in all things, in each and every single one of our deeds. Let us all make good use of the time and opportunity that God has provided us this Lent so that we may have the genuine transformation of heart, mind, body and soul, coming ever closer to the Lord and deepening our relationship with Him. Let us all no longer persist in our disobedience and rebellious way of life, and instead be truly obedient to Him, loving Him wholeheartedly each day, and doing our best to proclaim Him, His truth and love to all those whom we encounter each day in our lives. As Christians, we should be good role models and inspirations to our fellow brethren around us, and even to strangers whom we meet in our daily lives.

May the Lord, our most loving God and Father, continue to help and guide us in our journey, and strengthen each one of us so that by our perseverance and courage in faith, we will continue to draw ever closer to His loving and holy Presence, and be the light and hope for everyone around us. May our Lenten journey and experiences continue to be good and fruitful, now and always. Amen.

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Friday, 14 March 2025 : 1st Week of Lent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Matthew 5 : 20-26

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “I tell you then, if you are not righteous in a much broader way than the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was said to our people in the past : Do not commit murder; anyone who does kill will have to face trial. But now I tell you : whoever gets angry with a brother or sister will have to face trial.”

“Whoever insults a brother or sister deserves to be brought before the council. Whoever calls a brother or a sister, ‘Fool!’ deserves to be thrown into the fire of hell. So, if you are about to offer your gift at the altar, and you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar, go at once and make peace with him, and then come back and offer your gift to God.”

“Do not forget this : be reconciled with your opponent quickly when you are together on the way to court. Otherwise he will turn you over to the judge, who will hand you over to the police, who will put you in jail. There you will stay, until you have paid the last penny.”

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Friday, 14 March 2025 : 1st Week of Lent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 129 : 1-2, 3-4, 5-7a, 7bc-8

Out of the depths I cry to You, o Lord, o Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears pay attention to the voice of my supplication.

If You should mark our evil, o Lord, who could stand? But with You is forgiveness.

For that You are revered. I waited for the Lord, my soul waits, and I put my hope in His word. My soul expects the Lord more than watchmen the dawn.

O Israel, hope in the Lord, for with Him is unfailing love and with Him full deliverance. He will deliver Israel from all its sins.

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Friday, 14 March 2025 : 1st Week of Lent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Ezekiel 18 : 21-28

If the sinner turns from his sin, observes My decrees and practices what is right and just, he will live, he will not die. None of the sins he committed will be charged against him, he will live as a consequence of his righteous deeds. Do I want the death of the sinner? – word of YHVH. Do I not rather want him to turn from his ways and live?

But if the righteous man turns away from what is good and commits sins as the wicked do, will he live? His righteous deeds will no longer be credited to him, but he will die because of his infidelity and his sins. But you say : YHVH’s way is not just! Why, Israel! Is My position wrong? Is it not rather that yours is wrong?”

“If the righteous man dies after turning from his righteous deeds and sinning, he dies because of his sins. And if the wicked man does what is good and right, after turning from the sins he committed, he will save his life. He will live and not die, because he has opened his eyes and turned from the sins he had committed.”

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Thursday, 13 March 2025 : 1st Week of Lent, Twelfth Anniversary of the Pontificate of Pope Francis (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Lord contained in the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded as ever again on the generous and great love which God has shown us, His beloved people and children, in His care and concern for us, and how He has always extended His kindness to us despite all of us having constantly and frequently disobeyed Him and His commandments. God has always been patient in reaching out to us and calling on us to return to Him with contrite heart and with the genuine desire to be forgiven from our many sins and faults. We must not take for granted all the love that God has shown us, and we must always be ready to seek Him wholeheartedly and commit to Him our whole lives, as expected of us as Christians.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Esther, in which the account of the moment when Queen Esther of Persia prayed to the Lord, asking for His help and guidance, has been highlighted to us. For the context, at that time, the people of Israel living in Persia and in other territories of the Persian Empire were facing a lot of difficulties and challenges as they encountered opposition from their enemies, such as in particular one Haman, the Agagite, who was an Amalekite, a sworn enemy of the Israelites. Haman managed to manipulate the Persian King and the laws to favour him and to attempt the elimination of the entire race of the Israelites by framing them for rebellion and disobedience. Therefore, Esther, the Queen of Persia, who was an Israelite herself, prepared herself to face the King and his court, in the attempt to seek mercy and liberation for her people.

What Esther sought to do was very risky and dangerous for her, as she was not allowed or supposed to come to the presence of the King without being invited or asked to do so. Her predecessor, the former Queen Vashti of Persia was deposed and exiled precisely because she disobeyed the King’s command and rule, albeit in the exact opposite, as she refused to come to the King’s presence when he asked her to do so. Esther was her people’s last hope, as without her intercession and effort, the Israelites would surely have been destroyed and eliminated by their enemies, as per the designs of Haman mentioned earlier. And Esther turned her hope to the Lord, as she herself has no one else to turn to, and entrusted herself completely in His hands, believing that God alone can make things work and that He would provide for His people in their hour and time of need.

Esther pleaded before the Lord as we have all heard in our first reading passage today, asking Him to show mercy and kindness to His beloved people, that He would protect and guide them all just as He had once done during the time of the Exodus and then in the subsequent many occasions when He has intervened and shown His providence to His people, the Israelites, despite their disobedience and sins. It is a reminder for us all that we must always have faith and trust in the Lord, believing that He has the power to save us from our predicaments and troubles. We should not abandon Him in search of other sources of fulfilment, satisfaction and providence in our lives, but reaffirm our commitment to Him instead, desiring to love Him wholeheartedly in each and every moments of our lives.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus to His disciples telling them all to put their faith and trust in God, Who is their loving Father and Creator, the One Who will not disappoint them in the struggles they encounter daily in life. If only they would put their trust and faith in the Lord, then the Lord would provide for them what they needed, and guide them to the right path. This is because as our loving Father, God will definitely not abandon us to harm or destruction, but He will give us what we need at that time and place. And in the case of Queen Esther, God was with her, as He answered her prayers and the prayers of the Israelites, overthrowing the designs and machinations of Haman, who was executed for his crimes and misdeeds, while the Israelites were saved from their fated destruction.

The Lord Jesus highlighted to His disciples, comparing God to a loving father, who will surely not give what is bad and harmful to his children. He will certainly provide for His children with love and attention, giving them our needs, even when we may not be aware of what we actually need in life. God’s love for us is such that we just need to ask Him, and He will answer us. However, many of us do not realise this, and we do not even bother to ask our Lord and Father, preferring to do things our own way, or depending instead on other means to settle our troubles, which may end up leading us into the path of disobedience and sin against God. And many of us may not understand that God may not necessarily answer us in the manner that we want, or give us what we seek or want. After all, He knows best what we need, even when we ourselves may not know what we need.

It is important therefore that we should spend the time during this Lenten season to rediscover the love which we all ought to have for our loving Father, our God Who has always shown us His patient and ever enduring love. All of us should not ignore our loving Father anymore, or neglect our obligations to Him, realising that there are still so many things that we are all supposed to do as God’s beloved and holy people, His children. We should make good use of this time and season of Lent to embark on a journey of reconciliation and repentance, seeking for the Lord, our most loving and compassionate Father to forgive us all of our trespasses, our disobedience and faults, and entrusting ourselves once again to His love and gentle care, so that we may truly be worthy to be called His children and holy people.

May the Lord continue to guide us through this journey of life, and may He help us to persevere through the many challenges present all around us so that we may truly be rooted in Him, and not be easily swayed by the many temptations present around us. May our loving Father continue to provide us all what we need, and help us to endure the various challenges that we may have to encounter in life, so that by His help and guidance, His strength and blessings, we may always walk ever more faithfully in His holy Presence, and strive to be good role models and examples for everyone around us. May God bless us all in each and every one of our good endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 13 March 2025 : 1st Week of Lent, Twelfth Anniversary of the Pontificate of Pope Francis (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Matthew 7 : 7-12

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives; whoever seeks, finds; and the door will be opened to him who knocks.”

“Would any of you give a stone to your son, when he asks for bread? Or give him a snake, when he asks for a fish? As bad as you are, you know how to give good things to your children. How much more, then, will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him?”

“So, do to others whatever you would that others do to you : there you have the Law and the Prophets.”