2 July 2019

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Tuesday, 2 July 2019 : 13th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we listened to the words of the Scripture in which we listened first of all to the destruction which God brought about to the two cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, because of the great sins and wickedness committed by the people living in those cities. But God at the same time also showed His merciful love to those who were righteous and faithful to Him.

That was how He rescued Lot from the destruction of the two cities, by sending His Angels to rescue him and to tell him to get out of Sodom and Gomorrah with his whole family before it was too late for them. There was likely no one else who were righteous in that city besides Lot and his family. Earlier on, in yesterday’s first reading we heard the part from the Book of Genesis where Abraham pleaded with God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah should there be some righteous remaining there, but unfortunately, there were so few of the righteous that not even the two cities could be spared.

God would have spared the two cities as He listened to the pleas of His servant Abraham. And ultimately, we have to remember that God does not easily punish or bring destruction upon His people. We must not have that wrong impression and understanding that God is a scary and fearsome God, Who punishes His people with impunity. Instead, God is a loving, compassionate and merciful God, Who wants to love His people and forgive them, and be reconciled with them.

But at the same time, God is also all good and perfect, and no impurities and wickedness of sin can be before Him. As a result, the destruction and punishment that apparently came towards the people of Sodom and Gomorrah was caused not by God’s desire to destroy them, but rather from their own refusal to abandon their sinful ways and wickedness, their stubbornness in refusing God’s mercy and forgiveness.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, in what we have heard, and then continuing to the Gospel passage, each and every one of us should realise that we must really have faith and trust in God, no matter what. God loves each and every one of us and He will not abandon us all unless it is us who have abandoned Him. He is ever loving and forgiving, full of mercy and compassion, and it is He Who will take care and provide for us all.

In our Gospel passage we heard of the Lord Jesus and His disciples as they were caught in a great storm that threatened to overcome the boat they were in, and the disciples were all frightened and despairing, thinking that they definitely would perish for sure. They went to the Lord and woke Him up, begging for His help. The Lord chided and rebuked them for their little faith and fear, and calmed the whole storm before them.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day all of us are called to reflect on our lives and how we have been living our faith in God all these while. Have we put our trust in God all these while and believe in His love, mercy and compassion? Or have we instead lived our lives like the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, continuing to disobey God and refusing to believe in Him? The choice is truly ours, and we must make the stand to either follow God or to abandon Him.

Let us all therefore renew our faith and trust in God, and devote ourselves with ever greater commitment and dedication from now on. Let us all draw ever closer to God from now on, distancing ourselves from sin and seek to be righteous and true to God’s path from now on, so that the fate of those who perish in Sodom and Gomorrah that day will not be ours, and instead, we may be worthy to enter the eternity of glory with God. Amen.

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Tuesday, 2 July 2019 : 13th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Matthew 8 : 23-27

At that time, Jesus got into the boat and His disciples followed Him. Without warning, a fierce storm burst upon the lake, with waves sweeping the boat. But Jesus was asleep.

The disciples woke Him up and cried, “Lord save us! We are lost!” But Jesus answered, “Why are you so afraid, you of little faith?” Then He stood up and rebuked the wind and sea; and it became completely calm.

The disciples were astonished. They said, “What kind of Man is He? Even the winds and the sea obey Him.”

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Tuesday, 2 July 2019 : 13th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 25 : 2-3, 9-10, 11-12

Prove me, o YHVH, put me to the test; examine my soul and my heart. For Your love is ever before my eyes, and I live in truth and faithfulness.

Let me not share the fate of sinners, nor lose my life with the violent; their hands are guilty of crimes, their right hands are weighed down with bribes.

But I will walk in integrity, redeem me, o God, be gracious to me. My foot stands firm in the straight path, I will praise You, o YHVH, in Your assemblies.

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Tuesday, 2 July 2019 : 13th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Genesis 19 : 15-29

At daybreak the Angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and two daughters who are here, lest they perish because of the sin of the town.” As he hesitated, the men took him by the hand and his wife and two daughters with him, because YHVH had mercy on him. And they led him outside the town.

When they were outside, the visitors said to him, “Flee for your life and do not look back and do not stop anywhere in the plain. Flee to the mountain lest you perish.” But Lot replied, “My lords, your servant has found favour with you, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life. But I cannot flee to the mountains for fear the disaster will overtake me and I die.”

“See, there is a town near enough for me to flee to and it is a small one. Let me flee there : it is very small (that is why the town is called Zoar). So I will be safe.” And the Angel answered, “I grant you this favour as well by not destroying the town you speak of. But flee fast for I can do nothing until you arrive there.”

The sun had risen on the earth when Lot reached Zoar. Then YHVH rained on Sodom and Gomorrah burning sulfur out of the heavens from YHVH, and He completely destroyed those towns and all the valley and all the inhabitants of the towns and everything that grew there. Lot’s wife looked back and she became a pillar of salt.

Early next morning Abraham returned to the place where he had stood before YHVH. He looked towards Sodom and Gomorrah and towards all the land of the valley and he saw smoke rising from the earth like the smoke from a furnace. So when God destroyed the towns of the plain He remembered Abraham and made Lot escape from the catastrophe while He destroyed the cities where Lot had lived.