Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the grace and love of God, by which He has rescued and saved His wayward people, that despite of their constant and persistent rebelliousness and wicked actions, in disobeying Him and refusing to listen to Him and His Law and commandments, but God still cared for them all nonetheless and promised them His salvation and help, the promise that He has always fulfilled, again and again, from time to time as He continued to love them all patiently in each and every moments throughout history. And He has given us His Law and precepts so that all of us may know His ways and grow to love Him more and more, and be more committed to Him, in all things.

In our first reading today, we heard of the story of the liberation and emancipation of the Israelites from their exile in the distant lands of Babylon, after a period of approximately seventy years or several decades, that they were finally allowed to return back to their own homeland, the lands that the Lord had promised to their ancestors and to them. The Lord moved the heart and mind of King Cyrus of Persia, who had crushed the Babylonians and other rulers, to become the supreme ruler of much of the lands. The enlightened Cyrus declared the liberation of the people who have lived in bondage and exile, and allowed the Israelites in particular to return back to their own homeland, and to rebuild their homes, as well as the Temple and House of God in Jerusalem.

The people of Israel had been uprooted from their lands, firstly by the Assyrians who destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel, and then later the Babylonians who destroyed the southern kingdom of Judah, completing the desolation and humiliation of those who have rejected and abandoned God for the worship of pagan idols and false gods, because they have not been obedient to God and to His Law and commandments, having persecuted and oppressed the prophets and messengers sent into their midst in order to help and remind them, to guide them and to accommodate them to find the right path towards God. Instead, their persistence in disobeying God had led them to their downfall and destruction, humiliation and defeat. And yet, God did not let them to be wholly destroyed because ultimately, He still loved them.

That was how He emancipated and helped them, freeing them through the words and hands of Cyrus, King of Persia, that they might once again return to their lands and live once again the grace and love of God. He would not abandon them, and kept on guiding and helping them throughout the journey, and eventually fulfilled His promises to them, of salvation and deliverance which He provided to them through the coming of His Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of all, into this world, to our midst. He came revealing to us the fullness of God’s love and care for each one of us, calling us all to follow Him and to put our trust in Him once again, so that we may truly break free from the chains of sin and darkness that had oppressed us.

That is why we heard in our Gospel passage today in which the Lord told His disciples and the people listening to Him to put the light on the lampstand in the well-known parable, in which the lampstand refers to the prominence that the light should have been placed in so that the light may illuminate the whole entire room. This light represents the truth, love and grace of God, which He Himself has bestowed upon us and blessed us all with. And in all of us, we have to put these gifts of our faith and everything that God has blessed us with, with great confidence and trust in God, in our own lives, in how we carry ourselves and do our parts in doing God’s works and in obeying Him, His Law and commandments. The Lord has reminded us all that to be His disciples, we must be truly faithful and committed to Him.

This means that our faith cannot be one of merely empty proclamations and creed. We cannot just be idle in how we live our faith, but we have to be truly committed, in all things, in all aspects and areas of our lives, by doing whatever we can, even in the seemingly least significant things, so that we may truly embody our faith and beliefs in all things, and that everyone who witness our lives and works, and interact with us may come to know God and His truth by our examples and inspirations. This is what each and every one of us have been called to do, and this is what all of us should keep on reminding ourselves each day, so that by our lives and commitment to God, we may be true people of God, those who walk ever more faithfully in His path, and becoming the source of His light to others in this world darkened by sin.

Let us all therefore commit ourselves from now on, if we have not yet done so, to do God’s will and to obey His Law and commandments, to love God with all of our heart and mind, with all our strength and capabilities, and with all of our whole being. Let us all also be loving and forgiving, compassionate and kind to our fellow brothers and sisters, in fulfilling and obeying everything that He had given to us and provided for us. Let us not be disheartened or be tempted to do otherwise, but keep on striving to do what God has taught us to do, in every aspects and in every moments of our lives. Let us all be great and faithful disciples of the Lord, with hearts and minds ever focused and directed towards Him at all times.

May God be with us always and may He always bless us, in each and every one of our endeavours. May He empower us always in living our lives as exemplary Christians, in all things that we say and do, now and always, forevermore. Amen.