25th Sunday of Ordinary Time

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Monday, 19 September 2016 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Januarius, Bishop and Martyr (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)
Proverbs 3 : 27-35

Do not hold back from those who ask your help, when it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbour, “Go away! Come another time; tomorrow I will give it to you!” when you can help him now.

Do not plot evil against your neighbour who lives trustingly beside you, nor fight a man without cause when he has done you no wrong. Do not envy the man of violence or follow his example.

For YHVH hates the wicked but guides the honest. He curses the house of the evildoer but blesses the home of the upright. If there are mockers, He mocks them in turn but He shows His favour to the humble. The wise will possess His glory while the foolish will inherit disgrace.

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Sunday, 18 September 2016 : 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this Sunday we all heard a simple and yet clear and very important message from the Holy Scriptures, which each and every one of us ought to take note of as we live our lives in this world so that we do not end up walking down the wrong path and doing the wrong things. That is because today’s readings are truly about the choices we make in life.

In the first reading today taken from the Book of the prophet Amos, we heard God chastising His people through His prophet Amos, about their wickedness and unjust actions, all borne out of greed and selfishness, desiring to have more for themselves while doing that cause disadvantage, pain and even suffering for others who have less from them or even none. They were dishonest, wicked and selfish.

They cheated people from their money, even the poor and those who have little. They adjusted the size of their scales and measurements to gain more profits for themselves, so that they sold at the same or higher price a commodity that they sold at a smaller piece or weight because they rigged the measurement. They have also unlawfully and unjustly charged and made life difficult for many people, all to serve their own purposes and wishes.

This is linked to what we heard in the Gospel today, when Jesus told His disciples the parable of the untrustworthy and dishonest steward, who used his power to serve his own purposes and wants. The steward was found out in his dishonest actions, and the master was not pleased and fired him. Yet, when the steward found out that he has been dismissed from service, instead of being remorseful and regretting what he has done, he did it all the more.

Yes, we may sometimes misunderstand the meaning of today’s Gospel and the parable if we think in human terms. Many of us may even find the actions of the steward to be right and just, considering that he might be only trying to preserve himself and secure for himself something after he has been fired from his work and left jobless. And his reasoning was just that he was too embarrassed to beg, and that he has no strength to do menial and tough jobs.

That is exactly the human way of thinking, as what Jesus Himself made clear at the end of His parable, that one cannot serve both God and money at the same time. The reference to money is the reference to the worldly ways, how we used to live in this world, the expectations and all the things which this world had taught us to do, which often come in conflict and contrast with the ways that God had taught us to do.

As Jesus Himself said in another occasion, what use is that when a man gain everything he wished for and wanted for in the world, and yet lose his soul to damnation? That is what mankind’s shortcoming is, seeking to build up for themselves guarantee and assurance in this world and yet they do not take into account the world that is to come.

Then we come to the moment when we should also ask ourselves. As Christians, have we been building for ourselves the treasures of this world and yet forgetting the true goal of our lives? More importantly, have we done in accordance to what the Lord had told us to do, and which the Church of God had taught us? Or have we instead followed our own selfish desires and greed, as those wicked people in Israel in the past had done?

As Christians, our actions, words and deeds should be in accordance to what the Lord had shown us, the way that He has laid before us. Otherwise, if Christians do not live in accordance to what God had shown us, then it is a scandal not only for ourselves, for God’s people in the Church, but also to the Lord Himself. At the end of the day, we have to realise that we have grave responsibilities to bear, and the choice lies at our hands.

Indeed, we have a choice, and we should indeed make the choice and take a stand. Do we choose to stand with the Lord and obey Him, His laws and walk in accordance with His ways? Or do we rather stand with this world, ignoring the Lord and following the whims of our own desires? We have that choice given to us, as the free will granted to us by the Lord. It is therefore up to us, to choose whether we want to follow the footsteps of that dishonest servant, or whether we seek to be a better person than that.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we are all called to live up to our faith by devoting ourselves wholeheartedly to the Lord and His ways. We cannot serve both the Lord and our worldly desires and wishes. One have to go for the other to be served, or else we are only shortchanging ourselves and others who are around us. Are we courageous enough to make that stand? Are we willing to make a difference in our own lives?

Let us all spend some time to think about this. Let us all discern and pray to the Lord, asking Him to guide us and to show us the way forward. Let us ask for courage and strength to stand up to the temptations of the world, and for us to be able to control and tame our human greed and desires, and grow less troubled by the troubles and the persecutions that will come our way by choosing to stand up with the Lord our God.

May God be our guide, and may His love and His grace be ever present in us all, that each and every one of us may become true children of our God, and all who see us may know that we truly belong to Him, as we live as how He had taught us and shown us, and we may always remain henceforth in His favour. God bless us all, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Sunday, 18 September 2016 : 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green
Luke 16 : 1-13

At that time, Jesus told His disciples, “There was a rich man, whose steward was reported to him for fraudulent service. He summoned the steward and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? I want you to render an account of your service, for it is about to be terminated.'”

“The steward thought to himself, ‘What am I to do now? My master will surely dismiss me. I am not strong enough to do hard work, and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I will do : I must make sure that when I am dismissed, there will be people who will welcome me into their homes.'”

“So he called his master’s debtors, one by one. He asked the first debtor, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ The reply was, ‘A hundred jars of oil.’ The steward said, ‘Here is your bill. Sit down quickly and write fifty.’ To the second debtor he put the same question, ‘How much do you owe?’ The answer was, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ Then the steward said, ‘Take your bill and write eighty.'”

“The master commended the dishonest steward for his astuteness : for the people of this world are more astute, in dealing with their own kind, than are the people of light. And so I tell you : use filthy money to make friends for yourselves, so that, when it fails, these people may welcome you into the eternal homes.”

“Whoever can be trusted in little things can also be trusted in great ones; whoever is dishonest in slight matters will also be dishonest in greater ones. So if you have been dishonest in handling filthy money, who would entrust you with true wealth? And if you have been dishonest with things that are not really yours, who will give you that wealth which is truly your own?”

“No servant can serve two masters. Either he does not like the one and is fond of the other, or he regards one highly and the other with contempt. You cannot give yourself both to God and to money.”

Alternative reading (shorter version)
Luke 16 : 10-13

At that time, Jesus told His disciples, “Whoever can be trusted in little things can also be trusted in great ones; whoever is dishonest in slight matters will also be dishonest in greater ones. So if you have been dishonest in handling filthy money, who would entrust you with true wealth? And if you have been dishonest with things that are not really yours, who will give you that wealth which is truly your own?”

“No servant can serve two masters. Either he does not like the one and is fond of the other, or he regards one highly and the other with contempt. You cannot give yourself both to God and to money.”

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Sunday, 18 September 2016 : 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green
1 Timothy 2 : 1-8

First of all I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving be made for everyone, for rulers of states and all in authority, that we may enjoy a quiet and peaceful life in godliness and respect. This is good and pleases God. For He wants all to be saved and come to the knowledge of truth.

As there is one God, there is one Mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, Himself human, Who gave His life for the redemption of all. This is the testimony, given in its proper time, and of this, God has made me Apostle and herald.

I am not lying, I am telling the truth : He made me teacher of the nations regarding faith and truth. I want the men in every place to lift pure hands in prayer to heaven without anger and dissension.

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Sunday, 18 September 2016 : 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green
Psalm 112 : 1-2, 4-6, 7-8

Alleluia! Praise, o servants of the Lord, praise the Name of the Lord! Blessed be the Name of the Lord now and forever!

The Lord is exalted over the nations, His glory above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God, Who sits enthroned on high, but also bends down to see on earth as in heaven?

He lifts up the poor from the dust and the needy from the ash heap. He makes them sit with princes, with rulers of His people.

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Sunday, 18 September 2016 : 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green
Amos 8 : 4-7

Hear this, you who trample on the needy to do away with the weak of the land. You who say, “When will the new moon or the sabbath feast be over that we may open the store and sell our grain? Let us lower the measure and raise the price; let us cheat and tamper with the scales, and even sell the refuse with the whole grain. We will buy up the poor for money and the needy for a pair of sandals.”

YHVH, the pride of Jacob, has sworn by Himself, “I shall never forget their deeds.”

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Saturday, 26 September 2015 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Saturday Mass of our Lady)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we celebrate the feast of two saints who were renowned servants of God and martyrs of the faith. They are St. Cosmas and St. Damian, both of whom lived during the time of great persecution of the Church under the Roman Emperors, where the faithful had to hide and they could not openly declare and practice their faith, or else they would face almost certain suffering and death at the hands of the authorities.

St. Cosmas and St. Damian themselves were told to be twin brothers who worked as physicians and doctors in the Asian region of the Roman Empire, in what is today Syria. They travelled around healing the sick and the wounded, those who were down with illness and troubles, and they did these free of charge, especially helping the poor and the downtrodden who had none to help them.

Eventually however, during the climate of persecution of Christians at the time, they went about their work under constant threat of danger. And they were arrested by the authorities after they were found out to be Christians. Under the pain of suffering, torture and death, they were forced to abandon their faith in the Lord, but they refused to do so, and therefore they were martyred in the defence of their faith.

This is related again to how Jesus spoke of the betrayal that men would hand Him, the betrayal that was very despicable and evil, because they have betrayed the very One who had given His all in order to help them to get out of the pit and trouble that they were in. The actions and life of St. Cosmas and St. Damian truly reflected what Christ Himself had encountered in His life, and the same too could be expected from us.

Just like St. Cosmas and St. Damian who went about the many cities, towns and villages as physicians and doctors, healing countless people who suffered from various diseases and illnesses free of charge, then our Lord Jesus also went about healing and curing people from their sickness, and more importantly, lifting up people who have fallen into the darkness, that is into the sickness of sin, into the new light He brought them.

Yes, Jesus Himself told the people, and all those who criticised Him such as the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, that He came not to seek the righteous and the just, who have already been saved, but those who have fallen along the way and need help. These were the ones who truly needed the help of our Lord, and it was to them that He came. Of course He still at the same time, loves all those who have been saved as well.

And He also suffered rejection, ridicule, curses, and even the lashes and the wounds inflicted upon His flesh, before He was dragged to carry the burden of the cross and be crucified on the hill of Calvary. He suffered on that day and died, so that all of us who shared in His death by our baptism, may also share in His glorious resurrection through the same baptism in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, it is a reminder for us that all of us also need to carry our own crosses if we are faithful to the Lord. Difficult times will be upon us and there will be rejection and temptations to leave behind this difficult path, for a shortcut of pleasure and enjoyment of worldly goods and accepting the wicked ways of this world. But then, we truly should ask ourselves, whether we want to have our souls to fall deep into the sickness of sin.

Let us all reflect on all these, and inspire ourselves to walk in the path of St. Cosmas and St. Damian. Let us all not be afraid to help each other and to love one another with the same love that the two saints and our Lord Himself had shown, the true and genuine love that brings about a new hope and life in all those who had been afflicted by the sickness, and particularly the sickness of sin, the disease of our soul.

Our Lord Jesus Christ has laboured out of love for us, so that we may be healed and be restored to full grace and be forgiven from all of our sins. Now, shall we also do the same and help those whom we know as still living in darkness and are still lost and do not know the way to go for them to seek the Lord their God. Let us all help each other, and extend a helping hand, modelling after the examples of St. Cosmas and St. Damian.

May Almighty God be with us all always, and may He plant in us a heart filled with love and grace, that we may be found worthy of the life and the glory He had prepared for us all. God bless us all. Amen.

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Saturday, 26 September 2015 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Saturday Mass of our Lady)

Luke 9 : 43b-45

At that time, while all were amazed at everything Jesus did, He said to His disciples, “Listen, and remember what I tell you now : The Son of Man will be betrayed into the hands of men.”

But the disciples did not understand this saying; something prevented them from grasping what He meant, and they were afraid to ask Him about it.

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Saturday, 26 September 2015 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, Martyrs (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Saturday Mass of our Lady)

Jeremiah 31 : 10, 11-12ab, 13

Hear the word of YHVH, o nations, proclaim it on distant coastlands : He who scattered Israel will gather them and guard them as a shepherd guard his flock.

For YHVH has ransomed Jacob and redeemed him from the hand of his conqueror. They shall come shouting for joy, while ascending Zion; they will come streaming to YHVH’s blessings.

Maidens will make merry and dance, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness, I will give them comfort and joy for sorrow.

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Saturday, 26 September 2015 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, Martyrs (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Saturday Mass of our Lady)

Zechariah 2 : 5-9, 14-15a

Raising my eyes again, I saw a man with a measuring line in his hand. I asked, “Where are you going?” He answered, “I am going to measure Jerusalem, to find its width and its length.”

As the angel who spoke to me came forward, another angel met him and said, “Run and tell this to that young man : ‘Jerusalem will remain unwalled because of its multitude of people and livestock.’ For this is the word of YHVH : I Myself will be around her like a wall of fire, and also within her in Glory.”

“Sing and rejoice, a daughter of Zion, for I am about to come, I shall dwell among you,” says YHVH. “On that day, many nations will join YHVH and be My people.”