Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Holy Virgins)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Lord contained within the Sacred Scriptures and as we all ponder upon their meaning, importance and relevance to us in our world today, we are all reminded that as the holy people of God, we are all called to follow the Lord faithfully and wholeheartedly as how our holy predecessors had done, like King David in the past, in his wholehearted commitment and dedication to God, in doing God’s will and in being ever attuned to His Law, commandments and to His teachings. We are reminded that we should always live our lives in the manner that is truly pleasing to God, in loving Him and also in loving those people around us, especially those whom God had entrusted to us to love and care.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Samuel, we heard of the moment when King David finally managed to bring the Ark of the Covenant or the Ark of God from its temporary housing at the house of Obededom to the city of Jerusalem. The context was that David had been wanting to bring the Ark of the Covenant which had always been kept in the wilderness, in the Holy Tent of Meeting since the days of the Exodus to a more permanent place in Jerusalem, in the Temple and House that he has planned to make for the Lord. However, in the earlier attempt to move the Ark into Jerusalem, an accident struck and one of the priests transporting the Ark was killed, and hence, David suspended the plan to bring the Ark into Jerusalem for some time.

We heard then about how David finally managed to bring this great Ark of God into Jerusalem, joyfully leading the procession before God’s Ark into the city, singing and dancing with great joy. This moment was described as a great event, a great moment of joy as God Himself has come into the midst of His people, dwelling among them again in the city which He has established as his city, firmly securing the reign and rule of David, His servant as King and leader of the people He had chosen as His own. And this is a reminder of how God Himself one day, a millennium or so after this moment, would come in the flesh among His people, an even greater entry and arrival than the Ark of the Covenant, as He appeared before all of us in the form of His Son, the Divine Word and Son of God Incarnate, Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist, we heard of the moment when the relatives of the Lord Jesus came to Him when He was preaching and ministering to the people of God, and we heard how when some people told the Lord that His relatives, including His Mother Mary was there, He told the whole assembled people that all those who followed God’s will and obeyed Him, faithfully living their lives according to His Law and commandments, all of these were His brothers, His mother and relatives. To us who heard the Lord and what He said, some of us might think that the Lord was being very rude to His Mother and relatives, but this was not in fact what He meant to do.

Instead, when the Lord Jesus said those words before the assembled people of God, He intended for all of them to know that His works and ministry, and God’s favour were not limited by connections to Him, unlike what was common in the world then, and what is still very common in our world even to this day. I am referring to the networks and connection which we often use to determine our response to one another, and what kind of favour we can give and gain from each other. Those who are connected by familial or blood ties tend to get higher and better preferences, and this is what the Lord wanted to make clear that His love is universal and meant for everyone, and not merely limited or restricted within His family and inner circle. And that is also the message and truth of Christian faith and love as well.

In this matter, we can then follow the good examples of St. Angela Merici, one of the great saints of God, whose feast we are celebrating today. St. Angela Merici was the famous founder of the religious order of the Ursulines, also known as the Company of St. Ursula that led to the later foundation of the Order of the Ursulines. St. Angela Merici was inspired since her early youth to commit herself with some others to work for the cause of the training and education of young Christian girls, which is still the inspiration for the educational institutes established by the Ursulines. Through her efforts and piety, many came to be inspired to follow in her example in dedicating themselves to God’s work in this area of Christian education and empowerment of people.

St. Angela Merici dedicated herself and inspired many others together in the ministry that she had committed herself as part of the Company of St. Ursula, establishing schools and orphanages, caring especially for the needs of young Christians, especially that of young, underprivileged Christian girls, who were often exploited and in disadvantageous positions. St. Angela Merici dedicated her life to this ministry, and many more people would come to follow her examples in working for the greater glory of God and for the salvation of His people. Through her efforts and works many people came to be touched by God’s love and truth, and became closer to God and His salvation.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore reflect upon what we have just heard from the Scriptures and see how we can live our lives each day with true dedication and commitment to the Lord, in our own unique ways and in the manner that God has entrusted to us, with our diverse and distinct gifts and all the opportunities that He has presented to us. Let us all serve Him joyfully like King David had done, and remember that in everything that we do in glorifying His Name, even the smallest and what seems to be insignificant, all of these truly matter to the Lord, Who knows everything that we do, even in secret, and He will bless us all even more abundantly, strengthening us to do His will and His works in our world today.

May the Lord continue to strengthen each and every one of us with the resolve to carry out living our lives with great faith and dedication, so that in every works and actions that we do, we will always be exemplary and inspirational, becoming good role models to everyone around us in faith and life. May God bless our every good efforts and endeavours, all the things that we do in our lives to glorify Him, now and always. Amen.