33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time

by

Monday, 14 November 2022 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 18 : 35-43

At that time, when Jesus drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road, begging. As he heard the crowd passing by, he inquired what was happening, and they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was going by.

Then he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” The people in front of him scolded him. “Be quiet!” they said, but he cried out all the more, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Jesus stopped, and ordered the blind man to be brought to Him; and when he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And the man said, “Lord, that I may see!” Jesus said, “Receive your sight, your faith has saved you.”

At once the blind man was able to see, and he followed Jesus, giving praise to God. And all the people who were there also praised God.

by

Monday, 14 November 2022 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 1 : 1-2, 3, 4 and 6

Blessed is the one who does not go where the wicked gather, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit where the scoffers sit! Instead, he finds delight in the law of the Lord and meditates day and night on His commandments.

He is like a tree beside a brook producing its fruit in due season, its leaves never withering. Everything he does is a success.

But it is different with the wicked. They are like chaff driven away by the wind. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous but cuts off the way of the wicked.

by

Monday, 14 November 2022 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Revelations 1 : 1-4 and Revelations 2 : 1-5a

The Revelation of Jesus Christ. God gave it to Him to let His servants know what is soon to take place. He sent His Angel to make it known to His servant, John, who reports everything he saw, for this is the word of God and the declaration of Jesus Christ.

Happy is the one who reads aloud these prophetic words, and happy those who hear them and treasure everything written here, for the time is near. From John to the seven Churches of Asia : receive grace and peace from Him Who is, Who was and Who is to come, and from the seven Spirits of God which are before His throne.

Write this to the Angel of the Church in Ephesus, “Thus says the One Who holds the seven stars in His right hand and Who walks among the seven golden lampstands : ‘I know your works, your difficulties and your patient suffering. I know you cannot tolerate evildoers but have tested those who call themselves Apostles and have proved them to be liars. You have persevered and have suffered for My Name without losing heart.”

“Nevertheless, I have this complaint against you : you have lost your first love. Remember from where you have fallen and repent.”

by

Sunday, 13 November 2022 : Thirty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, World Day of the Poor (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday we heard the words of the Lord through the passages of the Sacred Scriptures telling us that there are plenty for all of us as Christians to do and prepare, for the coming of the end of days or the last days will be swift and unexpected by anyone, and we certainly do not want to end up being judged on the wrong side, with those who have been deemed unworthy and due to be damned for eternity. This Sunday we heard these reminders just as we approach the end of this current liturgical year, and just as the flow of time continues on, we are reminded of the eventual end of our earthly existence, as we are all going to have to account for our earthly experiences, actions and all that we say and do before the Lord.

In our first reading today, we heard of the prophet Malachi speaking the words of the Lord to the people of God, regarding of the coming of the Messiah and also the coming of the end times, the time of judgment. In that short passage, the message for us all is very clear, that those who live righteously and in accordance with God’s will shall be blessed and be found worthy of God and His eternal dominion, to live and exist with Him in eternal happiness and bliss, while all those who live wickedly and refused to obey God’s will shall face the just punishment and consequences due to their wickedness and evil actions, and will be judged as unworthy and cast out into eternal darkness and damnation, all just for their lack of faith and wickedness.

Then in our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel of St. Luke the words of the Lord to His disciples, followers and all the people, before the Temple of God in Jerusalem, proclaiming the coming of the time of strife and evil for all the people of God, as they all will endure the hardships, challenges, trials and many would have to suffer many losses and even losses of life and deaths, to be endured in the midst of the persecutions and destructions that would come for the faithful people of God. At a glance, the Lord was speaking of the time of the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem and the fall of that city to the Romans, which would happen just less than forty years after the Lord has spoken about all those things.

In the years leading to that event, caused by the rebellion of fanatical Jews against the Romans, the faithful Christians, the people of God also suffered because of repressions from the Jewish authorities and also from the local governors and the Roman overlords alike. There were great tumults and revolts, destructions and sufferings, which culminated in the great Jewish Revolt, which led to the deaths of many thousands upon thousands of people, from both sides in the conflict, and ultimately, the fall of Jerusalem, the destruction of that city and the Temple of God itself, and the Jewish people scattered away from their homeland. Amidst all those strife and destruction, it was indeed easy for anyone to claim that the time of the end of the world, the coming of the final judgment was imminent.

What the Lord made known to His disciples and followers was that, in the end of time, at a time that He alone knows, He will come again to judge all the people, all the living and the dead, from the past, the present, and also the future, of all time. No one can foresee or know when the exact timing of this moment that the Lord has spoken of. And He also rightly warned against all those false prophets and all the false messengers and preachers who would try to subvert the message of God’s truth for their own selfish ideas and desires, as the history of the Church and mankind had shown us in these past two millennia. There had been many occasions where people claimed that the calamities and events happening in the world heralded the end of times and the Last Judgment, and some of them even claimed to be the Messiah returned in glory, all of whom proved to be false.

Hence, what we are reminded this Sunday is that, while we have to be vigilant and ever ready for the Lord’s coming, we also should not easily give in to those who promote false ideas and teachings contrary to the truth that the Lord alone has taught to us and revealed to us through His Church, and which had been preserved by the Church with the guidance of the Holy Spirit for the past two millennia as the deposit of our Christian faith and truth. That is why we have to live our lives worthily of the Lord and do whatever we can to obey the Lord and His commandments, a sentiment that is echoed by what we heard in our second reading today from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in the city and area of Thessalonica.

St. Paul spoke of how all of those who preached the word of God and the leaders of the Church all laboured tirelessly for the sake of God and His people, and doing whatever they could to serve the needs of the people, in doing what they could to do the will of God and to glorify Him by their every actions. He told the people that it is what is expected of all Christians to do, to be active in doing their part in whatever ministry, vocation or calling that each one of them had been called into, and all of them should do whatever they can to do what the Lord had commanded them all to do, and not be idle in their lives. That is because being idle is not what our calling as Christians is all about, and we cannot be ignorant of what the Lord Himself has taught and revealed to us, in how we should commit ourselves to the Lord and His Law and commandments.

What is God’s Law? As the Lord Himself had told us, that in essence the whole entirety of the Law can be summarised in two main commandments, that is first of all of our obligation and mission to love the Lord our God, as the only God with all of our strength and might, with all of our abilities and focus, our whole effort and attention, and then at the same time, we should also love our fellow brothers and sisters, our fellow mankind, in whatever way we can and in whatever capacity we are in. And yes, it is our Christian calling to love, loving God and loving our brethren, be it our family members, our parents, our siblings and our children, and also our extended family and relatives, or our friends and acquaintances, and even strangers and even more so, those who hated us and persecuted us.

We do not have to look far for example, brothers and sisters in Christ. The Lord Jesus Himself, our Saviour, has shown us the perfect example, of how He reached out to us with most generous and enduring love, despite our lack of interest in Him, and despite our stubbornness and constant rebellions against Him, and also despite our easily succumbing nature, as we fell again and again into temptations and chose sin over obedience to God. He loves us all nonetheless, and reached out even to the worst of sinners, journeying with them and caring for them, calling on them to embrace God’s love and mercy, to sin no more and follow Him. He healed their sickness and wounds, and cast out evil spirits and demons from them. He patiently showed His love even to those who persecuted Him.

He endured the worst and most painful sufferings for our sake, enduring bitter rejections and persecutions, humiliations and torture, having His flesh torn from His Precious Body and Precious Blood spilled over as He endured each wound with patience, and took His Cross upon His shoulder with love, love for each and every one of us. And yes, that includes even those who have persecuted and condemned Him to death, those Pharisees, teachers of the Law, elders and chief priests who were opposed to Him and persecuted Him and His disciples. From His Cross, the Lord Himself prayed on their behalf before the Father, asking Him to forgive them their sins and not to hold what they did against them. Truly I am sure we can see just how beloved we are by God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, if God has loved us all so much, that He willingly do all that for us, even to die for our sake, that we may be saved and spared our fate of destruction and damnation, then should we not be stubborn anymore and should emulate His love in our own actions and way of life as well. We should learn to fill ourselves up with more of God’s love, embracing Him with devotion and love, thanking Him for His patience and ever generous love, and also His compassion and mercy in forgiving us our sins. We should also love one another, and learn to forgive one another our mistakes and faults to each other, just as the Lord has forgiven us even the greatest of our sins if we sincerely seek to repent and be forgiven from them. Can we do this, brothers and sisters? Certainly we can. The question is whether we want to do it or not.

Now, on this thirty-third Sunday of Ordinary Time and the second last Sunday of this current liturgical year, we also commemorate the World Day of the Poor as instituted a few years ago by our currently reigning Pope, Pope Francis. On this day, we are reminded of the poor in our midst, and we are called as Christians to remember our call to love and charity, that each one of us may be more generous in loving those who are poor, caring for them and reaching out for those who have no means to provide for themselves. And not only that, being poor in fact is not just being poor in material wealth and possessions only, as there are also other kinds of poverty that we may not be aware of, and yet are also important for us as Christians to reach out to these people suffering from other forms of poverty.

What am I referring to? The poverty for love and care, as there are those who have adequate or even plenty of material possessions, and yet are lacking in love and care. There are those who are ostracised and rejected for various reasons, and it is to all these that we are called to reach out to as well. There are even those who are poor, because they have no love in them, or have little in the means of empathy, care and compassion for others. As Christians, it is our calling and mission, that each one of us, in our respective areas and capacities, show God’s love embodied in our actions, words and deeds, and through our interactions, so that we may hopefully touch the heart and reveal God’s truth and love to those who are still poor in faith, and love for God and their fellow brethren.

Let us all therefore remember to do our best, in whatever we say and do, to reach out to our less fortunate brethren, those who are poor, be it in material, or love or faith or whatever it is that they are poor in. Let us share with them and help them in whatever way we can. Let us journey together with them and show them that they are truly part of our communities, especially those who are also members of our Church. It is indeed often sad to see how many Christians were so aloof and ignorant of the plight of their fellow Christians. Some of them were even those who manipulated and gained from the sufferings of others, and their fellow brothers and sisters. This is not what we should be doing as Christians, and as those whom God had called and chosen from this world to be His own children, people and flock.

Let us all discern how we can be better Christians, to be more committed and loving disciples of our Lord, so that in all the things we say and do, we may continue to show more of our Lord’s love, and be ever more generous in reaching out to the less fortunate around us, be more selfless in our way of life and turning away from sin and all the temptations to sin. May the Lord continue to guide us in our journey of faith through life, and may He empower us all to be good and true disciples, faithful and committed witnesses to His truth and love at all times. Let us help one another, especially the poor among us, to come ever closer to God. Amen.

by

Sunday, 13 November 2022 : Thirty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, World Day of the Poor (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 21 : 5-19

At that time, while some people were talking about the Temple, remarking that it was adorned with fine stonework and rich gifts, Jesus said to them, “The days will come when there shall not be left one stone upon another of all that you now admire; all will be torn down.”

And they asked Him, “Master, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?” Jesus then said, “Take care not to be deceived, for many will come claiming My title and saying, ‘I am He, the Messiah; the time is at hand!’ Do not follow them. When you hear of wars and troubled times, do not be frightened; for all these things must happen first, even though the end is not so soon.”

And Jesus said, “Nations will fight each other and kingdom will oppose kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and plagues; in many places strange and terrifying signs from heaven will be seen. Before all these things happen, people will lay their hands on you and persecute you; you will be delivered to the synagogues and put in prison, and for my sake you will be brought before kings and governors. This will be your opportunity to bear witness.”

“So keep this in mind : do not worry in advance about what to say, for I will give you words and wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends, and some of you will be put to death. But even though, because of My Name, you will be hated by everyone, not a hair of your head will perish. By your patient endurance you will save your souls.”

by

Sunday, 13 November 2022 : Thirty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, World Day of the Poor (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

2 Thessalonians 3 : 7-12

You know how you ought to follow our example : we worked while we were with you. Day and night we laboured and toiled so as not to be a burden to any of you. We had the right to act otherwise, but we wanted to give you an example.

Besides, while we were with you, we said clearly : If anyone is not willing to work, neither should that one eat. However we heard that some among you live in idleness – busybodies, doing no work. In the Name of Christ Jesus our Lord we command these people to work and earn their own living.

by

Sunday, 13 November 2022 : Thirty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, World Day of the Poor (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 97 : 5-6, 7-8, 9

With melody of the lyre and with music of the harp. With trumpet blast and sound of the horn, rejoice before the King, the Lord!

Let the sea resound and everything in it, the world and all its peoples. Let rivers clap their hands, hills and mountains sing with joy.

Before the Lord, for He comes to rule the earth. He will judge the world with justice and the peoples with fairness.

by

Sunday, 13 November 2022 : Thirty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, World Day of the Poor (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Malachi 3 : 19-20a

The day already comes, flaming as a furnace. On that day all the proud and evildoers will be burnt like straw in the fire. They will be left without branches or roots. On the other hand the sun of justice will shine upon you who respect My Name and bring health in its rays.

by

Saturday, 20 November 2021 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are presented with the continuation of the story from the Book of the Maccabees, this time about the end of the life of King Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who persecuted the Jewish faithful in his kingdom and caused the rise of the Maccabean Revolt. Then in the Gospel passage today we heard from the Gospel of St. Luke in which we heard the Lord’s encounter and exchanges with the Sadducees regarding the matter of the resurrection from the dead.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the Maccabees how King Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the king of the Seleucid Greek Empire who was away campaigning in Persia, failed in his endeavours and not only that, he heard of the defeats inflicted to his forces in Judea and elsewhere due to the rise of the Jewish rebellion under Judas Maccabeus and his brothers who resisted the king’s efforts to impose Greek religion and customs among the Jews and others throughout his kingdom.

As we heard in yesterday’s readings, the forces of the faithful under the leadership of the Maccabees retook the holy Mount Zion and the Temple of God that was there, and reestablish the worship of the One True God there, overthrowing the idols that King Antiochus had installed there and broken down the old defiled Altar, rebuilding a new Altar worthy of Divine worship. Essentially, all that the king had done was to undermine his own power, control and authority over Judea and the lands where the Jews dwelled in, as they all rose in rebellion against Him.

The king died in regret, knowing that all that he had done were in vain, and God was punishing him for all of his sins, his pride, greed and megalomania. His lack of respect for the Lord and his actions had brought about all the calamities on him, and he would be held accountable for all of his actions, all the sufferings he had caused the people of God. And not long after that, he died in great agony, ending his rule as a king in this world, and entering into the afterlife. What is to become of King Antiochus, no one knows but God alone.

Now, linking to what we have heard in that passage with our Gospel passage today, we have something in common which is the matter of the afterlife. In the Gospel passage, we heard of the Lord Jesus and His encounter with the Sadducees, as they discussed about the matter of the resurrection from the dead and the afterlife. The Sadducees were one of the two very influential group back then in the Jewish community, which was made up of those who were powerful and rich, the aristocratic families and those with connections, and many of them were strongly influenced by Hellenism or Greek ways and customs.

As such, many among them did not believe in spiritual matters and did not believe in the afterlife or any resurrection from the dead. They preferred to enjoy life as they knew it there and then, and many likely enjoyed lavish parties and celebrations as were common at that time among the rich and powerful. When they asked the Lord about the resurrection, that was because the Lord always spoke of the world that is to come, and also for mankind to reject hedonistic ways that are incompatible with the way of God.

As they asked that, actually the Sadducees were showing that they feared what was to come after they die. While they did not believe in the resurrection, that also meant that they were afraid to part with all the things that they then currently enjoyed in life. They asked Him what would happen to a woman who married seven husbands and all of the husbands died, and who would be that woman’s husband in the afterlife because they were very concerned about worldly matters and things, and they do not want to lose what they were familiar with in the world, like their possessions, status, attachments and many other things.

This is where the Lord then reminded all of them and also all of us, that in the end, whatever we are in this world and whatever we possess, our status and all things are inconsequential in the world that is to come. All of us are mortals and will one day face death, and this is a certainty that all of us will endure, with the ultimate unknown being the time that this will happen to us. We will not bring our attachments and possessions in this world with us, and regardless whether we are beggars and poor, or rich and powerful kings like King Antiochus IV Epiphanes, all will die and face judgment for our actions and deeds in life.

The Lord revealed and reaffirmed that life after death is a reality, for our existence in this world is meant to be a temporary one. After passing through death, all those who are faithful to God and remained true to Him to the end will be judged worthy to share His glorious inheritance, to share in the beatific vision of the saints, whether immediately or through the fires of Purgatory. And in the end, it is immaterial what status or riches we have in this world, for all of us will be equal before God and equally beloved by Him without any prejudice and bias.

Now the question is, are we ready to welcome Him fully and enter into His kingdom should He call us back to Him at this very moment? Today’s readings serve as a reminder for our own fragile mortal existence, and we should remember that no matter how great we are in this world, we are still all the same before God, and we will have to answer Him for every single one of our actions and deeds. Will these be found worthy or wanting by the Lord? Will God find true and living faith in us, or will He instead find hypocrisy and lukewarmness in faith?

Let us all ponder these questions and discern carefully our path moving forward in life, so that we may know how to proceed and to dedicate ourselves from now on, that we may be worthy before the Lord. May God bless us all and remain with us, and may He guide us in our journey of faith through life. May God keep us in His love always, now and forevermore. Amen.

by

Saturday, 20 November 2021 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Luke 20 : 27-40

At that time, then some Sadducees arrived. These people claim that there is no resurrection, and they asked Jesus this question, “Master, in the Law Moses told us, ‘If anyone dies leaving a wife but no children, his brother must take the wife, and any child born to them will be regarded as the child of the deceased.’”

“Now, there were seven brothers : the first married, but died without children. The second married the woman, but also died childless. And then the third married her, and in this same way all seven died, leaving no children. Last of all the woman died. On the day of the resurrection, to which of them will the woman be a wife? For all seven had her as a wife.”

And Jesus replied, “Taking a husband or a wife is proper to people of this world, but for those who are considered worthy of the world to come, and of resurrection from the dead, there is no more marriage. Besides, they cannot die, for they are like the Angels. They are sons and daughters of God, because they are born of the resurrection.”

“Yes, the dead will be raised, as Moses revealed at the burning bush, when he called the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. For God is God of the living, and not of the dead, for to Him everyone is alive.”

Some teachers of the Law then agreed with Jesus, “Master, You have spoken well.” They did not dare ask Him anything else.