3rd Week of Lent

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Wednesday, 22 March 2017 : 3rd Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we are reminded of God’s laws and commandments, which He had given to all of us as guidance and help for us to go through with this life, as guidelines for us to follow and to obey, so that our lives will be in accordance to how the Lord wants them to be, righteous and just, so that we will be found worthy in the eyes of the Lord.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today in the first reading from the Book of Deuteronomy, we heard how Moses told the people of Israel that they have been blessed far more than that of the other nations, because they have received God’s laws and commandments, which God had given them not to punish them, persecute them or to give them unnecessary burden, but instead to keep them safe, to be protected, and to be able to find their way safely through the darkened world, that they would not lose their way.

It is by the great grace of God that we have received such privilege to follow the laws and commandments God gave, but many of us did not realised just how blessed we are, for we often think of God’s laws as burdens and unnecessary things for us to do. In fact, many of us have that misconception, that Jesus came so that we no longer have to worry about anything, that as long as we believe in Him, then we are certain of being saved and be in the state of grace.

Unfortunately, as what Jesus our Lord Himself mentioned at the Gospel passage today, He came into this world not to undo or overcome the Law with a different set of laws and commandments, but instead, to fulfil it and to complete it with perfection, beyond all other things that mankind had added to the Law, all their imperfect human laws, rules and regulations.

What does this mean? Over time, the Law of God had become corrupted and twisted by how the people of God utilised it and perceived it, and the divine laws of God had been subverted and overcome by the concerns and rules of man, established by the people themselves, as how they interpreted the Law of God. But this over time resulted in the Law itself losing its true meaning and purpose, and that was why Jesus was often so critical at the Pharisees and at the teachers of the Law, because they imposed their version of God’s law, and yet in their actions and deeds, they do not belong to God.

And in all of these, we have to come to an understanding of what God’s law is truly about, brothers and sisters in Christ. The Law of God is the Law of love, which God had given to us to teach us about love, through which all of us mankind will be able to find our way to our Lord and loving God. He wanted to teach us love, and that is why He sent us the ultimate form of His love, Jesus, through Whom He endeavoured to save us all, His beloved children.

And He did not just say it out, but He indeed showed it by His own example, the perfect example of love shown through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Jesus Himself mentioned that there is no better love than for someone to lay down his life for a friend, and that was exactly what He had done, for all of us, His beloved people, His dear friends, His children.

As He has loved us and showed us that great love, all of us should therefore love Him in the same manner that He has loved us. That is the first of God’s great commandments, that all of us ought to love God with all of our heart, with all of our strength, with all of our minds and hearts, to be His servant and His people filled with love, genuine love, both for God and also for our fellow brethren.

In this season of Lent, all of us Christians are called to be more loving, forgiving and be gracious in all of our ways. All of us are called to follow the Lord in His loving ways, by obeying what He had taught us to do. Let us all reflect on our actions and deeds. Have we all been faithful to the Lord in the way that we should do? Have all of us been loving and forgiving just as our God has loved us and as how He was willing to forgive us?

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all commit ourselves anew to the Lord, using the opportunity granted to us to change our ways and to rediscover the way towards God’s righteousness. May all of us draw ever closer to God, and follow Him in all things. May the Lord empower us and strengthen us in faith, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Wednesday, 22 March 2017 : 3rd Week of Lent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet
Matthew 5 : 17-19

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Do not think that I have come to annul the Law and the Prophets. I have not come to annul them but to fulfil them. I tell you this : as long as heaven and earth last, not the smallest letter or dot in the Law will change until all is fulfilled.”

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Wednesday, 22 March 2017 : 3rd Week of Lent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet
Psalm 147 : 12-13, 15-16, 19-20

Exalt the Lord, o Jerusalem; praise your God, o Zion! For He strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses your children within you.

He sends His command to the earth and swiftly runs His word. He spreads snow like wool; He scatters frost like ashes.

It is He Who tells Jacob His words, His laws and decrees to Israel. This He has not done for other nations, so His laws remain unknown to them. Alleluia!

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Wednesday, 22 March 2017 : 3rd Week of Lent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet
Deuteronomy 4 : 1, 5-9

And now, Israel, listen to the norms and laws which I teach that you may put them into practice. And you will live and enter and take possession of the land which YHVH, the God of your fathers, gives you.

See, as YHVH, my God, ordered me, I am teaching you the norms and the laws that you may put them into practice in the land you are going to enter and have as your own. If you observe and practice them, other peoples will regard you as wise and intelligent. When they come to know of all these laws, they will say, ‘There is no people as wise and as intelligent as this great nation.’

For in truth, is there a nation as great as ours, whose gods are as near to it as YHVH, our God, is to us whenever we call upon Him? And is there a nation as great as ours whose norms and laws are as just as this Law which I give you today?

But be careful and be on your guard. Do not forget these things which your own eyes have seen or let them depart from your heart as long as you live. But on the contrary, teach them to your children and to your children’s children.

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Tuesday, 21 March 2017 : 3rd Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day, all of us heard about the great mercy of God, which He had shown to all of us mankind throughout time, from time to time, again and again, even though we have constantly sinned against Him. Forgiveness is the theme of today’s readings, and it is just perfect given that now we are in the midst of the season of Lent, the season and time for repentance and seeking for forgiveness.

It is a time for us to turn away from our sins and from our wickedness, as Azariah in the first reading today, taken from the Book of Daniel had mentioned before God, that the people of Israel had sinned grievously before the Lord, having failed to fulfil and obey His commandments, becoming wayward and fell into the temptations of the world, resulting in their own destruction and banishment from the lands which God had given to them and their ancestors.

Azariah made his prayer along with his two compatriots during the time when the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar persecuted the faithful, especially the three of them, who were servants to the king, but refused the king’s commands to worship him and the golden statue of himself as their god. They were thrown into a huge fire chamber, expected to perish in the flames, alone in the foreign land, having no rights for themselves, for they have sinned against God and God supposedly had abandoned them.

But Azariah prayed for God to forgive them for their sins, and he prayed on behalf of the people of Israel, who sought to repent from their sinful ways and turn once more to the ways of the Lord. And God did listen to their prayers, for even though He was angry at the sins of the people of Israel and Judah, for all their wickedness and rebelliousness, He still loved all of them just as much as He has loved and were pleased with the faith of Abraham, their forefather.

And we see just the very real representation of that mercy which God extended to His people. Not only that He rescued Azariah and his two compatriots from danger, not allowing the flame to harm them, but He also extended His mercy to all of His people, bringing them back from their exile and returning them to their own lands under Cyrus the Persian Emperor, but eventually, He fulfilled the promise that He Himself had made to all mankind at the beginning of time.

Mankind had fallen into sin by disobedience, when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and listened instead to the sweet lies of Satan. They should have deserved complete annihilation, but God gave them a second chance, a new lease of life. Even though they suffered in the world and death had reigned over them, but God promised them all a Saviour Who would deliver all of them from their sufferings and back into His grace.

Thus, Jesus came into the world in order to save it, as it was mentioned in the famous passage from the Gospel of St. John, that God so loved the world, that He sent His only begotten Son, into this world so that He may save it and all of us mankind, and redeem us from our sins, liberating us from death and annihilation, into the eternal glory and life He has prepared for all of us.

In the Gospel today, He told His disciples to forgive the sins and mistakes that others had made unto us, echoing what He Himself said in His prayer, the Lord’s Prayer, with the words, “Forgive us our sins just as we forgive those who have sinned against us.” This is a reminder for us that, as the parable Jesus told His disciples showed, that we have to forgive each other first, then God will forgive us our sins as well.

Why is this so? In the parable, we heard how the lord forgave the debts of the man who owed him a lot of money, but then that same man refused to forgive the debts of those who owed him money, which is a lot less than what he himself owed to his lord. First of all, what he had done is hypocritical, he did not do what his master had done. Then, he did not show appreciation of just how great is the grace which had been shown him, as the lord angrily pointed out to him.

How does this relate to us? Remember, brothers and sisters in Christ, whenever we are angry at our friends who have hurt us, we must remember that we ourselves in one way or another may have hurt others, be it the same person or different. If we cannot overcome this anger and choose to persecute or make others suffer because of our anger, then we have to remember that whatever sins we have, God is willing to forgive all of them, provided that we are willing to repent.

Our sins are so much greater than whatever wicked things we have done to each other. And yet, God is willing to forgive us when we desire to be forgiven. Shall we not do the same for our brethren who wants us to forgive them? And shall we also seek forgiveness for all the wrongs that we have done? Much sorrows and pain has been caused by the desire for people to revenge each other, and if we can only overcome our anger and desire for vengeance, then this world will indeed become so much better.

Let us all follow in the example of Azariah, who humbly sought for forgiveness from God. Let us all use this perfect opportunity during this season of Lent, first of all to repent from our sins and to change our ways, and also to forgive each other all that we have inflicted upon the other, be it pain, sorrow, anguish, and any forms of discomfort that we have either consciously or unconsciously caused to one another.

Let us grow stronger in our love both for one another and also for God, and let us be sincere in our desire and effort to be forgiven. Let us all sin no more, but from now on put our complete trust in God and in His merciful heart. He will forgive us all surely, and He will bless us and bring us to His eternal glory. May God be with us all. Amen.

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Tuesday, 21 March 2017 : 3rd Week of Lent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet
Matthew 18 : 21-35

At that time, Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, how many times must I forgive the offences of my brother or sister? Seven times?” Jesus answered, “No, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. This story throws light on the kingdom of Heaven : A king decided to settle the accounts of his servants.”

“Among the first was one who owed him ten thousand pieces of gold. As the man could not repay the debt, the king commanded that he be sold as a slave with his wife, his children and all his goods, as repayment. The servant threw himself at the feet of the king and said, ‘Give me time, and I will pay you back everything.'”

“The king took pity on him, and not only set him free, but even cancelled his debt. When the servant left the king’s presence, he met one of his companions, who owed him a hundred pieces of silver. He grabbed him by the neck and almost choked him, shouting, ‘Pay me what you owe!'”

“His companion threw himself at his feet and begged him, ‘Give me time, and I will pay everything.’ The other did not agree, but sent him to prison until he had paid all his debt. Now his fellow servants saw what had happened. They were extremely upset, and so they went and reported everything to their lord.”

“Then the lord summoned his servant and said, ‘Wicked servant, I forgave you all that you owed when you begged me to do so. Were you not bound to have pity on your companion, as I had pity on you?’ The lord was now angry, so he handed his servant over to be punished, until he had paid his whole debt.”

Jesus added, “So will My heavenly Father do with you, unless you sincerely forgive your brothers and sisters.”

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Tuesday, 21 March 2017 : 3rd Week of Lent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet
Psalm 24 : 4-5ab, 6 and 7bc, 8-9

Teach me Your ways, o Lord; make known to me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and instruct me, for You are my God, my Saviour.

Remember Your compassion, o Lord, Your unfailing love from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth, but in Your love remember me.

Good and upright, the Lord teaches sinners His way. He teaches the humble of heart and guides them in what is right.

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Tuesday, 21 March 2017 : 3rd Week of Lent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet
Daniel 3 : 25, 34-43

Azariah stood up in the midst of the fire and prayed aloud : Do not abandon us forever, do not reject Your covenant for Your Name’s sake. Do not withdraw Your mercy from us, for the sake of Abraham, Your friend, of Isaac, Your servant, of Israel, Your holy one, to whom You promised to multiply their race as the stars of heaven and the sand on the shore of the sea.

Lord, see, we have become the least among the nations in all the world, and we are humiliated because of our sins. At this time, we no longer have a king, or prophet, or leader. We cannot offer You holocausts, sacrifices, offerings, or incense. We have no place to present to You the first-fruits of our crops, and so obtain Your favour.

But at least when we present ourselves with a contrite soul and humbled spirit may we then be acceptable to You, more than by offerings of rams and calves as holocausts, and of thousands of fat lambs. May this sacrifice of ours today obtain for us Your favour for we know that those who trust in You shall never be disappointed.

And now, we serve You with our whole heart, we fear You and we seek Your face. Do not leave us in our humiliation, but treat us according to Your kindness and Your great mercy. Free us in keeping with Your wonders, and give us the glory of Your Name, Lord.

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Monday, 20 March 2017 : Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate the great solemnity and feast of St. Joseph, the Foster-father of our Lord Jesus Christ by the virtue of his marriage to Mary, the mother of God. While it was through both Joseph and Mary that the Lord Jesus was born into the family of the descendants of Israel and Abraham, it was through St. Joseph that the Lord was the rightful heir of David, the great king of Israel.

In the genealogy of Jesus, it was mentioned His descent from Adam and Abraham, as well as the descent from David through the line of the kings of Israel and Judah, and down to the ancestors of our Lord to the time when the Lord deemed it right for His glorious Saviour Jesus to enter into the world, at the end of the genealogy mentioned, as the perfect fulfilment of God’s promise to all of His people throughout the ages. God is indeed forever faithful.

When mankind first fell into sin at the time of Adam and his wife, Eve, God promised to mankind that He will save them from the evils of Satan, the great enemy who had tempted and deceived our ancestors to sin against God. He promised a deliverance that was to come through the sons of man, through the Woman who would bear the salvation for the whole world. All these were fulfilled through Mary, who bore Jesus the Son of Man and Son of God, Saviour of all mankind.

But God did not stop there, and He renewed His promises made to our forefathers, beginning from Abraham, the father of many nations, with whom God first made a Covenant with His people. God promised Abraham and called him to follow Him, that He will bless him because of his great faith and obedience to His ways and His laws.

God kept His word and gave the son which He had promised Abraham, through whom He became the father of many nations and peoples, many tribes and groups, and eventually, the Lord also fulfilled His promise to Abraham, that the glory of his name will remain forever, for among his descendants, the Lord and Master of the Universe Himself is counted among them.

And to David, the descendant of Abraham and Israel, God had given the kingship over Israel as He had promised to him, because of his great faith and obedience to God, over that of Saul, who was the first king of Israel but who was disobedient and committed grave sins against God. God promised David that his descendants will remain on the throne of Israel forever, and his kingdom will be forever firm.

It might seem that God did not fulfil this promise when the kingdom of Israel was torn apart into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah, and when the line of the kings ended in Judah as the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and ended the southern kingdom of Judah. However, in reality, God fulfilled the promise He had made yet again with the coming of Christ, Who is the Heir of David through St. Joseph, and He reestablished the kingdom which God had given to David, and this time, His kingdom will never end.

Through Jesus God had fulfilled the promises He had made to all mankind, in the past, present and in the future to come. Through St. Joseph, God had made Himself to be the Heir to all that God had promised to all of our forefathers, from the time of Adam, to Abraham, to David, and ultimately to all of us. God is always faithful, and He did not abandon us to our sins and to our destruction.

And St. Joseph as the foster-father of our Lord Jesus, besides giving Him the means to be the Heir of David and Abraham, he was also very crucial for our Lord especially in the early years of His life on earth. For it was St. Joseph, in the Gospels we read, who protected Him from all those who was looking for His death, from Herod the Great who wanted Jesus dead as He was a rival to his own kingship, and all other dangers and difficulties.

St. Joseph was a hardworking and patient man, a righteous and just person, who obeyed the Lord and His precepts, who was a role model and an exemplary father to Jesus our Lord, Who in His humanity was born a fragile baby in Bethlehem, Who needed to learn the tools and trade, the ways of this world. And St. Joseph, together with Mary, His mother certainly provided all that the young Jesus needed.

In the person of St. Joseph, we can see the qualities of the faithful people of God in the past, namely Abraham, whose faith in God was so great, that he placed his complete trust in Him. St. Joseph trusted in God in His plans, even though Mary, when she was still just betrothed to him, conceived a Child without any intercourse with him. But he placed his full trust in God, and carried out his obligations as a father just as much as if Jesus is his own biological son.

St. Joseph is the head of the Holy Family, of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. He did his duties as a loving and faithful father, filled with love, care and concern for Jesus and Mary, even though these two persona often surpassed him in renown and he was often eclipsed by their importance. He committed himself to the care of the young Jesus, equipping Him with what He needed in life, and thus He grew well and blessed by God, ready for His mission.

The commitment which St. Joseph gave to his mission made him a great model for all of us Christians throughout the world, and just as he watched closely over the young Jesus, he still indeed continues to watch over the whole Church that Jesus had established in this world, as the great patron saint and protector of the whole Universal Church, a title and role that the Church itself had officially recognised as belonging to the great patron saint, St. Joseph, whose feast and honour we remember today.

Let us all reflect on all the good deeds St. Joseph had done, and how the Lord has also loved us all and how He has been faithful to all of His promises throughout the ages, all being fulfilled through Christ His Messiah, through Whom all of us have received the promise of everlasting life by our faith in Him. In this time of preparation, during this season of Lent, let us redouble our efforts to live faithfully as St. Joseph had been faithful, be more charitable and loving to our brethren, particularly those who are in need.

Let us show love to our fellow brethren, and let us turn our backs to our sinful past, and instead embrace a new future blessed by God. Let us all also ask for the intercession of St. Joseph, that he will pray for our sake, for the Church that his foster Son Jesus had established in this world, that God will continue to protect it and bless all of its works. May God bless us all and His Church. Amen.

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Monday, 20 March 2017 : Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White
Matthew 1 : 16, 18-21, 24a

Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and from her came Jesus Who is called the Christ – the Messiah.

This is how Jesus Christ was born : Mary His mother had been given to Joseph in marriage, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph, her husband, made plans to divorce her in all secrecy. He was an upright man, and in no way did he want to discredit her.

While he was pondering over this, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She has conceived by the Holy Spirit, and now she will bear a Son. You shall call Him ‘Jesus’ for He will save His people from their sins.”

When Joseph woke up, he did what the Angel of the Lord had told him to do.

Alternative reading
Luke 2 : 41-51a

Every year the parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover, as was customary. And when Jesus was twelve years old, He went up with them, according to the custom of this feast. After the festival was over, they returned, but the Boy Jesus remained in Jerusalem, and His parents did not know it.

They thought He was in the company, and after walking the whole day they looked for Him among their relatives and friends. As they did not find Him, they went back to Jerusalem searching for Him, and on the third day they found Him in the Temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking questions. And all the people were amazed at His understanding and His answers.

His parents were very surprised when they saw Him, and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Your father and I were very worried while searching for You.” Then He said to them, “Why were you looking for Me? Did you not know that I must be in My Father’s house?” But they did not understand this answer.

Jesus went down with them, returning to Nazareth, and He continued to be subject to them.