4 June 2015

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Thursday, 4 June 2015 : 9th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard in the first reading from the Book of Tobit, how Tobias, the son of Tobit went and found Sara, the woman troubled by the demon Asmodeus who had killed seven of her previous husbands. And we heard how Tobias wanted Sara to be his wife, even while knowing the fate which have befell her previous husbands. He took her as wife and they prayed together on their first night together as husband and wife.

And in the Gospel today we heard how Jesus emphasised again the true meaning of the Law of God, the Ten Commandments which truly can be categorised into two main laws, that is firstly to love God with all of our might, and then show the same love to our fellow men, the others around us. The teacher of the Law was able to understand this, and Jesus praised him for that before the people of God.

Through these readings, there are several things that we ought to learn, but principal and greatest of all, it is about love. Yes, the love which mankind ought to have for God, their Father, Lord and Creator, and the love which they ought to have for one another, one of the greatest forms of which is marriage, or holy matrimony, the indivisible union between man and woman as decreed by God and blessed by God.

This is important to us all, brothers and sisters in Christ, for we all have to realise that just as the Church is the embodiment of Christ’s presence on earth, the tangible form of His Body on earth, then the family, and the institution of the family itself is the core and base for the structure of the Church. Without a strong family structure and foundation, the Church may find itself in trouble from various challenges.

And the family as an institution and a crucial unit of the Church had come under constant and ever increasing attack from the world and all the allies and forces of the devil, trying to destroy the family, and the families of the faithful. They hoped that by doing so, they would also undermine and destroy the faith itself as well. This is how so dangerous the time is now for us and for the Church of God.

We know of the phrase that a family that prays together stays together. The same extends also to the Church, for the family is indeed the building block of the Church. Therefore a Church that is composed of strong families praying together will stay together. We see a good example in our first reading today. Tobias and his new wife, Sara, prayed together before the Lord, asking for His blessing and healing, that the shame of Sara and the works of Asmodeus be removed from her.

It is an example for all of us, that we have to know love, and love must begin from ourselves, and practiced in our own families. A family that does not practice love will not last, and it will soon crumble apart under the pressure of human desires and selfishness. If we have loved one another, then we shall learn how to control our own natural selfishness, and growing to care more for others around us, eventually we shall know what is love.

For God Himself is Love, and if we do not understand love, then we also would not understand the love which He had shown us first. What is His love? Even though we are all sinners and wicked, having done what is wicked in the eyes of the Lord, and therefore deserve utter destruction and annihilation, but instead of casting us aside, He gave us a new chance, to change and repent our sinful ways, that we may be made anew, in a new life once again blessed by God.

And if He had loved us first, then it is only right that we should love Him too. He has given us His all, by sending us the ultimate form of love through Christ, who had given up His own life in sacrifice, so that by His death and by His resurrection, He might bring to us a new life. Such was the love that He had shown us. If we have loved one another, should we not love the Lord our God in the same way?

And if we have loved our God greatly, then we also ourselves cannot forget that, we have to love one another too. We cannot exclude one form of love from the other. If we know how to love God, then we also have to love each other, or else whatever love we have learnt from the Lord, we do not use it for the benefit of others around, and we will be found wanting. On the other hand, if we love one another only, and do not love God then our love is not complete.

Therefore, as I have mentioned earlier, in our families, we must have love, that is we have to first love one another, father, mother and children all must have love in them and love for each other. Then, there must also be that love for the Lord. It is in the family that the responsibility is laid to bring up all the children properly in the faith. This is the duty and responsibility which had been entrusted to parents as well as to godparents at the moment of baptism.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore pray for all of our families. Let us all hope that God will continue to bless and grace all our families with the strength and courage to serve Him and love Him despite the oppositions and rejections of the world. May Almighty God be with us all, with all of our families, and strengthen the faith in us. God bless us all. Amen.

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Thursday, 4 June 2015 : 9th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Mark 12 : 28b-34

A teacher of the Law came up to Jesus and asked Him, “Which commandment is the first of all?”

Jesus answered, “The first is : Hear, Israel! The Lord, our God, is One Lord; and you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. And after this comes a second commandment : You shall love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these two.”

The teacher of the Law said to Him, “Well spoken, Master; You are right when You say that He is One, and there is no other besides Him. To love Him with all our heart, with all our understanding and with all our strength, and to love our neighbour as ourselves is more important than any burnt offering or sacrifice.”

Jesus approved this answer and said, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that, no one dared to ask Him any more questions.

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Thursday, 4 June 2015 : 9th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 127 : 1-2, 3, 4-5

Blessed are you who fear the Lord and walk in His ways. You will eat the fruit of your toil; you will be blessed and favoured.

Your wife, like a vine, will bear fruits in your home; your children, like olive shoots will stand around your table.

Such are the blessings bestowed upon the man who fears the Lord. May the Lord bless you from Zion. May you see Jerusalem prosperous all the days of your life.

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Thursday, 4 June 2015 : 9th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Tobit 6 : 10-11 and Tobit 7 : 1, 9-17 and Tobit 8 : 4-9a

When Tobias and Raphael had entered Media and were already approaching Ecbatana, Raphael said to Tobias, “Friend, we shall spend the night at the house of Ragouel. He is a relative of yours. He has no son, just an only daughter called Sara.”

When they arrived in Ecbatana, Tobias said to Raphael, “Friend Azarias, take me straight away to our friend Ragouel.” So Raphael led Tobias to Ragouel’s house and they found Ragouel sitting by the door of the courtyard.

They killed a sheep and served them numerous dishes. After they had bathed and washed, as they were relaxing before the meal, Tobias said to Raphael, “Friend Azarias, tell Ragouel to give me Sara my kinswoman. Talk about what you were saying during our journey, that the matter may come about and be accomplished.”

Ragouel overheard the conversation and he said to Tobias, “Eat, drink and be merry tonight. You are the man who has most right to take Sara my daughter because you are my kinsman. Indeed it is impossible for me to give her to any other man but you, because you are my closest relative.”

“But, my son, I must tell you the whole story. I gave her to seven husbands from among our kinsmen. They each died on the wedding night. But, for the moment, my son, eat and drink, and the Lord will arrange things for you.”

Tobias said, “I shall eat nothing if you do not stop now and bring this matter to a conclusion.” Ragouel said to Tobias, “Take her from now on; I give her to you according to the Law of Moses and you have to understand that God Himself gives her to you. Receive your kinswoman, from now on you are her brother and she is your sister.”

“She is yours from today and forever. Now God will bless you this night and may He give you both His mercy and peace.” Ragouel called his daughter Sara and taking her by the hand, he gave her to Tobias as his wife. He said, “According to Moses’ Law, take her now and bring her to your father’s house.” And he blessed them.

Ragouel then called Edna his wife; taking a sheet of parchment, he wrote down a matrimonial contract and they both affixed their seals. Then they all began to eat. Ragouel called his wife and said to her, “My sister, prepare the other room and take Sara there.”

Edna did as Ragouel told her and she took Sara to this room and Sara began to cry. Edna dried her daughter’s tears and said, “Have courage, my child, the God of heaven and earth will change your sorrow into joy. Have confidence, my daughter!”

When Sara’s parents had left the room and closed the door, Tobias got up from the bed and said to Sara, “Get up, my sister, and let us ask the Lord to have mercy on us and save us.” She got up and they began to pray, asking that they be given life. Tobias began like this, “May You be blessed, o Lord God of our fathers, and may Your holy and glorious Name be blessed forever.”

“May the heavens and all creatures bless You. You created Adam and You gave him Eve, his wife, as a helper and companion, so that from these two the human race might be born. You said : ‘It is not good that man should be alone, let us give him a companion who is like himself.'”

“Now, Lord, I take my sister to myself in sincerity and love, not merely seeking pleasure. Have mercy on us and grant us a long life together.” Together they said, “Amen,” and returned to bed for the night.”