Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures and as we continue to pass through this penitential season of Lent, we are being reminded through what we heard from the Word of God of the challenges and trials that the Lord Himself had been facing in His ministry, and the similar sufferings and challenges which His servants and messengers, the prophets and the Lord’s disciples had also endured in the midst of their works and efforts. And all of these things happened because of the temptations of worldly desires and pleasures which had afflicted many people and made them to disobey the Lord and entertain instead their greed, pride, ambition and other worldly pursuits that brought them to clash against God and His ways.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah in which the prophet spoke about the plotting and all the sufferings which the people of God, those who resisted God’s words and truth, had done towards His prophets, including to that of Jeremiah himself. For the context, Jeremiah was sent to the kingdom and people of Judah at the last years of its existence as an entity, and just before Judah and Jerusalem were crushed, conquered and destroyed by the Babylonians and their armies. Jeremiah tried to remind the people of the sins that they had committed, which had greatly angered God, and of the consequences which they would have to face amidst the sins that they had committed. But the people of Judah continued to resist his efforts and even plotted against him, almost killing him on occasions, but God saved him from death and safeguarded him.

That was mentioned in the same passage where Jeremiah mentioned how God would indeed remember His servants, and how He would protect them and provide for them, so that even though they would have to suffer and endure challenges and trials, but ultimately, God will avenge all those misdeeds from those who have wronged His servants and messengers. He would not abandon them in their time of need, and this is a reminder therefore also for those who have kept their faith in God, for all of us that if we trust in the Lord and believe in Him wholeheartedly, we will then receive the assurance of God’s providence and guidance, and in the end, we will share together in the Lord’s triumph and glory. Not even the forces of evil and darkness can overcome us all if we remain truly faithful in God.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the moment when the members of the Sanhedrin, or the Jewish High Council, consisting of many of the Pharisees, the Sadducees and other influential leaders of the Jewish community, deliberated and debated with one another, disagreeing on the nature and identity of the One known as Jesus, Whom some of them considered as the Prophet of God or the Messiah, but many others rejected and refused to believe in, accusing Him of wrongdoing and even blasphemy against God in whatever He had taught and done before the people of God. Many of those who opposed the Lord were truly ‘blinded’ by their jealousy against Him, because He grew increasingly popular, and they probably even feared Him and His growing influence, fearing that it would affect their own popularity and privileged status in the community.

That was why we heard such bitter and persistent opposition against the Lord despite all the Wisdom that He has shown in His teachings and words, and despite all the wonders and miracles that He has performed, which certainly and clearly indicated that He is truly the Messiah, the Holy One of God, the One sent into this world in order to redeem and save it, to save all of us mankind from certain damnation and destruction. The same hardships and challenges that the prophets in the past like Jeremiah had faced, which we heard in our first reading passage today, was also faced by the Lord. And this pointed out to us the ugly nature of our human and worldly desires, our ambitions and greed, all the things which can prevent us from truly finding our way to God and His salvation, and which this Lenten season is meant to help us to overcome these obstacles.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Vincent Ferrer, a renowned and holy priest who was born in the region of Valencia in what is now the eastern part of Spain. St. Vincent Ferrer joined the Dominican Order or the Order of Preachers from a rather young age of eighteen, and he committed himself to become a Dominican priest despite his parents pleading with him to take the path of secular priesthood instead due to the latter having more worldly privileges and renown than being a religious priest. But St. Vincent Ferrer remained firm in his vocation and conviction to serve the Lord as a Dominican, and eventually he was ordained as a priest. He was involved in the conflicts surrounding the contemporary Western Schism in which rival claimants to the Papacy caused bitter divisions among the faithful people of God along political lines. He was a good preacher and missionary, converting many of those who have fallen to the wrong paths into the true path of Christ.

St. Vincent Ferrer was also known for his role in mediating political issues and conflicts, in helping to resolve the conflicts between the rival kingdoms at the time, ending wars and bringing about peace to the region. He also continued to do many other good works for the glory of God and for the benefit of the faithful and holy people of God. Through his commitment and dedications, his efforts and tireless works, his personal piety and faith in God, he has inspired many others to follow the Lord and to believe in Him. And therefore, we ourselves have also been called to be good role models and inspirations to our brethren around us, to everyone whom we encounter in our daily lives, so that by our examples and actions, we may help lead more and more people ever closer to God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, just as we have all heard from the story and life of St. Vincent Ferrer and through what we have just discussed from the readings of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all called to embrace God’s love and mercy, and to be truly virtuous and just in our actions, in our whole way of life. Each and every one of us should not allow the temptations of the world, the temptations of worldly pleasures and ambitions to keep us away from God or to put obstacle in the path of our fellow brethren as we all journey together towards God as one faithful flock of His beloved people. Let us instead be the shining beacons of His truth and love, and be the bearers of His Good News and salvation to the nations, through our every actions, words and deeds, all anchored in our firm faith in Him, now and always. Amen.