Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us are reminded through the passages from the Sacred Scriptures in which the Lord reminds us all that we should not be quick to criticise one another and think that we are more worthy than those around us or those we encounter. Unfortunately, this attitude is quite common within the Church and many among us may have encountered attitudes and behaviours, actions and ways which might have scandalised us because all these actions and attitudes are in contrast to what the Lord Himself has told and taught us. And if we do not truly believe and live our lives in the manner that we have been expected to do, how can we then expect others to believe in Him as well?

Worse still, instead of bringing people closer to God, our actions and attitudes might push people further away from Him as these things we have done convinced people that we are no better than hypocrites and as all those who are not sincere about their faith in the Lord. As Christians, each and every one of us must always put the Lord at the very centre and as the very focus of our lives, and yet, as many among us Christians, we have caused hurt, scandal and hardships on others around us, both towards our fellow brothers and sisters in the same faith, and also to others who have not yet known or believed in God. In all these, we are reminded that we should not be only outwardly faithful but instead we should truly embody our faith in every breaths and actions we take.

In our first reading today, from the continuation of the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in Rome, we heard of the Apostle telling them all not to be judgmental against their own brothers and sisters in faith, their fellow men and women, because ultimately, each one of us have our own flaws and imperfections, and none of us can truly claim to be better than the others around us. At the same time, the Apostle also said that God’s love has been freely extended and given to everyone, and therefore, because God Himself has loved each and every one of us equally and most lovingly, we should not be biased or prejudiced against anyone simply because we think that we are better or more righteous than others.

It is this attitude of being self-righteous, prideful and arrogant which had led so many, like the Pharisees and the chief priests among them, that many of these people failed to see the truth and reality of God, to whom they had all been intended to receive. All those pride and arrogance prevented them from humbling themselves that they might truly appreciate and understand what God had taught, revealed and wanted to show to them. That was why those people ended up hardening their hearts and minds, refusing to believe in God and His works, His teachings and truth, despite their own understanding of the Law and the Prophets affirm all the things that the Lord Himself had done among His people through His Son.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the moment when the Lord Jesus encountered some Pharisees who harshly criticised Him and His actions, simply because He often enjoyed the company of the tax collectors, who often invited Him to speak to them and to share their meal with them. Contextually, we must understand that the Pharisees were the religious and intellectual elites of the Jewish community, with the main preoccupation and focus on the preservation of the Jewish Law, commandments, customs and practices. As such, they were very highly respected by the community. Meanwhile, tax collectors were often viewed negatively back then, as they were often seen and considered as traitors to the people because of the nature of their work.

The tax collectors worked to gather the taxes meant for the local kings like Herod, as well as the Roman overlords who ruled over the whole region. Due to the demands placed on the people who were already suffering from hardships, challenges and difficulties, it was no surprise that the tax collectors were very much hated by many among the people. They were reviled, hated and rejected by much of the community, being ostracised and literally everyone avoided and hated them. Yet, the tax collectors themselves were the very ones who were in fact closest to the Kingdom of God, because they had regret and strong desire to be reconciled with God. That is why the Lord also wanted to reassure His people of His providence in all things.

The Lord used the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin to highlight His points and ideas, as in both parables, two important possession of a person had been lost, and the one seeking those lost possessions went all of the way to find and rescue the lost sheep, and also to find the lost coin. This is a reminder to all of us that the Lord Himself put the same efforts and sincerity in reaching out to us, to find and discover us, and to bring us all back towards Himself. Are we even aware of all the love and patience that the Lord has always shown us? Or have we often taken His love and generosity, His patience and compassion for granted? These are the questions we are constantly being reminded to consider carefully as we ponder on our paths going forward.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore do whatever we can, as we have just discussed in the Sacred Scriptures, in doing what God has shown us all, in being truly faithful to Him, and not in merely paying lip service to Him. We are reminded that we should all be genuine in our faith in the Lord, in doing what He has commanded and entrusted to us to do, living our faith in life with sincerity and with clear effort, knowing that in each and every moments of our lives, we are always called to be good examples and role models to one another, and to be the ones to deliver the light and truth of God to this darkened world, so that 

May the Lord help us all to remain strong in our faith, conviction and dedication to glorify Him in each and every moments of our lives, in how we should carry out ourselves and our behaviours and attitudes so that we may truly be good, worthy and genuine disciples of the Lord, His holy and beloved people, to whom He had entrusted His teachings and truth, which He has passed down onto us through His holy Church. May God continue to bless each and every one of us such that in our every good endeavours and efforts, our every good works and contributions, we will continue to do the great works of God, for His greater glory. Amen.