Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all presented with the reminders of our Christian faith and mission, which we should be doing at all times, throughout our lives, in our every capacities, responsibilities and in every moments and opportunities that had been presented to us. In the Scripture passages that we have heard from today, all of us are reminded that as Christians, we truly should embody our faith in God in our lives, and be fruitful in the living of that faith, and we should do what we can so that God’s love and truth may be known more and better among many people all around us. We are the ones through whom God’s works and truth can be made evident and manifest in our world today.

In our first reading today, we are all presented with the beginning of the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in the city of Corinth, in which the Apostle greeted the Christians in that city and thanked God for having blessed them and for having guided them in the right path. St. Paul reminded all of the faithful there to remain strong in their faith and to keep their commitment to God because the Lord has assured all those who are faithful to Him of His blessings and graces, and He has promised the glorious inheritance and wonders that will be theirs, and ours, in the end of times, when we shall be glorified with Him, and when we shall rejoice forevermore with God in His Presence, enjoying what the saints had been enjoying in the beatific vision and glory of Heaven. In order to do that, we have to be faithful and committed to God.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the moment when the Lord performed His many wonderful miracles and works, in healing the sick and all those who sought for His help, beginning with the very sick mother-in-law of St. Peter, one of His own Apostles. Words spread quickly and many came to the Lord with various troubles, and the Lord healed them all from their sickness and maladies. But then, we heard of the Lord then quietly moving away from the place, and telling His disciples to follow Him, despite the persuasions by them and the others in that place for Him to stay on there. The Lord told them that He has the mission to proclaim the Good News of God and to bring forth the same healing to more of the people of Israel, and in order to do so, He would have to go forth and continue to carry out His missions and works.

In order to understand the significance of that Gospel passage and events, we have to understand that it must have been much easier for the Lord to stay there in that place where everyone was so welcoming towards Him, and to continue carrying on doing His miracles and works. But that was not what the Lord was sent into this world for. He was sent also to those who hardened their hearts and minds against God, against the religious leaders and elites like the chief priests and the Pharisees, many of whom refused to believe in Him and His truth, opposed Him and made His ministry difficult. He was also sent to those who have been abandoned and rejected by others, such as the tax collectors, the prostitutes, those suffering from terrible diseases and those who were possessed by the evil spirits and demons, with the latter having to live in the wilderness away from the community.

Thus, just as the Lord has told His disciples, we are all reminded to be the instruments of God, in reaching out to others, especially to those who are less fortunate than us, and to those who have not yet known the love of God. And what are supposed to do? We should be the ones to show them the love of God manifested through our words and actions. Each and every one of us should be the beacons of His light, hope and love in our world today, darkened with sin and evil, with lots of hatred and vices of worldliness. We should be the bearers of the Good News of God, in everywhere we have been called to do the works of God, in our families, among friends and relatives, in our circles of friends, and also at our schools and workplaces, and among all those whom we encounter daily in our lives.

That is why we should truly embody our Christian faith in our actions and commitments to God, and we should do whatever we can so that what we believe is reflected in whatever we do in life, even in the smallest and seemingly least significant things so that we may inspire others by our dedication and works, our every actions and deeds. Otherwise, if we do not do so, and if we do not practice what we believe in, how can we expect others to believe in us or in the Lord then? Worse still, if we do things that are contrary or against our faith, our Christian truths and teachings, then are we not being hypocrites and will we not end up causing confusion and end up turning people away from God instead? It is important that we should be truly committed to God in all things, and not just externally only.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore strive to do what we can in order to proclaim the Lord and be true to our Christian faith and beliefs by doing God’s will in our every actions and in our every small works and interactions throughout life. Let us all not be ignorant any longer of our Christian mission and calling, in faithfully embracing whatever missions and responsibilities that the Lord our God has placed on our shoulders. We do not have to do great and wonderful things, but we just have to do our best in every possible opportunities and places we have been working at, sent to, and dwelling in, so that through us and our works, our words and actions, our interactions and more, we may lead others to come ever closer to God, and that more and more may come to know the Lord and His salvation.

May the Lord be with us always, and may He empower each and every one of us so that we may always be strong and be able to persevere and endure despite the many challenges and hardships, the trials and opposition that we may encounter in our journey towards God. May God bless us all in our every good works, efforts and endeavours, and may He bring us all into His embrace and loving Presence, and help us in our lives, now and always. Amen.