6th Week of Ordinary Time

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Monday, 17 February 2025 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened from the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the need for us to keep our faith in God and to do what is right according to the Law and commandments of God. We should not allow ourselves to be easily tempted and distracted by the various desires of the world around us, all the jealousy and pride in our hearts, all of which can easily lead us down the path towards our downfall. That was what the Scripture readings today had highlighted and warned us with, reminding us that we should be vigilant lest the evil one may tempt us with the allures of worldly glory and ambitions that make us to forget what is the most important thing in our lives, that is our foundation and centrality of our faith in God.

In our first reading today, we heard of the words from the Book of Genesis in which the moments after the downfall of mankind into sin and their exile from the Gardens of Eden were told to us. We heard the well-known story of the interactions between the two sons of Adam and Eve, namely Cain and Abel, both of whom were born to Eve after both her and Adam had been cast out of the Gardens of Eden for their disobedience and sin against God. And as we heard, Cain became jealous at Abel because his offerings of the first harvests of the land had been rejected by God while the offerings of Abel, the offering of the unblemished lambs that he shepherded was accepted by God. This led to the seeds of jealousy and anger to be sown in Cain’s heart and mind.

However, Cain in truth disobeyed the Lord’s commandments, when the Lord had cursed the earth that time because of the sins our ancestors committed. And by offering the fruits of the land, he was not offering what the Lord asked of him, and hence, it was for this disobedience and refusal to obey God that Cain’s offering had been rejected. Yet, Cain did not humble himself or admit his mistakes, and instead, he allowed himself to be swayed by the temptations of his pride and ego, and in his growing jealousy and anger, he raised his own hands against his brother, his own flesh and blood. This resulted in the murder of Abel, which Cain initially denied and tried to evade when the Lord came and questioned him about the deed. But eventually, he admitted the wicked deed because the Lord knew everything, and he was punished for his sins.

This is an important reminder for us all that if we give in to our ego, greed and other worldly desires we have, it is easy for us to end up being led down this slippery path of sin, and as Cain had done, we may even commit heinous things that is truly unbecoming for us all as Christians, in how we even cause hurt, pain and sufferings for others, like how Cain murdered his own brother out of his jealousy and anger. This is a reminder for all of us that we should always strive to keep ourselves and our hearts, our minds and indeed our whole beings free from the corruptions and temptations of sin. If we allow sin to direct our lives’ paths and directions, then we may end up losing our way to the darkness, and we may never attain the salvation and eternal life in God, to our eternal regret.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist in which the Lord Jesus encountered some arguments with the Pharisees who were arguing with Him and disagreed with Him on some matters. They were asking for Him to show them miraculous and heavenly signs, but the irony and truth is that they had all actually seen plenty of those signs and wonders which they asked for. After all those Pharisees had often followed the Lord and His disciples wherever they went, and they always shadowed Him throughout His ministry and works, and no doubt they had seen many of His miracles and wonders, which were more than enough proof for them for the signs that they kept on asking from the Lord.

Then why did those Pharisees continue to ask the Lord for such signs? And why did they not believe in the Lord and His works, His miracles and signs? Shouldn’t the Pharisees be the first ones to believe in the Lord because they were the ones supposedly the most knowledgeable and best to understand the Law and the Prophets? But that was exactly where this superiority and knowledge became their undoing, because this led them to pride and ego, arrogance and hubris, thinking that they were better than others, knowing and understanding the Law of God and the prophets better than everyone, and they therefore refused to reconcile what they had seen, heard and witnessed with their knowledge of the Law of God and the prophets. They kept on thinking that the Lord Jesus was a fraud and a false Messiah, and hence, despite His many signs and wonders, they kept on doubting Him and trying to discredit Him before the people.

This is hence the important reminder yet again for all of us as Christians that we should not allow ourselves to be easily swayed by worldly desires and ambitions, all of the things which can mislead us into the path of rebellion against God and then into eternal damnation. We must instead resist those temptations and strive to be humble before God, realising our imperfections and shortcomings, and ask Him for His guidance, help and encouragement constantly in our daily battle and struggle with sin and evil. We must not let ourselves be dragged into the path towards damnation simply because we are unable to resist the many temptations of the world around us, and we should also be good role models and inspirations for others, in how we live our lives as Christians.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order. These seven Holy Founders of the Servites, namely Bonfilius, Alexis, Manettus, Amideus, Hugh, Sostene and Buonagiunta, all of whom were men from the city of Florence that were called by the Lord and they all bound themselves in strong and lasting spiritual friendship that eventually became the foundation of the Servite Order, in their strong faith in the Lord as well as in the intense devotion which they all had for the Blessed Mother of God. All of them led holy and devout lives, committed wholly to God, and they all became great source of inspiration for their fellow men and women, many of whom were drawn to follow their examples as well. They led a life that is truly centred on God and resisting the temptations of the world, something that is really admirable.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we all have discussed earlier on from the readings of the Scriptures and the message that those words of the Lord presented to us, and also inspired by the good examples and the life of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order, as well as our many other holy predecessors, let us all therefore commit ourselves from now on to a new life and existence that is truly attuned to the Lord, focusing not on ourselves and on our own personal ambitions and desires, but instead being focused as always on the Lord Himself, so that in everything that we do, we will always seek the greater glory of God and not our own. May the Lord be with us always, and may He strengthen us all in our resolve and faith, in our commitment to follow Him, now and always. Amen.

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Monday, 17 February 2025 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints)

Mark 8 : 11-13

At that time, the Pharisees came and started to argue with Jesus. Hoping to embarrass Him, they asked for some heavenly sign. Then His Spirit was moved. He gave a deep sigh and said, “Why do the people of this present time ask for a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this people.”

Then He left them, got into the boat again and went to the other side of the lake.

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Monday, 17 February 2025 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints)

Psalm 49 : 1 and 8, 16bc-17, 20-21

The God of gods, the Lord has spoken, He summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. Not for your sacrifices do I reprove you, for your burnt offerings are ever before Me.

What right have you to mouth My laws, or to talk about My covenant? You hate My commands and cast My words behind you.

You speak ill of your brother, and slander your own mother’s son. Because I was silent while you did these things, you thought I was like you. But now I rebuke you and make this charge against you.

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Monday, 17 February 2025 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints)

Genesis 4 : 1-15, 25

Adam had intercourse with Eve his wife; she became pregnant and gave birth to a child. She named him Cain, for she said, “I have got a man with help from YHVH.” She later gave birth to Abel, his brother. Abel was a shepherd and kept flocks, and Cain tilled the soil.

It happened after a time that Cain brought fruits of the soil as an offering to YHVH. Abel for his part brought the firstborn of his flock, and some fat as well. Now YHVH was well pleased with Abel and his offering, but towards Cain and his offering He showed no pleasure. This made Cain very angry and downcast.

Then YHVH said to Cain, “Why are you angry and downcast? If you do right, why do you not look up? But if you are not doing what is right, sin is lurking at the door. It is striving to get you, but you must control it.”

Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go to the fields.” Once there, Cain turned on his brother Abel and killed him. YHVH said to Cain, “Where is your brother, Abel?” He answered, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?”

YHVH asked, “What have you done? Your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. Now be cursed and driven from the ground that has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood that your hand had shed. When you till the soil, it will no longer yield you its produce. You will be a fugitive wandering on the earth.”

Cain said to YHVH, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. See! Today You drive me from this land. I must hide from You and be a wanderer and a fugitive on the earth, and it will so happen that whoever meets me will kill me.” YHVH said to him, “Well then, whoever kills Cain, will suffer vengeance seven times.” And YHVH put a mark on Cain to prevent anyone who met him from killing him.

Adam again had intercourse with his wife and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth; for she said, “YHVH has given me another child in place of Abel since Cain killed him.”

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Sunday, 16 February 2025 : Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday all of us are reminded of the need for us all as God’s faithful people, His holy and beloved ones to follow His path and Law, to obey His will and to do what is right and just, and not to allow ourselves to be easily tempted and swayed by the pleasures and comforts, wicked desires of this world around us. All of us should always live our lives faithfully and dedicate ourselves thoroughly to the cause of the Lord, being reminded of the manner in which we should carry out in our daily living as Christians, that is as God’s holy and worthy people, those whom He had called and chosen to be His own. We should not be ignorant of the mission and calling which each one of us have been entrusted with by God.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah in which the Lord told His people in the kingdom of Judah of the futility and foolishness of those who put their faith and trust in man and other worldly means instead of trusting and having faith in God. This must be understood in the context of how many among the people of Judah at that time had not obeyed the Lord, turned away from Him and abandoned His Law and commandments, persecuted the prophets and messengers that God had sent to them in order to remind them and guide them to the right path. They hardened their hearts and minds against God and His prophets, and instead of listening to the truth, they chose to delude themselves through all sorts of temptations present around them, the temptations of worldly ambitions and power, of pleasures and satisfaction of the flesh.

That was why they ended up falling ever further away from the Lord and His path, and we are all reminded that we should not follow the same path that they had trodden and walked, or else, we may end up falling into this same path towards our downfall as well. Nonetheless, the Lord has always loved us and He has always been patient in caring for us. He never gave up on us and despite our rebelliousness and waywardness, He still patiently sent His helpers and messengers to guide us all down the right path. That God still sent Jeremiah to remind those wayward people and even reassuring them of His care and compassion, was proof enough of how precious and dear each one of us are to Him, and we really should not take this for granted.

In our second reading this Sunday, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful people of God in Corinth, we heard of how the Apostle spoke about the matter of the resurrection of the Lord, Jesus Christ, the One Whom God had sent into this world in order to bring about our salvation. St. Paul spoke of how the Lord has risen from the dead and how this Resurrection indeed truly happened, and because of that, those who have believed in the Lord and His Resurrection will be assured of the salvation which God has given to them, and they were not foolish in believing and putting their trust in the Lord and His Resurrection into glory. They were not believing in a lie or falsehood, but were believing in something that many had suffered and died in testifying for the truth.

We are all reminded that since Christ has risen from the dead and conquered death itself, therefore our faith and trust in Him is not something that is meaningless or useless, as we shall be triumphant with Him and we will share in His glory and the joy that He has promised us all if we remain true to our faith in Him. We should not easily be dissuaded from following the Lord and we have to hold firmly our faith in Him because after all, what we have believed is indeed the truth, and countless people throughout the history of the Church, many martyrs and saints had endured lots of obstacles, hardships and persecutions in the Name of the Lord, and yet, they never gave up their faith in God.

And why was that so? That is likely because they stood up for what they themselves had witnessed or what their predecessors themselves had seen and experienced. No one would have been willing to suffer and face death in the manner of the martyrs and saints, if what they had believed in was false or not really true. Instead, the very fact that truth is what they stood up for allowed them all to endure even the most terrible persecutions and punishments is a testimony showing that what our Christian predecessors have believed in about the Lord, His mission, His works and ultimately, His own suffering, death and resurrection are truly real and not merely a myth or a made-up story or tale. Therefore, all of us should also be strengthened in our own faith and belief in God as well.

Then, in our Gospel passage this Sunday, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist in which we heard the famous teaching of the Lord to His disciples and all the other people listening to Him, known as the Sermon on the Mount or the Eight Beatitudes. In that sermon, the Lord proclaimed a series of blessings for those who have lived their lives virtuously according to what the Lord Himself has taught and told His disciples. He reminded them all that those who truly believe in God ought to have the qualities that He had highlighted, namely, being poor and hungry, those who did not put their focus in life on material goods and pursuit of wealth and glory, as well as those who are seeking for justice and work for peace, among others.

All of these ought to serve as guide and inspiration for all of us to follow in our own lives so that by our every actions, works and endeavours, we will always strive to be good examples for others around us, full of hope and faith in the Lord, virtuous and just, as we are all called to have those virtues in us, to be the ones whose lives are truly dedicated to God and a reflection of the light of God, His hope, truth and love. Can we therefore be this shining beacon of hope and inspiration to others? Can we be the ones to help those around us to come ever closer to God and to do God’s will, obeying His Law and commandments to the best of our abilities? Each and every one of us are reminded of this important mission and responsibility that we have so that we can help to bring others around us, our brethren, ever closer to God.

May the Lord, our most loving God, our Master and Creator, continue to strengthen us and empower us in our everyday living, giving us all the courage and the power to carry out the missions entrusted to us all as members of this Church of God. May God bless us always and may He bless our every good works and endeavours, our efforts to glorify His Name, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 16 February 2025 : Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 6 : 17, 20-26

At that time, coming down the hill with His disciples, Jesus stood in an open plain. Many of His disciples were there, and a large crowd of people, who had come from all parts of Judea and Jerusalem, and from the coastal cities of Tyre and Sidon.

Then, looking at His disciples, Jesus said, “Fortunate are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. Fortunate are you, who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Fortunate are you, who weep now, for you will laugh.”

“Fortunate are you, when people hate you, when they reject you and insult you and number you among criminals, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for a great reward is kept for you in heaven. Remember, that is how the ancestors of the people treated the prophets.”

“But alas for you, who have wealth, for you have been comforted now. Alas for you, who are full, for you will go hungry. Alas for you, who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Alas for you, when people speak well of you, for that is how the ancestors of the people treated the false prophets.”

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Sunday, 16 February 2025 : Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

1 Corinthians 15 : 12, 16-20

Well, then, if Christ is preached as risen from the dead, how can some of you say, that there is no resurrection of the dead? If the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith gives you nothing, and you are still in sin.

Also, those who fall asleep, in Christ, are lost. If it is only for this life, that we hope in Christ, we are the most unfortunate of all people. But no, Christ has been raised from the dead, and He comes before all those who have fallen asleep.

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Sunday, 16 February 2025 : Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 1 : 1-2, 3, 4 and 6

Blessed is the man who does not go where the wicked gather, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit where the scoffers sit! Instead, he finds delight in the Law of YHVH and meditates day and night on His commandments.

He is like a tree beside a brook producing its fruit in due season, its leaves never withering. Everything he does is a success.

But it is different with the wicked. They are like chaff driven away by the wind. For YHVH knows the way of the righteous but cuts off the way of the wicked.

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Sunday, 16 February 2025 : Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Jeremiah 17 : 5-8

This is what YHVH says, “Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings and depends on a mortal for his life, while his heart is drawn away from YHVH!”

He is like a bunch of thistles in dry land, in parched desert places, in a salt land where no one lives and who never finds happiness. Blessed is the man who puts his trust in YHVH and whose confidence is in Him! He is like a tree planted by the water, sending out its roots towards the stream. He has no fear when the heat comes, his leaves are always green; the year of drought is no problem and he can always bear fruit.

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Tuesday, 13 February 2024 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us are reminded that as long as we have faith in the Lord and as long as we continue to hold on to the faith which we have in our loving God and Saviour, then we can be strong amidst the many challenges and obstacles in our path, as we continue living our lives as Christians with faith and commitment to God. We should not allow worldly distractions and temptations to distract and mislead us down the wrong path, and we must always remain strong in God, and in all the things that He has taught and shown us to do. We should always strive to be righteous and just, virtuous and full of grace from the Lord, in everything that we say and do, and in how we interact with our brothers and sisters around us.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. James in which the Apostle St. James the Greater exhorted the faithful people of God that all of them must always hold fast and firmly to their faith in the Lord, knowing that it is in Him alone that there is certainty and assurance of true happiness, joy and salvation, and of the other things that the world cannot provide. If we allow ourselves to be swayed by those temptations and distractions, then we may end up walking down the path of sin, and getting further and further away from the Lord and His salvation, which is something that we should not be doing. That is why St. James reminded us all that we should always do our best so that we may continue to draw ever closer to God and His salvation.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus as He spoke to His disciples regarding the matter of the Pharisees and the way that they had constantly opposed His works and their lack of faith, their doubts and refusal to believe in His truth, which He mentioned as the ‘yeast of the Pharisees’. He also mentioned the ‘yeast of Herod’ as a reminder to all of them that they should also not allow worldly matters and desires, all the comforts and pleasures present all around us from leading us down the path of ruin and evil. This was because the Pharisees were those who thought themselves as superior and better than others around them simply because they were better educated and had better knowledge of the Law and the Prophets. Meanwhile, Herod and his court were corrupt and worldly, filled with vices and sins of the world, as they enjoyed the pleasures of the world and the flesh.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this is why we are all reminded by these Scripture passages that we should not be easily swayed and tempted by those various worldly matters, attachments, temptations, desires and all the other things which may end up causing us to fall into the slippery path towards rebellion, disobedience and lack of faith in the Lord, from which it will be hard for us all to escape unless we make the conscious effort to turn ourselves away from all those sins and the temptations to sin, and embrace once again the Lord and all of His truth, love and grace. Each and every one of us are parts and members of His Church, and we have been blessed and given the great honour of being so beloved and dear in the sight of God, our loving Father and Creator.

However, many of us often disobeyed Him and turned away from Him, refusing to listen to Him and follow His Law and commandments, because we allow ourselves to be tempted by the various concerns and attachments in life, by the wickedness and desires of the world, by our pride, ego and arrogance, that we fail to realise just how mistaken and erroneous our path in life has become. We refused to listen to the words of truth and advice that God had given us, either directly or indirectly, and this leads to us getting further and further away from the path of righteousness and truth. All of us must always embrace God’s love and kindness, His ever consistent desire to reach out to us, to be reconciled with us and to redeem us from our sins.

Now, we are about to enter into the Season of Lent, which starts tomorrow with the Ash Wednesday. This reminder we have received today is therefore very apt and timely, as a reminder for all of us to turn away from all of our sinfulness and wicked ways, from all the temptations of the world. All of us should strive to get rid from ourselves the taint and corruption of sin, and all the other impurities and obstacles which have prevented us from coming closer towards the Lord. This upcoming Lenten season is the perfect opportunity for us to make a difference, and to find our way back once against towards the Lord, and we really should not squander the opportunities that have been presented and provided to us by the Lord.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore renew our commitment to the Lord, in doing what God has called us to do, to be faithful once again to Him and to follow Him in the path which He has shown us. Let us all turn away from the temptations of sin, resisting all those things that may bring us down towards this path of wickedness and evil, and help one another that we may always remain strong and firm in our faith and in our conviction and desire to live our lives wholeheartedly in the Lord. Let us all do our best so that our every moments and our every actions, words and deeds will truly be filled with righteousness and virtues, and with all that the Lord has shown and taught us to do, that we may show good examples of our Christian faith and beliefs to others.

May the Lord be with us all, and may He empower each and every one of us so that we may grow ever stronger in faith and persevere amidst the challenges and temptations, obstacles and trials facing us. May God bless our every efforts, our good works and actions so that in all things, and at all opportunities, we will always glorify Him, now and forevermore. Amen.