Advent homily

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Tuesday, 19 December 2023 : 3rd Week of Advent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded that God has always been ever faithful to the Covenant that He has created with us, and He has proven all these by sending unto us His salvation through the servants that He has sent to prepare His path and to prepare all of us so that we may walk in the path of righteousness and find our way towards Him, His salvation and grace, and be reconciled once again with His love and kindness. Each and every one of us are reminded that we should always be focused on the Lord in our lives and in all things.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Judges, we heard of the story of how Samson, one of the famous Judges to rule and guide over the Israelites, was conceived and born, during the time when the people of God were oppressed under their neighbours, the Philistines. At that time, during the years after the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and after they had arrived and settled in the lands promised to them by God in Canaan, and before the days of the kings of Israel and Judah, the people of God were ruled and guided by a series of Judges, those people whom the Lord had called and chosen to be the leaders of His people.

Many of the Judges rose up during the times when the Israelites were troubled by sufferings and difficulties, especially because of the oppressions, attacks and the difficulties from their own neighbours, and the Lord helped His people through His Judges, although they did not remain faithful to Him all the time, and they only obeyed the Lord because of the actions and the influence of the Judges. At that time, the Philistines were the ones who were causing lots of problems for the Israelites, and hence, God called Samson to be His servant before he was even born, and He told Samson’s father, the man of the tribe of Dan as mentioned in today’s first reading, of what his son would do.

Samson’s story, the occurrences around his conception, birth and also his later life were actually often compared with that of St. John the Baptist, whose story has been highlighted a lot during this time of Advent, and which we heard yet again in our Gospel passage today. In today’s Gospel, we heard of the similar parallel in the story of how St. John the Baptist was conceived, and just like that of Samson, the Lord foretold the coming of St. John the Baptist to his father, through the means of an Angel of God, who came to tell their respective fathers, of how their sons would become the ones through whom God would lead His people to the path of righteousness, and liberating them from the tyranny of the world.

In the case of Samson, the Lord called Samson and sent him to help the people of Israel to resist against the forces of the Philistines, so that they might be freed from the tyranny of those who have caused them hardships and oppressions. Samson led the people to the victory against the Philistines and helped them to shake free from the yoke that burdened them, while St. John the Baptist did something rather similar in leading the people of God from the shackles and bondage to sin. He called all the people to turn away from the path of sin and evil, calling on all of them to turn away from their wickedness and the temptations of the world so that they may find their way to the salvation in God.

St. John the Baptist was sent into this world with the mission to lead all of us towards the Lord, and preparing the path for the coming of His Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, Whose coming St. John the Baptist had heralded and prepared for, thus, he helped all of us to come to know the Lord, and to have that important conversion of heart and mind so that we may truly welcome the Lord wholeheartedly into our hearts and minds, into our families and circles of friends, into our midst. All of us have been shown the light of God’s grace and salvation, and the reassurances from the Lord Himself, and now, what we all need to do is to prepare ourselves thoroughly and well so that we do not just prepare for the festivities and joyful commemoration of Christmas, but even more importantly, that we may reorganise our lives that we may truly live worthily as good and faithful Christians.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all hence do our best to focus our attention once again on the Lord, in doing what we can so that our lives may truly once again be centred on the Lord, instead of being easily swayed and dragged into the wrong paths by the many temptations, pressures and coercions being present all around us. Let us all enter into the time of Christmas celebration with the right understanding and appreciation of what Christmas is truly all about. Christmas is a time when we should remind ourselves of all the love which the Lord has shown us, the things He had done for us, in sending His servants and messengers like Samson and St. John the Baptist to help us all find our way to liberation and salvation, to His love and kindness. And this is why we should put Christ back in Christmas, and focus all of our celebrations on Him, not on all the glamour and glitz, the excesses of worldly and material wealth that often surround our Christmas celebrations.

May the Lord, our most loving God and Creator, Who has always loved us and kept us in His compassionate care and kindness, continue to help and guide us in our journey of life, and may He bless our every good deeds and endeavours, so that in all the things that we say and do, in our upcoming Christmas celebrations, we will always be the true bearers and witnesses of the Lord’s Good News, truth and love. Amen.

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Monday, 18 December 2023 : 3rd Week of Advent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures and as we come ever closer to the moment of Christmas, which is just exactly a week away from now, each and every one of us are reminded that we all should do our part in ensuring that our preparations and all the things that we do in our upcoming Christmas celebrations and joy, all of them should always be focused and centred on the Lord, our God and our Saviour, Christ, in Whom we all ought to be celebrating about, and the One Who is the true joy and reason for Christmas. Without Christ, there can be no Christmas, and this is what we are being reminded of again today.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah in which the Lord reassured His people that He would send unto them His salvation, through the Heir of the House of David, successor of David, the great King who had once ruled over the whole people of Israel. This was hope and joy given to the people who by that time had been facing lots of struggles, humiliations and hardships. The kingdom of Israel as it was during the glorious days of David and Solomon was no more, and the northern part of the kingdom, also known as Israel had been destroyed and conquered by the Assyrians, and many of them uprooted from their homeland to be exiled to far-off lands.

The kingdom of Judah, where the prophet Jeremiah ministered in, was also not in a good state, having been beset by many troubles, and dominated by powerful neighbours and rulers. Yet amidst all of these, the Lord told all of His people of the hope that was to come, after telling and warning them of the destruction that was about to come to them because of their sins and wickedness, that eventually, the Lord would rescue and save them all, and gather them all once again, and that they would be His people once again, promising and reassuring them all of His love and continued compassion and care. Through all of that, we can see just how much God has loved us all His people, and we really should not have taken any of these for granted. God’s love for us endures even despite our sins and wickedness.

Ultimately, God still loves us, though He despises our sins and evils. He wants us all to turn away from all those sins and embrace His path of righteousness and truth once again, and this is why He has sent unto us His salvation through His Son, which we heard in our Gospel passage today, as the fulfilment of everything that He has spoken, promised and reassured us all from the very beginning of time, and which He has kept on reminding us again and again through His prophets and messengers. We heard of the Lord sending His Son unto us, Incarnate in the flesh and to be born of the Blessed ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God, who became pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit, and the will of the Father, and how He persuaded and revealed the truth to St. Joseph, Mary’s betrothed, that the Child in her is none other than the Saviour of the world.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, having heard of all these we are then reminded of why Christmas is so important to us, and that is because God’s love has been made manifested to us, tangible, real and approachable through His Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, that God has shown Himself to us, no longer veiled and hidden, and He showed us all just how much He cared for all of us that He reached out to us sinners, even to the worst of sinners amongst us, and making known to all of us His intentions, that is to reconcile us and to bring about forgiveness and liberation for us from the tyranny of sin and evil. Much as how the Lord spoke through the prophet Jeremiah in our first reading today, through Christ, all of us have seen and witnessed the real proof of God’s providence and love.

Today, as we reflect upon these readings from the Sacred Scriptures, let us all spend some time to think about how we may have prepared ourselves for the Christmas celebrations and how we have responded to the way that the world around us have celebrated Christmas, with all the festivities and merrymaking, all the glamour and glitz of the celebrations, but one which often came without Christ in the midst of all those things. This is where all of us as Christians must strive to show the world that Christmas is truly about Christ, about God and the Love which He has very generously shown us all, by sending unto us His Son into our midst, and not about all the food, parties, festivities and gifts that we are all going to get and enjoy during the time of celebration.

Let us all therefore do our best in this time and opportunities provided to us, in this blessed season of Advent so that we may truly prepare ourselves wholeheartedly and completely, in living our lives worthily as Christians and in welcoming the Lord into our midst, focusing our attention once again on Him and not upon the many other distractions and temptations all around us. Let us all put the Lord once again at the very centre of our lives and existence, and do our best so that we may truly indeed be God’s faithful and committed followers and people, and through our proper orientation and focus in life, our emphasis on Christ, the true Joy and Hope of Christmas, we may show Him and His love to more and more people all around us.

May the Lord be with us all, and may He empower each and every one of us with the courage and strength to do His will, and may He bless our Advent commemorations and preparations that we may truly be able to rejoice fully and properly this upcoming glorious and joyous Christmas season. Amen.

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Sunday, 17 December 2023 : Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Rose (Gaudete Sunday) or Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday is the Third Sunday of Advent, also known popularly as Gaudete Sunday. This is known as such because of the Introit of the Mass which goes as ‘Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete.’ and this means ‘Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice.’ The word Gaudete having the meaning ‘Rejoice’ and ‘Joy’ and hence which is why this Sunday we are focusing and contemplating upon the aspect of ‘Joy’ in Advent, after that of ‘Hope’ and ‘Peace’ in the earlier two Sundays of Advent and ‘Love’ in the next and last Sunday of Advent. This Sunday, much like its Lenten counterpart, the Laetare Sunday, marks a short and temporary break from the penitential and more sombre nature of the rest of the Advent season, as we prepare ourselves and anticipate the coming true Joy of Christmas.

This is why it is very important that this Sunday we should ask ourselves well why is it that we are celebrating the upcoming joyful and festive Christmas season in the first place. Christmas is the time when we all tend to gather together and celebrate together as families and with our friends and loved ones. It is a time full of joy and festivities, and something that generally many if not most people are looking forward to each year. However, let us ask ourselves, what is Christmas and its joy is to all of us? Is it about all the glitters and festivities, all the food and revelries, all the gifts and exchanging of wishes, all the merrymaking and parties? Or is it about the One Whom we ought to be truly rejoicing in, the One because of Whom Christmas is there in the first place?

This Sunday, we remind ourselves that the Joy of Christmas is truly not about all the gifts, parties, celebrations, merrymaking and all the things that we usually associate with Christmas, all the lights and the revelries, but rather, the very essence and focus of Christmas and our joy should always be on Christ, our Lord, through Whom, the world and all of us have received the sure hope, assurance and hence, being able to rejoice wholeheartedly because all of us, who have once been destined to damnation and destruction, have been saved by the saving power and the works of Our Lord, Who humbled Himself, and willingly embraced us all sinners, by being Incarnate in the flesh, and born of His mother Mary, coming into our midst, God Who is with us, Emmanuel.

Through Christ and His coming into this world, as He came to walk amongst us, He has shown us all the true nature of God, which is Love and kindness, compassion and mercy. He has always loved us from the very beginning, and He has always been patient in showing us all His kindness and compassion despite all of us having constantly and stubbornly disobeying Him and betraying Him with the wicked idols of this world, as we chose to follow the path of our desires, wealth and all the other temptations around us rather than to follow the path of the Lord. Essentially, we choose to seek the joy that is in the world rather than to seek the true joy that is found in Christ, our Lord alone.

That is why today we are all reminded of what is the true joy of Christmas, that is Christ our Lord. The Scripture readings today all allude to this, reminding us that the Lord has sent us all His salvation through His Son so that we may rejoice once again, as He gathered us all, reached out to us and helped us to get out from the depth of our sins and wickedness, leading us from the path of our downfall and damnation, into the Light of His truth and love. Like from our first reading today taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, we heard of the prophecy of Isaiah regarding the coming of the Lord’s Saviour, in which His coming would be heralded with the occurrences of miracles, signs and wonders, which the Lord Jesus did perform, fulfilling all that God had promised to us, His beloved ones.

He came into this world to gather us all from the darkness and the evils surrounding us, and to lead us into His Light and Hope once again. He has come to us to make us holy and perfect once again just as St. Paul mentioned in his Epistle to the Church and the faithful in Thessalonica in our second reading today. The Lord our God has given us His Son and bestowed upon us the Holy Spirit so that we all may have the wisdom, courage and grace to continue living our lives with faith and dedication to Him despite the many trials and challenges which we may have to face amidst our journey of life, our faith life and struggles each day. That is why, we are reminded to continue to direct our focus and attention on Him, and not on the other, false sources of joy and satisfaction present all around us.

The Gospel passage today also reminded us off this, as we heard about St. John the Baptist, the one who is the Herald of the Lord, in how he revealed and directed each and every one of us to the salvation in God, in pointing us to the One in Whom we ought to be rejoicing and celebrating. And as we heard from the Gospel passage, he also showed great humility that despite the fame and the great following he had at that time, he remained humble and consistent in his message, and in leading everyone to the one true Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. As we come ever closer to the time of Christmas, that is less than a week from now, this passage reminds us yet again of why we rejoice and celebrate this Christmas, that because our Lord Himself has come, hope and joy have been restored to us, and we rejoice because through the Lord, there is indeed plentiful redemption, strength and joy.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, just as we have been repeatedly reminded today of why we ought to celebrate this upcoming Christmas time and season, and how we should be celebrating and rejoicing in that moment, let us all therefore be renewed in our commitment to follow the Lord, our true Hope and Joy, the One Who has brought us all ever closer to Himself, reaching out to us with His everlasting and ever-enduring Light and love, so that all of us who are still wandering in this world full of darkness and evil may find our way to Him, and enter into the glorious and joyful Kingdom that He has prepared, designed and intended for all of us. This is why, this Third Sunday of Advent, as we reflect on the joyful nature of our Advent expectation and looking up upon the True Joy of Christmas, let us all make sure that our preparations and our whole way of life may indeed be truly aligned and attuned with God’s path.

Let us all remind ourselves and one another that Christmas is truly not about comparing who among us can celebrate more beautifully or wonderfully, or whether we will get more presents and gifts than last year, and what kind of presents, gifts and good things we may gain. Instead, Christmas is about us sharing the joy which we have received from Christ our Lord Himself, the fountain of our joy and hope, Who has given us His everlasting love and peace. Let us all be the joyful bearers of God’s love to all the whole world, and beginning from ourselves, let us all truly, in all things, properly and worthily welcome the Lord into our midst, as we come to His Presence, seeking Him, our true Joy and Hope, now and always. May the Lord be with us all, and may the expectation of His Joy continue to strengthen us for the rest of this Advent season and thereafter. Amen.

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Saturday, 16 December 2023 : 2nd Week of Advent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded of the prophet Elijah in particular, and this is because the prophet Elijah has often been associated with St. John the Baptist in terms of their actions and ministries, that St. John the Baptist was considered either the second coming of Elijah, or having the spirit of Elijah in him, sent with the similar mission of calling God’s people to repentance and to turn themselves back towards the path of God. And especially during this time and season of Advent, it is really very important for us to realign our lives to the Lord, and renew our commitment to Him that we will once again be focused on Him in all things.

In our first reading today, we heard from the book of the prophet Sirach which is commonplace during this time of Advent, a long exhortation on the prophet Elijah, who came before Sirach and was sent to the people of Israel in the northern kingdom. If we read through the Book of Kings and the Book of Chronicles we can clearly see the kind of works and labours which Elijah had done for the sake of the Lord and His people, all the hardships and challenges that he had to endure in the face of opposition, stubbornness and rejection from the people of God. The prophet Elijah laboured for many years, enduring hardships and even threats to his life, amidst everything that he had done for God’s glory.

Eventually, the works of the prophet Elijah bore many fruits, as he led many people to turn once again towards God, as they were touched by the efforts and works of this holy man of God. Elijah performed many miracles from the Lord before the people and proved to many of them that He is indeed their Lord, God and Master, and not all those false gods and idols which they had worshipped and became astray upon throughout all that time. Elijah laboured to lead the people who had gone astray from the path of the Lord that they may find their way back to Him. He was eventually then taken up to Heaven on a flaming chariot, as witnessed by the prophet Elisha, Elijah’s successor as prophet to Israel. This made Elijah to be one of the very few of those who did not experience death, and some believed that Elijah would come again.

Then, in our Gospel passage today we heard of the Lord answering the queries of the people and His disciples who were asking Him regarding the prophet Elijah, who according to some prophecies, were meant to come again to the world to herald the coming of the Lord and His salvation. The Lord told them all that Elijah had indeed come, and this was a reference to St. John the Baptist, whom some indeed believed to be the second coming of the prophet Elijah, or having the spirit of Elijah, and the mission which the Lord had also entrusted to Elijah earlier in him. The Lord had sent Elijah to call His wayward people to return to Him, and that was the same that St. John the Baptist had been entrusted to do, to make straight the path for the Lord when He came into our midst.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we are all reminded of this day as we have been throughout this time and season of Advent, let us all keep our attention and focus ever more on the Lord, our every efforts and works, and our preparations and plans for the upcoming Christmas season and celebrations in particular. Each and every one of us have been called by the Lord to come to Him, just as He has done through His prophets, through Elijah, Isaiah and through His Herald, St. John the Baptist. We are called to come out from the darkness and distractions present all around us in this world, and embrace once again the light of God’s truth and ever enduring love and kindness.

The question is are we willing and ready to embrace God and His love? Too often we are distracted and kept busy by the many temptations and challenges, pleasures and allures of this world. This is why we often keep ourselves closed off against the Lord and His truth and love. He has always been kind and loving towards us, but we are distracted by our many attachments and temptations present all around us. This includes how we celebrate and rejoice in this Christmas time and season as well. We can definitely relate to how many times we see all the excesses of worldly joy and pleasures, all the festivities and merrymaking, all the marketing and sales involved during this Christmas period, all around us.

However, we often neglect and forget the Lord in this time of celebration and festivities, as our joys and commemorations tend to focus a lot more on ourselves, on our desires and the image of the much-secularised Christmas that we are all familiar with. In a sense, just as the Israelites had once fallen away from the path of the Lord and ended up in the path of wickedness, disobedience and sin, hence, in the same manner, we too have often faltered in our own lives and in how we commemorate and celebrate Christmas in general. This is why today, as we are reminded of all these things, we should really remind ourselves and strive to be truly Christ-centric in our lives and also in our Christmas celebrations and events.

May the Lord continue to guide us and strengthen us in faith, and may He empower us all so that as we enter into this one final week of time of Advent before Christmas, we may truly make good use of the time and opportunities that we have been given, to be truly committed to the Lord and to have a truly Christ-centred Christmas, remembering that Christ is the One Whom we are celebrating about, and that we may be the worthy and good bearers of His light and truth, His love and compassion to all the peoples, of all the nations. May God bless our Advent journey and our respective lives. Amen.

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Friday, 15 December 2023 : 2nd Week of Advent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded to keep ourselves holy and worthy of God, staying away from the many temptations and persuasions of the world, all of which can lead us down the wrong path in life. Each and every one of us as Christians have been called to dedicate ourselves to the Lord with ever more commitment, focusing our lives and our whole existence upon Him. We should not allow the distractions and the waywardness of this world from turning us towards our downfall and destruction. It is important that all of us must keep in mind that each and every one of us are God’s beloved people, and as such, we should always strive to be good and holy, just as He is holy.

In our first reading passage today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Isaiah in which the prophet spoke of how everything would have turned out well for the people of God if they had trusted in Him and followed His path, instead of the fate that they had endured, the sufferings, humiliations and challenges that they had encountered because of their lack of faith and disobedience, their refusal to follow the path which the Lord had instructed and shown them, and which He has constantly reminded them through His many prophets and messengers. God wanted all of His people to know that it is in Him alone that they could find true joy, purpose and satisfaction in life, and nothing could replace Him or His truth and ways.

The people of God had grown wayward because they allowed themselves to be swayed by the temptations of sin and evil, by the allures of worldly glory and pleasures, the many attachments and distractions present all around them, in all the things which had been presented to them, and the pressures and coercions by which they were tempted to abandon God and betray Him for the pagan gods and false idols. The Lord nonetheless continued to care for all of them, sending them help and reminders along the way, despite them hardening their hearts and minds, stubbornly refusing to follow His path, and preferring instead to embrace the discordant ways and demands of the world.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the frustrations which the Lord pointed out to all those who were gathered to listen to Him, as He told them of just how arbitrary and fickle the faith and beliefs of the people of God at that time, as they hardened their hearts and minds, and refusing to believe in the Lord, their God, and in the One Whom He had sent into their midst to save them, as they should have done. It was mentioned how many among the people refused to follow Him or His Herald, St. John the Baptist, who had come before Him, proclaiming His coming and the imminent coming of God’s Kingdom and salvation. The people thought that they knew it better, and judged both St. John the Baptist and the Lord by their own arbitrary judgment, thinking that they could not be wrong.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, hence, as we listened in those Scripture passages today, we are all reminded of all the things that can lead us down the path of ruin, the path of damnation and mistakes, because we allow worldly pleasures, temptations and persuasions, as well as our pride and ego to mislead us down the wrong path. Our pride and arrogance, our stubborn attitude and behaviours often come in between us and the Lord, as we often failed to realise just how flawed and weak we are, how small and insignificant we are amidst all the glory and power of God. This is why during this time and season of Advent, all of us are called and reminded to throw away from our hearts and minds all these shackles of sin, pride, ego and desires, all which had brought us away from God.

This Advent, let us all renew our commitment and focus in the Lord so that in all and everything that we say and do, in our every steps and moments, our actions and more, we will always be centred and focused on the Lord. Let us all remind ourselves that our lives and existence are possible all because of the Lord, His love, kindness and mercy, and due to everything that He had done for our sake. Each and every one of us whom the Lord had loved and cared for patiently, we should be grateful for everything that He had done for us, and in this time of Advent, let us especially remember everything that He had done for us, in sending unto us His own beloved Son, to be born into this world and becoming the source of our Hope and salvation.

Let us all focus our attention and commitment once again to the Lord, and align our Christmas preparations and efforts, all the things that we are preparing to do in rejoicing and celebrating through this upcoming joyful season, so that in everything we do, we will always focus all things in Christ, and rejoice with the right understanding and appreciation of what it is that we have celebrated and rejoiced for. Let us all also be the bearers of the Good News of Christ to all the people. Let us all be the good role models and examples for one another and for all those who have not yet known of the salvation of God. And let us also share the joy of Christ to everyone, beginning from ourselves so that we may indeed be the bearers of Christ’s Light to all.

May the Lord our most loving God and Creator, Whose patient and enduring love have been the reason for our joy and celebration, our hope and salvation, continued to be with us and bless us, and empower us in our journey towards Him, in our Advent commemorations and efforts. May He continue to help and lead us down the right path, and bless our Advent journey, as well as our good efforts and endeavours. Amen.

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Thursday, 14 December 2023 : 2nd Week of Advent, Memorial of St. John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we continue to progress through this blessed time and season of Advent and as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, all of us are reminded more and more of the coming of our salvation in God, which He has brought into our midst through none other than Jesus Christ Himself, the Son of God, and the One Who has been prophesied and predicted to come into this world, as the Saviour of all mankind. This Advent all of us are reminded as usual of this fact, so that we may indeed remember the very reason why we even celebrate Christmas in the first place. Christmas is truly not all about the festivities, merrymaking, all the joy and the parties, the gifts and the food that we are going to have, but it is all about Christ, our Lord, and the love that God Himself has shown us through His Son.

In our first reading today, we continue to hear the reading from the prophet Isaiah, in which we are constantly being reminded yet again of God’s love and all the reassurances and promises which He has given to us all, His beloved ones, which He has also fulfilled and accomplished through the coming of His Son, Our Messiah or Saviour. The context for those words of reassurance were that God wanted to remind all of His beloved ones, that despite of their many sins, wickedness and evils, He continues to care for them and love them as usual, just as He has always done from the very beginning. What He despises from them, and hence, from all of us, is our sins and disobedience, our wickedness and evils, but not us personally. The Lord our God, is our loving God, Father and Creator, and He has always loved us all these while.

And that was why, He promised us all the path to leave the evils and darkness of this world. He opened the path to eternal life and righteousness through Jesus Christ, His own begotten Son, through Whom He has shown us a new path out of the darkness, and into His eternal Light. He has shown us all by His own examples what it truly means for us to be disciples, followers and the holy people of God, and by His own perfect obedience, He brought us all into the new assurance of eternal life, reconciling us with our loving God and Father, overcoming the sin borne out of the disobedience and unfaithfulness which our forefathers and predecessors had done, in their folly and inability to resist the many temptations and pressures to sin.

The Gospel passage today then spoke of how the Lord Jesus praised St. John the Baptist, whom the Lord had also prophesied as the one to prepare the way for the world’s Saviour. What we heard is yet again another affirmation that everything that the Lord has planned and wished to happen, had indeed come true and into its full fruition because He has always intended for us to be reconciled and reunited with Him. The Lord has sent St. John the Baptist who called many to the path of repentance, reminding them of their sins and wickedness, so that they might open their hearts and minds once again to the Lord, freeing themselves from the dominion and corruption of sin and evil which have corrupted and clouded their minds and hearts for so long, that God may lead them all once again to the path of righteousness.

That is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, today through those passages from the Sacred Scriptures, each and every one of us are reminded that we should always hold onto the faith which we have in the Lord, and remain focused on Him throughout our lives. And in particular, with regards of our preparations for Christmas and all the observances we made during this time and season of Advent, we should always remain firmly focused on the Lord and not be easily distracted and swayed by the many temptations present all around us, and be distracted by all the very prominent and loud celebrations and festivities, all the Christmas shopping, merrymaking and all the parties that are bereft and lacking of the true focus and attention on Christ, the One in Whom we ought to be celebrating and be rejoicing about.

We should not allow these temptations and worldly attachments, pleasures and all other things to dissuade and tempt us away from the path of righteousness and virtue in God. As Christians, each and every one of us should always be committed to the Lord, and we should always be Christ-like in all of our actions, words and deeds, in our every interactions and works, in our every good efforts and endeavours. This time and season of Advent is truly a good time for us to reconnect ourselves with the Lord, and to reevaluate our lives thus far, especially if we have allowed our many concerns and desires in life to interfere with our Christian faith and obligations. We should not allow all those distractions from keeping us away from the path of God’s truth, and we should also seek inspiration and strength from our holy predecessors, and their examples.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. John of the Cross, a renowned saint and holy man of God, who was one of the founders of the Discalced Carmelites order. St. John of the Cross was born into a family of Jewish Christian convert in the area near Avila in Spain, and he had a difficult early life due to having lost his father early on. St. John of the Cross eventually became a priest and while initially he wanted to join the Carthusians, an encounter with St. Teresa of Avila, with whom he would become the co-founders of the Discalced Carmelites, this led to St. John of the Cross helping St. Teresa of Avila in reforming the Carmelites and rediscovering their ancient discipline, rule and way of the Carmelites which had been distorted and corrupted over the centuries.

St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila worked in tandem to reform the Carmelites and they were joined by many who were interested and called to follow the Lord in the way that both these holy saints had done. However, they did not have it easy, as tensions with the original Carmelites as well as with the other religious orders brought about quite a lot of hardships and challenges, as they encountered even moments when the Discalced Carmelites were almost disbanded by the pressure and the order of those who were opposed of the works of St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila. Nonetheless, they remained firm in their conviction and dedication, in doing whatever they could to glorify God by their lives and works.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be inspired by the good examples set by St. John of the Cross and the many other holy men and women of God who have gone before us. Let their examples be our inspiration and strength that we may draw ever closer to God and be ever more courageous in how we continue to live our lives worthily in God’s Presence, and in how we continue to labour to prepare ourselves well for the upcoming celebration of Christmas. May God be with us always, and may He bless us all in our every good efforts and endeavours, our Advent journey and our lives. Amen.

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Wednesday, 13 December 2023 : 2nd Week of Advent, Memorial of St. Lucy, Virgin and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded of the love which our Lord and God has for us, and how in Him alone we can have hope and strength, salvation and liberation from all of our troubles, hardships and trials. Indeed, as we continue to progress through this time and season of Advent, we are constantly being called and reminded to remain focused on the Lord, to put our centre of attention and emphasis on Him at all times, especially in how we celebrate our upcoming Christmas festivities and joy. If we do not focus our attention on the Lord, it is very easy for us to be swayed by the many worldly temptations and coercions, attachments and distractions present all around us.

In our first reading today, from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, the prophet reminded the people of God that they should put their trust and faith in the Lord, and not be filled with doubt or uncertainty, because the Lord God is all powerful, Almighty and in Him alone there is true hope and path towards redemption. The Lord reminded His wayward people, who had often rebelled against Him and disobeyed His Law and commandments, that He would guide them all to the right path, and that He would restore their strength and state of grace. Contextually, by the time of the prophet Isaiah, the people of God had been troubled and endured a lot of hardships and challenges, many of which were borne out of their own foolishness and disobedience against God.

At that time, the people of the northern kingdom of Israel had been scattered and oppressed by the mighty forces of the Assyrians, who crushed the Israelite kingdom and destroyed its capital Samaria, bringing many of the people from the northern tribes into exile in far-off lands. The people in the southern kingdom of Judah did not fare much better either, as they also faced a lot of challenges and trials, and many of the people faced difficulties from their neighbours, as well as from the Assyrians themselves. Yet, God still held onto the Covenant that He had made with each and every one of His people, and He did not forget the promises which He had made to them, and hence, through Isaiah, God promised that His salvation would come one day, and all these were fulfilled with the Incarnation and the birth of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the Son of God we celebrate in Christmas.

Then, as we heard in our Gospel passage today, the Lord Himself reassured all of us through His disciples that in Him there is true rest, satisfaction and joy. He said that all who are weary and heavily burdened ought to come to Him, and He will give them rest, and how His yoke is lighter compared to the yoke of the world. What this means is that, while being Christians, as followers of Christ, it does not mean that we will be free from sufferings and hardships, but what it means is that the Lord’s path, while it may seem difficult and challenging, but in the end, it is the only path that leads to true happiness, joy and satisfaction, and the Lord Himself is always with us throughout the whole entire journey.

Today, the Church reminds us all about the importance of remaining firmly rooted in Christ, in obeying the Law and commandments of God, in doing everything that He has taught and revealed to us, so that we may always be focused and centred on Him at all times. We should resist the temptations present around us that we do not end up falling into the traps and pitfalls of sin which may lead us down the path of suffering and destruction. We should always remember that God is always present by our side, guiding and strengthening us throughout the journey, and that we are never alone in our lives, because besides God, we also have our fellow brothers and sisters present all around us, journeying together with us, and hence that is why it is important for us to continue to live our lives with care and compassion for one another.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, today also happens to be the Feast of St. Lucy, also known as St. Lucia of Syracuse, whose holiness, piety and devotion to God were known far and wide, and inspired many people throughout the ages. St. Lucy was born in Syracuse as a Roman citizen, and dedicated herself to a life of holy virginity, and as a Christian, she lived in a dangerous time because it was during the time of the great persecutions by the Roman Emperor Diocletian and his co-rulers, who launched systematic and intense series of persecutions against the Church and the faithful people of God. St. Lucy’s family was bereft of her father in her early age, and as her mother was afflicted with bleeding issue, not aware of St. Lucy’s vow of virginity, arranged her to be married to a wealthy pagan nobleman.

Through the intercession of another Syracusian saint, St. Agatha, St. Lucy’s mother was healed from her illness, and with the persuasion from St. Lucy herself, they distributed much of their riches to the poor, which was therefore reported by St. Lucy’s betrothed pagan nobleman to the Roman authorities. The Roman governor, one named Paschasius, ordered her to burn offerings and sacrifices to the pagan idols, knowing that St. Lucy was a Christian, which was rejected by the courageous young woman. Therefore, the governor ordered her to be defiled in a brothel, but could not get this done, by Divine intervention, which protected St. Lucy. Eventually, after further sufferings and persecutions, St. Lucy was martyred by a sword that was thrust into her throat. Her examples and faith inspired countless others long after her martyrdom, right up to this day.

That is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, each and every one of us should be more and more committed to the Lord, following the examples set by St. Lucy and the many other saints, holy men and women of God, who had dedicated themselves worthily and thoroughly to God’s cause. Each and every one of us should always be committed and focused on the Lord in our whole lives, in putting Him at the centre of our existence, and make Him the reason for our every actions, words and deeds. And this Advent, we should therefore strive to redirect our lives and our attention to the Lord, especially in how we live our lives so that we may truly be able to prepare well for a proper and worthy celebration of Christmas.

May the Lord our God continue to guide us all in life, and remind us that in Him alone there is salvation, hope and eternal life. May He empower each one of us and give us the courage and strength to do His will at all times. May God bless our every good works and efforts, our every endeavours, now and always, and bless our Advent journey. Amen.

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Tuesday, 12 December 2023 : 2nd Week of Advent, Memorial of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet or White (Our Lady of Guadalupe)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, commemorating a popular Apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, in the region now known as Guadalupe in Mexico, where millions visit her shrine daily, and many other countless millions dedicate themselves each year and throughout the years devote themselves to her, as they come seeking the Lord through His Blessed and ever loving Mother, who is also their Mother, our loving Mother. Our Lady of Guadalupe was one of the earliest known Apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which often occurred during times and moments of great strife and challenges to the Church, the faithful and the world.

At that time, where Our Lady of Guadalupe chose to make her appearance, many people still lived in lack of knowledge and understanding of the true faith, and there were also havoc as the Spanish conquerers who landed in the region of Mexico and elsewhere in what was known then as the ‘New World’ caused great destruction to many of the local cultures and civilisations there, by their wars of conquests, destruction and slavery, as well as through diseases and other forms of hazards which led to many deaths and sufferings among the people. Hence, it was only right that Mary indeed appear at that time and moment to intervene as through her efforts, intercession and apparition, later on, countless millions were saved through the faith and by being touched with Mary’s love and devotion to God.

Mary herself as Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to St. John Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, also known as St. Juan Diego, one of the early converts among the native population. One day, at the hill of Tepeyac, where the great Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe now stands, St. John Diego saw the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, appearing to him like a woman of his own race, and she revealed herself to him as the Mother of God and told him to inform the local bishop that a shrine should be built at the site so that she could assist those who have been troubled and distressed. St. John Diego obediently told the bishop and after another apparition, again shared with the local bishop what he had witnessed.

And when the bishop requested from the Apparition for a heavenly sign to show the authenticity of the supernatural event, the Blessed Virgin Lady of Guadalupe told St. John Diego that she would provide one. But when St. John Diego’s uncle was very sick and he missed the appointed time of the apparition, and attending to his uncle, later on when Our Lady of Guadalupe once again appeared to St. John Diego, she chided him gently for not having sought for her intercession and help, telling him in the now famous words, ‘Am I not here, who am your Mother?’ Then, while assuring St. John Diego that his uncle has fully recovered, she told him to gather flowers that were blooming at the site, using his own mantle, known as tilma, to hold those flowers to be shown to the bishop.

The moment that St. John Diego returned to the bishop and revealed the unusual flowers that he had gathered from the Blessed Lady of Guadalupe, the bishop was astonished to have seen the imprint of Our Lady of Guadalupe herself on the tilma or cloak of St. John Diego. This assured the bishop that the Apparition was truly genuine, and he immediately venerated the Blessed Lady of Guadalupe. Henceforth, the devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe became very popular, bringing countless souls to God, being saved through His mother’s love and care for us, and until today, countless millions came to venerate Our Lady of Guadalupe at her shrines, and many more throughout the world devoted themselves to the Lord through her, His Blessed Mother, who is also our Mother.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, the story of the Apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe and the faith of St. John Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin should be inspiration for all of us as Christians in how we should live our lives, and especially as we continue to journey through this season of Advent, in how we prepare ourselves for the upcoming celebrations and joy of the glorious Christmas season. In our world today, too often we encounter situations where mankind, that is all of us, are preoccupied with various temptations, attachments and distractions present around us in this world. Like during the time of St. John Diego and Our Lady’s apparition, much of the sufferings then were caused by human greed and ambitions, which had led to manipulation and exploitation by the strong on the weak, and more.

Today, as we celebrate this Apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe, let us all therefore examine our lives, our actions, words and deeds in all things. All of us should heed the words of Our Lady of Guadalupe reminding us to seek her Son, Our Lord and Saviour, and stay away from the path of sin and evil. We should remember that as Christians we are all called to an existence that is truly filled with God’s grace and love, and we are supposed to commit ourselves to the path which He Himself has shown and taught to us through His Church. We should not be ignorant of our obligations and our calling as Christians, and we should follow the example of the Blessed ever Virgin, Our Lady of Guadalupe herself, in all the commitment and dedication she has always shown.

Let us all therefore ask our Blessed and ever loving Mother, Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe to continue to intercede for each and every one of us, that through her prayers and help, we may be directed ever more closely to the Lord, our God and Saviour. Let us all turn ourselves to the path of righteousness and virtue once again, rejecting the darkness and wickedness of sin, resolving to live our lives henceforth as devoted followers and servants of our Lord and God, and truly be faithful and obedient to Him, at all times. And as we continue to prepare ourselves this Advent, may our Advent journey be fruitful, and may we continue to deepen our connection with God, as well as understanding more of what Christmas is for all of us. May God be with us always and may He bless us all in our every good efforts and endeavours. Amen.

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Monday, 11 December 2023 : 2nd Week of Advent, Memorial of Pope St. Damasus I, Pope (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet or White (Popes)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we continue to progress through this time and season of Advent, all of us are continuously being reminded of the true reason why we celebrate in this time and season, the upcoming great joy and happiness we are looking forward to in Christmas, as well as the reason why we spend this time of Advent to prepare ourselves thoroughly so that hopefully we may be more prepared and worthy, properly oriented and focused in our Christmas commemorations and celebrations. Advent is a time for us to rediscover our love for God, and for us to redirect and reorientate ourselves that if thus far our lives have been focused on ourselves and worldly pursuits, we may return once again to lives that are centred on God.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, we heard of the Lord’s words of assurance to His people, reminding them all of His love and providence, and how He would come again into their midst to bless them and to make things right for them again, which would be marked with the appearance of wonderful miracles and supernatural events like that had never happened before. The Lord reassured His people of His love through Isaiah, as part of the prophecies that He gave them, to reveal to them the coming of His salvation through none other than Jesus Christ, His one and only begotten Son, Whom He would send into this world in order to lead us all into His loving Presence, to save us all from certain death and destruction.

All the signs and things which the Lord had spoken about and prophesied through Isaiah were meant to reveal to them the One in Whom the Lord would bring all of His people to true happiness and joy once again, free from the troubles and trials that beset them, and brought free from the slavery of sin much as how He had once so with their ancestors in Egypt as He led them out through Moses and Aaron, destroying the shackles of their slavery by Pharaoh and the Egyptians. Thus, this Advent, we ought to remember how the Lord, our God and Saviour, had liberated us all from the shackles and bonds of sin, and reunited us all with Himself, opening the direct and sure path to salvation and eternal life, by the coming of His Son, the Saviour of the world.

Meanwhile, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the story of the time when the Lord Jesus healed a paralysed man, who was unable to move at all, brought upon his mat to the presence of the Lord. And we heard how the Lord was moved by the faith of the paralysed man and his friends who brought him, and healed him from his ailment. This led to the criticism and opposition from the teachers of the Law who happened to be there at the place. Those teachers of the Law take offence at the Lord’s words to the paralysed man, as He forgave the latter his sins. The teachers of the Law argued that only God alone can forgive sin, and thus the Lord Jesus had committed blasphemy against God by claiming to be able to forgive sins.

Yet, this same Lord Jesus Christ is indeed the One Whom Isaiah and the other prophets had been prophesying about, with all the wonders and signs that had been predicted in the prophecies of the prophets, including the healing of the paralysed man, and many other wonders and miracles that the Lord Himself had done, often in the plain sight and witness of those same teachers of the Law and the Pharisees and Sadducees who were with them. Unfortunately, their pride and ego, their thinking that no one else could have known better about the Lord and His Law had clouded their minds and judgment, and which was likely the reason why they had hardened their hearts and minds against the Lord, refusing to believe in Him, and even placing obstacles in His path.

This is what we ourselves should not be doing, brothers and sisters in Christ. Like how many of us had often done ourselves, in closing off our hearts and minds against the Lord, we must be careful lest we fail to recognise the Lord being present in our lives in all circumstances. And in this time and season of Advent and upcoming Christmas season, this is where we often see God being neglected because we are so focused on all the festivities, celebrations and rejoicing that we end up forgetting the very One Whom we ought to be celebrating and commemorating about this Christmas, that is Christ Our Lord and Saviour, Whose coming into this world had brought unto us God’s love manifested before us, becoming tangible and approachable to us, and how He has reassured us all of His salvation and grace.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of Pope St. Damasus I, one of the leaders of the early Church who helped to strengthen the Church amidst turbulent and challenging times, as he was very committed in devoting his time and efforts to the Church, even from before the time he was elected and reigned as the Pope and hence leader of the Church. Pope St. Damasus I was an Archdeacon of the Church and according to tradition, he also followed the then Pope Liberius into exile when the latter was persecuted by the then Roman Emperor Constantius II who was a supporter of the Arian heresy. Later on, during his time as Pope, Pope St. Damasus I was a very ardent defender of the faith against various heresies plaguing the Church and the faithful at that time.

Pope St. Damasus I should serve as our inspiration and role model because he tirelessly dedicated himself in guiding and shepherding the faithful people of God and the Church against the forces of heretics and others who sought to divide the Church, as he had to face many challenges like the presence of an Antipope in opposition to his rule, as well as challenges from the nobles and other powerful factions in the Church. He carried out important reforms and works that were meant to help the Church to remain firmly rooted in the faith, and was the one who commissioned St. Jerome to compile the Latin translation of the Greek Septuagint Bible, which would later on become the Latin Vulgate. Truly, Pope St. Damasus I did many great works, in establishing the Church and its institutions for the good of the people of God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore, as we have been reminded and hopefully inspired by the faith and courage shown by Pope St. Damasus I, let us all therefore strive to commit ourselves anew to the Lord especially during this time and season of Advent so that, hopefully we may grow ever closer to God, and be able to inspire others to seek the true joy and reason for Christmas, that is Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, and celebrate Christmas together with right understanding and true joy, and not with the excesses of worldly festivities and celebrations. May God be with us always, and may He continue to bless us in all things, and guide us in our Advent journey, now and henceforth. Amen.

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Sunday, 10 December 2023 : Second Sunday of Advent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday we mark the occasion of the Second Sunday of Advent, which reminds us all that we are all ever closer to the coming of the Christmas season, and hence we should also be reminded of the need for each and every one of us to be ever more focused on the Lord our God, Jesus Christ our Saviour, in Whom we should be celebrating and commemorating this upcoming Christmas for, and for Whom we have committed our Advent preparations for. If we have not done what we should in preparing ourselves well and properly for the coming of the Lord, then we have not done our Advent observances and actions in the right way. This is why we are constantly being reminded of these things so that we may truly focus ourselves more on the Lord and everything that He has done for us, through His coming into this world that we are going to celebrate this Christmas.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, and echoed by the other parts of the Scriptures we have heard this Sunday, we are all reminded of the salvation of God which He has promised to all of us, and our attention in particular are directed to the one whom the Lord had sent into this world as His messenger, Herald and as our guide so that all of us may truly find our way to Him, His salvation and grace. This Herald which He has sent into our midst was none other than St. John the Baptist, the one who prepared the way for the coming of the Lord just before His coming. St. John the Baptist was called by the Lord and prepared by Him from before he was even born, just in the manner how the prophet Isaiah had prophesied it all to be. He is the one whom Isaiah spoke as the voice that cried out in the wilderness, calling on everyone to make straight the way for the Lord.

These messages and prophecies of the prophet Isaiah came to the people of God just at the right time for them. Contextually, the people of God in Judah where Isaiah ministered at, had been beset by many hardships and difficulties, humiliations and challenges throughout many years, all of which were actually due to their lack of faith and trust in the Lord, as they chose to abandon Him, refuse to obey His path and ways, and failed to observe His Law and commandments. They persecuted God’s prophets and messengers, and yet, God in His ever enduring and wonderful love, continued to care for all of His wayward people, and sent them more reminders and help, and through Isaiah, He gave the most obvious and clearest prediction and prophecy, assurance and guarantees, of the coming of the time of grace and salvation through His Saviour.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the same message from the Gospel of St. Mark, in which we heard of the account of how St. John the Baptist, the one whom Isaiah prophesied about, began his ministry in proclaiming the coming of the Lord to all of God’s people, and how he performed his works in the wilderness, calling upon all of them to return to the Lord’s Presence, seeking Him with humility and desire to repent from their sins and wickedness. Through St. John the Baptist, the Lord has shown all of us, His beloved people, that He has always kept us first and foremost in His thoughts, and He has always wanted us to be reconciled and reunited to Him. Through St. John the Baptist, many people came to be touched by the Lord, and they came to Him, all seeking for forgiveness and mercy, through the baptism which St. John the Baptist had done at the River Jordan.

St. John the Baptist told all the people that the Lord was about to come very soon, and He would descend upon all of His loved ones, and hence, that was why those who listened to him, all of them ought to prepare themselves thoroughly and wholly so that they might be truly worthy and ready to welcome the Lord when He comes. St. John the Baptist kept on reminding the people of God’s grace and compassion, and how He would fulfil everything that He had promised to all of them. God would send His salvation to all of us through Jesus Christ, His one and only begotten Son, the Son of God Most High, incarnate in the flesh, that all of us may truly see the fullness of God’s love and grace, His compassion and mercy, becoming tangible and approachable to us.

Then, in our second reading today, we are also reminded by the Apostle St. Peter, whom in his Epistle spoke to the faithful regarding the matter of the coming of the Lord, and how each and every one of us as Christians should respond to it. St. Peter spoke of the fulfilment of God’s promises, in how He will come again just as He has told all of His disciples, and He will fulfil and accomplish all of that in due time, at a time of His own choosing. No one but the Lord Himself knows when this exact moment is, and this is why all of us as Christians, we are all always reminded to keep ourselves and our lives truly holy and worthy so that in all the things that we say and do, in our every interactions and in our way of life, we will always be truly righteous and just, good and dedicated as true and genuine Christians.

And this also brings our attention yet again to the nature of our Advent commemorations, and what the significance of the current Advent time and season is to us. In Advent, we prepare ourselves spiritually and wholly to welcome the Lord our God, commemorating with great joy His coming into this world which He had done and accomplished over two thousand years ago. However, in Advent, we are not merely just remembering what had historically happened two millennia ago in Bethlehem, when our Lord was born, but it also serves to remind and prepare us all for the Second Coming of Christ, which St. Peter had mentioned and touched upon in his Epistle today.

The word Advent itself came from the word ‘Adventus’ which means the onset, the coming and the appearance of something great, that is also in Greek as ‘Parousia’. Now both Adventus and Parousia also have that additional meaning and interpretation of the Second Coming of Christ, marking our expectation of the coming Kingdom of Our Lord. Therefore, this season of Advent, all of us need to keep well in mind and remember that we are also preparing ourselves not just to celebrate the joyful event of the past and history, but even more importantly, by reminding ourselves of what the Lord had done through His Son in saving us from destruction and damnation, thus, all of us should prepare for the time of His Second Coming, when He will come again to judge the whole world.

If our attitude and behaviour had been like those people of God in the past, the Israelites and the people of Judah who had not listened to the Lord, disobeyed Him and abandoned His Law and commandments, focusing more on the worldly temptations, pleasures and coercions, then unfortunately, we may be caught unprepared and unaware of when the Lord comes again in a sudden surprise, and we will have to account for our failures to obey Him, for our wrongdoings and wickedness in life. That is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, we should not take this time and season of Advent for granted, and we should make good use of this time and opportunities that had given to us such that we may truly prepare ourselves to be worthy of God, His love and compassionate kindness.

This Sunday, the Second Sunday of Advent we focus on the theme of ‘Peace’ after the theme of ‘Hope’ from the First Sunday of Advent last week. Today we are all reminded that Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, has brought God’s peace into our midst, bringing unto us all the peace that He has promised all of us, also His hope, joy and love. Many of us have not experienced true peace in life because we have often distanced ourselves from God and sought satisfaction and fulfilment from various worldly means and attachments we have, which cannot bring us true and lasting peace, or satisfaction and joy. It is in the Lord alone that we may find this true and lasting peace, and hence, this is why, on this Sunday, let us all reflect on our lives and how we have lived them, and also how we have journeyed through this season of Advent so far.

If our Christmas preparations have been mostly about ourselves and all the celebrations and festivities, then perhaps, we would want to refocus our attention once again on Christ, the very reason why we even celebrate Christmas itself in the first place. Without Christ, there can be no Christmas, and without Him and all that He has done for us, none of us can afford to rejoice, be happy or be at peace at all. If we follow the way how the secular world often celebrate Christmas, with all the excessive marketing and pursuits of pleasures and happiness, very soon we will realise that after all the celebrations had ended, then we will feel empty and cold inside us, and all of our celebrations done without proper focus and understanding may bring us more problems and worries rather than peace and joy.

That is why, each and every one of us should make good use of this time and period of Advent so that we may truly centre ourselves and our lives once again on the Lord, our God and Saviour. Let our every actions, words and deeds be filled with true faith and dedication to Him, and let all of us proclaim Him and His Good News through all of the ways we do in journeying and living through this blessed time and season of Advent properly, by witnessing to His love and grace, proclaiming His peace, hope, joy and love to all and everyone around us, to our families and even strangers and acquaintances we encounter in life. And let us all also pray to the Lord, that amidst our world darkened with many conflicts and wars, in various parts of the world, that He, the Prince of Peace, may bring about lasting peace and harmony in our world today. Amen.