Advent sermon

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Thursday, 19 December 2024 : 3rd Week of Advent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we continue to draw ever closer to the coming of the Christmas season and as we reflect upon the words of the Sacred Scriptures that had been presented to us, we are reminded that all of us must always be rooted firmly in our faith in God and we must always centre our attention on Him as we prepare for the celebration of His coming into this world in Christmas and not be easily swayed by all the false pleasures, resisting them and striving to do our best to obey the Lord and to do His will at all times, being good examples, role models and inspirations for each other in every moments of our lives. We are reminded this day of the great examples shown by two holy men of God who had been called by the Lord and consecrated to Him since their time in their mothers’ womb and how their faith and courage can inspire us in our own lives.

In our first reading today we heard from the Book of the Judges of Israel in which the story of a famous Judge of Israel was told to us, namely that of Samson, one of the later judges of Israel, hailing from the tribe of Dan, and born from the union between Manoah and his wife. At that time, his wife had not been able to bear children despite having definitely made the attempts, but God told Manoah and his wife through His Angel that she would conceive and bear a son, and how this son would be consecrated to God. From the description of what the Angel of God told Manoah and his wife, it was obvious that according to the Law of God, the son to be born to them would become a Nazirite. A Nazirite was someone put aside for the Lord and was consecrated to Him, and he could not touch any alcoholic drinks or cut his hair, among other rules imposed on them.

Therefore, that was how Samson came to be miraculously conceived in the womb of his mother and became a servant of God ever since before he was even born. He led a life in the wilderness in his youth and God was with him, giving him a great strength surpassing that of many others, which eventually made him to be the Judge or leader of all the Israelites, who were then suffering from the attacks and the actions of their Philistine neighbours. Samson led Israel to great many victories against these Philistines and liberated them from their bondage and troubles. God gave him the power and strength to lead His people to victory and triumph against their many enemies, and to restore peace to them.

Later on, if we read on further about the life and works of Samson, we would find out how he fell to the trickery of the Philistines who employed a woman Delilah to seduce him and to cut his hair, which made him to be powerless, and was caught by the Philistines and imprisoned. To the very end, Samson remained faithful to God nonetheless, and in his final moments of life, Samson prayed to God asking for strength and one last support as he brought down the whole building on all the Philistines who were assembled to mock him and to watch him being chained and humiliated. Many of the Philistines perished that day, and God showed His strength and providence yet again for His people, through this most faithful servant of his. Samson was one of the last judges before the days of the Kings, like the famous King David of Israel who would unite all of Israel and bring them to glory and greatness.

Then, in our Gospel passage today from the Gospel of St. Luke the Evangelist we heard the story of another servant of God whose life and details of ministry are somehow seemingly very similar and a close parallel to that of Samson, the Judge of Israel mentioned earlier. St. John the Baptist was born to Zechariah and Elizabeth, and at that time Elizabeth had not been able to conceive a child for many years, just like that of Samson’s mother. And then, the Angel of God, traditionally associated with the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah and told him about how his wife Elizabeth would conceive a child, and how God would be with this child and how his child would become God’s servant, much as how Samson had been, and he would name him John, or in the original Hebrew, Yohanan.

But Zechariah doubted at first and was unsure of what the Angel had told him, and as a result, he became mute until the time of the birth of the child as we heard in our Gospel passage today. When the child had been conceived and then born of Elizabeth, miraculously Zechariah’s mouth was opened again as he wrote down the name that the boy was supposed to be called according to the words and instructions of the Angel of God. This event was a great miracle and cause of rejoicing for many who noted that God was with the child, and indeed, as we follow and read on more about the life of St. John the Baptist, we will realise that his life would be truly very similar to that of the Judge Samson discussed just earlier on. He would also spend much of his time in the wilderness, not cutting his hair and leaving them unkempt like a Nazirite, and it was also mentioned that he did not touch alcoholic drinks.

Later on St. John the Baptist would call on all the people to return to the Lord and to repent from their sins, baptising them with the water of the River Jordan which was how he got the epithet ‘Baptist’ or ‘Baptiser’ that he became well-known for. People in their thousands came to seek him, to be baptised by him, and they sought the Lord and His forgiveness through that symbolic act of baptism by St. John. St. John the Baptist also faced a lot of hurdles as Samson the Judge had faced earlier on, as he had to contend against the stubborn attitudes and actions of the chief priests and the Pharisees who questioned him, doubted his authenticity and refused to listen to him despite his efforts and works that he had done to bring the people of God back towards Him. Later on he would be martyred in the prison of King Herod after he was arrested and then executed by beheading through the machinations of Herodias, the wife of King Herod.

Therefore, we can see how God had brought unto us the great examples of these two holy men and great servants of God, namely that of Samson and St. John the Baptist. Those two great men of God lived their lives faithfully and courageously, devoting their whole lives to God and the mission that He has entrusted to them. We too should be reminded of the missions which God has given to us all, and especially as we prepare for the celebrations around His coming this Christmas, let us all renew our commitment and desire to focus our whole lives, our every efforts and our Christmas preparations and celebrations on the Lord, the One true reason for the Joy of Christmas. Let us always remind ourselves of all that the Lord has done for us, His great love and compassion, and let us continue to proclaim His truth and love in our world today, following in the footsteps of Samson and St. John the Baptist, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 18 December 2024 : 3rd 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 and as we continue to move ever closer towards the joyous time of Christmas, we are reminded ever more of everything that the Lord had done for our sake, His beloved ones, as He sent unto us all His Beloved Son, to be our Saviour and Redeemer, freeing us from the chains of sin and death that have afflicted us and prevented us from finding our way back to Him. God has always been ever patient in loving us and in showing us the way to Himself so that we may not be lost forever to Him, but we may be rescued and reunited with Him once again, through everything that He has done for our sake by His Son and all that He showed us, a pure love that has been manifested in our midst.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah, we heard of the Lord reassuring His people with the words of comfort and faithfulness, reminding them that He will send to them His deliverance through the House of David, the prophecy of the Messiah that would restore everything to the people of God, bringing them once again to His righteousness and loving embrace, and breaking them free from the bondage to sin, while referring to what He had once done through the liberation of their ancestors in the days of the Exodus from Egypt. The Lord told all of His people how they would remember Him no longer by what He had done in the earlier case, but in what He has done henceforth, in bringing them all free from the bondage to evil and sin, leading them all to eternal life and true happiness with Him.

And that is exactly what the Lord had done with all of us through the sending of His Son, Jesus Christ, to bring us all from the slavery to sin and evil, just as He had brought His first chosen people the Israelites out from the slavery in Egypt to the Egyptians and their Pharaoh. That time when the Lord brought His people, the Israelites out of the land of Egypt it was in fact a premonition and precursor of the far greater deed that He would do later on, in freeing not just the select few among mankind to bring them out of their physical slavery to freedom, but He would lead all of mankind to the liberation and freedom through His Son, opening the path to the eternal life and true happiness with Him, just as He had brought and led His people to the Promised Land earlier on.

He also made and renewed the Covenant which He had once made with His people, and this time, it would be an Eternal and unbreakable Covenant, sealed not by the blood of animals and sacrificial offerings, but by the very Blood of the Lamb of God, the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ Himself, Who would go on to offer Himself on the Altar of the Cross. Through His most loving sacrifice, the Lord our Saviour has restored us and redeemed us from our many sins and mistakes, His Precious Blood having purchased the price of our redemption, much as how the blood of the unblemished lamb in Egypt had allowed the Israelites to escape the final plague of death while the Egyptians suffered from it. Through the new Christian Passover, the Lord has liberated us all from certain death and destruction, by the power of His loving and ultimate sacrifice.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of how St. Joseph and Mary came together at the time when the Lord was conceived in the womb of Mary through the power of the Holy Spirit and by the will of the Father. At that time, St. Joseph was betrothed to Mary, but he found out as mentioned in the passage that Mary was with Child, not knowing earlier on that the Child was truly the Saviour, the Son of God incarnate in the flesh. Yet, we heard how St. Joseph was truly an upright and just man, who considered carefully what he was about to do, as it was quite obvious that St. Joseph also trusted Mary, knowing her and how upright and virtuous she was, that it was also impossible for her to have any extramarital relationships with another man before her marriage. If a woman were to be known to have such an affair, the punishment for that was being stoned to death, and it was likely that St. Joseph wanted Mary to avoid that fate.

Then we heard how God sent His Angel to tell St. Joseph in his dream that the Child inside the womb of Mary is none other than the Son of God Himself, the One Who was promised to the world, the Saviour of all, and it was truly by God’s will that Mary had borne this Child. The Angel strengthened and reassured St. Joseph, who faithfully and willingly bore the part that he was to play in becoming the foster father of Our Lord and Saviour, the father figure of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the protector of the Holy Child, caring and taking care of the Lord when He was still young, being His foster father and teacher, teaching Him about the necessary skills and wisdom of the world as He was growing up in Nazareth before His ministry among the people of God.

This link to St. Joseph was highlighted to us in our Gospel passage today to remind us all that Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour is truly the One promised by God, the Son and Heir of David Who had been sent into this world in order to save it from destruction, leading us all from the edge of damnation and back into the path towards eternal life. This is because St. Joseph according to his genealogy was the senior heir of King David by descent from him, and by the order of succession in the ancient Israelite kingship, and hence, by his legal fatherhood as the husband of Mary, the Mother of Our Lord Jesus, this made the Lord Jesus to be the legitimate Heir of David, and hence, the fulfilment of all the prophecies that God had made to His people about the coming of His salvation.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore continue to uphold this faith which all of us should have in our Saviour, Jesus Christ, the One Whose coming into this world we are about to celebrate this upcoming Christmas season. Let us all as Christians be good role models in how we live our lives so that by our every actions, words and deeds, and by how we prepare our Christmas festivities and celebrations, we will always put Christ at the centre of all things and place Him at the heart of everything that we say and do. Let us all be good inspiration to everyone around us and be the good and worthy bearers of God’s light, hope and truth to all, to bear forth the Good News of God to everyone we encounter in each and every moments of our lives.

May the Lord continue to guide and strengthen us in our Advent journey and preparations so that all of us may find this time fruitful and meaningful in helping us to centre our focus and attention once again to the Lord in this coming joyful season and time of Christmas. Amen.

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Tuesday, 17 December 2024 : 3rd Week of Advent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we enter this period of one week to the date of Christmas Day, we enter into this deeper time of solemn preparation for the Christmas celebration, a period when we deepen our spiritual preparation and contemplation as we are getting ourselves ready to celebrate the true joy of Christmas, the coming of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ into this world, the salvation and eternal life which He has promised to all of us, His beloved people. During this period and time, traditionally the ‘O’ Antiphons are sung in the Church, contemplating upon everything that God had done for our sake, all that He has shown us out of love by the sending of His Son, to fulfill the promises and reassurances He had made to us about our salvation and liberation from sin and death.

That is why we focus our attention more and more upon the figure of the Saviour, the Son of God, the historical Jesus Christ, which is the moment when God made Himself tangible, approachable and visible to us, no longer hidden by the veil of His light and glory, but walking in our very midst, His perfect Love manifested in the flesh, touching our lives and guiding us all to His light and salvation. He has indeed fulfilled what He has promised to us, that the Son of God, the Holy Child would be born to us by a Virgin, His Blessed Mother Mary, so that He would indeed become God Who lives in our midst, God Who is with His people, Emmanuel, the One Whose love for us is so great that He willingly gave us all His most precious gift, in His Son, Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Son of Man.

From the very beginning God had kept on reassuring us and revealing gradually what He intended to do with us and for us, just as we have heard in our Scripture passages today, beginning with the first reading from the ending of the Book of Genesis, where we heard of the final moments of Jacob, the father of all the Israelites, who was also known as Israel. He was then dying in the land of Egypt after having been reunited with his long-lost son Joseph and enjoying the last years of his life being surrounded by his families, by his many sons and their children. And in this part of the Book of Genesis, it was told that Israel, before he passed away gathered all of his family and blessed his sons with various blessings and prayers. And today in particular, the emphasis and focus is placed upon Judah, one of the sons of Israel and the blessings he received.

The house and tribe of Judah had indeed been blessed by God wonderfully and Israel himself had foreseen what God would do for His people and all mankind through this house of Judah, as one day, God would send His Saviour, the Saviour of the whole world through Judah and his descendants, through David, the great King of Israel, who hailed from the tribe of Judah, and to whom God had promised that his kingdom and his house would sit on the Throne of Israel forever. All these promises and reassurances were known to the people of God, who therefore longed for the fulfilment of the Lord’s many promises and words, all of which would indeed come true through Jesus Christ, the One Whom we are all celebrating about this upcoming Christmas time and season, the true reason for Christmas and its great joy.

Then, this is what our Gospel passage today from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist is speaking about, in which the genealogy of Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour was presented to us. We heard in that long genealogy how the Lord Jesus ultimately was descended from King David, and therefore is the Son of David promised by the Lord to be the One to sit on the Throne of the Kingdom of Israel for eternity, and also then through Judah from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, as a fulfilment of what God had promised to all of His faithful servants, with whom He had made His eternal Covenant with, the promise of true and eternal joy for all of God’s people. And last of all, Christ was descended from Adam, the very first man that God had created, and this is significant because Christ is the New Adam through whom God will save the world.

This long line of descent from Adam, Abraham and David was presented by St. Matthew as he wrote his Gospel with the main target audience being the early Christians from the Jewish background, and also for the other Jewish people. As such, when he wrote his Gospel, St. Matthew placed a lot of emphasis in the Lord Jesus being the Jewish Messiah sent into this world to fulfil all the prophecies about Him, as constantly always being renewed through the many prophets and messengers of God. In Christ, all these promises and prophecies had been fulfilled and all of us are reassured of God’s ever generous love and compassion which He has made evident and tangible to us through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, as we approach ever closer to the coming of the joyful and glorious Christmas season, are we truly ready to celebrate Christmas in its true meaning, significance and joy? Are we willing and capable of focusing ourselves and our rejoicing on the Lord, and be the ones to proclaim the salvation and joy in Christ by our proper celebrations and readiness in our Christmas preparations? All of us as Christians are God’s holy and beloved people, and how we celebrate Christmas will be important as amidst all the much secularised and commercialised celebrations of Christmas, the true meaning and joy of Christmas can easily be lost amidst all the distractions and glamorous rejoicing that do not centre themselves on Christ.

Let us all therefore renew our commitment to the Lord in this remaining time we have been given this season of Advent so that all of us may truly be prepared and ready, and use this chance and time that has been given to us well so that we may truly rejoice this upcoming Christmas season with the right focus on Christ, and proclaiming to all the joy we have received through His coming into this world, Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, He Who has shown us all the perfect manifestation of the love of God, and through Whom all of us have received the assurance of eternal life and true joy with God. May our Advent journey and preparations be truly fruitful and blessed by God, now and always. Amen.

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Monday, 16 December 2024 : 3rd Week of Advent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we progress ever closer to the time of joy and celebration in Christmas, we are being reminded yet again through the readings from the passages of the Sacred Scriptures of the coming of God’s salvation, and all the assurance of His guidance and Presence in our midst, which He has promised and reassured us with from the very beginning of time. God did not abandon us to the darkness, but He has always patiently and lovingly guided each and every one of us to His path, giving us the assistance necessary to help us and all the patient care and providence for us, even when we have erred and stubbornly refused to follow Him. This time of Advent, each and every one of us as Christians must spend the time to reflect carefully upon this great love of God that has been shown to us, and be appreciative and thankful for all that He has done all these while for our sake.

In our first reading today taken from the Book of Numbers we heard of the prayer and the words of blessings which Balaam the seer spoke for the whole people of Israel when he was paid and told by King Balak, king of Moab to curse the Israelites which at that time had come upon the land and threatened the kingdom of Moab. Balaam was a famous seer and man of great wisdom from Mesopotamia, and his renown made the Moabite king to pay him for his services. But God had a different plan for His people, and instead of a curse that was asked by the king of Moab, the seer Balaam was filled with the Holy Spirit of God and through God’s Wisdom and guidance, he instead proclaimed a great blessing over all the Israelites, blessing them for all of their deeds and works, and for their endeavours and efforts, for the great nation which they shall established.

Of course naturally such a change in action led to a great disappointment and anger from the king of Moab who had employed Balaam to curse the Israelites. To have heard Balaam blessing his enemies instead of cursing them must have incensed the Moabite king. But Balaam spoke truthfully and courageously, saying that he was inspired by God and he could not say what the Lord did not want him to say, and he obeyed God’s words and commandments, and did as he had been told to do, to bless all those people just as He desired it. And not only that, as we have also heard at the end of our first reading passage today, there was also a prophecy mentioned by Balaam, as he witnessed and saw the glimpse of the coming of God’s salvation, a Figure that he was not yet able to perceive, and yet, this Figure, the Star of Jacob, would be the Saviour of all, and He would come into the world.

At that time, the meaning of such a prophecy must have been vague at best, but now we all know that Balaam was truly speaking and prophesying about the coming of Christ, the Saviour of the world, the Star of Jacob, the Star of David, the One Who would bring all of God’s people back to Him and reconcile them with their loving Father and Creator, and the One to redeem all of us from our many sins and wickedness. This is a truly great reminder for us at this juncture of time when we are close to the beginning of Christmas, reminding us all what it is that we are really celebrating this Christmas, and how we ought to prepare ourselves to celebrate the memory of the glorious coming of our Saviour, Lord and King, born in our midst in Bethlehem as a Child, the Child Who would save all of us mankind from the destruction due to our sins.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard about the words from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist in which the Lord Jesus was confronted by some of the chief priests and the Temple authorities, the teachers of the Law and others who questioned Him on the authority and the authenticity of His works and ministry among the people of God, all the teachings He had given to them and the miracles, wonders and signs that He had performed. Those people refused to believe in the Lord, in His signs and miracles, and in His teachings because they hardened their hearts and minds, refusing to accept the fact that they could be mistaken in their own ways and teachings. The Lord Jesus had come into this world to straighten up the Law of God and how it should have been interpreted and understood, against the misinterpretations and the abuses which those religious leaders had done with the Law.

Therefore, the Lord Jesus spoke plainly and told them that His authority truly came from God, and whatever He has done, it was in accordance to the Law, and also in tandem with what His predecessor and Herald, the famous St. John the Baptist had done. The same group of people, those chief priests, Temple authorities and the teachers of the Law, the Pharisees and others had also denigrated and rejected the teachings and works of St. John the Baptist, questioned and doubted him in the same manner that they now questioned the Lord and His works. The Lord Jesus then threw back the question at them, asking if they could provide an explanation and agree whether the works of St. John the Baptist, his teachings and words were merely man-made or whether they came from God and were inspired by Him. This was a question which those leaders could not answer.

That is because no matter how they answered it, then they were at the losing end. If they admitted that St. John the Baptist and his works were merely man-made, that would have enraged the many thousands and more who believed in the saint and that his works were truly Divinely inspired. In the same manner then if they admitted that the works and teachings of St. John the Baptist were Divinely inspired, then what the Lord Jesus had been teaching and performing in His works, were the same and even more than what St. John the Baptist had done, and yet those leaders and elders refused to believe in them, and admitting such things would have been a great embarrassment and loss of face for them all before the people of God, something that they would not want to do, given how much they treasured their prestige and fame above all else.

From what we have heard in this Gospel passage today, we are reminded that we must not allow ourselves to be swayed by the temptations of worldly glory, honour, splendour, fame and all the things that can easily lead us astray and bring us towards our downfall due to sin and evil. Instead, we should always put the Lord our God at the very centre of our lives and existence, and put Him at the core of everything that we say and do in all of our whole lives, in every opportunites and moments we have with us. Otherwise, we may end up like those chief priests, Temple officials, Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who had allowed their ego and ambition, their desires and worldly attachments to fame and vainglory to mislead them down the wrong path, and closed their hearts and minds to the truth of God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we continue to progress through this season of Advent ever closer to Christmas, let us all therefore continue to use this moment and time given to us well so that we can truly prepare ourselves wholeheartedly, physically and spiritually to be able to celebrate Christmas worthily and properly, with the right focus, purpose and intention. Let us always remind one another that Christmas is truly about Christ, about the Love of God manifested to us, in His love and desire to bless us all most wonderfully, as He had done through the seer Balaam and many others, so that all of us may truly be reunited with Him, and be worthy to enjoy forever the fullness of His grace, love and compassion. Amen.

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Sunday, 15 December 2024 : Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

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

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this Sunday, the third one in this time and season of Advent, we commemorate the occasion of the Gaudete Sunday, an occasion of joy and rejoicing during this mostly penitential and more sombre season of Advent as we remember that this Advent season is ultimately a time of preparation for the coming of our true joy in Christ which we will soon celebrate in Christmas. This Sunday we focus on the theme and aspect of Joy in Advent, continuing on from the themes of Hope and Peace that we have focused on in the previous Sundays of Advent. And the name for this Sunday, ‘Gaudete’ itself means ‘joy’ or ‘rejoice’, from the beginning of the Introit of this Sunday, ‘Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete.’ which means ‘Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice.’

On this Sunday we briefly enter a pause in the penitential and sombre nature of this time of Advent preparations to focus on the Joy that we are expecting to come in the soon to come time and season of Christmas. That is why we remind ourselves today of the great Joy that is found in Christmas and which we all celebrate most wonderfully, and the very reason for this great Joy is none other than Jesus Christ Himself, the Son of God and the One Whom God had sent into this world, Incarnate in the flesh, the Love of God manifested before us and making us all able to come towards Him, tangible and approachable, no longer distant and unimaginable for us. Through Christ His Son, Our Lord has given us all the One through Whom our Joy and Hope will be restored to us.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Book of the prophet Zephaniah in which the words of joy and the promise of God’s guidance and presence among His people, strengthening and reassuring them all that God has always loved them and cared for them despite their constant rebelliousness and stubborn attitudes. God has always watched over them, His beloved ones, ever so patiently, caring for their needs and guiding them patiently through His prophets and messengers. He chastised and disciplined them whenever they were wayward and wicked in their ways, but He also nurtured and cared for them along their journey, like that of a loving Father Who is both stern and loving to His children, wanting them all to turn out good and worthy, and not be corrupted by the evils around us.

Then, from our second reading passage this Sunday taken from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful in the city and region of Philippi, we are yet again reminded of God’s most generous love and how fortunate and blessed each and every one of us have been because our Lord and our Father has always loved us and how He has always had us all in His mind at all times, being ever present all around us, knowing all of our needs and wishes, and He has always been ready to walk this journey we have, each and every one of us, together with Him. Thus, it is imperative that all of us should respond to His love with gratitude and appreciation, and most importantly with love and rejoicing towards Him, to the Joy that He has brought upon us once again through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour.

Lastly, from the Gospel passage this Sunday, we are reminded by the words of St. John the Baptist who spoke clearly about the Messiah Who was to come at that time, and how that faithful servant of God proclaimed Him to all the people who had come to him to listen to him and to be baptised by him. St. John the Baptist was indeed very popular and he had a lot of following among the people, who came to him likely in their hundreds and even perhaps thousands, seeking his baptism and seeking in him the hope of God’s long awaited salvation. But St. John the Baptist made it clear to the people that he was not the one who would save Israel, as he was merely just the one to herald and prepare the coming of the true Messiah or Saviour, Jesus Christ.

St. John the Baptist had shown great humility in obeying the commands which He had received from the Lord, refusing to be swayed by the temptations of worldly glory and ambitions, all the things which had led so many people, our predecessors and we ourselves to our downfall. It is easy for one to be swayed and tempted by great popularity and acclamation, such as in the case of St. John the Baptist, but the man of God continued to have strong faith and commitment to God, and he remained focused on what he was tasked to do, that is to prepare the way for the Lord and His coming, and to direct all of us to Him, to the One Who is our Light, Hope and Salvation. And we all should be inspired by his great faith, humility and examples, his commitment and dedication  to his mission.

As Christians, it is important that we also show this true focus of Christmas in Our Lord and Saviour to everyone. Indeed, in our world today, Christmas is often no longer about Christ but rather about excesses of worldly comforts, pleasures and commercialisation which had made many people to forget about what Christmas is truly all about. In many cases, our Christmas celebrations end up becoming yet just another holiday time and season, a time for rejoicing and celebrations that is yet bereft of its true purpose and reason for celebration, because Christ is not in all those celebrations and rejoicing. Often we can see how people compete with one another in how glamorous they can celebrate their Christmas, or compare the gifts that they had received at Christmas. And no one remembered the greatest gift of Christmas they had received, that is Christ, Our Lord and Saviour.

Therefore, as Christians, we are all challenged to put Christ at the centre of our Christmas celebrations and rejoicing. We should not give in to the temptations and false pleasures of the world, all the excessive commercialisation of Christmas that do not lead us to Christ. Each one of us are called to proclaim Christ, Our Lord, the true reason for our rejoicing at Christmas, and let it show through our preparations and our constant focus on Christ as the One in Whom we rejoice, and in all the happiness that we share with one another, let it be the love of God and the genuine love for one another that we show in our Christmas joy and festivities, and be the beacons of God’s Light, Hope and Love for everyone around us. Let our joy be shared with everyone and let us all remember those who are not able to rejoice the way we do, and continue to direct all people to Christ, His Hope and salvation, now and always. Amen.

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Saturday, 14 December 2024 : 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, as we continue to progress through this time and season of Advent, and as we listened to the readings from the Sacred Scriptures, we are invited to reflect today on the one figure that is part of the story leading up to the coming of the salvation from God. And this figure was that of St. John the Baptist, the one that had been sent from God to prepare the path for His coming into this world. We heard of everything that God had done in sending us all His servants, His messengers and prophets, and through all of these we are reminded of just how beloved we are by God, and truly how fortunate we are because God has always patiently loved us that He gave us all the assurance of His salvation, and how we should also be thankful for all those who have dedicated themselves to the Lord to fulfil the missions entrusted to them.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Sirach in which the story of the life, ministry and departure of the famous prophet Elijah was told to us. The author spoke of the wonderful things which prophet Elijah had done in the land of Israel as he laboured hard against the people and their king whose hearts and minds had been hardened against the Lord, facing persecutions and ordeals in his ministry, and having to flee for his life and safety on several occasions. But the Lord was with Elijah and he continued to labour and do great things for the Lord and His people, performing many miracles and wonders among them, proving that the Lord is the one true God and Master over all the people, and not those pagan idols and gods like Baal that they had worshipped.

Then, the author of the Book of the prophet Sirach spoke of the other things that Elijah had done, culminating in how he was eventually taken away from the world in a flaming chariot. God sent a flaming chariot to take Elijah away just as He foretold to him, and his successor, the prophet Elisha, witnessed this great event. This event is also significant because it means that Elisha did not suffer from death, one of the few recorded in the Scriptures that had returned to the Lord not through bodily and physical death, but taken up into Heaven, like that of Enoch in the early days of the world, Elijah himself, and later on Mary, the Mother of God, assumed body and soul into Heaven. And it was a popular belief that Elijah would come and return once again into the world to fulfil God’s promises.

It is a belief of the Church since the days of the early Christians that St. John the Baptist had the spirit of the prophet Elijah in him, or that he was none other than the prophet Elijah himself, returning in the flesh into this world to complete what the Lord had entrusted to him, in calling the people of God and all those who have been wayward in their lives to return to their Lord and Master, to be forgiven from all of their many sins and wickedness. We are reminded of this today so that we can realise that God has done all these for our sakes, out of His generous love and kindness, His mercy and compassion. And He is also the Lord and Master over all things, over life and death, and in the end, death shall have no hold over us, as our part shall be eternal life and true happiness with God.

Then, in our Gospel passage today from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist we heard of the same matter that we have discussed from the earlier first reading passage about the relationship between the prophet Elijah and St. John the Baptist. We heard from the Lord Jesus Himself telling His disciples that the prophet Elijah had already come into their midst but the people had rejected him and refused to listen to his words. There was also a specific reference to St. John the Baptist being the prophet Elijah. Now, regardless whether it was truly Elijah that had come into this world again, or whether St. John the Baptist had the spirit of Elijah in him, that is immaterial, as what matters is that God sent St. John the Baptist to carry out His will, and the man of God dedicated himself fully to the very end. 

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. John of the Cross, a renowned Carmelite saint who helped to reform the Carmelite Order and built the foundation of a popular religious order and inspired countless other people who were touched by his great faith and commitment to God. He was born as Juan de Yepes y Álvarez in the region of Castile in Spain into the family of an accountant, his father, who was married to an orphan of the lower class. His family faced a lot of tough early years as St. John of the Cross’ father and elder brother passed away due to malnourishment and disease. The young St. John of the Cross then went to a school which took care of his basic needs and education, and his upbringing eventually led him to be called to religious life as a member of the Carmelite Order and became a priest.

St. John of the Cross met St. Teresa of Avila afterwards, the other reformer who together with St. John of the Cross would eventually reform the Carmelite Order, establishing the Order of the Discalced Carmelites, marking all those Carmelites who sought to return to the original rules and intentions of the founders of the Order, which had been relaxed by the earlier Popes and leaders of the Order, leading to the corruption of those members of the Carmelites, who became corrupted and misled by the worldly temptations and desires, and by the impurities and corruptions of sin due to the lack of discipline and piety in their lives, which St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila worked hard to reverse by returning to the original rules and discipline to root out the corruption and wickedness among the Carmelites.

Thus, those Carmelites who sought to return to the original intentions of the founders became known as the Discalced Carmelites, as they frequently went barefoot (discalced or without shoes), practicing ascetic and simple lifestyle without all the excesses and comforts that their predecessors had enjoyed and experienced in lavish lifestyle incompatible to the spirit of the Carmelite Order. Through the many efforts of St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila, despite the many challenges and oppositions that both of them and the other reformers had faced, but they continued courageously with their efforts and reforms, and they pioneered great examples of their faith and dedication to God as examples for many others around them. Their piety and dedication inspired many even right up to this very day.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we reflect upon the words of the Scriptures and also the life and examples shown to us by St. John of the Cross, let us all therefore remind ourselves of the need for all of us to centre our lives upon the Lord and turn away from all sorts of distractions and temptations around us, all the false paths and leads that do not bring us towards God and His salvation. This Advent season we should remind ourselves that we must return to the true spirit of Christmas, so that in all of our preparations and efforts to celebrate the upcoming Christmas season we will put the Lord, the One Whom we ought to be celebrating about at the very centre of our rejoicing, jubilation and commemorations, and not the false and illusory pleasures of the world.

May the Lord, our most loving God and Creator continue to help and strengthen us all in our journey, and help us so that we may always strive to focus our lives on Him and do whatever we can to be good role for one another in how we carry out our lives and how we glorify Him by each and every moments in our daily living, like those of the prophet Elijah, St. John the Baptist and all the holy saints of God, our holy predecessors. May all of us be strengthened and encouraged in this journey we have during this time of Advent, and be ever greater in our commitment and piety, now and always. Amen.

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Friday, 13 December 2024 : 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 all continue to progress through this time and season of Advent, we are all reminded that we should continue to keep closely attuned to the Lord and maintain our focus on Him amidst all the temptations and false leads in this world, and amidst all the secular rejoicing, festivities and celebrations of the worldly Christmas that may not have their focus on the Lord. We should always remember that ultimately Christmas is a great celebration and rejoicing because of the Lord and His great and most wonderful love by which He has sent us all His assurance and salvation through His Beloved Son, born into this world two millennia ago and which we celebrate as this celebration of Christmas.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Isaiah in which God told His people, the Israelites in the kingdom of Judah about how they all would have prospered and lived wonderfully had they obeyed His words and commandments, listened to Him and followed the path that He has revealed to them. At that time many of the Israelites had wandered off from the path of the Lord and disobeyed His words, refusing to follow the advice and exhortations from the prophets and messengers of God sent to them to remind them. However, the Lord Who truly loved all of His people refused to give up on them and that is why He kept reminding them through His prophets like Isaiah, to help at least some of them to find their bearing in life and to be able to return back to Him.

In our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard the Lord telling the people of the frustrations He faced from many among them because of their lack of faith and trust in Him, and how they kept on changing their thoughts and ways according to their ever changing priorities and preferences, and as their leaders often criticised Him and St. John the Baptist, the one who was the Herald of the Saviour. They refused to listen to St. John the Baptist when he called on all of them to repent from their sins, and criticising the man of God for his ascetic lifestyle and appearance. Then, afterwards, they also refused to listen to the Lord and criticised Him because He was not following the strict rules and practices of the Law which they had interpreted and enforced.

Essentially from what we have heard, the people of God applied their own inconsistent standards and demands, being swayed by their own desires and ambitions, instead of listening to the Lord and embracing His truth and Good News. They were too focused on their own worldly pursuits and ambitions that they were not able to open their minds and hearts to listen to the Lord Who has delivered unto them His truth, His love and the revelation of what He wanted to tell them. And this is in a way, a warning for each and every one of us as well, in how we must be careful and not give in to the temptations of worldliness that can lead us to our downfall by distracting us from the path towards God and His salvation. This Advent, we should remind ourselves what is the true focus and reason for our lives, and that is the Lord, our God and Master.

As Christians, all of us should strive to centre all of our preparations and efforts to the Lord, to the One Who had made all things possible for us, and He Who has always loved us and constantly provided for us without cease. We should always remind ourselves and one another that our lives should always be focused on the Lord, following His words and commandments, entrusting ourselves to His Providence and care, and walking in the path that He has shown us, so that by our dedication and obedience, we may find the surest and straightest path towards the eternal life and salvation that we can gain through God alone. We should make good use of the many opportunities provided for us so that we may continue to grow ever stronger in our faith and trust in the Lord.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Lucy, also known as Santa Lucia, or St. Lucy of Syracuse, a great Roman martyr and saint of the early fourth century. She was born to a noble Roman family during the late third century, during the time of the rise to power of Emperor Diocletian, the Roman Emperor who would become infamous among Christians for his particularly intense persecution against them and the Church. St. Lucy devoted herself to God and was very pious in her life, and she committed herself to a sacred vow of virginity to God. Yet, things came to issue when her mother, who took care of St. Lucy betrothed her to a rich and young pagan nobleman, having worried about her future after the passing of her father when she was just merely five years old.

St. Lucy’s mother, Eutychia, was also then suffering from a disease, and through the intercession of another famous local martyr, St. Agatha, who appeared to St. Lucy in a dream, her mother was cured, and this prompted St. Lucy to persuade her mother to give generously from her family’s estate and patrimony to the poor and the less fortunate. However this action was not viewed kindly by the pagan nobleman that St. Lucy was betrothed to, and he reported St. Lucy to the Roman governor, Paschasius. Paschasius forced St. Lucy to burn offerings to the Roman Emperor, but she courageously refused, and when she was sentenced to be defiled in a brothel, the people assigned to bring her to the brothel could not manage to move her, as the Lord protected her from defilement. Eventually, she was martyred by a sword thrust into her throat.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, just as we have discussed earlier from the readings of the Sacred Scriptures, and also from the life and examples set by St. Lucy of Syracuse, holy martyr of the Church, let us all therefore remember that our lives in this world should be holy and exemplary, and we should always focus on the Lord at all times that we do not end up losing sight on His hope and salvation, and be tricked and misled by all sorts of worldly temptations and distractions around us. May the Lord our most loving God and Master continue to help and guide us all in our journey so that we may come to Him and find true happiness and consolation in Him at the end of our life’s journey. Amen.

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Thursday, 12 December 2024 : 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, this day the Church celebrates the great occasion of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mary, the Holy Mother of God in her Apparition to St. John Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin about five centuries ago in what is the present day Mexico at the great shrine that now stands at the site of Guadalupe. This great shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe is now one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in the world and many millions flock to the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe every year, particularly during the time of her Feast that we celebrate this day. The Blessed Mother of God has made her appearances during times of strife and hardships for the Church, in various moments throughout history, including the time when she appeared at the site of Guadalupe in Mexico, which happened shortly after the arrival of the Spanish and other European explorers to the New World, the American continent.

At that time, it was at the beginning of the evangelisation of the lands of the New World, with missionaries and priests beginning to proclaim the Good News of God to many of the people of the Americas who have not yet heard and known the Lord. It came after years of devastation and destruction caused by the greed of the early European explorers, also commonly known as ‘Conquistadors’ that had brought about the ruin of the great kingdoms of the Aztecs and the Incas. The greed of those early conquerors had brought about great sufferings for the local natives, as well as plenty of destruction and exploitation of the region. During those turbulent years, even back in Christendom there were also a lot of divisions and conflicts, happening at that time in the midst of the Protestant reformation.

Amidst the backdrop of all these challenges and difficulties, our loving Mother, Our Lady of Guadalupe made her appearance to a local native named Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, who would later on be honoured as St. John Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin. According to the tradition and hagiographic story, at that moment, St. John Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin was a Christian convert, among the first of the natives to be baptised by the missionaries upon their arrival in those lands. He regularly travelled between his house and the Franciscan mission station where he had his religious instruction, and this travel passed by the Hill of Tepeyac, the site of the Apparition. On the dawn of the ninth day of December, which date is now celebrated as the Feast of St. John Diego, this man of God encountered the Apparition of Mary, who instructed him to tell of her appearance to the local bishop and to build a shrine at that location in order to provide help and comfort for all those who seek God’s mercy through her.

The bishop was initially skeptical and doubtful of the authenticity of the Apparition, and it was only after Our Lady of Guadalupe again repeated her message to St. John Diego that the latter went again to the bishop who then made a request that Our Lady of Guadalupe provide him with evidence of the authenticity of her Apparition with a miraculous sign. At that same time, St. John Diego’s uncle became very sick and he hurried to his uncle’s place through a different route, not passing through the site of Our Lady’s Apparition, as he was embarrassed that he was unable to fulfil the promise he made to her about the request that she has entrusted to him. But on his way, St. John Diego was intercepted by Our Lady who appeared to him and chastising him for not having faith in her intercession and help, and she reassured him that his uncle has recovered fully and was all well.

She told St. John Diego with the words that would become famous today, ‘¿No estoy yo aquí que soy tu madre?’ which means, ‘Am I not here, I who am your mother?’. St. John Diego then followed the instruction of Our Lady to collect some flowers at the nearby hill into his cloak or tilma, and then bringing them immediately to the bishop. Then as St. John Diego presented the flowers to the bishop, what truly amazed the bishop was not the seemingly unseasonal and uncommon Castilian flowers growing on that hill which St. John Diego had collected, but rather the image and likeness of Our Lady of Guadalupe herself being imprinted on the tilma or cloak worn by St. John Diego. The bishop, who was initially skeptical about the Apparition, immediately believed and venerated the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Ever since that moment, the belief and the devotion in the Apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe grew rapidly, and a shrine was built in that site of the Apparition, at the Hill of Tepeyac, known as Guadalupe, which led to the naming of the Apparition as Our Lady of Guadalupe, the loving Mother of God herself making her appearance to her beloved children, the people of God, at the time of great strife and challenge faced by them, in the New World due to the destruction wrought by wars and conflicts, and in the Christendom as a whole due to the effects of the Protestant reformation and other strife in the Church of God and among the Christian population of the whole Christendom. Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe made her Apparition so as to strengthen our faith and resolve to follow the Lord faithfully, and not to give in to sin and corruption. Many people came back to the Lord and found their way to Him through His mother Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe.

We have heard these through our Scripture readings today, from the account by St. John the Apostle and Evangelist in his Book of Revelations, in which the vision of the great War in Heaven and the end times were told to us. St. John saw in one of those visions a great vision of a Woman bearing a Child, which is in fact a personification of the Church of God, and at the same time is a reminder of Mary as the Mother of God and the Mother of the Church. Through her great obedience and faith in God, Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe had responded positively, with love and commitment to the mission which God has entrusted to her, as we heard in our Gospel passage today from the Gospel of St. Luke. When the Archangel Gabriel revealed the Good News to Mary, while she was hesitant and unsure about what she had heard, but she ultimately trusted in the Lord and believed in Him.

Mary’s great faith in the Lord, her commitment and obedience, and all the virtues and righteousness that she has shown in life, all these are great examples and inspiration for all of us to follow. She is the perfect example and role model, the one who is our beacon to be followed. Her Apparition to St. John Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin and many others who witnessed her appearance served to remind us of God’s great love that has been manifested and made visible, tangible and approachable to us through Mary. And if we follow her examples, inspiration and faith, we will surely find ourselves on the firm path towards God and His salvation. Mary made herself available to us, guiding us patiently towards her Son. Her apparitions in Guadalupe, Lourdes, Fatima and others were all meant to this purpose.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore remind ourselves especially during this time and season of Advent, to refocus our lives and attention once again towards the Lord, our Master and Creator. Let us all no longer be distracted by all sorts of temptations and pleasures in life, all the attachments we have on worldly glory that can lead us astray in our path. May the Lord be with us always, and may He strengthen our faith and resolve, and through His loving Mother Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe, bring us ever closer to His Holy Presence, and help us to turn away from and reject all the sins and wickedness of this world. Amen.

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Wednesday, 11 December 2024 : 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 listened to the words of the Lord contained in the Scriptures, we are all reminded that God is the source of our Hope, comfort and joy, and it is in Him alone that we shall find true satisfaction and liberation from our many troubles and challenges, difficulties and hurdles in life. Unfortunately many of us often do not realise this and we do not perceive His love and compassion for us enough, and many of us sought comfort and satisfaction in worldly things instead of putting our trust and faith in God. This is why we are reminded through these readings from the Scriptures so that we do not end up going down the wrong path in life and seek the false pleasures and satisfactions that came not from God but from the evil ones.

In our first reading today taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, we heard of the words of the Lord through Isaiah in which He lamented how the people had not realised that they had been taken care of, given attention and help by the Lord all the way at that time, and yet, those people still complained and refused to believe in Him whenever He gave them His help, love and providence. They often hardened their hearts and minds, and closed them off to the Lord, Who had often come to them offering His help and guidance. And yet, the Lord still patiently cared for them and loved them even as He constantly chastised them for their sins and wickedness, like a loving Father who cared for his children while disciplining them.

The Lord has repeatedly shown His love and kindness to His people, that even though they had always been rebellious and stubborn in their attitudes and ways, but He has never given up on them. Instead, He kept on sending them His messengers and guides, the prophets and many others to help them to find their way back towards Him. He reassured all of them that despite all the sufferings and difficulties that they might be facing, but His might, power and love transcend and surpass all those challenges and trials. As long as they remain firm in their faith in Him and put their faith in Him then He will provide for them, bless them and strengthen them, and they shall share in His glorious promise and inheritance, all the good and wonderful things that He had intended for them.

In our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the words of reassurance from the Lord Jesus to His disciples and all of us, that all of us can come to Him and we will have rest in Him. He offers us all a yoke that is lighter and more manageable than the yoke of the world. Truly, this is just as what I had just mentioned earlier, how God is truly like a loving Father Who truly cares for all of us His beloved children. Each and every one of us are precious to Him, and that was why He sent to us all His beloved Son, Our Lord and Saviour so that through Him we may see and witness His love manifested to us in the flesh, in Christ, Who is tangible and approachable by us all.

And the Lord’s words are important reminders for all of us that as Christians we must also be prepared to expect challenges and hardships, difficulties and obstacles in our path. That is why the Lord referred to the presence of His yoke, which is lighter than that of the yoke of the world. If we become Christians and expecting that we will have good and smooth, easy and comfortable lives, then we may be easily disappointed once we realise that there are likely plenty of challenges, oppositions and labours that we may have to endure throughout our lives and journeys as God’s faithful people. In fact, the more committed we are to the Lord’s path, the chances are that we may encounter even more challenges and difficulties in our journey because this world that has been corrupted by sin and evil, it will be in opposition to the Lord and His righteous path.

However, we must remember that we do not go through this path and journey alone. The Lord is always by our side, guiding and helping us whenever we need His help and guidance, and He will never abandon or leave us alone in our time of greatest need. We may indeed have to suffer and endure hardships, but in the end, we will be triumphant with God and He shall justify us all and bring us all into the true happiness and everlasting glory that we have been promised. In fact, His yoke is indeed lighter and better for us not because it may seem to be easier or less challenging, but rather because it does not lead us into the path towards downfall and eternal damnation. As a comparison, the alternative paths offered by the world may seem to be easier and better, lighter and less challenging, but they give us false hope and delude us into this path of darkness.

Today the Church also celebrates the Feast of Pope St. Damasus I, one of the Popes of the early Church. Pope St. Damasus I was the leader of the Universal Church as the Pope and Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Christ and Supreme Pontiff in the middle of the fourth century. Pope St. Damasus I was born into a family of a priest in Rome and that eventually inspired and led him to be a priest in turn, rising up to the position of the Archdeacon of Rome under Pope Liberius and when the latter was exiled by the Roman Emperor, it was the future Pope St. Damasus I that helped to take care of the governance and the issues of the Roman Church. Later on, he was elected as Pope to succeed Pope Liberius after the Pope’s death, during a time of strive in the Church. 

At that time, he had to contend with rival claimant and candidate to the Papacy, a popular deacon named Ursinus who became an Antipope for a short time and whose supporters and Ursinus himself continued to oppose Pope St. Damasus I’s election as Pope. Nonetheless, despite the challenges and the difficulties that Pope St. Damasus I had to face, he managed to gain a lot of important achievements in successfully navigating the Church through the difficult period at that time filled with divisions within the Church and conflicts, opposing quite a number of serious heresies that affected many in the Church such as Arianism, Apollinarianism, Macedonianism and many others. He also led the Church courageously through such difficult moments and helped many people to remain strong and firm in their faith.

The great examples shown by Pope St. Damasus I should inspire each and every one of us in our own faith in God, and remembering how even this great servant of God had suffered and endured many challenges in the midst of his ministry throughout his years in service to the Lord, as priest, archdeacon and then as Pope and leader of the Universal Church. He remained firmly faithful to the Lord and did not allow all those difficulties and challenges to stop or dissuade him from continuing to do what God had entrusted to him, and he continued to serve the Lord ever more faithfully in his ministry. This is something that we all as Christians should be doing as well. And therefore, let us all reflect upon these and discern carefully our path forward in our respective lives.

May the Lord our most loving and compassionate God continue to help and bless us, and strengthen us all with the courage and inspiration to continue to do what He has entrusted to us to do. May He continue to love us all and patiently lead us all into His embrace, that we may be always firmly faithful in Him despite the many challenges and trials that we may have to endure in our journey towards Him. Let our actions and efforts continue to be good examples and inspiration for one another to follow, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 10 December 2024 : 2nd Week of Advent, Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Loreto (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet or White (Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Loreto)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the occasion of the Feast of Our Lady of Loreto, a popular Marian pilgrimage site in the city of Loreto in Italy where the Holy House of Nazareth, the very House where Jesus our Lord, Mary His mother and St. Joseph, His foster father had been living in when they were all staying in Nazareth during the younger years of the Lord before He began His ministry. On this day, we rejoice and honour Mary, the Mother of the Holy Family and the patroness of the great Shrine of Loreto and the Holy House of Nazareth, our great patroness and intercessor, the Mother of God and our loving mother as well. We thank her for her constant love and compassionate care for each and every one of us.

The story of the Holy House of Nazareth was truly a story of great miracle and wonders of God, as studies had scientifically proven that the materials used in the House enshrined within the great Basilica now known as the Basilica of the Holy House or Basilica della Santa Casa, was indeed originating from around the time of the Lord’s ministry about two millennia ago, using the materials that were common in the region of Nazareth and Galilee at the time. How the House then ended up in its current location was explained through Church tradition and history, eyewitnesses and visionaries who saw the Holy House of Nazareth being transported by the Angels of God from the original site in Nazareth when the land was in turmoil and conflicts during the end of the era of the Crusades.

At first, the Angels miraculously transported and bore the Holy House from Nazareth to the site of Tersatto in Croatia, and then afterwards, as according to tradition, the pilgrims coming to the House were often waylaid by bandits, the Holy House was once again transported by the Angels to Italy, where after another few occasions of movements and translations, eventually the Holy House settled at the current site in Loreto, Italy, where it had remained for more than seven centuries since. This translation of the Holy House has also been supported by visionaries such as Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, who received a vision about the event, centuries after the actual event has taken place, and even she originally could not fully comprehend what she had seen, as she described how the Holy House of Nazareth was borne by seven Angels across the sea.

Regardless of the full truth of how the Holy House was moved from Nazareth to its current location, its historicity and authenticity, we must realise just how popular this devotion is, as many pilgrims and devotees came regularly to the site of the Basilica of the Holy House, seeking the intercession of Mary, Our Lady of Loreto. And through this inspiring story of the Holy House once inhabited by the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, we are all reminded of the exemplary faith that Mary has shown us all in her complete and total obedience to the will of God, and in her desire to glorify the Lord as well as the love which she has shown to her Son, in caring for Him and bringing Him up with faith and love.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, we heard of the prophecy of the prophet Isaiah from God which was delivered to King Ahaz, the King of Judah about the coming of the Messiah or Saviour of the world, and how this would happen through a woman who has never borne a child, which all would indeed be fulfilled through Mary and her bearing of her Son, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, more than seven centuries after the prophet Isaiah had spoken of this prophecy before King Ahaz. And we ought to notice the manner with which King Ahaz responded to the words of the prophet Isaiah asking him to ask for a sign from God, as King Ahaz said that he would not ask as he did not want to put God to the test.

Those words were met with immediate criticism from Isaiah who said that the King was essentially being a hypocrite as he and the people had long disobeyed the Lord and put the Lord to the test on many occasions, refusing to listen to the words of the Lord and obey His commandments. In fact, by refusing to obey the Lord Who asked King Ahaz to ask for a sign from Him, it was itself a sign of disobedience and even lack of faith in God. This can be contrasted with the attitude which Mary has shown in our Gospel passage today, when the Archangel Gabriel brought forth for her the Good News of the coming of God’s Saviour, Who would come forth through her womb, and born from her. While Mary was uncertain about what she had heard, as at that time she was still quite young in age, but she trusted in the Lord and obeyed Him.

Her words, ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me as you have said,’ are the marks of obedience, faith and true humility, as she accepted the great mission and responsibility which she had been entrusted with by God. And for this great faith and obedience, her virtues and great love, this is why we truly venerate and honour Mary above all the other saints, and we truly love her as our own beloved Mother, as our great role model, a guide and someone who has always encouraged us in the journey that each and every one of us undertake in the path towards her Son, our Lord and Saviour. And that is why we also rejoice today, as we rejoice in the great inspiration and hope which Mary, Our Lady of Loreto, has brought upon us all.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we continue to progress through this season of Advent, let us all therefore strive to focus our attention once again on the Lord, putting Him at the centre of our lives and existence. Let us all resist the temptations of sin and evil, and be inspired as always by the great examples and inspiration from the holy saints, especially that of Mary, Our Lady of Loreto, the Holy Mother of God, who is also our loving mother. As we strive to live our lives more faithfully in God, let us continue to journey towards Him patiently and courageously, doing whatever we can to proclaim His glory by our own exemplary and worthy lives, now and always. Amen.