Catholic Church

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Thursday, 8 September 2016 : Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White
Micah 5 : 1-4a

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, so small that you are hardly named among the clans of Judah, from you shall I raise the One Who is to rule over Israel. For He comes forth from of old, from the ancient times.

YHVH, therefore, will abandon Israel until such time as she who is to give birth has given birth. Then the rest of his deported brothers will return to the people of Israel. He will stand and shepherd His flock with the strength of YHVH, in the glorious Name of YHVH, His God.

They will live safely while He wins renown to the ends of the earth. He shall be peace.

Alternative reading
Romans 8 : 28-30

We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love Him, whom He has called according to His plan. Those whom He knew beforehand, He has also predestined to be like His Son, similar to Him, so that He may be the Firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

And so, those whom God predestined He called, and those whom He called He makes righteous, and to those whom He makes righteous He will give His Glory.

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Wednesday, 7 September 2016 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today with regards to the readings taken from the Sacred Scriptures which we have heard, I would like to talk about the devotion and life of our holy priests and all those who have devoted themselves fully to the Lord, as religious brothers and sisters, monks and all others who, according to St. Paul, has chosen the path of celibacy, that is rejecting marriage as what others normally do, but instead choosing to remain virgins and devoting that virginity and commitment to the Lord.

And this is something that is very important for us to know and to understand, as it is the central and core tenet of our holy priesthood as well as those who have devoted themselves to the religious life. It has been passed down to us by the Apostolic Tradition of the Church for over a millennia that all those who entered religious life or be ordained as a deacon or a priest and beyond be required to be unmarried for many reasons.

Many of those who are against the Church and attacked the Church ridiculed our approach to celibacy, by saying that such things are unnecessary or even foolish, and that is because they did not understand the reason why it was there in the first place. Had they understood its reasoning and the history of this practice that dated from the beginning of the Church, then they would not only stay silent but they would come to embrace the beauty and the gift of our celibate religious and priests.

From the beginning of the Church, many argued against celibacy because of the fact that many of the Apostles were married. In fact, St. Peter the Apostle was married too. However, if we noticed further, those were also the lives which they led before God called them to be His disciples and Apostles, upon which they left behind their professions as fishermen, tax collector and others, as well as their families behind.

And then this is also tied to the practices of the early Church, notably in Rome and its local churches and parishes, but also were widespread elsewhere, that priests who were married at that time, became embroiled in the scandals and undesirable interactions between them and their wives, as well as their children. It was difficult indeed to divide their attention between serving the needs of their own families and the people who had been entrusted to them as their flock, the sheep of the Lord.

Then, matters arose regarding their children and inheritance issues about them. It was known then that there were quite a number of priests who tried to push on the properties of the Church and the faithful to their children as inheritance, which was viewed with disgust and disdain by the Church as a whole as a sign of corruption. But truly, at the same time, we have also to understand that as males were usually the breadwinner of the family, as priests had a full time work, he was usually unable to provide for their children, and hence such situations often arose.

Thus, after we have discussed about this matter, its history and how it came to be, now we all can see how the priests, religious and all those who devote themselves to the Lord, to the Church and to His people cannot be divided in their attention between serving the Lord and serving his own personal needs and family needs. What we need are those who can commit themselves fully a hundred percent in their attention, to shepherd the flock of the Lord without bias or distraction.

And in this time and era, the need is even greater for the Church and the faithful to have devoted and faithful shepherds in our priests and all those who have given themselves to the service of God. And there were so many challenges and difficulties facing them that we almost should pity them for their sufferings and the tribulations they faced that we all may have salvation from God through their hard works.

But it is truly not pity which we should give them, but rather our prayers, support and assistance. We should assist the priests and the religious we have around us, caring for them and helping them in their ministries by doing our part as members of the Church, as the priests cannot work alone, but must be supported and assisted through our efforts, that the contributions of the laity and the priests alike will bring good things to mankind and to the whole world.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all pray for the increase in religious and priestly vocations, that more and more young people, young men and women who are called by God may be able to respond in kind and devote themselves fully to Him and to His people in the Church. And among us, let us all give support to all those who have given themselves to God and sacrificed much in order to serve the Lord with all of their heart.

Let us all help them and give them our firm backing, that through their works and through our support, God may exercise His works in this world and bring all the people together through the Church, that everyone may receive salvation, justification, and the grace of eternal life. Pray for all of our priests and religious, that God will always be with them. Amen.

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Monday, 5 September 2016 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Teresa of Calcutta (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, what the Scriptures brought out to us today is the reminder for us that the Lord Jesus Christ brought upon us a new life, one that is free from the corruption of sin, one that is free from the old ways of wickedness and evil. He showed us the new path to tread on, as we approach the throne of His everlasting grace and mercy.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we heard in the Gospel today, the usual and common argument that often arose between Jesus and His opposers, the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, whether it was right and lawful to heal a sick man on the day of the Sabbath. The Sabbath day is a day in the week which is dedicated to the Lord, and according to Jewish customs, no one is allowed to do anything or any work.

The purpose of establishing such a day was so that the people of God has a time to rest and leave behind their work and busy life behind, and then spend some time with their Lord in prayer. Otherwise, they would forget about the Lord and carried on their daily works and thus paid no heed to the One Who had freed them from the slavery by the Egyptians and Who has loved them generously.

But over time, the people forgot the intention of the Sabbath, and the elders of the people, the teachers and masters of the Law ended up using these laws to further their own gains and agenda, and in this manner they have misled the people into thinking that to obey the Lord means to follow the rules imposed upon them without question, even when they did not fully grasp or understand them.

And what was intended for good things instead became a source of suffering and difficulties. God never intended for His laws to become a hindrance for people from doing what He desires of them, that is to do good and be good, to love and to care for their fellow brethren, and ultimately, by doing these, that they may be able to show the same love to their Lord and devote their whole lives to Him.

Doing the work of God is also the same as bringing glory to the Name of the Lord. It is a disgrace indeed if the people of God did not act in the way that God had taught them to do, but instead following their own whim and their own desires, which was exactly what the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law did. Not only that they misled the people and laid on them heavy burdens, but they also stopped people from doing good on the holy day just because the law they made said so.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, it is important that we realise how much God loves us all, and it is important for us to appreciate that love He has for all of us. He never abandon us in our times of need, and He always treasures us all and our company. Shall we not give Him back the same kind of love that He had shown us first? We have spurned and rejected His love many times, and yet He still offered His mercy to us all. Is that not enough reason for us to repent and change our ways?

As St. Paul mentioned to the faithful in Corinth, let us all also seek to purify ourselves and make ourselves anew in God. Through baptism we have been cleansed from the original sins of man, and thus now, from now on, let our actions, words and deeds be a reflection of who we truly are, the beloved children of our Lord and God, that all who see us may know that we belong to Him, and they too shall be converted to Him.

Today we also commemorate the feast of St. Teresa of Calcutta, whom we more commonly knew as Mother Teresa. She was an Albanian by birth, born about just over a century ago in a Macedonian village, and since her youth, St. Teresa of Calcutta, then known as Agnes Gonxhe Bojaxhiu had heard the calling of the Lord to devote herself to a life of piety and devotion in the religious life. She would went on to join the congregation of the Sisters of Loreto, where she eventually went to India, at which place she would devote the rest of her life serving and helping the poor and the least among the society.

She was touched and moved by what she had seen in the great suffering that poverty and disease had brought upon these least privileged among the community, especially those who had none to love them and care for them. Many were shunned by the society and were considered outcasts. Many suffered and died alone even in the worst of places, in slums and sewers not fit for a human being. And these were the reason why St. Teresa of Calcutta was renowned for her efforts in trying to alleviate their suffering, and ensuring that these people had someone to love and care for them.

To that extent, she established the Missionaries of Charity, where she gathered like minded individuals in a congregation to whip up the effort she had initiated to care for the last, the lost and the least of the society, ensuring that they are treated as humanely as possible, and even in dying, to die in peace and with dignity knowing that they too are counted among the children of God. We all know who St. Teresa of Calcutta is, and not because of marvellous and mighty deeds, but rather because she has endeavoured to make God’s love visible for us all, and make it available for everyone.

Through the examples of St. Teresa of Calcutta, may all of us be inspired to follow in her footsteps, caring and loving for our least loved and abandoned brethren. May God bless us all and our endeavours, and may our every actions and words be bearers of God’s salvation to many more lost souls among the nations, that all may be saved in the Holy Name of God. Amen.

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Monday, 5 September 2016 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Teresa of Calcutta, Religious (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green
Luke 6 : 6-11

At that time, on another Sabbath, Jesus entered the synagogue and began teaching. There was a man with a paralysed right hand, and the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees watched Him : Would Jesus heal the man on the Sabbath? If He did, they could accuse Him.

But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to the man, “Get up, and stand in the middle.” Then He spoke to them, “I want to ask you : what is allowed by the Law on the Sabbath? To do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?” And Jesus looked around at them all.

Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out and his hand was restored, becoming as healthy as the other. But they were furious, and began to discuss with one another how they could deal with Jesus.

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Monday, 5 September 2016 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Teresa of Calcutta, Religious (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green
Psalm 5 : 5-6, 7, 12

You are not a God Who delights in wickedness; evil has no place in You. The arrogant cannot stand before You. You hate all who do evil.

You destroy all who speak falsehood, who thirst for blood and live on lies; all of them the Lord detests.

But for those who take refuge in You, let them ever sing and rejoice. Let Your deliverance shield them, that they may praise You in gladness – those who love Your Name, o Lord.

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Monday, 5 September 2016 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Teresa of Calcutta, Religious (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green
1 Corinthians 5 : 1-8

You have become news with a case of immorality, and such a case is not even found among pagans. Yes, one of you has taken as wife his own stepmother. And you feel proud! Should you not be in mourning instead and expel the one who did such a thing.

For my part, although I am physically absent, my spirit is with you and, as if present, I have already passed sentence on the man who committed such a sin. Let us meet together, you and my spirit, and in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ and with His power, you shall deliver him to Satan, for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit be saved in the day of Judgment.

This is not the time to praise yourselves. Do you not know that a little yeast make the whole mass of dough rise? Throw out, then, the old yeast and be new dough. If Christ became our Passover, you should be unleavened bread. Let us celebrate, therefore, the Passover, no longer with old yeast, which is sin and perversity; let us have unleavened bread, that is purity and sincerity.

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Wednesday, 7 September 2016 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green
Luke 6 : 20-26

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

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

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

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Wednesday, 7 September 2016 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green
Psalm 44 : 11-12, 14-15, 16-17

Listen, o daughter, pay attention; forget your father’s house and your nation, and your beauty will charm the King, for He is your Lord.

All glorious as she enters is the princess in her gold-woven robes. She is led in royal attire to the King, following behind is her train of virgins.

Amid cheers and general rejoicing, they enter the palace of the King. Forget your fathers and think of your sons, you will make them princes throughout the land.

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Wednesday, 7 September 2016 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green
1 Corinthians 7 : 25-31

With regards to those who remain virgins, I have no special commandment from the Lord, but I give some advice, hoping that I am worthy of trust by the mercy of the Lord.

I think this is good in these hard times in which we live. It is good for someone to remain as he is. If you are married, do not try to divorce your wife; if you are not married, do not marry. He who marries does not sin, nor does the young girl sin who marries. Yet they will face disturbing experiences, and I would like to spare you.

I say this, brothers and sisters : time is running out, and those who are married must live as if not married; those who weep as if not weeping; those who are happy as if they were not happy; those buying something as if they had not bought it, and those enjoying the present life as if they were not enjoying it. For the order of this world is vanishing.

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Tuesday, 6 September 2016 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today’s readings speak volumes about being called and chosen by our God, and what therefore being chosen means for all of us, whom God had willingly made to be His disciples and followers. In the Gospel today we heard how Jesus called His disciples, and twelve of whom He had chosen to be His Apostles, the chief among all of His disciples and servants.

And we saw in the same Gospel passage, what the Lord Jesus did with the people whom He had worked with, healing them from their sickness and diseases, comforting the sorrowful and the weak, and also casting out demons and evil spirits from the possessed. And the Apostles were appointed to assist in these wonderful works of our Lord, helping the people of God in various areas.

When God called us to be His servants, He also laid down for us the mission which He had entrusted His Apostles with, namely the conversion and repentance of sinners and that all those who have disobeyed the Lord will return to Him with humility and sincerity in repentance. And He also expects from us what we need to do in order to fulfil that mission, as St. Paul made it very clear in his Epistle to the Church and the faithful in the city of Corinth.

In that letter, St. Paul highlighted that the wicked will not inherit or enter into the kingdom of heaven, which means that if we have been found wanting and that our faith is not sufficient, or if we have not been faithful to the mission which God have entrusted to us, then we shall not be able to enter into the eternal life and the glory promised by God to all of His faithful ones.

That is very clear because if we act in ways that are contrary to God and His ways, and if our actions are in opposition to what God is about and to what God has shown us, then we will bring scandal not only to His great and holy Name, but we also bring scandal and bad faith to His Church and to the other holy people of God, our brethren.

But the greatest damage lies in that our scandalous and wicked acts will deter those who are approaching the Lord through His Church and through us to receive His salvation and grace. If we, whom God had chosen to be His Apostles and disciples in our current age and time did not do as what we have been expected to do, but instead sinning and committing wickedness in the sight of God and man alike, who will believe in us then?

Therefore, we should all heed what St. Paul wrote in his exhortation to the faithful in Corinth, and strive to do our best in order to lead a holy and disciplined life, far away from sinful acts and wickedness, from all forms of travesty, abnormality and fornications that has separated us from Him. Let us all be true disciples of the Lord in all things, and commit ourselves to His cause.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, God has called us all to come to His presence and for us to be transformed into the children of the Light, to be the bearers of His Word and truth into the world. Are we ready to take up the challenge and do His will? The choice is ours alone, brethren, and it is we who can make a difference in our own lives and our own fate, by choosing God over the temptations of the world. May God be our guide, and may all of us remain in His grace forever. Amen.