Catholic homilies

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Saturday, 21 November 2020 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which celebrates the moment when Mary, the Mother of God was presented at the Temple of God, as prescribed by the Law, as her parents, St. Joachim and St. Anne offering their firstborn child to the Lord. Mary, the one who would become the Mother of God and Saviour, the Ark of the New Covenant of God.

On this day we rejoice and recall the faith of Mary, the Mother of Our Lord and God as we remember her piety and dedication, her virtues and humble commitment to serve the Lord with her whole life. Mary has always been a great example and inspiration for all of us, not just because she is the Mother of God but also because she is such a paragon of faith and virtue by her obedience to God and her genuine love for Him.

Mary has dedicated herself to the Lord and symbolised by her presentation to Him, and her whole life is a life of prayer and love, as she accepted her role to be the Mother of God, caring for the Lord from the moment when He was still in her womb, when He was still a baby and young, and followed Him through life and through His ministry until He endured His Passion and sufferings, and was there when He died on the Cross, faithfully standing by His Cross to the very end.

In our Gospel today we heard the Lord speaking to His disciples and the people, when someone who told Him that His mother and family were there waiting for Him. And the Lord said to the people that all those who obey the Lord and follow Him are His mother, brothers and sisters, essentially His family members and those who are close to Him and beloved by Him.

On the surface it might have seemed rude for the Lord to dismiss His family members, His own mother Mary in particular. However, we have to understand and appreciate the intention of the Lord and the context of what He had said. He wanted to show that His familial relations are not definitive and does not exclude all the others, the faithful children of God. The Lord considers all to be His family members.

That is why through the Church, by our baptism, all of us have been made to be the adopted children of God. Through the Church the Lord unified us to Himself, in a family of the faithful, united through love. And by showing us all Mary, His own mother, as the perfect example of faith and the exemplary child of God, He Himself concluded it by saying, that all those who follow the Lord’s path, are all members of this beloved family.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, that is why today we are all called to reflect on our lives and how we have lived through them thus far. And we are called to consider the path that we ought to walk forward in life. Are we able and willing to commit ourselves to lives that are just like Mary’s, that is to be obedient to God, ever listening and adhering to His will, and virtuous and just?

Today, as we rejoice in the memory of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, let us all be inspired by the examples that she had set before us, that we shall also be righteous, virtuous and good in faith as she has shown us. Blessed Mother Mary, our loving mother, pray for us all sinners, and lead us all towards your Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Friday, 20 November 2020 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we are reminded through the Scriptures of our calling as Christians, how each and every one of us have been called to proclaim the word of God faithfully at all times. Through our first reading today from the Book of the Revelations of St. John we heard of the Lord’s revelation through His Angel of his mission to evangelise to the world and what it entailed. And in our Gospel passage today we heard the moment when the Lord Jesus came to the Temple of Jerusalem not long before His Passion, and cleared the Temple grounds from all the wicked merchants dealing dishonestly there.

In that first reading passage we heard St. John seeing a vision of an Angel of God coming to him bearing a book, commanding him to eat that book. And when St. John ate the book, it tasted sweet in his mouth, but after a while he felt bitter in the stomach. Although it may seem weird to us to hear someone eating a book, but this is in fact a figurative language used by St. John to describe the meaning and importance of his vision and what he has been told by the Lord, that we too may understand this same truth.

As St. John described his vision and experience, the book was in fact a figurative representation and explanation of the gift of the Word of God to the Apostles, the disciples and the Church, the revelation of truth of God which we have all received. But why does the Word taste sweet in the mouth and yet bitter in the stomach? Again this is yet another figurative language used to describe how wonderful the truth of God is to us, as we revel and are happy in His love and care for us. And yet, it is bitter for us to stomach the fullness of truth.

Why is that so? That is because just as we know that God has loved us so much and each and every one of us are indeed so privileged to have received this great love from God, then we all also know what will happen to all those who have consciously chosen to reject this love of God, as St. John himself had seen in his apocalyptic vision of the world’s end times. There will be those who have chosen to abandon God and side with the devil while others remain faithful to God.

And those who reject God, His love and His mercy, by their rejection and by their sins are judged into the eternal suffering, not because God did not love them. Rather, they themselves had rejected God’s love and mercy, and by that rejection, they will have no part in God, and therefore, are bound to suffer with the devil and all those who have rebelled and disobeyed against God, for all eternity. It was they themselves who have chosen to walk down this path.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, God has entrusted His truth and His words to us through His Church, and it is in fact a great responsibility that brings both great joy in seeing the salvation of so many souls, but also the bitterness, sorrow and even pain in seeing the suffering of those who have rejected God and chose to walk down the path of evil and sin. This is the burden and the joy that we both carry as Christians.

Therefore, reminded of all these, let us all then also reflect on what we have heard in our Gospel passage today, of the moment when the Lord Jesus, not long before His Passion and death, chased out all the dishonest merchants who sought profits and wealth, and made lots of selfish and greedy gains on the suffering and the cheating pf the faithful pilgrims coming to the Temple to worship God.

The Lord was truly angry that the House of God has been corrupted and misused for wicked purposes and that had been allowed to continue by the Temple authorities, the chief priests and the Sanhedrin. And by clearing the Temple, the Lord has also in fact urged us all to clear our own spiritual Temple, that is our body, mind, heart and soul, in which God resides.

We have to rid ourselves off these corruptions, that is sin and all sorts of wickedness, all our pride, ego, greed, wrath and all other sorts of evils within us. We have to resist these temptations and strive to inspire and help one another to keep our faith in God strong. We have heard and discussed of what will happen to those who refuse to believe in God, and therefore, we should try our best to live up to our Christian calling and expectations.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all renew our faith in God and strengthen our convictions to walk with zeal and commitment in the path of the Lord. May all of us seek the Lord with ever greater faith and love for Him. May He bless us all in our every endeavours and efforts, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 19 November 2020 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we all heard from the Scriptures the glory of the Lord in Heaven as described in the Book of the Revelations of St. John, as well as the lamentations of the Lord over the holy city of Jerusalem as He predicted the coming of its end as what would indeed happen in a few decades after, its destruction at the hand of the Romans.

In our first reading today as we approach the end of this current liturgical year we are reminded as always of the apocalyptic end times with the readings from the Book of Revelations or Apocalypse of St. John, in which we heard of the vision received by the Apostle on the coming of the Lord, and we heard today of his vision of the great scroll with seven seals being opened by the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ Himself, seated on the Throne of God.

And he saw how the Lamb on the Throne is surrounded by the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures, the highest of the Angels of God, unceasingly praising and glorifying Him, worshipping Him, the Lord and Master of all creation. The Lamb of God has triumphed over evil and being slain as the Sacrifice on the Cross, He has been glorified and has purchased for us all our eternal salvation and life.

This is a reminder for all of us that despite the challenges and trials that we have to face, we have the Lamb of God, triumphant and victorious by our side. The Angels of God and His saints had proclaimed His glory and victory before all of us, and even though tribulations will come our way, as represented by the doom and destruction of Jerusalem, the destruction of that holy city and its Temple, but in God we shall be triumphant in the end.

This is a constant reminder for all of us that as Christians we must always glorify the Lord by our lives just as the commands at the end of each Holy Mass command us to, to glorify the Lord by our lives and to proclaim the words of the Gospel. And we do this not by loud proclamations or preaching, but rather through our lives and how we live it. If we speak of the word of God and yet our lives contradict what we have spoken and preached, does it not make us all hypocrites then? Who then will believe in God through us?

Today therefore we have been reminded and called to go the extra mile in the service of God, as His followers and faithful ones. We have to transform our lives and dedicate them to the Lord, that in each and every one of our actions in life, in how we interact with each other we shall always be filled with the love of God, obedience to His will and laws, commandments and ordinances, and exemplary in all things and deeds.

If our lives shine with the light of Christ, then Christ’s light will illuminate us and be with us even through our darkest hours and moments. And our Lord will lead us to the final victory that has been assured for us. Are we willing to commit to this path, brothers and sisters in Christ? There are many temptations and distractions in this world trying to mislead us and bring us down the wrong path. Let us not be misled by these and remain firm in our faith.

May the Lord Jesus Christ, the triumphant Lamb of God, continue to be with us, guide us in our journey of faith. May the Lord bless us in all of our endeavours and efforts to continue to journey faithfully with Him through this life we have received and the opportunities we have been given. May God bless us all, now and every moments. Amen.

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Wednesday, 18 November 2020 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. Peter in Vatican and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Dedication of a Basilica)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate the anniversary of two great Major Papal Basilica in Rome, second only in importance to the Cathedral of Rome itself, the Papal Archbasilica of St. John Lateran. These two great Basilicas, the Basilica of St. Peter in Vatican and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside Walls, have been dedicated to the Lord in the name of two of his great Apostles, St. Peter the Apostle, Vicar of Christ and Supreme Pontiff, as well as St. Paul, the great Apostle to the Gentiles.

The Basilica of St. Peter in Vatican was built over the exact site where St. Peter was martyred during the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero at the time of the first great persecution of Christians. The site was once known as the Vatican Hills, and was the place of a great racing course. It was there that St. Peter was brought in chains, and crucified upside-down at the end of his earthly life. It was the place where the glorious life of this first Pope, Leader of the Church and faithful Apostle ended, where he entered into heavenly glory.

This was at the end of a long life of service of this Apostle who was once called from the shores of the lake of Galilee by the Lord alongside is brother St. Andrew, as well as the brothers St. James and St. John, fellow Apostles. He was a brash, illiterate and poor fisherman, a man without pedigree and power, without glory or fame, and yet the Lord chose him and called him to be His Apostle, and made him to be the leader of all of the Apostles and disciples and His Vicar over all the whole world.

It was this same St. Peter whom we heard in our Gospel passage today, coming towards the Lord walking on the water, just after he and the other disciples saw Jesus walking in the storm on the water towards them. St. Peter was the one who spoke up and asked the Lord that if that was really Him, and not a ghost, he would be able to walk on the water towards Him. But he had doubts and began to sink into the water and cried out to the Lord for help, and the Lord reached out to him and saved him from the water.

Through this, and many other occasions such as St. Peter’s thrice denial of the Lord at the moment of His arrest and Passion, showed how this man was indeed imperfect and flawed as all of us are, and was a sinner and unworthy just like all of us, all the same. Yet, deep inside his heart, the Lord knew that St. Peter had great and wonderful faith in Him, a love that is truly deep and genuine above all else. And that was why the Lord chose him to be the leader of His whole Church.

St. Peter went on to lead the whole Church, by the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit, guiding the Church on many pivotal occasions as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles as well as in the Apostolic traditions, eventually establishing many important Sees like in Antioch and Rome. He went on to Rome as its first Bishop and that is why, the See of Rome is the Apostolic See, the Seat of the Vicar of Christ and Supreme Pontiff, the Heart of all Christendom until this very day.

Meanwhile, the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls was built at the place and house where St. Paul spent his two years or so in Rome at the end of his last missionary journey and travel to Rome as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles in our first reading today. St. Paul went to Rome as part of his appeal over his conviction by the tribunal of the Sanhedrin in Judea, to appeal to Roman Emperor for his case.

St. Paul ministered to the people in Rome, both the Jews and Gentiles alike, helping the Church there to grow and establish firm foundation. He strengthened the faith of many in that city and preached the Good News to many more people, in tandem with the efforts of St. Peter and the other disciples. And St. Paul also fell victim to the same great persecution of Christians under the Roman Emperor Nero, who used the Great Fire of Rome as a pretext to put the blame on Christians for what history had attributed to the Emperor himself.

St. Paul was beheaded and martyred in Rome, a faithful defender of the Christian faith. However, much like St. Peter, St. Paul was also imperfect and a sinner, being once a great enemy of Christ and His faithful in his youth. As Saul he had brought a lot of suffering and misery on the faithful in Jerusalem, Judea and other places as a zealous young Pharisee in his misguided efforts to eradicate and destroy the Church and all of Christ’s believers.

It was their respective conversions that transformed them into great champions of the Christian faith, their repentance from their faults and their acknowledgement of their love for God became bright light of inspiration for many who followed in their footsteps. They truly embody what each and every one of us as Christians are called to do, that is to be holy and to glorify our bodies and existences, which are indeed the Temple of God’s Holy Presence.

Today as we rejoice in the remembrance of the Dedication of the two great Houses of God, the Basilica of St. Peter and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls we are reminded that we have to follow in the footsteps of the Apostles in their faith and dedication in serving the Lord. That is how we glorify our own Temple, the House of God’s Holy Presence in which the Lord Himself dwells. If we do not bring glory to God through our lives and instead bring scandal and wickedness, then we shall be judged by those and thrown into hell.

Are we willing and able to follow in the footsteps of St. Peter and St. Paul, as well as the other Holy Apostles and saints, all the holy men and women of God in dedicating ourselves to the Lord each and every moments of our lives? Let us all make holy our Holy Temple of God, our body, mind, heart and soul, so that we shall be worthy dwelling place of our God. May our actions and deeds be filled with faith and may we grow ever more in our dedication to the Lord, and be ever closer to Him. May God bless us all, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Tuesday, 17 November 2020 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us through the Scripture passages, all of us are called to reflect on the need for us as Christians to be genuine in our faith and dedication to God. We should not be inactive, lukewarm or dormant any longer in our faith. It is only through real love and faith that we can follow the Lord truthfully and wholeheartedly. Otherwise our faith will be found wanting and empty.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Revelations of St. John, the vision that St. John received regarding the messages of the Lord sent through His Angels to each of the seven Churches of Asia, the seven most important centres of early Christianity at that time. And in those messages we heard how there were those who have kept the faith fully, not ‘soiling their white robes’ and this means that they had kept themselves pure.

This was contrasted with some others who had been lukewarm and had not been as dedicated in the living of their faith. The Lord reminded how the lukewarmness in faith and lack of effort and dedication in living that same faith has no bearing and meaning. As Christians we cannot be idle and lukewarm, in disregarding the Lord’s teachings and ways in order to pursue our own selfish worldly goals among other things.

In our Gospel passage today we heard of the story of the Lord Jesus and His encounter with Zaccheus, a short man who was also a renowned and rich tax collector at that time. Zaccheus was very excited to see the Lord and tried his best, despite his physical shortcomings and other barriers, climbing up a tree just so that he could catch a glimpse of the Lord. The Lord knew Zaccheus and his thoughts, his faith and desire to seek Him.

Thus, He called Zaccheus and told him that He would grace his house with His presence. Zaccheus publicly declared his faith courageously and with proper dedication to the Lord. This was remarkable as he was a tax collector and was also seemingly a particularly notorious one at that, and tax collector being reviled and hated by most of the people for their actions and greed.

Yet, Zaccheus publicly showed his repentance and committed himself to the path of truth. He did not only disavow his path of evil and greed, but he also promised to undo the damages he had incurred, paying back four times as much to those that he had cheated. Regardless of the amount, it was truly remarkable for Zaccheus to commit publicly to his repentance and showed his faith in God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we have seen in today’s Scripture readings what it means for us to be faithful to the Lord as Christians. We should not be lukewarm and passive in our faith like what the Pharisees and many of the people of the Lord’s time, who were outwardly pious but had no real faith or love for God.

All of us should be like Zaccheus, a sinner and yet a sinner who loves God. His desire to seek the Lord, His sincere repentance and commitment to change his life is what each and every one of us should also aspire to as Christians, as God’s chosen and beloved people. And we should also seek inspiration from our holy predecessors on the path going forward in our lives.

Today we commemorate St. Elizabeth of Hungary, a princess of Hungary turned into religious icon and persona, who has been renowned for her great piety throughout her whole life. St. Elizabeth of Hungary grew up in a good and pious Christian environment, and this helped her to be pious and truly faithful as she became one of Christendom’s great persona, in her generosity and charity towards the poor and in her efforts to advance the cause of the Church throughout the kingdom.

In one of the most famous traditions about her, the ‘Miracle of the Roses’, St. Elizabeth, during one of her trip to bring food and sustenance to the poor, which had to be done in secret, happened to encounter her husband and his hunting party. She would not have wanted her secret to be known, as it might have brought opposition and difficulty for her, but miraculously, when she was asked to show what she was carrying in her basket, miraculously red and white roses filled her basket. This story convinced her husband in God’s protection of her, and apparently, led him to support her cause as well.

However, she did encounter trials and challenges through her life, as she lost her husband who went to the Crusade to the Holy Land and passed away along the way. She had difficulties but she remained firmly dedicated to her faith, committing herself to a vow of celibacy and holiness after her husband’s death even as this went against her family’s wishes. Despite their efforts to force her to remarry for political purposes, St. Elizabeth remained firm and strong in her convictions to the end.

The holiness of St. Elizabeth is an inspiration and model for all of us Christians to follow, that we may also be holy like her, and be courageous in living our faith just as Zaccheus and others had done, no longer being lukewarm or inactive in our Christian faith. Let us all discern carefully all of these and strive to commit our efforts and dedicate our lives to serve God from now on with greater zeal and generosity of love. May God bless us all and be with us through this journey of faith. Amen.

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Monday, 16 November 2020 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Margaret of Scotland, and St. Gertrude, Virgin (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints and Holy Virgins)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day all of us are reminded of just fortunate we all are for having been beloved by God, as He showed us His love again and again throughout time. God has revealed His love to us constantly through His servants, but it is often us who pushed God away and refused to listen to Him or acknowledge His love for us.

The Lord has revealed to St. John, his Apostle, as recorded in the Book of Revelations, of the message and truth He has passed onto His seven Churches in Asia, representing the seven main Christian communities and centres at that time through His Angels. He revealed that despite the struggles and challenges that they were facing, they would not face those alone.

The revelation showed how the Church and the faithful would endure long periods of persecution throughout its history, but God would be with His people guiding them and protecting them regardless. The Lord helped them from their misery and guided them through those challenging years. In the end, many saints and martyrs came about from those communities, that while they might have suffered but they gained glory through God.

This is what we have also heard in our Gospel passage today, of God’s wonderful mercy and love. We heard how the Lord Jesus moved with pity and love, and responded to the one who had been seeking fervently His mercy and healing. When the blind man was helpless and was without hope, in the darkness of despair and suffering, God reached out to him and showed him that even in his darkness there is still hope and light, as long as one keeps faith in God.

The key there is the willingness of that blind man to humble himself and to reach out to the Lord, seeking His mercy wholeheartedly when he called out to Him, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” a few times, even when the people tried to silence and hush him. He revealed his vulnerability and his weakness to all, but in doing so, bared his faith in God fully, and it was by this faith that God was moved to save him and heal him from all of his troubles.

In the same manner therefore, God will always be with us and will help us through life, through our troubles and challenges if only we can have faith in Him like that of the blind man. The problem is that, unfortunately, more often than not, we allow our pride and ego to stand in the way of this salvation, as we often do not want to reveal our weakness and the fact that we actually are in need of help and assistance from God. We preferred rather to remain in our state of sin and in being despicable due to our pride, rather than seeking God for healing.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, in order for us to move forward in this life with faith, we have to get rid from ourselves this wicked mentality and the attachments and the allures of our pride and ego. Indeed, we have to die to our pride and remove all these from our hearts and minds as best as we are able to. Otherwise, we may end up rejecting God’s love and mercy again and again, until it is too late for us to seek His healing, mercy and forgiveness.

Today, let us all reflect on all these, and discern carefully on what each and every one of us as Christians can do to serve the Lord and to follow Him ever more faithfully. And perhaps we should look up to the examples set by the saints, especially the two saints whose feast we are celebrating today, namely St. Margaret of Scotland, as well as St. Gertrude the Great, both being holy women who had dedicated their lives to the Lord.

St. Margaret of Scotland was an English princess who later became the Queen of Scotland. And although she was born a high noble and royalty, and a queen no less, but she has always been very pious and humble throughout her whole life, putting God above all else, and was ever dedicated in her work as queen in taking care of the needs of her people, especially to the less fortunate and the poor. She has also dedicated much effort to expand the Church and various other institutions for the benefit of her people.

St. Margaret and St. Gertrude were both very pious and dedicated themselves much to follow the Lord faithfully and led a very pious and virtuous way of life. While St. Margaret was a pious queen, St. Gertrude was a renowned Benedictine religious nun remembered for her many intellectual writings about the faith that are still influential to this very day. Many people had been inspired through their piety and their efforts.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us are called to reflect on the lives of these saints, and be inspired to seek the Lord with renewed faith and zeal, to be humble in reaching out for Him to ask for His forgiveness and grace. Let us all seek the Lord’s mercy, love and forgiveness, and let us all be thoroughly reconciled and regain God’s grace and favour. May the Lord be with us always, and may He bless us all now and forevermore. Amen.

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Sunday, 15 November 2020 : Thirty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, Fourth World Day of the Poor (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday being the last of the Sundays before the Solemnity of Jesus Christ the King, the second last Sunday in our current liturgical year, we celebrate the occasion of the World Day of the Poor for the fourth time after it was instituted by our current Pope and Vicar of Christ, Pope Francis in the year of our Lord 2017.

On this Sunday therefore we are all reminded of the poor, those among us in our community who are often lacking basic needs and provisions, those who do not have enough to live comfortably without assistance from others. Poverty had been a great issue facing our community and the world since time immemorial, and as long as there are inequalities and injustices in our society, poverty will always be around, unless the whole community work together selflessly for the benefit of everyone.

We may be wondering then why there is so much poverty in the world today, just as it had been in the past, and just as how it will be in the future. That is because of our own selfishness and the abuse of the freedom that God had given to each and every one of us. We are all free to choose how we are to act in life, and how we interact with one another. Yet, we are often tempted by the many temptations of this world, the temptations of money and material possessions, the temptations of fame and glory among others.

And it does not help that we live in a world where we are accustomed and encouraged to satisfy our needs and wants first, to be selfish and individualistic and not be bothered by the plight and sufferings of others. In addition, in many occasions, we ended up being the sources of others’ sufferings and poverty, when people manipulated and exploited others who were less fortunate, weaker and poorer than they were.

As a result, many people who were poor remained poor. Many of them were unable to escape the vicious cycle of poverty and remain poor due to various circumstances. It is often the case that the rich gets richer while the poor gets poorer. This is unfortunately how things are in the world today, and on this Sunday, the World Day of the Poor, as Christians our attention is brought closely to this matter at hand.

In our first reading passage today taken from the Book of Proverbs we heard the author writing about an archetypal woman who was exemplary and good in all of her actions, worthy of praise and good in the sight of God and mankind alike. And we have to pay attention to the fact that this woman reached out to the helpless and cared for the poor. Through this particular passage to begin the series of this Sunday’s readings we are called to reflect on what it really means for us to be Christians.

It means that as Christians we should not be ignorant of the sufferings and plight of the poor in our community. We should not turn a deaf ear to their cries for help, and we should not be blind to their needs, especially when we are in the position to help and are able to alleviate their sufferings even in small, little ways. And this is summarised even better by the Lord Jesus Himself in our Gospel passage today in the parable of the silver talents.

In that parable, we heard of a master who entrusted his servants with different numbers of silver talents for them to make good use of during the time when he was away. A silver talent refers to a fixed mass of silver measured in ‘talent’ at the time, which was also a rather significant amount. Nonetheless we heard how two of the servants invested and made good use of the silver talents that by the time the master returned, the silver talents had earned double its original value.

And one of the servants instead chose to hide his talent of silver, and did not do anything to it at all, that when he returned the silver talent he had not earned anything at all. Why did this servant behave in this way, brothers and sisters? From his response and remark to his master upon returning the silver talent we can paint a good picture of his thoughts and ideas relating to this matter.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, that last servant refused to do anything with the silver talent and feared his master and even spoke of his exacting nature because he feared that he might be blamed for not gaining good returns or even if he made a loss instead. He did not want to be responsible over what he has been entrusted with by his master and thus he chose to hide the silver talent without doing anything at all.

How does this then relate to us and to our commemoration today of the World Day of the Poor? The master represents the Lord Himself while the servants represent all of us, each and every one of us as the followers of the Lord. And just as the master entrusted the silver talents to his servants, God has also entrusted to us the ‘talents’ that is the blessings, gifts, abilities and other things that had been with us.

Just as each servants received different amounts of the silver talents from the master thus the Lord has also blessed some of us with more while others have less. But we often forgot the fact that all these we have received is not for ours to keep and hide, but to be put into good use for the benefit of all. We should not be selfish and thinking of our own benefits, satisfaction and pleasure, because as Christians we must first think of the good of the whole community.

And just like the ones who received five talents and two talents of silver each invested their silver well, whether we have more or less, we should not compare or worse still complain, but we should dedicate ourselves to do what we can to help one another especially those who are the poorest and had nothing to keep them struggling on the many challenges of life. The Lord has taught us all these and showed us what it means for us to be genuine Christians especially in how we show our love towards one another particularly the poor and the underprivileged, those who are persecuted and suffering in any forms.

As Christians we have to reach out to one another, to be generous in giving and caring, not only in terms of material goods and money, but even more importantly in terms of how we genuinely love everyone without exception. It is indeed possible for someone to help the poor such as with generous donations but with ulterior motives such as for publicity and to gain benefits for oneself such as through fame and glory among other things. While this may not sound as bad as not giving anything at all, as Christians this is not our true calling.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday let us carefully reflect on our calling and responsibilities as the children of the Light as St. Paul had spoken of in his Epistle to the Thessalonians in our second reading passage today. We have all been entrusted by God with different abilities and gifts, blessings and good things that we should make good use of for everyone’s benefit. And one common obstacle to this is that we often compare with one another.

We often ask why those who are richer or having more have not given to the poor or be generous in their giving. For our information, just because we have not seen the generous act in display does not mean that the person is not generous or selfish. Many people who gives, does not give because they want to be seen or acknowledged just as there are those who give for ulterior motives. Therefore, rather than comparing and complaining, we really should begin from ourselves, by being generous ourselves, to help whenever there is a need, to touch the lives of others positively whenever there is a chance to do so.

And we do not have to be afraid that our actions are small, insignificant or too little to make a difference. This is yet another obstacle preventing us from giving from our heart and helping others who are in need. We do not have to think about this, brethren, for no action done in good intention and for the benefit of others is ever too small. We must not forget that we are not doing this alone but together with everyone else. If everyone just do whatever they can, in their respective capabilities, certainly all the combined efforts will make a great difference.

Especially this year, with the still raging Covid-19 pandemic and all the many issues and uncertainties we have been facing, we heard more and more people facing financial difficulties and inabilities to make ends meet, even those who once had been able to do so comfortably and easily. Many had lost their jobs and sources of income, and many more were suffering from sickness, the pandemic or otherwise, and from other maladies and issues.

Therefore as Christians, we are all called today to reach out and touch the lives of others positively. In whatever way we can, in whatever we have been called to do, with our various and unique talents, abilities, gifts and blessings, much like those servants in the Gospel parable today, let us all dedicate ourselves to the Lord and to His people, doing our very best to make good use of what God has given to us and blessed us all with.

May the Lord awaken in us all a spirit of true charity and generosity, to be the examples of true love and goodness, compassion and care for one another especially for the poor and the underprivileged, for those who have been ostracised and lacking in love. Let us all bring happiness and joy to them, and share in their burden and help even in small ways, to alleviate their burdens and hardships as fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord. May God bless us all in our every generous efforts and works, now and always, and may He have mercy on those who are poor and suffering. Amen.

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Saturday, 14 November 2020 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, all of us today are reminded of our calling as Christians to bear God’s love with us and within our actions and deeds. We have to be loving and charitable just as our Lord Himself has shown us through His own examples and actions. For to be Christians is truly to love as the Lord Himself has loved us so generously that we also show the same love to Him first and foremost above all else, and then love our neighbours and fellow brothers and sisters in the same manner.

In our first reading today from the Epistle of St. John, we heard of the Apostle speaking of those who have courageously ministered to the people, the missionaries of the faith that travelled from town to town, much like how St. Paul the Apostle visited many places and proclaimed the Good News of God in all those places. And all those missionaries as in accordance to the Lord’s instructions, depended on the goodwill and generosity of the people of God.

The missionaries of the Lord went from place to place, preaching the Gospels and the Good News trusting themselves in the hands of the Lord. The Lord sent all of them to various places calling on them to gather more and more souls to salvation through faith. These were their labours of love, their efforts to show forth God’s love to all people and to touch their lives with God’s love and wonders.

And when those Christians and even pagans whom were in touch with these missionaries cared for the needs of these courageous servants of God, and in several occasion they even risked their lives and safety to protect these missionaries, they also showed the love of God and for those pagans and non-believers, it showed their faith and sincere desire to love God and follow Him, their openness and willingness to welcome the Lord into their house and presence when they welcomed those servants with peace.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard the parable from the Lord on the evil judge and an old woman. In that parable we heard how the evil judge was usually very proud and stubborn, refusing to budge or listen to reason in all circumstances. However, when an old woman kept coming up to this particular judge and pestered him again and again to ask him to settle her case, after her repeated insistence, the evil judge relented and helped her.

The intention of this parable as told by the Lord Jesus is indeed to highlight how even the wicked is capable of love, and thus all the more that the Lord, Who loved each and every one of us, love each and every one of us even more dearly. And if all of us call ourselves as Christians, as God’s beloved people then naturally we should also follow in His examples of love.

The question is, are we willing to love sincerely and generously as the Lord has loved us? More often than not, most of us tend to love ourselves first and seek our own satisfaction rather than to show our love to others as we should have done. In fact, many of us often chose to gain our own self-satisfaction and joy even at the cost of others’ suffering and pain, manipulating and deceiving others for our own gains.

And this is the sad reality of our faith, brothers and sisters in Christ. Many of us have not yet shown genuine faith in God and are still lacking in the way of His love. Let us all discern carefully therefore what we are going to do moving forward in life, that we may truly find our way to grow ever stronger in faith, in each and every moments of our lives from now on. May God bless us all and guide us always in our journey of faith in life. Amen.

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Friday, 13 November 2020 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us are called to keep in mind of our faith in God especially as we will not know the time and circumstance of the Lord’s coming as He has promised, the time of His second coming into this world. We must always be vigilant and be prepared, and not to allow the temptations of evil and wickedness to lead us astray, or the words of those who have made false promises and lies of the devil to tempt us. And we are going to hear more and more of this theme as we approach the end of the current liturgical cycle.

In our first reading today, St. John in his Epistle spoke of this as he told the people to remember what their faith is all about, the commandments of God’s love, the Law that He has passed unto us and revealed to us. Through this Law of love, God wants each and every one of us to follow Him and His examples, and obey the tenets and commandments He has given us through His Church, that each and every one of us may remain true to our Christian faith and remain faithful to the very end.

St. John spoke of how those who taught otherwise and differently from the true Christian teachings were antichrists and false prophets, as at that time there were quite a few of those who misinterpreted the teachings of Christ or muddled them with their own beliefs and other pagan practices in syncretism, which ended up misleading the faithful people of God and creating divisions in the Church of God. St. John as one of the Apostles of the Lord certainly did not wish to see the Church divided by all these falsehoods.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard the Lord speaking of the moments and times of reckoning as how it has happened earlier in the history of man, from the time of Noah, when the Great Flood came upon the world and drowned most of the creatures save for Noah and his family and all the animals he has saved. He has also spoken of the time of Lot, when the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by their sins and wickedness, save for Lot and his family, although his wife did perish in the event.

In those two occasions, we clearly see how God’s reckoning and judgment came upon all those who have committed heinous sins and wicked deeds before their faithful ones. Those sinful descendants of mankind had filled the world with their sins by the time of Noah that Noah and his family alone were counted among the righteous. Therefore, despite God’s repeated warnings and also premonition to them, as Noah took a long time to complete his great Ark, no one repented and they even laughed at Noah for his efforts.

It was the same with the case of Sodom and Gomorrah, that despite Lot’s efforts to open the eyes of the people of those cities, but they and their lust and desire to sin led them to their doom. And despite Abraham’s pleas to the Lord to spare the cities for the sake of his cousin Lot, his repeated efforts to ask the Lord to be merciful, the sins of those people of Sodom and Gomorrah, that no one save Lot and his immediate family could be found to be righteous, doomed and judged them.

It will therefore be the same for us, brothers and sisters, at the time of our reckoning and judgment. Do we want to end up like the the people of Noah’s time or the ones in Sodom and Gomorrah who perished together with their cities? As we listened to these readings we are in fact reminded by the Lord through His Church that we should not be complacent in the living of our faith, that we will not end up falling into the path of sin and evil.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all discern carefully what we have heard today and reflect deeply on the words of the Lord Himself, calling on all of us to follow Him and be faithful. It is a reminder that everything will happen as the Lord has ordained it, and we certainly do not want to end up in the wrong path or find ourselves on the wrong side. And what should we do then, brothers and sisters? We should renew our faith and commitment to the Lord and dedicate our time and effort to serve Him.

Let us all resist the temptations to sin, and reject the path of evil as we move forward in life. Let us turn towards God with a new commitment and love God with ever greater generosity and dedication from now on. May the Lord be with us and be our guide, helping us to endure the challenges and trials we are bound to encounter along this journey we walk through. May God bless us all and all of our good endeavours and efforts, each and every moments of our lives. Amen.

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Thursday, 12 November 2020 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are brought to attention of the sufferings of the followers of Christ just as the Lord Himself had suffered at the hands of those who opposed Him and refused to believe in Him. And because of this, we have to keep our faith in God strong and keep up our hope in Him even as we face trials and challenges in this life.

The Lord wants us all to be strong and to keep the faith, and because of that He has constantly reassured us through His servants, the Apostles and the saints, whose lives become our inspiration and strength, that we may continue to follow Him with zeal. And today, in particular, we recall the glorious life and inspirational faith of St. Josaphat Kuntsevych, holy bishop of the Lord and martyr of the Church.

St. Josaphat Kuntsevych was a monk of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth a few hundred years ago, at the time when the Christian faithful were divided between those who obeyed the Pope and are in communion with him, both the Roman Rite and the ones following the Eastern Orthodox communion with the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.

By that time the Pope and the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople had been separated due to the Great Schism for over five hundred years, and the sum of mutual distrust, political circumstances and greed by others involved in the matter led to increasingly distant and hostile relationship between the two sides, and consequently, the faithful also ended up becoming ever more divided and hostile against each other.

St. Joseph Kuntsevych was a monk who eventually rose to the position of leadership within the Church as an Archbishop. At that time, a significant majority of the local Ruthenian population in the region now known as Belarus and Ukraine sought to be reconciled with the Pope led by the Metropolitan of Kiev and other bishops, who worked towards reconciliation that culminated in the Union of Brest.

Through that Union many communities of the faithful were led by their bishops and the clergy into full communion and reconciliation with the Pope and therefore becoming once again a member of God’s One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. However, this did not mean that the reunification of the Church occurred smoothly, as there were significant opposition from some segments of the faithful, both the clergy and laity alike.

It was in that situation that St. Josaphat Kuntsevych became a leader and shepherd for his flock, despite the rising tensions and clashes between those who were supportive of the Union and those who opposed the Union. He had the difficult job of trying to resolve the tensions and differences between the feuding factions of the faithful. Nonetheless, he dedicated himself as best as possible and did what he could to steer the faithful through to the right path despite the challenges.

And this was also accompanied by his personal holiness, exemplary conduct and life, constantly mortifying the flesh and resisting the temptations to sin. Nonetheless, amidst the rising sectarian tensions and violence eventually it led to the martyrdom of this faithful and holy man of God, as the townspeople who were opposed to the Union with the Pope rose against St. Josaphat and attacked him, tortured him and threw his dead body into the river.

As we can see from this case, St. Josaphat Kuntsevych showed us that being faithful to God is often not an easy task and is likely to be a challenging journey. But we must not lose hope or faith in God as the Lord will be with us, guiding us in our journey together towards Him. We must remain faithful, no matter what challenges we may encounter, that when the Lord comes again, we can confidently say that we have kept the faith, and will be worthy of His eternal glory.

May God bless us all and guide us, strengthen us in our journey that we may draw ever closer to Him, with each and every moments of our lives. Amen.