Liturgical Colour : Green
Psalm 5 : 2-3, 5-6, 7
O YHVH, listen to my words and hear my complaint, give heed to my sighs, my King and my God.
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 YHVH detests.
Liturgical Colour : Green
1 Kings 21 : 1-16
Now Naboth, a man from Jezreel, owned a vineyard just beside the palace of Ahab, king of Samaria. Ahab asked Naboth, “Give me your vineyard which is near my house that I may use it for a vegetable garden. I will give you a better vineyard in exchange. Or, if you prefer, I will pay you its price.”
But Naboth said to Ahab, “YHVH forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.” So Ahab went home angry and sad because of what Naboth had told him, that he would not give him the inheritance of his fathers. So he lay down on his bed with his face turned toward the wall and refused to eat.”
His wife Jezebel came to him and said, “Why are you so angry that you refuse to eat?” He answered, “I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and asked him to sell me his vineyard or to exchange it for another one in exchange; but he answered : I will not give you my vineyard.”
His wife Jezebel said to him, “Are you not king of Israel? Get up and eat and be joyful, for I will give you the vineyard of Naboth of Jezreel.” So Jezebel wrote letters using Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and important persons living near Naboth. This is what she wrote in the letters : “Declare a fast and put Naboth on trial. Get two scoundrels to accuse him in this way : ‘You have cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him to death.”
The people, the elders and the important persons who lived in his city did as Jezebel had instructed them in the letters she sent to them. They declared a fast and put Naboth on trial. The two worthless fellows came in and sat facing him, accusing Naboth before the people, “Naboth cursed God and the king!” So the people took him outside the city and stoned him to death. They then sent word to Jezebel that Naboth had been stoned and was dead.
As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, she told Ahab, “Now take possession of the vineyard of Naboth, the man of Jezreel who refused to sell it to you, for Naboth is now dead.” As soon as Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he went down to the vineyard of Naboth and took possession of it.
Liturgical Colour : Green
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, all of us are called and reminded to be ever faithful to the Lord and to remember everything that He had done for us, in all the blessings and wonders that we have received. Each and every one of us have become partakers of the Covenant that God has established with us. God has loved and cared for us all most wonderfully and He has called on all of us to follow Him and to do His will. All of us are reminded to live our lives and to do our best to reflect the great love and the examples which our Lord Himself has shown us through His most beloved Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. That is what we are being reminded of this Sunday as we all gather together as one community and one Church of God.
In our first reading this Sunday, we heard of the account of the time when the people of Israel, which God had just brought out from the land of Egypt, were led to the Mountain of God, Mount Sinai, where God would establish and renew the Covenant that He has made with their forefathers. The Lord told them and reminded them of everything He had done for their sake. He then told them of what they would all be expected to do as part of the Covenant which He would make with them, to be His holy people who live in accordance to His Law and commandments. The Lord would bless them and protect them, and would grant them His grace and love. God gave them all His Law and commandments so that all of then would know how they ought to live their lives, walking in His path and becoming good role models and sources of inspiration for all others around them.
In our second reading today, we then heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans in which we listened to the Apostle’s reminder to all the faithful in the Church of Rome, and also to all of us, just how fortunate each and every one of us are because God has loved us and provided for us, and even gave us all His most beloved Son, to be our Saviour. St. Paul reminded the faithful people of God that God has sent us His Son, to suffer and die for us, even though we were still rebellious and were great sinners, calling upon us to turn away from those sins and wickedness, having been reconciled through the love of God shown to us in Jesus Christ, the Son of God made Man. All of us are truly fortunate that God has come into our midst, ever always caring about us and kind towards us, and patient with us despite our frequent disobedience and stubbornness.
Lastly, then in our Gospel passage today we heard of the Lord telling His disciples that while the harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few in number, and He mentioned of asking the Master of the harvest to send labourers to gather the harvest. This, which is followed then by the mention of the Twelve Apostles, the closest confidants of the Lord, who were identified by name, and how it was mentioned that they were sent by the Lord with the power and authority to perform miracles and signs in His Name, all these clearly identified to us, that as those whom God had called and chosen, all of us as Christians ought to go forth and proclaim the truth of the Lord, His Good News and His path to all those around us, so that by our actions and good examples, we may inspire more and more people to come to the path towards the Lord and His salvation.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, having listened to those words of the Scriptures and reflected on them, this is where we should realise that as Christians, each and every one of us have important obligations in life to do what God has commanded and taught us to do. The Lord has taught and revealed to us His Law and commandments, and each one of us ought to know them well, doing what we can as God’s people, as His followers, to inspire others around us and to show the teachings and truths of the Lord to those who have not known Him yet. Yes, brothers and sisters in Christ, the works that the Lord has entrusted to His Church, to all of us are still far from complete, as there are still many out there who are still ignorant and lacking in proper understanding and knowledge of what the Lord has revealed and brought into this world.
Not only that, but even within the Church, there are many of those who are lukewarm in their faith, all those who have not lived their lives in accordance to God’s Law and commandments. The Lord wants us all to be the good role models, examples and inspirations for all these around us, even those within the Church so that more and more people may come to be truly faithful to the Lord. And we must realise that the best way for us to evangelise and to proclaim the Lord’s truth, is not by mere words alone. Instead, we have to live our lives genuinely as Christians, so that in everything we say and do, and in how we interact with one another, we truly proclaim the Lord to all those who see us, hear us, interact with us and encounter us. All of us should be great witnesses and missionaries of Christ, in living up to our Christian faith and expectations.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, lest we forget, let us remember everything that the Lord had done for us, in all the things He had done to His beloved people, in patiently caring for them and guiding them, rescuing them from trouble and hardships even when those same people had constantly betrayed and abandoned Him, stubbornly refusing to follow His ways and the path that He has shown them. The Lord has always loved us regardless of all those things, and He kept on reaching out to us, chastising us and punishing us whenever we erred and disobeyed Him, with the intention that we may change our way of life and turn away from all the wicked things which had led us away from the Lord and His salvation, His holiness and love. That is why, each and every one of us, ever reminded of God’s most generous love, should also love Him in the same way, and commit ourselves to Him and the missions which He has entrusted to us.
May the Lord, our most loving God and Master, our King, continue to love us and provide for us, in all the moments of our lives. And may all of us continue to commit ourselves wholeheartedly to Him, that in our every moments, our every actions and interactions, we will be ever worthy and be the faithful bearers of God’s Good News and truth, showing the path to the Lord to others around us by our own exemplary living in faith. May God bless us all and our every good efforts and endeavours, in all things, now and always, forevermore. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : Green
Matthew 9 : 36 – Matthew 10 : 8
At that time, when Jesus saw the crowds, He was moved with pity; for they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are only few. Ask the master of the harvest to send workers to gather his harvest.”
Jesus called His Twelve disciples to Him, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out, and to heal every disease and sickness.
These are the names of the Twelve Apostles : first Simon, called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew, the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon, the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, the man who would betray Him.
Jesus sent these Twelve on mission, with the instruction : “Do not visit pagan territory and do not enter a Samaritan town. Go, instead, to the lost sheep of the people of Israel. Go, and proclaim this message : The kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, bring the dead back to life, cleanse the lepers, and drive out demons. Freely have you received, freely give.”
Liturgical Colour : Green
Romans 5 : 6-11
Consider, moreover, the time that Christ died for us : when we were still helpless and unable to do anything. Few would accept to die for an upright person; although, for a very good person, perhaps someone would dare to die.
But see how God manifested His love for us : while we were still sinners, Christ died for us; and we have become just, through His Blood. With much more reason now He will save us from any condemnation. Once enemies, we have been reconciled with God through the death of His Son; with much more reason, now we may be saved, through His life.
Not only that, but we even boast in God because of Christ Jesus, our Lord, through Whom we have been reconciled.
Liturgical Colour : Green
Psalm 99 : 1-2, 3, 5
All you lands, acclaim YHVH! Serve YHVH with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.
Know that YHVH is God; He created us, and we are His people, the sheep of His fold.
For YHVH is good; His love lasts forever; and His faithfulness, through all generations.
Liturgical Colour : Green
Exodus 19 : 2-6a
The Israelites arrived there coming from Rephidim and camped in the wilderness of Sinai.
They camped there in front of the mountain, but Moses went up to God and YHVH called to him from the mountain, saying, “This is what you are to say and to explain to the Israelites : You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I carried you on eagle’s wings and brought you to myself.”
“Now if you listen to Me and keep My Covenant, you shall be My very own possession among all the nations. For all the earth is Mine, but you will be for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”
Liturgical Colour : White
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, on the day right after the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. That is why while Fridays and especially First Fridays are often associated with the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Saturdays, and also especially First Saturdays are associated with the Blessed Mother of God, and when votive Masses of Our Lady, Mary, the Mother of God can be celebrated. On this day we remember the great love that Mary has for her Son, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, reflecting that perfect love which His Son has shown us all through His Most Sacred Heart, ever filled with generous and overflowing, ever-patient love for each and every one of us, His beloved people in this world.
In Mary, the most holy and immaculate Mother of God, having been conceived without sin, as the Church believes in the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception, therefore is found a heart that is truly holy and immaculate, a reflection of the perfection and the perfect love that her own Son has for us. This is what the Immaculate Heart of Mary is all about, that is a Heart filled with great love for God, first and foremost, for her Son, Whom she loved above all else in this world, and lastly, a Heart most Immaculate that is also filled with love for each and every one of us as Christians, and all others whom the Lord has entrusted to her to be her own adopted children. Therefore, just as the Lord has loved us so much and so generously, thus, our most loving Mother has also lovingly cared for us and showed her compassionate nature, from her Immaculate Heart.
As we heard in our Gospel passage today, Mary liked to keep everything in her Immaculate Heart, a Heart that is centred and focused on God alone. In that passage, we heard of the moment when the Lord Jesus in His young age of twelve, was with His mother and foster father St. Joseph in the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, in which He stayed behind discreetly at the Temple of Jerusalem, the House of God, His Father’s House. We heard how Mary and St. Joseph came to look for the young Lord Jesus and found Him in great discussion with the teachers of the Law who were all astounded by His great wisdom and knowledge, the graces He had and the words of eloquence that He was speaking with. The Lord obeyed His mother and foster father when they brought Him back to their hometown of Nazareth, but as mentioned, Mary kept everything she experienced in her Immaculate Heart.
This is the same Heart that the prophet Simeon had prophesied at the moment when the Baby Jesus was brought to be presented at the Temple, as the Heart that would be pierced with swords of sorrow, a prefigurement and premonition of what would happen at the moment of the Lord’s Passion. For it was then that Mary herself had to witness the most grievous and painful sufferings endured by her Son, as He was betrayed, condemned to death, bearing His heavy Cross all the way to Calvary, as she was following and watching throughout the whole journey. This is the same Immaculate Heart that was indeed wounded at the sight of her persecuted Son, just as the Son’s Most Sacred Heart had also been pierced and wounded by our every sins and transgressions, our wickedness and evils.
That is why Mary has always set her sights upon us, her beloved children, ever showing us her care and compassion, in patiently guiding all of us towards her Son and to be saved in Him. That is why Mary has appeared many times to us throughout history, in her many Apparitions, both those that are well-known ones and the more obscure ones. That is because Mary in her Immaculate Heart loves her Son and through Him, she has also loved us much like she has loved her Son. Mary has never given up on us just as her own Son has not given up on us. She does not want any one of us to be forever lost to God because of our continued evil and wicked ways, our many sins and transgressions through which we have been made separated and sundered from God and His grace. Mary, His mother through her Immaculate Heart, has constantly reached out to us lovingly, in leading us back to her Son, Our Lord and Saviour.
Now, on this day as we reflect upon the most loving and Immaculate Heart of Mary, the Mother of God and Our Saviour, let us all reflect upon the love which Mary has constantly and tirelessly shown us all, and her love for God, obedience for His commands and ways, that all of us as Christians have been called to emulate in our own lives. Let us ask ourselves if we have truly been genuine in our faith and obedience to God, and if we have done what the Lord has called and commanded us to do, in doing God’s will and in walking the path that He has shown us. If we have not done all these in our lives, then let us all commit ourselves anew to His path, reflecting upon our way of life and discerning of what each and every one of us can do in order to fulfil the Law and commandments of the Lord.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore redirect our lives and focus, our attention and return towards the Lord with renewed zeal in life. All of us have been called and entrusted with the mission to proclaim the Good News, the Gospels of salvation, to call on the people all around us to come to the holy presence of God and to discover His truth, grace and love. All of us have been called to embrace the love of God which He has generously shown us, and which He has also shown us through His mother as well, as through Mary, many of our predecessors before us have been called and reminded to find our way to the Lord, and not few changed their hearts and way of life, abandoning the path of sin and evil thanks to the assistance and intercession from Mary, Our Lady of the Immaculate Heart.
Today, all of us also celebrate the feast of St. Anthony of Padua, the famous saint who is known especially for his intercession on behalf of those who have lost their precious items, and who was also famous for being one of the saints who have been canonised the soonest after his passing, being canonised less than a year after his death, which was a testimony of his great devotion to God and the popularity of his piety and inspiring examples that had touched so many people back then. St. Anthony of Padua was a member of the Franciscan Order and was ordained a priest, and who dedicated his life to missionary work and preaching, spending a lot of time teaching many people throughout his journeys, inspiring many by his deep understanding of the Scriptures, his eloquence and charism, as well as his natural ability to connect to others to whom he had preached to.
Then St. Anthony of Padua continued his ministry in helping with the education of the young generation of Franciscan friars, and which in one occasion led to his association with the discovery of lost things. According to Church tradition and hagiography, St. Anthony of Padua lost his precious psalter, or psalm book, which had been taken by a Franciscan novice who chose to leave the order behind. Through the prayers of St. Anthony of Padua, miraculously not only that the thief-novice was moved to return the stolen psalter to St. Anthony, but the same former novice chose to return to the Franciscan Order and continue his formation. This showed that the Lord is always with His righteous ones and He listened to us all, ever guiding and providing for us, and St. Anthony was listened to by the Lord because he truly has been obedient to Him, and has been the light of the world and the salt of the earth, through his faith, commitment and dedication, which all of us should be inspired to follow as well.
May the Lord, through His blessed Mother Mary, the Lady of the Immaculate Heart, and through the great faith that His servant, St. Anthony of Padua, has shown us, may He continue to show us His love and compassionate kindness. May He empower each one of us so that we may truly be ever committed and dedicated to His path. Holy Mary, Mother of God, who has loved us most dearly through your Immaculate Heart, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. St. Anthony of Padua, pray for us all as well. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : White
Matthew 5 : 33-37
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “You have also heard that people were told in the past : Do not break your oath; an oath sworn to the Lord must be kept. But I tell you this : do not take oaths. Do not swear by the heavens, for they are God’s throne; nor by the earth, because it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King.”
“Do not even swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white of black. Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything else you say comes from the evil one.”
Alternative reading (Mass of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
Luke 2 : 41-51
Every year the parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover, as was customary. And when Jesus was twelve years old, He went up with them, according to the custom of this feast. After the festival was over, they returned, but the Boy Jesus remained in Jerusalem, and His parents did not know it.
They thought He was in the company, and after walking the whole day they looked for Him among their relatives and friends. As they did not find Him, they went back to Jerusalem searching for Him, and on the third day they found Him in the Temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking questions. And all the people were amazed at His understanding and His answers.
His parents were very surprised when they saw Him, and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Your father and I were very worried while searching for You.” Then He said to them, “Why were you looking for Me? Did you not know that I must be in My Father’s house?” But they did not understand this answer.
Jesus went down with them, returning to Nazareth, and He continued to be subject to them. As for His mother, she kept all these things in her heart.
Liturgical Colour : White
Psalm 15 : 1-2a and 5, 7-8, 9-10
Keep me safe, o God, for in You I take refuge. I say to the Lord, “O Lord, my inheritance and my cup, my chosen portion – hold secure my lot.”
I bless the Lord Who counsels me; even at night my inmost self instructs me. I keep the Lord always before me; for with Him at my right hand, I will never be shaken.
My heart, therefore, exults, my soul rejoices; my body too will rest assured. For You will not abandon my soul to the grave, nor will You suffer Your Holy One to see decay in the land of the dead.
Alternative Psalm (Mass of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
1 Samuel 2 : 1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd
My heart exults in YHVH, I feel strong in my God. I rejoice and laugh at my enemies for You came with power to save me.
The bow of the mighty is broken, but the weak are girded with strength. The well-fed must labour for bread, but the hungry need work no more. The childless wife has borne seven children, but the proud mother is left alone.
YHVH is Lord of life and death. He brings down to the grave and raises up. YHVH makes poor and makes rich, He brings low and He exalts.
He lifts up the lowly from the dust, and raises the poor from the ash heap; they will be called to the company of princes, and inherit a seat of honour.
petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang 