Divine Love

by

Saturday, 9 November 2013 : Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 45 : 2-3, 5-6, 8-9

God is our strength and protection, an ever-present help in affliction. We will not fear, therefore, though the earth be shaken, and the mountains plunge into the seas.

There is a river whose streams bring joy to the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within, the city cannot quake, for God’s help is upon it at the break of day.

For with us is the Lord of hosts, the God of Jacob, our refuge. Come, see the works of the Lord – the marvelous things He has done in the world.

by

Friday, 8 November 2013 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time (Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Today, we listened to the words of the Gospel, in which the Lord told His disciples on the parable of the dishonest steward, in which the steward was accused of making dishonest acts with his master’s accounts, and in his fear of his own future, he committed even more dishonesty, all to save himself and provide for himself.

It may seem to some who reads this passage at a face value, that the Lord endorses the actions of the steward, by saying that the master of the steward praises him for his astuteness and crafty nature. In truth, the Lord says that while the methods used by the steward is a good method and a smart move, but that is for this world, and not for the world of the next, that is eternal. It is either eternity in suffering or glory and joy.

We like to trust in our own strength, power, and ability, and we like to follow in the ways of this world, that is deceit, dishonesty, pride, arrogance, that we become over time, more and more like that of the dishonest steward. To be worthy servant of God, then we must break free from the entanglement of the evils of this world. The lures of this world’s pleasures are great indeed. It is up to us to cast out those habits.

We all have been made the stewards of creation, given to all of us as our charge, at the time when God created all of us. We have been entrusted this world as our dominion, that we would divide, multiply, and ultimately be responsible for all those who had been granted to us as our rightful possessions. It is in our power and dominion, to choose whether to do what is good or what is bad and deceitful, on our duty as stewards of God and His creation.

Be honest, be faithful, and be true to God and to our fellow men. We should not let our ego or our desire to affect our actions and our deeds. We ought to rise from the depth of our sinfulness and egoistic nature, thinking and caring only for ourselves, and rise up to love and commit ourselves towards caring for our brothers and sisters in Christ. That is the way that we should follow, indeed as the Lord asked of us, to die to ourselves, and to die to our ego. That we cast away this veil of ego and embrace humility.

The root of corruption and evil is truly when one succumbs to his or her own ego, and allow that ego to take over themselves and their actions. When we begin to put ourselves and our own interests ahead of that of the others, then we begin our path to downfall and destruction. But this does not mean that we cannot escape from that path. It requires great effort and dedication to the cause, for us to reorientate ourselves to the path of righteousness.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, much is expected from us, as we have been given much. We have been given our skills, abilities, and talents, that we are indeed expected to utilise them, for good and for the benefit of all those around us. We cannot be negligent and ignorant of what has been entrusted to us. Let us therefore, from now on, resolve to become, truly better stewards and caretakers of God’s creations.

May the Lord who is love and mercy, and may He who grant us His gifts and goodness, empower us with His Spirit, that we will always be strong, against temptations and assaults by the evil one. Be with us Lord and strengthen us, that we, Your children, will be always loving as You are. God bless us all. Amen.

by

Thursday, 7 November 2013 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time (Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today Christ showed us how God is so loving and kind to all of His creation, especially all of us, the greatest and most beloved of them all, that He wants us to be reunited with Him once again. He is willing to extend His hands over to us, to welcome us back into His embrace, leaving behind our sinfulness and unworthiness.

That is why, Jesus told us how happy it is in heaven, when any sinner returns to the embrace of God, forsaking his sinfulness and evil past, to embrace God’s divine love and mercy. Yes, such is the joy in heaven that angels will sing and saints will chant songs of joy, over the repentance of the lost ones. It does not mean that they do not rejoice over those who are already saved, as they do rejoice, but the joy is ever greater when a sinner repents.

For we belong to God and God alone. This is because He created us from nothingness, and gave us the breath of life, that we can exist in this physical world. Hence, we will always belong to Him, since our very life and soul came from He who is God and who is Love. God did not want us to be lost and to be condemned for the sins we have committed, and that is why He did His best to prevent that.

He sent His only Son Jesus, to be that way, the way to salvation, liberation, and total freedom, from the yoke of sins and evils that had burdened us for all these times. Our Lord and God is the Good Shepherd, just as one who gives his all for the sake of the sheep entrusted to him. Therefore, the Lord too, through Jesus has loved mankind greatly and tenderly. The Good Shepherd cares for His sheep, and such great is His care that He searched for us with all of His might, and that was what Jesus had done.

Yes, Jesus came, as He Himself said, for everyone, but particularly for those who have been lost in sin and evil, that is the lost sheep of the Lord. These people deserve more of God’s attention in Jesus, because they faced great risk of falling into eternal damnation, out of which there can be no escape, and where there is absolutely no hope.

He reached out to sinners, and still is reaching out to sinners like us even today, and will be the same too in the future. The Lord opens His great mercy and shines His love upon us all, all of us who are His beloved children. We are the lost sheep whom the Lord had searched all over the world, and once He found us, He gathered us all into the one flock, one flock of the Lord, united in His Body, that is the Church of God.

But nevertheless, brethren, we cannot be complacent, and think that because we have been found and saved by God, then we can relax and take it easy, doing whatever we want to do. That is because, just as sheep often venture away from the flock at times and become lost, therefore we too can be lost if we are not careful in what we are doing in our lives.

The devil is like wolves lurking in the darkness, hoping to lure as away from the flock of God by his lies and persuasions, which may indeed appear very appealing to us. If we take his lies and fall into them, we will likely be lost, like lost sheep and the wolves, that is the devil, will come and devour us, essentially what happens when we do not repent and realise our sinfulness.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us from now on take the initiative and seek out the Lord, our shepherd. Let us reach out to Him and approach Him with a heart filled to the brim with love and dedication for Him. Let us not be taken over by our pride and instead sharpen the edge of our humility.  May the Lord continue to love us and protect us, that we will be lost from Him, but remain in His love forever. Amen.

by

Thursday, 7 November 2013 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 15 : 1-10

Meanwhile tax collectors and sinners were seeking the company of Jesus, all of them eager to hear what He had to say. But the Pharisees and the Scribes frowned at this, muttering, “This Man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So. Jesus told them this parable :

“Who among you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, will not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and seek the lost one till he finds it? And finding it, will he not joyfully carry it home on his shoulders?”

“Then he will call his friends and neighbours together, and say, ‘Celebrate with me, for I have found my lost sheep!’ I tell you, in the same way, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner, than over ninety-nine decent people, who do not need to repent.”

“What woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one, will not light a lamp, and sweep the house in a thorough search, till she finds the lost coin? And finding it, she will call her friends and neighbours, and say, ‘Celebrate with me, for I have found the silver coin I lost!'”

“I tell you, in the same way, there is rejoicing among the angels of God over one repentant sinner.”

by

Wednesday, 6 November 2013 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time (Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we hear on the importance of being ready, being prepared at all times, and most importantly to plan before anything. How is this then relevant to our faith? It is everything! This is because we cannot be idle nor should we be ignorant and lazy in our faith, that we neglect to do what the Lord expects from all of us, from each one of us.

The commandments and the laws that God had given us mankind, are what. He wants from us, not to be mere relics and symbolisms, but in fact as living laws that we all obey and follow with every actions, with every words, and with every deeds we do. Indeed, with every breath we take, we ought to be obedient to God and His laws.

We cannot ignore these laws, and we cannot dismiss them, as they are our guide so that we will not lose our way in this world, and through the obstacles and difficulties that bar our path towards the Lord our God. The laws can be likened to the strategies that one should take, in dealing with the troubles and the enemies that lay themselves on our path.

Without a good plan, as Jesus said in His parable on the houses and the king’s war to the people, there can be no success or good outcome. Such reckless actions without planning will only bring about failure or even getting lost in the way, being without any guidance. Good planning will ensure that we truly know what we are to do, or expect what will come about in the future.

These laws and commandments God has given us, and revealed in its completeness in Christ, are the laws of love, which guide us on our expected behaviours. That we ought to love one another just as we love and care for ourselves, that we truly reflect the Lord as God’s beloved children. Yes, brethren, just as God is Love, so we too should be children of love, expressing through our own actions, words, and deeds, the acts of love, kindness, and compassion.

Jesus today urged all of us, as He urged His disciples and the people who followed Him, to be more proactive in our faith, that we take the responsibility to plan and prepare for our salvation in Him. That we do not take it easy and become complacent in this world. That we are prepared for any contingencies, and any kind of trouble that may come in our way.

Why so, brothers and sisters in Christ? That is because there are, as I mentioned, many obstacles and enemies that lay themselves on our path to God, and that this path will not be an easy path, but a path filled with sorrow and challenges. We who have been made righteous in God, through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, are not automatically out of danger. For as long as we remain in this world, we are always under threat from the evil one, Satan, the deceiver, and his forces of darkness.

The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross has broken Satan’s hold and dominion over all of us. Ever since our Lord bared all, suffered and died for the sake of us all, and redeemed us from our original sins, Satan no longer has any authority over us. Nevertheless, he is loath to allow all of us to be lost to God forever. That is why, just as He had tempted Jesus in the desert in a vain attempt to prevent his defeat at the hands of God, he will definitely also tempt all of us with all the things in his disposal.

This can be likened to how a house without preparation will end up in disrepair, and a king without preparation will likely to lose his war. We are the builders of that house, and we are like that king. We have to plan ahead and be prepared, so that we will not end up in the situations I had just mentioned. To achieve this, we precisely need to follow what the Lord Himself urged us to, that is to be obedient to His laws, that is to love!

Yes, brothers and sisters in Christ, we need to love, and not just any love, but love tenderly. It is not easy to love, but it is indeed what we need to do, to prepare us and to ensure that we have a well-planned journey towards the Lord and the eternal reward and glory He has prepared for us all. Hence, brethren, let us then resolve from now on, that we will strive to love, first our God with all of our strengths, and then to love our neighbours, all our fellow brothers and sisters, children of the same God, also with all of our heart.

May the Lord guide us and continue to watch over us, as we progress through this path towards salvation. God be with us all. Amen.

by

Wednesday, 6 November 2013 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Romans 13 : 8-10

Do not be in debt to anyone. Let this be the only debt of one to another : Love. The one who loves his or her neighbour fulfilled the Law. For the commandments : ‘Do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not covet’ and whatever else are summarised in this one : ‘You will love your neighbour as yourself.’

Love cannot do the neighbour any harm; so love fulfills the whole Law.

by

Tuesday, 5 November 2013 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time (Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Brethren in Christ, the Lord loves us all, without exception. He gave us all many gifts and graces, and yet, many of us are not aware of this, or even reject these gifts He had given us, all for free. All that the Lord asks from us is in fact just that we should love Him back and dedicate ourselves and our hearts to Him alone. After all, He had given us so much, including this very life that sustains us in this world, that He does deserve our love.

However, the true fact is that many of us do not appreciate His love and kindness to us. We spurned His love and turned away from His mercy. We were not grateful at what He had done for our sake. He had given Himself up to be condemned to death, and suffer grievously in our place, as a punishment for all our sins. Yet in that suffering, He invited all of us to a great banquet, that is the banquet and feast of salvation.

Why so? That is because He offered His own flesh and blood, that is His Most Precious Body and Blood, His own Essence, to us, that all who receive them worthily and believe in Him, will receive the reward of life eternal in heaven. This is the reality of our faith. Yes, the centrepiece of our faith, that the Lord crucified, the Lamb of sacrifice, offered His own flesh and blood, just as the immaculate lambs were sacrificed at the first Jewish Passover, marking them from death.

And just as the blood of the lambs marked the house of the people of Israel, to distinguish them from their Egyptian slave masters, and therefore the angel of death passed over them, so had Jesus, the Lamb of God, with His Blood, marked all of us who believe, that death will not have dominion nor authority over us. We have been marked that we belong to God and God alone.

Even so, even many among us who had been marked, likened to the guests invited by the master of the house to his banquet, still go astray from our path, and erred. We were still easily swayed by the forces of this world, belonging to the evil one, the devil, that is the forces of darkness. And just like the guests, who made excuses not to come to the event, we too like to make excuses to God, numerous excuses to excuse us from coming closer to God and His love.

Indeed, it is often that this world and the world of material offer us so much and in a way so enticing, that it is hard for us to gaze away from them. This is what happened exactly, as the Lord showed it through the reluctant and unfaithful guests, who preferred their own personal matter and preoccupied with their own dealings, to break the promise they had made in God, and to ignore His calling.

That is also what happened, when the voice of God speaking softly in our hearts was drowned by the noise of this world, by the noise of our surroundings. We cannot focus on the Lord simply because the world around us is too attractive, and too distractive, that we often end up busying ourselves with this world’s dealings rather than spending time with our Lord who loves us.

That is why, the Lord highlighted the type of people He wants, that is, those who are humble and loving, and those who truly seek the Lord, those who truly have God in their hearts. That is what is expected from us all, brethren! We must find time for our Lord, and open our hearts to Him. Do not neglect our Lord by turning away from Him or ignoring Him. Do not be like those ungrateful guests who turned away the invitation of the Lord.

Yes, brothers and sisters in Christ, from now on, let us resolve to be closer to God, to be open to His love, and to open the doors of our hearts and ears to His words and wisdom. We can do this by devoting ourselves to Him in prayer. Pray hard and pray devoutly, and talk to God often, and at the same time, allowing Him to speak within our heart. May the Lord our God then grant us His blessing, that all of us will remain always and ever in His love. Amen.

by

Tuesday, 5 November 2013 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 14 : 15-24

Upon hearing these words, one of those at the table said to Jesus, “Happy are those who eat at the banquet in the kingdom of God!”

Jesus replied, “A man once gave a feast and invited many guests. When it was time for the feast, he sent his servant to tell those he had invited to come, for everything was ready.”

“But all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘Please excuse me. I must go and see the piece of land I have just bought.’ Another said : ‘I am sorry, but I am on my way to try out the five yoke of oxen I have just bought.’ Still another said, ‘How can I come, when I have just got married?'”

“The servant returned alone, and reported this to his master. Upon hearing his account, the master of the house flew into a rage, and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town, and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.'”

“The servant reported after a while, ‘Sir, your orders have been carried out, but there is still room.’ The master said, ‘Go out to the highways and country lanes, and force people to come in, and make sure my house is full. I tell you, none of those invited will have a morsel of my feast.'”

by

Tuesday, 5 November 2013 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 130 : 1, 2, 3

O Lord, my heart is not proud nor do I have arrogant eyes. I am not engrossed in ambitious matters, nor in things too great for me.

I have quieted and stilled my soul like a weaned child on its mother’s lap; like a contented child is my soul.

Hope in the Lord, o Israel, now and forever.

by

Tuesday, 5 November 2013 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Romans 12 : 5-16a

The same with us, being many, we are one body in Christ, depending on one another. Let each one of us, therefore, serve according to our different gifts. Are you a prophet? Then give the insights of faith. Let the minister fulfill his office; let the teacher teach, the one who encourages, convince.

You must, likewise, give with an open hand, preside with dedication, and be cheerful in your works of charity. Let love be sincere. Hate what is evil and hold to whatever is good. Love one another and be considerate. Outdo one another in mutual respect. Be zealous in fulfilling your duties. Be fervent in the Spirit and serve God.

Have hope and be cheerful. Be patient in trials and pray constantly. Share with other Christians in need. With those passing by, be ready to receive them. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not wish evil on anyone. Rejoice with those who are joyful, and weep with those who weep. Live in peace with one another.