Divine Mercy Sunday

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Sunday, 3 April 2016 : Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day, the Second Sunday of Easter, all of us the faithful celebrate together as well, the Feast of the Divine Mercy, celebrating the most merciful love of our Lord and God, Jesus Christ, through Whom and Whose works have brought mercy and forgiveness to mankind steeped deep in sin and darkness.

The essence of today’s celebration is the fact that we mankind have lived in sin, and darkness have corrupted our hearts, minds and soul. Ever since the very first moment mankind had sinned through Adam and Eve, our forebears, we have been tainted by the wickedness of sin, and by the vile nature of our human pride, our greed and desire.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, sin is what had separated us from the love of God, from His grace and blessings, and it is what keeping us away from truly being able to receive the Lord’s promised inheritance, and the eternal life which He has promised us. Remember, brethren, that God created all of us because He loves us all, and He loves us all whom He had created with His own hands. He never intended for us to be cast out and to be destroyed, but we ourselves, we have rejected Him and refused to walk with Him in His path.

It was by our refusal to obey the commandments of the Lord, by our desire to follow our own wishes and wants, that had led us to such a state of sin and separation from God, beginning from the time of Adam and Eve, when they were tempted by Satan to disobey God and eat from the forbidden tree, because they desired to be like God and to be great and filled with knowledge.

And we also know of how the people of Israel refused to listen to God and to His servant Moses, and they constantly grumbled, rebelled and disobeyed His commands, despite having made the covenant, the pact sealed with the blood of sacrifices with God. They thought better of their own wants and needs, and they acted in ways which came contrary to the way of the Lord, all to satisfy their own desires.

And we continued in this manner for many generations. Across time and ages, people continued to live in accordance with how they wanted to live and not obeying the Lord, but rather listening to the words and sweet lies of Satan, to his temptations and lures to pull us away and to make us to be far apart from God and the salvation and life He intended to give us.

But despite our sins and our wickedness, and despite our constant rebellions, which had aroused His great wrath and anger, God still loves us all, each and every one of us. If He does not love us and instead despises us, it would have been easy for Him to destroy us if that is His intention. He created us, therefore it would have been equally easy for Him to cast us out into the utter darkness. But it was not His intention for us.

God wants to show us His love and mercy, and rescue us from our afflictions. And this year, this is a very special occasion where we celebrate the nature of mercy itself. This year is the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, when we are coming together to reflect on God’s merciful heart, and to bring His works of mercy to all the people who have not yet received His mercy.

Therefore, all of us are called and invited to partake together the wonderful mercy of our Lord. And we are called to realise how great is His mercy, and how we should open ourselves, our hearts, minds and soul so that He may come in and bring His merciful love into each one of us, so that we may be thoroughly transformed from creatures who lived in darkness and filled with rebelliousness, into those who seek the light of God and are righteous and just in all their deeds.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, yet, there is something very important that all of us have to take note here. While we speak about mercy, there seems to be quite a serious misunderstanding and misrepresentation of mercy, especially regarding the mercy of God in our Christian communities, even among the hierarchy and the leaders of the Church. We misrepresent mercy in the way that may end up leading sinners not to salvation but to even greater sins.

Why is this so? That is because there were those of us who urged that the Church and the faithful had not done enough to show mercy upon sinners, people who have not been obedient to the teachings of the Church, those who committed adultery through illegal remarriages, those who followed aberration forms of relationships and living a life of sin, and many others. And these were calling for us essentially to unconditionally show the mercy of God to them that they may be saved.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we must never forget that there are always two sides to a coin. And similarly, for God’s mercy we have to know that there is God’s justice too. What does this mean brothers and sisters? God loves us, and all of us are deserving of His mercy, but He does not love our sins, and thus He does not approve of the sins which we have committed in this life.

Many people mentioned that we should not judge others because of their sins, and rightly, yes, we should not do so, because God will judge us equally for our own sins in the same way that we have judged others for their mistakes and sins. However, not being judgmental does not equate with tolerating the sins of sinners and allowing them to continue with their sins, as some of those in the Church were proposing to do, in the name of greater ‘pastoral care’ or ‘inclusiveness’.

True mercy is what we need to show, brothers and sisters in Christ, and this means that we must not judge, but must do all we can to persuade and bring the sinners back into the light of Christ our Lord. And sometimes, many of us think that making the path easier for them to walk on will help them, but it is not necessarily so, and certainly Jesus Himself had said that, if we are to follow Him, difficulties will be on our path, and we have to carry our own crosses if we are to follow Him.

That is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, we do not allow those who have sinned, particularly those who have committed adultery and serious forms of sin to receive the Most Precious Body and Blood of our Lord, as they were not yet worthy to receive Him worthily until they have repented their sins. Some favoured welcoming them and making it easier for them that they may repent, but the risk is there, brethren, that they may continue to walk in their sinful paths, and commit even greater sins by receiving the Lord unworthily.

It is not that we want to condemn sinners, as we certainly do not do so, and we are also sinners too. But what we are concerned with, what the Church is concerned about, is the salvation of souls. Remember the Lord said that might as well we lose our lives in faith in the Lord and yet gain the eternal life and salvation, rather than gaining the approval of the world and yet lose our souls? It is the same in this manner.

Are we all concerned enough for one another, for ourselves, sinners and wicked people before the Lord, that we want to try to help one another by understanding the meaning of repentance and penitence? Let us all make it clear to one another, that we welcome everyone, and all sinners are called to God’s mercy, but then, it is ultimately our choice. Do we want to change our lives and our ways of life? Do we want to take up God’s offer of mercy? And if we accept His mercy, which means changing our lives, then should we not abandon all of our past sins and abandon behind all wickedness without reservation?

Yes, let us all make it clear at the end of today’s discourse. God’s mercy is given to all, and offered to all, but in order for the mercy to have work in us, then we have to accept it, not just by mere words or proclamations, but also through real deeds and actions. And we cannot continue to live in sin, pretending that nothing have changed, or that God will forgive us no matter what we have done. We have to abandon our adulterous and wicked ways, aberrations of relationships and other things not in accordance with God’s ways.

Let us all bring God’s true mercy to one another, that God’s mercy and love may awaken them from their slumber in the darkness and bring them into the eternal light. Let us all strive to die to our sins and to reject all forms of wickedness and temptations that Satan had placed on us to prevent us from reaching salvation. Let us all reject all worldly ways and seek the Lord in all things. God bless us all, now and forever. Amen.

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Sunday, 3 April 2016 : Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 20 : 19-31

At that time, on the evening of that day, the first day after the Sabbath, the doors were locked where the disciples were, because of their fear of the Jews. But Jesus came, and stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you!” Then He showed them His hands and His side. The disciples kept looking at the Lord and were full of joy.

Again Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent Me, so I send you.” After saying this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit! Those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; those whose sins you retain, they are retained.”

Thomas, the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he replied, “Until I have seen in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in His side, I will not believe.”

Eight days later, the disciples were inside again and Thomas was with them. Despite the locked doors Jesus came and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you!” Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see My hands; stretch out your hand, and put it into My side. Do not be an unbeliever! Believe!”

Thomas then said, “You are my Lord and my God.” Jesus replied, “You believe because you see Me, do you not? Happy are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

There were many other signs that Jesus gave in the presence of His disciples, but they are not recorded in this book. These are recorded, so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Believe, and you will have life through His Name!

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Sunday, 3 April 2016 : Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Revelations 1 : 9-11a, 12-13, 17-19

I, John, your brother, who shares with you, in Jesus, the sufferings, the kingdom and the patient endurance, was on the island of Patmos, because of the Word of God and witnessing to Jesus. On the Lord’s day, the Spirit took possession of me and I heard a voice behind me which sounded like a trumpet, “Write down all that you see.”

I turned to see who was speaking to me; behind me were seven golden lampstands and, in the middle of these, I saw someone like a Son of Man, dressed in a long robe tied with a golden girdle. Seeing Him, I fell at His feet like one dead but He touched me with His right hand and said, “Do not be afraid. It is I, the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead and now I am alive forever and ever; and Mine are the keys of death and the netherworld.”

“Now write what you have seen, both what is and what is yet to come.”

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Sunday, 3 April 2016 : Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 117 : 2-4, 22-24, 25-27a

Let Israel say, “His loving kindness endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron say, “His loving kindness endures forever.” Let those who fear the Lord say, “His loving kindness endures forever.”

The Stone rejected by the builders has become the Cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing and we marvel at it. This is the day the Lord has made; so let us rejoice and be glad.

Save us, o Lord, deliver us, o Lord! Blessed is He Who comes in the Lord’s Name! We bless You from the house of the Lord. The Lord is God; may His light shine upon us.

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Sunday, 3 April 2016 : Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 5 : 12-16

Many miraculous signs and wonders were done among the people through the hands of the Apostles. The believers, of one accord, used to meet in Solomon’s Porch. None of the others dared to join them, but the people held them in high esteem.

So an ever increasing number of men and women, believed in the Lord. The people carried the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and on mats, so that when Peter passed by, at least his shadow might fall on some of them. The people gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those who were troubled by unclean spirits, and all of them were healed.

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Saturday, 18 April 2015 : 2nd Week of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard about two stories, one from the Acts of the Apostles which told us of an account of how the deacons were selected and chosen for the community of the faithful, to serve them and distribute the communal goods to them. And in the Gospel we heard also about how Jesus came to the disciples in the midst of a storm, and calmed the Apostles who were afraid of the sudden apparition.

The deacons are an extant order in the Church, which we know even until today, as one of the hierarchy within the servants of God, who were once initially meant for the distribution of goods in the community of the faithful, who shared everything they had in a truly communal way of living, filled with love and care for each other. The deacons helped the people of God, serving them even as they still do today, albeit in a much different way.

Today’s readings are calling us to give more to the Lord, more of our dedication and efforts, and more of our faith and trust for Him. The deacons have been called and chosen by our Lord to give their loving and heartful service to the people of God, to minister to them and guide them on the path towards the Lord. They assisted the Apostles and the priests of the Lord, who taught the faith to the people and led them in their journey of faith.

Therefore, all of us are also called to do the same too. The servants of our Lord, all in the order of priesthood, our Pope, the Cardinals, the bishops and all the priests, and even the deacons themselves, be it transitional ones on their journey to the priesthood, or those who have committed themselves to a lifetime of permanent deaconate, all of them need our help, assistance and active participation.

Many of us falsely thought that it is the job and duty of the priesthood and the deacons to serve the people, the poor and the unloved, and that we all in the laity can just sit back and relax while we see these faithful servants of God doing their job. And many of us even criticised them when we thought that they were not doing their ‘supposed’ and ‘expected’ duty.

But do we know that we ourselves also have responsibility and duty as fellow members of God’s Church and community of the faithful? We have to carry out this duty, that is to care and love for each other, and to give what we have more to those who have less or none. The laity formed the vast majority of the faithful, and those who have given themselves to the service of the Lord is just a tiny minority amongst the faithful.

We have to realise that within the Church, there should be clear division of labour. We who have been baptised have also shared in the ministry which God had entrusted to His disciples. Today serves as a reminder for all of us to help one another, and most importantly, to help all the faithful servants of God who had dedicated their time and effort for the cause of us all.

Let us all therefore renew our faith and commitment to our Lord, that inspired by the example of the holy deacons, especially that of St. Stephen, who worked hard and zealously to spread the Good News of Christ until his death, as the first martyr of the Faith, we too may grow to serve the Lord in ever more ways and devote ourselves ever more to Him. God bless us all. Amen.

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Saturday, 18 April 2015 : 2nd Week of Easter (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 6 : 16-21

At that time, after the feeding of the five thousand, when evening came, the disciples went down to the shore. After a while they got into a boat to make for Capernaum on the other side of the sea, for it was now dark and Jesus had not yet come to them.

But the sea was getting rough because a strong wind was blowing. They had rowed about three or four miles, when they saw Jesus walking on the sea, and He was drawing near to the boat. They were frightened, but He said to them, “It is I! Do not be afraid!”

They wanted to take Him into the boat, but immediately the boat was at the shore to which they were going.

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Saturday, 18 April 2015 : 2nd Week of Easter (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 32 : 1-2, 4-5, 18-19

Rejoice in the Lord, you who are just, praise is fitting for the upright. Give thanks to Him on the harp and lyre, making melody and chanting praises.

For upright is the Lord’s word and worthy of trust is His work. The Lord loves justice and righteousness; the earth is full of His kindness.

But the Lord’s eyes are upon those who fear Him, upon those who trust in His loving kindness to deliver them from death and preserve them from famine.

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Saturday, 18 April 2015 : 2nd Week of Easter (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 6 : 1-7

In those days, as the number of disciples grew, the so called Hellenists complained against the so called Hebrews, because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.

So the Twelve summoned the whole body of disciples together and said, “It is not right that we should neglect the word of God to serve at tables. So, friends, choose from among yourselves seven respected men full of Spirit and wisdom, that we may appoint them to this task. As for us, we shall give ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word.”

The whole community agreed and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and Holy Spirit; Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenus and Nicolaus of Antioch who was a proselyte. They presented these men to the Apostles who first prayed over them and then laid hands upon them.

The Word of God continued to spread, and the number of disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly and even many priests accepted the faith.

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Friday, 17 April 2015 : 2nd Week of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard the reading that is very famous and certainly known by all of us, that is the reading of the feeding of the multitudes of five thousand men and many more, uncounted women and children among all those who followed Jesus and heard His teachings. The feeding of the five thousand with a mere five loaves of bread and two fishes which Jesus miraculously transformed into food of abundance that filled them all showed the world that He is indeed the Christ, the Lord, the Almighty One who had come into the world.

And for He is God, He is our Lord and Father. He cares for us all with all of His heart, and His love for us is ever generous and boundless. He showed mercy and compassion when He saw the multitudes of people went hungry and weakened by the lack of food, even though they stayed on to listen to the teachings of Jesus. He would not let the people to go hungry, and He fed them with food, both physical and spiritual food.

The people were filled and satisfied, but many of them did not understand what God truly wanted from them. If we follow on the story, the people after that tried to seize Jesus and force Him to become their king, and rebel against their Roman rulers. They did so because they wanted earthly and worldly satisfaction, the satisfaction which only such greatness and wonders can give them.

They wanted earthly joy and satisfaction, the feeling of satiation similar to when we have our stomachs filled. But is this true joy and true satisfaction? No, it is not. Those are temporary joy and happiness, that often distract us from seeking and finding the true joy of our life, that is to be with our Lord, our loving God. We always crave for attention, crave for that satisfaction of the flesh, by seeking worldly pleasures, and as a result, we fall into sin.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we have to seek the Lord, seek His truth and know about His love for us. We have to follow the example of Christ, who showed us how we should act and indeed react to the temptations lying all over around us. It will not be easy to overcome ourselves, our ego and our desires, but certainly it is possible for us to put in the effort to reject the worldliness offered by the evil one.

Jesus showed us the perfect example, that we may know how to live like a good and devoted Christian, as believers and followers of our God. We ought to imitate what Jesus had done if we would like to be true disciples of our Lord. He is humble, unassuming, and He is always obedient, even when the temptations of the world rose up to tempt Him to turn from His perfect obedience to the will of God.

He was tempted when He encountered Satan in the desert, beset with hunger and the great heat of the desert. He was tempted to show off His power by changing the stones into bread. But remember what Jesus said to Satan? Exactly, He said that men does not live on bread alone, but also on every words that come from the mouth of God. This is the spiritual food which our Lord Jesus had given us, the food that is the nourishment for our souls and for our spiritual well-being.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we have shared in the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ since the time when we received it for the first time. And by that, we have the Lord dwelling in us and staying in our midst, just as God was with people, and therefore, we should keep ourselves, the Temple of His presence, to be always clean and worthy of Him, or else risk the retribution and punishment of His wrath.

We have to remember that God loves us, and that He cares for us greatly. But this does not mean that God ignores the sins and wickedness which we had committed. This does not mean that God looks away from those faults and corruptions which had kept us in the darkness. It means that God wants us to achieve sincere and genuine conversion, a total change of heart, mind, body and soul, so that in all things, we may be made whole and complete again, and blameless as on the day when we were created.

Let us vow, that as we continue to progress through this holy Easter season, we may be awakened to the need for genuine conversion and sincere faith. Yes, not faith that is just merely lip-service or empty, but also one that is living, vibrant, dynamic and real. This Easter, let us all renew our faith and commitment to the Lord. Let us no longer be paralysed by our fears and the temptations and challenges around us, but let us go forth with pride and faith, to be closer to God and to bring all mankind to Him. God bless us all. Amen.