Doctors of the Church

by

Monday, 13 June 2016 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard about the story of the wicked king of Israel, Ahab who desired the vineyard of Naboth to become his own, and when Naboth refused the king bluntly on the consideration that the land belonged to him and to his ancestors, king Ahab became angry and with the complicit help of his wife, Jezebel, Ahab managed to gain the vineyard by the means of false accusation and murder of Naboth.

If we look at this passage from the Book of Kings, we may find it difficult to reconcile with what we heard in the Gospel today. In the first reading, God spoke to king Ahab through His prophet Elijah regarding the wickedness of his actions in causing the death of Naboth for his own gain, unlawfully gaining the vineyard through trickery and lies. And God said that what happened to Naboth would also happen to Ahab.

It means that whatever evil things Ahab had done would also befall him as the consequence for his sins. But in the Gospel we heard about Jesus our Lord who told His disciples that they should not seek vengeance or to get retribution from those who have mistreated them or hurt them. It seems that the two passages contradict each other if we read them at the face value, but in reality, they actually complement each other.

How is this so? It is because both of them speak of the same thing. All of us human beings have been created with love and out of love by our God, and we were all intended for good things. And thus the very important rule that all of us have to understand is that if we want others to treat us kindly and nicely, then we ourselves must start to treat others in the same manner too.

If we treat others badly, then it will bring about pain and anger in their hearts and minds, and as a result, they too will want to treat us in the same manner too, seeking vengeance against us. And when vengeance has been accomplished, the cycle is not over but in fact continues on, as when we become the object of that vengeance and suffered because of it, then we ourselves will want to enact our own revenge. The end result is a never-ending cycle of revenge and vengeance that bring about nothing but suffering, more suffering, pain and evil.

On the other hand, if we love one another, and even love and forgive those who have hurt us or hated us, then in fact we are breaking that endless cycle of hatred and suffering, by opening up the floodgates of God’s love to fill our hearts, and the hearts of those who have despised us and hated us, so that we stop that continuation of hatred and all the evil emotions, and instead spread and spawn the seeds of love.

And when we love even our enemies and those who have loathed us and persecuted us, what we hope is that we may bring their hearts to know the love which God has given to them through us, and that they may repent their ways and turn back to those evil deeds and into the light of God. And thus, we may bring one another into the love of God, and receive His grace and blessings.

And how about what we heard with regards to king Ahab and Naboth? Brothers and sisters in Christ, there is a crucial difference between that case and what our Lord is asking us to do. What king Ahab had done was definitely very wicked, and it was not just on that occasion, but also on numerous other occasions, where Ahab had disobeyed the Lord and brought the whole people of Israel into sin.

And unlike us all who have in our tendency not to love our enemies and those who hate us, God loves everyone equally, as He has created all of us without discrimination, whether they eventually became good or evil based on their own conscious choices. And He has loved us all even though many of us if not most or all of us, have disobeyed Him and rejected His love from time to time.

And God offered Ahab and the Israelites the same love, and yet they rejected it. And thus, in the end, those who refuse to love, and refuse the love which God had generously presented to us, and choose instead to act on our own whim and desires, then we have to part in God’s love and inheritance, and our fate will be like that of king Ahab, whom God had rejected and cast out from His presence. Remember brethren, that God loves us, but He hates our sins and wickedness.

Thus, let us today heed the example of a great saint whose feast we celebrate today. St. Anthony of Padua, the renowned Franciscan friar and preacher was a very famous saint whose works in Italy and in many places have brought numerous if not countless souls back from the periphery of death and darkness and back into the light and the love of God.

St. Anthony of Padua showed great devotion to the Lord, and then correspondingly a great commitment for the people of God, to whom he had devoted himself fully, caring for the weak, the ostracised and the downtrodden, teaching to them the word and the truth of God, and revealing God’s love to them through his own loving actions.

He inflamed the hearts of many people with his preaching, and he inspired many of them to rediscover their faith and to commit themselves anew to God. And he often led by example, showing many people how they should act as those who believe in the Lord our God. It is very important for us all to follow his examples, and also have love in our own actions and deeds.

Let us all renew our faith for the Lord, and be loving and be merciful in all the things we say and do. May God strengthen the love within our hearts, and allow us to be filled with His gracious love and mercy, that we will always endeavour for the good and for the salvation of all mankind, each and every one of us. May God bless us all, now and forever. Amen.

by

Monday, 13 June 2016 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 5 : 38-42

At that time, Jesus spoke to the people and to His disciples, “You have heard that it was said : An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I tell you this : do not oppose evil with evil; if someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn and offer the other.”

“If someone sues you in court for your shirt, give him your coat as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go two miles with him. Give when asked, and do not turn your back on anyone who wants to borrow from you.”

by

Monday, 13 June 2016 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 5 : 2-3, 5-6, 7

O Lord, 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 the Lord detests.

by

Monday, 13 June 2016 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

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 better one 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 worthless fellows 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.

by

Thursday, 9 June 2016 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Ephrem, Deacon and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Doctors of the Church)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard about obeying the Lord our God, listening to Him and following His laws. We heard about Jesus our Lord rebuking the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law because of their faith and what they showed in their way of life, which had been found wanting by God. He therefore warned them not to follow the Pharisees in how they lived their lives.

It is also a reminder for all of us, that as Christians, we must be true believers of God, not just in mere words and actions, but also deep within our hearts, committing ourselves wholly and completely to God without reservation, and without any ulterior motives as the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law had done. They did not truly obey God because they truly loved Him, or else, they would not have done all they had done for fame and praise, and they would not have rejected Jesus too.

Why is this so, brothers and sisters in Christ? It is because they who had been appointed as stewards and leaders of the people have gone astray in their ways, following their own human desires rather than the ways of the Lord. They acted in ways so as to preserve themselves, and put their own desires above all else. They prayed to God in open and public places so as to be seen and praised for their deeds, more so than they loved the Lord with sincere heart.

They made the Law into a mere formality, as customs and regulations to be followed. And they themselves could not fulfil the entirety of the rules and regulations established throughout the history of the Jewish people, but they imposed them harshly on the people without mercy. They punished and looked down on those who they deemed to be not as devout as they were in fulfilling God’s commandments.

But God wanted to remind us all that obeying the Law without understanding them is meaningless. And there is no value or virtue in doing all the things we are supposed to do, but then we do not know what they are meant for. If we are like the Pharisees, then we are no better than the king of Israel, Saul, who once disobeyed God, for sparing the Amalekite king and his sheep and goats, under the pretext that he would give those to God as sacrifices.

And Samuel the prophet and judge rebuked Saul harshly with the words and will of the Lord. He reminded that unfaithful king that what God wanted was love and devotion, and not sacrifice. A sacrifice offered out of selfishness and disobedience has no meaning, just as the Law of God obeyed without understanding and true love for God.

And as we reflect on these, let us all also take note of the example of this saint, whose life has been exemplary to many of the faithful, and which certainly can be an example for us all as well. St. Ephrem the Deacon was a renowned religious and servant of God, who was also known by his name of St. Ephrem the Syrian, as he lived in the region known as Roman Syria at that time.

St. Ephrem lived at a time, when the Christian faith was just tolerated and protected by the Roman Emperor Constantine. And at that time of great changes and challenges, St. Ephrem was appointed and ordained as a deacon of the Church, serving the people in those regions. St. Ephrem however also contributed in various other ways to the Church. He wrote many writings and composed many hymns and songs, some of which survived even unto this day.

He devoted himself wholly to God and to His people, even amidst challenges from the pagan Persians who threatened the city where he lived in and where his flock lived, and he served the Lord faithfully, and persevered even amongst the heretics and those who have been deluded by the false teachings, to call them back from the darkness and into the light, often by using hymns he made and through his writings and preachings.

He showed us the example of how to truly believe in God and have faith in Him. It is not just by obeying rules, regulations and customs that we believe in God, but rather through love, care and concern for our fellow men, as St. Ephrem had done. We should love God genuinely from our hearts, and surely we will be transformed in our actions, and through our actions, to be loving and obedient children of God.

Let us all follow in his footsteps and be ever more faithful to God, truly giving Him our love and devotion, not just mere lip service but true commitment and dedication. May God bless us all and guide us to Himself, that we may find Him and be blessed by Him forever. Amen.

by

Thursday, 9 June 2016 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Ephrem, Deacon and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Doctors of the Church)

Matthew 5 : 20-26

At that time, Jesus spoke to the people and to His disciples, “I tell you then, if you are no righteous in a much broader way than the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.”

“You have heard that it was said to our people in the past : Do not commit murder; anyone who does kill will have to face trial. But now I tell you : whoever gets angry with a brother or sister will have to face trial. Whoever insults a brother or a sister deserves to be brought before the council. Whoever calls a brother or a sister “Fool!” deserves to be thrown into the fire of hell.”

“So, if you are about to offer your gift at the altar, and you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar, go at once and make peace with him, and then come back and offer your gift to God.”

“Do not forget this : be reconciled with your opponent quickly when you are together on the way to court. Otherwise he will turn you over to the judge, who will hand you over to the police, who will put you in jail. There you will stay, until you have paid the last penny.”

by

Thursday, 9 June 2016 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Ephrem, Deacon and Doctor of the Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Doctors of the Church)

Psalm 64 : 10abcd, 10e-11, 12-13

You water the land and care for it, enriching it with natural resources. God’s stream is filled with water.

So You prepare the earth to give us its fruits. You drench the furrows in the land and level the ridges, You soften the soil with showers and bless its crops.

You crown the year with Your goodness; abundance flows everywhere. The deserts have become pasture land, the hills are clothed with gladness.

by

Thursday, 9 June 2016 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Ephrem, Deacon and Doctor of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Doctors of the Church)

1 Kings 18 : 41-46

Elijah then said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for the sound of rain is rushing in.” So Ahab went up to eat and drink. Elijah, in the meantime, went to the top of Carmel, bowed to the ground and put his face between his knees.

Then he said to his servants, “Go up and look in the direction of the sea.” The man went up, looked, and said, “There is nothing.” Then Elijah said, “Go again.” And seven times he went. At the seventh time, he perceived a little cloud, the size of a man’s hand, rising out of the sea.

Elijah told him, “Go, tell Ahab : Prepare your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.” A little later the sky grew dark with clouds and wind and a strong rain fell. Ahab was riding on his way to Jezreel; as for Elijah, the hand of YHVH was on him, and tucking his cloak in his belt, he ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

by

Sunday, 21 February 2016 : Second Sunday of Lent, Memorial of St. Peter Damian, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard in our first reading from the Book of Genesis, of the covenant which God had made with Abraham, the father of many nations and our father in faith. God established His everlasting covenant with him and with his descendants because of the faith and the righteousness that he had constantly showed Him.

God showed His love and His favour to those who have been faithful to Him, and Abraham showed to us how the faithful will earn a place of honour among those whom God has blessed and favoured. All those who have listened to God and who have walked in His path has no need to fear, since God Himself will protect them, and He shall send His Angels to guard them from harm and to keep them in His path.

In the second reading, St. Paul reminded the faithful and the Church that those who followed the ways of the world were heading towards ruin and destruction, and they shall face damnation in hell. And he reminded them that those who are in the Church belong to God’s kingdom, and they therefore are bound by the covenant which God had established with them, and thus, they have to fulfil their part of the covenant.

God has always been faithful, but have we always been faithful as well? We should ask this question to ourselves as we go through this season of Lent. More often than not we are not faithful, and we often waver in our commitment to our part of the covenant, and we often were swayed by the temptations of this world and the temptations of pleasure and other things that keep us from staying in the right path towards the Lord.

In the Gospel today, we heard about our Lord Jesus Who was transfigured in glory, Who revealed His true glory among His three disciples, and He showed His light that shone brightly without compare, and in that account about the Transfiguration, we see how God is always faithful to His covenant, which He had first established with Abraham, and which He then maintained and renewed with His servants David and then the people after that, through His prophets and messengers.

God promised Abraham greatness and eternal grace to him and his descendants, and He promised David that his kingdom will never end, and his descendants shall sit on his throne forever. And all these were fulfilled in Jesus, Son of God, Son of Abraham, Son of David, the Heir of the throne of David and the Saviour of the whole race of mankind, all the children of Abraham.

Those who would believe in Him, and put their faith in Him, and those who commit themselves to obey Him and His teachings, shall not be disappointed, for if they honour their part of the covenant, God too shall reward them with everlasting grace and blessings. The Transfiguration has two important lessons and meanings for us, and it is important that we take note of them.

Firstly, through the transfiguration of His earthly flesh, Jesus our Lord showed that all the faithful ones in God shall also be transformed in body, mind and soul and receive the glory of heaven which has been promised and intended for them. They shall share the glory of the Lord, and everything wicked and impure will be cast out from them. They shall enjoy forever the fruits of the covenant that they have established with God and managed to maintain faithfully.

And then, Jesus Who was transfigured did not remain in that mountain for long. The three disciples of Jesus, Peter, James and John wanted to build three tents for Jesus, Elijah and Moses, because they enjoyed being in the presence of the glory of God. They felt the safety and the security, the comfort of being in the presence of God, as they would have feared no evil and obstacles on their path.

But Jesus told them that in order to follow Him, and to be truly faithful to the covenant of God, then one must realise that the ways of this world are not always in accordance or in harmony with the ways of the Lord. On the other hand, conflict will always arise whenever we are to choose the Lord and His ways over that of the approved ways of the world.

But we must not be afraid or be hesitant as many people had done in the past. If we are truly faithful to the Lord and to the covenant which He had established with us and our ancestors, then He will ensure that nothing will harm our eternal soul. Yes, indeed, suffering and pain may come upon our flesh, our earthly bodies that may be subjected under the powers of the world, but nothing can harm our soul but God alone.

If we want to follow the Lord our God, and accept the covenant which He had created for us, and which He is fulfilling with us, even now, then He shall bless us with eternal life, eternal happiness and glory with Him, but it will not be an easy path for us. It requires total commitment and devotion, as Jesus Himself had fulfilled His end of the covenant, by suffering a great deal and being crucified for our own sins.

In this season of Lent, shall we commit ourselves anew to the Lord, to His laws and precepts, and to obey Him in all things as the part we need to do as our part of the covenant? God offered us His love and mercy, but He has also granted us the free will to choose whether we want to embrace His love and mercy, or whether we prefer to choose the world and its wickedness, and all the temptations of pleasure instead of the love of God.

May God help us to remain faithful to Him and to His covenant with us. May He strengthen our faith and our resolve to live in accordance with what He had wanted us to live in, and may all of us grow stronger in our love and devotion for Him. May Almighty God bless us all and forgive us our sins, and may He grant us the gift of everlasting life in our righteousness. Amen.

by

Sunday, 21 February 2016 : Second Sunday of Lent, Memorial of St. Peter Damian, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Luke 9 : 28b-36

At that time, Jesus took Peter, John and James, and went up the mountain to pray. And while He was praying, the aspect of His face was changed, and His clothing became dazzling white. Two men were talking with Jesus : Moses and Elijah. Appearing in the glory of heaven, Moses and Elijah spoke to Jesus about His departure from this life, which was to take place in Jerusalem.

Peter and his companions had fallen asleep; but they awoke suddenly, and they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him. As Moses and Elijah were about to leave, Peter – not knowing what to say – said to Jesus, “Master, how good it is for us to be here! Let us make three tents, one for You, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

And no sooner had he spoken, than a cloud appeared and covered them; and the disciples were afraid as they entered the cloud. Then these words came from the cloud, “This is My Son, My Beloved, listen to Him.”

And after the voice had spoken, Jesus was there alone. The disciples kept this to themselves at the time, telling no one of anything they had seen.