early Church

by

Sunday, 14 August 2016 : Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

1 Corinthians 15 : 20-26

But no, Christ has been raised from the dead and He comes before all those who have fallen asleep. A human being brought death; a Human Being also brings resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. However, each one in his own time : first Christ, then Christ’s people, when He comes.

Then the end will come, when Christ delivers the kingdom to God the Father, after having destroyed every rule, authority and power. For He must reign and put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy to be destroyed will be death.

by

Saturday, 13 August 2016 : Vigil Mass of the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

1 Corinthians 15 : 54b-57

When our mortal being puts on immortality, the word of the Scripture will be fulfilled : Death has been swallowed up by victory. Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting?

Sin is the sting of death to kill, and the Law is what gives force to sin. But give thanks to God Who gives us the victory through Christ Jesus, our Lord.

by

Wednesday, 10 August 2016 : Feast of St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate the feast day of a major figure in the Church, namely the feast of the holy saint and martyr, St. Lawrence the Deacon, the deacon of Rome and one of its greatest and most exemplary saints. He is an example and inspiration to us, based on how he had lived, how he had carried through the mission which Christ had entrusted him with, and how he faced death with courage and hope.

St. Lawrence was one of the seven deacons serving the holy city of Rome under the Pontificate of Pope St. Sixtus II, with whom he eventually was martyred under the particularly vicious persecution of all Christians by the Roman Emperor Valerian. And in that position, as the leader of the seven deacons of Rome or the Archdeacon of Rome, he was entrusted with the care and the management of the Church’s effort and assignment to the poor, the sick and the less privileged.

And he worked hard to fulfil that assignment, caring for the least of the society, all those who have no food to eat and no one to love them. When the Emperor called for the execution of all the faithful and their leaders, he also called for the confiscation of all the properties of the Church, to be taken up into the Empire’s treasury. And St. Lawrence, knowing that they would also take away all those that had been set aside for the poor, gave all the wealth to the poor as fast as he could so that the Emperor and his forces would not be able to seize them.

In the end, defiant and adamant towards the end, he refused to give in to the Emperor and his demands, and when forced to reveal where the treasures of the Church to be seized, he showed the poor, the sick and the dying as the true treasures of the Church, saying defiantly that they all are far richer and wealthier than the Emperor and the whole state would ever be. And thus, he met his end, his death with pride and complete faith in the Lord.

And it is that steadfast faith in the Lord which all of us should emulate as well. At a time when it is difficult for us to remain steady in faith and commit ourselves to the Lord, we should hold fast to the teachings of the Church and believe wholeheartedly, knowing how to trust the Lord with all our heart, for it is He alone Who will ever be faithful, and He will guard us all and bless us all.

And we have to heed what is always said, that the blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians. This came directly from the saying of Jesus in today’s Gospel, that unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it will not rise up and germinate into a new wheat plant, but remain a seed that is without any use. This is a reminder of Christ’s own mission to save us mankind, that by dying for us, He raised us up into the life everlasting prepared for us, but at the same time, it reminds us of the challenges and difficulties that will be ours to bear if we choose to follow the Lord.

Thus, being a Christian is not easy, brothers and sisters in Christ. It requires commitment, dedication and hard work. If we think that being a Christian does not entail much, or is easy and manageable, then perhaps we have not been truly devoted to the Lord at all, or that our faith in Him is lukewarm, and we ignore whatever opportunities that had been presented to us, to act as how Christians should act.

It means also that all of us today have that same mission which our Lord had given to His Apostles, and we need to embrace that mission with zeal and courage, knowing that it is only through us and through our works that we may save our brethren, especially those who are still lost to the Lord and those who still live in the darkness of sin and evil.

St. Lawrence and the many other saints and martyrs of the Faith have been our inspiration because they showed us how to live as true Christians, not scared or intimidated in the face of darkness. Instead, they went forward and faced those who refused to believe in the Lord and persecuted them, and showed to all what it meant to be a follower of God, inspiring legions and many more others who saw what they have done and became a believer as well.

Thus, it is also a calling for us all to also be exemplary in our deeds, that all who see us will know that we belong to the Lord, and they too may believe in Him through us, and our reward at the end of days will be great and bountiful. May God help us in this endeavour and bless us every day of our lives. Amen.

by

Wednesday, 10 August 2016 : Feast of St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

John 12 : 24-26

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly, I say to you, unless the grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.”

“Those who love their life destroy it, and those who despise their life in this world keep it for everlasting life. Whoever wants to serve Me, let him follow Me; and wherever I am, there shall My servant be also. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honour him.” 

by

Wednesday, 10 August 2016 : Feast of St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 111 : 1-2, 5-6, 7-8, 9

Alleluia! Blessed is the one who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commands. His children will be powerful on earth; the upright’s offspring will be blessed.

It will be well with him who lends freely, who leads a life of justice and honesty. For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered and loved forever.

He has no fear of evil news, for his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. His heart is confident, he needs not fear, he shall prevail over his foes at the end.

He gives generously to the poor, his merits will last forever and his head will be raised in honour.

by

Wednesday, 10 August 2016 : Feast of St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

2 Corinthians 9 : 6-10

Remember : the one who sows meagrely will reap meagrely, and there shall be generous harvests for the one who sows generously. Each of you should give as you decided personally, and not reluctantly as if obliged. God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to fill you with every good thing, so that you have enough of everything at all times, and may give abundantly for any good work.

Scripture says : He distributed, He gave to the poor, His good works last forever. God Who provides the sower with seed will also provide him with the bread he eats. He will multiply the seed for you and also increase the interests of your good works.

by

Sunday, 24 July 2016 : 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Sharbel Makhluf, Priest (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Colossians 2 : 12-14

I refer to baptism. On receiving it you were buried with Christ; and you also rose with Him for having believed in the power of God Who raised Him from the dead. You were dead. You were in sin and uncircumcised at the same time. But God gave you life with Christ. He forgave all our sins.

He cancelled the record of our debts, those regulations which accused us. He did away with all that and nailed it to the cross.

by

Friday, 15 July 2016 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard about the Lord Who reminded all of us that He is the Lord over all things, over the matters of life and death, and that we live at His behest and pleasure. But yet, at the same time, God Who is loving and merciful towards us has given us so much in this life, that especially this very life is the boon and the grace He has granted to all of us.

In the first reading today from the book of the prophet Isaiah, we heard how the faithful king Hezekiah of Judah laid in pain and dying from his ailment, and he begged the Lord to remember all the good and faithful things which he had done before Him, all the efforts he had put into place to return the people of God back to the ways of the Lord, after many generations of unfaithful people and kings.

He was a mortal after all, even after all the great deeds which he had done, and after all the good things that he had committed in his life. In the fear and the despair which Hezekiah felt, the attachment which he has to life made him to beg the Lord and to humble himself before his God, trying to seek His mercy and the chance to life and enjoy more years of his earthly existence.

And God granted him that desire, and indeed, not only that he was healed from his afflictions, but he was granted several more years of blessed life on earth as the reward of God for the faith and dedication which he had shown. But if we are to read on, we should see the part where king Hezekiah after he had been blessed with new life and grace, he boasted about his wealth to the envoys of the Babylonian king, despite the warning given to him about what was to come by the prophets.

Hezekiah grew proud of his human and worldly achievements and he forgot that all that he has obtained he has gained because of the Lord and His kindness and love alone. The same is often what is happening to many of us who are unable to let go of our pride, our human greed and desires. And that is why we tend to put our trust in our own human achievements and sense of greatness, without acknowledging God Who is behind of all of them.

In the Gospel, we heard one of the common confrontations between Jesus and the Pharisees, as well as with the teachers of the Law. The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law were very particular in their observation of the Law, especially the laws and rules regarding the Sabbath day, when the people of God were not supposed to have any activities and keep that day holy for the Lord.

That Law was intended for a good purpose, that is to help the people of God in finding their way to Him, but in the implementation, it had been twisted beyond recognition by the wrong purposes of the leaders of the people who cared only for their own personal gain and for their own human pride, greed and desire, exactly what had also affected the king Hezekiah of Judah.

What does this mean brothers and sisters in Christ? It means that we mankind should learn to restrain ourselves and to forgo those pride, those greed and desires that are exactly what have become hindrances and obstacles on our way as we journey on towards the Lord our God. And indeed we should not fall victim to those things, or else that is why we will be like those whom God had condemned for their lack of faith.

Let us all look at the example of St. Bonaventure, the holy servant of God whose feast we are celebrating on this day. St. Bonaventure was an Italian Franciscan monk, who was renowned for his great piety and for his dedication to the Lord. He preached to the people and cared for them, leading them by the example of his piety. He was also involved in the process of the reform of the Church at the time, leading the Church as well as the Franciscan order whom he led, into a path of piety and commitment to God.

St. Bonaventure was eventually appointed to high positions in the Church, becoming a Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, and the leader of the Cardinals himself. He was influential in the reforming of the Church and his initiatives helped to strengthen the Church and save many more souls. However, he remained humble and committed to the mission which had been entrusted to him. He did not allow ego or human greed to overcome him.

The disciplined life of St. Bonaventure is a great example and he is indeed a good role model for us all. St. Bonaventure has shown us how to be good in our deeds and actions, be examples for one another and yet remain humble and remain true to our calling. It is indeed not easy to resist those temptations of power, fame and glory, as our human frailty and imperfections have allowed us to seek all of them, and many have fallen along the way because of those things.

Let us all heed that good example, and let us hope that through whatever we have done, we may become ever closer to the Lord and become more and more like Him, that He Who loves us all may recognise us as His own when He comes again to bring all of His beloved ones to His eternal glory. God bless us all. Amen.

by

Friday, 15 July 2016 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 12 : 1-8

At that time, it happened that Jesus walked through the wheat fields on a Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and began to pick some heads of wheat and crush them to eat the grain. When the Pharisees noticed this, they said to Jesus, “Look at Your disciples! They are doing what is prohibited on the Sabbath!”

Jesus answered, “Have you not read what David did, when he and his men were hungry? He went into the house of God, and they ate the bread offered to God, though neither he nor his men had the right to eat it, but only the priests. And have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the Temple break the Sabbath rest, yet they are not guilty?”

“I tell you, there is greater than the Temple here. If you really knew the meaning of the words : It is mercy I want, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the innocent. Besides, the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

by

Friday, 15 July 2016 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Isaiah 38 : 10, 11, 12abcd, 16

Once I said : In the noontime of my life I go; I am sent to the land of the dead, for the rest of my years.

I said : Never again shall I see YHVH in the land of the living; never again shall I see the inhabitants of the earth.

Like a shepherd’s tent, my dwelling has been pulled down and thrown away; like a weaver, You rolled up my life and cut it from the loom.

O Lord, give me back my health and give me back my life!