Easter Homily

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Tuesday, 16 April 2024 : 3rd Week of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all presented with the continuation of the story of the martyrdom of the very first martyr of the Church, namely that of St. Stephen the protomartyr, and we heard how this faithful man of God had to endure the persecutions, stubborn rejection and refusal by all the enemies of the Lord in hardening their hearts and in stubbornly refusing to embrace God’s truth and Good News in the person of Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour. We also heard the reminders of the Lord Who is our Bread of Life, the One and only Source of our Hope and Life, the One Whom we should focus our attention and efforts upon. This reminds us that as long as we centre our lives upon the Lord, then we shall have nothing to worry about, and we should not be concerned about how we will turn out to be, because the Lord Himself is with us, guiding us and strengthening us.

In our first reading today, as mentioned, we heard the continuation of the martyrdom of St. Stephen, after he had spoken courageously and fearlessly before all the assembled people who were all against him. Those people had hardened and closed their hearts and minds against the Lord and His words, and even though St. Stephen had spoken with great wisdom and eloquence, explaining to them in vain about the works of the Lord in His salvation of the whole world. St. Stephen spoke at length about how God had been with His people, guiding and empowering them, despite their many rebellions and refusals to follow Him faithfully. God continued to patiently lead them by hand through His many prophets, messengers and appointed leaders, who helped them all to remain faithful to Him, and which culminated in the sending and arrival of His own Beloved Son, the One to be the Saviour of all.

Yet, as St. Stephen pointed out, the people had rejected the great grace of God, His patient love and salvation, persecuting the very One Whom God had sent to help and save them. They crucified the Lord, persecuted His servants and disciples, and tried to stop the works of God being done, harassing the disciples at every turn of the way, like what they had done with St. Stephen himself. Yet, the Lord was still being patient with the people, and through St. Stephen, despite seemingly futile, He was still trying to reach out to them and convince them to believe in Him. This did not happen though, and those people persecuted St. Stephen, whom they punished and stoned to death, a punishment that was reserved for blasphemers and sinners. Yet, despite being the righteous one, St. Stephen, like that of the Lord Himself before him, forgave all of his persecutors and murderers.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the beginning of the Lord’s discourse of the Bread of Life, as He described how the ancestors of the people to whom He had been sent to, the Israelites of the time of the Exodus, received the heavenly bread, known as the manna, that God provided to the Israelites for the entirety of the forty years period when they were journeying from Egypt to the Promised Land, including the entire time that they were sojourning in the desert as a chastisement and consequence of their rebelliousness and lack of faith. Yet, despite all the evils and wickedness that the people had done, God still ultimately loved them and cared for them, and hence, He still fed them and gave them the bread from Heaven itself. This came up after the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand men, in which the Lord miraculously fed the many multitudes of people with unending supply of food.

Thus, yet again, we can see the great and enduring love of God, in His perseverance and persistence to love each and every one of us, reaching out to us sinners, despite us having repeatedly disobeyed Him, disregarded His Law and commandments, refusing to believe in His truth and love. He still sent to us His only begotten Son, the One and only Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man, Who has come into our midst, manifesting perfectly the love of God in the flesh, becoming approachable and accessible to us, bridging the gap between God and all of us, a gap created by our disobedience and sins. Through His loving sacrifice on the Cross, Christ has not only bridged the gap that once existed between us and God, but through the breaking of His Body and the outpouring of His Blood, He has shared with us the Bread of Life and the Blood that sanctifies us, sealing the New and Eternal Covenant between us and God.

Through what we have heard in our Scripture readings today, we are all reminded that each and every one of us should always first of all be grateful because God has always been so kind, patient and loving towards us despite our many disobedient actions and sins, and despite our frequent refusal to follow Him and His path. God has always patiently reached out to us and embraced us all, again and again, that while we may fall from time to time due to our faults, mistakes and frailty, our inability to resist the temptations of sin, but as our loving Father, God has continuously and persistently led us all to enter into His loving embrace, guiding us and showing the way for us to follow so that we may find the right path towards Him and His salvation, and that we may no longer be lost to Him.

And then, we are also reminded that we have to be ever courageous and committed as the holy people of God, not to be easily swayed by the temptations of the world, by the many pressures, trials and challenges present all around us. All those things may lead us to give up on our efforts and struggles to do God’s will, but as St. Stephen has shown us, through his fearless efforts and his perseverance despite the many trials and oppositions he faced, all of us should also be strengthened and encouraged in our own lives and dedication as Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people. We cannot be idle and ignorant of our calling and missions as those whom God had called and chosen. To each one of us God has entrusted the responsibilities and the missions to proclaim His truth and salvation to the nations.

The question now is, what are we then going to do in fulfilling our missions and calling in life? Are we going to embrace God’s call and follow Him in His path, doing what He has called on us to do, so that in each and every moments of our lives we will continue to live our lives with the right actions and convictions, with the strong and enduring desire to walk in God’s path without losing focus and hope on His promises and truth. Let us all ever be worthy of God in all things, and do our best so that our every actions, words and deeds, our whole lives may glorify the Lord, now and always. Amen.

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Monday, 15 April 2024 : 3rd Week of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded through them of the important mission which we have as Christians, that is as God’s chosen and beloved people, as His disciples and followers, to proclaim Him in the midst of our communities and societies, in our various areas of commitment and lives, so that by our good and faithful living as well as by our dedication to the Lord, we may inspire more and more people to come to believe in the Lord as well. Each one of us have been entrusted with the unique mission and calling in our respective lives, so that by our lives we may truly proclaim the Risen Lord, His Good News and salvation to the whole world, and not to fear losing the glory and pleasures of the world.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles in which the story of the martyrdom of St. Stephen, the first martyr of the Church and one of the seven first deacons was told to us. St. Stephen had been appointed to minister to the people of God, the first and earliest Christian community as a deacon, one of the seven who were tasked with the distribution of the common communal goods and the care of the needs of the faithful. He proclaimed the Good News and salvation of God like those of the other Apostles and disciples of the Lord. St. Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom of God, and through his works, he managed to convince many to follow the Lord and to turn towards the true faith. This brought about the ire and anger, jealousy and hatred from the Jewish authorities.

At that time, the Jewish authorities, many of the members of the Sanhedrin or the Jewish High Council opposed the Lord and His works, His teachings and truth, and they persecuted not just Him but also all of His disciples and followers who continued His works and proclaimed the truth in the many places all throughout the land. The Lord’s truth could not be silenced or kept on hold, and through His many disciples like that of St. Stephen, His works of salvation and the spreading of His truth continued quickly and unabated, with more and more becoming believers, embracing the truth of God, day after day. This led to desperate measures from the chief priests and the other members of the Sanhedrin who resorted to making and paying people to be false witnesses and utter lies and false accusations against St. Stephen.

Yet, as we heard in the despite their desperate efforts in trying to falsely accuse St. Stephen of blasphemy and sin against God, they could not stand against the truth and wisdom of God which St. Stephen brought against those who sought to slander and accuse him of misdeeds without firm evidence. The Holy Spirit guided and strengthened St. Stephen, gave him the strength, courage and wisdom to proclaim God’s truth and Good News, His revelation and truth against all those who were ganging up against him. The enemies of St. Stephen all were gathering up and trying very hard to discredit and defeat the arguments of St. Stephen, but they could not do so, no matter what they tried to do, and they still hardened their hearts and minds, refusing to believe in the truth and wisdom which St. Stephen had received from the Lord.

St. Stephen was eventually martyred by being stoned to death, but not before standing up firmly for his faith before the assembly of the members of the Sanhedrin, the powerful and influential members of the Jewish community. He remained adamant in his commitment, dedication and faith in God despite the challenges he faced, and the fact that everyone assembled was against him. He spoke with great vigour, empowered by the Holy Spirit, through which St. Stephen proclaimed the work of God’s salvation in the succeeding parts of this day’s passage from the Acts of the Apostles, showing how God had done His works among His people throughout all history from the very beginning, and culminating in the coming of the Saviour of the world, Jesus Christ, the Risen Lord Whom those same people persecuting St. Stephen had once persecuted and condemned to death. St. Stephen kept on proclaiming the truth of God right up to the very end.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the moment when many people came flocking to find the Lord after He had miraculously fed a whole multitude of five thousand men and many thousands more of women and children. The Lord told all of them that they were looking for Him because they were mesmerised at the miracle that they had witnessed, and how they all had their fill from all the bread and fishes that they had eaten and partaken. They therefore might not have sought the Lord out of true faith and desire to commit themselves to Him and His teachings, but rather because they sought comfort and satisfaction in life, that is the desire to seek worldly glory, pleasures and attachments, all of which were not what the Lord wanted to have in all of them. He told all of them were meant to come seeking the Lord and His truth, and to do what the Lord had called them to do, much as what St. Stephen had done.

Essentially it is an important reminder for each and every one of us that as Christians we must not allow the temptations and desires of the world to mislead us down the wrong path and to distract us from doing what we are all supposed to do, in serving the Lord faithfully at all times, and in living our lives in a most Christian manner. The Lord has shown us the way and has taught us, given us the Holy Spirit and His Wisdom to strengthen and guide us in our journey. Each and every one of us have been entrusted with the various gifts, blessings and missions for us to proclaim ever more the salvation and Good News of the Lord to more and more people. This is why all of us should always strive to do God’s will, to be ever faithful in all the things we say and do in every moments of our lives, and place the Lord as the focus and emphasis of our whole lives.

Let us all therefore walk in the path that St. Stephen, holy deacon and protomartyr of the Church has shown us. Let us all strive to proclaim God’s truth and salvation to more and more people by living holy and worthy existence, in all that we say and do. Let us all be truly genuine in our desire to love and serve the Lord, and be the shining beacons of God’s Light and truth amidst the darkness surrounding all of us in our world today. May the Risen Lord continue to be with us and be our source of Hope, strength and power as we continue to navigate the trials and difficulties present in each and every moments of our lives. May the courage of His servant, St. Stephen, his dedication unto the very end, be our inspiration at all times, and help us to draw ever closer to Him. Amen.

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Sunday, 14 April 2024 : Third Sunday of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday is the Third Sunday of Easter and we are again being constantly reminded of what we believe in the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Our God and Saviour, Whose glorious Resurrection and triumphant victory over sin and death are the sources of our great joy and celebration during this whole entire season and time of Easter. On this day we heard this reminder yet again because of just how central the Resurrection is to our entire Christian faith. Without believing in the Resurrection, one cannot truly call himself or herself as a Christian, and without the Resurrection, there is no use of believing in Christ because if Christ has not conquered death, then all of us would have succumbed to destruction and death, to eternal damnation and despair.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles in which St. Peter was speaking to the people who were gathered at Jerusalem during the time of the Pentecost, which was fifty days from the Passover and Resurrection of the Lord. It was at that occasion which the Lord sent the Holy Spirit upon all the disciples who were gathered there in Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit strengthened and encouraged the Apostles and the other disciples, who were once fearful and afraid of the repercussions and reactions from the Jewish authorities that they spent most of their time in hiding, so that they no longer feared the sufferings and punishments of the world. The Holy Spirit empowered them and gave them the ability to stand up against the oppressions and oppositions to their efforts, and proclaim faithfully the truth as St. Peter had done.

St. Peter spoke vigorously and in great spirit about the many things which the Lord had done for His people, in all that He had endured for the salvation of the whole world, in the sufferings and trials that He had to endure and bore through His Cross, but one which He willingly took up because He truly loves each and every one of us and He wanted to reach out to us, loving and caring for us, providing us with the means to find the path towards our salvation. The Lord has loved us all of us from the very beginning, and He desired that each and every one of us should be reconciled to Him, finding our way back to Him and be reunited to Him through His ever generous mercy and love. By His Cross, He has led us all to freedom from our sins, liberating us from the tyranny of sin, evil and death.

However, as we heard, many of the people rejected Him and refused to listen to Him, or to embrace the generous offer of mercy which He has given to them. The Lord was arrested, punished and condemned to death for the sins and wickedness of the people, and yet, He continued to show us all His mercy, forgiving us all of our sins, as He asked the Heavenly Father to forgive those who have betrayed, abandoned, and condemned Him to death. His intentions for us all have always been really clear. He wants to be reconciled with us, and He wants us to be able to find our way back to Him, and that was why, He entrusted His Apostles and the other disciples with the important mission to proclaim His salvation to the whole world, just as St. Peter had done before all the assembled people, and the many other works that he and the other Apostles and disciples had done.

Then, in our second reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. John, we heard yet again a reminder from the St. John the Apostle of the salvation which the Lord Jesus, Our Saviour has brought upon us, by His actions and selfless sacrifice on the Cross as mentioned. Again this same truth and fact have been reinforced to us, to remind us all that we have the obligation and calling to follow the Lord in all things, and in everything that we say and do in our lives. We cannot be truly good and faithful Christians, and we are no better than hypocrites and unbelievers unless we truly embody what we believe and profess in our faith, in all of our every words, actions and deeds, just as we are expected to. Essentially, we must be truly sincere in believing and committing ourselves in following God and His path.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the moment when the disciples who were gathered in Jerusalem on the day of the Lord’s Resurrection and when they witnessed the Risen Lord in person as He appeared to all of them. It was at that time that the Risen Lord reassured them all that He has indeed truly risen from the dead, and was not merely a spirit or ghost. He showed them His Body and all, and showed them that He was risen from the dead, Body and Soul, and the empty tomb which they saw earlier that same morning, was another proof of this glorious event, and reassurance that Christ has indeed been victorious and triumphant against the power of sin and death. And it was this witnessing of the Risen Lord which those discipled of the Lord had experienced in person, which later on became the source of their strength and encouragement in their mission to proclaim Him to the whole world.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday as we continue to progress through this joyous season and time of Easter, we are therefore constantly being reminded of the calling and mission which each and every one of us as Christians have, in proclaiming the Risen Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, His salvation and all that He has taught and revealed to us, through our own exemplary lives and actions, through our genuine living of our everyday lives and moments with the desire to glorify the Lord through even the smallest and the seemingly simple things that we do in our respective lives. Each and every one of us have been given the diverse gifts and blessings, abilities and opportunities that are unique to the areas that God has entrusted to us and called us to contribute ourselves into.

Let us all hence be ever courageous and committed in serving the Lord in all things and in the best way we can do, so that like the Apostles and disciples of the Lord before us, our holy predecessors, we may also be inspirational and dedicated in our lives, in our actions to reach out to our fellow brothers and sisters, proclaiming the Risen Lord, His Good News and salvation to all, so that more may come to believe in our Lord and Saviour, and come to seek the Lord and to be reconciled with Him. Through all of us and our commitment to Him, we may indeed make more people to realise the depth of their sins and wickedness, so that they may open their hearts and minds to welcome the Lord into themselves, allowing Him to transform us all to be good and worthy children of the Light, the Light of His salvation.

May the Risen Lord continue to bless us all in all of our good efforts and endeavours, and may He continue to guide us through our journey in life, in all the struggles and in enduring the many trials and challenges that we may encounter in our journey, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Saturday, 13 April 2024 : 2nd Week of Easter, Memorial of Pope St. Martin I, Pope and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the need for all of us to continue to put our trust and faith in the Lord, focusing our efforts and attention on the Lord, doing whatever we can so that in each and every moments of our lives we will always continue to walk in the path that the Lord has shown us and staying faithful to Him. This is because during our journey in life we may encounter many moments when our faith and trust in the Lord may be tested and put on trial, as we face the challenges and difficulties present in our path and the many obstacles we may have to face as we journey together in proclaiming the Good News and truth of the Lord in our daily lives.

In our first reading today, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, we heard of the moment when the order of deacons were instituted in the Church because there were discrepancies in the distribution of the resources and goods for the faithful especially among those who came from non-Jewish or Gentile origins. At that time, we must understand the situation and the context such that the earliest Christian communities lived communally and pooled together their resources just as described by the same Acts of the Apostles. At the time, there were some expectations that the Lord would return again soon, and hence, many among the community of the believers chose to live their lives in shared existence and means, abandoning private ownership and goods, sharing them with one another instead.

However, this system was not sustainable and was ultimately no longer used as the Christian community kept gaining large number of converts to the faith, which resulted in many more resources needed to sustain them all. And while it lasted, this system was also biased as many among the early Christians belonged to the Jewish converts, some of them from the Pharisees who held firmly to the Jewish traditions and customs, and had inherent prejudices against those who did not fully subscribe to their way of observing the Law of God and also against the non-Jewish people or the Gentiles. They favoured their own Jewish background, practices and customs, and it was likely that those entrusted to share the resources shared them more with their own fellow Jewish converts rather than with those converts originating from among the Gentiles.

That was why the Apostles decided to institute the order of deacons, appointing first of all seven men who were deemed worthy from among the faithful, to be the ones to minister to the people of God as the first deacons of the Church. This was how the Lord guided His Church and faithful ones amidst the many challenges that they had to endure as they navigated the intricacies of living amidst the rule of the Romans and having the Jewish authorities harassing and oppressing them at every possible turns. Many of those faithful servants of God, including those deacons had to bear the brunt of the sufferings and persecutions, like that of St. Stephen, who was the very first martyr or protomartyr of the Church, killed because he was oppressed for his faith in God.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the moment when the Lord appeared to His disciples at the Lake of Galilee where a storm with strong waves and wind were battering at their boat, and they were all very afraid that the boat would sink and then they perished in that lake. But it was at that time the Lord appeared to them and walked on the water, and He told them all not to be afraid, calming the waves and the wind, bringing them all to safety at the shore where they were going to. This was very symbolic and important reminder for all of us that no matter whatever hardships and dangers, trials and tribulations that we may face amidst our struggles in faith, in our commitment to the Lord, He will always be there by our side, guiding and strengthening us, leading us all to the right path.

This is because the boat with the disciples inside it is a representation of the Church of God, which is often represented as a boat, like that of Noah’s Ark that saved Noah and his family, with the other living things inside it, from the Great Flood. The waves and the wind represented the challenges and trials that the Church of God would be facing, the sufferings, persecutions and hardships that the Christian faithful would have to suffer in the path of their lives and ministry as God’s faithful people and missionaries. But all of us must not be afraid, as the Lord, Who is the Head of the Church is with us, and with Him as the Guide and the Leader of all of us, not even the greatest challenges and trials can overcome us, the Church of God, which He has built in this world. This is why we must always keep our focus firmly directed towards God at all times.

Today, the Church also celebrates the feast of Pope St. Martin I, a great leader of the Universal Church and the last among the Popes who died as a martyr for his faith and commitment to God. Pope St. Martin I is a good example of a great leader of the faithful and a role model for all of us in how we should continue to persevere in faith despite the challenges and trials that we may be facing in life. He was an abbot earlier on in life, and eventually becoming the Apostolic Legate of several Popes at the court of the Roman Emperor in Constantinople before being elected as Pope and Successor of St. Peter the Apostle, as leader of the whole Universal Church. And as Pope, he stood firm amidst the heresies and challenges that were rampant among the Imperial court at the time.

At that time, the heresy of Monothelitism was widespread, in which this heresy believed falsely that Christ, Our Lord and Saviour has only one single will, as contrary to the accepted truth and teaching of the Church that Christ has two wills, that corresponds to the two distinct natures He has, that is Divine and Human, though inseparable due to perfect union of love in the Person of Jesus Christ. Yet, this Monothelite heresy brought many people to abandon the true Church teachings, and had the support of even the then Roman Emperor in Constantinople and other powerful members of the court and society. Pope St. Martin I strongly condemned the Monothelite heresy, and convened the Lateran Council in the year of Our Lord 649 to address this heresy. As a result, he was arrested by the Emperor with false accusation of treason, was imprisoned and eventually banished, where he died as a martyr of the Church.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, the Scripture readings today and the examples of the life and ministry of Pope St. Martin I showed and reminded us all that we are likely to face sufferings, difficulties and hardships amidst our lives and journey of faith as Christians, and unless we remain focused on the Lord, Our Hope and Guide, then it may be easy for us to be swayed and to be tempted to abandon the Church, where we may then end up being swept away by the currents of worldly temptations into our downfall and destruction. Instead, all of these should remind us to keep firmly faithful in our commitment to the Lord, to proclaim Him ever more faithfully at all times. May the Lord be with us always, and may He continue to help and lead us in our journey of faith, and in our respective missions as Christians, now and always. Amen.

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Friday, 12 April 2024 : 2nd Week of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, through what we have heard and listened to from our Scripture readings today, all of us are reminded that everything that we do in fulfilling our calling and respective ministry in our lives as faithful Christians, all of these are supposed to be anchored on God and not on our own personal ambitions, desire for worldly glory or attainments, or any other attachments to the world. Unless we allow God to lead and guide us in all things, in our every actions, words and deeds, then we may find that it is easy for us to be swayed into the wrong paths in life, losing our way and focus on the true path to salvation and eternal life. Many of our predecessors had allowed this to happen to them, and they did not end well, just as we heard in our first reading today.

In that passage, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, we heard from the continuation of the heated occasion when the Apostles were brought before the members of the Sanhedrin, or the Jewish High Council, the authority ruling over the Jewish community at the time, as the former kept on proclaiming about the Risen Christ despite having been firmly told many times by the latter not to do so. The many members of the Sanhedrin, that belonged to the group of the Pharisees and the Sadducees both had their disagreements and disapproval of the teachings of Christ and the works of the Lord’s disciples, either because of their different view and interpretation of the Law of God, or in the case of the Sadducees, because they refused to believe in the Resurrection or any concept of spiritual matter.

It was so heated that many among the Sanhedrin was seeking the punishment and even death of the Apostles, but as we heard in today’s reading, a well-respected member of the Sanhedrin, the renowned Rabbi Gamaliel spoke to the whole assembly and told them all that they should not do what they wanted to do out of anger, because if the disciples of the Lord was truly on the right side, and the teachings and works of Jesus were really the truth of God, and that He was truly the Saviour, then as Gamaliel himself said, then the whole Sanhedrin could find themselves going against the will of God, and no matter what they do, then God’s will and providence will still prevail in the end. He also highlighted a number of examples of the False Messiahs that had frequently sprung up at that time, and how each one of them fizzled quickly after the death of their so called ‘Messiah’ in their failed uprisings and rebellions.

At that time, it was common for some people to claim themselves as the Messiah, as after all, many prophets had spoken about the coming of God’s salvation through a Saviour, Who would be born into the House of David, as David’s Heir, and many assumed that this Saviour or Messiah would restore the Kingdom of Israel, reminding themselves of the glorious days of the old united Kingdom of Israel under David and Solomon. That time, the Jewish people were under the dominion and overlordship of the Roman Empire, which imposed its rule on the people, who had also been suffering under the rule of the Herodians, the client kings that the Romans put in place to reinforce their rule over the land. The taxes and other difficulties they faced let those so-called ‘False Messiahs’ to rise up in rebellion against the Romans, all of whom failed, killed, and their followers scattered, and their movement fizzled as mentioned.

Now, compare that to our Christian faith and the Church which God had established in this world. The One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church had endured for about two millennia, and is still going strong and stronger. Throughout the history of the Church, there were many forces and plots against the Church, and those who professed Christian faith, and yet, every time, we managed to persevere through all those challenges, growing ever stronger step by step, showing exactly what Gamaliel had spoken to the assembly of the Sanhedrin, that if God is truly behind us, then there is no power in this world that can totally destroy us. Instead, God will lead us all towards the ultimate triumph and victory in Him.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the great miracle which we all are certainly familiar with, that is the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand and more by the Lord, Who blessed and shared five loaves of bread and two fish, to feed the whole multitude of five thousand men and many thousands more of their wives and children, all those who had come from various places to listen to the Lord teaching them and working His miracles and wonders. This miracle is one among many of the miracles through which the Lord showed that He is truly the One Whom God had promised to send into this world in order to save it, as the true and one only Messiah, the Saviour of the world.

At the same time, the Lord also showed that His purpose of coming into this world was not as what many of the people thought He would do, as it was mentioned in that same Gospel passage that after they had all eaten and had their fill from the Lord’s miracle, they all wanted to make Him to be their King, but the Lord quickly went away into hiding, so that they could not force Him to be their King and rose up against the Romans just like so many other of those so-called False Messiahs had done and failed. Instead, the Lord’s mission was in fact far greater than any earthly plans or considerations, as through His actions, and ultimately by His suffering and death on the Cross, He would lead everyone to salvation and eternal life in God.

The disciples of the Lord witnessed everything that He had done, and heard everything that He had taught to them and to the people, and they had seen many other wonders, miracles and signs that He had performed, and when the Holy Spirit was sent to them, and the Lord Himself blessed and strengthened them all, they hence went forth courageously and fearlessly, just as they had done before the Jewish authorities, in continuing to proclaim the Risen Lord despite the trials, challenges, persecutions and hardships that they had to face at the time. They did not let those persecutions, oppressions, coercions or any of their fears to prevent them from doing what they had been entrusted to do, to be God’s most faithful disciples and missionaries in the world.

This is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, as Christians, all of us have received this same truth and revelation of what the Lord had taught us through His Church, passed down to us through many generations from the Apostles and the disciples of the Lord themselves, who had witnessed Him and all of His works, and the Holy Spirit Who had guided the Church and all the actions of faithful Christians throughout history. This is where we need to realise that we have the very important mission to be good and faithful missionaries of our faith, in proclaiming the truth of the Lord, His Good News to everyone, through our own exemplary lives and in our every actions, words and deeds.

May the Risen Lord continue to guide us in our journey throughout life, and may He empower and strengthen us all so that we may continue to be faithful and committed to serve Him as best as we can, despite the many challenges and trials that we may have to endure in our path. May God bless us all and be with us in our every good efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 11 April 2024 : 2nd Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Stanislas, Bishop and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Lord through the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded yet again of the need for all of us as Christians, as God’s disciples and followers, to be ever ready to proclaim His truth and Good News in our world today, at every opportunities and in every circumstances and places that we have found ourselves in. This is such that by our every words, actions and deeds, by our every way of life and commitments, our efforts, we may proclaim the Risen Lord faithfully and truthfully like how our holy predecessors had done, in their tireless and ceaseless efforts and hard work, in doing God’s will and in showing the truth through their whole beings.

In our first reading today, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, we heard of the continuation of the moment when the Apostles were arrested yet again after they continued to preach about the Risen Lord, the Saviour of all mankind, despite having been warned earlier on not to do so anymore, and despite having been arrested and made to suffer for the sake of the Risen Lord. They continued to preach courageously and fearlessly in public, in the grounds of the Temple of God in Jerusalem, where many people witnessed their good works and miracles, listening to the wisdom of God and the revelation of truth through those same Apostles, which had been revealed to them through Christ and the Holy Spirit Who had been sent to them to guide and strengthen them.

Those chief priests, the members of the Pharisees and the Sadducees that made up the Sanhedrin, or the Jewish High Council were angered at the continued persistence of the Apostles in proclaiming the Risen Lord, the same One Whom they had arrested, charged with blasphemy, surrendered to the Romans to be condemned to death on the Cross. Despite their many efforts, including spreading of fake information about what happened to the Lord’s Body and the Empty Tomb which were proofs of His Resurrection, they could not contain the truth from spreading out ever more quickly and vigorously, especially because of the great efforts and tireless works of those Apostles. They tried to threaten them, but as we heard, the Apostles led by St. Peter courageously refused to obey the demands made upon them.

They continued to proclaim the truth, and fearlessly spoke about the truth of everything that had happened, and professed as they had done before the people in Jerusalem and elsewhere, how the Risen Lord had indeed risen from the dead, and they had witnessed everything that happened, and they would not remain silent anymore, not even with the threats upon themselves and their own safety. They had been strengthened by the Lord Himself, and the Holy Spirit had given them the courage and power to carry on their ministry despite the tough challenges, trials, suffering and difficulties that they had to endure. They did not allow fear to mislead them down the path of inactivity anymore, but allowing the Lord to lead them in their path of faithfulness.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the words from the Gospel of St. John in which the words of St. John the Baptist, the one that the Lord had sent to prepare the way for the Lord, the Saviour of the world. St. John the Baptist, as the Herald of the Saviour, had spoken about Him and called upon all the people to come back to their Lord with contrite heart and the desire to be forgiven from all of their many sins and wickedness. St. John the Baptist told the people that the One Who would come after Him would come from Heaven itself, and would proclaim the salvation of God to all, and all of that would come true indeed with the coming of Christ, the Son of God Whose coming St. John the Baptist was preparing.

In his efforts and works, St. John the Baptist himself also faced a lot of hardships and struggles, as he faced the opposition and rejection even from the same Pharisees and all those who also opposed the Lord later on. He also had to face difficulties from the immoralities of the leaders of the people at the time, particularly that of King Herod, the ruler of Galilee at that time, who he criticised and rebuked for his immoral attitude, in his adulterous behaviour with his own brother’s wife Herodias, whom he had taken as his own wife despite his brother still likely being alive at the time. For that, St. John the Baptist arrested and eventually, through the mechanism and plotting of Herodias, he was martyred.

Once again, we have heard and witnessed how the servants of the Lord often faced a lot of hardships and difficulties in the conduct of their missions and ministry, and they had to endure those challenges amidst their fulfilment of the things and missions entrusted to them. Yet, they embraced those sufferings and hardships with joy as they knew that through their faith, obedience and commitment to God, they would receive their just rewards in the Lord, the promise of eternal life and glory with Him, that even though they might have to suffer persecutions and challenges, in the end, they shall all be triumphant together with the Lord. The Lord has strengthened and given them the courage to carry out their mission with faith, committing themselves wholeheartedly to God.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of a great saint and martyr, whose life and dedication to God, and eventually whose martyrdom echoed what we have heard in our Scripture readings today regarding the sufferings, challenges and trials that we may have to face amidst our lives and ministries as faithful and devoted Christians, as disciples and followers of the Lord. St. Stanislas was a renowned Bishop in Medieval Poland, who was martyred in defence of his faith by the Polish King himself, and whose commitment to the Lord and His Church inspired many people during his life and ministry, as well as after his martyrdom. He was one of the earliest native Polish bishops, as it was just a century or so after the conversion of Poland. He worked hard and was crucial in the establishment and the strengthening of the Church and its institutions throughout Poland at that time.

He ended up in disputes with the then King of Poland, Boleslaw II, over disagreements about certain matters such as Church land and property, which according to tradition led him to miraculously resurrect a dead man who had sold the land to the Church, only for the land to be claimed by his family, so that the man could testify before the king and his court, and everyone assembled, that the land had indeed been legally and rightfully sold to the Bishop, St. Stanislas himself. Then later on, he ended up in even bigger dispute over the treatment that the King gave to his own men during his wars, and their wives which were punished for their lack of faith in their husbands. St. Stanislas disagreed with the brutal nature of the King’s punishments and treatments, and these acts among others were seen by the King as being disobedient against royal authority and undermining his power, culminating in the King personally slaying the faithful Bishop as he said the Mass, when his servants were hesitant to act.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we can see very clearly how it can be challenging for us to embrace God’s path faithfully, living them with faith and dedication to Him. It can be difficult for us to follow the path of God because of all the difficulties, trials and oppressions that we may face in our journey. However, that should not discourage us from committing ourselves to the Lord, but instead it should strengthen and encourage us ever more, like how St. Stanislas and many others of our holy predecessors, the holy martyrs and saints, had done in their own lives and ministries. Let us all therefore ask them all to intercede for us so that God may bless us and strengthen us in our every good works, efforts and endeavours, all for His greater glory, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 10 April 2024 : 2nd Week of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us listened to the words of the Lord from the Sacred Scriptures in which we are all reminded of our responsibilities and missions in life as Christians to be the ones to proclaim the truth of Our Lord’s Resurrection, His truth and salvation for all the people. Each and every one of us as Christians must always remember our calling and mission, to proclaim the Risen Lord in all opportunities and in every moments that the Lord Himself had presented to us. We are reminded of the light and hope, the renewal and reconciliation that Our Lord’s Passion, His suffering and death, and then His glorious Resurrection from the dead had brought us, which we celebrate joyfully throughout this time and season of Easter.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles of the moment when the Apostles were arrested while they were performing their ministry, their work and preaching at the Temple of God in Jerusalem. It was done by the Temple officials and authorities who opposed the works of the Lord and His disciples, refusing to believe and listen to Him and His truth. Those were the same ones who persecuted the Lord and handed Him over to the Romans to be condemned to death and crucified. They also tried to spread misinformations regarding the Resurrection of the Lord by saying that His disciples had gone to steal His Body from the tomb, in the desperate effort trying to silence the truth of the Lord’s Resurrection. We also heard the Sadducees, those influential members of the Jewish community who did not believe in spiritual matters and resurrection of the dead, tried hard to go against the truth about the Lord’s Resurrection.

However with the guidance and strength given to them by the Lord through the Holy Spirit, the disciples of the Lord refused to be silent or to be intimidated to keep quiet about what they themselves had experienced and witnessed. They still went forth and proclaimed boldly to the people about the Risen Lord, not fearing the persecutions, hardships and oppressions that they had to endure in the midst of their ministry and missions, and they went forth courageously, revealing the truth of God to everyone, and even when they were imprisoned for their activities as we have heard from the Acts of the Apostles, they remained faithful and trusting in God, and God was with them, delivering them out of their troubles, miraculously bringing them out of the prison, and they continued to preach about the Lord yet again before the people.

Through what we have heard in our first reading today, we are all shown what it truly means for us to be faithful to God, to be committed to His cause and to embrace everything which He has entrusted to us, all the truth and all the revelations that He has passed to us through His Church. Like what the Apostles and the other disciples of the Lord had experienced, often it might mean that we may also have to face trials and difficulties amidst living our lives faithfully as Christians. We cannot be idle or ignorant of our calling as those whom God had called and chosen, and we should continue to stand up for our faith and to live our lives worthily as best as we are able to do so. We should continue to devote our time, effort and attention to follow the Lord and His will, as the disciples had done.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the continuation of the passage from the Gospel of St. John detailing for us the conversation between the Lord Jesus and one Nicodemus, a Pharisee who believed in the Lord Jesus, His teachings and the truth that He has brought into this world. Nicodemus came secretly at night to avoid being seen with the Lord as it would have created an uproar and trouble with the rest of the Pharisees, many of whom had rejected the Lord and refused to listen or believe in His teachings. But Nicodemus believed in Jesus and wanted to know more about what He had been teaching and revealing to the people of God, and hence, this was when the Lord revealed God’s great plan, sending His own Son to this world, in Jesus Himself, to save everyone.

Through those famous words, ‘For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him may not be lost, but may have eternal life.’, the Lord wanted us all to know that God’s love for each and every one of us is so great and has always endured despite our rebelliousness and unwillingness to adhere to His path, as He continued to give us time and opportunities, again and again, so that we may find our path back towards Him, and be reconciled with Him. And then, as the Lord continued with, ‘God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world. Instead, through Him the world is to be saved.’, He wanted everyone to know that through the coming of His Son into our midst, the salvation of the whole world was nigh, and He would do it all through His ultimate and most loving sacrifice on the Cross.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we are all reminded through the passage from the Gospel about what the Lord had done for us through His Son, Our Risen Lord and Saviour, and from the earlier first reading taken from the Acts of the Apostles, we are therefore reminded and called that as Christians, as the Lord’s own disciples and followers, each and every one of us should do well to proclaim His truth, His love, His Resurrection and everything that God has done for us, for the sake of our salvation and liberation from the tyranny of sin and death. We are the ones who have been entrusted with these respective missions and vocations in life, proclaiming His Good News by our own lives, which should indeed be full of righteousness and virtues, as we do what the Lord had commanded us to do.

Let us all be not afraid to stand up for our faith in the Risen Lord, brothers and sisters in Christ. Let us all proclaim the truth of God faithfully at all times, by living our every way of lives with faith, in our every actions, words and deeds throughout all circumstances and in every places and occasions. May the Risen Lord continue to guide us and be with us always in our every struggles, commitments and efforts throughout each and every moments of our lives. Amen.

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Tuesday, 9 April 2024 : 2nd Week of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we are all reminded today of the joy of the Lord’s salvation which He has revealed and passed on to us through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour. In His glorious Resurrection from the dead that we celebrate during this time and season of Easter, and we are all also reminded of the love which He has shown us through His Son as ultimately, everything that He had done for us, He did them all because He truly loves us all from the very beginning, and He never stopped loving us and He never gave up on us. That is the essence of what we have heard in our Scripture readings today, reminding us what it truly means for us to be Christians, to be always full of love for the Lord, our ever loving and generous God, as well as to love our fellow brothers and sisters all around us, in our community.

In our first reading today, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, we heard about the lives of the early Christians who lived their lives with great grace of God present in their midst, living their lives obediently as how the Lord and His Apostles had taught them. They shared their possessions and goods among them, with the Apostles governing over them and helping them to manage their lives. All of them showed love, care and concern for their fellow brothers and sisters, and did not stock the riches of the world or the material possessions for their own use and purpose, but rather, sharing them generously with one another, so that everyone have enough for themselves and are well taken care of by the whole community of the faithful. This is used as a good example of Christian charity and love, and as an inspiration for all of us in how we should act towards our fellow brothers and sisters.

However, we need to take note the context and situation of the Christian community at that time so that we can understand better how the Christian faithful at the time lived their lives in the described manner. At that time, the Christian community was still relatively small and closely knit together and hence it was relatively easy for them to gather and share their resources, all the materials and goods they need in the manner that they had done. However, this way of living soon encountered many challenges, as if we read on further in the Acts of the Apostles, there were disagreements and complaints because certain members of the Christian community were overlooked, particularly those from the non-Jewish origins, which was why the Apostles later on instituted the order of the Diaconate or the Deacons to help serve the rapidly growing Christian community.

Yet, what we should learn from the lives of the earliest Christian communities is how they had great love and compassion for one another, where they truly cared for the well-being of their fellow Christians around them. They trusted in the Lord and in one another, living with their focus and emphasis in the Risen Lord and in His ways, and not in amassing worldly wealth, possessions, or in seeking the glory and the pleasures of the world. They truly embody the joyful spirit of Easter, living righteously and worthily as the chosen people of God, being the good and worthy beacons of His Light, Hope and Salvation to everyone, through their exemplary and inspirational lives, which drew many others to come to believe in God as well. While the circumstances and conditions are different now, but it does not mean that we cannot strive to live in the manner that enriches the faith of everyone around us by our own exemplary way of life.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel of St. John where the interactions and conversations between Nicodemus the Pharisee and the Lord Jesus Himself was recorded. Nicodemus was a member of the Pharisees, a group of very influential and powerful block of power that existed at the time during the time of the life and ministry of the Lord, two millennia ago. They, together with the Sadducees, another influential group, formed the governing body of the Jewish community, as many of their members were part of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish High Council. The Pharisees themselves were those who were intellectual, knowledgeable about the Law of God as revealed through Moses, and also were very particular about keeping the commandments, rules, precepts and the details of the Law of God, to even the smallest of details.

And since the Pharisees tend to be very strict in their interpretation and enforcement of the Law, all of its rules and tenets, hence, that was why many of them often opposed the Lord and His teachings, refusing to listen to the wisdom and the words of truth which He had brought into the midst of the people of God. Yet, it does not mean that all of the Pharisees rejected and opposed the Lord, as Nicodemus himself had shown us. Nicodemus was one of the Pharisees who was in fact attracted to the Lord’s teachings and was drawn to the truth of God. He came to the Lord at night in order to avoid being seen with Him, which would have caused complications, but he truly had questions in his heart and mind, which he asked of the Lord. The Lord therefore told Nicodemus part of the truth of what He would be doing for the salvation of mankind, prefiguring His Passion, His crucifixion and death.

Yes, as we heard in that same Gospel passage today, we heard how the Son of Man, Jesus Himself would be raised up and shown to everyone as the Sign of Salvation, just as Moses once raised the bronze serpent on the standard back when the people perished because of their disobedience against God. This is a reference for His Passion and death on the Cross, as He was raised up on the Cross at Calvary, suffering and dying for our sins and faults, offering Himself, His own Precious Body and Blood as the perfect and worthy offering for our salvation. This is something that Nicodemus certainly recalled, as the same Nicodemus was also mentioned after the Passion and death of the Lord, because together with another secret disciple of Jesus from among the Pharisees, Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus helped to take down the Body of the Lord from the Cross and prepare Him for burial.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore, having been reminded of the examples from the loving and faithful lives of the early Christian communities and also from the faith and readiness to listen which Nicodemus the Pharisee had shown us in our Scripture readings today, let us all therefore strive to follow the Lord and live our lives as Christians in the same manner. Let us all be exemplary and worthy in each and every moments of our lives so that by our good examples and our every moments in life, we may inspire more and more people to come ever closer to God, and that we may truly proclaim the Risen Lord, His truth and salvation through our own lives, our every actions, words and deeds, now and always. Amen.

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Monday, 8 April 2024 : Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today marks the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, marking the important moment when the Archangel Gabriel came from the Lord to Mary, who was to be the Mother of God, through her motherhood of the One Whom God had sent into this world to save all of us, that is His own Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, the Son of God and the Divine Word of God. This important event marked by today’s Solemnity happened exactly nine months before Christmas, which showed that this was the moment when the Lord, Our Saviour was conceived in the womb of Mary, His Mother.

Usually this Solemnity is celebrated each year on the twenty-fifth day of March, but as that date fell on the Monday of Holy Week earlier on, and the commemorations of both the Holy Week and the Easter Octave take priority over all other Solemnities and Feasts, therefore, this celebration of the Annunciation of the Lord is postponed this year to this day, the day after the Second Sunday of Easter, the Octave Day of Easter. Nonetheless, despite this change of dates, it does not diminish the importance of the event that we commemorate, as linking to what we are celebrating this Easter, it was all made possible by the acceptance of Mary of her crucial role in being the Mother of our God and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

The Annunciation of the Lord marks the moment when Mary received the Good News from the Archangel Gabriel, proclaiming to her the long awaited coming of God’s salvation to all mankind, that He would send into this world His own beloved and begotten Son, the Divine Word of God, Who would become incarnate in the flesh, becoming the Son of Man, through the role and intercession of Mary herself. This pivotal event is truly important because by her acceptance of the role entrusted to her by God through the Archangel Gabriel, Mary had made possible what seemed to be impossible, that God Himself would come in our form and nature of humanity, incarnate in this world, showing to us the perfection of His love manifested in all of His glory and yet made approachable to us.

As we compare the attitudes of King Ahaz of Judah and Mary, the Mother of God as highlighted in our Scripture readings today, we can clearly see the difference in their attitudes and response to the revelation of God which they received through the prophet Isaiah and the Archangel Gabriel respectively. While King Ahaz of Judah refused to believe in the Lord and did not trust or have genuine faith in Him, Mary submitted humbly and despite her uncertainties, she did not doubt the Lord’s providence and plans for her. Contextually, we must also understand that King Ahaz of Judah was counted among those many kings of Judah who were not faithful to God, in the way that they did not worship the Lord faithfully and led the people into sin by allowing or even promoting the worship of pagan gods and false idols.

When the prophet Isaiah asked the king for a sign, the king said that he would not ask or put the Lord to the test. Some might consider or perceive this as an act of humility, but if we understood his background and other actions, we will quickly realise that he was being a hypocrite in his action and response to God’s instructions. Through his failure to do what he had been expected to do in his own reign as king, he had tested the Lord many times and brought great misery and sufferings on God’s people because of his disobedience and wickedness. He did not refuse to ask of the Lord of any sign or wonders because he was humble, but rather because he did not truly believe in the Lord or did not want to bother with the matters pertaining to God, or that he did not trust that the Lord would actually do as He had said He would do.

On the contrary, Mary who was then just a young maiden, a young virgin who was still really young in age, chose to trust in the Lord wholeheartedly, and while she naturally was apprehensive given the breadth and scope of the mission and the responsibilities entrusted to her, to be the Mother of the Son of God Himself, and to be pregnant, bearing a Child when she was not even married yet, while she had already been betrothed to St. Joseph, her husband-to-be, but she still ultimately trusted the Lord with the words, ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done unto me according to Your will.’ Mary embraced the Lord, His words and promises, His will and His desire for her to do as she had been entrusted to do, and hence, through her resounding and firm ‘Yes’ to the Lord, the work of God’s salvation has been made evident in this world, showing unto all of us the perfect example of obedience and faith.

God has given us all the free will and the freedom to choose our course of action in this life we have been given. Unfortunately, our ancestors beginning with Eve chose to disobey the Lord, listening to the lies and wickedness of Satan instead, and we allowed ourselves to be swayed by worldly temptations and glory, by the allure of pride and glory which had twisted our perception of the world, our existence and relationship with God. This is why we must not allow ourselves to be swayed by these temptations, or listen to the falsehoods and the lies of the devil, who had done in his every opportunities and capabilities to try to mislead us down the path towards our downfall. Instead, we should follow the good examples and inspiration set for us by Mary and her Son, Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, Who as the New Eve and the New Adam, had undone the damage and the corruption done unto us by the original Eve and Adam.

That is why, on this great Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, we remember the role that Mary, the Mother of God, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who has answered God’s call and mission with faithful and firm dedication, entrusting herself completely and wholly to the Lord. Her Son, Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, has also shown perfect and complete obedience to the will of His Heavenly Father, embracing His Cross, bearing willingly all the weight and burdens of our many and innumerable sins, wickedness and evils, so that through Him, His obedience and love for all of us. by dying on the Cross for us at Calvary, we may receive the hope of salvation and eternal life, liberation and freedom from the tyranny and bondage of sin, from the power of death and destruction, which He has done through His glorious and triumphant Resurrection from the dead.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore, as we celebrate this day with great joy, marking the moment when the Salvation of God entered into this world and become incarnate in the womb of Mary, the Mother of God, let us all recall the salvation which Our Risen Lord has brought unto us, and which we rejoice and celebrate this season and time of Easter. Let us all follow the faith and dedication of Mary, His Mother, and strive to do the will of God at all times. May the Risen Lord be with us all, and may He guide us all in our journey of faith. May His Blessed Mother continue to pray and intercede for us, at all times. Amen.

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Sunday, 7 April 2024 : Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday we celebrate the Second Sunday of Easter, the last day of the Easter Octave that began last Sunday with the glorious celebration of Easter and our Lord’s Resurrection from the dead. On this Sunday, we continue to rejoice greatly for the Lord’s triumphant victory over sin, evil and death through His Resurrection, showing all of us the certain hope and way out from the dominion, tyranny of sin and evil, breaking their hold and control over us mankind. Through the Risen Lord we have received the hope of eternal life, the liberation from the darkness surrounding us all, that we now once again can rejoice fully with God as a people whom He has called and chosen to be His own.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles in which we are told about how the earliest Christian communities lived their lives, detailing to us how they cared for one another and showed genuine care and charity in all of their actions. They shared their possessions and goods among them, with the Apostles governing over them and helping them to manage their lives. Every one who had extra with them shared with all those who had less or insufficient amount, such that as mentioned, everyone had enough for themselves and their needs. This is used as a good example of Christian charity and love, and as an inspiration for all of us in how we should act towards our fellow brothers and sisters.

We do have to take note the context and situation of the Christian community at that time so that we can understand better how the Christian faithful at the time lived their lives in the described manner. Back then, the Christian community was still relatively small and closely knit together and hence it was relatively easy for them to pool and share their resources in the manner that they had done. However, this way of living soon encountered many challenges, as if we read on further in the Acts of the Apostles, there were disagreements and complaints because certain members of the Christian community were overlooked, particularly those from the non-Jewish origins, which was why the Apostles later on instituted the order of the Diaconate or the Deacons to help serve the rapidly growing Christian community.

Nonetheless, we should be inspired by the manner how those early Christians lived their lives as they truly gave their all to serve the Lord and to focus their lives upon Him. They trusted in the Lord and in one another, showing genuine love and care for each other just as the Lord has told and taught them to do. They truly embody the joyful spirit of Easter, living righteously and worthily as the chosen people of God, not worrying about earthly concerns and desires but focusing themselves upon the Lord and their calling to be good and worthy disciples of the Lord. While the circumstances and conditions are different now, but it does not mean that we cannot strive to live in the manner that enriches the faith of everyone around us by our own exemplary way of life.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the account of what happened after the Resurrection of the Lord, as we remember how the Risen Lord appeared suddenly before all of His assembled disciples save for St. Thomas the Apostle. At that time, the Lord showed Himself in all His Risen glory before them, proving to them that He was indeed risen from the dead and not merely a ghost or a spirit. He reassured them with His words, reminding them that everything had happened just as He Himself had foretold it. He told them to go forth and proclaim everything that they had themselves seen and witnessed, while breathing over them and granting them the Holy Spirit to guide them and strengthen them in their journey and efforts.

Then as we heard, St. Thomas was not present in that first moment the Lord appeared to His disciples and he refused to believe when the other Apostles told him of what they themselves had seen and witnessed. St. Thomas was always a doubter, and in earlier occasions in the Gospels, he had also shown this doubt publicly before the other disciples as well. He thus essentially challenged the Risen Lord Himself, as he said that he would not believe unless he could see and experience Him in person, and touch His wounds to know that He has indeed truly risen from the dead just as the other disciples had said to him. That was when then the Risen Lord afterwards showed Himself to St. Thomas and to the other disciples that he finally believed in the Resurrection.

St. Thomas’ attitude is not surprising as there were quite a few people at the time of the Lord who also did not believe in the resurrection from the dead like those of the Sadducees. And throughout history, even until this present time and age, there are people who refused to believe in the resurrection from the dead, or the concept of faith in the Risen Lord, or in anything spiritual simply because they could not rationalise them or experience the things that they would expect to encounter and experience before they would believe in such a belief. This is why we must understand that our belief in the Resurrection cannot be rationalised or proven through experience, but having seen how those same Apostles, including St. Thomas himself, believed in the Risen Lord so much and proclaimed His Resurrection and truth at the cost of even their own lives, therefore, the Resurrection is and must indeed be true.

After all, St. Thomas himself who had doubted the Lord, His Resurrection and all, turned over a new leaf and embraced the Lord wholeheartedly, enduring persecutions and sufferings, spent a lot of efforts to proclaim the Lord in distant lands, and suffered martyrdom in the end, all these showed us all that, what our faith had taught us, and all the truth passed down to us through the Church of God, is nothing less and nothing else than the truth, even after two millennia had passed from the time when everything happened at that time. Each and every one of us as Christians are reminded that the belief in the Resurrection is a core tenet of our Christian faith, and we should always held up this faith firmly in our hearts and minds.

This Sunday is also known as the Divine Mercy Sunday because of the decision made by Pope St. John Paul II who decreed in the Year of Our Lord 2000, the Great Jubilee Year upon the canonisation of the Polish nun, St. Faustina Kowalska, the one who had received the visions of the Lord in His Aspect as the Divine Mercy. For many years, St. Faustina Kowalska received those visions of the Divine Mercy, recorded what she had witnessed, seen and heard, and then, she had to face many hardships and struggles when many around her, priests, confessors, other nuns and Church authorities figures showed skepticism at the things which she had revealed and written in her books and diaries. Yet, St. Faustina Kowalska continued to persevere in her efforts and remained firm in her commitment to spread the devotion to the Divine Mercy till the end of her life.

For many years, her works were scrutinised by the Church authorities, and at times they were even banned and prohibited by those who were determined that her works were not divinely inspired and were false, or even delusions. Nonetheless, the Devotion to the Divine Mercy continued to spread, and slowly but surely, with better understanding of the context and details of the revelations received by St. Faustina Kowalska, the works, revelations given to her and the Devotion to the Divine Mercy finally received support, endorsement and approval, and as mentioned, ever since Pope St. John Paul II declared it twenty-four years ago, the Second Sunday of Easter has also been known as the Divine Mercy Sunday, with the Devotion to the Divine Mercy of God ranking as one of the most popular contemporary devotions of the Church.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, what we have discussed today and through what we have heard in our Scripture passages, we are all reminded that our faith in the Lord must always be firm and strong, and we must remember that in our own limitations and inability to comprehend the whole truth of God, His many mysteries including that of His Resurrection and the nature and Aspect of His Divine Mercy, we must entrust ourselves ever more strongly to the Wisdom of God, to the teachings of the Church which we have received throughout all these years of our lives. Most importantly, we must also embody this faith and belief in our own actions, words and deeds in each moments of our lives or else, we are no better than hypocrites who claim to believe in God and yet did not have true faith in Him.

Let us all hence renew our faith in the Resurrection of Our Lord, in His great love and compassion for us, that He, as the Divine Mercy, continues to show us His desire to forgive us our sins and to embrace us all when we come back to Him with regret and sorrow for all the sins and wickedness we have committed in our lives. Let us all also be the good and faithful witnesses to His Resurrection, His truth and Good News, His Love and most generous Mercy to all, that by our lives, the Risen Lord will always be glorified and proclaimed to the nations. Eternal Father, I offer You, the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world. Amen.