Liturgical Colour : White
1 John 3 : 1-2
See what singular love the Father has for us : we are called children of God, and we really are. This is why the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
Beloved, we are God’s children, and what we shall be has not, yet, been shown. Yet, when He appears in His glory, we know, that we shall be like Him, for, then, we shall see Him as He is.
Liturgical Colour : White
Psalm 117 : 1 and 8-9, 21-23, 26 and 28-29
Alleluia! Give thanks to YHVH, for He is good, His loving kindness endures forever. It is better to take refuge in YHVH than to trust in the help of humans. It is better to take refuge in YHVH than to trust in the might of princes.
I thank You for having answered me, for having rescued me. The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone. This was YHVH’s doing and we marvel at it.
Blessed is He Who comes in YHVH’s Name! We praise You from the house of YHVH. You are my God, and I give You thanks. You are my God, and I give You praise. Give thanks to YHVH, for He is good; His steadfast love endures forever!
Liturgical Colour : White
Acts 4 : 8-12
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke up, “Leaders of the people! Elders! It is a fact, that we are being examined today for a good deed done to a cripple. How was he healed? You and all the people of Israel, must know, that this man stands before you cured, through the Name of Jesus Christ, the Nazorean.”
“You had Him crucified. But God raised Him from the dead. Jesus is the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. There is no salvation in anyone else, for there is no other Name given to humankind, all over the world, by which we may be saved.”
Liturgical Colour : White
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we are all reminded that as the disciples and followers of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Saviour of all, each and every one of us must always be ready to stand by our faith in Him and to do whatever it is that He has entrusted to all of us. As those whom the Lord had entrusted with His truth, Good News and revelation, and as the ones that He had called and chosen from this world, we are all expected to live our lives truly worthily of Him, and to do our part as the members of this same Body of Christ, the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. To His Church, the Lord had given the mission to proclaim this salvation and liberation which He Himself had brought into our midst, so that more and more people may come to know Him and seek to embrace His love and mercy, that everyone may be gathered together in His Presence.
In our first reading today, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles in which the Apostles continued their ministry and works, as the persecutions and hardships, trials and challenges against the Church abated at that time with the conversion of Saul the Pharisee, and with the end of his so-called ‘witch hunt’ and efforts to eradicate the early Christians and the Church, the Sanhedrin or the Jewish High Council lost their greatest champion. As mentioned, the Church had a moment of peace and reprieve from the persecutions and challenges it faced, and the growth of the Church continued just as it had been during the times of troubles. The Lord continued to guide His disciples to go forth and proclaim His truth and Good News to more and more people. The Apostles were going round to minister to the faithful in various places.
And it was during some of these mission trips that we heard in today’s passage, how St. Peter performed a great miracle by the power of God when he visited the faithful community in the city of Lydda, where he healed a man named Aeneas who was paralysed, and upon seeing the miraculous healing of the man from his illness, many more people came to believe in the Lord and embraced the Christian faith. Then, we heard after that of the illness and death that claimed a certain Tabitha, a good and faithful woman, who had been well-known in the community for her righteousness and virtues. St. Peter came to her place, prayed over her and raised her up from the dead, by the Name and authority of the Risen Lord Himself, showing to everyone how the Lord truly is the Lord and Master over life and death, and has authority over all things. Even more people came to believe in the Lord by these miracles and events, and the Church continued to grow rapidly.
This is a reminder that God has always been with His Church, and while many of its members might have to suffer because of the opposition that many in the world held stubbornly against the Lord, and just as the Lord Himself had faced bitter persecutions and hardships, thus the Church would have to face sufferings and difficulties, challenges and trials as part of its journey. God has always guided all the faithful towards Himself, and as they all carried their crosses in life, they were carrying their crosses with the Lord. And with every actions and deeds which they had done, those disciples of the Lord had proclaimed the truth and the revelation of His salvation, and more people came to be part of the Church, just as the popular saying goes, that the ‘blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians’, with more and more people being convinced to follow the Lord by the exemplary courage of the Apostles and the other disciples of the Lord.
In our Gospel passage today, we heard the conclusion of the discourse of the Bread of Life by the Lord to the people which we have heard in the past week or so. In that discourse, we heard how the Lord highlighted His role as the Bread of Life, the Heavenly Bread Who would share His own Most Precious Body and Blood with everyone, so that they all may have eternal and new life, new existence full of grace with Him. But as we heard, the people refused to listen to the Lord and hardened their hearts and minds, saying to the Lord that how can He, as a mere Man, could give to them His own Body and Blood for them to eat and drink. In fact some of them if not many among them were likely disgusted at those words, but they failed to understand what the Lord meant, and they did not have faith in Him, choosing to use their own limited understanding and appreciation of the matter for them to judge Him instead.
This was why as mentioned in that same Gospel passage, many of the Lord’s disciples stopped following Him and abandoned Him. They refused to accept those teachings which they found difficult to follow or to understand using their understanding and appreciation. But those who were closest to Him, like the Twelve and some others stayed by His side and continued to follow Him despite the reservations and the questions that they themselves might have also had in their hearts and minds. It was these same truths which they later on proclaimed courageously and fearlessly among the people of God, like what St. Peter the Apostles, the other Apostles and disciples had done as they ministered to the people, performing the same miracles and wonders that the Lord had done in their midst. They trusted in the Lord and allowed Him to lead them in their mission and calling, to glorify the Lord by their lives and works.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore this is why all of us are also called and reminded to put our faith and trust completely in the Lord. Each and every one of us should continue to embrace Him and His love, and strive to do whatever we can such that by our commitment and dedication, we may truly be the good role models and examples for one another, and be the shining beacons and light of God’s truth, illuminating the path for many around us, so that they may come to believe in the Lord as well. This is why each and every one of us must always be truly sincere and genuine in how we follow the Lord, in each and every moments of our lives, in our every actions so that by all of those we may help many more people to come to the Lord. It is through our actions, words and deeds that the light of God, His truth and Good News are made manifest and real to many, who experienced God through us and our lives.
May the Risen Lord continue to help and lead us in our journey of faith and life, so that as we continue to persevere and endure amidst all the challenges and trials that we may face, and that we may continue to obey Him and do His will in our world today, being active part of the Church’s mission in proclaiming the Good News and Christ’s salvation in our world today. May the Lord continue to bless our every efforts and endeavours, our every actions and works, our interactions and all that we do to proclaim His Name and His truth to all the people around us. May He remain with us always, now and forevermore. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : White
John 6 : 60-69
At that time, after the Jews heard Jesus, many of His followers said, “This language is very hard! Who can accept it?”
Jesus was aware that His disciples were murmuring about this, and so He said to them, “Does this offend you? Then how will you react when you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before? It is the Spirit that gives life, not the flesh. The words that I have spoken to you are Spirit and they are life. But among you there are some who do not believe.”
From the beginning, Jesus knew who would betray Him. So He added, “As I have told you, no one can come to Me unless it is granted by the Father.” After this many disciples withdrew and no longer followed Him. Jesus asked the Twelve, “Will you also go away?
Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We now believe and know that You are the Holy One of God.”
Liturgical Colour : White
Psalm 115 : 12-13, 14-15, 16-17
How can I repay the Lord for all His goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the Name of the Lord.
I will fulfil my vows to the Lord in the presence of all His people. It is painful to the Lord to see the death of His faithful.
O Lord, I am Your servant, truly Your servant, Your handmaid’s son. You have freed me from my bonds. I will offer You a thanksgiving sacrifice; I will call on the Name of the Lord.
Liturgical Colour : White
Acts 9 : 31-42
Meanwhile, the Church had peace. It was building up throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria with eyes turned to the Lord and filled with comfort from the Holy Spirit.
As Peter travelled around, he went to visit the saints who lived in Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas who was paralysed, and had been bedridden for eight years. Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your bed!”
And the man got up at once. All the people living in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord. There was a disciple in Joppa named Tabitha, which means Dorcas or Gazelle. She was always doing good works and helping the poor. At that time she fell sick and died. After having washed her body, they laid her in the upstairs room.
As Lydda is near Joppa, the disciples, on hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, “Please come to us without delay.” So Peter went with them. On his arrival they took him upstairs to the room. All the widows crowded around him in tears, showing him the clothes that Dorcas had made while she was with them.
Peter made them them all leave the room and then he knelt down and prayed. Turning to the dead body he said, “Tabitha, stand up.” She opened her eyes, looked at Peter and sat up. Peter gave her his hand and helped her up. Then he called in the saints and widows and presented her to them alive.
This became known throughout all of Joppa and many people believed in the Lord because of it.
Liturgical Colour : White
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard from the passages of the Sacred Scriptures the story of the moment when Saul the Pharisee, a great enemy and persecutor of the Church and the early Christians, was completely turned upside-down in his life as he experienced a dramatic encounter with the Lord Himself on his way to persecute Christians in Damascus, and henceforth, he embraced Christ as his Lord and Saviour, and not only that, but ever since, he became one of the greatest champions and defenders of the Church and the Christian faith, as known from his works later on as St. Paul the Apostle, Apostle to the Gentiles and the author of many Epistles recorded in the New Testament. At the same time, we also continue to hear the discourse of the Bread of Life by the Lord to the assembly of people in our Gospel passage today.
In our first reading, as mentioned earlier, we heard of the moment when St. Paul the Apostle in his earlier life as he was known by the name of Saul, a young and overzealous Pharisee, how he had persecuted the early Church and the Christian community in his ill-guided efforts and actions in rounding up and arresting everyone who believed in the Lord Jesus and in His teachings. Saul was thoroughly convinced, likely by his education and upbringing, that what he had done was righteous and good for the people of God, and that he was uprooting a heresy and blasphemy from the recently crucified Messiah, whom the Pharisees and many among the other members of the Sanhedrin like the Sadducees and the elders considered as a False Messiah, blasphemer and traitor to their nation and people.
But the Lord Himself appeared to Saul as he made his way to Damascus, in his zeal and effort to lead his so-called ‘Crusade’ against the Christian communities even beyond the traditional land of Judea and Galilee. That the Lord chose this man, who was a great enemy of the Church and one of its most ardent and hardened opponent to be the instrument of His will and works, is truly significant as it showed to us all that even the greatest of sinners, and all those who have opposed the Lord and made it difficult for Him and His works, all were not beyond His forgiveness, mercy and calling. Just as He Himself has forgiven all those who persecuted and condemned Him to death from His Cross, thus the Lord called even Saul from the depth of his crimes against the holy people of God, to walk into His Light.
Thus, we heard how this great enemy of the Church, the champion of those who were against the Lord and His works, was instantly experiencing a turnaround in his life and path, from being a stubborn enemy of the Lord to be among His greatest defenders. This is a story which would happen yet again and again, as throughout the history of the Church, there were indeed many of those who had turned from the path of sin and evil into the path of righteousness and virtue in God, and many of the Church’s great saints were once themselves great sinners and rebels who committed grievous sins and errors against God. Yet, what they all had in common is that each and every one of them like St. Paul embraced the Lord and turned away from their path of sin and evil, committing themselves to a new path and life in God, resolving not to sin any more and to be the good and worthy servants of God henceforth.
This is an important reminder for each and every one of us that no one is truly beyond the power and scope of God’s forgiveness, mercy and redemption. As long as one is willing to embrace the Lord’s love and forgiveness, His path and light, one can find his and her path towards reconciliation with God, Who has been ever full of love and compassion towards each one of us, all of us who are beloved and holy people of God, those whom He had called and chosen from among all in this world. Through Him and by sharing in His love and mercy, all of us will receive justification and grace, the freedom and liberation from all the bondage of the evils and sins that have kept us bound all these while. Through His ever enduring and present love for each and every one of us, we have been truly so fortunate because God has never given up on us, no matter how we have turned away from Him and rebelled against Him. We are all reminded indeed that there is a path towards His salvation and grace, and the choice is ours to make, whether we want to follow Him or not.
In our Gospel passage today, we heard the continuation of the discourse of the Bread of Life by the Lord, in which the Lord Jesus continued to tell the people who were listening to Him about the Bread of Life, Who is truly Himself, the One Who has come down from Heaven, from the Father, to show us all the eternal and ever enduring love of God, made evident and tangible to us, in the person of His own beloved Son, Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the whole world. Through Him, all of us have received the gift of forgiveness and redemption, liberation from the threat of unending and eternal death. By our partaking of the Most Precious and Holy Body and Blood of Our Lord, all of us have received the gift of the Bread of Life, the new life and existence which Our Lord Himself has provided to all of us. He has given us all the path to a new life with Him, just as He has called St. Paul to be His disciple and follower.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore remind ourselves of the Lord’s calling and His efforts in reaching out to us, as He embraced all of us sinners and gathering us all to His Presence. Let us all seek the Lord to thank Him for all the love which He has granted to us, and let us all hence renew our commitment to Him, to do His will and to embrace everything that He has prepared for us, out of His enduring love for us. Let us all answer His call as what St. Paul had once done, turning away from our sinful and wicked way of life, and embracing instead the fullness of God’s love and grace, knowing that it is in Him alone that we shall find lasting peace, justification and the path to salvation and eternal life. May the Risen Lord continue to guide us in our path and journey throughout life, and may He empower each and every one of us so that we may always be ever faithful in our journey towards the Lord, His salvation and grace. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : White
John 6 : 52-59
At that time, the Jews were arguing among themselves, “How can this Man give us flesh to eat?” So Jesus replied, “Truly, I say to you, if you do not eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you have no life in you. The one who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood lives eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
“My Flesh is really food, and My Blood is truly drink. Those who eat My Flesh and drink My Blood, lives in Me, and I in them. Just as the Father, Who is life, sent Me, and I have life from the Father, so whoever eats Me will have life from Me. This is the Bread which came from heaven; not like that of your ancestors, who ate and later died. Those who eat this Bread will live forever.”
Jesus spoke in this way in Capernaum when He taught them in the synagogue.
Liturgical Colour : White
Psalm 116 : 1, 2
Alleluia! Praise the Lord, all you nations; all you peoples, praise Him.
How great is His love for us! His faithfulness lasts forever.
petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang 