Feast of St. Benedict

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Friday, 11 July 2025 : 14th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Benedict, Abbot (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us are reminded through the Word of God contained within the Sacred Scriptures of the importance of trust and faith in the Lord even in the midst of hardships, trials and difficulties in life, and we must not lose faith in God or abandon Him just because things are difficult or not ideal for us. We have to hold fast to the promises and reassurances that God had provided to us at every steps of our journey in life, and from what we have heard from today’s Scripture readings that we may be courageous and strong even when our lives may be difficult and hope may be far away and lacking in us, when the outlook in life may be quite bleak and unlikely. The Lord Who is always with us, providing for us will not abandon us alone and He will always guide us in our journey in life at all times.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Genesis in which the Lord appeared to Jacob who was on his way from the land of Canaan at Beersheba that is on the boundary of the land of Canaan with Egypt, as he was making his way towards his long lost son, Joseph, whom he long thought to be dead. He was skeptical at first because his other sons had told him earlier on that Joseph had been beset and attacked by wild animals and killed, only to be told that Joseph was in fact alive and well, and was the Regent of Egypt. In this continuation of the story from earlier this week, the brothers of Joseph after their reunion and reconciliation with Joseph went back to Canaan to bring their father Jacob to Egypt, together with all of their whole extended family because the severe famine was still raging then throughout the world.

God appeared to Jacob and spoke to him, reassuring him that everything happened in accordance to His will and plan, and that his family would prosper and be guided by God in that new land, the land of Egypt, where they would become a great nation just as the Lord had promised to Jacob and his forefathers, Abraham and Isaac. And He also promised that Jacob would enjoy his old age with Joseph, his long lost son, and would be well taken care of. And in all these, we can see that God always provided for His faithful and beloved ones, not allowing them to continue to suffer, but giving them hope and consolation in times of trouble and difficulties, and also assurances and strength, encouragement and hope when things seem to be bleak and dark.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the Lord Jesus telling His disciples the reality of following Him and His path, and how they all would likely face difficulties, oppositions, rejections and hardships in their path in life and in their ministry. He did not mince His words when He told the disciples that He was sending them like sheep to go among the wolves, highlighting the challenges that they would likely face in their journey. Yet, He also told them and reassured them that all of their struggles and trials, their difficulties and challenges came about because of their faith in Him, and they would never be alone in their perseverance and struggles.

That is because the Lord Himself would be with them, guiding them all in what they would be saying through the Holy Spirit that God would give to them, and they would be strengthened and encouraged amidst all those sufferings. God would give them all the power and the wisdom to pull through the various challenges and trials that they would face, and by their trust in Him and support for one another, they would be strengthened in all of their struggles and fights, in their faithful witness of their Christian faith and their belief in God before everyone who accused, persecuted and hated them. And many among the Lord’s disciples did indeed suffer, but they joyfully went through those sufferings with the sure hope in God’s grace and deliverance, in His Providence and help.

Therefore, together with what we have heard earlier on from the conversation between God and Jacob, these are important reminders for all of us as Christians that we should always trust in God and allow Him to lead us all in our respective journeys in life, doing our best to stay firm in our commitment to walk down this path ever more courageously and faithfully, trusting in the Lord and doing our best in being great role models and examples for one another so that we may ourselves inspire many more of those whose lives we have touched and whom we interact with daily. Let us all be the beacons of God’s hope, His light, truth and Good News at all times, and be worthy bearers of His love and compassion to all.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Benedict, also known as St. Benedict of Nursia, a holy abbot and the renowned founder of the Benedictine Order, which remains until today as one of the oldest and most popular religious order in the Church. St. Benedict was born in Nursia or Norcia in central part of Italy today, into a noble Roman family just after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. He went to Rome to seek to advance his academic studies but was disappointed at what he discovered there, and it was afterwards that he encountered in the region of Subiaco a valley where he decided to become a hermit for a few years, where he grew in faith and wisdom, before deciding to start a community of those who committed themselves to the Lord in prayerful life.

And this was the beginning of the Benedictine Order, a system which St. Benedict initiated, inspired by the hermits of the past like St. Anthony the Great and other holy saints, as well as his own experiences in living as a hermit. St. Benedict founded many monasteries as his community kept on growing, and this began the flourishing of Christian monasticism in the western part of Christendom, with many people seeking to have a better relationship with God and being called to that life of prayer and solitude following the examples and the call of St. Benedict in becoming members of the monastic orders. To the very end of his life, St. Benedict kept on working hard for the sake of the Lord and His Church, inspiring many others to live a truly holy and devoted life to the Lord.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be inspired by the great faith and commitment which St. Benedict of Nursia has shown to us, follow in his examples and do our very best to live our lives faithfully in the Lord, trusting in Him and committing ourselves to walk in the path which He has shown to us. Let us all help one another to remain firm and true in our faith as well, and be the worthy beacons of God’s hope, light and truth at all times. Amen.

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Friday, 11 July 2025 : 14th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Benedict, Abbot (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 10 : 16-23

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Look, I send you out like sheep among wolves. You must be as clever as snakes and as innocent as doves. Be on your guard with people, for they will hand you over to their courts, and they will flog you in their synagogues. You will be brought to trial before rulers and kings because of Me, so that you may witness to them and the pagans.”

“But when you are arrested, do not worry about what you are to say, or how you are to say it; when the hour comes, you will be given what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father, speaking through you.”

“Brother will hand over his brother to death, and a father his child; children will turn against their parents and have them put to death. Everyone will hate you because of Me, but whoever stands firm to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. I tell you the truth, you will not have passed through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”

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Friday, 11 July 2025 : 14th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Benedict, Abbot (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 36 : 3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40

Trust in YHVH and do good; dwell in the land and live on it. Make YHVH your delight; and He will grant your heart’s desire.

YHVH watches over the lives of the upright; forever will their inheritance abide. They are not crushed in times of calamity; when famine strikes, they still are satisfied.

 Do good and shun evil, so that you will live secure forever. For YHVH loves justice and right, and never forsakes His faithful ones. The wicked, instead, will perish, and their breed will be cut off.

YHVH is the salvation of the righteous; in time of distress, He is their refuge. YHVH helps them, and rescues them from the oppressor; He saves them, for they sought shelter in Him.

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Friday, 11 July 2025 : 14th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Benedict, Abbot (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Genesis 46 : 1-7, 28-30

Israel left with all he owned and reached Beersheba where he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. God spoke to Israel in visions that he had during the night. “Jacob! Jacob!” “Here I am,” he said. “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. I will go with you to Egypt and I will bring you back again and Joseph’s hand will close your eyes.”

Jacob left Beersheba and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father with their little children and their wives in the wagons that Joseph had sent to fetch him. They also took their flocks and all that they had acquired in Canaan. And so it was that Jacob came to Egypt and with him all his family, his sons and his grandsons, his daughters and his granddaughters, in short all his children he took with him to Egypt.

Jacob sent Judah ahead to let Joseph know he was coming and that he would soon arrive in the land of Goshen. Joseph got his chariot ready in order to meet Israel his father in Goshen. He presented himself, threw his arms around his father and wept on his shoulder for a long time. Israel said to Joseph, “Now I can die, for I have seen your face and know you are alive.”

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Thursday, 11 July 2024 : 14th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Benedict, Abbot (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded that each and every one of us are truly beloved by God, He Who has always been patient in loving and caring for us, and Who has always reached out to us to help bring us back from the darkness into the light of His grace. God has always been kind to us, in sending to us His guidance and providence, through all those servants, messengers and helpers that had assisted us in our journey back towards Him all these while. And while He did chastise and punish us whenever we erred and made mistakes, He did all these not because He despised or hated us, but instead, His love for us truly endured, so much so that He wanted us all to be redeemed and forgiven from the many sins we have committed, which is what He despises.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Hosea in which God after having told His people of the coming destruction and sufferings that they had to face, the punishments and hardships that they would have to endure for their sins and wickedness, their disobedience and refusal to follow the path which He has shown them, He then told them of the mercy and love which He, as their loving God and Father, has for each and every one of us. The Lord told His people, the Israelites, that they would be brought back eventually from their misery and sufferings, just like how they had once been rescued from their enslavement and sufferings in the land of Egypt, under the rule and yoke of the Pharaoh and the Egyptians.

God highlighted to them all His frustrations and all the problems that His people had caused Him, that despite all the things which He had done for them, in patiently instructing and guiding them, they kept on getting further and further away from Him, abandoning His Law and precepts, worshipping and following pagan idols and false gods rather than obeying Him and worshipping Him alone. Nonetheless, despite this, God kept on caring for His beloved ones, and still watched over them, sending His servants again and again to help them on their paths. He never gave up on them, and later on, afterwards, He gathered them back from their exile and helped them to return once again to their homeland, fulfilling all the promises and predictions He had spoken to them through the prophets like what we heard in today’s reading from the prophet Hosea.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus to His disciples and followers, as He instructed them all on what they should be doing in the missions and works that He has entrusted to each and every one of them. He sent them out two by two to the many towns and villages that He Himself would be going to, and He encouraged them all that whatever sufferings and challenges that they might have to face, He would be with them and He would guide and strengthen them, and they should not depend on their own means or power in achieving what they had been sent out to do, or else, they might end up forgetting the purpose and reason why they were all sent out in the first place, that is to minister and to proclaim the Good News of God.

That was why He told them all not to bring too many things with them, and in fact just what they barely needed to survive upon themselves, and that they should instead depend on the good will and kindness of the people that they had visited and ministered amongst. He sent them all to proclaim His words and Good News, to show His truth and love, by granting them the power over evil spirits and the power of miracles so that through their works, they might heal many people who have been afflicted and troubled by various maladies and difficulties, especially from that of sin. Through these things we have heard from the Lord Himself, all of us are reminded that first of all God’s love for us is truly great and universal, and then, each and every one of us as Christians, we have the same mission to reach out to our fellow brethren, to proclaim and show the Lord to all of them.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of the great and renowned St. Benedict, also known as St. Benedict of Nursia, the founder and initiator of Western monasticism. He was born in Nursia, in what is part of Italy today, into a family of Roman nobility just right after the downfall of the Roman Empire in the West and in Italy itself. He and his twin sister, St. Scholastica was brought up during this turbulent time, and for St. Benedict, he was initially sent to Rome to study and be an academic, however he found the academic life in the city of Rome to be disappointing, and this eventually led to him discovering a community of hermits in Subiaco nearby the town of Enfide outside of Rome. He became a hermit for about three years and as he grew and mature in his faith and wisdom, he eventually grew to appreciate monastic life.

St. Benedict therefore slowly went on the path of religious life, and despite facing challenges and difficulties along the way, it did not dissuade him from his path and commitment, and it was told from his hagiographic story, how miracles happened to St. Benedict and in one of them a jealous priest named Florentius tried to harm and poison him with a poisoned bread, only for a raven to snatch the bread from St. Benedict after he prayed and said blessing over the bread. This and many other miracles that happened inspired many people who came to visit him in Subiaco and later on in Monte Cassino where he established a great Benedictine monastery, the first of the many Benedictine monasteries, where the rule of St. Benedict eventually became popular among all other monastic traditions. Many people flocked to the monasteries and the Christian faith thanks to the efforts and the holy life led by St. Benedict.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore now spend some time to reflect upon our lives and our path in walking down this life, on whether we have truly been faithful to the Lord or whether we have allowed ourselves to be tempted and swayed by the temptations of this world, of pleasures and human greed, the desires for power and worldly fame, glory and ambitions, all of which could mislead us away from the path towards God’s salvation and grace. Instead, let us all be committed to the Lord wholeheartedly like how St. Benedict had done in his life, and let us also be good examples ourselves in our own lives, so that we may truly embody the light of God’s grace and salvation, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 11 July 2024 : 14th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Benedict, Abbot (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 10 : 7-15

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Go, and proclaim this message : The kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, bring the dead back to life, cleanse the lepers, and drive out demons. Freely have you received, freely give. Do not carry any gold or silver or money in your purses. Do not take a travelling bag, or an extra shirt, or sandals, or a walking stick : workers deserve to be compensated.”

“When you come to a town or a village, look for a worthy person, and stay there until you leave. When you enter the house, wish it peace. If the people are worthy people, your peace will rest on them; if they are not worthy people, your blessing will come back to you.”

“And if you are not welcomed, and your words are not listened to, leave that house or that town, and shake the dust off your feet. I assure you, it will go easier for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment, than it will for the people of that town.”

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Thursday, 11 July 2024 : 14th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Benedict, Abbot (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 79 : 2ac and 3bc, 15-16

Listen, o Shepherd of Israel, You, Who sit enthroned between the Cherubim. Stir up Your might and come to save us.

Turn again, o YHVH of hosts, look down from heaven and see; care for this vine, and protect the stock Your hand has planted.

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Thursday, 11 July 2024 : 14th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Benedict, Abbot (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Hosea 11 : 1-4, 8c-9

I loved Israel when he was a child; out of Egypt I called My Son. But the more I have called, the further have they gone from Me – sacrificing to the Baals, burning incense to the idols. Yet, it was I Who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; yet, little did they realise that it was I Who cared for them.

I led them with cords of human kindness, with leading strings of love, and I became for them as One Who eases the yoke upon their neck and stoops down to feed them. My heart is troubled within Me and I am moved with compassion. I will not give vent to My great anger; I will not return to destroy Ephraim, for I am God and not human. I am the Holy One in your midst; and I do not want to come to you in anger.

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Tuesday, 11 July 2023 : 14th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Benedict, Abbot (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, all of us are reminded that each and every one of us have been called and chosen by God to be His disciples and followers, as those whom He has shown His favour and blessings on, and of us, He therefore requires our commitment and efforts, contributions and dedication, just as He has committed Himself to the Covenant which He has established with all of us. All of us are truly blessed to have been given this opportunity and grace by God, Who has always patiently loved us and cared for each one of us, without exception. None of us are truly beyond God’s love and attention, and none of us can be separated from the most wonderful love of God unless it is we ourselves who have constantly and repeatedly rejected and refused His love and kindness.

In our first reading passage today, taken from the Book of Genesis, we heard of the moment when Jacob, the ancestor and forefather of all the Israelites, came back to the Promised Land of Canaan with his wives and children, with his whole family and possessions, and in the region of Bethel, where Jacob had once passed through on his way to flee from his brother’s wrath, he encountered the Lord Himself, Who was disguised in the form of a great Man, that struggled with Jacob till the daybreak. That was how Jacob became known as Israel, as one who has struggled and brawled with the Lord Himself and prevailed. God therefore showed His reassurance and guidance to Jacob, reminding him of His ever presence and providence throughout the path that Jacob had walked through, and how He would continue to affirm and bless him and his descendants just as He has promised them all.

At that time, Jacob had spent many years in the land of Harran beyond the Euphrates River, in serving Laban, his uncle, and he has grown rich and great, with many children that God has blessed him with. Jacob brought his family back to his ancestral lands, to return to his father Isaac and hopefully to reconcile with his brother Esau, whom he had fled from. That God has blessed him such was a proof of His faithfulness to the Covenant which He has made with His loved ones. Jacob and his descendants would become the chosen people of God, the Israelites, who would prosper greatly and gained the grace of God. He called on them therefore to put their trust and faith in Him, and to continue to live ever more faithfully in His Presence, following His commands and walking in the path that He has revealed before them.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the Lord performing His miracles and wonders, as He healed two blind men and then cast out the evil spirits and demons from a man who had been struck dumb because of the demonic possession. The people hailed the Lord Jesus for His works, rejoicing because such great miracles and wonders had not been seen among the people before. Truly, Christ was the love and promises of God made manifest in the flesh, the Divine Word Incarnate, the Son of God, Who came into our midst bearing the will and desire of His Heavenly Father, our Lord and Master, Who sought to be reconciled and reunited with us all. Yet, the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law disparaged Him and refused to believe in Him, and even went on to the point of accusing Him falsely of colluding with the prince of demons in His works.

Now, we all can see there just how stubborn some of the people of God could be, all because of their pride and ego, their unbridled desires and ambitions, through which they had been blinded and their thoughts muddled. Those Pharisees and teachers of the Law, the elders and the chief priests were easily swayed by the temptations of worldly desires and wants, so much so that they were willing to persecute the Lord for crimes and faults that He did not do, and to put obstacles and trials in His path simply because they saw Him as a rival to their power, influence and privileges. Yet, the Lord was still patient in showing His love and care even to those who have rejected and refused to believe in Him. We are all truly undeserving of God’s love, and yet, just as He has affirmed His love to Jacob and to our forefathers, He has renewed this love to us all.

That is why as Christians, all of us whom God had called and chosen, and made to be His own beloved and precious ones, all of us are called to commit ourselves to the Lord in the way that our righteous and holy predecessors had done, just as they all have committed their lives to God, and did what the Lord had commanded and asked them to do. This is something that is easier said than done, just as the Lord Himself in our Gospel passage today had said, asking His disciples to pray and ask the Master of the harvest to send the labourers to gather His harvest, as the harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few. This highlights to us just how few of us have truly dedicated ourselves to follow Him, and if only more people are willing to entrust themselves to the Lord, then there would have been more people who will come to know of the Lord, His love and truth, through us and our good examples.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of a great and renowned saint whose life can and should indeed be a source of great inspiration for all of us as Christians, as God’s beloved people. St. Benedict, also known as St. Benedict of Nursia, was the founder of the Benedictine Order, and is also the Patron Saint of Europe, whose influence and works lasts till this very day in the large number of religious organisations, institutions that are directly descended from his original Benedictine Order, as well as the many other religious institutes that follow his Rule of St. Benedict, as well as countless others who had devoted themselves to the Lord while following the examples and inspirations of this great saint and man of God. St. Benedict is indeed a great role model for us in how each and every one of us ought to live our lives as devout and committed Christians.

How is that so? St. Benedict was the son of a Roman noble in what is now part of Italy, who was well-educated in his youth but became disillusioned with the excesses of worldliness, and beginning to seek a new life of being a hermit and monk. Thus, he began to live in seclusion, away from the glory and temptations of the world, in which he continued to grow in wisdom and holiness, and in his love and commitment for God, which drew many to be attracted to his way of life, establishing the foundation for the later Benedictine Order and the flourishing of religious life and monasteries all throughout Christendom. Through St. Benedict and his great examples in faith and commitment to God, many came to seek the Lord and abandon the excesses of this world, in exchange for the true happiness that one can find in God alone. Thus was how many were called to God and His salvation by the great faith and examples shown by St. Benedict.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, are we willing and able to commit ourselves to follow the Lord wholeheartedly, and to dedicate ourselves each day and at every moment, so that we may indeed be worthy followers and disciples of our Lord, inspired by His holy servants like St. Benedict and many others? Are we able to entrust ourselves to His cause, and do whatever we can to glorify the Lord by our lives? May the Lord continue to guide and strengthen us, and may He empower us all to live ever more worthily in His Presence, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 11 July 2023 : 14th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Benedict, Abbot (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 9 : 32-38

At that time, as the two blind men were going away, some people brought to Jesus a man who was dumb, because he was possessed by a demon. When the demon was driven out, the dumb man began to speak. The crowds were astonished and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”

But the Pharisees said, “He drives away demons with the help of the prince of demons.”

Jesus went around all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom; and He cured every sickness and disease. When He saw the crowds, He was moved with pity; for they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are only few. Ask the Master of the harvest to send workers to gather His harvest.”