Feast of St. Stephen of Hungary

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Friday, 16 August 2024 : 19th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Stephen of Hungary (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures we are all reminded of God’s great love and mercy towards us, as He constantly sought us out, reaching out to us with His great and ever enduring love although we have often disappointed Him, turning away from His Law and commandments, disobeying Him and not listening to Him and His words. God has sent His many messengers, the prophets and many other servants to remind and help them in their journey, calling upon them to embrace His love and grace once again, and while His people constantly rebelled against Him and even persecuted His prophets and messengers, He still loved them all nonetheless, and while chastising and punishing them for their sins, He still opened the path to forgiveness and reconciliation for His beloved but wayward children and people.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Ezekiel we are reminded of the time when the Lord showed His people through Ezekiel how He still loved them all despite all the wicked things that they had done, despite all the evils and the betrayals which they all had done to Him, all of which had caused them to be sundered and separated from His grace and love, and brought them to their downfall. God listed down all the wickedness they had done, how they had tainted themselves with wickedness and corruptions of the world, and how they had spurned and rejected His love, His kindness and patient care. Yet, He still wished to heal them from their troubles, to bless and endow them with all the good things and blessings which He had given to them earlier on, to show just how precious and beloved they all are to Him.

Then in our Gospel passage today, the Lord Jesus spoke to His disciples and some of the Pharisees who were there, who asked Him about the matter of divorce, and how the Law of God as revealed through Moses, or the Mosaic laws did allow for divorce to happen under certain conditions and arrangements. However, the Lord pointed out that this was not actually what God intended for His people to do, but merely what He allowed them to do through Moses because of their stubbornness and constant disobedience. It is at least a lesser evil compared to letting them to persist in their sinfulness and in refusing to follow other tenets and precepts of the Law of God. God wanted them all to know that His Law and commandments, the rules and regulations that He had put in place was meant to keep them away from immoral living and from all sorts of sins which could further jeopardise them and their souls.

Essentially, through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the Lord our God has shown His ever present and consistent love, in His desire to lead us all from the path of darkness into the light. It has always been His desire to see us all freed and liberated from the bondage of evil and darkness, from the corruption of sin and of all other human and worldly temptations that have often led many of us astray in our path in life. He wants us all to realise that we have been created in His image and meant to be all good and perfect, holy and worthy of Him, just as He has always intended it. He never intended us to suffer the consequences of our sins and evils, but it is by our own conscious choice that we have chosen the path of darkness, sin and rebellion against our most loving God and Father, Who has always constantly been so loving and generous towards us.

That is why, today, as we all listened to these readings from the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded constantly and greatly by what we have received and heard so that in all the things we do in our respective lives, in our choice of actions and the path that we consider to take and stride forward in, we should always strive to do what God had shown and taught us to do, to be righteous, good and worthy in everything that we say and do, in our every interactions and connections with one another. As Christians, God’s holy and chosen people, and as His disciples and followers, all of us should be good role models and inspirations for our fellow brothers and sisters around us, in doing whatever we can so that by our lives, our every examples, many more people may come to know the Lord through us.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Stephen of Hungary, a renowned King of Hungary and a great man of God whose life and actions are truly great inspiration for each and every one of us to follow, a noble and virtuous king whose commitment to God and dedication to his people should be great examples for us to follow in our own lives. St. Stephen of Hungary was originally the Grand Prince of the Hungarians from the House of Arpad, who ruled over all the Hungarian people, and was the first in his family to be a devout Christian, a courageous and most faithful follower of the Lord, affirming the trend of conversions of the Hungarians to Christianity which had begun before his time, and which accelerated under his rule, which was truly notable and enlightened, and also marked by his strong support for the Church.

He was crowned shortly after as the first King of Hungary, and ruled for almost four decades, in a rule that was filled with great noble deeds, in caring for the needs of those within his kingdom, in increasing the stature of the Hungarian nation amongst the kingdoms and rulers of Christendom at that time, and for his support in establishing many Church infrastructure and dioceses, spreading the Christian message and truth to many more people, leading to many people embracing God as their Lord and Saviour, abandoning their previous pagan faith and beliefs. St. Stephen also embarked on many important works and projects to improve the livelihood for his people, creating a stable and strong kingdom, united and growing ever more prosperous under his care and reign, and also those of his successors. He committed his life to the very end for the good of his people, entrusted to him by God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, the great examples which St. Stephen of Hungary has shown us ought to remind each and every one of us to be good and worthy in our own lives and actions as Christians as well. We must always strive to do our best, to be ever more faithful, committed and loving towards God in all things, to embrace God’s ever loving kindness, mercy and forgiveness so that we may walk ever more steadfastly in the path that God has shown to us, and that we may no longer be lost to Him into the darkness and corruptions of sin. Let us ask St. Stephen of Hungary to intercede for all of us, and may the Lord continue to help and strengthen us in all the days of our lives. Amen.

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Friday, 16 August 2024 : 19th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Stephen of Hungary (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints)

Matthew 19 : 3-12

At that time, some Pharisees approached Jesus. They wanted to test Him and asked, “Is a man allowed to divorce his wife for any reason he wants?”

Jesus replied, “Have you not read that, in the beginning, the Creator made them male and female? And the Creator said : Therefore, a man shall leave father and mother, and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one body. So, they are no longer two, but one body. Let no one separate what God has joined.”

They asked him, “Then why did Moses command us to write a bill of dismissal in order to divorce?” Jesus replied, “Moses knew the hardness of your hearts, so he allowed you to divorce your wives; but it was not so in the beginning. Therefore, I say to you : whoever divorces his wife, unless it be for immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”

The disciples said, “If that is the condition of a married man, it is better not to marry.” Jesus said to them, “Not everybody can accept what you have just said, but only those who have received this gift. There are eunuchs born so, from their mother’s womb. Some have been made that way by others. But there are some who have given up the possibility of marriage, for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who can accept it, accept it.”

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Friday, 16 August 2024 : 19th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Stephen of Hungary (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints)

Isaiah 12 : 2-3, 4bcd, 5-6

He is the God of my salvation; in Him I trust and am not afraid, YHVH is my strength : Him I will praise, the One Who saved me.

You will draw water with joy from the very fountain of salvation. Then you will say : “Praise to the Lord, break into songs of joy for Him, proclaim His marvellous deeds among the nations and exalt His Name.”

“Sing to the Lord : wonders He has done, let these be known all over the earth. Sing for joy, o people of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”

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Friday, 16 August 2024 : 19th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Stephen of Hungary (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints)

Ezekiel 16 : 1-15, 60, 63

The word of YHVH came to me in these terms, “Son of man, make known to Jerusalem its sins. You say on My behalf : Your beginning was in Canaan; there, you were born. Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. On the day you were born, your cord was not cut; you were not bathed in water to make you clean; you were not rubbed with salt, nor were you wrapped in cloth.”

“There was no one to look with pity on you; or compassionate enough, to give you any of these attentions. You were left, exposed, in the open fields; because you were looked upon with disgust, on the day you were born. But I passed by; and saw you, immersed in your blood. I said to you, in the midst of your blood, ‘Live!’”

“I made you grow, like a plant of the field. You grew up and became tall; and were becoming of marriageable age. Your breasts were formed and your hair had grown; but you were naked and exposed. I passed by later, and saw, you were at the age of love; and spread part of My garment over you, to cover your nudity. I made a Covenant with you with an oath – word of YHVH – and you were Mine.”

“Then I bathed you in water; I cleansed you of your blood and anointed you with oil. I clothed you with embroidered cloth and put soft leather sandals on your feet. I dressed you in fine linen and covered you with silk. I adorned you with jewelry, putting bracelets on your arms, a necklace around your neck and a ring in your nose. I gave you earrings and a magnificent crown for your head.”

“You were adorned with gold and silver; your clothing was fine linen, silk and embroidered cloth. You were fed on finest flour, honey and oil; you became very beautiful and rose to be queen. Your beauty was perfect; and your renown spread through the nations, because of the splendour I had given you – word of YHVH.”

“But you relied on your beauty; you trusted in your fame; and you began to give yourself to every passerby, like a prostitute. But I will remember My Covenant with you in the days of your youth, and, make in your favour, an eternal Covenant, so that you may remember, be ashamed, and never open your mouth again, because of your humiliation, when I have pardoned you for all you have done,” word of YHVH.

Alternative reading

Ezekiel 16 : 59-63

For thus says YHVH : “I will treat you as you deserve; you, who despised the oath and broke the Covenant. But I will remember My Covenant with you in the days of your youth, and, make in your favour, an eternal Covenant. You will be mindful of your ways and be ashamed, when I take your sisters, both the elder and the younger; and give them to you as daughters, without prejudice to My Covenant with you.”

“For I will uphold My Covenant with you; and you will know that I am YHVH, so that you may remember, be ashamed, and never open your mouth again, because of your humiliation, when I have pardoned you for all you have done,” word of YHVH.

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Wednesday, 16 August 2023 : 19th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Stephen of Hungary (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded of the need for all of us as Christians to watch over one another, for we are all one people, one Body of the faithful in Christ, and each one of us are parts of this same Body, same Church of God, and to each one of us have been given the gifts of faith, and the grace to be faithful and committed to God’s path. Each one of us should do our part in helping every one of us to come ever closer to the Lord and to His salvation, by reminding one another of the teachings of the Lord and the laws and commandments which He has passed down to us through His Church. As Christians, we must always remind ourselves to put the Lord first and foremost in all things, and stay united in Him.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Deuteronomy, we heard of the conclusion of the story of the Exodus of the Israelites and the journey of the people of God from the land of Egypt towards the Promised Land, as after forty years long journey and detour because of their sins and wickedness, they were finally allowed to enter into the lands promised to them and their descendants. Moses led them throughout the whole entire journey from the time when he returned to Egypt in order to help lead and guide all of God’s people out of their bondage there, up to the moment described in today’s reading passage, when Moses’ death and passing from this world was mentioned. Moses himself was also not allowed to enter into the Promised Land because he had also disobeyed the Lord in one occasion, and not doing His will, as he was then overcome by anger against the insolence of the Israelites.

However, God in His kindness and love showed Moses His generosity, as He allowed Moses to have a look and glimpse of the land of Canaan from Mount Nebo, where Moses ascended to at the end of his earthly life, and where he finally passed away. Moses finally saw the fruits of his labours after many long years of patience guidance and shepherding of the whole entire nation of Israel, enduring their often rebellious, wicked and ungrateful attitudes. Moses finally had rest from all of his wonderful works, and God certainly counted him among His greatest and most righteous servants. According to tradition, and as recorded in the Epistle of St. Jude, St. Michael and Satan were disputing over the body of Moses after he passed away at Mount Nebo. It was likely that Satan attempted to wrest Moses away from God because of his prior mistakes and sins, but St. Michael rebuked Satan and protected Moses from harm.

Regardless of the circumstances and the events happening then, what matters is that we are all reminded of what Moses had done, just as we have heard all the works and all the events surrounding the Exodus and journey of the Israelites in the past few weeks of Old Testament readings. Moses had dutifully and devotedly done his part in shepherding and guiding God’s people, the Israelites, and through his patient efforts and works, many people had returned back towards God, were reconciled and reunited with Him. And then, in our Gospel passage today, the Lord Jesus Himself also highlighted the same things, calling on all of us, His followers and faithful disciples to be faithful and committed part of the Church of God, in living our lives faithfully and in doing God’s will at all times.

Each and every one of us are reminded that our faith is truly both personal and communal at the same time, and we cannot neglect all others around us, especially those whom we have the opportunity to reach out to, and all those whom we encounter in our daily lives and activities. Through our actions and deeds, our way of life and inspiring examples, all of us can help lead more and more people of God, our fellow brothers and sisters, ever closer towards God and His salvation. This also means that first of all, we have to lead lives that are exemplary and good, worthy and righteous, truly worthy indeed to be called and considered as God’s people. If we ourselves have not done God’s works and whatever He had commanded and told us to do, how can we then convince others to do the same? For all his life, Moses for example, had done lots of things and works for the Lord’s sake, and through his righteous examples, I am certain that many had been convinced to turn away from their sinful ways and disobedience against God.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Stephen of Hungary, a holy and great king, well-known and venerated not only in his native Hungary, but also elsewhere throughout Christendom. St. Stephen of Hungary was one of the early kings of Hungary who helped to solidify the foundations of the kingdom of Hungary, and was crowned as its first King, and while both of his parents were also baptised, he was born a pagan and was also only baptised later on in life, before he became King. Nonetheless, he was the first of his family to be a devout Christian ruler, as he showed in his long reign as King, most exemplary life and actions, which he took for the greater glory of God and for the well-being of his people. He established the Church and its institutions throughout all of Hungary, supported missionary works, while at the same time also worked hard for the unity and the well-being of all of the Hungarian people.

Certainly we can see the parallels and the similarities between Moses and St. Stephen of Hungary, in how each one of them were the leaders of their respective people, as the ones whom God had entrusted with the care and well-being of His beloved ones. And both Moses and St. Stephen of Hungary took their duties seriously, and showed their faith through their own exemplary actions and works. They did not let their elevated positions, honour, fame and worldly glory to distract them from their responsibilities and duties. St. Stephen of Hungary, Moses and many others of these faithful leaders and faithful holy men and women of God, all these can be sources of great inspiration to all of us in how we ourselves should live our lives in serving and helping one another as faithful and devout Christians.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore do our part in our own respective lives, in how we all should lead lives that are truly exemplary and faithful to God, in all things. All of us should be inspired by the great examples set by our holy predecessors, in how they have spent their lives serving the Lord and in doing His will throughout their lives. Can we therefore challenge ourselves and strive to do the same in our own lives? Can we do our part in inspiring many others all around us, all those who encounter us and interact with us, so that we may help to lead them towards the Lord and His salvation? May God be with us always, and may He empower all of us so that we may always be ever faithful and committed in all things and at all times, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Wednesday, 16 August 2023 : 19th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Stephen of Hungary (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints)

Matthew 18 : 15-20

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “If your brother has sinned against you, go and point out the fault to him, when the two of you are alone; and if he listens to you, you have won back your brother. If he does not listen to you, take with you one or two others, so that the case may be decided by the evidence of two or three witnesses.”

“And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembled Church. But if he does not listen to the Church, then regard him as a pagan, or a tax collector. I say to you : whatever you bind on earth, heaven will keep bound; and whatever you unbind on earth, heaven will keep unbound.”

“In like manner, I say to you, if, on earth, two of you agree in asking for anything, it will be granted to you by My heavenly Father; for where two or there are gathered in My Name, I am there, among them.”

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Wednesday, 16 August 2023 : 19th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Stephen of Hungary (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints)

Psalm 65 : 1-3a, 5 and 16-17

Shout with joy to God, all you on earth; sing to the glory of His Name; proclaim His glorious praise. Say to God, “How great are Your deeds!”

Come, and see God’s wonders; His deeds, awesome for humans. All you, who fear God, come, and listen; let me tell you what He has done. I cried aloud to Him, extolling Him with my tongue.

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Wednesday, 16 August 2023 : 19th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Stephen of Hungary (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints)

Deuteronomy 34 : 1-12

From the barren plain of Moab, Moses went up to Mount Nebo, to the summit of Pisgah, opposite Jericho. And YHVH showed him all the Land : from Gilead to Dan, the whole of Naphtali, the land of Ephraim, and of Manasseh, the whole land of Judah, as far as the Western Sea, the Negeb, the Plains, the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar.

And YHVH said to him : “This is the land about which I swore to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, promising it to their descendants. I have let you see it with your own eyes, but you shall not enter it.”

Moses, the servant of God, died there in the land of Moab, according to the will of YHVH. They buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-peor; but to this very day, no one knows where his tomb is. Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died. He did not lose his vigour and his eyes still saw clearly.

The children of Israel mourned for him in the plains of Moab for thirty days. But Joshua, son of Nun, was full of the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands upon him. The children of Israel obeyed him and did as YHVH had commanded Moses.

No prophet like Moses has appeared again. YHVH conversed with him face to face. What signs and wonders he worked in Egypt against Pharaoh, against his people and all his land! He displayed great power and awesome might in view of all Israel!

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Tuesday, 16 August 2022 : 20th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Stephen of Hungary (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we heard about the sin of pride and all the things that had often prevented man from finding their way back towards God. The Lord is actually warning and reminding us not to give in to the temptations of pride that can lead us down the path of ruin. We have to resist the things that may often come between us and God’s love and grace, our many weaknesses and vulnerabilities, particularly that which involved our ego and pride, which is the same mistake that had misled Satan down the path to destruction.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Ezekiel telling us of God’s proclamation regarding the Prince of Tyre. Contextually, we must understand that Tyre back then was a great city, founded and belonging to the Phoenicians, a race of people who specialised in trade and commerce in the times past, establishing numerous colonies throughout the Mediterranean in ancient times. The city of Tyre therefore became fabulously wealthy and despite the presence of much more powerful neighbours, the city and people of Tyre were often able to have their way and maintain their relative freedom due to their immense economic capacity.

That was why the kings and rulers of Tyre could act with relative impunity, doing whatever they wanted, proudly boasting their influence and power, even when they were militarily inferior compared to the superpowers like the Assyrians and the Babylonians back then. The Lord warned them and all of His people of the danger of pride, ego and hubris, all of which can become our undoing if we leave them unchecked or if we even indulge in them. And the Lord’s proclamations and predictions eventually came true when the city of Tyre eventually, a few centuries later, was razed and destroyed by the Greeks under Alexander the Great, as attested by historical evidences.

In our Gospel passage today we heard of the parable that the Lord Jesus spoke, the well-known story of the camel that passes through the eye of the needle, which the Lord said would be easier to happen rather than for one who is rich and proud, mighty and haughty to enter into the kingdom of heaven. This was a comparison and a point that the Lord made in order to let His disciples and followers know that, just as it would be impossible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, then it would have been even less likely for a man filled with pride and ego to enter into the kingdom of God and into the Holy Presence of God.

That was exactly how Satan fell too, swayed by the pride that made him to rebel against God, and that same temptations were made and presented by Satan to our ancestors as well, and many people, from generation to generation, had fallen into these same temptations. That is why many people found it difficult to come to the presence of God because they have allowed pride, ego and arrogance to keep themselves from realising that they were sinners and were in need of God’s healing and forgiveness, and instead, they kept on living their lives in delusion thinking that they were doing the right things, and spent most of their lives and efforts in pursuing their own selfish desires and wants.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Stephen of Hungary, the first King of Hungary. He accepted the Lord as his Saviour and was crucial in establishing Christianity as the sole faith of his kingdom and dominion, advancing the cause of the Lord and His Church. But at the same time, St. Stephen of Hungary was also remembered as a great and dedicated king who spent a lot of time and effort to care for the good and the well-being of his subjects. He devoted much to unite his kingdom and to provide for them, with many efforts and projects to improve their livelihood.

St. Stephen was well-remembered and respected because he was truly a great king who did not allow hubris, ambition and pride to come in between him and his dedication to God. He was humble and committed to the calling which the Lord had given him, and the Lord blessed Him and His people, and he and his kingdom were made secure. He did not crave for power or worldly glory, or boast of his power and greatness, but instead did his best for the genuine improvement and well-being of all those whom the Lord had entrusted to be under his care.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore do whatever we can to resist the temptations of worldly glory, pleasures and other material goods that can mislead us down the wrong path, and let us also make the effort to resist those temptations, and distance ourselves from pride and ego, learning instead to be humble and to be willing to listen to the Lord. Let us all be open to welcome Him into our midst and do whatever we can to follow Him to the best of our abilities, following in the examples of the holy saints, especially that of St. Stephen of Hungary whom we have just discussed earlier on.

May the Lord be with us always, and may He strengthen us with the courage and the desire to follow Him and to serve Him at all times. May He help us to resist the temptations and pressures of pride and ego, so that we may always grow ever more faithful to Him, and be ever closer to Him, now and always, evermore. Amen.

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Tuesday, 16 August 2022 : 20th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Stephen of Hungary (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints)

Matthew 19 : 23-30

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you : it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Yes, believe Me : it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle than for the one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.”

On hearing this, the disciples were astonished and said, “Who, then, can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and answered, “For human beings it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” Then Peter spoke up and said, “You see, we have given up everything to follow You. What, then, will there be for us?”

Jesus answered, “You, who have followed Me, listen to My words : on the Day of Renewal, when the Son of Man sits on His throne in glory, you, also, will sit, on twelve thrones, to judge the twelve tribes of Israel. As for those who have left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children or property for My Name’s sake, they will receive a hundredfold, and be given eternal life. Many who are now first, will be last, and many who are now last, will be first.”