Liturgical Colour : White
Luke 1 : 69-70, 71-72, 73-75
In the house of David His servant, He has raised up for us a victorious Saviour; as He promised through His prophets of old.
Salvation from our enemies and from the hand of our foes. He has shown mercy to our fathers; and remembered His holy covenant.
The oath He swore to Abraham, our father, to deliver us from the enemy, that we might serve Him fearlessly, as a holy and righteous people, all the days of our lives.
Liturgical Colour : White
Hebrews 11 : 1-2, 8-19
Faith is the assurance of what we hope for, being certain of what we cannot see. Because of their faith our ancestors were approved. It was by faith that Abraham, called by God, set out for a country that would be given to him as an inheritance; for he parted without knowing where he was going.
By faith he lived as a stranger in that promised land. There he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, beneficiaries of the same promise. Indeed, he looked forward to that city of solid foundation of which God is the Architect and Builder.
By faith Sarah herself received power to become a mother, in spite of her advanced age; since she believed that He Who had made the promise would be faithful. Therefore, from an almost impotent man were born descendants as numerous as the stars of heavens, as many as the grains of sand on the seashore.
Death found all these people strong in their faith. They had not received what was promised, but they had looked ahead and had rejoiced in it from afar, saying that they were foreigners and travellers on earth. Those who speak in this way prove that they are looking for their own country. For if they had longed for the land they had left, it would have been easy for them to return, but no, they aspired to a better city, that is, a supernatural one; so God, Who prepared the city for them is not ashamed of being called their God.
By faith Abraham went to offer Isaac when God tested him. And so he who had received the promise of God offered his only son although God had told him : Isaac’s descendants will bear your name. Abraham reasoned that God is capable even of raising the dead, and he received back his son, which has a figurative meaning.
Liturgical Colour : White
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard the message of the Sacred Scripture telling us that God had promised David and his descendants a rich blessings, for if they stayed faithful as David was faithful to God, then forever they should enjoy the rich fruits of God’s grace and blessings, and God promised David that his kingdom would last forever, a prophecy which was fulfilled through his Heir, Jesus, Who was both Son of God and descendant of David Who would rule over all creation forevermore.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, this is linked closely to what Jesus our Lord Himself in the Gospel passage we heard today, about the light that should be placed on a lampstand or otherwise it would become useless, which is in essence, the usefulness of all of us who have received God’s graces and blessings, the gifts of the Holy Spirit which He had poured onto us.
King David is an example of those who have listened to the Lord, followed in His path, walked along the path of salvation, and practiced their faith in God in real actions. And as we heard our Lord Jesus spoke to His disciples today, we also heard how He said of those who have produced something more, more shall also be given to them, while from those who have produced little or none, even whatever they had will be taken away from them.
This means that if we are faithful, and act in the way that God has prescribed for us, doing things that please the Lord our God, then our reward shall be great, and He will bless us and glorify us in the life that is to come. But if we are not faithful, then we shall be cast out and have no part in the inheritance and in the blessings which our Lord promised to all those who believe in Him.
It is therefore a challenge to us, whether we are willing to go forth and challenge ourselves to break ourselves free from the trap of our comfort zone. Indeed, it is good for us to remain in our comfort zone, among those who loves us and cares for us, but it does us no good as we remain in lack of action, in apathy and without good graces of our faithfulness that bring us no blessing from God.
If we do not do anything to help our brethren who are in need of our help, even though we are perfectly capable of doing so, then their fate will also fall upon us, as remember that sin is not just the sin of action, but also the sin of omission. All of us who have the faith in God and who have received the Lord’s Holy Spirit have been given the strength to carry forth the words of the Holy Gospels to the many nations and peoples.
If we do not carry out our mission and obligation as what has been given to us, then we are truly like light that has lost its light, or like in another parable that Jesus had delivered to His disciples, likened to salt that has lost its taste and saltiness. What else can be done to these useless things but to dispose of them and to throw them away?
Instead, today, after having heard of the faithfulness of king David, let us also hear the faithfulness of the great saint whose feast we celebrate today, that is St. Thomas Aquinas, a great theologian, philosopher, writer and a great thinker, and ultimately a great and yet humble servant of the Lord. St. Thomas Aquinas was renowned for his theology and for his numerous writings which became the foundation of many theological teachings of the Church.
St. Thomas Aquinas was a Dominican priest who devoted his entire life into researching the depth of the Lord’s great knowledge, and by trying to comprehend even a small portion of the Lord’s mystery, he helped bring more and more people, many souls closer to the Lord’s presence. He also ministered to those who have not yet understood the word of God, and helped open their eyes to the Lord and to His will.
He had many opponents, those who were jealous of his popularity and his teachings, those who refused to believe in his way of thinking, and those who thought of him as a nuisance and as a threat to their own existence and power. And he was indeed persecuted and ridiculed at times, but he continued to devote himself without end, and continued to persevere and work hard for the sake of the Lord and His people.
From this, surely all of us can gain the rich insight and experiences, and from all these let us all draw the strength and inspiration to be more committed and devoted disciples of our Lord, that in all the things we say and do, we will be able to commit ourselves ever more and do more for the sake of God, and therefore be justified through our righteous actions, and like king David, be granted eternal blessings and eternal grace. God bless us all always, now and forever. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : White
Mark 4 : 21-25
At that time, Jesus also said to His disciples, “When the light comes, is it put under a tub or a bed? Surely it is put on a lampstand. Whatever is hidden will be disclosed, and whatever is kept secret will be brought to light. Listen then, if you have ears!”
And He also said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear. In the measure you give, so shall you receive, and still more will be given to you. For to the one who produces something, more will be given, and from him who does not produce anything, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
Liturgical Colour : White
Psalm 131 : 1-2, 3-5, 11, 12, 13-14
Remember David, o Lord, and all his readiness, how he swore an oath to the Lord, to the Mighty One of Jacob.
I will not enter my house nor get into my bed. I will give no sleep to my eyes, no slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.
The Lord swore to David a promise, and He will remain true to it : “I will keep your descendants on your throne.”
If your sons keep My covenant and the decrees I have taught them, their sons, too, will sit forever upon your throne.
For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling. This is My resting place forever, this I prefer, here will I dwell.
Liturgical Colour : White
2 Samuel 7 : 18-19, 24-29
Then King David went in, sat before YHVH and said, “Who am I, o YHVH God, and who is my family that You have brought me so far? Yet this was not enough for You, o YHVH God, for You have also spoken of Your servant’s house for a long time to come. Is this the way men act, o YHVH God?”
“You have set apart Your people Israel to become Your people forever; and You, YHVH, have become their God. Now, o YHVH God, keep forever the promise You made and have now revealed to me regarding myself and my family, that Your Name may be honoured forever and people may say, ‘YHVH of hosts is God over Israel'”
“The house of Your servant David will be secure before You because You, o YHVH of hosts, God of Israel, have made it known to Your servant and have said to him : ‘Your family will last forever.’ This is why I have dared to address this prayer to You.”
“So now, o YHVH God, since You are the faithful God, and have promised me this good thing, please bless my descendants, that they may continue forever before You. For You, o YHVH God, have spoken and, with Your blessing, my family shall be blessed forever.”
petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang 