Fifth Week of Easter

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Friday, 29 April 2016 : Fifth Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 15 : 12-17

At that time, Jesus spoke to His disciples at the Last Supper, “This is My commandment : Love one another as I have loved you! There is no greater love than this, to give one’s life for one’s friends; and you are My friends, if you do what I command you.”

“I shall not call you servants anymore, because servants do not know what their master is about. Instead I have called you friends, since I have made known to you everything I learnt from My Father.”

“You did not choose Me; it was I who chose you and sent you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last. And everything you ask the Father in My Name, He will give you. This is My command, that you love one another.”

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Friday, 29 April 2016 : Fifth Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 56 : 8-9, 10-12

My heart is steadfast, o God, my heart is steadfast. I will sing and make music. Awake, my soul, awake, o harp and lyre! I will wake the dawn.

I will give thanks to You, o Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praise to You among the nations. For Your love reaches to the heavens, and Your faithfulness, to the clouds. Be exalted, o God, above the heavens! Let Your Glory be over all the earth!

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Friday, 29 April 2016 : Fifth Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White
Acts 15 : 22-31

Then the Apostles and elders together with the whole Church decided to choose representatives from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. These were Judas, known as Barsabbas, and Silas, both leading men among the brothers. They took with them the following letter :

“Greetings from the Apostles and elders, your brothers, to the believers of non-Jewish birth in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. We have heard that some persons from among us have worried you with their discussions and troubled your peace of mind. They were not appointed by us.”

“But now, it has seemed right to us in an assembly, to choose representatives and to send them to you, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, who have dedicated their lives to the service of our Lord Jesus Christ. We send you then Judas and Silas who themselves will give you these instructions by word of mouth.”

“We, with the Holy Spirit, have decided not to put any other burden on you except what is necessary : You are to abstain from blood from the meat of strangled animals and from prohibited marriages. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”

After saying goodbye, the messengers went to Antioch, where they assembled the community and handed them the letter. When they read the news, all were delighted with the encouragement it gave them.

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Thursday, 28 April 2016 : Fifth Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Peter Chanel, Priest and Martyr, and St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard first about the contention present in the body of the faithful, the assembly of the Church of God in Jerusalem, which were divided in their opinions and decisions with regards to the admission of the non-Jews or also known as the Gentiles into the Church. They disagreed with what kind of laws that the Gentiles had to obey as a member of the Church.

There were those who were among the Pharisees who believed in Jesus, those who put particular attention to the strict and unbending interpretation of the Law of God, and to be more precise, the laws of Moses, as passed down through the many generations, and modified through those same many generations. And these Pharisee Christians refused to let the Gentiles to be believers unless they obeyed the entirety of the laws of Moses.

According to one account, there were over six hundred and thirteen laws present in the entirety of the Jewish law as passed down through the generations from the time of Moses, and many of these involved numerous customs pertinent and unique to the Jews, but might not be applicable or suitable for others who were not counted or belonging to the Jewish race.

And to demand those non-Jewish people who wanted to believe in Jesus, and indeed they had believed in Jesus with all their hearts, would mean difficulties and challenges for them, as for these Greeks, Romans and others who lived in the cosmopolitan and diverse Roman Empire, to follow entirely the ways of the Jews as it was at the time of Jesus would likely mean estrangement and trouble between these faithful ones and their respective communities.

In the end, it may indeed become a serious obstacle and hindrance for the works of evangelisation, as it would have kept many people who believed in the Lord, from making a commitment to the faith, as some of them might not be sure of the sacrifices they needed to make by becoming a disciple of Jesus. And in the end, such efforts would be counter-productive, turning people away from salvation rather than welcoming them into it.

Thus, an important lesson for all of us is that, while at times we may be fussy about certain things, but in the matter of the works of salvation, we should not make it difficult for people to believe in the Lord. But on the contrary, at the same time, the Apostles also made it clear that, the Gentiles who wanted to believe in Jesus and became members of the Church must believe in the basic tenets and obey the basic laws of the Church.

So this does not mean that any important teachings of the faith should be compromised, but instead, all those who profess the faith in God must all obey the Law and commandments of love as taught by the Lord to us through His Apostles and His Church. They must not engage in wicked and vile acts contrary to the Lord’s will and ways, and they must devote themselves to the way of righteousness.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, in this matter, we can imitate the examples of the two great and holy men, holy saints whose feast we are celebrating today. St. Peter Chanel and St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort were both renowned for their holy lives and exemplary attitudes, which all of us should follow as well. St. Peter Chanel was a missionary to the far regions of Oceania, who was martyred in the midst of his works, while St. Louis Marie de Montfort was the famous founder of the religious order of the Montfortians.

St. Peter Chanel was a person who lived his life with great zeal, and ever since a young age, he has desired to be the servant of the Lord’s will, carrying out His truth and words to those who have not yet heard of it. He was renowned for his hard work in caring for the sick and the less fortunate in his community and parish. He joined the Society of Mary at a young age, and went forth as a missionary, being sent to the southern Pacific islands, specifically to the island of Futuna.

He preached to the natives there about the Lord Jesus and worked hard to turn their hearts to God. Despite the challenges with language barrier and opposition from the natives, especially from the elites, St. Peter Chanel was able to convert a sizeable number of people and brought them as the foundation of the Church. When St. Peter Chanel managed to convert even the crown prince of the kingdom, the king feared that he would lose his influence, and thus sent one of his warriors to kill St. Peter Chanel.

And in the end, although St. Peter Chanel was martyred in the midst of his holy works, but the king himself who ordered the death of this holy saint repented his deeds and became a Christian himself. And his many works allowed many souls who would have otherwise been lost to be saved. Meanwhile, St. Louis Marie de Montfort also did a great work, particularly renowned in his devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, furthering the devotion to Mary and in the fields of Mariology.

St. Louis Marie de Montfort joined the priesthood and served among the people, serving those who were poor and less fortunate, and he also became a famous preacher, renowned for his passionate speeches and sermons. He wanted to go forth to preach in mission areas, but he was advised against it. Instead, he eventually established the community and society of religious life known now as the Montfortians, also known as the Company of Mary.

St. Louis Marie de Montfort never stopped doing good works for the sake of the people of God. Through prayers, good and inspiring words of truth, and through loving care of the body and soul, he and his followers helped to bring many people to the Lord, and helped sinners to return to the Lord and to repent from all of their sins. Thus, we can see here clearly, how the two saints we celebrate today, have such great examples we can follow.

Let us all devote ourselves to the Lord, brothers and sisters in Christ, and do our best to help one another to reach out to the Lord. Definitely we must not close the doors of salvation to those who seek it, and instead, welcome them and bring them closer to God. However, let us also remember that we should not compromise on the matter of faith, and make sure that each and every one of us in the Church obey God’s commandments of love. God bless us all. Amen.

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Thursday, 28 April 2016 : Fifth Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Peter Chanel, Priest and Martyr, and St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

John 15 : 9-11

At that time, Jesus spoke to His disciples at the Last Supper, “As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you. Remain in My love! You will remain in My love if you keep My commandments, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love.”

“I have told you all this, that My own joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete.”

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Thursday, 28 April 2016 : Fifth Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Peter Chanel, Priest and Martyr, and St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort, Priest (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

Psalm 95 : 1-2a, 2b-3, 10

Sing to the Lord a new song, sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless His Name.

Proclaim His salvation day after day. Recall His glory among the nations, tell all the peoples His wonderful deeds.

Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!” He will judge the peoples with justice.

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Thursday, 28 April 2016 : Fifth Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Peter Chanel, Priest and Martyr, and St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort, Priest (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

Acts 15 : 7-21

As the discussions became heated, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that from the beginning God chose me from among you so that non-Jews could hear the Good News from me and believe. God, Who can read hearts, put Himself on their side by giving the Holy Spirit to them just as He did to us. He made no distinction between us and them and cleansed their hearts through faith.”

“So why do you want to put God to the test? Why do you lay on the disciples a burden that neither our ancestors nor we ourselves were able to carry? We believe, indeed, that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they are.”

The whole assembly kept silent as they listened to Paul and Barnabas tell of all the miraculous signs and wonders that God had done through them among the non-Jews. After they had finished, James spoke up, “Listen to me, brothers. Symeon has just explained how God first showed His care by taking a people for Himself from non-Jewish nations. And the words of the prophets agree with this.”

“For Scripture says, ‘After this I will return and rebuild the booth of David which has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins and set it up again. Then the rest of humanity will look for the Lord, and all the nations will be consecrated to My Name.’ So says the Lord, Who does today what He decided from the beginning.”

“Because of this, I think that we should not make difficulties for those non-Jews who are turning to God. Let us just tell them not to eat food that is unclean from having been offered to idols; to keep themselves from prohibited marriages; and not to eat the flesh of animals that have been strangled, or any blood.”

“For from the earliest times Moses has been taught in every place, and every Sabbath his laws are recalled.”

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Wednesday, 27 April 2016 : Fifth Week of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard about the parable of the vine and its branches, and of the vineyard and its grower from our Lord Jesus, as recorded in the Gospel of St. John. In this parable, Jesus was speaking about Himself and God His Father, and how if mankind were to have true life in them, then they must be attached to Him, and continue to be attached to Him.

The Vinegrower of the field is God the Father Who created all things and all life. And through His Word He has created all things at the beginning of time. The Word was through which God created all and gave life to all. And that Word has been incarnate to be one of men, as the Vine referred to in the Gospel today by Jesus. Jesus Himself is the Vine, through which all of its branches has life and are able to grow.

Those who keep themselves solidly attached to the Vine that is our Lord, will receive true life and grace. They will remain in God’s love and grace, and His blessings will be with them always. But those who severed themselves from the Vine, would therefore be excluded from the grace of God, and they shall be cast out into the utter darkness and damnation, unless they repent and change their ways.

The branches refer to all of us, brothers and sisters in Christ, for all of us who have believed in the truth of Jesus our Lord, and all of us who have received baptism as the Sacrament of sanctification and as the seal of faith, shall be joined to the Lord as the members of His one Body, the Church. Jesus Himself mentioned in another occasion, how the Church is one united Body, with all of its members comprising all of us who believe in the Lord.

And as members of that Church, the one Body of Christ, we should realise that all of us have been brought together by God, just as in the days of Noah, when God sent the great flood to wipe out all those men and creatures who were wicked and evil, all those who refused to listen to God and who refused to walk in His ways. Only those who were brought and gathered in Noah’s Ark, namely only Noah and his immediate family were saved.

Therefore, in the same manner, only those who God have gathered in His Church will be saved and receive the guarantee of safety and eternal life from God. Those who consciously chose to remain outside the Church of God, is like lost sheep lying outside the flock. And when the Shepherd comes, all those who are inside the flock will be saved, and those who are outside shall be left behind.

Therefore, if we are not part of the Church, and all those who are outside the bounds of the Church, then all of us will have no part in the salvation which God is promising to those who are faithful to Him. Only by being connected, and staying connected to God, the One and True Vine, that we will have life in us, and only through Him that we will receive salvation and eternal life.

Therefore, if we have been separated from the love and grace of God by our sins, then we should realise that it is up to us, whether we want to continue our current path and walk further and further away from God, or whether we want to turn around now, and turn away from all of our sinful ways. It is our choice, whether we want to be separated from God or to be reunited with Him. What matters now is do we want to be loved by God?

Let us all remind one another, that we may find the way to be reconciled with God our loving Creator and Father. Let us all seek to be ever closer to God and to walk forever always in His ways, and never again be separated from Him. May our sins be cleansed and our flesh and souls be purified from all the darkness that have enveloped us all. God bless us all. Amen.

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Wednesday, 27 April 2016 : Fifth Week of Easter (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 15 : 1-8

At that time, Jesus spoke to His disciples at the Last Supper, “I am the true Vine and My Father is the Vinegrower. If any of My branches does not bear fruit, He breaks it off; and He prunes every branch that does bear fruit, that it may bear even more fruit.”

“You are already made clean by the word I have spoken to you. Live in Me as I live in you. The branch cannot bear fruit by itself, but has to remain part of the vine; so neither can you, if you do not remain in Me.”

“I am the Vine and you are the branches. As long as you remain in Me and I in you, you bear much fruit; but apart from Me you can do nothing. Whoever does not remain in Me is thrown away, as they do with branches, and they wither. Then they are gathered and thrown into the fire and burnt.”

“If you remain in Me and My words in you, you may ask whatever you want, and it will be given to you. My Father is glorified when you bear much fruit : it is then that you become My disciples.”

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Wednesday, 27 April 2016 : Fifth Week of Easter (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 121 : 1-2, 3-4a, 4b-5

I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!” And now we have set foot within your gates, o Jerusalem!

Jerusalem, just like a city, where everything falls into place! There the tribes go up.

The tribes of the Lord, the assembly of Israel, to give thanks to the Lord’s Name. There stand the courts of justice, the offices of the house of David.