Friday

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Friday, 20 November 2015 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

1 Maccabees 4 : 36-37, 52-59

Then Judas and his brothers said : “Our enemies are defeated, so let us go up and purify the Holy Place and consecrate it again.” And all the army assembled and went up to Mount Zion.

On the twenty-fifth day of the month of Chislev, in the year one hundred and forty-eight (164 B.C.) they arose at dawn and offered the sacrifice prescribed by the Law on the new altar of holocausts which they had built. It was precisely at that same time and date that the pagans had profaned it before; but now they consecrated it with songs accompanied by zithers, harps and cymbals. All the people fell prostrate and blessed Heaven that had given them happiness and success.

They celebrated the consecration of the altar for eight days, joyfully offering holocausts and celebrating sacrifices of thanksgiving and praise. The front of the Temple was adorned with crowns of gold and shields; the gates and the rooms had been restored and fitted with doors.

There was no end to the celebration among the people, and so the profanation of the Temple by the pagans was forgotten. Finally, Judas, his brothers and the whole assembly of Israel agreed to celebrate the anniversary of the consecration of the altar annually for eight days, from the twenty-fifth of the month of Chislev, in high festivity.

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Friday, 13 November 2015 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we hear about the Lord who will choose the righteous and reject the wicked and the damned, on the day which He decides to be the day of judgment, when He will separate all those whom He deemed to be good and righteous, from those that He deems to not have been capable of achieving what He had looked for in us, that is love, devotion, and commitment to His ways.

We may think that we have led a good life, and we may think that everything we have in this life is all pleasant and happy. Yet, many of us usually overlook the fact that there are shortcomings in our life that we may not be aware of. And in many things, many of us have this tendency to be distracted in our lives by the many goodness and the many temptations that Satan and this world had offered to us.

And very importantly, as shown in our first reading today, from the Book of Wisdom, many of us are often distracted by the many great things in this world, which we enjoy and even praise, but yet in the end, we did not give glory to the One Who had made all of these possible, the One Who had created all of us and all of the things present in the universe.

Instead, as history had shown us, we have endeavoured to make into deities and gods the many wonders of the nature and this world. Thus, it was why many of our ancestors worshipped beings like the sun, moon, stars, mountains, and even idols and statues made from stone, marble, gold, silver, wood and other precious elements and materials. We settle on all these as idols and gods, instead of the one and only true God.

If we think that this was what happened in the past and that now we are already free from this, then we are mistaken in our beliefs. As it is evident that even though we may no longer worship these pagan idols and gods, the gods of nature and of precious elements, but we remain attached to wealth and possessions of this world, especially in our world today that is ever increasingly growing more and more attached to worldliness and worldly goods.

We just have to look at the way in which our world works and functions today. There are so many emphasis at materialism and commercialism in everything today, and all these help to fuel our greed and desires ever further, and as a result, we become ever more distracted from our true goal in God. There are too many things that draw us away from following what is good that we should have done in the Lord and in accordance with His ways.

This is what differentiates those who are following the Lord and stay true to His ways, and those who succumbed to the distractions of the world, and on the last day, when the time comes for us all to be judged, then we will find out our fate, where even those who are close to each other can have an entirely different fate, one who is saved and blessed, while the other is condemned to hell.

Do we all want to end up like those who have been rejected by God? Do we want to end up in the eternal suffering of hell? Certainly, none of us want this fate for ourselves, but sadly many of us had the problem that we did not know what to do or how to find the correct path to reach out to our Lord. And then the way is also not going to be an easy one, as challenges, temptations and all the various difficulties and obstacles lie on that path.

But if we have the will and desire to follow the Lord, nothing is impossible, as long as we stay committed to our path and destination, that is salvation and eternal joy and happiness in God alone. Courage and dedication are needed, and we have to be brave to live up to our faith, and if necessary, turn our back against all the temptations that the devil has lined up against us.

Let us all lead a more wholesome and meaningful life by dedicating ourselves more to God, by loving Him ever more through all the things we do, especially by loving one another, our fellow brethren in the Lord. Let us all be loving and dedicated children of our Lord, our Father, Who will bless us forevermore for our faith and endless commitment. God be with us all. Amen.

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Friday, 13 November 2015 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 17 : 26-37

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples and to the people, “As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be on the day the Son of Man comes. In those days people ate and drank and got married; but on the day Noah entered the Ark, the flood came and destroyed them all.”

“So it was in the days of Lot : people ate and drank, and bought and sold, and planted and built; but on the day Lot left Sodom, God made fire and sulphur rain down from heaven, which destroyed them all. So will it be on the day the Son of Man is revealed.”

“On that day, if you are on the rooftop, do not go down into the house to get your belongings; and if you happen to be in the fields, do not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever tries to save his life will lose himself, but whoever gives his life will be born again.”

“I tell you, though two men are sharing the same bed, it might happen that one will be taken, and the other left; though two women are grinding corn together, one might be taken and the other left.”

Then they asked Jesus, “Where will this take place, Lord?” And He answered, “Where the body is, there too will the vultures gather.”

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Friday, 13 November 2015 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 18 : 2-3, 4-5

The heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament proclaims the work of His hands. Day talks it over with day; night hands on the knowledge to night.

No speech, no words, no voice is heard – but the call goes on throughout the universe, the message is felt to the ends of the earth.

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Friday, 13 November 2015 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Wisdom 13 : 1-9

The natural helplessness of humans is seen in their ignorance of God. The experience of good things did not lead them to the knowledge of Him Who is. They were interested in His works, but they did not recognise the Author of them.

Fire, wind, air, the sphere of the stars, rushing water and the lights in the sky were held as the rulers of the world. If, charmed by such beauty, they took them for gods, let them know how far superior is their Sovereign. And if they were impressed by their power and activity, let them understand from this how much mightier is He Who formed them. For the grandeur and beauty of creatures lead us to ponder on their Author, greater and more magnificent.

No doubt these people are not to be blamed severely, for possibly they strayed though they searched for God and desired to find Him. They pondered over the created things that surrounded them and were captivated by the sight of such beauty. Even so they are not to be excused, for if they were able to explore the world, why did they not discover first the world’s Sovereign?

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Friday, 6 November 2015 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard about the parable that Jesus our Lord taught His disciples on the wicked and dishonest servant that cheated his master of some money through his works. And we listened to how the master who knew and found out about the dishonesty fired the wicked and untrustworthy steward, who then resorted yet again to dishonesty in order to save himself from trouble.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today’s Gospel passage indeed can intrigue us, as the Lord seemingly approved what the wicked steward was doing, by stating how the master commended the steward for the actions he had done, in securing for himself a security and safety by his master’s debtors, by making themselves indebted to him for his assistance in reducing their debts unilaterally.

But the fact and truth is that the Lord stated clearly that those who walked and followed in the path of the world, will also act in ways that also suit and follow the ways and norms of this world. And on the other hand, those who devote themselves to the Lord, will walk in His ways and act in ways that conform to His will and His desires.

This is a reminder for all of us, on choosing whether we should live righteously according to the will of God our Lord, or to live in accordance with ways acceptable and suitable to the world and to our society. The choice is ours, and we ought to ask ourselves, shall we obey the call of the Lord and His teachings, even though this world may reject them and ridicule us for following God and for remaining obedient to Him?

The way of the Lord is mostly and very often is diagonally opposed and contrasted to the ways acceptable to the world. And St. Paul reiterated this in his letter to the Church and the faithful in Rome, a reminder to them that as those who belong to the Lord and His Church ought to do what is righteous and just in the sight of God, and thus show forth His righteousness and truth to others, to all mankind.

This is important, as we should realise how scandal can easily rock the Church and shake its pillars and foundations if the faithful people of God were to commit and act in ways that are contrary to the ways of the Lord. And yet, this is what we have seen and what we are now also seeing in the Church and among the faithful. Regrettably, there are many faithful who proclaim themselves as Christians and yet did nothing that the Church had taught them.

For example, there are many Christians who participate in heinous acts such as adultery, divorce and remarriage, all which showed the disrespect and contempt for the holiness and sanctity of marriage, the holy union blessed by God. And many showed lack of understanding and knowledge of what the truth is about what God had taught us through His Church.

And there are also many of those who engaged in the culture of death, disrespecting life and its sanctity, showing no mercy and care for life, and also engaging in acts such as murder, abortion and torture, that result in pain, suffering and death, the loss of life, where many of us succumb to our own desire and greed for more at the cost of others, and to protect ourselves and satisfy our own needs over and above that of the rest and others around us.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we cannot be servants to both the world and its ways, and as servants of the Lord. Indeed, we may try to please and satisfy both, but sooner or later, there will come a time where our actions and deeds will satisfy one and displease the other. For the opposition and the contrasts between both sides are truly great.

Therefore, let us all, beloved and blessed children of God, His beloved people and members of His Church, devote ourselves anew to commit deeds and to embark on actions and works that declare the glory of our Lord, and let us shun our own personal pride and desire for glory and pleasures of the world. Let us discipline ourselves and resist the temptation of this world, that is none other than the lies of the devil.

May Almighty God bless us all, forgive us all our sins and lead us into His eternal glory. May He reunite us all and bring all of us back from all the ends and corners of the world, and gather us just like a shepherd gathering his sheep. May He be with us always and guide us in all of our endeavours. Amen.

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Friday, 6 November 2015 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 16 : 1-8

At that time, Jesus told His disciples, “There was a rich man, whose steward was reported to him for fraudulent service. He summoned the steward and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? I want you to render an account of your service, for it is about to be terminated.'”

“The steward thought to himself, ‘What am I to do now? My master will surely dismiss me. I am not strong enough to do hard work, and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I will do : I must make sure that when I am dismissed, there will be people who will welcome me into their homes.'”

“So he called his master’s debtors, one by one. He asked the first debtor, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ The reply was, ‘A hundred jars of oil.’ The steward said, ‘Here is your bill. Sit down quickly and write fifty.'”

“To the second debtor he put the same question, ‘How much do you owe?’ The answer was, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ Then the steward said, ‘Take your bill and write eighty.'”

“The master commended the dishonest steward for his astuteness : for the people of this world are more astute, in dealing with their own kind, than are the people of light.”

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Friday, 6 November 2015 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 97 : 1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4

Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done wonders; His right hand, His holy arm, has won victory for Him.

The Lord has shown His salvation, revealing His justice to the nations. He has not forgotten His love nor His faithfulness to Israel.

The farthest ends of the earth all have seen God’s saving power. All you lands, make a joyful noise to the Lord, break into song and sing praise.

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Friday, 6 November 2015 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Romans 15 : 14-21

As for me, brothers and sisters, I am convinced that you have goodwill, knowledge and the capacity to advise each other; nevertheless I have written boldly in some parts of this letter to remind you of what you already know.

I do this according to the grace God has given to me when I was sent to the pagan nations. I dedicated myself to the service of the Good News of God as a minister of Christ Jesus, in order to present the non-Jews to God as an agreeable offering consecrated by the Holy Spirit. This service of God is for me a cause of pride in Christ Jesus.

Of course, I would not dare to speak of other things but what Christ Himself has done through me, my words and my works, with miracles and signs, by the power of the Holy Spirit – so that non-Jews may obey the faith. In this way I have extended the Good News to all parts, from Jerusalem to Illyricum.

I have been very careful, however, and I am proud of this, not to preach in places where Christ is already known, and not to build upon foundations laid by others. Let it be as Scripture says : Those not told about Him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.

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Friday, 30 October 2015 : 30th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard yet again about the Lord who criticised the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law on their unbending and unreasonable attitude on the observances of the laws of Moses and the Jewish tradition, to the point that not only that they imposed on the people a heavy burden to bear, but they also prevented others from doing good deeds based on such limitations and imposition.

If we ask a Pharisee or a teacher of the Law to explain the rationale behind why they imposed strict observance of such laws, then most likely what they would answer is that because the laws so and so said so, and so they must obey. But this is a very superficial and incomplete understanding of the Law of God, for the laws were not given to us in order to purposefully oppress us or to make our lives difficult.

On the other hand, God gave us His laws so that we may find our way to Him more easily and readily, and it is a way for us to discipline ourselves and keep our lives straightened so that we will not fall into the way of wickedness and into eternal damnation in hell. But it is meant as a reminder and a constant encouragement for us to lead an upright life at all times, with the intention of enhancing and making greater the love which we have for the Lord.

And the Law is meant to teach us about love, and thus about caring for others who are in need, and about sharing what good we have with all those who have little or none, and Jesus made this point when He asked the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law the question of what would they do if one of their donkeys or animals happened to fall into a pit on a Sabbath day.

There is clearly a choice here, on whether the person ought to obey the law strictly without bending, meaning word by word of the law itself, taking and understanding it literally, and therefore letting the animal to die in agony in the pit, while the owner looks on it until the next day when he can finally help. The other option is for the owner to immediately go down and help the animal or the donkey to get out from the pit, and therefore saving it.

Then again, let us look then into another time in the Gospel, when we heard about how Jesus spoke of the time of the Last Judgment, when on the last day God would separate those whom He had judged to be righteous and those whom He had judged to be wanting in their faith and wicked in their ways. And remember what each of the two groups said to the Lord Jesus, the Judge?

The ones on the right side of the Lord, the righteous ones, asked when they did all the good things that the Lord congratulated them for, when He praised them for having been good to the weak and the sick, the unloved and the suffering ones. And what did the Lord say to them? He said that they did all these, while they showed love and care, concern and dedication to all the least of their brothers and sisters around them.

And those who are on the left side of the Lord are those who have been rejected by the Lord, and they are condemned because of all their inability and refusal to do whatever is good and beneficial to those who are less fortunate and weak around them. Indeed, committing evil is not just about doing what is bad and evil in the sight of God, or what we often know as the sin of action.

Truly, there is the kind of evil, that is the sin of omission, that is committed when we fail to do what is good or what is expected from us to aid our brethren in need, when we are truly capable of doing so. And this is just what the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law had committed as they obstructed people from doing good deeds on the Sabbath just because they enforced that no one can do anything on that sacred day.

What God wanted to let them know is that, yes, indeed, for all the vices that we have committed in this world on daily basis, then at least we must spare a single day of honour, to do what is good and sanctify that day for the ever greater glory of God. In this we have to keep in mind the commandment of God, that is keep holy the Day of the Lord, and thus, this is what we ought to do.

And keeping the day holy is not just by abstaining from doing anything at all, since doing so will mean that we do not commit anything evil, but at the same time, we also close the door of opportunity for us to commit good things too. In this, if we fail to do what is good in the name of preserving literally what the laws of God had taught us, then what good or holiness will be there?

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all on this day recommit ourselves to a new life in God, one that is filled with true and genuine love for Him, and let us devote ourselves to walk faithfully in His path, that in all of our words, deeds and actions, we may always proclaim His glory and truth, and reveal Him for all the nations to see. God bless us all in our endeavours, and may He keep our faith strong forever. Amen.