Friday

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Friday, 10 October 2014 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 11 : 15-26

At that time, yet some of the people said about Jesus, “He drives out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the chief of the demons.” Others wanted to put Him to the test, by asking Him for a heavenly sign.

But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them, “Every nation divided by civil war is on the road to ruin, and will fall. If Satan is also divided, his empire is coming to an end. How can you say that I drive out demons by calling upon Beelzebul? If I drive them out by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive out demons? They will be your judges, then.”

“But if I drive out demons by the finger of God; would this not mean that the kingdom of God has come upon you? As long as a man, strong and well armed, guards his house, his goods are safe. But when a stronger man attacks and overcomes him, the challenger takes away all the weapons he relied on, and disposes of his spoils.”

“Whoever is not with Me is against Me, and whoever does not gather with Me, scatters. When the evil spirit goes out of a person, it wanders through dry lands, looking for a resting place; and finding none, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ When it comes, it finds the house swept and everything in order. Then it goes to fetch seven other spirits, even worse than itself. They move in and settle there, so that the last state of that person is worse than the first.”

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Friday, 10 October 2014 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 110 : 1-2, 3-4, 5-6

Alleluia! I thank the Lord with all my heart in the council of the just, in the assembly. The works of the Lord are great and pondered by all who delight in them.

Glorious and majestic are His deeds, His righteousness endures forever. He lets us remember His wondrous deeds; the Lord is merciful and kind.

Always mindful of His covenant, He provides food for those who fear Him. He shows His people the power of His arm by giving them the lands of other nations.

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Friday, 10 October 2014 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Galatians 3 : 7-14

Understand then that those who follow the way of faith are sons and daughters of Abraham. The Scriptures foresaw that by the way of faith, God would give true righteousness to the non-Jewish nations. For God’s promise to Abraham was this : ‘In you shall all the nations be blessed.’

So now those who take the way of faith receive the same blessing as Abraham who believed; but those who rely on the practice of the Law are under a curse, for it is written : ‘Cursed is everyone who does not always fulfill everything written in the Law.’

It is plainly written that no one becomes righteous, in God’s way, by the Law : ‘by faith the righteous shall live.’ Yet the Law gives no place to faith, for according to it : ‘the one who fulfills the commandments shall have life through them.’

Now Christ rescued us from the curse of the Law by becoming cursed Himself for our sake, as it is written : ‘there is a curse on everyone who is hanged on a tree.’ So the blessing granted to Abraham reached the pagan nations in and with Christ, and we received the promised Spirit through faith.

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Friday, 3 October 2014 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today in the Scriptures we heard about how Jesus sent His curses and warnings against the cities of Galilee, that of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum, on their lack of faith and refusal to listen to the truth which Jesus had brought into the world, into their very midst, while at the same time, saying how in Tyre and Sidon, if such truth was delivered, they would have believed.

Then in the Psalms we heard how God is so great and powerful, and how in all things within our lives, He had His role to guide and lead us into the ways of the righteous, to lead us so that we may find our way to Him and not to be lost to the darkness of the world, and how indeed we ought to recognise Him and what He had done for us, to deliver us from certain destruction.

And lastly, in the first reading taken from the Book of Job, was the reply which God gave in the end, after the long series of lamentations, complaints and words from the suffering Job, who suffered tremendously at the works of Satan to test his faith in the Lord, and God reminded Job how the vastness of the Lord and His wonders, as well as the infinite nature of His thoughts and plans, could not possibly be understood by Job and his human mind and intellect. And Job realised how God did not abandon him and in fact was about to bless him for his constant faith, and through his repentance, he gained blessings and graces.

In this we see the very importance for us to put our trust in God, and to listen to Him in all of His words. We should not put forward our pride or our ego, which are indeed great obstacles to our ability to reach the Lord and all His goodness. Pride and human ego lay in the path towards of our salvation, especially because they lead us to believe that we are saved, because of our greatness, our superiority and others that separate us from the love of God.

In order to fully understand and discern the meaning of the Gospel today, we have to understand the kind of prejudice and opinion prevailing in the society of the people of God at Jesus’ time. The Jews lived in the land once given to their ancestors, but they did not live there alone. Just as their ancestors once had lived among the nations, they also lived among many nations, the Samaritans, the Nabataeans, to which King Herod the Great and their descendants belonged to, and the people of the region of Tyre and Sidon, north from Judea, the land where the Jews lived in.

Some Jews also lived in Galilee, occupying cities such as Capernaum, Bethsaida and Chorazin among many others, including the village of Nazareth where Jesus lived with His parents on earth early in His life. And the Jews at the time, particularly among the caste of the Pharisees, were very puritan and fanatical in their faith and lives, to the point that they disdained all the foreigners living in their midst.

They thought highly of themselves, thinking that they alone among all the races and peoples of the world who deserved salvation and grace in the Lord, and that all others were condemned to hellfire. They thought of that because they considered themselves being the people chosen by God, they deserved that salvation, and they looked down on the ways of those who lived in their midst.

But they failed to understand that God does not desire the destruction of the righteous, just as He did not desire the destruction and the suffering of Job, His faithful servant. God therefore did not act with prejudice against those whom He did not choose first, and He will also save them if they are indeed righteous and just, and walk in His path.

This is why, God Himself had spoken through His prophets, through Isaiah and others, that even the Gentiles would come and see the light of God, and revel in its wonder. This is to presage the flock and throngs of the non-Jewish peoples coming to seek salvation in God by following Christ and His teachings. Isaiah at the same time also mentioned, how a new light has dawned in the land of Issachar and Zebulun, which is exactly at the place where Jesus lived, in the land of Galilee.

But we have to take note indeed, that no matter what the Lord had done, and even when the light of God has arrived in the world, if those to whom the Lord had intended it to, never paid attention and ignored it, then it will be of no use to them. And this was exact what had happened. The people of God saw the miracles which Jesus had performed in the areas around His hometown of Nazareth, including the three cities mentioned in the Gospel.

Yet, they would not believe in Him, although they were awed by what He had done, and those who knew who He was in life even rejected and ridiculed Him, and none worse than His own hometown relatives and acquaintances, who ridiculed Him as they thought that He was a mere carpenter’s Son. The people of God refused to listen to the Lord and believe in what He had done, and that is why, He bypassed them for those who truly are worthy of Him.

Many of the non-Jewish populations, including a widow from the region of Tyre and Sidon, the Samaritans and others believed in Jesus and His truth, despite them being looked down and ridiculed by the people of God, especially by the Pharisees. Yet, their actions were clear, and they were faithful not just in words but also deeds, and as such, they would indeed receive the promised salvation of God.

Those who only believed superficially and gave only lip-service to the Lord, such as the Pharisees and those who refused even after Jesus revealed to them the truth about Himself through His actions, were doomed to oblivion and suffering. They did not understand that, in their own little minds, they thought they have everything and they were able to do as they please, but of course they were wrong.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all come to reflect about these words of the Lord which we should ponder within our hearts. That we should aim to be closer and closer to our Lord, seeking always His mercy and love, that in all things, we may grow to be more like Him, and be found righteous and just in all our ways, and thus merit the salvation which God had promised to all those who walk in His ways, not just by mere words, but also with actions. God bless us all. Amen.

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Friday, 3 October 2014 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 10 : 13-16

At that time, Jesus said, “Alas for you, Chorazin! Alas for you, Bethsaida! So many miracles have been worked in you! If the same miracles had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would already be sitting in ashes and wearing the sackcloth of repentance. Surely for Tyre and Sidon it will be better on the Day of Judgment than for you.”

“And what of you, city of Capernaum? Will you be lifted up to heaven? You will be thrown down to the place of the dead.”

“Whoever listens to you listens to Me, and whoever rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me, rejects the One who sent Me.”

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Friday, 3 October 2014 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 138 : 1-3, 7-8, 9-10, 13-14ab

O Lord, You know me : You have scrutinised me. You know when I sit and when I rise; beforehand You discern my thoughts. You observe my activities and times of rest; You are familiar with all my ways.

Where else could I go from Your Spirit? Where could I flee from Your presence? You are there if I ascend the heavens; You are there if I descend to the depths.

If I ride on the wings of the dawn and settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand shall guide me and Your right hand shall hold me safely.

It was You who formed my inmost part and knit me together in my mother’s womb. I thank You for these wonders You have done, and my heart praises You for Your marvellous deeds.

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Friday, 3 October 2014 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Job 38 : 1, 12-21 and Job 40 : 3-5

Then YHVH answered Job out of the storm : “Have you ever commanded the morning, or shown the dawn its place, that it might grasp the earth by its edges and shake the wicked out of it, when it takes a clay colour and changes its tint like a garment; when the wicked are denied their own light, and their proud arm is shattered?”

“Have you journeyed to where the sea begins or walked in its deepest recesses? Have the gates of death been shown to you? Have you seen the gates of Shadow? Have you an idea of the breadth of the earth? Tell Me, if you know all this.”

“Where is the way to the home of light, and where does darkness dwell? Can you take them to their own regions, and set them on their homeward paths? You know, for you were born before them, and great is the number of your years!”

Job said, “How can I reply, unworthy as I am! All I can do is put my hand over my mouth. I have spoken once, now I will not answer; oh, yes, twice, but I will do no further.”

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Friday, 26 September 2014 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we hear yet again the proclamation of faith by St. Peter, the chief of the Apostles and disciples of Christ, who declared the very truth about Jesus, who is the Lord of all, the Saviour of all and the One through whom all mankind and all creations would have hope. This identity of Christ was not known at the time of Jesus, as the people thought that He was merely just one of the many prophets who had come and go across the centuries and ages.

Yes, Jesus was indeed a prophet, a great Prophet indeed, as One who fulfilled all the prophecies made by the prophets of old on the coming of the Anointed One of God, and He Himself declared the very words of the Lord, just like the prophets. The core difference is however, that unlike the prophets, like Elijah and even St. John the Baptist, who were the messengers of God’s words and will, Jesus is Himself the Word of God.

He is indeed the One through whom God had created the world and all the universe. Yet, He was willing to abandon all of His greatness and divinity so that He might come into the world and assume the form of a Man, a humble and simple person, but through which lie the key to the salvation of all the world and all mankind. Jesus came to fulfill the long promised salvation, which God had promised through the prophets and the elders of the people of God, and indeed, through a woman, His mother Mary, that He would be born from.

Nonetheless, it did not mean that the Christ and the Saviour would have an easy time, or that He would be immediately accepted by the people whom He had loved so much to merit His coming into the world to save them. Instead, the people rejected Him and refused to listen to Him, just as they and their ancestors had rejected and persecuted the prophets of God before.

This is because of mankind’s inability to comprehend the actions of the Lord and what He had tried for a long time to reveal to them. They did not realise that God is truly the One who is behind all things, every movement and every observations they can see in the world around them. God made His will known to men, but in their limited minds and intellect, many failed to look beyond the veils of deception and blindness that Satan and sin had placed on their path.

Men often presumed that they are so capable, and even more so these days as we discover more and more tools, gadgets and other ideas that often make us to be proud and arrogant, to the point that some of us even challenged God and His authority, claiming that we are free from the Lord and His control, and that we are capable of taking care of ourselves, but all these are indeed false delusion, on our part to satisfy our own heart’s desire for fame, glory and power.

Yet, this is a path that will certainly lead to our own destruction and undoing. It is because of all these that we reject God’s offer of love and mercy, and His kindness, which He had extended to us through Jesus. Jesus was rejected by the Pharisees and the elders of Israel, who viewed Jesus as a threat to their authority. Thus, despite them being the ones who knew most about the prophecies of the prophets, and thus rightly should have been the ones who first acknowledged Jesus as Lord and God, were the ones who became His greatest obstacles and enemies.

Greed and desire, hatred and jealousy, power and its misuse, as well as many other negative emotions and characteristics that often infect us mankind are what causes us to pursue action that will bring about our downfall and damnation if we are not careful and allow ourselves to be controlled by them, just as the Pharisees and the elders had been.

Instead, we should follow the examples of the two saints and martyrs whose feast day we are celebrating on this day, that is of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, martyrs of the faith during the time of the Roman Empire, at the height of persecutions against the faithful and the Church. They were said to be twin brothers, and both were famous physicians who lived justly and righteously, according to the ways of the Lord.

The two saints helped many of the people in need, those who were sick, and often also those who were poor and suffering. They were caught and arrested for adhering to their faith, and they were tortured under the pain of death and a very painful death indeed, if they would not want to recant their faith and embrace the worship of the pagan idols.

Temptations and offerings of the world certainly affected them just as they affected mankind. But they remained firmly devoted to God and kept their faith, because first of all they knew that God is the Master of all things, and then, that whatever sufferings they endured in the world, in the Name of the Lord, and in the defense of their faith, will be rewarded in heaven, as we are certain that they were indeed glorified by God, as examples of what we should be as well.

Ultimately, all of us have to realise that what can destroy and harm the body is nothing compared to what can harm and destroy the soul. We are often too concerned on the former and thus neglect the efforts we should rather put in to ensure the salvation of our souls. Let us all not forget that it is within our ability to choose between following and obeying God, just as St. Cosmas and St. Damian had done, rather than listening to our own desires. Or we can choose to follow the latter for temporary joy and satisfaction but which will lead to eternal suffering.

May Almighty God help us all, that we may find our way to Him, and through the intercessions of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, may all of us be inspired by their examples in life, their faith and love for others, as well as their undying and unshakeable devotion and love for God. Amen.

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Friday, 26 September 2014 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Luke 9 : 18-22

One day, when Jesus was praying alone, not far from His disciples, He asked them, “What do people say about Me?” And they answered, “Some say that You are John the Baptist; others say that You are Elijah, and still others that You are one of the prophets of old, risen from the dead.”

Again Jesus asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “The Messiah of God.” Then Jesus spoke to them, giving them strict orders not to tell this to anyone. And He added, “The Son of Man must suffer many things. He will be rejected by the elders and chief priests and teachers of the Law, and be put to death. Then after three days He will be raised to life.”

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Friday, 26 September 2014 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, Martyrs (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Psalm 143 : 1a and 2abc, 3-4

Blessed be the Lord, my Rock, my loving God, my Fortress; My Protector and Deliverer, my Shield where I take refuge, who conquers nations and subjects them to my rule.

O Lord, what are humans that You should be mindful of them, the race of Adam, that You should care for them? They are like a breath, their days pass like a shadow on earth.