Liturgical Colour : White
Psalm 46 : 2-3, 4-5, 6-7
Clap your hands, all you peoples; acclaim God with shouts of joy. For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared; He is a great King all over the earth.
He brings peoples under our dominion and puts nations under our feet. He chose our inheritance for us – the pride of Jacob whom He loves!
God ascends amid joyful shouts, the Lord amid trumpet blasts. Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
Liturgical Colour : White
Acts 18 : 9-18
One night, in a vision, the Lord said to Paul, “Do not be afraid, but continue speaking and do not be silent, for many people in this city are Mine. I am with you, so no one will harm you.” So Paul stayed a year and a half in that place, teaching the word of God among them.
When Gallio was governor of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the court. And they accused him, “This man tries to persuade us to worship God in ways that are against the Law.”
Paul was about to speak in his own defence when Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of misdeed or vicious crime, I would have to consider your complaint. But since this is a quarrel about teachings and divine names that are proper to your own law, see to it yourselves : I refuse to judge such matters.”
Then the people seized Sosthenes, a leading man of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal; but Gallio paid no attention to it. Paul stayed on with the disciples in Corinth for many days; he then left them and sailed off with Priscilla and Aquila for Syria. And as he was no longer under a vow he had taken, he shaved his head before sailing from Cenchreae.
Liturgical Colour : White
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, all of us are reminded of the need for all of us to be truly filled with God’s love in all of our actions, and be focused on Him in everything that we say and do in our daily living. We should not allow ourselves to be swayed by worldly ways, prejudices and all the things that may lead us to be divided against each other and therefore causing divisions among the members of the faithful and holy people of God. Instead, as God’s holy people and followers, each and every one of us should always strive to follow the Lord faithfully and in each and every one of our actions in life, we must always strive to glorify God, to proclaim His truth and Good News at all times, to do what He has commanded us all to do.
In our first reading today taken from the Acts of the Apostles, we heard of the aftermath of the First Council of Jerusalem, the first major gathering of the assembly of the faithful in the history of the Church, which dealt with the issue of the disagreements that happened due to the efforts by some among the early Christians to impose the full weight of the Jewish customs, practices and ways on the whole Church. And as I have explained in detail in the deliberations of these past two days or so, such a rule and requirement would have made it very difficult for the believers from among the Gentiles, or the non-Jewish people to follow the Lord and becoming His disciples, as certain practices and customs of the Jews such as circumcision and dietary restrictions are viewed with disgust and suspicion by the Gentiles as a whole.
That was why after deliberations and discussions, guided by the Lord through the Holy Spirit, the Apostles led by St. Peter the Apostle decided that the whole Church should not be bound by the whole extensive and cumbersome Jewish customs, traditions and practices, which numbered about six hundred and thirteen in all, not counting the many other rites and rituals, practices and interpretations that the Pharisees often enforced. After all, the Lord Jesus Himself had criticised those same Pharisees for their way of observing the Law, for their overly rigid and strict interpretation of the Law of God, and most importantly for their hypocrisy in exercising their authority and in their own way of living and practicing the Law. And in accordance to what the Lord Himself had taught and presented before the disciples, the Church required only the fulfilment of what the Lord had told His people to follow.
As ultimately, the Law of God was meant as the guide for the faithful to follow in how they ought to live up their lives, and in showing all of them on how they ought to love God first and foremost, above all else, and then to love one another, their fellow men and women, their brothers and sisters in the same Lord. It is meant to lead us all towards God, and not to burden us unnecessarily. That is why the Apostles sent out the letters and messages to the faithful throughout the various community then present, through St. Paul and the other missionaries so that they might be able to practice the Christian faith in the proper and right manner without unnecessary burden and inconvenience. The Lord guided His Church and the efforts of the disciples, and the Church continued to keep on growing ever since.
Then, from our Gospel passage today taken from the Gospel of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the Lord Jesus Himself reminding His disciples of the same commandments and Law that He had revealed to them, which we had just discussed about. The Lord summarised the whole Law of God into two main criteria and categories, that is essentially to love God first and foremost, with all of our heart, might and strength, and then to love one another in the same manner as well. And it is through this love of God and the love for our fellow brothers and sisters that we are truly Christians, not just in name but in deeds as well. We cannot call ourselves as Christians unless we practice this love in each and every moments of our daily actions and living.
The Lord Himself showed this Love to us by manifesting the perfect Love that has come from the loving Father, Our loving God and Creator. We are reminded of the ultimate show of God’s love in the other part of the Gospel of St. John, that God has given us all the perfect and ultimate gift because He so loved us and the world, that He gave us all His only Begotten Son, the One in Whom is manifested the fullness of God’s love and grace. Jesus Christ, the Son of God is indeed the perfect manifestation of God’s Love, made tangible and approachable to us, and through His own most loving examples, in how He reached out to us, to the most marginalised amongst us, and in His most selfless love in bearing His Cross for our salvation, He has indeed taught us the true meaning of Christian love.
Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, as Christians we should follow the examples of Christ Himself, as uiltimately we are called Christians because we believe in Christ our Lord, as our Master and Saviour. If the Lord Himself has loved us all so generously and patiently, then we too should love Him in the same manner as well, and we should also love our fellow brothers and sisters around us in the same manner just as He has taught us. This is what all of us have been called to do as Christians, to be truly committed to the Lord in all things especially in love. Without love we cannot be truly good and worthy disciples of the Lord, as without love, our faith in God is nothing and empty. Are we able to love the Lord and love our fellow brothers and sisters generously?
May the Lord, our most loving God and Father, continue to inspire us all to show love in each and every moments of our lives, to be truly loving and committed to love God and our fellow brothers and sisters around us most generously in all the things that we do. May He continue to empower us all each day to be His loving and faithful disciples, so that by our love, everyone may indeed truly known that we are Christians, and that we truly belong to God. That is why we must always practice this love in our daily actions, or else we may bring about scandal to the Lord’s Name, if our actions and works are contrary to what we profess to believe in. Let us be truly committed to God in all things, and strive to do our best each day to glorify God by our lives, now and forevermore. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : White
John 15 : 12-17
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “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 any more, 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.”
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!
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.
Liturgical Colour : White
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we all listened in our Scripture passages today and as we all continue to progress through this joyful season of Easter, we are constantly being reminded again and again of the important responsibilities that we have as Christians in proclaiming the truth of the Risen Lord, of everything that He has taught and revealed to us. We should always put our trust in the Lord Who has overcome and conquered death itself, and which even false accusations and persecutions could not keep His truth from being revealed and shown to the world. All of us should never turn away from God, Who is indeed our Way, Truth and Life, the path through Whom we can reach the salvation and grace of God. Without His guidance and constant presence in our life, we may end up being lost and trapped in the darkness and temptations all around us.
In our first reading today, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles in which we heard the continuation of the words that St. Paul the Apostle spoke during his time in the city of Antioch in Pisidia in Asia Minor, where he visited the local synagogue and the Jewish diaspora community there. There he spoke to them with the encouraging words highlighting how God had been with His people, showing them all His care and love throughout history, guiding and strengthening them in their journey and never leaving them behind all alone. And St. Paul spoke of how all the promises and the words of the Lord had been perfectly completed and fulfilled through the coming of His Son, His own only Begotten Son, Whom He had sent into the world to be the Saviour of all, just as He had promised.
And in today’s passage, St. Paul spoke of how this same Saviour had been persecuted, rejected and oppressed by the same people that He had been sent to, with the chief priests and the Pharisees all accusing Him of false accusations and blasphemy, eventually leading to Him being handed over to the Romans to be crucified and killed. And yet, St. Paul also testified that the Lord has conquered and overcome death itself, and by taking upon Himself all the burdens of our sins, the punishments and all the things meant for us to suffer, so that by His loving sacrifice, He can bring us all into salvation and the guarantee of new and eternal life with Him. The Apostle courageously spoke up about this before the assembly at the synagogue knowing that some if not many among the Jewish people there were still opposed to the Lord and His teachings.
But St. Paul did not let all those fears and concerns trouble him as he trusted completely and wholeheartedly in the Lord, allowing Him to guide him in his steps, in his words and journey, proclaiming courageously the words of truth and encouragement, the wisdom of God and the Holy Spirit to reveal the knowledge and truth of God to those who have not yet known Him and to all those who were still resisting this truth. St. Paul did all these knowing that his efforts were not in vain, and he did all for the salvation of souls, hoping that at least some among those to whom he had spoken would be willing to listen to the truth and Good News of God’s salvation, and it is this attitude that we should also have in our own lives, in how we should be evangelising and missionary in each and every moments of our lives.
Then from our Gospel passage today, we heard of the account from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist in which the Lord was reassuring His disciples and followers, telling them that as long as they trust in Him and believe in whatever that He had told them, they would not be shaken and they would enjoy the fullness of all of His promises, of eternal life and true happiness with God. This must be understood within the context of how the Lord revealed to them that He would soon suffer persecution and have to leave them for His heavenly place, to prepare for their places in Heaven, and all these would indeed come true with the Passion and suffering of the Lord, betrayed by His own disciple and then after He had died, He would rise from the dead and then ascended in glory into Heaven.
Everything did indeed happen according to what the Lord had said would happen, but of course at the time when the Lord predicted these things, no one would have known what would transpire, and the disciples were understandably confused and unsure, with St. Thomas, the Apostle who was known for his lack of faith and for being very cynical during his days of following Jesus, said cynically on how they would not know where to go if the Lord did not tell them where He was going, as He was being rather mysterious and vague in His words and explanations. But the Lord reassured him and the others, saying that He is indeed the Way, the Truth and the Life, and that there is no other way to the Heavenly Father except that going through Him, and therefore, they all should always trust and follow Him regardless of what they would be facing in their journey.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore do our best so that in everything that we do, we will always put our faith and trust in God, doing whatever we can in order to follow Him and do our part in proclaiming His truth and Good News in our world today. Let us all be exemplary in our lives, in each and every moments that we live, so that by our every actions, words and deeds, and through every interactions we carry out to our fellow brothers and sisters, all of us may be truly blessed by God, strengthened and empowered, in doing all the things that we do daily in life, and in our encounters with our fellow brethren around us. We should always be the courageous and worthy bearers of our Christian faith, doing our best to glorify Him by our lives.
May the Risen Lord continue to guide and strengthen us in our journey through life, and may He continue to empower each and every one of us to be His ever courageous and dedicated disciples and followers, in doing our part to proclaim His truth and teachings to the whole world. Let us trust in Him, our Way, our Truth and our Life, so that like St. Paul and the other Apostles and holy saints before us, we may always be faithful and dedicated to the service of God, at all times, for the good and salvation of souls. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : White
John 14 : 1-6
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Do not be troubled! Trust in God and trust in Me! In My Father’s house there are many rooms; otherwise, I would not have told you that I go to prepare a place for you. After I have gone and prepared a place for you, I shall come again and take you to Me, so that where I am, you also may be. Yet you know the way where I am going.”
Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
Liturgical Colour : White
Psalm 2 : 6-7, 8-9, 10-11
“Behold the King I have installed, in Zion, upon My holy hill!” I will proclaim the decree of the Lord. He said to Me : “You are My Son. This day I have begotten You.”
“Ask of Me and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, the ends of the earth for Your possession. You shall rule them with iron sceptre and shatter them as a potter’s vase.”
Now therefore, learn wisdom, o kings; be warned, o rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and fall at His feet; lest He be angry and you perish when His anger suddenly flares. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him!
Liturgical Colour : White
Acts 13 : 26-33
Paul said to the Jews in the synagogue of Antioch in Pisidia, “Brothers, children and descendants of Abraham, and you also who fear God, it is to you that this message of salvation has been sent. It is a fact that the inhabitants of Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognise Jesus.”
“Yet in condemning Him, they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath but not understood. Even though they found no charge against Him that deserved death, they asked Pilate to have Him executed. And after they have carried out all that had been written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb.”
But God raised Him from the dead, and for many days thereafter He showed Himself to those who had come up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They have now become His witnesses before the people. We ourselves announce to you this Good News : All that God promised our ancestors, He has fulfilled for us, their descendants, by raising Jesus, according to what is written in the second psalm : You are My Son, this day I have begotten You.”
petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang 