Friday

by

Friday, 24 January 2025 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 84 : 8 and 10, 11-12, 13-14

Show us, o Lord, Your unfailing love and grant us Your saving help. Yet Your salvation is near to those who fear You, and Your Glory will dwell in our land.

Love and faithfulness have met; righteousness and peace have embraced. Faithfulness will reach up from the earth while justice bends down from heaven.

The Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its fruit. Justice will go before Him, and peace will follow along His path.

by

Friday, 24 January 2025 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Hebrews 8 : 6-13

Now, however, Jesus enjoys a much higher ministry in being the Mediator of a better covenant, founded on better promises. If all had been perfect in the first covenant, there would have been no need for another one. Yet God sees defects when He says : The days are coming – it is the word of the Lord – when I will draw up a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.

It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand and led them out of Egypt. They did not keep My covenant, and so I Myself have forsaken them, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the people of Israel in the days to come : I will put My law into their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be My people.

None of them will have to teach one another or say to each other : Know the Lord, for they will know Me from the least to the greatest. I will forgive their sins and no longer remember their wrongs. Here we are being told of a new covenant; which means that the first one had become obsolete, and what is obsolete and ageing is soon to disappear.

by

Friday, 17 January 2025 : 1st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Anthony, Abbot (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded to remain firm in our faith in the Lord and to obey Him, and not to harden our hearts and minds against Him and His truth, for the Lord has brought unto us His salvation and grace, revealing His love manifested perfectly in the flesh through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour. There were those who believed in Him and embraced His truth, but there were many others who hardened their hearts and refusing to follow Him, or believe in His words and teachings, questioning His authority and legitimacy, just as what we had heard from the action of the teachers of the Law in our Gospel passage today.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle to the Hebrews, the author of this Epistle continued to speak of the matter of believing and trusting in the Messiah Whom God had sent into this world, the same Jesus Christ, the One Who had been betrayed by many among His own people, and handed over to the Romans to be crucified, but Whose Resurrection and truth cannot be contained and henceforth, continued to propagate among the Jewish people and many more others among the non-Jews, which became the beginning and foundation of the Church of God. After hearing for the past few days the various things that the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews spoke about regarding the Lord and all that He had done to save us all, in order to convince those in the Jewish community who had not yet believed then, we too should be convinced of the truth that we have received as well.

The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews in today’s passage again exhorted the people and hence, all of us to continue to keep our faith and trust in the Lord because all those who have stood by their faith in God and remained firmly faithful will indeed be rewarded by God, while all those who refused to listen to the Lord and believe in Him shall be judged and condemned by their own stubborn attitudes and conscious refusal of God’s merciful love and compassion towards all of His beloved ones. We must not take God’s love and mercy for granted as we must not forget that while He is truly a loving and merciful God, but He is also a just and Holy God, in Whose Presence sin and evil cannot stand and survive.

This is why as Christians it is important that we should always strive to hold fast to this faith which we have in the Lord, and not to be easily swayed by false ideas and teachings that run contrary to our faith in God. We should also not be swayed easily by our ego and pride, our ambitions and desires, some of which were the reasons why those who have rejected the Lord and refused to believe in Him and His truth had done so. It was the belief in their abilities, intellect and power, as well as pride in their sense of superiority which made many among the Pharisees, the teachers of the Law and the elders of the Jewish community to reject the Lord and harden their hearts and minds against His truth and works in their midst.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist in which the famous story of how the Lord Jesus healed a paralytic man was told to us. As we heard, four people brought the paralysed man through the roof of the building that Jesus was teaching in, as there were so many people gathered there to listen to Him. And when the Lord told the paralysed man that his sins had been forgiven, those teachers of the Law in the crowd grumbled and made complaints against the Lord, saying that He has insulted and blasphemed against God for only God has the power and authority to forgive us from our sins. Indeed, they were right on this, as God alone can forgive us our sins, but they refused to acknowledge that God Himself has come into their midst in the flesh.

Those teachers of the Law in fact were knowledgeable about the Law and the prophets of God and as such, of all people they should have been the ones who knew well that the prophets of God were all speaking of the coming of the Saviour of God, and they all, especially the prophet Isaiah attributed Divine identity to this Saviour, after all, how can Isaiah mentioned the name of the Saviour as Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. How can this Saviour be another god that is not the one and only True God of all, unless He truly comes into this world to dwell among us, as the prophet Isaiah also prophesied about Emmanuel, God Who dwells with His people?

That is why the stubbornness among the people of God, their ego and pride, their refusal to listen to the Lord and embrace His truth, all of those things had become great obstacles in preventing them from accepting the reality that the Lord Himself has brought into their midst. God has come into our midst to heal us all from our afflictions that is our maladies, sickness and all of our shortcomings, but most importantly our sins as mentioned earlier that no one can forgive us all our sins save that of the Lord. And He has given us all His Son to reach out to us, forgiving our sins and offering the most generous and wonderful love of God manifested before us. What else can we possibly want, brothers and sisters?

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Anthony, also known as St. Anthony the Abbot, or St. Anthony the Great or St. Anthony of Egypt. He was a truly renowned ascetic who lived many years in the wilderness in the desert during the early years of the Church. St. Anthony was a contemporary of another great hermit and ascetic, namely St. Paul the Hermit, whose feast we had just celebrated two days earlier. St. Anthony was born in a wealthy family in Egypt and lost both of his parents when he was just about twenty years old. He then chose to abandon worldly glory and pursuits, living in the wilderness and desert like St. Paul the Hermit, devoting many decades of his life in seclusion and contemplative prayer.

It was told that St. Anthony was often visited and attacked by the evil one who attempted to tempt and coerce him to abandon his holy and devout life for the pleasures of the world, but the Devil was unable to shake St. Anthony’s firm faith and conviction to follow the Lord wholeheartedly. He resisted those temptations and became great role models and inspirations for many others who would follow in his footsteps as an ascetic, known as the ‘Father of Monasticism’ who would inspire the other monks like St. Benedict of Nursia, St. Bede the Venerable among many others. While St. Anthony was not the first ascetic, preceded by St. Paul the Hermit and others, but he was the first to popularise the way of ascetic lifestyle, conscious withdrawal from the world and prayerful commitment to God.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all continue to do our part in glorifying God by our lives, and let us all continue to put our faith in Him, our trust and belief that in Him alone lies our hope, the hope for liberation and redemption from the dominion and bondage to sin. Each and every one of us should continue to live our lives worthily as Christians, dedicating ourselves, our time and efforts to direct more and more people towards the Lord, sharing our faith and showing it towards everyone whom we encounter daily in life. May God be with us all and may He continue to strengthen us all, now and always. Amen.

by

Friday, 17 January 2025 : 1st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Anthony, Abbot (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Mark 2 : 1-12

At that time, after some days, Jesus returned to Capernaum. As the news spread that He was in the house, so many people gathered, that there was no longer room even outside the door. While Jesus was preaching the Word to them, some people brought a paralysed man to Him.

The four men who carried him could not get near Jesus because of the crowd, so they opened the roof above the room where Jesus was and, through the hole, lowered the man on his mat. When Jesus saw the faith of these people, He said to the paralytic, “My son, your sins are forgiven.”

Now some teachers of the Law, who were sitting there, wondered within themselves, “How can He speak like this, insulting God? Who can forgive sins except God?”

At once Jesus knew in His Spirit what they were thinking, and asked, “Why do you wonder? Is it easier to say to this paralysed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Rise, take up your mat and walk?’ But now you shall know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.”

And He said to the paralytic, “Stand up, take up your mat and go home.” The man rose and, in the sight of all those people, he took up his mat and went out. All of them were astonished and praised God, saying, “Never have we seen anything like this!”

by

Friday, 17 January 2025 : 1st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Anthony, Abbot (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 77 : 3 and 4bc, 6c-7, 8

Mysteries which we have heard and known, which our ancestors have told us. We will announce them to the coming generation : the glorious deeds of the Lord, His might and the wonders He has done.

They would teach their own children. They would then put their trust in God, and not forget His deeds and His commands.

And not be like their ancestors, stubborn and rebellious people, a people of inconstant heart whose spirit was fickle.

by

Friday, 17 January 2025 : 1st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Anthony, Abbot (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Hebrews 4 : 1-5, 11

Therefore let us fear while we are invited to enter the rest of God, lest any of you be left behind. We received the Gospel exactly as they did, but hearing the message did them no good, because they did not share the faith of those who did listen. We are now to enter this rest because we believed, as it was said : I was angry and made a solemn vow : they will never enter My rest – that is the rest of God after He created the world.

In another part it was said about the seventh day : And God rested on the seventh day from all His works. But now it is said : They will not enter My rest. Let us strive, then, to enter the rest and not to share the misfortune of those who disobeyed.

by

Friday, 10 January 2025 : Friday after the Epiphany (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all reminded of the love of God which has been made evident, real, tangible and approachable to all of us through His Son, which has been testified by many testimonies and proofs, that the love of God had indeed manifested itself in our midst, dwelling among us, He Who is known as Emmanuel, God Who is with us, living in our presence and walking in our world with us. He has brought us His healing, salvation and liberation so that each and every one of us may have the sure path out of the darkness and into the light of His salvation and grace, as He has promised to us from the very beginning, and which He has indeed fulfilled perfectly through His Son.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. John about the testimony of God’s salvation, which He had mare known and revealed to all of us through His Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world. And by the coming of His Son into this world, God has opened the path to Himself and extended for us all the sure path to eternal life. And St. John mentioned not just one but three testimonies of the truth about the Lord’s coming, in water, in Blood and in Spirit. All these three testimonies affirm the truth about Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Whose appearance in our midst have restored the hope that had once been lost to Him, and brought us back to see the light of God and His ever generous love.

Those testimonies of water, Blood and Spirit are the truths presented to us about the Messiah, with the first testimony of water referring to the moment when the Lord was baptised in the River Jordan by St. John the Baptist just as it has been prophesied. The Herald of the Messiah, St. John the Baptist himself recognised the One Whose coming He has been preparing the world for, and as He entered into the water, the Heavens itself opened and the voice of God the Father was heard, revealing that the Son of Man Who was baptised that day was indeed the Son of God as well, further affirmed by the Holy Spirit in the form of a Dove descending down from Heaven to rest upon Him. Truly this testimony showed us all that Jesus Christ is indeed the Divine Word of God incarnate in the flesh.

Then, the testimony of Blood is a reminder for us all of the redemptive mission of Our Lord, as He came into this world ultimately to be the One Who would offer the perfect and only worthy sacrifice and offering for our behalf, as our One True and Eternal High Priest, offering the Body and Blood of the Lamb of God, that is His own Most Precious Body and Blood, which had been broken and outpoured for us from His Cross at Calvary. There is no other Blood worthy enough to save us all from our predicaments and from the power of sin and darkness. That He willingly embraced us all and offered Himself and His life for us, is truly testimony and proof enough of what the Lord has done for us, the reality of what He had given to us, the perfect gift of His love.

Then lastly, the testimony of the Spirit referred not just to the descent of the Holy Spirit at the moment when the Lord Jesus was baptised at the River Jordan, but also referring to the moment when the Holy Spirit came down upon the Apostles and the other disciples of the Lord, at the occasion of Pentecost, fifty days after the Lord has risen from the dead and ten days after He has ascended in glory to Heaven. This coming of the Holy Spirit and the guidance that the Lord has given us all His Church ever since is a fulfilment of everything that the Lord Himself has spoken about sending His Advocate, the Helper, the Holy Spirit upon His Church and all of His disciples and followers, to strengthen and guide us all in our path, showing that whatever He had said, all would indeed come true.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the story of the time when the Lord Jesus encountered a leper who came to Him and asked Him to heal him of his condition which had certainly made his life very difficult. We must understand that at the time of the Lord Jesus, those who have contracted leprosy were considered as unclean and impure, and they had to remain outside the community as outcasts, wandering off in the wilderness until their leprosy had been healed. In fact, what is known leprosy in this case might not have been the same as what is known today as leprosy, but might have been a kind of infection of the skin and the body, which can be easily passed on from one person to another, and can be cured, unlike the leprosy that we are familiar with today.

But regardless of the detail, or which leprosy the man was truly suffering from, the Lord healed him and told him to go to see the priests so that he could be welcomed back to the community. The Lord did not boast about what He had done, and in fact, He wanted those who have been healed by Him to keep quiet about the matter. Yet as we heard from the Gospel passage today, what the Lord had done for His people continued to grow in knowledge and popularity among the people, and many more would come towards Him, seeking His love, healing and forgiveness. And we are all therefore reminded today to remain focused on the Lord and His saving power, and all the love that He has shown us all these while.

Therefore, as we have been reminded through the Scripture passages today, we are all called as Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people to continue to proclaim our Lord and Saviour in our world today, reminding everyone whom we encounter of Who it is that we truly serve and believe in, reiterating our fullness of faith and trust in Him and in the salvation and eternal life that He has promised to each and every one of us. Let us all therefore strive to do our best in each and every moments to glorify the Lord by our every actions, words and deeds, in everything that we say and do, in our every interactions with one another so that we may show the truth of God to all the people around us.

May the Lord be with us all, and may He empower each one of us so that we will continue to live worthily in His Holy Presence, and be the worthy bearers and the good and shining beacons of His light and salvation, His truth and love, now and always. Amen.

by

Friday, 10 January 2025 : Friday after the Epiphany (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 5 : 12-16

At that time, one day, in another town, a man came to Jesus covered with leprosy. On seeing Jesus, the man bowed down to the ground, and said, “Lord, if You want to, You can make me clean.”

Stretching out His hand, Jesus touched the man and said, “Yes, I want to. Be clean.” In an instant, the leprosy left him. Then Jesus instructed him, “Tell this to no one. But go, and show yourself to the priest. Make an offering for your healing, as Moses prescribed; that will serve as evidence for them.”

But the news about Jesus spread all the more; and large crowds came to Him, to listen and to be healed of their sickness. As for Jesus, He would often withdraw to solitary places and pray.

by

Friday, 10 January 2025 : Friday after the Epiphany (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 147 : 12-13, 14-15, 19-20

Exalt YHVH, o Jerusalem; praise your God, o Zion! For He strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses your children within you.

He grants peace on your borders and feeds you with the finest grain. He sends His command to the earth and swiftly runs His word.

It is He, Who tells Jacob His words; His laws and decrees, to Israel. This, He has not done for other nations, so His laws remain unknown to them. Alleluia!

by

Friday, 10 January 2025 : Friday after the Epiphany (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

1 John 5 : 5-13

Who has overcome the world? The one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus Christ was acknowledged through water, but also through Blood. Not only water but water and Blood. And the Spirit, too, witnesses to Him for the Spirit is truth.

There are then three testimonies : the Spirit, the water and the Blood, and these three witnesses agree. If we accept human testimony, with greater reason must we accept that of God, given in favour of His Son. If you believe in the Son of God, you have God’s testimony in you.

But those who do not believe make God a liar, since they do not believe His words when He witnesses to His Son. What has God said? That He has granted us eternal life and this life is in His Son. The one who has the Son has life, the one who do not have the Son of God do not have life.

I write you, then, all these things that you may know that you have eternal life, all you who believe in the Name of the Son of God.