Friday

by

Friday, 4 October 2024 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

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

O YHVH, 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.

by

Friday, 4 October 2024 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

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.”

by

Friday, 27 September 2024 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Vincent de Paul, Priest (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 yet again of the need for us all to trust in the Lord and to believe in His love and providence for us. We should not be easily swayed and tempted by all sorts of worldly pleasures and desires, and neither should we allow ourselves to be dissuaded and discouraged because of the various challenges, difficulties and trials that we might have to face amidst our lives, in the path of our journey towards the Lord and His salvation. We must always stand firm in our faith and belief in God, and continue to follow Him wholeheartedly at all times despite the obstacles, persecutions, hardships, challenges and oppressions that we may have to face in the midst of our lives.

In our first reading today taken from the Book of Ecclesiastes or Qoheleth we heard the continuation of yesterday’s exhortation about how it is meaningless for us all to seek the earthly matters, glory, fame and worldly ambitions in our daily lives. We are reminded that if we continue to seek all those things, eventually we will regret it and we will not be satisfied no matter how much we seek all sorts of pleasures and satisfaction from the world. Today, we continue on this topic as the author of the Book of Ecclesiastes spoke about how there was time for everything, time for doing things and various activities, time for whatever we often seek to happen or desire in our lives. There is a time for every kind of good and bad things alike, and no matter what we do or try to do, there can be no true satisfaction and meaning for us to worry about what is beyond our control.

All of that were meant to remind us that if we fuss about too many things in this life and worry about things that we cannot and do not control or have a say in, then we may end up regretting everything that we have done. No amount of fussing, worrying or planning about our lives can truly satisfy our desires and wants, and in the end, just as I have mentioned yesterday, all these things that we planned, toiled and laboured for, all of them are temporary and illusory, and none of them will avail us on the Day of Judgment, especially if because all of those things, pursuits, ambitions and desires, we have forgotten, overlooked and ignored our true calling in life to serve the Lord and to follow Him in all the things that we do. As Christians, we are all expected to do what God has called us to do and to fulfil the missions we have been entrusted with.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Luke in which the Lord asked His disciples about who they thought He was, and all of them presented to Him the opinions that they gathered from those around them, as well as from all the news and words said and mentioned by everyone else, and their own thoughts, that He was one of the Prophets, one of the great Messenger of God, but St. Peter spoke courageously the words of his faith, representing the Apostles and the disciples in their belief that the Lord Jesus was none other than the Messiah of God, the Holy One and Son of God that has been promised unto us, which is the truth that Christ Himself has carefully revealed to the people throughout His ministry.

At the same time, He told them all not to speak of this yet, and the reason for this is because it was not yet His time to proclaim Himself and to fulfil the mission completely through His Passion. But at that occasion, He also predicted everything that would happen to Him, on how He would be rejected, betrayed and oppressed by His enemies and all those who refused to believe in Him and His truth. He also told them then, how He would then rise from the dead, resurrected in glory, triumphant over all of His enemies, and against sin and death itself. The Lord told His disciples all of these things so that they all might be reassured of His support and providence, and that they should not be worried or fussed over things when everything that He had said would happen, come to happen.

This is why, all of us have been told and reminded that as Christians often we may have to face and endure challenges and difficulties throughout our lives, enduring obstacles and hurdles in our journey as we continue to walk faithfully in our path towards God and His salvation. Each and every one of us should continue to do our best to support one another and to encourage each other so that no matter what we may encounter in our respective lives, we will continue to be strong in our faith and commitment to God, and we will continue to make progress in our path towards the Lord. We must not allow ourselves to be distracted and prevented from coming towards the Lord because we are so busy worrying about ourselves and our lives, and not having enough faith and trust in the Lord our God.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul, a great saint and man of God whose life and dedication to Him and also commitment to serve others around him should be great inspiration and examples for us all to follow in how we all should seek the Lord and do His will instead of seeking worldly pleasures and vainglory. God has shown us this great example of St. Vincent de Paul so that we ourselves may know how we should live our lives as good and faithful Christians. St. Vincent de Paul was born to a family of peasant farmers in France a few centuries ago, and was eventually sent to the seminary to further his education where he was then ordained as a priest at the young age of nineteen. He furthered his studies and then encountered an event that changed his life forever.

He was abducted by Barbary pirates that were rampant at the time and was enslaved for about two years in the region of Tunisia, and passed on from master to master, before eventually encountering a former priest that had apostasised to gain his own freedom from slavery. Eventually, St. Vincent de Paul and his last master resolved to escape back to France and found a way to secretly leave the place where both of them had been enslaved. After St. Vincent de Paul returned to his homeland, he was committed to a renewed zeal and desire to help others who were less fortunate, those who were poor and oppressed, remembering his own misfortune and hardships in life, which nonetheless did not make him lose his faith in the Lord. He founded the Vincentians and other charitable organisations that eventually led him to be made the patron of all charities, after he was canonised.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore continue to commit ourselves ever more faithfully to the Lord, striving to do our best and glorify Him by our exemplary, faithful and worthy lives. Let us all continue to be good examples and beacons of God’s light and truth in our respective communities, among all those whom we encounter in life. May the Lord bless each and every one of us so that by all the things that we say and do in our respective lives, we may continue to focus ourselves on the Lord and not to be distracted by the many temptations and pleasures of this world. May God be with us always, now and forevermore. Amen.

by

Friday, 27 September 2024 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Vincent de Paul, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 9 : 18-22

At that time, 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 the chief priests and the teachers of the Law, and be put to death. Then after three days He will be raised to life.”

by

Friday, 27 September 2024 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Vincent de Paul, Priest (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

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

Blessed be YHVH, my Rock, my loving God, my Fortress; my Protector snd Deliverer, my Shield; where I take refuge.

O YHVH, 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.

by

Friday, 27 September 2024 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Vincent de Paul, Priest (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Ecclesiastes (Qoheleth) 3 : 1-11

There is a given time for everything and a time for every happening under heaven : A time for giving birth, a time for dying; a time for planting, a time for uprooting. A time for killing, a time for healing; a time for knocking down, a time for building. A time for tears, a time for laughter; a time for mourning, a time for dancing.

A time for throwing stones, a time for gathering stones; a time for embracing, a time to refrain from embracing. A time for searching, a time for losing; a time for keeping, a time for throwing away. A time for tearing, a time for sewing; a time to be silent and a time to speak. A time for loving, a time for hating; a time for war, a time for peace.

What profit is there for a man from all his toils? Finally I considered the task God gave to the humans. He made everything fitting in its time, but He also set eternity in their hearts, although they are not able to embrace the work of God from the beginning to the end.

by

Friday, 20 September 2024 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Laurent Imbert, Bishop and Martyr, St. Jacques Chastan, Priest and Martyr, and St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, Priest and Martyr, and St. Paul Chong Ha-sang and Companions, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded that we are all believers in the Lord’s resurrection from the dear and the promise of the life that is to come for us with God. Each and every one of us as Christians are partakers of the Lord’s promise and the eternal life and grace which He will bless us all with, and which He has shown us and proven to us through the Resurrection which He Himself has experienced, gloriously risen from the dead and triumphant against all the forces of sin and evil, crushing forever the dominion and power of Satan, and opening for us all the sure path to eternal life and salvation with Him and in Him. Today we are reminded that as Christians, all of us ought to have firm and strong faith in Him and the resurrection.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in the city and region of Corinth in which the Apostle spoke to the Corinthian faithful with regards to the important and core Christian tenet and belief in the resurrection from the dead. There were likely those among the faithful in Corinth who did not truly believe in the resurrection from the dead, and they may not have believed in the Apostles and the other disciples who had come to them bearing the news of the Lord’s resurrection. Therefore, St. Paul reiterated again that the belief in the resurrection from the dead, particularly in the Resurrection of Our Lord is an essential and crucial part of our Christian beliefs and faith.

He stated that if the Lord had not risen from the dead, then all of their beliefs and faith in Him would have been useless, as if the Lord Jesus Himself had perished and been defeated by the power of Satan, by sin and death, by all of His enemies and all those who have persecuted and oppressed Him, then it would indeed be folly for any of them to believe in the Lord and His teachings. Then there would also have been no hope for any one of them to be able to overcome sin and death, and death itself would have been the end of everything. Among the Jewish people themselves, there were those like the Sadducees, the priestly elites who did not believe in the resurrection from the dead or in any forms of life after death. Even among the Jewish elders and traditions themselves there were many disagreements on this matter.

But St. Paul firmly spoke of the most fundamental Christian belief in the resurrection from the dead, and how the faithful ought to hold firmly to this faith, trusting that there is life and existence after death and end of our lives in this world as we know it to be. The Lord Himself has shown it, as He revealed Himself and His Risen glory right after He rose from the dead, reassuring all of His disciples and followers of the truth which He has told all of them. He reassured them that through the resurrection of the dead, all of them, and hence each and every one of us shall share in the glory of Our Lord’s Resurrection, and share the joy and happiness that He has promised to each and every one of us, the true and lasting happiness that can be found in Him alone, and this is the faith which all of us Christians share together as one beloved and holy people of God.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the short passage from the Gospel according to St. Luke in which the Lord’s ministry was highlighted to us, and we heard the names of several women being mentioned to us, and how the Lord went about many places healing people and performing miracles, casting out demons and helping many people out of their predicaments. Although that passage was rather short, it did show to us the dedication which many of the Lord’s disciples, particularly that of the women, who spent many efforts to help and facilitate the Lord’s ministry and works, and that also included St. Mary Magdalene, a woman from whom the Lord had cast out seven demons or evil spirits, and who later on would become a truly great and respected saint, highlighting to us again, how important it is for us as Christians to put our trust in the Lord, to follow Him wholehearted as always.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Korean Martyrs, or the Holy Martyrs of Korea, which are composed of many local Korean Christians and converts, both among the clergy and the laity alike, as well as the many missionaries who had come from distant lands, serving the Lord and His people, and all of whom endured great challenges, trials and sufferings amidst their ministry and living of their Christian faith. Today we remember all of these most courageous, faithful and loving people of God, who have borne the pains and struggles of being God’s faithful and beloved children and disciples, suffering prison, pains and sufferings, humiliations and hardships, and many of them even died as martyrs, choosing to die in faith rather than to give up their faith in God or to abandon Him and His Church.

At that time, the Korean state and government were very suspicious and hostile against the Christians and the missionaries who came to Korea to evangelise and proclaim the Lord and His Good News. They viewed the Christian faith and the missionaries as threat to their way of life and the authority of the state, as opposed to the strict Confucian nature of the society and the worldview of the time prevailing in Korea. And therefore, the state persecuted the Christians, both the foreign missionaries and also the local converts, oppressing and attacking them, forcing them to choose between their faith and suffering, or to obey the commands and demands of the state and abandoning their newfound faith and trust in the Lord.

St. Andrew Kim Taegon was particularly renowned among the saints and martyrs commemorated today as he was the first Korean Catholic priest, and he had a rough early life because his family, who had converted to the Christian faith were persecuted and he had his family members martyred for being followers of Christ. At a young age of fifteen, St. Andrew Kim Taegon chose to be baptised and then went to Macau to study as a seminarian and eventually was ordained as a priest in Shanghai in China. He later on returned to Korea to preach the Christian faith and Good News, evangelising to many of the people in his homeland. Eventually, he was persecuted with many other Christians, both missionaries, clergy and laity alike during intense persecutions against them, but he and the other faithful martyrs remained firmly faithful to the very end.

There was also the story of the faith of St. Laurent Imbert, the first Vicar Apostolic of Korea, the missionary which the Pope appointed to be the representative of the Church in Korea, laying down the important groundwork for the growth of Christianity in that area. St. Laurent Imbert dedicated himself to minister to the faithful people of God, the flock entrusted to his care by the Lord, despite the intensifying persecutions against him and many other missionaries. When he and the other missionaries had to go into hiding during those persecutions, St. Laurent Imbert voluntarily surrendered himself to the authorities, and encouraged two other priests to do the same as he hoped that by doing so, he might spare many other Christians, his own flock, from suffering more for being followers of Christ. Before he was martyred, he was remembered for his great quote from the Gospel, ‘The Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep.’, showing the action that he and the Lord Himself had done in ensuring our salvation and liberation from sin and destruction.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all be inspired by the faith and examples shown to us by the Holy Martyrs of Korea, those whose lives and dedication to God have been most exemplary and strong, and who have inspired us all to continue to live our lives with genuine and strong faith in the Lord as we should have always done. Each and every one of us as Christians have been called to commit ourselves thoroughly and wholeheartedly to the cause of the Lord, to be truly loving and generous with our compassion and mercy to one another, and to trust in the Lord’s providence and care, and in everything which He has reassured and promised us, the promise of everlasting life and true happiness, of glory everlasting with Him.

May the Lord our most loving, compassionate and merciful God continue to guide and strengthen us in our journey, and may He continue to empower and strengthen us in our resolve to live our lives worthily at all times, so that by each and every blessings and providence that He has given us, we may continue to stay firmly faithful in Him, dedicating ourselves to proclaim His truth, and be courageous witnesses of His glorious Resurrection, of His Good News and the everlasting life which He has promised to us. May God bless us all, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

by

Friday, 20 September 2024 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Laurent Imbert, Bishop and Martyr, St. Jacques Chastan, Priest and Martyr, and St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, Priest and Martyr, and St. Paul Chong Ha-sang and Companions, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Luke 8 : 1-3

At that time, Jesus walked through towns and countryside, preaching and giving the Good News of the kingdom of God. The Twelve followed Him, and also some women, who had been healed of evil spirits and diseases : Mary called Magdalene, who had been freed of seven demons; Joanna, wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward; Suzanna; and others, who provided for them out of their own funds.

by

Friday, 20 September 2024 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Laurent Imbert, Bishop and Martyr, St. Jacques Chastan, Priest and Martyr, and St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, Priest and Martyr, and St. Paul Chong Ha-sang and Companions, Martyrs (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 16 : 1, 6-7, 8b and 15

Hear a just cause, o Lord, listen to my complaint. Give heed to my prayer for there is no deceit on my lips.

I call on You, You will answer me, o God; incline Your ear and hear my word. For You do wonders for Your faithful, You save those fleeing from the enemy as they seek refuge at Your right hand.

Keep me as the apple of Your eye; under the shadow of Your wings hide me. As for me, righteous in Your sight, I shall see Your face and, awakening, gaze my fill on Your likeness.

by

Friday, 20 September 2024 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Laurent Imbert, Bishop and Martyr, St. Jacques Chastan, Priest and Martyr, and St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, Priest and Martyr, and St. Paul Chong Ha-sang and Companions, Martyrs (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

1 Corinthians 15 : 12-20

Well, then, if Christ is preached as risen from the dead, how can some of you say, that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is empty, and our belief comes to nothing. And we become false witnesses of God, attesting that He raised Christ, whereas He could not raise Him, if indeed, the dead are not raised.

If the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith gives you nothing, and you are still in sin. Also, those who fall asleep, in Christ, are lost. If it is only for this life, that we hope in Christ, we are the most unfortunate of all people. But no, Christ has been raised from the dead, and He comes before all those who have fallen asleep.