Friday

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Friday, 13 September 2024 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day all of us listened to the words of the Lord contained in the Sacred Scriptures in which we are reminded not to be proud, arrogant or egoistic in how we carry on living our lives. Instead, the greater we are, and the more knowledgeable we are, the wiser and the better we are, the more we should be humble and willing to listen to others, especially the Lord Himself in how we should be living our lives. We must not allow our ego and pride to become our downfall and be the serious obstacles and challenges in our path, preventing us from truly being able to approach the Lord and be filled with His grace and love. If we allow ourselves to be swayed by those evils and ambitions, and if we harden and close our hearts and minds against Him and against others, then more often than not we may find ourselves falling into the wrong path in life.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and faithful people of God in Corinth in which the Apostle spoke of the matter about his ministry and how he did not boast about his accomplishments and achievements before everyone. Instead, he highlighted that being Christians, that is as the disciples and followers of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, one must be more humble and focused on the Lord in all things, rather than to be proud and full of oneself. He reminded all Christians to be always vigilant against the various temptations of worldly glory and ambitions, all of which can lead one astray and away from the Lord and His salvation unless we are careful and vigilant in how we live our lives.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard the Lord Jesus speaking to His disciples and followers in which He rebuked those hypocrites and those who have been blinded by their arrogance, pride and greed that they failed to see the truth of God and His love. He was clearly referring to the actions and attitudes of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, many of whom had not welcomed Him and in fact opposed Him vehemently, always making a lot of efforts to put stumbling blocks and obstacles in the path that the Lord had taken, opposing His ministry and good works, doubting Him and His authority, sowing seeds of dissension and divisions by their constant and repeated efforts at refusing to follow the Lord and what He has taught and shown to the people of God.

All these likely came about because of their great pride and sense of self-entitlement given their standing in the community of the people of God, as well as their strong sense of superiority against those others whom they deemed to be inferior and less worthy than they were, so much so that they frequently criticised and condemned many people, such as the tax collectors, prostitutes and those afflicted by diseases, thinking that those people were wicked and unworthy of God, and had been cursed by their many sins. But they failed to realise that they themselves were sinners and by their indulging in their pride, ego and ambition, they have allowed themselves to be led into the path of rebellion against God, and closed the doors of their heart from the Lord.

That was why they were ‘blind’ because they had been blinded by all that pride and ego, all of which kept them from truly being able to appreciate the truth and Good News which the Lord had brought into our midst. This is an important reminder therefore for each and every one of us not to fall into this same trap, falling into the same predicament of hardening our hearts and minds, closing ourselves off from the Lord and His ever generous offer of love and His truth. We should instead be more humble, the greater we are. We must not let all these pride and wickedness of the world to distract us from our true goal in Christ, in His truth and love, His grace and salvation. We must always be willing to let the Lord to come into our hearts and minds, while humbly seeking Him to forgive us all our own sins and imperfections.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. John Chrysostom, a great servant of God and bishop, who was honoured afterwards as one of the great and esteemed Doctors of the Church for his many contributions and works, and his commitment to God in the early periods of the Church’s history. St. John Chrysostom was one of the famous Early Church fathers who dedicated himself to his mission of evangelisation and care for the flock of God’s holy and beloved people and who was remembered well for his great courage and determination to stand up for his beliefs and convictions amidst the various challenges and difficulties that he might have to face in the process of his efforts and works, in his commitment as a good and faithful shepherd of the Lord’s people. St. John Chrysostom is truly a worthy role model for all of us to follow in how we ought to live our lives with faith.

St. John Chrysostom was born in a pagan family to a high-ranking military officer who died early in St. John Chrysostom’s life. His mother raised him and gave him good education in various areas of academics and other philosophical pursuits. However, he soon developed strong desire to learn more about God, devoting his time more to his Christian faith and embraced deep learning of theology. He then became a hermit for a while, adopting an ascetic lifestyle, before becoming a deacon in Antioch, gaining great popularity for his great charism and eloquence in his service and dedication, in his wonderful style of preaching and teaching to the people regarding various matters of the faith. Eventually, he was chosen as the Archbishop of Constantinople, a position of truly great influence in the Roman Empire at that time, being the Eastern capital of the Empire.

During his time as the Archbishop and shepherd of the flock of the people of God in Constantinople, St. John Chrysostom had to face a lot of challenges and difficulties, as he soon gained the enmity and the wrath of the powerful nobles, especially that of the Roman Empress Eudoxia, the wife of the Emperor Arcadius. The Empress was angry at St. John Chrysostom spoke out courageously against excesses of worldly wealth and also display of feminine elegance and ornamentations, which she presumed to be directed against her. She therefore managed to get him to be banished from his See and persecuted, which led to violent opposition by those who supported St. John Chrysostom, and this, coupled with the omen of an earthquake that struck the very night the man of God was arrested led to him being released and reinstated. However, the troubles did not end there are conflicts kept on going between the Empress and the Archbishop of Constantinople, which led him to be exiled again and persecuted to the end of his life. But all these did not dampen his efforts, and St. John Chrysostom remained firmly faithful to the very end.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be inspired by the faithful examples of St. John Chrysostom, who dedicated himself wholly and thoroughly to God, and that he spoke up courageously against those who abused their power and against all those who acted with pride, ego and arrogance, and who humbly dedicated himself to God and His people despite his status and the prestige that he enjoyed. He did not allow himself to be swayed by the temptations of sin, of pride and ego, of ambition and greed. Each and every one of us should be inspired to follow in his footsteps and continue to do our best so that we may grow ever stronger in our faith and commitment to God, and we may distance ourselves from all the things that may lead to our downfall and destruction, and keeping us away from God. May the Lord be with us all and may He continue to bless us in all of our efforts and endeavours, to come ever closer to Him, now and always. Amen.

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Friday, 13 September 2024 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 6 : 39-42

At that time, Jesus offered this example, “Can a blind person lead another blind person? Surely both will fall into a ditch. A disciple is not above the master; but when fully trained, he will be like the master. So why do you pay attention to the speck in your brother’s eye, while you have a log in your eye, and are not conscious of it?”

“How can you say to your neighbour, ‘Friend, let me take this speck out of your eye,’ when you cannot remove the log in your own? You hypocrite! First remove the log from your own eye, and then you will see clearly enough to remove the speck from your neighbour’s eye.”

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Friday, 13 September 2024 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 83 : 3, 4, 5-6, 12

My soul yearns; pines, for the courts of YHVH. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest where she may lay her young, at Your altars, o YHVH of hosts, my King and my God!

Happy are those who live in Your house, continually singing Your praise! Happy, the pilgrims whom You strengthen, to make the ascent to You.

For YHVH God is a sun and a shield; He bestows favour and glory. YHVH withholds no good thing from those who walk in uprightness.

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Friday, 13 September 2024 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

1 Corinthians 9 : 16-19, 22b-27

Because I cannot boast of announcing the Gospel : I am bound to do it. Woe to me, if I do not preach the Gospel! If I preached voluntarily, I could expect my reward, but I have been trusted with this office, against my will. How can I, then, deserve my reward? In announcing the Gospel, I will do it freely, without making use of the rights given to me by the Gospel.

So, feeling free with everybody, I have become everybody’s slave, in order to gain a greater number. So, I made myself all things to all people, in order to save, by all possible means, some of them. This, I do, for the Gospel, so that I, too, have a share of it.

Have you not learnt anything from the stadium? Many run, but only one gets the prize. Run, therefore, intending to win it, as athletes, who impose upon themselves a rigorous discipline. Yet, for them the wreath is of laurels which wither, while for us, it does not wither.

So, then, I run, knowing where I go. I box, but not aimlessly in the air. I punish my body and control it, lest, after preaching to others, I myself should be rejected.

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Friday, 6 September 2024 : 22nd Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, each and every one of us who have accepted Him as our Lord and Saviour, as Christian believers, and as those whom God had called and chosen, we have to commit ourselves to the teachings and to the path that the Lord has shown us, that each and every one of us adhere to the truth which the Lord our God has been showing us, that we are all truly His disciples and followers in all things and at all circumstances. We must not be merely obeying the Lord outwardly and as formalities, paying lip service to Him while our hearts and minds are not focused or aligned to Him and His ways.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in the city and region of Corinth in what is today part of Greece, in which the Apostle exhorted the people of God there to live their lives faithfully as the disciples and followers of the Lord in all things, because each and every one of them had been entrusted as stewards of this world and all that God had created. And as the stewards of the Lord’s creation and this world, all of us should do our best to be exemplary in how we carry out ourselves and our actions, words and deeds at every possible moments and opportunities so that in each and every things that we do, we will proclaim the Lord our God faithfully and worthily through even the smallest things that we say and do.

We are all reminded that as Christians, we cannot and should not be idle in how we live our lives with faith and with the conviction as well as desire to love and serve the Lord, and also His beloved people, our fellow brothers and sisters in our midst and in our community. We should always be committed to have a good and worthy faith in the Lord, to be righteous and just in each and every actions and deeds, in our every words and interactions with one another. As Christians we must be truly the beacons of God’s light and grace, be illuminated with His truth and filled with His generous and compassionate love. We should be inspiration, strength and examples for our fellow brethren so that we can help each other to remain true and firmly faithful to the path that the Lord has shown and led us through in life. We cannot conform to the ways of the world or live in manner or ways that contradict our beliefs in God.

Then in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the parable which the Lord Jesus used to teach His disciples and followers about the compatibility between His Law and commandments, His teachings and ways to the way and interpretations that were done before His revelation of truth. In that parable we heard how the Lord spoke about the incompatibility of old wineskin and new wine, as well as new wineskin and old wine, adding on the examples of new patch of cloth being used to fix a hole or damage on an old cloth, and vice versa. All of these incompatible combinations eventually would lead to friction and problems, and which the Lord highlighted through the parable to make the people understand that following His path and ways would often mean that they might have to abandon the ways and paths commonly known or acceptable to the world.

It was a subtle rebuke made by the Lord against the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, as well as the chief priests and the Sadducees, all those people who had not truly obeyed the Lord in the right way, and who had chosen to believe in the Lord according to their own flawed and incomplete interpretations and understanding. The Lord told the people and all those who followed Him that to be His disciples and followers, they cannot remain faithful and obedient to God in the manner that the Pharisees and those teachers of the Law, the chief priests and the Sadducees had obeyed the Law. They had to listen to Him and what He had revealed and spoken before them so that they could truly be faithful to the Lord in the right manner, or else, that would lead to conflict and obstacles in their path.

This is also a reminder for us all as Christians that being a follower of Christ often requires us to commit ourselves beyond just the externals and appearances. To be true Christians, we may often be required to commit ourselves in making the changes and realignments needed so that our lives may truly be centred in the Lord, and no longer be against or in opposition against His path and ways. Each and every one of us as Christians are called and expected to resist the temptations of the world to sin and to disobey the Lord. With the revelation of God’s truth which we have received from His own Son, and which He has told and passed down to us through His Church, we are all called to adopt His new path and embrace wholeheartedly this way, rejecting the old ways of sin and worldliness.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this is why we are challenged and reminded that as the followers and disciples of the Lord, we cannot remain idle or forget our calling to be missionary and evangelising, to be truly active in walking down the path of righteousness, obeying Him and entrusting to Him all of our actions and efforts, in each and every moments of our lives.  As Christians, we should continue to strive to embrace God’s ways and be ever more committed to live our lives worthily and inspire one another, fellow brothers and sisters in doing the same as well. We should keep up our efforts to glorify the Lord by each and every one of our lives’ moments and actions.

May the Lord continue to guide each and every one of us, strengthening and empowering all of us so that in our every efforts and endeavours, in each and every moments of our lives, we will always strive to do what God has taught and shown us to do. May He continue to encourage us all to embrace His love and compassion, His patient guidance and help, so that we will be good and faithful stewards of His creation, to be exemplary in all things at all times. May God bless us all in our every good works, efforts and endeavours, now and forevermore. Amen.