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 : Red
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the Feast of not just one but two of the Twelve Apostles of the Lord, namely that of St. Philip the Apostle and St. James the Apostle. The latter should not be confused with St. James the brother of St. John the Apostle, who was also an Apostle of the Lord. This St. James whose feast we are celebrating today with St. Philip was also known as St. James the Less or St. James the Lesser, called so not because he was less distinguished but rather because he was physically shorter than St. James the Greater, the brother of St. John. Both St. Philip and St. James the Less dedicated themselves to the Lord and to the missions entrusted to them, and they were faithful to the very end of their lives.
St. Philip was mentioned several times throughout the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles, as he accompanied the Lord on His mission and doing the works of the disciples of the Lord, and later on after the Lord had died, risen from the dead, and finally ascended into Heaven, St. Philip would go forth and do just as the other Apostles had done, in proclaiming the Good News of the Lord to many people, initially in the regions of Samaria where quite a few among the Samaritans had been receptive and welcoming towards the Lord and His messages and truth. St. Philip therefore continued the good works that the Lord and His disciples had begun in that region, as he laboured hard to preach the truth of God to more and more people.
According to the Acts of the Apostles, St. Philip was the one who preached the Good News to an Ethiopian official who was on his way back home from Jerusalem. St. Philip spoke with great wisdom and truth, and managed to convince the Ethiopian official, who agreed to be baptised and becoming a disciple of Christ, and hence, bringing the Christian faith back to his Ethiopian homeland. St. Philip would continue to carry on various works for the Lord, going forth on missionary journeys to various places, such as Greece, Syria and Asia Minor, where he spent time and effort going from place to place, town to town to spread the Gospels and to teach the people about the Lord, about His truth and salvation. Through his efforts, many were converted to the faith and became believers, although he did encounter significant opposition and obstacles as well.
St. Philip went through lots of tribulations and yet he still courageously carried on with his responsibilities, spending much time and sacrifices to do the will of God, endlessly and faithfully carrying out the mission entrusted to him. According to Apostolic tradition of the Church fathers, like most of the other Apostles, he went through sufferings and martyrdom at the end of his ministry and life, which happened in the region of Hierapolis in Asia Minor, where he performed his preaching and miracles, which led to the healing and conversion of the wife of the local proconsul, which enraged the latter and led him to order the arrest, torture and finally the martyrdom of both St. Philip and another Apostle, St. Bartholomew, who in some traditions were crucified upside-down.
Meanwhile, St. James the Less also carried out similar works of evangelisation and spreading of the Good News, beginning from the land of Judea and then to other places. Less information were available about him due to the frequent confusion between the identity of the one identified as St. James the Less, as some attributed him to St. James, son of Alpheus, one of the Twelve, and yet others attributed him to one St. James the Just, who was the first bishop of Jerusalem, and who was one of the Lord’s relative. Regardless of the true facts or the true identity of St. James, he did wonderful works for the Lord’s sake, and he patiently endured all the challenges and trials, guiding the faithful people of God to the right path, and was also martyred at the end of his life and ministry.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we recall the memory of their great faith and contribution to the Church and the faithful people of God, we remember how St. Philip and St. James the Less dedicated themselves to the Lord and spent their whole lives and ministries in trying to proclaim the truth and Good News of God to more and more people. They did not spare the effort and not even their own lives in doing so, and by their great examples and way of life, they have truly shown everyone what it truly means to be a disciple and follower of Christ, and how one should truly live his or her life so that he or she can truly be worthy of Him. The Lord had guided and strengthened them, and in the same manner, He has also guided and strengthened many others of our predecessors who have given their lives and efforts to glorify the Lord.
Now, what each and every one of us are called to do is to embrace God’s calling, to take up the missions which He had entrusted to us, in all the great diversities and types of missions, vocations and whatever it is that we have been entrusted with, in the various commitments, opportunities and in all the talents and abilities that we have been blessed with. Each and every one of us as members and parts of the Church of God, the same Body of Christ, are the ones who have been entrusted with the same missions as those of the Apostles. Therefore, we are also expected to do our best to proclaim the Lord, His Good News and truth to all the people in all the occasions and opportunities we have been presented with in our respective lives.
Let us all therefore continue to live our lives most worthily in the Lord, doing our very best so that in everything that we say and do we will always be ready to glorify God by our lives. Let us all be ever ready to walk the path that the Lord has shown us, even amidst the trials, challenges and obstacles that we may face in our daily living. Let the examples of the Holy Apostles, especially St. Philip and St. James continue to strengthen and encourage us to do our best in being worthy and faithful evangelisers and missionaries of the Lord, in even the smallest things that we do, in showing God’s Love and truth to all the people, through our own exemplary lives and actions. May the Risen Lord be with us all and may He empower us all to do His will, and to be His faithful disciples always. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : Red
John 14 : 6-14
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. If you know Me, you will know the Father also; indeed you know Him, and you have seen Him.”
Philip asked Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and that is enough.” Jesus said to him, “What! I have been with you so long and you still do not know Me, Philip? Whoever sees Me sees the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me?”
“All that I say to you, I do not say of Myself. The Father Who dwells in Me is doing His own work. Believe Me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; at least believe it on the evidence of these works that I do. Truly, I say to you, the one who believes in Me will do the same works that I do; and he will even do greater than these, for I am going to the Father.”
“Everything you ask in My Name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Indeed, anything you ask, calling upon My Name, I will do.”
Liturgical Colour : Red
Psalm 18 : 2-3, 4-5
The heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament proclaims the work of His hands. Day talks it over with day; night hands on the knowledge to night.
No speech, no words, no voice is heard – but the call goes on throughout the universe, the message is felt to the ends of the earth.
Liturgical Colour : Red
1 Corinthians 15 : 1-8
Let me remind you, brothers and sisters, of the Good News that I preached to you and which you received and on which you stand firm. By that Gospel you are saved, provided that you hold to it as I preached it. Otherwise, you will have believed in vain.
In the first place, I have passed on to you what I myself received that Christ died for our sins, as Scripture says; that He was buried; that He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures; that He appeared to Cephas and then to the Twelve. Afterwards He appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters together; most of them are still alive, although some have already gone to rest.
Then He appeared to James and after that to all the Apostles. And last of all, He appeared to the most despicable of them, this is to me.
Liturgical Colour : White
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded to keep our trust and faith in the Lord, our Saviour in Whom all of us have believed in, that we must always embody our faith in Him in all of our actions and ways of living our lives. Each and every one of us must continue to testify our faith in the Risen Lord, in proclaiming His Good News and salvation to everyone we encounter in our daily lives, and showing the examples of our faithful lives through our commitment and dedication to God’s path. All of us must first of all be committed to the Lord before we can expect others to follow the Lord as well. If our own lives and actions do not adhere to the truth of God and if we wander off from His path, then how can we expect others to believe in the Lord as well? Worse still, if we scandalise our faith and the Lord, we may keep others away from God and His salvation.
In our first reading today, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles in which St. Paul the Apostle during one of his missionary journeys to the cities in Asia Minor was visiting the Jewish community in Pisidia, and in their synagogue he taught them about the events that happened surrounding the Lord Jesus’ life and ministry and how He had been persecuted by the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem, by the members of the Jewish High Council or the Sanhedrin, who arrested Him and handed Him to the Roman authorities, crucified to death. St. Paul spoke courageously to the Jewish community there, revealing the identity and truth about this Messiah or Saviour, Who in truth was not just a mere Man or Prophet, but was in fact the Son of God incarnate in the flesh, by Whose coming and by Whose actions He had redeemed all the whole world.
Some of the Jews there in the diaspora community were receptive of the message and embraced the Lord and His truth, becoming some of the members of the early Christian community while some others were not so receptive. St. Paul received good response in some occasions while in others, he did not have such a good response, and was rejected by the Jewish community, persecuted and opposed. In Pisidia, St. Paul received a generally warm welcome from the community and quite a few of the people believed in Christ through what the Apostle had told them. St. Paul was taking a great risk in proclaiming the Risen Lord among the Jewish community, given that the Jewish authorities had specifically ordered that the disciples of the Lord must not teach in the Name of the Risen Lord.
Nonetheless, St. Paul remained firm in his conviction and commitment to proclaim the Lord and His truth despite the challenges and tribulations that he had to face amidst his mission. He did not allow all those things to keep him from doing what is best in accordance to the mission entrusted to him. The Lord guided, helped and strengthened St. Paul throughout his journeys and efforts, so that despite the oppositions and threats he encountered, all the failures and obstacles he faced, he continued enduring them all and moving onward nonetheless, showing many others the inspiration and good example in how one ought to live their lives as good and committed Christians, in proclaiming God’s love, truth and Good News through their actions, words and deeds.
In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the words of the Lord Jesus Himself, reassuring His disciples and followers that He is and will always be with them, regardless everything that may happen to them and all the sufferings and trials that they may have to endure amidst their ministry and works. The Lord has reassured all of them that He has prepared the path forward for them, and He was preparing the way for them, for the eternal and true glory with Him, referring to the ultimate triumph and victory which they shall all enjoy with Him at the end of time. Despite all the trials and hardships that they themselves would have to endure just as the Lord Himself had suffered, the Lord would always be with His faithful ones, and with His beloved Church, the sheep of His flock.
The Lord has sent out all of His disciples and followers, and that includes all of us, His beloved people, to be His missionaries and servants, to proclaim His truth and Good News to the whole entire world. He has entrusted to us this very important mission so that more and more people may be saved and brought out from the depth of darkness and damnation, which His light and grace alone can provide. If we ignore and abandon our responsibilities and works, and all the opportunities which the Lord had provided to us, then many people may end up remaining lost and separated from the Lord. All of us have been entrusted with this responsibility to help our fellow brothers and sisters to find their way to the Lord, our loving God and Creator.
Therefore, through what we have heard in our Scripture passages today, we are all reminded that as the disciples and followers of Our Lord and God, we must always strive to do our best in all things, to commit everything we do to the Lord, and to be the shining beacons of His light and truth, to allow His light to shine in us, and that our lives may be the bright shining examples for everyone around us, that through us, the Light of God may help many others to overcome the darkness present in this world, which threaten to lead us into our downfall and destruction. However, if we always strive to do what is according to God’s will and path, and resist the temptations of sin and evil, we will be able to find the way out of the darkness and into the Light of God.
May the Risen Lord continue to help us in our path and journey as faithful and dedicated Christians. Let us all not be afraid to proclaim Him faithfully in our lives, doing our best to live our lives each day that we may help more and more souls to come ever closer towards the Lord. May He empower and strengthen us all to be able to persevere and endure the challenges and trials in our lives and path. May He bless our every good efforts and endeavours, now and always. 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 