Liturgical Colour : White
Psalm 56 : 8-9, 10-12
My heart is steadfast, o God, my heart is steadfast. I will sing and make music. Awake, my soul, awake, o harp and lyre! I will wake the dawn.
I will give thanks to You, o Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praise to You among the nations. For Your love reaches to the heavens, and Your faithfulness, to the clouds. Be exalted, o God, above the heavens! Let Your Glory be over all the earth!
Liturgical Colour : White
Brothers and sisters in Christ, the love of God is eternal, and it is non-discriminatory, for God loves all, without looking at whether we are this or that certain race or upbringing or background. He knows all of the things inside our hearts and minds, and He knows all of us perfectly, and thus to those whom He know that we are obedient and true to His will, He will grant us His love and grace.
The Apostles in the first reading, revealed to the people, how the Lord loved all without differentiating between them, and how He loved the Gentiles as much as He had loved the Jews, so long as they believe in the Lord, and trust in His ways. The Lord blesses all who put their trust in Him and walk in His ways. He shows His favour to all of them.
Brethren, this is why it is essential for us to listen to God’s will and be with Him in all our dealings and actions in the future. We must adhere to the commandments and precepts of the Lord that we may always remain in the favour of God. Focus on the obedience of our hearts and minds more than the obedience of our bodies. This is because as I mentioned yesterday, the purity of the heart matters much more than mere purity of the exterior.
Today we celebrate the feast of St. Rita of Cascia, a holy, pious and fervent religious who was also a wife and a mother, who decided to join the consecrated life to God after the death of her husband and her sons. St. Rita of Cascia is truly an example to all peoples through her actions, as although she had a very wicked and immoral man as a husband, and enduring the torture and abuse that her husband heaped on her, she managed to convert him through her exemplary actions and deeds, which brought about a conversion in her husband into a much better man.
St. Rita of Cascia had quite a difficult life, as she lived through a period in Italy when feuds were very common among leading aristocratic families in different city-states of Italy. The feuds claimed the life of her husband, and while her husband’s family desired for revenge and they encouraged her sons to take revenge for their father, but St. Rita of Cascia tried in vain to persuade them not to do so.
She prayed to God to take her sons away rather than seeing them commit a mortal sin in their revenge and risk falling into hell. Her prayers were answered by the Lord who took them away when they died of dysentry just a year after that. In that, they were taken away to God’s presence and did not commit a sin that would have resulted in them falling into hell.
St. Rita of Cascia devoted herself to God after all that, and in her love, she united and reconciled the feuding families that had been involved in the death of her husband and many others in the city where she lived. She lived as a religious nun faithfully until the end of her life on earth. She received in a vision, the mystical and spiritual wound of Christ, the stigmata of our Lord Jesus Christ, on her forehead, at the site where the Lord wore His crown of thorns during His Passion.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, St. Rita of Cascia showed us, that we have to love, and propagate that love, and also promote forgiveness of others, especially those who had hurt us and caused troubles for us. We too should ask for forgiveness from others whom we have hurt and caused troubles for. We must not discriminate between peoples, but love all equally, for we are all children of the same God.
Let us now therefore pray, and with the intercession of St. Rita of Cascia that we may be genuinely transformed into beings of love, who follow the Lord in all His ways, seeking to love and to forgive, that we may ever bring goodness into this world. May God be with us and keep us in His grace, always. God bless us all. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : White
Psalm 95 : 1-2a, 2b-3, 10
Sing to the Lord a new song, sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless His Name.
Proclaim His salvation day after day. Recall His glory among the nations, tell all the peoples His wonderful deeds.
Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!” He will judge the peoples with justice.
Liturgical Colour : White
Psalm 32 : 1-2, 4-5, 18-19
Rejoice in the Lord, you who are just, praise is fitting for the upright. Give thanks to Him on the harp and lyre, making melody and chanting praises.
For upright is the Lord’s word and worthy of trust is His work. The Lord loves justice and righteousness; the earth is full of His kindness.
But the Lord’s eyes are upon those who fear Him, upon those who trust in His loving-kindness to deliver them from death and preserve them from famine.
Liturgical Colour : White
Brothers and sisters in Christ, do not harden our hearts against the Lord and do not close the doors of our hearts against the Lord who constantly tries to seek to enter our hearts and speak to us, and do not close our ears and senses against the Lord who seeks to communicate with us, that we may not just listen to Him, but also allow ourselves to be transformed by Him into beings capable of love and goodness.
Do not be persistent in our ignorance and lack of understanding, that we do not end up like the elites among the Jews who feared that their authority and power would be undermined by Christ and hence persisted in their rejection of Jesus. Let us also not be hard at heart and mind, thinking that we know it all or have the knowledge to be able to know everything, as these are common mistakes that men tends to make and therefore bring them into the pits of damnation.
Many of the problems today lie in the arrogance and pride of mankind, who thinks that we can understand everything by ourselves and explain everything around us with the limitation of our minds and our intellect. Rather than using the gifts God had granted them with humility and passion to do things that are good and favourable in the eyes of God, we use them for various wrong and wicked reasons.
Many people today left the faith of their fathers, who had kept the faith truthfully for ages, just because they doubted the Lord and His truth, and rather than trusting in the Lord and His clear and unmistakeable revelations, mankind prefer to depend on their flawed senses and imperfect wisdom. They prefer to trust in their observations and understandings of the world, which result in their lack of faith.
Those who refuse to see the truth did so because they think that God does not exist. After all, according to them, they cannot prove using human means that He exists. It seems so because using physical means known to man, we cannot see God, we cannot listen to God’s sound, nor can we physically and directly touch Him. But why does the Faith persists so strongly then? Those people mentioned said that we are ignorant and superstitious, where in fact, they are referring to themselves when they said so.
There is one way through which mankind had been able to experience God directly and without any impediment. And that is none other than Jesus Christ, who is God, and who is Son, but who has assumed flesh and become Man, to be one of us. Those who saw Jesus, who met Jesus, who listened to Jesus and His words, and those who touched Him and had been touched by Him therefore had been in contact with the Lord Himself.
The Apostles and the many disciples of Jesus Christ who saw and witnessed all these therefore became the ones who proclaimed the truth about God and His love, and what further proof from God is necessary other than for Him to voluntarily suffer and die in place of us, on the cross, to bear the countless sins and punishments due for us? And what greater proof is necessary, other than His resurrection that brought about life and the promise of salvation to all who believe in Him?
It is sad indeed how mankind had fallen into gross indecency and ingratitude by refusing the great love, care and mercy that God had showered us with, and instead chose to persist in our rebelliousness. We cannot allow this to continue, brothers and sisters in Christ. Remember, Christ died for us, and He died for us so that we may live. That is the truth, and that is our faith.
So, on this occasion, I hope and pray that our faith may be strengthened and may our souls be affirmed in the Lord, that we will not easily stumble or be persuaded to turn against the One who loves us very much that He gave Himself for our sake. And let us also pray and act such that those who refuse to believe in God and His truth, and those who adamantly closed their hearts and minds to God may see the light of truth and believe.
God be with all of His people, and may all be blessed! Amen.
Liturgical Colour : Red
Psalm 112 : 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8
Alleluia! Praise, o servants of the Lord, praise the Name of the Lord! Blessed be the Name of the Lord now and forever!
From eastern lands to the western islands, may the Name of the Lord be praised! The Lord is exalted over the nations, His glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God, who sits enthroned on high, but also bends down to see on earth as in heaven?
He lifts up the poor from the dust and the needy from the ash heap. He makes them sit with princes, with rulers of His people.
Liturgical Colour : White
Psalm 86 : 1-3, 4-5, 6-7
He Himself has built in His holy mountain; the Lord prefers the gates of Zion to all of Jacob’s towns. Great things have been foretold of you, o city of God.
Between friends we speak of Egypt and Babylon; and also Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia : “Here so-and-so was born.” But of Zion it shall be said, “More and more are being born in her.” For the Most High Himself has founded her.
And the Lord notes in the people’s register : “All these were also born in Zion.” And all will dance and sing joyfully for You.
Alternative Reading (Mass of our Lady of Fatima)
Psalm 44 : 11-12, 14-15, 16-17
Listen, o daughter, pay attention; forget your father’s house and your nation, and your beauty will charm the King, for He is your Lord.
All glorious as she enters is the princess in her gold-woven robes. She is led in royal attire to the King, following behind is her train of virgins.
Amid cheers and general rejoicing, they enter the palace of the King. Forget your fathers and think of your sons, you will make them princes throughout the land.
Liturgical Colour : White
Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we proceed on this Easter celebration, we have to always keep in mind the truth about Christ that we preach and which we have learnt through the teachings of the Church, in the living God, Jesus Christ, who had risen from the dead after He suffered and died for our sake on the cross, and that this God loves us so much by giving us this Saviour, through whom we may gain new life and complete freedom from the dominion of death.
Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ gave us the new life that is free from the fear of death and the damnation of the soul. This new life is a gift that He granted freely to all the faithful and to all those who keep the faith in God. And by the giving of Himself, freely and without coercion, to us through the sacrifice on the cross, and which He gave us also in the Holy Eucharist, He gave us life eternal.
The living bread which came down from heaven, the Lord Almighty and Eternal God, and yet One who willingly laid down His life for all of His beloved people. Through His gift of Himself, we gain life and one that is eternal. Yes, that is how important is the Eucharist to us, and we should never, ever take the Eucharist lightly, no matter what happens.
Sadly, many have failed to realise this, and they ended up getting further and further away from the salvation promised by God. They refused to listen to the Lord and His life-giving words, just as their ancestors had done long ago, much like the rejection of the elders and chief priests of the people of Israel against Jesus. They rejected this love and this perfect and total gift from the Lord for their own good, and instead took pleasures at the world and all that it had to offer.
That is why it is important for us not just to be complacent in our faith. We have to know the Lord’s commandments and His will for us, and not just knowing it, but also to understand it in its entirety. Otherwise, if we do not know His commandments, then we will be lost among the currents and the evils in this world, and we will perish.
At the same time, if we know the commandments of God but fail to understand them in its true meaning and purpose, then we will end up most likely like the Pharisees and the chief priests, knowing the Law and the details, and indeed too much on the details while failing to understand the purpose of the Law revealed through Moses, despite constant reminders by the prophets sent by the Lord, and at last, including Jesus Himself.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, we have to understand what God wants from all of us. God wants our love, first and foremost, that we dedicate ourselves completely to Him in love, and therefore gain His love and grace in return. That is what He gave us through Jesus His Son. God did not just come down into this world for nothing, and He came precisely for a specific purpose that is to bring mankind back to Him, which He accomplished through His death and resurrection.
Hence, brothers and sisters in Christ, we who believe in the Lord and in His will for us all mankind, it is now up to us all, to continue the good works began by the Apostles, to carry out the mission entrusted by God to them. We have been entrusted with this mission to enlighten the people who still live in darkness and return them into the light of God. Thus, it is imperative for us all to also be faithful and be dedicated in our lives to God, and hence we may bring mankind closer to God as Christ had done.
Brethren, let us proclaim the Lord and the life that He brings to us. Let us help one another to bring each other closer to God, and experience a genuine and complete transformation in our lives, that in all that we do, all of our words, actions and deeds will reflect who we are, the children of the Lord who is good and perfect in all things. God be with us all. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : White
Psalm 65 : 1-3a, 4-5, 6-7a
Shout with joy to God, all you on earth; sing to the glory of His Name; proclaim His glorious praise. Say to God, “How great are Your deeds!”
All the earth bows down to You, making music in praise of You, singing in honour of Your Name. Come and see God’s wonders, His deeds awesome for humans.
He has turned the sea into dry land, and the river was crossed on foot. Let us, therefore, rejoice in Him. He rules by His might forever.
Liturgical Colour : White
Psalm 15 : 1-2a and 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11
Keep me safe, o God, for in You I take refuge. I say to the Lord, “O Lord, my inheritance and my cup, my chosen portion – hold secure my lot.”
I bless the Lord who counsels me; even at night my inmost self instructs me. I keep the Lord always before me; for with Him at my right hand, I will never be shaken.
My heart, therefore, exults, my soul rejoices; my body too will rest assured. For You will not abandon my soul to the grave, nor will You suffer Your Holy One to see decay in the land of the dead.
You will show me the path of life, in Your presence the fullness of joy, at Your right hand happiness forever.
