Gospel Reading

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Wednesday, 30 March 2016 : First Week of Easter, Wednesday within Easter Octave (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard about the healing of the beggar by St. Peter and St. John, the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, when through the power of His Name, they made him whole again and was able to walk once again. Thus, the actions of the two Apostles showed how if we place our trust in Jesus, we shall never be disappointed.

In the Gospel, we also heard how the two disciples of Jesus who were on their way to the village of Emmaus outside of Jerusalem, encountered Jesus along the way. The two disciples expressed their doubts about Jesus and what had happened to Him in the events of the previous week. The suffering and death of Jesus had shattered their confidence and their faith, because they would have thought that it would be impossible for the Messiah to have suffered as He had suffered.

But Jesus walked alongside them and talked to them, and as He spoke to them, He opened their minds, and brought the understanding of the Word of God to their hearts. And with the warmth of the Lord and His love entering their hearts, a new faith and confidence blossomed in them, so that a heart once burdened with fear, anxiety, despair, hopelessness and with the lack of faith now found a new hope, a new light in Christ.

God did not abandon all those who are faithful to Him. Instead, He gave them strength, encouragement and guidance, so that they may find courage to persevere and to continue walking in His path, as difficult and challenging as it was. God will guide us as we walk with Him, and He will lift us up on the last day, to bring upon each other, the salvation and life which He had promised us all who believe in Him.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day, we are all asked to reflect on our Lord Jesus and His love for us. Through Him, the beggar who was paralysed and who was unable to walk, became able to walk once again, having his limbs strengthened once again. And through Him also, the two disciples who were going to Emmaus, were lifted up in their hearts, from a darkness of despair into the new light of hope.

In all these, we can see how God is our Hope, our Redeemer and Saviour. Through Him we all receive healing and succour from our troubles, be it the troubles of the body and flesh, or of the hearts and the minds, or of our souls. But all these do not come without faith, without the proper disposition that all of us must have in believing in our Lord and in all that He has taught us.

It was because of his faith, believing that God could make him well, that the beggar was healed and made whole. Similarly, throughout the Gospels, we should have also witnessed how many people who were sick and with ailments, were healed by the loving touch of our Lord. And in various occasions, many people who believed in Jesus were healed from their respective ailments.

Therefore, all of us will also receive the same healing and succour, if we are to put our renewed trust in the Lord, placing our faith in Him. Let us in this Easter season grow to love our Lord with ever more zeal and spirit, and let us all help one another in overcoming our fears, anxieties and uncertainties, and seek the Lord and His salvation in all things. May God bless us all, now and forever. Amen.

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Wednesday, 30 March 2016 : First Week of Easter, Wednesday within Easter Octave (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 24 : 13-35

At that time, the same day as the day of the resurrection of Jesus, two followers of His were going to Emmaus, a village seven miles from Jerusalem, and they talked about what had happened. While they were talking and arguing about what had happened, Jesus came up and walked with them, but their eyes were not able to recognise Him.

He asked, “What is it you are talking about?” The two stood still, looking sad. Then the one named Cleophas answered, “Why, it seems You are the only traveller to Jerusalem Who does not know what has happened there these past few days.” And He asked, “What is it?”

They replied, “It is about Jesus of Nazareth. He was a Prophet, You know, mighty in word and deed before God and the people. But the chief priests and our rulers sentenced Him to death. They handed Him over to be crucified. We had hoped that He would redeem Israel.”

“It is now the third day since all this took place. It is also true that some women of our group have disturbed us. When they went to the tomb at dawn, they did not find His Body; and they came and told us that they had had a vision of Angels, who said that Jesus was alive. Some of our people went to the tomb and found everything just as the women had said, but they did not find a Body in the tomb.”

He said to them, “How dull you are, how slow of understanding! Is the message of the prophets too difficult for you to understand? Is it not written that the Christ should suffer all this, and then enter His glory?” Then starting with Moses, and going through the prophets, He explained to them everything in the Scriptures concerning Himself.

As they drew near the village they were heading for, Jesus made as if to go farther. But they prevailed upon Him, “Stay with us, for night comes quickly. The day is now almost over.” So He went in to stay with them. When they were at table, He took the bread, said a blessing, broke it, and gave each a piece.

Then their eyes were opened, and they recognised Him; but He vanished out of their sight. And they said to one another, “Were not our hearts filled with ardent yearning when He was talking to us on the road and explaining the Scriptures?” They immediately set out and returned to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and their companions gathered together.

They were greeted by these words : “Yes, it is true, the Lord is risen! He has appeared to Simon!” Then the two told what had happened on the road to Emmaus, and how Jesus had made Himself known, when He broke bread with them.

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Tuesday, 29 March 2016 : First Week of Easter, Tuesday within Easter Octave (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard more about the testimony of faith by St. Peter the Apostle, after they have received the Holy Spirit, the Advocate God had promised to them. The disciples of Jesus were once afraid to even come out in the open, and after Jesus had died on the cross, they were really like chickens who just lost their mother hen, and they were in despair.

But the Lord showed them that there is always hope beyond the despair, light beyond the darkness. And despite the darkest moments, the light of God shone through, and hope blossomed. And it is this hope which we are all celebrating with great joy during this time of Easter. God will not abandon His beloved people to the darkness, and He will rescue them from all of their troubles.

In the Gospel we heard of how Mary of Magdala, or Mary Magdalene, one of the most faithful disciples of Jesus, was weeping, and she was filled with sorrow, uncertainty and fear, all because of the fact that the Body of her Lord and Master had gone missing, and she did not know who dared to come and take the Body away, and she had no clue to its whereabouts.

And certainly we have also felt the same feeling too, brothers and sisters in Christ? We have felt in the same manner whenever we feel and find that life is getting tough on us, when we thought that no one cares about us, or when we think that God has abandoned us. That was the same sentiment and feeling that Mary of Magdala, the Apostles, including Peter himself encountered in their own life journey in faith.

But God showed them that there is hope beyond the darkness, and if they persevered in faith, and continued to devote themselves to Him, then they shall receive great rewards indeed. This is the joy of our Easter celebrations, as we rejoice together, celebrating the victory of our God, and indeed, our own victory against all those who sought to bring harm and evil intention upon us.

It is in our human nature for us to feel fear, uncertainty, and it is indeed easier for us to look on despair rather than hope, especially in times of great difficulty. But we must remember that no matter how bad things are, and no matter how great the troubles facing us are, if we put our trust in the Lord, we should have no need for fear. It is precisely because we often put our trust in the strength of men that we get disappointed, because we are putting our trust in something that feeble and untrustworthy.

Let us all reflect on this even as we rejoice in our Risen Lord during this time of Easter. Let us all renew our faith and our commitment to Him, and open ourselves to welcome Him into our lives. May the grace and the love, the light and the Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of us, strengthening us and giving us the strong resolve to carry on with great zeal and commitment.

May the Lord bless us all and bless all of our endeavours, and may He grant us rest and peace, for all of us who believed in Him, and all of us who have placed ourselves under His protection. God be with all of us, and may the joy of Easter be with us always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 29 March 2016 : First Week of Easter, Tuesday within Easter Octave (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 20 : 11-18

At that time, Mary stood weeping outside the tomb; and as she wept, she bent down to look inside. She saw two Angels in white, sitting where the Body of Jesus had been, one at the head, and the other at the feet. They said, “Woman, why are you weeping?”

She answered, “Because they have taken my Lord and I do not know where they have put Him.” As she said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not recognise Him. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?”

She thought it was the gardener and answered Him, “Lord, if You have taken Him away, tell me where You have put Him, and I will go and remove Him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned, and said to Him, “Rabboni!” – which means Master. Jesus said to her, “Do not touch Me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to My brothers and say to them : I am ascending to My Father, Who is your Father, to My God, Who is your God.”

So Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord, and this is what He said to me.”

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(Easter Sunday) Sunday, 27 March 2016 : Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Week, Easter Octave (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 20 : 1-9

Now, on the first day after the Sabbath, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning while it was still dark, and she saw that the stone blocking the tomb had been moved away. She ran to Peter, and the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and she said to them, “They have taken our Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have laid Him.”

Peter then set out with the other disciple to go to the tomb. They ran together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down and saw the linen cloths lying flat, but he did not enter.

Then Simon Peter came, following him, and entered the tomb; he, too saw the linen cloths lying flat. The napkin, which had been around His head, was not lying flat like the other linen cloths, but lay rolled up in its place.

Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in; he saw and believed. Scripture clearly said that He must rise from the dead, but they had not yet understood that.

 

Alternative reading

Luke 24 : 1-12

On the Sabbath the women rested according to the commandment, but the first day of the week, at dawn, they went to the tomb with the perfumes and ointments they had prepared. Seeing the stone rolled away from the opening of the tomb, they entered, and were amazed to find that the body of the Lord Jesus was not there.

As they stood there wondering about this, two men in dazzling garments suddenly appeared beside them. In fright the women bowed to the ground. But the men said, “Why look for the living among the dead? You won’t find Him here. He is risen. Remember what He told you in Galilee, that the Son of Man had to be given into the hands of sinners, to be crucified, and to rise on the third day.” And they remembered Jesus’ words.

Returning from the tomb, they told the Eleven and all the others about these things. Among the women, who brought the news, were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James. But however much they insisted, those who heard did not believe the seemingly nonsensical story.

Then Peter got up and ran to the tomb. All he saw, when he bent down and looked into the tomb, were the linen cloths, laid by themselves. He went home wondering.

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(Easter Vigil) Saturday, 26 March 2016 : Easter Vigil of the Resurrection of the Lord, Holy Week (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 24 : 1-12

On the Sabbath the women rested according to the commandment, but the first day of the week, at dawn, they went to the tomb with the perfumes and ointments they had prepared. Seeing the stone rolled away from the opening of the tomb, they entered, and were amazed to find that the body of the Lord Jesus was not there.

As they stood there wondering about this, two men in dazzling garments suddenly appeared beside them. In fright the women bowed to the ground. But the men said, “Why look for the living among the dead? You won’t find Him here. He is risen. Remember what He told you in Galilee, that the Son of Man had to be given into the hands of sinners, to be crucified, and to rise on the third day.” And they remembered Jesus’ words.

Returning from the tomb, they told the Eleven and all the others about these things. Among the women, who brought the news, were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James. But however much they insisted, those who heard did not believe the seemingly nonsensical story.

Then Peter got up and ran to the tomb. All he saw, when he bent down and looked into the tomb, were the linen cloths, laid by themselves. He went home wondering.

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Thursday, 24 March 2016 : Holy Thursday, Mass of the Lord’s Supper (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we begin the most important part of the entire liturgical year of the Church, as we come to celebrate the most important moments in the history of the salvation of mankind, the Easter Triduum, where we celebrate the last moments of our Lord Jesus Christ in His earthly works and ministry, in how He instituted the Eucharist, and giving up Himself to suffer and to die for our sake on the cross, before risen again in glory, resurrected from the dead.

In all this, today marks the beginning of our observation of these most important mysteries and aspects of our faith. We begin our immersion into the most intimate mysteries and the history of our salvation as we gather together to celebrate this very special occasion, beginning with this Holy Mass on the occasion of Holy Thursday, when the Lord Jesus instituted the Eucharist, His own Precious Body and Blood, to be given to us all, and to be shared for our salvation.

Today is the birthday of the Mass, the very first instance when the Holy Mass was celebrated on earth, and the One Who presided over it all, was none other than Jesus our Lord Himself. In that very important act during the last time He had the Passover meal with His disciples, He reenacted the very first Passover, when the Jews had their Passover meal as instructed by the Lord, the night of their liberation.

At that time, the people of Israel were under the tyranny of the Pharaohs and slavery under the Egyptians, when they suffered greatly and worked tirelessly and even unto death, slaving themselves under the weight of the yoke of the Egyptians. And God sent them deliverance through His servant Moses, who showed the Pharaoh and the Egyptians the might of God Who wanted His people to be free.

And after having sent plagues after plagues to strike at the Egyptians, He was to lead His people out by His own mighty hand. And He established a new covenant with them, a covenant that He established with them through the shedding of the blood of lambs, which they splashed on their doorposts as the signs to God and His Angels, sent to reap through Egypt and destroy the firstborn of the Egyptians, that those households marked with the lamb’s blood were not counted among the Egyptians.

They ate and shared the lamb amongst themselves, as the sign of God’s covenant with them, Who passed over them as the ones to be saved and rescued as He showed His wrath over the Egyptians. Thus, this was the very important symbol of their salvation and liberation, and which God instructed them to keep forever, and to be celebrated as the most important of all feasts and celebrations.

And it was that same commemoration that Jesus had celebrated with His disciples. But unlike all the other Passover meals and feasts, that moment, which we now know as the Last Supper, was different. That was because instead of sealing the covenant with the blood of lambs and to remember the slavery of Israel and how God liberated them from the hands of the Egyptians, Jesus gave the moment a new meaning, by establishing through Himself, a new, perfect and eternal covenant with all of mankind.

And He offered Himself, His own flesh and blood, through which He would mark mankind anew, not just the Israelites but all those who have accepted Him as their Lord and Saviour, that these people would not be lost, but would receive the grace of eternal life and salvation in God through Jesus Christ His Son. And those who share in His Body and His Blood would not perish, but live eternally, as long as they live worthily and in accordance with what they believe in Christ.

This means that those of us who have received the Sacrament of Baptism worthily, and kept ourselves true and faithful to our God, endeavouring to keep ourselves worthy of His presence, by the means of good works and good conscience, by obeying His laws and precepts, we all have a share in the Body and Blood that He had given us all through the Eucharist, as He is really present here among us and in each one of us.

And through that, the Lord made us worthy and justified, ready to be welcomed into the glorious inheritance which He had promised to all those who are faithful to Him. God does not abandon all those who placed their trust in Him, as He will bless them and keep them safe as He is keeping all of His flock secure and safe from all harm. But those who have not kept themselves worthy of Him, acting wickedly and continuing to sin, these God will reject and cast out from His presence.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day, we celebrate the moment when God Himself gave us His Body and Blood to eat and drink, and that He did by transforming in reality and essence the bread and the wine He was sharing with His disciples, into the substance and essence of His own Body and His own Blood. As He gave Himself up for our sake, He bore upon Himself our sins and all of our faults, and bore them up to the cross as the perfect offering for us all before God His Father.

Through the Eucharist, the Body and Blood of our Lord that we partake and receive, we have therefore a share in the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus, and in dying to our sins, just as He died for our sins, we have left behind our past selves and gain for ourselves a new life in Christ, a life filled with grace and righteousness. Through this we have a share in His resurrection, as we share in a new life together with our Lord.

We now have to keep in mind, brothers and sisters in Christ, that we are all now Temples of His Holy Presence, where He keeps His dwelling. He is in us, within us, because that bread and wine which we receive, and which our priests are offering on our behalf, have truly been united with the one singular ultimate sacrifice that our God had offered on the cross in Calvary. And that sacrifice is our Lord Himself, and Whose Body and Blood, the substance of the bread and wine transformed, we have received into ourselves.

If God is within us, then naturally we should endeavour to live righteously, justly and worthily, so that all of us will be worthy to be in His presence, for God Who is all good will not stand having wickedness and sin to be in His presence. Thus, brothers and sisters in Christ, as we come together to celebrate the Eucharist today, the gift of God made Man, and which gift He had given to ourselves, let us all be mindful of our own actions, and in how we live our lives.

If we have not been faithful to our Lord, then we should rectify that from now on. Let us make use of the time and opportunities given to us, so that we may bring ourselves ever closer to Him, and find our path to redemption and eternal life that we can find in Him alone. Let us all work together as the whole Church to help one another, that we may be able to make the best use out of this celebration of the Easter Triduum, and may these moments profoundly change us for the better. May God help us and guide us all. Amen.

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Thursday, 24 March 2016 : Holy Thursday, Mass of the Lord’s Supper (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 13 : 1-15

At that time, it was before the feast of the Passover. Jesus realised that His hour had come, to pass from this world to the Father; and as He had loved those who were His own in the world, He would love them with perfect love.

They were at supper, and the devil had already put into the mind of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Him. Jesus knew that the Father had entrusted all things to Him, and as He had come from God, He was going to God. So He got up from the table, removed His garment, and taking a towel, wrapped it around His waist.

Then He poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel He was wearing. When He came to Simon Peter, Simon asked Him, “Why, Lord, do You want to wash my feet?” Jesus said, “What I am doing you cannot understand now, but afterwards you will understand it.”

Peter replied, “You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you can have no part with Me.” Then Simon Peter said, “Lord, wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head!”

Jesus replied, “Whoever has taken a bath does not need to wash, except the feet, for he is clean all over. You are clean, though not all of you.” Jesus knew who was to betray Him; because of this He said, “Not all of you are clean.”

When Jesus had finished washing their feet, He put on His garment again, went back to the table, and said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call Me Master and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I, then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you also must wash one another’s feet.”

“I have just given you an example, that as I have done, you also may do.”

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Thursday, 24 March 2016 : Chrism Mass (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this occasion of the Chrism Mass, we all gather together, all the priests with their respective bishops and superiors in the dioceses around the world. On this day, all those who have dedicated themselves to the Lord in either religious life or sacred priesthood renew their promises and vows to the Lord, and at the same time, the holy oils are blessed, the chrism, where the Chrism Mass got its name from.

All those who are baptised in Christ, and all those who have placed themselves on the path of God’s salvation, they all have received the anointing of the holy oils upon their forehead, as these holy oils have been blessed by God Himself through His holy priests. And it is these priests too who have also been anointed with the same holy oils, when they receive the sacrament of the Holy Orders, to become the dedicated and committed servants of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And to them the Lord has given them the same authority as He had given to the Apostles, to His disciples and faithful ones, whom He had charged with the care of the people and the flock which He had gathered in the Name of His Father. Just as David has been chosen by God to lead His people Israel as His chosen king, and he has been anointed with oil by Samuel the prophet and judge, so therefore, our priests, bishops and all who have received the Sacrament of the Holy Orders have been blessed and chosen by God. God had called them, and they have responded with faith and sincerity.

And today, all of us gather together to remember our priests and to keep them always in our prayers as they made the efforts anew, to renew together with their bishops, and also with the whole Universal Church, the vow and promise which they had made at the moment of their consecration as God’s holy and dedicated priests. And this time it is especially crucial that we pray for them and ask for our Lord’s protection over them.

Why is this so? That is because, challenges and difficulties are always out and about, seeking to challenge our Church, bringing it problems and putting obstacles in her path, and our priests and all the faithful servants of the Lord, and the workers of the fields of the Lord are at the forefront of the Church and its works, and consequently, they are the ones who are braving those challenges.

There are many difficulties facing our priests, from how they work, to what they preach to the people of God, and to even how they live their daily lives. They are in fact carrying the cross of Christ as long as they are faithful in following the commandments of God. And what is that for, brethren? It is for our own benefit and for our own salvation. They are the shepherds that God had appointed to be in charge of all of us, to lead us on the path to reach Him and the salvation in Him.

It is not easy to become a priest, and it is not easy to remain as one and staying true as one. It is just as what our Lord had said, that while the harvest is plentiful, but the labourers and workers to gather the harvest are few, and just as He asked His people to pray for the Father to send the labourers to the harvest, thus, this is what He also wanted from us, that we pray for God to send young people to join the vocation to the priesthood, to listen to God calling them in their hearts and to choose the way of dedication and commitment to God and to His people.

We too should listen to the word of God speaking deep in our hearts. It is often that we are called by the Lord to follow Him, and yet we are not willing to follow Him because of the various reasons that we have. We like to make excuses or even closing our ears and our minds, our hearts and our feelings from the Lord. And this is exactly why it is becoming ever more difficult from time to time for our Church, as there are fewer and fewer people ready to commit themselves and their lives in the service of God.

Therefore, today, as we reflect on this occasion of the Chrism Mass, let us all commit ourselves anew in our own ways. If we want to devote ourselves wholly to God, then we should take the first step and have the courage to devote ourselves and our entire beings to serving the Lord, taking up the crosses we have, and bravely enduring the challenges, to lead and guide our brethren to the Lord as His shepherds.

And if we are not to follow the Lord in the way of His chosen priests and ministers, then all of us still have our obligations as Christians, to live a good and devout life, filled with faith and obedience to God and His commandments and laws. Then, all of us who choose that path should indeed devote ourselves to help the Church and to help one another in seeking God and His salvation.

Let us all realise in each and every one of us, the role and the responsibilities we have for God and for our fellow brethren. Let us follow the Lord and do what we can to be ever obedient to Him, and to do His good works in all of our lives. May God be with us all, and bless us always. Amen.