great solemnity

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Sunday, 5 January 2025 : Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 71 : 1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13

O God, endow the King with Your justice, the Royal Son with Your righteousness. May He rule Your people justly and defend the rights of the lowly.

Justice will flower in His days, and peace abound till the moon be no more. For He reigns from sea to sea, from the River to the ends of the earth.

The kings of Tarshish and the islands render Him tribute, the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts, all kings bow down to Him, and all nations serve Him.

He delivers the needy who call on Him, the afflicted with no one to help them. His mercy is upon the weak and the poor, He saves the life of the poor.

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Sunday, 5 January 2025 : Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Isaiah 60 : 1-6

Arise, shine, for your Light has come. The Glory of YHVH rises upon you. Night still covers the earth and gloomy clouds veil the peoples, but YHVH now rises and over you His glory appears. Nations will come to your Light and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

Lift up your eyes round about and see : they are all gathered and come to you, your sons from afar, your daughters tenderly carried. This sight will make your face radiant, your heart throbbing and full; the riches of the sea will be turned to you, the wealth of the nations will come to you.

A flood of camels will cover you, caravans from Midian and Ephah. Those from Sheba will come, bringing with them gold and incense, all singing in praise of YHVH.

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Sunday, 5 January 2025 : Second Sunday after Christmas (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday is the Second Sunday in the Christmas Season or the Second Sunday after Christmas. And as we are still currently celebrating the great joy of this Christmas time and season, we ought to continue reminding ourselves to keep the focus of our celebrations, festivities and rejoicing on Christ our Lord, the true reason for our joy and celebration this Christmas so that we do not end up forgetting the purpose, reason and intention why we are rejoicing during this period. We should always keep in mind that we rejoice not because we want to enjoy all the comforts and pleasures in life but rather we want to continue to be thankful to the Lord for all the love that He has shown us constantly all these while.

And as we all heard from our Scripture readings this Sunday, we are reminded of how God has sent us all His salvation, reassuring us all of His ever continued presence, guidance and help, loving us and giving us all the hope and light in the midst of the darkness surrounding us and our paths, so that by His light and hope we may be able to find our way out of our predicament and bondage to sin, and come to His loving Presence, be reunited and truly reconciled fully with Him. He has sent us all His Saviour in the form of His Son, the Divine Word Incarnate, Who has taken up our human existence and nature, dwelling in our midst and came to be born into this world through Mary, His Mother, the event which all of us celebrate as Christmas.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard of the words of the Lord’s assurance to His people, the Israelites and their descendants through the prophet Jeremiah in which the prophet spoke of God’s promise of redemption and help for all of them, liberation and good things to come. The prophet Jeremiah was known mostly for his message of warning against the sins of the people of God in the kingdom of Judah, the southern half of the once united Kingdom of Israel. Back then, the prophet Jeremiah ministered to the people of Judah during the last moments and years of its existence as an independent state, and Jeremiah spoke courageously on many occasions about the coming of destruction for Judah and Jerusalem because of the wickedness and sins of the people and also because they have all abandoned the Lord their God.

All of those things would indeed come true with the coming of the Babylonians and their mighty forces, the regional power of the time, which led to the siege of Jerusalem and the eventual downfall of the kingdom and the city of God’s people. Most of the people of Judah would be scattered to far-off places by the Babylonians, who burnt down the Temple of God and ransacked Jerusalem just as Jeremiah and many other earlier prophets had foretold. And yet, amidst all those prophecies as we have all heard today, God still did not give up hope on His people and He still loved them all nonetheless despite His anger against their wickedness and sins. Hence, Jeremiah also spoke of the love and compassion of God Who would eventually forgive His people and lead them and their descendants back once again to their lands.

In our second reading this Sunday, we then heard from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in the city and region of Ephesus in Asia Minor. St. Paul spoke to the faithful regarding what God had done for us all in His most generous love and kindness, in giving us all His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to be the Mediator of our salvation and to help bring us all back and reunite us with our loving Father. Christ our Lord, through everything that He has done, in His incarnation and entry into this world which we celebrate this Christmas, and ultimately in His loving and most selfless sacrifice on the Cross, the Lord has fulfilled everything that He has promised to us since the very beginning, all made and accomplished through His Son.

For by the power of the Cross, Christ has triumphed and conquered death, and also broke forever the chains and dominion of sin and evil over us. He has provided each one of us the sure path to eternal life and salvation in God, which we can attain only through Him alone. And this is why we have been reminded of this great act of love from God because everything has been possible thanks to the Lord and His ever enduring and patient love for each and every one of us, His constant Presence, providence and guidance for us, His perseverance in continuing to care for us and in showing us compassion and mercy despite our repeated stubborn attitude in disobeying Him and in disregarding His Law and commandments.

And the Gospel passage from the famous first chapter of the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle perfectly summarised what the Lord had done in loving us regardless of our sins and wickedness, and in His continued desire to seek to be reconciled and reunited with us. His Incarnation from the Divine Word of God, the Son of God Most High, becoming the Son of Man is the pivotal moment in which God opened the way for us to return to Him because by becoming Man like us, Jesus Christ, the Divine Word Incarnate showed us all the example of perfect obedience to the will of His Heavenly Father, and by being our Eternal and one True High Priest, He offered for us on our behalf the perfect offering of His own Most Precious Body and Blood, the Body and Blood of the Lamb of God, slain and sacrificed for us all.

This is why this Sunday we should reflect well on these messages from the Sacred Scriptures and on all that we have been celebrating and focusing on this whole Christmas season. Has the Lord become the centre and focus of our whole lives? Or have we marginalised and ignored Him, putting Him as secondary in importance as compared to all the worldly distractions and pursuits around us? That is why we should renew our commitment to the Lord, doing our best to live our lives according to His will and following His commandments once again. And let us all make this a reality, turning our lives over a new leaf and do what we can to live a most Christian life that we have been called to do.

May the Lord our loving God, our Saviour, our loving Father and Creator continue to be with us, guide us and empower us all, giving us the means and the strength to live our lives with faith and grace, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

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Sunday, 5 January 2025 : Second Sunday after Christmas (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 1 : 1-18

In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God and the Word was God; He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing came to be. Whatever has come to be, found life in Him; life, which for human beings, was also light, light that shines in darkness, light that darkness could not overcome.

A man came, sent by God; his name was John. He came to bear witness, as a witness to introduce the Light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light, but a witness to introduce the Light; for the Light was coming into the world, the true Light that enlightens everyone. He was in the world, and through Him the world was made, the very world that did not know Him.

He came to His own, yet His own people did not receive Him; but to all who received Him, He empowers to become children of God, for they believe in His Name. These are born, but not by seed, or carnal desire, nor by the will of man : they are born of God.

And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us; and we have seen His glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father : fullness of truth and loving-kindness. John bore witness to Him openly, saying, “This is the One Who comes after me, but He is already ahead of me, for He was before me.”

From His fullness we have all received, favour upon favour. For God had given us the Law through Moses, but Truth and Loving-kindness came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God-the-only-Son made Him known : the One, Who is in and with the Father.

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Sunday, 5 January 2025 : Second Sunday after Christmas (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Ephesians 1 : 3-14

Blessed be God, the Father of Christ Jesus our Lord, Who in Christ has blessed us from heaven with every spiritual blessing. God chose us in Christ before the creation of the world to be holy and without sin in His presence. From eternity He destined us in love to be His adopted sons and daughters through Christ Jesus, thus fulfilling His free and generous will.

This goal suited Him : that His loving-kindness which He granted us in His Beloved might finally receive all glory and praise. For, in Christ, we obtain freedom, sealed by His Blood, and have the forgiveness of sins. In this, appears the greatness of His grace, which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and understanding, God has made known to us His mysterious design, in accordance with His loving kindness, in Christ.

In Him, and under Him, God wanted to unite, when the fullness of time had come, everything in heaven and on earth. By a decree of Him Who disposes all things according to His own plan and decision, we, the Jews, have been chosen and called and we were awaiting the Messiah, for the praise of His glory.

You, on hearing the word of truth, the Gospel that saves you, have believed in Him. And, as promised, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit, the first pledge of what we shall receive, on the way to our deliverance, as a people of God, for the praise of His glory.

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Sunday, 5 January 2025 : Second Sunday after Christmas (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 147 : 12-20

Exalt YHVH, o Jerusalem; praise your God, o Zion! For He strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses your children within you.

He grants peace on your borders and feeds you with the finest grain. He sends His command to the earth and swiftly runs His word.

He spreads snow like wool; He scatters frost like ashes. He hurls down hail like pebbles; who will stand before His icy blasts? But He sends His word and melts the snow; He makes His breeze blow, and again the waters flow.

It is He, Who tells Jacob His words; His laws and decrees, to Israel. This, He has not done for other nations, so His laws remain unknown to them. Alleluia!

Alternative Psalm

Wisdom 10 : 15-21

It was she who rescued an innocent and holy people from a nation of oppressors. She entered the soul of God’s servant and through him withstood terrible kings with signs and wonders.

To the holy people she gave the wages of their labour, leading them in a wonderful way, giving them shade during the day and the light of the stars at night.

She brought them across the Red Sea, but drowned their enemies and later washed them ashore from the depth of the abyss. So the righteous looted the godless, singing hymns, Lord, to Your holy Name, and one in heart, they gave thanks for Your saving hand.

Wisdom gives speech to the dumb and makes infants speak clearly.

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Sunday, 5 January 2025 : Second Sunday after Christmas (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Jeremiah 31 : 7-14

For YHVH says this, “Shout with joy for Jacob; rejoice for the greatest of nations. Proclaim your praise and say : ‘YHVH has saved His people, the remnant of Israel!’”

“Look, I will bring them back from the land of the north, gather them from the ends of the earth, the lame and the blind, mothers and women in labour – a great throng will return. They went away weeping, they will return in joy. I will lead them by the streams of water, on a level path so that no one will stumble, for I am Israel’s Father and Ephraim is My firstborn.”

Hear the word of YHVH, o nations, proclaim it on distant coast lands : He Who scattered Israel will gather them and guard them as a shepherd guards his flock. For YHVH has ransomed Jacob and redeemed him from the hand of his conqueror.”

“They shall come shouting for joy, while ascending Zion; they will come streaming to YHVH’s blessings – the grain, the new wine and the oil, the young of the flocks and herds. They will be like a well-watered garden; no more will they be afflicted. Maidens will make merry and dance, young men and old as well.”

“I will turn their mourning into gladness, I will give them comfort and joy for sorrow. I will fill the priests with abundance, and satisfy My people with My bounty – this is YHVH’s word.”

Alternative reading

Sirach 24 : 1-12

Listen to Wisdom singing her own praises and extolling herself in the midst of her people. See, she opens her mouth in the assembly of the Most High, she glories in herself before the Almighty.

I came out from the mouth of God and covered the face of the earth like a mist; although My dwelling place is in the highest heavens, My throne is within a pillar of cloud. I alone have seen and understood the vault of the skies and strolled through the depths of the abyss, taking possession of the raging sea and of the earth as well, with all its people and nations.

In all of these, I looked for a place to rest; in which territory would I set up My abode? Then the Creator of the Universe commanded Me, He Who created Me assigned the place of My rest, “Pitch Your tent in Jacob; Israel will be Your homeland.”

He created Me from the beginning, before time began, and I will never cease to be, I celebrate in His presence the liturgy of His Holy Dwelling and this is why I settled in Zion. The Lord let Me rest in His beloved city and Jerusalem is the heart of My Kingdom. I took root in the people God has favoured, in the land of the Lord, in their inheritance.

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Wednesday, 1 January 2025 : Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, World Day of Peace (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today in our calendar is the first day of the Gregorian Year, the New Year’s Day of the Year of Our Lord 2025. On this day while we rejoice with many other people all around the world celebrating the arrival of the new year, and looking ahead with great hope and jubilation, the Church also celebrates the very important occasion of the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, or in the original Greek, ‘Theotokos’ which means ‘God-bearer’. This most honourable title is one which the Church had upheld and believed ever since the earliest days of the Church and which was later on then codified and formalised at the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus in the early fifth century, about four centuries after the Death and Resurrection of the Lord.

Together with the other three important Marian Dogmas, the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, the Dogma of the Perpetual Virginity of Mary and the Dogma of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven, this Dogma of the Divine Motherhood of Mary are the four Marian Dogmas that the Church and all Christian believers had believed and upheld since the very earliest days of the Church, passed down through the generations from the time of the Apostles, through their successors and right up to our present day world. And this day, the New Year’s Day, if we may wonder why is it that we accord such an important celebration to Mary, then it is important that we realise just how central the figure of Mary is to our salvation history and her connection to her Son, Our Lord and Saviour, the One Whom we celebrate this Christmas season, is something that we must always keep in mind.

Today being the eighth day since Christmas makes it the Octave Day of Christmas, the last day of the solemn Christmas Octave, an eight days period of great rejoicing and celebration, marking the memory of the first coming and arrival of the Saviour of the world, the Son of God, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, Who was born in the small town of Bethlehem in Judea more than two millennia ago. He was born not in a grand palace or into a family of royalty, or influential and rich people, but instead in a stable at Bethlehem, as the Son of a carpenter from Nazareth and his young wife, to people who were totally unknown to the world. And yet, His coming into this world restores light and hope to all of us who have lived in the darkness of sin and evil, and assures us all of God’s ever enduring and everlasting love, mercy, compassion and kindness.

And all of these have been made possible because of the faith that Mary has in the Lord and all of His plans, and the obedience and cooperation that she has exhibited upon listening to the words of the Lord and in doing His will made her obedience and trust that she has shown in all of her actions at that time. Mary is our great role model in faith, through her humility and commitment to God, her virtues and purity, in her fullness of grace and her love for, for all the tender and wonderful care and love that she has shown her Son throughout all of His life. By following her examples, her obedience and faith, we can truly find the best way to proceed towards the Lord and His salvation, and considering that she is not just the Mother of God, but also the Mother of all of us mankind.

Through Mary, His Mother, God showed us all His love even more wonderfully, by entrusting her to all of us to be our own loving Mother. That is why Mary in particular has made many attested and proven appearances or apparitions throughout history in various places and moments in time, calling on all of us her beloved children to come back towards her Son and to seek salvation in Him, rejecting the path and the temptations of sin and evil, so that we will not be lost forever to God. Her great love for her Son, our Lord and Saviour, has also been shown to us as well, and we really should consider ourselves really fortunate to have such a great mother who has loved us all so passionately and patiently, caring for us all as her own beloved children, guiding and interceding for us all throughout the way.

And yet, there are still those who refused to believe in this Dogma of the Divine Motherhood of God, as historically, there were those who reject this teaching of the Church that Mary is truly the Mother of God, and this debate came about especially as during the early history of the Church, there were still disagreements on the exact nature of Jesus Christ, the One born to Mary and Who has suffered and died for all of us mankind. While we now believe firmly that Jesus Christ is both Son of God and Son of Man, having both Divine and Human nature, distinct and yet indivisibly united in the One Person of Jesus Christ, but during the early centuries of the Church there were those who did not believe in this, and instead claimed that Mary cannot be the Mother of God because she was merely just the Mother of Jesus Christ the Man, and not of God.

Some of those who opposed the definition of Mary as the Mother of God offered alternatives such as Christotokos or ‘Christ-bearer’, a title that diminished her importance and also implied that the Humanity of Jesus is not truly united to His Divinity. All of these were at the centre of all the polemics and disagreements which were only settled definitively at the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus where Mary was defined as the Mother of God, ‘Theotokos’ and is accorded the honour befitting her position as the Mother of God, that while she herself is a human just like us, but by the virtue of her Motherhood of the Incarnate Son of God, the King of Kings and King of the Universe, she therefore merit the honour as the mother of the Divine Lord and King.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we rejoice greatly during this celebration honouring Mary as the Mother of God, let us all also remember her great examples in faith and dedication, her love for each and every one of us, her companionship towards us where she journeyed and guided us through difficult and challenging moments in life. Let us all follow in her examples and do our best so that all of us may be good examples, role models and inspirations ourselves in our own respective lives. And as we begin this New Year and continue to rejoice still in this Christmas season, let us always remember that Christ must always be at the centre and heart of everything that we do in our lives, with Mary, His mother and our mother ever close by our side, guiding and strengthening us in our journey.

May Mary, the Holy Mother of God continue to intercede for us all sinners and help us so that we may remain firm in our commitment to follow the Lord and to be good and worthy of God’s grace and love. May she continue to show us all her maternal love and tender care as she has always shown us, guiding us all to the path towards salvation and eternal life through her Son, Our Lord and Saviour. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

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Wednesday, 1 January 2025 : Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, World Day of Peace (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 2 : 16-21

So the shepherds came hurriedly, and found Mary and Joseph, and the Baby lying in the manger. On seeing Him, they related what they had been told about the Child, and all were astonished on hearing the shepherds.

As for Mary, she treasured all these words, and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds then returned, giving glory and praise to God for all they had heard and seen, just as the Angels had told them.

On the eighth day the circumcision of the Baby had to be performed; He was named Jesus, the Name the Angel had given Him before He was conceived.

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Wednesday, 1 January 2025 : Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, World Day of Peace (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Galatians 4 : 4-7

But when the fullness of time came, God sent His Son. He came born of woman and subject to the Law, in order to redeem the subjects of the Law, that we might receive adoption as children of God.

And because you are children, God has sent into your hearts the Spirit of His Son which cries out : Abba! That is, Father! You yourself are no longer a slave but a son or daughter, and yours is the inheritance by God’s grace.