herald of the Messiah

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Thursday, 23 June 2016 : Vigil Mass of the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

1 Peter 1 : 8-12

You have not yet seen him and yet you love Him; even without seeing Him, you believe in Him and experience a heavenly joy beyond all words, for you are reaching the goal of your faith : the salvation of your souls.

This was the salvation for which the prophets so eagerly looked when, in days past, they foretold the favour of God with regard to you. But they could only investigate when the Spirit of Christ present within them pointed out the time and the circumstances of this – the sufferings of Christ and the glories which would follow.

It was revealed to them that they were working not for themselves but for you. Thus, in these days, after the Holy Spirit has been sent from heaven, the Gospel’s preachers have taught you these mysteries which even the Angels long to see.

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Thursday, 23 June 2016 : Vigil Mass of the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 70 : 1-2, 3-4a, 5-6ab, 15ab and 17

In You, o Lord, I seek refuge; let me not be disgraced. In Your justice help me and deliver me, turn Your ear to me and save me!

Be my Rock of refuge, a stronghold to give me safety, for You are my Rock and my Fortress. Rescue me, o my God from the hand of the wicked.

For You, o Lord, have been my hope, my trust, o God, from my youth. I have relied on You from birth : from my mother’s womb You brought me forth.

My lips will proclaim Your intervention and tell of Your salvation all day. You have taught me from my youth and until now I proclaim Your marvels.

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Thursday, 23 June 2016 : Vigil Mass of the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Jeremiah 1 : 4-10

A word of YHVH came to me, “Even before I formed you in the womb I have known you; even before you were born I had set you apart, and appointed you a prophet to the nations!”

I said, “Ah, Lord YHVH! I do not know how to speak; I am still young!” But YHVH replied, “Do not say; ‘I am still young’, for now you will go whatever be the mission I am entrusting to you, and you will speak of whatever I command you to say. Do not be afraid of them, for I will be with you to protect you – it is YHVH Who speaks!”

Then YHVH stretched out His hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “Now I have put My words in your mouth. See! Today I give you authority over nations and over kingdoms to uproot and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”

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Wednesday, 23 December 2015 : 4th Week of Advent, Memorial of St. John of Kanty, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Luke 1 : 57-66

When the time came for Elizabeth, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbours and relatives heard that the merciful Lord had done a wonderful thing for her, and they rejoiced with her.

When, on the eighth day, they came to attend the circumcision of the child, they wanted to name him Zechariah after his father. But his mother said, “Not so; he shall be called John.”

They said to her, “But no one in your family has that name!” and they asked the father, by means of signs, for the name he wanted to give him. Zechariah asked for a writing tablet, and wrote on it, “His name is John,” and they were very surprised.

Immediately Zechariah could speak again, and his first words were in praise of God. A holy fear came on all in the neighbourhood, and throughout the hill country of Judea the people talked about these events. All who heard of it pondered in their minds, and wondered, “What will this child be?” For they understood that the hand of the Lord was with him.

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Monday, 21 December 2015 : 4th Week of Advent, Memorial of St. Peter Canisius, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Luke 1 : 39-45

At that time, Mary then set out for a town in the hill country of Judah. She entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leapt in her womb.

Elizabeth was filled with Holy Spirit, and giving a loud cry, said, “You are most blessed among women, and Blessed is the Fruit of your womb! How is it that the mother of my Lord comes to me? The moment your greeting sounded in my ears, the baby within me suddenly leapt for joy. Blessed are you who believed that the Lord’s word would come true!”

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Sunday, 20 December 2015 : Fourth Sunday of Advent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Luke 1 : 39-45

At that time, Mary then set out for a town in the hill country of Judah. She entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leapt in her womb.

Elizabeth was filled with Holy Spirit, and giving a loud cry, said, “You are most blessed among women, and Blessed is the Fruit of your womb! How is it that the mother of my Lord comes to me? The moment your greeting sounded in my ears, the baby within me suddenly leapt for joy. Blessed are you who believed that the Lord’s word would come true!”

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Saturday, 19 December 2015 : 3rd Week of Advent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Luke 1 : 5-25

In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there lived a priest named Zechariah, belonging to the priestly clan of Abiah. Elizabeth, Zechariah’s wife, also belonged to a priestly family. Both of them were upright in the eyes of God, and lived blamelessly in accordance with all the laws and commands of the Lord, but they had no child. Elizabeth could not have any and now they were both very old.

Now, while Zechariah and those with him were fulfilling their office, it fell to him by lot, according to the custom of the priests, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. At the time of offering incense, all the people were praying outside; it was then that an Angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

On seeing the Angel, Zechariah was deeply troubled and fear took hold of him. But the Angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, be assured that your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son and you shall name him John. He will bring joy and gladness to you, and many will rejoice at his birth.”

“This son of yours will be great in the eyes of the Lord. Listen : he shall never drink wine or strong drink, but he will be filled with Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb. Through him, many of the people of Israel will turn to the Lord their God. He himself will open the way to the Lord with the spirit and the power of the prophet Elijah; he will reconcile fathers and children, and lead the disobedient to wisdom and righteousness, in order to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Zechariah said to the Angel, “How can I believe this? I am an old man and my wife is elderly, too.” The Angel replied, “I am Gabriel, who stands before God, and I am the one sent to speak to you, and to bring you this good news! My words will come true in their time. But you would not believe, and now you will be silent and unable to speak until this has happened.”

Meanwhile, the people waited for Zechariah, and they were surprised that he delayed so long in the sanctuary. When he finally appeared, he could not speak to them, and they realised that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He remained dumb and made signs to them.

When his time of service was completed, Zechariah returned home, and some time later Elizabeth became pregnant. For five months she kept to herself, remaining at home, and thinking, “This, for me, is the Lord’s doing! This is His time for mercy, and for taking away my public disgrace.”

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Sunday, 6 December 2015 : Second Sunday of Advent, Memorial of St. Nicholas, Bishop (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Luke 3 : 1-6

At that time, it was the fifteenth year of the rule of the Emperor Tiberius : Pontius Pilatus was governor of Judea; Herod ruled over Galilee, his brother Philip ruled over the country of Iturea and Trachonitis; and Lysanias ruled over Abilene. Annas and Caiaphas were the High Priests at that time, when the word of God came to John, the son of Zechariah, in the desert.

John proclaimed a baptism for repentant people to obtain forgiveness of sins, and he went through the whole country bordering the Jordan River. It was just as is written in the Book of the prophet Isaiah : Listen to this voice crying out in the desert, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make His path straight! The valleys will be filled and the mountains and hills made low. Everything crooked will be made straight and the rough paths smooth; and every human being will see the salvation of God!’

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Saturday, 29 August 2015 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Passion of St. John the Baptist (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we commemorate the feast day of the Passion of St. John the Baptist, herald of the Messiah, the messenger sent by the Lord to announce the coming of His salvation into the world. On this day we commemorate the courage which this great saint had shown, in defending the truth as he had revealed to the world, to prepare the way for the coming of his Lord and God.

The Scriptures today spoke of a servant which God had chosen and had called, whom He would make His mouthpiece and judge against the nations and all the ways of the world. And this was clearly alluding to St. John the Baptist, who was the servant mentioned, who spoke up against the wickedness and the vile things of the world, including even the sins which king Herod had committed in his adulterous behaviour.

The significance of today’s celebration and remembrance of what had happened that time during when St. John the Baptist went through suffering and injustice, and eventually leading to his martyrdom, when he was beheaded in prison. He had stood up for what is true, and he did not budge even in the face of opposition. And while he rose in glory, Herod and all those who have not heeded St. John’s call were condemned to hell.

The Passion of St. John the Baptist reminds us all of just how many and how large is the opposition that will be arrayed against us, if we are all remaining faithful to the Lord our God, and if we keep our faith and our devotion, following Him in all of His ways, we shall be facing the wrath of the devil, who does not wish to see us saved and liberated from the sins which have kept us chained under his tyranny all these while.

But we truly have no need to fear or be afraid, since we who have kept our faith in God shall be protected and blessed by the Lord, and we do not need to fear those who have no power over our eternal souls. The devil may be able to harm our bodies and our physical selves, but he can do nothing to harm us in a lasting manner. For we have to remember that this worldly existence is temporary and will soon be replaced by our fate after the end of our worldly life.

St. John the Baptist led the way for us, for he did not fear opposition or oppression, fame or popularity, when he went forth to proclaim the message with which he had come into this world. He brought with him the message of truth, which although it is the truth, but for many it may seem to be something that they would refuse to admit, and something that they would rather not have.

Mankind had grown comfortable with their way of life, settling into a life of worldliness, filled with many things and actions which are often contrary to the way of the Lord, and which are even at times abominable and horrendous in the sight of both God and men. Yes, people who disregarded the sanctity of marriage, by doing what king Herod had done, living in sin with those who were not righteously and justly regarded as one’s spouse.

And there are also those who were powerful and mighty, those with influence and affluence, those who oppress the weak and those who have nothing with them. There are also those who have given themselves to the materialistic lifestyles of this world, surrendering themselves to the desires of their flesh, and desiring ever more of the good things in this world, for the pleasures of the stomach, for the sexual pleasures and other forms of lustful pleasures and many others.

On this day, we are reminded that as the disciples and followers of our Lord Jesus Christ, we have a duty and an obligation to stand up for the truth and for our faith as St. John the Baptist had once done before us. We have to commit ourselves to help bring one another to the righteous path towards the Lord. Therefore, we must have the courage in us to remind one another when we fall into sin and are distracted on our way towards salvation.

Let us all be reminded as well that being a disciple of the Lord is not going to be easy, but is truly rewarding, for God is forever faithful and He will always bless and strengthen all those who keep their faith in Him. May Almighty God bless us and awaken in us the spirit to love one another and to help one another to remain truly faithful to the Lord, as St. John the Baptist had once done, and abandoning all forms of worldliness and sin. God be with us all. Amen.

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Saturday, 29 August 2015 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Passion of St. John the Baptist (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Mark 6 : 17-29

For this is what had happened : Herod had ordered John to be arrested, and had had him bound and put in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. Herod had married her, and John had told him, “It is not right for you to live with your brother’s wife.”

So Herodias held a grudge against John; and wanted to kill him, but she could not, because Herod respected John. He knew John to be an upright and holy man, and kept him safe. And he liked listening to him, although he became very disturbed, whenever he heard him.

Herodias had her chance on Herod’s birthday, when he gave a dinner for all the senior government officials, military chiefs, and the leaders of Galilee. On that occasion the daughter of Herodias came in and danced; and she delighted Herod and his guests.

The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want and I will give it to you.” And he went so far as to say with many oaths, “I will give you anything you ask, even half my kingdom.” She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” The mother replied, “The head of John the Baptist.” The girl hurried to the king and made her request, “I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist, here and now, on a dish.”

The king was very displeased, but he would not refuse in front of his guests because of his oaths. So he sent one of his bodyguards with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded John in prison; then he brought the head on a dish and gave it to the girl. And the girl gave it to her mother.

When John’s disciples heard of this, they came and took his body and buried it.