holy bishops

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Wednesday, 20 September 2023 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, Priest and Martyr, St. Paul Chong Ha-sang, Martyr, St. Laurent Imbert, Bishop and Martyr, St. Jacques Chastan, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

1 Timothy 3 : 14-16

I give you these instructions, although I hope I will see you soon. If I delay, you will know how you ought to conduct yourself in the household of God, that is, the Church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth. How great, indeed, is the mystery of divine blessing!

He was shown in the flesh and sanctified by the Spirit; presented to the Angels and proclaimed to all nations. The world believed in Him : He was taken up in glory!

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Tuesday, 19 September 2023 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Januarius, Bishop and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, all of us are reminded that as Christians we must always be faithful to God and put our trust in Him at all times, believing that in Him alone that we shall have an everlasting and true joy that will last forever, and not merely just a temporary attraction or satisfaction that lasts just a moment, and then fails us when it has run its course or when it is gone. We must also be good role models and examples for one another, inspiring our fellow brothers and sisters through our exemplary and holy lives, so that we may help many more people around us to come ever closer to God and to His grace, as we should have done as faithful and devoted, holy people of God.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to St. Timothy, we heard of the Apostle laying out the rules, expectations and the criteria for the selection of those who would become bishops and deacons in the Church, which by extension also included the priests, and essentially laying out the expectations of what it truly means for one to be chosen as the shepherds of God’s flock, in their respective ministries. Back then, the office of bishop, priest and deacon were not yet clear cut in their proper functions and works, unlike today, but as the Church grew rapidly in size and numbers, therefore, the demand and need grew for the Church to have proper leaders and shepherds, ministers and all those who were involved in the management of the Church and the people of God.

And as St. Paul had mentioned to St. Timothy, all of those who were considered and chosen to be those important parts of the mission and works of the Church should be exemplary and faithful in their lives, and they should be worthy, righteous and virtuous in their way of life and actions. St. Paul mentioned and explained how they should be respectable and good in their lives so as to become good examples and inspiration for others, and to be good and worthy managers of the Lord’s Church. This was indeed important because good and dedicated servants of God and the leaders of the Church in the history of the Church had led so many people closer to God and inspired many to come to righteousness through their works and examples, but there were those wicked and unworthy leaders and ministers who scandalised and turned away many people from the Lord through their wickedness and evil deeds.

Then in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the great miracle which the Lord Jesus performed in the small town of Naim, in which He raised the dead son of a widow who lived in that area. Through this well-known and great miracle, the Lord showed us all that He is truly the Lord, our God, the One with the power over all things, over the living and the dead. Each and every one of us in this world are called to be part of His flock, and He showed us all that death has no power against Him and His love for us. He raised the widow’s dead son to show us all that if we have faith and trust in Him, then we shall be led into the eternal and true joy in Him, to enjoy the fullness of God’s grace and love, forevermore. He is our Lord and Shepherd, Whose life, ministry and examples in our midst became example and inspiration to all of the faithful, to those whom He had called to lead the Church that He has established in this world.

The Lord cared for the needy and all those who have the great need for His love and compassion, His mercy and forgiveness. Throughout the Gospels we can see just how much effort and works that the Lord had put into reaching out to all of us, especially the ones among us who have fallen into the darkness and have been away from Him. He did not shun the wicked and the sinful ones, but instead reached out to them with love and compassion, even those who have resisted and stubbornly refused and opposed Him. The Lord did His works in perfect obedience to the will of His heavenly Father, and showed us all the meaning of true and genuine love and faith that all of us as Christians, as God’s people should always have to the Lord, our God and Master.

Through these readings of the Sacred Scriptures and what we have discussed, let us all discern carefully therefore our path in life, and our works and missions in doing God’s will and in following the path that He has shown to us. Let us all ourselves be good and worthy of being called as Christians, just as St. Paul had elaborated it to St. Timothy. His criteria for the selection of the faithful ministers of the Lord should also be seen as a guide for all of us, in how we ourselves should carry out our own lives. That is because what St. Paul had told St. Timothy, is also how all of us as Christians should live our lives and carry out our words, actions and deeds in our daily moments, so that we may become good and worthy inspirations for one another in our communities this day.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Januarius, a great and holy servant of God, whose life and commitment to God should serve as a great example and inspiration for all of us to follow in our lives. St. Januarius was the Bishop of Benevento in what is part of southern Italy today. He is famously today the patron saint of the great southern Italian city of Naples, where his blood relic miraculously undergoes liquefaction at important events especially on his feast day such as today. He was known for his dedication and commitment to his people, as the shepherd of the Lord’s flock, who were then suffering under the great persecution by the Roman state during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. It was told by Church traditions and contemporary accounts that he helped to hide and protect Christians from being persecuted and arrested, and eventually he himself was arrested, persecuted and martyred for his faith, ever faithful to the Lord, to the very end.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore follow the great examples of the saints and martyrs, and that of our Lord Himself, so that each and every one of us, in every opportunities and at every occasions, may always guide and strengthen us all in our resolve and desire to serve and follow Him ever more faithfully in all things. May all of us also be great inspiration and examples for one another, that we may truly show God’s righteousness and truth to all the whole world. May God bless our every efforts and endeavours, and help us to live our lives worthily at all times. Amen.

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Tuesday, 19 September 2023 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Januarius, Bishop and Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Luke 7 : 11-17

At that time, a little later, Jesus went to a town called Naim. He was accompanied by His disciples and a great number of people. As He reached the gate of the town, a dead man was being carried out. He was the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; there followed a large crowd of townspeople.

On seeing her, the Lord had pity on her and said, “Do not cry.” Then He came up and touched the stretcher, and the men who carried it stopped. Jesus then said, “Young man, I say to you, wake up!” And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.

A holy fear came over them all, and they praised God saying, “A great Prophet has appeared among us. God has visited His people.” The news spread throughout Judea and the surrounding places.

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Tuesday, 19 September 2023 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Januarius, Bishop and Martyr (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Psalm 100 : 1-2ab, 2cd-3ab, 5, 6

I will sing of Your love and justice; to You, o YHVH, I will sing praise. I will walk the way of integrity – o YHVH, when will You come to me?

With a blameless heart, I will walk within my house. I will not set before my eyes anything that is base. I hate the deeds of faithless people.

He who deals with others treacherously, I will silence. He who talks and acts arrogantly, I will not endure.

I will choose from the faithful of the land, those who may dwell with Me; only the upright shall be My servant.

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Tuesday, 19 September 2023 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Januarius, Bishop and Martyr (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

1 Timothy 3 : 1-13

If someone aspires to the overseer’s ministry, he is, without a doubt, looking for a noble task. It is necessary, that the overseer (or bishop) be beyond reproach, the husband of one wife, responsible, judicious, of good manners, hospitable and skilful in teaching.

He must not be addicted to wine, or quarrelsome, but be gentle and peaceful, and not a lover of money, but a man whose household is well-managed, with obedient and well-mannered children. If he cannot govern his own house, how can he lead the assembly of God? He must not be a recent convert, lest he become conceited, and fall into the same condemnation as the devil. Moreover, he must enjoy a good reputation among the outsiders, lest people speak evil about him, and he fall into the snare of the devil.

Deacons, likewise, must be serious and sincere, and moderate in drinking wine, not greedy for money; they must keep the mystery of faith with a clear conscience. Let them be first tried and, if found blameless, be accepted as deacons. In the same way, the women must be conscientious, not given to gossip, but reserved and trustworthy.

A deacon must be husband of one wife, and must know how to guide his children and manage his household. Those who serve well as deacons will win honourable rank, with authority to speak of Christian faith.

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Wednesday, 13 September 2023 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us are reminded that each and every one of us should keep ourselves away from worldly temptations and evils, and all the things that usually keep us away from the path of righteousness and virtue in God. Each and every one of us as Christians have been called to do God’s will, to obey His Law and commandments, and to free ourselves from the many temptations and the shackles of evil and sin that have often kept us chained to our desires and all the attachments we have to worldly glory and pleasures, so that we do not remain bound to those wicked and evil thoughts and ways, but receive from God the assurance of eternal life and true joy through our faith and commitment to Him. All of us should do our best so that our every words, actions and deeds are exemplary and full of true and genuine faith in God.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Colossians, in which the Apostle told the faithful and the Church community there to remain firm in their faith and to seek to live their lives as best as they could in accordance to the way that the Lord has taught them through the Church and those who have shown them what it meant to be Christians. St. Paul exhorted the faithful Colossians to keep away from immorality and wickedness of the world, from all the impure desires and evils, from the worship of idols and all the other things that could make them to be corrupted by sin and wickedness of the world. They should reject the malice and the evils of worldly ways and customs, and instead, do what the Lord Himself has shown and taught them to do, in loving God and loving one another, with true and genuine faith and dedication.

This is very important indeed as how we live our lives and faith will determine how others perceive this faith we have in God. As long as we do what is right and just according to the Law and commandments of God, keeping ourselves away from wickedness and evils of this world, the various temptations and pressures to disobey God’s Law and will, and as we carry out dutifully our actions and our way of life, in being good examples and inspiration for one another, we are all truly good and worthy Christians, and through us, our words, our actions and our lives, the truth and Good News of God, the love and grace of God are shown unto more and more around us, to those who have not yet known the Lord or experienced His love and grace. We have the capacity and potential either to turn people towards God or to make people to turn away from Him.

That is why, just as we have also heard from our Gospel passage today, each and every one of us are reminded to be like the ideal Christians as described by the Lord Jesus in the famous Sermon on the Mount, also known as the Beatitudes. In that occasion, the Lord revealed to all His disciples and everyone who had heard Him, what it truly means to be Christians, as those who follow the Lord and His path, that they should be living their lives virtuously and worthily according to the guiding principles of the Beatitudes that He has taught and shared with all of them. The Beatitudes highlighted the attitudes and the approach that we ought to have with our lives so that we may know how we can live them with ever greater conviction and with greater faith in the Lord.

As the Lord Himself said, that all of us as His faithful people ought to be poor in spirit, hungry not only for food but also in this context, for the righteousness and justice, and also for the truth of God, and also to be ever faithful amidst all the challenges and trials that they would have to face in the living of their lives with faith in God. Through the Beatitudes, the Lord highlighted and reminded all of us as God’s beloved people, that we should always place Him first and foremost in our hearts and minds, in all of our whole lives. We should not allow the corruption of this world, of the various pressures and coercions that we may have to face in our journey of faith and life to dissuade us from following the Lord and from committing ourselves and our lives to Him, as we should have done according to our calling and mission.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of St. John Chrysostom, who was the famous Archbishop of Constantinople, one of the most renowned leaders of the early Church and well-respected by his contemporaries. He was born into a pagan Roman family, and became a convert to the faith in his early adulthood, having been well brought up academically and intellectually, and eventually for a while, he sought to abandon the world and seek the Lord through very deeply ascetic lifestyle through which he shunned the excesses of the world and sought to learn more about the Lord while deepening his knowledge and understanding of the Scriptures. Eventually, his eloquence and charisma, his piety and sanctity led him to be respected by many throughout Christendom, being renowned for his very inspiring and frank homilies that touched the hearts and minds of many, and brought many of them to the faith.

St. John Chrysostom was then appointed as the Archbishop of Constantinople, one of the capitals of the Roman Empire, which was then ascending in its power and glory. He worked hard to minister to his flock and denounced the excesses both among the clergy and the laity, especially those who were in the positions of power. In particular, he was despised by the then reigning Roman Empress Aelia Eudoxia, the wife of the then Roman Emperor Arcadius. The Empress loved to dress and live extravagantly, and those excesses were denounced by the saintly Archbishop, who sought to bring the people back to the path of obedience and purity in God, free from the worldly wickedness and corruptions. This brought him a lot of hardships and trials, leading him to be exiled from his See. However, he continued to persist in his efforts and did not back down from standing up for the faith, right to the very end of his life.

Echoing what we have heard in our Gospel passage today, the experiences faced by St. John Chrysostom, the challenges and trials that he faced in his works and ministry should remind us all that we are also likely to face such struggles, trials and hardships amidst our faith journey throughout our respective lives. Let us all not be discouraged and be disheartened by all those things, but instead, let us be strengthened by the examples and inspirations that our many holy predecessors have shown in their lives, all these while. May the Lord continue to bless our efforts and works, and help guide us in our journey towards Him, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

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Wednesday, 13 September 2023 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 6 : 20-26

At that time, looking at His disciples, Jesus said, “Fortunate are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. Fortunate are you, who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Fortunate are you, who weep now, for you will laugh.”

“Fortunate are you, when people hate you, when they reject you and insult you and number you among criminals, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for a great reward is kept for you in heaven. Remember, that is how the ancestors of the people treated the prophets.”

“But alas for you, who have wealth, for you have been comforted now. Alas for you, who are full, for you will go hungry. Alas for you, who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Alas for you, when people speak well of you, for that is how the ancestors of the people treated the false prophets.”

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Wednesday, 13 September 2023 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 144 : 2-3, 10-11, 12-13ab

I will praise You, day after day; and exalt Your Name forever. Great is YHVH, most worthy of praise; and His deeds are beyond measure.

All Your works will give You thanks; all Your saints, o YHVH, will praise You. They will tell of the glory of Your kingdom; and speak of Your power.

That all may know of Your mighty deeds, Your reign, and its glorious splendour. Your reign is from age to age; Your dominion endures, from generation to generation.

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Wednesday, 13 September 2023 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Colossians 3 : 1-11

So then, if you are risen with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things that are above, not on earthly things. For you have died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, Who is your life, reveals Himself, you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

Therefore, put to death what is earthly in your life, that is immorality, impurity, inordinate passions, wicked desires and greed, which is a way of worshipping idols. These are the things that arouse the wrath of God. For a time, you followed this way and lived in such disorders. Well then, reject all that : anger, evil intentions, malice; and let no abusive words be heard from your lips.

Do not lie to one another. You have been stripped of the old self and its way of thinking; to put on the new, which is being renewed, and is to reach perfect knowledge, and the likeness of its Creator. There is no room for distinction between Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, foreigner, slave or free, but Christ is all, and in all.

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Monday, 28 August 2023 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded of the need for all of us to be truly and genuinely faithful to the Lord, in all things so that we may indeed be exemplary and be good role models in faith to one another so that in whatever we say and do, we will always be the great inspiration and the examples for everyone else to follow, and so that God’s truth and Good News may be revealed and shown to more and more people through us and our works. Each and every one of us must be truly dedicated and obedient to the Lord, and understand His Law and commandments, or else, we may end up being no better than hypocrites and unbelievers.

In our first reading today, we have heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in the city of Thessalonica, in which the Apostle greeted the faithful there and praised all of them for the examples of the faith, the good actions and dedication which they had all done for the sake of the Lord, in how they had lived their lives and did their best despite the challenges and various hardships that they might have to encounter and endure along the way. St. Paul reminded all of them of the gifts of God and the Holy Spirit that they have all received from the hands of the Apostles and the other missionaries of the Lord, and then encouraged them all to continue living their lives with faith, and to keep on doing their best to proclaim the Good News and truth of God by their lives.

As St. Paul pointed out to us all in that same passage, the faith, lives and exemplary actions of the Thessalonian faithful were very well-known and widespread, that all of those who have heard and witnessed their lives were truly inspired and touched by their examples and actions. St. Paul praised them for their dedication in turning away from the path of wickedness and evil, and from the worship of false idols and pagan gods, into the worship of the one and only True God. Through their upright lives and in the positive attitude which they had shown in welcoming the Apostles and the other missionaries, and in embracing the path and the truth that they had been shown and guided towards, the faithful people of God in Thessalonica had become the shining beacons of God’s path to others.

This can then be contrasted with the attitude shown by the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law which the Lord Jesus highlighted and criticised in our Gospel passage today. In that occasion, the Lord told His disciples and the people of the hypocrisy and the lack of faith which those who had been entrusted with the guardianship over the Law and the well-being of the people of God had shown. The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law have often paraded around their piety and dedication to God, and how they have strictly observed the Law and the commandments of God, in their very rigid and overly strict interpretation of God’s Law. They prayed publicly, and wore their religious garments, for the show to the people.

While it was indeed right for one to do what the Law has commanded him or her to do, but the problem as highlighted here by the Lord, was the fact that they themselves did not truly follow or obey the commandments of the Lord as they should, interpreting those Law and commandments, bending the rules and regulations all for their own benefits and prestige, as well as for their own purposes and advantages. This was also coupled with their elitist and exclusivist attitudes, in which they often condemned and ostracised those who they disagreed with, all those whom they deemed to be less worthy than they were. They should have helped the people of God to come closer to their Lord and Master, but they instead made it difficult for those who need God’s salvation the most.

This is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, all of us are reminded by these Scripture passages that we should not allow worldly glory, ambitions, fame and other attachments, which had caused the lukewarmness of the faith among the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, and their constant refusal to believe in God. They were misled and blinded by their attachments to worldly glory, temptations, and all the things which kept them from the path of God’s truth. If only that they learn to humble themselves and to open their hearts and minds to welcome the Lord into them, they would be like the faithful in Thessalonica, who had lived their lives faithfully and in accordance with God’s ways, and became the source of faith and hope for many others.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Augustine of Hippo, a great saint and servant of God who is one of the original Doctor of the Church, a great Church father and role model for all of us, God’s faithful people. St. Augustine of Hippo was indeed very well-known and looked up to as a great man of God, however, he was not always a faithful person from the very beginning. At the start, St. Augustine was born into a Roman pagan noble family, to a patrician named Patricius and his mother, St. Monica, a Christian believer. St. Augustine was raised up as a pagan and brought up well in the ways of the world, and had a great interest in intellectual pursuits, being highly intelligent and curious by nature.

However, St. Augustine lived his early youth life in hedonistic pursuits and lifestyle, being swayed by the various temptations of worldly glory and the pleasures of the flesh, even leading to him fathering a child with a woman out of wedlock. All those things brought about a great misery and heart pain for his loving mother, St. Monica, who devoted herself to her son very much, and who prayed daily for the conversion of both her husband and her son. Eventually, St. Monica’s efforts, prayers and actions led to the conversion, first of her husband before his passing, and finally, that of St. Augustine himself, who was called by God, abandoning his earlier wicked lifestyle and worldly pursuits, embracing God wholeheartedly ever since afterwards.

St. Augustine thereafter led a truly faithful and exemplary way of life, as one of the most influential Church rfathers of all time, whose faith and devotion became truly shining beacons of God’s light and truth. He wrote extensively on many aspects of the faith, and his many works influenced many other saints, theologians and others in the Church long after his passing into the glory of Heaven. His works, including that of De Trinitate, a treatise on the Trinitarian nature of God, and others like the famous City of God remained as great literary and theological works, which made him honoured as one of the original Doctors of the Church, having brought so many people to the path of God and his salvation, be it directly or indirectly.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, having heard of all these things, from the Scriptures and from the examples shown by St. Augustine of Hippo, our great and holy predecessor, our brilliant role model, can we all be inspired to live our lives with true faith and dedication to the Lord as well? Can we be truly devout and faithful in our way of life as well, so that by our every words, actions and deeds, our every moments in life, we may help to lead others to God and to inspire them all in their path, that more and more people may come to know the Lord, his love and truth. Let us all therefore do our part so that we may indeed be worthy of the Lord, and be worthy of the eternal glory and true joy that He has promised to all those who are faithful to Him. May God bless all of us in our every good efforts and endeavours. Amen.