Holy Easter

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Sunday, 1 June 2025 : Seventh Sunday of Easter, World Social Communications Sunday (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday is the seventh Sunday of Easter, on which day we also commemorate the occasion of the World Social Communications Sunday. On this Sunday we are reminded that it is important for us to make good use of the social communications, the social media and other means in our world today to elevate the Good News and the truths of the Gospels, the teachings of Our Lord and the Christian truths in a world where many did not know the Lord and where many, even those within the Church, do not really know, understand and appreciate what they all believe in, our faith in the One, True God. That is why we are being reminded again of the great opportunities and the many wonderful things that we have been given through this mission we have in our capabilities to communicate about the Lord and His truth in our society today.

In our first reading this Sunday, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, we heard of the account of the time when St. Stephen, one of the first seven Deacons of the Church was persecuted and martyred by the mob gathered in the presence of the Sanhedrin or the Jewish High Council. At that time, the Sanhedrin had been intensifying their efforts to silence the disciples and followers of the Risen Lord, Whom they had condemned to suffer and die on the Cross, and yet, Whose Resurrection and the great courage shown by His disciples threw their plans and ideas into disarray. Hence, they resorted to using dirty tactics if we read through the earlier part of the account from the Acts of the Apostles, by using false witnesses and lies to try to implicate and accuse St. Stephen of wrongdoing.

However, if we continue to read on the same account, St. Stephen, strengthened and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, firmly stood up for his faith in the Lord, and proclaimed the salvation of God throughout history and how everything had been accomplished perfectly in the same Jesus Christ that had come into this world and which many of the members Sanhedrin had rejected and persecuted, and crucified on the Cross. St. Stephen was facing many of those who were against him and wanted to see him silenced, and yet, he still courageously spoke out for his faith in the Lord, and he did not let his fears to overcome him. Instead, he fully trusted in the Lord and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit and courageously proclaimed the Lord and His salvation.

And that was how St. Stephen was martyred, in the midst of his courageous preaching and ministry, as he remained true to his commitment to the very end, standing up to his beliefs and doing his best, even amidst all those who rose up in anger against him. And even in suffering and death, St. Stephen continued to proclaim the Lord, as he showed those who persecuted him the true face of God’s love and mercy, as he forgave them all that they had inflicted upon him, asking the Lord not to hold those sins and wrongdoings against those who have attacked and persecuted him, just as the Lord Himself had done from His Cross. Thus, the examples showed to us by St. Stephen should indeed serve as a good example for ourselves to follow in our own lives as Christians, in how we communicate our faith in this world to one another.

Then, from our second reading today, taken from the Book of Revelations, we heard of the great vision of St. John the Apostle which had come to its conclusion in what we heard from the passage. After the many visions on sufferings and tribulations that the faithful had to experience, the Lord also then showed St. John, who personally had to suffer many decades of suffering and hardships, that glimpse of reassuring hope by revealing to him what he and all the other faithful disciples and followers will enjoy in the end. And St. John saw all the true joy that will be found in the Lord, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, all the comfort and true happiness that will be found in Him alone, in the satisfaction of eternal life that surpass anything that can be found in this world.

And St. John was told by the Lord to record everything that he had seen and witnessed so that everyone else can also believe and be strengthened in their faith, and that was exactly what he had done, communicating all that he had seen and compiled them all in his Book of Revelations, with the help of all those who have listened to his visions and accounts. Again, this is how all of us should communicate our faith as Christians, in proclaiming the truth of God, His revelations and ways to more and more people we encounter so that we may be encouraged in facing the trials, hardships and obstacles that may be found in our path. We must not lose sight on what is truly important, that is God and His assurance, and we who know this fact ought to communicate it well to everyone around us.

Then, from our Gospel passage this Sunday, we heard of the prayer that the Lord Jesus made on behalf of His disciples and followers to His heavenly Father, praying for them that they all may be one and united with each other just as He Himself and the Father are One, and that they may be strengthened amidst the challenges and trials that they all may have to face in carrying out their faith and actions to fulfil what the Lord has entrusted to them. He prayed for all of them that they may have perfection in unity, and that none of them may be lost from Him, as He truly loves them all very much. And whatever the Lord has prayed for at that time still very much ring true to this day, to all of us who continue to follow Christ our Lord and continue to carry out His good works in our respective communities today.

But more importantly, again linking to the same theme of the communication and social communication that is one of the focus of today’s celebrations, we see that the Lord Jesus Himself constantly prayed to the Father, as mentioned here in today’s Gospel and also in other occasions throughout the Gospels, and this highlights to us the importance of prayer in our faith life as Christians. For without prayer we will easily be swayed and pulled away from the path towards God, falling prey to temptations and all other pressures that may keep us away from God. But with prayer and especially a good and healthy prayer life, as the Lord Himself has shown us, we will be firmly rooted in faith and we will not lose sight on what is truly important in our lives. We will find that with God by our side, whatever challenges and trials we may have to face, all will be possible for us.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all ponder upon these readings from the Sacred Scriptures and reflect upon our faith and relationship with the Lord, especially in how we have communicated with Him through prayer and other means. It is imperative that we should be constantly connected with God and be attuned to Him and His will. At the same time, it is important that we should also communicate our faith and belief to others around us, to fulfil what the Lord has commanded us to do, in all the things that He has entrusted to us, in proclaiming the truth and salvation in God to all the people of all the nations. We should be courageous and faithful like that of St. Stephen and our many other holy predecessors, in faithfully proclaiming God’s Word and truth to all.

May the Risen Lord continue to be with us always and may He strengthen and empower us all with the resolve and courage to walk ever more faithfully in God’s Presence and in proclaiming His truth and Good News in our world today, amongst our communities and all those whom we encounter daily in life. May God bless our good efforts and endeavours, all the works we have done in His Name. May He grant us the wisdom and eloquence to proclaim His truth with sincerity and love, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 1 June 2025 : Seventh Sunday of Easter, World Social Communications Sunday (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 17 : 20-26

At that time, Jesus prayed to God His Father, “I pray not only for these, but also for those who through their word will believe in Me. May they all be one, as You Father are in Me and I am in You. May they be one in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.”

“I have given them the glory You have given Me, that they may be one as We are One : I in them and You in Me. Thus they shall reach perfection in unity; and the world shall know that You have sent Me, and that I have loved them, just as You loved Me.”

“Father, since You have given them to Me, I want them to be with Me where I am, and see the glory You gave Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father, the world has not known You, but I have known You, and these have known that You have sent Me.”

“As I revealed Your Name to them, so will I continue to reveal it, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and also may be in them.”

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Sunday, 1 June 2025 : Seventh Sunday of Easter, World Social Communications Sunday (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Revelations 22 : 12-14, 16-17, 20

I am coming soon, bringing with Me the recompense I will pay to each one, according to his deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Happy are those who wash their robes, for they will have free access to the tree of life, and enter the city through the gates.

I, Jesus, sent My Angel, to make known to you these revelations concerning the churches. I am the Shoot, and Offspring of David, the radiant Morning Star. The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come!” Whoever hears, let him say, “Come!” Whoever thirsts, let him approach, and whoever desires, let him freely take the water of life.

He Who has declared all this says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus.

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Sunday, 1 June 2025 : Seventh Sunday of Easter, World Social Communications Sunday (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 96 : 1 and 2b, 6 and 7c, 9

YHVH reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the distant islands be glad. Justice and right, are His throne.

The heavens proclaim His justice, all peoples see His glory. Let all spirits bow before Him.

For You are the Master of the universe, exalted far above all gods.

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Sunday, 1 June 2025 : Seventh Sunday of Easter, World Social Communications Sunday (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 7 : 55-60

But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, fixed his eyes on heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus at God’s right hand, so he declared : “I see the heavens open and the Son of Man at the right hand of God.”

But they shouted and covered their ears with their hands and rushed together upon him. They brought him out of the city and stoned him, and the witnesses laid down their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. As they were stoning him, Stephen prayed saying : “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

Then he knelt down and said in a loud voice : “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he died.

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Sunday, 25 May 2025 : Sixth Sunday of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday which marks the Sixth Sunday of Easter, all of us are reminded that as Christians, it is important for us to be truly filled with the love of God in all things, in our every actions, words and deeds. We are all called to follow the Lord in all of our ways, in our everyday interactions, actions and works so that by our complete and total dedication to God’s ways as Christians, as those whom God had called and chosen. We must not easily be distracted by the many alternative ideals and ways which may be contrary to the ways that the Lord had presented to us. This is why it is important that we have to discern carefully our actions and choices in life, so that we may truly walk faithfully the path that the Lord has guided us through in life.

In our first reading this Sunday, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, we heard of the aftermath of the First Council of Jerusalem, the first major gathering of the assembly of the faithful in the history of the Church, which dealt with the issue of the disagreements that happened due to the efforts by some among the early Christians to impose the full weight of the Jewish customs, practices and ways on the whole Church. And as I have explained in detail in the deliberations earlier this week, such a rule and requirement would have made it very difficult for the believers from among the Gentiles, or the non-Jewish people to follow the Lord and becoming His disciples, as certain practices and customs of the Jews such as circumcision and dietary restrictions are viewed with disgust and suspicion by the Gentiles as a whole.

That was why after deliberations and discussions, guided by the Lord through the Holy Spirit, the Apostles led by St. Peter the Apostle decided that the whole Church should not be bound by the whole extensive and cumbersome Jewish customs, traditions and practices, which numbered about six hundred and thirteen in all, not counting the many other rites and rituals, practices and interpretations that the Pharisees often enforced. After all, the Lord Jesus Himself had criticised those same Pharisees for their way of observing the Law, for their overly rigid and strict interpretation of the Law of God, and most importantly for their hypocrisy in exercising their authority and in their own way of living and practicing the Law. And in accordance to what the Lord Himself had taught and presented before the disciples, the Church required only the fulfilment of what the Lord had told His people to follow.

As ultimately, the Law of God was meant as the guide for the faithful to follow in how they ought to live up their lives, and in showing all of them on how they ought to love God first and foremost, above all else, and then to love one another, their fellow men and women, their brothers and sisters in the same Lord. It is meant to lead us all towards God, and not to burden us unnecessarily. That is why the Apostles sent out the letters and messages to the faithful throughout the various community then present, through St. Paul and the other missionaries so that they might be able to practice the Christian faith in the proper and right manner without unnecessary burden and inconvenience. The Lord guided His Church and the efforts of the disciples, and the Church continued to keep on growing ever since.

This is also an important reminder for us that we should always have the right focus in our way of obeying the Lord’s commandments and laws, and we should not be easily distracted by certain tenets or doctrines that ended up causing us to lose sight and focus on what the Law of God is truly all about. As Christians, it is most important that we focus our attention on the Lord and not on our own different preferences and prejudices, and it is also very important that we must all be ready to listen to one another, and not to be hardened in our attitudes, in refusing to listen to the opinions of others around us. We should learn to understand the true will of God and the path that He is guiding and leading us through, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit instead of insisting on our own way and methods.

Then, from the second reading passage this Sunday, we heard of the vision of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist that he had received in the island of Patmos and which he recorded in the Book of Revelations. In that vision and account, we heard about the New Jerusalem, the vision of the city that will come from God at the end of times, a vision of the everlasting and true joy that all of us will share together as God’s holy and beloved people. And through this hope we are all reminded that if we are truly faithful to the Lord, full of love for Him and being dedicated to Him, then we shall receive from God Himself the fullness of everything that He has prepared and intended for us all, the glorious inheritance that He has reserved for us, that even if we are to suffer persecutions and hardships, in the end, we will enjoy forever the true happiness and joy with Him in Heaven.

From the perspective of the Apostle St. John himself, it was also a vision of comfort and strength, which is an encouragement for him, having suffered so many years in persecution and hardships. St. John the Apostle was the only one of the Twelve Apostles that was not martyred for his faith in God, but while he did not face a bloody and painful end of his life, he did suffer a lot throughout his very long life, as according to tradition he lived to the end of the first century, which is about seven decades or so after the Lord’s Resurrection, suffering persecutions, exile and other kinds of trials and difficulties during his ministry, missions and works among the people of God. That is perhaps the Lord showed His vision of the end times to St. John so that it could strengthen him in his own faith and commitment to Him, despite the many sufferings that he had to bear throughout his life.

Lastly, from our Gospel passage this Sunday, taken from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle, we heard of the Lord telling His disciples about everything that would happen to them, but they should not be afraid or fearful as in the end, God would be with them always, and none of them will be left alone or abandoned as He will always provide for them whatever they need in their journey and ministry. Through the Lord, all of us, His disciples and followers will gain true and lasting peace, through the Holy Spirit, the Holy Advocate and Helper that He has bestowed upon us in this world. That is why we should not fear persecutions or hardships, just as the Lord has reassured us through His visions to St. John the Apostle and the Lord’s own reassuring words through His disciples as we have all heard today.

Essentially, all of us are reminded this Sunday to continue to do our best to carry out our missions in life as Christians, as those whom God has called and chosen to be His own people. Each and every one of us have been entrusted with the various missions and works, in our own areas of expertise and responsibility, as He granted us the various gifts, abilities, talents and all the means by which we may touch the lives of everyone around us, all those whom God had called and chosen, those whom God had placed in our lives and allowed us all to encounter in the different moments and times. All of us have been blessed with many gifts and wonders, and it is time for us therefore to make good use of them so that through our works and efforts, we may glorify the Lord and show His truth, Good News, His love and salvation through our lives and examples.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore strive to do our best in each and every moments of our lives so that our every words, actions and deeds, we may always proclaim the Lord’s truth and Good News to everyone whom we encounter in every opportunities. Let us all continue to be faithful and courageous in all things, doing our best in every opportunities that we have been given so that we may truly be fruitful in doing God’s good works and be strengthened in our resolve to continue to be ever more committed in proclaiming the truth and Good News, the love and hope of the Lord’s salvation to more and more people, just as He has entrusted to all of us His Church, His missionaries and all those whom He has entrusted the good works of His salvation.

May all of us be strengthened and guided as always by the good hands of the Lord in all times and occasions, and may God bless our every good efforts, works and endeavours, all for His greater glory, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

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Sunday, 25 May 2025 : Sixth Sunday of Easter (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 14 : 23-29

At that time, Jesus answered Judas, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word and My Father will love him; and We will come to him and make a room in his home.”

“But if anyone does not love Me, he will not keep My words; and these words that you hear are not Mine, but the Father’s Who sent Me. I told you all this while I was still with you. From now on the Helper, the Holy Spirit Whom the Father will send in My Name, will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I have told you.”

“Peace be with you! I give you My peace; not as the world gives peace do I give it to you. Do not be troubled; do not be afraid. You heard Me say, ‘I am going away, but I am coming to you.’ If you loved Me, you would be glad that I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.”

“I have told you this now before it takes place, so that when it does happen you may believe.”

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Sunday, 25 May 2025 : Sixth Sunday of Easter (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Revelations 21 : 10-14, 22-23

One of the seven Angels took me up, in a spiritual vision, to a very high mountain, and he showed me the holy city Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven, from God. It shines with the glory of God, like a precious jewel, with the colour of crystal-clear jasper. Its wall, large and high, has twelve gates; stationed at them are twelve Angels. 

Over the gates are written the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. Three gates face the east; three gates face the north; three gates face the south and three face the west. The city wall stands on twelve foundation stones, on which are written the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.

I saw no Temple in the city, for the Lord God, Master of the Universe, and the Lamb, are themselves its Temple. The city has no need of the light of the sun or the moon, since God’s glory is its light and the Lamb is its lamp.

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Sunday, 25 May 2025 : Sixth Sunday of Easter (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 66 : 2-3, 5, 6 and 8

May God be gracious and bless us, may He let His face shine upon us, that Your way be known on earth and Your salvation among the nations.

May the countries be glad and sing for joy, for You rule the peoples with justice and guide the nations of the world.

May the people praise You, o God, may all the peoples praise You! May God bless us and be revered, to the very ends of the earth.

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Sunday, 25 May 2025 : Sixth Sunday of Easter (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 15 : 1-2, 22-29

Some persons, who had come from Judea to Antioch, were teaching the brothers in this way, “Unless you are circumcised, according to the Law of Moses, you cannot be saved.” Because of this, there was trouble; and Paul and Barnabas had fierce arguments with them. For Paul told the people to remain as they were, when they became believers. Finally, those who had come from Jerusalem suggested that Paul and Barnabas and some others go up to Jerusalem, to discuss the matter with the Apostles and elders.

Then the Apostles and elders together with the whole Church decided to choose representatives from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. These were Judas, known as Barsabbas, and Silas, both leading men among the brothers. They took with them the following letter :

“Greetings from the Apostles and elders, your brothers, to the believers of non-Jewish birth in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. We have heard that some persons from among us have worried you with their discussions and troubled your peace of mind. They were not appointed by us.”

“But now, it has seemed right to us in an assembly, to choose representatives and to send them to you, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, who have dedicated their lives to the service of our Lord Jesus Christ. We send you then Judas and Silas who themselves will give you these instructions by word of mouth.”

“We, with the Holy Spirit, have decided not to put any other burden on you except what is necessary : You are to abstain from blood from the meat of strangled animals and from prohibited marriages. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”