holy men

by

Saturday, 5 April 2025 : 4th Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Vincent Ferrer, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures and as we continue to pass through this penitential season of Lent, we are being reminded through what we heard from the Word of God of the challenges and trials that the Lord Himself had been facing in His ministry, and the similar sufferings and challenges which His servants and messengers, the prophets and the Lord’s disciples had also endured in the midst of their works and efforts. And all of these things happened because of the temptations of worldly desires and pleasures which had afflicted many people and made them to disobey the Lord and entertain instead their greed, pride, ambition and other worldly pursuits that brought them to clash against God and His ways.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah in which the prophet spoke about the plotting and all the sufferings which the people of God, those who resisted God’s words and truth, had done towards His prophets, including to that of Jeremiah himself. For the context, Jeremiah was sent to the kingdom and people of Judah at the last years of its existence as an entity, and just before Judah and Jerusalem were crushed, conquered and destroyed by the Babylonians and their armies. Jeremiah tried to remind the people of the sins that they had committed, which had greatly angered God, and of the consequences which they would have to face amidst the sins that they had committed. But the people of Judah continued to resist his efforts and even plotted against him, almost killing him on occasions, but God saved him from death and safeguarded him.

That was mentioned in the same passage where Jeremiah mentioned how God would indeed remember His servants, and how He would protect them and provide for them, so that even though they would have to suffer and endure challenges and trials, but ultimately, God will avenge all those misdeeds from those who have wronged His servants and messengers. He would not abandon them in their time of need, and this is a reminder therefore also for those who have kept their faith in God, for all of us that if we trust in the Lord and believe in Him wholeheartedly, we will then receive the assurance of God’s providence and guidance, and in the end, we will share together in the Lord’s triumph and glory. Not even the forces of evil and darkness can overcome us all if we remain truly faithful in God.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the moment when the members of the Sanhedrin, or the Jewish High Council, consisting of many of the Pharisees, the Sadducees and other influential leaders of the Jewish community, deliberated and debated with one another, disagreeing on the nature and identity of the One known as Jesus, Whom some of them considered as the Prophet of God or the Messiah, but many others rejected and refused to believe in, accusing Him of wrongdoing and even blasphemy against God in whatever He had taught and done before the people of God. Many of those who opposed the Lord were truly ‘blinded’ by their jealousy against Him, because He grew increasingly popular, and they probably even feared Him and His growing influence, fearing that it would affect their own popularity and privileged status in the community.

That was why we heard such bitter and persistent opposition against the Lord despite all the Wisdom that He has shown in His teachings and words, and despite all the wonders and miracles that He has performed, which certainly and clearly indicated that He is truly the Messiah, the Holy One of God, the One sent into this world in order to redeem and save it, to save all of us mankind from certain damnation and destruction. The same hardships and challenges that the prophets in the past like Jeremiah had faced, which we heard in our first reading passage today, was also faced by the Lord. And this pointed out to us the ugly nature of our human and worldly desires, our ambitions and greed, all the things which can prevent us from truly finding our way to God and His salvation, and which this Lenten season is meant to help us to overcome these obstacles.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Vincent Ferrer, a renowned and holy priest who was born in the region of Valencia in what is now the eastern part of Spain. St. Vincent Ferrer joined the Dominican Order or the Order of Preachers from a rather young age of eighteen, and he committed himself to become a Dominican priest despite his parents pleading with him to take the path of secular priesthood instead due to the latter having more worldly privileges and renown than being a religious priest. But St. Vincent Ferrer remained firm in his vocation and conviction to serve the Lord as a Dominican, and eventually he was ordained as a priest. He was involved in the conflicts surrounding the contemporary Western Schism in which rival claimants to the Papacy caused bitter divisions among the faithful people of God along political lines. He was a good preacher and missionary, converting many of those who have fallen to the wrong paths into the true path of Christ.

St. Vincent Ferrer was also known for his role in mediating political issues and conflicts, in helping to resolve the conflicts between the rival kingdoms at the time, ending wars and bringing about peace to the region. He also continued to do many other good works for the glory of God and for the benefit of the faithful and holy people of God. Through his commitment and dedications, his efforts and tireless works, his personal piety and faith in God, he has inspired many others to follow the Lord and to believe in Him. And therefore, we ourselves have also been called to be good role models and inspirations to our brethren around us, to everyone whom we encounter in our daily lives, so that by our examples and actions, we may help lead more and more people ever closer to God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, just as we have all heard from the story and life of St. Vincent Ferrer and through what we have just discussed from the readings of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all called to embrace God’s love and mercy, and to be truly virtuous and just in our actions, in our whole way of life. Each and every one of us should not allow the temptations of the world, the temptations of worldly pleasures and ambitions to keep us away from God or to put obstacle in the path of our fellow brethren as we all journey together towards God as one faithful flock of His beloved people. Let us instead be the shining beacons of His truth and love, and be the bearers of His Good News and salvation to the nations, through our every actions, words and deeds, all anchored in our firm faith in Him, now and always. Amen.

by

Saturday, 5 April 2025 : 4th Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Vincent Ferrer, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

John 7 : 40-53

At that time, many who had been listening to these words began to say, “This is the Prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some wondered, “Would the Christ come from Galilee? Does Scripture not say that the Christ is a descendant of David and from Bethlehem, the city of David? The crowd was divided over Him. Some wanted to arrest Him, but no one laid hands on Him.

The officers of the Temple went back to the chief priests, who asked them, “Why did you not bring Him?” The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this Man.” The Pharisees then said, “So you, too, have been led astray! Have any of the rulers or any of the Pharisees believed in Him? Only those cursed people, who have no knowledge of the Law!”

Yet one of them, Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier, spoke out, “Does our law condemn people without first hearing them and knowing the facts?” They replied, “Do you, too, come from Galilee? Look it up and see for yourself that no prophet is to come from Galilee.” And they all went home.

by

Saturday, 5 April 2025 : 4th Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Vincent Ferrer, Priest (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 7 : 2-3, 9bc-10, 11-12

O Lord, my God, in You I take shelter; deliver me and save me from all my pursuers, lest lions tear me to pieces with no one to rescue me.

O Lord, my righteousness; You see that I am blameless. Bring to an end the power of the wicked, but affirm the just, o righteous God, searcher of mind and heart.

You cover me as a shield. Oh God, for You protect the upright. A righteous judge is God, His anger ever awaiting those who refuse to repent.

by

Saturday, 5 April 2025 : 4th Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Vincent Ferrer, Priest (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Jeremiah 11 : 18-20

YHVH made it known to me and so I know! And You let me see their scheming. But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. I did not know it was against me that they were plotting, “Let us feed him with trials and remove him from the land of the living and let his name never be mentioned again.”

YHVH, God of hosts, You Who judge with justice and know everyone’s heart and intentions, let me see Your vengeance on them, for to You I have entrusted my cause.

by

Wednesday, 2 April 2025 : 4th Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Francis of Paola, Hermit (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded of the great compassion and mercy that God has always shown to us, his beloved and precious people, as well as the call and reminder for us to be truly committed to God, to follow His ways and to obey His Law and commandments, and to resist all the temptations and pressures which may always seek to mislead us down the wrong path in life. We have to listen to the Lord speaking to us and calling on us to follow Him from the depths of our hearts and minds, and we have to always be ready to discern and embrace God’s words, His truth and love as He has revealed to us most generously through His Son, or else we may easily be distracted and lose our path.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, in which we heard of the Lord’s words of reassurance and love for His beloved people, the Israelites, whom He assured of His providence and care, of how they would all be blessed and bountiful again by God’s blessings and graces. This came in the context of how the people of Israel by the time of the ministry of the prophet Isaiah had been facing a lot of struggles and hardships, because of the sins which they themselves and their ancestors had committed before. And yet, God did not give up on them and He still patiently guided all of them to Himself, through His sending of the many prophets and messengers that had been sent to help all of His beloved people to find their way back to Him.

And Isaiah was one of these many prophets whom God had sent to be among His people, to chastise them for their sins and wickedness, but at the same time also reminding them of the great and ever enduring love that He has always had for them, despite their stubborn attitudes and rebelliousness. Ultimately, we are reminded that God’s love for us is far greater than all of our sins and iniquities, and through God and His help, by our sincere embracing of the compassion and love of God, we can be healed and brought out from the predicament that is our sins and wickedness, our disobedience and the corruptions that sin has brought unto us. We should always remember the Lord’s love and mercy, and be hopeful and faithful in Him as He will never abandon us willingly. It is rather us mankind who have abandoned God.

Then, from our Gospel passage today taken from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus to His disciples in which He detailed to them His relationship with the Father, His heavenly Father Who had sent Him into this world to be the One to save all of us mankind. He as the Son obeyed the will of the Father and did everything that the Father had told Him to do, and through this perfect obedience and commitment, Christ, as the Son of God and Son of Man both, showed all of us the way for us to reach God, our loving Father, as through His incarnation, Christ Our Lord has united all of us and our humanity to His own, making all of us to be beloved children of God as well. And the Lord told us all to obey the Father just as He Himself has obeyed the Father’s will.

Through all of that, the Lord wanted to show us how we can truly be redeemed from our many sins, evils and wickedness, from all the things which had separated us from the fullness of God’s grace and love. The Lord Jesus in that same occasion also told His disciples about the renewal, healing and new life which God has promised to all of them if they all believe in whatever that He had told them. And He also reminded them all of the time of the Last and Final Judgment, in which Christ Himself will be the Judge of all things and of all Creation, the One to judge all of us of our lives, our actions, misdeeds, our failures, our virtues and everything that we do or failed to do in life. Each and every one of us ultimately will have to account for our respective lives before God. And when the time comes, are we ready to face it, and will we be found to be worthy of God?

During this time and season of Lent, we are therefore reminded by these readings and passages from the Sacred Scriptures so that we may be more aware of how our lives have probably fallen far away from the path and the way that God has wanted us all to follow in each and every one of our lives. We should not take all these opportunities and chances that God has generously given to us for granted, or else we may regret our lack of gratitude, appreciation and understanding of just how fortunate we are that God, our most loving and merciful Father, has always had for us, and yet, many of us constantly rebuffed His approaches of love, all of His efforts in reconciling us to Himself and all the avenues and means that He has provided to us to bring us to His grace and salvation.

Today the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Francis of Paola, a holy servant of God and a renowned hermit, whose faith and devotion to God is truly exemplary and a good inspiration for all of us as Christians. St. Francis of Paola was the founder of the Order of Minims, inspired by the simplicity and the way of life shown by his patron saint, St. Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan Order. He was born into a very poor but pious family, who asked for the intercession of St. Francis of Assisi for a son, and after whose birth, committed him to a life of piety and commitment to God, and since his youth, he had been exposed to religious life and virtues, eventually leading to the young St. Francis of Paola to commit himself to a life of seclusion, withdrawing from the temptations and excesses of the world.

In becoming a hermit, St. Francis of Paola gradually inspired more and more people to follow his examples as he lived an ascetic life dedicated to God, full of self-mortification and resistance to all temptations of the flesh, worldly desires and pleasures. He was especially renowned for his great humility which also inspired many of his fellow religious, committing to follow the Lord wholeheartedly and not to indulge in any sorts of temptations that can lead us astray in our lives in this world. They all live their lives in great humility, seeking to be unknown and hidden from the world, as contrasted with the usual desires of men who sought to be praised, famous and glorified. The examples showed by St. Francis of Paola and his brethren should be inspiration for all of us to follow as well in our own lives.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore make good use of the time and opportunities which we have received during this season of Lent so that we may draw ever closer to God and His loving mercy, embrace His kind forgiveness and hope in Him once more, putting our faith and trust in Him as we should always do. Let us all continue to live our lives worthily as Christians, as those whom God had called and chosen to be His own. We should not be idle in living our lives or live our lives in manner that is contrary to our faith and beliefs as Christians, or else we are no different than hypocrites who do not truly act in the manner that they believe in. Let us all continue to be humble in realising our sinfulness and embrace God’s mercy, while encouraging each other to seek God’s mercy as well, and be the worthy beacons of God’s light and truth in our communities today. May God be with us all, in each and every things we do. Amen.

by

Wednesday, 2 April 2025 : 4th Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Francis of Paola, Hermit (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

John 5 : 17-30

At that time, Jesus replied to the Jews, “My Father goes on working and so do I.” And the Jews tried all the harder to kill Him, for Jesus not only broke the Sabbath observance, but also made Himself equal with God, calling God His own Father.

Jesus said to them, “Truly, I assure you, the Son cannot do anything by Himself, but only what He sees the Father do. And whatever He does, the Son also does. The Father loves the Son and shows Him everything He does; and He will show Him even greater things than these, so that you will be amazed.”

“As the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son gives life to whom He wills. In the same way the Father judges no one, for He has entrusted all judgment to the Son, and He wants all to honour the Son as they honour the Father. Whoever ignores the Son, ignores as well the Father Who sent Him.”

“Truly, I say to you, anyone who hears My word and believes Him Who sent Me, has eternal life; and there is no judgment for him, because he has passed from death to life. Truly, the hour is coming and has indeed come, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and, on hearing it, will live. For the Father has life in Himself, and He has given to the Son also to have life in Himself. And He has empowered Him as well to carry out Judgment, for He is Son of Man.”

“Do not be surprised at this : the hour is coming when all those lying in tombs will hear My voice and come out; those who have done good shall rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. I can do nothing of Myself, and I need to hear Another One to judge; and My judgment is just, because I seek not My own will, but the will of Him Who sent Me.”

by

Wednesday, 2 April 2025 : 4th Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Francis of Paola, Hermit (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 144 : 8-9, 13cd-14, 17-18

Compassionate and gracious is the Lord, slow to anger and abounding in love. The Lord is good to everyone; His mercy embraces all His creation.

The Lord is true to His promises and lets His mercy show in all He does. The Lord lifts up those who are falling and raises those who are beaten down.

Righteous is the Lord in all His ways, His mercy shows in all His deeds. He is near those who call on Him, who call trustfully upon His Name.

by

Wednesday, 2 April 2025 : 4th Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Francis of Paola, Hermit (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Isaiah 49 : 8-15

This is what YHVH says : “At a favourable time I have answered you, on the day of salvation I have been your help; I have formed you and made you to be My covenant with the people. You will restore the land, and allot its abandoned farms. You will say to the captives : Come out; and to those in darkness : Show yourselves.”

“They will feed along the road; they will find pasture on barren hills. They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the scorching wind or the sun beat upon them; for He Who has mercy on them will guide them and lead them to springs of water. I will turn all My mountains into roads and raise up My highways. See, they come from afar, some from the north and west, others from the land of Sinim.”

Sing, o heavens and rejoice, o earth; break forth into song, o mountains : for YHVH has comforted His people and taken pity on those who are afflicted. But Zion said : “YHVH has forsaken me, my Lord has forgotten me.” Can a woman forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child of her womb? Yet though she forget, I will never forget you.

by

Monday, 17 March 2025 : 2nd Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Patrick, Bishop (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded of the great mercy which the Lord, our most loving God and Father has shown to each and every one of us, the compassion and love which He has given to us all as His beloved people. We are reminded especially during this time and season of Lent, we have been given the opportunity to turn away from our sins and wickedness, and we have been given the generous opportunity to return to our loving God and Father, embracing His compassion and kindness, in His desire to reconciled and reunited with all of us. God has been generous in His mercy, and today we are all reminded to be thankful and appreciative of what we have received from Him.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Daniel, we heard of the words of the prophet Daniel beseeching the Lord and asking Him to show mercy and compassion on His people, the Israelites and their descendants. They and their ancestors had rebelled and sinned against God, and therefore they had been cast out of the land that had been promised to them, the Land of Canaan, which their ancestors had dwelled in, but which by the time of Daniel, foreigners like the Assyrians and the Babylonians had conquered their kingdoms, destroyed their cities and exiled many among them to the distant lands, as Daniel himself had experienced and suffered. And in those distant lands, they had to bear the humiliation of their fate, the loss of their homeland, and the ignominy of their exile.

Daniel gathered the prayers and thoughts of the people of God, many of whom had repented from their sins in their time and period of exile from their homeland. He asked the Lord on their behalf, presenting their sorrow and repentance, their regret for all of their mistakes and sins in the past, seeking God to forgive them their sins so that they might once again be loved and blessed by Him, and be allowed to return to their homeland, after their punishment and sufferings had come to an eventual end. He showcased Israel’s regret for their many disobedience and sins, and this is showing us how our attitude should be like in how we live our lives especially during this penitential time and season of Lent. We should also seek God’s generous mercy and forgiveness, and commit ourselves to His path, from now on.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus to His disciples, telling them clearly to be merciful in their actions just as God their loving Father has shown them lots of mercy and compassion. Just like in the prayer which the Lord Jesus Himself had taught them said, that, ‘Forgive us our trespasses just as we forgive those who have trespassed against us’. And this is an important reminder for us all that just as we seek to be forgiven from our many sins and mistakes, we too should be ready to forgive others around us, be it our own family members, relatives, colleagues and even strangers who have caused hurt to us, or those who have wronged and done mistake to us.

To forgive others is something that is not easily done, but we must still strive to do it nonetheless. And the best example we can follow is none other than the Lord Himself, our most loving and generous Father, Who has loved us all and desired to forgive us our sins should we come to Him with sincere repentance and desire to be forgiven from those sins. Not only that, but He has also given us all His own only Begotten Son to save us from our fated destruction, and through this same Son, Who was punished for our sins, He forgave us all the trespasses, mistakes and sins we have committed, just as His Son forgave those who have persecuted and condemned Him to death from His Cross, praying for them to the Father not to count their sins against them. This is an example of forgiveness and mercy that all of us as Christians ought to follow. 

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Patrick, a holy bishop and great servant of God, who is well-known as the missionary who brought the Christian faith to Ireland and established the foundation of the Church there in that island. He is well-celebrated especially amongst the members of the Irish diaspora, which is now spread all around the world. St. Patrick himself was born in the then late Roman Britain, and he was born to a Romano-British family, whose father was apparently a decurion, a rather important official in the Roman government. In his youth, it was reported that he was captured by Irish pirates who brought him to Ireland and enslaved him for a whole period of six years. Eventually he was able to escape from his captors and returned home, but his experiences in Ireland was truly a premonition of what he would do there in the future.

Eventually, St. Patrick continued his studies and was ordained as a deacon and then priest, and then sent as a missionary back to Ireland, acting on a vision that he has seen and received since the day of his captivity there. He was ordained as a bishop and became the one to lead the path for other missionaries to evangelise the land of Ireland. St. Patrick laboured patiently for many years among the many pagan peoples throughout Ireland, and while he had some successes in converting some of the local kings, lords and people, but there were lots of opposition that he had to endure throughout his ministry in Ireland. But slowly, through his patient teaching and genuine Christian love, virtues and righteousness, more and more people came to believe in God through him and that was the beginning of Christian Ireland.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have discussed through our reflection on the Sacred Scripture passages and from the life and works of St. Patrick, we are reminded to be aware of our sinfulness and seek God for His forgiveness and mercy, for Him to heal us from our sins and corruptions, so that we may once again be worthy to come to His Holy Presence and embrace Him fully in His love. And we are also reminded that we have the calling and obligation to be missionary as what St. Patrick and our other holy predecessors had done in their respective lives and works. That is why all of us are called to remember today our faith in the Lord and the generous mercy that God has given and reassured us with. We should not take God’s love for granted any longer, but appreciate every opportunities that we have been given.

Let us all therefore continue to journey through this time and season of Lent with contrite heart, desiring to seek God’s forgiveness and mercy, and at the same time, showing mercy and love, compassion and kindness to those around us as well. May all of us be truly forgiven by God and be reconciled with Him through this great opportunity of this Lenten time and season. May God be with us always, and may He continue to bless us in our every efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

by

Monday, 17 March 2025 : 2nd Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Patrick, Bishop (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Luke 6 : 36-38

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not be a judge of others and you will not be judged; do not condemn and you will not be condemned; forgive and you will be forgiven; give and it will be given to you, and you will receive in your sack good measure, pressed down, full and running over. For the measure you give will be the measure you receive back.”