holy men

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Tuesday, 6 February 2024 : 5th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 83 : 3, 4, 5 and 10, 11

My soul yearns; pines, for the courts of YHVH. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest where she may lay her young, at Your altars, o YHVH of Hosts, my King and my God!

Happy are those who live in Your House, continually singing Your praise! Look upon our shield, o God; look upon the face of Your Anointed!

One day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be left at the threshold in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of the wicked.

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Tuesday, 6 February 2024 : 5th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

1 Kings 8 : 22-23, 27-30

Then Solomon stood before the Altar of YHVH in the presence of all the assembly of Israel. He raised his hands towards heaven and said, “O YHVH, God of Israel, there is no God like You either in heaven or on earth! You keep Your Covenant and show loving kindness to Your servants who walk before You wholeheartedly.”

“But will God really live among people on earth? If neither heavens nor the highest heavens can contain You, how much less can this House which I have built! Yet, listen to the prayer and supplication of Your servant, o YHVH my God; hearken to the cries and pleas which Your servant directs to You this day. Watch over this House of which You have said, ‘My Name shall rest there.’ Hear the prayer of Your servant in this place.”

“Listen to the supplication of Your servant and Your people Israel when they pray in this direction; listen from Your dwelling place in heaven and, on listening, forgive.”

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Saturday, 3 February 2024 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr, and St. Ansgar, Bishop (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Bishops or Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard from the Sacred Scriptures the words of the Lord in which we are all reminded to seek the Lord whenever we have any need or problems, and we should always keep our faith in Him regardless of the challenges, trials and difficulties that we may encounter in our lives and respective journeys. We must always be faithful to God and trust in Him in whatever path that He has called us into, and we must not allow the temptations of worldly glory and pleasures to distract and discourage us from this path that we have been called and led into by the Lord. We should also seek the Lord for help, guidance and strength, in all occasions and opportunities.

In our first reading today, we heard of the young King Solomon of Israel, who had just taken over the rein of the kingdom from his recently deceased father, King David of Israel. The young Solomon was lacking in experience and his youth is something that had often been taken against rulers of his age, by the people and the important figures of the kingdom. Hence, he came to Gibeon to offer prayers to God, and in that prayer, he sought God’s guidance and help, asking Him for wisdom and knowledge, the understanding and the ability to judge well, between things that are good and evil. And we heard how God was pleased with Solomon and his prayers, and blessed him more than what he had asked for, because he had not asked for wealth, worldly glory or power, as what many others would have done instead.

Through this simple example of the prayer of Solomon, we are all reminded that we should always anchor ourselves firmly and faithfully in God, and not to allow ourselves to be easily swayed and turned by our desires and by all other sorts of wicked things and temptations present all around us. We must remain firm in our commitment and in our desire to walk down this path of righteousness, grace and virtue as the Lord Himself has shown and led us through. Like Solomon and his father David before him, we should also humble ourselves before the Lord and ask Him for help and assistance, guidance and strength that we may be better able to live our lives worthily and with devotion as good and faithful Christians, in all moments and opportunities that have been provided to us.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the moment when the Lord and His disciples were ministering to the multitudes of people who came to them seeking the Lord, wanting to listen to His teachings and wanting to be healed and freed from their diseases, ailments and problems. We heard how the Lord and His disciples had been working for a very long time and how exhausted and tired they were. They were looking for a place to rest and to eat properly, but the people kept looking for the Lord and they all went before the Lord and His disciples, waiting for them and giving the Lord and His disciples no proper time to even rest and relax. Yet, we heard how the Lord had compassion on them all and He preached to them and taught them all, seeing that they were all like sheep without a shepherd.

From this short passage of course we are reminded that often as Christians we tend to take for granted those whom the Lord had sent to help, guide and minister to us. We often took them for granted and mistreat them, thinking that they had to work for us and to cater to our every desires and needs. We must keep in mind that they are also humans like us, who needs rest and sustenance, and we must also help and support them so that they can better minister and help us in our lives and journeys of faith. Then, at the same time, we are also reminded of just how beloved and precious we are by God, that He was willing to spend more time and effort to care for us, to help and guide us like what the Lord Jesus had done.

The Lord was also responding to the people’s desire to look for Him for guidance, and the many multitudes of people who were all looking for Him showed us all the desire they had in seeking for God’s help and guidance, and the Lord responded to that desire, as He also showed them all His great love, compassion and generosity. And therefore, we are all reminded that we should not take for granted this great love of God which He has shown to all of us, and we must always do our best such that in all occasions and opportunities provided to us, we are always grateful for the love and generous compassion which God has provided to us all these while. We should never forget how He has blessed us with many wonderful things throughout our lives, and we must keep ourselves rooted firmly in Him, at all times.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of two holy saints, namely St. Blaise and St. Ansgar, whose lives and examples can hopefully inspire us all in how we should lead lives that are truly worthy of the Lord. First of all, St. Blaise was the renowned saint whom many of us will remember for his intercessions for the sake of those who are suffering from throat problems and diseases, and the related popular Blessing of the Throats and the intercession of St. Blaise. St. Blaise was also a renowned physician who helped to treat many people for their diseases and ailments. He performed many miracles and healings which made him to be well-sought and respected by so many people, and which led him to be elected by the people who acclaimed him to be their bishop, in the area of Sebastea in Asia Minor. St. Blaise continued to care for the needs of the people under his care, and devoted his time and effort for their sake.

During that time, the Church and its Christian faithful had been under constant threats of persecutions and hardships, and despite the Edict of Milan which had been declared by the then Roman Emperors Constantine the Great and Licinius, very soon, in the Eastern parts of the Roman Empire ruled by the Emperor Licinius, the suspicion of that Emperor against the plans and support that Constantine the Great tacitly gave to the Christians and to the Church led to renewed persecutions against the faithful in his dominion, including that of St. Blaise’s diocese and domain. The governor arrested St. Blaise and persecuted him, and amidst all that, in what would make him well-known for his intercession for those afflicted with throat maladies, a woman who had a boy choking to death because of fish bone in his throat placed that son at his feet as he was led to his torture place, and the boy was miraculously healed almost immediately. In the end, as St. Blaise continued to resist the efforts to turn him away from his faith, he was martyred, and yet, his examples, courage and faith continued to inspire many others throughout history.

Meanwhile, St. Ansgar was known well for his many efforts and missionary works among the Germans, whom at the time were still following their pagan ways. He devoted much of his time and efforts to proclaim the Word of God and the Good News of His salvation to those who still followed their pagan ways, as he was sent in his capacity of a missionary. He went to proclaim the truth of God amidst the challenges, hardships and trials which he had to endure throughout that journey and efforts, going back and forth between many places, caring for the needs of the countless souls who have been attracted to God thanks to his efforts and works. Eventually he was made a bishop, and he continued to devote himself to his work, and which made him known as the ‘Apostle to the Germans’ or the ‘Apostle of the North’, marking his commitment to his mission to those who have not yet known the Lord, which he continued to do till the end of his life.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have listened through today’s Scripture readings of putting our trust and faith in the Lord, and also through the lives and works of St. Blaise and St. Ansgar, let us all therefore do our best so that in each and every moments of our lives, we may continue to live ever more worthily in God’s Presence, and to come ever closer to the Lord. Let us all therefore come to the Lord, asking Him to help and guide us, and strengthen and encourage us in our path, so that in everything that we say and do, we will continue to glorify God, and that like St. Blaise and St. Ansgar before us, we may be the shining examples of our faith, commitment and love for God, now and always. Amen.

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Saturday, 3 February 2024 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr, and St. Ansgar, Bishop (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Bishops or Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Mark 6 : 30-34

At that time, the Apostles returned and reported to Jesus all they had done and taught. Then He said to them, “Let us go off by ourselves into a remote place and have some rest.” For there were so many people coming and going that the Apostles had no time even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a secluded area by themselves.

But people saw them leaving, and many could guess where they were going. So, from all the towns, they hurried there on foot, arriving ahead of them. As Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He had compassion on them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd. And He began to teach them many things.

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Saturday, 3 February 2024 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr, and St. Ansgar, Bishop (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Bishops or Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Psalm 118 : 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14

How can young people remain pure? By living according to Your word.

I seek You with my whole heart; let me not stray from Your commands.

In my heart I have kept Your word, that I may not sin against my YHVH.

Praise to You, o YHVH; instruct me in Your statutes.

That, with my lips, I may declare all Your spoken decrees.

I delight in following Your laws, more so than in all riches.

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Saturday, 3 February 2024 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr, and St. Ansgar, Bishop (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Bishops or Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

1 Kings 3 : 4-13

The king used to sacrifice at Gibeon, the great high place; on the altar there he had offered a thousand burnt offerings. It was in Gibeon, during the night, that YHVH appeared to Solomon in a dream and said, “Ask what you want Me to give you.”

Solomon answered, “You have shown Your servant David my father a great and steadfast love because he served You faithfully and was righteous and sincere towards You. You have given him proof of Your steadfast love in making a son of his sit on his throne this day.”

“And now, o YHVH my God, You have made Your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a young boy who does not know how to undertake anything. Meantime, Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen – a people so great that they can neither be numbered nor counted.”

“Give me, therefore, an understanding mind in governing Your people that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this multitude of people of Yours?”

YHVH was pleased that Solomon had made this request. And He told him, “Because you have requested this rather than long life or wealth or even vengeance on your enemies; indeed, because you have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, I shall grant you your request. I now give you a wise and discerning mind such as no one has had before you nor anyone after you shall ever have.”

“I will also give you what you have not asked for, both wealth and fame; and no king shall be your equal during your lifetime.”

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Wednesday, 31 January 2024 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John Bosco, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today in our Scripture passages which we have heard, we are all reminded of the need for us to restrain our human desires, pride, ego and greed, all the ambitions and worldly glory that we seek, which may lead us down the path towards ruin and destruction. We must always be mindful that if we allow our worldly and human ambitions to lead us in our lives and actions, then we may end up falling into sin, and end up losing our focus and emphasis on God, as we may end up falling into the trap of our pride and ego, and be swallowed up by the desire to satisfy our own wants and greed for pleasures and attachments for worldly things. We may end up rejecting God’s generous offer of love and kindness, and instead preferring the illusory pleasures of this world around us.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Samuel, we heard about the moment when David, the famous and great King of Israel sinned once again against the Lord, when he decided to launch a great census of the whole entirety of his kingdom, counting all the number of the people, especially the ones who are able to bear weapons and fight, and as we heard in that passage, a truly large number of people were counted by Joab, David’s commander and right-hand man, and this was David’s folly in putting his trust more in his worldly power, glory and greatness. While it may not intrinsically be wrong for a census to be carried out, which is often done by many states and countries periodically to allow for better assessment of its resources and taxes, but in this context of David carrying it out, it was a show of pride and arrogance that because God has blessed him with so much that David became temporarily swayed by all that power and worldly glory.

But in that same passage we also heard how David quickly realised his folly and mistake, and begged the Lord for forgiveness, humbling himself before Him. God was indeed ever generous and forgiving, and He forgave David from his sins. But there were still consequences that David had to bear for his mistakes, as a consequence to his poor choice of actions. We heard how David sought for him to be struck by the hands of God rather than by human hands, and that was how pestilence spread throughout the land, and the Angel of God almost destroyed Jerusalem until God withheld His punishment and judgment, sparing Jerusalem and all of its inhabitants. Through what we have heard, we are reminded that after all, no matter what kind of worldly glory and power we have, God still reigns and have dominion over all things.

This means that we should not allow ourselves to be easily swayed by the many desires and ambitions, all the temptations of pleasures and the various other corruptions present all around us. We should always be vigilant that we do not let all those things from misleading us down the path towards ruin, just as David had done. David had mostly been faithful to the Lord, and save for this occasion and the other one when he planned the death of Uriah in order to gain Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife to be his own wife, he has mostly been faithful and committed to the Lord. Yet, as the evidences showed that even this man of faith and obedience to God could still fall into the same temptations and commit grievous sins against God, and hence, we too may encounter the same problem as well.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the time when the Lord Jesus was teaching in the synagogue, which was likely in the region of Galilee near where Jesus hailed from, the small town of Nazareth. That was why we heard how the people recognised Him and then became judgmental of Him because they deemed that His supposed parents and family were humble and did not have good status in the community, as His father St. Joseph was just a carpenter, and His family members were living in the region. To the people at that time, which is something that is still true to this day, one’s background and pedigree are often taken into account and determine whether one is respected, honoured or despised and rejected. Hence, in this case, those people doubted the Lord simply because they all thought that His background was rather too humble and insignificant.

The Lord also lamented this fact, and told the people how the prophets and messengers of God from earlier times also faced similar problems, all ultimately because those people to whom they had been sent to, were easily judgmental and biased, and refused to believe in the truth of God. They often chose to dwell in their own prejudices and judgmental attitudes to others, instead of allowing themselves to listen to reason. This was why they ridiculed the messengers of God, the prophets and ultimately the Lord Himself, because they likely thought that they knew it all better, and that they could not have been wrong in their paths and ways. Unfortunately, this hardened and closed their hearts and minds from God’s grace and love. This is not something that we all should be doing in our own lives.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. John Bosco, a well-renowned saint whose life and dedication to God had been a great inspiration for many people throughout the Church, and many were touched by God through this great man’s life, works and dedications to the missions entrusted to him. St. John Bosco was renowned for his efforts in reaching out to the less privileged, especially to the juveniles and youths who had been neglected and ignored by the community, all those who had suffered from problems and various challenges in life. He himself faced a lot of hardships and struggles in his youth, having been born amidst times of famines and poverty among the people, and his own family had to endure many losses, including that of his own father early on when he was barely just two years old.

Yet, all those hard life experiences did not make St. John Bosco bitter and angry at his conditions. In fact, that might very well had laid out the foundations for his passion in reaching out to the less fortunate people around him later on, especially those neglected and delinquent youths he dedicated his life to minister and care for. St. John Bosco also experienced personally the bad attitudes the people of his age and older when he was still young and in school, and all these experiences would shape his way of thinking and also encourage him to reach out to those youths to prevent them from falling into the path of vices and wickedness of the world. Eventually, he was called to follow the Lord and become a priest, and was eventually ordained as one after many years of struggles and hardships.

And as a priest, St. John Bosco devoted himself quickly to the poor and marginalised, those who were experiencing things that he and his family had experienced themselves. He reached out to the less fortunate and the suffering ones in his community and parish, and eventually established the Oratorio of St. John Bosco, which was a charitable institution designed to care for the needy and delinquent children so that their needs may be taken care of and that they might be properly mentored and guided to prevent them from falling down the wrong path in life. St. John Bosco dedicated a lot of time and efforts to care for all those people, and helped them to remain in the right path throughout their lives.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today we are all reminded by what we heard in the Scriptures and the life and examples of St. John Bosco that we should indeed be inspired by the good examples of our holy predecessors, who have dedicated and committed their lives in service to the Lord. Let us all hence do our best to live our lives worthily in the Lord’s Presence, and do what we can so that by all of our actions and every moments in life, we will always glorify the Lord by all of those worthy and good actions. May the Lord be with us always, and may He empower us all to walk in His grace and love, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 31 January 2024 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John Bosco, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Mark 6 : 1-6

At that time, leaving the place where He raised the daughter of Jairus from the dead, Jesus returned to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue, and most of those who heard Him were astonished.

But they said, “How did this come to Him? What kind of wisdom has been given to Him, that He also performs such miracles? Who is He but the Carpenter, the Son of Mary, and the Brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? His sisters, too, are they not here among us?” So they took offence at Him.

And Jesus said to them, “Prophets are despised only in their own country, among their relatives, and in their own family.” And He could work no miracles there, but only healed a few sick people, by laying His hands on them. Jesus Himself was astounded at their unbelief. Jesus then went around the villages, teaching.”

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Wednesday, 31 January 2024 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John Bosco, Priest (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 31 : 1-2, 5, 6, 7

Blessed is the one whose sin is forgiven, whose iniquity is wiped away. Blessed are those in whom YHVH sees no guilt and in whose spirit is found no deceit.

Then I made known to You my sin and uncovered before You my fault, saying to myself, “To YHVH I will now confess my wrong.” And You, You forgave my sin; You removed my guilt.

So let the faithful ones pray to You in time of distress; the overflowing waters will not reach them.

You are my Refuge; You protect me from distress and surround me with songs of deliverance.

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Wednesday, 31 January 2024 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John Bosco, Priest (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

2 Samuel 24 : 2, 9-17

The king said to Joab and the commanders of the army who were with him, “Go through all the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and count the people that I may know how many they are.”

Joab gave the total count of the people to the king : eight hundred thousand warriors in Israel and five hundred thousand men in Judah. But after he had the people counted, David felt remorse and said to YHVH, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done, but now, o YHVH, I ask You to forgive my sin for I have acted foolishly.”

The following day, before David awoke, YHVH’s word had come to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, “Go, and give David this message : I offer you three things and I will let one of them befall you according to your own choice.”

So Gad went to David and asked him, “Do you want three years of famine in your land? Or do you want to be pursued for three months by your foes while you flee from them? Or do you want three days’ pestilence in your land? Now, think and decide what answer I shall give Him Who sent me.”

David answered Gad, “I am greatly troubled. Let me fall into the hands of YHVH Whose mercy is abundant; but let me not fall into human hands.” So YHVH sent a pestilence on Israel from morning until the appointed time, causing the death of seventy thousand men from Dan to Beersheba. When the Angel stretched forth his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, YHVH would punish no more and said to the Angel who was causing destruction among the people, “It is enough, hold back your hand.”

The Angel of YHVH was already at the threshing floor of Araunah, the Jebusite. When David saw the Angel striking the people, he spoke to YHVH and said, “I have sinned and acted wickedly, but these are only the sheep; what have they done? Let Your hand strike me and my father’s family.”