holy men

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Wednesday, 21 June 2023 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Lord in the Scriptures, all of us are again reminded that each and every one of us have to be sincerely and genuinely faithful to God. In all of our actions and deeds, in our every words and interactions with one another, each one of us should always be filled with genuine commitment to God, in our way of life and in whatever we believe in. Otherwise, our faith is no better than that of the faith of the hypocrites, who only show their faith in order to impress others, or to advance their own desires and ambitions. Or as compared to the faith of those who are lukewarm and lacking in true dedication to God, where their faith is flickering and weak, and not supported by the strong desire to follow the Lord or to love Him.

In our first reading today, we listened to the words of the Scriptures from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in the city of Corinth. In that passage, the Apostle St. Paul spoke to the faithful people of God in the city of Corinth that the Lord has blessed them wonderfully and generously, and hence, in the same way, the people of God are therefore called and expected to do the same as well, in showing their love and generosity towards each other, in caring for their fellow brothers and sisters. Each one of us as Christians are reminded that the riches and the blessings we have are gifts from the Lord, and we should be happy and willing to share these with each other, particularly with all those who are lacking and short in the things that they needed. It is an important aspect for us as Christians to be selfless and to be filled with love in all of our actions.

St. Paul told the faithful that all those who have sowed meagerly would reap meagerly while those who sowed generously would also reap generously, as a reminder that each one of us as Christians should not be calculating and transactional in how we conduct ourselves, that we only love those who can benefit us or return us what we have given them. That is not what we should be doing, brothers and sisters, as it is what the Lord Himself has taught us or shown us to do in our respective lives. As we heard the Lord Himself saying in our Gospel passage today, all of us should truly be sincere in doing all of our actions in faith, and not because we want to gain benefits, glory, fame and satisfaction for ourselves. Otherwise, it is easy for us to end up losing focus on what each and every one of us are called to do as Christians, as God’s holy people.

All of us are reminded that whenever we fast, and whenever we give alms, we should do them because we truly and sincerely desire to glorify God and to turn away from the path of sin and wickedness, and also because we are genuinely concerned about others whom we care about. We should not be centred and focused on ourselves, our own greed and ambition, and all the things we usually pursue in life. We should always remind ourselves that what we have in this world, are also not ours to begin with, but in fact they have been given to us by our Lord and loving Father, Who blesses us according to our needs and by His will and desire. That is why we should not seek to gain more worldly glory and achievements, or more of the other temptations and desires of this world, but instead, we should do our best to follow the Lord and His ways, walking down the path that God has led us into.

Each one of us have been reminded that we have to be truly genuine in faith, in our every actions and way of life, in how we pray and carry out our lives and our faith lives. Unless we commit ourselves thoroughly to the Lord, we will likely end up being swayed into the path of sin and evil, misled by the many temptations present all around us. That is why we have to listen to the Lord reminding us today so that we may return our focus and attention once again towards God, to His Law and commandments. Let us all also look upon the great examples set by our holy predecessors, many of whom had lived their lives worthily of the Lord and became great examples and sources of inspiration for many throughout the lives and the history of the Church, as we celebrate one of them on his feast day today.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, a renowned saint who has shown in his rather short life, a true dedication and commitment to God, as well as great and generous love for his fellow brothers and sisters around him, in caring for them and ministering to them. St. Aloysius Gonzaga was born as the eldest son and heir of one of the cadet branches of an influential Italian family, the Gonzaga family. He was expected to succeed to his family’s fortunes and positions, and yet, he turned to the Lord instead, and sought Him rather than indulging in the life’s excesses as were common during that time in the late Renaissance era. He felt called to become a missionary and began to adopt an ascetic lifestyle. Ultimately, he remained resolute in his desire to be a missionary and joined the Society of Jesus, after giving up all of his rights and inheritance, to the dismay of his family, especially that of his father, who begrudgingly allowed his son to do as he wished.

St. Aloysius Gonzaga committed his life to his new ministry and calling, dedicating himself to the service of God and living a very devout and ascetic lifestyle. He kept on caring for the sick and those who suffered, especially at that time when a plague broke out in Rome and afflicted many people, even many among the Jesuit brothers. This however did not deter or dissuade St. Aloysius Gonzaga from continuing his work and efforts to care for those who were sick, despite having suffered from poor health and having contracted the plague himself. To the very end, St. Aloysius Gonzaga continued to commit himself for the good of others around him, and he never stopped caring for those whom he has shown compassion for, not even at the expense of his own health and life. In essence, St. Aloysius Gonzaga has shown us what true Christian charity and love is all about.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be inspired by the faith and examples showed by St. Aloysius Gonzaga, and also by our other holy predecessors, the innumerable saints and martyrs, and all other holy men and women who had dedicated their lives to God. Let us all therefore do our best in our lives to give ourselves in serving God and in loving our fellow brothers and sisters, in whatever way we can, so that by our actions and works, more and more people may come to know the Lord and His love, His ways and Good News. Let us all be genuine Christians in all things, in our every works and actions, so that through us more and more may come to believe in God and be saved, together with us. May God bless us all and our every good works, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 21 June 2023 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 6 : 1-6, 16-18

At that time, “Be careful not to make a show of your good deeds before people. If you do so, you do not gain anything from your Father in heaven. When you give something to the poor, do not have it trumpeted before you, as do those who want to be noticed in the synagogues and in the streets, in order to be praised by people. I assure you, they have their reward.”

“If you give something to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your gift remains really secret. Your Father, Who sees what is kept secret, will reward you. When you pray, do not be like those who want to be noticed. They love to stand and pray in the synagogues or on street corners, in order to be seen by everyone. I assure you, they have their reward.”

“When you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father Who is with you in secret; and your Father Who sees what is kept secret will reward you. When you fast, do not put on a miserable face, as do the hypocrites. They put on a gloomy face, so that people can see they are fasting. I tell you this : they have been paid in full already.”

“When you fast, wash your face and make yourself look cheerful, because you are not fasting for appearances or for people, but for your Father, Who sees beyond appearances. And your Father, Who sees what is kept secret, will reward you.”

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Wednesday, 21 June 2023 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 111 : 1-2, 3-4, 9

Alleluia! Blessed is the one who fears YHVH, who greatly delights in His commands. His children will be powerful on earth; the upright’s offspring will be blessed.

Wealth and riches are for his family; there, his integrity will remain. He is for the righteous a light in darkness; he is kind, merciful and upright.

He gives generously to the poor; his merits will last forever; and his head will be raised in honour.

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Wednesday, 21 June 2023 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

2 Corinthians 9 : 6-11

Remember : the one who sows meagerly will reap meagerly, and there shall be generous harvests for the one who sows generously. Each of you should give as you decided personally, and not reluctantly, as if obliged. God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to fill you with every good thing, so that you have enough of everything, at all times, and may give abundantly for any good work.

Scripture says : He distributed, he gave to the poor, his good works last forever. God, Who provides the sower with seed, will also provide him with the bread he eats. He will multiply the seed for you and also increase the interest on your good works. Become rich in every way, and give abundantly. What you give will become, through us, a thanksgiving to God.

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Tuesday, 13 June 2023 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard from the Sacred Scriptures the reminder that all of us as Christians, that is as God’s disciples and followers, all of us must follow His path and do His will, and each one of us have been gathered and called from this world, in order to give testimony of our faith to the people all around us, not just through words only but also through actions and works. If we have not truly and sincerely believed in the Lord, in doing what the Lord has commanded us to do, then we have not lived our lives well as Christians, as how we are supposed to live as God’s servants and disciples. All of us have to be active and committed in our every living moments, so that in everything we say and do, in our every interactions, we are proclaiming God, His love, truth and Good News always.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians, as the Apostle reminded the faithful community in Corinth how God has always been faithful to the Covenant and to the promises which He has made and renewed with us and our ancestors, again and again. Therefore, all of us should also be committed to the same Covenant which God has made with us, and to embrace Him thoroughly and wholeheartedly, not ignoring the responsibilities that we have in doing God’s will and in obeying His Law and commandments. God Himself had done everything for our sake, not sparing even His own Son, Whom He sent into our midst, so that by dwelling among us, we may see this perfect manifestation of God’s Love and promises in Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour.

If God has done so much for us, to the extent of bearing His Cross and suffer the worst of persecutions and humiliations for our sake, then naturally, it is only right that all of us should then commit ourselves in a similar way, in following Him and in walking down the path that He has shown all of us. Each one of us as Christians have to be active in living our lives and we have to be sincere and true in our Christian living and way of life, for as we later then heard in our Gospel passage today, that we are all truly the ‘light of the world’ and ‘salt of the earth’. And because of these qualities and comparisons, the Lord wanted us all to know that we have to live up to our faith in Him and not merely paying lip service and keeping appearances only for others to see our faith like how some of our predecessors had done, for which the Lord reprimanded them, like those of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law.

In order to understand better the meaning and significance of our Gospel passage today we should understand the importance of light and salt in our world, and especially more so back then during the time of the Lord Jesus. These two commodities were truly important and precious for the people back then as without them, much of the people’s livelihood cannot go on and no one can carry out their lives if they were lacking in light and salt. First of all, light is needed for the people to see clearly and do their various activities, and back then when there was no electricity and artificial electric light sources, light was an especially crucial and important commodity needed by many people in order for all of them to be able to perform work or any activities and actions at all. Hence, when the Lord referred to His disciples and exhorting them to be the ‘light of the world’, and not to hide their brightness, it is a reference to the expectation how all of us as Christians, we have to be committed to God in all the things we do, and be good role models for one another.

Similarly, salt was used, and indeed is still used today for the preservation for many types of food items. However, back then, salt was even more important because not only that there was no refrigeration methods easily and commercially available back then, and preserving the food with salt is among one of the few ways to ensure that many food items remained viable beyond their fresh shelf-life. Salt was also used to add flavour to the food, and if salt was not used, the food might end up being bland and unpalatable. That is why, salt was really a very important commodity back then, as it is still so nowadays. When the Lord referred to this and exhorted His disciples to be like the ‘salt of the earth’, He was calling on them to live lives that are virtuous, just and full of faith, so that by their examples and good role modelling, they may truly be the flavours that rejuvenated the faith and spread the Good News to the world.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, the Scripture readings today clearly conveyed to us the call for us to go forth and be truly faithful in Him in all things, by doing what we can to show what it truly means to be Christians, as God’s faithful ones and as all those whom He has called and chosen, and chose to embrace His Law and commandments. All of us are called and reminded to be the light of the world and salt of the earth so that by our faithful commitment to the Lord and His truth, we may indeed proclaim Him in our world, in our respective various communities and in wherever we have all been sent to, as each and every one of us have the obligation to fulfil in leading more and more people towards the Lord, and we cannot persuade others to do so unless we have embodied our faith in our own way of life and actions.

Today, all of us celebrate the feast of St. Anthony of Padua, the famous saint who is known especially for his intercession on behalf of those who have lost their precious items, and who was also famous for being one of the saints who have been canonised the soonest after his passing, being canonised less than a year after his death, which was a testimony of his great devotion to God and the popularity of his piety and inspiring examples that had touched so many people back then. St. Anthony of Padua was a member of the Franciscan Order and was ordained a priest, and who dedicated his life to missionary work and preaching, spending a lot of time teaching many people throughout his journeys, inspiring many by his deep understanding of the Scriptures, his eloquence and charism, as well as his natural ability to connect to others to whom he had preached to.

Then St. Anthony of Padua continued his ministry in helping with the education of the young generation of Franciscan friars, and which in one occasion led to his association with the discovery of lost things. According to Church tradition and hagiography, St. Anthony of Padua lost his precious psalter, or psalm book, which had been taken by a Franciscan novice who chose to leave the order behind. Through the prayers of St. Anthony of Padua, miraculously not only that the thief-novice was moved to return the stolen psalter to St. Anthony, but the same former novice chose to return to the Franciscan Order and continue his formation. This showed that the Lord is always with His righteous ones and He listened to us all, ever guiding and providing for us, and St. Anthony was listened to by the Lord because he truly has been obedient to Him, and has been the light of the world and the salt of the earth, through his faith, commitment and dedication, which all of us should be inspired to follow as well.

May the Lord continue to inspire and strengthen us, just as He has done so through the life of His faithful servant, St. Anthony of Padua, through his holiness and devotion to God. May all of us also continue to strive to do what we can to be always worthy of God, in doing what God has called us to do, and in committing ourselves in each and every moments for the greater glory of God, to be the light of the world and salt of the earth. May God bless us always, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Tuesday, 13 June 2023 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 5 : 13-16

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples and to the people, “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt has lost its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It has become useless. It can only be thrown away and people will trample on it.”

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a mountain cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and covers it; instead it is put on a lampstand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way your light must shine before others, so that they may see the good you do and praise your Father in heaven.”

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Tuesday, 13 June 2023 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 118 : 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 135

Wonderful are Your decrees; my soul cannot but keep them.

As Your words unfold, light is shed, and the simple-hearted understand.

I gasp in ardent yearning for Your commandments that I love.

Turn to me then and be gracious as to those who love Your Name.

You promised to direct my steps; free my path from evil.

Favour me with Your smile and teach me Your statutes.

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Tuesday, 13 June 2023 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

2 Corinthians 1 : 18-22

God knows that our dealing with you is not Yes and No, just as the Son of God, Christ Jesus, Whom we – Silvanus, Timothy, and I – preach to you, was not Yes and No; with Him it was simply Yes. In Him all the promises of God have come to be a Yes, and we also say in His Name : Amen! giving thanks to God.

God Himself has anointed us and strengthens us with you to serve Christ; He has marked us with His own seal in a first outpouring of the Spirit in our hearts.

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Friday, 9 June 2023 : 9th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Ephrem, Deacon and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Doctors of the Church)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded that healing and salvation will eventually come upon all the faithful, to all of us regardless of how and what we have suffered from, throughout all these time and moments while we are living in this world. The Lord gave us all His help and providence through various means and from sources and origins that we may not even be familiar with in the first place. Yet, everything will happen according to His will, and in the end, all those who have kept their faith in Him, will be rescued and strengthened, and they will no longer face suffering in the life that is to come, freed and liberated completely from the bondage and tyranny of sin and which He has promised to all of us. This is why we need to learn to have faith in the Lord and to trust in His love and grace.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Tobit, we heard about the culmination of the tale of Tobit and his suffering from blindness, as Tobias, his son, has come together with the Archangel Raphael in disguise of a young man, Azarias, with the healing from God. Thus we heard how not only that God had freed and liberated Sara, the daughter of Ragouel from the assaults of the demon Asmodeus, and gave her to Tobias as wife, but also how Tobit, the righteous man of God was cured of his blindness, and received help from the Lord, Who remembered all the good deeds which Tobit had done and how he had turned to God during his darkest and most difficult moments, praying for Him to help and guide him throughout those difficult moments that he had to face throughout his journey and life.

Through the Archangel Raphael, who silently and secretly gave assistance to both Tobit and Sara, God helped His faithful ones from their respective predicaments, and both therefore were rescued and everything ended well for both of them. Afterwards, the Archangel Raphael would reveal himself to Tobit and his family, and reminding them that God has heard the prayers of His faithful ones, and reminded them to continue observing the Law and commandments of the Lord, to live righteously and justly in the presence of God at all times. This story of the healing of Tobit and the rescue of Sara should indeed serve as a source of great inspiration for all of us as Christians so that we may always live our lives ever more faithfully and devoutly in God’s Presence, and being ever committed to serve Him at all times.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we also heard the Lord Jesus in our Gospel passage today, speaking about the coming of God’s salvation, which was in fact referring to Himself as the fulfilment of God’s promises and reassurances for His people, Himself as the Son and Heir of David, but also pointing out that He was not just like any other mere Man, as He was also the Son of God, the Almighty God Himself in the flesh, the Divine Word Incarnate. And His coming into this world heralded the coming of salvation and help for all of His faithful ones, and He reassured all of us therefore that He has always been there for us, providing for us and guiding us, and ultimately, giving us even His own most beloved Son, so that through Him, His Passion and loving sacrifice on the Cross, all of us may be saved from our impending destruction.

Today all of us through whatever we have heard and received from the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded that the Lord is always with us, by our side, journeying with us and watching over us. And we are all truly fortunate and blessed that we have such a loving God, Master and Father caring for us, even when we have often disobeyed Him, veered off and walked away from the path that He has shown us, betrayed Him and abandoned Him for other idols, pursuits of life and other distractions and temptations that have kept us away from the Lord and His true path. That is why today all of us are reminded to stay away from all those distractions and temptations, and we are reminded to remain vigilant and strong, to resist and to refuse to follow the lies and temptations of evil.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Ephrem the Deacon, a great man of God and servant of God whose life, works and dedications should serve as source of inspiration for all of us as Christians, in how each and every one of us ought to be living our lives with faith, with dedication and commitment to God. St. Ephrem was a Syrian Christian born during the last parts of the Diocletianic persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire, and he was baptised in his youth, eventually growing up as a devout Christian and becoming a venerable teacher of the faith, and was ordained as a Deacon to assist in the ministry of the Church in his local region. St. Ephrem spent significant amount time to teach and proclaim the Christian faith, the Good News of God and the Lord’s truth and love to many of the people around the region.

St. Ephrem was also credited in his teaching ministry and in the many works he was working on, in many matters of the faith and in theology, where he became the author of many great and inspirational works which still influenced and helped many future theologians and Church philosophers. St. Ephrem wrote extensively on many issues and he helped many people to come to know the Lord better, in his many songs, proses and many other works through which he helped to correct many of the faithful’s wrong ideas and thoughts, in his famous ‘Hymns against Heresies’ by which he helped many people to stay away from the false teachings of those who sought to divide the Church and harm the faithful people of God, misleading them for their own selfish desires and benefits. St. Ephrem was always hard at work to counter all these. For all of his many contributions and works, he was declared as one of the Doctors of the Church.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, are we able to remember the love and providence from God, which He has always provided for us? Are we willing to make the commitment and to put in the effort to do His will, as how St. Ephrem the Deacon and many others had done in their own lives? Let us all do whatever we can in our own lives, in our own areas of responsibilities so that we may truly be inspirational and good role models for our fellow brothers and sisters, in everything that we say and do. May the Lord also continue to guide and strengthen us in our lives, and empower us all to carry on living our Christian faith with ever greater devotion from now on. Amen.

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Friday, 9 June 2023 : 9th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Ephrem, Deacon and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Doctors of the Church)

Mark 12 : 35-37

At that time, as Jesus was teaching in the Temple, He said, “The teachers of the Law say that the Messiah is the Son of David. How can that be? For David himself, inspired by the Holy Spirit, declared : The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, until I put Your enemies under Your feet!'”

“If David himself calls Him Lord, in what way can He be his Son?” Many people came to Jesus, and listened to Him gladly.