Liturgical Colour : White
Psalm 64 : 10abcd, 10e-11, 12-13
You water the land and care for it, enriching it with natural resources. God’s stream is filled with water.
So You prepare the earth to give us its fruits. You drench the furrows in the land and level the ridges; You soften the soil with showers and bless its crops.
You crown the year with Your goodness; abundance flows everywhere. The deserts have become pasture land, the hills are clothed with gladness.
Liturgical Colour : White
1 Kings 18 : 41-46
Elijah then said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for the sound of rain is rushing in.” So Ahab went up to eat and drink. Elijah, in the meantime, went to the top of Carmel, bowed to the ground and put his face between his knees.
Then he said to his servant, “Go up and look in the direction of the sea.” The man went up, looked, and said, “There is nothing.” Then Elijah said, “Go again;” and seven times he went. At the seventh time, he perceived a little cloud, the size of a man’s hand, rising out of the sea. Elijah told him, “Go, tell Ahab : Prepare your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.”
A little later the sky grew dark with clouds and wind, and a strong rain fell. Ahab was riding on his way to Jezreel. As for Elijah, the hand of YHVH was on him, and tucking his cloak in his belt, he ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we embark on the journey of faith, continuing on from our celebrations and festivities throughout the Easter season earlier on, and entering into this time of the Ordinary Season, we must remind ourselves that each and every one of us as Christians have been called to be good role models and inspirations for one another, in how we live our lives and in what we say and do, in how we interact with one another in our respective communities and places, so that by our lives, our actions, words and deeds we may indeed show that we truly belong to the Lord, at all times.
In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. James in which the Apostle in his exhortation to the faithful people of God reminded them all that as Christians they should always remember that they must always live their lives centred on God, and they should not allow themselves to be swayed by the desires, temptations, squabbles and conflicts of the world, which many of the faithful at that time fell prey to, causing the Apostles like St. James, St. Paul and others to grieve over how fellow Christian brothers and sisters were quarrelling with one another over worldly ambitions and matters, which they should not have done in the first place.
St. James reminded the faithful that they should be people of the Spirit, and not to follow the path of the flesh and the world, as their wrong motives, ambitions and desires are stumbling blocks that could prevent them from attaining true righteousness in God, and not only that, but their squabbles and quarrels were also unbecoming of them being Christians, who were supposed to be filled with God’s love, as Christ had taught all of them to love one another generously and tenderly, and not to be at each others’ throats over worldly matters, attachments and desires as they had done at that time.
St. James also reminded all of the faithful to distance themselves therefore from all sorts of vile things, impurities and corruptions from the world, from any sorts of wicked attachments and ambitions, the many temptations that could cause them to fall deeper and deeper into the path of sin and causing scandal for the Church and for their faith, besmirching the good and Holy Name of God in their pursuit for worldly glory and achievements. That is why St. James reminded all of the faithful, including all of us, to resist the temptations of worldly glory and ambition, to restrain our ego, pride and desires, and to be humble at all times, seeking to purify ourselves from all the corruptions of sin and evil.
In the Gospel passage today, this same theme and message are again repeated through what the Lord Jesus told to His disciples. He first of all told them the prediction and premonition of what He Himself would have to endure, betrayal, persecution, arrest and eventually suffering and death, which all happened during the time of His Passion and Crucifixion at Calvary. Back then, many of the disciples who followed the Lord Jesus thought that the Lord Who was considered widely as the Messiah or the Saviour. As per the common knowledge and considerations of the time, the Messiah was expected to restore the Kingdom of Israel, and as Son of David, to reign as King over Israel, and hence, overthrowing the yoke of the conquerors and rulers like the Romans and others who had put Israel under bondage.
Hence, some if not many of those disciples had ulterior motives in following the Lord, desiring power and glory, riches and ambitions, just as others who followed other worldly figures, kings and rulers throughout history. Many of these people sought power, fame, riches and influence, worldly goods and other satisfaction through association with the ones whom they were following. But the Lord told His disciples that to become His followers, it is not like becoming followers of all the other worldly rulers and figures. As He Himself showed by example, through the little children who were there, He told them all that to follow Him, they ought to be humble like the children, and not to allow themselves to be corrupted by worldly temptations and ambitions.
Like the ones to whom St. James addressed his Epistle to, the disciples of the Lord at that time also bickered and quarrelled with each other over who among them were the most important and influential ones, of who among them were more esteemed and honoured by the Lord, or who were closer to Him. But the Lord told them all that all those things were not what they should be seeking for in becoming His disciples. Instead, they should be like children in their faith and way of life, because those children, when they believe in something, they truly, sincerely and genuinely believe in them, not being sullied or corrupted by earthly desires and the ambitions of this world.
This is why, all of us today are also reminded by these readings from the Scriptures, that we should also reflect on our disposition in life in how we have lived our lives as Christians. If we have not put God at the centre and as the focus of our lives and existence, and allow the temptations and desires of this world, and the temptations of our ego and ambitions to lived our lives worthily in the manner that is expected of us, then how can we then help others to believe in God? Worse still, if our actions, behaviours and deeds contradict our beliefs and faith, it may even bring about scandal to our faith and to the Holy Name of God, and causing people to distance themselves from the Church and the Christian faith instead. All of us need to live our lives with genuine faith and commitment to God, and we must strive to do our best, to live each and every moments of our lives worthily so that we may be good examples and inspirations for one another.
Today, the Church also celebrates the feast of St. Christopher Magallanes, great priest and servant of God who dedicated himself to the mission entrusted to him, in proclaiming the Good News of the Lord and standing up for the Christian faith, teachings and truth, while facing trials and persecutions, which eventually led to his martyrdom. St. Christopher Magallanes lived and ministered as priest during a rather challenging time to be Christians in Mexico, about a hundred or so years ago, when the government, then dominated by those who were hostile to the Church and the faith, committed acts and enforced laws that sought to cripple and destroy the Catholic Church, and persecuted the faithful openly, especially the members of the clergy and priests like St. Christopher Magallanes.
Seminaries and other Church institutions were closed, and some priests like St. Christopher Magallanes continued carrying out priestly formation in clandestine seminaries to ensure the continued survival of the Church. All these harsh treatments against the Church led to open rebellions and conflicts between the supporters and the opponents of the Church, known as the Cristero War. Many members of the faithful were persecuted greatly and quite a few lost their lives, persecuted and tortured, and some even summarily executed without trial by those who were hostile to the Church. This was the fate faced by St. Christopher Magallanes, who risked his life in continuing to minister to the faithful despite the many threats and dangers facing his life as a Catholic priest working during the time of conflict and open persecution against the clergy and the other members of the faithful. When he was about to be executed, he forgave his persecutors and executors, even giving absolutions to them for what they were about to commit against him.
Through the examples of those holy martyrs and saints we have been shown how we all should live our lives as Christians, by putting emphasis and focus not on ourselves and our own selfish desires, but rather on the Lord and His will. Each and every one of us as Christians ought to do our best in our lives to be good role models and inspirations, in how we live, so that our lives truly showcase our faith in the Lord, to be full of love just as the Lord our God is ever full of love for us. We are all called to love our fellow brothers and sisters, to do what we can so that we can continue to touch the lives of others around us, reaching out especially to those who are suffering and facing difficulties and challenges in life.
May the Lord continue to help and strengthen us in our faith, and may He help us to walk ever more faithfully in His path, living our lives with genuine love and care for our fellow brothers and sisters, seeking not worldly glory, power, fame, riches and ambitions, but instead striving to do as best as we can to lead others to the path of the Lord, to proclaim His truth and Good News to more and more people we encounter in our respective lives. May the Lord bless us all in our every good efforts and endeavours, and encourage us through the good examples of his saints, like the courageous St. Christopher Magallanes and his companions in martyrdom. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)
Mark 9 : 30-37
At that time, after leaving the place where He cast out evil spirit from a deaf and dumb boy, Jesus and His disciples made their way through Galilee, but He did not want people to know where He was because He was teaching His disciples. And He told them, “The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill Him, but three days after He has been killed, He will rise.”
The disciples, however, did not understand these words and they were afraid to ask Him what He meant. They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, Jesus asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they did not answer, because they had been arguing about who was the greatest.
Then He sat down, called the Twelve and said to them, “If someone wants to be first, let him be last of all and servant of all.” Then He took a little child, placed him in their midst, and putting His arms around him, He said to them, “Whoever welcomes a child such as this in My Name, welcomes Me; and whoever welcomes Me, welcomes not Me but the One Who sent Me.”
Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)
Psalm 54 : 7-8, 9-10a, 10b-11a, 23
I said, “If I had wings, like a dove, I would fly away and be at rest; I would seek a home in the desert.”
“I would hurry to find a cave, for shelter from the tempest.” O YHVH, shatter their plans.
In the city, I see strife and violence; day and night, they prowl about its walls.
Place your burden on YHVH, and He will sustain you; for He never allows the upright to fall.
Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)
James 4 : 1-10
What causes these fights and quarrels among you? Is it not your cravings, that make war within your own selves? When you long for something you cannot have, you kill for it, and when you do not get what you desire, you squabble and fight. The fact is, you do not have what you want, because you do not pray for it.
You pray for something, and you do not get it, because you pray with the wrong motive, of indulging your pleasures. You adulterers! Do you not know, that making friends with the world makes you enemies of God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be the world’s friend becomes God’s enemy.
Can you not see the point of the saying in the Scripture : “The longing of the Spirit, He sent to dwell in us, is a jealous longing?” But God has something better to give, and Scripture also says, “God opposes the proud but He gives His favour to the humble.” Give in, then, to God; resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Draw close to God and He will come close to you. Clean your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you doubters. Recognise your distress, be miserable and weep. Turn your laughter into tears and your joy into sadness. Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will raise you up.
Liturgical Colour : White
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the hardships, challenges, persecutions and trials that we may have to endure in our path of life as Christians, as we all heard the examples and the persecutions facing the early Christian communities and the missionaries like the Apostles, especially what St. Paul and his companions had endured throughout their ministry among various people in their missionary journeys. We also have the history, life examples and evidences from the many saints and martyrs of the Church, throughout its long two millennia of history, where Christian faithful had been persecuted, enduring challenges and trials one after another, and yet, many of them still remained firmly in faith in God.
In our first reading today taken from the Acts of the Apostles, as mentioned earlier, we heard of the moment when St. Paul the Apostle was carrying out his missionary work and journey in the region of Macedonia and Greece, after he had laboured on firstly in Philippi and then in Athens, proclaiming the truth and love of God to the people who have not yet known Him, and even sparring words with the pagan philosophers and those who worshipped the Greek idols, to reveal the truth about God, the One and only True Master and Creator of all. He continued his work and mission in the nearby region of Achaia just as we heard from the passage of the Acts of the Apostles and how he stayed on in that region for a year and a half, spreading the truth of God and converting many among the people to the Christian faith.
We then heard how the some of the Jewish people in Achaia plotted against St. Paul by complaining against the Roman governor, Gallio, accusing St. Paul of having committed blasphemy against God by teaching in manner contrary to their own practices and ways. Contextually, it was likely that those Jews belonged to the group of the Pharisees, many of whom were very particular about how the Law of God ought to be followed, practiced and obeyed, as they took a very literal and excessive emphasis on the rituals and practices of the Law, embellished by centuries of modification and changes which had actually corrupted and turned the Law of God away from its original purpose, meaning and intention.
It was a similar issue which led to the Lord Jesus facing intense opposition and persecution from the members of the Pharisees and many among the chief priests for His teachings and ways, which the former disapproved of and considered as even wicked and blasphemous. St. Paul taught exactly what the Lord Himself had taught and revealed to this world, and especially his generous outreach towards the Gentiles, proclaiming salvation of God for the non-Jewish people was particularly disliked by the more conservative segments of the Jewish community then. To those people, salvation and grace of God could only belong to the Jews, and everyone else who were not God’s chosen people would not have a share in His glory and inheritance.
But as we heard, St. Paul kept on carrying out his mission nonetheless, just as the governor Gallio refused to intervene on behalf of the Jews, as he considered the matter as a private religious issue within the Jewish community. It was common for that time in the early history of the Christian Church that the early Christians were often considered as a sect of Judaism, and were therefore treated by the local Roman authorities as such. However, the Apostles clearly pointed out that the Christian faith and truth is the sole truth that sought to call all the people, Jewish and non-Jewish alike to follow the path and the way which the Lord Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, had shown to us. Those same missionaries like St. Paul and others committed themselves wholeheartedly to proclaim God’s truth and Good News, spreading the words of the Gospel to the ends of the world.
In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the Lord telling His disciples about the sufferings that they would have to encounter and endure amidst their ministry and missions in various parts of the world. He told this to them in a rather veiled manner by comparing it to the woman who was suffering and enduring the pangs, pain and difficulties of childbirth. Then He also highlighted how all those pain and hardships would be overcome once the woman has given birth, which is actually an allusion to how the disciples and followers of the Lord would have to endure bitter sufferings and hardships as they laboured to proclaim the truth and Good News of God, facing persecutions and rejection from many, like what St. Paul himself had endured in Achaia and other places that he had ministered and preached in.
Yet, in the end, despite all these sufferings, the Church would continue to grow, and in the end, the Lord promised to all of us, His faithful ones, that we shall be triumphant with Him. Throughout its history the Church and the Christian faith had faced lots of difficulties and challenges, and yet all those did not prevent the Church from continuing to grow and to spread the truth to more and more people. Many had attempted to destroy the Church and the Christian faithful, and many martyrs had been made throughout all those many moments of sufferings and great trials, and yet, the Lord was always with His Church, guiding and providing for His faithful ones, and more and more people were called to the truth of God, to embrace His salvation and grace. All these are precisely just as how He Himself had foretold it.
Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. John of Avila, a great and holy priest who was honoured much later as a Doctor of the Church for his many contributions to the Church and the works of theology and other areas that he had done. He was born into a pious family and grew up well-known for his great sanctity and faith in God. Eventually he became a priest and devoted his time and efforts to serve the Lord and initially wanted to go to proclaim the Lord as a missionary in distant lands, but was dissuaded by the local Archbishop who saw great potential in this young priest. St. John of Avila therefore committed himself to the regions of Spain particularly in Andalusia, preaching and ministering to many of the faithful, while calling for reforms and criticising the excesses of the aristocratic families of his time.
Like St. Paul and the other disciples of the Lord before him, St. John of Avila also encountered lots of challenges and difficulties as he continued to work hard to champion the cause of the reform in the Church which at that time was beset by many troubles, especially that of the corrupt attitude and behaviours of the aristocracy and the members of the clergy which brought great scandal upon the Church and the Christian faith. That is why St. John of Avila was persecuted because of his outspokeness against the establishment, and he was once even put under the Inquisition, but he was exonerated from all of the charges put against him. The Lord was with St. John of Avila, and he continued to do many good works for the benefit of the Church and the faithful and holy people of God to the end of his life.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore continue to do our very best so that in whatever we do, we will always strive to proclaim His words and Good News to everyone we encounter in our daily lives. We should always do our best that our good lives and examples may be great inspiration for others around us in how we all should live our lives faithfully, and despite the many challenges and trials we may have to face and endure, let us always continue to persevere and be faithful and holy in our every moments in life, for the greater glory of God. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : White
John 16 : 20-23a
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly, I say to you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy. A woman in childbirth is in distress because her time is at hand. But after the child is born, she no longer remembers her suffering because of such great joy : a human being is born into the world.”
“You feel sorrowful now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice; and no one will take your joy from you. When that day comes you will not ask Me anything.”
Liturgical Colour : White
Psalm 46 : 2-3, 4-5, 6-7
Clap your hands, all you peoples; acclaim God with shouts of joy. For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared; He is a great King all over the earth.
He brings peoples under our dominion and puts nations under our feet. He chose our inheritance for us – the pride of Jacob whom He loves!
God ascends amid joyful shouts, the Lord amid trumpet blasts. Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
Liturgical Colour : White
Acts 18 : 9-18
One night, in a vision, the Lord said to Paul, “Do not be afraid, but continue speaking and do not be silent, for many people in this city are Mine. I am with you, so no one will harm you.” So Paul stayed a year and a half in that place, teaching the word of God among them.
When Gallio was governor of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the court. And they accused him, “This man tries to persuade us to worship God in ways that are against the Law.”
Paul was about to speak in his own defence when Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of misdeed or vicious crime, I would have to consider your complaint. But since this is a quarrel about teachings and divine names that are proper to your own law, see to it yourselves : I refuse to judge such matters.”
Then the people seized Sosthenes, a leading man of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal; but Gallio paid no attention to it. Paul stayed on with the disciples in Corinth for many days; he then left them and sailed off with Priscilla and Aquila for Syria. And as he was no longer under a vow he had taken, he shaved his head before sailing from Cenchreae.
petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang 