holy priests

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Wednesday, 20 May 2020 : 6th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Bernadine of Siena, Priest (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 148 : 1-2, 11-12, 13, 14

Alleluia! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise Him in the heavenly heights. Praise Him, all His Angels; praise Him, all His heavenly hosts.

Kings of the earth and nations, princes and all rulers of the world, young men and maidens, old and young together.

Let them praise the Name of the Lord. For His Name alone is exalted; His majesty is above earth and heaven.

He has given His people glory; He has a praise to His faithful, to Israel, the people close to Him. Alleluia.

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Wednesday, 20 May 2020 : 6th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Bernadine of Siena, Priest (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 17 : 15, 22 – Acts 18 : 1

Paul was taken as far as Athens by his escort, who then returned to Beroea with instructions for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible. Then Paul stood up in the Areopagus hall and said, “Athenian citizens, I note that in every way you are very religious. As I walked around looking at your shrines, I even discovered an altar with this inscription : To an unknown God. Now, what you worship as unknown, I intend to make known to you.”

“God, Who made the world and all that is in it, does not dwell in sanctuaries made by human hands, being as He is Lord of heaven and earth. Nor does His worship depend on anything made by human hands, as if He were in need. Rather it is He Who gives life and breath and everything else to everyone.”

“From one stock He created the whole human race to live throughout all the earth, and He fixed the time and the boundaries of each nation. He wanted them to seek Him by themselves, even if it were only by groping for Him, succeed in finding Him. Yet He is not far from any one of us. For in Him we live and move and have our being, as some of your poets have said : for we too are His offspring.”

“If we are indeed God’s offspring, we ought not to think of divinity as something like a statue of gold or silver or stone, a product of human art and imagination. But now God prefers to overlook this time of ignorance and He calls on all people to change their ways. He has already set a day on which He will judge the world with justice through a Man He has appointed. And, so that all may believe it, He has just given a sign by raising this Man from the dead.”

When they heard Paul speak of a resurrection from death, some made fun of him, while others said, “We must hear you on this topic some other time.” At that point Paul left. But a few did join him, and believed. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus court, a woman named Damaris, and some others. After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.

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Tuesday, 28 April 2020 : 3rd Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Peter Chanel, Priest and Martyr, and St. Louis M. Grignion de Montfort, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day all of us are called to remember the martyrdom of St. Stephen, the great first martyr of the Church, who in our first reading suffered greatly at the hands of the Sanhedrin members who opposed him and were angry that St. Stephen spoke in such a way about the truth of God that they became hostile to him and wanted to kill him, even though he really was speaking the truth. They stoned him to death for affirming what the Lord Jesus Himself had said, that He was the One sent by God and proclaimed by the prophets to be the Saviour of the whole world.

St. Stephen was only speaking the truth against the efforts of the Sanhedrin who tried very hard to silence him and accuse him, even putting forth false witnesses to implicate him with blasphemy, making false accusations and testimony that St. Stephen had blasphemed against God by his words and actions. This was exactly what they had done with the Lord Jesus as well on the night of His arrest, when they tried to blame Him with blasphemy and sentence Him to death. Thus, St. Stephen endured partly and shared in what the Lord had been suffering during His Passion and death.

St. Stephen devoted himself to the Lord, Whom in our Gospel passage today told everyone the truth about Himself, that He is the One true Bread, the Bread of Life by Whom everyone would receive life and the promise of eternal life. Those who share and partake in the Bread of Life will rejoice forever and have part in the inheritance and grace that God promised to His people, and many at that time were also skeptical or even outrightly refused to believe in the Lord.

At the start of today’s Gospel passage we heard how the Jews questioned and doubted the Lord Jesus on the authority of His teachings and miracles, and they wanted Him to show them miraculous deeds and powers even though it was likely that many among them had witnessed those miracles earlier on. They doubted and would not believe because they had hardened their hearts and minds, refusing to admit that what the Lord had done was indeed real and authentic. Instead, they rather placed their trust in their own flawed human sense and judgment.

It was this same attitude that many among the Sanhedrin and the Pharisees had adapted as they refused to listen to St. Stephen and his words of God’s wisdom and truth, and ended up killing him in cold blood. Yet, St. Stephen remained true to his faith and dedication to the very end, not worrying even about his own life and the suffering he had to face, because he put his trust in the very Christ rejected by his persecutors and all of his enemies.

As the Lord Jesus Himself said that He is truly the Bread of Life, the One Who gives life and strength to all who believe in Him, thus St. Stephen entrusted himself fully in this Bread of Life, in the promise of eternal joy and life surpassing all things that can be found in this world. The Lord has promised all of His faithful ones the new life and existence through Him, and that was why beginning with St. Stephen, so many of our holy and dedicated predecessors gave their all to the service of God, with some enduring suffering, persecution and even martyrdom for their faith.

What is the significance of this truth for us, brothers and sisters in Christ? It is a reminder that to be Christians it means that we are the bearers of Christ’s truth and we are also witnesses of His resurrection. We have received the same Holy Spirit as St. Stephen had, and we have been called to faithfully live our lives so that our every actions, our every words and deeds truly proclaim the glory of God and show His truth and salvation to all the peoples around us.

But in order to do so, we need to anchor ourselves firmly in faith, in the Lord Jesus, our Bread of Life, the One Who can sustain us through our journey of faith and the One through Whom we will be saved and brought into the promised glorious existence together with Him. Many of us have not yet been truly faithful in our lives and we have often allowed our many worldly concerns and the many temptations in life to affect us and to prevent us from finding our way towards the Lord.

Are we then able to overcome these temptations and distractions in life? Are we able to put our trust firmly in the Lord from now on? Let us all not worry about our lives and how we are to live our lives but instead learn to be more faithful to God, seeking to allow God to guide us in our lives that day by day we may draw ever closer to Him and be more attuned to His truth. Let us all grow ever stronger in faith and dedication, that even though we know that sufferings and challenges may be in our path, with Christ everything is possible for us.

Today we also celebrate the feast of two great saints whose lives may be great inspiration for us on how we should continue living our lives from now on. First of all, St. Peter Chanel was a renowned priest and also a martyr of the Church who was remembered for his piety and his hard work as a missionary for many years in serving the people of God and proclaiming the faith in far-off lands. St. Peter Chanel joined the priesthood and was credited for a successful rejuvenation of a parish that his bishop had entrusted to him as parish priest for three years long.

When St. Peter Chanel was finally allowed to embark on his missionary journey, he travelled to the most distant parts of the world, travelling to the islands in the Southern Pacific Ocean, spreading the Good News to the people there, until he finally arrived at Futuna where he was eventually martyred after a brief opportunity of evangelisation to the point that he was even successful in persuading the son of the local king to be baptised. This made the king angry and ordered the execution of the missionaries including that of St. Peter Chanel.

St. Peter Chanel’s courage allowed him to persevere through and he entrusted himself in the Lord so completely that he did what he could to spread the truth and salvation of God to many people even when he had to suffer and endure rejection. This is similar to what St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort, commonly known as St. Louis de Monfort, had experienced throughout his ministry to the people of God.

Although St. Louis de Montfort did not endure martyrdom unlike St. Stephen and St. Peter Chanel, but he also had to endure difficulties and challenges from some people who disliked him, as it was told that his courageous and fiery sermons while appreciated by many, but it enraged some of the community who refused to listen to him and became angry at his words, much like how St. Stephen was hated, and St. Louis de Montfort was even poisoned because of this before, though he survived through that.

Through St. Louis de Montfort’s effort and his dedication, his many years of service, many people also came to know God and sought to be reconciled with the Lord and the Church. He was also instrumental in the establishment of several congregations, inspiring quite a lot of people who wanted to follow his examples in serving the Lord. He was also influential in the improvement of Christian education and the formation of the people of God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us reflect on all these, and think of how we can be better Christians by devoting more of our time and effort, to proclaim God’s truth and love through our own lives, by our own actions and deeds. Let us all love one another, and let us spend our lives to glorify God and to be inspirations to each other that we may be ever more willing to walk in the path that God has shown us.

May the Lord, our Bread of Life, be with us always and guide us, that we may be courageous like St. Stephen, be missionary like St. Peter Chanel and be loving and dedicated like St. Louis de Montfort. May God bless our efforts and our many good endeavours, and may He be with us throughout this journey of faith. Amen.

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Tuesday, 28 April 2020 : 3rd Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Peter Chanel, Priest and Martyr, and St. Louis M. Grignion de Montfort, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

John 6 : 30-35

At that time, the Jews said to Jesus, “Show us miraculous signs, that we may see and believe You. What sign do You perform? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert; as Scripture says : They were given bread from heaven to eat.”

Jesus then said to them, “Truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven. My Father gives you the true Bread from heaven. The Bread God gives is the One Who comes from heaven and gives life to the world.” And they said to Him, “Give us this bread always.”

Jesus said to them, “I am the Bread of Life; whoever comes to Me shall never be hungry, and whoever believes in Me shall never be thirsty.”

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Tuesday, 28 April 2020 : 3rd Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Peter Chanel, Priest and Martyr, and St. Louis M. Grignion de Montfort, Priest (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

Psalm 30 : 3cd-4, 6ab and 7b and 8a, 17 and 21ab

Be a Rock of refuge for me, a Fortress for my safety. For You are my Rock and my Stronghold, lead me for Your Name’s sake.

Into Your hands I commend my spirit; but I put all my trust in the Lord. I will rejoice and be glad in Your love, for You have seen my affliction.

Make Your face shine upon Your servant; save me in Your love. In the shelter of Your presence You hide them from human wiles; You keep them in Your dwelling.

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Tuesday, 28 April 2020 : 3rd Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Peter Chanel, Priest and Martyr, and St. Louis M. Grignion de Montfort, Priest (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

Acts 7 : 51 – Acts 8 : 1a

Stephen said to the Council, “But you are a stubborn people, you hardened your hearts and closed your ears. You have always resisted the Holy Spirit just as your fathers did. Was there a prophet whom your ancestors did not persecute? They killed those who announced the coming of the Just One Whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the Law through the Angels but did not fulfil it.”

When the Council heard the reproach Stephen made against them, they were enraged and they gnashed their teeth against him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, fixed his eyes on heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus at God’s right hand, so he declared : “I see the heavens open and the Son of Man at the right hand of God.”

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

Then he knelt down and said in a loud voice : “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he died. Saul was there, approving his murder. This was the beginning of a great persecution against the Church in Jerusalem.

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Friday, 24 April 2020 : 2nd Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen, Priest and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we listened to the words of the Lord in the Scriptures speaking to us about the great providence of God for His faithful ones, as He has always been with those who are by His side, trusting in Him and having faith in Him. God has shown His kindness and love, for His disciples and followers, as well as for all those who hunger for His love and presence.

In our first reading today, we heard about the deliberations and the debate among the members of the Sanhedrin or the Jewish High Council, many of whom wanted to have the Apostles of the Lord Jesus killed and destroyed for their continued efforts and works, fearlessly opposing the threats and prohibitions placed against them on preaching about the truth of Jesus and His teachings. Then one of the Sanhedrin, the much respected Gamaliel stepped up and put forth his arguments before the Council.

Gamaliel’s argument was so sound and his wisdom respected that the whole Council allowed themselves to be persuaded, and those who earlier on cried out for the death and destruction of the Apostles were appeased. Gamaliel was essentially saying that there had been many false Messiahs and prophets that had come and gone even within just the past few years then, and he argued that as long as those came not from God and rather from man’s own power, they would be doomed to fail. However, if Christ had indeed come from God, then no matter what the Sanhedrin tried to do, or would try to do, it would never stop the work of God, and even that could end up making them to go against God and His will.

There was indeed much wisdom in the words of Gamaliel, and truly, we can see just how wonderful God had been, for He worked even through the respected Pharisee Gamaliel, to bring sense to the angered and emotional Pharisees and many of the members of the Sanhedrin, whom in their blind hatred, jealousy and anger against the Lord Jesus, His works and teachings, and all of His Apostles and disciples, almost caused them to strike at the Lord’s followers with malice and force. This is a great example of God’s providence.

In our Gospel reading today then, we heard of the many hungry people who were wth Jesus, listening to the Lord and waiting on Him. The Lord noticed that they were all very hungry after not having food for a few days and thus asked the disciples to buy and obtain food to feed all of them. But the disciples said that with such a massive number of people it would be impossible to feed all of them and would require a lot of money that they most likely did not have there and then.

It was then that the Lord showed forth His might and power, His love and compassion for His people, taking the loaves of bread and fishes, blessing and breaking them up, distributing them to feed all the five thousand men and many thousands more of women and children miraculously with much leftover food to spare. Again, we have seen here how God provided for His people, took good care of them and showed His compassion and love for all of them, when they were in great need.

How about us then, brothers and sisters in Christ? We are all part of the beloved family of God, His beloved children and people, who will also enjoy the fullness of His love and compassion. We must have that faith in God and put our trust in His providence and love. Unfortunately many of us did not realise God’s love and providence towards us, and we ended up being distracted by the many temptations and desires present in this world. We seek our support and strength instead from all these worldly sources and not from God.

Let us instead seek the inspiration from our holy predecessors, especially that of St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen, a holy priest and servant of God, and also a courageous martyr of the faith in defence of the true faith and against heresies. St. Fidelis was a teacher turned a Capuchin monk and priest, who was very involved in the efforts of Counter-Reformation, converting many thousands who had been lured into the falsehoods of Protestant reformation back then in what is now Switzerland.

The great successes of St. Fidelis and his other compatriots made him many enemies, who wanted to stop the works of St. Fidelis, threatening his safety and life on many occasions. But St. Fidelis continued to push on regardless, fearlessly and with great courage, continuing to speak the truth and reach out to those who have been misled and misguided by the falsehoods of the false heresies. He trusted fully in God and did his very best to complete the missions entrusted to him by God.

In the end, St. Fidelis had to face martyrdom in his constant defence of his faith, attacked and killed by soldiers who tried to force him to renounce his faith. Even in his death, St. Fidelis continued to inspire others, and it was told that the Protestant minister who participated in St. Fidelis’ martyrdom was touched by his courage and faith that this minister rejected publicly heretical experience and chose to return to the true faith and the Church.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, after we have heard all these good and wonderful examples of God’s providence and how His own people responded with faith, are we able to do the same with our own lives? Are we able to put our trust in God and devote ourselves wholeheartedly to His love and wonderful providence? Let us all spend some time to reflect on this, and let us all strive from now on to be more faithful to God in all the things we do.

May the Lord be with us always, and may He continue to strengthen us and give us the strength and courage to carry on living our lives as faithful and devout disciples of the Lord. May God be our guide as we continue to walk down this path and journey of life in faith. Amen.

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Friday, 24 April 2020 : 2nd Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen, Priest and Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

John 6 : 1-15

At that time, Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, near Tiberias, and large crowds followed Him, because of the miraculous signs they saw, when He healed the sick. So He went up into the hills and sat down there with His disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.

Then lifting up His eyes, Jesus saw the crowds that were coming to Him, and said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread so that these people may eat?” He said this to test Philip, for He Himself knew what He was going to do. Philip answered Him, “Two hundred silver coins would not buy enough bread for each of them to have a piece.”

Then one of Jesus’ disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?” Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass there, so the people, about five thousand men, sat down. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were seated. He did the same with the fish, and gave them as much as they wanted.

And when they had eaten enough, He told His disciples, “Gather up the pieces left over, that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with bread, that is, with pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

When the people saw the miracle which Jesus had performed, they said, “This is really the Prophet, the One Who is to come into the world.” Jesus realised that they would come and take Him by force to make Him King; so He fled to the hills by Himself.

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Friday, 24 April 2020 : 2nd Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen, Priest and Martyr (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

Psalm 26 : 1, 4, 13-14

The Lord is my Light and my Salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the Rampart of my life; I will not be afraid.

One thing I ask of the Lord, one thing I seek – that I may dwell in His house all the days of my life, to gaze at His jewel and to visit His sanctuary.

I hope, I am sure, that I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Trust in the Lord, be strong and courageous. Yes, put your hope in the Lord!

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Friday, 24 April 2020 : 2nd Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen, Priest and Martyr (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

Acts 5 : 34-42

But one of the members of the Council, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law highly respected by the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin. He ordered the men to be taken outside for a few minutes and then he spoke to the assembly.

“Fellow Israelites, consider well what you intend to do to these men. For some time ago Theudas came forward, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men joined him. But he was killed and all his followers were dispersed or disappeared.”

“After him, Judas the Galilean appeared at the time of the census and persuaded many people to follow him. But he too perished and his whole following was scattered. So, in this present case, I advise you to have nothing to do with these men. Leave them alone. If their project or activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. If, on the other hand, it is from God, you will not be able to destroy it and you may indeed find yourselves fighting against God.”

The Council let themselves be persuaded. They called in the Apostles and had them whipped, and ordered them not to speak again of Jesus Saviour. Then they set them free. The Apostles went out from the Council rejoicing that they were considered worthy to suffer disgrace for the sake of the Name. Day after day, both in the Temple and in people’s homes, they continued to teach and to proclaim that Jesus was the Messiah.