Holy sermon

by

Saturday, 15 October 2016 : 28th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we are reminded yet again that as Christians, each and every one of us have been made righteous and just in Christ our Lord. Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world has made us whole and liberated us from the sins of our ancestors and that of our own, that is through His great and ultimate love shown through the sacrifice of the cross.

And yet, we mankind have responded to God’s love with scorn and contempt. We refused and rejected God’s love because of our pride, and because of our inability to wrench ourselves away from the temptations of pleasure and the persuasions and lies of the evil one. We are easily tempted by our weaknesses and our vulnerabilities and proneness to sin and to the wickedness of the flesh.

And it is all these which have separated us from the love and grace of our God. And one example was shown by the people of Israel themselves, ever since when they escaped from the land of Egypt. God showed His might to them, liberating them from the hands of the Pharaoh by the Ten Plagues that struck down the Egyptians, from their mighty Pharaoh to the smallest and least of the Egyptians and their animals.

Yet, even though God had rescued them and brought them into freedom, opening the seas and destroying their enemies before them, these people were very stubborn and rebellious. They complained and resisted the authority of Moses and all those whom God had entrusted with their care. They gave in to the temptations of their stomachs, the temptations of pleasure and easy life, and they ditched the Lord on many occasions and instead worshipped the idols.

These were those whom God had punished through death and pestilence, as His anger raged amongst them, and many did die, as the whole rebellious generation of Israelites would show, when they perished in the desert and did not enter into the Promised Land. Only those who obeyed the Lord received His grace and allowance to settle in the land of milk and honey.

It was the same with the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, who despite having witnessed the miracles and the healing works, the wondrous deeds of Jesus and His disciples, still refused to believe in Him, doubted Him and tested Him to the very end, when they mocked Him hanging on the cross to rescue Himself if He was truly the Messiah. This attitude of lack of faith and stubbornness are really a characteristic of us mankind.

And as they continuously mocked the One Whom God had sent into the world in order to save it, including these very people, they were not forgiven their sins and they were considered as true sinners, even as they themselves liked to parade around their piety and deeds and looked down on others whom they considered as sinners, the prostitutes and tax collectors. And yet, as Jesus Himself said, that these people were going faster towards the Kingdom of God because they repented from their sins.

In Jesus we have our hope of salvation and liberation, and thus, we should try our best to resist the temptations of this world, so that we may be able to truly accept the Lord in our hearts and not harden our hearts and closed our minds as those Pharisees and the teachers of the Law had done. In His holy Name we shall find our succour and liberation from these darkness and the threats of the devil.

St. Teresa of Jesus, who was also known as St. Teresa of Avila after her birthplace in Avila, Spain, who is our saint of this day, is a strong proponent of renewed faith and commitment to our Lord through strong spirituality and devotion to God. St. Teresa of Jesus was renowned as the founder of the Discalced Carmelite order with St. John of the Cross, and both of them were strong and dedicated reformer of the faith and the Church.

At that time, the Church, the Faith and the faithful people of God were under great threat from the massive heresy of Protestantism, which was called by the heretics as ‘reform’, and yet, in the false teachings it proposed, it has led into many people of God to fall away from the path towards salvation, and through the devil and his works in the false prophets like Martin Luther, John Calvin, Zwingli and many others, many had been cast down into hell for their sins.

It was a time of great distress for the Church and for the faithful. But there were many courageous and devoted servants of God who worked hard to stem the tide of heresy and bring back many thousands and more to the true faith in God. St. Teresa of Jesus was among them, a great visionary and mystic, a great writer and contributor to the teachings of the Church, and a strong proponent of an active spiritual life dedicated to God.

St. Teresa of Jesus devoted her whole life to the Lord, as well as for her religious congregation, persuading many and pushing for reform and change in the way how many of them lived their lives, deepening their spirituality and relationship with the Lord their God. She purged worldly elements and unworthy conduct from amongst her fellow religious, and wrote extensively on the matter, on how to become ever more devoted and holy in the sight and presence of God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all devote ourselves wholly to the Lord in the same manner as that of St. Teresa of Avila, St. Teresa of Jesus, as well as the many other saints, holy men and women of God. Let us no longer be stubborn and wicked in our hearts, but be converted thoroughly to the Lord. May the Lord bless us all and keep us in His love at all times. Amen.

by

Friday, 14 October 2016 : 28th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Callixtus I, Pope and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today’s Scripture readings reminded us all that God is our loving Father, our loving Lord Who created each and every one of us out of His boundless and never-ending love. He has promised to each and every one of us the promise of everlasting life and eternal glory with Him, which was what He intended for us and for our ancestors, if not for their sins, and ours as well.

For we were all destined to be loved by God, and to live forever in the grace and in the light of God’s presence, all the more that we are the most special among all of God’s creations, the ones whom He loves the most. He does not want us all to perish, even the smallest and the worst among us, for we are all equal before God, equally loved and equally cherished by our Lord and Creator. And yet, because of our sins, we have drifted away from the Lord and from His salvation.

And we are often not aware of that love which the Lord had for us, because our eyes, our senses, our minds and our hearts are veiled and blocked by that darkness that had been in us, which corrupted us and twisted us into creatures of sin and darkness. And sin is that veil that had corrupted us and prevented us from being able to realise and understand just how much love God has for us.

And that sin is the same that Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law for, the yeast of the Pharisees. It is the accumulated sin of greed, of jealousy, hatred and all things that these people have gathered in themselves, and which they unleashed against the Lord that had made the works of Jesus to be very difficult. Their sins were many, and they refused to admit these and repent from those sins, and as a result, they led even more of the people of God into the wrong path.

They thought that whatever they had done could be hidden from the knowledge and awareness of the people, but God saw all that they had done, and He would count all these against them on the day of judgment. Jesus Himself said that, nothing that has been hidden will remain hidden forever, at any one time, these may come to light, all scandals and inappropriate acts even those which were most well-hidden of all.

It is a reminder to all of us Christians, that each and every one of us ought to live righteously in God’s presence, following and obeying His will, His laws and commandments, and these are as we all know it, love. His will for us is love, that we all love one another, care for one another, for each other and be concerned about the salvation of one another, that each and every one of us may find our way to God.

We should not follow the examples of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, who were very proud of their status in their society, and they were haughty and proud, looking down on others who did not belong to their caste and class. As Christians, each and every one of us should be humble, caring, loving and merciful. And perhaps we should also be inspired to follow the example of Pope St. Callixtus I, Pope of the Church and holy martyr of the Faith, whose feast we celebrate today.

Pope St. Callixtus I lived and reigned as Pope at a time of great difficulty for the Church and the faithful. During that time, at the height of the pagan Roman Empire and in the early days of the Church, many persecutions faced the faithful and many were in hiding because they were members of the Church. Discrimination, oppression, resentment and hatred against these faithful people of God were rampant.

Yet Pope St. Callixtus led the Church and the faithful with courage and vigour, often not fearing the dangers and the risks he had to face as he went on to minister to the faithful, caring and serving them with love. He faced many difficulties and sufferings throughout his life, having been punished, incarcerated, exiled and forced to do tough labour in many occasions, and yet he continued to persevere hard in his life and in his vocation as a servant of God.

He helped to establish the Church and made it stronger by resisting the works of heretics and rebels against the authority of the Church, while encouraging many sinners to repent their sins and to return to the Church of God. There were those who refused to follow this path of mercy and forgiveness, but through Pope St. Callixtus I and his deep commitment to the salvation of sinners, many souls were saved from certain eternal damnation.

Through these examples which Pope St. Callixtus I had shown us, we too should learn from his examples on how to become an ever better Christian, and how to practice our faith ever more devoutly in our respective lives. Let us all do the same, devoting ourselves, heart and mind, to show mercy to our brethren in need, whether it is for material or spiritual sustenance.

Let us all as Christians be beacons of light for one another, that by working together, inspired by the examples of our Lord and His holy saints, we may help each other to draw ever closer to God and to His salvation and eternal life. May God bless us all and keep us always in His grace. Amen.

by

Thursday, 13 October 2016 : 28th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard yet again about the contention that existed between Jesus, His followers and His teachings with the ways and the authority of the elites in the Jewish society at that time, namely the Pharisees and the chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the Law. As is evident from the four Gospels, we can see for ourselves just how many times these were trying very hard to undermine the works of the Lord at every possible occasions and opportunities.

Through Christ God had wanted to bring His salvation to all of His beloved people, and that is why He revealed to us His love through Christ His Son, Who willingly bore upon Himself the burden of the cross so that by taking upon Himself our sins and our consequences of those sins, He might be able to deliver us from the fate of our destruction and damnation, liberate us and bring us to the eternal life He had designed and intended for us all.

But this requires us mankind to have a profound and great change in our life attitudes and actions, and as the first reading today according to St. Paul in his letter to the Church and the faithful in Ephesus, he showed us that God through His infinite and amazing love, He had given us so much hope, so many opportunities and second chances in life, and all these are therefore contingent to our acceptance of Him as our Lord and Saviour, and that means, we have to change ourselves for the better.

Those Pharisees and the teachers of the Law refused to change themselves and their lives, as doing so would mean to give up all of the privileges and goodness they enjoyed in life, all the power, fame, influences and all the things that they have enjoyed thus far in their society, in the world. They feared that this Jesus Who came and challenged their teaching authority would destroy all that they have come to enjoy.

But in their fear and in their greed for worldly things, ambitions, fame and glory, they have forgotten the One Whom they ought to be serving, that is the Lord their God. After all, they have been chosen as those who were entrusted with the power and the authority, the responsibility and duty to lead and guide the people of God in their daily lives and on their way to the Lord their God.

All these are reminders that as Christians we all should not give in to our worldly desires, to the weaknesses of our flesh, and to the temptations of this world. We should be humble, following the examples of Jesus our Lord, Who had been humble, dedicated and committed to the cause which the Father had given to Him. We saw in Christ the obedience of the New Adam as compared to the old Adam, who perished in his disobedience and thus brought death to us all as well.

Yet the New Adam, Christ, brought new life into the world, into each and every one of us who believe in Him. Where there was only despair, He had brought light and hope to dispel and conquer the darkness, showing us the way to salvation and true glory found only in Him. Thus, brothers and sisters in Christ, all of us should also imitate Christ in all of His ways, that we may be found righteous and just in the eyes of our God.

May the Lord our God bless us and keep us in His grace, that we may find justification, true glory and eternal life in our Lord, that in all the things we do, we will always obey the Lord and be the bearers of His will, helping each other to live faithfully to the Lord. Amen.

by

Wednesday, 12 October 2016 : 28th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we are reminded yet again how to live truly like a disciple and follower of the Lord our God. We are reminded and shown how the ways of those who have lived like the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law were wrong, as they put a lot of emphasis on worldliness and appearances, and yet they forgot to remember about the Lord, the One Who should be their focus in life.

And worse still, they paraded themselves and were proud of what they have done, immersing themselves in the joys and in the pleasures of the world. They took pride at the praise and the fame they garnered through their acts of piety and by showing off their religiousness by praying loudly in open places and by seizing the first and most importance places in events, as if they were entitled to these.

They followed the path of the world, and attempted to satisfy the human needs and the desires of the flesh. As a result, they were misguided, and worse still, they also misguided others who were placed under their jurisdiction, responsibility and care. As the shepherds of the Lord’s flock, they should have led by example of their actions, but instead, they committed sinful and heinous deeds before God and His people alike.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, from what we heard in the Gospel today and from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians, our first reading, we can see that between following the Lord and submitting ourselves to the whims and the desires of this world, there is a vast gap that requires us therefore to make a stand and choose which side we are to follow. We cannot remain indifferent and ignorant to what the Lord is showing us on the incompatibility of His ways and that of the world.

We should look at our own actions and words in this life, and wonder for ourselves, just how much is it that we have been devoting ourselves and our lives for the Lord, and how much we have cultivated the gifts that God has given to each and every one of us, which He had sown in our hearts, namely the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the gift of faith, hope and love.

This is what St. Paul mentioned in his Epistle to the Galatians, that the fruits of the Holy Spirit are what precisely he had preached to them, namely charity, joy, peace, patience, understanding, and basically, these gifts are not what the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law had brought into this world and among the Lord’s people when they acted as they did in how they observed the Law of God.

They sowed division and sin, fornication and temptation among the people by guiding them along the wrong path, and instead of opening the path to God’s salvation to many people who needed it, they closed the path before these people thinking that they alone deserved to be saved. And rightly God rebuked them for what they have done, as they have failed in their most important responsibility as God’s shepherds, that is to lead the people of God down the right path.

It is therefore a stark and real reminder to each and every one of us, that we should take heed of how they lived their faith life, and then not to follow them in what they have done. As Christians, each and every one of us should give our lives and ourselves in order to serve the Lord in all the things we do and say. We must be humble and be loving in all our deeds, as we are all mere creatures of the Lord, whom God had chosen to pour His love upon and to be saved.

We should deepen our spiritual love for the Lord and also the love which we ought to show our brethren. It is important that we learn how to resist our human desires and wants, which are often obstacles on our path as we attempt to draw closer to the Lord. If we can just resist those temptations and make the concerted effort to do what the Lord had asked us to do, and become true disciples filled with love and compassion, then surely God will bless us and keep us in His ever abundant grace.

Let the rebuke which God levelled on the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law be a reminder for all of us Christians and also be a challenge for us to live our lives ever more devoutly. Let us all help one another even as we draw closer to the Lord and His salvation. May God bless us all and be with us always. Amen.

by

Tuesday, 11 October 2016 : 28th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. John XXIII, Pope (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Popes)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law in how they propagated and practiced their faith, and He also rebuked them for their behaviour and in how they oppressed and misguided the people of God with their way of observing the commandments of the Lord.

He criticised them using the example of a cup and a dish, which He compared to the Pharisees as those who have cleansed the outside of the cup and the dish so that they looked good and clean to those who saw them, but leave the insides dirty and unwashed. It does not make sense at all, since if we have a cup or a plate, we are using the inside and not the outside. They may appear good from the outside, but if the inside is dirty, then what use will they have?

What Jesus used as a comparison today is a comparison of our own beings, like what He had told the people about the Pharisees, the elders and the teachers of the Law. These people were the elites in their society, and they often walked around proudly, proud of their status and their influence in the governance over the people. They wore their vestments as the symbol of their superiority, and they often looked down on others.

They prayed loudly and with gestures in order to be seen by the people, and they had no qualms to criticise those who did not follow their ways and teachings, as mistaken and misguided as they were. And they were adamantly unrepentant of their behaviours, forcing the people to accept their way of observing the Law of God, focusing solely on the outward appearances, on the menial matters even such as washing of the hands and feet, the way to do them properly to the smallest details, the imposition of no work during the Sabbath days and others.

But in their hearts, in truth, they did not have God in them. They were so full of themselves that God did not take any priority for them. They always tried to bring themselves to the fore of the society, despising all those whom they considered as threats to their power and influence. And that is why, if you are wondering why these Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, who were supposed to be intelligent and the most educated especially about the laws and ways of the Lord, were to refuse Jesus when He came to this world.

Human ambitions and greed can indeed be very dangerous, and very powerful at the same time. Just as what we heard today in the Epistle that St. Paul wrote to the faithful in Galatia, where he rebuked those who pretended to be righteous and just in their ways, and yet in reality, they have fallen further and further away from the Lord and His salvation. They have only obeyed the Lord in their exterior application, but inside they remain rotten and unchanged.

That is why we should follow the example of the holy saint, Pope St. John XXIII, one of the Popes of the last century, whose life has been exemplary in his faith and dedication to the Lord. Through him we can see the example of how the faithful ought to live their faith, and be thoroughly devoted of their ways to the Lord both in their exterior and interior, and not just their exterior as what the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law had done.

Pope St. John XXIII was born as Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, the son of a poor farmer in a poor family in the northern region of Italy. At that time, life was simple and hard for him and for his relatives. His father wanted him and his siblings to continue his work as farmers, but with the help of a relative, Angelo Roncalli was able to attain education in a seminary in the nearby town, where gradually he felt the calling of the Lord.

Even though his father initially refused to allow him to become a priest, but eventually with some help, he was able to make it and thus he became a priest of the Lord, serving the poor and caring for the people, both spiritually and in material terms. In one occasion, when there was a riot in the diocese where he was serving as a priest, due to the unfair labour laws, Angelo Roncalli helped his local ordinary, the bishop who was supportive of his flock and calling for greater equality and fairer treatment of the workers.

He was then appointed as the Papal representative to Bulgaria, where he became one of its first Apostolic Delegate, caring for the people of the faith who lived there, and became the representative of the Vicar of Christ to them. Many did not welcome him as he was representing the authority of the Roman Church, while many Bulgarians belonged to the separatist Eastern Orthodox churches. However, through his persistence and many charitable works, including helping out when a major earthquake struck the country won him many people’s support.

Even in his later works as the Apostolic Delegate to Greece and Turkey, the future Pope St. John XXIII helped many people, including the Jews who suffered under the NAZI Germany rule, where on one occasion it was told that he helped many Jews to escape by persuading the German soldiers and commanders that the train did not carry Jews but instead pilgrims to Turkey.

Eventually he was elected to be the leader of the Universal Church, and there were even more good things he had done in leading the faithful people of God, helping to reduce the Cold War tension between the superpowers which at that time was at the breaking point due to what happened in the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. He wrote and published the Papal Encyclical ‘Pacem in Terris’ dedicated t world peace. He also convened the Second Vatican Council to address some unfinished issues in the Church.

In the end, looking at the examples that Pope St. John XXIII and the many other holy saints and people of God had done, we ourselves should be inspired to follow in their footsteps and do the same. We should not be like the Pharisees whose faith are for appearances only, but instead, we should practice what we believe through our own actions. May the Lord help us to be more devoted to Him, and may He bless us in all that we do, that we may receive glory with Him at the end of our days with the glorious saints. God bless us all. Amen.

by

Monday, 10 October 2016 : 28th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard about Jesus our Lord Who rebuked the people, especially the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law for their lack of faith, for their refusal to believe in the truth that He has brought down upon them, on their stubbornness and adamant refusal to be true disciples and followers of His.

They still refused to believe in Him even after all that He had done for them, all the miraculous deeds and goods He had done in their sight, the healing of the sick, casting out of demons, miracles of the feeding of the many thousands, and many others. These people had seen it all, especially even the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who had hounded Jesus and His disciples at every possible opportunities, and yet they still refused to believe.

And yet, God would show them all the ultimate sign of all, when they asked for yet another miracle. He would show them the sign of Jonah, and what does this mean, brethren? The sign of Jonah was a reference to the actions of the prophet Jonah, who had been called by God to preach to the Assyrians in Nineveh about their downfall and yet he fled from the Lord and his duties after refusing to take part in that work.

And when he was on a boat on the way to the faraway lands, a great storm came and engulfed the boat, waves and wind striking against it threatening to sink it, but then the prophet Jonah admitted to the ship captain that he had sinned before God by not listening to His call, and therefore the storm was likely a result of his own actions, and then he asked for the captain to throw him into the sea, of which the captain initially refused to do.

But as the waves and the winds continued to grow stronger, they had no choice, and when the prophet Jonah was thrown into the sea, the very moment they did that, the storm completely stopped and the sea became still. And the prophet Jonah himself was taken into the safety of a big fish’s belly, likely that of a whale for three days and three nights long, before he was released on a seashore.

Jonah would then go on to Nineveh, where he proclaimed the destruction of the city when the Assyrians, from their king to the lowest slaves repented from their sins, and God rescinded His punishment for them, and spared the city and its inhabitants. This is the sign of Jonah, the same sign which our Lord Jesus had brought into the world as well, the sign of His salvation.

Just as Jonah dwelled in the belly of the giant whale for three days and three nights, so would the Lord Jesus descend to the depths of hell for three days after He was crucified and died, so that through that action, He might scour all of hell and free all the righteous people who have long awaited the coming of their Lord and Saviour, much like Jonah who was sent to Nineveh to proclaim the judgment of God, and through repentance, the people of Nineveh and their city was saved.

What is it that each of us can learn from today’s Scripture passages, brethren? It is that our Lord has been so caring and loving towards us that He had done tremendous favours for our sake, His beloved people, His beloved children. Yet it is often that we do not realise just how much God has loved us, much like those people who doubted the Lord despite all that they have seen Him doing in their midst.

Therefore, brethren, let us all not harden our hearts as what those people had done, for if we harden our hearts and refuse the Lord, then our fate may be that of destruction as declared to Nineveh, that is damnation and eternal suffering. Instead, let us all rededicate ourselves to God and follow the examples of the people of Nineveh, regretting our sins and wicked deeds, and sincerely seeking for God’s mercy and forgiveness.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us draw closer to our Lord, our loving God and Father. Let us all follow in His footsteps and do all that He had asked us to do, that we may be found righteous and just at the time when He comes again to judge all creation. May the Lord help us and be with us always. Amen.

by

Saturday, 8 October 2016 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of our Lady)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today through the Scripture Readings, we are reminded by our Lord Himself through the Gospels and the Scriptures that we have that obligation and responsibility as Christians to be true disciples of our Lord, not just on paper, not just with words but also through real and true commitment, that we may fulfil what the Lord wants from us, that is our love, commitment and devotion, and that we are righteous and just in our deeds.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today we are reminded yet again that all of us have received great grace and blessings from the Lord by having been accepted and made to be God’s sons and daughters through baptism. And by that, we have been liberated from the scourges of our sins and from the bonds of our past enslavement to those sins and to the darkness of this world.

And yet, now that we are sons and daughters of the Lord, it is imperative for us to take heed what a child of God ought to be doing, as we have been called not just to be given grace and blessing, but also with a responsibility to bear for the sake of one another. And Jesus Himself had given us the example of what we are to do, following His own examples in His faith to God His Father.

Jesus obeyed the Lord His Father, and obeyed even unto accepting great sufferings and ultimately even death on the cross. We can just imagine that if Jesus had not obeyed that duty, and instead willingly withdrew from surrendering His own life on the cross, then all of us mankind would have perished and be destroyed by our sins, for Christ had died for us all that we may be saved.

A child should obey his parents, as long as they have given the right instructions and are righteous and just in their deeds. And of course God Who is our Father is always perfect, right and just in all of His deeds. And God Who had taught us many things therefore should be the One Whom we ought to follow in all of our deeds and actions. Otherwise, then how would we be able to call ourselves God’s children?

If God’s children and followers do not act in accordance with His ways, then would it not then be a scandal against Him and our Faith? Worse still, if we commit sins and wicked acts, while being known as a Christian, would it not in fact deter others from following the Lord? And would it not be contradictory to what we preach as well?

That is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, it is so important for us all to be active in our faith, living our faith to God through real and concrete actions, and this means for us to be charitable and to be committed to the cause of those who are often ostracised and discriminated against, unloved and uncared for, those who have been hated and abandoned. These are the ones to whom we should open ourselves to, that through us they may find the way to God’s embrace.

Let us all be good children of God our Father, obeying His will and precepts, and walk faithfully along His way, so that when the time comes, and out Father calls on us to return to Him, He may find us worthy of His blessings, graces and love, and we shall all receive the fullness of His gift of eternal life and true joy. God bless us all. Amen.

by

Friday, 7 October 2016 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of our Lady of the Rosary (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we celebrate together the feast of our Lady of the Rosary, also once known as the feast of our Lady of Victory, a celebration of the great triumph and victory of the soldiers and the defenders of Christ and His Church in the great Battle of Lepanto in the year 1571, or about four hundred and forty-five years ago against the mighty forces of the enemies of the faithful, the pagan and the wicked Ottoman Turks.

On this day, at that time, the mighty Ottoman Empire had captured much of the eastern portion of Christendom, including the holy city of Constantinople, enslaving and ruling over many of the faithful, whose lives were made quite difficult, where they were not truly able to manifest their faith and devotion to God, and coercion as well as persuasion to abandon their faith were rampant.

And the same Ottoman Turks were then menacing and threatening the rest of Christendom with their mighty army and fleet, and there was then a very real possibility that they might just be able to overcome the rest of Christendom and destroy the Church and the faithful people of God just as they had done over vast areas of lands that they have conquered.

But of course the faithful people of God did not just stand by and let the devil and his armies to roll over them. Led by the brave and the courageous leaders of the forces of Christendom, many answered to the call made by a holy and devout saint, Pope St. Pius V, who called on all the faithful to defend the Church and their Faith and made a stand against the forces of the enemy, in which the decisive battle was fought at the sea in Lepanto.

Before the battle began, the forces of the faithful asked for the intercession of the holy saints and especially that of the Blessed Mother of our Lord, Mary, who was since then would be known as our Lady of Victory and later on as our Lady of the Rosary for the role which she played in that battle. Through her intercession of behalf of her Son, our Lord and God, it was told that the winds and the clouds themselves rallied against the enemy forces, and a vision apparently appeared to the Turks, that so terrified them that many abandoned their ships and the battlefield.

Eventually, the forces of the faithful triumphed in the battle, and Christendom and the people of God were saved from what was once a certain defeat and destruction in the hands of those who served the devil and the dark forces of this world. And in order to commemorate that great victory, thus this day was therefore forever marked to be celebrated as the Feast of our Lady of Victory, and later on also known as the Feast of our Lady of the Rosary.

We all are aware of the rosary and how to pray the rosary. But do we actually pray the rosary with genuine faith and devotion? Do we really dedicate ourselves heart, mind and soul when we handle the rosary and offer the prayers to God through His mother Mary? Or do we just mutter out prayers and words without really understanding them? Perhaps we should reflect on this and think about how we really should pray the rosary.

The rosary is a tool which the Blessed Virgin Mary herself had presented to the world, to those who are looking for a path towards the Lord. Mary is mankind’s greatest ally, for who else but the mother of our Lord, God and Saviour is able to assist us in so many ways, bringing us closer to the love and grace of God, and helping us to find our way to her Son? Through the rosary, she is trying to help us out, and to lift us out from the darkness that threatens our heart, mind and soul.

Rather, the rosary should be prayed with full sincerity, devoting ourselves and our time to offer this bouquet of prayers to Mary, that she may bring those prayers to our Lord Jesus Christ. Through the rosary we are shielded and protected from the depredations and attacks by the forces of the devil, that is the spiritual battles that are constantly striking against our souls.

The Lord sent us His guardian Angels who are always in constant battles with the devils and the demons desiring to see our downfall. And if we are not spiritually strong inside us, and if our faith is not resolute and strong, we may fall into temptation and therefore collapse into sin. Just as those Turks did so long ago, where they came bearing harm and destruction upon the faithful people of God, but this one is even more dangerous.

Why is that so? It is because, sin is a great harm upon our souls, and if we lose this spiritual battle, and if our souls are lost to the Lord, we will be condemned forever in suffering in the depths of hell and darkness. But that is exactly why our loving and merciful God wants us to be saved from such a sorry fate, and that was why He sent us Mary, His mother, who then revealed to us the gift of the rosary, the spiritual prayer bouquet, through which we will be able to steel ourselves with resolve for the Lord.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore, from now on, let us all commit ourselves to the Lord and His ways, and pray the rosary with fervent devotion, so that in our great faith for God, His mother Mary may notice us and intercede for our sake, that her Son Jesus may intervene and help us to be freed from the darkness and the sufferings of this world. May God bless us all. Amen.

by

Thursday, 6 October 2016 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Bruno, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the Holy Scriptures we are presented with the image of God as a Father, and indeed as our Father. He is the One Who created us all out of love, and we are all His beloved children, each of whom He knew personally. He knows us all by name, and He knows all that we are, everything inside our hearts and minds.

And the point that the readings today want to bring across to each and every one of us is that, if we all who belong to the Lord have been considered as His children, then God Who is the perfect and good Father will know what we need, and He will take very good care of us, and we have nothing to worry about in this life, for He will show us the way, and we need only to follow Him.

Unfortunately, in reality, many of us are often distracted on our way, and therefore we end up falling and failing to achieve our goal that is to follow the Lord our God. We are often unable to restrain ourselves, our human and worldly desires, that Satan and all of his allies are able to come in and persuade us to do things that keep us away from the salvation in God.

The temptations and persuasions of this world are strong, and day after day, we should know just how much we have to work in order to resist these and turn towards God our Father. Many of us do not know and are not aware that God had been blessing us all these while, giving us what we need and caring for us. First of all, this very life is a gift from Him, and our friends, relatives and acquaintances are also His gifts, and through these people, God exercised His works and helped us often without us realising it.

He is our Father, and if fathers know how to take care of their children, then certainly God above all knows how to do so. For those of us who have children ourselves, we realise that a child often asks for many things, and are often curious about many things. Sometimes if they did not get what they wanted, they would then throw tantrum, become angry, kicking and crying, insisting that they wanted what they desired.

But then how do we as parents handle these children of ours then? Do we immediately give in to all of their demands? Well, many parents do so. They gave in to all of their children’s demands, and as a result, they spoilt their children. The children became accustomed to have people submitting to what they wanted, and therefore grew up to become people who are conceited and lacking in self-restraint.

Let us all look at ourselves, we are like those children. From our own actions, many of us when we do not get what we want, we become angry and try our best to get what we want regardless the cost. But God does not want us to grow up to be like this. And that is why He chastises us and punishes us whenever we err and make mistakes, so that we may learn from them and not fall into the temptations of sin and thus fall away from His grace.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day let us all grow ever closer to the Lord our God and Father, and let us all understand that God wants the best from us, and thus from time to time, He has chastised us so that we may learn very important lessons in this life, that we may remain ever faithful and true to Him. And today, we also can learn from the examples of St. Bruno, the faithful servant of God, a holy and devoted priest who have given his life in service to God and to His people.

St. Bruno was a great evangeliser, a missionary who went forth to preach the Good News of God among the many peoples in the lands now known as France, Germany and beyond, where he visited communities and places, one after another preaching about God, and teaching many others about the faith, revealing to them the truth about His love for us all mankind.

St. Bruno was simple and humble, refusing to be appointed bishop when the opportunity arose, and even when many recommended him to be made one. He went forth in many places to declare the goodness of God, inspiring many people to follow his examples and teachings, helping many souls to find their way back to the Lord, as well as brokering peace between rival factions in the Church at that time.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore seek to follow their examples, the examples of St. Bruno and all the other holy saints of God. May God be our guide as well, and may He, our Father and Leader, help us to find our way in this world, that we may not be lost amidst the temptations, challenges and persuasions of this world. May He remain with us and fill with always with His grace. Amen.

by

Wednesday, 5 October 2016 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today’s Scripture readings show to us the works of the Apostles, who in St. Paul and the Twelve Apostles had brought the Good News of the Lord and preached it to the many peoples in the various cities that they have visited. They have revealed the goodness of God to those people and called them out of the darkness and into the light.

And what did they tell these people, brethren? It is that God is their loving God and Creator, He Who have crafted them and gave life to them, and therefore, instead of a faraway and distant God, He is the Lord Who is also our Father, loving and caring, compassionate and willing to forgive us His children, all those who have erred in our ways.

This has become even more special for the Lord Himself after taking up the flesh of our own humanity, becoming one of us, through Jesus Christ His Son, the Divine Word Incarnate, that as He calls His Father, God, as His Father, now we all who share in the same flesh of Man He had, we too may also call God our Father. And that is the very essence of His prayer, which now we all know as the Pater Noster, our Father, or the Lord’s Prayer.

That prayer is the essence of pure prayer and the perfect way of communicating with the Lord our Father. And Jesus showed us all how to pray, that we know how to talk to the Father Who cares for us and shows His gentle love to us, that we may be able to find the way to understand what He wants us to do, and that we may be able to open our hearts and minds to listen to Him speaking to us in the depth of our our hearts.

Many of us may think that we know how to pray, but in reality, if we think about it, how did we pray to God? Did we pray to God only when we are in need of help and thus heaped upon God a litany of wishes or even demands? Did we only seek to turn to the Lord at our times of need and wants? If we have done all these, then we ought to know then that our prayer and spiritual life is weak, and the foundation of our faith is likely also weak.

Many of us think that prayer is a human’s way to get help from God, as if God is our servant to begin with, and that we can ask Him and order Him to do as we wanted. And that is where many of us are often mistaken on the nature of prayer. We think of prayer as some kind of wonder path for us, a magical path for God to come in and help in our lives, and thus that is why when our wants and wishes are not met and fulfilled, we tend to become angry and reject the Lord.

The truth is that, prayer is a way for us to communicate with the Lord, our God and Father. And as all forms of communication are, prayers should be a two-way conversation between us and God. However, it is too often that we drown out God’s voice in our own loud voice and insistence that God should listen to our demands and wishes. And more often than not, we are also often too busy in noticing just how much our Father wants to speak with us and talk to us.

Jesus offered a simple and yet powerful prayer, a model for all other forms of prayers to follow. It contains glorification, petition and humility all in one prayer. As God has been so loving and caring towards us, it is indeed only right and just for us to thank Him and to glorify Him for all of His wonderful grace. God has loved us so much, and if we only would open our hearts and minds to Him, He would have blessed us abundantly. He will not abandon us to destruction or ruin on purpose.

Therefore, as we all reflect on today’s Scripture readings, let us all look upon our relationship with God our Father. Are we even close to Him? Are we able to truly look upon Him and call Him our Father? Have we given Him the love of our heart just as He has given His love for us? These are the things that we have to ponder as we live our lives in this world today, that we may not lose the sight of our true focus and attention, that is the Lord our loving God.

Despite whatever challenges and difficulties we face, and even while others and all our strengths falter, but God alone will remain true and faithful, and in Him alone we shall find true love and salvation. God will not abandon us for He Who is all good cannot possibly deny His own love for us. Let us all therefore draw closer to God our Father and ask Him to bless us always and to grace us with His love, and let us open our hearts to communicate with Him through sincere prayer. God bless us all. Amen.