Holy Sunday

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Sunday, 30 March 2025 : Fourth Sunday of Lent, Laetare Sunday (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Rose or Purple/Violet

2 Corinthians 5 : 17-21

For that same reason, the one who is in Christ is a new creature. For him, the old things have passed away; a new world has come. All this is the work of God, Who, in Christ, reconciled us to Himself, and Who entrusted to us the ministry of reconciliation.

Because, in Christ, God reconciled the world with Himself, no longer taking into account their trespasses, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. So we present ourselves as ambassadors, in the Name of Christ, as if God, Himself, makes an appeal to you, through us. Let God reconcile you; this, we ask you, in the Name of Christ. He had no sin, but God made Him bear our sin, that, in Him, we might share in the holiness of God.

Alternative reading (Reading from Year A)

Ephesians 5 : 8-14

You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Behave as children of light; the fruits of light are kindness, justice and truth in every form. You yourselves search out what pleases the Lord, and take no part in works of darkness that are of no benefit; expose them instead.

Indeed it is a shame even to speak of what those people do in secret, but as soon as it is exposed to the light, everything becomes clear; and what is unmasked, becomes clear through light.

Therefore it is said, “Awake, you who sleep; arise from the dead that the light of Christ may shine on you.”

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Sunday, 30 March 2025 : Fourth Sunday of Lent, Laetare Sunday (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Rose or Purple/Violet

Psalm 33 : 2-3, 4-5, 6-7

I will bless the Lord all my days; His praise will be ever on my lips. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the lowly hear and rejoice.

Oh, let us magnify the Lord, together let us glorify His Name! I sought the Lord, and He answered me; from all my fears He delivered me.

They who look to Him are radiant with joy, their faces never clouded with shame. When the poor cry out, the Lord hears and saves them from distress.

Alternative Psalm (Psalm from Year A)

Psalm 22 : 1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul.

He guides me through the right paths for His Name’s sake. Although I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are beside me : Your rod and Your staff comfort me.

You spread a table before me in the presence of my foes. You anoint my head with oil; my cup is overflowing.

Goodness and kindness will follow me all the days of my life. I shall dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.

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Sunday, 30 March 2025 : Fourth Sunday of Lent, Laetare Sunday (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Rose or Purple/Violet

Joshua 5 : 9a, 10-12

Then YHVH said to Joshua : “Today I have removed from you the shame of Egypt.”

The Israelites encamped in Gilgal where they celebrated the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month in the plains of Jericho. On the following day, they ate of the produce of the land : unleavened bread and roasted grain on that very day. And from that day on when they ate of the produce of the land, the manna ceased.

There was no more manna for the Israelites, and that year they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan.

Alternative reading (Reading from Year A)

1 Samuel 16 : 1b, 6-7, 10-13a

YHVH asked Samuel, “Fill your horn with oil and be on your way to Jesse the Bethlehemite for I have chosen My king from among his sons.”

As Jesse and his sons came, Samuel looked at Eliab the older and thought, “This must be YHVH’s anointed.” But YHVH told Samuel, “Do not judge by his looks or his stature for I have rejected him. YHVH does not judge as man judges; humans see with the eyes; YHVH sees the heart.”

Jesse presented seven of his sons to Samuel who said, “YHVH has chosen none of them. But are all your sons here?” Jesse replied, “There is still the youngest, tending the flock just now.” Samuel said to him, “Send for him and bring him to me; we shall not sit down to eat until he arrives.”

So Jesse sent for his youngest son and brought him to Samuel. He was a handsome lad with ruddy complexion and beautiful eyes. And YHVH spoke, “Go, anoint him for he is the one.” Samuel then took the horn of oil and anointed him in his brothers’ presence.

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Sunday, 23 March 2025 : Third Sunday of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday being the Third Sunday of Lent, all of us are called to examine our lives and actions, especially in how we have observed this Lenten season, this time provided for us to reorientate our lives so that we may once again be attuned to God, our most loving Father. We are all reminded that sin is something that can truly harm us and bring us into destruction unless we distance ourselves from those sins and wickedness. We must resist the temptations to sin against God, not allowing ourselves to be easily swayed by the devil’s lies and false promises, all of the things which may lead us into the path towards our downfall and destruction. This is something that the devil desires to do with us, and we must not let him easily has his way.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard of the passage taken from the Book of Exodus in which the moment when the Lord appeared for the first time to Moses was recounted to us, the moment when God went to call Moses to be His servant and to be the one to lead the Israelites, the people of God out of their slavery in the land of Egypt. And at that time, Moses had been in exile in the land of the Midianites away from Egypt because though he was raised as an Egyptian prince, but by his act of murdering an Egyptian that persecuted an Israelite slave, Moses feared the Pharaoh’s anger and hence fled to the land of the Midianites, where he established a family with the daughter of Jethro who took him in and cared for him. It was at that time when the Lord appeared before Moses at Mount Horeb as we heard today.

In that apparition of the Lord in the miraculous burning bush, we heard of God telling Moses to go to Egypt, to confront Pharaoh and to tell him that he must let the Israelites go. He also told Moses that He knew and was fully aware of the sufferings and challenges that His people had faced in their lives in Egypt, persecuted and enslaved by the Egyptians, denied their basic rights and exploited, and even had attempts at genocide made against them when the earlier Pharaoh feared that the Israelites were continuing to flourish and grow in number despite their enslavement and persecution. And the Lord told Moses that this was why He sent Moses to set into motion everything that He has foretold and promised His people to do, to lead them out of the land of their sufferings and slavery into the land promised to them and their forefathers.

Through this reading we have received, we are reminded that just as the Israelites were shown mercy of God and led through the guidance of Moses by the hands and power of God, out of the land of their slavery through the desert where they journeyed for forty years before they finally reached their promised land, therefore each and every one of us, the beloved people of God are also called to remember God’s generous love and mercy, which He has shown to us constantly and persistently despite our sins and disobedience against Him. But at the same time, whole He showed His love and compassion towards us, the examples of the Israelites and their journey in the desert should serve as an important reminder for us that this journey which we are going through in our own respective lives’ journey is not going to be an easy and smooth one.

This was mentioned in our second reading passage this Sunday, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful people of God in the city and region of Corinth, we heard of the words of the Apostle to the faithful regarding the reference that St. Paul made to the time of the Exodus of the Israelites as well. This reference to the time of the Exodus and how the Israelites stumbled and disobeyed God repeatedly during the Exodus, and how many of them perished on the way because of their sins is an important reminder for us that while God is truly loving and merciful, but He also abhors sin and evil, wickedness and disobedience against His Law and commandments. And that means, in our own lives, if we are to allow the temptations of sin to lead us astray, then we will have to account for them before the Lord at the time of the Final Judgment.

This means that we cannot presume that we can continue on living in the state of sin without repentance and forgiveness for our many sins, wickedness and evil actions. Yes, God is indeed ever loving and merciful towards us, His beloved children, but at the same time, as mentioned, God is also a holy and just Lord, in Whose Presence no sin or evil can exist or remain. Therefore, we must make sure that we rid ourselves of all sorts of sin and impurities in us, repenting from our wicked ways and manners which are unbecoming of us as Christians, as God’s holy, chosen and beloved people. Each and every one of us ought to live our lives in the manner that is truly pleasing to God, committing ourselves to follow Him in His Law and commandment, obeying Him wholeheartedly and removing from ourselves the corruption of sin.

We must remember how God’s love and compassion had made it possible for us to have hope today, the hope that we have received from the most loving and selfless sacrifice which Christ our Lord had offered on the Altar of His Cross at Calvary. Through this loving sacrifice, and the perfect offering He has offered for our sake, Christ Our Lord and Saviour has provided all of us the path out of the darkness and tyranny of sin, opening for us the gates of Heaven itself, giving us the straight path to salvation, should we be willing to commit ourselves to the path of repentance and embrace God’s mercy and forgiveness. We must be thankful that God our most loving and patient Father has always loved us so patiently and wonderfully all these while, and we truly should not take His love for granted.

From our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we have heard of the words of the Lord reminding His disciples and all those people who were listening to Him, that all of them ought to be vigilant in their lives against sin, and pointed out the fact that everyone is a sinner, all in need of God’s mercy, forgiveness and healing. The Lord pointed out that just because some people suffered from certain tragedies and events, that does not mean they were greater in their sins or faults, and most importantly, there should be no prejudice, bias or attitudes that lead to elitist and exclusivist actions like what the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law had done against their fellow brethren, in thinking that they were better than those whom they considered to be unworthy and unclean, priding themselves in their own pious actions and observances of thr Law.

We are also reminded that we have been given this opportunity in this life to be truly fruitful in our every actions and moments, to be fruitful with the fruits of our faith and the gifts of the Holy Spirit that have been given to each one of us. We must therefore remember our ultimate destination that is Heaven, God’s mercy and love, His promise of salvation and eternal life to all of us, distancing ourselves from all the wickedness and evils of this world, all those things that may lead us astray in our path towards the grace and love of God. Each and every one of us should do our very best to inspire and to be good and worthy role models to our fellow brothers and sisters. During this time and season of Lent, we are reminded to humble ourselves and to rend our hearts and our whole beings from pride, from all sorts of arrogance and wickedness, to distance ourselves from the path of evil, and wholeheartedly embracing the love and mercy of God.

May the Lord, our most loving God and Father, continue to strengthen our faith within us, empowering each one of us with the courage to continue glorifying Him by our lives, by our every moments and actions, through our devotion and commitment to His cause, now and always. May our Lenten observances and journey be blessed by God, and may they be truly blessed and fruitful. Amen.

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Sunday, 23 March 2025 : Third Sunday of Lent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Luke 13 : 1-9

At that time, one day, some people told Jesus what had occurred in the Temple : Pilate had had Galileans killed, and their blood mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. Jesus asked them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered this? No, I tell you. But unless you change your ways, you will all perish, as they did.”

“And those eighteen persons in Siloah, who were crushed when the tower fell, do you think they were more guilty than all the others in Jerusalem? I tell you : no. But unless you change your ways, you will perish as they did.” And Jesus continued, “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it, but found none. Then he said to the gardener, ‘Look here, for three years now I have been looking for figs on this tree, and I have found none. Cut it down, why should it continue to deplete the soil?’”

“The gardener replied, ‘Leave it one more year, so that I may dig around it and add some fertiliser; perhaps it will bear fruit from now on. But if it does not, you can cut it down.’”

Alternative reading (Readings from Year A)

John 4 : 5-42

At that time, Jesus came to a Samaritan town called Sychar, near the land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well is there. Tired from His journey, Jesus sat down by the well; it was about noon. Now a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” His disciples had just gone into town to buy some food.

The Samaritan woman said to Him, “How is it that You, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan and a woman, for a drink?” (For Jews, in fact, have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift of God! If you knew Who it is, Who is asking you for a drink, you yourself would have asked Me, and I would have given you living water.”

The woman answered, “Sir, You have no bucket, and this well is deep; where is Your living water? Are You greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well, and drank from it himself, together with his sons and his cattle?” Jesus said to her, “Those who drink of this water will be thirsty again; but those, who drink of the water that I shall give, will never be thirsty; for the water, that I shall give, will become in them a spring of water, welling up to eternal life.”

The woman said to Him, “Give me this water, that I may never be thirsty, and never have to come here to draw water.” Jesus said, “Go, call your husband, and come back here.” The woman answered, “I have no husband.” And Jesus replied, “You are right to say, ‘I have no husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you said is true.”

The woman then said to Him, “I see You are a Prophet; tell me this : Our ancestors came to this mountain to worship God; but you Jews, do you not claim that Jerusalem is the only place to worship God?” Jesus said to her, “Believe Me, woman, the hour is coming when you shall worship the Father, but that will not be on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.”

“You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, because salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is even now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for that is the kind of worshippers the Father wants. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit, and truth.”

The woman said to Him, “I know that the Messiah (that is the Christ) is coming. When He comes, He will tell us everything.” And Jesus said, “I Who am talking to you, I am He.”

At this point the disciples returned, and were surprised that Jesus was speaking with a woman, however, no one said, “What do you want?” or, “Why are You talking with her?” So the woman left her water jar and ran to the town. There she said to the people, “Come and see a Man Who told me everything I did! Could He not be the Christ?” So they left the town and went to meet Him.

In the meantime the disciples urged Jesus, “Master, eat.” But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” And the disciples wondered, “Has anyone brought Him food?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of the One Who sent Me, and to carry out His work.”

“You say that in four months there will be the harvest; now, I say to you, look up and see the fields white and ready for harvesting. People who reap the harvest are paid for their work, and the fruit is gathered for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. Indeed the saying holds true : One sows and another reaps. I sent you to reap where you did not work or suffer; others have worked, and you are now sharing in their labours.”

In that town many Samaritans believed in Him when they heard the woman who declared, “He told me everything I did.” So, when they came to Him, they asked Him to stay with them, and Jesus stayed there two days. After that, many more believed because of His own words, and they said to the woman, “We no longer believe because of what you told us: we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is the Saviour of the world.”

Alternative reading (shorter version of the Reading from Year A)

John 4 : 5-15, 19b-26, 39a, 40-42

At that time, Jesus came to a Samaritan town called Sychar, near the land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well is there. Tired from His journey, Jesus sat down by the well; it was about noon. Now a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” His disciples had just gone into town to buy some food.

The Samaritan woman said to Him, “How is it that You, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan and a woman, for a drink?” (For Jews, in fact, have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift of God! If you knew Who it is, Who is asking you for a drink, you yourself would have asked Me, and I would have given you living water.”

The woman answered, “Sir, You have no bucket, and this well is deep; where is Your living water? Are You greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well, and drank from it himself, together with his sons and his cattle?” Jesus said to her, “Those who drink of this water will be thirsty again; but those, who drink of the water that I shall give, will never be thirsty; for the water, that I shall give, will become in them a spring of water, welling up to eternal life.”

The woman said to Him, “Give me this water, that I may never be thirsty, and never have to come here to draw water. I see You are a Prophet; tell me this : Our ancestors came to this mountain to worship God; but you Jews, do you not claim that Jerusalem is the only place to worship God?” Jesus said to her, “Believe Me, woman, the hour is coming when you shall worship the Father, but that will not be on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.”

“You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, because salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is even now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for that is the kind of worshippers the Father wants. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit, and truth.”

The woman said to Him, “I know that the Messiah (that is the Christ) is coming. When He comes, He will tell us everything.” And Jesus said, “I Who am talking to you, I am He.”

In that town many Samaritans believed in Him, so, when they came to Him, they asked Him to stay with them, and Jesus stayed there two days. After that, many more believed because of His own words, and they said to the woman, “We no longer believe because of what you told us: we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is the Saviour of the world.”

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Sunday, 23 March 2025 : Third Sunday of Lent (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

1 Corinthians 10 : 1-6, 10-12

Let me remind you, brothers and sisters, about our ancestors. All of them were under the cloud and all crossed the sea. All underwent the baptism of the land and of the sea to join Moses; and all of them ate from the same spiritual manna; and all of them drank from the same spiritual drink. For you know, that they drank from a spiritual rock following them, and the rock was Christ. However, most of them did not please God, and the desert was strewn with their bodies.

All of this happened as an example for us, so that we might not become people of evil desires, as they did, nor grumble, as some of them did, and were cut down by the destroying Angel. These things happened to them, as an example, and they were written as a warning, for us, as the last times come upon us.

Therefore, if you think you stand, beware, lest you fall.

Alternative reading (Readings from Year A)

Romans 5 : 1-2, 5-8

By faith we have received true righteousness, and we are at peace with God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Through Him we obtain this favour in which we remain and we even boast to expect the Glory of God.

And hope does not disappoint us because the Holy Spirit has been given to us, pouring into our hearts the love of God. Consider, moreover, the time that Christ died for us : when we were still helpless and unable to do anything.

Few would accept to die for an upright person; although, for a very good person, perhaps someone would dare to die. But see how God manifested His love for us : while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

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Sunday, 23 March 2025 : Third Sunday of Lent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 102 : 1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8 and 11

Praise YHVH, my soul; all my being, praise His holy Name! Praise YHVH, my soul, and do not forget all His kindness.

He forgives all your sins and heals all your sickness; He redeems your life from destruction and crowns you with love and compassion.

YHVH restores justice and secures the rights of the oppressed. He has made known His ways to Moses; and His deeds, to the people of Israel.

YHVH is gracious and merciful, abounding in love and slow to anger. As the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His love for those fearing Him.

Alternative Psalm (Psalm from Year A)

Psalm 94 : 1-2, 6-7, 8-9

Come, let us sing to the Lord, let us make a joyful sound to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before Him giving thanks, with music and songs of praise.

Come and worship; let us bow down, kneel before the Lord, our Maker. He is our God, and we His people; the flock He leads and pastures. Would that today you heard His voice!

Do not be stubborn, as at Meribah, in the desert, on that day at Massah, when your ancestors challenged Me, and they put Me to the test.

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Sunday, 23 March 2025 : Third Sunday of Lent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Exodus 3 : 1-8a, 13-15

Moses pastured the sheep of Jethro, his father-in-law, priest of Midian. One day he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the Mountain of God. The Angel of YHVH appeared to him by means of a flame of fire in the middle of a bush. Moses saw that although the bush was on fire it did not burn up.

Moses thought, “I will go and see this amazing sight, why is the bush not burning up?” YHVH saw that Moses was drawing near to look, and God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!” He replied, “Here I am.” YHVH said to him, “Do not come near; take off your sandals because the place where you are standing is holy ground.” And God continued, “I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.”

Moses hid his face lest his eyes look on God. YHVH said, “I have seen the humiliation of My people in Egypt and I hear their cry when they are cruelly treated by their taskmasters. I know their suffering. I have come down to free them from the power of the Egyptians and to bring them up from that land to a beautiful spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.”

Moses answered God, “If I go to the Israelites and say to them : ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ they will ask me : ‘What is His Name?’ What shall I answer them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO AM. This is what you will say to the sons of Israel : ‘I AM sent me to you.’”

God then said to Moses, “You will say to the Israelites : ‘YHVH, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, has sent me.’ That will be My Name forever, and by this Name they shall call upon Me for all generations to come.”

Alternative reading (Readings from Year A)

Exodus 17 :  3-7

But the people thirsted for water at Rephidim and grumbled against Moses, “Why did you make us leave Egypt to have us die of thirst with our children and our cattle?”

So Moses cried to YHVH, “What shall I do with the people? They are almost ready to stone me!” YHVH said to Moses, “Go ahead of the people and take with you the elders of Israel. Take with you the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will stand there before you on the rock at Horeb. You will strike the rock and water will flow from it and the people will drink.”

Moses did this in the presence of the elders of Israel. The place was called Massah and Meribah because of the complaints of the Israelites, who tested YHVH saying, “Is YHVH with us or not?”

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Sunday, 16 March 2025 : Second Sunday of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday as we all gather together in this Second Sunday in the season of Lent, all of us are reminded to continue embarking on the journey of faith through our lives towards the Lord our God, our Saviour and Hope. We are reminded of the Covenant which God has made with each and every one of us, beginning with Abraham, our father in faith, to whom God had willingly established the Covenant that He had constantly renewed and then expanded to cover all of us, the children and descendants of Adam, that we all may partake in His glorious inheritance and to receive the grace and blessings that He has assured to all those who are faithful to His Covenant, His Law and commandments.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Book of Genesis in which the very moment when God established His Covenant with Abram, a man whom He had called from the land of Ur of the Chaldeans in Mesopotamia. Abram had obeyed the Lord and responded to His call with commitment, following the Lord’s call to the land that He had led him into, the land of Canaan, the Promised Land that God promised to be given to the descendants of Abram. Abram brought his wife, Sarai and his personal assets and servants, travelling long distance from his homeland, leaving behind the life that he knew, and embarked on the journey to the land of Canaan. Through this great obedience and other virtues that Abram had shown, the Lord chose him to be the one with whom He would make His Covenant, renewing the Covenant that He had made with us mankind from the beginning.

God therefore promised to Abram through this solemn Covenant, that He would be his God and the God of his descendants, which would be as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand grains on the shores, essentially uncountable. And this is remarkable considering that at the time that God made this Covenant with Abram, he was still a relatively old man with no child or anyone that can bear his legacy, and he himself said that his servant would be the one to inherit his riches and property. But God reassured Abram that He would give unto him a son, son born of him and his wife, Sarai. And as a sign of his commitment to this new Covenant and the new life that Abram and his wife, Sarai, had been called into, they both changed their name, which symbolically highlighted this moment of conversion and change, becoming known as Abraham and Sarah respectively. Eventually Abraham would indeed become the father of many nations, both by blood and by faith, as all of us Christians do call Abraham our father in faith.

In our second reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in the region of Philippi in modern day Greece. In that Epistle, the Apostle spoke of the nature of our Christian citizenship in Heaven, a reminder for all of us that as Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people, all of us, regardless which country, origin or background that we have, ultimately, all of us belong to the Lord and we all share this common inheritance from God, the promise of the eternal life and true happiness in Heaven, to be forever in the presence of our loving God and Creator. And linking to what we have heard in our first reading today regarding the Covenant of God and Abraham, all of us have Abraham as our father in faith, and therefore, we also share in this great and Eternal Covenant that God has established and renewed with us all.

We are all reminded by St. Paul the Apostle that no matter what struggles and hardships each and every one of us may encounter in our respective lives, each one of us should continue to be faithful in the Lord and put our faith and trust in Him. We must not let ourselves to be easily swayed by the many temptations, pressures, coercions and all the things that we may encounter in our path which may lead us astray, tempting us to abandon our journey towards God and His salvation. At that time, during the moment when St. Paul wrote this Epistle, Christians have begun to spread around the Roman Empire and other surrounding regions, as missionaries worked hard to proclaim the Good News of God to more and more people. However, they also faced a lot of opposition and persecution from their enemies and from those who were suspicious of the Christian teachings and faith.

At the same time, the Christian faithful were also surrounded by the many pagan practices and other things which were often in conflict with the Christian belief and ways. Therefore, St. Paul was encouraging the faithful in Philippi to be strong and to remain committed in their faith so that they would not easily give in to the temptation to abandon their faith amidst all those pagan influences and pressures to conform and follow the worldly ways. This is something that is difficult and a dilemma facing many of the early Christians, as some of them were divided between their families and their faith, and some of them were persecuted by their own families and relatives, on top of the persecution from the authorities for their faith and belief in God. They were all reminded that their faith and trust in the Lord ultimately would not be in vain, for them having adopted the ways of the Lord, and changing their path from the path of the wickedness of the world for the path of God’s righteousness.

And this is what we have ourselves experienced in our baptism and journey of Christian initiation as well. All of us through our baptism, and more especially so for those of us who chose to embark on this journey in our adulthood, had to make the commitment to a new life in God. Through our baptism and the other sacraments of Initiation, we have essentially been brought into the Covenant with God much as how Abraham had the Covenant established with him by God. And just as Abraham has dedicated himself and his life, promising that his descendants would also obey the Covenant that God had made with them, therefore all of us are also required to follow and obey the commandments of God, doing our very best so that we can fulfil our part of the Covenant as well, to live our lives in the manner that the Lord has shown and taught us to do.

All of us are reminded that by becoming Christians, we embark on this journey of renewal and purification, one that we are being reminded of during this time of Lent, by our renewal of the commitment to live our lives in accordance to the way that the Lord Himself has shown and taught us. And what we have heard in our Gospel passage today should serve as a reminder and premonition of what our end goal is, which is to be truly transformed in our whole being to be once again full of God’s grace, light and love, to be free from the taint and corruption of sin, just as the Lord Jesus showed us and His disciples by His glorious Transfiguration at Mount Tabor. At that occasion, the Lord revealed His glory and true nature to three of His closest disciples, St. Peter, St. James and St. John.

Through what we have heard in that account of the Transfiguration of the Lord, we are shown that Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, was not merely just a Man, the Son of Man, but also the Son of God, Who had clad His Divine nature in the form of our human nature and flesh. As we firmly believe in our Christian faith, we believe in Our Lord Who has made Himself manifest in His divinity and humanity both in the Person of Jesus Christ, one Person having two distinct yet inseparable and indivisible natures, Divine and Human. And by sharing this Human nature with all of us, Christ Our Transfigured Lord reminds us of our original immaculate and perfect nature, as how we were when He first created us all, untainted and uncorrupted by the corruption of sin and evil.

By His Transfiguration, the Lord reassured us all of His salvation, fulfilling everything that He has promised to our ancestors and predecessors, all the Law and the prophecies which He had passed on to them through the prophets, represented by the appearance of Moses and Elijah there at Mount Tabor with the Transfigured Lord. Both of them were very important figures in the history of the people of God. Their appearance there at Mount Tabor reaffirmed the fact that Jesus is truly the One Whom the people of Israel had been awaiting for, and the fulfilment and perfect manifestation of the Law of God that Moses represented, which He revealed in its fullness and elaborated in its purpose, as well as the completion of the prophecies of the Prophets that was represented by Elijah. And we are all reminded of the true nature of our existence, our true selves, unhindered by the corruption of sin.

Therefore, as we continue to progress through this time and season of Lent, are we willing and able to commit ourselves to the Lord anew and follow Him wholeheartedly, as we have been called to do, to be like Abraham and our forefathers who have trusted in God and be part of the Covenant that He had made with us all. And like Jesus our Lord and Saviour Himself, Who as Son, obeyed His Father’s will perfectly, and as we heard, despite the glory of His appearance and Transfiguration on Mount Tabor, chose to descend down the mountain to go forth to His Passion in Jerusalem. Through His obedience and willing sacrifice, He showed us all the perfect love of God by which all of us have received the fulfilment of the promise of God’s salvation, and opened for us the path towards full reconciliation with our loving Father.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday let us all therefore strive to continue our Lenten journey with great faith and commitment, doing our very best so that we may come closer to God and be ever stronger in our relationship with Him, and be fully committed to His path, so that we can truly be faithful to the New and Eternal Covenant that He has made and sealed with us by the loving sacrifice of His Son, Our Lord and Saviour on the Cross. May the Lord be with us always, and bless our Lenten journey, now and forevermore. Amen.

by

Sunday, 16 March 2025 : Second Sunday of Lent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Luke 9 : 28b-36

At that time, Jesus took Peter, John and James, and went up the mountain to pray. And while He was praying, the aspect of His face was changed, and His clothing became dazzling white. Two men were taking with Jesus : Moses and Elijah. Appearing in the glory of heaven, Moses and Elijah spoke to Jesus about His departure from this life, which was to take place in Jerusalem.

Peter and His companions had fallen asleep; but they awoke suddenly, and they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him. As Moses and Elijah were about to leave, Peter – not knowing what to say – said to Jesus, “Master, how good it is for us to be here! Let us make three tents, one for You, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

And no sooner had he spoken, than a cloud appeared and covered them; and the disciples were afraid as they entered the cloud. Then these words came from the cloud, “This is My Son, My Beloved, listen to Him.” And after the voice had spoken, Jesus was there alone. The disciples kept this to themselves at the time, telling no one of anything they had seen.