holy women

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Monday, 25 November 2024 : 34th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin and Martyr (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour :  Green or Red (Martyrs)

Revelations 14 : 1-3, 4b-5

I was given another vision : The Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, surrounded by one hundred and forty-four thousand people, who had His Name, and His Father’s Name, written on their foreheads. A sound reverberated in heaven, like the sound of the roaring of waves, or deafening thunder; it was like a chorus of singers, accompanied by their harps.

They sing a new song before the Throne, in the presence of the four living creatures and the elders, a song, which no one can learn, except the hundred and forty-four thousand, who have been taken from the earth.

These are given, to follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They are the first taken from humankind, who are already of God and the Lamb. No deceit has been found in them; they are faultless.

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Friday, 22 November 2024 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures all of us are reminded through them of the need for each and every one of us to be truly faithful and committed to God, to follow the Lord in all of our ways and to embody our faith in each and every one of our actions so that we may truly be worthy of Him through our various efforts and contributions, in focusing ourselves upon God’s Law and commandments, in keeping ourselves free from the taint and corruption of evil and sin, all the things that can keep us away from the Lord and His salvation, and all the things that had brought us to the corruption that defiled the sanctity of the Temple of God that is our body, our mind, heart and soul, our very beings, which God has made to be His temple and House.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Revelations of St. John the Apostle, we heard of the continuation of the account of the heavenly vision of St. John that he received during his exile in the Island of Patmos about the end of times and the upcoming tribulations and challenges for the faithful people of God, and how God ultimately will redeem and deliver all of them to the ultimate triumph and victory with Him. In today’s part of the vision that has been told to us, we heard of the Angel of God giving the small book from his hand to St. John to eat as instructed by the Angel, and St. John tasted that this Book of the Word of God is truly sweet in the mouth and yet bitter in the stomach after he had swallowed it.

This is in fact a very good reminder for all of us that the truth and the Word of God is something that is very reassuring and a show of God’s love for us, which is represented by the sweetness of that book which St. John the Apostle consumed in his vision. Then, that bitterness in the stomach is a representation of the hardships and sufferings, the trials and challenges that those who are on the side of the Lord will have to endure to be truly living good and worthy Christian lives. This is a metaphor of what faithful Christians, holy and committed people of God would be going through in their journey, like what the Apostles and the many early Christians had endured and suffered from. Many of them were persecuted, and faced all kinds of martyrdom.

Then, in our Gospel passage today taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke, we heard of the account of the time and moment when the Lord Jesus angrily got rid of all the merchants, money changers and other businesses peddling their merchandise and products, services and other corrupt practices in the courtyard of the Temple of God in Jerusalem. At that time, many of the Jewish people were actually scattered in different places and countries, and many of them lived in places that were distant from their homeland in Jerusalem and Judea. There were many reasons for this, some of them being the destruction of the old kingdoms of Israel and Judah which scattered quite a number of the Israelites to various distant places, and they settled down in those places instead of returning to their homeland as some others had done.

And therefore, since these people came from various places which have distinct and different currencies, it is necessary for those businesses to be set up in the Temple courtyard, such as the selling of animals and other things needed for the ritual sacrifices required by the Law and commandments of God, as it was unlikely for the pilgrims to be bringing their own sacrifices all the way to Jerusalem. Similarly, there was also a rule and custom that the sacrificial offerings cannot be purchased using money that is unclean or improper, such that the ones produced by the Romans, with the Emperor’s face on them, and as the Emperor or the deities in the other coins are improper, hence, the money changers provided the service to exchange the money brought by the pilgrims with the silver coins issued by the Temple that can then be used for the purchase of the sacrificial offerings.

However, the issue that the Lord Jesus took great offense with and which angered Him very much was just how corrupt those who have carried out those businesses had been, in how they overcharged and profitted a lot from gaining money from all the transactions they did, in fooling those pilgrims and cheating them of their money. The chief priests and the Temple officials also turned a blind eye to all the injustice and wickedness, and that was likely because they also profitted from the proceeds and efforts of all those merchants and money changers, and hence, tacitly gave their quiet support for the continued wicked deeds by those who sought to profit above the sufferings of others. Hence, the Lord was truly angered by this, and He cast those wicked merchants and money changers all out, reminding everyone and all of us that God’s Temple is a House of Prayer, and not for such wicked things.

Now, we are then also reminded that as mentioned earlier, our own body, heart, mind and soul are also actually Temples of the Lord’s Holy Presence, the House of the Lord in which God Himself dwells. He is in us, dwelling in us and journeying with us as He has provided us all His own Most Precious Body and Blood, which we all partake through the Most Holy Eucharist, the Lord Himself, in His Body and Blood, His Real Presence, coming into us. And at the same time, God has also given us all His Holy Spirit, bestowed on us all through His Son, sending down the Spirit of Life and grace to us, as He has given to His Church ever since the Pentecost Sunday till this day. And hence, if the Lord Himself is present in us, should we all not then ensure that our bodies, minds, hearts and souls, our whole beings are truly worthy of Him?

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Cecilia, the famous martyr and patron saint of music and musicians. St. Cecilia was born into a noble Roman family during the third century at a time of difficulty and persecution for the Christians in the early Church. She was born into possibly a Christian family who nonetheless forced her to marry a pagan nobleman named Valerius. Prior to this, St. Cecilia had dedicated herself in holy virginity to God and vowed not to get married as she dedicated her virginity to the Lord. Her association with music and musicians stemmed from the event that happened during her wedding when she sang passionately from her heart, dedicating the song to God. And she remained chaste afterwards, warning her husband not to touch or violate her virginity as an Angel of the Lord was standing by her side and protecting her.

When Valerius, the husband of St. Cecilia asked her to see the Angel of God, St. Cecilia told her husband that he would be able to see the Angel if he agreed to be baptised as a Christian and go to a specific place outside of Rome. Eventually after following St. Cecilia’s advice, her husband witnessed the Angel of God standing by the side of his wife, and therefore he believed. Eventually then, amidst all the persecutions and trials that happened at that time, all of them were martyred, St. Cecilia herself with her husband, Valerius and her husband’s brother. St. Cecilia herself was martyred by being struck by a sword on the neck, and to the very end, she remained ever faithful to the Lord and became great role model and example for many other Christians during her time and afterwards, right up to this very day. Her courage and example in faith should continue to inspire us all in how we ourselves ought to live our faith as Christians.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have reflected from the passages of the Sacred Scriptures earlier on and from the life and examples shown by St. Cecilia, holy martyr and servant of God, let us all therefore commit ourselves to a renewed life in faith, doing whatever we can in order to live a life that is truly and wholly righteous, good and full of virtue, distancing ourselves from the taint and corruption of sin to the best of our abilities to do so. Let us all be good role models and inspirations for one another, to be the shining beacons of God’s light, hope and Good News in our world today. May God be with us always and may He always strengthen us in our faith. Amen.

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Friday, 22 November 2024 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Luke 19 : 45-48

At that time, Jesus entered the Temple area and began to drive out the merchants. And He said to them, “God says in the Scriptures, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have turned it into a den of robbers!'”

Jesus was teaching every day in the Temple. The chief priests and teachers of the Law wanted to kill Him, and the elders of the Jews as well, but they were unable to do anything, for all the people were listening to Him and hanging on His words.

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Friday, 22 November 2024 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 118 : 14, 24, 72, 103, 111, 131

I delight in following Your laws, more so than in all riches.

Your laws are my delight, my counsellors who uphold me.

Your law is more precious to me than heaps of silver and gold.

How sweet are Your promises to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Your statutes are my heritage forever, they are the joy of my heart.

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

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Friday, 22 November 2024 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Revelations 10 : 8-11

And the voice I heard from heaven spoke again, saying to me, “Go near the Angel Who stands on the sea and on the land, and take the small book open in his hand.” So I approached the Angel and asked him for the small book; he said to me, “Take it and eat; although it be sweet as honey in your mouth, it will be bitter to your stomach.”

I took the small book from the hand of the Angel, and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, it turned bitter in my stomach. Then I was told, “You must again proclaim God’s words about many peoples, nations, tongues and kings.”

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Saturday, 16 November 2024 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Margaret of Scotland, and St. Gertrude, Virgin (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints or Holy Virgins or Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, through what we have heard in our Scripture passages today, we are all called to be truly faithful disciples and followers of our Lord, dedicating and committing our time and efforts to serve the Lord and to be ever more faithful to Him at all times. All of us are reminded that we must always be loving and caring towards our fellow brothers and sisters, being generous in loving and showing compassion upon everyone around us, following the examples of the Lord Himself Who has loved us most generously all these while. We must always have faith and trust in God, knowing that through Him and His constant care and love for us, all of us shall indeed never be disappointed as He will always continue to provide for us and protect us from any harm.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. John the words of the Apostle reminding the faithful people of God of the importance of them caring and showing love for one another especially for those who have dedicated themselves to the Lord and became His ministers and missionaries. As the Lord Himself has instructed His disciples, that all of them should go forth to the nations and proclaim His words and teachings, sending them out to give the words of His encouragement and truth to all the people. And they were all told not to depend too much on their own means and possessions, on all their own provisions and power, but rather to trust in the Lord and to receive whatever the people they visited and ministered among were willing to share and give to them.

That was why St. John reminded all of the people of God to be truly generous in their giving and love, for their fellow brethren and especially more so for all those who have dedicated themselves to the Lord. Each and every one of them and also all of us as Christians must always be filled with generous and wonderful love of God in our every words, actions and dealings with one another. We must not ignore this calling to love and to share our blessings with our fellow brethren. Let us all not forget that the Lord Himself has been generous and compassionate towards us when we had nothing with us and when we are still sinful and corrupted by our many sins and wickedness, and calling us and offering us freely His saving help and rich grace and mercy, He has indeed shown us all what love truly is.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, we heard of the Gospel by St. Luke the Evangelist of the account of the time when the Lord taught His disciples using a parable to highlight how we should put our faith and trust always in the Lord, in His Providence and help and all the things that He has promised to us, all the encouragement and blessings that He has generously given to us, if only we can put our faith in Him and trust in Him. He used the parable of an evil judge and a persistent old widow to highlight His ideas and points to the people. The old widow kept on pestering the judge, who in his pride and wickedness had no fear of anything and anyone at all, and despite the judge’s reluctance, eventually the persistence of the old widow bore fruit as it led to the judge relenting and agreeing to address the old widow’s case.

Hence, the Lord used this example in this parable to highlight how if even a wicked and proud, reluctant and stubborn judge could listen to and heed the wishes of the persistent old widow even when the judge was not obliged to do so, then all the more the Lord Himself, our most loving God and generous Father will love us and be kind and caring towards us if we ask Him. We must always have this strong faith in the Lord and follow Him at all times, reaching out to Him and believing in Him, His Providence and guidance, and ask Him whenever we have need for help. God will never forget or abandon us, and it is important that we remember this great love of God at all times, especially when we are facing challenges and difficulties. At the same time, just as St. John the Apostle exhorted earlier on, we should always be willing to help one another and share our blessings with our fellow brethren.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of two great and holy women, those whose lives and dedication to God have been truly exemplary and inspirational. They are St. Margaret of Scotland and St. Gertrude the Great. St. Margaret of Scotland was the Queen of Scotland and an English princess by birth to the House of Wessex, which ruled England prior to the Norman conquest. She was born in exile in Hungary following her father who had been exiled from the kingdom, and later on, after she and her family had returned to England, changes in the political landscape and her family’s fall from power would mean that she had to flee again, and eventually she would marry the widowed King of Scotland, Malcolm III and became the Queen of Scotland. As Queen, St. Margaret was known for her great and tremendous piety and charity, in her many contributions and care for the poor and the less privileged throughout her kingdom, as well as her contributions to the Church and great personal and public piety.

Meanwhile, St. Gertrude the Great was a great mystic and Benedictine nun from Germany during the High Middle Ages era. She grew up in a monastery since a very young age, and tradition showed either she was offered to the monastery by her parents or that she was orphaned from very young age, as was common at that time. She grew up strong in the faith and began experiencing visions from the Lord in her twenties as she continued to deepen her commitment to God in the Benedictine community. Her great piety and commitment to God, her spiritual life and dedication, all of her mystical visions and experiences inspired many people even long after her passing, and her great faith is indeed an inspiration to all of us as Christians.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore heed the words of the Lord through the Scriptures and having heard the great examples and the lives shown by St. Margaret of Scotland and St. Gertrude the Great, among the many other holy men and women, holy saints of God, let us all therefore do our best to live a truly holy and worthy life in the path that the Lord has shown us in our lives. Let us all be renewed in faith and conviction, in our zeal and desire to be truly full of God’s love and grace, to be wholly dedicated in all things and at all circumstances, to be committed to God and to be generous in our love towards each other, especially to those who need them. May God be with us always and may He continue to empower us all to live always in His Holy Presence. Amen.

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Saturday, 16 November 2024 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Margaret of Scotland, and St. Gertrude, Virgin (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints or Holy Virgins or Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Luke 18 : 1-8

At that time, Jesus told His disciples a parable, to show them that they should pray continually, and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain town there was a judge, who neither feared God nor people. In the same town there was a widow, who kept coming to him, saying, ‘Defend my rights against my opponent!'”

“For a time he refused, but finally he thought, ‘Even though I neither fear God nor care about people, this widow bothers me so much, I will see that she gets justice; then she will stop coming and wearing me out.'”

And Jesus said, “Listen to what the evil judge says. Will God not do justice for His chosen ones, who cry to Him day and night, even if He delays in answering them? I tell you, He will speedily do them justice. But, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”

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Saturday, 16 November 2024 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Margaret of Scotland, and St. Gertrude, Virgin (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints or Holy Virgins or Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Psalm 111 : 1-2, 3-4, 5-6

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

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

It will be well with him who lends freely, who leads a life of justice and honesty. For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered and loved forever.

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Saturday, 16 November 2024 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Margaret of Scotland, and St. Gertrude, Virgin (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints or Holy Virgins or Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

3 John 5-8

Beloved, you do well to care for the brothers and sisters as you do. I mean those coming from other places. They spoke of your charity before the assembled Church. It will be well to provide them with what they need to continue their journey, as if you did it for God.

In reality, they have set out on the road for His Name without accepting anything from the pagans. We should receive such persons, making ourselves their cooperators in the work of the truth.

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Wednesday, 16 October 2024 : 28th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Hedwig, Religious, and St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Virgin (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Religious or Holy Virgins)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we continue to be reminded as we have been in previous days of the need for us to truly follow the Lord wholeheartedly and faithfully, distancing ourselves from all the worldliness and all the temptations and wickedness which had been present all around us in this world. We have to embrace the Lord’s path faithfully, doing whatever we can so that we truly embody our faith in Him fully and not just merely practicing all the external applications and practices but inside, there is no space for the Lord in our hearts and minds, which can indeed happen to us, as how it had happened to many among our predecessors as mentioned in our Scripture passages today.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in Galatia in which the Apostle continue to speak to the people about the matter of true obedience to the Law of God, referring to the Law in this instance as a reference to the way how the Law of God that was revealed through Moses had been interpreted and practiced by the Jewish authorities, such as by the Pharisees and the other members of the Jewish High Council, and which some of them were also influential among the members of the Jewish diaspora in Galatia. At that time, St. Paul, who had embarked on several missionary journeys and travels all throughout the Mediterranean region, proclaiming the Good News of God in all of those occasions, including the region and people of Galatia.

There in Galatia, there were quite a few Jewish people in diaspora away from their homeland who embraced the Lord as their Saviour and Master together with the non-Jewish people like the Greeks, Romans and other local populations who also believed in the Lord and chose to become Christians. And there were those among the Jewish converts who claimed and even forced the non-Jewish converts to follow the ways and customs of the Jews, claiming that they are necessary for salvation. This also happened in the many other places that St. Paul had ministered in, and it was one of the main issues that St. Paul consistently wanted to settle by reminding all the faithful that the obedience and the ways of the old Jewish customs and laws are no longer binding on the people of God, because they have received the fullness of truth through Christ, and they should instead obey what the Lord has taught them.

He reminded them all of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, of love and all the other good fruits which are distinct from the ones offered by the world, from all the corruptions of evil and sin, and highlighting the difference between following the Law that is mostly human made and which had been flawed and wrongly applied by the religious leaders of the time with the true obedience to God’s Law which all the faithful ought to have, not in the superficial and external faith, piety and obedience to the rules and rituals which those religious leaders had practiced and enforced to the people of God, but rather, a true commitment and love for the Lord, which are often lacking, is what God had wanted. As mentioned in the Scriptures, that what the Lord wanted is love and not sacrifice. Without true love and commitment to God, no amount of piety and sacrifice can be meaningful.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist in which we continue to listen to the words of the Lord Jesus as He rebuked and criticised many of the members of the Pharisees and those who have opposed Him constantly and fervently because of the disagreements that they had with Him, and how they stubbornly refused to listen to His words and teachings, or dialogue with Him despite the efforts that He had made, and the outreach He had shown them, and still insisting on living the lives and in the manner that they had always done, in glorifying themselves and indulging in self-gratification over their supposedly superior status among the community of the people of God.

At that time, the Pharisees together with the Sadducees, the chief priests and the teachers of the Law formed the bulk of the religious and intellectual elite of the community of the Jewish people, the descendants of the people of God living in Judea, Galilee and Jerusalem, where many of them were members of the Sanhedrin, or the Jewish High Council governing over the religious matters, customs and practices of the people of God. Those people enjoyed being praised and honoured for their piety and obedience to the Law, and they also liked to get the attention and fame that they enjoyed from all of their external piety, and all those things distract them from truly following the Lord wholeheartedly and genuinely.

Just as discussed earlier in the matter from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians, we are reminded that we must not be swayed by all these external glory and all the worldly temptations that may distract us from the Lord and His path, and from whatever He has taught and revealed to us. In their moment of pride and ego, blinded by their ambition and desires, those Pharisees and the teachers of the Law had failed to understand that the Law of God was meant to lead everyone to God, and to teach everyone to love Him, and not to become tools to be misused for the benefit and selfish intentions of a select few, which was why the Lord rebuked those who had done so. We are also reminded that as Christians we should not do the same as well.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of two great saints whose life and devotion to God can truly become a great example for each and every one of us as Christians. They are St. Hedwig, also known as St. Hedwig of Silesia and St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. First of all St. Hedwig of Silesia was the Duchess of Silesia, in what is today part of western Poland, where she was remembered well for her great piety, generosity and upright living, as a truly great and holy woman, whose faith and love for God and also love for her fellow men and women were truly exemplary and inspirational. She was born in a noble German family and was married at a young age to the Duke of Silesia. She lived a good and holy life, and with her husband, both of them were renowned for their great piety and dedication to God, for their generosity to the poor and the less privileged.

And after she was widowed, St. Hedwig went to a monastery and took up the habit of a religious sister although she did not take the religious vows. She continued to show care and compassionate love, concern and mercy for the needy all around her as she had done when she was still the Duchess of Silesia. She was known to even go barefoot during her ministry and works, during the height of the cold winter. She was truly a great and humble woman, dedicated to the Lord and she showed us all the meaning and application of the Law of God, that true piety and faith came through one’s passionate and strong love for the Lord that is also inculcated and embodied in the same strong and genuine love for one’s fellow men and women, particularly to those who were less fortunate and poor.

Then, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque was a renowned mystic and saint, whose life was also a great inspiration to many of the faithful throughout history. She was most well-known for her visions related to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, and who was behind the now very popular Devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. All these experienced eventually led her to take up the religious vows and vocation, becoming a member of the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary congregation. In the monastery, she continued to receive more and more message and revelation from the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, through which the Lord showed His infinite love and mercy for His beloved people, ever outpouring from His wounded and bleeding Heart. She recorded all these revelations and words of the Lord, and which became eventually the basis for the popular Devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, having heard from the great examples of St. Hedwig of Silesia and St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, and having discern the words and message from the Sacred Scriptures earlier on, let us all therefore continue to do our best to live our lives worthily of the Lord at all times, and to show true love and devotion to Him, as St. Hedwig of Silesia and St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and the innumerable other saints had done in their lives. We should not be paying mere lip service and obedience to the Law of God like those Pharisees and teachers of the Law, but truly embody the Law and love of God in every parts and moments of our lives, from now on and always, evermore. Amen.