homily

by

Friday, 20 May 2016 : 7th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Bernardine of Siena, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard about the judgment of God for all of us mankind, and how those who are good, and those who have done good in patience, waiting patiently for the coming of the Lord, shall be rewarded with the blessings and the grace of God, and be welcomed into the eternal life which God has promised all of His faithful ones.

St. James rebuked those who were fighting amongst themselves and said that the kingdom and the glory of God belong to those who are patient, kind, good and obedient, just as the servant of God Job had done before many millennia before today, where he patiently endured persecutions and troubles, all the challenges and the obstacles that he encountered, all the trials and tribulations placed before him by the devil to test him.

And in the Gospel today, we heard about one of the teachers of the Law speaking and arguing with Jesus about divorce, and what the people ought to do in accordance with the Law of God. And the teacher of the Law argued that because the laws according to Moses had allowed for the cases of divorce, thus it was rightful for a person to divorce his wife, or to divorce her husband vice versa, as long as the necessary documents were completed.

But Jesus rebuked him, saying that such laws and rules were in place only because the people of God were obstinate and unruly, and were unable to follow precisely what God had told them to do. And such allowances were meant only to accommodate the demands and wishes of the rebellious people of God, but those were not meant to cover up their sins.

Jesus made it very clear on many occasions, that sin is sin, and the sin of adultery is truly grave indeed. It is because marriage is a holy Sacrament of God, one of the Seven holy Sacraments of the Church, which God had instituted Himself and passed down to His Apostles and thus to the Church. And through marriage, as what God had mentioned to mankind in the Book of Genesis, He had made man and woman into one body, uniting them in a holy bond of matrimony which He Himself had blessed.

Therefore, it is not right for anyone to break this holy bond which God had blessed as long as it had been lawfully made. No man should dissolve the holy bonds and desecrate the holy union which God had blessed unless if they want to commit a grave sin for themselves, and made worse if that desecration was caused by unfaithfulness and by betrayal of the love and trust made at the holy union between man and woman.

Why does that sin happen, brothers and sisters in Christ? The sin of adultery is caused by our own lack of patience, our tendency to be tempted and swayed by the offer of worldly pleasures, the pleasures of the flesh, the sins of corruption and perversion, and many other forms of distractions that keep us away from finding our way to righteousness, and from upholding the integrity and the holiness of God’s holy union.

Mankind were often not satisfied with chastity and with temperance, and instead looking forward to the opportunities to overcome the limitations and the rules imposed on the holy married life, and thus committed adultery, often with another more desirable and more pleasurable to the eyes and to the flesh, all these while they were still in the holy union legally and rightly blessed by God.

As such, we must not heed those in our world today, even those who are within the Church who espoused and pushed forth for the effort to ignore the sins of those who have committed adultery and divorce. We have to understand that the reality is such that, there were those who argued, just as the teacher of the Law had argued with Jesus at that time, that those who committed adultery by desecrating the Holy Sacrament of Matrimony should be welcomed and pardoned unconditionally through God’s mercy.

Yet, these people had conveniently or even purposely forgotten the fact that, while God is merciful and loving towards all of us, but at the same time, He also abhors all forms of sin and wickedness which all of us had performed in our lives. Thus, without clear and genuine repentance from sin, and without turning away from sinfulness, there can be no way forward for us mankind.

And in living our lives worthily before God, we can heed the examples shown by St. Bernardine of Siena whose feast we celebrate today. St. Bernardine of Siena was a priest of the Lord, a Franciscan missionary from Italy, who was a great and devoted preacher who taught the people of God against the sins and wickedness that had corrupted many of the people at the time.

He actively went from places to places, from towns to towns, villages to villages, and from communities to communities, calling the people of God to purify themselves and their faith, and remove from themselves all the sins and the unworthy things which had made themselves unworthy of God’s grace and blessings. He called for many of the people to cast away their sinful actions and remove from themselves all the vanities and the things that have led themselves to sin, such as unnecessary excesses and luxuries.

The words and the works of St. Bernardine of Siena are calling us to reexamine our own lives. Have we been truly faithful to the Lord? And have we been patient in enduring challenges after challenges, obstacles upon obstacles that would come our way when we remain faithful to the Lord and obey His laws? Or have we instead been impatient, and tried to circumvent God’s laws to serve our own unsatisfiable desires?

Let us all reflect on all these, and let us have a new resolve to devote ourselves to a holy life in God, upholding the sanctity of life and holy matrimony at all times. Let us not be deceived into allowing sin to enter into our hearts, especially by trying to show false mercy to those who have committed adultery and yet refused to repent from their sins and continue to live in sin. May God help us on our way to Him and bless us all our days. Amen.

by

Thursday, 19 May 2016 : 7th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day, first we heard about the rebuke which St. James placed on those who have been dishonest in their dealings, those who manipulated others and gained profits from the sufferings of others. That was the norm of that time, and in fact, if we realise, it is still very much the norm of today’s society.

How is this so, brothers and sisters in Christ? We just have to look at what men can do in order to get what they need, especially in the matters of money and possessions. Our societies and communities today are increasingly becoming ever more hedonistic, materialistic, and indeed, obsessed with all sorts of worldliness, with all sorts of glory and pleasures that are derived from the possession of those things we often desire in this life.

We often witness how men can even trick other men or women, just so that they could get profit out of their actions, not considering the expense that it is causing those poor fellows. Unbridled capitalism and the desire for ultimate profit has caused mankind to forget about who they really are, about what they are supposed to do for the sake of their brethren. Instead, they have been reduced to mere slaves of these desires that they had.

I am sure that many if not most or all of us can relate to this fact, on how we often think of ourselves first before the needs and the plight of others around us. And that is why we are so easily tempted by the many lies and the sweet temptations that Satan, the evil one, and his fellow fallen angels are offering us and tempting us with. In many occasions, we are simply too gullible and too easy to tempt, to the point that we end up falling into the darkness through sin.

And in the Gospel today, we heard how Jesus spoke to us about casting off our body parts that made us to sin. It may be quite scary for us to hear such a suggestion made by Jesus, but what He meant was not in reality, for us to literally take His words literally and do away with our body parts, although it may indeed help if we do so.

Instead, rather than doing this, what Jesus suggested to us is that, we should strive to remain pure in all things, in our hearts, in our minds, and in all of our actions and dealings. The body itself is often not at fault, since the body acts in the way that the heart, the mind and the soul are wishing it, and corrupt heart and a corrupt mind will inevitably lead to a corrupt being.

Thus, we all have to realise that the way to God is through hard work and through many challenges, as often we may find ourselves pitted against our very own selves, against our desires and wants, against all that our mind or our heart is asking for. If we give in to our desires, then that is what has led us to sin before the Lord our God. This was exactly what has led mankind to act in the way that St. James had deplored in our first reading today.

It is not wrong for us to have our desires and wishes, and it is not wrong indeed to have a desire in life, as long as these desires do not come into conflict with who we are as Christians, who ought to be living a good and worthy Christian lives, obeying the laws and commandments of our Lord. Let us all therefore, commit ourselves to reject the selfish ways of the world, and from now on, ensure that our actions are done in consideration of the needs of others around us.

Let us not be ignorant of the needs of the poor, but instead let us all keep our hearts and minds open to hear and listen to their plea. Let us not manipulate our brethren for the sake of mere profits, but help one another so that each and every one of us may have a decent and comfortable living in this world. May God help us in this endeavour, and may He awaken in us the love which we ought to have for Him. Amen.

by

Wednesday, 18 May 2016 : 7th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. John I, Pope and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard about St. James speaking in his Epistle, about the way we should act in our lives. He criticised those who made many plans about how they would go about their days, and thinking that they would seek to make more money or income in so and so city or place.

And the reason he put forward was indeed true, brethren, that the Lord is the Master of all, the Lord and Master over our lives and all that we do. He has control and power over all things, and our own lives will not be ours to go about and do as we like. We may plan all that we want to do and what we wish to do with our lives, but ultimately, it is the will of God that will triumph in the end.

Ambitious men and women had from time to time trying their luck and putting the efforts in trying to bring glory to themselves. And they made a lot of effort in order to satisfy what they want, and immersed themselves in their busy schedules and in their plans. But what they did not realise is that, God can take away the life He has given them at any time, as He willed it. Our lives are in His hands, brothers and sisters in Christ.

There is no point for us to be so busy in planning ahead, that we fail to enjoy the fullness of it. If God is to take our life and bring us back to Him tomorrow, will that therefore be a waste then, all that we have planned for ourselves? I am not saying that we should be carefree and disregard anything in life, or leave it entirely to chance and luck in how we live our lives. Rather, it means that we must not let our lives, all of its busy and hectic schedules to control us and swallow us.

If we notice, in our world today, all around us, in our own communities and families, can we tell how many of us are so preoccupied with what we are doing to the point of forgetting everything else? It is because we are so focused with ourselves, our work, our desires and wants, that we have lost sight of the greater picture of life. We become our own slaves, slaves to our desires and needs.

We live in period of selfishness, where everything is about consideration for ourselves and we spare little or none for others around us. And as a result, we do not show love when we are capable of showing love, and we do not show care and concern for one another when we need to show these to our brethren and neighbours around us who need them.

In the Gospel today, Jesus spoke about those who were doing good works and yet not belonging to the group of the Apostles and the disciples. The disciples were trying to stop what those people had done as they did not belong to their group. But the Lord rebuked them and said that they should not stop these good works as those who did not oppose the Lord belongs also to God.

In this, we see the contrast with what was shown by the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, who were furiously and actively trying to oppose the works of Jesus and His disciples, as they saw Jesus and His disciples as bitter rivals and opponents to their own teaching authority and influence. They selfishly tried to stop the good works of the Lord to serve their own purpose and sinned in doing so.

This is precisely what we have to avoid, brethren. We cannot act in the same way as these people, unless if we want to fall into the same trap as the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law. In this, perhaps we should follow in the footsteps of the saint whose feast we celebrate today, namely that of Pope St. John I, Bishop of Rome and leader of the Universal Church during its early days and a holy martyr of God.

Pope St. John I reigned during the time of conflict between the powers of the world, between the Roman Emperor Justinian in the east and the king of the Ostrogothic kingdom, Theodoric the Great, who ruled the city and province of Rome at the time. The conflict extended into the matters of the Church, made worse as the Ostrogoths believed in the heresy of Arianism, while the faithful Romans kept the true faith.

As such, conflict grew and the faithful people of God became caught in the entanglement of the conflicts. Pope St. John I worked hard to keep the Church strong amidst the difficulties and persecutions, working for peace among the factions. And yet, the Ostrogoths suspected the Pope as plotting against them with the Romans and thus imprisoned and tortured him.

But Pope St. John I refused to give in to his persecutors’ demands, and he remained strong and resolute in the face of the opposition, and in the end, he met his death at the hands of the enemies of the people of God, but before having shown to the people of God, the examples of faith and commitment which he had shown to God, in not seeking his own personal glory, but instead in bringing forth and proclaiming the glory of God.

Let us all heed his examples, and reflect on the readings from the Holy Scriptures, and learn to live faithfully from now on. Let us all go forth to renew our lives, filled with renewed commitments to God, our Lord and Master. May all of us find our path to our Lord, and through our acts, bound and filled with love, be our justification before His holy presence. May God be with us all, and may He awaken in all of us the selfless love for one another. God bless us all. Amen.

by

Tuesday, 17 May 2016 : 7th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the message of today’s Scripture readings is very clear. It is calling us to reflect on our actions in this world and think about how we should live in order to become better and more devoted followers of our God. It is a call for us to reject the way of this world, the way of greed and pride, and instead embrace the way of love and humility as espoused by the Lord Jesus and which He taught to His disciples and passed down to us through His Church.

It was mentioned by St. James in his Epistle about the discord and the troubles that appeared among the faithful, because of the clashing interests and ways of different peoples, each of whom acted in ways that is in self-preservation and in the fulfilment of the desires of each person. And because those desires are inherently selfish, it is inevitable that it would cause conflict between them.

And he mentioned that this is not the way that the faithful should behave. They must not succumb to the ways of this world. They must learn how to resist the temptations of the flesh, and cast out those ego, pride, selfishness, and all other forms of negativities that prevented them from being found truly worthy in God. We are encouraged as Christians, by the words of St. James, to live a truly Christian love, to show humility and love in all that we do.

A Christian should not be proud or be boastful of his or her own achievements. This is also the message of the Gospel passage today, where Jesus spoke of power and authority, and rebuked the Apostles and disciples for having disputed with each other about who was to be the greatest among them. Christians should not act in ways that show worldliness and in succumbing to such desires and the wishes one have for fame, glory, power, acknowledgement, wealth or any other things that the world desires.

Christians are called to challenge the way that we mankind have lived for all these while. It is unfortunately in our human nature to be proud, greedy, deceitful, filled with anger and wrath, to be desiring things that sometimes are beyond our means. And if we do not get ourselves out of these things and succumb to their pull, it will be hard for us to get out, and it will certainly gather in ourselves all the wickedness and the vile things that this world is feeding us with.

We have been often too distracted in our lives, too many concerns and wants, and there are many obstacles that prevent us from finding that path we need to walk on towards God. And that is because this world is indeed full of distractions and things that prevent us from being able to recognise the Lord present in out lives. This world is offering us many things that seem to be better as compared to following the Lord, and we grow accustomed to these things.

How is this so? We just have to look at the amount of materialism and consumerism that are around us. There are so many advertisements and encouragements for us to satisfy the desires of our flesh, and these serve as the obstacles that prevent us from living as true Christians. Are we able then, to listen to the advice of Jesus, which He told us to help us on our way to Him?

He brought children up to Him, and He told them, that unless they had the faith like those of small children, they would not find their way to the kingdom of God. Why is this so? If we have noticed small children before, they are innocent, kind, good and are willing to learn anything. They are like blank sheets waiting something to be written on them.

That means, they have no worries or concerns, wishes or desires that are obstacles in our path as we try to reach out to the Lord. They were still pure and good, innocent and blameless, while we ourselves have been tainted by the many things in this world that are pulling us away from God and His ways. Jesus told us all that we need to get rid of these distractions so that we may be able to reorientate ourselves and find our way to the Lord.

And the best way to do this is through prayer, devotion, commitment both to our God and to our fellow brethren around us. This means that we should practice our faith in our lives, showing love to one another, rejecting selfish ways and attitudes, and clear our hearts and minds from vicious and vile desires. We have to be disciplined in our own lives, focusing all of our efforts to do what is good and righteous in the sight of God.

Let us all commit ourselves anew to God, and may all of us, in all of our actions, be able to draw closer to the salvation which God has promised to all those who kept their faith in Him. Let us all do our best in order to be ever more devoted and committed children and follower of our God, having pure and genuine faith Him, and resist the temptations and the lies of the world. May God bless us all in our endeavours, now and forever. Amen.

by

Monday, 16 May 2016 : 7th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard the story of how the Lord Jesus cast out evil spirits from a boy who was possessed and became deaf and mute because of that. The disciples of Jesus tried to cast out the demons but they were not able to do so. And Jesus told them all, that those kinds of demons can only be removed through prayer.

What does this mean, brothers and sisters in Christ? It means that with faith in the Lord, everything is possible for us, as through faith we receive the power and the authority which our Lord Jesus gave to all those to whom He deems worthy to receive His grace and power, and it is by that power and authority that He has cast out those demons and those evil spirits.

Why were the Apostles unable to cast out those evil spirits on their own? It is likely because they still had uncertainties and doubts in their hearts. Even when they had witnessed firsthand the power and wonders of God shown through Jesus and the miracles they had seen themselves, in the feeding of many thousands with just five loaves of bread and two fish, in the healing of the sick and the possessed, and in the resurrection of those who were dead, their hearts were still uncertain, and their minds were still blocked from truly understanding the truth of God.

And because of that doubt, they were unable to truly draw on the power and authority of the Lord, and in their doubt and uncertainty, they stumbled and failed. But this did not mean that their faith and efforts were meaningless, but rather, it is what the Lord wanted to teach His disciples, that following Him does not mean to seek for personal glory, or for praise or fame or for glory of the world.

Many people at that time, especially among the pagans were going around from places to places, gaining fame for themselves or acquire a following and a cult, by their actions that supposedly show the supernatural and the things that amazed many who saw them. And these claimed their own might and power in doing all those wondrous things and actions.

But this is not what Jesus wanted His disciples and His faithful ones to do. As all of us Christians, we do not serve ourselves, our own needs or our own desires, but instead all of us serve the greater glory and the greater purpose of our Lord. It was not by our own greatness and power that we have achieved great things, but instead, it is only through the grace of God, that the Lord has allowed us to perform all of these great things and wonders.

Today, as we heard this message from the Scriptures, let us all keep in mind this fact, that when we are tempted to satisfy our own personal greed and desire, and when we are tempted to do things to glorify ourselves, let us not lose sight of the truth and let us be resolute in persisting and resisting the devil and all of his false promises. It was after all because he was playing around with our human vulnerabilities and weakness to temptation that he had been able to lure us all into sin and therefore towards the risk of damnation in hell.

Let us be mindful in our lives, that each and every one of us may find our way to the Lord, by showing love in our actions, by obeying the Law which God has given us, the commandments of love, as He had commanded the disciples and thus all of His faithful ones to do. And in this, we should reflect back on the reading we received from the Epistle according to St. James.

St. James mentioned that we all should live humbly and filled with love, and not with jealousy or hatred. We should not show off or be prideful, but instead, as the children of God, we all should be humble and be committed to love and help one another instead. And filled with love, may our actions be worthy in the sight of God, that when He comes again in His glory, He may gather us all in and bring us together into His eternal glory in heaven. God bless us all. Amen.

by

Friday, 8 April 2016 : Second Week of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard about how the Apostles were spared a terrible punishment due to the intervention of Gamaliel, a renowned teacher of the Law, who spoke to the rest of the Jewish Council at length about how many past uprisings and sects had failed because they came from men and not from God. They were defeated, scattered and faded into oblivion.

And yet, the works of the Apostles and the disciples of Christ came not from men, but from God Himself, as the continuation of the good works of Christ our Lord and Saviour, through Whom God had revealed His truth and salvation to all mankind. And He commanded the Apostles and the disciples to carry forth the Good News to all mankind, in all the four corners of the world, to the furthest ends of the globe.

And in the Gospel, we heard how five thousand men and countless other women and children followed Jesus as they listened to His teachings and as He performed His healing works and miracles among them. And He blessed them, gave them food when they had none, turning the five loaves of bread and two fishes into food enough to feed all of them with much to spare.

We see how popular Jesus was, and how the crowds that followed Him always numbered in the many thousands and more. They followed Him even through difficult moments and times. They followed Him even through hunger and through thirst. And His Apostles and disciples in particular followed Him through even to follow Him on the path of His suffering and death on the cross.

What all these tell us is that, God does not abandon us in our times of distress, and especially for all those who follow Him, who are faithful to Him, and who devote themselves to His cause, He will bless them, care for them and make them great. He will make their works to be successful, as long as these are done for the greater glory of His Name.

But the works of the Apostles and the disciples of our Lord are not yet done. There are still so many things that can be done in order to bring the Good News and the light of our Lord to many people who have yet to hear of these, or those who have fallen wayward on their path to the Lord. There are many things that we can do to help them to return to the true faith, and help them to discover the truth of God for themselves.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we reflect on the works of the Apostles, and the love of God which He had shown to us His beloved people, let us all commit ourselves anew to the works of evangelisation and the works of bringing God’s salvation to many people all over the world. May God help us in our works and in all of our endeavours, just as He has protected all of us all these while.

May the Lord bless us and strengthen us, and may His light shine always on our path, that we may not be lost, but will find our path to eternal life and glory in Him. Amen.

by

Tuesday, 5 April 2016 : Second Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Vincent Ferrer, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we continue the celebration of the joyful season of Easter by listening to the words of the Scripture which tells us first about the community of the first Christians in the early Church, as told by the Acts of the Apostles, how they lived in great harmony and love, filled with care and compassion for one another, and having left behind worldly concerns, they were living righteously and justly.

And in the Gospel we heard the conversation between Jesus our Lord and the faithful Pharisee, Nicodemus, one of the few righteous to be counted among them, as he was willing to open his ears, his mind and his heart to the word of God spoken through Jesus. That was why he met Him, albeit secretly during the time of night, and discussed with our Lord about the things which He had spoken to the people of God in His teachings.

And Jesus spoke of the need of the faithful to receive a new birth in Him, to be born again in the Spirit. And He also mentioned how the teachers spoke of the things they have witnessed and which they have learnt and known, and thus He, as the great Teacher of all, spoke of the things which He knew about, that is things on earth and in heaven.

But many among the people, especially the Pharisees, the teachers of the Law and the elders refused to listen to Him, save for Nicodemus, when He spoke to them. They closed their ears, minds and hearts to the words of truth that our Lord is delivering to them. And as a result, that was why they had no part in the salvation which God is bringing upon His people through Jesus and His loving sacrifice. For all those who refused to believe in God and in the One Whom He sent, has no share in the eternal life.

The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, the elders of Israel and the members of the priestly class were all concerned mostly about their own needs, wants and desires. They were concerned and worried about their own social standings and status in the society, as they were very highly respected and regarded among the people of Israel at that time. And they viewed Jesus as a rival to their teaching authority and their position.

Each was concerned about his or her own needs and wants, and that is the hallmark and the common thing about our own society today. Our selfishness is the obstacle which prevented us from truly being able to reach out to the Lord and to attain salvation in our God. It is just the same as the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, and if we ask ourselves, and reflect on our own actions, we should see how we too are acting in a similar manner to those who have refused our Lord and rejected Him.

We should look at the examples of the first Christians and how they have lived together in great harmony. We should model our own actions and life after their exemplary actions, and seek not to just think about ourselves and satisfy our own selfish needs and wants alone, but to also be able to empathise and to think of the needs of others around us, especially if they need those even just in order to be able to survive on and continue living.

Today we also celebrate the feast of a holy priest of God, a saint, St. Vincent Ferrer, who was a Dominican friar living during the time of the ending of the Medieval Era in Europe about more than six centuries ago. From his youth he has spent his life in the service of God, joining the religious order at a young age, and resisting the temptations to do otherwise, he continued to become a great priest and a great missionary.

He preached in many places, and taught countless peoples about the faith. Through what he has done, and many people found the true faith through him and through his work, because he abandoned behind ways of this world, selfishness and all the desires of the flesh, and instead gave himself, in the same manner of life as the early Christians, to the service of God and to His people.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we can do the same as well in our own lives. We are all called to be good brothers and sisters to one another, and to live in the same manner as those first Christians had lived. It does not mean that we have to literally sell everything we have and share all our goods with one another, but certainly we can begin by rejecting our own selfishness, our selfish attitudes and open ourselves to love one another and to bring God’s love to His people.

Let us all help one another and live in love, and may God’s blessing shine ever more on His beloved ones. Let us commit ourselves anew to the life blessed and graced by God’s love. Amen.

by

Sunday, 20 March 2016 : Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Holy Week (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we celebrate the great beginning of the Holy Week, the very important week of celebrations of the core tenets of our faith, of the very crucial events surrounding the history of our salvation in God through Jesus Christ, His Son. For it was through Christ that we were all saved from destruction and damnation guaranteed for our sins.

Today we begin the celebration of the Holy Week with the celebration of the Palm Sunday, where we all know that it celebrates the triumphal entry of Jesus our Lord into Jerusalem, the Holy City of God. Then, certainly, one may ask, what is the significance of such an entry? Did Christ not enter the city of Jerusalem on other occasions as well? After all the Gospels did say about how Christ went to the Temple of Jerusalem for a few times throughout His journeys, and surely He had entered the city a lot of times, even when He was still young and was only twelve years old.

But no, brothers and sisters in Christ, for this entry into Jerusalem is different from the other entries and visits by Jesus and His disciples to Jerusalem. For this entry marked the beginning of the end, that is the end of the earthly ministry of Jesus our Lord in this world, and yet also the beginning of God’s final phase of the plan to save us all mankind.

For it was what happened in that Sunday, a week before the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, which set up the stage for the whole culmination of the work of our Lord, that began in Bethlehem on the day of His birth into this world, which came to His baptism, His ministry, and then His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and then how the people who had proclaimed Him as King would then turn on Him, and demanded the Romans to crucify Him instead.

Jesus knew that going into Jerusalem at such a time would mean that He would have to face rejection, suffering, punishment and death, and death by the hanging on the cross, by the Romans. But even knowing this, and knowing all of the persecutions, torture, the pain that He would have to endure, He still pressed on, and entered Jerusalem regardless, going forth to face whatever it was that those who were opposed to Him were trying to do to Him.

And why is this so, brothers and sisters in Christ? That is because of His love for all of us, which transcended everything else. If God did not love us the way He had done, then He would not have bothered even to rescue us from our seemingly hopeless situation. After all, we mankind have proven ourselves throughout history to be very stubborn and resistant to the love and mercy which God is showing us.

We continued in our rebellious ways, not listening to God reminding us and constantly trying to pull us away from our fallen ways. And we resist even those whom He had sent to call us back into righteousness, the messengers, the prophets and the other holy men and women. God fully knew how His rebellious people would treat Him if He Himself were to come into their midst and call them to do the same thing, that is to repent.

But He did so regardless, just as at the mountain where He was transfigured, at Mount Tabor, where He did not remain forever, but continued to descend down the mountain, knowing that in order to save mankind from their fate, there is something that must be done, and it is to offer a worthy sacrifice as the means to absolve them from their sins.

And in order to absolve the whole multitude of mankind, all the billions and countless billions of them, and all the sins each had accumulated or will accumulate in their respective lives, which is really a gargantuan, a humongous amount of sins, nothing is worthy save if the Lord offers Himself, the one sole, perfect sacrifice, worthy to absolve us all. Just imagine all the sins, big and small that we have committed in life, and we should realise just how many sins we have committed.

And then imagine how that many sins being committed by all mankind who have ever lived, past, present and future, and all their sins, our sins are placed firmly on the shoulders of our Lord, Who willingly bore them all the way to the cross, and die for the sake of all of us criminals through our sins, so that our punishment may not be ours, but our lot becomes that of eternal life with God Who loves us.

And as we think and reflect about the love which our God has for us, let us also reflect on our own lives, our actions, words, deeds and all the things we have done in our lives. Have we been like the people of Jerusalem in their deeds, in how they treated the Lord Jesus? They welcomed the Lord with great pomp and celebrations, hailing Him as the Son of David, the Messiah and King, and yet, just less than a week later, they were the same ones who chose Barabbas over Jesus, and cried out, “Crucify Him!” when Pilate asked them what he should do with Jesus.

That means, have we proclaimed ourselves as Christians, saying that we are faithful to the Lord, and yet, have we been truly faithful to God? Are we faithful in our actions and in all our dealings with one another? If we say that we are faithful to God and yet our actions are detestable to Him, then we are no better than those people in Jerusalem, who proclaimed Jesus as King and Messiah on one day, and on the other day, called for Him to be crucified.

But remember, Jesus forgave them all, and He prayed for them. And He also died for them all, for He gave Himself up to be crucified, to suffer and die for all mankind, and not just for all those who are good to Him. Ultimately, it is our acceptance to His offer of mercy, and our commitment to make our own lives a better one that will make a difference in our lives.

As we proceed into the Holy Week celebrations beginning from today, and as we rejoice in God, crying out aloud, “Hosanna!” Let us also remember that we today also celebrate the Holy Passion of our Lord, He Who suffers for our sins and Who were tortured and wounded because of our trespasses. Let us be thoroughly and completely changed in body, mind and heart, so that we may become more devoted and faithful in all things, and be worthy of God’s promise of everlasting life. God bless us all. Amen.

by

Tuesday, 17 February 2015 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard about the story of Noah and how he and his family escaped the destruction of all the living together with the animals and creatures chosen to go with them on the ark they had created with the instruction from God. And in the Gospel today we heard about how Jesus chastised and rebuked His disciples for failing to see what He had done, which was essentially the manifestation of God’s love for mankind, by feeding those who were hungry with food and leaving them with satisfied stomachs.

Today’s readings talked about the mercy and love which God shows to all those who are faithful to Him and walk righteously along His path without diversion and corruption, those like Noah and his family, who feared God and loved Him, following His ways even though the rest of the world were following their own wicked and corrupted human ways and desires.

God regretted having created mankind, who was to be the greatest and most loved out of all His creations and yet, they failed when Satan tempted them and brought them to disobey the will of God. And as mankind carried on, tainted by sin, they continued to commit all sorts of wickedness that were born out of another sin which men had committed, that is the murder of Abel by his brother, Cain.

All the sins of mankind added up and indeed God’s patience has its limits. It is also a reminder for us all that God does not wait forever for us to continue to live in sin and ignore His love. Eventually all of us will die, brothers and sisters in Christ, at a time unknown to us. God alone knows the time and place where we are to die, and if we continue to sin before the Lord and refuse to change our ways until it is too late, then when the time comes, the share of the people who were destroyed by the Great Flood will be ours as well.

But God will show His mercy and love on those who listened to Him and who are righteous in their way of life, just as Noah and his family were. This is what God can promise us, and indeed if we are faithful, God will not disappoint us. His love will forever be with us and our descendants. He reminded us of these in the Gospel today as He spoke of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod, that is the corruption in these people which led mankind astray, the sins of pride and jealousy, of hatred and lust, and many others.

God will provide for all those who have put their trust in Him, and He will give them what they need, just as He gave the five thousand men and even more women and children, the food of bread until they are completely satisfied and even with spare to be collected. But more often that not, mankind trusts in their own devices and abilities, refusing to obey the Lord and walking down their own paths towards disobedience, rebellion and eventually destruction.

It is a lesson and reminder for us today, that we have to conform to the way of the Lord and discard all forms of our pride and haughtiness. There is still time for us, and while there is still time, it is crucial for us to find our way to the Lord as soon as possible before it is too late. And today we also celebrate the feast of the seven holy founders of the Servites, a religious order founded by the seven men who were once noblemen and merchants of the city of Florence.

The seven men left their family, wealth and possessions to retire in a religious and dedicated life to God in a mountainside. They left behind everything to give themselves in total commitment to the Lord, abandoning all forms of greed and human desire, and to bury all their pride and hubris, their prejudice and wickedness. And their example had become an example and inspiration for many others who followed in their footsteps.

It does not mean that we have to replicate what they had done and abandon everything we have in this life in order to dedicate ourselves completely to the Lord. Indeed, what they have done can be an option for us to follow on and what they have done set the example for many others to also lead a holy and devoted life free from sin. But what we all should do is truly to be true disciples of our Lord, and not believing just for the sake of believing or only pay lip service to Him, but with all of our heart and being let us love Him and follow His ways with all of our hearts.

May Almighty God be with us all and may He guide us in this life, so that we may free ourselves from the wickedness and sinfulness of this world, heeding His call and offer for mercy, that we may no longer be stubborn and hardened in heart, but become instead loving and caring towards one another. God bless us all. Amen.

by

Monday, 16 February 2015 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard the readings of the Scriptures which told us about how the first sons of mankind, Cain and Abel, got into conflict between them out of jealousy and due to the taint of sin in mankind’s heart. And in the Gospel we heard how Jesus refused to give the sign which the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law had demanded from Him as a proof that He came from God.

Today’s readings are truly about us all, brothers and sisters. It is truly about ourselves and how we act in this life with regards to our own selves. We mankind are always by our nature selfish and thinking only about ourselves and acting for our own benefit. How many times in a day we utter the word ‘I’? Certainly in a lot of scenarios and circumstances we like to defend ourselves first and gain something for ourselves.

The same therefore happened in the case of Cain and Abel. Both of them gave their respective offerings and sacrifices to God on the altar. However, Abel’s sacrifice was more pleasing to Him than that of Cain’s. As a result, Cain was jealous of his brother, Abel, and in his mind he already plotted mischief and evil things for his brother. The rest of the story we have heard it, on how Cain murdered his brother and pretended not to know about it when the Lord asked him.

But God sees all and He knows all things that happen in this world. He knows all the thoughts of men, and whatever Cain had planned in evil thoughts and purposes against his brother Abel, the Lord knew them all. There is no escape for mankind to think of evil without the Lord knowing about it. Thus, it was the same as well when the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law tried to embarrass Jesus by asking Him for a sign. Jesus knew it all, and that was why in His heart, He was so deeply moved and disturbed.

Indeed, imagine what the Lord would have thought of this wayward creation of His, who have disobeyed Him so many times and broke His covenant so many times so that they all would have deserved annihilation and total destruction. But yet, the Lord was still willing to help them and He continued to love them nevertheless. Such is the greatness of His love for us! And yet, so many of us continue to ignore His love, reject His mercy and act in the same way as Cain had done, and as the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law had done.

The psalm today indeed rightly criticised the latter, as if to foretell the actions of those who would hamper the works of the Lord. They pretended to love the Lord and obey Him, by the disguise of following and observing the laws, rites and customs which they also imposed on all others. In reality, in their hearts, there is not a place for God, but only their ego and their self-serving nature.

Thus, today we are all reminded to throw far, far away our ego and pride, which often will become a great stumbling block in our way to achieve salvation. Like Cain, who was older than Abel, it was likely that his pride and the attempt to preserve his ego that led him to contemplate such a great sin like murder, and a murder of one’s own brother no less. How many of us have harmed others around us, both intentionally or unintentionally because we are unable to control ourselves?

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we are all called to grow stronger in faith and also in the grace of God, and become reduced in the self. Christ always taught us to love one another just as we love ourselves, and therefore, our consideration of the self, while it should still be there, should not come in the way of how we should love one another.

May Almighty God bless us always and may He guide us to live faithfully and serve Him with love, that we will grow less in our selfishness and individuality, growing more in our humility and desire to love each other, all brothers and sisters in the presence of God, and to love the Lord Himself with all of our strength. God bless us all. Amen.