kindness

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Monday, 17 February 2014 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order (Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints)

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate the feast of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order. These saints were the founders of a religious order which was founded so that its members may live according to the holy and religious life as espoused by many other orders at the time, including in particular the Franciscans and the Dominicans.

The saints left everything and went to secluded place in the hills to lead a new life dedicated solely to the Lord and to the service of His people, embracing poverty, humility, and service in love. They worked hard, prayed hard, and devoted themselves to the Lord and to Mary, His mother, whom they often asked for intercession.

Despite the opposition and rejection that often faced them, and the many time of troubles that they had to endure, the Servites remained strong in their devotion and in their faith, and flourished despite all of the difficulties and challenges. They worked hard to serve the people of God, and preach to them the message of love that is from the Lord.

Their example showed to us what it means to be a disciple of the Lord and what it means to follow the Lord. We have to focus all of our attentions and we cannot be divided in our hearts. We cannot be half-hearted in our love and devotion. The Lord provides us with all, and He gives us things that we need.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we should not doubt in the Lord and in His providence. He gave the people His love, and what He desires from us, is nothing more than our love. The Servites and their holy founders have shown us the true meaning of this devotion to the Lord. They showed love to God directly through their devotion, and through the love of their brethren in this world.

The Servites showed us that to love and serve the Lord we must first show love and compassion towards our brothers and sisters. We cannot be ignorant against those who lacked the love of God. Instead we have to embrace them with love and be always loving to them, even to our enemies and those who hate us. We have to show and practice love in all of our actions, our words and our deeds.

If we love one another, and follow the way of the Lord, we will certainly know about what God wants from us. We shall no longer doubt Him but trust always in His love. There is nothing greater and more wonderful than the love of God, and this fact is what we have to always keep in mind as we live in this world.

May the Lord through His servant the founder of the Servites remind us always of His love, and of the need to serve Him by loving Him and our own fellow brothers and sisters, our fellow mankind in this world. Let us dispel all the lies and fear spread by the devil and instead focus on the love of the Lord and His care for us. God bless us all. Amen.

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Sunday, 16 February 2014 : 6th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 118 : 1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34

Blessed are they whose ways are upright, who follow the law of the Lord. Blessed are they who treasure His word and seek Him with all their heart.

You have laid down precepts to be obeyed. O, that my ways were steadfast in observing Your statutes!

Be kind to Your servant, that I may live to follow Your word. Open my eyes that I may see the marvellous truths in Your law.

Explain to me, o Lord, Your commandments, and I will be ever faithful to them. Give me understanding, that I may observe Your law with all my heart.

 

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Wednesday, 29 January 2014 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

2 Samuel 7 : 4-17

But that very night, YHVH’s word came to Nathan, “Go and tell My servant David, this is what YHVH says : Are you able to build a house for Me to live in? I have not dwelt in a house since I brought the Israelites up from Egypt to the present day, but I went about with a tent for shelter.”

“As long as I walked with the Israelites, did I say anything to the chiefs of Israel whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel? Did I say : Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?”

“Now you will tell My servant David, this is what YHVH of hosts says : I took you from the pasture, from tending the sheep, to make you commander of My people Israel. I have been with you whenever you went, cutting down all your enemies before you.”

“Now I will make your name great as the name of the great ones on earth. I will provide a place for My people Israel and plant them that they may live there in peace. They shall no longer be harassed, nor shall wicked men oppress them as before.”

“From the time when I appointed judges over My people Israel it is only you that I have given rest from all your enemies. YHVH also tells you that He will build you a house. When the time comes for you to rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your son after you, the one born of you and I will make his reign secure.”

“He shall build a house for My Name and I will firmly establish his kingship forever. I will be a Father to him and he shall be My son. If he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod, as men do. But I will not withdraw My kindness from him as I did from Saul when I removed him out of your way.”

“Your house and your reign shall last forever before Me, and your throne shall be forever firm.”

Nathan repeated these words and related this vision to David.

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Monday, 27 January 2014 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Angela Merici, Virgin (Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Virgins)

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today’s theme is again continuing from the past few days’ theme on unity. That the words of Christ ring very true, how something divided against itself and each components opposed against each other, cannot survive or stand. He meant that for the devil, to show the Pharisees, how it was not possible for devil to exorcise evil spirits as they had accused Jesus of doing.

But He also meant it for us, for His faithful, that, we all should also not be divided against each other. We should seek on what unites us, or what may unite us rather than focusing on our differences and enmities. This ties in perfectly woth the theme of yesterday’s sunday readings, which focuses quite a lot on the avoidance of division and the importance of unity.

It is very true what Jesus had said, that a house divided against itself will not be able to stand. And our Church, that is the combination of all the faithful ones of God, will not be able to stand, if the faithful community is divided within, and divided along different lines of confrontations, we will end up be like that divided house, and we will not be able to stand against the forces of evil arrayed before us.

The first reading today from the second book of the prophet Samuel also took on a distinctive tone on unity, telling the story of what happened after the civil war that divided Israel after the death of their king Saul, and the ascension of David as king of Judah in Hebron. The people were divided between the descendants of Saul, and David who had been chosen by God Himself to be the new, rightful king over Israel.

That civil war for the kingdom of Israel was bitter, and they cost many lives. Some good warriors of both Judah and Israel were killed, and the war disadvantaged both sides. Today we saw how at the end of the conflict, the people of Israel came together to accept David as their king, and to recognise his kingship over them, and ultimately to overcome the bitterness of division which had taken its toll over them.

The kingdom of Israel would not be strong before the unity was achieved, and it was only after that civil war was ended that the nation would grow strong, and under the rule of both King David and Solomon, his son, that kingdom would grow to be very powerful, wealthy, and influential indeed. But, the bitter lesson of division continued to apply, and after another round of conflicting interests and feuds, the kingdom was split permanently in two, and the two halves were greatly weakened, ending with their subsequent destructions at the hands of their enemies, and the scattering of the people of God among many nations.

That is exactly what division can do to us, the faithful ones of God, if we are not careful. And Jesus also rightly pointed out that the devil cannot be divided among itself, and it means that the devil’s forces are united, against us! And they are united against us for a singular purpose, that is to bring about the fall of God’s people and to keep them away from the salvation awaiting them and instead join these forces of darkness in the eternal damnation that awaits them.

That is why it is important, and also appropriate, for us to avoid being divided ourselves, and for all of us to present a united front against the forces of Satan arrayed against us. That is why it is important, and very important for us, indeed, that we seek and fight for unity among us and put this as the first priority before everything else. Only when our house is in order, then we can go ahead and confidently fight the force of darkness.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate the feast of St. Angela Merici, a dedicated religious and virgin, who lived her life in great holiness and purity. St. Angela Merici was apparently very distressed when her sister passed away not in a state of grace and peace. She prayed and prayed hard to the Lord, and she saw a vision in which she saw her sister being in heaven among the saints.

St. Angela Merici also devoted her life to prayer and a devoted religious life, and she established a community of similar minded people, called the Company of St. Ursula, of women dedicated in a celibate life and pure virginity before God while committing themselves in service towards their brethren and neighbours around them.

St. Angela Merici might not have done great deeds in human terms, but her contributions to the faithful were indeed invaluable and great. St. Angela Merici showed us the model of Christian life, of how we should live our lives according to the precepts of the Lord. Yes, first is prayer, genuine and constant prayer, so that we will be ever attuned to the will of God and will remain true to His ways.

And secondly, that is to give of oneself in love and dedication, both to God and to the community of the faithful. This means to follow what the Lord asks of us, that is to love one another just as we should also love the Lord our God. In doing so, we will share God’s love with all those around us and make our communities and societies a more beautiful and loving ones.

And in order to tie this with the theme of today’s readings and reflections, as I often mentioned that divisions and feuds rose frequently because of our natural human tendency and vulnerabilities for sin. It is in our nature to be fearful, to be jealous, and to have pride and arrogance in our hearts, as well as greed and desire, that we tend to disobey the precepts of the Lord, and seek for our own greater glory.

In the history of the Church, divisions and conflicts most widely happened when the people of God, one or many among them, chose to ignore the true teachings and wisdom of the Lord, and instead rely on their own feeble and corrupted human mentality and emotions, resulting in conflicts of interests that often ballooned to conflict, not quite unlike what had happened in Israel during king David’s time.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore, following the example of St. Angela Merici, let us first dedicate ourselves ever more strongly to our God, and promise to lead more holy lifestyle from now on, abandoning our human jealousies, pride, greed, and anger, and in exchange, receive the love and peace from God. Then, let us continue to persevere and seek the unity of all the faithful ones of God, that our Church will stand united again and will not be divided against itself, such that we may be able to stand against Satan and his forces. God be with us all. Amen.

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Monday, 27 January 2014 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Angela Merici, Virgin (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Virgins)

2 Samuel 5 : 1-7, 10

All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “We are your bone and flesh. In the past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led Israel. And YHVH said to you, ‘You shall be the shepherd of My people Israel and you shall be commander over Israel.'”

Before YHVH, King David made an agreement with the elders of Israel who came to him at Hebron, and they anointed him king of Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for forty years : he reigned over Judah, from Hebron, seven and a half years; and over Israel and Judah, from Jerusalem, for thirty-three years.

The king and his men set out for Jerusalem to fight the Jebusites who lived there. They said to David, “If you try to break in here, the blind and the lame will drive you away,” which meant that David could not get in. Yet David captured the fortress of Zion that became the “city of David.”

And David grew more powerful, for YHVH, the God of hosts, was with him.

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Thursday, 16 January 2014 : 1st Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 43 : 10-11, 14-15, 24-25

Yet now You have rejected and humbled us; You no longer go forth with our armies. You have let our enemies drive us back and our adversaries plunder us.

You have made us the butt of our neighbours’ insult, the scorn and laughingstock of those around us. You have made us a byword among the nations; they look at us and shake their heads.

Awake, o Lord! Why are You asleep? Arise! Reject us not forever. Why hideYour face from us? Why forget our misery and woes?

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Wednesday, 1 January 2014 : Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God – Theotokos, World Day of Prayer for Peace (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Numbers 6 : 22-27

Then YHVH spoke to Moses saying, “Speak to Aaron and his sons and say to them : This is how you shall bless the people of Israel; you shall say :

‘May YHVH bless you and keep you!’

‘May YHVH let His face shine on you, and be gracious to you!’

‘May YHVH look kindly on you, and give you His peace!’

In that way shall they put My Name on the people of Israel and I will bless them.”

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Wednesday, 25 December 2013 : Mass of Christmas Day, Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 1 : 1-18

In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God and the Word was God; He was in the beginning with God.

All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing came to be. Whatever has come to be, found life in Him; life, which for human beings, was also light, light that shines in darkness, light that darkness could not overcome.

A man came, sent by God; his name was John. He came to bear witness, as a witness to introduce the Light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light, but a witness to introduce the Light; for the Light was coming into the world, the true Light that enlightens everyone.

He was in the world, and through Him the world was made, the very world that did not know Him. He came to His own, yet His own people did not receive Him; but to all who received Him, He empowers to become children of God, for they believe in His Name. These are born, but not by seed, or carnal desire, nor by the will of man : they are born of God.

And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us; and we have seen His glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father : fullness of truth and loving-kindness. John bore witness to Him openly, saying, “This is the One who comes after me, but He is already ahead of me, for He was before me.”

From His fullness we have all received, favour upon favour. For God had given us the Law through Moses, but Truth and Loving-kindness came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God-the-only-Son made Him known : the One, who is in and with the Father.

 

Alternative Reading (Shorter version)

 

John 1 : 1-5, 9-14

In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God and the Word was God; He was in the beginning with God.

All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing came to be. Whatever has come to be, found life in Him; life, which for human beings, was also light, light that shines in darkness, light that darkness could not overcome.

For the Light was coming into the world, the true Light that enlightens everyone. He was in the world, and through Him the world was made, the very world that did not know Him. He came to His own, yet His own people did not receive Him; but to all who received Him, He empowers to become children of God, for they believe in His Name. These are born, but not by seed, or carnal desire, nor by the will of man : they are born of God.

And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us; and we have seen His glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father : fullness of truth and loving-kindness.

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Wednesday, 25 December 2013 : Midnight Mass of the Nativity of the Lord (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Isaiah 9 : 1-7

The people who walk in darkness have seen a great light. A light has dawned on those who live in the land of the shadow of death. You have enlarged the nation; You have increased their joy. They rejoice before You, as people rejoice at harvest time as they rejoice in dividing the spoil.

For the yoke of their burden, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressors, You have broken it as on the day of Midian. Every warrior’s boot that trampled in war, every cloak rolled in blood, will be thrown out for burning, will serve as fuel for the fire.

For a Child is born to us, a Son is given us; the royal ornament is laid upon His shoulder, and His Name is proclaimed : “Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

To the increase of His powerful rule in peace, there will be no end. Vast will be His dominion, He will reign on David’s throne and over all His kingdom, to establish and uphold it with justice and righteousness from this time onward and forever.

The zealous love of YHVH Sabaoth will do this. The Lord has sent a word against Jacob : the sentence fell upon Israel.

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Tuesday, 24 December 2013 : Vigil Mass of the Nativity of the Lord, Christmas Vigil (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 13 : 16-17, 22-25

So Paul arose, motioned to them for silence and began, “Fellow Israelites and also all you who fear God, listen. The God of our people Israel chose our ancestors, and after He had made them increase during their stay in Egypt, He led them out by powerful deeds.

After that time, God removed Saul and raised up David as king, to whom He bore witness saying : “I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all I want him to do.”

It is from the descendants of David that God has now raised up the promised Saviour of Israel, Jesus. Before He appeared, John proclaimed a baptism of repentance for all the people of Israel. As John was ending his life’s work, he said : “I am not what you think I am, for after me another one is coming whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.”