Lenten Homily

by

Sunday, 30 March 2025 : Fourth Sunday of Lent, Laetare Sunday (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Rose or Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday being the Fourth Sunday in the season of Lent, we celebrate the occasion of Laetare Sunday, which in parallel to the Gaudete Sunday during the Advent season, marked the moment when we temporarily pause the penitential nature of our Lenten observance and focus ourselves for a while on the expectation of the great joy that we are going to celebrate in a short moment from now. And if Gaudete Sunday marks the moment when we focus on the joy of Christmas and Christmas season to come, therefore today on this Laetare Sunday, we rejoice and anticipate the great joy that is to come with the fulfilment of God’s plan of salvation for all of us mankind, which He fulfilled through His Passion and what we commemorate through the Paschal Triduum and the glorious Easter season.

This word ‘Laetare’ means joy, and it came from the first part of the Introit sung or chanted today during the liturgical celebration this Laetare Sunday, namely, ‘Laetare, Jerusalem, et conventum facite omnes qui diligitis eam.’ which means, ‘Rejoice, O Jerusalem, and gather round, all you who love her.’, representing the joy which is anticipated for all of God’s holy people, that despite the sufferings and persecutions which they had faced, but they would all see the glorious salvation of their Lord and Master, which He has fulfilled and accomplished through the sending of His own only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, made flesh and having manifested the perfect love of God, gave Himself to all of us to be our Saviour and Liberator, delivering us all from the clutches of sin.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Book of Joshua in which the story of the time when Israel, the people of God finally reached the Promised Land after forty years long of sojourning in the desert during their journey from Egypt to the land of promise. The people of Israel had been punished and forced to endure the consequences of their rebellions and disobedience, their lack of faith and trust in God, when they constantly rebelled against God and refused to follow His path, and ultimately, when they, lacking trust and faith in God, grumbled and complained in fear of their lives when scouts sent to observe the Promised Land of Canaan told them of the mighty people who lived there. Despite the assurances from God and Moses, and the other faithful members of the people, many of the Israelites rebelled against God and therefore, God made them to wander in the desert for the whole period of forty years long, until almost the whole rebellious generation had perished.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this number ‘forty’ truly has a very important and symbolic meaning throughout the Scriptures and the history of mankind, as this number was used frequently to show a relatively long period of time, and is also commonly associated with a period of waiting, preparation and penance, a period of purification and renewal, such as what happened when Noah was in the Ark with his family, and the Great Flood came forth over a period of forty days, and also with the forty years that Israel spent wandering in the desert, which then related also to the forty days which the prophet Elijah went through in the journey from the land of Israel to the Mountain of God in seeking God, and lastly with the forty days that the Lord Jesus had spent in preparation for His ministry as He went to the desert to fast and where He was tempted thrice by the devil.

This passage is a reminder for all of us that in the end of our own ‘forty days’ of preparation during this time and season of Lent, we will enter into the glorious season of Easter, remembering the Resurrection of Our Lord and the triumph He had won against sin and all the forces of evil and darkness. The joy that the people of Israel experienced and the celebration which they went through in performing the first Passover feast in the land of Canaan is the kind of joy that we also experience and remember today on this Laetare Sunday, as we remember the joy of Our Lord’s coming and all that He had done for our sake, in delivering us all from the darkness into the light, and in bringing us all the assurance of salvation and eternal life from God Himself. This day, our focus are ever more directed towards the coming of Easter, and we should be reflecting ever more on what we truly believe in as Christians.

In our second reading, taken from the second Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in the city and region of Corinth, we are all reminded yet again that through Christ, that is Jesus Christ, the Son of God manifested in this world as Man, and by everything that He had done, in bearing our sins and all the punishments and pain associated with all those sins, He has won for all of us the greatest triumph and victory, and showed us all that sin and death do not have the final say over us and our fates. Instead, through Him, and by our faith in Him, Christ, Our Lord and Saviour has opened for us the way to reconciliation and reunion with our most loving God and Father. And therefore, all of us should appreciate just how beloved and fortunate all of us are, to have received such a great grace from God, and we should truly be sincere in repenting from our many sins and faults.

From our Gospel passage this Sunday, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, each and every one of us are reminded through the well-known story of the prodigal son, where the younger son of a rich man’s family sought to get his inheritance earlier on and enjoy them in his life, and after having received his part of the inheritance from his loving father, he went off quickly to the distant lands to enjoy all the riches and fruits of his possessions, the inheritance that he had received without any care, and lived a hedonistic and pleasure-filled life, full of debauchery with all the people whom he encountered during his time in that distant land. This is a representation of us mankind having been tempted and deceived by sin.

That younger, prodigal son eventually realised his mistake and foolishness when he had run out of his money, wealth and inheritance, and all of his so-called friends and all those who were around him disappeared and left him when he had nothing else left on him. He tried to survive for a while in a very despondent state, working in a pig farm, and as we heard, no one would give him even the pig food to eat. That was when the prodigal younger son realised and decided to return back to his father, to beg him to make him one of his servants instead, as he could choose to remain there in the distant lands and die of hunger, or to swallow his pride and seek the father’s mercy and forgiveness instead, and remain alive, as those servants of his father were all living in plenty and happiness.

Through this parable, the Lord wanted to show us all the love that He has for each and every one of us, the constant and persistent love and compassionate care which He has given generously to us, with the father in the story representing the Lord Himself, the elder son being those who have followed the commandments of the Lord and His Law, and was also in a way a representation of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law at that time, while the prodigal younger son represents those sinners who have decided to come back to the Lord, seeking the mercy of their Heavenly Father just like the prodigal son seeking the reconciliation with his father after having committed such a grievous mistake and error of living in debauchery and squandering his inheritance. They may also represent us who have received the truth of God earlier on, as compared to others who have not yet received it.

We heard of how the father in the parable was so joyful upon hearing that his younger son has finally returned to him, that he had returned despite probably being thought of having been lost or dead. And thus, the father threw a great feast and celebration to welcome his return, only for the elder brother to be angered by such a reception. And we heard the Lord Himself explaining how what happened to the prodigal son is something that we ourselves ought to be experiencing in our own lives. This is because each and every one of us are also sinners who are seeking God’s forgiveness and mercy. And through the figure of the elder brother, the Lord was also criticising the actions of those Pharisees and teachers of the Law who often prided themselves for their righteousness and being biased, judgmental and prejudiced against their own fellow brothers and sisters.

This means that those people behaved just like the elder brother who thought that he was more worthy of the father’s love just because he seemed to be the more righteous one and the one who had been by the side of the father all the while. But the father’s love is given to both of his sons equally, and both of them were equally precious to him, just as the Lord loves each and every one of us equally, all His beloved children, though sinners. Even the greatest sinners, should they be willing to embrace God’s mercy and forgiveness, will be given the fullness of His grace and kindness. And this is why we should never lose hope in the mercy, compassion and kindness of God. If we allow ourselves to be misguided in thinking that we are unworthy of God’s love, or if we are too proud to admit that we are sinners in need of healing, then we will never receive the forgiveness of God.

That prodigal, younger son could have perished in the distant lands, all alone and in poverty if he did not swallow his pride and chose to be humble, begging and seeking his father’s forgiveness and mercy. It was his conscious choice to return to his father with a regretful and contrite heart that the prodigal son has been forgiven and received once again the fullness of the father’s generous love. Therefore, in the same manner, all of us, who are sinners, will receive the fullness of the Lord, our Heavenly Father’s most generous love and kindness, mercy and compassion if we choose to obey Him and come back to Him with sorrowful and repentant hearts. Are we then willing to make the commitment to this path, brothers and sisters in Christ? Are we willing to acknowledge our sinfulness and our imperfections, flaws and mistakes that had kept us away from God?

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we continue to journey through this blessed time and opportunity this Lenten season, let us all realise how fortunate we are to have been given such a wonderful opportunity for reconciliation with our loving God and Father, and make good use of the great opportunity given to us to seek His love and mercy once again. Let us all not harden our hearts and close our minds anymore to Him, but do our best instead to glorify Him by our lives, by our humble obedience and desire to be forgiven and to be fully loved again by God, our loving Father, Who loves each and every one of us equally without exception. And as those who have received this faith and blessing from God, we, as the elder children, should also be welcoming to our fellow brethren, especially all those who have not known God and His mercy, reaching out to them and sharing God’s love with them instead of judging them and being prejudiced against them, or being jealous of God’s love and mercy which have been shown to them too.

That is why let us all pray fervently today, on this occasion of Laetare Sunday, that God may continue to show us all His mercy and kindness, His compassion and love. Let us remind ourselves of the great joy that we are expecting and coming soon with the glorious season of Easter to come. Let us rejoice because God’s salvation has been shown to us, and He has been willing to welcome us all, His beloved though prodigal children so that by His compassion and love, all of us may be forgiven our sins and be reunited with Him. May the Lord our most loving Father continue to be with us throughout this season of Lent, and help us to remain firm and steadfast in our faith in Him, now and always. Amen.

by

Saturday, 29 March 2025 : 3rd Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded of the need for us to be humble and to seek God’s healing and mercy for all of our many sins and wickedness, all the things which had kept us all away from the fullness of God’s love and grace. If we are not humble and if we do not realise our shortcomings, faults and flaws, then we may not realise just how far we may be in the path towards our downfall and destruction, in getting further and further away from the Lord’s righteousness and compassion. We must not let ourselves to be tempted by pride, ego and ambition in our hearts, all of which can lead us further astray, away from what God had taught and shown us. And in this time and season of Lent, we are all reminded to return to the Lord with humble and contrite hearts, ridding ourselves of all sorts of pride and ego in our hearts.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Hosea in which the Lord told His people through Hosea of His desire to see them all reconciled and reunited with Him, as He called on all of them to return to Him and to find their way back to Him. The Lord told them all of this hope because He wanted all of them to continue to put their faith and trust in Him, to follow His guidance and to walk in the path that He has shown them through His many prophets and messengers. All of these are due to the desire that God has in wanting us to be forgiven from our many sins, that we may be cleansed and purified from all the taints and corruptions of sin. But many of us like those Israelites before us failed to achieve this because many of us were distracted by our pride and ego, all of which presented serious obstacles to us in our way towards God and His redemption.

The prophet Hosea reminded the people of God in Judah and elsewhere of God’s wrath at the sins of the people, many of whom had faced sufferings and hardships because of their refusal to obey the Lord and their actions in adopting the wicked practices of their neighbours, worshipping the pagan idols and all the other practices that were not in accordance with the Law and commandments that God had given to all of them to follow and obey. That was why the Israelites were divided and scattered, and by the time of the ministry of the prophet Hosea, those Israelites who lived in the northern kingdom of Israel had been defeated, conquered and exiled by the Assyrians, bereft of their homeland and their homes. The same fate would also happen to the people of the southern kingdom of Judah as well, who would also have their cities destroyed and crushed, and their Temple destroyed in time to come.

However, the Lord still loved them all, His beloved children and people, and like a loving father, who while being angry at his children and chastising them, he did all that because he desired only what was good for them, to discipline and guide them all in the right path. The children of God were therefore reminded of the mercy and compassion of God by the prophets sent to them including Hosea, and this same reminder is also meant for all of us as well, who listened to those words of reassurance from the Scriptures. We are being reminded during this most appropriate time of Lent that we should not harden our hearts and minds any longer, striving instead to leave behind our old ways of sin and evil, and embrace wholeheartedly the love and compassion of God that He has shown us most generously.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the words of the Lord Jesus to His disciples and those who followed Him of the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. In that parable we heard how both the Pharisee and the tax collector were praying at the Temple and House of the Lord. And as we heard, the Pharisee prayed with great pride, openly boasting of his many achievements and piety, and not only that but even looked down on the tax collector whom he deemed to be inferior and less worthy, a greater sinner than himself. Then we have also heard how the tax collector humbled himself greatly before God, not even daring to look up, keeping his sights low and beseeching the Lord to forgive him from his many sins.

The Lord praised the faith and humility of the tax collector in that parable, highlighting how the humility of the tax collector had made his desire to be forgiven to be heard by God. The Pharisee on the other hand, because he was so prideful and full of himself, was not forgiven because not only that he did not recognise his flaws and mistakes, but he allowed himself to be swayed such by his own ego and pride that he acted condescendingly on his own brethren, essentially committing more sins due to his own hubris and arrogance. And this depiction of the action of the Pharisee in fact was a criticism of how the Pharisees of the time of the Lord’s ministry actually behaved, as many of those Pharisees often paraded their faith and shown publicly their acts of piety before others in seeking for approval, recognition and praise for those things that they had done.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have been reminded today by this passage from the Scriptures, let us all therefore remind ourselves that as Christians, as the holy and beloved people of God, all of us are called to turn away from our many sins, faults and wickedness, to embrace once again God’s most wonderful love and mercy, the compassion that God has for all of us, His beloved ones. He has called on us to embrace this generous mercy and love, and we should not squander the many opportunities which He has presented to us so that we may truly be reconciled to Him and find our way to His Presence, purified and made whole again, after having been corrupted, tainted and afflicted by sin. We should humble ourselves, realising the errors of our ways, and sincerely seeking the forgiveness from God.

May the Lord, our most loving, compassionate and merciful God continue to show us His love and mercy, guide and strengthen us all so that we may always persevere in following Him faithfully, and be good role models and inspirations for one another, in how we carry on living our lives, in this Lenten observances and practices, that many more may follow in our examples and lives, and be worthy and faithful to the Lord as well. May we all make good use of these opportunities which had been presented to us by the Lord, and come ever closer to Him and the salvation that He has promised us. Amen.

by

Friday, 28 March 2025 : 3rd Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as all of us gather together to listen to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded that during this Lenten season we have been given the opportunity to experience more fully God’s compassion and loving grace, His generous mercy and kindness, all the love which God has shown us throughout time, again and again. Unfortunately, we have often spurned and rejected His love and kindness, and therefore we find ourselves in this predicament because of our own lack of faith and trust in God, and because we allowed ourselves to be easily tempted and swayed to follow the false path of the devil, and all the distractions and temptations around us which brought us into this path towards darkness and damnation.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Hosea, we heard of the words of the prophet Hosea who was sent to the people of the southern kingdom of Judah during the late years of its existence, after the downfall of the northern kingdom of Israel. At that time, many among the people of God had been wandering off from the path which God has shown and taught them through their ancestors, through Moses and the prophets sent to them to guide and remind them. Thus, the Lord had sent His prophets to warn them of the impending consequences and sufferings which the people would have to suffer because of their disobedience and sins. But despite all these warnings and harsh punishments, ultimately, the Lord still loved His people and cared for them.

And that was why amidst the warnings and words of doom, the Lord spoke words of reassurance just as what we have heard through the prophet Hosea, calling on all of those same people to turn away from their sins and wickedness because He would show all of them His most generous mercy and heal them from all of their problems and troubles. God would not abandon them all to the darkness, and He would lead them all once again down the path of righteousness, showing each and every one of them how they should live their lives so that they would no longer be separated from Him, and would once again be worthy of Him through their renewed faith and righteousness, purified from all of their wickedness and faults. And this is an important reminder and assurance for all of us that we ourselves will have this same forgiveness and healing given to us if we commit ourselves anew to the Lord.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist we heard the words of the Lord Jesus to a teacher of the Law who went to ask Him regarding which among all the commandments of the Law of God is the most important one. In order to understand this, we must then understand that in the Jewish customs and practices of the time, there were at least six hundred and thirteen rules and precepts in the Law of God revealed through Moses, all of which were imposed by the religious elites of the people, namely the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law. At that time, the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law in particular observed a very strict and extensive version of the Law, which were cumbersome and difficult to practice.

Not only that but those elders and leaders of the people also used those Law and commandments to actively discriminate against those whom they disapproved of, making themselves superior and better than everyone around them. But this was not what the Lord intended with the Law that He has given to His people, as the Law was never meant to discriminate or to make the people’s livelihood challenging and tough. The Law has always been meant to show the people of God on how one ought to love their loving God and Master, how they can love one another in the same way so that they can truly be worthy to be called the children of God, the children and the beloved ones of the One Who has always loved them from the beginning regardless of their sins and trespasses, their imperfections and faults.

And that is why the Lord told the teacher of the Law that in essence, the whole entire Law, all the precepts and rules were all pointing to two main, essential ideals, and that is the manner how one ought to love the Lord with all of their might, strength and capabilities, to love Him above all other things, and then secondly as He Himself had mentioned, to love one another in the same way that God Himself has loved us, and at least as much as we have loved ourselves. Love is the hallmark of our Christian faith and life, and we cannot be without this love, both for God and for our fellow brothers and sisters, for without love, then we are nothing, and our faith, without love, is truly meaningless, empty and dead. With love, through what God Himself has shown and taught us, all of us are shown the path towards our loving Father and Creator, the path to our salvation.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, during this time and season of Lent, we are therefore reminded and called to return to the Lord, our most loving God and Father, to repent from our faults and mistakes, and to embrace our Father’s most generous and rich mercy, to come back towards Him with the sincere desire to be forgiven from our many sins and wickedness. We should no longer be ignorant of these opportunities which the Lord had provided to us in order to help us find our way back to Him. Instead, we should do our very best so that by our every moments in life, we will always be exemplary and be truly worthy of the Lord, by our obedience and humility, in recognising that each one of us need God’s Presence and love. By God’s love we have all been redeemed, and therefore we too should love Him wholeheartedly as well.

May the Lord, our most loving Father and Master continue to love us most wonderfully as He has always done, all these while. May He continue to inspire us all and teach us to love Him by following His own example of love. May He continue to give us the courage and strength, the determination and willingness to love our fellow brethren around us in the same manner as well. May all of us be truly full of love from God, and be truly worthy of God’s grace and love, now and always. Amen.

by

Thursday, 27 March 2025 : 3rd Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us are reminded of our sins and evils, all caused by our disobedience against God and our refusal to listen to Him and our persistence in doing things that are contrary to His will and teachings. We must not allow our stubbornness and all the wicked desires and temptations in us and around us to distract us from the Lord and from the path that He has guided us through in this life. We must not allow ourselves to be divided easily one against another because of the instigation and the efforts of those wicked forces of evil which will often play on our insecurities, desires, ambitions and all the means they have in their disposal to bring us to our ruin and downfall. That is why during this time of Lent, each and every one of us should reevaluate our paths and choices in life through these reminders.

In our first reading passage today, taken from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah, we heard of the words of the Lord to His people, showing the frustrations that the Lord had in guiding all of them, despite having shown them and their forebears, all of their ancestors, a lot of loving care and patience in guiding and helping all of them, in reassuring them constantly and defending them from all of their enemies, and in being always true to the Covenant which He had made with them and their ancestors. The people of Israel however were unfaithful, and they were stubborn in their consistent refusal to obey Him wholeheartedly, falling ever constantly into the temptations to sin, being swayed by the many desires and ambitions they were tempted with, that they ended up disobeying Him and walking down the path of rebellion, getting further and further away from their loving God and Master.

That was why the Lord put those words of warning through the prophet Jeremiah, whom He had sent to the people and the kingdom of Judah in order to remind them all of their waywardness and their lack of faith in Him, all of which had led them all deeper and deeper into the path of darkness and sin. And through these warnings and reminders, God wanted to tell them all to stop from going down this path of rebellion so that they would not continue to suffer the effects of their disobedience. This came at the important juncture of the history of the people of God, many of whom had suffered the effects of their sins, with those who used to live in the northern kingdom of Israel had been conquered and had their kingdom destroyed by the Assyrians, and brought into exile in the distant and far-off lands.

And those in the kingdom of Judah, while they had seen for themselves and witnessed how their northern brethren had suffered because of the wickedness and sins that they had committed, that were relatively greater than their own ones, but they still did not repent from their own sins and wickedness. And while their sins were perhaps less severe due to some of the kings of Judah being faithful and devout followers of God that periodically led the people back to the true path of God, but nonetheless, they too would suffer a similar fate. They would also be conquered by the Babylonians in a short while from the time that those words of the Lord were pronounced to them, their cities destroyed and the Temple that was in Jerusalem, the House of God would be destroyed, as the clear sign of the Divine displeasure over the sins and wickedness of His people.

But God was not all full of anger and without compassion, for He ultimately still loved His people despite of their many sins and evils. He gave them opportunities, reminders and help throughout their history, their journey and existence, sending the prophets like Jeremiah among many others to assist them. He reassured them all of His salvation, and He gathered them all back from the lands of their exile, allowing them to return back to their homeland and settle back in the lands promised to them and their ancestors. He still showed them all His compassion and love, giving them the means to reach out to Him, to overcome the temptations and all the other obstacles which had prevented them all from coming back to Him. And ultimately, He gave us all the ultimate gift in His only Begotten Son, Whom He sent to us to find, gather and bring us all back to Him.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of how the people of the time of the Lord treated this same Saviour and Son of God Who had been sent into our midst in order to save us all. The elders and the religious, intellectual elites of the people, namely many of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law doubted the Lord and sowed dissension amongst the people by accusing the Lord falsely of collusion with the prince of demons in the performance of His miracles and works. They attributed His miracles to the works of Beelzebul, a known prince of demons, besmirching the Lord’s good reputation and directly spreading doubt on the authenticity and authority of the Lord’s works and miracles. And the Lord quickly went to rebuke those people for saying such false and baseless accusations by pointing out the utter folly in their arguments.

The Lord pointed out that if a kingdom had its members divided against each other, plotting and attacking one another, then that kingdom would quickly and readily be destroyed. In the same manner therefore, it does not make sense for the forces of evil to be divided against each other. In fact, they are more united than ever as always in their desire and efforts to see us all destroyed and dragged in damnation together with them. It was likely that all the accusations and the efforts of those Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who were jealous of the great successes of the Lord were instigated by those same wicked spirits and evil forces who worked really hard to divide us one against another, in their attempts to prevent the Lord from accomplishing His missions and works.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore let us all keep in mind all these things that we have heard and discussed earlier through the Sacred Scriptures. Let us remember that God’s love is so great and indeed is and has always been so great that it surpasses all evil and all those who have placed themselves in between us and God’s offer of salvation and eternal life. It is now up to us to embrace His love and mercy wholeheartedly, as we dedicate ourselves anew to His cause, doing our very best to live our lives from now on in the manner that is truly worthy of God. We are called to come to the Lord with a contrite heart full of sorrow and regret for our many sins. May the Lord be with us always during this time and season of Lent, and may He continue to bless and empower us with the courage and strength to be good examples, inspirations and role models for one another. May all of us continue to have a blessed and fruitful Lenten season and observance, and come ever closer to the Lord and His salvation. Amen.

by

Wednesday, 26 March 2025 : 3rd Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Lord in the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the Law which the Lord has presented and given to all of us through the Scriptures and His Church, which has revealed and taught us this Law and the various commandments that we ought to follow and obey in our lives. Each and every one of us as Christians are bound to follow and obey these Law and commandments that God had given to us, as part of the Covenant which He had established and made with all of us. And what we heard today in our Scripture readings are reminders for us to follow these laws and commandments with appreciation and understanding of their importance and significance for us.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Deuteronomy in which Moses, the leader of the Israelites told all the people to be obedient to the Law of God and to follow His commandments, instead of being rebellious and hardened in heart as they had often done during their Exodus from Egypt and the journey through the desert. Moses told the people the reason why God gave His Law and commandments to them, and everything ultimately pointed towards the desire that God had in ensuring that His people would be forgiven from all of their many sins, to be guided in their paths and ways so that they would no longer be lost to Him and be condemned to the eternity of suffering and damnation like what the evil ones will be suffering from.

This is something which we need to be acutely aware of, realising that our sins like those sins of the people of Israel can lead us all into certain destruction, which God wants to prevent us from suffering such a fate. And this was why He gave us His Law and commandments just as He had once revealed it to the Israelites through Moses. They were meant to serve as a guide and assistance to the people of God so that they would live worthily and be strengthened in their desire to follow God wholeheartedly amidst the many temptations and coercions of worldly desires, pleasures and ambitions found all around them. Thus, unless we ourselves also obey the Law and commandments of God wholeheartedly and with true understanding of God’s love and will, then we may find it difficult to remain faithful to Him.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Evangelist, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus speaking to His disciples and all those who were following Him in which He made it clear that He did not mean to change or abolish the Law of God, contrary to the perception and misconception that many among the Israelites, particularly among the religious and intellectual elites, had in Him, His teachings and actions. Those leaders often assumed that Jesus and His works and teachings were contrary to the Law of God revealed through Moses, particularly in their frequent clashes on the matter of the Sabbath Law. To the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, the Sabbath Law was sacrosanct in the manner that they observed it, refusing to allow any kinds of activities on that day.

However, the Lord told the people the true intention of the Lord when He instituted the Sabbath Law, and that was to help all of His people to come to Him and to remember the need to focus their lives on Him, and not on their various other pursuits and desires in life, in this world present around us. We may easily be tempted and swayed by our many attachments and desires, in all of our works and activities in this world that we forget our obligation and relationship with God. And that is why God instituted this Day of Rest, the Sabbath Day such that the people of Israel might have the time to take a break from their busy daily activities and works, and dedicate this time to worship the Lord and to strengthen their relationships with Him.

But, unfortunately, by the time of the Lord and His ministry, the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law had misunderstood the intention and purpose of the Law of God, using them instead to impose unrealistic expectations and observances on the people of God. In the matter of the Sabbath Law, it was so strictly enforced that the people were not allowed to do anything even good and virtuous deeds that may benefit the people around them. And this was what the Lord highlighted to those hypocrites, those Pharisees and teachers of the Law, who have misled the people through their wrong teachings and interpretations of the Law, and their elitist attitudes in claiming to be better, more pious and holier than everyone else, and in their judgmental and biased attitudes against those they deemed to be unredeemable sinners like the tax collectors and prostitutes.

And what we are being reminded of today is the love of God manifested through His Son, Our Lord Jesus Himself, Who has renewed the Covenant that God had made with His people, the love which He has shown us all again and again in many occasions, and which He has constantly reminded us through His Son and through the Law that He has taught and shown to us. What He wants us all to know is that He has given us all those Law and commandments to help and guide us in our path so that we may truly come to Him and embrace His great love and compassion without falling into the wrong path or be distracted by the many temptations and coercions found all around us. God, as our most loving Father and Creator wants us all to be reconciled and reunited with Him.

That is why, let us all make the conscious effort during this time and season of Lent so that in everything we do, in all of our Lenten observances, and in how we obey the Law and commandments of God that had been given to us through the Church, we may all continue to obey them with the right understanding and mindset, knowing that we do all them out of the sincere love for God and from the desire to be reconciled and reunited with the Lord, our loving Father and Creator. May He continue to bless and guide us in our journey so that by our examples and obedience, we may be good role models and inspirations to everyone else around us, to lead more and more people towards God and His mercy. Amen.

by

Tuesday, 25 March 2025 : Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we mark the great occasion of the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, the moment when we celebrate the time that the Lord Jesus Christ, Our Saviour and King, Our God and Lord of all the Universe, was incarnate in the flesh, and was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary, His mother. This must not be confused with the moment of the Lord’s birth into this world, His Nativity, which we celebrate at Christmas, exactly nine months from today. And it is precisely because today is nine months away from Christmas and it marks the beginning of the Lord’s nine months period spent in the womb of His mother Mary, that we celebrate this Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord.

On this day, the Lord sent one of His great Archangels, the Archangel Gabriel to proclaim the Good News long awaited by His people, who have long awaited the fulfilment of God’s promise of salvation, the sending of the deliverance and Saviour, which had been given to us through this Incarnation of the Son of God, Who embraced our human nature and existence, becoming Man and therefore manifesting perfectly the love of God, which had thus been made tangible, real and approachable to us. No longer God is merely a concept or myth, or a Being far removed from us by His Almighty transcendence. Yes, God remains all-powerful and transcendent, far beyond us in might and glory, infinite in majesty and power, but at the same time, by the mystery of His Incarnation, God has made Himself close to us, approachable and real.

The Annunciation of the Lord marks this moment when the long awaited Hope and Salvation of the world has finally come into a reality, and the Light of Hope is restored to the world, long slumbering in darkness, and what is significant is that the Lord chose not to come in glory and majesty, or as a conquering and mighty King, but instead, He chose to be incarnate and born of a humble, unknown Virgin, Mary, who was merely a peasant girl in the totally unimportant and small town or even village of Nazareth, at the fringe of the Jewish world at that time. Yet, from what we have heard in the accounts of the Annunciation today, we are reminded of exactly why the Lord chose to do this, to bring about our salvation.

The Lord chose to become one of us because it is by this action that He can undo the harm and damage which our ancestors had done in disobeying God, in embracing the falsehoods and lies of Satan. By His coming into this world, He would unite us all mankind through His own humanity, and show to us the ultimate love and compassion through His Son, Who would lay down His life for our sake, freeing us from the domination and tyranny of sin. By His perfect obedience, Christ as the Son of Man would bear the many burdens of our sins, our trespasses and mistakes, which He bore on His Cross, and through this perfect obedience and ultimate sacrifice of love, He made for us a New and Eternal Covenant between God and us, giving us the sure path to eternal life through Him.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we continue to journey through this time and season of Lent, we are all reminded of why we observe this penitential season of Lent in the first place. We are preparing ourselves to celebrate the most important events in the story of our salvation, which the Lord had made possible through the Incarnation of His Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, Our Saviour, into this world. Therefore today, as we all remember the moment of His Incarnation at this Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, we should remember the great love and compassion which God has manifested before us all in His Son, and be filled with the same love towards Him just as He has shown us all first. We should be grateful that the Lord has been so patient in loving us all despite all of our faults and transgressions so far.

By offering Himself willingly and selflessly for us, just as the second reading from the Epistle to the Hebrews had highlighted, the Lord by His enduring love for us has fashioned for us the means of our salvation, to purify and sanctify us all by His grace, cleansing us all from the corruptions of our innumerable sins. And by this most wonderful and generous love of God, we have been healed and made whole once again, shown the compassionate and most loving Heart of God, full of love for us as always. Therefore, we too should be filled with love and devotion towards Him, and do our very best during this time and season of Lent to seek His forgiveness and mercy, and strive to distance ourselves from all sorts of corruptions, evils and sins that can lead us all further away from God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today we should also look upon the great example of faith and obedience which Mary, the Mother of Our Lord and Saviour, the Mother of God, has shown each and every one of us. Despite her uncertainties and her inexperience, Mary chose to entrust herself to the Lord and His plans, devoting herself thoroughly to the mission which has been entrusted to her through the words of the Archangel Gabriel. Mary is our perfect role model and example, and just as Christ her Son is the New Adam that led us all by His perfect obedience to His heavenly Father, thus Mary, as the New Eve also directs us all towards her Son, towards the salvation that He has generously offered to each and every one of us. We should follow Mary’s examples in our own lives, in each and every moments.

Let us all therefore renew our commitment to the Lord this Lent, and strive to do our best in living our daily lives as good and faithful Christians in all the things we say and do. Through prayer, fasting and almsgiving, let us all continue to draw closer to the Lord and devote our time and attention to Him, so that by each and every moments of our lives, by our every actions, ever devoted to Him, we may draw ever closer to Him and His grace, and be truly worthy to receive the pardon and forgiveness for our many mistakes and faults. Through our humility and obedience, which we should deepen ever more during this time and season of Lent, we should follow the examples of Christ Himself and His blessed Mother Mary, our own beloved Mother so that we may continue to humble ourselves before God, sinners in need of God’s mercy and healing.

May the Lord, our most loving God and Father continue to show us all His love, and help us in this journey of life, as we come ever closer to His Presence this Lent. May He welcome us back through His generous mercy and compassion, forgiving us our sins when we come to Him with truly humble and contrite hearts. May God bless us all, and bless our Lenten journey and observances. Amen.

by

Monday, 24 March 2025 : 3rd Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded of the power of God’s healing and mercy, as He forgives us all our sins and faults, our trespasses and mistakes. And we are also reminded of the importance of humility in our lives and actions so that we will not allow ourselves to be swayed and tempted by pride, which is one of the greatest obstacles that may lead us to our downfall and destruction. We are reminded that we are all sinners in need of God’s mercy, and if we come towards Him with contrite hearts, with genuine intention and desire to be forgiven from our many sins, and to be reconciled to Him, God will surely show us His love and kindness, granting us all the pardon and reconciliation that we seek from Him.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah in which the story of Naaman, the famous general of the Kingdom of Aram, the neighbour of the northern kingdom of Israel, went to seek healing and resolution for his issue of leprosy, which had affected him greatly due to it being seen as a sign of curse and Divine displeasure. That was why Naaman came to the land of Israel, seeking the king of Israel to ask for the favour from the famous prophet Elisha, whose miracles were well known even to Naaman’s own homeland. And we heard how Naaman came to Elisha seeking this healing, in which the prophet told him to immerse seven times in the River Jordan in order to be healed from his leprosy.

Naaman was initially angered at the instruction, proudly declaring how he expected the prophet ought to have come out and heal him in the manner that he wanted it, and how he could have done it as well in the rivers of his own homeland. Naaman was unhappy because of the expectations that he had in his mind on how he ought to be healed, being a person of high status and well-respected, and hence likely he was unused to being told what to do, and instead of being healed by the service of the prophet as he had expected it, he was told to do a menial task, at least in his perception, to get himself healed. But Naaman’s servant shook Naaman out of his pride and arrogance, and told him that what the prophet Elisha asked of him was not something unreasonable or difficult to do, and hence, Naaman obeyed, and was healed of his leprosy.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this healing of Naaman is a reminder for all of us of our own ‘leprosy’, that is sin, the leprosy of the soul. Our own souls, and hence, our whole bodies, hearts, minds and indeed our whole beings have been corrupted by sin, and hence tainted, we have been made unworthy of God and His grace, and sundered therefore from His love and grace, we have been forced to wander off in the darkness of the world, to suffer the consequences of our disobedience and sins. But God loves each and every one of us as well, and He does not want us to be lost or separated from Him, and that is why He gave us all the means to reach out to Him and to return to Him, by giving us all the promise and assurance of salvation through none other than His own only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.

Like Naaman who came seeking the prophet Elisha, all of us especially during this time of Lent are reminded to seek God’s healing and forgiveness for our sins, to be healed of our ‘leprosy’ of sin, which can be done through the Sacrament of Reconciliation which the Lord has readily made available for all of us. The Lord has given His Church and disciples the power and authority to forgive sins, which they then passed on to us today through their successors, the Popes, the bishops and priests who tirelessly minister to us the faithful and holy people of God. The problem is that, many of us are unaware of the need for all of us to seek this healing from our corruption by sin, and as a result, we continue to live in the state of sin, and are in danger of falling into the path towards eternal damnation and destruction.

Many of us are perhaps also too proud to admit that we are wrong, and we, like Naaman before us, expect that we are forgiven without effort or contrition. But as Naaman had been kindly reminded by his servant to be humble and obedient, therefore, we too should be obedient and humble in allowing ourselves to be forgiven by God by showing a contrite and truly sorrowful heart to the Lord. Pride is one of the greatest vices that led so many people to their downfall, including Satan himself, and in a similar manner pride is also a crucial reason why so many people failed to come and seek God’s healing and mercy, which He has offered us all so generously and lovingly. Unless we humble ourselves and be willing to rid ourselves of our sins, we may find it difficult to come back towards God.

Then, in our Gospel passage today we all heard of the story of the time when the Lord Jesus was in His hometown of Nazareth, as He came there bearing the Good News of God’s salvation, which had come to fruition and its perfect fulfilment with the arrival of Jesus Himself, the One Who was born into this world, the Divine Word Incarnate, Son of God born into our midst as the Son of Man, showing unto us the love of God manifested in the flesh. However, when the people of Nazareth listened to the words of the Lord and His proclamation of the fulfilment of the prophets, they were all filled with amazement and disbelief, because to them, Jesus was merely the Son of the town or village carpenter, St. Joseph. And at that time, carpenters were not highly regarded by the people as a profession.

Therefore, when the Lord claimed to have fulfilled the prophecies about the Messiah, many among them likely thought that He was being preposterous in doing so, and this was when the Lord them that unfortunately the reality is such that the prophets, messengers and servants of God are treated badly in their own homeland and countries, those places where they had hailed from. This is again because the people’s pride and arrogance, thinking that they know it better, and that they could not be wrong or no one whom they knew all ought to tell them what to do. As I mentioned earlier, this is one of the greatest challenges that we face in seeking God’s forgiveness and mercy, in our attempts to be reconciled to God, our loving Father and Master.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore resist the temptations of pride and desire in our daily lives, especially during this time and season of Lent when God has renewed His assurance and promises to us, His assurance that His mercy and compassion have been extended most generously to us. Like Naaman, let us all be humble and be willing to rid ourselves of our pride, ego, arrogance and ambitions, and instead be willing to walk down the path of repentance and reconciliation with God. Are we willing to make this commitment, brothers and sisters? Let our Lenten observance and journey be truly fruitful and blessed, and may God empower each one of us to walk ever more courageously in His path, now and always. Amen.

by

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

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by

Saturday, 22 March 2025 : 2nd Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us are reminded through the readings of the Sacred Scriptures, of the great love and mercy of God which He has willingly shown to us, through His compassion and the desire which He has for us, in leading us all into the path towards our reconciliation with Him. All of us as Christians are reminded that God, our ever loving Father and Creator has always been full of mercy towards us, full of compassion and love, ever kind and ever committed to the Covenant which He has made with us all, His beloved children and people, who have often erred against Him, disobeying His Law and commandments, refusing to walk in the path that He has shown us. And yet, God is still willing to embrace us all with the love of a loving Father, while chastising us for our sins, with the ultimate aim and goal to be reconciled with us.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Micah in which the prophet Micah spoke to God on behalf of the people of Israel, the people of God, asking and beseeching God to shepherd and guide them all as He has always done in the days and years past, reminding the people at the same time of the great love and mercy that God has shown to His people throughout history, as He cared for them when they were in trouble, protecting them all from their enemies and guiding them through the right path, showing them all His power and glory, fulfilling all those things that He has promised them, and making the path before them smooth. God has done all these to His people out of His great love and compassion towards them, wanting them to live worthily in His path, so that they might be reunited with Him and be found worthy of Him.

At that time, during the time of the ministry of the prophet Micah which happened during the later parts of the history of the kingdom of Judah, many among the people of God in Judah had not obeyed the Law and commandments of God, preferring to follow their own paths and preferences in life. As such, God has warned them all that should they continue in their rebellious attitude, then in the end, they will be judged by their wicked and dishonourable actions that had kept them all away from the path of righteousness. And yet, at the same time, God also reassured His people that He truly loved all of them, and should they seek Him for His mercy and forgiveness, repenting their wicked and wayward paths, then He would willingly welcome them all back to His holy and loving Presence. It all ultimately depended on what the people would choose to do with their lives.

Essentially, we are all reminded that we have the freedom to choose our path in life, whether we want to continue to live our lives in disobedience of God and His ways, or whether we want to return to Him, asking and begging for Him to forgive us all our trespasses, mistakes and faults. And this is what we are being reminded again through our Gospel passage today from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist. In that Gospel passage, we heard the famous parable of the prodigal son, detailing to us the story of the younger of two sons of a rich man who sought his part of the inheritance early on, and when he was given the inheritance, he went away on a journey to distant lands where he spent all of his inheritance, money and possessions on wayward living and hedonistic lifestyle with his friends and others around him.

In this very well-known parable, we heard of how the prodigal younger son eventually realised his mistake and foolishness when he had run out of his money, wealth and inheritance, and all of his so-called friends and all those who were around him disappeared and left him when he had nothing else left on him. He tried to survive for a while in a very despondent state, working in a pig farm, and as we heard, no one would give him even the pig food to eat. That was when the prodigal younger son realised and decided to return back to his father, to beg him to make him one of his servants instead, as he could choose to remain there in the distant lands and die of hunger, or to swallow his pride and seek the father’s mercy and forgiveness instead, and remain alive, as those servants of his father were all living in plenty and happiness.

Through this parable, the Lord wanted to show us all the love that He has for each and every one of us, the constant and persistent love and compassionate care which He has given generously to us, with the father in the story representing the Lord Himself, the elder son being those who have followed the commandments of the Lord and His Law, and was also in a way a representation of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law at that time, while the prodigal younger son represents those sinners who have decided to come back to the Lord, seeking the mercy of their Heavenly Father just like the prodigal son seeking the reconciliation with his father after having committed such a grievous mistake and error of living in debauchery and squandering his inheritance.

We heard of how the father in the parable was so joyful upon hearing that his younger son has finally returned to him, that he had returned despite probably being thought of having been lost or dead. And thus, the father threw a great feast and celebration to welcome his return, only for the elder brother to be angered by such a reception. And we heard the Lord Himself explaining how what happened to the prodigal son is something that we ourselves ought to be experiencing in our own lives. This is because each and every one of us are also sinners who are seeking God’s forgiveness and mercy. And through the figure of the elder brother, the Lord was also criticising the actions of those Pharisees and teachers of the Law who often prided themselves for their righteousness and being biased, judgmental and prejudiced against their own fellow brothers and sisters.

This means that those people behaved just like the elder brother who thought that he was more worthy of the father’s love just because he seemed to be the more righteous one and the one who had been by the side of the father all the while. But the father’s love is given to both of his sons equally, and both of them were equally precious to him, just as the Lord loves each and every one of us equally, all His beloved children, though sinners. Even the greatest sinners, should they be willing to embrace God’s mercy and forgiveness, will be given the fullness of His grace and kindness. And this is why we should never lose hope in the mercy, compassion and kindness of God. If we allow ourselves to be misguided in thinking that we are unworthy of God’s love, or if we are too proud to admit that we are sinners in need of healing, then we will never receive the forgiveness of God.

That prodigal, younger son could have perished in the distant lands, all alone and in poverty if he did not swallow his pride and chose to be humble, begging and seeking his father’s forgiveness and mercy. It was his conscious choice to return to his father with a regretful and contrite heart that the prodigal son has been forgiven and received once again the fullness of the father’s generous love. Therefore, in the same manner, all of us, who are sinners, will receive the fullness of the Lord, our Heavenly Father’s most generous love and kindness, mercy and compassion if we choose to obey Him and come back to Him with sorrowful and repentant hearts. Are we then willing to make the commitment to this path, brothers and sisters in Christ? Are we willing to acknowledge our sinfulness and our imperfections, flaws and mistakes that had kept us away from God?

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we continue to journey through this blessed time and opportunity this Lenten season, let us all realise how fortunate we are to have been given such a wonderful opportunity for reconciliation with our loving God and Father, and make good use of the great opportunity given to us to seek His love and mercy once again. Let us all not harden our hearts and close our minds anymore to Him, but do our best instead to glorify Him by our lives, by our humble obedience and desire to be forgiven and to be fully loved again by God, our loving Father, Who loves each and every one of us equally without exception. And as those who have received this faith and blessing from God, we, as the elder children, should also be welcoming to our fellow brethren, especially all those who have not known God and His mercy, reaching out to them and sharing God’s love with them instead of judging them and being prejudiced against them, or being jealous of God’s love and mercy which have been shown to them too.

May the Lord, our heavenly and most loving and compassionate Father continue to bless each and every one of us, and bless our Lenten journey and observance, our practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving among others. May God be with us always, now and forevermore. Amen.

by

Friday, 21 March 2025 : 2nd Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Lord contained within the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded that desire, jealousy and ambition, among other things can really be very dangerous and harmful for us as they can easily mislead us all into the path towards our downfall and destruction. We must always remind ourselves that worldly desires, attachments and ambitions of all sorts would only lead to division and from there on to suffering, and ultimately into sin and therefore destruction. The examples highlighted in our Scripture passages today served to remind us about these facts so that we will not go further in our erroneous ways and repent from all of our sins, returning back to the Lord with contrite hearts, seeking His forgiveness and mercy.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Genesis, we heard of the story of the time when the sons of Jacob or also known as Israel, struggled among themselves because of the favour which Jacob gave to one of his sons, Joseph, one of his youngest sons, born of his beloved wife, Rachel. For the context of this event, we must first understand the dynamics of Jacob’s life and family relationships, which began when he went into self-exile away from his homeland in Canaan after he had taken away the blessings meant for his elder brother Esau. He went to the land of his relative Laban in Mesopotamia, and while labouring for him, gained two of Laban’s daughters as wife, the elder daughter Leah and the younger one, Rachel. Jacob loved Rachel and only wanted to marry her, but had to take Leah as wife as well.

As a result, when they and their servants bore children to Jacob, eventually it was inevitable that Jacob treasured the sons born to him by Rachel more than the other sons. In addition, if we read on more in the Scriptures, Rachel died while giving birth to Joseph’s younger brother Benjamin, which is yet another reason why Jacob treated Joseph with such favour as described in our first reading today. However, just as we have also heard there, this naturally brought about resentment from the other sons of Jacob, who saw their brother’s special treatment with jealousy and even disgust. This was exacerbated by the dreams which Joseph had received, which he shared with his brothers, which were actually premonitions of what would happen in the future, foreseeing the moment when everyone including his parents, would bow before Joseph, in his later role as the Regent of Egypt.

This eventually led to them plotting their own brother’s demise, even thinking of killing him. Fortunately, Reuben, the eldest son of Jacob managed to dissuade them from such an act, and instead, they sold Joseph off to Midianite slavers who eventually brought Joseph to Egypt, while they lied to their father saying that Joseph had been killed by wild animals. Joseph had to struggle in his early years in Egypt, enduring slavery and then prison, before rising up to the position of the Regent of Egypt by God’s guidance and grace. And as mentioned, he would eventually be reunited with his brothers and family after many years, and they forgave one another their mistakes and faults. This is truly a reminder for all of us as Christians not to do the same injustice and mistreatment to our fellow brothers and sisters ourselves.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the parable told by the Lord Jesus to His disciples from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist regarding the evil tenants in a land that refused to pay and obey their dues, the fees that they were supposed to give to the landowner as part of their rent and obligations. This led to the master or landowner to send his servants to collect the rents from those tenants and to remind them to fulfil their obligations, only for those evil and wicked tenants to mistreat the servants sent by the landowner, persecuting and even killing them. And we heard how last of all, the landowner or master sent his own son to the field, thinking that those tenants would at least respect his son, which ended up with the evil tenants plotting and causing the death of the landowner’s son, with the wicked intention of desiring the ownership of the lands that they had been renting.

This parable was in fact a representation of the people of God of the time of the Lord Jesus and previously, such as during the time of the prophet Jeremiah mentioned earlier on. Those evil and wicked tenants refer to the people of God themselves, with the lands they had rented on being a representation of this world that we are all living in. Meanwhile, the master or the landowner is a representation of the Lord Himself, the Lord of the world and all Creation, and those servants that were sent to the tenants to remind them represent the prophets and the messengers that God had sent to His people. And of course the son of the master represents the Son of God Himself, the Lord and Saviour of all, Whom had been sent into this world, and then later on was rejected and condemned to death by those who refused to believe in Him, much as how those wicked tenants treated the master’s son.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, that is how our desires for worldly things, riches, possessions and other sorts of ambitions can lead us into the slippery slope of sin and disobedience against God, corrupting us and turning us away from God’s grace and love into the path towards our downfall. We must not allow ourselves to be easily taken in by our ambitions and desires such as what the sons of Jacob had exhibited, and which the evil and wicked tenants in the parable of the Lord had shown us. As Christians all of us should resist the temptations of worldly glory and desires, all the obstacles keeping us away from the Lord and His righteous path. We should resist all the false pleasures offered and provided by the evil ones seeking our downfall and destruction, and strive to be good role models in our own lives, in how we live up to our faith each day, putting God at the centre of our lives and existence, and not our own pride, ego and desires for glory and worldly pleasures.

May all of us continue to draw ever closer to God and to His most generous mercy as we continue to progress through this time and season of Lent, so that by our commitment to live our daily lives in the manner that is acceptable to God, obeying His Law and commandments, all of these would be helpful in leading us closer to the Lord’s salvation, allowing us to throw away the yoke of sin and evil, and with contrite and sorrowful hearts, fully realising the depth and gravity of our sins, we may enter into God’s rich embrace of mercy and love, and be healed from all of our predicaments and corruptions of sin. May God be with us always, and may He empower each one of us with His love and grace, that we may give Him our very best and commit ourselves wholeheartedly to Him, now and always. Amen.