Lenten Homily

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Monday, 26 March 2018 : Monday of Holy Week (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day the Scripture readings bring us ever closer to the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who would suffer and die on the cross, as we commemorate it in Good Friday in just a few days away from today. In today’s Gospel we heard of Mary, one of the constant followers of Jesus, who came up to Him during the dinner meal and anointed His feet with the most costly perfume and dried it with her own hair.

In this seemingly simple action and what happened afterwards all of us Christians are reminded in this time of the Holy Week of Who it is that ought to be the centre of our lives, that is the Lord, Our God. The Lord Jesus Who came into the world and dwelled among us, is God, and through Him God was willing to save us all mankind from our fate of destruction because of our sins.

And because He is God, that is why, as Mary showed us all, that He alone is worthy of all worship, glory and honour, and thus she used the most precious perfume to anoint His feet. At the same time, this is also a practice which is also done on the bodies of the dead, to prevent the bodies from having bad odour due to decomposition, which also therefore is a premonition of what the Lord was to go through, His suffering and death on the cross.

Mary humbled herself before the Lord, by bowing before Him and using her own hair to dry the Lord’s feet from the perfume she anointed Him with. For a woman, the hair is the most precious and the most important part of her body, her most valuable and prized possession. For Mary to make use of her hair to honour the Lord is for her to give her very best to the Lord, to do what she could, in the best way she could commit, to serve the Lord.

Let us compare this faith to what the disciple of Jesus, Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, said at the same occasion. Judas sneered at Mary and ridiculed her for what she had done, and he mentioned how the expensive perfume she had used on the Lord’s feet could have been sold for a rich sum of money, and the money given to the poor instead. And the Lord rebuked Judas for his comment against Mary, because he was mistaken in his remarks.

First of all, as mentioned in the Gospels, Judas did not make the comment because he was truly caring towards the poor and the needy. Instead, as he was in charge of the Lord and His disciples’ funds and money, he could have stolen the funds and the money obtained by the selling of the expensive perfume, and put the money into his own pockets. He was thus in fact very corrupt in his action and in his thoughts, committing sin against God by slandering his fellow men, and by putting money ahead of God, and by telling lies and having a hypocrite’s faith.

That is also why Judas later on betrayed the Lord Jesus, because he was tempted by the allure of money, as he found the opportunity to sell Him over to the chief priests and the enemies of the Lord, who priced Him at a mere thirty silver coins, the price of a slave. Later on, Judas would regret this betrayal, but it was too late for him, as what has been done, cannot be undone. This is the proof of just how dangerous it is, when we put our selfish desires foremost in our minds and in our hearts.

Instead of following Judas’ example, we should imitate Mary, who gave her all to the Lord. She did not hesitate to humble herself before the Lord, and loved Him and followed Him wherever He went. This is the kind of faith which we all should have in our own lives, not the faith of a hypocrite, not the empty faith of someone like Judas Iscariot, and all those who refused to believe in the Lord with all of their heart, but only paying lip service to Him.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore, as we continue to progress through the Holy Week celebrations, let us all reflect on all these, and strive to live more worthily of the Lord, and by turning our hearts and minds towards God. Let us all become ever more humble like Mary, and love God with all of our hearts. Let us all realise just how sinful we have been, and in need of God’s mercy and forgiveness.

May the Lord be with us always, and may He continue to guide us on our way, that we will always walk in His path, and eventually find our way towards His loving embrace, and be fully reconciled with Him, Our loving God and Father. May the Lord bless us all and our endeavours of faith. Amen.

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Sunday, 25 March 2018 : Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we begin the celebration of the most important events in our faith, that is the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, His final earthly mission, to complete everything that the Lord has planned for mankind, the salvation of us all, by the suffering and the death of the Messiah, Our Lord Jesus, on the cross at Calvary.

This Holy Week of important events of our faith begins today with the Palm Sunday, celebrating the moment when the Lord Jesus entered in glory into the Holy City of Jerusalem on a donkey, as we heard just earlier in our Gospel passage at the start of today’s celebration of the Holy Mass. The people welcomed the Lord Jesus and hailed Him as the Messiah and King Who was to come to His city in glory, saying loudly, “Hosanna in the highest! Hosanna to the Son of David!”

They waved palm branches and placed their cloaks and clothes in front of Jesus, welcoming Him as if He is the King of Israel. Indeed, He is King and Lord of all, and among the people at that time, as mentioned later by the disciples who walked to Emmaus just after Jesus’ death that they had hoped that He was the One Who would have restored the Kingdom of Israel.

Yet, it was the very same people who would shout loudly in just a matter of a few days, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” The same people who cheered and welcomed the Lord with much energy and spirit, were the same ones who would reject Him and call for His death, death at the hands of the Romans and a most painful death on the cross. How could this have happened, brothers and sisters in Christ?

The Scripture readings today show the nature of Our Lord’s plan of salvation, that He must suffer at the hands of His enemies and bear the cross on His own accord towards death and punishment for the crimes and sins that He Himself did not commit. But all of these are ultimately meant for our own good, for our salvation and liberation from the bondage to all of our sins.

The cross of Christ is the cross of our sins and faults, all of our shortcomings and rebellious attitudes against God. When the Lord Jesus bore that cross, He did not just bear the physical weight of the wooden cross, which according to historical data and research was already quite formidable in itself, but even more so, it was the massive and unimaginable burden of the combined weight of our sins, our shortcomings, our trespasses, our faults and all other things that should have been ours to bear.

All of us, each one of us are sinners, brothers and sisters in Christ. All of us have disobeyed God in one way or another, in small sin or in major sin. And each and everyone of us should have endured the consequences for all these sins and faults we have with us. What is the punishment of sin? Death, and also separation from God and eternal damnation in hell. That is what we should have suffered.

But God, Who loves each and every one of us, His beloved children so greatly, did not want this fate to befall us, as ultimately, as mentioned, He loved us all greatly, though not our sins and disobedience that creates those sins. Thus, He promised us all since the beginning, that He will save us, by the sending of a Saviour, or Messiah, He Who would reconcile all mankind, God’s beloved people with Him.

All of these were fulfilled in Jesus Christ, Whom the prophet Isaiah prophesied in the first reading we heard today, about the Servant of God Who would suffer, be rejected and be persecuted for doing God’s work. The prophet Isaiah prophesied about the Suffering Messiah Who would suffer, and it was this suffering that the prophet was speaking about. Christ was obedient that He took up His cross for our sake, for the salvation of His own beloved people, that because He died, we may live.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we enter into this most important moment in our liturgical year, the Holy Week, how are we preparing ourselves that we may worthily commemorate the events that will come in a few days’ time? This is where we need to spend time to reflect on our own lives, on our actions and how we have lived our lives thus far. Have we been living our lives in disobedience and sin, and have we refused God’s rich offer of mercy and forgiveness?

We should use this time and the opportunity given to us, to reflect on our lives and on our actions. Have we had a good relationship with God? And indeed, how much time in a day that we actually spend with Him? Or have we instead forgotten about Him in the midst of our busy schedules, in the midst of our pursuit for power, prestige, honour, worldly comfort, money, and many other worldly desires we have?

Instead of spending so much of our time in these ultimately meaningless pursuit, shall we then turn ourselves towards God and learn to put our trust in Him? Shall we spend more time with the Lord Who loves us so much that He gave us His Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, to be our Saviour? Remember, brothers and sisters, that if not for the cross of Christ, all of us would have lived our lives with no meaning, as everything would have ended in the eternity in hell.

But because of Christ, and His loving sacrifice on the cross, by His willingness to endure the effects and the consequences of our sins, all of our punishments, all of us who believe in Him and who are willing to put our trust in Him will receive pardon from our sins and justification before God, that we who were once unworthy because of our sins, will be worthy of God’s grace, and be able to receive the eternal life He has promised to us all.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let this day be a reminder for us all, that whenever we sin, we inflict the wounds and the pain on Our Lord Jesus, Who willingly bore those sins with Him on the cross. Let us all remember that we should turn away from sin, repent from all of our past wickedness, and ultimately, return to the Lord with an open mind and heart, that all of us will be reconciled completely with Him, and receive eternal life from Him.

May God be with us all throughout this Holy Week, and may He continue to guide us and bless us all the days of our life. Amen.

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Saturday, 24 March 2018 : 5th Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we listened to the Scriptures speaking to us about the promises God had made to His people at the time of the prophet Ezekiel, a prophet who spoke about God’s words during the time when Israel had fallen into a state of humiliation and great misery. God promised His people that He would no longer turn His gaze away from them, but He would take care of them again as He had before.

This happened in the context of the people of Israel at that time having been exiled from their homeland, and having their cities destroyed and conquered. And at that time, the kingdom of Judah was also destroyed, with all of the people carried off to Babylon far away from their homeland. It was a time of great humiliation and misery for the people, who had to endure exile and persecution as their ancestors had experienced before in Egypt.

But God would not forget His people, and instead, He gave them help and liberation through His servants, and called upon the king of Persia, Cyrus, to emancipate the Israelites and send them back to their homeland. The people of Israel would return to their homeland and reestablish their livelihood there. However, eventually they would once again fall into sin and disobedience against God.

And God once again sent His deliverance to His people, by sending unto them Jesus, His own beloved Son, to be their Saviour. Unfortunately, they did not appreciate what God had done for them, and in fact, they persecuted the Lord Jesus and His disciples just as their ancestors had refused to listen to the prophets and messengers that God had sent among His people in the days past.

They were even plotting against Him, the chief priests, the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, all those who had frequently been on the collision course against the Lord and His teachings. They made life very difficult to the Lord Jesus and His disciples to the point that, according to the Gospel passage today, He had to hide from all those who were after Him and wanted His death.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, the reality is that, we also often act in the same manner, without regard for God and for His laws and commandments. We refused to listen to Him and we would rather follow the whim of our desires and our worldly concerns. As a result, we have fallen deeper and deeper into sin. But yet, the Lord has always given us opportunities, one after another, giving us help wherever and whenever we need them.

Are we grateful for all that we have been given and what we have been blessed with, by God Himself? And above all else, are we grateful for the ultimate gift which God has given us, that is eternal life, which is given to us by the loving sacrifice He performed on the cross? Whenever we look at the Christ crucified on the crucifix, do we realise just how much it is that God loves each and every one of us?

As we enter into the celebration of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the beginning of the Holy Week tomorrow, during the Palm Sunday, let us all deepen our understanding of God’s marvellous work among us, and how He has given us all His everything and every effort, that as we are going to hear the Passion Reading tomorrow, relating to us the moment when He laid down His life for us, that we may live, we may grow deeper in our relationship with Him and in our faith.

May the Lord be with us all, brothers and sisters in Christ, and may He continue to bless us with a good and living faith. May He empower us all to live faithfully, ever in His loving presence. May God bless us all. Amen.

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Friday, 23 March 2018 : 5th Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Turibius de Mogrovejo, Bishop (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day as we approach the coming of the Holy Week, the readings taken from the Scriptures increasingly took up a very peculiar tone, to highlight the gravity and the importance of the events that would take place soon in the liturgical calendar of the Church. In today’s passage from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah, we heard of the plotting which the wicked people of Judah plotted against the prophet Jeremiah, who came into their midst speaking God’s truth, and yet, he was rejected because of what he had told them.

The prophet Jeremiah had to endure much difficulty and opposition throughout his ministry among the people of Judah, and few believed in his message. They ridiculed him, made his life very difficult, and placed obstacles, one after another in his path. But the prophet Jeremiah, despite his occasional grumbling and complaints about his challenges and difficulties, he remained ultimately faithful to God and entrusted himself to Him.

God was with Jeremiah, and He guided him through those turbulent times, and despite all the challenges encountered by the prophet, he did not give up or stop his preaching and calling upon the people to turn away from their sinful ways. This is similar to what the Lord Jesus experienced, when He came into the world, bringing His truth and His salvation into our midst.

As we can see in the Gospel passage today, the Lord also encountered great opposition to His mission and work, because the people to whom He was sent, refused to believe in Him and they ridiculed and rejected Him just as their ancestors had done to the prophet Jeremiah. They refused to listen to Him, and hardened their hearts as they became angry at Jesus’ mention that He is the Son of God, the Messiah, sent into the world to correct all of mankind’s wrongs.

Instead of allowing God to enter into their hearts and listening to His offer of mercy and forgiveness, they resolutely continued down the path of their rebelliousness, and they were in fact the ones who would also reject the Lord before the governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate, when they were asked to choose between the Lord Jesus and the murderer Barabbas. They called out for His death and said in a loud voice, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this is the attitude that many of us have also either willingly or unwillingly taken in our lives. We have not allowed God to enter into our hearts and minds, and we close ourselves up from Him. We would not listen to Him and preferred to follow our own ways and thoughts instead. And that is why we have fallen into sin and became distant from God.

Today, let us all look upon the example of a particular saint, whose feast day we celebrate on this day, that is St. Turibius de Mogrovejo. He was a Spanish priest who was appointed to be the Archbishop of Lima in Peru, then part of Spanish America. He was remembered for his great piety and commitment to God, living honest and good life in accordance to God’s will.

St. Turibius de Mogrovejo showed great concern for the poor, the sick and those who were oppressed in the society. He established many houses and schools to care for them and to provide for their needs. He also championed for the case of the slaves and all those who were often prejudiced against by the society. He was also committed to serve the needs of his flock, entrusted to him by God. He enforced a stricter standard amongst the clergy, which by then had fallen into corruption and scandal. He even excommunicated the members of the clergy who had corrupt dealings and persecuted the native peoples of the Americas.

St. Turibius de Mogrovejo showed us all, how to live as true Christians, by doing God’s will and turning away from wickedness and sin. We must not allow our ego and pride to be in the way of our salvation in God, but instead, let us all be humble and be open to God’s mercy doing its work in our lives. Let us all make this our resolution from now on, that we no longer live to serve our own selfish desires and our ego, but instead, to serve the Lord with all of our hearts and with all of our strength.

May the Lord be with us always, and may He continue to guide us in this life, that we may progress in our journey of faith towards Him and find in Him the eternal life and the salvation that we are looking forward to, each and every day of our life. May all of us be reconciled with Him through our genuine repentance and turning away from our sins, and by embracing His ways, as His holy saint, St. Turibius de Mogrovejo had done. St. Turibius de Mogrovejo, pray for us. Amen.

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Thursday, 22 March 2018 : 5th Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we listened to the Lord Who made a covenant with His servant Abraham, as recorded in the Old Testament, saying that He would establish His descendants and bless them forever, because of the great faith which Abraham had shown to the Lord, by obeying Him and following Him at every moments of his life.

But in the Gospel passage today, we see how the Lord Jesus was angry at those people who called themselves the descendants of Abraham and Israel. They claimed to be the descendants of those who were good and faithful servants of God, but in their actions and deeds, and in their lack of faith in God, and in what the Lord Jesus had delivered to them, they were nothing like that of their illustrious predecessors.

As we heard in the Gospel passage today, the people accused Jesus of having colluded with Satan and worked with him in His teachings among the people, just because He told them the plain truth and reality, which they refused to listen to and to believe in, as those plain truth and reality were difficult to be accepted. Yet, that was what had afflicted them, the reality that the people had sinned and erred against God.

But God was truly a patient and compassionate God, Who does not let Himself be angered unnecessarily because of His people’s constant disobedience and waywardness. Indeed, they had erred many, many times, and despite constant reminders and messages sent to them through the prophets, they continued to disobey because they have hardened their hearts and closed off their ears and minds from receiving God’s truth.

They claimed that they were faithful to the Lord and that they have preserved His laws. However, in reality, they were only paying lip service to Him and did not truly love Him as they should have. They were only obeying the laws and the rules because they were following the traditions of their predecessors, without truly understanding and appreciating why they did all that they had done.

This is not what God wanted from them. What He wanted from them was true dedication and love, that they turn themselves completely towards Him, abandoning their sinful ways and all of their wayward behaviour. He wanted them all to be like their forefather, Abraham, in his faith and dedication, and in how they lived their lives, trusting in God and being good and righteous towards one another.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, that is what the Lord is also calling us to, during this season of Lent, that we turn away from all of our past bad and wicked habits, to embrace His ways and to repent from our sins wholeheartedly. Are we able to commit to this change in our way of life? This is surely not something that is too difficult for us to do? After all, let us think about it, that God Himself had done so much for us, so as to send us all His own beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to save us by His death on the cross.

And that cross, which Christ bore willingly in great suffering and pain towards Calvary, and on which He was hung above for all of the people to see, is the source of our salvation, and it is where all of the combined weight and consequences of our sins have been gathered and taken by Christ, that He suffered and died in our place. If we believe in Him and put ourselves completely in Him, entrusting our fate to Him, He will give us the succour from all of our sins, and we will be worthy of the grace of eternal life.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore, as we approach the coming celebration of the Holy Week and the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, let us all draw closer to God and deepen our relationship by spending our time in prayer, in contemplation and deeper understanding of our own sins, and by being more charitable and generous in our love for our fellow brothers and sisters. Let us turn towards God and turn our back away from our sins.

May the Lord bless us all, and may He be with us all throughout our journey of faith, that we may find our way into the eternal glory promised to us by the Lord. Amen.

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Wednesday, 21 March 2018 : 5th Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we listened about the story of how three devout servants of God, the friends and contemporaries of the prophet Daniel, endured great suffering and difficulty in the land of Babylon, where many of God’s people had been exiled to. The king of Babylon enforced the people living in his dominion to worship a great golden statue he had built in his own image. But the three devout servants of God refused to do so.

As such, they were subjected to great persecution from the king, a fate that befell all those who refused to obey the king’s orders to worship the golden statue. They were thrown into a blazing furnace made so hot, especially because the three of them rebuked the king for his efforts to make them to worship something that is against the commandments given to them by the Lord, their God.

They stood by their faith even though they knew that by doing so, and by saying their testimony of faith, they risked a certain death. But they rather suffer a worldly death, suffering and end, rather than to save themselves in this world by obeying the king’s orders. Had they abandoned the Lord for the obedience of the king’s orders, they would have saved themselves and be happy for the rest of their earthly existence, but then, they would face the consequences of their betrayal and abandonment in hell.

The three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego knew that God would be with them, no matter what, either at that moment, or even when they suffer and perish, their faith and commitment to God would certainly not be forgotten or ignored by God. The good and faithful God would reward them with the grace of eternal life, glory and happiness as part of their inheritance, promised to all those who keep their faith in Him.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, that is exactly what the Lord Jesus had done, before His accusers and all those who disagreed with Him. In our Gospel passage today, the Lord Jesus spoke of the truth to the people who heard Him, and they were incensed and angry at His rebuke for their behaviours, which were not in accordance to God and His ways. They claimed to be counted among the sons and daughters of Abraham, the descendants of Israel, and yet, they did not truly obey the laws and commandments as they should have.

Instead, even though many of them observed the many laws, rules and regulations pertaining to the Jewish customs, especially the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, but the Lord condemned them as hypocrites and self-serving leaders who did all that they had done, not for the right purpose or reasons, that is for the greater glory of God, but for their own desires and selfish wants.

As such, they chose worldly concerns and safety over their obligations to God, unlike what the three courageous men did in the first reading today, against the commands of the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar. The Lord wanted them to know that if they continue to walk in the path of sin, then they will have no part in God’s kingdom, despite being the descendants of Abraham, to whom God had made a Covenant with.

But God made it clear to them, that those who obey the Lord will be the ones to receive God’s promise and not those who disobey the Lord. Even the Gentiles and the ones formerly dismissed by the Jewish people and its leaders as pagans and non-believers were ahead of them in the path towards God’s salvation and grace. And thus, the same will also apply to us all, if we are to be faithful and true in our dedication towards Him.

Are we able to commit ourselves to the Lord in the same manner as the three courageous servants of God in the time of the Old Testament had done? This is a calling for us to be true Christians, to devote ourselves to God’s ways, imitating the examples of our holy predecessors who have done so much in their faith towards their Lord and Master. This is what we should do, as we continue to walk down the path of faith as shown to us by Our Lord.

There will indeed be difficulties and challenges that we will face, should we choose to dedicate ourselves to God. However, it is a choice and a risk that we have to take, and which we have to endure, should we decide to follow God. Let us all carry up our crosses in life, and dedicate ourselves anew to God, our loving Lord, Master and Creator, He Who have saved us all and blessed us, His faithful ones. Amen.

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Tuesday, 20 March 2018 : 5th Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we listened to the Scripture readings in which we heard about the sins of Israel from our first reading today, telling us about how God sent fiery serpents to strike at the people because of their disobedience, and those who were bitten, were doomed to die. There was no cure for the serpent bites, no medicine could cure the affliction.

But in the end, as we see in the story, God had mercy on His people as they begged Him for forgiveness and mercy. They regretted all the sins and wicked deeds they had committed, and God gave them rescue from the fiery serpents through His servant Moses, who commissioned a bronze serpent to be built and lifted up high in the midst of the people, so that all who were bitten by the serpents and gazed on the bronze serpent would not die.

Then we heard from our Gospel today, what the Lord Jesus plainly told the people, about His upcoming Passion and death, when He would be betrayed to His enemies and abandoned by His disciples, suffering contempt and rejection by His accusers who levelled false charges and all sorts of lies against Him. What we heard today in the Gospel is in fact a parallel of what we heard in the Old Testament reading.

How is that so? First of all, the Lord Himself in another occasion in the Gospels mentioned to Nicodemus, a Pharisee who was interested in His teachings, the comparison between Himself and the bronze serpent which Moses once wielded and raised before the sight of many for their salvation from their troubles. He said that just as the bronze serpent was lifted up high for all to see, so the Son of Man, Jesus Himself would also be lifted up high, high on the cross.

Surely we are all familiar with all the events surrounding the crucifixion, suffering and death of Our Lord Jesus. He was condemned to die on the cross, given over to the Romans who punished Him for mistakes and sins He did not commit. Yet He willingly accepted that suffering and being lifted up on the cross, so that through that act of singular and ultimate sacrifice, He can save us from our fated destruction.

For our sins and our wickedness are what had driven the people of Israel to sin as well. In their greed and desire for things of this world, they grumbled without end when they journeyed through the desert, complaining of hunger and thirst, and not satisfied even though God has given them and provided for them more than sufficient food, manna from heaven and good quality water flowing from the rocks in the middle of a dry desert.

How about us? Do we realise that we ourselves often have done the same to God? We have often forgotten God and put Him aside in our daily pursuits for worldly material goods, worldly concerns for power, for prestige, for honour, for adoration and human praise, for comfort and pleasures of the flesh, and many more. We often only remember God when we are in trouble, and when we do so, we demand Him to do things for us in accordance with what we want, and when we do not get what we want, we become angry at God.

When God is not the foremost and first in our minds and in our hearts, it is easy for us to turn to sinful ways and to disobey God’s commandments. It is our ego and greed that led us astray, and when we allow those things to distract us from our attention towards God, that is when we fall into sin. And because of sin, we are supposed to perish and die, because of our disobedience that led us to be corrupt and unworthy of God, just as the Israelites were bitten by the serpents and perished.

But God had mercy on us, and He gave us the best source of help and salvation, through none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, His own Beloved Son, to bear all the burdens of our sins, which He took up willingly on His cross. And as He was lifted up on that cross, all those who saw Him, and even though who did not see Him, but believed in Him and His sacrifice on the cross, would be saved from damnation, and receive a new life from Him.

Then, do we truly believe in His saving grace, which He has offered for us so generously from the cross? When we look at Him Who is on the cross, do we see in Him our salvation and promised Saviour, or do we fail to realise this reality presented before us? Now, I invite all of us to spend some time to reflect before the Lord on the crucifix, looking up towards Him by Whose death we have been reconciled, and through Whose suffering and pain we have been saved from eternal damnation.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day as we approach the Holy Week of the Passion of Our Lord, let us all look at Him, Our Crucified Messiah, by Whose sacrifice and death we have been saved. Let us all remember His love for us, and all that He had done for our sake. Shall we commit ourselves to love Him more and more, and devote ourselves more wholeheartedly from now on?

May the Lord be with us always, and may He continue to guide us in our journey of faith, that we may find our eternal rest and true joy in Him. May He bless us each and every one of us all to live faithfully and with greater commitment to love Him and to love one another, living a true and blessed Christian life with zeal. May God continue to watch over us, His people, now and always. Amen.

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Monday, 19 March 2018 : Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we celebrate together as the whole Church, the great Solemnity of the Protector of the Church, Foster father of Our Lord Jesus Christ, that is St. Joseph, the husband of Mary, Mother of God and Our Lord. The Church places St. Joseph in a very honourable place because of his closeness to Our Lord Jesus, as the foster father who protected and guided Him in His early years of earthly life, and also because of his righteousness and faith in God.

St. Joseph was the crucial link between God and His long awaited promise to Adam, Abraham, David and all those to whom He has made His Covenants with. First of all, St. Joseph was the legal father of Our Lord even though he was not His biological father, as the Lord was incarnate by the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary, His mother and not conceived by earthly means unlike that of any other men. Through that legal fatherhood, Jesus Our Lord and Saviour became a descendant of Adam, Abraham, David and all mentioned earlier.

In our first reading today we heard about the exchange between the prophet Nathan and king David, who spoke about the building of the Temple of God in Jerusalem. If we read through the book of the prophet Samuel and the book of Kings we will realise that David had really wanted to build a House for God, and made lots of preparation for it. But God told him that it was not him who would build a House for him, but his son.

In this, we can see two interpretations of what God told to David through His prophet Nathan. The first one is the literal one, meaning that the son of David, king Solomon would be the one to build a magnificent Temple worthy of God, and which was indeed henceforth remembered after him as Solomon’s Temple. But there is a second, parallel meaning that if we read the entirety of the Old and the New Testament, then we will understand it better.

What is this, brothers and sisters in Christ? It is the Lord Jesus, Who was born as the legal Son of St. Joseph, who himself was the legal heir and descendant of David. As such, that was why Our Lord Jesus was also known as the Son of David. When a blind man heard that Jesus was approaching in one of the Gospel accounts, he shouted, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ highlighting this relationship that Our Lord has with His ancestor David, the king of Israel.

And if Solomon built the physical Temple of Jerusalem, the first Temple built in the honour of God and known by many as Solomon’s Temple, then the Lord Jesus came into this world as the Temple itself, for He is indeed Man and God, having human and divine natures united in His person. He spoke of this when He told the chief priests and the Pharisees that He would tear down the Temple and in three days, He would rebuild it again, which alluded to His crucifixion, death and resurrection from the dead.

So, brothers and sisters in Christ, through St. Joseph, we see there is a clear link between what God had promised to His people in the ages past, and what He has fulfilled through Jesus Christ His Son, Whom He had sent into the world for our salvation, by His death and resurrection from the dead. Through His suffering and death, He fulfilled the promises He made to us from long ago, that He would save us from our sins, and we will enjoy forever the grace of His blessings and love.

And how did St. Joseph fit in all these? St. Joseph, just as Mary is, is a role model for all of us Christians, through his exemplary lifestyle and commitment to the mission he was entrusted with by God. St. Joseph was an upright man and a steadfast believer in God, and he acted with justice and with faith, even treating Mary fairly when she apparently became pregnant before she was married to him. He did not want to disgrace her by divorcing her publicly.

But the Lord revealed to him that Mary’s pregnancy was part of God’s greater plan, the long awaited salvation of all mankind, that St. Joseph would play a big part in. St. Joseph trusted in God and followed whatever he was told to do, protecting Mary and the baby Jesus during the earliest days of His infancy, and bringing them both to Egypt when king Herod wanted to have the Baby Jesus killed.

Even though it was not mentioned explicitly in the Gospels, St. Joseph must have had a significant role in the upbringing of the young Jesus, as He grew up to be a fine and healthy adulthood, by teaching Him many crafts of the world. It was indeed possible that Jesus was a carpenter like His foster father, St. Joseph, or at least have learnt the craftsmanship of a carpenter from him.

All of these tell us that as Christians we should devote ourselves and live our lives much as St. Joseph has lived his. We should be upright in our dealings and in our actions, and put God first and foremost in our minds and in our hearts. Unfortunately many of us Christians do not live by this standard, and instead, we take part in selfish attitudes such as gossiping, plotting against one another and being conceited, above all other things. It is even often that we Christians have done all sorts of actions unbecoming of us as those who profess to be faithful to God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day all of us are called to reflect on our own lives, and on all that we have done in our lives. Have we been faithful to the Lord in our actions and deeds? If we have not done so, then perhaps it is indeed time for us to change ourselves, by turning ourselves from our sins and wicked actions, and by spending more time with God, in prayer and in loving devotion.

And we are also called to do what we can to help our brothers and sisters, by being charitable and caring for those who are suffering and those who have no one to love them and to care for them. This is our calling as Christians, following in the footsteps of God’s saints, particularly that of St. Joseph. After all, God has loved us first, and He loved us so much that He sent us Jesus, His own beloved Son. Why can’t we love Him in the same manner, and why can’t we love one another in the same way?

Let us ask St. Joseph for his intercession, that he will always intercede and pray for us, and for the sake of God’s Church. Just as he had been entrusted with the care of the Lord Jesus in His youth and the Holy Family, let us ask him for his protection and prayers, that each and every one of us Christians may be able to draw ever closer to God, and therefore find our way to His salvation. May the Lord bless us all, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Sunday, 18 March 2018 : Fifth Sunday of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this Sunday, which is the fifth and the last one in the season of Lent before the beginning of the Holy Week, we listened to the words of the Scripture telling us about the coming of a new Covenant forged between God and His people, which would come to be realised during the events of the Passion of Our Lord that we commemorate in this upcoming Holy Week.

For the past few weeks, we have been discussing about the Covenants that God had made with His people, which then ended up being broken by the same people with whom He had made those Covenants with. Now, what is a Covenant in the first place? A Covenant is not just like any promises or pacts, even though it may sound very similar to a promise or a pact between peoples. A Covenant is a very formal agreement and contract between two parties, where each party is expected to obey to certain rules of the Covenant.

And it is God Who made His Covenants with us, with God as one party of the Covenant, and us mankind as the other party of the Covenant. But while God has always been faithful to His part in the Covenants He made, it has always been us who failed to honour our part of the Covenant. The descendants of Adam, Noah, Abraham, David and all those with whom God made His Covenants had sinned, by disobeying His laws, worshipping pagan idols and committing wicked acts such as murder, adultery and simony and many more.

A prominent part of the Covenant in the past during the time of the Old Testament was the sacrifice of animals such as lambs or bulls or pigeons, which blood was then divided into half, half poured onto the altar while the other half is sprinkled onto the people as a sign of the renewal of the Covenant. They were always conducted in the most formal and solemn circumstances to highlight just how serious God is at establishing a loving relationship with us.

Whenever we disobey God and do what is wicked and against His ways, we sin before Him, and by that sin, we have been disgraced and sundered from God’s love. And therefore we break the Covenant that God had made with us by our sins. When that happened in the past, the people who sinned must come to a priest, who would then sacrifice the animals brought onto the Temple, and sprinkle the blood on the sinner as a sign of God’s forgiveness.

Essentially, this is a very symbolic gesture of God’s forgiveness of our sins, which is then linked to the renewal of the Covenant He had established with us. But as we can see, mankind is a very stubborn race of people, who often failed to resist the temptation to sin, and we continue to do what we prefer to do rather than to obey the ways and the laws of the Lord.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we have to realise the extent of the love which God has shown to us all, to each and every one of us, from the least among us to the greatest and the mightiest among us. All of us are equally loved by God, and none of us can say that God does not love us or hate us. He loves each and every one of us for who we are, His beloved children and creation, but it was our sins that He despised. It was our sins which come in between us from our loving relationship with God.

It was never in God’s intention to punish us or to make our lives miserable. If souls fell and ended up in hell, in the state of eternal despair and hopelessness, that was not God’s doing, but the mistakes committed by the fallen beings themselves. God has always offered His love, forgiveness and compassion freely without the need for us to pay for them. But it is us mankind who have willingly refused to accept God’s offer of mercy, love and compassion.

For the love of worldly things, our greed and ambition, our ego and desires, we have chosen to walk in our own path, instead of obeying and following God. We ended up disobeying God and living in sin, and that is why many of us mankind, throughout the ages are truly in a sad state, defiled and corrupted by our sins and wickedness. Had the Lord not done anything to help us, hell would have been full with all of us and our ancestors.

No, that is not what God wanted to happen, and that is why, He resolved to end the continuing cycle of sin and damnation once and for all, by forging with us a renewed Covenant, the greatest among all the Covenants, one that will never end and will never be broken, because it is sealed not with any animal sacrifices or any forms of animal blood, but by the most precious Blood of all, the Blood of Our Lord, God and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Yes, brothers and sisters in Christ, it was by His ultimate and most loving sacrifice on the cross, that Jesus Christ Our Lord sealed the New Covenant which He made with us all, as the Mediator of that New Covenant, between God and mankind, His beloved ones. Christ’s loving sacrifice and His voluntary shedding of His Blood from the cross, on the perfect altar that is Calvary, marks the beginning of a new era, of reconciliation between God and His people, all of us.

Before Christ, we mankind and Our Lord have been separated because of sin, such that in between us and Him there is an uncrossable chasm and sundering, that prevented us from being able to be with Our God. Our sins should have merited us eternal damnation and suffering in hell, separated forever from God. However, as mentioned, God did not want that to happen to us, because of His love, and thus, He gave us Christ as our Saviour, that all of us who believe in Him will be saved.

Through Christ, Who is both God and Man, all of us find a new hope, by the bridge that Christ Himself had built through His cross, to bring man back to the loving embrace of their Creator. This new and everlasting Covenant will never be broken, for God Himself guaranteed it by His own Most Precious Blood, sealed for all eternity. Now, it is the matter of whether we are willing to be a part of that Covenant or not.

God has always given us the freedom to choose whether we want to obey Him or not. However, the consequences of our choice is ours alone to bear. If we decide to follow the examples of the Israelites of the past, who disobeyed God and preferred to live in sin, enjoying all the good fruits and the desires of this world, then we have to know that we have chosen all these over all that God has offered us.

But if we choose to be faithful to Him and partake in the Covenant He had made with us through Christ, then we can call ourselves as Christians, in body, heart, mind and spirit. Yet, we cannot be half-hearted in our faith and commitment, or else, it is likely that we will be tempted and fall. Being a true Christian requires effort and commitment from us, as the Lord Himself said, that in order for us to follow Him, we must take up our crosses and follow Him.

Therefore brothers and sisters in Christ, reflecting and remembering upon all the good things that God had done for us, His insistent love and compassion for us, and all that He had given us, even to the point of giving us His own beloved Son, to be our Saviour and to die for us on the cross for our salvation, just so that He can bond us all to a new and everlasting Covenant that superseded all previous ones, then we should indeed think of how we can be part of this wonderful Covenant.

As we approach the Holy Week beginning next Sunday with the Palm Sunday, let us recall the Passion of Our Lord Jesus, Who took up that cross and suffered for us, so that by gathering all of our sins to Himself, He might redeem all of us, His beloved people. Let us all shun all of our past sins and wickedness, all the things we have done in disobedience against God, and walk from now on in His ways.

Let us now be an active partner of the Lord in the Covenant He made with us, by devoting ourselves, our time, our effort, our actions and our words for the greater glory of God. And how do we do this? First of all, we need to put God as the priority in our lives, by obeying His laws and commandments, and by doing our actions with our love for God in mind. That means, we should not treat our brothers and sisters with contempt or hatred, or selfishly trying to preserve our own needs and attain our desires over the sufferings of others.

Let us be more charitable in all of our dealings, in our every actions and deeds. Let us all have pity and compassion on those who are not as fortunate as us in our midst, and do whatever we can to help, or to alleviate their sufferings, or to share our joy with them. This is how we show others the same love that God has shown us, a selfless and compassionate love.

Let us also draw closer to God, by deepening our relationship with Him through prayer, that in everything we do, we do it prayerfully, knowing that God is with us, and that we exist to be with God, to love Him and to serve Him with love. Let us all show our commitment to Him by devoting our lives more wholeheartedly to Him. May all of us find our way to reach God’s saving grace, and receive the gift of eternal life and glory, as part of the Covenant He has established with us.

May all of us be more committed to live up to the Covenant God made with us, by proactively seeking to be righteous and just in His presence, by our compassion to the poor and to the needy around us, by listening to the pleas of the hungry and by showing comfort and love for the lonely and for those who were without love. May God be with all of our actions and endeavours, and may He bring us ever closer to Him, and bless us all of our days. Amen.

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Saturday, 17 March 2018 : 4th Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Patrick, Bishop (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, again on this day we heard the opposition that arose against the faithful servants of God from the Scriptures, as committed by all those who refused to listen to the words that those servants had brought unto their attention. Instead of listening to the truth and to the call towards repentance, they plotted against God’s servants to destroy them.

That is the essence of what we have just heard from the Scripture passages today as we come closer to the end of the season of Lent and the beginning of the Passion of Christ at the Holy Week in a week’s time. And the reason of such stubborn refusal to believe and to embrace the truth is because of our own inability to restrain ourselves and our desires.

The Lord Jesus spoke plainly and with authority, as the prophets of the earlier days had done so as well. But yet the people of God refused to listen to them, and they refused to listen to the Lord Jesus, because they would not allow the word of God to enter into their hearts and minds, that they may believe in Him. Instead, the words just entered through their ears and nothing more happened after that.

That is why we have to distinguish between hearing and listening in this case. We may wonder what is the difference between these two actions, but in reality, they make quite a difference. One can hear without listening, but the one who listens, also hears. Hearing refers to the process of sound entering into our ears, being captured by our ears’ sensing ability, and then we can hear the sound.

But hearing something does not necessarily mean that we appreciate or understand what we have heard. In our world today there are many noises around us, surrounding us all day long. When things become too noisy and the sounds become too loud, we shut ourselves from those noises, and we consciously try to not listen to those noises.

Similarly, if our hearts and minds are closed to God’s words and truth, then we will end up like the Pharisees and all those who were opposed to the good works of the prophets and Our Lord Himself, those who heard the word of God but failed to listen to Him speaking to them through those words. Have we been like this, brothers and sisters in Christ?

It is not easy for us to truly listen to God, as there are, as mentioned a lot of noise being ever present around us, all the time. And these are also the ways how the devil is trying actively to prevent us from listening to God speaking to us in the depths of our hearts and minds. Otherwise, had we all listened to Him and repented, hell would have been empty!

Brothers and sisters in Christ, in order to be able to listen to God, we have to learn to temper ourselves, our desires and resist the many temptations present in our lives. And sometimes, it is important for us to know that being a disciple and follower of the Lord is not something that is so difficult and complicated after all. St. Patrick, the famous saint and bishop whose feast we celebrate today, preached about God and His nature of the Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit using a three-leaf clover to make the people understand the complex mystery with a simple symbol and approximation.

St. Patrick himself did not have it easy during his ministry to the pagan peoples of Ireland and in all of his missionary works. He often faced rejection and ridicule, much as the Lord Jesus Himself had faced from the Pharisees and from His enemies. Yet, St. Patrick patiently persevered on in his efforts, and many more people believed in God and were saved because of him.

Let us all, brothers and sisters in Christ, renew our efforts to live our lives faithfully, imitating the examples of Our Lord Himself, and all of His holy saints, particularly that of St. Patrick. May we all be able to loosen the stuck doors of our hearts and minds, too long encrusted with pride, greed, desire, ambition, prejudice, hatred, and all other obstacles that had prevented us from being able to listen to God and understand what it is that He wants from each one of us.

May all of us learn to be better and more dedicated servants of Our Lord, by lessening the importance of our selves, and by growing greater in our humility before God, embracing His forgiveness and mercy for our sins, and love Him with all of our efforts. May we listen to His words and be thoroughly converted in heart, mind, body and soul to become His beloved and worthy children. May God bless us all, and may St. Patrick intercede for us sinners. Amen.