Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Lord speaking to us about the nature of what being Christians is all about. We are all God’s chosen people, whom He has called from among all the nations to follow Him and to live in His presence. As such, we are expected to live our lives in the manner that is in accordance to our Christian faith. It means that we should do what the Lord has taught and commanded us to do.

In essence, the Lord has revealed to us what we ought to be doing as Christians, as we heard in our Gospel passage today. He calls on us to be someone who loves our fellow brethren sincerely and as people who can give ourselves for the benefit of all those whom we encounter in life, and as those who are filled with grace and righteousness in all things. The Lord said this using the example of someone who was asked to walk for a mile, and as Christians we ought to walk even the extra mile, and give more than what we are asked for.

This is not because by giving more that we will be rewarded better or benefit more. On the contrary, as Christians, such things should be the last things to be in our mind. We can be better Christians by getting rid from ourselves the corruption of worldly desires and our human pride. These are things that often distract us from the Lord and our focus on Him. We are often too burdened by the weight of our human desires and worldly concerns that we forgot what it means to become God’s chosen and beloved people.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today we are called to be different from the norms and ways of the world, to challenge the customs and standards of this world we live in, and to be the true and faithful bearers of our Christian faith and to be witnesses of Our Lord’s truth, His Passion and Resurrection, and His salvation among all the people of all the nations. As Christians we have to give ourselves and our very best to contribute to the good works and efforts of the Church in evangelisation and in the salvation of many more souls.

Are we able and willing to commit ourselves to the cause of the Lord, brothers and sisters in Christ? It will not be an easy path forward for us if we want to remain faithful and true as Christians, and as those whom God had called and chosen. Yet, if we remain faithful to Him and entrust ourselves to His care, through Him we shall do wonderful and great many deeds, which we may not even realise that we can do. For indeed, through God, everything is possible, and what may seem to be impossible for man, is possible for God.

And we do not have to do great and impressive things, brethren. What matters is that we do our best in our every actions and endeavours, giving our best in our respective capacity and abilities, even in the smallest things we do, in our own families and among our friends and acquaintances, in our community and when we are interacting with the strangers and all those whom we encounter throughout our lives. Through our small and yet significant, genuine and faithful actions, we truly bring glory to God and help to bring so many others to be closer to Him.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, throughout this dark period and moments, as we are still suffering the various trials and tribulations, not least from the effects of the pandemic and economic uncertainty, growing inequality, racism and prejudice, increasing conflict and divisions both within our societies and among nations and peoples, we are all challenged to be the ones to break the chain of evil and the cycle of suffering and hatred. We are all called to be the light of the world, to be the beacons of Christ’s Light, sharing with all the hope that we have received from Him.

That is why, in each and every moments of our lives, let us all bear witness to His truth and love, by dedicating our every moments, our time and effort, and doing whatever we can to serve Him, even in the smallest of our contributions and works. Are we willing and able to commit ourselves in this, brothers and sisters in Christ? Let us all pray for strength, for courage, patience and perseverance, to remain faithful to the Lord, to be courageous to walk down the path that God has led us to, and that our love for one another will help us to lead others to the love of God, and to His salvation and eternal life. May God be with us all, and may God bless our every good works and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scripture, we heard the words of encouragement from the Lord reminding us all that if we are faithful to the Lord and follow His ways, then we have nothing to be worried about, and we do not need to fear, for the Lord will bless us and protect us, and we will be provided for, and strengthened by grace. The Lord will always be by our side, even when we ourselves do not realise it. He has always been there for us, all the time.

In our first reading today, as we listened to the words of St. Paul in his Epistle to the Church and the faithful in the city of Corinth, we are reminded by the Apostle that no matter what sufferings and challenges we face in life, God is always by our side and He will never abandon us, no matter what. If we persevere faithfully through those trials and challenges, and remain faithful to Him, God will bless us and keep us in His grace and blessings. We have nothing to fear if we put our trust in the Lord, as our rewards in Him shall be great.

The Gospel, taken from the Gospel of St. Matthew recounted to us the famous Sermon on the Mount by the Lord Jesus, also known as the Beatitudes. In that Beatitudes, we heard about the Lord speaking to encourage those who are faithful to the Lord and are righteous and just in their way of life, living as true and genuine Christians, in showing love to one another, in bringing peace and harmony to the community, and in being selfless and generous in giving, all that the Lord has therefore called on all of us to do in our own lives.

Yes, brothers and sisters in Christ, through what St. Paul and the Lord Himself have told us, as Christians all of us are reminded to be virtuous and exemplary in our lives, that in our every actions, words and deeds we will always exhibit the most Christ-like attitude and behaviour, that came genuinely from our hearts, from our deep love for the Lord and from our enduring faith and commitment to the Lord. This is our Christian calling in life, and what each and every one of us are expected to do, in our own lives as Christians.

Unfortunately, many of us have yet to practice these in our own lives, and many of us live our lives much as the rest of the world have also done. Brothers and sisters in Christ, if that is the case, then are we not Christians just in name only? And in fact is it not scandalous and improper for us to even be calling ourselves as Christians, if our actions prove to be even contrary to the teachings of our faith? And yet, that is what quite a few of us have been doing, in being selfish and evil towards others, in manipulating and exploiting others, especially those who are weak and less fortunate.

And there are many more among us who have succumbed to the temptations of the world, the temptations of worldly pleasures and glory, that we have ignored and abandoned God’s truth and way, in exchange for the ways of the world. Is this what we are called to do as Christians? No, certainly we are not! As we heard from the Scriptures today, we are all called and challenged to be different from the world, to show love, care and compassion when there is so much hatred and evil in this world, and to show mercy, peace and reconciliation when there are so much violence and bitterness in our world today.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, are willing and able to commit ourselves anew to the Lord and His path from now on, if we have not yet done so? Let us all realise our Christian mission and calling, all that we have been expected to do, as part of this one Church and one community of the Christian faithful. Let us all devote our effort, time and attention to serve the Lord more faithfully, and persevere ever more strongly in faith, dedicating all that we can to bring glory to the Lord and to show our Christian faith, love and charity to one another.

May the Lord be with us all, and may He always bless us in our every endeavours, and let us also ask Him to strengthen us and to give us the courage, the energy to go on when things are challenging in our lives and in our path. May God bless us always, now and forevermore. Amen.