Monday

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Monday, 8 January 2018 : Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Isaiah 42 : 1-4, 6-7

Here is My Servant Whom I uphold, My Chosen One in Whom I delight. I have put My Spirit upon Him, and He will bring justice to the nations. He does not shout or raise His voice, proclamations are not heard in the streets. A broken reed He will not crush, nor will He snuff out the light of the wavering wick. He will make justice appear in truth.

He will not waver or be broken until He has established justice on earth; the islands are waiting for His law. I, YHVH, have called You for the sake of justice; I will hold Your hand to make You firm; I will make You as a Covenant to the people, and as a Light to the nations, to open eyes that do not see, to free captives from prison, to bring out to light those who sit in darkness.

Alternative reading

Acts 10 : 34-38

Peter then spoke to Cornelius and his family, “Truly, I realise that God does not show partiality, but in all nations He listens to everyone who fears God and does good. And this is the message He has sent to the children of Israel, the Good News of peace He has proclaimed through Jesus Christ, Who is the Lord of all.”

“No doubt you have heard of the event that occurred throughout the whole country of the Jews, beginning from Galilee, after the baptism John preached. You know how God anointed Jesus the Nazarean with Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all who were under the devil’s power, because God was with Him.”

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Monday, 1 January 2018 : Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, Theotokos, World Day of Prayer for Peace (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day, the very first day of the new year, we always celebrate together with the entire Universal Church, the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. On this day we celebrate together for Mary, the holy woman whom God has appointed to become the Mother of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and today’s celebration is very closely linked to a core tenet of our faith, and it was very significant in the development and history of the Church.

As Christians, all of us believe that Jesus Christ, the Messiah or Saviour of the world, is not just mere Man, but is also God Incarnate, united in the person of Jesus. We believe that He is the Son of Man, precisely because He was born of a woman, as do any other men or women. He was born of Mary in Bethlehem, and thus He was a member of humanity, and He did really exist in the flesh, able to experience human sufferings and emotions as hunger, sorrow, and were able to be tempted by the devil, and eventually, suffered pain and anguish, leading up to His death on the cross.

All of these would not have been possible should Jesus Our Lord is only a Divine being, and not Man. That is why there are many of those who cannot comprehend what the Church and our faith teach about the nature of Our Lord and Saviour, as both God and Man at the same time. That also lead them to the lack of faith and belief in the crucifixion of Christ, for if Jesus Christ is merely God and not Man, He could not have suffered or died. God could not have died, for He is omnipotent and omnipresent.

That is why we believe that He is truly a Man, for He was born of Mary, walked in this world, and experienced all the things that we mankind have also experienced, all the challenges and sufferings in life, except for the complete absence of sin, for Jesus is the perfect Man, the New Adam, through Whom God wanted to save us all from our sins. And He is also God, because no Man could have saved us mankind from our sins, and only God can forgive us from our sins. But then, why is it that today’s celebration is actually so important for our faith and for the Church?

That was because, there were so many different opinions and schools of thought in the Church during its early centuries, as well as private interpretations by several groups and charismatic priests and leaders that ended up causing divisions and serious disagreements within the Church at the time, especially the one concerning the nature of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, His nature and truth, His identity and reality, on whether He was just merely Man, or whether He was just God, or whether He was both Man and God, but again some were later divided on whether this humanity and divinity were separate or mixed together and indistinguishable.

And on the very first Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, the heresy of Arianism was condemned officially by the Church. This heresy, based on the teaching of the popular priest Arian, taught that while Jesus is the Son of God, but He is not equal to God the Father because He was created by the Father and not existing with Him from before the beginning of time. This heresy was officially condemned, and the Church stood by the truth that Jesus is the Son of God, and as the Divine Word incarnate, He is equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit in the Holy Trinity.

Then dispute quickly arose again regarding the nature of His divinity and humanity. While as we discussed just earlier, that Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour is both equally Man and God, but at that time, people disagree on whether the person Jesus Christ we see in the Gospels is just a Man, and distinct and separate from the divinity of the Son of God, a position which was championed by another heretic, Nestorius, or whether Jesus Christ is both Man and God, united in the person of Jesus.

This is the very reason for the Church to officially declare Mary as the Mother of God, or in Greek, Theotokos, as the one who bore God into the world, as His mother. The supporters of Nestorius preferred to call Mary as Christotokos, or the one who bears Christ. And they preferred this title because it suited their false theology separating the divinity from the humanity of Christ, by saying that Mary is merely just the mother of the human Jesus and not the divine Son of God.

We may think that such a squabble and conflict was unnecessary and meaningless, but in reality, it is very important, as if the wrong teachings about the nature of Mary as the Mother of God managed to triumph over the truth, it would definitely also affect the truth and the teaching about the nature of Our Lord and Saviour as well. Those who denied that Mary is the Mother of God naturally also denied the fact and truth that Jesus Christ Our Lord is God and Divine.

In the end, those who defended the truth triumphed, and until today, the Church preserved the truth, and now we celebrate this very important feast day, on the very first day of the year based on the ancient tradition that the first day of the month of January is dedicated to honour the motherhood of Mary. She is indeed the mother who gave birth to Jesus the Messiah, and because Jesus is both God and Man, having human and divine natures united in the person of Jesus, Mary is therefore also the mother of God.

And that is exactly why we honour Mary such as we exalt her above all that of the other saints. Yet, we also do not worship her as if she is a divinity. After all, even though she was conceived without sin by God’s will in order to be a worthy and perfect vessel for His Son, but she is still a human being just like us. Yet, she is the perfect role model for each and every one of us, as she obeyed the Lord faithfully and followed His commandments, surrendering herself completely to His designs and plans.

While our first ancestors Adam and Eve said no to the Lord by their disobedience, and even though many of us mankind refused to listen to Him and preferred to go on our own way and follow our own desires and designs, but Mary said yes to the Lord when He revealed to her the divine plan of salvation through the Archangel Gabriel. She lived righteously and devoted herself entirely to love her Son Jesus.

Thus again, we honour her such, because of her extraordinary faith, on top of her motherhood of God. And we are all indeed very fortunate to have this greatest among all saints and intercessors, who is constantly praying for our sake and interceding for us, as she is indeed the closest one to her Son, Our God, at the side of His heavenly throne and glory. And just like at the wedding of Cana, when Jesus listened to His mother, even though He was reluctant to perform a miracle there, He performed it because He also listened to His mother’s petition on behalf of the wedding couple in distress.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, as we begin a new year, which will be filled with its own unique challenges and opportunities, let us all seek to imitate the examples of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, in her faith and commitment to God. Let us all strive to become like her in our own respective lives. We have to be thankful that God has given her to us, as a great gift. When she was entrusted by her Son from the cross to St. John, He also entrusted us to her. We are her adopted children as well.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore, let us all pray that we may always live faithfully from now on, inspired by the faith of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, and we remember always this important tenet of our faith, and keep it faithfully with us, so that we may not fall into the temptation of false teachings which had so much divided the Church and our faith in the past.

Let us all ask Mary, the mother of God for her constant intercession, that she will continue to watch over us, her beloved children, that all of us will be able to eventually find our way towards the Lord, our loving God, her Son. Let us all draw closer to God, through Mary, through whom we can find the best and straightest path to His salvation and grace. God bless us all. Amen.

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Monday, 1 January 2018 : Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, Theotokos, World Day of Prayer for Peace (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 2 : 16-21

So the shepherds came hurriedly, and found Mary and Joseph, and the Baby lying in the manger. On seeing Him, they related what they had been told about the Child, and all were astonished on hearing the shepherds.

As for Mary, she treasured all these words, and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds then returned, giving glory and praise to God for all they had heard and seen, just as the Angels had told them.

On the eighth day the circumcision of the Baby had to be performed; He was named Jesus, the Name the Angel had given Him before He was conceived.

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Monday, 1 January 2018 : Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, Theotokos, World Day of Prayer for Peace (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Galatians 4 : 4-7

But when the fullness of time came, God sent His Son. He came born of woman and subject to the Law, in order to redeem the subjects of the Law, that we might receive adoption as children of God.

And because you are children, God has sent into your hearts the Spirit of His Son which cries out : Abba! That is, Father! You yourself are no longer a slave but a son or daughter, and yours is the inheritance by God’s grace.

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Monday, 1 January 2018 : Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, Theotokos, World Day of Prayer for Peace (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 66 : 2-3, 5, 6 and 8

May God be gracious and bless us; may He let His face shine upon us, that Your way be known on earth and Your salvation among the nations.

May the countries be glad and sing for joy, for You rule the peoples with justice and guide the nations of the world.

May the peoples praise You, o God, may all the peoples praise You! May God bless us and be revered, to the very ends of the earth.

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Monday, 1 January 2018 : Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, Theotokos, World Day of Prayer for Peace (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Numbers 6 : 22-27

Then YHVH spoke to Moses saying, “Speak to Aaron and his sons and say to them : This is how you shall bless the people of Israel; you shall say : May YHVH bless you and keep you! May YHVH let His face shine on you, and be gracious to you! May YHVH look kindly on you, and give you His peace!”

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

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Monday, 25 December 2017 : Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord, Christmas Day (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this joyous day we finally come together to celebrate the Nativity or the birth of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, Who was born more than two thousand years ago in the quiet city of Bethlehem, in a small and dirty stable fit for animals, not for man, less so a king, and much less still for the King of kings. Yet, that was how He came into this world, a King Who came not to be served, but to serve.

This is the reality and the truth about Christmas, which is the moment when the King of kings and Master of the Universe willingly chose to become small, to be insignificant and to empty Himself, by humbling Himself beyond anything that we can possibly imagine, that the Lord and Saviour of this world should enter into this world in such a manner. And yet, it happened, and because of that, this world and all of us mankind has a new hope because of Him.

Christmas is much more than just all the festivities and celebrations that we see all around us, all the partying and merry-making we often associate with this joyous season and time. Christmas is a joyful time because it is about Christ, about the One Who came for us, and willingly entered this world for our sake, bearing the fulfilment of God’s long promised salvation and liberation from our fated destruction due to our sins.

Without Christ, our Christmas celebrations become empty and meaningless. And if we sideline Christ and replace Him with other things, as how the world commonly celebrate Christmas, in the secular and materialistic manner, then it is no different from any other forms of merry-making and seeking of worldly pleasures and excesses. Yet, that is sadly how many of us have been swayed and influenced by the society and the temptations around us.

How many of us actually put Christ at the centre of our Christmas celebrations and joy? How many of us prepare ourselves for Christmas and remember why is it that we rejoice in this momentous occasion of Christmas? How many of us actually spend some time to reflect on the importance of Christmas to ourselves, and took the necessary steps to prepare ourselves that we may celebrate Christmas worthily and with good understanding?

Many of us think of Christmas as a good time to celebrate together because of its numerous shopping opportunities, where we throng the shopping malls and other places where plenty of lucrative Christmas deals and discounts are being touted. Many of us then worry about what we are to buy, since there are so many options to choose from. We want to look good in front of others, and we adorn ourselves with the best of accessories we can get, and prepare the greatest and most lavish banquets and celebrations.

Yet, do we know that we are losing the point of our Christmas celebrations and joy? If Christmas is so much about ourselves, about our vanity and ego, then, we have wandered off too far away from a meaningful celebration of Christmas. It is often that we do not realise what Christmas is really about, and how significant it is to all of us, each and every one of us who are sinners, without exception.

Christmas by its nature cannot be separated and should not be celebrated without a clear link and understanding of its relation to Easter, the other great feast time of the Church. Without Christmas, Easter’s meaning is diminished and altered, and the same applies for Christmas, as without Easter, Christmas itself has no clear meaning and reason. For both of these great events in the Church gave the entire meaning to the work of God’s salvation, which He had done through Our Lord Jesus Christ, His Son, Whose birth into this world we celebrate this Christmas day.

Let us now spend some time to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. What is Christmas truly about? Christmas is not the moment when Our Lord was conceived, for that happened the previous nine months from this date. Rather, as we all should know, it is the moment of Our Lord’s birth after He has spent nine months in the womb of His mother, Mary, born into the world, as the Divine Word of God, Son of God Most High, as announced by the Archangel Gabriel, and yet, by the power of the Holy Spirit and through Mary, He was also fully Man, as the Son of Man.

It is a core part of our faith and the teachings of the Church, that we believe in Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man, Who is part of the Holy Trinity, co-equal with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit as God the Son, but yet, having a human nature and existence, assuming the flesh and appearance of mankind, and born of a mother. He has two distinct natures, one that is His divinity, and the other that is His humanity.

Yet, these two distinct natures are perfectly and indivisibly united in one person, Jesus Christ. It is thus wrong to distinguish or to separate or treat Him as either man or divine without acknowledging the other. If Jesus is merely just Man, then His Blood and sacrifice offered for our sake during His Passion and death on the cross would not avail us, as no amount of mortal blood or offerings would have been able to redeem us from our sins.

If Jesus is merely just Divine, and not Man, then how would we explain His human traits and nature? He was born of a woman like that of any other men and women. He experienced sorrow and pain, and He was also tempted in His humanity by the devil in the desert. He wept for His friend Lazarus, and felt hunger and humanity’s other traits. All these pointed out to the fact that in Christmas, the Baby born and placed on the manger, is none other than God Himself, Who has appeared as Man, as one of us, fulfilling His promise that He shall dwell among us, Emmanuel, that God is with us.

God could have just saved us by His will alone. After all, He has created each and every one of us by the mere action of His will and His words. He spoke and everything came to existence. Yet, by the very action of His assumption of humanity, in Jesus Christ, He wanted to show all of us, the fullness and the perfect love He has for each one of us. Jesus Christ, the Baby Jesus born on Christmas day, is the love of God made tangible and visible, for God is Love and He has since then dwelled among us.

Christmas therefore is a truly joyful day and an event worth celebrating, and we all rejoice because God has loved us, and He has loved us so much that He had gone through all the trouble, to come into our world, and to be born through His mother Mary, that all of us may be able to see His love, through Christ, and by His loving sacrifice, the ultimate love He showed us from the cross, He saved all of us who believe in Him.

God has shown us His love, so that we who follow Him and believe in Him may also show love to one another. He came into this world as King, but He did not come to be served, but to serve His beloved people. His kingship is not one filled with pride and worldly ambitions, but instead it is a kingship of love. Thus, all of us rejoice this Christmas, because of God’s love for us, and consequently, we must, first and foremost, put the Lord at the centre of our Christmas celebrations.

Then, in order to make our Christmas celebrations more meaningful and worthy, we should also share the joy and blessings we have received with those who have less or even none. Let Christmas be a time for us to be more generous in sharing and giving, rather than a season of material excesses and excessive merry-making without regards for those who are suffering and lonely.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all embody the true spirit of Christmas, following the examples of Our Lord Jesus Himself. If God Himself has loved the world and all of us so much that He gave us the ultimate gift in the Baby Jesus, Our Saviour born and celebrated this Christmas day, then we should also love each other following His example. Let us all remember those who are in need, not just for material goods, but also, for love and attention. Let us not rejoice alone above the sufferings of others but let us share together the joy and therefore rejoice together this Christmas.

May the Lord bless us and bless our Christmas celebrations, that we may find true joy in Him and not in the pleasures that the world offered us and inundated us with. Let us draw ourselves closer to Him and do our best to live in accordance with His ways, that we may be reconciled with Him and find justification through He Who came in Christmas and Who will come again at the end of time to gather all of His faithful ones. May we then be counted among those worthy of His eternal glory. Have a blessed and wonderful Christmas everyone! Amen.

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Monday, 25 December 2017 : Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord, Christmas Day, Christmas Day Mass (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 1 : 1-18

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

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

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

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

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

Alternative reading (shorter version)

John 1 : 1-5, 9-14

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

For the Light was coming into the world, the true Light that enlightens everyone. He was in the world, and through Him the world was made, the very world that did not know Him.

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

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

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Monday, 25 December 2017 : Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord, Christmas Day, Christmas Day Mass (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Hebrews 1 : 1-6

God has spoken in the past to our ancestors through the prophets, in many different ways, although never completely; but in our times He has spoken definitively to us through His Son. He is the one God appointed Heir of all things, since through Him He unfolded the stages of the world.

He is the Radiance of God’s Glory and bears the stamp of God’s hidden being, so that His powerful Word upholds the universe. And after taking away sin, He took His place at the right hand of the Divine Majesty in heaven. So He is now far superior to Angels just as the Name He received sets Him apart from them.

To what Angel did God say : You are My Son, I have begotten You today? And to what Angel did He promise : I shall be a Father to Him and He will be a Son to Me? On sending His Firstborn to the world, God says : “Let all the Angels adore Him.”

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Monday, 25 December 2017 : Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord, Christmas Day, Christmas Day Mass (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 97 : 1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 5-6

Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done wonders; His right hand, His holy arm, has won victory for Him.

The Lord has shown His salvation, revealing His justice to the nations. He has not forgotten His love nor His faithfulness to Israel.

The farthest ends of the earth all have seen God’s saving power. All you lands, make a joyful noise to the Lord, break into song and sing praise.

With melody of the lyre and with music of the harp. With trumpet blast and sound of the horn, rejoice before the King, the Lord!