Monday

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Monday, 21 November 2016 : 34th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate together the feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, remembering and commemorating the moment when the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ was presented to God at the Temple after she was born, much as her Son Jesus, her Firstborn Son was presented to God.

It is likely that she is the firstborn child of her parents, St. Joachim and St. Anne. The practice of the offering of the Firstborn has deep roots in the history of our salvation, from the time of the Exodus, when the people of Israel were saved and brought out from their slavery in Egypt. At that time, the Lord showed His might to the Egyptians and their Pharaoh, who refused to let the Israelites go, raining down ten great plagues upon them.

It was the final plague that finally caused the Pharaoh to relent and let the people of God go, when he planned destruction on God’s people by seeking to kill all the firstborns of Israel. But God turned that around into triumph for His people by instead destroying the firstborns of Egypt including the firstborn of Pharaoh. Thus the offering of the firstborn children to God is a reminder of this great and eminent goodness of our Lord for His people.

And at the same time, it is also a reminder of how God saved His beloved creations, His firstborn ones from the assault by Satan and all of his fallen allies, as they sought to bring about our downfall by causing us to be tempted and fall into sin. And that was how Satan brought down Adam and Eve, our first ancestors. But God did not forget about us, and He still loved us, as shown in how He made a promise to them, that He will deliver them from all the ruination that Satan had caused.

And He foretold that a Woman will come to crush Satan and all of his spawns, to be the sign for the ultimate defeat of the evil one which God had foretold from the very beginning. And that woman was again mentioned by the prophet Isaiah, who foretold of the coming of the Messiah through the same woman. And that woman is the Blessed Virgin Mary, the one who bore the Saviour of the world, Jesus into this world.

If Jesus was presented to the Lord as the Saviour of all, worthy and unblemished, then His mother Mary, who was also conceived without the taint of sin, the Virgin of Immaculate Conception, was presented to the Lord as the worthy and blessed Ark to contain the New Covenant which God was making with His people in Jesus Christ. Mary is the Ark of the New Covenant, through which God made into reality the salvation He promised to us mankind.

And Mary is our role model, our greatest intercessor before God, whose actions and dedication to God is rivalled by none. She gave her whole life to God, and she dutifully carried out what had been entrusted to her as the Mother of God and our Saviour. In the Gospel today, we may mistook the idea that Jesus was being rude to His mother if we do not understand what He was actually trying to say. He did not go out to meet His mother and brothers who were waiting for Him, and instead saying to the people He was teaching who are His mother and brothers.

But Jesus was in fact saying that, be like His mother in all things, so that they will be worthy to be called sons and daughters of God. Therefore today, let us all model ourselves after Mary in her great obedience to the will of God, her willingness to have God leading her on the way to salvation, and her commitment without end, even unto following and witnessing her own Son’s death on the cross.

Let us be inspired by her actions and examples, and let us all also ask for her to intercede for our sake, that she will beseech for our sake, we who are sinners, that God her Son will show us His kind mercy and love. O Blessed Virgin Mary, pray for us now and to the end of our lives. Amen.

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Monday, 21 November 2016 : 34th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White
Matthew 12 : 46-50

At that time, while Jesus was still talking to the people, His mother and His brothers wanted to speak to Him, and they waited outside. So someone said to Him, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside; they want to speak with You.”

Jesus answered, “Who is My mother? Who are My brothers?” Then He pointed to His disciples and said, “Look! Here are My mother and My brothers. Whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is for Me brother, sister, or mother.”

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Monday, 21 November 2016 : 34th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White
Luke 1 : 46-47, 48-49, 50-51, 52-53, 54-55

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit exults in God my Saviour!

He has looked upon His servant in her lowliness, and people forever will call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, Holy is His Name!

From age to age His mercy extends to those who live in His presence. He has acted with power and done wonders, and scattered the proud with their plans.

He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and lifted up those who are downtrodden. He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty.

He held out His hand to Israel, His servant, for He remembered His mercy, even as He promised to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever.

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Monday, 21 November 2016 : 34th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White
Zechariah 2 : 14-17

“Sing and rejoice, o daughter of Zion, for I am about to come, I shall dwell among you,” says YHVH. “On that day, many nations will join YHVH and be My people, but My dwelling is among you.” The people of Judah will be for YHVH as His portion in His holy land. He will choose Jerusalem again.

Keep still in YHVH’s presence, for He comes, having risen from His holy dwelling.

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Monday, 14 November 2016 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today’s Scripture readings, taken from the Book of Revelations and the Gospel according to St. Luke have very simple and yet clear message to all of us Christians, that we all ought to be faithful, to be true to the ways of our Lord, to be righteous and good, and amidst difficulties and challenges, remain firm and devoted to the Lord, seek Him and find Him, and then we shall not be disappointed.

In the first reading today, taken from the Book of Revelations of St. John the Apostle, St. John saw a vision of the Lord Who sent His Angels to the Churches in the region, reminding each and every one of them with the same message, that while they have persevered in their faith, and remained true to the Lord and His ways, but they had fallen away from the true path and is in need of repentance and change.

The Lord reminded His people that in order to find their way to Him, they need to have that profound change in their heart, mind and soul, that they should open these to Him, allowing Him to enter into them and transforming them entirely, that they will be transformed from the people of darkness and of worldliness, into people of the light and as those who truly belong to the Lord as His children and His followers.

And many times, we do not realise that in order to do these, we have to have that strong desire in each of us to change ourselves, to challenge ourselves from the status quo of our lives, especially if we are often spending little time to reflect about what we have done, and about what we have not done. And this is perfectly represented in the Gospel passage we heard today, when we heard about how Jesus our Lord healed and opened the eyes of the blind man.

The blind man heard that Jesus was coming to the place, and he shouted to Him, asking and begging Him to heal him and make him able to see once again. But the people ridiculed him and asked him to stop screaming. Yet, the blind man continued to shout even louder to get Jesus’ attention, and the Lord came to him, seeing his faith, He healed him and thus once again, he could see and he followed the Lord henceforth.

The story of the blind man is a parallel to our own lives, in each of their unique situations and circumstances. When we sin, and when we commit things that are mistaken and wrong in the sight of God and men alike, we are like the blind man, as sin acts like a veil that prevent us from seeing the truth. Sin corrupts us, not just the body, but also the mind, heart and soul. The more we sin, the more we are desensitised to it, and after a while, it becomes even our second nature. We no longer feel when we sin.

And yes, we are sinners, and we sin from day to day, from time to time. And no one is perfect. We always make mistakes in our respective lives. But what matters is, whether we are willing to make a difference and a concrete change with our lives, that while we once were sinners, we are willing to let all of these go and take a bold new step forward, committing ourselves to a renewed life filled with repentance and the desire to love the Lord with faith.

This was what the blind man had done. He used whatever courage and strength he had to scream out loud to get the attention of the Lord, and he was determined in doing so. Are we that determined to change our lives? Are we willing to go the distance in order to find our way to the salvation in God? These are the questions that we really need to ask ourselves today as we reflect on the Scripture readings we have just heard.

Then are we also making it difficult for our fellow brothers and sisters, especially those who are in need of God’s help and mercy? Are we acting like those who are trying to discourage the blind man from seeking the Lord’s help? This is what we need to reflect on as well, as we need to move away from these actions, and instead, learn to help one another on our journey towards the Lord.

Let us be merciful, be forgiving and be loving in all of our actions and interactions with each other. Let us not harden our hearts, but welcome the Lord in them, and allow Him to transform us and make us people of the light, worthy of His salvation. May God bless us all. Amen.

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Monday, 14 November 2016 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green
Luke 18 : 35-43

At that time, when Jesus drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road, begging. As he heard the crowd passing by, he inquired what was happening, and they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was going by.

Then he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” The people in front of him scolded him. “Be quiet!” they said, but he cried out all the more, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Jesus stopped, and ordered the blind man to be brought to Him; and when he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And the man said, “Lord, that I may see!” Jesus said, “Receive your sight, your faith has saved you.”

At once the blind man was able to see, and he followed Jesus, giving praise to God. And all the people who were there also praised God.

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Monday, 14 November 2016 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green
Psalm 1 : 1-2, 3, 4 and 6

Blessed is the one who does not go where the wicked gather, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit where the scoffers sit! Instead, he finds delight in the law of the Lord and meditates day and night on His commandments.

He is like a tree beside a brook producing its fruit in due season, its leaves never withering. Everything he does is a success.

But it is different with the wicked. They are like chaff driven away by the wind. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous but cuts off the way of the wicked.

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Monday, 14 November 2016 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green
Revelations 1 : 1-4 and Revelations 2 : 1-5a

The Revelation of Jesus Christ. God gave it to Him to let His servants know what is soon to take place. He sent His Angel to make it known to His servant, John, who reports everything he saw, for this is the word of God and the declaration of Jesus Christ.

Happy is the one who reads aloud these prophetic words, and happy those who hear them and treasure everything written here, for the time is near. From John to the seven Churches of Asia : receive grace and peace from Him Who is, Who was and Who is to come, and from the seven Spirits of God which are before His throne.

Write this to the Angel of the Church in Ephesus, “Thus says the One Who holds the seven stars in His right hand and Who walks among the seven golden lampstands : ‘I know your works, your difficulties and your patient suffering. I know you cannot tolerate evildoers but have tested those who call themselves Apostles and have proved them to be liars. You have persevered and have suffered for My Name without losing heart.”

“Nevertheless, I have this complaint against you : you have lost your first love. Remember from where you have fallen and repent.”

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Monday, 7 November 2016 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard Jesus our Lord speaking to His disciples about the faith which they must have in the Lord, a true and genuine faith that brooks no wickedness or scandals that will not scandalise the Lord, the Church and the faithful. And this is repeated again in the letter and Epistle which St. Paul wrote to St. Titus, with regards to the selection, appointment and candidature for overseers or bishops in the local churches at that time, our first reading today.

And what we have heard in the first reading and the Gospel today, while especially St. Paul referred to the matter of bishops’ selection, but these also apply to each and every one of us as Christians. It is just that the bishops, as the leaders of the local churches in the numerous dioceses and jurisdictions that made up the whole entire Church, are the role models for each of those local churches and the faithful there. When the bishop err and make mistake, the faithful and the Church as a whole may also be affected.

That was why St. Paul espoused and pushed for very strict criteria in the selection of bishops and the leaders of the Church, as it was indeed easy for corruption and evil to influence the Church just as bishops and priests are themselves men as well. But similarly, each of us Christians, priest and laity alike can also make errors in our ways and in our judgment. It does not mean that just because we belong to the laity then we can do whatever things we like, if these contradict the way and the instructions of the Lord.

Anyone who sees us will judge as based on our deeds. Imagine what would others think when they see us and witness how wicked and vile our words, deeds and actions are? The laity, not just the bishops and the priests, are the forefront of the Church, more so especially in this modern age world, where everything that someone has done, are always quick to be scrutinised and examined.

We can see clearly that the priests and the bishops have been held to different standards, both from within and from outside the Church. When they made even the smallest of mistakes, many would be ready to point them out and ridicule them for having failed to meet the ‘perfection’ expected from them. There were indeed unworthy and corrupt bishops and priests in the past, as these fell into the temptations of worldliness, and these brought scandals to the Church. Yet, there were also faithful priests and bishops, who were good and faithful, but suffered because of the pressure, discrimination and expectation against them.

Not less, those who criticise the most are often themselves committing the very same mistakes. And thus, while the priest and the bishops are criticised and ridiculed, those who judge often failed to see their own faults and shortcomings. As a result, we have grown lax in our own observation and fulfilment of what was required from us in the matters of obeying the Lord our God in His ways and laws.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, each and every one of us should seek to do what St. Paul and our Lord Jesus had reminded us all to do. We should be filled with love, be filled with true and genuine faith, committing ourselves to our brethren who need our care and attention, be forgiving and merciful to those who have wronged us and brought us suffering and pain. We should devote ourselves to show true righteousness and justice before God and man alike.

Our faith in God is very powerful, brethren, just as what we can see in the Gospel which we have heard today. The Lord said that even if our faith is small, but true and genuine, it can have tremendous power indeed. Why is this so? If only one of us is bothered to do whatever the Lord wants us to do, then the impact may not be so great. But do not forget that even if just one person endeavoured to do what is right according to the Lord, those who have witnessed what this person had done may also be inspired to do the same as well.

It is what we call the ripple effect, then just as when we throw a small stone onto a water surface, creating ripples, each of the ripple will resonate and cause even more ripples to be formed. In the same manner, when others follow us in what we have done out of obedience to God, there are many others who see what these people had done, and they may also follow in their footsteps. And therefore, at the end of the day, from one person’s actions, many others will follow suit, and thus bring about good works for the Lord’s cause.

Let us all therefore today support one another, particularly our priests and bishops, our leaders and our shepherds, that each and every one of us will always be faithful to God, and be devoted in our ways, and not bring about any scandal or contradiction to our faith. May the Lord help us in these endeavours, and keep us in our faith, filling us with genuine love for Him. Amen.

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Monday, 7 November 2016 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green
Luke 17 : 1-6

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Scandals will necessarily come and cause people to fall; but woe to the one who brings them about. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone around his neck. Truly, this would be better for that person, than to cause one of these little ones to fall.”

“Listen carefully : if your brother offends you, tell him, and if he is sorry, forgive him. And if he offends you seven times in one day, but seven times he says to you, ‘I am sorry,’ forgive him.”

The Apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” And the Lord said, “If you have faith, even the size of a mustard seed, you may say to this tree, ‘Be uprooted, and plant yourself in the sea!’ and it will obey you.”