Monday

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Monday, 18 May 2015 : 7th Week of Easter, Memorial of Pope St. John I, Pope and Martyr (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

Acts 19 : 1-8

While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul travelled through the interior of the country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples whom he asked, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” They answered, “We have not even heard that anyone may receive the Holy Spirit.”

Paul then asked, “What kind of baptism have you received?” And they answered, “The baptism of John.” Paul then explained, “John’s baptism was for conversion, but he himself said that they should believe in the One who was to come, and that One is Jesus.”

Upon hearing this, they were baptised in the Name of the Lord Jesus. Then Paul laid his hands on them and the Holy Spirit came down upon them; and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy. There were about twelve of them in all. Paul went into the synagogue and for three months he preached and discussed there boldly, trying to convince them about the Kingdom of God.

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Monday, 11 May 2015 : 6th Week of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we celebrate together this wonderful day, we are all reminded that we are witnesses of the truth and the revelations which our Lord Jesus Christ had brought into the world. We are all called to be the messengers and servants of God’s message of truth and conversion for the whole world, that all who still dwell in the darkness may abandon their sins and be welcomed back into the light.

And what is important for us all to take note is that, if we walk in this path, that is as the faithful servants of our Lord, preaching and proclaiming His truth to the whole world, then our path will not be easy. There will be staunch opposition and rejection from the world and from those to whom we have gone to preach the message of our Lord. There will also be ridicule and persecution of the faithful, that is all of us.

There are many people who still live in the darkness of the world and remain in the state of sin. Some of them will hearken and listen to the word of God, if someone is to bring these words to them. Just like the Apostles in the past, as exemplified by the examples of St. Paul who preached in many cities and places, that his message of the truth of Christ was heard far and wide, and many people turned towards the Lord.

A people who lived in the darkness had seen a great light, and this was the prophecy of the prophets who foretold of the coming of the great Messiah who would liberate His people and bring them into wholesome new life. Christ is this light that shines upon the darkness and reveal to us the truth of God, the truth about ourselves and what we can do to free ourselves from the clutches of darkness.

And He had tasked His Apostles and other disciples with the command to continue His works of revealing to the nations and all of His wayward sheep, the people of God wandering in sin and darkness, the truth which would dispel all the lies of Satan and unveil the wickedness of all of our sins. The purpose of this is so that we may stop sinning and doing wicked things before the Lord, and thus condemning ourselves to eternal suffering of hell.

God loves us so much that although we are sinners, and often unrepentant and rebellious, but He was willing to show His enduring and everlasting love, which He showed through Jesus Christ. God loves us all, and He wants to show His love and mercy, forgiving us from our sins and trespasses against Him. Yet, He also hates and despises each of our sins at the same time. Thus, it was in His desire to reveal to us this fact, so that we may be awakened from our indecision and slumber, into a new life where we actively seek God’s mercy and forgiveness.

It is through us all, we who have been baptised and part of the whole unity of the Church of God, that God is exercising His good works in this world. But the world itself resists, and all the forces aligned with Satan and all evils also resist this revelation. For in this revelation comes to light the ugly nature of sin and wickedness in the world and Satan, and they resent it.

That is why there will be difficulties and great challenges for us all even as walk in this way of faith. It is because of this resentment and opposition, for the world and Satan his master want to keep as many souls condemned and in state of rebellion against God as possible. But God will be with us, and we truly have no need to fear. Satan and his forces can only harm our physical body, but not harm our soul, for our soul belong to God alone.

What we are doing in the Name of the Lord in fact dispel those lies and darkness, helping many of our brethren who are lost and not knowing their way in life, so that they may now find their way to God through actions and deeds, as well as through sincere and devout prayer.

Therefore, we are now called to give our best and to do our best in our respective lives, that we may be ever more faithful and devoted servant of our Lord, through our faithful words, actions and deeds. Let us all show this love for God to our brethren, and by showing how we live a faithful and good Christian life, caring for one another in need, so that all who sees us will come to believe in what we believe, and therefore have the gate to salvation opened for them.

May Almighty God be with us always, that we may be ever more confident and dedicated, to be preachers and proclaimers of His Good News among the nations, bringing salvation closer to ever more souls, and help our brethren to return to our Lord, that we may worship Him together as one people, freed from the bonds of sin and the darkness of this world. God bless us all. Amen.

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Monday, 11 May 2015 : 6th Week of Easter (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 15 : 26 – John 16 : 4a

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “From the Father, I will send you the Spirit of truth. When this Helper has come from the Father, He will be My witness, and you, too, will be My witnesses, for you have been with Me from the beginning.”

“I tell you all this to keep you from stumbling and falling away. They will put you out of the synagogue. Still more, the hour is coming, when anyone who kills you will claim to be serving God; they will do this, because they have not known the Father or Me. I tell you all these things now so that, when the time comes, you may remember that I told you.”

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Monday, 11 May 2015 : 6th Week of Easter (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 149 : 1-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b

Alleluia! Sing to the Lord a new song, sing His praise in the assembly of His saints. Let Israel rejoice in his Maker, let the people of Zion glory in their King!

Let them dance in praise of His Name and make music for Him with harp and timbrel. For the Lord delights in His people; He crowns the lowly with victory.

The saints will exult in triumph; even at night on their couches. Let the praise of God be on their lips. This is the glory of all His saints. Alleluia!

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Monday, 11 May 2015 : 6th Week of Easter (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 16 : 11-15

So Paul and his companion put out to sea from Troas and sailed straight across to Samothrace Island, and the next day to Neapolis. From there we went inland to Philippi, the leading city of the district of Macedonia, and a Roman colony. We spent some days in that city.
On the sabbath we went outside the city gate to the bank of the river where we thought the Jews would gather to pray. We sat down and began speaking to the women who were gathering there. One of them was a God-fearing woman named Lydia from Thyatira City, a dealer in purple cloth.

As she listened, the Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying. After she had been baptised together with her household, she invited us to her house, “If you think I am faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us to accept her invitation.

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Monday, 4 May 2015 : 5th Week of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard a central theme to today’s Scripture readings, which is indeed a very important aspect of our life. And this theme is obedience and humility, that is the obedience to the will of God and the humility to recognise our shortcomings and weaknesses, and that in all the things that we do, we ought to give thanks to God and give glory to Him, instead of taking all the credits for ourselves.

Jesus made it clear in the Gospel today, that whoever loves Him will do as He had taught them, and they will not contemplate doing things that are beyond the scope of what is expected from them as the people of God and servants of the Light. Those who love the Lord will keep His words and follow His commandments, practicing their faith and devoting their efforts to walk in the righteous path of God.

This will be the case if our faith is real and genuine, and we truly have faith in God, and not merely lip service or be faithful for show or appearances before others. Everything that we do in this life, everything that we say and utter from our mouth, and every thoughts that come in our minds, and every single breath we take in and expel, all of these will be filled with the purpose of God, and be filled with that sole and clear purpose of serving the Lord our God and give glory to His Name.

St. Paul and St. Barnabas clearly showcased this to us, when they healed the sick people in Lycaonia, in the region of the Asia Minor. Most of the people in that region and indeed throughout the Roman Empire at such an early period in the Church were still pagan believers, who believed in the traditional pagan gods. They believed in the traditional Greek gods such as Zeus, Hercules, Hermes, Ares, and many others, and each of which have their own priests and customs.

And it is against this tradition that the two Apostles and disciples of the Lord went up against, as they preached the true faith to the people. When they healed the sick and the dying from their sickness, it is when the mentality of the people and their beliefs kicked in. They thought that the gods themselves had taken up human form and walked among them. For those of us who are familiar with the Greek mythology, this is a recurring theme, that the gods walked among men and performing wonders.

The Greek gods were vain and they were just like men, that is filled with all sorts of emotions, both good and bad. As a matter of fact, they and the many other false pagan gods are often the personification and manifestation of the people’s desired and emotions, which they paired together with what they observed around them in natural phenomena and miraculous wonders.

But the Lord showed through St. Paul and St. Barnabas that it is He who is the One and only True God, with all power and authority that the other gods of gold, silver and stone cannot show. Yet, the people misunderstood its meaning and they instead worshipped both Paul and Barnabas as the avatars and manifestations of their supposed Greek pagan gods.

In our human nature, we are by our nature always predisposed to pride, arrogance, greed and other desires we have in us. It is therefore must have been difficult for any man to resist the temptation of power, fame and greatness when presented with the same situation that was faced by both St. Paul and St. Barnabas in Lystra and Derbe. But the two of them showed us all a great example how a disciple and follower of Christ should act.

They rebuked the people and preached to them the truth, although certainly the temptation of praise, power and pride must have assailed them. Imagine if you are being surrounded by so many people who cheered for you and said great things about you because of what you have performed admirably and greatly in their sight and presence.

But they knew that all the things they had done came from the Lord, and it is for His glory that they had done all those wonders and miracles. Today’s psalm perfectly captures this, by its first few lines. The phrase which in Latin reads, “Non nobis Domine, sed Nomine Tuo da gloriam” that means, “Not to us o Lord, but to Your Name we give glory.” Indeed, it is not for human glory we should act and work, but for the greater glory of God.

Therefore, today, as we reflect on these readings from the Sacred Scripture, let us all realise how we should be humble in all of our dealings and works. Let us learn to be humble and obey the Lord in all things, so that we may listen to Him and know what He wants from us. Let us all grow lesser and smaller in our pride and hubris, and grow deeper and stronger in our humility and obedience to God, that in all the things we do, we proclaim the great glory of God. May God be with us always. Amen.

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Monday, 4 May 2015 : 5th Week of Easter (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 14 : 21-26

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Whoever keeps My commandments is the one who loves Me. If he loves Me, he will also be loved by My Father; I too shall love him and show Myself clearly to him.”

Judas – not Judas Iscariot – asked Jesus, “Lord, how can it be that You will show Yourself clearly to us and not to the world?” Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves Me, He will keep My word and My Father will love him; and We will come to him and make a room in his home. But if anyone does not love Me, he will not keep My words; and these words that you hear are not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.”

“I told you all this while I was still with you. From now on, the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My Name, will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I have told you.”

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Monday, 4 May 2015 : 5th Week of Easter (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 113B : 1-2, 3-4, 15-16

Not to us, o Lord, not to us, but to Your Name be the glory, for the sake of Your love and faithfulness. Why should the pagans say, “Where is their God?”

There in heaven is our God; whatever He wishes, He does. Not so the handmade idols, crafted in silver and gold.

May you be blessed by the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth. Heaven belongs to the Lord, but the earth He has given to humans.

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Monday, 4 May 2015 : 5th Week of Easter (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 14 : 5-18

A move was made by pagans and Jews, together with their leaders, to harm the Apostles and to stone them. But Paul and Barnabas learnt of this and fled to the Lycaonian towns of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding countryside, where they continued preaching the Good News.

Paul and Barnabas spent a fairly long time at Lystra. There was a crippled man in Lystra who had never been able to stand or walk. One day, as he was listening to the preaching, Paul looked intently at him and saw that he had the faith to be saved. So he spoke to him in a loud voice, “In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I command you to stand up on your feet!” And the man stood up and began to walk around.

When the people saw what Paul had done, they cried out in the language of Lycaonia, “The gods have come to us in human likeness!” They named Barnabas Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes, since he was the chief speaker. Even the priest of the Temple of Zeus, which stood outside the town, brought oxen and garlands to the gate; together with the people, he wanted to offer sacrifice to them.

When Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their garments to show their indignation and rushed into the crowd, shouting, “Friends, why are you doing this? We are human beings with the same weakness you have and we are now telling you to turn away from these useless things to the living God who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and all that is in them.”

“In past generations He allowed each nation to go its own way, though He never stopped making Himself known; for He is continually doing good, giving you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, providing you with food and filling your hearts with gladness.”

Even these words could hardly keep the crowd from offering sacrifice to them.

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Monday, 27 April 2015 : 4th Week of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we continue on the theme of our Lord as our Good Shepherd, the One who truly knows us in and out, and He is truly the only One who really cares about us and loves us all with all of His heart. And it is only through Him that salvation and life can be attained, and nowhere else. And that is why, He said that He is the gate, and all of His sheep pass through that gate.

And He does not discriminate between peoples, or have favourites on certain races and groups. All are equally loved by Him and all stands equal in His presence. What matters to God is not our background, our birth and our status in this world, but rather, how much we love Him and devote our attention and love for Him. This is what God wants from us, and thus it is indeed what truly matters.

As the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles showed us, some of the disciples of Jesus criticised Peter, and later on also the other Apostles like St. Paul, for having worked among the non-Jews or the Gentiles, and dwelled with them, ate with them and doing things with them. For the Jews, brought up in their rigid faith system since the days of Moses, this was anathema and forbidden.

The Jews took great pride in their ‘privileged’ status as the chosen people and the chosen race of God, being the direct descendants of Jacob, and the children of Abraham. They often looked down on the pagans and other races, those considered as not belonging to the Jewish race and faith, and they prized their status more than anything else. This is the background for understanding why some of the Jewish disciples acted the way they did.

But God, who is our Shepherd, does not care about that. He gave His salvation and the life He had brought us to everyone. He did not die for a particular group of people, but for everyone. What matters is for us to walk in His path and follow Him. If we do not do as He had instructed us to do, and if chose to follow our own whim and desires, then we can have no part with Him.

It is just like sheep following the shepherd, and if the sheep does not follow the shepherd, that sheep will be lost and will likely meet a cruel and painful end, at the hands of the wolves and other calamities may befall it. The sheep cannot be far from its shepherd, and neither can it survive without the shepherd. The shepherd gives the sheep his love, care and attention, and the sheep cherish them all.

Thus, let us all reflect on this fact, that our Lord is our Shepherd, the Way, the Truth and the Life, as He Himself had said. If we follow Him with all of our heart, then we have life in us, and if we do not do so, then we also do not take part in the salvation which He had given us and offered us freely. Thus, this is indeed the time for us to see into our own lives, if we had indeed been faithful to our Lord and Shepherd, who tirelessly put His effort to bring us all back into perfect unity with Him.

May Almighty God bless all of us, forgive us all our sins, and guide us in this life, as our Lord and Shepherd, that in the end, all of us may find our way to Him and be saved. God bless us all. Amen.