Liturgical Colour : Green
Psalm 97 : 1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4
Sing to YHVH a new song, for He has done wonders; His right hand, His holy arm, has won victory for Him.
YHVH 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 YHVH, break into song and sing praise.
Liturgical Colour : Green
2 Corinthians 6 : 1-10
Being God’s helpers, we beg you : let it not be in vain, that you received this grace of God. Scripture says : At the favourable time I listened to you, on the day of salvation I helped you. This is the favourable time, this is the day of salvation.
We are concerned, not to give anyone an occasion to stumble or criticise our mission. Instead, we prove, we are true ministers of God, in every way, by our endurance in so many trials, in hardships, afflictions, floggings, imprisonment, riots, fatigue, sleepless nights and days of hunger.
People can notice, in our upright life, knowledge, patience and kindness, action of the Holy Spirit, sincere love, words of truth, and power of God. So we fight with the weapons of justice, to attack, as well as to defend. Sometimes, we are honoured, at other times, insulted; we receive criticism as well as praise. We are regarded as liars, although we speak the truth; as unknown, though we are well known; as dead, and yet we live.
Punishments come upon us, but we have not, as yet, been put to death. We appear to be afflicted, yet always joyful; we seem to be poor, but we enrich many; we have nothing, but we possess everything!
Liturgical Colour : White
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today on the day after Pentecost Sunday, the beginning of the second half of the Ordinary Time of this current liturgical year, we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady, Mary, the Mother of the Church, or also known in her Latin title as ‘Mater Ecclesiae’. On this day we recall Mary’s important role as the Mother of the Church and our Mother, as the Mother of all the faithful, because the faithful themselves form that visible Body of the Church, the Body of Christ. And through Mary, the Church has been made manifest, in her instrumental role in the earliest days of the Church, when the Christian faith was still in its infancy. It was Mary’s faith and steadfastness which allowed the Church to remain united and strong against all those who sought to destroy it.
For Mary was always there throughout the times after the Resurrection just as she has always been there throughout the time of her Son’s Passion, patiently following Him even though seeing Him in great suffering and persecution must have pained her Immaculate Heart greatly. And yet, she remained faithful and committed, patient in her perseverance and endurance, and followed Him all the way to the Cross. The Church also teaches that the moment of the Lord’s Passion, His suffering and death on the Cross marks the very occasion and moment when the Church itself was born into the world, when the Lord instituted His Church, the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, which according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, was born from the side of the Lord, from the wounds of His Body, from the Precious Blood outpoured from His broken Precious Body.
Therefore, Mary, the Mother of God and of Our Saviour, having been there at the moment of her Son’s suffering and death, which we have heard in our Gospel passage today from the Gospel of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, is truly indeed the Mother of the Church, witnessing through every events, and most significantly because the Lord Himself has entrusted her to all of us, and at the same time also entrusting all of us to her as well, in a reciprocal manner. This was done as the Lord entrusted His beloved Mother Mary to His beloved disciple St. John from His Cross just before He was about to accomplish perfectly His sacrifice and die for all of our sins. He gave His mother to all of us so that we can be loved by her in the same way that Mary had loved her Son, and we too may love her as well, as our Mother.
Mary herself is both the Mother of the Church and also a part of the same Church, as the Church of God consists of all those who believe in the Lord, which Mary is also a part therefore of. But why she is truly very special and revered so in her many important roles, most important of all as the Mother of God is due to her great and ever enduring faith by which she obeyed God’s will so perfectly and allowed Him to make use of her life for His purpose and plans, that she has indeed become for us all the perfect example of faith and obedience, as the greatest of all the saints, and as the New Eve, the Woman through whom the Lord would restore all things to Himself, by her willing acceptance of the part that she was to play in the history of salvation.
In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Genesis the account of the moment when mankind first fell into sin, Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden when Satan managed to tempt them to eat of the fruits of the forbidden Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. At that time, Satan tempted our first ancestors with the temptations of knowledge and power, which was enticing enough with the sweet words and lies which promised to man that they would become just like God, to know all things good and evil and to be like Him. In contrast after their disobedience and sins had come into light, they ended up blaming each other and Satan for having tricked them into eating of the forbidden fruits and therefore disobeying and sinning against God.
Therefore if the first Eve, the first woman led all mankind into sin by her willing disobedience against God and embracing of sin, then Mary as the New Eve has shown us the example of true faith and commitment in God, leading us all towards God. By her total commitment and trust in the Lord, her willing acceptance of the role that she has played in the story of our salvation, Mary has shown us all the example of faith and obedience, which all of us should also be following in our own lives as well. And as our Mother and the Mother of the Church, Mary is indeed the figure that we all can turn towards especially during difficult and challenging moments in life. If we seek her help and intercession, Mary will surely be there for us, ever ready to intercede and pray for us all, her beloved children.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore remind ourselves that we have this most wonderful Mother in Mary, our loving Mother and the Mother of the Church. Let us all ask her to intercede for us and for the whole Universal Church. Through Mary, our Mother we can find the surest and straightest path to Our Lord and Saviour, and as one Church we should strive to emulate her example and faith to live a most wholesome and faithful Christian living as well, in our every moments in life, within our every words, actions and deeds, in our every interactions with one another so that we truly will show this faith we have within us to everyone whom we encounter in life and in all the opportunities that God has provided to us.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, our Mother and the Mother of the Church, please pray for us all sinners and intercede on behalf of God’s Church, all of us the faithful and holy people of God. Please help us in our journey towards your beloved Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Our Master and King. May you, beloved Mother, continue to help and guide us in our journey towards His loving mercy and embrace, and assist us in our respective journeys and struggles in life. May the Lord be with us all and may He bless our every good works, efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : White
John 19 : 25-34
At that time, near the cross of Jesus stood His mother, His mother’s sister Mary, who was the wife of Cleophas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw the mother, and the disciple whom He loved, He said to the mother, “Woman, this is your son.” Then He said to the disciple, “This is your mother.” And from that moment the disciple took her to his own home.
Jesus knew all was now finished and, in order to fulfil what was written in Scripture, He said, “I am thirsty.” A jar full of bitter wine stood there; so, putting a sponge soaked in the wine on a twig of hyssop, they raised it to His lips. Jesus took the wine and said, “It is accomplished.” Then He bowed His head and gave up the Spirit.
As it was Preparation Day, the Jews did not want the bodies to remain on the cross during the Sabbath, for this Sabbath was a very solemn day. They asked Pilate to have the legs of the condemned men broken, so that the bodies might be taken away. The soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man and of the other man, who had been crucified with Jesus.
When they came to Jesus, they saw that He was already dead, so they did not break His legs. One of the soldiers, however, pierced His side with a lance, and immediately there came out Blood and water.
Liturgical Colour : White
Psalm 86 : 1-2, 3 and 5, 6-7
He Himself has built it in His holy mountain; YHVH prefers the gates of Zion to all of Jacob’s towns.
Great things have been foretold of you, o city of God. But of Zion, it shall be said, “More and more are being born in her.” For the Most High Himself has founded her.
And YHVH notes in the people’s register : “All these were also born in Zion.” And all will dance and sing joyfully for you.
Liturgical Colour : White
Genesis 3 : 9-15, 20
YHVH God called the man saying to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard Your voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.” God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree I ordered you not to eat?”
The man answered, “The woman You put with me gave me fruit from the tree and I ate it.” God said to the woman, “What have you done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me and I ate.”
YHVH God said to the serpent, “Since you have done that, be cursed among all the cattle and wild beasts! You will crawl on your belly and eat dust all the days of your life. I will make you enemies, you and the woman, your offspring and her offspring. He will crush your head and you will strike his heel.”
The man called his wife by the name of Eve, because she was the mother of all the living.
Alternative reading
Acts 1 : 12-14
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount called Olives, which is a fifteen minute walk away. On entering the city they went to the room upstairs where they were staying. Present there were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James, son of Alpheus; Simon the Zealot and Judas son of James.
All of these, together, gave themselves to constant prayer. With them were some women, and also Mary, the mother of Jesus, and His brothers.
Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we are reminded that we must have strong faith and trust in the Lord, believing in the great and ever enduring love which He has always had for us, without exception and without limit. God has indeed always loved us all so generously, without any conditions and without any boundaries. And we should indeed consider ourselves truly fortunate to have been beloved in such a manner, and to have the Lord by our side at all times. We must not lose faith in Him and we should always strive to be faithful because it is in Him alone that we can find true assurance and strength, consolation and freedom. There is nothing that is impossible for us as long as we continue to have faith in the Lord, entrusting ourselves to Him and His will.
In our first reading today, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles of the ministry and works of St. Paul the Apostle and his companions in the work of evangelisation, as they continued on their missionary journeys across the known world, spreading the Word of God and the Good News of His salvation to all the people of all the nations. St. Paul in particular was known for his great outreach to the Gentiles, or the non-Jewish people that he has always championed and sought to lead towards God despite the opposition and resistance from some of the more hardline ones among the early Christians, particularly those belonging to the Pharisees that joined the Church. St. Paul kept on ministering faithfully to the Gentiles, and as we heard in today’s reading, he achieved great success in them.
We heard how St. Paul went to Ephesus and found some disciples there that had been baptised according to the way that St. John the Baptist did it, likely due to the works of the disciples gathered by St. John the Baptist that went to the diaspora communities. However, they had not yet known of the fullness of truth and the teachings of Christ, which St. Paul therefore told to them, which eventually led to them agreeing to be baptised in the Name of the Lord, and we heard how they all received the Holy Spirit, and became the disciples of the Lord. And through this we know that God truly calls on all the people to become His disciples and followers, and His grace, blessings and inheritance are to be shared by everyone without exception.
Then, from our Gospel passage today, we heard of the words of the Lord to His disciples who commented that He had finally revealed to them in plain words Who He was and what He was doing, and then the Lord told them a premonition of what would soon happen, in how they would all lose faith in Him and be overcome with doubt at the moment when He was facing His Passion, when all of the disciples would abandon Him and choose to safeguard themselves. And yet, He also told them all that He Himself remained steadfast in His mission, as the Father was with Him regardless, and He also prayed for the disciples that they would also be strengthened in their faith, and that they would not lose their faith going forward.
This is an important reminder for all of us that as Christians, we are all likely to encounter and face challenges, trials and difficulties in our path forward, and we must not easily lose faith and trust in the Lord, as the Lord Himself will indeed always be with us, guiding and providing for us, ensuring that we are all taken care of, and that we will never have to face all the challenges alone by ourselves. We have to trust in the Lord and have faith in Him so that we do not end up being easily distracted and swayed by the many temptations and pressures found all around us in this world. We have to remain strong, firm and resolute in our faith and trust in God, no matter what circumstances, and we should always have that conviction to continue moving forward with God as our Guide, at all times.
Today, the Church also celebrates the feast of two great and holy martyrs of the Church, namely that of St. Marcellinus and St. Peter. Both of these holy servants of God were not known much beyond some hagiographical stories about them, but they were greatly venerated by many generations of Christians after their time, for their great faith and courage in defending their faith in God. According to that hagiographical story, St. Marcellinus was a priest while St. Peter was an exorcist who lived and ministered to the faithful people of God during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian and his fellow co-Emperors. That time was a time of great challenge and difficulty for the Church of God, as intense persecutions against Christians was carried out by the state.
Many among the faithful people of God suffered, were arrested and tortured, and not few were martyred for their faith, including those of St. Marcellinus and St. Peter themselves. They refused to give up their faith in the Lord, and they continued to keep their trust in God to the very end, and they were executed for their Christian faith as example for many others. But the courageous examples that they had shown, together with the great inspirations they had made, the miracles associated to them strengthened many other fellow Christians both of their generations and those who came after them. And hopefully this also strengthens our own faith in the Lord, that we may not easily give up our own faith in the face of the many struggles and hardships we may have to face in our own paths and journeys towards God.
Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all hence continue to be ever more faithful and dedicated in proclaiming the Word of God, His Good News and love to all those whom we encounter in this world, in each and every moments of our lives, inspired by the great examples of all those who have gone before us. Let us all not be discouraged by fear and doubt, but instead be strengthened ever more by our faith and trust in the Lord. Let us also encourage and strengthen one another as well, now and always. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)
John 16 : 29-33
At that time, the disciples said to Jesus, “Now You are speaking plainly and not in veiled language! Now we see that You know all things, even before we question You. Because of this we believe that You came from God.”
Jesus answered them, “You say that you believe? The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each one to his home, and you will leave Me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with Me. I have told you all this, so that in Me you may have peace. You will have trouble in the world; but courage! I have overcome the world.”
Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)
Psalm 67 : 2-3, 4-5ac, 6-7ab
Arise, o God, scatter Your enemies; let Your foes flee before You. As smoke is blown by the wind, so blow them away; as wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish before You.
But let the righteous be glad and exult before God; let them sing to God and shout for joy. Sing to God, sing praises to His Name; the Lord is His Name. Rejoice in His presence.
Father of orphans and Protector of widows – such is our God is His holy dwelling. He gives shelter to the homeless, sets the prisoners free.
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 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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