Monday

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Monday, 11 November 2024 : 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Martin of Tours, Bishop (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded to be ever faithful and committed to God, to be full of God’s grace and love in all of our actions, words and deeds, in all of our dealings and works, so that we will always be truly righteous and just in all of them, so that we may truly be the worthy, good and committed bearers of our Christians truth and Good News, to be the beacons of God’s light in our world today, in the midst of our communities and among all those whom we encounter in life in each and every moments of our lives. We should always strive to be good role models and inspirations for everyone around us in how we live our faith.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to St. Titus, one of his protege in which the Apostle spoke of the matter of the overseers of the faithful, which would eventually be known as the bishops of the dioceses once the administration and management of the ever growing Christian community developed further. Those overseers were chosen by the Apostles and their successors, as the ones to take care of the needs of the people of God, especially in their spiritual needs, to help and guide the people on their way towards the Lord and salvation in Him, and hence, as St. Paul mentioned to St. Titus, it is very important that they all must be of good character and truly worthy of such a role, and hence, they ought to be selected carefully from among the people of God.

Such was the demand placed on those who were to be entrusted with the position of overseers, the precursor to the office of bishops, as they would be the ones to shepherd the people of God. If the shepherds were corrupt and wicked in their lives and actions, then the people would be very easily misled down the wrong path, become corrupted and misguided into the wrong path, or they might have led the people to be disillusioned and discouraged to follow the Christian path and ways any further, due to the scandals and the wicked living of their leaders, overseers and elders. This had happened in many occasions throughout the history of the Church, and we are all reminded therefore that we have to strive to be truly faithful in all things, especially those among us who have been called to give our service to the Lord and to guide others towards Him.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Luke in which the words of the Lord to His disciples were recounted to us. And echoing what St. Paul had told St. Titus regarding the quality of the candidates and those who were to be chosen as overseers of the faithful, therefore, the Lord also spoke to us about the matter of how we should truly be faithful as well in our every words, actions and deeds. All of us must also practice what we believe in our lives and in every actions that we do, in our every interactions with one another, or else we are no better than hypocrites who did not truly believe in God or paying only lip service to the Lord, having no real love or faith, commitment and dedication to God.

All of us must live a good and virtuous life, and to avoid any scandals or behaviours that are contrary to our faith in the Lord, so that we do not end up misleading others away from the path towards God, or to discourage people from following the Lord, which can very well happen if our actions and deeds are not in accordance to the Lord and His path, His commandments and will. All of us are representatives of the Lord’s works, His truth and teachings, His Good News and the face of His Church in this world, and if we do not practice our faith in the manner that we should have done, how can we expect others then to believe in the same manner? That is why we are all reminded that we should always be truly full of faith in the Lord, to trust Him ever more wholly in our lives, to be filled at all times with the great love and mercy from God.

The expectation and difficulties are even greater for those who have been called to the higher office, of those who have given themselves in service to God, to be His priests and even more so as the bishops of the Church, as the shepherds of the Lord’s flock. As we heard from the words of St. Paul to St. Titus, the expectations for those who have been called and chosen to be bishops are truly great, and no matter how pious, holy and devout they are, they can still falter and fall into sin, as quite a number of bishops and priests in the past have fallen into the path of sin, which led to great scandals of the Church, causing untold harm and destruction, for many souls to be lost away from the Lord and His salvation. It is important therefore that each and every one of us continue to support them and to help them, to pray for them all so that they may all truly remain faithful to their missions.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Martin of Tours, a renowned and holy bishop whose life and great dedication to the Lord and to his flock is an inspiration to all of us the faithful people of God. St. Martin of Tours was born during the late era of the Roman Empire after the persecution of Christians by the state had ended, and Christianity had become tolerated and further widespread throughout the Empire. He was born into a military family and according to Church tradition, at the young age of ten, he became a catechumen against the wishes of his family, but he persisted on in this desire to become a Christian. As he continued to grow up, he became a member of the military, and eventually become a respected centurion or army captain in the military.

He was conflicted throughout his ministry as an army officer, and according to one popular hagiographic tradition, St. Martin of Tours encountered the Lord Himself in one occasion when on a cold winter night, he saw a poor old man by the roadside who had nothing to protect him against the bitter cold. St. Martin of Tours took his sword and cut off half of his officer’s cloak, giving it to the old man to help him cover against the cold. Later on, the Lord would appear in a vision to St. Martin, showing that the old man was none other than the Lord Himself in disguise, and He came appearing in the cloak that St. Martin had given Him. This is a truly nice reminder of the Lord’s own words in the Gospels, namely, ‘Whatever you have done to the least of your brothers and sisters, you have done it unto Me.’

The generosity and great faith of St. Martin would lead him later on in life to be entrusted with the governance of the region of Tours, and later on, having won the support and admiration of the people of the region, he would be acclaimed as the successor to the position of the Bishop of Tours, becoming the third bishop to guide the flock of the Lord there. As the bishop of Tours, St. Martin would continue to do his best in dedicating himself to the Lord and to His people, showing loving care and concern to their needs, and standing up for the truth and genuine teachings of the Lord against those heresies that were rampant at the time, as a courageous and most dedicated shepherd, standing ever ready to guard his flock against all those seeking to destroy and bring ruin to the Lord’s flock.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today therefore as we remember the words of wisdom from the Scriptures and the life of St. Martin of Tours, let us all continue to strive to do our best to live our lives in the manner that is truly holy and worthy of God. All of us should always continue to live our every day living with genuine devotion and commitment to God, showing the love of God manifested through our actions, through our genuine care and concern for those around us, much as St. Martin of Tours and the many other holy men and women of God had done, those who are our inspirations and role models to follow. May we all also become good and worthy role models for our fellow brethren as well, now and always. Amen.

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Monday, 11 November 2024 : 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Martin of Tours, Bishop (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

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.”

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Monday, 11 November 2024 : 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Martin of Tours, Bishop (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 23 : 1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6

The earth and its fullness belong to the Lord, the world and all that dwell in it. He has founded it upon the ocean and set it firmly upon the waters.

Who will ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who will stand in His holy place? Those with clean hands and pure heart, who desire not what is vain.

They will receive blessings from the Lord, a reward from God, their Saviour. Such are the people who seek Him, who seek the face of Jacob’s God.

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Monday, 11 November 2024 : 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Martin of Tours, Bishop (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Titus 1 : 1-9

From Paul, servant of God, Apostle of Christ Jesus, at the service of God’s chosen people, so that they may believe and reach the knowledge of truth and godliness. The eternal life we are waiting for was promised from the very beginning by God Who never lies, and as the appointed time had come, He made it known through the message entrusted to me by a command of God, our Saviour.

Greetings to you, Titus, my true son in the faith we share. May grace and peace be with you from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I left you in Crete because I wanted you to put right what was defective and appoint elders in every town, following my instructions. They must be blameless, married only once, whose children are believers and not open to the charge of being immoral and rebellious.

Since the overseer (or bishop) is the steward of God’s house, he must be beyond reproach : not proud, hot-headed, over-fond of wine, quarrelsome or greedy for gain. On the contrary he must be hospitable, a lover of what is good, wise, upright, devout and self-controlled. He must hold to the message of faith just as it was taught, so that, in his turn, he may teach sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

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Monday, 4 November 2024 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Charles Borromeo, Bishop (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded that as Christians, our first and foremost calling and mission in life is to show love to one another, and to be full of love in us, just as the Lord Himself is all full of love, for God is Love, and the love that He has shown to us, we too should also bear in our every actions, our every words and interactions with each other, our deeds and all the every parts of our lives. If we do not have love in us and if we do not love others around us generously as we all should have, then how can we truly call or consider ourselves as true and genuine Christians? That is because without love, then our faith as Christians, as those who believe in the Lord, it is truly dead, because faith without action, which are founded on love, is indeed dead and meaningless.

This is why, as we all listened to the first reading today, from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in Philippi in Greece, we are all presented with the Apostle’s kind reminder to the faithful in the city of Philippi that they all should truly embody their Christian faith through their love for one another, and for them all to be truly united as one people, all believing in the same Lord and God, the same Saviour Jesus Christ, Who has saved them all through His most wonderful manifestation of the perfect and selfless love that He has poured down on all of us from His Cross, at the moment of His Passion, His suffering and death. St. Paul pointed out that they all share the same Spirit of Christ, and therefore, they all should love one another, putting the needs of others above one’s own selfish desires and interests.

Contextually, at that time, during St. Paul’s missionary journeys which brought him all throughout many parts of the Mediterranean region including to the city and region of Philippi itself, there were a lot of divisions within the Christian communities especially between those followers and converts from the Gentiles, the non-Jewish populations like the local Greeks and the Romans, as well as many other people and then the Jewish diaspora population, many of whom were also divided in their allegiances and ideals like those in Judea and Jerusalem, and many of them subscribed to the idea of the Pharisees in particular, which championed the imposition of Jewish ways and customs on all the Christian faithful, and the idea that the Jews had the exclusive right of salvation in God, which likely led to divisions and friction in the community of the people of God.

Thus, what St. Paul told the Ephesians made sense as he exhorted them to leave behind all those prejudices and attitudes which the people had held in them, and which they had acted to one another, leading to strife, conflicts and divisions in the Church. He reminded them and also all of us that we must always remain united in our common faith in Christ, our Lord and Saviour, and we should not lose our sight and focus on this faith which we ought to have in the Lord, our most loving God. Our faith must always be centred in the Lord and not in our own ideals and thoughts, our intellects and worldly wisdom, or else we will find that it is easy for us to be swayed by falsehoods and temptations of the world, by false ideals and ways that may distract us from the path of God’s righteousness and grace.

In our Gospel passage today from the Gospel according to St. Luke we then heard of the Lord Jesus saying to a man who had invited Him to a celebration or banquet before His disciples about how when one invite someone else to a banquet, then the host ought not to invite those who are of their own families and friends, those who are close and dear, precious and beloved to himself or herself, but rather, one should invite the less privileged, those who were poor and who had nothing to celebrate with, and the context that the Lord told the man and His disciples was that, if the host were to invite those who were his families, friends, and all those who were good to the host, then the invitation and goodwill can be easily repaid, while when inviting those who had little or nothing with them, it will in fact be the Lord Himself Who would reward those who had done such a wonderful deed.

Again, as with many of the Lord’s other words and teachings, we must understand fully the meaning and the intention behind the words that the Lord Himself had spoken and not be hasty to interpret His meaning plainly and literally as many would have done. He does not ask us to despise or dishonour our own families, relatives and friends, or to only be partial towards those strangers and people who are less fortunate. Rather, His intention as He said this was that, He wants us to break free of our attachments and our constant pandering to those around us who are jockeying and desiring for attention, rewards and expectations from one another. That is how our relationships in this world are usually built upon, that is upon transactional kind of relationships, and the Lord wants us to learn to show true and genuine love, one that is not transactional, to everyone around us, be it those known to us, or those others.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Charles Borromeo, a great servant of God and His Church whose life and dedication to God should be an inspiration to each and every one of us as Christians. St. Charles Borromeo was a young noble from the influential Borromeo family and he was a relative of the Medici Pope, Pope Pius IV, who was his uncle. From his youth, the young St. Charles Borromeo had been brought up and prepared for career in law, and he had a good academic preparation and education. And his connection to the Pope eventually brought him to be appointed as the assistant to the Pope, which was common at that time. He was first appointed as a protonotary apostolic and then at the still young age of about eighteen, he was made a Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church.

As a Cardinal, St. Charles Borromeo lived a simple and austere life, unlike many of his contemporaries. His connections to the Pope and being a member of the nobility did not make him proud, haughty or greedy. On the contrary, St. Charles Borromeo sought to deepen his relationship with God and to live his life and missions as best as he could. He took part in the Ecumenical Council of Trent in reforming the Church, and he spent a lot of time and effort in trying to implement the changes and reforms, especially after he was appointed as the Archbishop of Milan by the Pope, one of the greatest and most influential sees in Christendom at that time. He worked hard as Archbishop and resolved to reform the Archdiocese which at that time had faced a lot of worldly corruption and laxity in their spiritual and moral discipline.

He spent a lot of effort making pastoral visits and trips to visit his various flocks, reforming the seminaries that trained the new generation of priests and establishing various institutions to benefit the people throughout his Archdiocese. And he continued to be humble in his actions, devoting himself to the good of the people of God. He faced a lot of hardships and opposition, but St. Charles Borromeo never allowed all those difficulties and challenges to dissuade him from doing his best to glorify God and to show his constant love and care for his people, providing for their needs and guiding them through the right path in life, and he was also courageous in his campaign to root out and eradicate corruptions and wickedness in the Church and its institutions, until the last moments of his life.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have discussed earlier and from the life and examples of St. Charles Borromeo that we have listened to, clearly we can see that we must put our love for God and what He has entrusted to us, our missions and calling first and foremost, and not our personal ambitions and worldly desires, just as St. Charles Borromeo himself had done. If we allow those things to tempt and affect us, then very soon we may find ourselves distracted and misled down the wrong path. Hence, let us all renew our effort and conviction to follow the Lord ever more faithful and wholeheartedly in all things, now and always, and become good role models and inspirations for our brethren around us. Amen.

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Monday, 4 November 2024 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Charles Borromeo, Bishop (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 14 : 12-14

At that time, Jesus also addressed the man who had invited Him, and said, “When you give a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends, or your brothers and relatives, or your wealthy neighbours. For surely they will also invite you in return, and you will be repaid.”

“When you give a feast, invite instead the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind. Fortunate are you then, because they cannot repay you; you will be repaid at the resurrection of the upright.”

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Monday, 4 November 2024 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Charles Borromeo, Bishop (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 130 : 1, 2, 3

O Lord, my heart is not proud nor do I have arrogant eyes. I am not engrossed in ambitious matters, nor in things too great for me.

I have quieted and stilled my soul like a weaned child on its mother’s lap; like a contented child is my soul.

Hope in the Lord, o Israel, now and forever.

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Monday, 4 November 2024 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Charles Borromeo, Bishop (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Philippians 2 : 1-4

If I may advise you in the Name of Christ and if you can hear it as the voice of love; if we share the same Spirit and are capable of mercy and compassion, then I beg of you, make me very happy : have one love, one Spirit, one feeling, do nothing through rivalry or vain conceit.

On the contrary let each of you gently consider the others as more important than yourselves. Do not seek your own interest, but rather that of others.

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Monday, 28 October 2024 : Feast of St. Simon and St. Jude, Apostles (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the great Feast of not just one but two of the Lord’s Twelve Holy Apostles, namely that of St. Simon the Apostle and also St. Jude the Apostle. St. Simon the Apostle was also known as Simon the Zealot, and was a member of the radical Zealots who were very much opposed to the Romans and their rule and occupation of the lands of the Jewish people at the time. Meanwhile, St. Jude the Apostle should not be confused with the traitor Judas Iscariot, as he is also known as Judas Thaddeus or Jude Thaddeus. Sometimes this St. Jude the Apostle is also identified by some Church historians and scholars with Jude, one of the relatives of the Lord. Both of these Apostles had extensive work and ministry after the Lord commissioned and sent them during His Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven.

First of all, let us all look through the Scripture passages which we have heard and receive today, reflecting and pondering upon the messages and words that the Lord wants to remind us all as His followers and disciples. In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful in Ephesus, we heard of the Apostle telling the faithful there about how they have all been made parts of the Church of God, becoming God’s holy people, having been called and chosen from the world to be truly beloved and holy in Him, and tofo share together the mission that God has entrusted to His Church, because all of them are part of this same one Church of God, as we all are as well. Too us all of us, God has entrusted the same missions which He has entrusted to His Apostles and His Church.

In this Epistle, all of us as the disciples and followers of the Lord, we are all reminded that we are all as parts of the one Church of God have been made to be the Temples and Houses of God’s Holy Presence, as the Lord Himself has come into our midst, dwelling in us and giving us all the gift of His Holy Spirit, and through Him coming into us and dwelling within us, each and every one of us should always remember to keep ourselves truly holy and worthy of God by our actions and deeds, our contributions and efforts that mark as truly as those whom God had called and chosen. If we are idle in living our lives as Christians and if we do not do what we can do in order to follow the Lord and obey His commandments, then how can we be worthy part of the Temple of God, this one Church of God that is His Body?

Then, in our Gospel passage today taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke, we heard of the Lord calling His Apostles, choosing the Twelve of them from among all of His disciples, and which St. Luke introduced each by their names, including that of St. Simon and St. Jude whose feasts we are celebrating today. We heard how the Lord chose them to continue His works and to extend whatever He has been doing in our midst, reaching out to the people of God, healing those who are sick and troubled, proclaiming the Good News of God to those who have not yet heard them, and to prepare the way for the Lord, to reach out to the people and to bring them to God. And through these actions that the Lord Himself had done, He has shown by His own examples, what each and every one of us as Christians should be doing in our own lives.

Linking to what we have heard and discussed earlier today in our first reading from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Ephesians, this is therefore what each and every one of us as Christians need to do in order for us to do what God had entrusted to us to do, to commit ourselves wholeheartedly and to do His will, to show His love, compassion and kindness manifested through our own exemplary lives and actions, by each and every one of our loving actions towards our fellow brothers and sisters around us. All of us as Christians must always practice and show the love of God and embody His Good News and truth in everything that we say and do, in every opportunities and occasions, and that is how we take part in the efforts and works of the Church, which the Apostles had begun and which all of us ought to continue and carry on.

And now, after having discussed and discerned on the readings of the Sacred Scriptures, let us all discuss further about the lives of the two Apostles whose feast we all celebrate today. St. Simon the Apostle as mentioned was a member of the radical Zealots who often attacked and sabotaged the Roman rule in Judea and Galilee, and he was likely part of this efforts and uprisings before he came to know of the Lord and became His follower. After he followed the Lord, it was likely that he was no longer involved in the activities of the Zealots, and gave himself wholly to the service and cause of the Lord, and after the Lord has risen from the dead and ascended into Heaven, he together with the other Apostles, strengthened and empowered by the Holy Spirit, went to proclaim the Lord in many places and regions.

St. Simon the Apostle according to Church history and tradition went to various places all around Judea and Galilee in the Holy Land, as well as further regions like Lebanon and Armenia, Egypt and Ethiopia, as well as traditions that showed that he was also involved in ministry and evangelisation in areas even further like Africa and Britain, where he likely encountered many people who have not yet known the Lord in very distant places, and he brought the seeds of Christian faith to all those people, telling them of the salvation and eternal life that Christ has offered and reassured them with, and which St. Simon himself had heard and witnessed. Eventually, like most of the other Apostles and the early disciples of the Lord, he was persecuted and martyred in Georgia in the Caucasus, during one of his missionary trips.

Meanwhile, St. Jude the Apostle, also known as St. Jude Thaddeus as mentioned, had different stories and legends depending on who he was associated with in history. He was known either as St. Jude of James or son of James in the Gospel of St. Luke today and in the Acts of the Apostles also written by St. Luke, or as the brother or relative of the Lord as mentioned. Nonetheless, regardless of the actual identity of the St. Jude we honour and celebrate today, he went to many regions to proclaim the Lord and His Good News, travelling all throughout the regions of Judea, Samaria and Idumaea around Jerusalem, preaching among the Jews and Gentiles alike, and also further afield in Syria, Mesopotamia and Libya, travelling to those places and bringing the Good News of God to many people.

St. Jude was credited as one of the first missionaries to bring the Christian faith and teachings to the region now known as Armenia, where he revealed the Good News of Christ to many of the people in the region, many centuries before Armenia was to become the first state in the world to adopt Christianity as the official faith. Eventually, like St. Simon the Apostle and the many other Apostles and disciples of his time, St. Jude the Apostle was persecuted and eventually martyred in the region of Beirut in what is today part of Lebanon. According to one tradition, it was also where St. Simon the Apostle was martyred, and why they were usually celebrated together. Regardless, the commitment and dedication that St. Jude the Apostle showed, with that of St. Simon the Apostle should serve as good example and inspiration for all of us to follow in our own life as Christians.should serve as great inspiration for all of us to follow in our own lives as Christians.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we all have listened through the life and examples of St. Simon the Apostle and St. Jude the Apostle, their commitments to God and their dedication in proclaiming His Good News and truth, let us all realise that we are all also part of this same Church of God, entrusted with the same mission to do God’s will and to proclaim Him faithfully at all times, in our various groups and communities and among everyone that we have encountered daily in our lives. May all of us continue to exhibit the strong faith, dedication and commitment like what St. Simon and St. Jude, holy Apostles of the Lord have shown us. And may the Lord continue to bless us in our every good and faithful works, endeavours and efforts, all for His greater glory. Amen.

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Monday, 28 October 2024 : Feast of St. Simon and St. Jude, Apostles (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Luke 6 : 12-19

At that time, Jesus went out into the hills to pray, spending the whole night in prayer with God. When day came, He called His disciples to Him, and chose Twelve of them, whom He called ‘Apostles’ : Simon, whom He named Peter, and his brother Andrew; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James son of Alpheus and Simon called the Zealot; Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who would be the traitor.

Coming down the hill with them, Jesus stood in an open plain. Many of His disciples were there, and a large crowd of people, who had come from all parts of Judea and Jerusalem, and from the coastal cities of Tyre and Sidon. They gathered to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases. And people troubled by unclean spirits were cured.

The entire crowd tried to touch Him, because of the power that went out from Him and healed them all.