Monday

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Monday, 15 April 2024 : 3rd Week of Easter (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 6 : 22-29

At that time, the next day after Jesus fed the five thousand men, the people, who had stayed on the other side, realised that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with His disciples; but rather, the disciples had gone away alone.

Bigger boats from Tiberias came near the place where all these people had eaten the bread. When they saw that neither Jesus nor His disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus. When they found Him on the other side of the lake, they asked Him, “Master, when did You come here?”

Jesus answered, “Truly, I say to you, you look for Me, not because of the signs which you have seen, but because you ate bread and were satisfied. Work then, not for perishable food, but for the lasting food which gives eternal life. The Son of Man will give it to you, for He is the One on Whom the Father has put His mark.”

Then the Jews asked Him, “What shall we do? What are the works that God wants us to do?” And Jesus answered them, “The work God wants is this : that you believe in the One Whom God has sent.”

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Monday, 15 April 2024 : 3rd Week of Easter (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 118 : 23-24, 26-27, 29-30

Although princes conspire against me, Your servant will observe Your decrees. Your laws are my delight, my counsellors who uphold me.

When I explained my ways, You responded; instruct me then in Your precepts. Explain to me all Your ordinances, and I will meditate on Your wondrous deeds.

Keep me away from deceitful paths; be gracious and teach me Your law. I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart upon Your laws.

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Monday, 15 April 2024 : 3rd Week of Easter (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 6 : 8-15

Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. Some persons then came forward, who belonged to the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia and Asia. They argued with Stephen but they could not match the wisdom and the spirit with which he spoke.

As they were unable to face the truth, they bribed some men to say, ‘We heard him speak against Moses and against God.’ So they stirred up the people, the elders and the teachers of the Law; they took him by surprise, seized him and brought him before the Council.

Then they produced false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking against our Holy Place and the Law. We even heard him say that Jesus the Nazarean will destroy our Holy Place and change the customs which Moses handed down to us.” And all who sat in the Council fixed their eyes on him, and his face appeared to them like the face of an Angel.

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Monday, 8 April 2024 : Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today marks the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, marking the important moment when the Archangel Gabriel came from the Lord to Mary, who was to be the Mother of God, through her motherhood of the One Whom God had sent into this world to save all of us, that is His own Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, the Son of God and the Divine Word of God. This important event marked by today’s Solemnity happened exactly nine months before Christmas, which showed that this was the moment when the Lord, Our Saviour was conceived in the womb of Mary, His Mother.

Usually this Solemnity is celebrated each year on the twenty-fifth day of March, but as that date fell on the Monday of Holy Week earlier on, and the commemorations of both the Holy Week and the Easter Octave take priority over all other Solemnities and Feasts, therefore, this celebration of the Annunciation of the Lord is postponed this year to this day, the day after the Second Sunday of Easter, the Octave Day of Easter. Nonetheless, despite this change of dates, it does not diminish the importance of the event that we commemorate, as linking to what we are celebrating this Easter, it was all made possible by the acceptance of Mary of her crucial role in being the Mother of our God and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

The Annunciation of the Lord marks the moment when Mary received the Good News from the Archangel Gabriel, proclaiming to her the long awaited coming of God’s salvation to all mankind, that He would send into this world His own beloved and begotten Son, the Divine Word of God, Who would become incarnate in the flesh, becoming the Son of Man, through the role and intercession of Mary herself. This pivotal event is truly important because by her acceptance of the role entrusted to her by God through the Archangel Gabriel, Mary had made possible what seemed to be impossible, that God Himself would come in our form and nature of humanity, incarnate in this world, showing to us the perfection of His love manifested in all of His glory and yet made approachable to us.

As we compare the attitudes of King Ahaz of Judah and Mary, the Mother of God as highlighted in our Scripture readings today, we can clearly see the difference in their attitudes and response to the revelation of God which they received through the prophet Isaiah and the Archangel Gabriel respectively. While King Ahaz of Judah refused to believe in the Lord and did not trust or have genuine faith in Him, Mary submitted humbly and despite her uncertainties, she did not doubt the Lord’s providence and plans for her. Contextually, we must also understand that King Ahaz of Judah was counted among those many kings of Judah who were not faithful to God, in the way that they did not worship the Lord faithfully and led the people into sin by allowing or even promoting the worship of pagan gods and false idols.

When the prophet Isaiah asked the king for a sign, the king said that he would not ask or put the Lord to the test. Some might consider or perceive this as an act of humility, but if we understood his background and other actions, we will quickly realise that he was being a hypocrite in his action and response to God’s instructions. Through his failure to do what he had been expected to do in his own reign as king, he had tested the Lord many times and brought great misery and sufferings on God’s people because of his disobedience and wickedness. He did not refuse to ask of the Lord of any sign or wonders because he was humble, but rather because he did not truly believe in the Lord or did not want to bother with the matters pertaining to God, or that he did not trust that the Lord would actually do as He had said He would do.

On the contrary, Mary who was then just a young maiden, a young virgin who was still really young in age, chose to trust in the Lord wholeheartedly, and while she naturally was apprehensive given the breadth and scope of the mission and the responsibilities entrusted to her, to be the Mother of the Son of God Himself, and to be pregnant, bearing a Child when she was not even married yet, while she had already been betrothed to St. Joseph, her husband-to-be, but she still ultimately trusted the Lord with the words, ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done unto me according to Your will.’ Mary embraced the Lord, His words and promises, His will and His desire for her to do as she had been entrusted to do, and hence, through her resounding and firm ‘Yes’ to the Lord, the work of God’s salvation has been made evident in this world, showing unto all of us the perfect example of obedience and faith.

God has given us all the free will and the freedom to choose our course of action in this life we have been given. Unfortunately, our ancestors beginning with Eve chose to disobey the Lord, listening to the lies and wickedness of Satan instead, and we allowed ourselves to be swayed by worldly temptations and glory, by the allure of pride and glory which had twisted our perception of the world, our existence and relationship with God. This is why we must not allow ourselves to be swayed by these temptations, or listen to the falsehoods and the lies of the devil, who had done in his every opportunities and capabilities to try to mislead us down the path towards our downfall. Instead, we should follow the good examples and inspiration set for us by Mary and her Son, Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, Who as the New Eve and the New Adam, had undone the damage and the corruption done unto us by the original Eve and Adam.

That is why, on this great Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, we remember the role that Mary, the Mother of God, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who has answered God’s call and mission with faithful and firm dedication, entrusting herself completely and wholly to the Lord. Her Son, Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, has also shown perfect and complete obedience to the will of His Heavenly Father, embracing His Cross, bearing willingly all the weight and burdens of our many and innumerable sins, wickedness and evils, so that through Him, His obedience and love for all of us. by dying on the Cross for us at Calvary, we may receive the hope of salvation and eternal life, liberation and freedom from the tyranny and bondage of sin, from the power of death and destruction, which He has done through His glorious and triumphant Resurrection from the dead.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore, as we celebrate this day with great joy, marking the moment when the Salvation of God entered into this world and become incarnate in the womb of Mary, the Mother of God, let us all recall the salvation which Our Risen Lord has brought unto us, and which we rejoice and celebrate this season and time of Easter. Let us all follow the faith and dedication of Mary, His Mother, and strive to do the will of God at all times. May the Risen Lord be with us all, and may He guide us all in our journey of faith. May His Blessed Mother continue to pray and intercede for us, at all times. Amen.

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Monday, 8 April 2024 : Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 1 : 26-38

In the sixth month, the Angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth. He was sent to a young virgin, who was betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the family of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

The Angel came to her and said, “Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you.” Mary was troubled at these words, wondering what this greeting could mean. But the Angel said, “Do not fear, Mary, for God has looked kindly on you. You shall conceive and bear a Son, and you shall call Him Jesus. He will be great, and shall rightly be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the kingdom of David, His ancestor; He will rule over the people of Jacob forever, and His reign shall have no end.”

Then Mary said to the Angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” And the Angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, the Holy Child to be born of you shall be called Son of God. Even your relative Elizabeth is expecting a son in her old age, although she was unable to have a child; and she is now in her sixth month. With God nothing is impossible.”

Then Mary said, “I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me as you have said.” And the Angel left her.

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Monday, 8 April 2024 : Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Hebrews 10 : 4-10

And never will the blood of bulls and goats take away these sins. This is why on entering the world, Christ says : You did not desire sacrifice and offering; You were not pleased with burnt offerings and sin offerings. Then I said : “Here I am. It was written of Me in the scroll. I will do Your will, o God.”

First He says : “Sacrifice, offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not desire nor were You pleased with them – although they were required by the Law. Then He says : Here I am to do Your will. This is enough to nullify the first will and establish the new. Now, by this will of God, we are sanctified once and for all by the sacrifice of the Body of Christ Jesus.

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Monday, 8 April 2024 : Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 39 : 7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 11

Sacrifice and oblation You did not desire; this You had me understand. Burnt offering and sin offering You do not require. Then I said, “Here I come!”

“As the scroll says of me. To do Your will is my delight, o God, for Your law is within my heart.”

In the great assembly I have proclaimed Your saving help. My lips, o Lord, I did not seal – You know that very well.

I have not locked up in my heart Your saving help, but have spoken about it – Your deliverance and Your faithfulness; I have made no secret of Your truth and of Your kindness in the great assembly.

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Monday, 8 April 2024 : Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Isaiah 7 : 10-14 and Isaiah 8 : 10

Once again YHVH addressed Ahaz, “Ask for a sign from YHVH your God, let it come either from the deepest depths or from the heights of heaven.”

But Ahaz answered, “I will not ask, I will not put YHVH to the test.” Then Isaiah said, “Now listen, descendants of David. Have you not been satisfied trying the patience of people, that you also try the patience of my God? Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign : The Virgin is with Child and bears a Son and calls His Name Immanuel.”

“Devise a plan and it will be thwarted, make a resolve and it will not stand, for God-is-with-us.”

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Monday, 1 April 2024 : Monday within Easter Octave (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we continue with the glorious celebration of Easter, we are all reminded of the truth of the Lord’s Resurrection which He has shown to all of His Apostles and disciples who have witnessed all the events and things that happened at that time, when the Lord Who have died on the Cross and was buried, rose in glory, appearing in all of His Risen wonder and brilliance, having conquered and sin and death, proving to every one of us that sin and death do not have the final say over us. He has triumphed through His Holy Cross, and what was known as the symbol of the ultimate punishment and humiliation has become the instrument of salvation and liberation for all mankind, and also the sign of ultimate Hope and Victory, which He has brought unto us, and we have received the assurance of this triumph and victory.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles in which St. Peter the Apostle stood firmly before all the people assembled in Jerusalem during the time of the Festival of the Pentecost, when many people came to Jerusalem from all over the Jewish diaspora, together with many other visitors, all of whom were astonished at the great wisdom and courage showed by the Apostles and the other disciples, who have received the Holy Spirit descending upon them, giving them the strength and the wisdom to speak out their minds, with the Divine guidance and providence, proclaiming everything that they themselves had witnessed about the Risen Lord, the glorious Resurrection of the Saviour, as well as everything that He had done in this world, His mission and how He has called on all the whole world to follow Him.

That was how St. Peter the Apostle spoke with such great fire in him, proclaiming all that the Lord had done in reaching out to His beloved people, in gathering all of them once again from being scattered all over the whole world, only for Him to face opposition, ridicule, rejection and stubborn refusal by so many who refused to listen to Him, or to believe in His truth and wisdom, in all that He has done and shown to them. St. Peter spoke courageously amidst the people about the suffering, all the things that this Saviour has suffered and endured during His Passion, the moment when He had to face a lot of hardships, trials, humiliations, and ultimately faced the punishment for the sins and mistakes which He Himself had not committed, but which He willingly took upon Himself, so that by His loving and most selfless sacrifice and offering of Himself, He has become the source of our salvation and redemption.

God has sent His Son to us all, so that by His coming into this world, and by everything that He has done, in obeying His Father’s will and in offering His most perfect and worthy offering, His actions had broken us all free from the prison of sin, evil and death. No longer that sin and death have any more power over us, although they can still harm us if we choose to stay away from God and reject His love. His glorious Resurrection is like a great Light that illuminates our path in the darkness of this world, piercing through the veil that sin has placed before us, that now we all can see the truth and the salvation which God has been promising us, and we have this Hope placed in us, knowing that if we remain true and faithful to Him, then in the end, we shall share in His glory and triumph, and enter into the eternal and glorious inheritance promised to us.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard from the account in the Gospel of St. Matthew of the appearance of the Lord Jesus after His Resurrection to some of His followers, the women of the group, whom He told that they should tell His other disciples to find Him in Galilee just as He Himself has told them. We then also heard how the opponents of the Lord made many efforts to try to stop the truth about the Lord’s Resurrection and His disappeared Body which had made quite a ruckus among the people, even to the point of making bribes and false, made-up stories about what happened, in order to try to sway the populace to belief in their version of the story, saying that the disciples of the Lord had stolen His Body, while the truth was that the Lord has indeed risen gloriously from the dead. They tried in vain to stop the truth from spreading, even so far as to persecute the Lord’s disciples and ordering them not to proclaim the Resurrection, to no avail.

That was because the disciples of the Lord themselves had seen the Risen Lord, experienced His Presence and everything that He has done and spoken to them, and through the courage and strength that God had provided to them, He has helped all of them to remain true and strong in their faith, and in their commitment to walk the path that He has called all of them to follow. The Risen Lord has commissioned them all to go forth and proclaim the Good News to all the whole world, to all the people who have been called to His love and compassion, to spread to them more of the truth about everything, and this same mission has also been entrusted to us all as members and parts of God’s Church. It is important that each and every one of us as Christians realise this calling and the mission which we have been entrusted with so that we can do our best to fulfil everything that we are all supposed to do.

As Christians, this Easter time and season is a reminder for all of us to go forth and be active in doing what God had called us to do, to be His worthy disciples and great role models, inspirations and strength for everyone around us so that by our every actions, words and deeds, by everything that we say and do, in every moments and opportunities, even in the smallest things, we will be the shining beacons of God’s Light and truth, His love and kindness towards us, being good inspiration and strength for all our fellow brethren who may still be struggling in their faith and in their willingness to follow the Lord in all that He has entrusted to them in their own various ways. Let us all be their pillars of support and strength, helping each other to carry out God’s will and mission, at all times and opportunities, as courageous and faithful servants and followers of the Risen Lord.

May the Risen Lord, Our Saviour, continue to bless us all and guide us in all of our journey throughout life. May He empower and strengthen each and every one of us in our struggles and in our efforts to follow Him, despite all the challenges, trials and hardships that may come our way. We must not easily lose hope and we have to remain firmly focused on the Lord, entrusting ourselves to Him, and believing in everything that He Himself has shown us, that in the end, we shall be raised together with Him into an everlasting existence with Him, in true bliss, joy and glory. May God be with us always, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Monday, 1 April 2024 : Monday within Easter Octave (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 28 : 8-15

At that time, the woman left the tomb at once in fear, yet with great joy, and they ran to tell the news to Jesus’ disciples. Suddenly, He met them on the way and said, “Rejoice!” The women approached Him, embraced His feet and worshipped Him. But Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid! Go and tell My brothers to set out for Galilee; there they will see Me.”

While the women were on their way, the guards returned to the city, and some of them reported to the chief priests all that had happened. The chief priests met with the elders, and decided to give the soldiers a large sum of money, with this instruction, “Say that His disciples came by night while you were asleep, and stole the Body of Jesus. If Pilate comes to know of this, we will explain the situation and keep you out of trouble.”

The soldiers accepted the money and did as they were told. This story has circulated among the Jews until this day.