Monday

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Monday, 22 January 2024 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Vincent, Deacon and Martyr, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the passages that we heard from the Sacred Scriptures remind us that each and every one of us as Christians must always be faithful to God and we must not allow ourselves to be swayed and divided by sin, evil and wickedness present all around us. It is otherwise easy for many of us to fall into the temptations of our desires and worldly pleasures, which have caused so many people to fall into the path of disobedience and ruin because of their sins against God. We may find it difficult to resist those temptations, but we need to make the effort and the push to ensure that we always remain firmly focused on the Lord and trust in His providence and strength, at all times.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Samuel in which the continuation of the story of King David can be heard. We have heard for the past few weeks of the story of how the prophet and Judge Samuel carried out his ministry, and how the first kings of Israel were chosen by God and ruled over the people of Israel. The first king, Saul, was chosen by the Lord after the people demanded for a king to rule over them. However, Saul did not remain faithful to the Lord, and he was tempted and swayed by worldly glory, which led him to disobey God and His commands, while following his own decisions and judgments, which led the people to sin against God, and plunging the nation into the path of evil. This was why David was chosen as the new king over the people.

In that passage, we heard of the aftermath of the time when Saul was slain during the battle against the Philistines at Mount Gilboa. David was acclaimed as King over Israel by the people of Judah, the tribe from which David hailed from. However, many of the other tribes of Israel chose Ishbaal, one of the sons of Saul instead. Hence, there was a kind of civil war amongst the Israelites, in which if we read more of the preceding chapters before what was shown in today’s first reading, we would know how God was with David, and eventually Ishbaal was murdered by some of his own supporters, who gave their support to David instead. In the end, all of Israel agreed to accept David as King of Israel, as highlighted in today’s passage, and he therefore assumed his rule over all the people of God.

We also heard how the Jebusites, the original inhabitants of the city of Jebus, later known as Jerusalem, mocked and ridiculed King David when he attempted to take and conquer the city. Eventually, David conquered Jerusalem and made it to be his capital, and thereafter, it becomes the centre of the Kingdom, and the spiritual centre of the Divine worship of God, as later on the Temple and House of God would be established there. God blessed David and strengthened his kingdom, allowing Israel to overcome many of its enemies which had pestered, oppressed and gave them much trouble and hardships over many years. It was also because the people of God were united and no longer divided among themselves that this golden era was possible. Later on, when the kingdom was split into the northern Israel and southern Judah halves, that golden era came to an end.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of a related development and theme, as we heard of the teachers of the Law who accused the Lord of great sin against God and for deluding the people by colluding with the prince of demons, Beelzebul, in how He performed His miracles, casting out demons and evil spirits. This was a serious accusation made purposely to destroy the Lord’s credibility and prevent Him from continuing with His works and ministry, as the teachers of the Law were likely jealous at the immense popularity which the Lord had received at that time. Therefore, the Lord answered the accusation, pointing out the nonsense in the argument and accusation of the teachers of the Law, highlighting how it does not make sense for the demons to be in war and opposition against each other.

Linking to the example from the first reading, from the time of the civil war amongst the Israelites, and how when they were all united as one people, that allowed the period of their golden era under David and Solomon to happen, we can see that no state or organisation, when divided would have been able to stand up strong and succeed in whatever they seek to do. That division would have led to their destruction, defeat and downfall instead, just as the many historical examples of various nations and states can prove to us. Hence, the Lord rebuked all those teachers of the Law who sowed the seeds of doubt and evil among the people, which was actually an act of the evil ones, in using those teachers of the Law to try to destroy the good works of the Lord. The devil and all of his forces are always in fact, strongly united in their efforts to destroy us.

The Lord also mentioned about the unforgiveable sin against the Holy Spirit, which is a topic often highlighted in various discussions in Christian communities. It reminds us all that God is always ever generous with His mercy, kind and compassionate towards us. However, if we doubt His kindness, love and mercy, doubting His ability to heal us and to deliver us from our trials and troubles, like attributing the Lord’s work in casting out the evil spirits to the work of Beelzebul, that is indeed something which is beyond forgiveness, because it brought about doubt upon the Lord’s own authority, power and works, especially among the people of God. This is why the Lord sternly rebuked them and pointed out the folly of their ambitions, jealousy and all other actions against Him.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Vincent, Holy Martyr of the Church and Deacon, who was a truly great man of God and whose life and actions are great inspirations for all of us to follow at all times. St. Vincent was also known as St. Vincent of Saragossa or Zaragoza because he hailed from the region of Caesaraugusta, now known as Zaragoza in northeastern Spain today. He was an eloquent speaker, entrusted by the regional bishop to help him because of his impediments, in preaching to the people of God and others. When the local governor began launching an intense persecution against Christians in that area, arresting both the bishop, Valerius and St. Vincent, they were persecuted and tortured. St. Vincent refused to save his life by burning the Sacred Scriptures when such an offer was made to him.

And then, St. Vincent’s great faith and eloquence in proclaiming the truth of God angered the governor greatly, who ordered the former to be tortured with various sufferings, and eventually, in what he was well-known for, he was put on a grid-iron and tortured. Yet, St. Vincent remained firm in his faith and continued to proclaim the truth of God, even joking with his persecutors according to some tradition, when he said to them, asking them to turn him over because he was ‘done on that side’. St. Vincent eventually met his death in martyrdom, but his example of great courage and bravery, his exemplary and inspirational faith continue to become great inspiration for many Christians all throughout history.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore do our best so that we can continue to live our lives to the best of our abilities, in each and every moments throughout our every moments, in obeying God and His will. Let us all put our trust and faith in the Lord, and do what we can, so that we can continue to be good role models for one another. Let our lives shine with great faith and righteousness, with great light of God, His grace and kindness. May God bless each and every one of us, and may He bless our every good efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Monday, 22 January 2024 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Vincent, Deacon and Martyr, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Mark 3 : 22-30

At that time, the teachers of the Law, who had come from Jerusalem, said, “He is the power of Beelzebul : the chief of the demons helps Him to drive out demons.”

Jesus called them to Him, and began teaching them by means of stories, or parables, “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a nation is divided by civil war, that nation cannot stand. If a family divides itself into groups, that family will not survive. In the same way, if Satan has risen against himself and is divided, he will not stand; he is finished.”

“No one can break into the house of a strong man in order to plunder his goods, unless he first ties up the strong man. Then indeed, he can plunder his house. Truly, I say to you, every sin will be forgiven humankind, even insults to God, however numerous. But whoever slanders the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. He carries the guilt of his sin forever.”

This was their sin when they said, “He has an unclean spirit in Him.”

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Monday, 22 January 2024 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Vincent, Deacon and Martyr, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Psalm 88 : 20, 21-22, 25-26

In the past, You spoke in a vision; You said of Your faithful servant : “I have set the crown upon a mighty one; on one chosen from the people.”

I have found David My servant, and, with My holy oil, I have anointed him. My hand will be ever with him; and My arm will sustain him.

My faithfulness and love will be with him; and, by My help, he will be strong. I will set his hand over the sea, his right hand over the rivers.

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Monday, 22 January 2024 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Vincent, Deacon and Martyr, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

2 Samuel 5 : 1-7, 10

All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “We are your bone and flesh. In the past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led Israel. And YHVH said to you, ‘You shall be the shepherd of My people Israel and you shall be commander over Israel.’”

Before YHVH, king David made an agreement with the elders of Israel who came to him at Hebron, and they anoint him king of Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for forty years : he reigned over Judah, from Hebron, seven and a half years; and over Israel and Judah, from Jerusalem, for thirty-three years.

The king and his men set out for Jerusalem to fight the Jebusites who lived there. They said to David, “If you try to break in here, the blind and the lame will drive you away,” which meant that David could not get in. Yet David captured the fortress of Zion that became the “city of David.”

And David grew more powerful, for YHVH, the God of Hosts, was with him.

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Monday, 15 January 2024 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we listened to the words of the Scriptures in which we are all reminded that we should not blindly obey the Law and the commandments of God without understanding and appreciating their meaning, purpose and intention. We also must not obey the Law and the commandments of God with the perverted and corrupt intentions to satisfy our own greed and desires. We must never allow the temptations of our flesh, all sorts of worldly corruptions from turning us from the path of righteousness. We must be vigilant lest the temptations of sin may tempt us away into our downfall and destruction, as how it had happened to our predecessors, including what we have heard in our Scripture passages today.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Samuel, in which the story of the disobedience and sin of Saul, King of Israel was presented to us, when he did not do what the Lord had told him to do, in eliminating and destroying the Amalekites, their king and their possessions. Instead, Saul spared the king of the Amalekites, Agag, and also many of the sheep and oxen, which Saul argued to the prophet Samuel who confronted him on the matter, that those were meant to be sacrificed to God. This earned Saul a firm rebuke from God through Samuel, who told him off for his disobedience and failure to do God’s will, and for putting his own desires and judgments above that of obedience to God and His commands. Thus, that was the reason why Saul was eventually replaced as king by the more faithful David.

Why did Saul disobey God? It was not specifically or clearly mentioned, but based on the evidence from the Scripture passages and from the circumstances of the time, it was likely that Saul was tempted by the temptations of the wealth and riches that he could seize from the Amalekites, as well as other worldly recourses and matters, such as by sparing the Amalekite king, he could have gained more from the wars and conflict for his own benefits and for the treasuries of the kingdom as compared to if he followed the Lord’s words completely in obliterating the Amalekites wholly and thoroughly as he should have done. Thus, King Saul allowed himself to be tempted and swayed away from the path of righteousness and truth, falling into disobedience and committing sins against God.

Not only that, but according to the traditions of the people of God, this action of sparing the King of Amalek and part of their flocks would have repercussions in the future, as it was told that from the Queen of Amalek that escaped from the hands of the Israelites, and from Agag, the same king whom Saul spared, an Amalekite named Haman would rise in the distant future, a few centuries later, when this Haman almost managed to destroy the whole people of Israel and their descendants. From the Book of Esther, Haman did so as he used his influence and power to exact revenge against the Israelites, and if not for the intervention of God through Queen Esther of Persia and one Mordechai, the people of Israel would have been exterminated.

This is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, what the prophet Samuel told King Saul was indeed very important, as he told the latter that what God sought from him and all others were not sacrifices but obedience. There was no point for many sacrifices made to the Lord if this was done out of disobedience and sin, just as what Saul had done. King Saul chose to follow his own desires and temptations of the world rather than to trust in the Lord, and that was where his sins and faults lie, and all of us are reminded and warned of this today so that hopefully we will not end up in the same situation either. It is important reminder for us so that we do not easily allow ourselves to be swayed by all the temptations, coercions and pressures present all around us.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard about the confrontation between the Lord Jesus and the Pharisees who were there questioning Him and His disciples why they were not fasting in the manner that they and the disciples of St. John the Baptist had done. The Lord then answered them that His disciples do not fast in the manner that they were asked for, because He, the Lord Himself, was with them. There would indeed be a time when they would fast and mourn, but essentially, they would not do things in the same manner as that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, or the disciples of St. John, and this was because the way that they had practiced the Law and the commandments of God by that time, had become obsolete and wayward from what the Lord had originally intended for them.

What does this mean, brothers and sisters in Christ? It means that by the time of the Lord’s earthly ministry, the Law and commandments of God had been largely misunderstood and misrepresented by those Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, all of whom had inherited various practices, customs, rituals and habits, all of which were additions and alterations from the true original Law of God. Many of those amendments and alterations were done without proper understanding and appreciation of what God had intended with His Law and commandments. The Lord has given us all His Law so that all of us may be able to reach Him and find our way to Him, and through His Law and commandments, we may find our path towards His salvation and grace more easily.

However, those Pharisees, teachers of the Law and elders had ended up using the Law in the wrong manner, trusting in their own traditions, practices, customs and human judgment and refusing to listen to the Lord speaking to them and explaining to them why their ways of practicing the Law and commandments of God had been wrong. It is important therefore, that all of us are again reminded that we should always put the Lord our God at the very centre and as the focus of our lives, and we should not allow the temptations of the world and all sorts of earthly ambitions and glory from distracting us from our focus on the Lord. This is why we should always keep our focus firmly on the Lord and do our best so that in each and every moments of our lives, we will always obey the Lord wholeheartedly, understand and appreciate His ways, and ultimately, be filled with love for Him all the time.

May the Lord be with us all, His beloved ones, always, and may He empower each one of us so that we may be strong and be able to persevere through the various challenges and trials in life. May God bless our every good efforts and works, all of us in everything we say and do, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Monday, 15 January 2024 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Mark 2 : 18-22

At that time, when the Pharisees and the disciples of John the Baptist were fasting, some people asked Jesus, “Why is it, that both the Pharisees and the disciples of John fast, but Yours do not?”

Jesus answered, “How can the wedding guests fast while the Bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the Bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. But the day will come, when the Bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.”

“No one sews a piece of new cloth on an old coat, because the new patch will shrink and tear away from the old cloth, making a worse tear. And no one puts new wine into old wine skins, for the wine would burst the skins, and then both the wine and the skins would be lost. But new wine, new skins!”

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Monday, 15 January 2024 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 49 : 8-9, 16bc-17, 21 and 23

Not for your sacrifices do I reprove you, for your burnt offerings are ever before Me. I need no bull from your stalls, nor he-goat from your pens.

What right have you to mouth My laws, or to talk about My Covenant? You hate My commands and cast My words behind you.

Because I was silent while you did these things, you thought I was like you. But now I rebuke you and make this charge against you. Those who give with thanks, offerings, honour Me; but the one who walks blamelessly. I will show him the salvation of God.

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Monday, 15 January 2024 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

1 Samuel 15 : 16-23

Samuel then told Saul, “Enough! Let me tell you what YHVH said to me last night.” Saul replied, “Please tell me.” So Samuel went on and said, “Though you had no confidence in yourself, you became chief of the tribes of Israel, for YHVH wanted to anoint you king over Israel. Then He sent you with this command, ‘Go. Completely crush the Amalekite offenders, engaging them in battle until they are destroyed.’”

“Why then did you not obey the voice of YHVH but instead swooped down on the spoil, doing what was evil in His sight?” To this, Saul replied, “I have obeyed the voice of YHVH and have carried out the mission for which He sent me. I have captured Agag, king of Amalek and completely destroyed the Amalekites. If my men spared the best sheep and oxen from among these to be destroyed, it was in order to sacrifice them to YHVH, your God, in Gilgal.”

Samuel then said, “Does YHVH take as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obedience to His command? Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission better than the fat of rams. Rebellion is like the sin of divination, and stubbornness like holding onto idols. Since you have rejected the word of YHVH, He too has rejected you as king.”

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Monday, 8 January 2024 : Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the occasion of the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, in which we recall the moment when the Lord Jesus was baptised at the River Jordan marking the beginning of His period of ministry in this world. This occasion today marks the last day of the liturgical season of Christmas, although traditionally in some forms, Christmas is still commemorated for a whole forty days period up to the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord or Candlemas on the second day of February. This day is the moment when the Christmas celebrations pass over to the Ordinary Time again, before in a few weeks’ time we are going to enter into the season of Lent in preparation for the Holy Week and Easter. However, this upcoming Ordinary Time is far from being ‘ordinary’ as we often understand it.

Instead, the word ‘Ordinary’ here comes from the word ‘Ordinal’ or numbered, named as such because the Sundays are numbered from the first one to the last one, the thirty-fourth one on the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe at the end of the liturgical year cycle. And this reminds us that, just as at His Baptism, the Lord began and embarked on His ministry and works, therefore each and every one of us too are called to proceed with whatever works and good things which Our Lord and God had entrusted to each and every one of us. All of us have been given the mission and the vocation in our respective capacities and areas of life, that we should live our lives worthily and well as Christians, in any way we can.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Isaiah in which God spoke to His people through Isaiah regarding the salvation which God had promised to all of us, and which He would send to us in fulfilment of all that He has promised, through the coming of His Messiah, or Saviour, the Word of God, sent to the world to carry out and accomplish everything that God had planned for us all. God promised that through His Saviour, He would gather all of His people to Himself, getting them, reaching out to them and helping them on their path and journey, calling on everyone to embrace His salvation and path, gathering all of us from the darkness of this world so that we may find the joy of God’s love, providence and care.

All those promises have been made by the Lord to us His people, and He fulfilled them all through His Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, Whose Baptism and beginning of earthly ministry we recall and celebrate today. In our Gospel reading today, this is highlighted by St. Mark in the short account about the Baptism of the Lord, where St. John the Baptist baptised the Lord Jesus, as foretold, and hence, the Lord’s truth and ministry that He was to embark on, was all revealed to us, and to St. John the Baptist himself, as we heard of the Heaven itself being opened, and then the voice of the Father speaking, revealing that the One Whom St. John the Baptist had just baptised, is the Son of God, with the words, ‘You are My Son, the Beloved, the One I have chosen.’ This is also the same truth referred to by St. John the Apostle in his Epistle, which was mentioned in our second reading today.

This truth according to St. John the Apostle, witnessed by St. John the Baptist and other people who were present, has been affirmed and acknowledged through the three testimonies of Water, Blood and Spirit. Each one of these testimonies confirmed that truly Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the One Whom all the prophets had been proclaiming and prophesying about, the One Who has brought God’s love and compassion into our midst, unveiling to us the fullness of God’s ever generous mercy and kindness, His love and care for all of us, His beloved ones. The Lord has shown us that He was not merely just making empty promises and big words without action, but truly putting all of His love for us into real action, loving us generously at all times.

Firstly, the testimony of Water is also referred to in our Gospel today, at the moment when the Lord Jesus was baptised at the River Jordan by St. John the Baptist. At that moment, according to the testimony of St. John the Baptist, when the Lord had been baptised and emerged from the waters of the River Jordan, Heaven itself opened and the Holy Spirit descended on the Lord like the Dove, and the voice of the Father came upon all, speaking His will and revealing Who Jesus truly was, as the Incarnate Son of God in the flesh, with the words ‘You are My Son, the Beloved, the One I have chosen.’, which highlighted everything that He had done for us, in sending us His own beloved Son, so that through Him, all of us may be saved, and gathered through the same water of baptism, into eternal life.

Then, the testimony of Blood refers to the Blood which the same Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, had shed for all of us mankind, from the Altar of His Cross. He was offered, willingly enduring for us the worst of punishments and sufferings, trials and tribulations so that by all of His wounds and hurts, all of us may be healed. His Most Precious Body and Most Precious Blood had been broken and poured down upon all of us mankind, freely offered and freely given to us, so that through this sharing of Himself, all of us may partake of the same Paschal Lamb, the Bread of Life, and hence enter into the eternal life which He has promised to all of us who partake upon His heavenly banquet, the Most Holy Eucharist that He has instituted and given to all of us, as yet another testimony of the truth about Him.

Lastly, the testimony of the Spirit mentioned by St. John can mean both the Holy Spirit descending on the Lord Jesus at the moment of His Baptism, but also the gift of the Holy Spirit descending upon the Apostles and the disciples of the Lord, and hence upon the Church, on the Pentecost. The Lord has promised the Advocate, the Helper, that is none other than the Holy Spirit, Who would come to strengthen all the faithful and holy people of God, and the Holy Spirit did indeed come, ten days after the Lord ascended gloriously to Heaven and fifty days after His glorious Resurrection from the dead. All these testimonies were proofs and evidences enough for all those who have witnessed them, and which they had taught and passed on to us through the Church.

Therefore, as we have heard and discussed above, the moment of the Lord’s Baptism and the testimonies of faith, of Water, Blood and Spirit surrounding it, are affirmations for each and every one of us of God’s Love, and also a call for us all to remember everything that He had done for us, in embracing the Cross, all the burdens, punishments and sufferings that He had to endure despite Him having the choice of not having to go through them all. The Lord has called us all to follow Him, in walking down the same path that He had walked, in carrying our crosses with Him, and in following the path that He has led us through, in the Church of God and in our respective calling and ministries entrusted to us.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, through our own baptism, when we were welcomed into the Church, be it as infants or as adults, each and every one of us have been made part of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, the same Body of Christ, the united assembly of all the people who are faithful in God, and counted among the flock of those whom God had called and chosen. Each and every one of us has professed our faith in the Lord, and renewed them every time we renew them ever since at Easter. Now, the question is, are we all truly aware of what we have been called to do as Christians? Are we aware of the missions and vocation which God has entrusted to each one of us in calling us all to walk in the path of righteousness and grace?

Baptism is not the end of the journey of faith, especially for all those of us who have gone through the period of catechism and catechumenate, leading to our baptisms as adults. Baptism is the beginning of this new phase in our lives, as we enter into a life of holiness, free from the bondage and the tyranny of sin, evil and death. However, we can always fall back again into sin, and be corrupted again by the many temptations present all around us. Hence, it is important that we remain vigilant, and strive as always to live our lives as worthily as possible, in obeying the Law and commandments of God, and in ensuring that our whole lives, our every actions, words and deeds are always full of faith and grace of God.

Let us all therefore recall the moments when we were baptised, and initiated into the Church and in receiving this Christian faith, and hence let us all recall the promises and commitments we have made at our baptism, and heed the Lord’s call for us to follow Him and walk in His path. Let our lives be truly faithful and full of Christian virtues, at all times, and each one of us become the shining beacons and examples of our faith to others around us. May the Lord our God be with us always in this journey of faith, and may He continue to bless our every works, good efforts and endeavours, done for His greater glory, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

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Monday, 8 January 2024 : Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Mark 1 : 7-11

John preached to the people, saying, “After me comes One Who is more powerful than I am; I have baptised you with water, but He will baptise you in the Holy Spirit.”

At that time, Jesus came from Nazareth, a town of Galilee, and was baptised by John in the Jordan. And the moment He came up out of the water, heaven opened before Him, and He saw the Spirit coming down on Him like a dove.

And these words were heard from heaven, “You are My Son, the Beloved, the One I have chosen.”