Monday

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Monday, 24 July 2023 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Sharbel Makhluf, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this day as we listened to the Lord’s words in the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the need for each and every one of us to place our trust in the Lord and to be ever faithful to Him. We should not allow doubt and fear to affect and prevent us from truly following God’s path, as each one of us are truly precious and important in the sight of God, and as long as we continue to trust in Him and in His providence, we shall not fail and falter. All of us should continue to keep up this faith in God and we must not easily be discouraged and swayed by the many challenges and trials present all around us. If we allow ourselves to be persuaded otherwise and choose to abandon the Lord instead of trusting in Him and in His providence and love, then we may end up leading ourselves to an even greater loss in the end.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Exodus of the story of the moment when the Israelites were on their way out of the land of Egypt, where they were then chased by the forces of the Egyptians under their ruler, the Pharaoh, his army and the chariots. The Pharaoh regretted having let the Israelites go free under the pressures from the Ten Great Plagues that God had sent to the land of Egypt and the Egyptians, and hence tried to subjugate all of them again through that. The Israelites then were at the shore of the Red Sea, and they were cornered between the sea itself and the Pharaoh’s army, without any means or opportunity to escape, and therefore many among the people were afraid and fearful that they were facing certain destruction, and as we heard, many among them blamed Moses and even God for having led them to their deaths at that place, mentioning how they preferred to have remained under slavery rather than to die in that manner.

Moses reassured the people and God Himself also told Moses and hence His people that they should not be afraid as He was with them, guarding and protecting them, and whatever He has promised them, in bringing them to freedom and liberation from their land of slavery, and the promise of bringing them into the land promised to their forefathers, the Land of Canaan. God was not going to go back on His words on all of His promises, and despite the struggles and sufferings that His people would have to endure, eventually, they would see the promise of God’s salvation and grace. In that particular occasion, God would come and protect His people against the Egyptians, placing a great pillar of fire between the Israelites and the Egyptian forces, and then as we all well known and are familiar with, God Himself through Moses, opened the Red Sea for all the people of Israel to pass by, dry and protected on the seabed.

Thus, that was how God saved His people, who had suffered for a long time under their slavemasters, and who had to endure a lot of hardships and humiliations. Yet, God led His people into the ultimate triumph, liberating them and giving them the reason and opportunity to hope once again, to hope in the true joy and happiness in the presence of God. God did not abandon His people even in their darkest hours, and journeyed together with them, even though later on they would prove to be rather difficult and frequently disobeyed God’s words, Law and commandments. God remained full of love and compassion on His beloved ones, reaching out to them patiently and caring for them at all times. The Lord has always patiently guided His people, there at that time of the Exodus and afterwards, ever remembering the love that He has for them and the Covenant which He had made with them.

Then in the Gospel passage today, we heard from the moment when the Lord was confronted by some of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who demanded to see signs and wonders, miracles and works from Him. We must understand that at the time, many of the miracles, works and wonders that the Lord had performed, had been witnessed by many of the same Pharisees and teachers of the Law, who had also heard and listened to all the teachings and the words of the Lord all the same. Yet, they still refused to believe in Him, doubting His truth and works, and questioning His authority and signs, and demanding to see more of what they had themselves seen and witnessed. That was why the Lord was often saddened by what He had encountered from these oppositions, as those people kept on holding onto their doubts and prejudices, and refusing to listen to Him.

Why is that so, brothers and sisters in Christ? That was because those people who doubted the Lord thought that they knew things better than the Lord, and they refused to accept that they could be wrong in their ways or in their insights and intelligence. That was why no matter what they had seen, heard or witnessed, experienced and went through with the Lord, in all of His ministry and works, many among those people were stubborn and adamant in not listening to God and His truth, and keeping on their prejudiced ways and views, thinking that they were superior and better, when they were in fact mistaken and faulty in their ways and actions. This same attitude had brought many into their downfall and prevented many others from coming to seek forgiveness, grace and compassion from the Lord.

That is why today, all of us are reminded not to hold onto our pride and prejudices, and not to be easily swayed by fear and the desires of this world, that we end up abandoning the Lord and His truth for our own personal ambitions, pride and the many desires and attachments we have to this world’s goods. And today, as we also celebrate the feast of one of the Lord’s great servants, we should be inspired and strengthened by the exemplary life and dedication of this holy man of God, in how he had devoted his life to the Lord and in doing what God has commanded him and all of us to do. He is St. Sharbel Makhluf, also known as Charbel Makhlouf, the famous Maronite saint and priest, who lived and ministered to the people of God about a century and half ago, showing many his holiness and dedication to the Lord.

St. Sharbel Makhluf led a holy life from a very young age, being raised in a devout family, and later on became a monk in what is today part of Lebanon. He led a life of great holiness and sanctity, wholly devoted to God, and as he later on withdrew to a monastery as a monk, dedicating himself even more to the Lord, he showed many people how it is possible for one to entrust oneself so completely to the Lord, and to follow Him in His commandments and will. After his passing, many were miraculously healed at his tomb and by the intercession of this saint, which is yet another example of the great grace of God, Who truly loves each one of us His people, that He sent unto us these great blessings and graces, the healings and wonders, the miracles attributed through the constant intercession and help from St. Sharbel Makhluf.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore do our best to renew our faith in the Lord and to commit ourselves anew in the path which the Lord has shown to us. Let our lives and works, our every actions, words and deeds be great examples and inspirations to one another so that many more people may come to believe in the Lord through us. May the Lord continue to guide us and strengthen us, so that in our every moments, we may always strive to glorify Him by our lives. Amen.

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Monday, 24 July 2023 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Sharbel Makhluf, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Matthew 12 : 38-42

At that time, some teachers of the Law and some Pharisees spoke up, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” Jesus answered them, “An evil and unfaithful people want a sign; but no sign will be given them except the sign of the prophet Jonah. In the same way, as Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of Man spend three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

“At the judgment, the people of Nineveh will rise with this generation, and condemn it; because they reformed their lives at the preaching of Jonah, and here, there is greater than Jonah. At the judgment, the Queen of the South will stand up and condemn you. She came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and here, there is greater than Solomon.”

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Monday, 24 July 2023 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Sharbel Makhluf, Priest (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Exodus 15 : 1bc-2, 3-4, 5-6

I will sing to YHVH, the Glorious One, horse and rider He has thrown into the sea. YHVH is my strength and my song, and He is my salvation.

He is my God and I will praise Him; the God of my father : I will extol Him. YHVH is a Warrior; YHVH is His Name. The chariots of Pharaoh and his army He has hurled into the sea; his chosen officers were drowned in the Red Sea.

The deep covers them; they went down like a stone. Your hand, o YHVH, glorious and powerful, Your right hand, o YHVH, shatters the enemy.

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Monday, 24 July 2023 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Sharbel Makhluf, Priest (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Exodus 14 : 5-18

The king of Egypt was told that the people had fled; then Pharaoh and his ministers changed their minds with regard to the people. “What have we done,” they said, “in allowing Israel to go and be free of our service?” Pharaoh prepared his chariot and took his army with him. There were six hundred of his best chariots; indeed he took all the Egyptian chariots, each one with his warriors.

YHVH had hardened the mind of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who set out in pursuit of the Israelites as they marched forth triumphantly. The Egyptians – all the chariots and horses of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army – gave chase and caught up with them when they had encamped by the sea near Pihahiroth, facing Baalzephon.

The Israelites saw the Egyptians marching after them : Pharaoh was drawing near. They were terrified and cried out to YHVH. Then they said to Moses, “Were there no tombs in Egypt? Why have you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done by bringing us out of Egypt? Is this not what we said when we were in Egypt : Let us work for the Egyptians. Far better serve Egypt than to die in the desert!”

Moses said to the people, “Have no fear! Stay where you are and see the work YHVH will do to save you today. The Egyptians whom you see today, you will never see again! YHVH will fight for you and all you have to do is to keep still.”

YHVH said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. You will raise your staff and stretch your hand over the sea and divide it to let the Israelites go dryfoot through the sea. I will so harden the minds of the Egyptians that they will follow you. And I will have glory at the expense of Pharaoh, his army, his chariots and horsemen. The Egyptians will know that I am YHVH when I gain glory for Myself at the cost of Pharaoh and his army!”

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Monday, 17 July 2023 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us heard from the Scriptures the beginning of the discourse on the story of the Exodus of the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt, we are all reminded that as God’s beloved people, each and every one of us are ultimately beloved and precious to the Lord, and no matter what challenges or trials that we may encounter in our lives, we will still receive the fullness of His providence and help, and we have nothing to fear about if we remain faithful to Him. Of course this also reminds us that at the same time, we are also called to remember that we cannot expect that sufferings and hardships will not be part and parcel of our lives if we are faithful to the Lord, contrary to the beliefs of some amongst us. Following the Lord requires great commitment, and there will likely be time when we may need to make sacrifices and to endure hardships for the Lord’s sake.

In our first reading today, we heard, as mentioned, the story of the moment when the Israelites, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who had stayed in Egypt, were persecuted and oppressed by the Egyptians and their ruler, the Pharaoh, who did not know of the great deeds that Joseph had done for the sake of the Egyptians. The Pharaoh and the Egyptians became fearful of the great numbers and the power of the Israelites, who were living in their midst, and hence, enslaved them and put them to harsh works, treating them as less than human beings, mistreated and exploited, and as we heard, that the Pharaoh even attempted to eradicate all of them eventually by trying to kill off all the sons born to the Israelites, throwing them into the Nile, hoping that eventually, no Israelites would be left, and the remnants of those people might be assimilated among the Egyptians.

The people of Israel then truly suffered and had to endure a lot of humiliations and hardships, as they had to borne a lot of hard work and tough moments in the midst of them being enslaved and forced to build many monuments, cities and other projects of the Egyptians. They were not, however, forgotten by the Lord, their God and Master, Who has always remembered the Covenant which He has made with His servants Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He remembered His people, His beloved chosen ones, who have struggled and toiled in foreign lands, and in His momentous time, He sent unto them Moses, His servant, to lead them out of the land of their enslavement, and to bring them all, free from all bondage and slavery, into the land promised to their ancestors and forefathers.

In our Gospel passage today, the Lord Jesus Himself mentioned something similar in His words and revelations to His disciples, as He told them that His coming into this world, was not meant to bring about an era of peace and joy, without conflict and without suffering. His coming into this world would instead bring about divisions and hardships for all those who endeavoured to follow Him and commit themselves to walk in His ways. This is contrary to the popular belief at that time regarding the Messiah and His coming, in which many of the people believed that the Messiah, the Son of David, would come to restore the kingdom of Israel and become a King over all of them, liberating them from their oppressors and bringing them into an era of glory and peace, much like during the great era of the reigns of King David and King Solomon.

But the Lord told all of His disciples that His coming into this world in fact would bring about opposition and rejection even from among those whom the Lord had entrusted the guardianship over the people, as well as others, who refused to believe in Him and in His truth. The Lord came into this world bringing with Him revelation of truth which would bring about great change and even discomfort for all those who have been accustomed to the ways of the world, and that was precisely why those same religious leaders and elders, such as the chief priests, the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees, opposed the Lord and refused to believe in Him, despite having listened to His wisdom and truth and despite having experienced and witnessed His many signs, miracles and wonders.

All that the Lord had predicted would indeed come true as He Himself was to be persecuted, and put to death for the sins of the people, to die on His Cross for us, betrayed and abandoned, humiliated and persecuted by those very same ones that He had come into this world to save. And just as the Lord had been persecuted and oppressed, hence the same things would happen to His disciples and followers as well. They encountered many challenges and trials throughout their works and ministries, and not few among the disciples of the Lord, such as most of the Apostles and many Church fathers, saints, holy men and women of God faced persecution and oppression, at times even from their own families and close relatives, as many of the tales of the martyrs and their lives could attest to us.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, what is the significance of all these therefore to us? They remind us that each and every one of us as Christians must always be ready to give it all to God, and we have to be strong in case sufferings and hardships were to come our way. We should not blame the Lord or ourselves, and neither should we blame others for our predicaments and sufferings. Instead, we should continue to be faithful to the Lord and trust in Him and His love and providence, and we should do our best to be great role models, sources of inspiration and strength for one another, and be the support and help for each other, especially for those who are suffering and without means of help and support from anyone, so that we may indeed be there for them, helping them and journeying together with them, as fellow children of the same God.

May the Lord, our most loving God and Father, our Creator and Master, continue to strengthen us all in faith, and guide us in our journey of faith through life. May He empower each and every one of us so that we may indeed proclaim His truth and Good News at all times, and glorify Him always by our exemplary lives. May our faith in Him remain strong and vibrant, undimmed by the challenges and trials in life that we may have to face. Amen.

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Monday, 17 July 2023 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Matthew 10 : 34 – Matthew 11 : 1

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Do not think that I have come to establish peace on earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. Each one will have as enemies, those of one’s own family.”

“Whoever loves father or mother more than Me, is not worthy of Me. And whoever loves son or daughter more than Me, is not worthy of Me. And whoever does not take up his cross and follow Me, is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life, for My sake, will find it.”

“Whoever welcomes you, welcomes Me; and whoever welcomes Me, welcomes Him Who sent Me. The one who welcomes a prophet, as a prophet, will receive the reward of a prophet; the one who welcomes a just man, because he is a just man, will receive the reward of a just man.”

“And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones, because he is My disciple, I assure you, he will not go unrewarded.”

When Jesus had finished giving His twelve disciples these instructions, He went on from there to teach and proclaim His message in their towns.

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Monday, 17 July 2023 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 123 : 1-3, 4-6, 7-8

Had not YHVH been on our side – let Israel say – had not YHVH been on our side, when people rose up against us, then, they would have swallowed us alive; such was their anger against us.

A bit more, and the flood would have engulfed us; the torrent would have swept over us; the raging waters would have swept us away. Blessed be YHVH, Who did not let us be devoured.

Like a bird, our soul escaped from the snare of the fowler; the snare that was broken and we were freed. Our help is in the Name of YHVH, Who made heaven and earth.

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Monday, 17 July 2023 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Exodus 1 : 8-14, 22

Then a new king who had not known Joseph came to power and said to his people, “The Israelites are more numerous and stronger than we are. Let us deal warily with them lest they increase still more and, in case of war, side with our enemy, fight against us and escape from the land.”

So they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labour. In that way they built the storage towns of Pithom and Rameses. But the more they oppressed the Hebrews the more they increased and spread, until the Egyptians dreaded the Israelites and became ruthless in making them work. They made life bitter for them in hard labour with bricks and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields. In all their work the Egyptians treated them harshly.

Pharaoh then gave this order to all the people : “Every infant boy born to the Hebrews must be thrown into the Nile, but every girl may live.”

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Monday, 10 July 2023 : 14th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, all of us are reminded that we are all the beloved people of God, and He always provides for us, and has always been with us, journeying with us and guiding us throughout the way, in our lives and beyond. God has never abandoned us even in the moments of our greatest hardships and difficulties, and He has always been faithful to the Covenant and true to the promises that He has established and made with us and our ancestors. We must always trust in the Lord and believe in everything that He will do for our sake, in helping and providing for us all in our time and moments of greatest need. God is always with us at all times, even when we do not realise this.

In our first reading today, we heard from the story of Jacob who was on his way in exile, fleeing from the wrath of his brother Esau after he has taken away his inheritance and the blessing that his father Isaac had meant to give to the elder brother. Jacob was by himself, an exile from his own family and homeland, at Bethel, where he laid down his head and slept. God showed Jacob a great heavenly vision, showing him His might and power, and how He was with him, and would be with him throughout his path and journey forward, reaffirming with him the same promises that He had made with Jacob’s grandfather, Abraham, in the Covenant that God Himself has made and established with Abraham and his descendants.

God reaffirmed that everything would come true just as He has promised them all to Jacob and his descendants, and he would receive the land that was promised to him, despite his then predicament and uncertainty. And thus, Jacob also renewed the Covenant by promising to God that if God would guide him through his difficult moments and through the struggles that he would be facing, upon his return, he would dedicate that place to God, and true enough, indeed, that God really guided Jacob, helped him to survive those difficult years afterwards, providing him with a woman whom he truly loved, in Rachel, and through her and Jacob’s other wife, he would have twelve sons, and other children, becoming great in wealth and status.

God did guide Jacob and his whole family back to the promised land, and Jacob made good of his promise, building an altar to God there in that place, and that place was henceforth known as Bethel thereon, because of Jacob’s vision detailed in our first reading today, and because of God’s providence for His people in their time and hour of need. We are assured as we have always been, by the Lord’s constant presence in our midst, in guiding and helping us so that we may find our path in life. We must always trust in Him and follow Him faithfully, even amidst the challenges and hardships that we may have to face in our journey through life. Jacob could not have known what he would have to experience and to endure in the years after the events at Bethel, but he remained steadfast in entrusting himself to God, and his faith was indeed greatly rewarded, in God’s good time.

In our Gospel passage today, we all heard of the time when the Lord Jesus miraculously healed a woman who had suffered from severe bleeding issue for more than twelve years as well as miraculously raising the daughter of a synagogue official from the dead, in the presence of many witnesses who were present then. From those accounts and examples, we can clearly see how the Lord has always shown His care and providence for us, and how He has never abandoned us, but continuously and patiently loving us, and how nothing is truly impossible for Him to do, that when we have given up hope in any earthly means of sustenance and provision, the Lord’s providence never failed. In whatever things we encounter, in our many hardships and challenges that we have had to face, if we put our trust in the Lord, in the end, we shall be triumphant with Him.

That woman who had been suffering from the bleeding problems, likely one that was related to her reproductive organs, must have truly suffered a lot, not just physically but also socially, as according to the old Jewish laws and customs, a woman who was suffering or experiencing bleeding or discharge was considered as unclean and was therefore unable to join the greater community of the people of God until their bleeding or discharge had ceased. And since she had been suffering the problem for over twelve years, she must have either had to endure being ostracised, shunned and cut out for that whole period, or she must have had to hide her condition from others, out of fear and shame, and the treatments that she might have to face, should everyone were to know of her condition, which was why she was looking for the Lord in secret. But her faith in the Lord saved her, and she was healed because she truly believed that the Lord could heal her.

Meanwhile, with regards to the daughter of the synagogue official, who was very sick and eventually passed away before the Lord reached her place, it was the faith that her father, the synagogue official, which was identified as Jairus in another Gospel, which saved her. He trusted in the Lord and sought for him when he needed help, just like that of the woman who was suffering from the haemorrhage. Like Jacob their forefather, they both turned towards the Lord when there was no other hope or means for healing and help, and God showed them His most wonderful and eminent love and compassion, His providence and help, by raising Jairus’ daughter back to life, and healing the woman from her bleeding issue, when no other worldly or earthly means had been possible, while at the same time showing that He was indeed God in the flesh, Son of God and Son of Man alike.

Now, we also have to take note that I do not mean that we do not have to suffer or endure hardships if we are to follow the Lord. All those whom I had mentioned, particularly Jacob and the woman who had bleeding problems, both had to endure hardships, cast out and exiled, endured scorn and difficulties for many long years. Yet, they persevered and endured in faith, and in the end, trusted in the Lord, Who showed them His most wonderful love and care, in providing for them and in guiding them towards true joy and freedom, blessed anew and strengthened once again by His hands. Thus, in the same manner, each one of us must also be prepared to face hardships and challenges, and we have to be always ready to stand up for our faith, and to persevere through despite the trials and challenges that we may face, in our paths going forward.

May the Lord continue to help and guide us, and may He always be with us, journeying with us and guiding us as He has always done so far, that no matter what hardships and trials we may have to face, we will always put our trust and faith in Him at all times. May He be with us always and be with His Church in all circumstances, and bless us all and our many good works, our good efforts and endeavours, all for His greater glory. Amen.

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Monday, 10 July 2023 : 14th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Matthew 9 : 18-26

At that time, while Jesus was speaking to the disciples of John and the Pharisees, an official of the synagogue came up to Him, bowed before Him and said, “My daughter has just died, but come and place Your hands on her, and she will live.”

Jesus stood up and followed him with His disciples. Then a woman, who had suffered from a severe bleeding for twelve years, came up from behind and touched the edge of His cloak; for she thought, “If I only touch His cloak, I will be healed.”

Jesus turned, saw her and said, “Courage, my daughter, your faith has saved you.” And from that moment, the woman was cured. When Jesus arrived at the official’s house and saw the flute players and the excited crowd, He said, “Get out of here! The girl is not dead. She is only sleeping!” And they laughed at Him.

But once the crowd had been turned out, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she stood up. The news of this spread through the whole area.