Monday

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Monday, 30 May 2022 : 7th Week of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are presented with the revelation of what all Christians are expected to do, in proclaiming the truth of God to all people, so that more people may come to know of God through us, and know Him well and correctly, that we share the same Christian truth we have upheld for all these while through the Church. Each and every one of us are called to follow in the footsteps of the Apostles, in proclaiming the love and truth of God. This is our calling as Christians.

In our first reading today, we heard of the story of how St. Paul evangelised to the people of Ephesus, continuing his ministry to the people of God. As mentioned, it was there that St. Paul spoke and preached to some of the faithful there who had followed and learnt through St. John the Baptist, the one who heralded for the coming of the Messiah, the One true Lord and Saviour of all. St. Paul revealed more of the truth of God to them and made them true believers as well, calling on them to follow Christ, and then, they received the Holy Spirit, beginning to proclaim God’s truth on their own.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard how the Lord revealed to His own disciples, more of the things that He would do before all of them, the truths and revelations that He had brought unto their midst. The Lord spoke to them at that time just before He was about to suffer and die, at the time of the Last Supper, when He revealed to them not just that He would be betrayed and abandoned by His own disciples, but that He would be handed over to His enemies and suffer a most painful and humiliating death. Everything would eventually come true as the Lord went on through His Passion, suffering and death on the Cross.

The Apostles themselves had been witnesses of everything that had happened, while those who did not witness them firsthand received the same revelation through the Holy Spirit and through the words and traditions passed down to them by the Apostles and their successors. The Church has always kept those traditions as one of its fundamental pillars together with the Scriptures and the teachings of the Magisterium, the leadership of the Church. They henceforth delivered that same message and truth to all those whom they encountered and ministered to, in every possible opportunities and places they went to.

Now, each and every one of us as Christians have also been called to follow the footsteps of St. Paul and all others who have devoted their lives and service to the Lord. We are all given the wisdom and courage of the Holy Spirit, and we have been the recipients of the same truth and traditions through the Church. And we have to realise that we all thus share the responsibilities to carry on the works of evangelisation, spreading the word of God to all those who have not yet known Him, or those who have been separated from Him, so that hopefully through us, we may bring back many more souls to God and His salvation.

How do we do that then, brothers and sisters in Christ? First of all, we have to live our lives as true Christians, spending the time and effort to live well in accordance with the way of the Lord. It means that we cannot just be Christians in words alone, but also through deeds and actions. In fact, if we profess and claim to believe in Christ, and yet, our actions speak otherwise, and what we do in our lives do not match that of our words and proclamations, then not only that we are making empty proclamations and words, but we in fact have scandalised the Lord and our faith in Him, His Church and the whole body of the faithful.

That is not what we should be doing. On the contrary, we should try our best to be good role models for one another, living our lives as best as we can, so that in all that we do, we will be inspiration for our fellow men and women, our brothers and sisters, leading everyone closer to God. We should not do things that instead make people to distance themselves away from God. Remember, brothers and sisters, that each and every one of us have been entrusted with this same mission, and whatever we do, to fulfil it or to do things contrary to our mission, will be held on our account, and if we and our faith are found wanting, then let us not be full of regret later on if we find ourselves on the wrong side of the fence.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all ask the Lord to help and guide us so that we may be courageous and strong enough to proclaim His truth and love in our respective communities today. May the Lord be with us always and may He bless all of our efforts and works, that we will always do our best in every opportunities that God has provided us. Amen.

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Monday, 30 May 2022 : 7th Week of Easter (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 16 : 29-33

At that time, the disciples said to Jesus, “Now You are speaking plainly and not in veiled language! Now we see that You know all things, even before we question You. Because of this we believe that You came from God.”

Jesus answered them, “You say that you believe? The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each one to his home, and you will leave Me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with Me. I have told you all this, so that in Me you may have peace. You will have trouble in the world; but courage! I have overcome the world.”

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Monday, 30 May 2022 : 7th Week of Easter (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 67 : 2-3, 4-5ac, 6-7ab

Arise, o God, scatter Your enemies; let Your foes flee before You. As smoke is blown by the wind, so blow them away; as wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish before You.

But let the righteous be glad and exult before God; let them sing to God and shout for joy. Sing to God, sing praises to His Name; the Lord is His Name. Rejoice in His presence.

Father of orphans and Protector of widows – such is our God is His holy dwelling. He gives shelter to the homeless, sets the prisoners free.

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Monday, 30 May 2022 : 7th Week of Easter (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 19 : 1-8

While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul travelled through the interior of the country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples whom he asked, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” They answered, “We have not even heard that anyone may receive the Holy Spirit.” Paul then asked, “What kind of baptism have you received?” And they answered, “The baptism of John.”

Paul then explained, “John’s baptism was for conversion, but he himself said they should believe in the One Who was to come, and that One is Jesus.” Upon hearing this, they were baptised in the Name of the Lord Jesus. Then Paul laid his hands on them and the Holy Spirit came down upon them; and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy. There were about twelve of them in all.

Paul went into the synagogue and for three months he preached and discussed there boldly, trying to convince them about the Kingdom of God.

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Monday, 23 May 2022 : 6th Week of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are presented with the hope that God has given to His disciples, that He will always be by our side, and He will not abandon us in our time of need. He will give us the necessary guidance and strength to face the many challenges present in our world. As Christians we are all called to go forth and to do whatever we can to spread the words of the truth of God, to proclaim His love and works to all the people of God, to the best of our abilities. Each one of us should commit ourselves to bring forth the Lord to many more people whom we encounter throughout life.

In our first reading today, we heard of the story of the mission of St. Paul the Apostle as he preached the Good News of the Gospels to the people of God, the works that this Apostle had done in proclaiming the Lord’s truth to the people, both to the Jews and the Gentiles alike, all across the Mediterranean region. He went from place to place, sometimes by himself and sometimes with another or two companions, sometimes being rejected while other times being welcomed and accepted by the people. But St. Paul ways encountered help along the way, as what we have heard in our first reading today, where a faithful woman helped him and welcomed him to her place.

This happened throughout his other ministries as well, and there were quite a few disciples and believers who assisted the Apostles with their works, that they truly did not have to worry as the Lord was indeed with them, guiding them and encouraging them along the way. The Apostles entrusted themselves to God and allowed Him to guide them wherever they were told to go to. They knew that they did not have to fear anything as God is always by their side and He will always provide for them, so that in whatever they do, they shall always be fruitful and will be blessed in all things.

In our Gospel passage today, the Lord reminded His disciples that He will not abandon them and will send the Helper, the Advocate, the Holy Spirit to their midst. Through the Holy Spirit they shall be guided and helped in their path, and as long as they remain true and faithful to Christ and His truth, Him as the True Vine and the Source of all truth, then they would not fall astray from the path that God has shown them. The Lord wants all of them to realise that everything is made possible through Him, and all of us as God’s disciples and workers must always draw our inspiration and strength from Him.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, in the Church today as we listened to the words of the Scripture, we are called to reflect on what each and every one of us can and should do as Christians in following the Apostles and walking in their footsteps, in obeying the Law and precepts of the Lord, and in doing God’s will. There are many things that God has entrusted to us through His Church, the mission to reach out to all the people of all the nations, to proclaim the words of His salvation, the Good News that He has delivered to us, and now passed on to us to be proclaimed to all those who have not heard it yet.

The works of the Church, the works of evangelisation and all have not yet been completed. There are still many parts and areas in this world that had not been touched by the light and truth of God, and many people are still unaware of His truth, and are having misunderstandings or misconceptions about Who He really is. And it is up to us to take up our crosses and serve the Lord, to be His witnesses and disciples in our world today, continuing the works that the Apostles and the many other saints, holy men and women of God had initiated and building upon what they had founded.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, each and every one of us have to be more active in living our lives with faith, and we have to commit ourselves ever more to the evangelisation efforts in whatever way we can. The Lord has given us many unique talents, abilities and various opportunities, for us to reach out to those whom we may encounter in life, and who may best come to know the Lord through us and our actions. And we must also remember that just as we can inspire others by our exemplary living as Christians, we can also deter others from coming to the Lord through our wickedness, hypocrisy and other acts that may bring scandal to the Lord, the Church and our faith.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore pray for the guidance and strength from the Lord, so that through His Holy Spirit, Whom God has bestowed upon us, God may help us to be ever more faithful and committed disciples, ever better role models and inspirations for one another in how we live our faith from now on. Hopefully through our dedication and life, we may inspire more and more people to follow the Lord and to believe in Him, much as how St. Paul, the other Apostles, the saints and martyrs had inspired us by their examples and lives. May God bless us always, in all things, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Monday, 23 May 2022 : 6th Week of Easter (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 15 : 26 – John 16 : 4a

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “From now on the Helper, the Holy Spirit Whom the Father will send in My Name, will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I have told you.”

“Peace be with you! I give you My peace; not as the world gives peace do I give it to you. Do not be troubled; do not be afraid. You heard Me say, ‘I am going away, but I am coming to you.’ If you loved Me, you would be glad that I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.”

“I have told you this now before it takes place, so that when it does happen you may believe. It is very little what I may still tell you, for the prince of this world is at hand, although there is nothing in Me that he can claim. But see, the world must know that I love the Father, and that I do what the Father has taught Me to do. Come now, let us go.”

“I am the True Vine and My Father is the Vinegrower. If any of My branches does not bear fruit, He breaks it off; and He prunes every branch that does bear fruit, that it may bear even more fruit. You are already made clean by the word I have spoken to you. Live in Me as I live in you.”

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Monday, 23 May 2022 : 6th Week of Easter (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 149 : 1-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b

Alleluia! Sing to the Lord a new song, sing His praise in the assembly of His saints! Let Israel rejoice in his Maker, let the people of Zion glory in their King!

Let them dance to praise of His Name and make music for Him with harp and timbrel. For the Lord delights in His people; He crowns the lowly with victory.

The saints will exult in triumph; even at night on their couches. Let the praise of God be on their lips; this is the glory of all His saints. Alleluia!

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Monday, 23 May 2022 : 6th Week of Easter (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 16 : 11-15

So we put out to sea from Troas and sailed straight across to Samothrace Island, and the next day to Neapolis. From there we went inland to Philippi, the leading city of the district of Macedonia, and a Roman colony. We spent some days in that city.

On the sabbath we went outside the city gate to the bank of the river where we thought the Jews would gather to pray. We sat down and began speaking to the women who were gathering there. One of them was a God-fearing woman named Lydia from Thyatira City, a dealer in purple cloth.

As she listened, the Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying. After she had been baptised together with her household, she invited us to her house, “If you think I am faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us to accept her invitation.

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Monday, 16 May 2022 : 5th Week of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are reminded that we are God’s people, His beloved ones who are therefore expected to follow Him, and we are expected to walk in His path, doing what He Himself had done for us, to show us love and compassion, kindness and mercy. And therefore each and every one of us as Christians are challenged to live a life filled with love and God’s compassion, that all of those who see us and witness our works and actions may come to realise that we are truly God’s chosen and beloved ones.

In our Gospel passage today, that is the essence of what the Lord has told us, in the conversation that He was having with His disciples at the Last Supper. He was revealing Himself and what He was about to do to all of them, saying to them how He has been sent from the Father to the world, to show them the love of God manifested in the flesh, and to show them the truth that He wants to give to us, so that we may find the way to eternal life through Him. When the disciples asked Him to show them the Father, the Lord was kind of disappointed as they still failed to realise that He and the Father were truly One, and as He Himself said, that knowing Him is already equal to knowing the Father.

Most importantly, the Lord also called on all of His followers and disciples to love one another just as He has loved them. He entrusted to them the commandment of love, the new commandment that He has revealed and brought into our midst, in order to rectify and make perfect the ancient laws and commandments, which at that time had been misunderstood and misinterpreted by many among the people of God. That was why the Lord told them all the truth of what the Law was all about, as He had actually told them many times previously, that the Law was truly all about love.

One ought to love the Lord with all of their strength, with all of their heart and mind, and then the same love ought to be shown as well to the others all around us, which is the essence of what the Ten Commandments and the many laws of Moses were. The Lord told His disciples to do as He has commanded them to do, and showed them by example, what He Himself was about to do for them and all of us, so that they might understand truly what it means to be His followers and disciples. And He would also send His Holy Spirit to guide them and to give them the wisdom to find their path in life, which He has given to all of us through His Church.

The Lord Himself showed us His infinite and most amazing love by His willingness to take up the Cross, to suffer on it and to endure the worst humiliation and pain, so that we may all be saved through Him. Our Lord did all these things because He truly loved us, and He wants to embrace us all back, and be reconciled with us. His love for us is greater than even the combined wickedness of our sins, which He wants to forgive and which He wants to help us to overcome, through His love and by showing us the path to repentance through His Cross. The Lord has loved us all so tenderly, that by His love all of us have received the assurance and hope of eternal life.

That is the message that all of us have received today, as we listened to the words of truth from the Scriptures, reminding us of the great love that God has shown us, and how we as His disciples ought to show Him the same love as well. We have to commit ourselves to the path of God’s love and testify His love to all the people whom we encounter, just as the Apostles and disciples had done, and which served as inspiration for all of us. In our first reading today, we heard how St. Paul and St. Barnabas preached about the Lord in Lystra, to the people who thought that they were their pagan gods when they saw the miraculous signs that the Apostles performed.

St. Paul and St. Barnabas were not swayed or distracted when the people were hailing them and treating them like gods, bringing them offerings and sacrifices, and instead, they courageously and wholeheartedly tried to tell them that what they were doing was wrong. They told the townspeople that they were not gods and that they were proclaiming Christ, as Lord and Saviour of the whole world, and they were merely the messengers of His truth and love. It was their love and compassion for their brethren, which allowed them to share so courageously their faith amidst a people who were not really willing to listen to them.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore go forth and be courageous like that of the Apostles and the other disciples of the Lord, like the saints and martyrs of ages past, in their wholehearted dedication to God, everything that they had done and all that they had endured for the sake of the Lord, their obedience to God and the love which they had shown their fellow men, the compassion, care and concern that they had for those who had not yet known the Lord, and the patience by which they had carried our their ministry and vocation. Each one of us are also called to be the same courageous and faithful disciples, and are we able to do that, brothers and sisters?

Let us all therefore do our best to follow the Lord from now on, in all of our lives, to devote our time, effort and attention to serve the Lord with all of our actions and deeds, to be His faithful witnesses and disciples in our respective communities, showing the love of God to all the people, to all those whom we encounter in life, through our every words, actions and deeds. May God bless us all in our every good works and endeavours, for His greater glory, now and always. Amen.

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Monday, 16 May 2022 : 5th Week of Easter (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 14 : 21-26

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Whoever keeps My commandments is the one who loves Me. If he loves Me, he will also be loved by My Father; I too shall love him and show Myself clearly to him.”

Judas – not Judas Iscariot – asked Jesus, “Lord, how can it be that You will show Yourself clearly to us and not to the world!” Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word and My Father will love him; and We will come to him and make a room in his home.”

“But if anyone does not love Me, he will not keep My words; and these words that you hear are not Mine, but the Father’s Who sent Me. I told you all this while I was still with you. From now on the Helper, the Holy Spirit Whom the Father will send in My Name, will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I have told you.”