Most Holy Trinity

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Wednesday, 28 October 2015 : Feast of St. Simon and St. Jude, Apostles (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Luke 6 : 12-19

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

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

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

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Wednesday, 28 October 2015 : Feast of St. Simon and St. Jude, Apostles (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 18 : 2-3, 4-5

The heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament proclaims the work of His hands. Day talks it over with day; night hands on the knowledge to night.

No speech, no words, no voice is heard – but the call goes on throughout the universe, the message is felt to the ends of the earth.

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Wednesday, 28 October 2015 : Feast of St. Simon and St. Jude, Apostles (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Ephesians 2 : 19-22

Now you are no longer strangers or guests, but fellow citizens of the holy people : you are of the household of God. You are the house whose foundations are the Apostles and prophets, and whose cornerstone is Christ Jesus.

In Him the whole structure is joined together and rises to be a Holy Temple in the Lord. In Him you too are being built to become the spiritual sanctuary of God.

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Tuesday, 27 October 2015 : 30th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard about the promise of God’s salvation to us all, amidst all the difficulties, challenges and sufferings that are present in this world. Today we witnessed how God gave hope to His people who had been beleaguered by all of those obstacles and pains, and how He promised deliverance and salvation through His Messiah and the coming of His kingdom.

Why is there suffering in the first place, brothers and sisters in Christ? Suffering was not intended for us, and neither was it that we were created to endure such pain and difficulties, but it was because of our own sins and wickedness that we have brought suffering upon ourselves, as due to these sins and the disobedience we showed to the Lord, we have separated ourselves from the love and grace of God, and therefore, there is nothing left for us but to endure bitter suffering on earth.

It is our punishment and our due for the disobedience, that ever since the days of our forefathers, we have been subjected to the consequences of our sins, that is suffering and pain of hard labour, and also ultimately, death, the end of our mortal life on earth. But God did not entirely leave us to our fate, and instead He promised salvation and liberation through Jesus, His Son, Whom He had sent into the world.

And through Jesus we heard the parables He mentioned with regards to the kingdom of God. These parables were meant to explain using terms that were easy for the people at that time to understand. The examples that Jesus used to describe the kingdom of God include the measures of yeast in a measure of flour, that is kept until the whole dough is rising, and also the small mustard seed that grows to become a large mustard tree.

All these spoke clearly of a very important point that we all have to take note as we live our lives, that is about the ‘potential’ that is present in each and every one of us, and what we ought to do in order to fulfil and realise that potential to the fullest. In this, we can see the clear parallel between the mustard seed and the flour with ourselves, the state we have before we embark on the path towards the Lord and His salvation.

All of us have been given the potential by the Lord to grow and become great and mighty in His eyes, not the might and power of the world, but rather great in love, in mercy and in our faith. This is represented by the growth potential in the mustard seed, the food stored in the seed to provide for its growth, and the yeast that is placed within the measures of flour and the dough.

All who have planted a plant before, or even a farmer or gardener will definitely know how seeds can be stored for many years, and yet they would not grow or germinate, unless certain conditions are fulfilled. Unless the seeds are placed on a rich and fertile soil, and provided with sufficient amount of water, air and also later on, sunlight, the seeds will not germinate, or even though they germinate, they will not last long and die.

Then, with regards to the yeast, all those who have made bread or cake before would have known that yeast that we have will need water to be able to function, and then the mixture must also be covered, like how Jesus put it, the yeast is ‘hidden’ within the dough mixture. If the dough and the yeast mixture is not covered, then the dough will not rise, since the yeast need to be free from oxygen in the air in order to be able to ferment the starch in the flour and the dough to form what we know as the leavened bread or the cake.

How are all these relevant to us, brothers and sisters in Christ? This is because it is the same for all of us! Without proper action and genuine sincerity in living our faith, we shall never be able to cultivate and let the gifts of God, the potential for great things inside us to grow and develop. Instead, as long as we dwell in sin and live in darkness, then we will be just like the seed that never grows or the flour and dough that never rises to become bread or cake.

Let us all therefore from now on reflect on our own lives’ actions and deeds. Have we been true disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, not just in words or on paper only, but also through real action and commitment? Let us all love one another and show genuine care for each other, and let us all walk faithfully in the holy presence of our God. May God show us His love and bless us richly and abundantly always, now and forever. Amen.

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Tuesday, 27 October 2015 : 30th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 13 : 18-21

At that time, Jesus continued speaking to His disciples and to the people, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? Imagine a person who has taken a mustard seed, and planted it in his garden. The seed has grown, and become like a small tree, so that the birds of the air shelter in its branches.”

And Jesus said again, “What is the kingdom of God like? Imagine a woman who has taken yeast, and hidden it in three measures of flour, until it is all leavened.”

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Tuesday, 27 October 2015 : 30th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 125 : 1-2ab, 2cd-3, 4-5, 6

When the Lord brought the exiles back to Zion, we were like those moving in a dream. Then our mouths were filled with laughter, and our tongues with songs of joy.

Among the nations it was said, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord had done great things for us, and we were glad indeed.

Bring back our exiles, o Lord, like fresh streams in the desert. Those who sow in tears will reap with songs and shouts of joy.

They went forth weeping, bearing the seeds for sowing, they will come home with joyful shouts, bringing their harvested sheaves.

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Tuesday, 27 October 2015 : 30th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Romans 8 : 18-25

I consider that the suffering of our present life cannot be compared with the Glory that will be revealed and given to us. All creation is eagerly expecting the birth in glory of the children of God. For if now the created world was unable to attain its purpose, this did not come from itself, but from the One who subjected it.

But it is not without hope; for even the created world will be freed from this fate of death and share the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pangs of birth. Not creation alone, but even ourselves, although the Spirit was given to us as a foretaste of what we are to receive, we groan in our innermost being, eagerly awaiting the day when God will give us full rights and rescue our bodies as well.

In hope we already have salvation. But if we saw what we hoped for, there would no longer be hope : how can you hope for what is already seen? So we hope for what we do not see and we will receive it through patient hope.

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Monday, 26 October 2015 : 30th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard about Jesus and His healing of the sick woman who had suffered for over eighteen years due to the binding and works of the devil, who made her to suffer grievously. And yet, the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law criticised Him for what He had done, for to them, He has blasphemed and sinned by breaking one of the most important law in the eyes of the Jews, that is the law of the Sabbath.

And yet, their faith and their reasoning failed them, for they saw with the eyes of their flesh, and they tried to understand the meaning of the Law of God using the feebleness and the limitations of their human minds and thoughts. They were unable to truly understand nor comprehend what Jesus had done, and what He had intended to reveal to them by that action, that they might see the truth.

As St. Paul put it in his letter to the Church and the faithful in the city of Rome, he explained how all of us mankind must no longer walk in the way of the flesh, or the way of worldliness, but rather, we ought to walk from now on in the way of Christ, as we are all children and belonging of the Spirit of God, and not the belongings of the prince of this world, that is Satan and his angels.

The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law thought in the way of this world, thinking of themselves and priding themselves as the impeccable and flawless guardians of the faith, and as the just and faithful ones because of their numerous prayers, devotions and also strict adherence to the laws passed on to them from the time of Moses.

Yet, they failed to understand that those laws and ordinances were all actually given to mankind for a singular purpose, that is to bring them closer to God, to bring them to much more active and genuine commitment to God, and to turn them away from the path of evil and into righteousness and salvation in the Lord. And they were not conceived or given to mankind in order to have some to lord over others and think that they had the right to just so and so just because they deemed themselves more superior in piety.

Jesus indeed rebuked these people harshly, for their misguided ways and inability to understand God’s true intentions, despite them being educated, supposedly wise and as the shepherds of the people of God. Jesus showed them that God intended His laws to guide mankind to Him, and not to bring about unjust and unnecessary sufferings, especially to those who are willing to change and repent their ways.

Therefore, God showed His mercy and compassion for us, by healing the woman who had been afflicted and enslaved by the devil for over eighteen years. Why did He then choose to do it on the Sabbath? It is to show it clearly to those who have been hypocrites and failed to understand God’s intention and the meaning of His laws, that He wants us all to be saved, and if possible, as soon as it is possible to save us, not a single moment must be lost.

We can see this being practiced in how the Church regulates the baptism of infants after their birth. It is truly imperative that parents bring their newborn child to be baptised as soon as possible after birth, so as to grant them the seal of the living God, the eternal seal of baptism that is stamped upon the souls of all those who have been received into the Church of God. The salvation of our souls is God’s priority.

Let us all now therefore renew our commitment to God, and be committed in our faith, to help one another to reach out to the Lord, just as Jesus had done. Let us help all those who are still living in the darkness of sin, and help them so that they may find their way to reach the Lord who loves them and wishes them all to be saved, that is all of us. May God be with us in all of our endeavours and bless us always. Amen.

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Monday, 26 October 2015 : 30th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 13 : 10-17

At that time, Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the Sabbath, and a crippled woman was there. An evil spirit had kept her bent for eighteen years, so that she could not straighten up at all.

On seeing her, Jesus called her and said, “Woman, you are freed from your infirmity.” Then He laid His hands upon her, and immediately she was made straight and praised God.

But the ruler of the synagogue was indignant, because Jesus had performed this healing on the Sabbath day, and he said to the people, “There are six days in which to work. Come on those days to be healed and not on the Sabbath!”

But the Lord replied, “You hypocrites! Everyone of you unties his ox or his donkey on the Sabbath, and leads it out of the barn to give it water. And here you have a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan had bound for eighteen years. Should she not be freed from her bonds on the Sabbath?”

When Jesus said this, all His opponents felt ashamed. But the people rejoiced at the many wonderful things that happened because of Him.

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Monday, 26 October 2015 : 30th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 67 : 2 and 4, 6-7ab, 20-21

Arise, o God, scatter Your enemies; let Your foes flee before You. But let the righteous be glad and exult before God; let them sing to God and shout for joy.

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

Blessed be the Lord, God our Saviour, who daily bears our burdens! Ours is a God who saves; our Lord lets us escape from death.