Ordinary Time season

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Saturday, 25 November 2023 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin and Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Luke 20 : 27-40

At that time, then some Sadducees arrived. These people claim that there is no resurrection, and they asked Jesus this question, “Master, in the Law Moses told us, ‘If anyone dies leaving a wife but no children, his brother must take the wife, and any child born to them will be regarded as the child of the deceased.’”

“Now, there were seven brothers : the first married, but died without children. The second married the woman, but also died childless. And then the third married her, and in this same way all seven died, leaving no children. Last of all the woman died. On the day of the resurrection, to which of them will the woman be a wife? For all seven had her as a wife.”

And Jesus replied, “Taking a husband or a wife is proper to people of this world, but for those who are considered worthy of the world to come, and of resurrection from the dead, there is no more marriage. Besides, they cannot die, for they are like the Angels. They are sons and daughters of God, because they are born of the resurrection.”

“Yes, the dead will be raised, as Moses revealed at the burning bush, when he called the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. For God is God of the living, and not of the dead, for to Him everyone is alive.”

Some teachers of the Law then agreed with Jesus, “Master, You have spoken well.” They did not dare ask Him anything else.

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Saturday, 25 November 2023 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin and Martyr (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Psalm 9 : 2-3, 4 and 6, 16b and 19

Let my heart give thanks to YHVH, I yearn to proclaim Your marvellous deeds, and rejoice and exult in You; and sing praise to Your Name, o Most High.

For my enemies fell back in retreat, they stumbled and perished before You. You have turned back the nations; You have destroyed the wicked; You have blotted out their names forever.

The feet of the pagans were ensnared by the trap they laid. For the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the poor perish forever.

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Saturday, 25 November 2023 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin and Martyr (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

1 Maccabees 6 : 1-13

When king Antiochus was making his way through the upper regions of Persia, he received news about Elymais, a city renowned for its wealth in silver and gold. They kept in the wealthy temple of their city golden armour, breastplates and weapons, left there by the Macedonian king, Alexander, the son of Philip, the first sovereign of the Greeks.

So Antiochus went there. But the inhabitants came out armed against him when they learnt of his intention, so his attempt to take the city failed. He had to turn back; and he returned much embittered to Babylon. While he was still in Persia, it was reported to him that the armies sent to Judea had been defeated. They told him that although Lysias had gone with a strong army, he had to flee before the Jews, who had been strengthened with the weapons and the abundant booty taken from the neighbouring armies.

He heard, too, that the Jews had destroyed the abominable idol he had erected on the altar in Jerusalem; and had rebuilt the Temple walls to the same height as before; and had also fortified the city of Beth-zur. When he received this news, he was terrified and deeply upset. He fell sick and became greatly depressed because things had not turned out the way he had planned.

So he remained overcome by this terrible anguish for many days. He felt he was dying, so he called his friends and said to them, “Sleep has fled from my eyes and I am greatly crushed by my anxieties. And I keep on asking why such grief has come upon me – I who was generous and well-loved when in power – and now I am so discouraged.”

“Now I remember the evils I did in Jerusalem, the vessels of gold and silver that I stole, the inhabitants of Judea I ordered to be killed for no reason at all. I now know, that because of this, these misfortunes have come upon me; and I am dying of grief in a strange land.”

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Friday, 24 November 2023 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Andrew Dung-Lac, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded of the need for each and every one of us to live our lives in manners that are truly worthy of God, in doing His will and obeying His Law and commandments. We must always keep in mind to keep ourselves pure and blameless, good, virtuous and just in all things before the Lord, as best as we are able to do, so that God may truly be glorified through us and everything that we say and do. Each and every one of us have been called to follow the Lord in all that we do, in the Law and commandments that He has entrusted to us, because if we are His people, and He has come down into our midst, it is imperative that we keep ourselves holy and worthy of Him, or otherwise, our sins and wickedness will lead us into damnation and destruction.

In today’s first reading and Gospel passage, there are both references to the Temple of God in Jerusalem, that in the first reading today was marked as the moment when the forces of the faithful Jewish people, led by Judas Maccabeus, during the Maccabean Revolt, managed to win victories against the forced of the Seleucid Greeks who tried to impose Greek customs and ways on the people. The Seleucids under King Antiochus IV Epiphanes had defiled the Temple of God in Jerusalem, also known as the Second Temple, and established pagan idols and false gods on its Altar, and in that passage we heard today, we heard of the moment when the old Altar and all the defilements and corruptions were torn down and destroyed, and new Altar dedicated to God was established anew.

We heard how everyone rejoiced as the Temple and its Altar was consecrated to God. That was a day of great triumph and rejoicing for a people that had been oppressed and put through a lot of hardships because they had remained faithful to the Lord despite the efforts put in place by those who tried to oppress and eliminate their worship of God and their faith in Him. This joyful moment of the consecration of the new Altar and the purified Temple of God is linked to what we have heard in our Gospel passage today, that is about the Lord Jesus and His actions in clearing the Temple of God in Jerusalem, the same Temple that the Maccabeans had purified. The Lord Jesus cast out all those wicked merchants and money changers who have corrupted the Temple with their wicked attitudes and behaviours.

At that time, contextually, many of the Jewish people were living in various places away far from Jerusalem and Judea. During certain festivals and periods in the year, many of them would come back and travel to Jerusalem, and they might need to buy the animals and offerings for the Temple sacrifices, and they would likely also need to exchange the currencies they used in their places of residence with the Temple silver shekels, as according to Jewish customs and practices at the time, pagan coins and goods should not be used in relation to the Temple and the worship of God. However, those merchants and money changers peddling their wares and services likely overcharged the pilgrims and other visitors greatly, for more profit for themselves. It is this wicked attitude and actions that the Lord detested very much. Thus, He angrily cast them all out of the Temple courtyard, to purify God’s House and restored it to its proper use.

All of those readings presented to us a reminder for all of us that we are all also reminded to keep clean and pure our own Temples of the Lord’s Presence. What am I referring to, brothers and sisters in Christ? I am referring to our very own bodies, hearts, minds and souls. Each and every one of us have been blessed to have received the Lord Himself, Who has come down to us firstly in the flesh, and every one of us who have partaken in the Most Holy Eucharist, that is the Most Precious Body and Blood of Our Lord Himself, God Himself is present in us, physically and spiritually. On top of that, the Holy Spirit has also come down upon us through the Church, which we first receive at Baptism and then strengthened at Confirmation. Essentially, God Himself is present in us, and hence, we are ourselves the Temples of the Lord. This means that we have to keep ourselves pure and worthy of the Lord as well.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of great saints, holy martyrs of the Faith, whose examples and determination should serve as great inspirations for all of us, in how we ourselves should live our lives with faith. St. Andrew Dung-Lac and his companions in martyrdom, the Holy Martyrs of Vietnam, are the ones who have devotedly committed themselves to God despite the many oppositions against them, from the state which was then very violently against the Christian faith, and from the community. At that time, Vietnam, which was ruled by an Emperor and his bureaucratic court, saw the burgeoning Christian mission in their country as a threat to themselves, and to their officially Confucian state religion. As such, the state persecuted Christians very severely, both the foreign missionaries and the local converts.

St. Andrew Dung-Lac was a convert to the faith, and became one of the first local priests to be ordained. According to the traditions and missionary accounts, he and many other Christian converts were persecuted and arrested, and having kept close to their faith and refusing to abandon the Lord, or betray their commitment to Him, they were put to death, and hence became great martyrs of the Church. Their examples, courage and devotion to God, despite the many trials, sufferings and challenges that they had to face amidst their ministry should be great sources of strength and encouragement for us, in how we ought to be ever strong and courageous in committing ourselves to the service of God, and in living our lives as genuine Christians in all things.

May the Lord be with us all, and may He encourage and strengthen each and every one of us in how we live our lives, with courage and commitment, and with the passion and the desire to give our best to glorify God by our examples and lives, so that we, as the Temples of the Lord’s Holy Presence, may be worthy, in our bodies, hearts, minds and souls, in our whole entire beings. May God bless our every good efforts, works and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Friday, 24 November 2023 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Andrew Dung-Lac, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Luke 19 : 45-48

At that time, Jesus entered the Temple area and began to drive out the merchants. And He said to them, “God says in the Scriptures, My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have turned it into a den of robbers!”

Jesus was teaching every day in the Temple. The chief priests and teachers of the Law wanted to kill Him, and the elders of the Jews as well, but they were unable to do anything, for all the people were listening to Him and hanging on His words.

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Friday, 24 November 2023 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Andrew Dung-Lac, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

1 Chronicles 29 : 10, 11abc, 11d-12a, 12bcd

May You be praised, YHVH God of Israel our ancestor, forever and ever!

Yours, YHVH, is the greatness, the power, splendour, length of days, glory; for all that is in the heavens and on the earth is Yours. Yours is the sovereignty forever, o YHVH.

You are supreme Ruler over all. Riches and honour go before You.

You are Ruler of all; in Your hand lie strength and power. You are the One Who gives greatness and strength to all.

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Friday, 24 November 2023 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Andrew Dung-Lac, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

1 Maccabees 4 : 36-37, 52-59

Then Judas and his brothers said : “Our enemies are defeated, so let us go up and purify the Holy Place and consecrate it again.” And all the army assembled and went up to Mount Zion.

On the twenty-fifth day of the month of Chislev, in the year one hundred and forty-eight (in the year 164 B.C.) they arose at dawn and offered the sacrifice prescribed by the Law on the new altar of holocausts which they had built. It was precisely at that same time and date that the pagans had profaned it before; but now they consecrated it with songs, accompanied by zithers, harps and cymbals. All the people fell prostrate and blessed Heaven that had given them happiness and success.

They celebrated the consecration of the altar for eight days, joyfully offering holocausts and celebrating sacrifices of thanksgiving and praise. The front of the Temple was adorned with crowns of gold and shields; and the gates and the rooms had been restored and fitted with doors. There was no end to the celebration among the people; and so profanation of the Temple by the pagans was forgotten.

Finally, Judas, his brothers and the whole assembly of Israel agreed to celebrate the anniversary of the consecration of the altar annually for eight days, from the twenty-fifth of the month of Chislev, in high festivity.

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Thursday, 23 November 2023 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Clement I, Pope and Martyr, and St. Columban, Abbot (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Abbots)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all reminded of the need for all of us to remain steadfast in our faith despite the challenges, trials and difficulties that we may have to face in the midst of us living up to the faith which we have in God. As the Scripture passages today ought to have highlighted to us, there may likely be circumstances and moments when we will end up being forced to choose between obeying God and His Law, and following the ways and customs of this world, and the frictions and challenges that happen may lead us to many sufferings and trials in our paths ahead in life.

In our first reading today from the Book of the Maccabees, we heard of the continuation of the discourse from the Maccabean Revolt moments, especially focusing on the moment when the revolution began, as the King of the Seleucid Empire, Antiochus IV Epiphanes tried to enforce all the people throughout his vast empire to follow the ways and customs of the Greeks, abandoning the customs, ways and practices of their ancestors. This was likely meant by the king to help unite his often fractious empire, which was then wrecked by repeated rebellions and civil wars. However, this was met with a particularly heated and vigorous opposition from the Jewish people that resided mostly in Judea, Samaria and Galilee, the regions that were then under the Seleucid dominion.

As we heard in that passage today, the king’s officials went around the whole region trying to impose the pagan worship and Greek customs and ways on all the people, and while some of the Jewish people followed the demands of the king and his officials, many of them resisted the king and refused to obey his commands, just as the priest Mattathias led the uprising and opposition against the king, killing the official who tried to impose pagan worship on the people. That event marked the origin and beginning of the Maccabean Revolt, in which the Jewish people and forces rose up against the Seleucids and eventually, after many years of struggles, hardships and trials, they managed to gain independence against their enemies and oppressors.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the frustrations and sorrows which the Lord had uttered against Jerusalem, for all the wickedness and all the evils that the people there had done, represented by Jerusalem as a metaphor, in not obeying God’s Law and commandments, in committing sinful actions and worshipping pagan and evil gods, and in doing what was wicked in the sight of God and men alike. The Lord has come into this world to bring forth His Good News and truth, His salvation and grace, and yet, His people were being difficult, in stubbornly refusing to accept and embrace His generous love and compassionate kindness. This was why the Lord lamented over Jerusalem, in great anguish over just how ungrateful and wicked His beloved people had been in the way they treated Him.

This is why, through what we have heard in our Scripture passages today, we are all reminded that being Christians is often something that is not easy for us to do. There may be plenty of challenges and trials for us in our journey, as we may have to endure persecutions, rejections, betrayals and difficulties as we carry on living our lives faithfully in the way and path of the Lord. There may be those who are opposed to our choice and faith, and those who persecute and oppress us because of this, and hence, this may likely lead to difficulties and hardships for us, but this does not mean that we should give up our faith or betray our Lord for the false ways and idols that may mislead us down the wrong paths in life towards our downfall and destruction.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of Pope St. Clement I and St. Columban, both being great men of God, who dedicated themselves to lives of great dedication to God, committing themselves to do God’s will and to obey Him amidst the many challenges, distractions and oppositions in this world. Pope St. Clement I was one of the early successors of St. Peter as the Pope and Vicar of Christ, as the leaders of the faithful people of God, in his efforts and works, leading the people of God through difficult and turbulent times, amidst persecutions and challenges they faced at the time. He wrote extensively to the various parts and communities of the Church, some of which letters and their excerpts survived to this day in various forms. He dedicated himself to the flock entrusted to him by the Lord, and died as a martyr amidst his ministry, in proclaiming God’s Good News and in remaining steadfast and faithful to Him.

Meanwhile, St. Columban was an abbot and a missionary who was remembered for his great dedication to his works and ministry, and for his establishments of many monasteries throughout several parts of Christendom. He encountered some difficulties from local figures and even some of the local Church hierarchy and members amidst his works, but this did not make St. Columban to give up on his works and efforts. Instead, it made him to commit himself all the more to his works and efforts, as he continued to do his best in glorifying God by his life at each and every moment. He continued to labour for the people of God, and many were inspired to follow his examples and to join the monasteries he had established throughout his ministry.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let the good examples and inspirations from Pope St. Clement I and St. Columban be sources of strength and inspiration for each and every one of us so that in all the things we say and do, in all things throughout our lives, we may always aspire to be fully and thoroughly committed to God, despite and regardless of any challenges and trials that we may have to face in life. May the Lord continue to guide and bless us in our lives of faith, and bless our many good works and efforts, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 23 November 2023 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Clement I, Pope and Martyr, and St. Columban, Abbot (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Abbots)

Luke 19 : 41-44

At that time, when Jesus had come in sight of the city, He wept over it, and said, “If only today you knew the ways of peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. Yet days will come upon you, when your enemies will surround you with barricades, and shut you in, and press on you from every side.”

“And they will dash you to the ground and your children with you, and not leave stone upon stone within you, for you did not recognise the time and the visitation of your God.”

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Thursday, 23 November 2023 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Clement I, Pope and Martyr, and St. Columban, Abbot (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Abbots)

Psalm 49 : 1-2, 5-6, 14-15

The God of gods, YHVH has spoken; He summons the earth, from the rising of the sun to its setting. God has shone from Zion, perfect in beauty.

Gather before Me, My faithful ones, who made a Covenant with Me by sacrifice. The heavens will proclaim His sentence, for God Himself is the Judge.

Yet, offer to God a sacrifice of thanks, and fulfil your vows to the Most High. Call on Me in time of calamity; I will deliver you, and you will glorify Me.