Palm Sunday

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Wednesday, 13 May 2015 : 6th Week of Easter, Memorial of our Lady of Fatima (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 17 : 15, 22 – Acts 18 : 1

Paul was taken as far as Athens by his escort, who then returned to Beroea with instructions for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible. Then Paul stood up in the Areopagus hall and said, “Athenian citizens, I note that in every way you are very religious. As I walked around looking at your shrines, I even discovered an altar with this inscription : ‘To an unknown God.'”

“Now, what you worship as unknown, I intend to make known to you. God, who made the world and all that is in it, does not dwell in sanctuaries made by human hands, being as He is Lord of heaven and earth. Nor does His worship depend on anything made by human hands, as if He were in need. Rather it is He who gives life and breath and everything else to everyone.”

“From one stock He created the whole human race to live throughout all the earth, and He fixed the time and the boundaries of each nation. He wanted them to seek Him by themselves, even if it were only by groping for Him, succeed in finding Him. Yet He is not far from any one of us. For in Him we live and move and have our being, as some of your poets have said : ‘For we too are His offspring.’ If we are indeed God’s offspring, we ought not to think of divinity as something like a statue of gold or silver or stone, a product of human art and imagination.”

“But now God prefers to overlook this time of ignorance and He calls on all people to change their ways. He has already set a day on which He will judge the world with justice through a Man He has appointed. And, so that all may believe it, He has just given a sign by raising this Man from the dead.”

When they heard Paul speak of a resurrection from death, some made fun of him, while others said, “We must hear you on this topic some other time.” At that point Paul left. But a few did join him, and believed. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus court, a woman named Damaris, and some others.

After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.


Alternative reading (Mass of our Lady of Fatima)

Isaiah 61 : 9-11

My people’s descendants shall be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a race YHVH has blessed.

I rejoice greatly in YHVH, my soul exults for joy in my God, for He has clothed me in the garments of His salvation, He has covered me with the robe of His righteousness, like a bridegroom wearing a garland, like a bride adorned with jewels.

For as the earth brings forth its growth, and as a garden makes seeds spring up, so will the Lord YHVH make justice and praise spring up in the sight of all nations.

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Tuesday, 12 May 2015 : 6th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Nereus and St. Achilleus, Martrys, and St. Pancras, Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard about how God is ever faithful and how He will always provide for all those who continue to cling on to Him and not swayed by the tides of the world. In the first reading we heard how St. Paul and Silas his companion were freed from prison by a great earthquake when their enemies plotted against them to destroy them, and in the process the jailer himself was converted to the faith.

And in the Gospel we heard how our Lord Jesus promised the coming of the Helper, the Advocate and the Guide of all things, that is the Holy Spirit, which He would send to His Apostles and therefore to His Church after His suffering, death, resurrection and ascension into heaven. This is to remind us that while this coming Thursday we are going to commemorate our Lord’s glorious ascension into heaven, He is always with us wherever we are.

God dwells in us and He is always with us, and even though we are always disobedient and rebellious, but He is ever faithful. And to all those who keep their faith in Him, He will grant such great favours and graces so as to mark them apart from all others who have not given Him their love and dedication. So we are truly very fortunate if we can count ourselves as one of the faithful ones of God.

God is always with His people, with all of His children that is all of us. He is always on our side, blessing us and giving us His graces from time to time. We have to think about this every time we breathe and have life, every single day of our life. Remember that the Lord, who is Lord and Master of all life have been so gracious and kind so as to overlook our sins and faults, to give us the opportunity for repentance.

It is very easy for the Lord to just destroy us and cast us away from His presence forever. After all, we all have betrayed His trust and His love, and chose to side with Satan and rebel together with him. But His love for us overcomes His anger at us, and His wrath is overcome by the care and pity which He has for us, His children, who are like lost sheep wandering in the darkness of this world.

Thus, He has called us out of this darkness, and to those of us whom He had called, He also entrusted us to call our brethren out of the same darkness. That is why, He gave us His Spirit, which encourages us and gives us the strength and will to overcome all the forms of indecision, fear and apathy, so that we all may help one another to be ever closer to our Lord and be saved by His mercy and grace.

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Nereus, St. Achilleus and St. Pancras, all of whom are martyrs of the faith. They are all the holy defenders of the faith, who did not give up their faith despite the threat of persecution and death by those who were opposed to the Lord and to the truth they were preaching by their words and actions. St. Achilleus and St. Nereus were members of the Roman army while St. Nereus was a noble who all lived at the time of the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, infamous for his great and harsh persecution of all Christians.

St. Nereus and St. Achilleus was once pagan soldiers who took part in the persecution of the faithful, but after witnessing the example of the faith of many those whom they have persecuted, they themselves became believers and refused to obey anymore orders to persecute the faithful ones. As a result, they were tortured and put to great suffering, until eventually they were beheaded for their refusal to embrace the pagan gods.

St. Pancras was a young noble who was baptised at a young age and who led an exemplary Christian life, donating his goods and possessions to the poor and practicing the faith in his actions, and although he was discovered because of this, he refused to recant his faith in God despite being offered much wealth and power by the Emperor himself. As such, he was also beheaded for his faith after great sufferings.

All the holy martyrs might have met their death and end at the hands of their persecutors and those who do not believe in God, but they receive great and rich rewards in heaven, and through their bravery, courage and examples, they inspired countless others to believe in God and thus saved many more souls for the Lord.

These things are examples that we can adopt and discern on, as we all have also been called to walk in the same path that they have walked. It does not mean that we must antagonise others and face martyrdom, but rather that we all have to trust the Lord fully and completely, and place all of our hope in Him, and be courageous and proactive in how we live out our faith.

May Almighty God guide us and strengthen us in our faith, that by the Holy Spirit which He had sent us, we may become ever more courageous and stronger in our commitment and devotion to spread the word of God to many more people and thus lead more people towards salvation and new life in God. God bless us all. Amen.

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Tuesday, 12 May 2015 : 6th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Nereus and St. Achilleus, Martrys, and St. Pancras, Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

John 16 : 5-11

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “But now I am going to the One who sent Me, and none of you asks Me where I am going; instead you are overcome with grief, because of what I have said. Believe Me, it is better for you that I go away, because as long as I do not leave, the Helper will not come to you.”

“But if I go away, it is to send Him to you, and when He comes, He will vindicate the truth before a sinful world; and He will vindicate the paths of righteousness and justice. What is the world’s sin, in regard to Me? Disbelief. What is the path of righteousness? It is the path I walk, by which I go to the Father; and you shall see Me no more.”

“What is the path of justice? It is the path on which the prince of this world will always stand condemned.”

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Tuesday, 12 May 2015 : 6th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Nereus and St. Achilleus, Martrys, and St. Pancras, Martyr (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

Psalm 137 : 1-2a, 2bcd-3, 7c-8

I thank You, o Lord, with all my heart, for You have heard the word of my lips. I sing Your praise in the presence of the gods. I bow down towards Your holy Temple and give thanks to Your Name.

For Your love and faithfulness, for Your word which exceeds everything. You answered me when I called; You restored my soul and made me strong.

You save me from the wrath of my foes, with Your right hand You deliver me. How the Lord cares for me! Your kindness, o Lord, endures forever. Forsake not the work of Your hands.

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Tuesday, 12 May 2015 : 6th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Nereus and St. Achilleus, Martrys, and St. Pancras, Martyr (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

Acts 16 : 22-34

So the Jews set the crowd against Paul and Silas and the officials tore the clothes off them and ordered them to be flogged. And after inflicting many blows on them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to guard them safely. Upon receiving these instructions, he threw them into the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly a severe earthquake shook the place, rocking the prison to its foundations. Immediately all the doors flew open and the chains of all the prisoners fell off.

The jailer woke up to see the prison gates wide open. Thinking that the prisoners had escaped, he drew his sword to kill himself, but Paul shouted to him, “Do not harm yourself! We are all still here.” The jailer asked for a light, then rushed in, and fell at the feet of Paul and Silas. After he had secured the other prisoners, he led them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

They answered, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you and your household will be saved.” Then they spoke the word of God to him and to all his household. Even at that hour of the night, the jailer took care of them and washed their wounds; and he and his whole household were baptised at once. He led them to his house, spread a meal before them and joyfully celebrated with his whole household his newfound faith in God.

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Monday, 11 May 2015 : 6th Week of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we celebrate together this wonderful day, we are all reminded that we are witnesses of the truth and the revelations which our Lord Jesus Christ had brought into the world. We are all called to be the messengers and servants of God’s message of truth and conversion for the whole world, that all who still dwell in the darkness may abandon their sins and be welcomed back into the light.

And what is important for us all to take note is that, if we walk in this path, that is as the faithful servants of our Lord, preaching and proclaiming His truth to the whole world, then our path will not be easy. There will be staunch opposition and rejection from the world and from those to whom we have gone to preach the message of our Lord. There will also be ridicule and persecution of the faithful, that is all of us.

There are many people who still live in the darkness of the world and remain in the state of sin. Some of them will hearken and listen to the word of God, if someone is to bring these words to them. Just like the Apostles in the past, as exemplified by the examples of St. Paul who preached in many cities and places, that his message of the truth of Christ was heard far and wide, and many people turned towards the Lord.

A people who lived in the darkness had seen a great light, and this was the prophecy of the prophets who foretold of the coming of the great Messiah who would liberate His people and bring them into wholesome new life. Christ is this light that shines upon the darkness and reveal to us the truth of God, the truth about ourselves and what we can do to free ourselves from the clutches of darkness.

And He had tasked His Apostles and other disciples with the command to continue His works of revealing to the nations and all of His wayward sheep, the people of God wandering in sin and darkness, the truth which would dispel all the lies of Satan and unveil the wickedness of all of our sins. The purpose of this is so that we may stop sinning and doing wicked things before the Lord, and thus condemning ourselves to eternal suffering of hell.

God loves us so much that although we are sinners, and often unrepentant and rebellious, but He was willing to show His enduring and everlasting love, which He showed through Jesus Christ. God loves us all, and He wants to show His love and mercy, forgiving us from our sins and trespasses against Him. Yet, He also hates and despises each of our sins at the same time. Thus, it was in His desire to reveal to us this fact, so that we may be awakened from our indecision and slumber, into a new life where we actively seek God’s mercy and forgiveness.

It is through us all, we who have been baptised and part of the whole unity of the Church of God, that God is exercising His good works in this world. But the world itself resists, and all the forces aligned with Satan and all evils also resist this revelation. For in this revelation comes to light the ugly nature of sin and wickedness in the world and Satan, and they resent it.

That is why there will be difficulties and great challenges for us all even as walk in this way of faith. It is because of this resentment and opposition, for the world and Satan his master want to keep as many souls condemned and in state of rebellion against God as possible. But God will be with us, and we truly have no need to fear. Satan and his forces can only harm our physical body, but not harm our soul, for our soul belong to God alone.

What we are doing in the Name of the Lord in fact dispel those lies and darkness, helping many of our brethren who are lost and not knowing their way in life, so that they may now find their way to God through actions and deeds, as well as through sincere and devout prayer.

Therefore, we are now called to give our best and to do our best in our respective lives, that we may be ever more faithful and devoted servant of our Lord, through our faithful words, actions and deeds. Let us all show this love for God to our brethren, and by showing how we live a faithful and good Christian life, caring for one another in need, so that all who sees us will come to believe in what we believe, and therefore have the gate to salvation opened for them.

May Almighty God be with us always, that we may be ever more confident and dedicated, to be preachers and proclaimers of His Good News among the nations, bringing salvation closer to ever more souls, and help our brethren to return to our Lord, that we may worship Him together as one people, freed from the bonds of sin and the darkness of this world. God bless us all. Amen.

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Monday, 11 May 2015 : 6th Week of Easter (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 15 : 26 – John 16 : 4a

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “From the Father, I will send you the Spirit of truth. When this Helper has come from the Father, He will be My witness, and you, too, will be My witnesses, for you have been with Me from the beginning.”

“I tell you all this to keep you from stumbling and falling away. They will put you out of the synagogue. Still more, the hour is coming, when anyone who kills you will claim to be serving God; they will do this, because they have not known the Father or Me. I tell you all these things now so that, when the time comes, you may remember that I told you.”

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Monday, 11 May 2015 : 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 in 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, 11 May 2015 : 6th Week of Easter (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 16 : 11-15

So Paul and his companion 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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Sunday, 10 May 2015 : Sixth Sunday of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this holy day of Sunday of the Lord, the sixth in the Easter season, all of us heard about how God revealed His love for us through His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and how He called all the peoples, of all the nations, to come together and be saved, through the holy waters of baptism, genuine conversion and by receiving the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The message today is very, very clear, that to all of us the faithful, we are always reminded that God is love, and God is merciful, and He has called us out of the darkness, so that we may abandon the darkness, and embrace the fullness of His mercy, grace and love. And then, it is also very clear, that God calls all peoples, of all nations without bias and preference.

What truly matters is indeed, that we whom God have called out of the darkness, follow Him in all of His ways, and heed His teachings. Before the Lord, all of us are equal and same as brothers and sisters. This was to counter the attitudes of the Jews and the people of Israel, who since the time when they were chosen as God’s first called people, have adopted an exclusivist and elitist attitude, to the condemnation and exclusion of others from the possibility of receiving the grace of God.

They thought that they alone were worthy of God’s salvation because they were God’s chosen people and often took for granted the grace and the patience which God has always given to them and show them. As such, they were often rebellious and unrepentant, and they even refused to listen to reason and the truth, when the Lord sent them repeated reminders and revelations through His prophets, and last of all, through the Lord Jesus Himself.

This also continued with the conflicts and struggles between the Jewish members of the faithful and their Gentiles counterparts. The Gentiles are all the non-Jews, which include people from various nations and origins, primarily the Greeks, many of whom had accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, and by the works and the teachings of the Apostles, they had walked in the way of the Lord.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, God had made it clear, that He intends for the salvation and liberation of all peoples. That is because the new Passover and salvation He brought is a new and more perfect one as compared to what He had given the people of Israel in the past, when He liberated them from the Egyptians through the hands and works of Moses, His servant.

This new Passover is the Passover of the Paschal Lamb, which we are particularly celebrating on in this season of Easter. The Paschal Lamb, that is our Lord Jesus Christ, had become the new Lamb of sacrifice, by whose Flesh and Blood, He had made righteous and chosen, a people whom He had chosen for Himself, and whom He had called from among the nations, that is all who sincerely believe in Him and in all of His teachings.

In that way, He had chosen us, and by His sacrifice and death, which we profess in our faith and proclaim to others, He had freed us from the eventual fate of suffering, pain, despair and destruction in hell. Instead, to those who have accepted Him as their Lord and Master, He grants a new life filled with hope, love and grace. And this is regardless of our background, regardless of our origin and race.

Everyone who heeds God’s call and does His will are worthy of Him and all that He had prepared and promised to them. They have been marked by God for salvation just like the people of Israel had been marked with the blood of the sacrificed Passover lambs. And further on, God did not just wash away our sins through the waters of baptism, He also gave us the Holy Spirit, to dwell in us and to become the source of our hope and inspiration.

The Gentiles received the Holy Spirit as a clear sign from God that everyone without exception enjoy the favour of God as long as they follow His commandments that is Love. As long as we have love in us, and we give that love firstly to our Lord and God who had loved us first, and then also give the same love to our fellow men, by caring for one another and showing care and concern for all those in need, we have been found worthy in the eyes of the Lord.

And today we are all reminded that, all of us have a mission which our Lord Jesus Christ had commanded us all to do, just as He had given the commands to His Apostles. This is to love one another just as He had loved us first, for such a great love that even though we are sinners through and through, rotten to the core and to our souls, but He was willing to come down in humility and obedience, and to give up His life for us on the cross that we may have life.

And therefore, we must show this love to others, especially to all those who have yet to know of this love, and who are still languishing in the darkness, not knowing the way to go. We have to be the ones to bear the light of our Lord to them, by showing it through real and concrete actions, so that when they see us doing love, practicing love and showing love in all things, they too may be moved in their hearts and soul, that they may abandon their sinfulness and wicked world and follow the Lord as we all have done.

Let us all never be judgmental upon others just because we see that they have done something wicked. Let us not judge sinners as we have to remember that we are once sinners too, be it small or great. Our duty and responsibility is to lead them all to mercy and forgiveness by God, and to allow them to see the light through our actions, so that they too may become the children of God.

But we must be careful not to offer false mercy to others who need mercy. False mercy is for us to bring forgiveness to others unconditionally. Yes, it is important for us to be merciful and to forgive, but it also requires others to be repentant, and indeed to be truly sorry for their sins and commit themselves to no longer doing the same sin for the rest of their lives. This is true mercy and not false mercy. False mercy that does not bring about repentance only cause further injustice and wickedness.

Therefore, let us all carry forth this mission with great courage and joy. All of us Christians who have been baptised in the Name of our Lord, and who have received the Holy Spirit ought to, and indeed we must be witnesses of our faith, as witnesses of our Lord’s love in His death and resurrection to all the nations. May all peoples, all mankind be hearkened to come to the throne of our Lord’s most merciful love, so that as many souls as possible are saved from the destruction because of our sins.

May Almighty God be with all of us, that in all of our deeds and actions, He may always remind us in our heart and mind, to be faithful to Him and to show others what it truly means to be a Christian. God bless us all. Amen.