people of God

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Monday, 4 August 2014 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John Vianney, Priest (Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we hear in the Old Testament, about the false testimony of Hananiah, the false prophet, who claimed to represent the voice and will of God by telling sweet lies to the people to lull them into a false sense of security and laxity in their behaviour. In the Gospel, meanwhile, we heard the story of when Jesus came to the disciples in a storm at the middle of the lake, to the disbelief of the disciples.

The two stories were seemingly unrelated, but in fact they all are about how we mankind often have little faith in the Lord, and that we prefer to put our trust on earthly things that can often only provide temporary and not a lasting comfort to us. Both of them tell us how if we have little faith, we will sink and fall into the darkness, and therefore end up in agony.

The false prophet Hananiah spoke falsely about the Lord and His will, pretending that the Lord tolerated the wickedness of His people, while the truth was in fact He disdained such wickedness and debauchery among His people. For your knowledge, the time when this happened was when the kingdom of Judah, the southern kingdom of Israel was in the last bit of its life under king Zedekiah, destined to be the last ever king of Judah.

The power of the king of Babylon, what is now known as the Neo-Babylonian Empire under the great king Nebuchadnezzar, who brought that Empire to great prominence. This king conquered many nations, including the Assyrian Empire that had once brought the northern kingdom of Israel to its destruction. And the Neo-Babylonian Empire did not stop there, but continued to expand and seek to conquer more, and their sights came to Judah.

The kingdom of Judah at that time was little more than that of a small kingdom cowering at the power of its neighbours, particularly that of Babylon, after having put to the mercy of its power just a few years earlier when King Nebuchadnezzar attacked the city, and ransacked the Temple, bringing the king of Judah, Jehoiachin and many of the people of God to Babylon. Jehoiachin was the nephew of Zedekiah, and the penultimate king of Judah.

It is against this backdrop that the two prophets clashed to gain the trust of the people, and to gain their attention over what was to come. The prophet Jeremiah, the true prophet of God, spoke of time of trouble and destruction, as well as suffering because of the disobedience of the people of God, while the false prophet Hananiah spoke of comfort and liberation. This cannot be more different, and there is truly no way for God to give His people an entirely opposing message.

Yes, one of the message was true, and that was Jeremiah’s. It is a reminder for all of us that, while God loves us and cares for us, that does not mean our paths will be free from harm and danger. In fact, following the Lord would mean difficulties and challenges to be lined up along the path. This is like a storm that we have to face in life, the storm of troubles and challenges, much like what the disciples encountered in the Lake of Galilee that time.

Our life is truly like the boat, and it is barely floating amidst the stormy seas, which is nothing better than anything else to represent the state of our lives in this world. The prophets we heard of today are like the navigator, who tells the captain what to expect ahead on the ship’s journey. Jeremiah told the truth, that with all the challenges and temptations of the world, and by the fact that we are sinners, the journey ahead would be difficult.

The false prophet told lies about the path ahead, showing that everything would be fine and good. The earlier scenario presented by Jeremiah would have jolted every sensible and good sailor, what a terrible condition they had gotten themselves into, and therefore would prompt them to strengthen their guard to prevent themselves from sinking in the midst of the storm. And the latter scenario would have easily lulled many who would drop their guard and therefore carried greater risks of being blown apart by the winds and battered by the waves.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, shall we all be vigilant and reflective in our lives? Shall we heed the warnings of the prophet Jeremiah and the other prophets, that we would not lose our way in life? It is truly very easy for us to get distracted in life, by many things, including our own fear and uncertainties, our own desires and other things, which precisely are the reasons why Peter lost faith in himself and God, and ended up sinking.

We must have a firm and strong faith, based on a close and vibrant relationship with God, fostered with prayer and devotion, so that our lives, that is the ship, will be anchored strongly in God, a solid rock foundation, upon which our anchor will hold, and our ship will be able to hold even against the strongest of waves and storms. This is absolutely necessary if we are to reach our destination and not sink.

Today we celebrate the feast of a great saint, that is St. John Maria Vianney, also known as the Cure of Ars, the patron saint of all priests and all who devoted themselves in a holy life to God. This simple and holy priest lead a truly simple but very inspiring and exemplary lifestyle, deeply devoted to his calling to be a priest of God, in service of mankind and the people of God.

St. John Vianney was a parish priest, a simple parish priest, and yet he was wholly devoted to the spiritual development of his parishioners and all those who came to meet and visit him. He was also deeply in commitment to bring better life to those who have fallen into sin, committing himself to enforce a high degree of spiritual purity, and emphasized on confession for those who had committed sin in life.

His life and works were an inspiration to many, and more and more people came to know of St. John Vianney, and yet he remained humble as he was, and he continued to work hard for the sake of the faithful and for God, until the very last days of his life. His life was truly an example to all of our priests and all those who had been called to be the servants of the Lord in this world, that they ought to be equally committed and holy in life as this saint had once been.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this however does not mean that St. John Vianney should not be an inspiration to us all as well. In fact, we should also take the examples of St. John Vianney into our own lives, reflecting together with what we had received in the Holy Scriptures today. Let us strengthen our faith in God by following the inspirations and examples of St. John Vianney, that our ship of life will not sink even against the greatest of storms.

Let us all help one another, and pray for one another, that all of us will eventually find our way to the Lord, difficult as it may be, persevering against all forms of challenges and temptations in life, that are all the storms facing us. May God be with us all and bless us forever. Amen.

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Monday, 4 August 2014 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John Vianney, Priest (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 118 : 29, 43, 79, 80, 95, 102

Keep me away from deceitful paths; be gracious and teach me Your law.

Take not the word of truth from my mouth, for I would also lose my hope in Your word.

Let those who fear You turn to me, they will understand Your statutes.

May my heart be blameless in Your decrees, that I may not be ashamed.

The wicked lie in wait to destroy me, but I look to Your word for salvation.

I have not departed from Your decrees for You Yourself have instructed me.

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Saturday, 2 August 2014 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Eusebius of Vercelli, Bishop and St. Peter Julian Eymard, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops or Priests or Saturday Mass of our Lady)

Matthew 14 : 1-12

At that time the news about Jesus reached king Herod. And he said to his servants, “This Man is John the Baptist. John has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in John.”

Herod had, in fact, ordered that John be arrested, bound in chains and put in prison, because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. For John had said to Herod, “It is not right for you to have her as your wife.” Herod wanted to kill him but he did not dare, because he feared the people, who regarded John as a prophet.

On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced among the guests; she so delighted Herod that he promised under oath to give her anything she asked for. The girl, following the advice of her mother, said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a dish.”

The king was very displeased, but because he had made this promise under oath in the presence of his guests, he ordered it to be given to her. So he had John beheaded in prison, and his head brought on a dish and given to the girl. The girl then took it to her mother.

Then John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went away to bring the news to Jesus.

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Saturday, 2 August 2014 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Eusebius of Vercelli, Bishop and St. Peter Julian Eymard, Priest (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops or Priests or Saturday Mass of our Lady)

Jeremiah 26 : 11-16, 24

Then the priests and the prophets said to the leaders of the people : “This man must die for he has spoken against the city as you have heard with your own ears!”

Jeremiah replied, “I have been sent by YHVH to prophesy against this House and this city all that you have heard. Hence, reform your ways and your deeds and obey YHVH your God that He may change His mind and not bring upon you the destruction He had intended.”

“As for me I am in your hands; do with me whatever you consider just and right. But know that I am innocent and if you take my life you commit a crime that is a curse on yourselves, on the city and the people. In truth it was YHVH who sent me to say all that I said in your hearing.”

Then the leaders, backed by the people, said to the priests and the prophets, “This man does not deserve death; he spoke to us in the Name of YHVH.” As for Jeremiah he was befriended by Ahikam, son of Shaphan, and was not handed over to those who wanted him put to death.

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Friday, 1 August 2014 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Jeremiah 26 : 1-9

At the beginning of the reign of Judah’s king Jehoiakim son of Josiah, the word of YHVH came to Jeremiah : YHVH says this, “Stand in the courtyard of YHVH’s House and say to all who come from the towns of Judah to worship in YHVH’s House – all that I command you to say; do not omit anything!”

“Perhaps they will listen to you. Perhaps each one will turn from his wicked ways. Then I will change My mind and forget the destruction that I have planned to inflict on them because of their wicked deeds.”

“Tell them : This is what YHVH says : ‘You have not obeyed Me and you have failed to walk according to My Law which I have set before you. You have not heeded My servants, the prophets, whom I have persistently sent to you. If you stubbornly close your ears to them, I will treat this House of Mine as I treated the sanctuary of Shiloh and let all the nations see that Jerusalem is a cursed city.”

The priests, the prophets and all the people heard what Jeremiah said in YHVH’s House. When Jeremiah finished saying all that YHVH had commanded, he was besieged by the priests and prophets saying, “You are bound to die! How dare you speak in YHVH’s Name telling us that this House will be treated like Shiloh and this city is to become a deserted ruin.”

And all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the House of YHVH.

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Thursday, 31 July 2014 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Ignatius Loyola, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 13 : 47-53

Jesus said, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a big fishing net let down into the sea, in which every kind of fish has been caught. When the net is full, it is dragged ashore. Then they sit down and gather the good fish in buckets, but throw the worthless ones away.”

“That is how it will be at the end of time; the angels will go out to separate the wicked from the just, and to throw the wicked into the blazing furnace, where they will weep and gnash their teeth.”

Jesus asked, “Have you understood all these things?” “Yes,” they answered. So He said to them, “You will see that every teacher of the Law, who becomes a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a householder, who can produce from his store things both new and old.”

When Jesus had finished these parables, He left that place.

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Wednesday, 30 July 2014 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Peter Chrysologus, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we hear once again, as we had heard on last Sunday’s Gospel, on the kingdom of heaven being a treasure, which is highly sought after, and the one who found it sell everything he had and buy the place where the treasure is found. And in the first reading today, we heard how when Jeremiah complained and cursed for his unfortunate fate and oppressed state, the Lord came and reassured him with His words and vow that He will stay faithful to men who also put their trust in Him.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, God is always with us, no matter how difficult life is. Yet we often like to curse God and be angry with Him when things seem to not go the way that we wanted it. We do not like it when things go difficult for us, and it is in our nature to complain or to be angry with someone, and to vent our dissatisfactions that we may get some sort of relief and even pleasure from doing so.

But the Lord is patient and forgiving, and as temperamental and as bad as our tantrum is, He will always be patient and send us encouragements after encouragements and reassurances after reassurances. We often get lost on our path towards God, and God sent us encouragement and guidance through various means to ensure that we end up at the correct path and goal in the end.

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Peter Chrysologus, a bishop and a Doctor of the Church who lived during the time of the late Roman Empire, during the fall of the Empire in the West, as the Bishop of the Roman Capital of Ravenna. St. Peter Chrysologus got his name and title ‘Chrysologus’ which literally means ‘golden-worded’ precisely because of his excellent oratory skills, in his sharp and yet touching homilies and teachings which drive through the teachings of the Church strongly into the hearts of many of the faithful.

St. Peter Chrysologus taught to the people the meaning of being a follower of the Lord, condemning heresies and falsehoods that brought the people away from the truth in the Lord. He brought them new hope and strength through his words and teachings, just as the Lord Himself had done as we heard how He encouraged Jeremiah to be strong and to put his trust in Him.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we reflect and ponder on the Gospel’s message for today, as well as the message the Lord wanted to tell us through His interactions with the prophet Jeremiah, and as well as the life of St. Peter Chrysologus, let us all realise that we are all called to be children of God, that means to be children of the light, to be children of faith, hope and love.

We have to be the bearers of hope for one another, and in our actions, words and deeds we should affirm each other’s faith, and by loving one another we show love to this world that lacks the warmth of love. Let us awaken in one another the love for God, and the desire to seek God, who is the true desire and the true treasure we should seek with all of our strengths.

May Almighty God be with us and guide us to this treasure, that we may be ever closer to Him and remain forever always in His love and grace. Let us all work together to seek our desired treasure in life, namely to seek and live together with our God. Let us do our best and ask St. Peter Chrysologus for his kind intercession. Amen.

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Wednesday, 30 July 2014 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Peter Chrysologus, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops)

Jeremiah 15 : 10, 16-21

Woe is me, mother, why did you bring me to the light? A man of dissension throughout the land! I owe them nothing, neither do they owe me, yet they all curse me!

I devoured Your words when they came. They were my happiness and I felt full of joy when You made Your Name rest on me. Never did I associate with worldly people, amusing myself with scoffers!

When Your hand was upon me I stood apart and You filled me with Your anger. Why is there no end to my sorrow or healing for my wound? Why do You deceive me, and why does my spring suddenly dry up?

Then YHVH spoke to me, “If you return I will take you back and you will serve Me again. Draw the gold from the dross and you will be as My own mouth. You must draw them to you and not go over to them. I will make you a fortress and a wall of bronze facing them; if they fight against you they will not overcome you.”

“I am with you to free you and save you. I will redeem you from the wicked and free you from the hands of tyrants.”

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Tuesday, 29 July 2014 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Martha (Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate the feast of St. Martha, whom we know from the Holy Gospels as both the sister of the dead Lazarus risen to life by Jesus, as well as the one who were very busy with her servings to the Lord even though her sister Mary sat down listening attentively to the Lord speaking and teaching.

St. Martha is one of the holy women mentioned in the Holy Scriptures, and she was one of the very loyal followers of Jesus, who followed Him around as He ministered to the people of God. And it is likely that she together with her sister Mary and her brother Lazarus also followed Jesus through His last moments in life, when He went on His Passion and died on the cross.

But she was not perfect and was not a super woman as we all had noticed, and which I had pointed out just earlier on. She had her imperfections, and she was indeed the same as all of us, who have our own weaknesses in life. But regardless of this, she managed to overcome her weakness and fears, and following God, she found the love of God which had been manifested through none other than Jesus Christ our Lord.

St. Martha reminded us through her examples and her shortcomings that we all often in life are too busy to spend some time with God, and carrying on with our daily routines and businesses, we often forget about God and lose our focus in life. Instead we ended up like St. Martha who ended up losing the perfect opportunity to listen to the word of God just because she was busy serving the Lord and ensuring the food and drinks are all properly served.

At least we have to credit St. Martha that she had a good intention, as she wanted to serve the Lord and be as good a host as she could to this important and amazing visitor, Jesus Christ the Saviour Himself. However, she forgot that in doing all the busy things, she might end up losing the perfect opportunity of encountering the Lord, just as Mary her sister took up the best opportunity for.

And for us who are in this world today, how many of us are even worse than St. Martha? That we forget about the Lord and shunned Him without even any good intentions to welcome Him? Remember that St. Martha believed in Jesus wholeheartedly, and when Lazarus her brother died, she trusted in Jesus and put her faith in Him, that He would have the power to bring her brother back into life.

We live today in a world where daily businesses and occupations with so many various things often interfere in our relationship with God, and not just with God but in fact also in terms of our relationship with one another. We live at a time when faith is often forgotten for the sake of our achievements and obtaining of worldly pleasures. And these things prevent us from finding God in our lives and ultimately can serve as a great obstacle in our attempt to attain salvation in God.

Following the example of St. Martha, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all be true disciples of the Lord, and no longer be distracted by our busy activities in life that prevent us from appreciating the Lord who had come personally to save us from certain death in sin. Let us all be truly devoted to God and be focused on Him, that in all of our actions we proclaim the Lord alone and walk faithfully and tenderly in His path.

St. Martha, pray for us all, that our faith may be always strong and that our minds and hearts will be always focused to the Lord, to His laws and precepts. Let us never be separated from Him and be ever devoted. God bless us all. Amen.

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Monday, 28 July 2014 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Matthew 13 : 31-35

Jesus offered them another parable : “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, that a man took and sowed in his field. It is smaller than all other seeds, but once it is fully grown, it is bigger than any garden plant; like a tree, the birds come and rest in its branches.”

He told them another parable, “The kingdom of heaven is like the yeast that a woman took, and hid in three measures of flour, until the whole mass of dough began to rise.”

Jesus taught all these to the crowds by means of parables; He did not say anything to them without using a parable. So what the Prophet had said was fulfilled : ‘I will speak in parables. I will proclaim things kept secret since the beginning of the world.’