preaching the faith

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Thursday, 27 October 2022 : 30th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are reminded of the need for all of us to remain ever vigilant and prepared in the constant spiritual warfare and battlefield that is this world ever raging all around us. We have to be prepared lest the forces of the evil ones and those wicked forces arrayed against us succeed in tearing us away apart from the Lord and His path towards salvation. That is why we have to be always proactive in living our lives with faith just as our Scripture passages have reminded us today, so that we do not end up falling into the wrong paths in life.

In our first reading today, we heard of the words of the Apostle St. Paul to the faithful people of God in Ephesus, reminding all of them to put on the whole armour of God, the armour of fidelity and strength of God, allowing God to guide and protect them in their journey of faith through life. He reminded them of the spiritual warfare and struggles that are always happening all around them, which they need to be truly vigilant for, more than they should fear the persecution of the authorities of this world. That is because ultimately, there is nothing that the worldly authorities can do to them beyond harming their physical bodies and existence, but the same could not be said of those who threatened the souls of the faithful.

That is because those who seek the destruction of the souls of mankind are plenty, and unlike those of the world, there is little that we can do to resist them by ourselves, as they are always ready all around is, ready to surround us and to pounce on us whenever we falter or are unprepared against their onslaught. The Lord has warned us all against these attacks, and we should be ready to resist them, with the Lord by our side. But we need to have faith in the Lord and put our trust in Him, and give our best to live our lives in accordance to His path of truth. And it is by devoting ourselves wholeheartedly to God that we may find our path towards the eternal glory in God.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the words of the Lord speaking to His people and the disciples and some of the Pharisees who were giving Him some warning for the fact that king Herod, the tetrarch of Galilee wanted to kill Him. The Lord highlighted that despite all of that, He would still do what He has been called to do in His mission. The Lord would perform His mission, reaching out to His flock and to all the people, ministering to them, healing their sick and casting out demons from them even amidst all the challenges and trials that He and His disciples had to go through.

The Lord lamented then on the sad state of how the people those to whom the Lord had come to, rejected Him and refused to listen to Him and accept Him, just in the way their ancestors had persecuted and rejected the many messengers, prophets and servants of God sent to them earlier. Yet, He persisted on and continued to do the will of His heavenly Father, showing us the example of what we ourselves as Christians ought to be doing in our own lives, in doing God’s will, resisting and refusing the temptations to give in to the pressures of the world and give up our faith and struggle to be ever worthy of God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, thus we are reminded that we must not let our guard down and continue to do our best to fulfil what God has called on all of us to do in our lives as Christians. Just as the Lord Jesus Himself has shown us, each and every one of us should strive to do our best in loving God and in doing His will, and continue to live worthily and justly, filled with Christian truths and virtues in life. We should be exemplary in our every words, deeds and actions so that in all that we do, we will always be sources of inspiration and strength for our fellow brothers and sisters, that we may encourage one another to remain faithful to God and to do God’s will at all times.

Let us all hence listen to the Lord’s call and hearken to His will, to embrace whatever missions He entrust to us to do, in making good use of our gifts, talents, abilities and opportunities that we may indeed strong in our faith, in wearing the fullness of the ‘armour of God’ just as St. Paul told the faithful members of the Church in Ephesus. Let us fully entrust ourselves and our families, our loved ones and our every actions, efforts and endeavours to the Lord, and let us fully allow Him to lead and guide us down the right path, opening our hearts and minds that He may lead us and help to guide us, and correct us whenever we falter and enter into the wrong paths in life.

May God be with us always, and may He continue to protect us from the attacks of the evil ones, of those who seek our ruin and destruction. May God empower us all with the courage and strength to persevere through the many challenges and trials we may have to face in remaining truly faithful to Him as Christians, as those whom the Lord Himself had called to be His disciples, and to be the faithful witnesses of His truth and love in our world today. May all of us be ever faithful and be good role models and beacons of Christ’s light and truth to all the people, of all the nations, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

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Wednesday, 26 October 2022 : 30th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are reminded of the calling for all of us to obey the Law and commandments of the Lord, and to follow the path that He has set before all of us. As Christians, each and every one of us should lead exemplary and genuinely faithful way of life so that in all things we say and do, we will always proclaim the truth of God in our various communities and places, and we will not be like those hypocrites and all those who claimed to believe in God and yet, had no place for God in their hearts and minds.

In our first reading today, which was taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in Ephesus, we heard the words of the Apostle reminding all the faithful there to do the will of God, and that every members of the Christian community ought to play their part in living their lives faithfully as they should have. St. Paul exhorted everyone to live virtuously, in their various positions and obligations, in their respective parts of the community, to follow the path that God has revealed and set before them, and to be true Christians in all things, and not just for appearances only.

At that time, there were still many among the Christian faithful who did not truly follow the Lord and His path, and who although had embraced the Lord as their Master and Saviour, and was baptised into the Church, but yet they still retained their past ways of life, and they still carried on doing things as they had done before. Unfortunately, all of those actions brought scandal to their faith and the Church, as well as to the Holy Name of God. Imagine how others would say if a Christian behaved and acted in ways contrary to what they professed to believe in? Not only that this would scandalise those outside the Church, but even more importantly, those within the Church.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the Lord Jesus speaking to His disciples and the people about the matter of salvation and who would be saved. The Lord highlighted that the path towards God’s salvation and eternal life is in fact one that is difficult and challenging, and that many in fact would not be able to enter into the kingdom of God. And He highlighted how many of those who have professed to believe in Him and in His words, would be denied entry although they claimed to be faithful, all because they did not actually have genuine faith in Him, and they did not truly love Him with all of their might and hearts.

This was also a reference to the many Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who back at that time were against the Lord and His works. They were all adamant in their stubborn refusal to acknowledge the truth of God, and continued to resist and reject Him, spreading doubt and misinformation about Him, persecuting Him and His disciples and made it difficult for them to carry out their works and missions. And that is what the Lord referred to as the faith of the hypocrites, those who outwardly professed to be faithful and yet in their actions and way of life, brought scandal to their faith and the Lord.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore just as we have been reminded constantly through these readings of the Sacred Scriptures, we should do our part in living our lives to the fullest in doing God’s will and obeying His commandments. We must truly be genuine in our faith and in loving Him. Each and every one of us as Christians must put God first and foremost in our lives, and not be swayed or tempted by the many desires and all the things that often tempted so many of us, like how the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who succumbed to the temptations of their pride and ego, in thinking that they had the superior knowledge and position, just because they thought that they alone were worthy of God’s grace.

Let us all therefore heed the words of the Apostle St. Paul and what the Lord Jesus Himself had told His disciples and the people in our Gospel today, that the path towards the kingdom of God is not an easy one and is one that is filled with a lot of challenges and obstacles. We have to be ever vigilant and do whatever we can to resist those temptations, and instead help and inspire one another to live our lives in the manner that God has shown and taught us to do. The Lord has taught us through His Church how we should act, in loving Him and loving one another with the greatest generosity and sincerity from our hearts.

Let us all therefore do our best to glorify God by our lives, and do whatever we can to serve Him and to walk down His path. May the Lord continue to guide us and strengthen us in our journey, so that we may always be willing to endure and persevere through the challenges and trials that may come our way, and continue to do our best to serve the Lord at all times. May the Lord bless our every endeavours and efforts, at all times, for His greater glory. Amen.

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Tuesday, 25 October 2022 : 30th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, in our Scripture passages today we are all reminded to live worthily of the Lord through our own relationships particularly that of within our own Christian families. Each and every one of us as Christians are called to be the faithful and committed members of our respective Christian families, building up within our own Christian communities good and faithful Christian families and relationships, which are truly the bedrock of Christian communities and the Church, and is essential in ensuring that the Church and the faithful community remain strong amidst the many challenges, temptations and trials they may all face.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in Ephesus, the Apostle spoke of the responsibilities that each and every members of the Church and in their respective obligations as families and as sons and daughters of God to do what has been expected of them in building up a loving and harmonious relationship within their families, in which every members are committed to each other and in which love is the foundation of their relationships. St. Paul elaborated on what each members ought to do, and how all Christians are tasked to follow this example, and to build up their holy and loving Christian families.

Back then, while various cultures had their own definition of families and marriages, which were in fact not very distinct from Christian marriage and family, but in practice, people still quite commonly practiced things like having mistresses and concubinage, especially in the culture of the Roman Empire. There were also quite a lot of immoral behaviour and attitudes, excesses of worldly habits and actions which led to great scandals and which are unworthy of those who have been called as Christians, as God’s own beloved children and people. As Christians, all of them were given higher standards and responsibilities.

St. Paul therefore reminded the faithful people of God that they are called to be the beacons of God’s light and truth, and that they ought to show good examples in the way they all lived their lives, where they were dedicated to one another in love, and where they were not led and guided by the temptations of their worldly desires, greed, pride and ambition. St. Paul told all of the people that they ought to show love and care for each other, in caring for the needs of their family, where husbands, wives, parents, children and relatives are all united in the bond of Christian love and virtues.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard the Lord speaking to His disciples and followers regarding the kingdom of God using a parable. Through the parable of the mustard seed and flour, the Lord wanted to highlight to them about the coming of His kingdom, and how each and every one of those who believe in Him, the members of the Body of Christ, the Church, are truly building and establishing this kingdom of God in this world. Yes, that is right, brothers and sisters in Christ, the kingdom of God is indeed already in our midst, and we witness its presence through our Church, the community of the faithful and also through our respective Christian families.

And we are all reminded through the parables mentioned of the importance of providing the necessary conditions for the nurturing of this kingdom of God in our midst, just as the Lord made use of the examples of the germinating and growing mustard seed, as well as the leavening of bread dough with the use of yeast. All of those are examples that were well known and understood by the people, as agriculture and bread-making are things that are crucial to the livelihood of most if not all of the people. Through this example, the Lord wanted His people, that is all of us included, to realise that we have to nurture our faith through providing the optimum condition needed for the growth of our faith, and this is important especially for our younger generation.

That is why the family is truly the domestic Church, the smallest and yet very important subunits of the Church. If our families are not founded upon the firm foundation of our Christian faith and the truth of God, and if the love of God is not present within our families, then easily our Christian families, our Christian communities and all the people in them will be swayed and tempted away from the path of the Lord’s righteousness and virtue, and we will be easily divided and led away from the unity that we should have within our families and communities. Unless we make the conscious efforts to live our lives according to the Christian truth and love, we have not been doing what we are called to do as Christians.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore commit ourselves to a renewed effort to be exemplary Christians in all things, in upholding our Christian values and virtues at all times, in all opportunities and possibilities. Let us all show by our faithful commitment to God, what it truly means for us to be Christians, and how we can help lead and inspire one another to be ever closer to God. May God bless us always and our every endeavours, and may He bless and strengthen our families, that we may always be committed to God and to one another, and be filled with love, the love of God, always and evermore. Amen.

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Monday, 24 October 2022 : 30th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Anthony Mary Claret, Bishop (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded of the words of the Lord telling all of us to remain faithful and true to Him. We must not allow the wickedness and evils of this world from coming into our midst and corrupt us. If we let those things to mislead and distract us from the path that the Lord has shown us, then many of us will unfortunately likely end up falling down the slippery slope towards damnation. We must remember that as Christians, each and every one of us are called to be righteous, good and full of Christian virtues, that in all the things we say and do, we always bring greater glory to God.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in Ephesus regarding the Apostle’s reminder to the people of God there on how them being the people and children of God, they were all called to a greater new life, full of genuine faith and actions as Christians, and how they should not follow their past ways and wicked path anymore. They were called to a greater new existence, one that was no longer based on the ways of their predecessors and ancestors. Instead, they were all called to follow in the path that God has set before them, and which He Himself had shown to them through His Apostles and His Church.

St. Paul reminded the people of God in Ephesus how the Lord has called on all of them to be holy just as He is holy, and He called on all of them to be virtuous and good in their path, and not to bring scandal to the Lord’s Holy Name and to His Church. As Christians, they were all expected to make a stand against the wickedness of the world, to abandon the temptations of the world and to side with the Lord wholeheartedly. The Lord told them and also to all of us, that we cannot be servants of both God and Money, and that is, we cannot be servant of both the Lord and of the world. If we allow ourselves to indulge in the temptations of worldly glory and power, sooner or later we may end up falling deeper and deeper into the path of sin.

Instead, we are all reminded of what He Himself had done, all the teachings He has given us and all the truth that He has revealed to us, so that through all of those, we may know how we can proceed ahead as Christians in our way of life, in our actions and deeds, in whatever path we follow. That is what we ought to reflect as we recall the message of the Word of God contained within the Sacred Scriptures we have heard today. We heard from the Gospel passage today regarding the confrontation between the Lord and the leader of the synagogue simply because the Lord healed a crippled woman on a Sabbath day.

The Lord had wanted to heal the woman who had been crippled and kept bent and enslaved by the evil spirits for a long period of eighteen years, and He highlighted to His opponents and naysayers, just how ridiculous it was that the woman would have to wait any moment longer just because it was the day of the Sabbath, which according to the Jewish laws and customs back then, was a day when no work was allowed at any circumstances. Meanwhile, the Pharisees and the leader of the synagogue, who likely held the same belief, were most particularly strict and extensive in their efforts to preserve this custom and practice, in enforcing these rules on the people.

However, in doing so they had become elitist and wicked in their ways, as they became self-righteous and prejudiced against all those whom they deemed to be inferior to themselves, which were essentially everyone else, and especially those who were afflicted with diseases like that of the crippled woman herself. Yet, the Lord courageously challenged this action and view of the Pharisees and the synagogue elders, and healed the woman, showing all the people of God what God truly wants from all of us, to be loving and forgiving just as God Himself has shown us His love and compassion, His forgiveness and mercy.

Today we have yet another example who can help us to find our way in living our Christian faith ever more worthily of the Lord. St. Anthony Mary Claret, the founder of the Claretian religious order, was a Spanish Archbishop and missionary, who dedicated himself to a life of ministry to God, first preaching amongst the Catalans in a region that had been destabilised by wars, and was remembered for his great love for his flock, by his dedication in going from one community to another even on foot. He went to several distant areas like the Canary Islands, preaching the word of God there, and calling on many people to return to the Church of God.

As Archbishop of Santiago, in the New World area of Cuba, the Church entrusted St. Anthony Mary Claret with the mission to evangelise to his flock, in caring for the needs of his community, showing them the love of God as shown by his commitment to establish many hospitals and schools for the common folks, in the reorganisation of the diocesan seminary among others. Through his missionary efforts and writings, he inspired many others to follow his good examples, and that helped to lay the foundation of many good deeds. He spent a lot of time caring for the need of the poor, helping them and caring for their needs, and miracles abound in his works and presence, turning even more people towards God. He continued to do many good works even in his later years, dedicating his life to his missions even when he faced many challenges and hardships.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore reflect on all these, and look upon the good examples set by the Lord Himself, and by our faithful and holy predecessors, the saints and martyrs, especially of St. Anthony Mary Claret whose memory we recall and venerate today. Let us all strive to do the will of God in the manner that the faithful sons and daughters of the Lord and His Church had done. And may God be with us always in our journey of faith, so that in our every words, actions and deeds, we will always ever be filled with the righteousness and virtues of God, and strive to glorify God and not seek our own glory in life. May God bless us always in all things, and bless our every efforts and endeavours. Amen.

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Sunday, 23 October 2022 : Thirtieth Sunday of Ordinary Time, Mission Sunday (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday all of us heard of the reminder that pride and ego, hubris and ambition have no place amongst us Christians and those things will only lead to our downfall and doom, if we allow those to control our lives and our actions. We have been shown and taught what it truly means to be Christians, in our daily living and actions, and if we take heed of what the Lord had reminded us, through the Scripture passages today, we should do our best to do His will, and to be humble and be focused on Him, and not to give in to the temptations of our human pride and desire, which had become the bane and the obstacle for so many of our fellow brothers and sisters, past and present.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Sirach, we heard of the words of the Lord speaking on how He listened to the prayers of the faithful and how He uplifted and strengthened the humble and the just, while at the same time, God condemns and crushes those who were proud and mighty, those who oppressed others and who did not live their lives in accordance with His ways. He judged unworthy those who were merciless and those who have treated their brethren with disdain and lack of respect, those who have acted with violence upon others and those who have exploited their fellow men. All these have no place in God’s Kingdom and Presence.

In the Gospel passage today, we heard the parable which the Lord Jesus mentioned regarding the tax collector and the Pharisee, in which both were praying at the same time at the House of God. We heard how the Pharisee looked down upon his fellow man, the tax collector, considering him as a sinner while praising his own self-righteousness and virtues, as was common at that time. Back then, the Pharisees were considered the elites of the Jewish society, very well-respected and even feared by the other members of the community for their knowledge, intellect, power and influence.

On the other hand, the tax collectors were often ostracised and prejudiced against for their work in collecting taxes for the rulers and for the Romans. They were seen as great sinners and greedy people unworthy of God and His salvation, and they were often shunned by the community, especially hated and rejected by the Pharisees and the elders, who saw them as abominations and traitors to the nation. As such, this prejudice was shown in the Lord’s parable, as He highlighted the folly of such prejudice and narrow-sighted and narrow-minded attitude. The tax collector, fully aware of his sins, was not even willing to look up, embarrassed and shamed by his sins, while the Pharisee, though a sinner himself, lauded his achievements and not only that, but also slandered others before God.

That, brothers and sisters in Christ, is how dangerous pride and ego is for us, as well as human desire and greed. The Pharisee in the parable fell to the trap of his own pride, thinking that he was better than the tax collector, and in doing so, he turned inwards, focusing on himself and his own achievements, which resulted in his prideful and self-congratulatory attitude, which led to him being focused so much on himself and so full of himself, that he failed to see that he himself was also a sinner like the tax collector requiring God’s mercy and redemption. Instead, he thought that everything he did made him worthy of God and that he was superior than others who did less than what he had done.

This is not what each one of us as Christians should be doing. As Christians, all of us have been shown and taught by the Lord, first and foremost to love the Lord our God with all our hearts and with all of our might, and not to love ourselves more than how we love God and others. As Christians we are called and in fact challenged to show our love to one another, to our fellow brothers and sisters, reminding ourselves that God has been so kind, loving, compassionate and merciful in reaching out to us and in showing us His providence and love. He has never given up on us even whenever we have always been rebellious and disobedient in our attitudes in life and despite how many times we have refused to listen to His servants.

But often times we shut the Lord out of our lives because we were too busy and preoccupied with the many things and matters we have in life, and we were often too full of pride and arrogance to admit that we can be mistaken, imperfect or wrong in our ways, and that we ourselves are in need of help and healing. We tend to lose sight on what truly matters, as we have not allowed the Lord to be the true centre and focus of our lives. Instead, we put our own ego and ambitions, our own pride and desires, our attachments for worldly things and goods on the pedestal, and we end up turning inwards and became like how the Pharisee in the Lord’s parable had behaved. That is not the path that a Christian like us should be following.

Instead, we have to realise first of all that we are sinners in need of God’s help and healing, and through God, all of us can gain the sure passage towards eternal life and glory. We have to trust in the Lord just as we remembered what St. Paul told St. Timothy in his Epistle to him today, in our second reading passage. St. Paul encouraged St. Timothy, reminding him of all that the Lord had done to him, that despite all the challenges and the trials that he had to endure, God has always been by his side, protecting him and providing for him, encouraging him and guiding him through the difficult and hard times. He had done what he had been called to do in evangelisation and proclaiming the Good News of God to people of various nations.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we recall and internalise the message contained within the passages of the Sacred Scriptures which we heard this Sunday, all of us are reminded to focus ourselves on God and not on ourselves and our own vanity and desires. And that is part of why the Church commemorates and celebrates Mission Sunday today, reminding us all that each and every one of us as Christians, all of us are called to be missionary in our lives and attitudes, to be life-giving and to be faithful witnesses of the Lord and our Christian faith at every possible opportunities. Each and every one of us as part of the same Church of God, as part of this same one Body of Christ are expected and called to be evangelising and missionary disciples and followers of Christ.

Now, what does it mean for us to be missionary and to fulfil our missions, brothers and sisters in Christ? It does not mean that we have to go and embark on mission to far away parts of the world, preaching the Good News of the Gospels and the Christian faith. Yes, there were and are still many people who have committed their lives to be full-time missionaries, as priests and religious members of the various orders involved in the missionary works all around the world, operating the various ministries and missions that the Church has placed all around the world, but those are not the only ones who should be involved in the mission of the Church.

On the contrary, it is the responsibility and integral part of being Christians that we have to dedicate our time, effort and attention to be true and living witnesses of our Christian faith and beliefs in God, in our every day moments, in living our best to serve the Lord and to do His will, not for our own glory and fame, but for the greater glory of God. Each and every one of us who partakes in the Body of Christ and are part of this Holy Communion of all the faithful and the saints, all of us are sharing in the same mission that Our Lord Jesus Christ has entrusted to His Church and His disciples, and that is to proclaim the Good News He has revealed to the world and to go forth and baptise all the people of all the nations in the Name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

We do not have to do great and marvellous things. What matters is for us to do the best even in the smallest and simplest things we do, such that in all of those, we truly proclaim the Lord not only just by our words, but even more importantly, by our actions and deeds. If we truly embody our faith and beliefs in all of our actions, and do our best to uphold ourselves in virtue and justice, in obedience to God and righteousness, then naturally all those who see us, witness us, hear us and interact with us will come to know the Lord through us, and we may be surprised but our every actions do matter, and they can have great impact on the salvation of many souls.

And we are also reminded not to be elitist and self-righteous, as the example of the Pharisee in the parable of the Lord warned us. We must not let pride and our human greed and desire to be a serious hindrance and obstacle in our path towards God and His salvation. As long as we strive and do our best to resist those many temptations all around us, we will be able to remain faithful to the Lord, remembering as always that we are all sinners after all, all of whom the Lord had shown love, compassion and mercy on. The Lord has loved us all from the very beginning, and He does not mind even our rebellious and our stubbornness, but keep on reaching out to us. Therefore, we too should not be prejudiced against those who we may have deemed to be less than worthy than us. We should not forget that we ourselves have received great grace of God’s forgiveness, and if all even the greatest of sinners receive this love and mercy from God, why we cannot do the same as well?

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore live our lives with genuine faith and dedication, and be good Christian missionaries in our every works and actions, so that we may genuinely proclaim the truth of God to the people of all the nations. We have to live our lives worthily and faithfully at all times, and be the beacons of Christ’s light in our world today. Let us all therefore dedicate ourselves anew to the Lord, and may the Lord continue to guide us and bless us in every moments, and in our every good efforts and endeavours, as this Mission Sunday ought to remind us of our calling and mission in life. May God strengthen and empower us to be ever worthy to be in His Presence, now and always. Amen.

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Saturday, 22 October 2022 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. John Paul II, Pope (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Popes)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, each and every one of us are meant to do what we can as Christians, having been given various talents and gifts, blessings and graces by the Lord. Each and every one of us are therefore expected to make good use of those gifts of the Lord and be fruitful in the grace of God, bearing the rich fruits of our actions and commitments in life, in accordance to what each one of us have been called to do as Christians. All of us are reminded today of this calling, and we should embrace the Lord’s calling wholeheartedly.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Ephesians, we heard about the matter of the gifts that God had given to His disciples, to the Apostles and the others who have given themselves to the service of God. The Lord has granted them all the gifts and the blessings, the opportunities and the abilities to do His will, and gave them each a mission to fulfil in their lives. St. Paul therefore wanted to remind the faithful in Ephesus of their calling and mission in life, on the significance of them being Christians, as followers of the Lord. The Lord has called on all of them to be the members and parts of His Church, His one united Body, made up of all the different various parts, all the different peoples of different origins and background.

The Church of God is made up of all these people and parts, each one of them with their own talents and capabilities, with their own missions and responsibilities. For example, as mentioned, the Lord called and gave the gifts and entrusted some with their responsibility as Apostles, some others as missionaries and teachers, while some others were entrusted to be evangelists and preachers, while others were called to be involved in building good and faithful Christian families, to be good fathers, mothers, children and other members of the Christian community, as parts of the same united Body of Christ, the Church.

At that time the Church and the Christian communities in the various parts of the Mediterranean and elsewhere were still in their early stages, as the Apostles and the other missionaries spread the Good News and the Christian faith to various parts of the world, proclaiming the truth of God courageously despite the many challenges that they had to face. The Lord has sent His disciples to those places, revealing His truth and salvation to all the people of all the nations. That is why, the Lord wants us all to remember how all of us have the same mission that He has entrusted to His Apostles and disciples, and thus, we have to make good use of the gifts and talents given to us. We can neither be idle or ignore our calling and mission.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard the Lord telling His disciples that all those people who had suffered due to the riot in Galilee and the collapse of the tower in Siloah had met their end, and while it was not due to any fault of theirs, but the Lord highlighted to them all, that unless they changed their ways and actions, then they would face the end in the same manner as those who had perished experienced. He used this example to highlight how all of our actions and works, our beliefs and faith truly matter as they all determine whether we are going to be worthy of the Lord, or whether our actions and lives will condemn us at the Day of Judgment. The choice and opportunities have been given to us, and now therefore it is up to us whether we will act on it or not.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all realise that as Christians, as members of the Church of God, all of us like that of the Apostles and the early Christians, are all the same disciples of the Lord, and we all share the same calling and mission which the Lord had given and entrusted to us through His same Church. Each one of us have been given the gifts and talents, and the various capabilities and opportunities, for us to reach out to more and more of our fellow men, and proclaim the truth of God through our own exemplary lives and actions. We do not have to perform amazing and wonderful things, as in truth, what really matters is for us to do whatever we can, in our own small little ways, to do the will of God, and to follow His path, at all times.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of one of the great recent saint, whose name and memories must be familiar to so many among us both young and old, as he was the leader of the Universal Church as the Successor of St. Peter, the Pope and Bishop of Rome. Pope St. John Paul II, also known by his birth name as Karol Jozef Wojtyla, the first Polish Pope and non-Italian Pope after close to five hundred years. Karol Jozef Wojtyla was born in Poland after the First World War to a loving family, but unfortunately, he lost his family members one by one, beginning with his mother, then his elder brother and finally his father, during the harsh early years of the Second World War.

The young Karol Wojtyla suffered hardships during the war years, and during that time, he went through discreet seminary preparation as he committed himself to priesthood. He was ordained a priest, and then went through another hard period of oppression of Christians by the Communists, who were in power at that time. Christians were persecuted and oppressed, but Fr. Wojtyla cared for the needs of his flock, and this quiet obedience and commitment to the Lord eventually led to him being chosen as first the Auxiliary Bishop of Krakow, and then succeeding as the Metropolitan Archbishop of Krakow, and from there on, his participation as a leader of the Church continued to rise on.

After being made a Cardinal by the Pope, the then Cardinal Wojtyla continued to fight for the rights of the Christians in his homeland, in Krakow and elsewhere, and he was particularly remembered for his period of struggle against the Communist government, as he led the faithful in the effort to establish a church in the new town of Nowa Huta, which the Communist government had touted back then as a churchless town, in a seeming symbol of triumph of Communism over the Christian faith. Cardinal Wojtyla helped to lead the campaign which eventually led to the completion of the church and shrine at Nowa Huta of the now famous Black Madonna of Nowa Huta.

He was then elected as the successor of St. Peter as the Pope and leader of the Universal Church. As Pope St. John Paul II, he led the Church on a great campaign of renewal, in leading the Church through efforts to evangelise to many more people, to lead to the greater unity within the Church, the repair of relations between the separated brethren among the Christian Church splinters, as well as in his great and memorable role in leading to the downfall of Communism, which happened just over a decade after he took over as the Pope and leader of the Church. He travelled to many countries, more than any Popes ever before and ever since until today, and as the Apostles long before his time and ours, Pope St. John Paul II continued to carry on the mission entrusted to the Church of God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore seek the intercession of Pope St. John Paul II and the many other saints who are our good role models, including that of the Apostles and the other disciples themselves, and let us ask all of them to pray for us, that God may strengthen us in our missionary journey, in whatever we do as members of the same Church of God, for our current Pope, Francis, the Cardinals and the Archbishops and Bishops all throughout the Church, all the priest and deacons, and everyone in the religious orders, brothers and sisters, and of course all those among the laity, in their various capacities and workplaces, as fathers, mothers and children, as members of the living Church of God.

Let us all do our best to obey the will of God and commit ourselves anew to the Lord from now on, resolving to follow the path that God has shown before us. May the Lord continue to guide us all and be with us always, and may He empower each and every one of us with the strength and the grace to remain faithful to Him despite the challenges and trials that we may have to face in our journey of faith through our respective lives. May God bless us all in our every good efforts and endeavours, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

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Friday, 21 October 2022 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are reminded of the need for all of us as Christians to live our lives faithfully at all times, in the path that the Lord has set before us, and in doing what He has commanded all of us to do. The Lord has called on us to do His will, to proclaim His Good News among the people of all the nations, and He has taught us what we should do as His disciples. Each one of us are now therefore called and expected to be dedicated as children of God, in living our lives most worthily as those who have been made God’s own people.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in Ephesus, the Apostle reminded all the faithful there of the calling for all of them to live their lives worthily of God, to be committed and true to their faith, to do the will of God as they have been expected to, and to proclaim His Good News by their lives and actions. All the Christians have been given the vocations as God’s own beloved disciples and people, to walk in the path He has shown them, in loving Him with all of their hearts and might, and in showing that same love to their fellow brothers and sisters, unconditionally just as He has loved them all unconditionally as well.

As I have mentioned in my earlier discourses this past week, the Church community in Ephesus and in many other early Christian communities back then were often divided between the Jewish converts and the converts among the Gentiles or the non-Jewish people made up of various peoples like Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Syrians, Anatolians and many other people, all of whom had welcomed the Lord and accepted Him as their Lord and Master. But some of those from the Jewish community kept their past prejudices against those who belonged to the non-Jewish community. This is because they considered themselves being superior as they were directly descended from the Israelites of the past, and upheld the strict practices and customs of the Jewish people.

Some of those same Jewish converts, many of whom were likely members of the Pharisees and the scribes, even attempted to impose their excessive version of the Jewish Law and customs on all the faithful, including that of the Gentiles. As such, this would have made it very difficult for the converts from among the Gentiles to follow the Christian faith as contextually we must understand that some of the practices and customs of the Jewish people were seen by many of the Gentiles and pagans of the time as being aberration and strange, or even downright repulsive and undesirable.

Hence, St. Paul wanted the whole Church and all the faithful to realise that they should not be divided one against another by those bias and prejudices, or by any other differences that they might have between them. All of them are reminded to remain united as a whole united Body of Christ, the Church of God, with every members showing love and care for each other. There should be no more division or prejudices among them, whether they saw themselves as Jew or Greek, or any other Gentiles, or whether they were free people or slaves, or whether they were rich or poor, or whether they were males or females. All are equal before the same Lord Who loves us all.

In our Gospel passage today, the Lord told all of His people and disciples that there were signs that they had seen, and they should henceforth act upon what they had seen. He was in fact referring to the signs and wonders which He Himself had done before all of the people, and yet many of them still doubted Him and refused to believe in Him. They would rather remain in their disbelief and in believing their own ways rather than to trust in the Lord, or to open their hearts and minds. They had all seen and heard whatever that the Lord had done, in all of His teachings and miracles, and yet they had failed to believe, and some even opposed the Lord and His disciples openly.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, just as what the Apostle St. Paul spoke to the faithful in Ephesus of, what we heard today in the Gospel passage reminds us all of just how we mankind have often allowed our own selfish nature and pride to undermine us in our path and progress towards God and His salvation. And all of that had prevented us from finding the Lord, keeping us trapped within our own prideful ways and habits. As long as we continue to resist the Lord, and not following Him in the way that we should have done, then we are not truly devout and committed Christians, no matter how much we try to convince ourselves and others otherwise.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as Christians, let us all realise that each and every one of us are expected and have been called to love God and also our fellow brothers and sisters with all of our strength and ability, and not only that, but we are also expected to love others without being biased or prejudiced against anyone. All of us should love one another equally regardless of our background, origin, racial status, wealth, possessions, societal status, gender or whatever other worldly divisions and prejudices we often placed ourselves in. We have to rid ourselves of these, and endeavour to keep the Church and all the faithful united together.

May the Lord continue to be with us and guide us, and may He empower each and every one of us so that we may truly be good examples of our Christian faith to all the people, so that we may always proclaim the Lord, His truth and love by our every actions, words and deeds. May God be with us always and may He bless us in our every good efforts and endeavours, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Thursday, 20 October 2022 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we heard from the Scriptures, a reminder that following Christ, His truth and salvation is not as easy as it may seem to be. There will likely be challenges and trials, and often we may have to endure opposition and difficulties along the way. But we must not lose faith or hope because as long as we remain firm in our faith and trust in the Lord, then we will always be taken care of and provided for by the Lord. There will be hardships and as history has shown us, some if not many of us even may have to endure persecutions and martyrdom for our faith, but in the end, we all will be triumphant together with God.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful people of God in Ephesus, we heard the Apostle telling the people there about what he desired of them to do, and as he prayed for their sake to the Lord, asking on God to bless them and to provide for them, with strength and wisdom, with guidance and encouragement, St. Paul also reminded all the faithful to believe wholeheartedly in the Lord, to trust in the truth and faith which they had received from the Lord and His Apostles and missionaries, and he also prayed for them that they all would be blessed in all things, and that God would be glorified through their words, actions and deeds.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard through the Lord Jesus Himself, Who came to tell all of His followers that His coming did not mean that those who follow Him and believe in Him will immediately be free and spared from all hardships, trials and challenges. We must understand the context that back then, many of the people kind of expected that the Messiah or the Saviour to come to them and deliver them immediately out of their troubles, freeing them from their enemies and from the dominion of foreign rulers, and reestablish the kingdom of Israel. Hence, many of them had hoped that by following Christ, they would be free from hardships and troubles.

On the contrary, as the Lord Himself presented it to them, His coming and His truth would cause divisions even among the believers and between the believers and those who were close to them. There would be challenges and hardships that they would have to encounter, as there would definitely be those who refused to listen to the truth of God and preferred to follow their own paths, and throughout the history of the Church this had happened again and again, as the faithful especially in the early days of the Church had to contend with opposition from their own family members, relatives and friends, and many were oppressed and martyred because of that.

That is why the prayers of St. Paul for the Church and the faithful in Ephesus became even more significant as it reminds us all of those challenges and trials that we as Christians may and will have to face in our journey of faith, as we embark on this mission in life to proclaim the truth of God through our lives and works. St. Paul prayed that God would strengthen and encourage the faithful so that they all will be filled with grace and perseverance, with the wisdom and the ability to comprehend the truth of God. He prayed over them that they would not easily fall prey to temptations to bring them apart from the Lord and His Church.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, what is the significance of what we have heard in our Scripture readings today? It reminds us all that we have to continue to be faithful to God despite the obstacles, trials and challenges that we may face as Christians in our journey of faith, and we also need the guidance, strength, wisdom and providence from God to help us in this struggle and journey. We cannot do this alone, or else we will very soon realise that the challenges facing us are greater than what we can solve and handle on our own. God and His Church are with us in this, and we have to always remember this fact, and not give up the faith, as our predecessors had done.

This also means that all of us are reminded to give our best to serve the Lord by living our lives to the fullest as devout Christians, in loving God and in living our lives according to His Law and precepts, and also by helping and inspiring one another to remain faithful to the Lord in all things. We must remain strong in the Lord, in our conviction and desire to serve Him and to love Him, and dedicate our time and effort to remain true to our faith so that whatever happen, we may encourage each other to stay in our path of faith towards God and His salvation, and not be tempted to abandon the Lord for the other paths towards our downfall.

Let us all strive to be good and faithful, worthy and committed disciples of the Lord and be good examples and inspirations for one another. May the Lord continue to bless us all in all things and help us in our journey of faith through life. May God strengthen us and empower us to remain resilient despite the challenges, trials and struggles we may have to face in our Christian journey through life. Amen.

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Wednesday, 19 October 2022 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John de Brebeuf and St. Isaac Jogues, Priests and Martyrs, and Companions, Martyrs, and St. Paul of the Cross, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

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

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are reminded of the responsibilities and the missions which God has entrusted to us as we have been called to be His disciples and followers, and as His beloved ones, His own children and people, all of us are expected to be like our Father and Lord in all things, and each one of us share the same responsibilities as members and parts of the same Church of God. And what is this mission, brothers and sisters in Christ? It is to proclaim the word of God and His truth to all the people of all the nations, all those whom we encounter in our lives each day and at every moments.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful people of God in Ephesus, the Apostle spoke of the revelation of truth which had come to them all through the Apostles and the many other disciples, followers and missionaries of the Lord. And this revelation is such that God has called on all of the people, all the children of mankind to follow Him, both from among the Jewish people and origin, and those from the non-Jewish or Gentile origin alike, and whether they had already been faithful to God, or whether they were once pagans and unbelievers.

Back then, as it was common throughout the Jewish diaspora and communities, there were often frictions and disagreements between the Jews and the Gentiles as the former saw themselves as the chosen people of God, as the descendants of the Israelites, the inheritors of the kingdoms of King David and King Solomon. To those people, especially the ones who were belonging to the group of the Pharisees and teachers of the Law, they took great pride in such a status, and considered the Gentiles to be unworthy and even unclean, as back then, even going to visit and enter the house of a Gentile or a pagan could make one unclean according to the customs of the Jewish laws.

St. Paul was therefore reminding the people of the real truth which the Lord Jesus Himself had revealed to everyone, that God’s salvation is meant to all the people, regardless of their background or origin, regardless of their races or past status and beliefs. There is no discrimination by God and hence, the Church and the community of the faithful should not be biased or discriminate against anyone at all either. The Jewish converts to the Christian faith was reminded to be welcoming and to drop their condescending attitude on the Gentiles, both those who have embraced God and those who have not yet believed in God.

It is this self-righteous attitude which often led to the downfall of many among the righteous, not only that they caused them to commit wicked and unworthy acts against their own fellow brothers and sisters, who are all beloved equally by God, but also because such attitude would eventually lead to the faithful becoming slack and complacent in their way of living their lives. Why is that so? That is because then those who saw and thought themselves as being worthy and righteous like many among the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law would spend their time and effort on self-aggrandisement and praise, inflated by their ego and pride, and ending up falling into sin and temptations to sin instead.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, that is why in our Gospel passage today we are reminded through the parable which our Lord has told His disciples, telling them all the story of the diligent steward and the lazy, irresponsible steward. In that parable, the stewards are representative of each and every one of us, God’s disciples and followers. The diligent and committed steward represents those who listened to the word of God, embraced His calling and dutifully carried out the mission that they had been entrusted with. Meanwhile, the lazy and irresponsible steward represents those who have not listened to the Lord and refused to act on the mission which had been entrusted to them.

As Christians, all of us are expected and called to be active in our faith, so that we will not end up being like the lazy and irresponsible steward. The Lord had made clear the consequences of such inaction and lack of responsibility, and clearly all of us should heed and take note what we need to do in obeying God’s call and how to be active in living our lives with genuine faith. All of us have been called to devote our time, effort and attention to do the will of God, and we should not delay or drag our feet any longer. Instead, we should be inspired by the examples of the saints and martyrs, particularly of those whose feasts we are celebrating today, namely the Martyr Saints of Canada, as well as St. Paul of the Cross.

The Holy Martyrs of Canada, also known as the North American Martyrs were the Jesuit priests and missionaries who had embarked on very difficult and challenging mission in what is today parts of Canada and the northern segments of the United States of America. Some of them like St. Isaac Jogues and St. John de Brebeuf, among others braved through the very harsh conditions of that region, particularly the severe Canadian winter, in order to preach the Good News and the salvation in Jesus Christ to the indigenous peoples of the Americas. They had great successes and were welcomed by some of the natives, but also faced bitter and harsh challenges from other natives who opposed them and refused to listen to them. They never gave up their struggle, even unto their martyrdom at the hands of their persecutors.

Meanwhile St. Paul of the Cross was a great priest and founder of the Passionists, a religious order dedicated particularly to the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and which members spent a lot of effort in reaching out to the faithful and ministering to their spiritual needs. St. Paul of the Cross himself answered God’s call to follow Him and to be a priest, dedicating his time and effort henceforth to serve the people of God, encouraging faithful practices such as praying the Divine Office and other devotions meant to help the faithful to focus their attention towards God, and to bring them ever closer to Him. St. Paul of the Cross tirelessly worked throughout his life and ministry to reach out to more of the people of God, and also wrote extensively on many matters of the faith.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us therefore emulate the good examples and faith which our holy predecessors had done before us, that of the Holy Canadian Martyrs, St. Paul of the Cross and the many innumerable other holy men and women of God. May the Lord our God continue to help and guide us in our journey of faith through life, and may He ever always strengthen us and empower us all to live in the manner that God has called us to do. May all of us be good examples and inspirations for one another, now and always, evermore. Amen.

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Tuesday, 18 October 2022 : Feast of St. Luke, Evangelist (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates and rejoices in the Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist, one of the Four Evangelists or the writers of the Four Holy Gospels. St. Luke was a follower of the Lord who was a renowned Greek physician, that according to tradition, had come from the region of Antioch and Syria. Some others considered St. Luke to be a Hellenic Jew, who traditionally was one of the seventy-two disciples and the ones whom the Lord had chosen among all of His followers, to be sent out on mission in various places, as missionaries and evangelising disciples, carrying out the will of God.

St. Luke was one of the companions of St. Paul the Apostle during his missionary journeys, and helped the latter to record the works and the missionary efforts that were done among both the Jewish and Gentile populations alike. This was all recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, which was also authored by St. Luke together with the Gospel that bore his name. The Acts of the Apostles were a collection of the stories and accounts of the works mainly of St. Paul and his companions in the missionary journey, in spreading the Good News of God to the far corners of the world, and in proclaiming the truth of God to more people of various origins and nations.

It was told that St. Luke accompanied St. Paul during the last years of his ministry, even to the city of Rome where the latter spent the final parts of his ministry before his martyrdom. St. Luke recorded it all in the Acts of the Apostles, which allowed the Church and the faithful to have a close glimpse and firsthand account of what happened during the days of the early Church and the labours of the Apostles. Some people also even attributed the authorship of the Epistle to the Hebrews to St. Luke as well, considering his prodigious writings and skills, and in his zeal in spreading the truth of God to both Jews and Gentiles alike.

Thanks to St. Luke, in his dedication to God and to the ministry into which he has been entrusted with, in his efforts at evangelisation and in his company and assistance to the Apostles like St. Paul and others, and in his writings and efforts in the writing of the Holy Gospel he authored, and also the others like the Acts of the Apostles and possible other works, he has done so many great things for the Church and the faithful people of God. He encouraged many others to come to know the Lord by his detailed exposition and explanation of the story of the Lord Jesus and His works, as well as the ministry of His followers.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, as we celebrate and rejoice today in the glorious memory of this great saint and servant of God, St. Luke the Evangelist, have we asked ourselves what we can contribute to the Church and to our fellow faithful disciples of the Lord? Have we done whatever we can, within our calling and mission, to do the will of God and to carry out whatever works that the Lord wants us to do? Each and every one of us have been given various talents, gifts, opportunities and other things to help us in our respective vocations and missions, just as St. Luke had been given his talents and abilities, and opportunities.

The question is, have we embraced and made good use of those same talents, abilities, opportunities and all the other things which God had presented to us? Have we made the effort to be good and devoted Christians, so that in all the things we say and do, in our every actions and interactions with one another, we will always be exemplary and be inspirational to others, in showing our true faith and commitment to God. We have to embrace God and His calling, following our mission and calling as Christians, to do the will of God and to proclaim His truth and Good News to all the people of all the nations, in whatever opportunities presented to us.

Before we think that we are inadequate or unworthy of such an accomplishment, we have to realise that God did not call the great and the mighty to do His will and works. On the contrary, He called and empowered the ordinary ones to become the instruments of His will in this world. God gave the ordinary people the strength and the chance to become His great servants. The Church is ultimately not a shrine for the elites and the self-righteous, but rather the hospital for sinners, who have been called to leave behind their old lives of sin and wickedness. All the saints and great servants of God like St. Luke, St. Paul and the others have all been called and transformed from their ordinary existence to be extraordinary servants of God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore strive to follow in the footsteps of the saints particularly that of St. Luke the Evangelist, and do whatever we can, at every opportunities presented to us, to be the role models for one another and to help each other in our respective journeys of faith in life. May God be with us always and may He continue to empower us all in our efforts and endeavours of faith. May the Lord bless us always in all things, now and forevermore. Amen.