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Wednesday, 27 September 2023 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Vincent de Paul, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded and called to be truly faithful to God, turning ourselves away from the path of sin, evil and wickedness, and embracing once again God’s path, His Law and commandments so that we may all indeed be truly worthy of Him, and be righteous and virtuous in all things. The Lord has not forgotten about us and has always loved us despite of our disobedience and evils, all the wickedness and sins we have done in our lives. He wants us all to come back to Him and to His loving and holy Presence, and hence, extended His mercy and compassion, kindness and love, reminding us that we are truly His beloved children and people.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Ezra we heard the continuation of this week’s discourse from that Book, relating to us the events that happened during the time when the Israelites and their descendants returned to the land of Israel, the promised land, after decades of exile in distant Babylon and Assyria, as well as other places, by God’s grace and intervention, as He moved the heart and mind of the King of Persia, Cyrus the Great, who allowed them all to return back to their homeland and authorised the rebuilding of the House of God, the Temple of Jerusalem which had been torn down and destroyed by the Babylonians. Through these events, the people of God were finally restored to honour and grace in God, as God moved to forgive them from their past sins.

Their ancestors had foolishly abandoned the Lord, betrayed Him for the pagan gods and false idols of their neighbours, committing all sorts of evils and wickedness that were unworthy of being God’s beloved and holy people. They chose to depend on worldly powers and matters, means and strategies rather than to trust in the Lord Who has always been with them throughout all of their whole journey. That was why they met their downfall and destruction, their country, their cities and towns were destroyed, and they were exiled into far-off and distant lands, with foreigners and pagans being brought in to settle in their ancestral lands. All these humiliations and sufferings served to highlight the consequences of disobedience and sins against God.

The priest and prophet Ezra in our first reading passage today gathered the people of God after they have returned to their land and the rebuilding of Jerusalem and its Temple went well, and as we heard, he prayed to the Lord on behalf of all the people, gathering their prayers and thoughts to Him. Ezra conveyed the people’s remorse and regret over their many sins and wickedness, and also the faults of their predecessors and ancestors, showing the desire to once again follow the Lord their God wholeheartedly. At the same time, Ezra also reminded all of the people, of everything that God had done, in loving them and in being compassionate and caring for them, and hence, how they should all be grateful for what the Lord had done for them, and how they should all strive to do what God has commanded and called them to do.

Then in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the Lord Jesus sending out His disciples ahead of Him in order to do His works and ministry, among the people of God, proclaiming His Good News and truth, revealing God’s desire to save all of His people and calling all of them to the grace and mercy of God. The Lord sent all of them to show them His love and mercy that He has manifested into this world, embodied in Himself, as the Saviour of all, and how those disciples proclaim this same revelation and salvation in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Through all these, He wants us all to know that the path to His love, forgiveness and grace is always open, but the choice is ultimately ours to make, whether we want to embrace this path or not. Those who refuse to repent, and continue to sin against God, will have no part in the inheritance and eternal life promised to those who are faithful to God.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul, one of the very well-known saints of the Church, whose life, commitment and dedication to God are truly inspirational and exemplary. He was a truly great servant of God, who has devoted himself to the poor and the needy among other works. This French priest entered the seminary early in his life and gained education to be a priest, and when he had been ordained a priest, it was, according to history and tradition, that he was abducted on a ship on his way, by the then notorious Barbary pirates. He was auctioned off as a slave and spent two years in bondage, passing from master to master in several places before eventually ending up with a former priest that had renounced his faith, and who was convinced by St. Vincent de Paul’s life and actions, to bring the man of God back with him, and freed him from bondage.

Through this experience and others, St. Vincent de Paul always had the concern for those who were suffering and needy. He spent time ministering to the freed slaves, having experienced similar experiences as them, and then also among the poor in his ministry and journeys, eventually being part of the establishment of foundations and congregations of those who were concerned and involved in the care and ministry of those who were poor and had been neglected by the society, ignored and abandoned, with no one to help or assist them. His works and ministry inspired many others during his life and after his passing, that eventually led to the foundation of the modern day Society of St. Vincent de Paul that is renowned for its work for the poor and the needy throughout the world.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, having heard of today’s Scripture readings and also the life and works of St. Vincent de Paul, let us all therefore be filled with the conviction and the desire to love and serve God anew in our lives, and to be loving to our brothers and sisters around us, especially those who are in need of our love, help and kindness, like those who are poor and ostracised by the society, and all those who have been unloved. Let us all be exemplary, righteous and worthy in all of our actions, so that we may truly be good role models and inspirations for one another in our lives and actions, in our every endeavours and efforts. May God be with us always, and may He remind us all of our obligations and calling to serve Him with faith and commitment, and to proclaim His Good News and truth at all times, in every opportunities available to us. Amen.

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Tuesday, 26 September 2023 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded that we should be ever faithful to the Lord our God, in all of our lives, in all of our words and actions. We should always strive to be holy and to be faithful and committed to God, just as all of us have been expected to do as God’s holy and beloved people, whom He had called and chosen from this world to be His own. The Lord has shown all of us His ever patient and generous love, compassion and mercy, calling on all of us to turn once again towards Him, to turn our backs against our past sins and wickedness that had once separated all of us from His amazing love and kindness. He wants each and every one of us to be redeemed and to be reconciled fully with Him, so that through Him we may indeed have love and eternal life.

In our first reading today, in continuation from the reading of the Book of the prophet Ezra from yesterday, we heard of the continuing restoration of Israel, its people and fortunes after they had all been allowed to return from their exile in the distant lands of Babylon and beyond. Back then, the descendants of the people of Israel and Judah had been humiliated and made to suffer because of their own folly and disobedience, by their refusal to obey God’s will, Law and commandments, and by their wickedness and evils, in worshipping pagan gods and false idols, which made them to stumble and fall, and eventually had their cities destroyed, and the great Temple of God in Jerusalem, the House of God built by King Solomon, destroyed as well, and the Ark of the Covenant that had been with them since the time of the Exodus to disappear from their midst.

But as mentioned yesterday, God moved the heart and mind of King Cyrus of Persia, who conquered Babylon and then allowed the Israelites and their descendants to return back to their homeland and rebuild their Temple which had been destroyed decades earlier. And as we heard in today’s reading, King Darius of Persia, Cyrus’ successor, encouraged the people of God to rebuild the Temple, the House of God in Jerusalem, as the reconstruction of their homeland continued, with the reestablishment of order and the community, with the appointment of priests and those in charge of various events and festivals, as it was in the days of old when God’s Law and commandments, His festivals and events were still celebrated by the Israelites before their downfall and humiliation. This was a sign and proof of God’s continuing and enduring love and guidance for His people.

We heard of how the planning for the rebuilding of the Temple and the restoration of the community of the Israelites continued to go on, under the leadership of the priest and prophet Ezra, who have led the people of Israel from their exile with the other elders, reestablishing the festivals and celebrations of the Lord according to His Law, and how the people once again gathered in joy to celebrate their faith in accordance with God’s Law and commandments, with their priests and all the other functionaries and celebrants in tandem, showing that the people of God had truly been restored to the favour and grace of God, after they had once fallen from that favour by their own folly, by their wickedness, evils and disobedience against God, by their refusal of God’s ever generous love and compassionate mercy in all things.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the words of the Lord speaking to the people, about the matter of obeying and following God, when His disciples and family reminded Him that His mother and others were waiting on Him as He was busy teaching and ministering to the people of God. At a glance, it might seem that the Lord had been rude to His own mother, but in fact, He was highlighting that His mother, Mary herself, was and is still the perfect example of that obedience and righteousness in God, that all of us as God’s people should follow in our own lives, in doing what He had told and taught us to do, and abandoning our past sinful and wicked ways of life, just as our predecessors had done.

That is why, as we are all reminded by the Sacred Scriptures today, each and every one of us as Christians ought to be ever faithful and committed to God, exemplary and worthy in all of our lives and actions, so that in our every words and actions, we should always embody our faith in God, which should truly shine through our lives, our every words and actions in life, that then should become inspirations for everyone all around us to follow, in their own lives and actions, that all of us may indeed be genuine and faithful people of God in all things, not just in mere name and formality only. This is what we have been reminded to do, to be like the people of Israel who had been restored to God’s favour and grace, that we may also experience the same as well.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of two great saints, St. Cosmas and St. Damian, whose faith and devotion to God, and whose actions and contributions to their fellow brothers and sisters, fellow faithful people of God, should inspire all of us to live our own lives faithfully and worthily of the Lord. St. Cosmas and St. Damian were known to be a pair of twin brothers who were both physicians, renowned for their care for the sick and the needy in their community, as they provided care for the physical ailments of the people, and gave the care for free to the poor and those who could not afford to be healed. Miracles were attributed to them, and many came to them seeking for help.

Their faith and dedication to God also became inspiration to many people, as they lived virtuously and with great dedication to God. And as they were arrested and persecuted by the local governor for being Christians, then being the height of the intense persecutions of Christians under the Diocletianic Persecution, they remained firm to their faith in God to the very end, as they gave up their lives in honouring God, in refusing to bend to the demands of the pagan authorities to obey the Emperor’s orders and to abandon their Lord, God and Master. They chose to live worthily and die in faith and obedience, showing every members of the Christian faithful what it truly means to be Christians.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, can we all therefore be inspired by these great examples as well, that each and every one of us should be great role models and inspirations ourselves to our fellow brothers and sisters, in all of our lives, actions and deeds. Let us all be the bearers of the light of God to our fellow brethren, especially all those who have not known God and His love, His truth and Good News. Let us all do our very best to glorify God by our lives and actions, and be with Him, doing our part to serve Him all the days of our lives, as we should have done. Amen.

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Monday, 25 September 2023 : 25th 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 Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the grace and love of God, by which He has rescued and saved His wayward people, that despite of their constant and persistent rebelliousness and wicked actions, in disobeying Him and refusing to listen to Him and His Law and commandments, but God still cared for them all nonetheless and promised them His salvation and help, the promise that He has always fulfilled, again and again, from time to time as He continued to love them all patiently in each and every moments throughout history. And He has given us His Law and precepts so that all of us may know His ways and grow to love Him more and more, and be more committed to Him, in all things.

In our first reading today, we heard of the story of the liberation and emancipation of the Israelites from their exile in the distant lands of Babylon, after a period of approximately seventy years or several decades, that they were finally allowed to return back to their own homeland, the lands that the Lord had promised to their ancestors and to them. The Lord moved the heart and mind of King Cyrus of Persia, who had crushed the Babylonians and other rulers, to become the supreme ruler of much of the lands. The enlightened Cyrus declared the liberation of the people who have lived in bondage and exile, and allowed the Israelites in particular to return back to their own homeland, and to rebuild their homes, as well as the Temple and House of God in Jerusalem.

The people of Israel had been uprooted from their lands, firstly by the Assyrians who destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel, and then later the Babylonians who destroyed the southern kingdom of Judah, completing the desolation and humiliation of those who have rejected and abandoned God for the worship of pagan idols and false gods, because they have not been obedient to God and to His Law and commandments, having persecuted and oppressed the prophets and messengers sent into their midst in order to help and remind them, to guide them and to accommodate them to find the right path towards God. Instead, their persistence in disobeying God had led them to their downfall and destruction, humiliation and defeat. And yet, God did not let them to be wholly destroyed because ultimately, He still loved them.

That was how He emancipated and helped them, freeing them through the words and hands of Cyrus, King of Persia, that they might once again return to their lands and live once again the grace and love of God. He would not abandon them, and kept on guiding and helping them throughout the journey, and eventually fulfilled His promises to them, of salvation and deliverance which He provided to them through the coming of His Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of all, into this world, to our midst. He came revealing to us the fullness of God’s love and care for each one of us, calling us all to follow Him and to put our trust in Him once again, so that we may truly break free from the chains of sin and darkness that had oppressed us.

That is why we heard in our Gospel passage today in which the Lord told His disciples and the people listening to Him to put the light on the lampstand in the well-known parable, in which the lampstand refers to the prominence that the light should have been placed in so that the light may illuminate the whole entire room. This light represents the truth, love and grace of God, which He Himself has bestowed upon us and blessed us all with. And in all of us, we have to put these gifts of our faith and everything that God has blessed us with, with great confidence and trust in God, in our own lives, in how we carry ourselves and do our parts in doing God’s works and in obeying Him, His Law and commandments. The Lord has reminded us all that to be His disciples, we must be truly faithful and committed to Him.

This means that our faith cannot be one of merely empty proclamations and creed. We cannot just be idle in how we live our faith, but we have to be truly committed, in all things, in all aspects and areas of our lives, by doing whatever we can, even in the seemingly least significant things, so that we may truly embody our faith and beliefs in all things, and that everyone who witness our lives and works, and interact with us may come to know God and His truth by our examples and inspirations. This is what each and every one of us have been called to do, and this is what all of us should keep on reminding ourselves each day, so that by our lives and commitment to God, we may be true people of God, those who walk ever more faithfully in His path, and becoming the source of His light to others in this world darkened by sin.

Let us all therefore commit ourselves from now on, if we have not yet done so, to do God’s will and to obey His Law and commandments, to love God with all of our heart and mind, with all our strength and capabilities, and with all of our whole being. Let us all also be loving and forgiving, compassionate and kind to our fellow brothers and sisters, in fulfilling and obeying everything that He had given to us and provided for us. Let us not be disheartened or be tempted to do otherwise, but keep on striving to do what God has taught us to do, in every aspects and in every moments of our lives. Let us all be great and faithful disciples of the Lord, with hearts and minds ever focused and directed towards Him at all times.

May God be with us always and may He always bless us, in each and every one of our endeavours. May He empower us always in living our lives as exemplary Christians, in all things that we say and do, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

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Sunday, 24 September 2023 : Twenty-Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday as we all heard the words of the Scriptures, each and every one of us are reminded to be truly focused on the Lord in our whole lives, as we are all called to be His followers and disciples, walking in the path that He has shown us all, through His Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ and through the Church that He has established in this world, to be the one united Body of all the believers and all the people of God. All of us have been called and chosen by the Lord, and as Christians, we are all those who have responded to the Lord’s call and embraced His path, to do His will and to carry out His works, in our every words, actions and deeds in this world. Through those Scripture passages, we are reminded that our existence and purpose should truly be to follow and to serve the Lord our God, wholeheartedly, in all things.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, we heard of the words of the prophet calling on all the people of God to seek the Lord and to call upon Him when He is still near, calling on all the people of God to turn away from their wickedness ands sins, and to embrace once again their loving God and Master, following Him with all faith and obedience, entrusting themselves to His Wisdom and Providence, and not to question and doubt His will and ways, because ultimately, there are many things that are beyond our thoughts and understanding, our ability to comprehend and for us to realise fully in our lives. That is why we should always trust in the Lord and follow Him all our lives, doing whatever we can in order to proclaim His truth and carry out His works all the time.

Then, in our second reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Philippians, we heard of the words of St. Paul to the faithful people of God there, relating to them the dilemma that he had in wanting to go to the Lord and to die for Him, versus continuing to labour and live in this world in carrying out God’s works and will. Both of those things did have merits, and as history has shown us, many of our holy predecessors had glorified God by their exemplary lives and actions, their works and ministry, as St. Paul himself had done, and then many also inspired by their courageous suffering and martyrdom, by which they left this world and enter into the glory of Heaven, which St. Paul himself eventually went through as well, when he was martyred in Rome at the end of his long ministry.

In essence, what St. Paul told the faithful in Philippi was a reminder for all of them to trust in the Lord and in whatever He has designed for them, just as He has led St. Paul in whatever that He wanted him to do in his ministry. One may indeed desire to do certain things in life, but ultimately, it is by God’s grace and guidance, and His will that will happen in the end. Thus, aligned to what we have discussed earlier, we have to answer God’s call and entrust ourselves to Him, committing ourselves to the path that He has shown and guided us all into. As Christians, we are called to walk the path of righteousness and virtue, and the path through which each one of us are expected to live our lives in accordance to God’s ways, and to embody our faith in our every actions, words and deeds.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard the parable of the workers from the Lord, in which He spoke of a master and owner of a vineyard, who went forth to the streets and various places, calling upon people of all sorts to come and work in his vineyard. The landowner in that parable represents the Lord, our God and Master, and the vineyard represents this world, where we all labour and work in, with the workers called to work in the vineyard representing all of us whom God had called and chosen to be His people, His disciples and followers. Certainly, not all the people that the landowner called would have responded to him and accepted his offer to work in his vineyard, just as how many rejected the Lord and refused to believe in His Good News and salvation.

However, as we heard from the parable, the landowner kept on going again and again to the streets, reaching out to as many people as he could, and gathered more and more to come and work in his vineyard. It is not impossible or far fetched that some of those who have refused him earlier might have had a change of heart and mind, and therefore responded to the landowner, deciding to come and work in his vineyard. That is exactly just what the Lord would do to us, even if we were to reject Him and refuse Him. He will still call us and offer us His truth and guidance, as long as the time and opportunities are still available to us. Only those who persisted to refuse to the very end, will therefore be cast out into the darkness and eternal damnation, which by their own free will, they have rejected God and His generous love and mercy.

Then, we heard about how all those who have answered the landowner’s call and worked in his vineyard, all were rewarded the same amount in the end, whether those who started their work early or whether they joined at the very last hour. We heard how those who have joined earlier grumbled because they compared their work to those who have joined the work at the last moment, but the landowner told them all that everything had been done in accordance to what he had agreed with all of them, since the time when they had joined the work. Hence, they should not be grumbling or complaining that they were not being paid their dues. This must be better understood in the context that the landowner, being a representation of the Lord Himself, having called all of us to Himself, will give us all the same gift, since we are all equally beloved by Him.

It is also an important reminder that we should not live our lives and faith in comparing ourselves with one another, or thinking that just because we have responded to the Lord’s call earlier, then we are somehow superior or better than those who have answered the Lord’s call later on in their lives. This is the attitude that many of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law adopted at the time of the Lord and His ministry, in which their self-righteous and selfish attitudes ended up closing their hearts and minds against the Lord and His truth, in their repeated refusal to believe in Him and in their stubborn oppositions to His works. That is why, we must always remind ourselves that it is by God’s grace and love that we have been saved, and not by our own power, might and abilities.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore as we have heard from our Scripture passages today, we are all called to live our lives wholeheartedly for the Lord and commit ourselves thoroughly to Him and to His cause. As Christians, God’s holy and beloved people, we should not prioritise our own selfish desires and worldly concerns and attachments above that of serving God and doing His will. Rather, all of us should always put the Lord at the centre and as the focus of our whole entire lives and existence. That is how we can then truly live our lives more attuned to God and His ways, and that is how we can be better and more worthy disciples and followers of our Lord. Unless we do our best to trust in the Lord and allow Him to lead us down the right path, and unless we put the conscious efforts to obey Him in all and every one of our words, actions and deeds, we may end up falling away into sin and damnation.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore strive our best this Sunday and henceforth to be true and genuine Christians, in doing what the Lord has called and entrusted us to do, in all available opportunities. Let us all do our best in our own ways and in our various respective areas in life, so that in each and every things we do, in our every interactions with one another, we will always proclaim the glory of God and reveal His truth and love to more and more people. That is what each and every one of us are expected to do, as the workers of the Lord’s vineyard, that is this world where we are living in. Let us all be great role models and inspirations for one another, that God’s light and truth may be shown to all around us. May God be with us always, and may He empower and strengthen us at all times. Amen.

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Saturday, 23 September 2023 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, and as we remember those words, we are all called to grow in faith in God, to nurture the faith that we have received from Him through the Church so that each and every one of us may truly be fruitful and bountiful in the living of our faith, and so that our every words and actions may truly be filled with God’s grace and love. All of us as Christians, we are all called to be genuine and truly faithful Christians, in all of our words, actions and deeds, and not just merely in outward appearances and in symbolic faith only. We have to be truly steeped in the way of the Lord and in the commandments and Law that He has given us, that our every works and actions may be transformed to one of Christian virtues and righteousness.

In our first reading today, from the Epistle of St. Paul to St. Timothy, that is what the Apostle told to his protege and to all the faithful, that every one of them should keep themselves pure and blameless, free from the corruption of sin and evil, that in all of their words and actions, they should always strive to be truly good and worthy of God, following the very examples of their own Lord and Master, Who has come into our midst in the person of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of all, Who has proclaimed the truth of God before all the people, before all those who judged and betrayed Him, and before Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judea, who sentenced Him to death. According to tradition, this event and also his wife’s dream terrified and struck Pontius Pilate so much, that eventually, he himself became a believer and a Christian.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the famous parable of the sower mentioned by the Lord to the people, who listened to His teachings and words, and in this parable, the Lord told them all about the fates of the seeds that fell on four different types of places and soils, and how only the ones that landed on the rich and fertile soil could truly grow well and bear rich and bountiful fruits, while all those that landed on the barren ground, by the roadside, on rocky ground and among the thistles and brambles, they all could not grow well, either by failing to germinate, eaten up by the birds of the air, or that they grew temporarily, but perished from the heat and the scorching heat of the Sun.

As the Lord explained and made it clear to His disciples and to the people, this is a reminder to all of us, that as Christians, as God’s holy and faithful people, we must always be filled with true and genuine faith in Him, that we have to nurture in our hearts and minds, in our every moments in life, and in all of our interactions, words and actions. It is by living our lives with true and genuine faith, and by providing the best conditions for our faith to be nurtured and to grow, that we can truly proclaim the Good News and the Gospels of the Lord’s salvation and grace to all. Like that of the Lord Himself, Who has shown us His perfect example of faith, obedience and love for God and for all of God’s children, and like that of the saints and martyrs, whose lives and works had shown us how we ought to live a truly holy and worthy Christian life. We should follow their great examples in our own lives.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of the famous St. Pius of Pietrelcina, much better known by his epithet of Padre Pio. He was a Capuchin Franciscan friar and priest who was renowned for his great piety and dedication to God, for his experience in having the Lord’s wounds, the stigmata, as well as for his great personal holiness and sanctity, in which he became a very popular figure both during his life and after his passing. St. Pius of Pietrelcina was born into a family of peasants that were very deeply religious and committed to God, and this had great impact on the upbringing and development of the young St. Pius of Pietrecina, who developed a great love and commitment for God from an early age, and who joined the Capuchins in his early teenage years.

This young future saint had experienced mystical visions and revelations from a very young age, something which would continue to influence and affect him throughout his later life and ministry. When he later on became a Capuchin friar and saint, he ministered to the people faithfully, in his devotion and prayerful life, and through his miraculous stigmata and personal holiness, many began to come to him with various problems and needs, coming to him at the monastery at San Giovanni Rotondo, where today a great Basilica and shrine to this saint now stands. St. Pius of Pietrelcina however did not have it easy, as he also faced a lot of hardships and trials, challenges and difficulties from those who doubted the authenticity of his miracles and stigmata among others.

For many years, St. Pius of Pietrelcina faced opposition and investigations by the Church authorities and investigators who sought to find out the truth and veracity behind the purported miracles that surrounded his figure and works. He also faced a lot of attacks and persuasions from Satan and the evil spirits, and frequently struggled with demonic attacks from time to time. In one well-known and attested occasion, the devil even attempted to set fire to his chambers, in part of the attacks against this holy man and servant of God. But St. Pius of Pietrelcina remained firmly committed to his faith in God, drawing ever more people and pilgrims seeking his advice and help, for him to heal them and cast out demons, and for hearing their confessions. This is why, the devil truly hated him so, because St. Pius of Pietrelcina, by his dedication and faith, and by his perseverance and faith, and holiness, inspired many to turn away from sin and evil, and back towards God’s path.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore follow the great examples set by St. Pius of Pietrelcina, in all the holy actions and works that he had done, in his devotion to prayer and to the righteous and virtuous path of God. Let us all not lose heart or be discouraged by the challenges that we may face in life, but be the inspiration and be the role models for one another, in all of our actions, words and deeds, so that in everything, we may always inspire more and more in this world, all those around us, to walk ever more faithfully, in the path that God has revealed to us. Let us all be great role model in nurturing our Christian faith, so that we may truly be the shining beacons of God’s Good News and light. May God be with us always, and may He bless our every efforts and endeavours, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Friday, 22 September 2023 : 24th 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 all called and reminded to be truly faithful and committed to God in all things, in all of our lives and in everything that we say and do. We should be genuinely faithful and dedicated to God, and we should not be merely just paying lip service or be only faithful externally but not embodying our faith in all aspects of our lives. We have to follow the Lord wholeheartedly and do our very best in following everything that God has shown and taught us to do, and we have to truly have deep understanding and appreciation of what our Christian faith is all about. We have to constantly resist the temptations of worldly glory, ambitions and desires present all around us, and strive to be good and committed Christians, at all times.

In our first reading today, this is what St. Paul in his Epistle to St. Timothy spoke about, as he wrote to his protege and to all of us therefore, of the need for us to be truly committed and faithful to God in all things, and live our faith with the correct disposition and attitude, so that we may not end up falling into the temptations of worldly glory and ambitions, just as St. Paul highlighted the examples of the false and corrupt leaders, the false teachers and prophets who twisted the message of God’s truth and Good News for their own selfish purposes and ambitions, for financial gain and achievements, rather than to serve God and carry out His works as they all should have done. Those were the ones who misled the faithful into the wrong paths, and which in the pursuit of their ambition and desires, ended up ruining everything and falling into their downfall.

Instead, St. Paul told St. Timothy to propagate the truth of God and the right way how all of us as Christians, as God’s beloved and holy people, should be living our lives in this world. Each and every one of us should do our very best to distance ourselves from the many worldly temptations, especially the pursuit of wealth and treasures, properties and other forms of financial advantages and attachments. All those things had led many to their ruin, and to be estranged from God, and hence, all of us are reminded not to allow those temptations to ruin us as well. But first of all we must also understand that money and finances are not themselves wicked or evil by nature, and neither are the possessions and things in this world. They can both be used for good and evil purposes, in various ways.

Rather, it is our preoccupation and attachment to them which led us to sin against God, and to walk down the path towards ruin. It is the love for money which St. Paul mentioned in today’s Epistle that is the root of many evils, and this is indeed true, as when our love and attention for money, for worldly comforts, glory and other attachments in life become greater than that of our love for God and for our fellow brethren, that is indeed when we become selfish, self-centred and self-loving, seeking to enrich ourselves and to gather those things that we crave and desire, without regard for those around us, and in the process, as what history has shown us, we may even end up hurting others and exploiting those who are less fortunate than us, or those that we are in position of exploiting, so that we may gain more benefits for ourselves.

This is why we should always remind ourselves to stay vigilant and be careful of the temptations and attachments to worldly goods and desires. Instead, we have to keep on reminding ourselves to stay true to our faith and to the things which the Lord had instructed us to do, and which He had guided us to do, so that we will always be ever faithful and true in our path, in walking down the path of God’s righteousness and virtues, and in loving Him and our fellow brothers and sisters, instead of oppressing and manipulating, exploiting and making those around us and those whom we encounter to suffer because of our selfish and irresponsible actions.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore renew our commitment to live a most worthy and faithful Christian living, in all of our words and actions, and in our every moments in life, so that in all that we do, and in our every interactions, we will always put God and His commandments, His Law and will above everything else, and that we will not selfishly put our own greed and ego, and our selfish desires which may lead to us causing sufferings and hardships to those who are around us. We have to be good role models and inspirations to one another, in how we all live our lives, in even the smallest things that we do, so that by our works, actions and our whole lives, we may be the shining beacons of God’s light and truth.

Let us all not be hypocrites in our Christian faith, and let us all be true and genuine disciples and followers of our Lord and God. It is very easy for us to end up being swayed to do what is wicked and unworthy of God, if we are not careful, or if we allow ourselves to be swayed by those temptations mentioned earlier. Let us therefore always keep in mind God’s Law and commandments, His teachings and all that He has shown us, throughout our whole lives. Let us all not be idle any longer in the living of our lives, but let us all instead be ever more committed and active in living our every day moments in serving God and in glorifying Him by our exemplary and faithful lives.

May the Lord our most loving God and Master continue to guide and help us all, strengthen and encourage us all throughout our whole lives so that we may always strive to do His will, and that we will always do our best to live worthily in His path, and to be good role models and examples, at all times. May all of us be strengthened, that despite the many challenges and temptations that we may face in our journey, we will always ever be strong and dedicated, at all times, in all that we do, for the greater glory of God, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 21 September 2023 : Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the great Feast of one of the Twelve Apostles of the Lord, and who happens to be also one of the Four Evangelists, that is St. Matthew the Apostle, also once known as Levi, the tax collector. As Levi, St. Matthew was a tax collector likely collecting the taxes on behalf of the Roman overlords of the region, and perhaps also the local rulers like the Herodians. Regardless of the details, the tax collectors living and working at the time of the Lord Jesus were really reviled and hated by almost everyone, and the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law in particular despised them and portrayed them as evil and wicked, unworthy of God’s grace, unclean and sinful in their lives and actions.

Why was that so, brothers and sisters in Christ? That is because of the nature of their work, collecting the taxes on behalf of the state and rulers of the time, and by default, no one liked to be taxed or have part of their income and property to be subjected to tax. Then, historically, we must also understand that the Jewish people by the time of the Lord Jesus and His ministry were rather fiercely protective of their nation identity and freedom, as they were not that long ago put under rather intense persecution by the Greek rulers which eventually led to the well-known Maccabean revolts and uprisings, in which the Jewish people managed to free themselves from the tyranny of the Greek kings and overlords, establishing their own independent state, known as the Hasmonean Kingdom.

But this relative freedom and independence did not last long, as the Romans came into the region and became the new overlords of the realm, subjugating the Jewish people under their control, with some conflicts and divisions, some uneasy arrangements that were generally resented by the Jews. Not only that, as the Romans also arranged that another foreigner, from among the Idumeans, living as neighbours to the Jews, to be the ruler of the land, in the person of Herod the Great and his descendants. That was why the tax collectors were often reviled and hated, because they represented those overlords and rulers whom the people disliked, with the added fact that they had to shoulder the additional burden of paying taxes.

Yet, the Lord Jesus went to reach out to those same tax collectors, speaking with them and spending time among them, and even going so far as to have dinner at one of their houses. Such actions were frowned upon by the leaders of the Jewish people, like the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, and hence, the Lord was questioned and criticised for having done so. But the Lord made it clear that He came to this world, in order to seek those who have been lost to Him, all those who have fallen into the darkness and into the clutches of sin. He came to gather them all back, His lost sheep, heal them and reconcile them once again to His heavenly Father, our Lord and Creator. He did not forget about them, and wanted everyone to know that they were truly equally beloved by God.

And by calling Levi to be His disciple, and eventually as one of the Twelve Apostles, the Lord showed that everyone has the potential and capacity for greatness in God’s grace and love. The tax collectors had been reviled, hated and looked down upon by many of the people, and yet, they showed greater faith and desire to love God than that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, who stubbornly refused to believe in God despite having witnessed, heard and seen so many of the Lord’s works and wonderful teachings. Those tax collectors came to the Lord, seeking His mercy and forgiveness, wanting to listen to His words and desiring the grace of God, while the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, although they knew the Law and the Prophets well, refused to listen to the Lord or to believe in His truth.

St. Matthew, whose name change indicated his commitment to a new life and service to God, dedicating himself wholeheartedly to the cause of the Lord, eventually did many great and wonderful works for the sake of the Lord and His people. Not only that he wrote one of the Four Gospels, mainly aimed at the Jewish community at the time, in showing Who the Lord Jesus truly was, but he also ministered to the faithful and proclaimed the Lord and His Good News, to the Jewish people in Judea, and also further afield, in places such as Ethiopia, where according to Apostolic traditions, St. Matthew was martyred for his faith, having convinced the virgin daughter of the king of Ethiopia to be a Christian and to consecrate herself to the Lord. St. Matthew was martyred when the new King of Ethiopia, who lusted after the consecrated virgin and nun daughter of the previous king, was rejected and the latter was also rebuked by St. Matthew for his immoral attitude and behaviour.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, the examples set by St. Matthew the Apostle and many others of our holy predecessors should remind us all that we are all called to a life that is truly dedicated to God, in our every words, actions and deeds. Just as St. Paul had written in his Epistle to the Ephesians, our first reading passage today, that each and every one of us have been given distinct gifts by the Lord, the gifts, blessings and opportunities which may allow us to do His will in various ways and means, in whatever it is that we are called to do in our lives. And St. Matthew has shown us that even those who have been hated and reviled by the community, dismissed and ostracised as sinners and those deemed unworthy, can indeed do wonderful and great deeds, and can be fruitful in their lives and works, and be great saints and role models like St. Matthew himself, among many others.

Today, as we rejoice in memory of the faith, commitment and works of St. Matthew the Apostle, Holy Apostle of the Lord and Evangelist, let us all do our very best so that in our lives, we may always be ever faithful and be ever more committed in each and every one of our actions and works, so that in all that we say and do, we will always strive to do God’s will, and that we will always ever be filled with God’s grace in all things. Let us also not be judgmental or be biased upon others just because we think that we are better than them or that we deem others to be less worthy than us. May the Lord always be with us all, and may He empower us with the strength and grace to do His will at all times. May He bless our every good efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 20 September 2023 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, Priest and Martyr, St. Paul Chong Ha-sang, Martyr, St. Laurent Imbert, Bishop and Martyr, St. Jacques Chastan, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we are all reminded that the path which the Lord has shown us, and that we are all called to follow His path, to do what He has told us to do and to be ever faithful and committed to His cause so that we may always strive to do our best in obeying His Law and commandments, and in doing everything so that we may always be inspirational and exemplary to one another in our Christian commitments and devotions. We must always put the Lord at the centre and as the focus of our whole lives and existence, or else we may end up being easily swayed and tempted into the path of worldliness and sin, or to despair in the midst of sufferings and persecutions in life. We must always trust in the Lord and have firm hope in Him, at all times.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to St. Timothy, we heard about the words of the Apostle reminding St. Timothy and all the faithful of the Lord of how they are all expected to live their lives in the path and manner that their Lord has shown them, in everything that He has taught and revealed to them, so that they might indeed be the most worthy and faithful witnesses and bearers of His truth and love in this world. As we have also heard in our Gospel passage today, the Lord showed us just how the world can never be satisfied by the ways and the truth of the Lord, always ever preferring their own prejudices and biases, their wants and their judgments on what they deemed to be good and right. But the path of the Lord and His Wisdom is never changing, and has always been constant amidst the ever-changing demands and standards of the world.

That is why today all of us are reminded and called to be true and faithful disciples of the Lord in all things and at all opportunities, resisting the many temptations and pressures from all around us, not allowing them to keep us away from the path of God and His righteousness, from all the virtues and goodness that He has taught and led us towards. We must always be committed to the Lord and seek to proclaim His truth and Good News, living our lives faithfully as God’s followers regardless of how others may perceive us, and how we may be treated or considered by those who are around us. We must always be full of genuine faith in God, and embody our faith and beliefs in everything that we say and do, so that just like how the saints and martyrs, our holy predecessors, had inspired many of us, we too may inspire many others around us.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Korean Martyrs, marking the memory of those who have struggled and perished amidst the series of brutal and oppressive persecutions against Christians in Korea, both the missionaries and the local populations, during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Back then, Korea was a land where the Church and the Christian faith had not taken root yet, and some of the Christian missionaries who were sent to Asia went to Korea to begin planting the seeds of the faith there. These included the pioneer of the Church in Korea, St. Laurent Imbert, who helped other Christian converts in Korea, that were clandestinely established there by some missionaries from China, to begin the foundation of the Church in Korea. There had been persecutions against those Christian population and the missionaries previously, as the government then was very hostile to the faith.

This was when St. Laurent Imbert and other French missionaries from the Society of the Paris Foreign Missions came in secretly to Korea, ministering to the faithful in Korea and began to spread the Good News to more and more people, under the constant threat of government persecutions and oppressions. St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, the first Korean to be ordained as a priest in Macau also succeeded to enter Korea and he also began to minister to the Christian faithful, without fearing the constant threats of persecutions, which in time would result in the deaths of over ten thousand martyrs throughout the eighteenth and the nineteenth centuries. Many of those martyrs chose to suffer and die rather than to give up their faith in God, and many of the missionaries chose to die with their flock, suffering grievously the pain and the hardships, shedding their blood for the Church and the faithful.

St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon was arrested and persecuted, but courageously proclaimed his faith in the letter that he wrote just before his martyrdom, and he also proclaimed bravely and courageously before his torturers and executioners just before he was to be beheaded, confessing his undying faith and commitment to God, proclaiming His salvation and Good News to everyone who wished to follow Him while also saying that God’s wrath and judgment will come upon those who refuse to know and believe in Him. Earlier on, St. Laurent Imbert, the first Vicar Apostolic of Korea, also suffered martyrdom after he surrendered himself upon hearing that the authorities would offer to spare the lives of the Christians under his care if he and two other foreign missionaries were to surrender themselves.

St. Laurent Imbert therefore encouraged the two other foreign missionaries to surrender themselves, with the words that he quoted from the Lord Himself, ‘The Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep’, and therefore, as the shepherd appointed to care for the flock of the Lord’s faithful, he chose to lay down his life for the good of the faithful people of God. Thus, St. Laurent Imbert and the two missionaries surrendered themselves, and were martyred just like many other Christians, and while the authorities clearly did not honour their words of sparing the people if St. Laurent Imbert and other missionaries surrendered themselves, but the courage and faith of St. Laurent Imbert and many other martyrs had invigorated, encouraged and strengthened countless faithful Christians to remain firm in their faith amidst the heavy persecutions.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, are we also able to emulate and follow the good examples of the holy Martyrs of Korea, in all that they had done in enduring all the sufferings and hardships, persecutions and challenges, so that we may also be strong in our faith, and be inspiration for others around us in how we ought to live our lives. May God be with us all and may He bless our every efforts and endeavours, in our lives so that we may do our best to glorify Him by our every actions, words and deeds. Amen.

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Tuesday, 19 September 2023 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Januarius, Bishop and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, all of us are reminded that as Christians we must always be faithful to God and put our trust in Him at all times, believing that in Him alone that we shall have an everlasting and true joy that will last forever, and not merely just a temporary attraction or satisfaction that lasts just a moment, and then fails us when it has run its course or when it is gone. We must also be good role models and examples for one another, inspiring our fellow brothers and sisters through our exemplary and holy lives, so that we may help many more people around us to come ever closer to God and to His grace, as we should have done as faithful and devoted, holy people of God.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to St. Timothy, we heard of the Apostle laying out the rules, expectations and the criteria for the selection of those who would become bishops and deacons in the Church, which by extension also included the priests, and essentially laying out the expectations of what it truly means for one to be chosen as the shepherds of God’s flock, in their respective ministries. Back then, the office of bishop, priest and deacon were not yet clear cut in their proper functions and works, unlike today, but as the Church grew rapidly in size and numbers, therefore, the demand and need grew for the Church to have proper leaders and shepherds, ministers and all those who were involved in the management of the Church and the people of God.

And as St. Paul had mentioned to St. Timothy, all of those who were considered and chosen to be those important parts of the mission and works of the Church should be exemplary and faithful in their lives, and they should be worthy, righteous and virtuous in their way of life and actions. St. Paul mentioned and explained how they should be respectable and good in their lives so as to become good examples and inspiration for others, and to be good and worthy managers of the Lord’s Church. This was indeed important because good and dedicated servants of God and the leaders of the Church in the history of the Church had led so many people closer to God and inspired many to come to righteousness through their works and examples, but there were those wicked and unworthy leaders and ministers who scandalised and turned away many people from the Lord through their wickedness and evil deeds.

Then in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the great miracle which the Lord Jesus performed in the small town of Naim, in which He raised the dead son of a widow who lived in that area. Through this well-known and great miracle, the Lord showed us all that He is truly the Lord, our God, the One with the power over all things, over the living and the dead. Each and every one of us in this world are called to be part of His flock, and He showed us all that death has no power against Him and His love for us. He raised the widow’s dead son to show us all that if we have faith and trust in Him, then we shall be led into the eternal and true joy in Him, to enjoy the fullness of God’s grace and love, forevermore. He is our Lord and Shepherd, Whose life, ministry and examples in our midst became example and inspiration to all of the faithful, to those whom He had called to lead the Church that He has established in this world.

The Lord cared for the needy and all those who have the great need for His love and compassion, His mercy and forgiveness. Throughout the Gospels we can see just how much effort and works that the Lord had put into reaching out to all of us, especially the ones among us who have fallen into the darkness and have been away from Him. He did not shun the wicked and the sinful ones, but instead reached out to them with love and compassion, even those who have resisted and stubbornly refused and opposed Him. The Lord did His works in perfect obedience to the will of His heavenly Father, and showed us all the meaning of true and genuine love and faith that all of us as Christians, as God’s people should always have to the Lord, our God and Master.

Through these readings of the Sacred Scriptures and what we have discussed, let us all discern carefully therefore our path in life, and our works and missions in doing God’s will and in following the path that He has shown to us. Let us all ourselves be good and worthy of being called as Christians, just as St. Paul had elaborated it to St. Timothy. His criteria for the selection of the faithful ministers of the Lord should also be seen as a guide for all of us, in how we ourselves should carry out our own lives. That is because what St. Paul had told St. Timothy, is also how all of us as Christians should live our lives and carry out our words, actions and deeds in our daily moments, so that we may become good and worthy inspirations for one another in our communities this day.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Januarius, a great and holy servant of God, whose life and commitment to God should serve as a great example and inspiration for all of us to follow in our lives. St. Januarius was the Bishop of Benevento in what is part of southern Italy today. He is famously today the patron saint of the great southern Italian city of Naples, where his blood relic miraculously undergoes liquefaction at important events especially on his feast day such as today. He was known for his dedication and commitment to his people, as the shepherd of the Lord’s flock, who were then suffering under the great persecution by the Roman state during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. It was told by Church traditions and contemporary accounts that he helped to hide and protect Christians from being persecuted and arrested, and eventually he himself was arrested, persecuted and martyred for his faith, ever faithful to the Lord, to the very end.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore follow the great examples of the saints and martyrs, and that of our Lord Himself, so that each and every one of us, in every opportunities and at every occasions, may always guide and strengthen us all in our resolve and desire to serve and follow Him ever more faithfully in all things. May all of us also be great inspiration and examples for one another, that we may truly show God’s righteousness and truth to all the whole world. May God bless our every efforts and endeavours, and help us to live our lives worthily at all times. Amen.

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Monday, 18 September 2023 : 24th 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 all reminded to have faith in the Lord, our God, in everything that He has done for us, in loving and caring for us, in showing us His ever patient and good providence, so that all of us may gain righteousness and salvation through Him. All of us are reminded as always today, to be ever more committed and faithful to the Law, commandments and the path that God has shown us and taught us. Without God, all of us are truly nothing, and we cannot achieve anything on our own if God had not guided and helped us, through His blessings and providence, in every moments of our lives. That is why we should always do our best to follow the Lord and to entrust ourselves to Him, just as the army centurion in our Gospel reading today showed us.

Beginning with our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to St. Timothy, the Apostle wrote to his protege speaking and urging all the faithful to pray for all those in power and entrusted with authority, that every one of them ought to remember and focus their attention on the Lord, their God, the one and only Mediator of the New Covenant which He Himself has established with every one of us. St. Paul reminded all the faithful once again of everything that God had done for those who are beloved to Him, all of us, by sending unto us all His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Divine Word, to be incarnate in the flesh, so that by becoming the Son of Man, He might show us the perfection of God’s love and glory, and lead us all once again to His loving Presence, and reconcile us fully with Him.

All of us have been separated and cast out of God’s loving presence due to our sins and wickedness, by our disobedience against His Law and commandments. But this does not mean that God does not love us anymore. On the contrary, His love and commitment to us, and to the Covenant that He has established with us, is ever wonderful, enduring and great, and His sending unto us of His Son, manifesting His love and compassion, His merciful outreach and attention to us highlight to us the ever enduring and persistent love He has for each and every one of us, sinners and delinquents, who have disobeyed Him and rebelled against Him. Much like a father who patiently cared for and loved his children, thus the Lord our God has done the same towards each and every one of us.

Unfortunately, many of us are often not appreciative of the love, kindness and grace that God had given to us, and we place our trust rather in our own strength and power, in our arrogance and greed, in our various worldly means and attachments, which prevented us from realising that we have walked down the wrong path, because we have always followed the whim of the many worldly temptations and desires present all around us. That is why many of us persisted in our errors and faults, in not doing what God has taught and commanded us all to do in our lives, and instead, did what we desired to do, in our many pursuits for worldly pleasures and satisfactions, turning a deaf ear to the Lord’s call and reminders for us to turn back towards Him and His path towards righteousness and salvation.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the great faith that a high ranking Roman military officer had shown to the Lord, in his faith and trust in the Lord, in entrusting to Him all things, even the life of his beloved and dear servant. That Roman military officer or centurion was also highly respected in the community because of his generosity and charitable actions, in helping to build the local synagogue, and in general we can conclude that he was truly a very upright and worthy man, who was although a Roman, and therefore largely a pagan in the eyes of the Jewish people at the time, but his actions and righteousness put even most of the Jews and their religious leaders at that time to shame. Why is that so, brothers and sisters in Christ? That is because he had such great faith in the Lord, just like some other examples shown in the Gospels, more than those self-righteous fellows that the Lord criticised for their lack of faith and hypocrisy.

That Roman military officer, being highly ranked and respected at that time, could have told or even commanded the Lord Jesus to come to his place to show His miracles and healing in getting his servant to be healed. But, he humbled himself and showed his great faith and trust in the Lord, telling the Lord by the words that I am sure we are all very familiar with, ‘I am not worthy that You, the Lord, should enter under my roof. But only say the Word, and my servant would be healed and made whole.’ These are similar words to what we always say at every moments right after the Most Holy Presence of Our Lord, the Eucharist, is shown unto us, right after the Agnus Dei, and just before we are about to receive the Lord in Holy Communion. Those words that we utter are reminders for us, that the Lord has come unto us to heal us and to help us to be reconciled with Him, and by His grace we have been made whole again.

And rightly, we should be inspired and touched by the good example shown by the Roman military officer who humbled himself before the Lord and showed such great faith in God, that he believed even without needing to witness the miraculous works being done in person. In order to understand this even better, we should also contrast his response and attitude to those of the Pharisees and teachers of the Law who frequently demanded that the Lord should perform more miracles and wonders, signs and other amazing deeds before them, stubbornly refusing to believe in Him despite having witnessed so many of those miracles and wonders with their own eyes. All the signs and the words that the Lord had spoken, all pointed to Him being the Messiah, the Holy One of God, sent into this world, and yet, those same religious elders and influential leaders allowed their ego, pride and arrogance to blind and prevent them from recognising the truth before their very own eyes and senses.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day as we reflect upon the words of the Scriptures and what we have just discussed, let us all strive to renew our faith and trust in God, allowing Him to lead us in our path and journey towards Him. Each and every one of us must remember that we are truly so fortunate that God has loved us so much and has always ever been patient towards us, in reaching out to us with His ever generous mercy and compassion. We should therefore follow the examples of the faith of the Roman centurion, and do our very best in living our lives righteously and worthily at all times, reminding one another to always be committed in following God at all times. May God be with us always, and may He continue to empower us all in every opportunities and at every moments throughout our lives, now and forevermore. Amen.