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Friday, 18 August 2023 : 19th 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, all of us are reminded to stay firm in our faith and to hold onto the truth and all the teachings, commandments and the Law that God had entrusted to us, and which He had given to us in order to guide and help us out in our journey in life. All of us as Christians, as God’s faithful disciples and followers, have to follow His Law and commandments and we have to lead a life that is genuinely filled with commitment and the desire to serve Him in all the things we say and do in life, and in everything that we have given to Him, our every actions and efforts. Otherwise, how can we call ourselves as Christians? How can we consider ourselves as one of God’s beloved and chosen people if our actions and our attitude do not show that we belong to Him, or worse still, contrary to our faith in Him?

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Joshua in which Joshua, the leader of the people of Israel, the successor of Moses, in his old age, gathered all the whole people of Israel whom God had brought into the land promised to them, their ancestors and their descendants. The Lord has driven away their enemies and those who occupied the lands before them, from their presence, and established them all firmly in the land that He has promised to them. Joshua reminded all of the people to remain firm in their faith and commitment to God, and to walk ever more worthily in His presence, by following His Law and commandments, and by teaching and passing down those Law and commandments to their descendants and those who would come after them.

Joshua reminded the people of everything that God had done for their sake, and for all those whom He had loved, in all the miracles and wonders, all the signs and the greatness that He has shown before them, and reminded all of them to stay true to their faith in God. He reminded them of everything that God had done from the days of their ancestors, from the time of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, in how God had always been guiding them and journeying with them, and with His people in Egypt, in all the things He had sone to liberate them from the slavery in Egypt. Joshua mentioned all of these so that in the future, the people would not forget all the things which God had done for them, and how He had loved them, in such a patient and caring love, that despite the Israelites’ frequent disobedience and rebellion, He still loved them all, all the same.

Then, through what we have heard in our Gospel passage today, we are reminded of how the Israelites had not been truly faithful to the Law and commandments of God, after all those years. If we have read and known the Old Testament and the rest of the story of the Israelites after the time of Joshua, we would have realised just how often they would continue on to rebel against God and to disobey His Law and commandments, that He had to send many Judges to keep them in line, and the prophets and messengers that He repeatedly sent to them to reveal to them His intentions and His call for them to repent from their sinful and wicked ways. And finally, He sent His Son into this world, so that they all, including all of us, may see the truth of God in the flesh, and understand fully what He has commanded us to do in our lives.

In that Gospel passage, we heard the friction and tension between the Lord and the Pharisees who asked Him questions in order to make His works difficult, and to try to discredit Him through His answers, or in trying to find fault with Him and His answers so that they could arrest Him later on. The Pharisees were questioning the Lord regarding the matter of divorce and how the Law and customs of the Israelites, as handed down from Moses, allowed divorce to take place. The Pharisees wanted to test Him for His knowledge and understanding of the Law, and especially because they were always very particular with the details and the rigid applications of the Law and the customs they practiced, and hence, they wanted to see how the Lord responded to their question.

This was when the Lord revealed to them the true intention of the Law, and how the Law, over the preceding centuries, and after having experienced many changes and alterations throughout all those times, might no longer reflect the true meaning and intention of the original Law as passed down from the Lord. The Lord mentioned how Moses made the amendments to allow the divorce to take place because of the stubbornness and wickedness of the people, but such an amendment was done with a pastoral and charitable reason as for encouraging those wicked and unfaithful people to come closer to the Lord, and to repent from their sins rather than to lose them all completely altogether should the Law be imposed harshly on them. Yet, those people took it for granted and did not appreciate or understand the Law and its precepts correctly and properly.

This is why, all of us are reminded today that we should not just have mere external understanding and knowledge of God’s Law and commandments. We must also have that understanding and appreciation of His thoughts and ways, and we can only do this if we truly know the Lord, in His deeds and love for us. How do we do that then, brothers and sisters in Christ? It is by spending the time and effort to know the Lord and to devote ourselves ever more, at every possible opportunities and at every possible occasions. As Christians, it is imperative that we attune ourselves well to the Lord and His ways, and we can only do that if we have developed a good and vibrant relationship with God, and spent the time and effort to know Him, His ways and His teachings, and apply them to our lives.

Let us all therefore dedicate ourselves anew to the Lord, and commit our lives, our way of living them and our every actions and efforts for the greater glory of God. Let us all turn towards the Lord and do whatever we can so that we may inspire more and more people to follow the Lord through our own examples and good actions in life, filled with commitment to God, with righteousness and virtues of our Christian faith and beliefs, at all times. Amen.

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Thursday, 17 August 2023 : 19th 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 of the love and kindness that God has always shown unto us, His beloved people, through the various times that He had aided us and our predecessors in the past from what we have heard in the Scriptures, and how He, our Master, has shown us His generous mercy and kindness, compassion and love, sparing us from destruction and damnation because of our sins, and therefore how He expects us all to do the same in our own lives, that we, as His disciples and followers, show the same love that He has shown us, to our fellow brothers and sisters all around us. We are reminded to forgive one another our faults, mistakes and sins to each other, just as the Lord Himself has already forgiven us ours.

In our first reading today, we heard the story from the Book of Joshua during the time when the people of Israel, under Joshua’s leadership, was finally about to enter into the Promised Land of Canaan by crossing through the River Jordan. At that time, the Lord had patiently led His people through a long forty years sojourn in the desert as a punishment for their repeated rebellions and refusal to trust in Him and in His providence, in doubting that He would lead them safe and sound into the land He has promised to them and their descendants. He has continued to care for them and loved them despite the repeated betrayals and grumblings from those ungrateful people, and in the end, the Lord was finally about to lead them into the land promised to them, and He also reassured Joshua that He would be with him in his leadership of the Israelites just as Moses had been blessed before him.

God therefore opened the River Jordan itself before the people, as He instructed Joshua and the people of Israel to put the Ark of the Covenant handled by the Levite priests to the middle of the River itself. Just as God had once opened the Red Sea before His people to lead them through the dry seabed to their freedom from their slavery in Egypt, thus He once again showed His power and might, in leading all of them through the river, opening it before their very own eyes, so that all of them might remember His deeds and love, in His guidance through all those years, and that when they finally entered into the land promised to them, they would still continue to do what He has shown and taught them all to do through His Law and commandments. As mentioned earlier, just as God has loved His people, thus He expected all of them to love one another in the same way.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the Lord Jesus speaking to His disciples regarding the parable of the ungrateful servant, in which a servant who owed his master a large sum of money, ten thousand pieces of gold in total, was ungrateful and uncharitable in his actions, even though his master had shown him his mercy and compassion, in forgiving his whole debt when that servant was just begging for the master to give him more time to settle his debts. We heard how that ungrateful and uncharitable servant went to one of his fellow servants who owed him just a hundred pieces of silver, which was probably barely a thousandth or even less than what the ungrateful servant owed his master earlier. That ungrateful servant refused to forgive the debt or to give a chance for his fellow servant to pay off his debt, unlike what his master had done to him.

We heard well how the ungrateful servant was punished severely by his master for his lack of empathy and love, his lack of mercy and understanding, compassion and care for another. It is a reminder to all of us that just as the servant was expected by his master to follow in his examples in loving one another and in forgiving each other, one’s debts and faults, therefore, all of us, as God’s people, and with God as our Lord and Master, each one of us should be like Him in all of our words, actions and deeds. Hence, we should commit ourselves to walk ever more faithfully and with greater conviction to follow the Lord at all times, and to show one another the inspiration and the actions that we should be doing as faithful and committed disciples of the Lord. Each one of us should be more loving and forgiving, kind and compassionate towards one another as Our Lord Himself had done to us.

If God has forgiven us our huge and enormous sums of debts, that is our many sins and wickedness, which we have committed before Him, then how can we not forgive others who have committed faults and mistakes towards us? We ourselves must have also committed some mistakes and faults in our own lives, and we cannot pretend that we are ourselves without any blame at all. If God is willing to forgive us all these faults and debts, then we should always be ready to forgive our fellow brothers and sisters their mistakes and faults towards us as well. After all, each and every one of us must reflect the light and the love of God in our own lives, and we should be the beacons of God’s light and truth, His love and kindness in our communities and societies today. It is through us, our way of life and actions that we can show the Lord and His truth, His love and compassion to others around us, and to the world.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us are reminded therefore that each and every one of us must remember God’s love and kindness, which He has always generously shown us all these time. We must also remember just how patient He has been with us, despite our repeated iniquities, stubbornness and wicked actions, just as He had done to the Israelites. That is why, all of us should keep in mind to turn our whole heart and mind, our whole entire being towards the Lord, and commit ourselves thoroughly to Him once again. Are we able to do that, brothers and sisters in Christ? Are we willing and able to do God’s will in our lives, and to be exemplary in our actions and lives, so that by our examples and inspirations, we may show the Lord to more and more people, and to bring them ever closer to God and His salvation? This is our calling as Christians, and what we are all expected to do, and what we should live up to, in our daily actions and lives.

May the Lord, our most loving and compassionate, patient and kind Master, continue to bless and love us all, and may He continue to guide each and every one of us as we continue to live our lives in our world today. May God be with us always and may He bless our every good efforts and works, all of our actions and dealings, our way of life. Amen.

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Wednesday, 16 August 2023 : 19th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Stephen of Hungary (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded of the need for all of us as Christians to watch over one another, for we are all one people, one Body of the faithful in Christ, and each one of us are parts of this same Body, same Church of God, and to each one of us have been given the gifts of faith, and the grace to be faithful and committed to God’s path. Each one of us should do our part in helping every one of us to come ever closer to the Lord and to His salvation, by reminding one another of the teachings of the Lord and the laws and commandments which He has passed down to us through His Church. As Christians, we must always remind ourselves to put the Lord first and foremost in all things, and stay united in Him.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Deuteronomy, we heard of the conclusion of the story of the Exodus of the Israelites and the journey of the people of God from the land of Egypt towards the Promised Land, as after forty years long journey and detour because of their sins and wickedness, they were finally allowed to enter into the lands promised to them and their descendants. Moses led them throughout the whole entire journey from the time when he returned to Egypt in order to help lead and guide all of God’s people out of their bondage there, up to the moment described in today’s reading passage, when Moses’ death and passing from this world was mentioned. Moses himself was also not allowed to enter into the Promised Land because he had also disobeyed the Lord in one occasion, and not doing His will, as he was then overcome by anger against the insolence of the Israelites.

However, God in His kindness and love showed Moses His generosity, as He allowed Moses to have a look and glimpse of the land of Canaan from Mount Nebo, where Moses ascended to at the end of his earthly life, and where he finally passed away. Moses finally saw the fruits of his labours after many long years of patience guidance and shepherding of the whole entire nation of Israel, enduring their often rebellious, wicked and ungrateful attitudes. Moses finally had rest from all of his wonderful works, and God certainly counted him among His greatest and most righteous servants. According to tradition, and as recorded in the Epistle of St. Jude, St. Michael and Satan were disputing over the body of Moses after he passed away at Mount Nebo. It was likely that Satan attempted to wrest Moses away from God because of his prior mistakes and sins, but St. Michael rebuked Satan and protected Moses from harm.

Regardless of the circumstances and the events happening then, what matters is that we are all reminded of what Moses had done, just as we have heard all the works and all the events surrounding the Exodus and journey of the Israelites in the past few weeks of Old Testament readings. Moses had dutifully and devotedly done his part in shepherding and guiding God’s people, the Israelites, and through his patient efforts and works, many people had returned back towards God, were reconciled and reunited with Him. And then, in our Gospel passage today, the Lord Jesus Himself also highlighted the same things, calling on all of us, His followers and faithful disciples to be faithful and committed part of the Church of God, in living our lives faithfully and in doing God’s will at all times.

Each and every one of us are reminded that our faith is truly both personal and communal at the same time, and we cannot neglect all others around us, especially those whom we have the opportunity to reach out to, and all those whom we encounter in our daily lives and activities. Through our actions and deeds, our way of life and inspiring examples, all of us can help lead more and more people of God, our fellow brothers and sisters, ever closer towards God and His salvation. This also means that first of all, we have to lead lives that are exemplary and good, worthy and righteous, truly worthy indeed to be called and considered as God’s people. If we ourselves have not done God’s works and whatever He had commanded and told us to do, how can we then convince others to do the same? For all his life, Moses for example, had done lots of things and works for the Lord’s sake, and through his righteous examples, I am certain that many had been convinced to turn away from their sinful ways and disobedience against God.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Stephen of Hungary, a holy and great king, well-known and venerated not only in his native Hungary, but also elsewhere throughout Christendom. St. Stephen of Hungary was one of the early kings of Hungary who helped to solidify the foundations of the kingdom of Hungary, and was crowned as its first King, and while both of his parents were also baptised, he was born a pagan and was also only baptised later on in life, before he became King. Nonetheless, he was the first of his family to be a devout Christian ruler, as he showed in his long reign as King, most exemplary life and actions, which he took for the greater glory of God and for the well-being of his people. He established the Church and its institutions throughout all of Hungary, supported missionary works, while at the same time also worked hard for the unity and the well-being of all of the Hungarian people.

Certainly we can see the parallels and the similarities between Moses and St. Stephen of Hungary, in how each one of them were the leaders of their respective people, as the ones whom God had entrusted with the care and well-being of His beloved ones. And both Moses and St. Stephen of Hungary took their duties seriously, and showed their faith through their own exemplary actions and works. They did not let their elevated positions, honour, fame and worldly glory to distract them from their responsibilities and duties. St. Stephen of Hungary, Moses and many others of these faithful leaders and faithful holy men and women of God, all these can be sources of great inspiration to all of us in how we ourselves should live our lives in serving and helping one another as faithful and devout Christians.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore do our part in our own respective lives, in how we all should lead lives that are truly exemplary and faithful to God, in all things. All of us should be inspired by the great examples set by our holy predecessors, in how they have spent their lives serving the Lord and in doing His will throughout their lives. Can we therefore challenge ourselves and strive to do the same in our own lives? Can we do our part in inspiring many others all around us, all those who encounter us and interact with us, so that we may help to lead them towards the Lord and His salvation? May God be with us always, and may He empower all of us so that we may always be ever faithful and committed in all things and at all times, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Tuesday, 15 August 2023 : Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate the great Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as we prepare for the celebration of the great moment when Mary, the Mother of our Lord and God, Jesus Christ, was assumed body and soul, in her whole being into the glory of Heaven. This event marked the end of Mary’s presence in this world, and is a truly significant one because it reminds us, just as the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord had reminded us of the future that all of us ought to look forward to, in our own transfiguration when we shall exist with the Lord in glory, in our own transfigured bodies, thus, Mary’s Assumption into Heaven affirmed this hope we have, in the promises of salvation and eternal life which the Lord had given to all of us.

Mary’s Assumption is often confused with the Ascension of the Lord because both seems to involve the same events, but in reality, if we look deeper and more carefully into it, we will realise that both are different from each other because Mary’s Assumption into Heaven was done by the power of God, Who raised His mother Mary, body and soul from this world and lifted her up to assume her place in Heaven, while the Lord Ascended by His own power and will, to assume His rightful place in Heaven. There we can see a very clear distinction, of how Mary, while she is indeed the Mother of God and the greatest of all saints, but fundamentally she is still a human being, unlike her Son, Jesus Christ, Who is both fully Man and fully Divine, the Divine Son of God Incarnate.

Nonetheless, Mary is honoured above all other beings because she is truly the greatest among all those that God had created. The Lord created Mary and prepared her specially for the purpose of bearing the Messiah, or the Saviour of the world in her, which in this case would be His own begotten Son, the Divine Son of God Who was clad in the flesh and nature of Man that He might come and dwell in our midst. Mary was to be the one to bear this Man-Divine being in her, bearing her Son for nine months of pregnancy just like any other mothers, but with the exception that she had no one but the Holy Spirit through Whom, the Lord was Incarnate in the flesh, and becoming existent, conceived within her holy womb. This is why Mary is also known as the Ark of the Covenant, the New Covenant that God has established with us, His beloved people.

Mary is often referred to as the Ark of the Covenant as when compared to the original Ark of the Covenant, which refers to the Ark and container built by Moses during the time of the Exodus, she bears within her the New Covenant of God, in her Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, through Whom God established His New and Eternal Covenant, one through which all of us have been led into the promise and assurance of eternal life. Just as the original Ark bore the Law of God in the Ten Commandments, the Staff of Aaron representing the authority and power of God, and the manna, the miraculous bread from Heaven by which God fed His people during their time in the desert, thus the New Covenant of God, His Law and Good News, and Himself as the Bread of Life, in Jesus Christ, all these are contained in the womb of Mary, in which our Lord spent a whole nine months inside her.

In our first reading today from the Book of Revelations of St. John, this was referred to and alluded in the heavenly vision of St. John of the end times, when St. John saw a vision of a Woman in heaven crowned with crown of twelve stars, radiantly clothed with the Sun and the Moon below her feet. This vision is immersed with symbolisms that depending on those who listened to them, revealed to them the Lord’s intentions and truth. In the passage just immediately preceding this vision, St. John saw the vision of Heaven’s Sanctuary being opened, and the Ark of the Covenant being visible, and it is not a coincidence that immediately afterwards St. John recounted the vision of the Woman crowned by the stars. It is because while some may see the Woman as the representation of the Church, or the faithful people of God, but it can also symbolise Mary herself, as the Lord has referred to His own Mother as ‘Woman’ in various occasions as well, just as the Book of Genesis also highlighted to us right after the moment when mankind fell into sin, God promised and predicted the coming of the Woman through whom God’s salvation would come from.

Now, in the case of Mary, her participation in bearing the Messiah Himself, the Son of God within her, is part of the reason why she is called the Ark of the New Covenant, hallowed, sanctified and made perfect by God, as we all believe that Mary was conceived without the taint and corruption of sin, in the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, one of the key tenets of the Church teachings. Why is that so, brothers and sisters in Christ? That is because like the original Ark, which was made from the most precious materials available to mankind, hallowed and sanctified by God, and which was so holy that no one could touch the original Ark, and one who touched the Ark by accident was struck dead, hence, the Ark of the New Covenant of God, Mary herself, was also made special, holy and immaculate for this purpose.

This is because God is all perfect and good, and sin, imperfections and evil have no place before Him. Therefore, Mary as the New Ark prepared for the New Covenant of God, was made perfect and all good by the Lord, and according to our core beliefs and Church teachings, Mary was also full of grace, as the Archangel Gabriel himself said when he greeted Mary at the Annunciation, which means that not only Mary was free from the taint of original sin, but throughout her life, she remained fully attuned to the Lord and is full of His grace, meaning that she has not done things that were in disobedience of God and His Law and commandments, and consequently, remained pure and immaculate, without sin and evil, unlike the rest of us. If we wonder if such thing is possible, then let us remind ourselves that God is all powerful, Almighty, and everything is possible for Him, even in things that we may think is impossible to happen.

Therefore, if Mary has been conceived without the taint of sin, and remains free from sin throughout her whole life, to the moment when she met the end of her earthly existence, how can sin and death then claim her just like any one of us? First of all, we must realise that death is a consequence of sin, which itself is due to our disobedience against God’s will, in doing what is against His ways and against His Law. Hence, that is why every man and woman since Adam and Eve had encountered death at the end of their earthly lives, because they all have sinned against God. And until the time when Christ came into our world and release us from the bondage to this original sin, the sin of Adam and Eve, all of our predecessors before the time of Christ were bound by that original sin, and by their own sins borne out of their disobedience.

Then, for all of us here today, even though Christ has already come and given us all His salvation and freed us from the bondage to sin and death, but we are still vulnerable to sin, because there are times again and again when we are tempted and drawn towards the path of sin and evil, and at least on few if not more occasions, we succumbed to those temptations and sinned against God. It is for these sins that we encounter death. However, death is not our final fate, because God has assured all of us that there is life and existence beyond death, which He showed us through His Resurrection, and His own Mother’s Assumption into Heaven is a proof of that. And this Assumption again, was what happened to Mary rightly because of her special circumstances. It is also unlikely that our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has triumphed over sin and death, would have let His beloved Mother, who did not suffer the corruption of sin, to suffer or come under the dominion of death.

Therefore, there are two main schools of thought in which some believed that Mary was assumed or taken up body and soul into Heaven without experiencing any death at all, and hence, entered into the glory of Heaven directly because if she had not been corrupted at all by sin, and remained free of sin and is full of God’s grace, then death itself has no power at all over her, and death should not have claimed her at all. The other school of thought teaches that Mary did encounter death, not because that death is a punishment for sin, as she was free from sin and is full of God’s grace, but because of her intense love for her Son, and in her death, she shared in her Son’s own death and Resurrection. However, Mary did not remain in that state of death, which according to the Apostolic tradition, in what is known as the Dormition, came like that of deep sleep for her, and the Lord then assumed her into Heaven, to enter into the glory that had been prepared for her by her own Son.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, regardless in whatever circumstances and what really happened to Mary, the Mother of God, and our loving Mother, on whether she actually experienced death or not, what we all know now for sure is that, Mary is now in Heaven, by the side of her beloved Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. And through her, we see a glimpse of what we will ourselves experience in the end. While we may not immediately experience the glory of Heaven, unlike Mary and the other saints whose lives were worthy enough to enter immediately into the glory prepared for them, but all of us who have been faithful to the Lord and kept ourselves away from mortal sins, we are all assured of salvation and eternal life in God. In the end of days, we shall be reunited completely with God, as our bodies and souls shall be reunited with God, together in our new, transfigured bodies, just as the Lord’s Transfiguration also assured us earlier on this month.

And in Mary, we also have a great and most powerful ally and helper, as she is our most dedicated intercessor, together with that of the other saints, in constantly praying for our sake, for us sinners who are still toiling and labouring in this world. Mary has been entrusted by Christ Himself to be our own Mother, and we have been entrusted to her to be like her own children. Naturally, she will always look out for us and pray for us, no? That also explains why she has made so many Apparitions, many of which had been officially approved by the Church, in trying to reach out to us and to remind us to be faithful to the Lord, so that we may not continue to live in the state of sin, and will strive to reject sin and its evils, and return once again to God with all of our heart.

Let us also look upon Mary as our role model in life, as Mary is the perfect disciple and follower of her own Son, through her constant commitment and faith, love and dedication to her Son. She had always followed the Lord and dedicated her whole life to God, keeping herself in state of perfect harmony with God. Mary is truly the shining example and role model, inspiration for each one of us, and we should do the same in our lives as well. We are all reminded as Christians, as God’s people, as His disciples and chosen ones, that each and every one of us should do our very best to live lives that are truly virtuous and good, in accordance to the Law and the commandments that the Lord Himself has shown us. We must not allow ourselves to be swayed by the temptations of worldly pleasures and the allures of sin, and we should inspire one another to remain truly faithful and obedient to God in all things.

Mary, our most beloved Mother, assumed in glory into Heaven, intercede for us all sinners, your children, who always look up to you with hope, seeing that in you, we can see the reflection of your Son, Our Lord and Saviour, in Whom we put our full trust and faith, hoping that we will one day enter into the glory of Heaven together with you, and all the glorious saints and holy martyrs. Pray for us sinners, o Holy Mother of God, and may your Son continue to show us His mercy, compassion and love. Amen.

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Monday, 14 August 2023 : Vigil Mass of the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this evening we celebrate the Vigil Mass of the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as we prepare for the celebration of the great moment when Mary, the Mother of our Lord and God, Jesus Christ, was assumed body and soul, in her whole being into the glory of Heaven. This event marked the end of Mary’s presence in this world, and is a truly significant one because it reminds us, just as the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord had reminded us of the future that all of us ought to look forward to, in our own transfiguration when we shall exist with the Lord in glory, in our own transfigured bodies, thus, Mary’s Assumption into Heaven affirmed this hope we have, in the promises of salvation and eternal life which the Lord had given to all of us.

Mary’s Assumption is often confused with the Ascension of the Lord because both seems to involve the same events, but in reality, if we look deeper and more carefully into it, we will realise that both are different from each other because Mary’s Assumption into Heaven was done by the power of God, Who raised His mother Mary, body and soul from this world and lifted her up to assume her place in Heaven, while the Lord Ascended by His own power and will, to assume His rightful place in Heaven. There we can see a very clear distinction, of how Mary, while she is indeed the Mother of God and the greatest of all saints, but fundamentally she is still a human being, unlike her Son, Jesus Christ, Who is both fully Man and fully Divine, the Divine Son of God Incarnate.

Nonetheless, Mary is honoured above all other beings because she is truly the greatest among all those that God had created. The Lord created Mary and prepared her specially for the purpose of bearing the Messiah, or the Saviour of the world in her, which in this case would be His own begotten Son, the Divine Son of God Who was clad in the flesh and nature of Man that He might come and dwell in our midst. Mary was to be the one to bear this Man-Divine being in her, bearing her Son for nine months of pregnancy just like any other mothers, but with the exception that she had no one but the Holy Spirit through Whom, the Lord was Incarnate in the flesh, and becoming existent, conceived within her holy womb. This is why Mary is also known as the Ark of the Covenant, the New Covenant that God has established with us, His beloved people.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Chronicles of Israel and Judah, we heard of how the famous King David of Israel brought the great Ark of the Covenant from its place in the Holy Tent of Meeting into the city of Jerusalem, to enter into the city where God would dwell among His chosen people. This original Ark of the Covenant refers to the Ark and container built by Moses during the time of the Exodus to bear the Law of God in the Ten Commandments, the Staff of Aaron representing the authority and power of God, and the manna, the miraculous bread from Heaven by which God fed His people during their time in the desert. This Ark of the Covenant was where God’s Presence would come down periodically to speak and reveal His will to Moses, and to the High Priests that He had appointed.

Now, in the case of Mary, her participation in bearing the Messiah Himself, the Son of God within her, is the reason why she is called the Ark of the New Covenant, hallowed, sanctified and made perfect by God, as we all believe that Mary was conceived without the taint and corruption of sin, in the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, one of the key tenets of the Church teachings. Why is that so, brothers and sisters in Christ? That is because like the original Ark, which was made from the most precious materials available to mankind, hallowed and sanctified by God, and which was so holy that no one could touch the original Ark, and one who touched the Ark by accident was struck dead, hence, the Ark of the New Covenant of God, Mary herself, was also made special, holy and immaculate for this purpose.

This is because God is all perfect and good, and sin, imperfections and evil have no place before Him. Therefore, Mary as the New Ark prepared for the New Covenant of God, was made perfect and all good by the Lord, and according to our core beliefs and Church teachings, Mary was also full of grace, as the Archangel Gabriel himself said when he greeted Mary at the Annunciation, which means that not only Mary was free from the taint of original sin, but throughout her life, she remained fully attuned to the Lord and is full of His grace, meaning that she has not done things that were in disobedience of God and His Law and commandments, and consequently, remained pure and immaculate, without sin and evil, unlike the rest of us. If we wonder if such thing is possible, then let us remind ourselves that God is all powerful, Almighty, and everything is possible for Him, even in things that we may think is impossible to happen.

Therefore, if Mary has been conceived without the taint of sin, and remains free from sin throughout her whole life, to the moment when she met the end of her earthly existence, how can sin and death then claim her just like any one of us? First of all, we must realise that death is a consequence of sin, which itself is due to our disobedience against God’s will, in doing what is against His ways and against His Law. Hence, that is why every man and woman since Adam and Eve had encountered death at the end of their earthly lives, because they all have sinned against God. And until the time when Christ came into our world and release us from the bondage to this original sin, the sin of Adam and Eve, all of our predecessors before the time of Christ were bound by that original sin, and by their own sins borne out of their disobedience.

Then, for all of us here today, even though Christ has already come and given us all His salvation and freed us from the bondage to sin and death, but we are still vulnerable to sin, because there are times again and again when we are tempted and drawn towards the path of sin and evil, and at least on few if not more occasions, we succumbed to those temptations and sinned against God. It is for these sins that we encounter death. However, death is not our final fate, because God has assured all of us that there is life and existence beyond death, which He showed us through His Resurrection, and His own Mother’s Assumption into Heaven is a proof of that. And this Assumption again, was what happened to Mary rightly because of her special circumstances.

Therefore, there are two main schools of thought in which some believed that Mary was assumed or taken up body and soul into Heaven without experiencing any death at all, and hence, entered into the glory of Heaven directly because if she had not been corrupted at all by sin, and remained free of sin and is full of God’s grace, then death itself has no power at all over her, and death should not have claimed her at all. The other school of thought teaches that Mary did encounter death, not because that death is a punishment for sin, as she was free from sin and is full of God’s grace, but because of her intense love for her Son, and in her death, she shared in her Son’s own death and Resurrection. However, Mary did not remain in that state of death, which according to the Apostolic tradition, in what is known as the Dormition, came like that of deep sleep for her, and the Lord then assumed her into Heaven, to enter into the glory that had been prepared for her by her own Son.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, regardless in whatever circumstances and what really happened to Mary, the Mother of God, and our loving Mother, on whether she actually experienced death or not, what we all know now for sure is that, Mary is now in Heaven, by the side of her beloved Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. And through her, we see a glimpse of what we will ourselves experience in the end. While we may not immediately experience the glory of Heaven, unlike Mary and the other saints whose lives were worthy enough to enter immediately into the glory prepared for them, but all of us who have been faithful to the Lord and kept ourselves away from mortal sins, we are all assured of salvation and eternal life in God. In the end of days, we shall be reunited completely with God, as our bodies and souls shall be reunited with God, together in our new, transfigured bodies, just as the Lord’s Transfiguration also assured us earlier on this month.

And in Mary, we also have a great and most powerful ally and helper, as she is our most dedicated intercessor, together with that of the other saints, in constantly praying for our sake, for us sinners who are still toiling and labouring in this world. Mary has been entrusted by Christ Himself to be our own Mother, and we have been entrusted to her to be like her own children. Naturally, she will always look out for us and pray for us, no? That also explains why she has made so many Apparitions, many of which had been officially approved by the Church, in trying to reach out to us and to remind us to be faithful to the Lord, so that we may not continue to live in the state of sin, and will strive to reject sin and its evils, and return once again to God with all of our heart.

Let us also look upon Mary as our role model in life, as the Lord Himself said in our Gospel passage today, that ‘Truly blessed are those who hear the word of God, and keep it as well.’ which is in fact the Lord praising His own Mother as Mary had always followed the Lord and dedicated her whole life to God, keeping herself in state of perfect harmony with God. We are all reminded as Christians, as God’s people, as His disciples and chosen ones, that each and every one of us should do our very best to live lives that are truly virtuous and good, in accordance to the Law and the commandments that the Lord Himself has shown us. We must not allow ourselves to be swayed by the temptations of worldly pleasures and the allures of sin, and we should inspire one another to remain truly faithful and obedient to God in all things.

Mary, our most beloved Mother, assumed in glory into Heaven, intercede for us all sinners, your children, who always look up to you with hope, seeing that in you, we can see the reflection of your Son, Our Lord and Saviour, in Whom we put our full trust and faith, hoping that we will one day enter into the glory of Heaven together with you, and all the glorious saints and holy martyrs. Pray for us sinners, o Holy Mother of God, and may your Son continue to show us His mercy, compassion and love. Amen.

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Monday, 14 August 2023 : 19th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Maximilian Kolbe, Priest and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, each and every one of us are reminded of the need for us all to obey the Law and the commandments of God, which He has given and provided to us so that we may find our way to Him and gain the path to eternal life. All of us have been given the assurance of salvation in God, and we have to do what we can to follow Him and His path, while at the same time still obeying the rules and ways of the world as long as they do not contradict that of the Divine Law and commandments. All of us should be truly faithful to God in all things, and be truly obedient to Him, in what He has told and commanded us to do, and not just paying lip service to Him or just merely having an outwardly obedience to His Law and commandments, but lacking in faith within us.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Deuteronomy in which Moses, the leader of the Israelites, towards the end of their forty years long detour and sojourn in the desert, continued to remind the people of God to be faithful and true in their faith in God. It was part of his long discourse and reminders to the people of God to turn away from their usually stubborn and rebellious ways, and embrace at all times the path that the Lord has shown them. Back then, the Israelites had repeatedly disobeyed the Lord, His Law and commandments, and they had not been obedient to the reminders that He and His servant Moses had given them, and that forty years long journey was part of that punishment foe their lack of faith and commitment to the Law, and their rebellions against the most generous love of God.

Moses reminded the people of Israel of everything that God had done for them, for their ancestors before them, all that He had provided for their well-being. He reminded them of the Covenant which God has made and established with them and their descendants, and what they should do as part of that Covenant, which is to walk faithfully and righteously in all their lives, in their actions, words and deeds. That was what they were expected to do as part of their Covenant with God, that just as they have become God’s people and counted among His flock, His beloved ones, thus, all of them were expected to live their lives righteously and faithfully in accordance to what the Lord had taught them to do, through His Law and commandments. Just as the Lord has always proved to be ever true and committed to His Covenant, thus, the same was also expected of the people of God.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the encounter between the Lord and His disciples with the temple officials and tax collectors who asked the disciples whether they and their Master paid their temple taxes and dues, which the Lord then highlighted with a simple parable, showing that as God’s people, in fact none of them were supposed to have to pay those, as they have belonged to the Lord, and it is indeed to the Lord alone that they should give their full obedience and commitment. It means that they should be truly faithful to the Lord, in all of their actions and way of life, and give their best to the Lord in their obedience and actions, in how they interact with one another, in their adherence to the path and precepts that they have followed, instead of just merely obeying the Law externally, ironically, which was how many of those temple officials and the Pharisees had done.

Essentially, the Lord was making the point that while all of us should still follow and obey the customs and laws of the world, like that of paying taxes and obeying the rules and customs of the land, more effort should be done in how we follow the Lord and His Law and commandments wholeheartedly, more than how we put the effort and attention to obey the worldly laws and ways. Those Pharisees, the teachers of the Law and temple officials and tax collectors were often pious outwardly and were very particular in how the Law and the commandments of God were to be carried out and lived in the community, and they adopted a very particularly strict and rigid interpretation of those laws and commandments. However, in their preoccupation and overemphasis on their way of observing and practicing those laws and commandments, they ended up losing sight on what is important, and that is, to be truly devout and committed to the Lord.

They became proud of their actions and achievements, and ended up placing so much focus on themselves and their way of observing the Law of God, that the Lord ended up having no place in their hearts and minds. Their ego and pride, their ambitions and worldly attachments filled them up and prevented them from truly being faithful to God, and hence, we are reminded of the same things which Moses had reminded the people of God in our first reading today, that God loves every one of us equally and wonderfully, and He does not distinguish or discriminate against any one of us, unlike what those temple and religious officials liked to do against those they deemed to be sinners and unworthy of God, those who did not agree to their ways or those whom they deemed to be tainted and corrupted by sin, forgetting the fact that they themselves were also sinners in need of healing from God.

That is why, today all of us as Christians, we are all reminded that we need to grow in our true love and dedication to God. We should not allow our prejudices, biases and desires, our ego and pride to come between us and God. This is why we should seek and be inspired by the great examples set by our holy predecessors, the holy men and women who had lived their lives worthily and righteously in God’s path. Today, the Church celebrates the feast of the renowned St. Maximilian Kolbe, whose actions should be great inspiration for us all in how we ought to live our lives as faithful, loving and devoted Christians. St. Maximilian Kolbe was a Polish priest and missionary well-remembered for his works and dedication to God, in proclaiming Him to many people throughout his missions, in his time and efforts spent to reveal more of the Lord to those who have not yet known him.

As a Conventual Franciscan, St. Maximilian Kolbe spent some time in the Far East, in Japan and other places in Asia, in spreading the Good News of God, and was also active in promoting the devotion to the Blessed Mother of God, Mary in her Immaculate Heart and love for all of us. St. Maximilian Kolbe was also remembered for his publications and editorial works with the periodical Knights of the Immaculata, promoting devotions to the Lord and His Blessed Mother, calling on Christians to holiness. Eventually he returned to Poland where during the years of the Second World War, he was eventually arrested and brought to the infamous Auschwitz prison, where he and other priests and friars were incarcerated. It was there then another very well-known action that St. Maximilian Kolbe did, happened, as he offered himself in exchange of a Polish inmate who was to be executed because he failed to escape from the concentration camp.

At that time, the NAZI German regime oppressed many of the people and they indiscriminately tortured and executed many people in the many concentration camps they established, especially in the Auschwitz concentration camp. Many tried to escape, and while some succeeded, many including that Polish man failed and were bound to be executed. When that man, named Franciszek Gajowniczek cried out, ‘My wife! My children!’, St. Maximilian Kolbe offered his life in exchange of the man. Hence, St. Maximilian Kolbe was led to the execution cell, and was eventually executed after several days, dying as a martyr and a true Christian, devoting himself wholeheartedly to the Lord and doing what God Himself has done for us, that is to give his life for the sake of another, just as Christ Himself has suffered and died, and given His life for us and our salvation.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us are reminded that we should all also be like St. Maximilian Kolbe and other saints, holy men and women of God, who have truly loved the Lord and loved their fellow brothers and sisters, even to the point of facing hardships, trials and even martyrdom in doing so. Let us all be truly faithful once again to the Lord, and let us all be inspiration and great examples to one another in faith just as St. Maximilian Kolbe and other saints have been our inspiration. May God be with us always and may He bless and empower us in each and every moments of our lives, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Sunday, 13 August 2023 : Nineteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday all of us are reminded of our faith in God and of everything which the Lord had done for our sake, as we listened to the passages of the Scriptures which detailed to us just how faithful and committed the Lord to the Covenant which He has established and ever renewed with us. God has always watched over us and loved us since the very beginning when He created us, and He never abandoned us in our time of distress, and even when we have often rebelled against Him and betrayed Him for other idols and pagan gods. He has sent us His servants and messengers, all those whom He has given us to lead and guide us down the right path, away from the wickedness of the world. All these He had done for us so that we may not be permanently lost to Him, but that we may be reunited with Him once again.

In our first reading today, taken from the First Book of Kings, we heard of the moment when the prophet Elijah reached Mount Horeb, the Mountain of God after a long journey of forty days and forty nights from the land of Israel. At that time, Elijah was fleeing from the pursuits of those who sought his destruction and death, namely those who sided with Jezebel, the wicked queen of Israel who together with her husband, Ahab, the king of Israel, had brought the people into sin against the Lord, through their promotion of pagan worship and the establishment of idols and their many altars throughout the land. Elijah had a showdown before the people of Israel against the priests of Baal that were promoted by Ahab and Jezebel, in which the Lord decisively showed His might and power against the false god Baal, by showing that He is indeed the one and only true God.

And because of the slaughter of the four hundred and fifty priests of Baal by the people following that contest at Mount Carmel, Jezebel vowed to destroy Elijah, which led him to flee away from the land of Israel in self-imposed exile, and God called upon him to walk all the way to Mount Horeb after having provided him with sustenance to strengthen and encourage him. God called Elijah to go up the Mountain to meet Him so that He might reveal to him whatever He has planned for the people of Israel and others. As we heard then, the Lord appeared to him in a gentle breeze, and not in great earthquake and fire that preceded before His coming and appearance. This is a reminder to all of us that God is not all fearsome or wrathful, and despite all of our delinquent, stubborn and rebellious attitudes, He is still willing to embrace us and He calls upon us to return once again to Him.

God wanted us all to know of His enduring love and kindness for us, His generous compassion and mercy, in His constant efforts to reach out to us, and to lead us all to Himself through the path of righteousness and justice. God does not want us to lose our way, and wants us all to keep our faith in Him at all times. He sent us His Son, so that through Him all of us may see His love and kindness, His mercy and compassion personified and made concrete, tangible and approachable, and we heard all that in our Gospel passage today, as we listened to the story of the famous miracle of Jesus appearing before His disciples and walking on the water towards them. That story reminds us all that God is always in control over us and our lives, and we must always have faith in Him, and not in any other false idols and distractions, or other means and worldly things that we often think of depending on, instead of trusting in the Lord our God.

As we heard in that Gospel passage, the disciples of the Lord were sent ahead of Him while He prayed, and they encountered a great storm and large waves in the water, and they must have indeed been very terrified at what they experienced. The Lord then appeared before them and encouraged all of them, saying to them that they should not be afraid, because He was there with them. And when they were still fearful and doubtful, St. Peter asked the Lord if it was really Him, and asked that if it was really He Who spoke to them, that he could be allowed to walk on the water towards Him just as the Lord Himself had done. And sure enough we heard how St. Peter began to miraculously walk on the water until when his faith and trust in the Lord wavered again, and he began to sink into the water. While the Lord did chide him for his lack of faith and trust in Him, He rescued and helped St. Peter, and then also calmed the storm and the waves for the rest of His disciples.

Through this story and all that it represented, we are reminded of God’s Presence in our midst and how He is always with His Church, no matter what happens. The boat with the disciples in them represented the Church of God, the assembly of all those who believe in God, as they traverse through the darkness, sufferings and hardships, as well as the opportunities and other things present in the world. The Lord guided all of His disciples and followers to Him, as the true Head of the Church, which is as His Body, is inseparably connected to Him. The disciples represent the leaders of the Church, which St. Peter as the first Pope was significant because he represented the link between us and the Lord, as His Vicar on this world. He and his successors, the Popes are these Vicars entrusted with the leadership and guardianship over the whole people of God.

As we can see, St. Peter and the other disciples were not perfect, as they were all humans just like us, and were sinners who turned away from their sinful ways, embraced the Lord’s call and mission, and became great disciples and missionaries through whom God performed many great works, and reached out to many of our brothers and sisters, many of whom were saved and put on the right path thanks to the constant dedication shown by those holy men and women who had chosen to answer God’s call and to walk in His path. Like Elijah and the prophets in the past who had given their lives to the service of God, all of God’s disciples, the Apostles, the innumerable saints and martyrs all have given their best to the Lord, in living lives that were truly worthy of the Lord, and in being great role models and inspirations for one another, so that many more may come to believe in God through them, and hopefully therefore, through each one of us as well.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday, all of us are called to put our trust and faith once again in the Lord, and to believe in Him wholeheartedly, remembering that each one of us are truly beloved and precious to God. All of us are God’s chosen and holy people just as He has chosen and called the Israelites in the past, cared for them and blessed them. And thus, we are all precious and important to God, and each one of us should keep this in mind as we continue to follow Him in all that He has shown us and led us through. Like what St. Paul wrote in his Epistle to the Romans in our second reading today, all of us should be grateful and thankful that God has extended His love and grace towards each and every one of us, the same love and grace that He has extended and shown to the Israelites in the past. All of us are God’s people and hence we really should strive to be holy just as our Lord and God is holy.

Let us all therefore grow ever stronger in our faith and conviction to follow God in all things, and to do our best in our every day living so that in our every actions, words and deeds, in our every interactions and good endeavours, in our every commitments and attitudes, we will always show great examples of our faith and dedication to God. May the Lord, our most loving God and Creator continue to bless each and every one of us with His great kindness, grace and blessings, and may all of us draw ever closer to Him, and be ever more courageous and committed to live our lives worthily as His true disciples and in all of our actions, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Saturday, 12 August 2023 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Jane Frances de Chantal, Religious (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

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

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded to continue to be faithful in God and to trust in Him at all times. We should do whatever we can to walk faithfully in His Presence, doing His will and obeying His commandments. Each one of us as God’s people, all of us have been called to holiness and entrusted with the Law and commandments that He has given us because we have received His truth and Good News, and the teachings and explanations of those same truths through the Church, which had preserved the Good News from the Lord and His Apostles, and also through the Wisdom and the knowledge granted to us through the Holy Spirit that has been sent unto us, dwelling in us, as God Himself has come down to dwell with us and within us. How can we then, as His beloved and holy people, act in ways that are contrary to His path? Unfortunately, many of us are still lacking in strong and truly genuine faith, and have acted waywardly and away from the Lord’s true path.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Deuteronomy, we continue to hear the reminders said by Moses to the whole assembly of the people of Israel, after the discourse that he went through with them in our first reading yesterday, telling them of the greatness of God and all the love which He has imparted upon them, all the wonderful things that He has done for their sake, in guiding and leading them through their darkest and most difficult moments. He had performed many signs and wonders, crushing all the enemies and opponents of His people, protecting them all from hardships and challenges, persecutions and oppressions, providing them with food and sustenance, drink and help throughout the entire journey in the desert, providing and loving them even as He chastised and punished them for their disobedience, rebellions and stubborn attitude, in refusing to obey Him and in disobeying His Law and in their betrayals against Him.

Today, we then heard from Moses reminding the people that the Lord, YHVH, alone is their God, and they should only worship and follow Him alone, and remember the Law and commandments that He had given all of them. He reminded the people of everything that God had promised to their ancestors, the Covenant that He has established with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and which He had remembered and was fulfilling at that very moment, through His guidance and deliverance of all of the Israelites from their enslavement in Egypt, leading them each day by hand, to the land that He has promised to the same Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and to their descendants. Moses reminded all of them that even in the good times that they would be having in the future, when they were well-fed and taken care of, in the blessed new lands they would live in, they must never forget about God and continue to follow Him faithfully as they should always do.

Each and every one of them should have strong and enduring faith in Him, as faith is something that anchors us to God and to His truth, His path and His love. As we all heard from our Gospel passage today, the Lord Jesus chastised some of His disciples for not having enough faith in Him, and therefore failed to cast out evil spirits and demons that had possessed a young boy. The disciples had been entrusted and given the power and authority to heal, perform miracles and other great works, including casting out demons and evil spirits, and yet, it was likely that at that moment, they had grown proud and forgot about whose power and authority by which they had performed all those miracles, and perhaps, they thought that it came from their own power and strength, or that when the evil spirits proved to be resilient and strong, they faltered and gave in to fear, and that was likely why they could not cast those out from the young boy.

Therefore, that was why the Lord chastised and reminded the disciples that they must first have strong faith and trust in Him, so that they may indeed do what God has commanded and entrusted for them to do. The same therefore applies to each and every one of us, the members of His Church as well. All of us as Christians have been called to remember our Lord and all that He had done for us, the Covenant and the enduring love that He has always ever shown unto us, from the very beginning, and how He even sent us His deliverance through His Son, Jesus Christ, to be our Saviour and Guide. Through Him, His works, and ultimately His suffering and death on the Cross, the Lord has led us all from the darkness and tyranny of sin and death, into a new life and existence blessed and full of His grace, free from evil, and free to live once again as children of God’s light and truth.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, each and every one of us are called and challenged to follow the Lord wholeheartedly, and we are all called to be great role models, inspirations and examples for each other, in how we live our lives, so that others may see God’s light and know His truth, through our every actions, words and deeds. And today, all of us should be inspired by the great examples set before us by our holy predecessors, particularly that of St. Jane Frances de Chantal, a holy woman of God whose feast we are celebrating today. St. Jane Frances de Chantal was born into a noble family in what is now France, and was a woman of high standing and reputation, who married another noble, Baron de Chantal who was killed early on, which left St. Jane Frances de Chantal as a widow at a young age with several children.

St. Jane Frances de Chantal took good care of her family, while at the same time establishing a new order for women who had been rejected because of them being in poor health or by being advanced in age by the order religious orders. The sanctity and great examples showed by St. Jane Frances de Chantal who dedicated herself to the cause of the Lord, inspired many others to follow her and her good examples, in serving God and in doing His commandments and Law. Many came to be convinced to be followers of Christ, and many still came to join the order that St. Jane Frances de Chantal had established, and performed so many wonderful things to the people of God. She also showed us all what it truly means for us to be faithful as Christians, in doing God’s will at all times, and in following God’s commandments and Law, living a life truly holy and worthy of God.

May the Lord continue to bless and guide us all as He has always ever done, all these while. May God be with us always and may He empower and help each one of us in our journey of faith and life, now and always, inspired as always by the saints and the holy men and women who came before us. Amen.

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Friday, 11 August 2023 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Clare, Virgin (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 of everything which God had generously done for us, in all the love which He has shown and bestowed upon us. All of us should not harden our hearts against Him and we should do well to remember everything that He had done for us, in all the wonderful things He had blessed us with, in all of His providence and help, and more. He will always stand by us no matter what happen, and all of us who have faith in Him and trust in His providence and help will be protected and guarded especially in the hours of difficulties and hardships, and in the end, all of us shall be triumphant together with God. God will remember the ones who have always kept His Law and precepts, and all of us who have remained true to Him despite the challenges and trials that we may face in life.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Deuteronomy in which Moses gathered the whole people of Israel before him, and delivering God’s words unto them, to those who have witnessed God’s good and loving actions, as well as His anger and wrath directed to all those who have disobeyed His Law and commandments, and betrayed Him for the pagan and false idols. Moses reminded all of them, those whom the Lord had brought out of the land of Egypt, and their children and descendants, including those who probably had been born during the forty years sojourn in the desert, of all the things that God had done for all of them, in His kindness and compassion, in everything that He had done for their sake, in advancing before them and leading them to battle against their enemies, in crushing the enemies of God’s people and scattering them, keeping them safe throughout the way.

God has also provided them with food along the entire journey, despite their repeated and constant complaints and ungrateful attitudes, in complaining against what God had provided for them, even though God had most generously provided them with the bread from heaven itself, the manna that He sent to them every single day except for the Sabbath day, and even providing for the Sabbath itself by providing them twice as much manna on the day before the Sabbath. He also provided all of them with the flocks of birds to supplement their food, and for their drink, according to the traditions, Moses got the water to come out from the rocks, and it was even told that a rock followed the Israelites wherever they went, and pure, clean and amazing water flowed out from it, as if indeed from the Lord Himself.

God had indeed loved His people so much, despite everything that they had done to Him, in rebelling against Him and rejecting His love. He also sent His Son into our midst, to dwell and journey with us, so that by His coming before us, all of us may enter into a new relationship with God, reconciled and reunited with Him, redeemed and freed from the slavery of sin and death. But in order to follow Him, we have to be ready to embrace Him and His path wholeheartedly, that is to obey His Law and commandments, distancing ourselves from the temptations of evil and sin, from all those things that kept us away from the path of God and His salvation and grace. In the process, we may also encounter opposition and hardships, trials and attacks, hardships and challenges, just as the Lord Himself had endured when He walked in our midst.

We are all called to remember the amazing love by which Our Lord and God, Jesus Christ, our Saviour had done for our sake, in carrying His Cross with ultimate love, the love with which He cared for us, in enduring for us the greatest humiliations and sufferings, the rejection and the oppression of the world, so that through all those things, we may all be reconciled to God, our loving Father and Creator. By His enduring and eternal love, He offered Himself as a most worthy sacrifice and as atonement for our many and innumerable sins, which He cleansed for us, as we are made whole once again through the breaking of His Most Precious Body and the outpouring of His Most Precious Blood. And we are therefore called to remember this great and wonderful love, and hence expected to show the same love towards Him and towards our fellow brothers and sisters.

This is why today, all of us as Christians are called and reminded to love the Lord more and more, and to do whatever we can so that in our every words, actions and deeds, we may always proclaim the glory of God, and to be the great shining examples and role models of our beliefs and faith in God, in all occasions. Each and every one of us are called to be faithful and committed disciples of the Lord, so that we may lead more and more people to the salvation in God, in the manner that many of our faithful and holy predecessors, the holy saints, men and women of God had done in their lives and examples in life. All of us should reflect brightly the light of God’s truth and grace, just in the manner how the saints’ lives reflect brightly God’s glory, hope, light and truth, proclaiming His Good News at all times.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Clare, also known as St. Clare of Assisi, a contemporary and follower of St. Francis of Assisi, another renowned holy man of God. St. Clare was a native of Assisi who was inspired by her family devout practices and commitment to God, which made St. Clare and her siblings to be deeply committed to God from their early youth. St. Clare refused to marry a young man proposed by her family later on, and chose to commit herself wholly to God by joining the life and mission of St. Francis of Assisi, gathering other like-minded individuals, which later on became known as the Order of Poor Ladies, gathering all the women who were interested in the charism and living of the Franciscans instituted by St. Francis of Assisi, with St. Clare herself as the founder.

St. Clare herself lived in a convent of Benedictine nuns for a while, living a prayerful and devout life, and eventually went on to live together with her order of religious sisters, the Order of Poor Ladies or the Order of the Poor Ladies of San Damiano, where she eventually became the Abbess of the community of the San Damiano sisters. She remained in her ascetic and holy lifestyle, caring for the needs of those in her community and lovingly reached out to those who were in need in the society. In a well-known and documented miracle later on in her life, St. Clare was renowned for her miraculous defence of her convent from the rampaging attacks of the armies of the Holy Roman Emperor that were then attacking the region where her convent was located at. St. Clare remained steadfast and trusting in the Lord despite the approaching soldiers, and entrusted herself wholly to the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, as she hoisted up the monstrance which miraculously shone with great and blinding light that terrified the attacking enemies, who thereafter left the convent and the town undisturbed.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore commit ourselves anew to the Lord in the manner that our holy predecessors had done, especially in the faith and dedication that St. Clare has shown us. Let us all remember the amazing love that God has for us, and the dedication that He has shown us, and which St. Clare and many other saints have reflected in their own lives and actions. May all of us be the shining beacons of the light of Christ’s salvation and the grace of God. Amen.

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Thursday, 10 August 2023 : Feast of St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate together the Feast of St. Lawrence of Rome, the great man of God who was one of the seven deacons of the city and See of Rome, and hence was a very important and prominent member of the Roman Church at that time. St. Lawrence was also the first among those seven deacons, as the Archdeacon of Rome, a position of great importance as he was indeed the right hand man of the then reigning Pope, Pope St. Sixtus II, whose feast we have just celebrated a few days ago. St. Lawrence of Rome was martyred at about the same time as Pope St. Sixtus and quite a number other Christians, who were persecuted during an episode of attack against the Church under the reign of the then Roman Emperor Valerian.

St. Lawrence himself was born in what is today part of Spain, where the later Pope St. Sixtus II met him in what is today Zaragoza, then known as Caesaraugusta. According to Church traditions, his parents were also Christians and were themselves martyrs, likely prior to the mission and works of St. Lawrence as deacon in Rome. Pope St. Sixtus II and St. Lawrence both travelled to Rome, where the former eventually became Pope succeeding his predecessor, Pope St. Stephen I. And as a trusted friend and member of his close inner circle, St. Lawrence was therefore appointed as the Archdeacon of Rome, responsible for the distribution of goods and for the care of the faithful people of God in the Diocese of Rome. He held the control and key of the treasuries and material goods of the Roman Church, and he did his duties most obediently, committing himself to care those entrusted under his supervision.

Then, at that time, the Roman state under Emperor Valerian began an intense persecution of Christians, arresting Pope St. Sixtus II and many others, who were martyred for their faith. As was customary, all those who were executed by the Roman state had their possessions and property confiscated and gathered to be added to the Imperial treasury. Hence, in order to avoid the property and goods of the Church meant for the people of God, especially the poor and the needy to fall into the hands of those who did not deserve them, St. Lawrence quickly worked to distribute the property of the Church to those who needed them, to the faithful so that they would not be seized. The Roman prefect of the city demanded and ordered St. Lawrence to hand over all the goods and properties of the Church, which was then responded by St. Lawrence who gathered the poor and the needy, and showed them as the true treasures of the Church.

That enraged the Roman prefect such that he ordered St. Lawrence to be arrested and tortured, and put on a great and hot gridiron, where this holy man of God was put to suffer terrible tortures. Yet, St. Lawrence fearlessly and courageously faced those sufferings and his upcoming martyrdom with calmness and joy, knowing that everything that he and the other martyrs had to suffer, were nothing compared to the true joy and glory that they would receive through the Lord. According to the Church traditions, St. Lawrence even cheerfully commented to his tortures to turn him over as in his own words, ‘I am well done on this side. Turn me over!’ All these showed just how courageous and brave St. Lawrence was in enduring those great persecutions and hardships, for the sake of God and His people. Eventually, he was executed and died as a martyr like many others.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, all the examples which St. Lawrence, holy deacon and martyr had shown us exemplified what we have heard from our Scripture passages today. In our first reading passage, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians in which St. Paul spoke of those who sowed meagrely and how they would also reap meagrely while those who sowed generously would also reap generous harvests. This is showing how our faith in God must be truly filled with true dedication and commitment to God, and not merely an empty faith and proclamations only. Like St. Lawrence, who devoted himself to the cause of the Lord, that he risked his life in doing his mission and in ensuring that the properties and goods of the Church entrusted to his care did not fall into the wrong hands, and faced suffering and martyrdom for those, thus, we should also do our part in living our lives with true dedication and faith.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard a related account of the Lord Jesus speaking to His disciples using a simple parable of comparing a grain of wheat that ought to fall to the ground and ‘die’ first so that it might bear plenty of fruits as the seed in the wheat would then germinate and grow into a new wheat plant that would bear many new wheat crops, and hence, be truly fruitful. This is related to the famous phrase of ‘the blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians’ which reminded us all of the sufferings and hardships that many of our predecessors had to face in the midst of living their faith. Yet, their faith and commitment to God, their courage and bravery, like what was shown by St. Lawrence as mentioned earlier, should inspire all of us to live our lives with great faith and dedication to God, and to be inspirational in our way of life.

This means that in our every moments and in our every words, actions and deeds in life, all of us should do our best so that we may be the shining light of God’s truth and love, the light of hope for many of our fellow brothers and sisters who may be facing a lot of hardships and challenges in their lives. Like St. Lawrence, whose faith and commitment, courage and dedication had strengthened the faith of so many of those who came after him, in how they endured the challenges and persecutions against their faith. All of us should live in accordance to the Law and the path that God has shown us, the path of His righteousness so that we may all walk down this path and not be swayed easily by the temptations of worldly glory and by the fear of sufferings and death. Becoming Christians mean that we have to be prepared to suffer for the Lord, but we must always remember that we never suffer alone, for the Lord is always ever by our side.

May the Lord continue to watch over us and strengthen us in our ways, and may His wonderful saints, St. Lawrence and many of our other holy predecessors continue to inspire us by their great examples and role models, and may they intercede for us sinners, that God may deign to show His mercy and kindness upon us, especially in the moments of our hardships and challenges. May God bless us always in all things and may He empower us all to be His worthy disciples in all things. Amen.