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Saturday, 5 April 2025 : 4th Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Vincent Ferrer, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures and as we continue to pass through this penitential season of Lent, we are being reminded through what we heard from the Word of God of the challenges and trials that the Lord Himself had been facing in His ministry, and the similar sufferings and challenges which His servants and messengers, the prophets and the Lord’s disciples had also endured in the midst of their works and efforts. And all of these things happened because of the temptations of worldly desires and pleasures which had afflicted many people and made them to disobey the Lord and entertain instead their greed, pride, ambition and other worldly pursuits that brought them to clash against God and His ways.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah in which the prophet spoke about the plotting and all the sufferings which the people of God, those who resisted God’s words and truth, had done towards His prophets, including to that of Jeremiah himself. For the context, Jeremiah was sent to the kingdom and people of Judah at the last years of its existence as an entity, and just before Judah and Jerusalem were crushed, conquered and destroyed by the Babylonians and their armies. Jeremiah tried to remind the people of the sins that they had committed, which had greatly angered God, and of the consequences which they would have to face amidst the sins that they had committed. But the people of Judah continued to resist his efforts and even plotted against him, almost killing him on occasions, but God saved him from death and safeguarded him.

That was mentioned in the same passage where Jeremiah mentioned how God would indeed remember His servants, and how He would protect them and provide for them, so that even though they would have to suffer and endure challenges and trials, but ultimately, God will avenge all those misdeeds from those who have wronged His servants and messengers. He would not abandon them in their time of need, and this is a reminder therefore also for those who have kept their faith in God, for all of us that if we trust in the Lord and believe in Him wholeheartedly, we will then receive the assurance of God’s providence and guidance, and in the end, we will share together in the Lord’s triumph and glory. Not even the forces of evil and darkness can overcome us all if we remain truly faithful in God.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the moment when the members of the Sanhedrin, or the Jewish High Council, consisting of many of the Pharisees, the Sadducees and other influential leaders of the Jewish community, deliberated and debated with one another, disagreeing on the nature and identity of the One known as Jesus, Whom some of them considered as the Prophet of God or the Messiah, but many others rejected and refused to believe in, accusing Him of wrongdoing and even blasphemy against God in whatever He had taught and done before the people of God. Many of those who opposed the Lord were truly ‘blinded’ by their jealousy against Him, because He grew increasingly popular, and they probably even feared Him and His growing influence, fearing that it would affect their own popularity and privileged status in the community.

That was why we heard such bitter and persistent opposition against the Lord despite all the Wisdom that He has shown in His teachings and words, and despite all the wonders and miracles that He has performed, which certainly and clearly indicated that He is truly the Messiah, the Holy One of God, the One sent into this world in order to redeem and save it, to save all of us mankind from certain damnation and destruction. The same hardships and challenges that the prophets in the past like Jeremiah had faced, which we heard in our first reading passage today, was also faced by the Lord. And this pointed out to us the ugly nature of our human and worldly desires, our ambitions and greed, all the things which can prevent us from truly finding our way to God and His salvation, and which this Lenten season is meant to help us to overcome these obstacles.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Vincent Ferrer, a renowned and holy priest who was born in the region of Valencia in what is now the eastern part of Spain. St. Vincent Ferrer joined the Dominican Order or the Order of Preachers from a rather young age of eighteen, and he committed himself to become a Dominican priest despite his parents pleading with him to take the path of secular priesthood instead due to the latter having more worldly privileges and renown than being a religious priest. But St. Vincent Ferrer remained firm in his vocation and conviction to serve the Lord as a Dominican, and eventually he was ordained as a priest. He was involved in the conflicts surrounding the contemporary Western Schism in which rival claimants to the Papacy caused bitter divisions among the faithful people of God along political lines. He was a good preacher and missionary, converting many of those who have fallen to the wrong paths into the true path of Christ.

St. Vincent Ferrer was also known for his role in mediating political issues and conflicts, in helping to resolve the conflicts between the rival kingdoms at the time, ending wars and bringing about peace to the region. He also continued to do many other good works for the glory of God and for the benefit of the faithful and holy people of God. Through his commitment and dedications, his efforts and tireless works, his personal piety and faith in God, he has inspired many others to follow the Lord and to believe in Him. And therefore, we ourselves have also been called to be good role models and inspirations to our brethren around us, to everyone whom we encounter in our daily lives, so that by our examples and actions, we may help lead more and more people ever closer to God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, just as we have all heard from the story and life of St. Vincent Ferrer and through what we have just discussed from the readings of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all called to embrace God’s love and mercy, and to be truly virtuous and just in our actions, in our whole way of life. Each and every one of us should not allow the temptations of the world, the temptations of worldly pleasures and ambitions to keep us away from God or to put obstacle in the path of our fellow brethren as we all journey together towards God as one faithful flock of His beloved people. Let us instead be the shining beacons of His truth and love, and be the bearers of His Good News and salvation to the nations, through our every actions, words and deeds, all anchored in our firm faith in Him, now and always. Amen.

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Friday, 4 April 2025 : 4th Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Isidore, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all continue to journey through this time and season of Lent, we are reminded of the sufferings, trials and challenges that all of us as Christians may be facing in our journey through life, due to the opposition and incompatibility of the worldly ways with that of the ways and manners of the Lord and His teachings. We are reminded that our journey of life as Christian faithful is not something that is going to be very easy or smooth, and as we journey through this season of Lent, we should prepare ourselves well, spiritually and mentally as we continue to commit ourselves to the Lord, reminding ourselves of the sufferings and persecutions that Our Lord and Saviour Himself had to experience in His efforts to bring us all back to Himself.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Wisdom, we heard of the words of the author detailing the plots and the persecutions which the enemies of the Lord’s faithful and servants had to face in their path and journey. In all of the words that the author of this Book of Wisdom mentioned in the part of the passage that we heard today, we saw what kind of malice and wickedness that had been contained in the hearts and minds of many among the people of God, which led to them persecuting and oppressing many of the prophets, messengers and servants of God sent to them to warn and remind them of their obligations to follow the ways of the Lord and to distance themselves away from the sins and wickedness that they had been committing in life.

And this was also a premonition of what the Lord Himself, Our Saviour would experience at the hands of His enemies, when He, as the Son of God and Son of Man, had to endure rejection, resentment and also false accusations meant to destroy Him, betrayed and handed over to the Romans to be crucified and killed. All of these were done out of the pride, hubris and ego of those who refused to believe in the words of the messengers of God because they thought that they were superior and better than everyone else, and that they could not have been wrong or mistaken in the manner that they have lived their lives. This was how the Pharisees, the teachers of the Law and the chief priests treated the Lord, persecuting Him and wishing to see Him destroyed because their agenda and desires were not in accordance with what God wanted from them and His people.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the story of the ruckus and the unrest among the Jewish people due to some among them wanting to kill and destroy the Lord Jesus because of the teachings and works that He had done among the people, which they disagreed with. That was why the Lord was met with such hostility by His enemies, which by that time had begun to seek His destruction by whatever means. And all these were caused by the jealousy which the Pharisees and the elders had against the Lord because they saw Him as a great threat to their influence in the community of the people of God and they also disagreed with His teachings, thinking that their ways and practices were better and could not have been mistaken.

Here we can see how pride and ego had led mankind down the wrong path in life, and how it had prevented those who hardened their hearts and minds from believing in what God had taught, shown and done before all of them, many times. As we have heard earlier on from our passage taken from the Book of Wisdom, it was our pride, ego and jealousy, among other things that often become serious stumbling blocks preventing us from truly finding our way towards the Lord, our loving God and Saviour. And this is why today we are being reminded of this fact so that we ourselves do not become easily ensnared by these temptations and lured by those things that the evil one may be using to lead us into the path towards damnation and destruction. This Lent, we are reminded that we should be more humble and be more aware of our sinfulness, flaws and problems, and seek the Lord for His mercy and forgiveness with contrite hearts.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Isidore, also known as St. Isidore of Seville, a renowned Hispano-Roman scholar and bishop, as the then Archbishop of Seville in what is now southern part of Spain. He was remembered for his great faith and dedication to God, all the hard work he had committed in the evangelisation of the faith among those who have not followed the Lord faithfully. He was especially remembered for his defense of the true, orthodox Christian faith against the falsehoods and waywardness of the heretical Arians, which were still quite prevalent during the time of his ministry among the Visigoths in Hispania. Eventually through his tireless efforts and works, he managed to convert the Visigothic king and many among the nobles to the Nicene Christian faith, after encountering lots of challenges and trials throughout his missions and works.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have heard from the story of the life and ministry of St. Isidore of Seville, let us all therefore reflect on our own lives and actions, and think carefully on how we can live lives that are more harmonious and in accordance with God’s will. We are called to follow in the path that our holy predecessors had done, and we should indeed make good use of the time and opportunities that had been provided to us so that we may reject resolutely the temptations and dangers of sin, all the false promises and lies of the evil one, embracing instead the love and compassionate mercy from God, allowing Him to heal us all from our sickness and troubles due to our disobedience and corruption through our sins.

May the Lord our most loving and compassionate God continue to help and strengthen us in our journey of faith and life, and may He grant us the wisdom and the courage to walk ever more faithfully in all things and in all circumstances, becoming good role models, examples and inspirations to one another, coming ever closer to the Lord and His salvation. May God bless us all and our Lenten observances, that we may have a truly fruitful Lenten journey. Amen.

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Thursday, 3 April 2025 : 4th Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all continue to journey through this holy and penitential season of Lent, we are all reminded of the sins and wickedness which we have committed in this life, and all the things which bring about the Divine displeasure because sin is abhorrent before God, and sin cannot exist in God’s Presence or else we will be crushed and destroyed by those sins. If yesterday we were reminded of God’s generous mercy and love, His ever present desire to forgive us all our sins, then in today’s Scripture readings we are reminded that the same Lord, our God, is also a Holy and Just God, One Who is all good and perfect, and will not have corruption of sin and evil in His Presence.

God’s generous and rich mercy provides for us the sure avenue and path for us to return to Him and to be forgiven from our many sins. However, we must also realise that those sins require us to embrace God’s forgiveness and mercy wholeheartedly, committing ourselves to the path of repentance and reconciliation with God. Without repentance and contrition over our sins, there can be no true forgiveness, because while God’s mercy is truly rich and boundless, but if we are still strongly attached to sin and disobedience against God, eventually we will still be drawn again and again back into sin and its corruptions. That is why especially during this time and season of Lent, we are reminded to rid ourselves of all these sins and the attachments to sin.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Exodus, we heard of the moment when the Israelites committed a great sin against God because they intentionally abandoned and betrayed Him by establishing a golden calf idol over them and calling it their lord and master, their god and the one who saved them out of the land of Egypt. In this well-known occasion and story, the Israelites chose to rebel against God because they were impatient and they also assumed that Moses, the leader whom God had sent to them and appointed to lead them to the Promised Land had perished on the mountain, and therefore, they were free to choose their own path and some among them likely instigated the people to adopt the practices of the Egyptians that they were known well to them, having lived in Egypt for a few centuries before their emancipation by God.

But in doing so, the people of God had broken the very first commandment of the Law which God was about to give them, what we all now know as the Ten Commandments, and at the core of those laws and rules governing the people, is the love that the people of God, and hence, all of us mankind, ought to give wholeheartedly to the Lord, our God and Master of the whole Universe, to Him and Him alone. There is only one God and there is no other gods besides Him, and this is the heart of the Commandments and the guidance which He has given to all of those people. Unfortunately, they had taken His love and generosity for granted, and instead of being thankful and appreciative of the love and kindness that He has shown them, they rejected His love and betrayed Him instead for pagan and false idols.

God was angered by what He had seen and He told Moses that He would destroy all of them, sparing only Moses and that He would make Moses to be the progenitor of a great people like that of Abraham before him. But Moses begged the Lord on behalf of the people of Israel, reminding God of the love which He had for those people, no matter how sinful and wicked they had been. God certainly loved His people very much, and we can see that love being manifested to us as well. But through this moment, we are all reminded of just how serious our sins are, and how dangerous they can be as they can truly lead us down the path to destruction, and if we are not careful, we may end up being judged and condemned by those sins which we had committed in our lives.

In our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard the Lord Jesus speaking to the people of God, especially referring to the actions of those who have not yet believed in Him and in everything that He had revealed to them from God up to that point, as well as the words and teachings of St. John the Baptist before Him. For the context, St. John the Baptist was the one sent by God to prepare the way for the coming of His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, and he called on all the people to turn away from their sins and to repent their wicked ways, as the coming of the Messiah and the Kingdom of God was at hand. And everything would indeed come to fulfilment with the coming of Christ. But quite a number among those people, like many among the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law refused to believe, doubted and even questioned the authority and credibility of both St. John the Baptist and the Lord Himself.

But why did they all harden their hearts and minds as such? The reason was highlighted in our Gospel passage today and also in what the Pharisees believed in, namely in the very strict and rigid interpretation of the Jewish laws and customs, the Law that God had first revealed through Moses and granted to the people as we heard in our first reading passage today. However, they often did not truly understand the true intention and purpose of why those laws and rules were put in place by God. They were meant by God to show and teach His beloved people on how they can love Him and put their hearts and minds with the right focus and attention on Him, and not be easily swayed or tempted to follow the path of the world instead.

But pride is something that is truly difficult to overcome, as it was their sense of superiority, their knowledge and thoughts that they knew it better than others around them, that they were more worthy and more knowledgeable about the Law and the prophets that led them to disobey the Lord and rebel against Him, much as how those Israelites, their ancestors, had thought that Moses had perished at the Mountain of God, and instead, they thought that by establishing a golden calf over themselves as god, they were doing the right thing. And through these things that we have discussed and heard from the Sacred Scriptures today, we are reminded to distance ourselves from this prideful thoughts and ways, and we should instead humble ourselves, recognising our flaws and sinfulness so that we will not continue to fall into sin.

Let us all therefore make good use of the opportunities which had been provided to us in this time and season of Lent so that we may truly be sincere in seeking God’s love and mercy, to be forgiven from our many sins and faults, and to be reconciled fully with our loving Father and Creator. We must not take for granted God’s love for each one of us, but we must strive to seek Him with sincere and contrite hearts, desiring forgiveness for our many sins. Let us all not harden our hearts or be prideful any longer, but instead strive to live our lives henceforth with faith and true devotion towards God, be exemplary in our way of living that we may truly be worthy of being called as Christians. May God be with us always, and may He continue to bless us in everything we do. Amen.

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Wednesday, 2 April 2025 : 4th Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Francis of Paola, Hermit (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded of the great compassion and mercy that God has always shown to us, his beloved and precious people, as well as the call and reminder for us to be truly committed to God, to follow His ways and to obey His Law and commandments, and to resist all the temptations and pressures which may always seek to mislead us down the wrong path in life. We have to listen to the Lord speaking to us and calling on us to follow Him from the depths of our hearts and minds, and we have to always be ready to discern and embrace God’s words, His truth and love as He has revealed to us most generously through His Son, or else we may easily be distracted and lose our path.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, in which we heard of the Lord’s words of reassurance and love for His beloved people, the Israelites, whom He assured of His providence and care, of how they would all be blessed and bountiful again by God’s blessings and graces. This came in the context of how the people of Israel by the time of the ministry of the prophet Isaiah had been facing a lot of struggles and hardships, because of the sins which they themselves and their ancestors had committed before. And yet, God did not give up on them and He still patiently guided all of them to Himself, through His sending of the many prophets and messengers that had been sent to help all of His beloved people to find their way back to Him.

And Isaiah was one of these many prophets whom God had sent to be among His people, to chastise them for their sins and wickedness, but at the same time also reminding them of the great and ever enduring love that He has always had for them, despite their stubborn attitudes and rebelliousness. Ultimately, we are reminded that God’s love for us is far greater than all of our sins and iniquities, and through God and His help, by our sincere embracing of the compassion and love of God, we can be healed and brought out from the predicament that is our sins and wickedness, our disobedience and the corruptions that sin has brought unto us. We should always remember the Lord’s love and mercy, and be hopeful and faithful in Him as He will never abandon us willingly. It is rather us mankind who have abandoned God.

Then, from our Gospel passage today taken from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus to His disciples in which He detailed to them His relationship with the Father, His heavenly Father Who had sent Him into this world to be the One to save all of us mankind. He as the Son obeyed the will of the Father and did everything that the Father had told Him to do, and through this perfect obedience and commitment, Christ, as the Son of God and Son of Man both, showed all of us the way for us to reach God, our loving Father, as through His incarnation, Christ Our Lord has united all of us and our humanity to His own, making all of us to be beloved children of God as well. And the Lord told us all to obey the Father just as He Himself has obeyed the Father’s will.

Through all of that, the Lord wanted to show us how we can truly be redeemed from our many sins, evils and wickedness, from all the things which had separated us from the fullness of God’s grace and love. The Lord Jesus in that same occasion also told His disciples about the renewal, healing and new life which God has promised to all of them if they all believe in whatever that He had told them. And He also reminded them all of the time of the Last and Final Judgment, in which Christ Himself will be the Judge of all things and of all Creation, the One to judge all of us of our lives, our actions, misdeeds, our failures, our virtues and everything that we do or failed to do in life. Each and every one of us ultimately will have to account for our respective lives before God. And when the time comes, are we ready to face it, and will we be found to be worthy of God?

During this time and season of Lent, we are therefore reminded by these readings and passages from the Sacred Scriptures so that we may be more aware of how our lives have probably fallen far away from the path and the way that God has wanted us all to follow in each and every one of our lives. We should not take all these opportunities and chances that God has generously given to us for granted, or else we may regret our lack of gratitude, appreciation and understanding of just how fortunate we are that God, our most loving and merciful Father, has always had for us, and yet, many of us constantly rebuffed His approaches of love, all of His efforts in reconciling us to Himself and all the avenues and means that He has provided to us to bring us to His grace and salvation.

Today the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Francis of Paola, a holy servant of God and a renowned hermit, whose faith and devotion to God is truly exemplary and a good inspiration for all of us as Christians. St. Francis of Paola was the founder of the Order of Minims, inspired by the simplicity and the way of life shown by his patron saint, St. Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan Order. He was born into a very poor but pious family, who asked for the intercession of St. Francis of Assisi for a son, and after whose birth, committed him to a life of piety and commitment to God, and since his youth, he had been exposed to religious life and virtues, eventually leading to the young St. Francis of Paola to commit himself to a life of seclusion, withdrawing from the temptations and excesses of the world.

In becoming a hermit, St. Francis of Paola gradually inspired more and more people to follow his examples as he lived an ascetic life dedicated to God, full of self-mortification and resistance to all temptations of the flesh, worldly desires and pleasures. He was especially renowned for his great humility which also inspired many of his fellow religious, committing to follow the Lord wholeheartedly and not to indulge in any sorts of temptations that can lead us astray in our lives in this world. They all live their lives in great humility, seeking to be unknown and hidden from the world, as contrasted with the usual desires of men who sought to be praised, famous and glorified. The examples showed by St. Francis of Paola and his brethren should be inspiration for all of us to follow as well in our own lives.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore make good use of the time and opportunities which we have received during this season of Lent so that we may draw ever closer to God and His loving mercy, embrace His kind forgiveness and hope in Him once more, putting our faith and trust in Him as we should always do. Let us all continue to live our lives worthily as Christians, as those whom God had called and chosen to be His own. We should not be idle in living our lives or live our lives in manner that is contrary to our faith and beliefs as Christians, or else we are no different than hypocrites who do not truly act in the manner that they believe in. Let us all continue to be humble in realising our sinfulness and embrace God’s mercy, while encouraging each other to seek God’s mercy as well, and be the worthy beacons of God’s light and truth in our communities today. May God be with us all, in each and every things we do. Amen.

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Tuesday, 1 April 2025 : 4th Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded of the power of God’s healing and mercy, the hope and light that we have been assured of from Him, everything that He has done for us, so that by His grace and love, all of us may attain healing and liberation from the attachments and shackles of our sins and evils. All of us as sinners still living in this world have been afflicted by the plague of sin and the corruption of our souls, which have kept us separated and distant from God. But God does not give up on us, and He still wants to be reconciled and reunited with us, and that is why we are constantly being reminded of this great love and mercy of God, freely and generously given to us.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Ezekiel in which the vision of Ezekiel has been highlighted to us. Ezekiel saw a vision of Heaven and its Temple where the Temple of God and His Holy Presence has been manifested to him, showing the glory of God and the majesty that Heaven is full of, and how from the Temple of God life-giving water came forth and this great flood of life-giving water comes down upon the world, bringing about healing and grace, sanctification and purification. This symbolism of the Heavenly Temple and the life-giving water is a representation of God’s love and mercy for all of us His people, that despite the sufferings and punishments that we mankind are suffering as sinners due to our sins and wickedness, but ultimately God’s love trumps over even all those.

This must be further understood in the context of the ministry of the prophet Ezekiel and events happening during his time. The prophet Ezekiel ministered to the people of God in the land of their exile in Babylon just before and after the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem, which saw the Babylonians and their armies ransacking the city of Jerusalem and razing the Temple that King Solomon had built for God to the ground. There was nothing left of that Temple and the once great city of Jerusalem was left in ruins, as a stark reminder of the consequences of the sins which God’s people had committed against Him, their disobedience and sins by which they had been therefore punished and made to endure humiliation in the land of their exile, far away from the lands which God had promised to them and their ancestors.

By this vision of the Heavenly Temple and the healing which God has revealed through this same vision, God wanted to reassure His people of the healing and grace that He would impart to all of them, by which He would forgive them all from their sins and faults, and restore them all once again to their lands, bringing and gathering them back once again to the places where they would dwell again in His Presence. But at the same time, beyond the immediate effects of healing and reconciliation which God promised to all of His people, the Israelites, this same healing is also a premonition of what He would do in bringing about healing to all of us mankind, healing us all from our many sins and wickedness, from all of our troubles and trials, delivering us from the clutches of sin and from the fangs of death.

From our Gospel passage today, we heard of the events that happened at the Pool of Bethzatha in Jerusalem where many people came seeking God’s healing and mercy. As mentioned in the passage, those who went to the water of the Pool right when the Angel of God descended upon it would be healed and made whole again, freed from their troubles and complaints. But for that particular man who was paralysed and had been suffering for thirty-eight years, as mentioned there was no one present to help him for all those years, and he was still waiting for God’s healing and miracle when the Lord came to him at the side of the Pool of Bethzatha. The Lord saw the great faith in the man and had pity on him, and by His power, He made the man to be able to walk once again, healed from his illness and problems.

And we heard how this healing happened during the Day of the Sabbath when the people of God were supposed to cease their activities and focus on prayers to God. However, the Pharisees above all enforced a particularly strict version of this Law on the Sabbath, where they forbid even all kinds of actions including the actions of mercy and love, good and beneficial actions that are necessary for the good of the people of God. They often clashed with the Lord and refused to listen to Him despite the Wisdom that He has shown in their interactions with Him. Those same Pharisees also criticised the Lord in His action in healing the paralysed man as we heard in today’s Gospel passage. They all refused to admit that what the Lord had done for the paralysed man was truly a good thing and not something that is unlawful.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, God does not desire the destruction of His people, and He certainly does not want to see us to suffer. We have to suffer from sin and its consequences because we have hardened our hearts and disobeyed His Law and commandments, but in the end, all these sufferings will come to an end and God will forgive us our sins if we seek Him sincerely with contrite and sorrowful hearts and minds. Through His love and mercy, God has brought freedom and consolation to the suffering paralysed man, and this action is a reminder for each one of us of God’s love and mercy, His compassion and kindness, in His ever present desire to be reconciled and reunited with us, His beloved people and children.

Now, during this time of Lent, let us all therefore commit ourselves anew to love the Lord our most loving God and Father, striving to be at our best each day in being good role models in our actions and lives so that by our good examples and inspirations, we may inspire many others around us, our fellow brothers and sisters to follow our examples and to walk in the same path that we the faithful and holy people of God had walked. Let us all be humble and be cognisant of our flaws, mistakes and sins, and seek God’s rich and most generous mercy so that He may heal us all and bring us to true and genuine reconciliation with Him. May the Lord continue to bless us in our Lenten journey and observance, and may He guide us all in each and every moments of our lives so that we may draw ever closer to Him and come ever closer to His salvation and grace. Amen.

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Monday, 31 March 2025 : 4th Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Scriptures, and as we continue to journey through this season and time of Lent, all of us are reminded of the great providence and love by which God has always provided for us. We are reminded how in God we can find consolation and renewal, the freedom from all the bonds and shackles that we have been imposed with due to those sins we have committed in our own lives. All of us have been given these wonderful opportunities for us to turn away from our sins and to embrace wholeheartedly the rich mercy and compassion that God our Father has for each and every one of us, His beloved children. However, many of us often delayed in seeking God’s mercy and love, and we took it for granted that God loves us, to the point that we continue to live in the state of sin.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Isaiah in which God reassured His beloved people, the Israelites of the renewal, hope and good things that they would enjoy once again after they had been freed from their troubles, their domination by sin, all of which had made them to suffer separation from God, the misfortunes and difficulties that they had to experience because of their rebelliousness and stubborn attitudes. But God did not easily give up on His people despite all of that, and He remained committed to the Covenant which He had made with them all, and He still sent to them lots of help and guidance nonetheless, providing them with the means to reach out to His salvation and reconciliation with Him.

He promised all of His beloved people of the coming of the Saviour through Whom He has revealed to us His plan of salvation, the redemption and the new life that He would grant all of them, liberation from all the forces of evil and wickedness that have dominated them all those while. And through what we have heard, we ourselves are reminded of this great love of God which He desired to show and deliver to us, to bring us all into His loving Presence and kindness once again. During this time and season of Lent, we have been given the time, opportunities and chances to turn away from the path of darkness and evil, from our rebelliousness and waywardness, so that we may be found worthy again to be the holy and beloved people of God, His children, whom His favour has been given to.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of how the Lord Jesus, the same Saviour that we have just mentioned and discussed about, performed great miracles and deeds, proving to everyone of the truth and promises that God has given to us all His people throughout all of history. We heard how the Lord Jesus performed those wonderful miracles and works, amazing deeds that He has shown to everyone so that they might be convinced and encouraged in following the Lord, their God, and believe in His Providence and all that He has promised to them. God has always been loving to His people, and He does not want any one of them to be separated from Him, and He has offered us all His most generous love and kindness, opening the way to come back to Him, and through His Son, He made manifest and tangible all these before us.

We heard how the Lord encountered an official whose son has been very sick to the point of death, and how the official begged Him to heal his son. The Lord told the official at first with the words saying that unless he and others saw the signs and wonders performed before their eyes, they would not believe, likely referring to how many of the Lord’s own people in Judea and Galilee refused to believe in Him as mentioned in the same Gospel passage, despite having seen and witnessed with their own eyes, all the things and wonders that the Lord had performed before them. Especially those Pharisees and teachers of the Law, many of whom followed the Lord on His works and ministry, and continuously shown doubt and disagreements with the Lord in His teachings and works, despite having witnessed HIs miracles and heard of His Wisdom themselves.

The official professed his faith in the Lord, believing that He could heal his son despite not having to witness the deed in person. Therefore, when the Lord told him that his son would be healed, he believed and trusted in the Lord, and as we all heard, he encountered his servant who told him that his son recovered precisely the very moment that the Lord said to him that his son would be healed. By his faith in God, the official has received the great grace from God, the healing for his son and the promise of redemption which God has made evident and true by those miracles that He has performed. And all of us are reminded today through this story that we too are God’s beloved ones, and we shall receive His great grace and love, His kindness and mercy if we are truly faithful and committed to Him like that of the official.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as all of us continue to progress through this time and season of Lent, let us make good use of the opportunities that God has provided to us so that by His providence, we may come ever closer to Him and to His holy Presence, ever trusting in Him and realising that being separate from Him, there is no true future for us. There is hope in God alone, and we should make use of the opportunities provided to us such that we may embrace this hope and light that God has shown to us, so that immersed in His light and in His love, we may be renewed and made whole again by His grace, and be freed from the bondage and shackles of our many sins and evils, from all the temptations and attachments of earthly desires and more, all the things that had kept us away from God.

May the Lord, our most loving and merciful God continue to guide us all in our journey of faith through life, and may He continue to strengthen us especially during this season and time of Lent so that we may be healed from our transgressions and sins, and be truly reconciled and reunited with God, Whose love for us has always endured despite all the disobedience and stubborn attitudes we have shown Him. Let us all no longer harden our hearts, but let us instead be humble and recognising our sinfulness, embracing God’s healing and mercy. May God bless us all and our Lenten journey, and make us to have a truly fruitful Lenten season. Amen.

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Sunday, 30 March 2025 : Fourth Sunday of Lent, Laetare Sunday (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Rose or Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday being the Fourth Sunday in the season of Lent, we celebrate the occasion of Laetare Sunday, which in parallel to the Gaudete Sunday during the Advent season, marked the moment when we temporarily pause the penitential nature of our Lenten observance and focus ourselves for a while on the expectation of the great joy that we are going to celebrate in a short moment from now. And if Gaudete Sunday marks the moment when we focus on the joy of Christmas and Christmas season to come, therefore today on this Laetare Sunday, we rejoice and anticipate the great joy that is to come with the fulfilment of God’s plan of salvation for all of us mankind, which He fulfilled through His Passion and what we commemorate through the Paschal Triduum and the glorious Easter season.

This word ‘Laetare’ means joy, and it came from the first part of the Introit sung or chanted today during the liturgical celebration this Laetare Sunday, namely, ‘Laetare, Jerusalem, et conventum facite omnes qui diligitis eam.’ which means, ‘Rejoice, O Jerusalem, and gather round, all you who love her.’, representing the joy which is anticipated for all of God’s holy people, that despite the sufferings and persecutions which they had faced, but they would all see the glorious salvation of their Lord and Master, which He has fulfilled and accomplished through the sending of His own only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, made flesh and having manifested the perfect love of God, gave Himself to all of us to be our Saviour and Liberator, delivering us all from the clutches of sin.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Book of Joshua in which the story of the time when Israel, the people of God finally reached the Promised Land after forty years long of sojourning in the desert during their journey from Egypt to the land of promise. The people of Israel had been punished and forced to endure the consequences of their rebellions and disobedience, their lack of faith and trust in God, when they constantly rebelled against God and refused to follow His path, and ultimately, when they, lacking trust and faith in God, grumbled and complained in fear of their lives when scouts sent to observe the Promised Land of Canaan told them of the mighty people who lived there. Despite the assurances from God and Moses, and the other faithful members of the people, many of the Israelites rebelled against God and therefore, God made them to wander in the desert for the whole period of forty years long, until almost the whole rebellious generation had perished.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this number ‘forty’ truly has a very important and symbolic meaning throughout the Scriptures and the history of mankind, as this number was used frequently to show a relatively long period of time, and is also commonly associated with a period of waiting, preparation and penance, a period of purification and renewal, such as what happened when Noah was in the Ark with his family, and the Great Flood came forth over a period of forty days, and also with the forty years that Israel spent wandering in the desert, which then related also to the forty days which the prophet Elijah went through in the journey from the land of Israel to the Mountain of God in seeking God, and lastly with the forty days that the Lord Jesus had spent in preparation for His ministry as He went to the desert to fast and where He was tempted thrice by the devil.

This passage is a reminder for all of us that in the end of our own ‘forty days’ of preparation during this time and season of Lent, we will enter into the glorious season of Easter, remembering the Resurrection of Our Lord and the triumph He had won against sin and all the forces of evil and darkness. The joy that the people of Israel experienced and the celebration which they went through in performing the first Passover feast in the land of Canaan is the kind of joy that we also experience and remember today on this Laetare Sunday, as we remember the joy of Our Lord’s coming and all that He had done for our sake, in delivering us all from the darkness into the light, and in bringing us all the assurance of salvation and eternal life from God Himself. This day, our focus are ever more directed towards the coming of Easter, and we should be reflecting ever more on what we truly believe in as Christians.

In our second reading, taken from the second Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in the city and region of Corinth, we are all reminded yet again that through Christ, that is Jesus Christ, the Son of God manifested in this world as Man, and by everything that He had done, in bearing our sins and all the punishments and pain associated with all those sins, He has won for all of us the greatest triumph and victory, and showed us all that sin and death do not have the final say over us and our fates. Instead, through Him, and by our faith in Him, Christ, Our Lord and Saviour has opened for us the way to reconciliation and reunion with our most loving God and Father. And therefore, all of us should appreciate just how beloved and fortunate all of us are, to have received such a great grace from God, and we should truly be sincere in repenting from our many sins and faults.

From our Gospel passage this Sunday, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, each and every one of us are reminded through the well-known story of the prodigal son, where the younger son of a rich man’s family sought to get his inheritance earlier on and enjoy them in his life, and after having received his part of the inheritance from his loving father, he went off quickly to the distant lands to enjoy all the riches and fruits of his possessions, the inheritance that he had received without any care, and lived a hedonistic and pleasure-filled life, full of debauchery with all the people whom he encountered during his time in that distant land. This is a representation of us mankind having been tempted and deceived by sin.

That younger, prodigal son eventually realised his mistake and foolishness when he had run out of his money, wealth and inheritance, and all of his so-called friends and all those who were around him disappeared and left him when he had nothing else left on him. He tried to survive for a while in a very despondent state, working in a pig farm, and as we heard, no one would give him even the pig food to eat. That was when the prodigal younger son realised and decided to return back to his father, to beg him to make him one of his servants instead, as he could choose to remain there in the distant lands and die of hunger, or to swallow his pride and seek the father’s mercy and forgiveness instead, and remain alive, as those servants of his father were all living in plenty and happiness.

Through this parable, the Lord wanted to show us all the love that He has for each and every one of us, the constant and persistent love and compassionate care which He has given generously to us, with the father in the story representing the Lord Himself, the elder son being those who have followed the commandments of the Lord and His Law, and was also in a way a representation of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law at that time, while the prodigal younger son represents those sinners who have decided to come back to the Lord, seeking the mercy of their Heavenly Father just like the prodigal son seeking the reconciliation with his father after having committed such a grievous mistake and error of living in debauchery and squandering his inheritance. They may also represent us who have received the truth of God earlier on, as compared to others who have not yet received it.

We heard of how the father in the parable was so joyful upon hearing that his younger son has finally returned to him, that he had returned despite probably being thought of having been lost or dead. And thus, the father threw a great feast and celebration to welcome his return, only for the elder brother to be angered by such a reception. And we heard the Lord Himself explaining how what happened to the prodigal son is something that we ourselves ought to be experiencing in our own lives. This is because each and every one of us are also sinners who are seeking God’s forgiveness and mercy. And through the figure of the elder brother, the Lord was also criticising the actions of those Pharisees and teachers of the Law who often prided themselves for their righteousness and being biased, judgmental and prejudiced against their own fellow brothers and sisters.

This means that those people behaved just like the elder brother who thought that he was more worthy of the father’s love just because he seemed to be the more righteous one and the one who had been by the side of the father all the while. But the father’s love is given to both of his sons equally, and both of them were equally precious to him, just as the Lord loves each and every one of us equally, all His beloved children, though sinners. Even the greatest sinners, should they be willing to embrace God’s mercy and forgiveness, will be given the fullness of His grace and kindness. And this is why we should never lose hope in the mercy, compassion and kindness of God. If we allow ourselves to be misguided in thinking that we are unworthy of God’s love, or if we are too proud to admit that we are sinners in need of healing, then we will never receive the forgiveness of God.

That prodigal, younger son could have perished in the distant lands, all alone and in poverty if he did not swallow his pride and chose to be humble, begging and seeking his father’s forgiveness and mercy. It was his conscious choice to return to his father with a regretful and contrite heart that the prodigal son has been forgiven and received once again the fullness of the father’s generous love. Therefore, in the same manner, all of us, who are sinners, will receive the fullness of the Lord, our Heavenly Father’s most generous love and kindness, mercy and compassion if we choose to obey Him and come back to Him with sorrowful and repentant hearts. Are we then willing to make the commitment to this path, brothers and sisters in Christ? Are we willing to acknowledge our sinfulness and our imperfections, flaws and mistakes that had kept us away from God?

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we continue to journey through this blessed time and opportunity this Lenten season, let us all realise how fortunate we are to have been given such a wonderful opportunity for reconciliation with our loving God and Father, and make good use of the great opportunity given to us to seek His love and mercy once again. Let us all not harden our hearts and close our minds anymore to Him, but do our best instead to glorify Him by our lives, by our humble obedience and desire to be forgiven and to be fully loved again by God, our loving Father, Who loves each and every one of us equally without exception. And as those who have received this faith and blessing from God, we, as the elder children, should also be welcoming to our fellow brethren, especially all those who have not known God and His mercy, reaching out to them and sharing God’s love with them instead of judging them and being prejudiced against them, or being jealous of God’s love and mercy which have been shown to them too.

That is why let us all pray fervently today, on this occasion of Laetare Sunday, that God may continue to show us all His mercy and kindness, His compassion and love. Let us remind ourselves of the great joy that we are expecting and coming soon with the glorious season of Easter to come. Let us rejoice because God’s salvation has been shown to us, and He has been willing to welcome us all, His beloved though prodigal children so that by His compassion and love, all of us may be forgiven our sins and be reunited with Him. May the Lord our most loving Father continue to be with us throughout this season of Lent, and help us to remain firm and steadfast in our faith in Him, now and always. Amen.

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Saturday, 29 March 2025 : 3rd Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded of the need for us to be humble and to seek God’s healing and mercy for all of our many sins and wickedness, all the things which had kept us all away from the fullness of God’s love and grace. If we are not humble and if we do not realise our shortcomings, faults and flaws, then we may not realise just how far we may be in the path towards our downfall and destruction, in getting further and further away from the Lord’s righteousness and compassion. We must not let ourselves to be tempted by pride, ego and ambition in our hearts, all of which can lead us further astray, away from what God had taught and shown us. And in this time and season of Lent, we are all reminded to return to the Lord with humble and contrite hearts, ridding ourselves of all sorts of pride and ego in our hearts.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Hosea in which the Lord told His people through Hosea of His desire to see them all reconciled and reunited with Him, as He called on all of them to return to Him and to find their way back to Him. The Lord told them all of this hope because He wanted all of them to continue to put their faith and trust in Him, to follow His guidance and to walk in the path that He has shown them through His many prophets and messengers. All of these are due to the desire that God has in wanting us to be forgiven from our many sins, that we may be cleansed and purified from all the taints and corruptions of sin. But many of us like those Israelites before us failed to achieve this because many of us were distracted by our pride and ego, all of which presented serious obstacles to us in our way towards God and His redemption.

The prophet Hosea reminded the people of God in Judah and elsewhere of God’s wrath at the sins of the people, many of whom had faced sufferings and hardships because of their refusal to obey the Lord and their actions in adopting the wicked practices of their neighbours, worshipping the pagan idols and all the other practices that were not in accordance with the Law and commandments that God had given to all of them to follow and obey. That was why the Israelites were divided and scattered, and by the time of the ministry of the prophet Hosea, those Israelites who lived in the northern kingdom of Israel had been defeated, conquered and exiled by the Assyrians, bereft of their homeland and their homes. The same fate would also happen to the people of the southern kingdom of Judah as well, who would also have their cities destroyed and crushed, and their Temple destroyed in time to come.

However, the Lord still loved them all, His beloved children and people, and like a loving father, who while being angry at his children and chastising them, he did all that because he desired only what was good for them, to discipline and guide them all in the right path. The children of God were therefore reminded of the mercy and compassion of God by the prophets sent to them including Hosea, and this same reminder is also meant for all of us as well, who listened to those words of reassurance from the Scriptures. We are being reminded during this most appropriate time of Lent that we should not harden our hearts and minds any longer, striving instead to leave behind our old ways of sin and evil, and embrace wholeheartedly the love and compassion of God that He has shown us most generously.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the words of the Lord Jesus to His disciples and those who followed Him of the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. In that parable we heard how both the Pharisee and the tax collector were praying at the Temple and House of the Lord. And as we heard, the Pharisee prayed with great pride, openly boasting of his many achievements and piety, and not only that but even looked down on the tax collector whom he deemed to be inferior and less worthy, a greater sinner than himself. Then we have also heard how the tax collector humbled himself greatly before God, not even daring to look up, keeping his sights low and beseeching the Lord to forgive him from his many sins.

The Lord praised the faith and humility of the tax collector in that parable, highlighting how the humility of the tax collector had made his desire to be forgiven to be heard by God. The Pharisee on the other hand, because he was so prideful and full of himself, was not forgiven because not only that he did not recognise his flaws and mistakes, but he allowed himself to be swayed such by his own ego and pride that he acted condescendingly on his own brethren, essentially committing more sins due to his own hubris and arrogance. And this depiction of the action of the Pharisee in fact was a criticism of how the Pharisees of the time of the Lord’s ministry actually behaved, as many of those Pharisees often paraded their faith and shown publicly their acts of piety before others in seeking for approval, recognition and praise for those things that they had done.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have been reminded today by this passage from the Scriptures, let us all therefore remind ourselves that as Christians, as the holy and beloved people of God, all of us are called to turn away from our many sins, faults and wickedness, to embrace once again God’s most wonderful love and mercy, the compassion that God has for all of us, His beloved ones. He has called on us to embrace this generous mercy and love, and we should not squander the many opportunities which He has presented to us so that we may truly be reconciled to Him and find our way to His Presence, purified and made whole again, after having been corrupted, tainted and afflicted by sin. We should humble ourselves, realising the errors of our ways, and sincerely seeking the forgiveness from God.

May the Lord, our most loving, compassionate and merciful God continue to show us His love and mercy, guide and strengthen us all so that we may always persevere in following Him faithfully, and be good role models and inspirations for one another, in how we carry on living our lives, in this Lenten observances and practices, that many more may follow in our examples and lives, and be worthy and faithful to the Lord as well. May we all make good use of these opportunities which had been presented to us by the Lord, and come ever closer to Him and the salvation that He has promised us. Amen.

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Friday, 28 March 2025 : 3rd Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as all of us gather together to listen to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded that during this Lenten season we have been given the opportunity to experience more fully God’s compassion and loving grace, His generous mercy and kindness, all the love which God has shown us throughout time, again and again. Unfortunately, we have often spurned and rejected His love and kindness, and therefore we find ourselves in this predicament because of our own lack of faith and trust in God, and because we allowed ourselves to be easily tempted and swayed to follow the false path of the devil, and all the distractions and temptations around us which brought us into this path towards darkness and damnation.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Hosea, we heard of the words of the prophet Hosea who was sent to the people of the southern kingdom of Judah during the late years of its existence, after the downfall of the northern kingdom of Israel. At that time, many among the people of God had been wandering off from the path which God has shown and taught them through their ancestors, through Moses and the prophets sent to them to guide and remind them. Thus, the Lord had sent His prophets to warn them of the impending consequences and sufferings which the people would have to suffer because of their disobedience and sins. But despite all these warnings and harsh punishments, ultimately, the Lord still loved His people and cared for them.

And that was why amidst the warnings and words of doom, the Lord spoke words of reassurance just as what we have heard through the prophet Hosea, calling on all of those same people to turn away from their sins and wickedness because He would show all of them His most generous mercy and heal them from all of their problems and troubles. God would not abandon them all to the darkness, and He would lead them all once again down the path of righteousness, showing each and every one of them how they should live their lives so that they would no longer be separated from Him, and would once again be worthy of Him through their renewed faith and righteousness, purified from all of their wickedness and faults. And this is an important reminder and assurance for all of us that we ourselves will have this same forgiveness and healing given to us if we commit ourselves anew to the Lord.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist we heard the words of the Lord Jesus to a teacher of the Law who went to ask Him regarding which among all the commandments of the Law of God is the most important one. In order to understand this, we must then understand that in the Jewish customs and practices of the time, there were at least six hundred and thirteen rules and precepts in the Law of God revealed through Moses, all of which were imposed by the religious elites of the people, namely the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law. At that time, the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law in particular observed a very strict and extensive version of the Law, which were cumbersome and difficult to practice.

Not only that but those elders and leaders of the people also used those Law and commandments to actively discriminate against those whom they disapproved of, making themselves superior and better than everyone around them. But this was not what the Lord intended with the Law that He has given to His people, as the Law was never meant to discriminate or to make the people’s livelihood challenging and tough. The Law has always been meant to show the people of God on how one ought to love their loving God and Master, how they can love one another in the same way so that they can truly be worthy to be called the children of God, the children and the beloved ones of the One Who has always loved them from the beginning regardless of their sins and trespasses, their imperfections and faults.

And that is why the Lord told the teacher of the Law that in essence, the whole entire Law, all the precepts and rules were all pointing to two main, essential ideals, and that is the manner how one ought to love the Lord with all of their might, strength and capabilities, to love Him above all other things, and then secondly as He Himself had mentioned, to love one another in the same way that God Himself has loved us, and at least as much as we have loved ourselves. Love is the hallmark of our Christian faith and life, and we cannot be without this love, both for God and for our fellow brothers and sisters, for without love, then we are nothing, and our faith, without love, is truly meaningless, empty and dead. With love, through what God Himself has shown and taught us, all of us are shown the path towards our loving Father and Creator, the path to our salvation.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, during this time and season of Lent, we are therefore reminded and called to return to the Lord, our most loving God and Father, to repent from our faults and mistakes, and to embrace our Father’s most generous and rich mercy, to come back towards Him with the sincere desire to be forgiven from our many sins and wickedness. We should no longer be ignorant of these opportunities which the Lord had provided to us in order to help us find our way back to Him. Instead, we should do our very best so that by our every moments in life, we will always be exemplary and be truly worthy of the Lord, by our obedience and humility, in recognising that each one of us need God’s Presence and love. By God’s love we have all been redeemed, and therefore we too should love Him wholeheartedly as well.

May the Lord, our most loving Father and Master continue to love us most wonderfully as He has always done, all these while. May He continue to inspire us all and teach us to love Him by following His own example of love. May He continue to give us the courage and strength, the determination and willingness to love our fellow brethren around us in the same manner as well. May all of us be truly full of love from God, and be truly worthy of God’s grace and love, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 27 March 2025 : 3rd Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us are reminded of our sins and evils, all caused by our disobedience against God and our refusal to listen to Him and our persistence in doing things that are contrary to His will and teachings. We must not allow our stubbornness and all the wicked desires and temptations in us and around us to distract us from the Lord and from the path that He has guided us through in this life. We must not allow ourselves to be divided easily one against another because of the instigation and the efforts of those wicked forces of evil which will often play on our insecurities, desires, ambitions and all the means they have in their disposal to bring us to our ruin and downfall. That is why during this time of Lent, each and every one of us should reevaluate our paths and choices in life through these reminders.

In our first reading passage today, taken from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah, we heard of the words of the Lord to His people, showing the frustrations that the Lord had in guiding all of them, despite having shown them and their forebears, all of their ancestors, a lot of loving care and patience in guiding and helping all of them, in reassuring them constantly and defending them from all of their enemies, and in being always true to the Covenant which He had made with them and their ancestors. The people of Israel however were unfaithful, and they were stubborn in their consistent refusal to obey Him wholeheartedly, falling ever constantly into the temptations to sin, being swayed by the many desires and ambitions they were tempted with, that they ended up disobeying Him and walking down the path of rebellion, getting further and further away from their loving God and Master.

That was why the Lord put those words of warning through the prophet Jeremiah, whom He had sent to the people and the kingdom of Judah in order to remind them all of their waywardness and their lack of faith in Him, all of which had led them all deeper and deeper into the path of darkness and sin. And through these warnings and reminders, God wanted to tell them all to stop from going down this path of rebellion so that they would not continue to suffer the effects of their disobedience. This came at the important juncture of the history of the people of God, many of whom had suffered the effects of their sins, with those who used to live in the northern kingdom of Israel had been conquered and had their kingdom destroyed by the Assyrians, and brought into exile in the distant and far-off lands.

And those in the kingdom of Judah, while they had seen for themselves and witnessed how their northern brethren had suffered because of the wickedness and sins that they had committed, that were relatively greater than their own ones, but they still did not repent from their own sins and wickedness. And while their sins were perhaps less severe due to some of the kings of Judah being faithful and devout followers of God that periodically led the people back to the true path of God, but nonetheless, they too would suffer a similar fate. They would also be conquered by the Babylonians in a short while from the time that those words of the Lord were pronounced to them, their cities destroyed and the Temple that was in Jerusalem, the House of God would be destroyed, as the clear sign of the Divine displeasure over the sins and wickedness of His people.

But God was not all full of anger and without compassion, for He ultimately still loved His people despite of their many sins and evils. He gave them opportunities, reminders and help throughout their history, their journey and existence, sending the prophets like Jeremiah among many others to assist them. He reassured them all of His salvation, and He gathered them all back from the lands of their exile, allowing them to return back to their homeland and settle back in the lands promised to them and their ancestors. He still showed them all His compassion and love, giving them the means to reach out to Him, to overcome the temptations and all the other obstacles which had prevented them all from coming back to Him. And ultimately, He gave us all the ultimate gift in His only Begotten Son, Whom He sent to us to find, gather and bring us all back to Him.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of how the people of the time of the Lord treated this same Saviour and Son of God Who had been sent into our midst in order to save us all. The elders and the religious, intellectual elites of the people, namely many of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law doubted the Lord and sowed dissension amongst the people by accusing the Lord falsely of collusion with the prince of demons in the performance of His miracles and works. They attributed His miracles to the works of Beelzebul, a known prince of demons, besmirching the Lord’s good reputation and directly spreading doubt on the authenticity and authority of the Lord’s works and miracles. And the Lord quickly went to rebuke those people for saying such false and baseless accusations by pointing out the utter folly in their arguments.

The Lord pointed out that if a kingdom had its members divided against each other, plotting and attacking one another, then that kingdom would quickly and readily be destroyed. In the same manner therefore, it does not make sense for the forces of evil to be divided against each other. In fact, they are more united than ever as always in their desire and efforts to see us all destroyed and dragged in damnation together with them. It was likely that all the accusations and the efforts of those Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who were jealous of the great successes of the Lord were instigated by those same wicked spirits and evil forces who worked really hard to divide us one against another, in their attempts to prevent the Lord from accomplishing His missions and works.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore let us all keep in mind all these things that we have heard and discussed earlier through the Sacred Scriptures. Let us remember that God’s love is so great and indeed is and has always been so great that it surpasses all evil and all those who have placed themselves in between us and God’s offer of salvation and eternal life. It is now up to us to embrace His love and mercy wholeheartedly, as we dedicate ourselves anew to His cause, doing our very best to live our lives from now on in the manner that is truly worthy of God. We are called to come to the Lord with a contrite heart full of sorrow and regret for our many sins. May the Lord be with us always during this time and season of Lent, and may He continue to bless and empower us with the courage and strength to be good examples, inspirations and role models for one another. May all of us continue to have a blessed and fruitful Lenten season and observance, and come ever closer to the Lord and His salvation. Amen.