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Friday, 7 March 2025 : Friday after Ash Wednesday, Memorial of St. Perpetua and St. Felicity, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we continue to progress through the season of Lent, this time of repentance and reorientation of our lives, we are all reminded that everything which we are doing during this time and season of Lent should always be focused on the Lord, our Saviour and Master. We should not allow ourselves to be deluded and misguided by the temptations of worldly glory, pleasures, or other pursuits and ambitions which can lead us into the wrong paths in life. This Lent we are all called to turn away from our many worldly attachments and distractions, as well as coming closer to the Lord by our deepening of this relationship which we ought to have for Him. Each and every one of us should seek to rend ourselves off the various shackles of worldly desires present around us, and come to the Lord with a sorrowful and contrite heart.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, we heard of the words of the Lord to His people, the Israelites through Isaiah in which He called on all of them to turn towards Him with genuine faith and desire to love Him, and not merely paying lip service to Him and obeying His Law and commandments out of formality and mere outward observance only. The Lord pointed out how some of the people were doing exactly this, contradicting their own pious practices with other things that were not in accordance to His Law and commandments. The Lord quoted some examples how the people observed the fasting and the festivals, and yet, as they put ashes on their heads and wearing their sackcloth as they fast, they still persecuted and oppressed others around them, manipulating and benefitting over the sufferings of their fellow brethren.

All of those things meant that those people had not truly understood the Law and commandments of God. They fulfilled the requirements of the Law more as formality and perhaps even out of fear for the Lord, but not because they truly desired to seek Him or to follow His path wholeheartedly as they all ought to have done. That is why the Lord reminded all of His people through Isaiah, who wanted to tell them all to turn away from this wicked path, and embrace once again wholeheartedly and meaningfully the path that He has shown them, and which He has helped and reminded them constantly through the many prophets that He had sent to them including that of Isaiah himself. God wanted all of His people, and this is a reminder to all of us as well, that we must truly be sincere in our faith and all the practices we do, especially during this time and season of Lent, that we do not end up being hypocrites, believing in one thing and yet doing something entirely contradictory and opposite on the other.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus to the disciples of St. John the Baptist who came up to Him to question why He and His disciples did not practice fasting in the manner that the disciples of St. John the Baptist themselves and the Pharisees had done. Unfortunately, especially for the latter group, many of them did the practice of fasting and other pious practices not for the right purpose and intention, but rather to seek attention and praise from others around them. At the same time, the Lord also used this opportunity to reveal and highlight the truth about Himself and His mission, how He, the Lord God Himself descending into our midst in the flesh and form of Man, being in our presence is no circumstance for His disciples and followers to fast.

Ultimately, this is a reminder for all of us that fasting and abstinence are practices that serve to remind us all of our sin and mortality, our rebellion and disobedience against God. When we fast, we also in a way mourn and show our regret and sorrow against our separation from God, reflecting upon the sad reality of the state of our soul, tainted and corrupted by sin and evil. And yet, at the same time, we must always remind ourselves that God has provided us His help and love, His kindness and grace, offering us all generous forgiveness and mercy. We must not squander these opportunities that God had given us all, as He reached out patiently towards us, gathering us all and calling on us to come into His Holy Presence once again, to be loved by Him again and reunited with Him.

Today, all of us are called to repent from our sins and wickedness as we continue our progress through this penitential season and time of Lent. We are called to reevaluate our path in life, and whether we have truly lived our lives worthily in the Lord or whether we are still being wayward in disobeying the Lord and His commandments. This is why we need to heed the words of the Lord that we have listened to and discussed today so that our Lenten season and whatever we are doing to observe it can be truly beneficial and fruitful for us. We must not do those observances and actions without truly understanding their significance and importance, and whenever we fast, abstain, spending our time in prayer and performing acts of charity, we should do them because we sincerely desire to better ourselves and to come back towards the Lord with contrite hearts.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Perpetua and St. Felicity, two holy and devout women whose martyrdom during the era of persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire inspired many of the faithful throughout history. St. Perpetua was a Roman noblewoman who was recently married at the time of her martyrdom while St. Felicity was a slavewoman, who was arrested and imprisoned together with St. Perpetua during one of the episodes of persecution of Christians in the Empire. Despite their different backgrounds, both were united in the common faith they had in the Lord, in their belief in Christ, the Saviour of all. They refused to abandon their faith, and for St. Perpetua, she refused her father’s desire that she recant her faith in God. Eventually both of them were put to death for their faith in the Lord, courageously defending their faith to the very end.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we reflect upon these words from the Sacred Scriptures and upon listening to the examples of the great saints, St. Perpetua and St. Felicity, let us all hence renew our commitments to the Lord, and renew that desire in each and every one of us to seek the Lord ever more wholeheartedly, by our exemplary living and deeds, by our obedience to the Law and commandments of God. The Lord has given us this time of Lent as the wonderful opportunity for us to embrace Him and His mercy, to reevaluate our lives and to reattune ourselves to His path. Let us all not squander these opportunities that He has given us, and let us all seek the Lord faithfully, being good role models for everyone around us, much as our holy predecessors, like that of St. Perpetua and St. Felicity had been for us.

May the Lord continue to bless us in our journey of life and strengthen us in our faith and commitment to Him, and bless our Lenten practices and observances so that through them, we may draw ever closer to Him and find the path to His Holy Presence, and remain ever firm in our desire to love and seek Him always in our lives. Amen.

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Thursday, 6 March 2025 : Thursday after Ash Wednesday (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we embark on this journey through the penitential and contemplative time of the Lenten season, let us all reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures that we have received on this day. We are reminded that as Christians all of us must make the decision to consciously follow the Lord and His path in our lives, and make the conscious effort and commitment to persevere in this path no matter what challenges, trials and tribulations may be in the journey that we have towards God. There is likely going to be plenty of obstacles in our path, but we must not allow these to be barriers preventing us from coming towards the Lord with genuine faith and devotion. Instead, they should make us even more committed and willing to follow the Lord more faithfully each day.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Deuteronomy in which Moses, the leader of the Israelites during the time of the Exodus from Egypt presented before the Israelites the rules and the commandments which the Lord had revealed and passed to them, and the expectations that accompany the Covenant which God had made with them, His beloved people. Moses reminded the people of the path that they ought to choose in their lives, whether they wanted to follow the Lord and obey Him, His Law and commandments, or whether they wanted to walk their own path of disobedience and rebellion against God. Moses made it clear the choices that lay before the people, and how their choices are truly important, in deciding their eventual fate.

What Moses had said to the Israelites highlighted the way that the Lord has always been loving and caring towards His people, and He has always been patient in helping and leading them all to Himself. However, at the same time, He also gave them the free will and the freedom to choose their course of actions in life, the gift that the Lord gave to each one of us. He does not impose on us His will, and He gave us the freedom to walk the way that we choose. At the same time, Moses made it clear that if we put our faith and trust in God, then in the end, we will receive the fullness of His grace and blessings, and we will not regret our choice, as despite the challenges and trials that we may face, we will be vindicated by the triumphant glory with God. On the other hand, if we choose to walk away from God, in the end, there will only be suffering and eternity of regret in Hell.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel of St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the Lord telling His disciples plainly and frankly about what He Himself would experience in the midst of His upcoming Passion, the culmination of His worldly ministry. The Lord said it clearly that He, the Son of Man, would have to suffer rejection, persecution and oppression from none other than the leaders of the people, the chief priests and the elders, to be handed over to His enemies, and to be punished and persecuted although the fault was not His own. And yet, He would obey willingly to follow the path that His heavenly Father has shown Him, the path of redemption for all mankind, which He would accomplish by His most selfless and loving sacrifice on the Cross.

He also predicted His own Resurrection on the third day, and also how the same sufferings would be part of the disciples’ life, mission and journey. He reminded them all that just as the world has rejected and opposed Him, thus it is likely that they would also face the same challenges and obstacles that He had been facing. And they cannot be His true disciples and followers unless they carried their own crosses and follow Him wholeheartedly and faithfully. This is the reality that the Lord presented to His disciples, reminding especially those among them who might be expecting good and comfortable life if they were to follow Him as their Lord and Master. Some among the disciples at the time had the misconception thinking that the Messiah was to come to usher the era of peace and glory, the restoration of the Kingdom of Israel, and this is what the Lord wanted to remind them about the truth.

All of us are reminded that as Christians, as the disciples and followers of the Lord, we must always be ready to face persecution and difficulties in our path, and we should not expect that our lives will be good and smooth. This does not mean that God will not bless us, as He will surely bless us abundantly and give us His guidance and strength. However, we have to put our faith and trust in God whenever the challenges and trials come by us, or else we may be easily tempted and swayed to abandon our faith in the Lord and abandon His path, choosing to embrace instead the other allures of worldly temptations and solutions to our struggles and issues. All these may lead us astray in our journey in life, and in the end, we may end up being lost forever to the Lord.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we enter into this time and season of Lent, we are all called to turn over a new leaf in our lives, embracing the truth of God and His love, His path wholeheartedly as we all should have done. We have been given these many wonderful opportunities by the Lord which we should never squander, and we should try our best such that we use them well in changing our way of life and our attitudes, putting ourselves wholly in the path of righteousness and virtue, doing our very best to live in accordance to the manner that the Lord has shown us. We have been given the freedom to choose our path in life, and we have been reminded and shown what each of those paths will lead into, and therefore we should really spend the time to discern how we are to move forward in life from now on.

May the Lord be with us always, and may He continue to strengthen and encourage us all in our lives, each and every moment of these precious lives we have been blessed with. Let our Lenten practices and observances be truly good, worthy and fruitful in leading us ever closer towards the Lord, and help us to remain true and faithful to this path towards God’s salvation and eternal life. May all of us not easily be swayed or tempted to abandon our struggles and perseverance despite all the challenges and difficulties that we may have to face in this journey. May God bless us all in our every good efforts, works and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 5 March 2025 : Ash Wednesday (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today is Ash Wednesday, the very first day of the penitential season of Lent, the forty days plus period of spiritual renewal and reorientation of our lives, so that we may prepare ourselves well for the upcoming important celebrations and events during the Holy Week and Paschal Triduum towards the glorious season of Easter. During this time and period of Lent, all of us as Christians commit ourselves to a renewal of our lives and reattune ourselves to the Lord. We remind ourselves that as God’s holy and beloved people, each and every one of us ought to live our lives worthily and devote ourselves to His ways, distancing ourselves from all the corruptions of evil and sin, from the various temptations of the world around us so that we may truly be faithful disciples and followers, worthy of the Lord, our most loving God and Father.

Today we recall our weakness and mortal nature, as sinful men and women, who because of our disobedience and sins against God, had been sundered from the fullness of God’s love and grace. This is why the blessed ashes imposed on us is a reminder of this fallen state and our mortality, with the words of the priest imposing the ashes, ‘Remember man, that you are dust, and to dust you shall return’, linking to the fact that God crafted and made us all from the dust of the earth, and when we die, our bodies shall rot and perish, returning back to the earth where it came from. No matter how great or glorious our background or life may be, in the end, all of us will have to face death and the end of our earthly existence. But with God there is an everlasting life and existence beyond this life we have in this world.

Alternatively the priest would also have said as he imposed the ashes, ‘Repent, and believe in the Gospel’, which again highlights the penitential nature of this time and season. On this Ash Wednesday, all of us are required to fast and abstain from meat, in which these practices are meant for us to restrain our physical bodies and desires, our worldly wants and pursuits, and reminding us all to purify ourselves, our bodies, minds, hearts and our whole being so that through this repentance and purification of our beings, we may truly be worthy once again, through God’s grace and forgiveness, to be His holy and beloved people, filled with the fullness of His grace and love. We are all required to fast today, eating just one main meal and two smaller meals called collations, and the aforementioned abstinence to remind us of the futility of worldly glory and desires, and to focus ourselves to the Lord once again.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Joel, we heard of the words of the Lord spoken through this prophet calling on all the people of God to return to their Lord and Master with repentance and sincere desire to turn themselves towards His mercy and forgiveness. The prophet Joel was sent by God to minister to the people of the southern kingdom of Judah, the southern half of the kingdom of God’s people, to remind them all of the Lord’s Law and commandments, calling upon all of them to restore the faithful practices of their ancestors and for them to turn away from their sins and wickedness. At that time, the kingdom of Judah and the people of God had fallen far away from the path of the Lord, disobeying and disregarding the commandments which God had taught to them and their ancestors and requiring them to follow and obey. And as a result, they had been beset by troubles, difficulties and persecution from their enemies.

But the prophet Joel highlighted how God is truly loving and merciful, and all of us ought to come to Him seeking His mercy and forgiveness, as He forgives those who sincerely seeks Him and wants to be forgiven. Through our repentance, our fasting and abstinence done with the right intentions and desire for us to be rid of our impure and corrupt thoughts, desires and other temptations, we shall gain the grace of God, the generous love and compassionate mercy that our loving Father has always had for us. Nonetheless, this is as always, easier said than done, as despite our best intentions, there will always likely be temptations and other things which may hinder us on our path and journey towards God, and it is during this time of Lent that we should do our best to reorientate our lives towards the Lord and be more aware of the dangers of sin and the temptations around us.

In our second reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in the city and region of Corinth, the Apostle reminded all the faithful there of the great grace and mercy which God has shown to all of them, the beloved people of God, and how they all should seek the compassionate love and mercy from God because this very moment is indeed the favourable time to seek God’s mercy and forgiveness. What St. Paul told to the faithful among the Corinthians is also a reminder for all of us that we should not procrastinate or delay in our efforts to seek the Lord, as some among us may delay in doing so because we think that we still have ample amount of time in our lives to be forgiven from our many sins and wickedness.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we must be reminded again of the reality of our mortality and the fact how any one of us can be called to account for our lives before the Lord at any moment. No one knows for certain when we will meet the end of our lives, beside the certainty that we will indeed face death in the end of our earthly life and existence, be it that we have a long or short life. All of us are mortals who will not endure and exist forever in this world, and hence, we should make good use of all the opportunities and means that the Lord has generously given to us, to seek Him and His ever generous love and kindness. We must not wait until it is too late, when all of our means to reach God has been exhausted, and we can no longer attain His forgiveness. Let us all be quick to seek to repent from our sins, and receive regularly the forgiveness from God through the Sacrament of Reconciliation in the Church.

Then from our Gospel passage today taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle, we are reminded of the matter of practices of our faith and things related to what we do during this time and season of Lent such as fasting and abstinence, prayers and almsgiving among others. As the Lord made it clear to His disciples and all those gathered to listen to Him, when we fast, abstain, make our prayers and do other things that we often do during this time of Lent, we must not make a show out of it. We also should not do these actions in order to be praised and adored by others around us. Instead, we should do them because we are truly and sincerely repentant over our many sins and wickedness, realising the depth of our unworthiness and iniquities before God.

As we receive the blessed ashes on our heads and foreheads, we are all reminded of the need for repentance and renewal in our lives, as we are called to embrace God’s rich and merciful love, making use of the chances that had been provided to us to turn once again towards God, and as His children, full of love for our Father, let us all beseech Him for His mercy and kindness, knowing that in Him alone we can find true forgiveness and peace, salvation and eternal life, and if we are willing to commit ourselves to the path that God our Father has shown us, then God will surely forgive us our sins and allow us to be reconciled with Him. And hence, as we symbolically wear the ashes on our heads and foreheads, we are reminded of this sinfulness that is in us, and of the commitment required from us to abandon these sins for the righteousness of God.

The Gospel passage also reminds us all of the three important pillars of our Lenten practices in order to prepare us all well for the upcoming celebrations of Holy Week and Easter. These as mentioned earlier on are fasting and abstinence, as well as prayer, and lastly being almsgiving. Each one of these practices were meant to help direct our focus and attention towards the Lord, and through them hopefully we may be ever more restrained in our greed, desires and ego in life, and become more attuned to the Lord and His path. We should not do these just in order to satisfy Church requirements and laws, or do them for the sake of doing them. We should also appreciate and understand the significance and importance of each one of these practices so that we may benefit most wonderfully from each one of them in bringing ourselves ever closer to God this Lent and beyond.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let our fasting, abstinence, prayers and almsgiving be truly centred on God, and may they help us to continue to grow in faith and dedication to the Lord, and remind us all of our own frailty, mortality and also our sinfulness so that we may truly be humble in life, in desiring and seeking healing and forgiveness from God. Let us all come towards our merciful and ever loving Father and Creator, our Lord and Master with contrite hearts, asking Him to heal us from our afflictions and corruption by sin, and help us all to enter into His glorious inheritance, to bring us all into the eternal life and true happiness that He has promised us, through our genuine reconciliation and reunion with Him. May all of us have a truly blessed and fruitful season of Lent, and be blessed by God in our every good works, efforts and endeavours this Lent. Amen.

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Tuesday, 4 March 2025 : 8th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Casimir (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today is the last day before the beginning of the season and time of Lent, which will begin tomorrow with the imposition of the blessed ashes on Ash Wednesday, the very first day of the Lenten season. On this day, as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, let us all remind ourselves of the calling which all of us have received from the Lord for us to follow Him and the path that He has shown to us so that we may continue to walk down the path of righteousness and virtue in life. We have been reminded of God’s great and most generous love and mercy, and we should make great use of the opportunities that God has granted to us to reach out to Him and to be fully reconciled and reunited with Him.

In our first reading today, taken from the continuation of the exhortation from the prophet Sirach we have been listening to for the past few weeks, we heard of the words of the prophet reminding all the faithful people of God and hence all of us to be generous in offering ourselves to the Lord because He is truly full of love and mercy, and if we do what is right and just, worthy in the eyes of the Lord, committing ourselves to His cause and be good in all of our actions, words and deeds, then all of us will truly be blessed and rewarded by the Lord in the end. It is a reminder for all of us to live our lives worthily in the best way we can, to be good inspiration and role models tor our fellow brothers and sisters around us by our living and vibrant faith.

Then in our Gospel passage today from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist, we heard of the words of the Lord affirming His disciples, who, led by St. Peter, had declared their commitment and loyalty to Him, stating how they had left behind everything to follow the Lord, their family, their loved ones and their worldly possessions. The Lord reassured them all and said that no one who had devoted themselves and made sacrifices to follow Him would be found wanting, echoing what the prophet Sirach had mentioned in our first reading passage today. Essentially it is a reminder for us all that the Lord loves the righteous and virtuous, and those whom He deems to be worthy shall be truly blessed and cared for by Him, and they shall not be lost from Him.

On the other hand, if we are wicked and evil in our ways, disobeying God’s Law and commandments, then we likely have to face the consequences of our actions and disobedience, our wickedness and evils. While God loves us all most dearly, He also despises the sins and wickedness which we have committed in our lives, and no wickedness, evil or sin can exist in His Holy Presence. If we continue to commit wickedness and evils, sins and all sorts of disobedience against God, then in the end, it is by those disobedience and wickedness which we will be judged by, and if we are not careful, we may end up in eternity of suffering and regret in the damnation of Hell. This is something that the Lord does not want to happen to us, and He has provided us with all the means to avoid it, but it is up to us to make the conscious effort to come back towards the Lord with repentance and virtuous life.

That is why as Christians all of us ought to strive to live our lives each day with careful actions and virtuous way of life, rejecting the temptations of worldly glory and ambitions, the sins of the world around us, and all the coercions and pressures to embrace this path of wickedness and pleasures. We must not allow ourselves to be easily swayed by those pressures and temptations, and instead we should continue to be resolute in our dedication and commitment to the path of the Lord and His righteousness. We must do our best to live our lives worthily and distancing ourselves from the evil ways. This is of course something much easier said than done, but we must make the conscious effort to adhere ourselves to the path of God, or else, we may easily be pulled into the path of sin and darkness, and we should look for inspiration from among our holy predecessors.

Today the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Casimir, also known as St. Casimir of Poland, who was a royal prince of the Kingdom of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania. He was a bright and pious person even since his early youth and he was brought up well in the various areas of education and knowledge, and he grew up to be a fine young man, who was full of vigour and also care for the less fortunate and the needy, and was also inclined to the religious life and calling. While in the secular world he encountered failures such as the failed efforts by his supporters and family to install him as the King of Hungary due to the claims that his family on the Hungarian throne, but in the spiritual matters, St. Casimir was well known for his devotion to God, his pious and worthy lifestyle, and his care for the needs of the people.

St. Casimir was known for his great humility and other virtues in life, refusing the commonly debauched ways of the people and nobility of his time, especially with regards to women and merrymaking. He spent his time frequently in prayer and charitable works, and he continued to lead a life that was worthy of God, refusing the match proposed to him by his family, while also sensing and knowing that he did not have long to live in the world. Shortly afterwards, St. Casimir fell seriously ill and eventually passed away due to the illness at a relatively young age of twenty-five. While his earthly life and existence was short, nonetheless, through his exemplary faith and actions, St. Casimir has shown many people who were his contemporaries and many others throughout time, even to this present day, how we all ought to be as disciples and followers of the Lord.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have reflected from the words of the Sacred Scriptures and from the life and examples of St. Casimir of Poland that we have just discussed, all of us are reminded to be good role models and inspirations for our fellow men and women, living our lives with righteousness and grace, to be truly faithful in all things and circumstances. We should be the shining beacons of God’s light, hope and Good News in our darkened world, corrupted and filled with sin and evil. Through our commitment to God, our righteousness and virtue, we should bring God’s light into our world, inspiring many others around us to follow the Lord as well. It is by our good life and examples that we can do this, to fulfil what the Lord has entrusted to us. 

Let us all therefore do our part as Christians, to be the faithful and devoted missionaries and evangelising disciples, doing our best to proclaim the Lord to all. And as we all enter into this time and season of Lent tomorrow, let us all continue to strive to resist the temptations of sin, and continue to keep our lives truly holy and worthy of the Lord, now and always. Amen.

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Monday, 3 March 2025 : 8th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we come ever closer to the beginning of the season of Lent this Wednesday, all of us are invited to reflect upon the words of the Sacred Scriptures which we have received today, which reminded us about the great love and kindness which God our loving Father and Creator has for each and every one of us. All of us are truly fortunate to have God Who has always loved us and patiently cared for us, ever always providing us with the help and the means for us to reach out to Him, to return to Him, ever ready to welcome us back with outstretched hands, as He awaits us all to repent from our sinful ways and embrace Him once again with genuine and sincere love. All that remain is for us to make that move to return to our loving Father, opening our hearts and minds to accept Him and His love and forgiveness, and commit ourselves anew to Him.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Sirach in which the prophet mentioned to the people of God of how the Lord, the Almighty God and Master of all knows everything in the hearts and minds of all of His people, and nothing can truly be hidden from Him, no matter what. The prophet Sirach also reassured the faithful that their Lord and Master has always loved them and would reward all those who have been faithful to Him with great grace and blessings, and He has always been willing to welcome back everyone who commit themselves to the path of repentance and reconciliation, ever generous and rich with His mercy, calling upon all of His people to come back to Him.

At the same time, the prophet Sirach also gave a gentle warning from the Lord to the people that if they misbehaved and continued on their path of disobedience and rebellion against Him, then all of their misdeeds and wickedness would also be held against them, just as much as their righteous deeds and actions would bring them rich rewards and graces on the Day of Judgement. Essentially all of us are called through these words of the prophet Sirach that we should no longer be stubborn in closing our hearts and minds against God’s call, His love and generous mercy towards us. We should be thankful that God has always loved us all these while, and willing to forgive us our many sins and trespasses if we truly can commit ourselves to the path of repentance, turning ourselves from the darkness of sin and evil into the path of God’s light and truth.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist, we first heard of the words of the Lord to a rich man who came up to Him and asked Him of what he needed to do in order to attain eternal life, just as the Lord had proclaimed and promised to them all. It was there that the Lord told the man that he ought to obey the Law and commandments of God, and after the rich man had replied that he had obeyed all those laws and commandments, the Lord tested his resolve and commitment by asking him to leave behind his great wealth and possessions so that he might follow Him wholeheartedly and becoming His disciple. And as we heard, the rich man left the Lord with great sorrow.

This exchange showed to all of us that the love and desire for worldly things, possessions, wealth and other forms of attachments and ambitions can become truly serious obstacles which can prevent us from coming closer to the Lord and His salvation. It however does not mean that the Lord despises the rich and the privileged in the world, as some may have misunderstood the true intention of this Gospel passage. What the Lord warned His disciples and all of us against through this interaction with the rich man was in fact the unhealthy attachments and obsessions that we tend to have for those worldly desires, wealth, riches and other things of worldly nature that we have around us. And for those among us who have been blessed more with them, the risk and chance is indeed higher for us to be overwhelmed and misguided by those temptations.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we listened to these words of the Lord contained in the Sacred Scriptures, all of us are reminded today as we are about to enter soon into the penitential season and time of Lent, that each and every one of us should reevaluate our way of life and actions, how we live our lives each day, and what our focus and attention in life is, so that we do not end up losing sight on the true destination of our lives, that is the Lord and His salvation, the eternal life and true happiness that He has reassured us with. We must not allow ourselves to be swayed easily by the allures of worldly desires and ambitions, or to be misguided and misled by the many temptations of glory and power, and all the things that may lead us astray in our journey of faith.

Instead, as we prepare ourselves for the coming of the holy and blessed Lenten season, let us all learn to detach ourselves from all these worldly temptations and pleasures, resisting the various pressures and temptations that may lead us astray in our path, and we should make the conscious effort to walk the path of righteousness and virtue in God, in every parts of our lives, in our every actions, words and deeds and in everything we do especially during this upcoming season of repentance and purification, so that we may truly prepare ourselves well to welcome the Lord and reorientate our lives to focus upon Him once again. We are all fortunate that God has given us constantly His generous mercy and the many opportunities that He has provided us so that we may come and seek Him once again and be reconciled with Him. We should not squander these opportunities that we have received.

May the Lord, our most loving God and Father, our most merciful and compassionate Master continue to show us all His love and most generous mercy, and may He continue to strengthen and empower us all in our journey in life so that despite all the pressures, temptations and all the other obstacles that we may be facing in our paths, we may continue to devote ourselves thoroughly to the Lord, committing our time and effort at all times to be the worthy bearers of our Christian faith and truth, by living to the best of our abilities in glorifying God by our lives, even to the smallest and seemingly least significant of our actions. May God be with us always, and may He continue to bless our every good works, efforts and endeavours, and bless our preparations for the upcoming season of Lent. Amen.

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Sunday, 2 March 2025 : Eighth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this Sunday as we all celebrate the Eighth and the last Sunday before the beginning of the Season and time of Lent, we are all called to keep in mind how all of us carry ourselves in our lives, in our every actions, words and deeds. This is because all of us are ultimately accountable for our actions, and our faith in God truly ought to be made genuine, real and evident through our daily living, in how we carry ourselves and interact with one another, and in how we present ourselves in our society and world today, and not just merely paying lip service to the Lord. Each and every one of us must be active in living our faith in our daily lives, and be the good and worthy disciples and servants of God, in proclaiming God’s truth and love through our own lives and actions.

In our first reading this Sunday, taken from the Book of the prophet Sirach, we heard of the words of the prophet Sirach that brought forth the wisdom of knowing a person by his or her deeds, using the comparison to that of a kiln and its pottery product, or a furnace and its products, a tree and its fruits, among others. It is a reminder for all of us that our faith that we have in us are all ultimately proven through our actions, lives and deeds, in how we all live our lives each day and at every moments of our lives. We cannot truly call ourselves as being faithful to the Lord, committed to Him and His path unless we truly embody our faith in everything that we say and do, in each and every moments of our lives. After all, how can we call ourselves as Christians if we do not live our lives as Christians should, in the manner that the Lord has taught us to do?

Then, from our second reading this Sunday, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in the city of Corinth, we are all reminded of the dangers of sin which is death, and how St. Paul reassured the faithful that sin and death no longer have their hold and power over us because of what our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, had done for our sake, in offering Himself as the Paschal Lamb of sacrifice for the atonement of all of our innumerable sins and faults. We must first understand that disobedience leads to the existence of sin, as we and our predecessors since the days of Adam had disobeyed the Lord and His commandments, following instead the rebellion of Satan and the fallen angels, and hence, through sin, we have been sundered from the Lord and Master of Life, God Himself, and therefore, falls into the sufferings of death.

However, God does not desire for any one of us to be destroyed because of sin and death, and that is why, He sent unto us His Son to be our Redeemer, and to open for us the sure path towards Himself and His loving Presence. Through Christ, all of us have received the assurance of eternal happiness and life with God, because by His most selfless and loving sacrifice on the Cross, He has offered on our behalf the only worthy sacrifice and offering to blot out all of the corruptions of sin and evil that have afflicted us, and by His perfect obedience, He as the Son of Man and the New Adam, has shown us all the antithesis of the disobedience of man that had led us all into sin and death in the first place. Therefore, through the great love and mercy of God, all of us have received this assurance of salvation.

Our Gospel passage this Sunday, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard again something similar to what we have heard in our first reading from the prophet Sirach, in which the Lord told His disciples and therefore all of us of the need for all of us mankind to reflect upon our lives and actions, on whether we have truly lived our lives worthily of the Lord, by doing what He has commanded us to do, or whether we have allowed ourselves to be swayed easily by the many temptations of worldly glory and pleasures, ambitions and other attachments we may have to all these worldly things which can distract us from the true path towards God and His salvation. We must ourselves first be aware of our own shortcomings and sins, or else, we may not be able to take the right steps towards the Lord.

This was presented by the Lord using the analogy and comparison to the ‘blind leading the blind’ and also the example of how a person who wants to remove the splinter in the other person’s eyes, and yet failed to realise the presence of the ‘plank’ in his own eyes. This is in fact also a subtle criticism that the Lord presented against the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, the religious elites and the elders of the people of the time, many of whom were very proud of their superior knowledge of the Law and their piety to God, and yet, they failed to recognise that they themselves were sinners and unworthy before God, and their way of observing the Law had in fact been flawed as well, and that pride, arrogance and haughtiness had become stumbling blocks in their path towards God without them perhaps realising it.

That is why the Lord reminds all of His disciples and followers, all of us gathered here today that we should always be vigilant against all sorts of the temptations to sin, and continue to grow in our faith and virtues in the Lord, resisting all the temptations of sin and evil, and disconnecting ourselves from all the worldly pursuits of glory and all the other things that may lead us astray away from the Lord. We must always try our best to keep our lives holy and worthy by doing what is right according to the Law of God, and to do His will in each and every moments of our lives, being good inspiration and examples to our brothers and sisters around us, leading by examples as good and faithful servants and disciples of the Lord. We should always be humble in all things and at every circumstances, knowing that we are truly sinners, and it is by God’s grace that we have been made whole again through His mercy and forgiveness.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we all reflect upon these words of the Sacred Scriptures, let us all continue to commit ourselves to the Lord each day, doing our best to walk in the path of the Lord, being devoted servants of God and being good examples to others, while giving our support to our fellow brethren who may be struggling in their faith and lives. And the best day that we can do this is by trying our best to live lives that are truly committed and obedient to the will of God in our own capacity, and strive to support our brethren in their own efforts and actions, that together as the members of God’s Church, we may persevere together throughout whatever challenges and trials we may have to face along our journey together as one united people of God.

May the Lord, our most loving and compassionate God and Father, continue to guide us all through this journey of faith and life, especially as we begin to prepare ourselves for the upcoming season and time of Lent, to be more aware of our sinfulness and the need for conversion and renewal in our lives, to renew our faith in the Lord and to attune ourselves once more with Him, so that we may draw ever closer to His loving Presence and be ever more courageous in committing ourselves to the path of virtue and righteousness, distancing ourselves from all that is sinful and evil. May the Lord bless our every good efforts and endeavours, and be with us always. Amen.

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Saturday, 1 March 2025 : 7th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

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

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, all of us are reminded of the great love which the Lord our loving God and Father has for each and every one of us, His beloved children and creation, whom He had created out of His overflowing and most generous love. God has always loved each and every one of us and despite our sins and wickedness, all the evils and waywardness of our lives, but God never gave up on us, and His love still persisted and remained nonetheless throughout all the struggles that He had to go through in reaching out to us and loving us persistently. It is God’s ever enduring and persistent, most generous and genuine love that has given us this sure hope and the certainty of salvation, because it is through God alone that we can have the hope of salvation.

In our first reading today, taken from the continuation of the Book of the prophet Sirach, we heard of the prophet mentioning to the people of God about how God created all of them and all mankind, and all of creation, and how mankind, having been formed and made in the very image and appearance of God, had received the great gift of Wisdom and power from God, and how this gift of Wisdom has been granted to them so that they may all discern the ways of the world and the path towards righteousness and truth, to follow whatever it is that God has taught them and shown to them, and allowing them to obey Him as their Father, just as faithful and loving children obeying their parents, and walking in the path that God has led them through, so that they would not end up falling into the wrong path of evil and wickedness.

As I have mentioned before, the prophet Sirach lived and compiled his works about two centuries before the coming of Christ, at a time of great change and turbulence in the community of the people of God, at a point of time when the Jewish community in Judea, Galilee and elsewhere were facing pressures and challenges, in particular with regards to their way of life and their faith and belief in God. At that time, during the height of the Hellenistic Era, many among the Jewish people and other people in the region began to be strongly influenced by the ways and beliefs of the Greeks, which led to many people to begin abandoning the ways of their ancestors, and for the people of God, it led to them abandoning the Law and commandments of God for the pagan practices and beliefs of the Greeks.

And all of that had led to the conflict and disagreements among the people of God regarding which path they ought to be following and obeying, and hence, the prophet Sirach reminded them all that since God had created all of them good and wonderful, perfect and full of wisdom, therefore, all of them should continue to serve the Lord and following His path, dedicating themselves and their time, their efforts and works to glorify God by their lives, lived in obedience and commitment to the path of the Lord. We are reminded of the good that are in us, which although it has been marred and corrupted by sin, by the corruption of evil and darkness, the fact remains that there is still this good within us as God has given and blessed us with.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist, we heard of the Lord speaking to His disciples, rebuking and chiding them from keeping the little children from coming towards Him. Those disciples had tried to stop the children from coming towards the Lord, and they tried to send them away, only for the Lord to rebuke them for what they had done, as He wanted all the children to come to Him. Why is that so, brothers and sisters in Christ? That is because as the Lord Himself had said it, the future of the Kingdom of God belonged to those children, as those children would become the ones to continue the struggle and journey of the faith, and they also served as the good examples and role models for everyone else to follow in how they all ought to believe in the Lord, in the salvation which God has promised.

The faith of the little children is also something that is pure and exemplary, as the faith that each and every one of them had, were truly free from the corruption of worldly desires, ambitions and pressures, all of which only grew to influence us as we grew up in age, and became no longer innocent and pure in our thoughts and ways. That is why the Lord used those little children as examples and reminders for all of His disciples and also for all of us that this purity and truth, they are all our true nature, the true nature of our humanity, that has been made all wonderful and perfect in the image of God, and meant to glorify Him by our lives and existence, and as His beloved children and people, we should always walk in His Presence, and remain loved and cared for by His loving kindness as always.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, that is why the Lord has always been active in reaching out to us, His children, because He truly loves each and every one of us, without exception. He wants all of us to be reunited to Him and no longer be separated from Him because of our many sins and wickedness. He has provided us with the various means and methods through which we can truly find our way back to Him. But whether we want to follow Him or not, and whether we want to embrace God’s ever generous love and mercy or not, is entirely up to us, because God has also given us the free will and the freedom to choose our path in life. Yet, let us all realise that without God by our side, and if we continue to walk down the path of rebellion against Him, in the end, there will be nothing for us but an eternity of regret. It is in the Lord alone that we can have the sure hope of eternal happiness and joy, together with our Father Who loves us all.

May the Lord, our ever loving God and Father, continue to love each and every one of us as His beloved children, and may He continue to strengthen and encourage us all in the respective journey that we encounter in this life so that in whatever challenges and trials, difficulties and all sorts of obstacles we may encounter, we will continue to remain faithful and true in our love for Him, and that we may be strong and resilient in resisting the various temptations and pressures all around us, trying to drag us away from the Lord, our loving Father, and bringing us into the path of darkness and sin. Let us all keep in mind that all of us should obey the Lord and His commandments, and strive to be truly good, holy and worthy of our loving God and Father, by doing our best to live a truly Christian life at all times. May God bless us in our every efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Friday, 28 February 2025 : 7th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded to live our lives with virtue and righteousness, to do what God has commanded and taught us to do, to be truly Christians not just in name or appearance, but also in our every actions, words and deeds, in our every moments in life. As Christians, all of us must be good role models, in being the good examples for everyone around us, touching their lives by our inspiring actions. We must show our Christian faith in all of our interactions with one another, in our love for our fellow brothers and sisters around us, and in our desire to carry out our activities in accordance with God’s will, following His Law and commandments at all times, in how we act towards our friends and even to strangers all around us.

In our first reading today, taken from the continuation of the Book of the prophet Sirach, we heard of the words of wisdom from the prophet Sirach to the people of God regarding the matter of friendships and relationships, and how one ought to manage these in our lives, so that we do not end up being disappointed by the friends we make, who may not be our true and lasting friends. The prophet Sirach presented the wisdom of God in highlighting the different kinds of friends that we may have and make in our lives’ journeys. He rightly mentioned how if we are not careful or vigilant, we may end up be making friends with those who just seek benefits from that friendship they were making with us, but one that do not truly last.

Why is that so? That is because some people are friends with us just because there are things that they can benefit from us, and this is the reality of how the world works. And there will be those who stay by our side only during the good and prosperous times, while when things go against us, they will likely abandon us. Only true and faithful friends will stay by our side, and not leave us even when things are difficult for us. That is exactly what the prophet Sirach told us, that we should treasure any of these good and faithful friends if we have them with us, and take good care of such friends and the friendships that we should nurture and maintain with them. This is something that we should be doing in our lives, in living our lives faithfully as good Christian brothers and sisters to one another, to be faithful and committed to our relationships and friendships with each other.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist, we heard of the moment when the Lord Jesus was confronted by some Pharisees as He was out teaching the people, asking and testing Him about the matter of divorce, on whether divorce is allowed or not as according to the Law of God revealed through Moses, divorce had been allowed as long as certain requirements were fulfilled. Thus, those Pharisees tried to test the Lord with this difficult dilemma and case, hoping to trap Him in His own words and discredit Him before the people. But the Lord showed forth His Wisdom and authority, and proclaimed the truth of God, His intentions for His people and the true meaning of the Law plainly through His words.

The Lord made it clear that divorce was not in fact meant to be possible, as the Lord Himself said that this concession was made by Moses because the Israelites back then were so stubborn and hardened in their hearts that he allowed this concession for divorce to happen. The Lord reminded the people and all of us that the sanctity of marriage as God had intended it, is not supposed to be easily overridden by man’s desires and whim, or by certain agreements and arrangements, as how the divorce laws and rules were practiced by the Pharisees and the people of God at that time. In fact, by the time of the Lord’s ministry and works, many of these rules and laws were further amended to make it easier for people to divorce their spouses, but this led them to commit adultery and sins against God.

Linking what we heard in our Gospel passage today to the first reading from the Book of the prophet Sirach, we are essentially reminded that in our establishment of relationships, particularly in the Holy Matrimony or Marriage between man and woman, it is very important that we develop good and healthy relationship before rushing into marriage, which is in fact one of the main reasons why marriages failed in the past, as it had been throughout history and up to this very day. Many people did not prepare themselves well for the married life, or did not know their spouses well enough before committing themselves to the sacred union blessed by God, and hence, later on committing sin by adulterous relationships in cheating on their spouses with other people.

It is also important to take note that strong and good Christian families are the important foundations and pillars of the Church, as it is through good and faithful Christian families, filled with love and faith in God, and also with love and devotion to one another that we can raise generations of young Christians that are steeped in God’s love and grace, and by showing them how we all ought to live as Christians, as God’s holy people, His disciples and followers, that we can lead new generations of the faithful of God, showing them the path to follow in our journey of faith as Christians, as we navigate through the difficulties, challenges and temptations found all around us in this world. If we are not careful, and let the evil one to strike at our families, then it will harm the Church and countless young Christians and ourselves as well.

That is why as Christians, we are exhorted to be careful in how we live our lives, so that we may avoid committing acts and ways in our lives that are contrary to our Christian faith and beliefs. We must not do things that may constitute a scandal to our faith, to the Church and the Holy Name of the Lord. Unfortunately many amongst our predecessors who are Christians, were themselves bad examples of this, as many among them did not remain faithful to the commitments that they had made in their marriage, leading to adulterous relationships, broken families, neglected children and spouses, among other things that are truly inappropriate and improper for us as Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people.

Let us all remind ourselves that as God’s holy and beloved people, each and every one of us ought to reflect the same kind of love that God has for us, the love that is totally generous, unconditional and genuine, in how we treat one another, be it as friends or relatives, and be it as spouses in our families, in our other forms of relationships and friendships in this life we have. Let us all strive to be good and worthy examples of our Christian living, modelling our every actions, words and deeds, our whole lives on the examples that our Lord Himself has shown us, and which many of our holy predecessors, the saints and martyrs had inspired us all with as well. May the Lord be with us always, and may He continue to guide us all to His path, to His salvation and eterrnal life. Amen.

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Thursday, 27 February 2025 : 7th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Gregory of Narek, Abbot and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Abbots)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the need for us to distance ourselves from the corruption of sin and evil, resisting the temptations of worldly desires, pleasures and ambitions, all the things that can lead us astray in the journey towards the Lord and His salvation. We are called to remain vigilant and be constantly on guard so that we do not end up being easily tempted or persuaded to abandon our faith in the Lord and embracing instead the wickedness of worldly vices and evils, all of which may indeed be very tempting and convincing in making us think twice about following the Lord and His path. As Christians, we should be good role models in leading the path, showing the way for others to follow in focusing our lives in God.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Sirach we heard the words of the prophet reminding the people of God of the dangers and all the harm caused by sin and all the temptations to sin, and also for the people not to test God’s patience and mercy. The prophet Sirach reminded the faithful that while God is indeed loving, compassionate and full of mercy, but at the same time He is also a good and just God Who despises the corruption and wickedness of sin and evil in our actions and waywardness. Therefore, we must not take for granted the love and mercy which God has generously given to us, and we must make good use of the opportunities and chances that He has given us to repent and to turn away from our path of sin and wickedness, and to embrace His mercy and love wholeheartedly.

The prophet Sirach was preaching especially to a population of the descendants of the Israelites, which during his time, at the height of the Hellenistic era, about two centuries before the coming of Christ, was increasingly influenced by the Greek ways and pagan ideals, a society of God’s people being torn between the Law and traditions of the Israelites and the innovations and ways of the Greeks that were becoming increasingly popular among them at the time. That was why the prophet Sirach reminded the people of God not to test God and His patience and mercy, and exhorting them all to turn once again to the way of the Lord, abandoning their wickedness and sins, which their ancestors had been punished for, and which the Lord wanted His people to stay away from.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist in which the Lord told His disciples with rather blunt language telling them to avoid committing sins and wickedness in their lives or else they might end up being condemned in the eternal damnation in Hell because of their sins and what they had done. The Lord made it clear with those vivid representations that sin is truly something dangerous and what we must be careful with or else, we may end up falling down the path towards damnation. But we must not misunderstand what the Lord said as literally meaning that we should chop off our hands and legs, or tear off our eyes if they were to lead us to sin. Rather, what the Lord wanted to highlight is the severity of sin such that it is really important that we take the necessary steps to keep ourselves free from it, or else, we may indeed fall into eternal damnation.

Our body itself, our hands, legs and eyes, and our other body parts are themselves neutral and not evil in nature. It is our thoughts, minds and hearts that can either bring these body parts to be used for good purposes or for evil. That is why we are all reminded that we should keep ourselves free from sin by resisting the temptations to do so, and to do whatever we can to perform good deeds and actions in accordance to God’s will, obeying His Law and commandments in everything that we do, so that by our lives and examples, we may truly be good role models and inspiration for everyone to follow, to be the shining beacons of God’s light and truth in our world today, bringing forth His righteousness and truth to everyone around us, and hopefully through our good and faithful lives, we may touch the lives of many others in the good way.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Gregory of Narek, a renowned holy man and Abbot from the Armenian Church, also known as Gregor Narekatsi, as he was stationed in the region of Lake Van in historical Armenia, a place known as Narekavank. He was born as the son of a local bishop, who was suspected of Chalcedonian beliefs and was persecuted for that faith. The young St. Gregory of Narek and his brother was sent to Narekavank for his education and upbringing, and eventually was ordained a priest and became a monk and abbot of that institution in Narekavank, which was why he was later on known famously as St. Gregory of Narek. This holy man of God devoted his whole life in teaching theology at the area and also wrote extensively many theological works and other books related to the Christian faith.

The many writings of St. Gregory of Narek in various areas and philosophical discourses, as well as the works on theology and other commentaries on the Scriptures are very influential in the Armenian Church and beyond, and after he passed away, many people venerated this holy man of God who devoted his life to the study of the faith, and who was also personally full of faith and piety in God. He also showed all of us Christians what it truly means for us to walk in the path of God’s grace and righteousness, rejecting the temptations of worldly glory, ambitions and fame, the allures of sin and evil. All of us can learn well to follow the good examples that St. Gregory of Narek has shown us through his life and works, and we should follow in his footsteps in our own daily living as Christians.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all as Christians be good role models of our faith in how we live our lives in each and every moments, even in the smallest and least significant things that we do, so that by our every good actions and examples we may inspire many more people to come and believe in God as well. Let us all therefore commit ourselves to a life of virtue and righteousness, doing our best so that our every actions, words and deeds will be truly worthy for us as Christians, like that of St. Gregory of Narek before us, and our many other holy predecessors. May the Lord be with us always and may He continue to guide us all in our lives so that we may always be full of faith and virtues in all things. Amen.

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Wednesday, 26 February 2025 : 7th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are being reminded of the need for us to continue obeying the will of God and to do whatever it is that the Lord has entrusted to us to do in our respective lives, through the good use of whatever talents, opportunities and other blessings that we have received from Him. Each and every one of us as Christians are expected to do our best such that we will continue to glorify Him by our lives, and be the good and worthy bearers of His truth, Good News and love to everyone whom we encounter and interact with in life. As Christians, all of us are called and expected to be the faithful bearers of God’s Good News, to be truly evangelising and missionary in our everyday moments.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Sirach, we heard of the Wisdom of God and how through this Wisdom all of us are led and guided through the right path, with God guiding us through the words that His Wisdom speaks in the depths of our hearts and minds, helping us all to make the good choices and judgments in each and every turns of our lives. If we can trust in His Wisdom, His guidance and truth, then we will truly be assured of the path towards God and His salvation, as the prophet Sirach had mentioned. There will be difficult and tough moments in which we have to endure and persevere through, but with the guidance from God, eventually everything will be fine for us, as long as we continue to put our trust and faith in Him. But if we wander off and detach ourselves from His Wisdom, then we shall end up being lost and cast away from God.

This is an important reminder for us that our lives as Christians will not necessarily be an easy and smooth-sailing one, as there will likely be many obstacles, hardships and challenges facing us in our path. There will be twists and turns in our journey where we may be hard pressed to follow the path of the world, where we need to remember to trust in the Lord and His Wisdom. We must not allow ourselves to be swayed easily by these pressures, and we must always trust in the Wisdom of God guiding us in our path. And as Christians, it is important for us to be the role models for others around us, in showing everyone how our lives and actions are shaped and guided by the Wisdom of God and not by the whim of our own desires or by worldly ambitions.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist in which we heard of the moment when the Lord Jesus told His disciples not to stop a man who was performing good works in His Name, even though he did not belong to their group. The context of this exchange is that those disciples witnessed the man who drove out demons from others using the Name of the Lord, invoking Him in the process. And those disciples were likely uncomfortable with the fact that there were those who were working miracles and wonders that were not connected to their group. And the Lord told His disciples that His gifts and wonders were not meant to be exclusive or discriminatory.

It means that there should be no exclusivity in the gifts of the Lord, or that those who do work in the Name of the Lord ought to belong to a certain caste or group, without which they are not authorised to do the works of the Lord. This is also shown in other occasions in how even the Gentiles received the same gifts from the Lord, and the power of the Holy Spirit, both during the time of the Lord’s ministry and the works of the Apostles later on. This shows the Universality of the Church, how the Lord’s calling and the missions He has entrusted to all of us mankind, are truly universal in nature, given to all the whole world, and to all the children of man, without exception. And this was the reminder that the Lord gave to His disciples, that they should not think that they were above the others because of the gifts and the blessings which He has given to them.

Many among the disciples of the Lord at that time thought that the Lord came as the Messiah to liberate the people of God, the Israelites from their enemies and those who have ruled over them, and many among them likely thought that they would receive rich rewards of the world, becoming the important members and parts of the reestablished Kingdom of Israel with Christ as its King, and hence, naturally, they would not suffer any rivals to their position. This was further supported by the evidence of rivalry and bickering among them as frequently recorded in the Gospels, where those disciples bickered with each other on who among them was the most important and better one as compared to the others. All these attitudes are not what the Lord desired from His disciples and followers.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, just as we all have heard from the first reading passage taken from the Book of the prophet Sirach, about the Wisdom of God and how we should put our trust and faith in this Wisdom, instead of in our own power, might and intelligence, therefore, linking to what we have heard from the exchange between the Lord and His disciples in our Gospel passage today, we are reminded that we should distance ourselves from the corruption of worldly desires and glory, all the attachments we may have towards worldly ambitions and pleasures, all the things that can lead us astray from the path of righteousness towards God. That is why we are reminded that we should listen to the Lord and His Wisdom, and not to allow our own ego, pride and desires from leading us astray in life.

May the Lord, our most loving God and Father, continue to be with us, guiding us and strengthening us in our journey throughout life. May He empower all of us with the resolve and the courage to continue walking down this journey of faith, and bless us all with His Wisdom so that we may perceive the right path in life, and that we may continue to remain faithful to Him, doing His will and obeying His Law and commandments at all times. May all of us as Christians be committed and faithful disciples of the Lord, and be the good examples and inspiration for everyone around us, and may all of us continue to do our best to glorify the Lord as always by our exemplary lives. Amen.