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Friday, 22 November 2024 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures all of us are reminded through them of the need for each and every one of us to be truly faithful and committed to God, to follow the Lord in all of our ways and to embody our faith in each and every one of our actions so that we may truly be worthy of Him through our various efforts and contributions, in focusing ourselves upon God’s Law and commandments, in keeping ourselves free from the taint and corruption of evil and sin, all the things that can keep us away from the Lord and His salvation, and all the things that had brought us to the corruption that defiled the sanctity of the Temple of God that is our body, our mind, heart and soul, our very beings, which God has made to be His temple and House.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Revelations of St. John the Apostle, we heard of the continuation of the account of the heavenly vision of St. John that he received during his exile in the Island of Patmos about the end of times and the upcoming tribulations and challenges for the faithful people of God, and how God ultimately will redeem and deliver all of them to the ultimate triumph and victory with Him. In today’s part of the vision that has been told to us, we heard of the Angel of God giving the small book from his hand to St. John to eat as instructed by the Angel, and St. John tasted that this Book of the Word of God is truly sweet in the mouth and yet bitter in the stomach after he had swallowed it.

This is in fact a very good reminder for all of us that the truth and the Word of God is something that is very reassuring and a show of God’s love for us, which is represented by the sweetness of that book which St. John the Apostle consumed in his vision. Then, that bitterness in the stomach is a representation of the hardships and sufferings, the trials and challenges that those who are on the side of the Lord will have to endure to be truly living good and worthy Christian lives. This is a metaphor of what faithful Christians, holy and committed people of God would be going through in their journey, like what the Apostles and the many early Christians had endured and suffered from. Many of them were persecuted, and faced all kinds of martyrdom.

Then, in our Gospel passage today taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke, we heard of the account of the time and moment when the Lord Jesus angrily got rid of all the merchants, money changers and other businesses peddling their merchandise and products, services and other corrupt practices in the courtyard of the Temple of God in Jerusalem. At that time, many of the Jewish people were actually scattered in different places and countries, and many of them lived in places that were distant from their homeland in Jerusalem and Judea. There were many reasons for this, some of them being the destruction of the old kingdoms of Israel and Judah which scattered quite a number of the Israelites to various distant places, and they settled down in those places instead of returning to their homeland as some others had done.

And therefore, since these people came from various places which have distinct and different currencies, it is necessary for those businesses to be set up in the Temple courtyard, such as the selling of animals and other things needed for the ritual sacrifices required by the Law and commandments of God, as it was unlikely for the pilgrims to be bringing their own sacrifices all the way to Jerusalem. Similarly, there was also a rule and custom that the sacrificial offerings cannot be purchased using money that is unclean or improper, such that the ones produced by the Romans, with the Emperor’s face on them, and as the Emperor or the deities in the other coins are improper, hence, the money changers provided the service to exchange the money brought by the pilgrims with the silver coins issued by the Temple that can then be used for the purchase of the sacrificial offerings.

However, the issue that the Lord Jesus took great offense with and which angered Him very much was just how corrupt those who have carried out those businesses had been, in how they overcharged and profitted a lot from gaining money from all the transactions they did, in fooling those pilgrims and cheating them of their money. The chief priests and the Temple officials also turned a blind eye to all the injustice and wickedness, and that was likely because they also profitted from the proceeds and efforts of all those merchants and money changers, and hence, tacitly gave their quiet support for the continued wicked deeds by those who sought to profit above the sufferings of others. Hence, the Lord was truly angered by this, and He cast those wicked merchants and money changers all out, reminding everyone and all of us that God’s Temple is a House of Prayer, and not for such wicked things.

Now, we are then also reminded that as mentioned earlier, our own body, heart, mind and soul are also actually Temples of the Lord’s Holy Presence, the House of the Lord in which God Himself dwells. He is in us, dwelling in us and journeying with us as He has provided us all His own Most Precious Body and Blood, which we all partake through the Most Holy Eucharist, the Lord Himself, in His Body and Blood, His Real Presence, coming into us. And at the same time, God has also given us all His Holy Spirit, bestowed on us all through His Son, sending down the Spirit of Life and grace to us, as He has given to His Church ever since the Pentecost Sunday till this day. And hence, if the Lord Himself is present in us, should we all not then ensure that our bodies, minds, hearts and souls, our whole beings are truly worthy of Him?

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Cecilia, the famous martyr and patron saint of music and musicians. St. Cecilia was born into a noble Roman family during the third century at a time of difficulty and persecution for the Christians in the early Church. She was born into possibly a Christian family who nonetheless forced her to marry a pagan nobleman named Valerius. Prior to this, St. Cecilia had dedicated herself in holy virginity to God and vowed not to get married as she dedicated her virginity to the Lord. Her association with music and musicians stemmed from the event that happened during her wedding when she sang passionately from her heart, dedicating the song to God. And she remained chaste afterwards, warning her husband not to touch or violate her virginity as an Angel of the Lord was standing by her side and protecting her.

When Valerius, the husband of St. Cecilia asked her to see the Angel of God, St. Cecilia told her husband that he would be able to see the Angel if he agreed to be baptised as a Christian and go to a specific place outside of Rome. Eventually after following St. Cecilia’s advice, her husband witnessed the Angel of God standing by the side of his wife, and therefore he believed. Eventually then, amidst all the persecutions and trials that happened at that time, all of them were martyred, St. Cecilia herself with her husband, Valerius and her husband’s brother. St. Cecilia herself was martyred by being struck by a sword on the neck, and to the very end, she remained ever faithful to the Lord and became great role model and example for many other Christians during her time and afterwards, right up to this very day. Her courage and example in faith should continue to inspire us all in how we ourselves ought to live our faith as Christians.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have reflected from the passages of the Sacred Scriptures earlier on and from the life and examples shown by St. Cecilia, holy martyr and servant of God, let us all therefore commit ourselves to a renewed life in faith, doing whatever we can in order to live a life that is truly and wholly righteous, good and full of virtue, distancing ourselves from the taint and corruption of sin to the best of our abilities to do so. Let us all be good role models and inspirations for one another, to be the shining beacons of God’s light, hope and Good News in our world today. May God be with us always and may He always strengthen us in our faith. Amen.

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Thursday, 21 November 2024 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Lord in the Scriptures, we are reminded of the great and most loving Mother of God, Mary, who is also our Mother on this day, when we are celebrating the Feast of her Presentation at the Temple and House of God. On this day we remember the time when Mary, when she was just born into this world, she was presented to the Lord at His Temple following His instruction in the Law and commandments that all the firstborn children were to be offered to Him. According to Church and Apostolic tradition, Mary, the Mother of God was presented at the Temple of God by her parents, St. Joachim and St. Anne, as their firstborn and only daughter, dedicating her for the purpose which they then had not known or realised yet.

For Mary has been specially set aside by the Lord Himself to be the one to bear His Presence in the flesh, as He became incarnate in this world, assuming our human nature by the will of the Father and power of the Holy Spirit, that the Son of God might be present in our midst, as the Son of Man, to be carried and born from Mary, who therefore would hence be known as the Mother of God. And because she herself is to bear the Divine Son of God, hence, the Church teaches that through the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary that she had been conceived free from the taint of original sin and had been in the state of fullness of grace throughout all of her life. This means that Mary has been completely obedient to the Lord and having also therefore been presented to God at the Temple, it also symbolically marked how she has been prepared for the important role she was to have in the story of our salvation.

In our first reading today taken from the Book of the prophet Zechariah we heard of the reassurance of God’s salvation and His providence to His people which He delivered to them all through His prophet, amidst all the hardships, challenges and difficulties that they had all endured because of their own disobedience and refusal to obey God’s words and will. The Lord has never forgotten or abandoned them all despite their disobedience, wickedness and stubbornness in refusing to follow His Law and commandments. And He has kept on promising His salvation and deliverance to all of them, all throughout the time, encouraging and strengthening them, guiding and helping them through His many prophets and messengers, including that of Zechariah himself.

All these would hence be fulfilled in due time, a few centuries after the time of the prophet Zechariah, when as mentioned, when Mary came to be in this world, set aside by God to be the faithful servant and the woman through whom His salvation, the long awaited Saviour would come into this world. God has not forgotten about His people and He proved it all through the sending of this woman, preserved and kept from all the taints of sin and evil so that the Saviour may come through her into this world, bringing forth the light and hope that had long been dimmed by a world filled with sin and darkness. Through Mary, and her willingness to follow the Lord and to do what she has been entrusted to do, all of us have received the assurance of salvation and eternal life, the straight path back towards the Lord and the glory of Heaven that has always been intended for us.

For Mary is indeed the New Eve, the one who directs us all to the New Adam, that is Christ Himself, her beloved Son and our Saviour. While the first and old Adam had disobeyed God and sinned against Him, the New Adam, Our Lord and Saviour as the New Man obeyed perfectly the will of His Father and became for us therefore the source of salvation and eternal life. And this is mirrored by the examples of His own Mother Mary, who as the New Eve obeyed the Lord and refused to follow the path of sin done by the first and original Eve, who gave in to temptation and disobeyed the Lord’s words and command, choosing to follow the whim of human desire and ambition rather than to follow and trust in the Lord. Mary obeyed perfectly when she was entrusted with the most important mission of bearing the Saviour in her.

Then, from our Gospel passage today taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew, we heard of the occasion when the Lord was teaching the people and then some of them were telling Him that His Mother, Mary and some of His relatives, brothers from His family but not the sons of Mary, were there waiting on Him, as they commonly followed Him in some of His ministries and works. But the Lord seemed to rebuke them when He said that His mother and brothers are those who have listened to the Lord, obeyed His will and commandments, and followed Him wholeheartedly. Indeed, if we only read His words at face value and did not truly understand His intentions, those words might seem to be very rude, but this was not what the Lord intended.

In fact, the Lord was highlighting His own Mother’s perfect and most exemplary faith, shown through her total obedience to the will of God and her commitment to the mission entrusted to her. It was at the same time also a reminder to everyone including each one of us that the Lord has no favouritism, unlike those commonly practiced by the people of His time and even that of ours. It does not mean that being related to Him or being a close disciple of His would guarantee that one would be honoured more and praised, or receiving more rights to salvation than others who did not have such a connection. All of us are equally beloved by God and we all have equal opportunities to come to the Lord and be reconciled to Him. And Mary herself has also shown her most wonderful faith by example, and we truly honour her not just because she is the Mother of God, of Our Lord and Saviour but also by her most wonderful and exemplary faith in God.

As we have heard from our Scripture passages today, we are therefore reminded to be like Mary, the Mother of God and our Mother, whose faith and dedication to God, whose love for her Son, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and also her love for us are truly wonderful and beautiful to behold. We are all called to dedicate ourselves and our lives to the Lord, and to follow Him wholeheartedly at all times, in all the occasions and circumstances of our lives. May the Lord continue to bless us all and our every efforts, and through the constant intercession of His Blessed and most loving Mother, who is also our Mother, we may continue to be encouraged and strengthened to allow us to follow our Lord faithfully and ever more courageously in each and every moments of our lives. May God be with us always and may He continue to guide in our journey in life, together with His most loving Mother Mary, our own beloved Mother. Amen.

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Wednesday, 20 November 2024 : 33rd 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 all reminded of the responsibilities that we have as Christians, that is as all those whom God had called and chosen to be His own people, so that we all should live worthily in the presence of God, being inspiration and role models for each other in how we live our lives well, committed and dedicated to glorifying the Lord by our every actions throughout our daily living. We must always make good use of the many blessings, opportunities and all the other things which God has presented to us in all of our lives, so that by our contributions and works, we may indeed be living true and genuine Christian lives, in accordance with God has commanded us all to do.

In our first reading today, we heard of the words from the Book of Revelations of St. John the Apostle in which he highlighted the great vision of Heaven and God in all of His glory upon His Throne, which showed the revelation of the One Whom we truly believe in and have been worshipping. God had indeed made Himself visible and approachable to us through His Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word of God, but at the same time, He is still the Almighty, Omnipotent and Omniscient God, Master and Lord over all the whole Universe, over all of Creation. That is why St. John elaborated on all the glorious things he had witnessed of the Lord, of the greatness and glory that is unparalleled and full of perfection, and the glory of the Angels, the Seraphim and the Cherubim surrounding the Throne of God, which reflects God’s far greater glory and might in them.

Through what we have heard in that passage from the Book of Revelations of St. John the Apostle we are all reminded that God Who is our Lord and Master is truly beyond our comprehension and understanding, and He is Almighty and perfect, and has no need for us, and yet, He chose to share the overflowing Love that comes forth from His loving Heart with us all, creating all of us to share in His love and joy, and to exist with Him in His Holy Presence forevermore. This glorious existence and truth has been revealed and presented to us by St. John who also wanted each and every one of us to keep in mind the manner how we all live our lives each day. All of us must always strive to be worthy of the Lord in everything that we say and do so that everyone may know Him through us and our actions.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Luke in which the Lord Jesus told His disciples and the people listening to Him using a parable that we all ought to know well, that is the parable of the silver pounds or the silver talents. In this parable, the Lord wants to remind us all to be aware of our calling, mission and obligations as Christians, as His followers and those who have been entrusted with various and diverse gifts, blessings, talents, opportunities and other things by which we have been empowered and strengthened, and given the chance to make good use of them all for the benefit of all and everyone around us. All of us have been entrusted like those in the parable with the responsibilities, the ‘silver pounds’ which our Lord and Master has given us all, in its varying amounts and types.

As we heard from that parable, those servants who have made good use of the silver pounds they were entrusted with and gained from that investment and efforts were rewarded by the Master in the end, who entrusted them with authority and rule over cities under his power. Meanwhile, the servant who fearfully hid his silver pound, ignored his responsibilities and did nothing with it was punished for his lack of obedience and refusal to do as he had been told to. This is therefore a clear parallel and comparison with us all, in how we ought to make good use of the many blessings, gifts, talents and opportunities that God has granted to us. We should not keep them idle, ignoring the many things that we can do for the benefit of all those whom we encounter in life.

If we ignore these opportunities and do nothing in order to help all those around us whom we can help and empower through our own efforts, our care and love, then we shall have to account for it before God. For sin is not just about doing what is wrong and against the Law of God, but also includes the sin of omission, that is not doing and ignoring what we can perfectly do in our daily lives and activities, through the many opportunities and things that God had provided for us. Each and every one of us are the ones whom God had entrusted with the care of this world, the place that He has prepared for all of us, and we are also entrusted with the care of our fellow brothers and sisters, all fellow children of God, in our various capacities, be it as a parent, a child, a family member, a relative, a friend, or even as a stranger, offering love and kindness in all things.

Now, are we willing and able then to commit ourselves to a life that is filled with true grace and loving actions towards one another? Are we willing to put in the effort to invest in whatever it is that God had given us, just like those good and hardworking servants in the parable? Let us all remember that God, as St. John the Apostle showed part of His glory to us, has kindly given us all these blessings and good things, be it small or significant in amount so that we can make good use of them for everyone’s benefit. Yet, many of us had chosen to selfishly keep them to ourselves, gathering things that we desire for our own wants and ambitions. This is what we are warned against doing, and we should heed God’s reminders for us so that we do not wait until it is too late before we do something about it.

Let us all therefore continue to do our best to follow the Lord faithfully and worthily through our caring and loving actions towards our fellow brothers and sisters around us. Let us all do our part in making this world a better place, starting from ourselves and our communities, in how we act towards those whom we encounter in our daily activities and lives, and in our society surrounding us. May our actions, words and deeds continue to glorify the Lord and proclaim His truth and Good News, and bring the love of God to more and more people, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 19 November 2024 : 33rd 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, it is clear that we are all reminded to repent from our many wickedness and sins, to stop our acts of disobedience towards God and all the things which had separated us from Him, all the things that had kept us from being able to commit ourselves thoroughly and wholeheartedly to His path. All of us are reminded that God has always been rich in mercy and generous in offering us His compassionate love and kindness, and all of us are truly precious to Him, being those whom He has always loved and cared for from the very beginning, and He has created us all with love and truly intends for us all to enjoy the fullness of His love and grace.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Revelations of St. John the Apostle, we heard of the words of the Apostle reminding the faithful people of God throughout the many prominent early churches that were spread then across Christendom of the words of the Lord that had been passed and revealed to him in the series of the revelations and visions he received while he was exiled to the Island of Patmos, many decades after the Lord’s Passion, suffering, death and Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven. The Lord showed St. John what happened to those who have not obeyed the Lord and followed His ways, those who have fallen into the path of wickedness and evil, and refused to listen to Him and turn towards the light of God. He also showed then what those who have been living righteously and worthily of the Lord will enjoy at the end of time.

Thus, St. John passed on the words of the Lord delivered through the visions that he had received to the faithful people of God across Christendom, reminding them and all of us of all that we are expected to do as God’s people, His disciples and followers. We must not be lukewarm in our faith and be ignorant of our calling and the missions which God has entrusted to us, reminding all of us that everything that we should be actively doing in our lives, in each and every one of our actions and interactions with one another. We must show love and compassion to our fellow brothers and sisters around us, to be the shining beacons of God’s light, hope and truth to everyone, so that everyone may know the Lord through our dedication and commitment, our every examples and inspiration in life.

Then, from our Gospel passage today taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke we heard of the famous story of the encounter between the Lord Jesus and Zaccheus the infamous tax collector, which I am sure that all of us are quite familiar with. At that occasion, as we heard from the Gospel, the Lord was visiting the place where Zaccheus lived in, and Zaccheus, being intrigued and wanting to meet the Lord, made the effort to go and climb up a tree to be able to see Him, as he was short in stature. And already here in that part, we see the first of Zaccheus’ good qualities, being the effort that he put into seeking the Lord, going out of his way to seek Him and to find Him, when many others could be less bothered to do the same, ignoring Him and even rejecting His message and refusing to believe in Him.

Then, not only that, but Zaccheus also pledged Himself to the Lord in a most public manner before everyone who were assembled there, pledging that he would undo whatever wicked things and deeds that he might have done in the past as a tax collector. One of the many reasons why tax collectors during the time of the Lord Jesus were often reviled, hated and ostracised was that they were themselves corrupt, putting heavier taxes on the people while pocketing some of those gains for their own selfish desires and ambitions. Zaccheus must have been doing the same and hence, he was mentioned as being quite notorious among the people. But the Lord did not care about all that, as what He truly saw in Zaccheus is the potential as well as the strong desire to seek Him, which Zaccheus committed firmly in his public confession of faith and desire to repent from his many sins.

Zaccheus showed us all that even the greatest of sinners may have a change of heart and repent from his or her many sins, provided that the sinner is willing to embrace God’s most generous and wonderful love and mercy, like Zaccheus had done. His public form of repentance and commitment, as well as the desire to follow the Lord is an inspiration for many of us that God truly loves us all and wants us all, His beloved children and people to come back to Him and to be reconciled and reunited with Him without any exception. No one is truly beyond God’s rich mercy and love, and we should keep this in mind as we continue to progress through this life. We must not forget that God loves each and every one of us and He does not discriminate us one from another. It is always us who made artificial and man-made categories and barriers separating us from other people.

We should begin with following the example of humility that Zaccheus had shown us all and also the realisation that we are all sinners, imperfect and flawed, needing God’s healing and mercy above all else. We cannot and should not think that we are better and superior than others, or that there are those who does not deserve God’s love and kindness. In fact, if we see around us that there are those who are bereft of love, compassion and kindness, we should lead the way in showing them the genuine love that our Lord Himself has shown to us. In each and every one of our actions, words and deeds, in our every efforts and works, in our every interactions, we should always show love, care and concern for everyone without prejudice, and strive to seek the Lord together, helping and supporting one another in this endeavour.

May the Lord, our ever loving and compassionate God, our patient and ever caring Father, continue to bless us all with His love and grace, and help us to open our hearts and minds to Him, to get rid of the pride and stubbornness which had prevented us to come towards His salvation. May His compassionate love and mercy embrace us all much as He Himself has embraced Zaccheus the penitent in the past. May God always be with us and may He continue to journey together with us as He has always done, in our every efforts and endeavours, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Monday, 18 November 2024 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Dedication of the Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church marks the occasion of the Dedication of the two great churches of Christendom, following after just over a week ago the celebration of the Dedication of the Lateran Archbasilica, the Archbasilica of the Most Holy Saviour and of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist in Lateran, the Cathedral of the Vicar of Christ in Rome, the Mother Church of the whole world. Today, the two other great churches, namely the Papal Basilica of St. Peter in Vatican and the Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls are remembered in their dedication and consecration to become hallowed and worthy places of Divine worship and the sacred offering of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, to be the dwelling place of God Himself amongst us.

The Basilica of St. Peter in Vatican and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls together with the Lateran Archbasilica and the Basilica of St. Mary Major are altogether known as the Four Major Papal Basilicas, which were all built and then consecrated to God in the city of Rome, where the Apostolic See and the Throne of St. Peter, the first Pope and Vicar of Christ as Bishop of Rome was established. And these two great Basilicas which Dedication we remember today are celebrated together because of the importance of both St. Peter and St. Paul both to the Church in Rome as well as to the whole entire Universal Church. St. Peter as mentioned was the first Pope and the Vicar of Christ as the leader and Prince of the Apostles, while St. Paul was the Apostle to the Gentiles, the great missionary and evangeliser who dedicated his life to proclaim the Good News of God to everyone.

And these two great Basilicas are truly strongly intertwined with the story of these two Apostles as they were related to the history of their last mission and work in Rome, then the capital of the great and mighty Roman Empire, proclaiming the Word of God and His Good News to the still mostly pagan people of Rome and its surrounding regions. The Basilica of St. Peter in Vatican, in the region that is now the Sovereign State of the Vatican City stood atop the ancient area which was just outside the city of Rome during the time of the early Church, where a great Circus existed, for the purpose of races and games by the Romans, and where many of the faithful were persecuted and made to suffer martyrdom there, including that of St. Peter himself, who was martyred by the intense persecution of Christians under the Roman Emperor Nero about three decades plus after the death of Christ.

St. Paul was also martyred during that same period of intense persecution of Christians by the Romans, when many of those faithful were framed by the Roman Emperor Nero according to historical tradition, for the Great Fire of Rome that destroyed much of the city of Rome. The truth according to many historians is that probably the Emperor himself was the one responsible for the great fire, but the eccentric Emperor found it very convenient to put the blame on the Christians of Rome which were seen as foreign by the Romans due to their beliefs, and were also hated by the Jewish diaspora who disagreed with the Christian teachings. Therefore, it is easy for them to be targetted by the persecutions and the oppressions from the Roman state, especially as the Christians also refused to offer sacrifices to the pagan Roman idols and to the deified Roman Emperors.

In any case, the persecution ended with many Christians being martyred as mentioned, and like St. Peter, who was crucified upside-down in the ground that was to become the Vatican Necropolis and the Basilica of St. Peter, St. Paul himself was beheaded. The site that is to become the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls was the place where the Apostle lived during his stay in Rome which was recorded at the last part of the Acts of the Apostles, which we heard in our first reading passage today. Both of those holy places therefore served as important reminder of these two great saints of God, the ones whom God had entrusted with the mission and guidance of the Universal Church, either through the faithful leadership of St. Peter as the Chief of all the Apostles and Vicar of Christ, as well as the vigorous evangelising missionary efforts of St. Paul.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we all also listened in our Gospel passage today in commemoration of the Dedication of the two Basilicas, we heard of the story of the time when the Lord Jesus appeared to the disciples who were in the middle of the lake, attacked and troubled greatly by the storm which were happening all around them, with the great waves and wind threatening to sink the boat that they were all in. The Lord appeared to them at that darkest of moments as a source of Hope to all of them. They were all terrified thinking that He was a ghost, but the Lord told them all not to be afraid and to trust in Him. St. Peter was the first to say to the Lord that if He was truly their Lord and Master, then he would be able to walk on the water towards Him, which he then did, after the Lord invited him to do so. We heard how St. Peter stumbled and doubted seeing all the great waves and storm, and began to sink, only to be rescued by the Lord, Who then proceeded to calm the storm.

This is a reminder for all of us that the Apostles themselves were once humble men and women like us, and just like us, they were also sinners, with their doubts and imperfections, and they also face the same struggles as we do. St. Peter himself according to Apostolic tradition faced difficulties and struggles throughout his life and ministry, on top of his doubts as recorded in the Scriptures where he denied knowing the Lord during the time of His Passion. Then at the time of his suffering and martyrdom in Rome, it was told that St. Peter faltered somewhat having seen all the persecutions and martyrdom happening all around him, and he fled the city of Rome, only to encounter a vision of the Lord Jesus Himself bearing His Cross to Rome.

When St. Peter asked the Lord where He was going, the Lord told him that He was going to Rome to be crucified again. Humbled by shame at his indecisiveness and lack of faith, St. Peter went back to Rome and gave himself to be martyred, and asked to be crucified upside down as he felt unworthy to die in the exact same manner as his Lord and Master. Then, St. Paul himself as all of us know well, was a great enemy and persecutor of early Christians as an overzealous and fanatical young Pharisee, striking at many of the believers of the Lord and arresting many of them on behalf of the chief priests and the members of the Sanhedrin. But the Lord had a different plan for this young man, whom He encountered and called on the way to Damascus, which eventually led to the conversion of the young Saul, who henceforth as St. Paul devoted himself wholly to the service of God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore as we rejoice greatly on the occasion of the celebration of this anniversary of the Dedication of the two Basilicas, dedicated to the two great servants of God, St. Peter and St. Paul, whose lives we have just discussed about, let us all therefore be reminded of their great courage and faith, and also how they have turned their lives for the better by following the Lord and committing themselves to Him. They both serve as great reminders for all of us that we ourselves have also been called to be great servants and disciples of the Lord, to proclaim Him in our world today and to do what the Lord has entrusted us all to do in our own respective capacities and opportunities we have been given.

Let us all therefore strive to be ever more faithful to the Lord in all things, being ever more filled with God’s love and grace and to be truly worthy of Him, dedicating ourselves ever more to His cause. May the Lord continue to help us and strengthen each one of us, that He will always grant us His power and blessings in all the efforts and endeavours we carry out in life, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 17 November 2024 : Thirty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, World Day of the Poor (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this Sunday we heard from the passages of the Sacred Scriptures about the coming of the end of times which we all should be well prepared for in our journey of faith and life as Christians, as we are all reminded that the Lord is sure to come again just as He Himself said that He will, and at that time, all of us shall have to give an account of everything that we have done, as well as whatever it is that we have not yet done, or failed to do in whatever opportunities and chances that the Lord has provided to us. We must always remember that as Christians we have to embody our faith in God and follow Him wholeheartedly through our every actions and deeds, in our every interactions and relationship with one another.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Book of the prophet Daniel the prophecy of the coming of the end times which was one of the apocalyptic prophecies mentioned by Daniel, predicting the time of struggle and strife for God’s holy people, and how despite all the challenges and trials they will have to face, God will lead them all to victory, and the figure of the great Archangel, St. Michael, the leader and prince of the Heavenly Host features prominently in this vision, being echoed in the later Revelations according to St. John the Apostle. It is a reminder that the end of times and the time of reckoning and the Last Judgment is something that is real and certainly will come for us, although none of us will know when exactly this will happen for sure, as only the Lord Himself knows the time and occasion of His coming.

But we must always have faith in Him and have trust and complete faith in His compassion and love for each and every one of us, much as He has shown it to us through His beloved Son, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, through Whom God has brought His salvation and redemption, making His love manifested and real to us, tangible and approachable to us, that has been the focus of our second reading this Sunday from the Epistle to the Hebrews. The author of this Epistle spoke at length about the role that Christ our Lord, as the Son of God and Son of Man both, had in becoming the one true Eternal High Priest for all of us mankind, offering on our behalf the perfect and most worthy offering for the atonement of all of our sins, and to redeem us into eternal life.

In our Gospel passage, taken from the Gospel according to St. Mark we heard of the Lord Himself telling the disciples of the sign of times and everything that will happen for sure at the time of the Lord’s own knowing. He told them there will be signs accompanying His coming, but no one can surely know of the exact time that He will come. The Lord then highlighted to them of the lesson from the fig tree, which bears fruit at the appropriate time and with signs accompanying them. Therefore if the Lord Himself has already affirmed the fact and has repeatedly reminded His disciples of the coming of this time of judgment and reckoning then we have to keep in mind our way of life and faith in this world, so that we will not be found unworthy at the appropriate time.

Each and every one of us as Christians have received from God and through His Church the revelation of God’s truth, His Good News and of everything that will happen, as contained within the Scriptures and as the Lord has revealed to His Church through the Holy Spirit, bestowed upon the Apostles and through them to all of us. And because of that, it is important that we should be ever ready to welcome the Lord by doing our very best in every opportunities and moments, to be exemplary in all the things that we say and do so that we may be growing ever stronger in our faith and commitment to God, and be the shining examples and the worthy beacons of God’s light and truth in our world today, bearing His love and Good News to all the people whom we encounter daily in our lives.

This Sunday, being the last Sunday before the Solemnity of Jesus Christ the King, the Church also celebrates the World Day of the Poor, which was instituted by our current Pope, Pope Francis who wanted us all to remember the poor around us, those who need our care and compassionate love as we must realise that there are many around us who are struggling to make ends meet, and there are many of those all around the world who are suffering various ailments and troubles, from the effects of poverty and from injustice and oppression, those who have been marginalised and ostracised because of their background and origins, and all those who have no one to love and care for them. Each and every one of us are challenged today therefore to be the ones to bear the love of God to them all, and to truly embody our faith in God by our actions, especially our help and care to the poor and those less fortunate around us.

That is why we have to be ever active and be aware of our calling in life, our mission and commitment which the Lord has entrusted to all of us, the commission which God has given us to do in our respective lives and capacities, in the many opportunities and chances He has provided to us. We have been given the freedom to choose our course of action and path in life, and hence, as we have discussed about the end of times and the coming reckoning of our lives and worthiness, which will surely come at the end of time, let us all therefore remind one another and be ever more committed to live our lives in a most Christian manner, following the inspiration and example from the Lord Himself, Who has loved us all so much that as the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews mentioned that He has given Himself to be the perfect sacrifice for the atonement of our sins.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, having been reminded of the coming of the Lord and the moment of the reckoning of our lives, let us all therefore renew our commitment to follow the Lord ever more faithfully from now on. Let our every efforts and endeavours, our words, actions and deeds from now on continue to bring glory to God and proclaim His goodness before the people whom we meet and encounter in life. Let us all do our part to contribute to the good works and efforts of the Church, and to follow the Lord in all the things He has entrusted to us to do. May the Lord continue to bless each and every one of us, and may He empower and encourage us all to remain ever more committed and faithful to Him, particularly in our show of love and care for those around us who are in need and suffering from poverty and hardships in life. Amen.

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Saturday, 16 November 2024 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Margaret of Scotland, and St. Gertrude, Virgin (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

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

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, through what we have heard in our Scripture passages today, we are all called to be truly faithful disciples and followers of our Lord, dedicating and committing our time and efforts to serve the Lord and to be ever more faithful to Him at all times. All of us are reminded that we must always be loving and caring towards our fellow brothers and sisters, being generous in loving and showing compassion upon everyone around us, following the examples of the Lord Himself Who has loved us most generously all these while. We must always have faith and trust in God, knowing that through Him and His constant care and love for us, all of us shall indeed never be disappointed as He will always continue to provide for us and protect us from any harm.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. John the words of the Apostle reminding the faithful people of God of the importance of them caring and showing love for one another especially for those who have dedicated themselves to the Lord and became His ministers and missionaries. As the Lord Himself has instructed His disciples, that all of them should go forth to the nations and proclaim His words and teachings, sending them out to give the words of His encouragement and truth to all the people. And they were all told not to depend too much on their own means and possessions, on all their own provisions and power, but rather to trust in the Lord and to receive whatever the people they visited and ministered among were willing to share and give to them.

That was why St. John reminded all of the people of God to be truly generous in their giving and love, for their fellow brethren and especially more so for all those who have dedicated themselves to the Lord. Each and every one of them and also all of us as Christians must always be filled with generous and wonderful love of God in our every words, actions and dealings with one another. We must not ignore this calling to love and to share our blessings with our fellow brethren. Let us all not forget that the Lord Himself has been generous and compassionate towards us when we had nothing with us and when we are still sinful and corrupted by our many sins and wickedness, and calling us and offering us freely His saving help and rich grace and mercy, He has indeed shown us all what love truly is.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, we heard of the Gospel by St. Luke the Evangelist of the account of the time when the Lord taught His disciples using a parable to highlight how we should put our faith and trust always in the Lord, in His Providence and help and all the things that He has promised to us, all the encouragement and blessings that He has generously given to us, if only we can put our faith in Him and trust in Him. He used the parable of an evil judge and a persistent old widow to highlight His ideas and points to the people. The old widow kept on pestering the judge, who in his pride and wickedness had no fear of anything and anyone at all, and despite the judge’s reluctance, eventually the persistence of the old widow bore fruit as it led to the judge relenting and agreeing to address the old widow’s case.

Hence, the Lord used this example in this parable to highlight how if even a wicked and proud, reluctant and stubborn judge could listen to and heed the wishes of the persistent old widow even when the judge was not obliged to do so, then all the more the Lord Himself, our most loving God and generous Father will love us and be kind and caring towards us if we ask Him. We must always have this strong faith in the Lord and follow Him at all times, reaching out to Him and believing in Him, His Providence and guidance, and ask Him whenever we have need for help. God will never forget or abandon us, and it is important that we remember this great love of God at all times, especially when we are facing challenges and difficulties. At the same time, just as St. John the Apostle exhorted earlier on, we should always be willing to help one another and share our blessings with our fellow brethren.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of two great and holy women, those whose lives and dedication to God have been truly exemplary and inspirational. They are St. Margaret of Scotland and St. Gertrude the Great. St. Margaret of Scotland was the Queen of Scotland and an English princess by birth to the House of Wessex, which ruled England prior to the Norman conquest. She was born in exile in Hungary following her father who had been exiled from the kingdom, and later on, after she and her family had returned to England, changes in the political landscape and her family’s fall from power would mean that she had to flee again, and eventually she would marry the widowed King of Scotland, Malcolm III and became the Queen of Scotland. As Queen, St. Margaret was known for her great and tremendous piety and charity, in her many contributions and care for the poor and the less privileged throughout her kingdom, as well as her contributions to the Church and great personal and public piety.

Meanwhile, St. Gertrude the Great was a great mystic and Benedictine nun from Germany during the High Middle Ages era. She grew up in a monastery since a very young age, and tradition showed either she was offered to the monastery by her parents or that she was orphaned from very young age, as was common at that time. She grew up strong in the faith and began experiencing visions from the Lord in her twenties as she continued to deepen her commitment to God in the Benedictine community. Her great piety and commitment to God, her spiritual life and dedication, all of her mystical visions and experiences inspired many people even long after her passing, and her great faith is indeed an inspiration to all of us as Christians.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore heed the words of the Lord through the Scriptures and having heard the great examples and the lives shown by St. Margaret of Scotland and St. Gertrude the Great, among the many other holy men and women, holy saints of God, let us all therefore do our best to live a truly holy and worthy life in the path that the Lord has shown us in our lives. Let us all be renewed in faith and conviction, in our zeal and desire to be truly full of God’s love and grace, to be wholly dedicated in all things and at all circumstances, to be committed to God and to be generous in our love towards each other, especially to those who need them. May God be with us always and may He continue to empower us all to live always in His Holy Presence. Amen.

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Friday, 15 November 2024 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Albert the Great, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the need for each and every one of us to heed the call of the Lord for us to obey His Law and commandments, to follow His ways and to love in the way that He has shown and taught us because in the end, we will be held accountable for all of our actions and deeds, our show of love to our brothers and sisters around us or any lack of love instead. If we have not loved our fellow brothers and sisters if we should have done, then we shall also be held accountable for our lack of action and love for our brethren. We have to keep all this in mind as we all continue living our lives as Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people, at all times.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. John, we heard of the reminder from the Apostle to the faithful and hence to all of us, of the need for us to show love in al of our every actions and deeds, in our every interactions and works with one another because ultimately, our God is Love, and if He is Love Himself, the manifestation of perfect and most selfless love, then all of us must also be manifestation of God’s love, embodied in our every actions and deeds, in all the words we speak and in every moments of our lives. God Himself has shown His love to us through His beloved Son, Whom He had sent into the world, into our midst so that He may show us all the manifested and most perfect love of God in the flesh, becoming tangible and approachable for all of us.

As Christians, it is imperative that we keep reminding ourselves that we have been called to love most generously and sincerely to our fellow brothers and sisters around us. We should not ignore those who need our love and kindness, our help and compassion. There are many out there who have not been loved, ignored and ostracised by those who are around them, and if we are in the position to show love to these brethren of ours, then we should really make good use of the opportunities that God has given us so that we may truly love our brothers and sisters in the same way that the Lord Himself has first loved us all, in all the kindness and patient love and care that He has shown us all these while. We should therefore show the same love in each and every moments of our lives too.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Luke in which the Lord Jesus gave truly grim premonition to His disciples about the coming of the time of reckoning at the end of time, when the moment will come all of a sudden, without anyone knowing or realising it, making use of the examples of past catastrophes and events like that of the Great Flood of Noah, which happened suddenly without warning, destroying the whole entire world and civilisations that existed prior to that, and for those people who had rejected the call of the Lord to repent and follow Noah and his family, it was too late for them once the rain poured down and the waters flood the whole earth. Similarly, the example of Sodom and Gomorrah was also presented, when the rain of fire and brimstone destroyed both cities and their people for their wickedness and sins, and their refusal to repent.

Everything will happen in the same manner as the destructions that happened in the past, swift and without warning, and no one save the Lord Himself knows when the exact time of this happening is. No one among us, past, present and future will ever know the time of the Lord’s Second Coming, which He Himself has predicted and reassured us, just as none of us can ever know the exact time of our passing from this world, the end of our earthly life through death. And just like death, which is a certainty that is definitely going to happen, the Lord’s coming into this world and the time of reckoning, of the Final Judgment is something that is a sure certainty, and having been reminded, all of us should make sure that we prepare ourselves and make ourselves ready for that moment.

And how do we do that, brothers and sisters? We should therefore make sure that we practice our faith and whatever it is that we believe in actively in our lives. We should not merely be making lip service of our faith, but we must always be loving and generous just as our Lord and God has always been kind, generous and loving towards us. That is the mark of a true Christian, and one that we have always been reminded of and been challenged to do, to be truly like God in all things, to be loving and compassionate just as He has been towards us. Let us all hence commit ourselves anew to the Lord in our loving actions towards one another, just as St. John the Apostle had exhorted and reminded the faithful back then. Through our actions and efforts, many more people will come to know of the Lord and His love.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Albert the Great or Albertus Magnus, a great and renowned bishop and faithful servant of God who had devoted his life to the Lord and to all the people and the flock which God has entrusted to him as bishop and shepherd. St. Albert the Great, also known as St. Albert of Swabia or St. Albert of Cologne, was a Dominican priest who dedicated himself to a lifelong learning of all sorts of matter of the faith, involved in the teaching and formation of many other priests and religious who encountered him in his many academic efforts and pursuits, devoting himself to explore more about the Lord, His nature of love and to reveal more about the teachings of the Christian faith to many people who sought to know Him better. Among his students was another famous theologian and saint, St. Thomas Aquinas.

And later on, as he was appointed by the Pope himself as the Bishop of Regensburg in Germany, he was known for his great humility and piety, in his dedication to his flock, traversing the whole of his large diocese not on horse or carriage as was common for bishops of his time, but on foot instead. He resigned after a period of three years, humbly returning to the academic and intellectual pursuits that had made him to be so influential at that time and even long after his time. For his great faith in the Lord and his many contributions to the Church, he was later not only honoured and canonised as a saint, but was also made as one of the esteemed Doctors of the Church, as a great role model and inspiration for many of us as Christians.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have heard from the Scriptures and the life of St. Albert the Great that we have just discussed earlier, we are all reminded to commit ourselves to a life of faith and dedication to God. We should always walk ever more faithfully in the Lord’s path, and do our best so that in each and every moments of our lives, we will continue to glorify the Lord by our every actions and deeds, our every efforts and works, like St. Albert the Great and so many of our other holy predecessors had done. May all of us be able to follow them in their footsteps as well, and strive to live our lives worthily as Christians, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 14 November 2024 : 32nd 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 all reminded of the need for us all to hold fast to our faith in God, to follow Him wholeheartedly in all things and to be prepared to face difficulties, trials and challenges in our path and journey in life as followers of Christ, as Christians, God’s holy and beloved people. Each one of us must always be steadfast and be exemplary in our lives, in our faith and actions so that we will be able to inspire one another and strengthen our fellow brethren in faith, in commitment and entrusting ourselves to the Lord in all occasions and circumstances. We must always continue to trust that the Lord is and will always be by our side throughout our challenges in life, even if worldly means fail us.

In our first reading today from the Epistle of St. Paul to St. Philemon, we heard of the Apostle telling St. Philemon, who was a fellow Christian and missionary of the Church, regarding a particular person Onesimus, also known as St. Onesimus, who according to Church tradition and history was the slave of St. Philemon, to whom St. Paul was addressing his Epistle to. At that time, during the early Roman Empire, slavery was quite common throughout the Empire, and Onesimus was a slave that had run away from his master, which was perhaps St. Philemon himself. And according to Apostolic and Church tradition, that happened before both of them were converted to the Christian faith. St. Paul encountered both of them on his journeys, and eventually converted both of them to Christianity.

Therefore, in today’s passage that we heard, St. Paul likely wanted to reconcile between the two of them, as St. Onesimus was likely a companion of St. Paul while he was in Rome, and at that time, St. Paul was in prison or was going through difficult moments due to persecution, which was why St. Paul sent St. Onesimus back to St. Philemon, so that not only they could be reconciled to each other but they could also continue the many good works that St. Paul himself had started, as faithful disciples and missionaries of the Lord, complementing each others’ efforts and works through the various gifts and talents, abilities and opportunities that the Lord had granted them all. St. Paul has therefore also reminded all of us Christians to be charitable, loving and kind to one another, and live with harmony and peace with one another. 

Then, in our Gospel passage from the Gospel according to St. Luke, we heard of the Lord Jesus speaking to the Pharisee who asked Him about the kingdom of God and its coming into this world, and He responded by saying that the kingdom of God is not something that can be seen, witnessed or identified by a place or location. Instead, the kingdom of God is within us, in our midst and all around us, and we are all part of God’s Kingdom that He Himself has established, through the establishment of His Church, for the Church of God is the kingdom of God on earth, with God as our Lord and King, and as Head of the Universal Church, Who exercises His authority through His Vicar, our Pope and the bishops who are the successors of the Apostles.

Through what the Lord had shared with the Pharisee, He has highlighted that all of us must always remain firm and strong in our commitment to the Lord, despite the challenges and trials that we may have to face, remembering that the Lord Himself had faced similar rejection and persecution because of what He had brought into our world and what He had proclaimed before all. If the Lord Himself had to suffer and endure hardships, persecutions and eventually even a most humiliating death on the Cross, then we too may suffer similar rejection, persecutions, oppressions and challenges because the world and all the wickedness in it are truly incompatible with the way of the Lord and the truth that He has brought into our midst.

As Christians, all of us should always be ready to help one another, to reach out to those who are in need around us, to support one another in our journey and life, especially as we encounter struggles and challenges, difficulties and persecutions, oppressions and trials in our path. Like St. Paul who kept on encouraging the faithful and gave his help and assistance whenever and wherever he could, including what we heard in our first reading today, in his attempt to reconcile St. Philemon with St. Onesimus for their own good and for the good of the Church and the faithful, therefore each and every one of us must also model ourselves and our lives and interactions upon the examples of those faithful and committed servants of God.

Each and every one of us should always be aware of the difficulties that we may face as Christians, the struggles and challenges that our brethren may be facing around us. We should not be ignorant to their pleas for help, especially if we are in the position to help and assist, and even if we ourselves are also suffering and being persecuted. The Lord Jesus Himself has been rejected, persecuted and oppressed, but this did not stop Him from continuing to reach out to all those who have been rejected and ostracised by the society, and also from loving and forgiving all those who have persecuted and hurt Him. As Christians, we should learn from our Lord’s own examples and be inspired to show the same love and kindness to our brethren, and even to those who despised us. We ought to pray for them and show them love, charity and compassion, so that they may be touched by our love and be changed by God’s love and grace.

May the Lord, our most loving and merciful God continue to help and strengthen us all in our journey through life, so that by our continued cooperation and harmony with one another, by our constant support to our brethren in need, and by us journeying with each other, supporting and encouraging our fellow brethren along the way, we may be strengthened and empowered in our resolve and desire to walk this path of righteousness and justice with God. May God bless us all and our every efforts, works and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 13 November 2024 : 32nd 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 all reminded to seek the Lord Who is our ever loving, compassionate and merciful God, the One Who has always shown His patient love and grace, attention and kindness towards us, despite us having constantly and consistently been disobedient towards Him, not listening to Him and disobeying His will, His Law and commandments. As our loving Father, the Lord has always been patient in loving us and in caring for us, forgiving us all of our sins and mistakes, our faults and all the things which we have done in defiance against His will, patiently reaching out towards us, helping and guiding us to walk in the right path, and showing us the path towards salvation and eternal life, hoping that we will turn away from our wicked path and return towards Him with renewed love and faith.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to St. Titus in which the Apostle spoke about the matter of how everyone of the faithful and holy people of God ought to be truly faithful to the Lord, and to distance themselves from all sorts of vices, evils and corruptions of the world. As Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people, those whom He had called and chosen from this world, we are essentially expected to follow the path that the Lord has presented and guided us through, the path of His righteousness and virtue, through which we shall find the path to salvation in God. All of us are called to be good role models and inspirations for each other in faith, to be thoroughly dedicated to Him and to be the shining beacons of God’s light and truth from now on, if we have not yet done so.

That is because all of us have been saved by what the Lord had done for us in Jesus Christ, His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, just as St. Paul had reminded his protege, St. Titus and all of us, the faithful people of God. We must not take for granted everything that God had done for us, all the love that He has shown us most patiently and wonderfully. God has shown us all His love and generosity, compassion and kindness so that we can also follow His examples instead of as St. Paul said, hating one another and be filled with anger and malice in our hearts, thinking of nothing but ruin and destruction for others around us. As God’s holy and beloved people, each and every one of us are called to be those who are always filled with genuine love and kindness to one another, to be concerned with the needs and the plight of those who are suffering in our midst.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Luke in which the Lord Jesus encountered ten lepers that came to Him seeking for Him to heal them from their affliction. By that time, they certainly have heard well of the Lord and all the miraculous deeds and works that He had performed, and they hoped that they could heal them from their condition. At that time, as it had been since the time of Moses and the Exodus from the land of Egypt, those who suffered from leprosy had been ostracised and had to stay away from the cities and towns, having to wander off in the wilderness, and they could not rejoin the community and the other people of God until they had been healed from their afflictions and problems, showing themselves to a priest who could certify that they had been healed.

The Lord did indeed want to heal them all, but He also instructed them beforehand to show themselves to the priest according to the Law of God revealed through Moses. Those ten men obeyed His instruction, and on their way to the priest as we heard, they became healed and their leprosy left them. However, as all of them realised their fortune and became overjoyed, only one of the ten lepers bothered to come back to the Lord to thank Him for everything that He had done for them, while the other nine went on their way, presumably to resume their lives now that they were already free from their leprosy and problems. This is all a reminder for each and every one of us that we often seek God’s help, compassion and love, His mercy, forgiveness and grace, and we often cry out for His help, guidance and strength, and yet, we often forget about Him when things are good again for us.

Yes, brothers and sisters in Christ, it is the sad nature of our faith and way of living our Christian existence that we frequently put God as secondary importance in our lives. We ignore and abandon Him whenever we do not have need for Him or His help, and we only remember Him whenever we have any need for help and assistance. And is that how we treat God’s generosity and kindness, brethren? Have we stooped so low so as to ignore our loving Father’s kindness and love, His ever patient and enduring love for us? Let us all really think and reflect about all these, as we remember the love and mercy which the Lord has shown us through His Son, in healing those ten lepers, just as He has healed us all from the affliction of our sins, the corruptions that had darkened our souls and separated us from God.

Sin is indeed a leprosy of the soul, as one would have put it and compared it rightly, as just like leprosy that eats upon the flesh and corrupts it, sin is a far more dangerous affliction on us. For what can harm the body can be cured by worldly means, by doctors and other methods known to us, but there is no cure and healing for sin save that of the healing and forgiveness provided by God alone. And the Lord willingly provides us this healing and cure, calling upon all of us to come back to His ever loving and comfortable embrace, in His Holy Presence. However, we need to make the commitment for this, to commit ourselves to follow Him and to dedicate ourselves to His cause, in recognising that each and every one of us have the part to play in our salvation, by accepting God’s generous offer of mercy and salvation, and by cooperating with Him and being grateful at all the love that He has shown us.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all hence strive to live our lives worthily as Christians, to listen to and obey the Lord’s words and will, to heed His call for us to follow Him, and to realise just how blessed and fortunate we are to have been beloved by God. Let us all contemplate God’s generous love and then strive to embody the same love in all of our actions and dealings, interactions and works. Let our love be generously given as well then, in our love for the Lord and also in our love for our fellow brothers and sisters, so that by our love, people will indeed know the Lord and His love, and that they will also know that we are all His holy and beloved people. May God bless each one of us in our journey of faith and life, now and always. Amen.