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Thursday, 21 December 2023 : 3rd Week of Advent, Memorial of St. Peter Canisius, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us continue to progress through the season of Advent and towards the time and season of Christmas, we are constantly being reminded of everything that God has done for us, in His love for each and every one of us, that by this same love, this has made it possible for us to find our path towards the Lord and His ever enduring love for us. Through God’s love, He has shown us His ever present guidance and existence in our midst, and that we are never alone in this journey of faith and life. We must therefore always strive to put our focus in the Lord at all times, and we should not easily be swayed to abandon Him for other, worldly sources of satisfaction and pleasures.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Songs, we heard of the words of the author speaking about the love that God has for us all, we who are His lovers, the ones who are enjoying the grace of His Presence, His love and kindness. The Lord is calling upon all of His people to come forth away from the darkness and the desolation of sin, that they may embrace His love, His light and warmth that have been generously and ever consistently been projected and shared to all of us without fail. He has always been generous in showing us all His love and mercy, His patience and kindness, that we should really consider ourselves truly blessed and fortunate for having been beloved in such a way by our Lord, Who loves us all.

In our other first reading option today, from the Book of the prophet Zephaniah, we have also heard a similar series of words of reassurance and affirmation, telling all the people of God that their Lord and Master Who loves them all, will come to them, and all o will indeed come true, showing us how loving, patient and forgiving God has been to all of those who are dear to Him. The prophet Zephaniah came to the people of God and ministered to them during the time and reign of King Josiah of Judah, who reigned after the downfall of the northern kingdom of Israel to the Assyrians, and after many misfortunes have befallen the people of God, the kingdom of Judah and Jerusalem.

Hence, the words of the Lord’s affirmation and love must have truly come at a very timely moment then because it means that the people who had been suffering and enduring a lot of hardships were reminded yet again that despite their stubborn and wicked attitudes, the Lord still loved His people nonetheless, and He wanted all of them to be reconciled with Him, and hence, He told them of His ever generous mercy and love, by which His people through genuine repentance, may always come to seek Him, and this includes each and every one of us as well, because we are all also God’s beloved people, whom He has called and gathered from among the nations, to follow Him and to walk in His Holy Presence.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the story of the moment when Mary, the Mother of Our Lord, God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Child within her, as she went to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who was also bearing St. John the Baptist in her own womb. We heard of the great joy which both Elizabeth and her baby, St. John the Baptist had experienced upon knowing that Mary and Our Lord Himself had come to their dwelling place. We may not realise it, but this occasion was truly a very symbolic and meaningful one as this represents the moment when the Lord came towards His people, manifesting Himself by being Incarnate and present in this world through His Mother, fulfilling all that God had promised to us.

This is why it is important that today we must ensure that our lives’ focus and our attention are properly directed towards God, and not upon other distractions in life. We must make sure that we are all centred on the Lord and not on our selfish desires and wants, our ambitions and attachments to worldly pleasures and greed. And in our upcoming Christmas celebrations and festivities we must always keep in mind to focus our attention on the Lord and not on all the glamour and the festivities that often took up much of the event, and we end up actually forgetting the One in Whom we ought to be all celebrating about, that is Christ Himself, our Lord and Saviour, by Whose love and actions, we have been saved from our impending damnation.

Today the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Peter Canisius, the holy priest and man of God, and a renowned teacher of the faith and honoured as a great Doctor of the Church, who is also one of my patron saints and therefore is the patron of this blog. St. Peter Canisius was a Dutch Jesuit priest renowned being one of the founders and first members of the Jesuits or the Society of Jesus, and who was remembered greatly for his works in Counter-Reformation, and in the works of evangelisation and catechesis among the people of God. He helped to spearhead the efforts of the Jesuits in the German speaking regions of Christendom, establishing institutions and schools meant to strengthen the knowledge of the faithful about their faith through proper catechesis.

He also wrote and authored the now-still famous Catechism which became a great standard of many other catechism works and books, in being very effective in delivering the teachings and aspects of the Christian faith to the people, and managed, together with St. Peter Canisius’ constant efforts in reaching out and having dialogues and conversations with the lapsed Catholics, and all who had been swayed by the false heresies of Protestantism. He helped the implementations and the reforms of the Council of Trent which strengthened the foundation and the teachings of the Church, and through his efforts, countless souls had been saved from the threat of damnation, and brought back to the Holy Mother Church.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, in all of his works and efforts, St. Peter Canisius has always been rooted and focused on Christ. Let us all therefore follow his good examples and do whatever we can so that we may also be truly faithful in all things, and that we may indeed be filled with genuine faith and commitment to God at all times. May the Lord be with us always and may He guide us through this time of Advent, and help us to prepare ourselves well through this time towards a proper and worthy celebration of Christmas. Amen.

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Wednesday, 20 December 2023 : 3rd Week of Advent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, in one this last week of Advent season before Christmas is to come, we are all being brought ever closer to the time of our celebration and joy, we are reminded that as Christians, all of us celebrate Christmas because of Christ, our Lord and not because we want to seek the comfort, pleasures and festivities of the world around us. We are constantly being surrounded and exposed these days and as it had been for the past few weeks and even months, that we saw all the glamour, glitz and the wonders surrounding Christmas and how it is perceived in this world. Yet, have we ever stopped to think what Christmas is really about? And do we all remember that we should place Christ at the centre of all of our celebrations?

In our first reading today, we heard of the words of the Lord to His people and the king of Judah, Ahaz through the prophet Isaiah. As a context, the people of Judah had long gone through many periods when they disobeyed the Lord, and king Ahaz of Judah was one of those kings that tradition had labelled as being wicked and disobedient against God. This means that it was likely that he allowed and even promoted idol worshipping and the corruption of the worship of God at the Temple of Jerusalem, and in not following the Law and commandments of the Lord as he and the people of God should have done, neglecting the Lord’s Passover and other rules and precepts. Hence, the Lord wanted to remind him and the people of the fact that He is their one true Lord and Master.

The Lord told king Ahaz to ask Him for a sign, and a sign that He would show him as a reassurance to the people, and that He is truly indeed their Lord and Master, the One Who reigned over them and guarded them. Yet, the king refused to do so, as we heard in our first reading passage today. This is something which may puzzle us if we do not understand the context and intentions of the Lord, but in essence, the king’s response showed his lack of obedience and trust in God, and his refusal to ask the Lord for a sign was not a sign of humility but rather indifference and lack of faith. This was why the Lord rebuked Ahaz and told him of everything that He would do for the people He loved, and reaffirming everything that He had promised would happen, from the very beginning.

Then in the Gospel passage today, of course we heard of the moment when all that the Lord had promised and prophesied through Isaiah came to full fruition and completion, when the Archangel Gabriel came to the young Mary in the small town of Nazareth, bearing the Good News with him, proclaiming the coming of God’s long promised and awaited salvation. Ever since the beginning of time, since the moment of Creation, if we recall what was written in the Book of Genesis, then surely we can recall how the Lord has proclaimed before Satan who had led mankind to their downfall, that He would send His salvation through a Woman, who would bring forth the Saviour, and how she would crush Satan under her feet. This is once again therefore referred to by the Lord in His message to king Ahaz, that the Woman would give birth to a Son.

This Woman, is none other than Mary herself, the Virgin who conceived her Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, not by any human intervention or action, but rather by the will of God the Father, the incarnation of the Son of God in the flesh, and the power of the Holy Spirit of God, all manifesting God’s love and providence to us, making Himself tangible and real to us through Christ, Our Lord. Through Him, all that God has promised to us have been fulfilled and completed, and God reminded us all that everything has happened as it should be, and we are reminded of the everlasting and ever-enduring patience and love that God has always shown us, all these while.

Therefore, as we have heard from our various Scripture passages today, we are all brought back once again to the basics, reminded of the very emphasis and focus of Christmas, that is Christ, the Holy Child born of His mother Mary. We must always remind ourselves that because of Christmas, through Christ our Lord and everything that He had done for us, all of us can hope once again, and we can rejoice again because we are no longer lost to the darkness and damnation. Through Christ our Lord and Saviour, we have seen the fulfilment and reassurance of God’s promises and love, that He was willing to love us even though we were still sinners and disobedient. He wants all of us to return to Him, to embrace His love once again and be forgiven from our many sins.

Let us all make our Christmas celebrations and festivities, our joy and commemorations all about Christ, and put Him at the very focus and centre of everything during this upcoming Christmas time and season. This means that we should not easily lose focus and be distracted by the many distractions, temptations and false pleasures all around us, especially in how Christmas has been marketed and made familiar with us, in the manner how it is often celebrated with lots of fanfare, celebrations and rejoicing that are bereft of its true and central focus in Christ, the One we should be celebrating and focusing our attention on this Christmas. Let us all therefore be the ones to proclaim the Lord and His Good News, His truth and love to more and more people.

May the Lord, our most loving God and Father, continue to be with us and bless us throughout our lives and our Advent journey in particular, and may He help us that we may truly be able to celebrate the upcoming Christmas season and time with true appreciation, understanding and joy. May we all be more like Mary, the Mother of God, whose obedience to God and the commitment she has shown to the mission entrusted to her, brought about salvation of the Lord into this world. Amen.

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Tuesday, 19 December 2023 : 3rd Week of Advent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded that God has always been ever faithful to the Covenant that He has created with us, and He has proven all these by sending unto us His salvation through the servants that He has sent to prepare His path and to prepare all of us so that we may walk in the path of righteousness and find our way towards Him, His salvation and grace, and be reconciled once again with His love and kindness. Each and every one of us are reminded that we should always be focused on the Lord in our lives and in all things.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Judges, we heard of the story of how Samson, one of the famous Judges to rule and guide over the Israelites, was conceived and born, during the time when the people of God were oppressed under their neighbours, the Philistines. At that time, during the years after the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and after they had arrived and settled in the lands promised to them by God in Canaan, and before the days of the kings of Israel and Judah, the people of God were ruled and guided by a series of Judges, those people whom the Lord had called and chosen to be the leaders of His people.

Many of the Judges rose up during the times when the Israelites were troubled by sufferings and difficulties, especially because of the oppressions, attacks and the difficulties from their own neighbours, and the Lord helped His people through His Judges, although they did not remain faithful to Him all the time, and they only obeyed the Lord because of the actions and the influence of the Judges. At that time, the Philistines were the ones who were causing lots of problems for the Israelites, and hence, God called Samson to be His servant before he was even born, and He told Samson’s father, the man of the tribe of Dan as mentioned in today’s first reading, of what his son would do.

Samson’s story, the occurrences around his conception, birth and also his later life were actually often compared with that of St. John the Baptist, whose story has been highlighted a lot during this time of Advent, and which we heard yet again in our Gospel passage today. In today’s Gospel, we heard of the similar parallel in the story of how St. John the Baptist was conceived, and just like that of Samson, the Lord foretold the coming of St. John the Baptist to his father, through the means of an Angel of God, who came to tell their respective fathers, of how their sons would become the ones through whom God would lead His people to the path of righteousness, and liberating them from the tyranny of the world.

In the case of Samson, the Lord called Samson and sent him to help the people of Israel to resist against the forces of the Philistines, so that they might be freed from the tyranny of those who have caused them hardships and oppressions. Samson led the people to the victory against the Philistines and helped them to shake free from the yoke that burdened them, while St. John the Baptist did something rather similar in leading the people of God from the shackles and bondage to sin. He called all the people to turn away from the path of sin and evil, calling on all of them to turn away from their wickedness and the temptations of the world so that they may find their way to the salvation in God.

St. John the Baptist was sent into this world with the mission to lead all of us towards the Lord, and preparing the path for the coming of His Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, Whose coming St. John the Baptist had heralded and prepared for, thus, he helped all of us to come to know the Lord, and to have that important conversion of heart and mind so that we may truly welcome the Lord wholeheartedly into our hearts and minds, into our families and circles of friends, into our midst. All of us have been shown the light of God’s grace and salvation, and the reassurances from the Lord Himself, and now, what we all need to do is to prepare ourselves thoroughly and well so that we do not just prepare for the festivities and joyful commemoration of Christmas, but even more importantly, that we may reorganise our lives that we may truly live worthily as good and faithful Christians.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all hence do our best to focus our attention once again on the Lord, in doing what we can so that our lives may truly once again be centred on the Lord, instead of being easily swayed and dragged into the wrong paths by the many temptations, pressures and coercions being present all around us. Let us all enter into the time of Christmas celebration with the right understanding and appreciation of what Christmas is truly all about. Christmas is a time when we should remind ourselves of all the love which the Lord has shown us, the things He had done for us, in sending His servants and messengers like Samson and St. John the Baptist to help us all find our way to liberation and salvation, to His love and kindness. And this is why we should put Christ back in Christmas, and focus all of our celebrations on Him, not on all the glamour and glitz, the excesses of worldly and material wealth that often surround our Christmas celebrations.

May the Lord, our most loving God and Creator, Who has always loved us and kept us in His compassionate care and kindness, continue to help and guide us in our journey of life, and may He bless our every good deeds and endeavours, so that in all the things that we say and do, in our upcoming Christmas celebrations, we will always be the true bearers and witnesses of the Lord’s Good News, truth and love. Amen.

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Monday, 18 December 2023 : 3rd Week of Advent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures and as we come ever closer to the moment of Christmas, which is just exactly a week away from now, each and every one of us are reminded that we all should do our part in ensuring that our preparations and all the things that we do in our upcoming Christmas celebrations and joy, all of them should always be focused and centred on the Lord, our God and our Saviour, Christ, in Whom we all ought to be celebrating about, and the One Who is the true joy and reason for Christmas. Without Christ, there can be no Christmas, and this is what we are being reminded of again today.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah in which the Lord reassured His people that He would send unto them His salvation, through the Heir of the House of David, successor of David, the great King who had once ruled over the whole people of Israel. This was hope and joy given to the people who by that time had been facing lots of struggles, humiliations and hardships. The kingdom of Israel as it was during the glorious days of David and Solomon was no more, and the northern part of the kingdom, also known as Israel had been destroyed and conquered by the Assyrians, and many of them uprooted from their homeland to be exiled to far-off lands.

The kingdom of Judah, where the prophet Jeremiah ministered in, was also not in a good state, having been beset by many troubles, and dominated by powerful neighbours and rulers. Yet amidst all of these, the Lord told all of His people of the hope that was to come, after telling and warning them of the destruction that was about to come to them because of their sins and wickedness, that eventually, the Lord would rescue and save them all, and gather them all once again, and that they would be His people once again, promising and reassuring them all of His love and continued compassion and care. Through all of that, we can see just how much God has loved us all His people, and we really should not have taken any of these for granted. God’s love for us endures even despite our sins and wickedness.

Ultimately, God still loves us, though He despises our sins and evils. He wants us all to turn away from all those sins and embrace His path of righteousness and truth once again, and this is why He has sent unto us His salvation through His Son, which we heard in our Gospel passage today, as the fulfilment of everything that He has spoken, promised and reassured us all from the very beginning of time, and which He has kept on reminding us again and again through His prophets and messengers. We heard of the Lord sending His Son unto us, Incarnate in the flesh and to be born of the Blessed ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God, who became pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit, and the will of the Father, and how He persuaded and revealed the truth to St. Joseph, Mary’s betrothed, that the Child in her is none other than the Saviour of the world.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, having heard of all these we are then reminded of why Christmas is so important to us, and that is because God’s love has been made manifested to us, tangible, real and approachable through His Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, that God has shown Himself to us, no longer veiled and hidden, and He showed us all just how much He cared for all of us that He reached out to us sinners, even to the worst of sinners amongst us, and making known to all of us His intentions, that is to reconcile us and to bring about forgiveness and liberation for us from the tyranny of sin and evil. Much as how the Lord spoke through the prophet Jeremiah in our first reading today, through Christ, all of us have seen and witnessed the real proof of God’s providence and love.

Today, as we reflect upon these readings from the Sacred Scriptures, let us all spend some time to think about how we may have prepared ourselves for the Christmas celebrations and how we have responded to the way that the world around us have celebrated Christmas, with all the festivities and merrymaking, all the glamour and glitz of the celebrations, but one which often came without Christ in the midst of all those things. This is where all of us as Christians must strive to show the world that Christmas is truly about Christ, about God and the Love which He has very generously shown us all, by sending unto us His Son into our midst, and not about all the food, parties, festivities and gifts that we are all going to get and enjoy during the time of celebration.

Let us all therefore do our best in this time and opportunities provided to us, in this blessed season of Advent so that we may truly prepare ourselves wholeheartedly and completely, in living our lives worthily as Christians and in welcoming the Lord into our midst, focusing our attention once again on Him and not upon the many other distractions and temptations all around us. Let us all put the Lord once again at the very centre of our lives and existence, and do our best so that we may truly indeed be God’s faithful and committed followers and people, and through our proper orientation and focus in life, our emphasis on Christ, the true Joy and Hope of Christmas, we may show Him and His love to more and more people all around us.

May the Lord be with us all, and may He empower each and every one of us with the courage and strength to do His will, and may He bless our Advent commemorations and preparations that we may truly be able to rejoice fully and properly this upcoming glorious and joyous Christmas season. Amen.

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Sunday, 17 December 2023 : Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Rose (Gaudete Sunday) or Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday is the Third Sunday of Advent, also known popularly as Gaudete Sunday. This is known as such because of the Introit of the Mass which goes as ‘Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete.’ and this means ‘Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice.’ The word Gaudete having the meaning ‘Rejoice’ and ‘Joy’ and hence which is why this Sunday we are focusing and contemplating upon the aspect of ‘Joy’ in Advent, after that of ‘Hope’ and ‘Peace’ in the earlier two Sundays of Advent and ‘Love’ in the next and last Sunday of Advent. This Sunday, much like its Lenten counterpart, the Laetare Sunday, marks a short and temporary break from the penitential and more sombre nature of the rest of the Advent season, as we prepare ourselves and anticipate the coming true Joy of Christmas.

This is why it is very important that this Sunday we should ask ourselves well why is it that we are celebrating the upcoming joyful and festive Christmas season in the first place. Christmas is the time when we all tend to gather together and celebrate together as families and with our friends and loved ones. It is a time full of joy and festivities, and something that generally many if not most people are looking forward to each year. However, let us ask ourselves, what is Christmas and its joy is to all of us? Is it about all the glitters and festivities, all the food and revelries, all the gifts and exchanging of wishes, all the merrymaking and parties? Or is it about the One Whom we ought to be truly rejoicing in, the One because of Whom Christmas is there in the first place?

This Sunday, we remind ourselves that the Joy of Christmas is truly not about all the gifts, parties, celebrations, merrymaking and all the things that we usually associate with Christmas, all the lights and the revelries, but rather, the very essence and focus of Christmas and our joy should always be on Christ, our Lord, through Whom, the world and all of us have received the sure hope, assurance and hence, being able to rejoice wholeheartedly because all of us, who have once been destined to damnation and destruction, have been saved by the saving power and the works of Our Lord, Who humbled Himself, and willingly embraced us all sinners, by being Incarnate in the flesh, and born of His mother Mary, coming into our midst, God Who is with us, Emmanuel.

Through Christ and His coming into this world, as He came to walk amongst us, He has shown us all the true nature of God, which is Love and kindness, compassion and mercy. He has always loved us from the very beginning, and He has always been patient in showing us all His kindness and compassion despite all of us having constantly and stubbornly disobeying Him and betraying Him with the wicked idols of this world, as we chose to follow the path of our desires, wealth and all the other temptations around us rather than to follow the path of the Lord. Essentially, we choose to seek the joy that is in the world rather than to seek the true joy that is found in Christ, our Lord alone.

That is why today we are all reminded of what is the true joy of Christmas, that is Christ our Lord. The Scripture readings today all allude to this, reminding us that the Lord has sent us all His salvation through His Son so that we may rejoice once again, as He gathered us all, reached out to us and helped us to get out from the depth of our sins and wickedness, leading us from the path of our downfall and damnation, into the Light of His truth and love. Like from our first reading today taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, we heard of the prophecy of Isaiah regarding the coming of the Lord’s Saviour, in which His coming would be heralded with the occurrences of miracles, signs and wonders, which the Lord Jesus did perform, fulfilling all that God had promised to us, His beloved ones.

He came into this world to gather us all from the darkness and the evils surrounding us, and to lead us into His Light and Hope once again. He has come to us to make us holy and perfect once again just as St. Paul mentioned in his Epistle to the Church and the faithful in Thessalonica in our second reading today. The Lord our God has given us His Son and bestowed upon us the Holy Spirit so that we all may have the wisdom, courage and grace to continue living our lives with faith and dedication to Him despite the many trials and challenges which we may have to face amidst our journey of life, our faith life and struggles each day. That is why, we are reminded to continue to direct our focus and attention on Him, and not on the other, false sources of joy and satisfaction present all around us.

The Gospel passage today also reminded us off this, as we heard about St. John the Baptist, the one who is the Herald of the Lord, in how he revealed and directed each and every one of us to the salvation in God, in pointing us to the One in Whom we ought to be rejoicing and celebrating. And as we heard from the Gospel passage, he also showed great humility that despite the fame and the great following he had at that time, he remained humble and consistent in his message, and in leading everyone to the one true Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. As we come ever closer to the time of Christmas, that is less than a week from now, this passage reminds us yet again of why we rejoice and celebrate this Christmas, that because our Lord Himself has come, hope and joy have been restored to us, and we rejoice because through the Lord, there is indeed plentiful redemption, strength and joy.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, just as we have been repeatedly reminded today of why we ought to celebrate this upcoming Christmas time and season, and how we should be celebrating and rejoicing in that moment, let us all therefore be renewed in our commitment to follow the Lord, our true Hope and Joy, the One Who has brought us all ever closer to Himself, reaching out to us with His everlasting and ever-enduring Light and love, so that all of us who are still wandering in this world full of darkness and evil may find our way to Him, and enter into the glorious and joyful Kingdom that He has prepared, designed and intended for all of us. This is why, this Third Sunday of Advent, as we reflect on the joyful nature of our Advent expectation and looking up upon the True Joy of Christmas, let us all make sure that our preparations and our whole way of life may indeed be truly aligned and attuned with God’s path.

Let us all remind ourselves and one another that Christmas is truly not about comparing who among us can celebrate more beautifully or wonderfully, or whether we will get more presents and gifts than last year, and what kind of presents, gifts and good things we may gain. Instead, Christmas is about us sharing the joy which we have received from Christ our Lord Himself, the fountain of our joy and hope, Who has given us His everlasting love and peace. Let us all be the joyful bearers of God’s love to all the whole world, and beginning from ourselves, let us all truly, in all things, properly and worthily welcome the Lord into our midst, as we come to His Presence, seeking Him, our true Joy and Hope, now and always. May the Lord be with us all, and may the expectation of His Joy continue to strengthen us for the rest of this Advent season and thereafter. Amen.

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Saturday, 16 December 2023 : 2nd Week of Advent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded of the prophet Elijah in particular, and this is because the prophet Elijah has often been associated with St. John the Baptist in terms of their actions and ministries, that St. John the Baptist was considered either the second coming of Elijah, or having the spirit of Elijah in him, sent with the similar mission of calling God’s people to repentance and to turn themselves back towards the path of God. And especially during this time and season of Advent, it is really very important for us to realign our lives to the Lord, and renew our commitment to Him that we will once again be focused on Him in all things.

In our first reading today, we heard from the book of the prophet Sirach which is commonplace during this time of Advent, a long exhortation on the prophet Elijah, who came before Sirach and was sent to the people of Israel in the northern kingdom. If we read through the Book of Kings and the Book of Chronicles we can clearly see the kind of works and labours which Elijah had done for the sake of the Lord and His people, all the hardships and challenges that he had to endure in the face of opposition, stubbornness and rejection from the people of God. The prophet Elijah laboured for many years, enduring hardships and even threats to his life, amidst everything that he had done for God’s glory.

Eventually, the works of the prophet Elijah bore many fruits, as he led many people to turn once again towards God, as they were touched by the efforts and works of this holy man of God. Elijah performed many miracles from the Lord before the people and proved to many of them that He is indeed their Lord, God and Master, and not all those false gods and idols which they had worshipped and became astray upon throughout all that time. Elijah laboured to lead the people who had gone astray from the path of the Lord that they may find their way back to Him. He was eventually then taken up to Heaven on a flaming chariot, as witnessed by the prophet Elisha, Elijah’s successor as prophet to Israel. This made Elijah to be one of the very few of those who did not experience death, and some believed that Elijah would come again.

Then, in our Gospel passage today we heard of the Lord answering the queries of the people and His disciples who were asking Him regarding the prophet Elijah, who according to some prophecies, were meant to come again to the world to herald the coming of the Lord and His salvation. The Lord told them all that Elijah had indeed come, and this was a reference to St. John the Baptist, whom some indeed believed to be the second coming of the prophet Elijah, or having the spirit of Elijah, and the mission which the Lord had also entrusted to Elijah earlier in him. The Lord had sent Elijah to call His wayward people to return to Him, and that was the same that St. John the Baptist had been entrusted to do, to make straight the path for the Lord when He came into our midst.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we are all reminded of this day as we have been throughout this time and season of Advent, let us all keep our attention and focus ever more on the Lord, our every efforts and works, and our preparations and plans for the upcoming Christmas season and celebrations in particular. Each and every one of us have been called by the Lord to come to Him, just as He has done through His prophets, through Elijah, Isaiah and through His Herald, St. John the Baptist. We are called to come out from the darkness and distractions present all around us in this world, and embrace once again the light of God’s truth and ever enduring love and kindness.

The question is are we willing and ready to embrace God and His love? Too often we are distracted and kept busy by the many temptations and challenges, pleasures and allures of this world. This is why we often keep ourselves closed off against the Lord and His truth and love. He has always been kind and loving towards us, but we are distracted by our many attachments and temptations present all around us. This includes how we celebrate and rejoice in this Christmas time and season as well. We can definitely relate to how many times we see all the excesses of worldly joy and pleasures, all the festivities and merrymaking, all the marketing and sales involved during this Christmas period, all around us.

However, we often neglect and forget the Lord in this time of celebration and festivities, as our joys and commemorations tend to focus a lot more on ourselves, on our desires and the image of the much-secularised Christmas that we are all familiar with. In a sense, just as the Israelites had once fallen away from the path of the Lord and ended up in the path of wickedness, disobedience and sin, hence, in the same manner, we too have often faltered in our own lives and in how we commemorate and celebrate Christmas in general. This is why today, as we are reminded of all these things, we should really remind ourselves and strive to be truly Christ-centric in our lives and also in our Christmas celebrations and events.

May the Lord continue to guide us and strengthen us in faith, and may He empower us all so that as we enter into this one final week of time of Advent before Christmas, we may truly make good use of the time and opportunities that we have been given, to be truly committed to the Lord and to have a truly Christ-centred Christmas, remembering that Christ is the One Whom we are celebrating about, and that we may be the worthy and good bearers of His light and truth, His love and compassion to all the peoples, of all the nations. May God bless our Advent journey and our respective lives. Amen.

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Friday, 15 December 2023 : 2nd Week of Advent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded to keep ourselves holy and worthy of God, staying away from the many temptations and persuasions of the world, all of which can lead us down the wrong path in life. Each and every one of us as Christians have been called to dedicate ourselves to the Lord with ever more commitment, focusing our lives and our whole existence upon Him. We should not allow the distractions and the waywardness of this world from turning us towards our downfall and destruction. It is important that all of us must keep in mind that each and every one of us are God’s beloved people, and as such, we should always strive to be good and holy, just as He is holy.

In our first reading passage today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Isaiah in which the prophet spoke of how everything would have turned out well for the people of God if they had trusted in Him and followed His path, instead of the fate that they had endured, the sufferings, humiliations and challenges that they had encountered because of their lack of faith and disobedience, their refusal to follow the path which the Lord had instructed and shown them, and which He has constantly reminded them through His many prophets and messengers. God wanted all of His people to know that it is in Him alone that they could find true joy, purpose and satisfaction in life, and nothing could replace Him or His truth and ways.

The people of God had grown wayward because they allowed themselves to be swayed by the temptations of sin and evil, by the allures of worldly glory and pleasures, the many attachments and distractions present all around them, in all the things which had been presented to them, and the pressures and coercions by which they were tempted to abandon God and betray Him for the pagan gods and false idols. The Lord nonetheless continued to care for all of them, sending them help and reminders along the way, despite them hardening their hearts and minds, stubbornly refusing to follow His path, and preferring instead to embrace the discordant ways and demands of the world.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the frustrations which the Lord pointed out to all those who were gathered to listen to Him, as He told them of just how arbitrary and fickle the faith and beliefs of the people of God at that time, as they hardened their hearts and minds, and refusing to believe in the Lord, their God, and in the One Whom He had sent into their midst to save them, as they should have done. It was mentioned how many among the people refused to follow Him or His Herald, St. John the Baptist, who had come before Him, proclaiming His coming and the imminent coming of God’s Kingdom and salvation. The people thought that they knew it better, and judged both St. John the Baptist and the Lord by their own arbitrary judgment, thinking that they could not be wrong.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, hence, as we listened in those Scripture passages today, we are all reminded of all the things that can lead us down the path of ruin, the path of damnation and mistakes, because we allow worldly pleasures, temptations and persuasions, as well as our pride and ego to mislead us down the wrong path. Our pride and arrogance, our stubborn attitude and behaviours often come in between us and the Lord, as we often failed to realise just how flawed and weak we are, how small and insignificant we are amidst all the glory and power of God. This is why during this time and season of Advent, all of us are called and reminded to throw away from our hearts and minds all these shackles of sin, pride, ego and desires, all which had brought us away from God.

This Advent, let us all renew our commitment and focus in the Lord so that in all and everything that we say and do, in our every steps and moments, our actions and more, we will always be centred and focused on the Lord. Let us all remind ourselves that our lives and existence are possible all because of the Lord, His love, kindness and mercy, and due to everything that He had done for our sake. Each and every one of us whom the Lord had loved and cared for patiently, we should be grateful for everything that He had done for us, and in this time of Advent, let us especially remember everything that He had done for us, in sending unto us His own beloved Son, to be born into this world and becoming the source of our Hope and salvation.

Let us all focus our attention and commitment once again to the Lord, and align our Christmas preparations and efforts, all the things that we are preparing to do in rejoicing and celebrating through this upcoming joyful season, so that in everything we do, we will always focus all things in Christ, and rejoice with the right understanding and appreciation of what it is that we have celebrated and rejoiced for. Let us all also be the bearers of the Good News of Christ to all the people. Let us all be the good role models and examples for one another and for all those who have not yet known of the salvation of God. And let us also share the joy of Christ to everyone, beginning from ourselves so that we may indeed be the bearers of Christ’s Light to all.

May the Lord our most loving God and Creator, Whose patient and enduring love have been the reason for our joy and celebration, our hope and salvation, continued to be with us and bless us, and empower us in our journey towards Him, in our Advent commemorations and efforts. May He continue to help and lead us down the right path, and bless our Advent journey, as well as our good efforts and endeavours. Amen.

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Thursday, 14 December 2023 : 2nd Week of Advent, Memorial of St. John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we continue to progress through this blessed time and season of Advent and as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, all of us are reminded more and more of the coming of our salvation in God, which He has brought into our midst through none other than Jesus Christ Himself, the Son of God, and the One Who has been prophesied and predicted to come into this world, as the Saviour of all mankind. This Advent all of us are reminded as usual of this fact, so that we may indeed remember the very reason why we even celebrate Christmas in the first place. Christmas is truly not all about the festivities, merrymaking, all the joy and the parties, the gifts and the food that we are going to have, but it is all about Christ, our Lord, and the love that God Himself has shown us through His Son.

In our first reading today, we continue to hear the reading from the prophet Isaiah, in which we are constantly being reminded yet again of God’s love and all the reassurances and promises which He has given to us all, His beloved ones, which He has also fulfilled and accomplished through the coming of His Son, Our Messiah or Saviour. The context for those words of reassurance were that God wanted to remind all of His beloved ones, that despite of their many sins, wickedness and evils, He continues to care for them and love them as usual, just as He has always done from the very beginning. What He despises from them, and hence, from all of us, is our sins and disobedience, our wickedness and evils, but not us personally. The Lord our God, is our loving God, Father and Creator, and He has always loved us all these while.

And that was why, He promised us all the path to leave the evils and darkness of this world. He opened the path to eternal life and righteousness through Jesus Christ, His own begotten Son, through Whom He has shown us a new path out of the darkness, and into His eternal Light. He has shown us all by His own examples what it truly means for us to be disciples, followers and the holy people of God, and by His own perfect obedience, He brought us all into the new assurance of eternal life, reconciling us with our loving God and Father, overcoming the sin borne out of the disobedience and unfaithfulness which our forefathers and predecessors had done, in their folly and inability to resist the many temptations and pressures to sin.

The Gospel passage today then spoke of how the Lord Jesus praised St. John the Baptist, whom the Lord had also prophesied as the one to prepare the way for the world’s Saviour. What we heard is yet again another affirmation that everything that the Lord has planned and wished to happen, had indeed come true and into its full fruition because He has always intended for us to be reconciled and reunited with Him. The Lord has sent St. John the Baptist who called many to the path of repentance, reminding them of their sins and wickedness, so that they might open their hearts and minds once again to the Lord, freeing themselves from the dominion and corruption of sin and evil which have corrupted and clouded their minds and hearts for so long, that God may lead them all once again to the path of righteousness.

That is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, today through those passages from the Sacred Scriptures, each and every one of us are reminded that we should always hold onto the faith which we have in the Lord, and remain focused on Him throughout our lives. And in particular, with regards of our preparations for Christmas and all the observances we made during this time and season of Advent, we should always remain firmly focused on the Lord and not be easily distracted and swayed by the many temptations present all around us, and be distracted by all the very prominent and loud celebrations and festivities, all the Christmas shopping, merrymaking and all the parties that are bereft and lacking of the true focus and attention on Christ, the One in Whom we ought to be celebrating and be rejoicing about.

We should not allow these temptations and worldly attachments, pleasures and all other things to dissuade and tempt us away from the path of righteousness and virtue in God. As Christians, each and every one of us should always be committed to the Lord, and we should always be Christ-like in all of our actions, words and deeds, in our every interactions and works, in our every good efforts and endeavours. This time and season of Advent is truly a good time for us to reconnect ourselves with the Lord, and to reevaluate our lives thus far, especially if we have allowed our many concerns and desires in life to interfere with our Christian faith and obligations. We should not allow all those distractions from keeping us away from the path of God’s truth, and we should also seek inspiration and strength from our holy predecessors, and their examples.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. John of the Cross, a renowned saint and holy man of God, who was one of the founders of the Discalced Carmelites order. St. John of the Cross was born into a family of Jewish Christian convert in the area near Avila in Spain, and he had a difficult early life due to having lost his father early on. St. John of the Cross eventually became a priest and while initially he wanted to join the Carthusians, an encounter with St. Teresa of Avila, with whom he would become the co-founders of the Discalced Carmelites, this led to St. John of the Cross helping St. Teresa of Avila in reforming the Carmelites and rediscovering their ancient discipline, rule and way of the Carmelites which had been distorted and corrupted over the centuries.

St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila worked in tandem to reform the Carmelites and they were joined by many who were interested and called to follow the Lord in the way that both these holy saints had done. However, they did not have it easy, as tensions with the original Carmelites as well as with the other religious orders brought about quite a lot of hardships and challenges, as they encountered even moments when the Discalced Carmelites were almost disbanded by the pressure and the order of those who were opposed of the works of St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila. Nonetheless, they remained firm in their conviction and dedication, in doing whatever they could to glorify God by their lives and works.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be inspired by the good examples set by St. John of the Cross and the many other holy men and women of God who have gone before us. Let their examples be our inspiration and strength that we may draw ever closer to God and be ever more courageous in how we continue to live our lives worthily in God’s Presence, and in how we continue to labour to prepare ourselves well for the upcoming celebration of Christmas. May God be with us always, and may He bless us all in our every good efforts and endeavours, our Advent journey and our lives. Amen.

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Wednesday, 13 December 2023 : 2nd Week of Advent, Memorial of St. Lucy, 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, we are all reminded of the love which our Lord and God has for us, and how in Him alone we can have hope and strength, salvation and liberation from all of our troubles, hardships and trials. Indeed, as we continue to progress through this time and season of Advent, we are constantly being called and reminded to remain focused on the Lord, to put our centre of attention and emphasis on Him at all times, especially in how we celebrate our upcoming Christmas festivities and joy. If we do not focus our attention on the Lord, it is very easy for us to be swayed by the many worldly temptations and coercions, attachments and distractions present all around us.

In our first reading today, from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, the prophet reminded the people of God that they should put their trust and faith in the Lord, and not be filled with doubt or uncertainty, because the Lord God is all powerful, Almighty and in Him alone there is true hope and path towards redemption. The Lord reminded His wayward people, who had often rebelled against Him and disobeyed His Law and commandments, that He would guide them all to the right path, and that He would restore their strength and state of grace. Contextually, by the time of the prophet Isaiah, the people of God had been troubled and endured a lot of hardships and challenges, many of which were borne out of their own foolishness and disobedience against God.

At that time, the people of the northern kingdom of Israel had been scattered and oppressed by the mighty forces of the Assyrians, who crushed the Israelite kingdom and destroyed its capital Samaria, bringing many of the people from the northern tribes into exile in far-off lands. The people in the southern kingdom of Judah did not fare much better either, as they also faced a lot of challenges and trials, and many of the people faced difficulties from their neighbours, as well as from the Assyrians themselves. Yet, God still held onto the Covenant that He had made with each and every one of His people, and He did not forget the promises which He had made to them, and hence, through Isaiah, God promised that His salvation would come one day, and all these were fulfilled with the Incarnation and the birth of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the Son of God we celebrate in Christmas.

Then, as we heard in our Gospel passage today, the Lord Himself reassured all of us through His disciples that in Him there is true rest, satisfaction and joy. He said that all who are weary and heavily burdened ought to come to Him, and He will give them rest, and how His yoke is lighter compared to the yoke of the world. What this means is that, while being Christians, as followers of Christ, it does not mean that we will be free from sufferings and hardships, but what it means is that the Lord’s path, while it may seem difficult and challenging, but in the end, it is the only path that leads to true happiness, joy and satisfaction, and the Lord Himself is always with us throughout the whole entire journey.

Today, the Church reminds us all about the importance of remaining firmly rooted in Christ, in obeying the Law and commandments of God, in doing everything that He has taught and revealed to us, so that we may always be focused and centred on Him at all times. We should resist the temptations present around us that we do not end up falling into the traps and pitfalls of sin which may lead us down the path of suffering and destruction. We should always remember that God is always present by our side, guiding and strengthening us throughout the journey, and that we are never alone in our lives, because besides God, we also have our fellow brothers and sisters present all around us, journeying together with us, and hence that is why it is important for us to continue to live our lives with care and compassion for one another.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, today also happens to be the Feast of St. Lucy, also known as St. Lucia of Syracuse, whose holiness, piety and devotion to God were known far and wide, and inspired many people throughout the ages. St. Lucy was born in Syracuse as a Roman citizen, and dedicated herself to a life of holy virginity, and as a Christian, she lived in a dangerous time because it was during the time of the great persecutions by the Roman Emperor Diocletian and his co-rulers, who launched systematic and intense series of persecutions against the Church and the faithful people of God. St. Lucy’s family was bereft of her father in her early age, and as her mother was afflicted with bleeding issue, not aware of St. Lucy’s vow of virginity, arranged her to be married to a wealthy pagan nobleman.

Through the intercession of another Syracusian saint, St. Agatha, St. Lucy’s mother was healed from her illness, and with the persuasion from St. Lucy herself, they distributed much of their riches to the poor, which was therefore reported by St. Lucy’s betrothed pagan nobleman to the Roman authorities. The Roman governor, one named Paschasius, ordered her to burn offerings and sacrifices to the pagan idols, knowing that St. Lucy was a Christian, which was rejected by the courageous young woman. Therefore, the governor ordered her to be defiled in a brothel, but could not get this done, by Divine intervention, which protected St. Lucy. Eventually, after further sufferings and persecutions, St. Lucy was martyred by a sword that was thrust into her throat. Her examples and faith inspired countless others long after her martyrdom, right up to this day.

That is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, each and every one of us should be more and more committed to the Lord, following the examples set by St. Lucy and the many other saints, holy men and women of God, who had dedicated themselves worthily and thoroughly to God’s cause. Each and every one of us should always be committed and focused on the Lord in our whole lives, in putting Him at the centre of our existence, and make Him the reason for our every actions, words and deeds. And this Advent, we should therefore strive to redirect our lives and our attention to the Lord, especially in how we live our lives so that we may truly be able to prepare well for a proper and worthy celebration of Christmas.

May the Lord our God continue to guide us all in life, and remind us that in Him alone there is salvation, hope and eternal life. May He empower each one of us and give us the courage and strength to do His will at all times. May God bless our every good works and efforts, our every endeavours, now and always, and bless our Advent journey. Amen.

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Tuesday, 12 December 2023 : 2nd Week of Advent, Memorial of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet or White (Our Lady of Guadalupe)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, commemorating a popular Apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, in the region now known as Guadalupe in Mexico, where millions visit her shrine daily, and many other countless millions dedicate themselves each year and throughout the years devote themselves to her, as they come seeking the Lord through His Blessed and ever loving Mother, who is also their Mother, our loving Mother. Our Lady of Guadalupe was one of the earliest known Apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which often occurred during times and moments of great strife and challenges to the Church, the faithful and the world.

At that time, where Our Lady of Guadalupe chose to make her appearance, many people still lived in lack of knowledge and understanding of the true faith, and there were also havoc as the Spanish conquerers who landed in the region of Mexico and elsewhere in what was known then as the ‘New World’ caused great destruction to many of the local cultures and civilisations there, by their wars of conquests, destruction and slavery, as well as through diseases and other forms of hazards which led to many deaths and sufferings among the people. Hence, it was only right that Mary indeed appear at that time and moment to intervene as through her efforts, intercession and apparition, later on, countless millions were saved through the faith and by being touched with Mary’s love and devotion to God.

Mary herself as Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to St. John Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, also known as St. Juan Diego, one of the early converts among the native population. One day, at the hill of Tepeyac, where the great Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe now stands, St. John Diego saw the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, appearing to him like a woman of his own race, and she revealed herself to him as the Mother of God and told him to inform the local bishop that a shrine should be built at the site so that she could assist those who have been troubled and distressed. St. John Diego obediently told the bishop and after another apparition, again shared with the local bishop what he had witnessed.

And when the bishop requested from the Apparition for a heavenly sign to show the authenticity of the supernatural event, the Blessed Virgin Lady of Guadalupe told St. John Diego that she would provide one. But when St. John Diego’s uncle was very sick and he missed the appointed time of the apparition, and attending to his uncle, later on when Our Lady of Guadalupe once again appeared to St. John Diego, she chided him gently for not having sought for her intercession and help, telling him in the now famous words, ‘Am I not here, who am your Mother?’ Then, while assuring St. John Diego that his uncle has fully recovered, she told him to gather flowers that were blooming at the site, using his own mantle, known as tilma, to hold those flowers to be shown to the bishop.

The moment that St. John Diego returned to the bishop and revealed the unusual flowers that he had gathered from the Blessed Lady of Guadalupe, the bishop was astonished to have seen the imprint of Our Lady of Guadalupe herself on the tilma or cloak of St. John Diego. This assured the bishop that the Apparition was truly genuine, and he immediately venerated the Blessed Lady of Guadalupe. Henceforth, the devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe became very popular, bringing countless souls to God, being saved through His mother’s love and care for us, and until today, countless millions came to venerate Our Lady of Guadalupe at her shrines, and many more throughout the world devoted themselves to the Lord through her, His Blessed Mother, who is also our Mother.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, the story of the Apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe and the faith of St. John Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin should be inspiration for all of us as Christians in how we should live our lives, and especially as we continue to journey through this season of Advent, in how we prepare ourselves for the upcoming celebrations and joy of the glorious Christmas season. In our world today, too often we encounter situations where mankind, that is all of us, are preoccupied with various temptations, attachments and distractions present around us in this world. Like during the time of St. John Diego and Our Lady’s apparition, much of the sufferings then were caused by human greed and ambitions, which had led to manipulation and exploitation by the strong on the weak, and more.

Today, as we celebrate this Apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe, let us all therefore examine our lives, our actions, words and deeds in all things. All of us should heed the words of Our Lady of Guadalupe reminding us to seek her Son, Our Lord and Saviour, and stay away from the path of sin and evil. We should remember that as Christians we are all called to an existence that is truly filled with God’s grace and love, and we are supposed to commit ourselves to the path which He Himself has shown and taught to us through His Church. We should not be ignorant of our obligations and our calling as Christians, and we should follow the example of the Blessed ever Virgin, Our Lady of Guadalupe herself, in all the commitment and dedication she has always shown.

Let us all therefore ask our Blessed and ever loving Mother, Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe to continue to intercede for each and every one of us, that through her prayers and help, we may be directed ever more closely to the Lord, our God and Saviour. Let us all turn ourselves to the path of righteousness and virtue once again, rejecting the darkness and wickedness of sin, resolving to live our lives henceforth as devoted followers and servants of our Lord and God, and truly be faithful and obedient to Him, at all times. And as we continue to prepare ourselves this Advent, may our Advent journey be fruitful, and may we continue to deepen our connection with God, as well as understanding more of what Christmas is for all of us. May God be with us always and may He bless us all in our every good efforts and endeavours. Amen.