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Wednesday, 26 July 2023 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Joachim and St. Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all presented with the story of the great love of God that had been given to His people, as He generously provided for them and helped them throughout their time and journey in the desert, after their Exodus from their land of slavery in Egypt. God patiently cared for them, gave them food and blessed them even despite their many faults and sins, their stubbornness. And we are all also reminded of how the Lord has given us all His love and truth, and how all of these should be nurtured in us as we heard from the parable of the sower in our Gospel passage today. Each one of us must realise just how blessed we are to have been beloved in such a way by God, and how fortunate we are that the Lord has always kindly watched over us, providing for us and strengthening us despite our many stubborn attitudes.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Exodus, we heard of the story of the journey of the Israelites, who had been led out of their enslavement in the land of Egypt by God, their Lord and Master, through the actions and leadership of Moses, the servant of God. The Israelites had been freed from the sufferings and the humiliation that they had to face in Egypt, and God led them through the desert on their journey to the Promised Land. But as we have heard in that reading passage today, no sooner than they have left the land of Egypt that they lost their faith in God and ended up complaining and being angry against God for having freed them from their slavery in Egypt. Their reason? As mentioned in the Book of Exodus, those Israelites said that they could have all the meat and bread they wanted in Egypt, although they were enslaved, while in the desert they did not have such a luxury.

This is truly the mindset and also shows us the lukewarmness of the faith of those people whom the Lord had endeavoured to bring out of their suffering and humiliation. The Lord had shown them many times His providence, help and love, and even from the days of their ancestors, the Lord has always provided without fail, and everything would be fine in the end. But many among the people of Israel chose to forget about all the love, kindness and compassion which God has shown them through all the years, and chose to be angry against God and to malign Him, accusing Him of leading to their suffering and deaths. But God, in His most patient and compassionate love, chose to be magnanimous, in granting His people their need and desires for food and sustenance, which are something that the Lord would have provided anyway, should the people just be more patient.

Thus, we heard of how God gave His people the bounty of food throughout their long journey in the life-forsaken desert, with the gift of flocks of birds to sustain them all everyday, and also the gift of the heavenly bread, the manna, which God gave to all of His people for them to eat, that they have enough to eat and to be well and strong even as they journeyed through the wilderness and desert. He also gave them water to drink and other providence and sustenance throughout the way. Despite this, if we are familiar with the Book of Exodus and the later books involving the journey of the Israelites to the Promised Land, we surely would have known of how the Israelites have often rebelled against God, complained and being angry at Him, although He has provided and cared for them, even going as far as abandoning Him for other, false and pagan gods and idols.

Yet, God still continued to care for them, and from those who remained faithful, He raised a great new people, while those who have constantly disobeyed Him were crushed and destroyed. The Lord eventually guided those who were faithful and true to His Covenant into the Promised Land, and made them all to settle there in peace and happiness, to enjoy everything that He has promised to them and wanted to give to them. This is then related to what we heard in our Gospel passage today, in the famous parable of the sower. Through the parable of the sower, we heard of the teachings of the Lord, Who told His disciples and all of us how important it is for us to provide the necessary conditions to nurture well the faith and the graces that He has provided for us, as it is easy for us to fall astray and end up losing our way unless we remain vigilant and strongly faithful, in all the ways of our lives.

In the parable of the sower, we heard how the sower sowed the seeds, representing the faith and the truth that God has brought upon us, which have fallen on four different places, namely by the roadside, on a rocky ground with barren soil, among brambles and thistles, and finally on rich and fertile soil. Each one of these represent our attitudes upon listening to the words of the Lord and upon receiving the love and grace of God. Those seeds that fell by the roadside represent all those who have ignored the truth and love of God, and made themselves to be ignorant of the words and teachings of the Lord, which is why they did not have any faith in the Lord, much like those Israelites in the past. Then, those seeds that fell on the rocky ground and barren soil did not manage to grow well because they could not grow proper roots, and they were scorched by the Sun, symbolising those that did not let the truth and love of God to grow roots in them.

Meanwhile, those seeds that fall onto the midst of brambles and thistles were surrounded by those weeds, and while they managed to germinate and grow, they were choked to death by the brambles and thistles, representing those who allowed worldly temptations, desires and evils to lead them to their downfall. Then lastly, those seeds that landed on the rich and fertile soil managed to grow well and ended up with vastly greater returns, which is what will happen when we allow ourselves to grow in faith under great and nurturing environment and conditions, and if we put the effort to live our lives in accordance with God’s Law and commandments, and dedicating ourselves to serve Him at all times, in our every words, actions and deeds, and in our every interactions and dealings with one another.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Joachim and St. Anne, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and hence, they are the grandparents of the Lord Jesus, Our Lord and Saviour. On this occasion too, therefore, we celebrate the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, remembering all those who are elderly in our families, all of our elders and those who have given us their love patiently and constantly, even when they have not been appreciated and when they were tired and facing challenges in their own lives. Like St. Joachim and St. Anne, who had loved and cared for Mary, the Mother of God, since when she was not even born yet, and throughout her formative years. While we did not have a lot of information about them, but we can be very sure that they have brought Mary up very well, that she became a truly worthy being to be the Mother of God and the Saviour, in her exemplary faith and piety, and commitment to God.

Let us all therefore today remember and remind one another not to take those who love us for granted, from our elders and grandparents in particular, and especially more so, our Lord Himself, Who has done so much for us, and Who has unconditionally taken care of us and loved us, despite our constant and frequent disobedience and rebellions. Let us all turn once more towards Him, and strive to make ourselves and our whole lives to be worthy of the Lord, so that we may always grow ever closer to the Lord and be worthy to receive His love and grace. And may the Lord bless us all and our every endeavours, good efforts and works, that we may ever be fruitful in carrying out our actions and works, as good and faithful Christians, in each and every moments of our lives. St. Joachim and St. Anne, pray for us all and pray for our elderly and grandparents in our midst, that God will continue to bless and strengthen them in their lives. Amen.

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Tuesday, 25 July 2023 : Feast of St. James, Apostle (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the Feast of one of the Lord’s great Twelve Apostles, namely St. James the Greater, the elder brother of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, and one of the sons of Zebedee who followed the Lord Jesus since the very beginning of His ministry. St. James was also one of the closest among all of the Lord’s disciples, part of the three disciples that the Lord often brought with Him in important occasions, together with St. Peter, the leader and chief of all the Apostles, and St. John himself, St. James’ younger brother. All the three of them were present at every major occasions in the Lord’s ministry, such as at the Transfiguration of the Lord, the healing and the resurrection of the daughter of Jairus, the synagogue official, as well as the moment of the Lord’s agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, among others.

And as compared with St. John the Apostle, his brother, St. James was also notable as being likely the first among the Apostles to die of martyrdom, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, with Apostolic and Church traditions placing his martyrdom just a decade or so from the time of the Lord’s death and Resurrection. On the other hand, St. John was the last of all the Apostles to pass away, and the only one among all of them who did not die of martyrdom, although he did suffer a lot of persecution, sufferings and oppressions throughout his many years of life. Nonetheless, both brothers have followed the Lord faithfully and with great dedication to the very end, enduring many challenges and hardships, struggles and difficulties throughout their ministry, and they did all that they could to proclaim the Good News of God.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the same two brothers St. James and St. John, who came together with their mother, and at that time, their mother asked the Lord to grant the two of them the places of honour by the left and the right hand side of the Lord. As we heard, this action brought about a lot of insecurities and jealousy from the other disciples of the Lord, and it highlighted to us the dangers of temptations of worldly power and glory, and one which we should resist or else we may end up falling into the wrong paths in life, and not the path that the Lord has shown us. Then, we must understand the context that at that time, many of the people living at the moment of the Lord’s work and ministry thought that the Messiah, that is the Saviour to be sent by God, would be a great conquering King and Ruler, born of the House of David so that the Kingdom of Israel of old can be restored.

That was why among many of the disciples of the Lord, there might have been many who hoped that the Lord Jesus, Whom they considered as the Messiah, would be the One to bring back the glorious days of the Kingdom of Israel, and liberate them all from the hands of their foreign oppressors and rulers, the Romans as well as the foreign rule of the Idumaean Herodian kings. Therefore, when the mother of St. James and St. John made such a request, and the displeasures and jealousy of the other disciples at that time, were all borne out of the misguided ideas and misunderstandings regarding what the Lord’s mission truly was, and what His disciples and followers would have to go through and experience in the midst of their own ministries and works. Thus, the Lord told the two brothers, St. James and St. John, that it was not for Him to decide Who should sit on His left and right, and if they would be able to drink of the cup of suffering that He Himself was about to drink.

Through this, the Lord Himself wanted to reveal the kind of hardships and sufferings, challenges and trials that St. James and St. John and also all the other Apostles and disciples of His, may have to undergo and endure in the midst of their ministries and works. St. James himself eventually was to go on his missionary works and trips, proclaiming the Good News to the far ends of the world, most well-known of which is in the region of Hispania, in what is now parts of Spain, where he proclaimed the Lord and His Good News to many of the people there, and to whom Our Lady herself, Mary, the Mother of God, appeared to in order to encourage and strengthen him, in the apparition known now as Our Lady of the Pillar. St. James’ ministry is the reason why his greatest shrine is now located at the place of his former ministry, in what is now known as Santiago de Compostela, named after the Apostle himself.

St. James eventually would be martyred after that in Jerusalem, as we heard in the Acts of the Apostles, when king Herod Agrippa who wanted to gain favour with the Jewish leaders and elders, persecuted the Christians and their leaders, arrested St. James and then executed him. He was thus likely the first of the Apostles to die in martyrdom, and many of the other Apostles would also suffer and die in the subsequent years and decades. Nonetheless, their faith and commitment to God remained firm and strong even throughout those difficult years, and that faith is something that all of us as Christians should also be inspired with, and be strengthened from. And we have also been constantly reminded that the works of the Lord which He had begun and entrusted to His Apostles like St. James and others, have not yet been completed, and there are still many areas and circumstances where we are called to be like the Apostles in proclaiming the truth of God, His Good News and salvation.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be strengthened by the examples and dedication shown by St. James the Apostle, all his work and ministry, and in his courage to spread the word of God and the faith, and in having indeed drunk of the cup of suffering and martyrdom that the Lord Himself had drunk from. Let us all be genuine and committed disciples of the Lord ourselves and let us all seek to do what the Lord had called us to do, and be ever more faithful to Him in all of our ways. Let us all be exemplary and good in our every words, actions and deeds, in our every interactions and relationships with one another. We are all parts of the Church and its mission to evangelise and to proclaim God’s truth, salvation and Good News to all the whole world, and each one of us have to commit ourselves to this mission in whichever areas and parts that we are able to contribute in.

May the Lord continue to strengthen and guide each one of us, and may the intercession of St. James, His Apostle continue to help us in our journey, and empower us all should we face many challenges and trials throughout our journey of faith and life. May God bless us all and may He bless our every works and good deeds, efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Monday, 24 July 2023 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Sharbel Makhluf, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this day as we listened to the Lord’s words in the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the need for each and every one of us to place our trust in the Lord and to be ever faithful to Him. We should not allow doubt and fear to affect and prevent us from truly following God’s path, as each one of us are truly precious and important in the sight of God, and as long as we continue to trust in Him and in His providence, we shall not fail and falter. All of us should continue to keep up this faith in God and we must not easily be discouraged and swayed by the many challenges and trials present all around us. If we allow ourselves to be persuaded otherwise and choose to abandon the Lord instead of trusting in Him and in His providence and love, then we may end up leading ourselves to an even greater loss in the end.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Exodus of the story of the moment when the Israelites were on their way out of the land of Egypt, where they were then chased by the forces of the Egyptians under their ruler, the Pharaoh, his army and the chariots. The Pharaoh regretted having let the Israelites go free under the pressures from the Ten Great Plagues that God had sent to the land of Egypt and the Egyptians, and hence tried to subjugate all of them again through that. The Israelites then were at the shore of the Red Sea, and they were cornered between the sea itself and the Pharaoh’s army, without any means or opportunity to escape, and therefore many among the people were afraid and fearful that they were facing certain destruction, and as we heard, many among them blamed Moses and even God for having led them to their deaths at that place, mentioning how they preferred to have remained under slavery rather than to die in that manner.

Moses reassured the people and God Himself also told Moses and hence His people that they should not be afraid as He was with them, guarding and protecting them, and whatever He has promised them, in bringing them to freedom and liberation from their land of slavery, and the promise of bringing them into the land promised to their forefathers, the Land of Canaan. God was not going to go back on His words on all of His promises, and despite the struggles and sufferings that His people would have to endure, eventually, they would see the promise of God’s salvation and grace. In that particular occasion, God would come and protect His people against the Egyptians, placing a great pillar of fire between the Israelites and the Egyptian forces, and then as we all well known and are familiar with, God Himself through Moses, opened the Red Sea for all the people of Israel to pass by, dry and protected on the seabed.

Thus, that was how God saved His people, who had suffered for a long time under their slavemasters, and who had to endure a lot of hardships and humiliations. Yet, God led His people into the ultimate triumph, liberating them and giving them the reason and opportunity to hope once again, to hope in the true joy and happiness in the presence of God. God did not abandon His people even in their darkest hours, and journeyed together with them, even though later on they would prove to be rather difficult and frequently disobeyed God’s words, Law and commandments. God remained full of love and compassion on His beloved ones, reaching out to them patiently and caring for them at all times. The Lord has always patiently guided His people, there at that time of the Exodus and afterwards, ever remembering the love that He has for them and the Covenant which He had made with them.

Then in the Gospel passage today, we heard from the moment when the Lord was confronted by some of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who demanded to see signs and wonders, miracles and works from Him. We must understand that at the time, many of the miracles, works and wonders that the Lord had performed, had been witnessed by many of the same Pharisees and teachers of the Law, who had also heard and listened to all the teachings and the words of the Lord all the same. Yet, they still refused to believe in Him, doubting His truth and works, and questioning His authority and signs, and demanding to see more of what they had themselves seen and witnessed. That was why the Lord was often saddened by what He had encountered from these oppositions, as those people kept on holding onto their doubts and prejudices, and refusing to listen to Him.

Why is that so, brothers and sisters in Christ? That was because those people who doubted the Lord thought that they knew things better than the Lord, and they refused to accept that they could be wrong in their ways or in their insights and intelligence. That was why no matter what they had seen, heard or witnessed, experienced and went through with the Lord, in all of His ministry and works, many among those people were stubborn and adamant in not listening to God and His truth, and keeping on their prejudiced ways and views, thinking that they were superior and better, when they were in fact mistaken and faulty in their ways and actions. This same attitude had brought many into their downfall and prevented many others from coming to seek forgiveness, grace and compassion from the Lord.

That is why today, all of us are reminded not to hold onto our pride and prejudices, and not to be easily swayed by fear and the desires of this world, that we end up abandoning the Lord and His truth for our own personal ambitions, pride and the many desires and attachments we have to this world’s goods. And today, as we also celebrate the feast of one of the Lord’s great servants, we should be inspired and strengthened by the exemplary life and dedication of this holy man of God, in how he had devoted his life to the Lord and in doing what God has commanded him and all of us to do. He is St. Sharbel Makhluf, also known as Charbel Makhlouf, the famous Maronite saint and priest, who lived and ministered to the people of God about a century and half ago, showing many his holiness and dedication to the Lord.

St. Sharbel Makhluf led a holy life from a very young age, being raised in a devout family, and later on became a monk in what is today part of Lebanon. He led a life of great holiness and sanctity, wholly devoted to God, and as he later on withdrew to a monastery as a monk, dedicating himself even more to the Lord, he showed many people how it is possible for one to entrust oneself so completely to the Lord, and to follow Him in His commandments and will. After his passing, many were miraculously healed at his tomb and by the intercession of this saint, which is yet another example of the great grace of God, Who truly loves each one of us His people, that He sent unto us these great blessings and graces, the healings and wonders, the miracles attributed through the constant intercession and help from St. Sharbel Makhluf.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore do our best to renew our faith in the Lord and to commit ourselves anew in the path which the Lord has shown to us. Let our lives and works, our every actions, words and deeds be great examples and inspirations to one another so that many more people may come to believe in the Lord through us. May the Lord continue to guide us and strengthen us, so that in our every moments, we may always strive to glorify Him by our lives. Amen.

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Sunday, 23 July 2023 : Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday all of us heard the messages from the Sacred Scriptures in which we are all reminded to be receptive to the gifts of the Lord’s truth and to this faith which we have received from the Lord, giving us His wonderful Wisdom and other gifts, the gift of His love and kindness, compassion and all the blessings and graces of the Spirit of God. Each one of us have been entrusted with the gifts of faith, as diverse and varied as they are, so that we may make good use of them to do the good works of God and to carry out whatever the Lord has entrusted to us to do with our lives, in being His true disciples and followers in this world, and not just merely paying lip service to Him only. All of us have been shown the path of righteousness and virtue by the Lord Himself, and we should indeed do our best to make good use of those gifts.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Wisdom, we heard the author of the Book of Wisdom speaking about the greatness, power, strength and justice of God, which God has revealed to His people, in order to lead and guide all of them to Himself. All of us as God’s people, as the members of His Body, the Church, all share in this same truth and knowledge of the Wisdom of God, of His providence and grace, and all of us have been provided with the rich guidance and the way which God wants us all to walk in, the path of His justice and righteousness, as we are constantly being reminded day after day to do the will of God, obey His Law and commandments, to do what He has taught us through His Church, through the Pope, the bishops and the priests, who have passed down unto us the teachings and the wisdom of God from the Lord Himself.

And He has also given us His Spirit, the Holy Spirit that has descended upon all of us, which St. Paul elaborated in his Epistle to the Church and the faithful in the city of Rome, which we heard in our second reading today. St. Paul spoke of the works of the Holy Spirit in all of us, who have received the Holy Spirit through the Church of God, by the laying of hands from the Apostles and their successors, and passed to us through the grace of the Sacrament of Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist, the Sacraments of Initiation, by which the Lord Himself has dwelled in us in the Flesh and the Spirit, as we become the Temples of God’s Most Holy Presence, our beings having been empowered and made strong by the Lord Himself, Who gave us His strength and wisdom, His grace and love, everything that He has lovingly provided and promised for us from the very beginning.

That is why as we listened and remembered what we have heard in our Gospel passage today, as the Lord elaborated and highlighted what the Kingdom of Heaven, the Kingdom of God is like, using many parables and comparisons, all of us must carefully discern and think of how the Kingdom of God itself has been manifested in this world, not as like any of the earthly realms and the physical kingdoms of this world. Instead, the Kingdom of God is already existing and present in this world, in all of us, the faithful people of God, the Church of God and the Communion in the One Body of Christ. All of us as the visible Body of Christ, the Holy Communion of all the believers, are the visible Kingdom of Heaven on earth, the Kingdom of God, the preview of the everlasting and most glorious Kingdom in which we shall spend an eternity with our loving God and King.

If we recall what we heard in our previous Sunday’s Gospel passage, regarding the parable of the sower, then we must have recalled how the Lord related to His disciples the fates awaiting each of the different seeds that were spread and fell on four different places. Those seeds represent the word of God, the will of God and His truth, which have been given to all of us, most generously and freely, and yet, many of us have failed to allow those seeds to grow well in our beings, as we spent a lot of time on following many different earthly and worldly pursuits, being tempted and misguided by the many attachments we have upon this world’s pleasures and goodness. That is why the seeds of faith and love for God often failed to germinate and grow in our hearts and minds, as we have not provided good and favourable conditions for the development of this faith.

Today, as we then listened to the words of the Gospel passage, in which the Lord told the people and His disciples of yet another parable related to the parable of the sower, in which the master and lord of the land sowed good seeds, only for the enemy to discreetly sow the bad seeds of weeds in order to sabotage and destroy the master’s harvest. As the Lord explained the meaning of this parable, He highlighted how both the wheat and the weeds were allowed to grow until the time of the harvest, when those wheat will be harvested and kept, while the weeds will be destroyed and burnt. This is a reference to the just and the wicked living and existing together, and how in each one of us there are indeed both good and evil things. Now, what is important is that we must realise that, nothing evil can come to the Presence of God, Who is all good and perfect, and hence, if we have done what is evil and sinful, and we have not atoned for them, or be forgiven from them, then our lot may likely be in the eternal fire and suffering.

On the other hand, all of us are also reminded of the great potential that each and every one of us have, in doing what is good, right and just in the sight and presence of the Lord. As the other parable which the Lord used was the yeast hidden in three measures of flour, which will let the dough to rise if the right conditions are provided. All those who were then familiar with the making of bread would have known that if yeast was not added, or if the dough was not sealed properly in an airtight place, or if water was not added, and if the right temperature was not used in the process, the dough would not rise and the proper bread could not be made. This is similar to what we have heard in the parable of the sower in which if the right conditions are not provided, then the seeds cannot germinate into good and healthy plants.

This reminds us that all of us must therefore live our lives in this world worthily and faithfully, as Christians, that is as those who believe in God and in His truth. All of us must do this so that we can nurture our faith and love for God, and so that we may provide the optimum conditions necessary for our faith in the Lord to develop and for our lives to be truly worthy of Him. This is what each and every one of is have been called to do, that is to sanctify our lives and to devote our works, actions and efforts in life to be truly exemplary and faithful in all things. Through us, the whole body of the faithful, the Church of God, we can make the Kingdom of God to be manifest in this world, and the way to do that, is for us to commit ourselves thoroughly to the path that God has shown us, and strive to be great and holy in our way of living our daily lives.

Let us all therefore make good use of the many gifts and blessings that God has granted and blessed us with, all the wonders that He has given us. Each and every one of us should do our part in living a most faithful and exemplary life, filled with genuine and living, vibrant and missionary faith. May all of us become the great beacons of God’s light and truth, His love and salvation, that we may be the bearers of His Good News, His love and grace into this world. May God bless us all in our every good efforts, actions and endeavours, and may He lead us all into the glory and joy of eternal life. Amen.

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Saturday, 22 July 2023 : Feast of St. Mary Magdalene, Apostle of the Apostles (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene, one of the faithful and closest disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour. St. Mary Magdalene was one of the women mentioned to have followed the Lord, together with the others named Mary, namely, Mary, the Mother of God herself, and also Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, as well as other holy women who dedicated themselves to help and serve the Lord and His followers. According to various Church traditions, St. Mary Magdalene was associated either with the woman who was caught in the act of adultery, or was a prostitute, or just another ordinary woman, from whom the Lord had driven out seven evil spirits, as recorded in the Gospels.

Regardless of the circumstances and tradition, it is clear that no matter what kind of life that St. Mary Magdalene had carried out in the past, all those things did not change the fact that in the end, this woman became one of the greatest among the Lord’s followers, and by the importance placed on her Feast today, which had been raised to equal that of the other Apostles of the Lord, we can see just how significant St. Mary Magdalene is to all of us as Christians, as the role model and the example for many of us, God’s faithful servants, the people of God. St. Mary Magdalene was truly the Apostle of the Apostles, or Apostolorum Apostola, the one who had brought the message of the Good News and the Lord’s Resurrection to the other Apostles.

That is what we have heard in our Gospel passage today, which highlighted the moment when the Risen Lord Jesus first appeared to His disciples, to St. Mary Magdalene who was among the first to go to the tomb of the Lord on the morning of Easter Sunday, the time when the Lord rose gloriously from the dead. The Lord appeared to the grieving St. Mary Magdalene who thought that the Lord’s Body might have been stolen and hidden by His enemies or persecutors when she saw His tomb was clearly open and empty inside. The Angels of God had told them that the Lord is Risen and that He was no longer in the tomb, as death itself could not contain Him, and He has triumphantly been victorious over sin and death, returning to us as the all-conquering Saviour and Lord. He therefore appeared to the still-shocked St. Mary Magdalene, who saw Him and believed.

It was St. Mary Magdalene who broke the news to the other disciples, and through her accounts and experiences, the Apostles came to know of the Lord’s Resurrection at Easter, with St. Peter and St. John having rushed immediately to the tomb after her return to Jerusalem. Thus, St. Mary Magdalene, who had once been probably living a life of sin and waywardness, became the agent and means through whom God revealed the knowledge and truth about His Resurrection, as the one to whom God first made His appearance after He has risen from the dead. It was also very symbolic, of God coming to be reconciled with us and to seek for the lost and those who suffer from the result of their sins. The Lord Himself has said in one occasion, that He came specifically for those who are lost and those who have none to help them, to heal them and to reconcile them to Himself.

And that is why He came to appear to St. Mary Magdalene, to highlight ever more clearly the love which He has always had for us all, especially for the last, the lost and the least among us. God does not desire any one of us to be lost to Him, and this example shown by St. Mary Magdalene serves as a reminder for each one of us that no one is truly beyond God and His love. God has always reached out to us, caring for us, guiding and helping us in our journey towards Him. St. Mary Magdalene herself also showed us that no sinner is beyond redemption, as has other great sinners turned saints have shown us. As mentioned, regardless of who St. Mary Magdalene was, what truly matters is that this woman has embraced the Lord wholeheartedly and committed herself completely to the Lord, becoming one of His greatest servants.

Now, all of us should be inspired by the great faith and examples, the dedication and the love which St. Mary Magdalene had for the Lord. Each and every one of us as Christians, as the disciples and followers of the Lord can and indeed should follow the same actions and examples that St. Mary Magdalene had done in her life. Each one of us have been called and chosen from this world, and we have received the same truth and Good News of God, and what remains is just therefore for us all to make the conscious choice and decision to commit ourselves to the Lord with all of our might and strength, and becoming great role models and sources of inspiration ourselves, by our own exemplary and faithful works and deeds, at all opportunities and through all the graces that God had provided for us.

Let us all therefore walk in the footsteps of the holy servant of God, St. Mary Magdalene, a most worthy example for all of us, in her commitment and efforts to serve the Lord. She would continue to serve the Lord and offer herself for the greater glory and works of the Lord, and each one of us should strive to follow her example and be always reminded that there is no one who is truly outside and beyond the power of God’s mercy and forgiveness. All of us have been given the opportunities and shown the path by the Lord, and hence, it is up to us whether we want to commit ourselves to the Lord and His path, believe in His truth and Good News, or not. What we all need to remember is that, to all of us God’s beloved people, we have the responsibilities and the calling to be missionary and to be evangelising in our every works and actions, in our every words and endeavours, and interactions with others.

May the Lord continue to help and guide us in our journey of faith through life, and may He inspire all of us to persevere and to be always ever strong in our every deeds and way of life, to be more like His holy servant, St. Mary Magdalene, our great role model and guide, as well as like the innumerable other saints, holy men and women who had given their lives to serve God. May God bless all of us in our every works and efforts, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

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Friday, 21 July 2023 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Lawrence of Brindisi, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we listened to the words of the Scriptures in which we are all told of the story of the Passover in Egypt, the very first time it was celebrated in that land, where the Israelites, the people of God were being liberated from their slavery. We then also heard of how the Lord instructed His people to eat the Feast of the Passover, by preparing the unblemished lamb for the sacrifice and for the meal, and related to the words of the Lord in our Gospel passage today, in which He chastised the Pharisees who were criticising Him and His disciples for having picked the grains of wheat on the Sabbath day, a day that was considered sacrosanct and holy for the people of God. Through all of these we are reminded that we have to appreciate and understand what it truly means for us to follow and obey the Lord, that with our hearts and not only with our intellect.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Exodus we heard of the moment when the Israelites were instructed by God to prepare for their very first Passover in the land of Egypt, after God had sent nine great Plagues upon Egypt and its people because of the stubbornness and refusal of the Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go free and continue to enslave them. The Lord was about to send His tenth and greatest Plague, which would see the death and destruction of all the firstborn sons of the Egyptians, while those of the Israelites were spared from the same death and destruction, just as the Lord had protected them all from the devastations of the earlier nine Plagues that affected only the Egyptians who had refused to listen to God and rejected the will of God Who demanded that they should free His beloved people.

The Lord therefore prepared His people for the final Plague, by which He would lead them all out of the land of Egypt, in which they were to prepare and slaughter an unblemished lamb, which they would eat on the night of the Passover, during the very night when God’s final Plague would visit Egypt. That night, God sent His Angels to rend the whole land of Egypt with death, destroying the firstborn sons of the Egyptians, but God’s people were spared because they have marked their houses with the blood of the unblemished Passover lamb. That is exactly the meaning of the word Passover, that is the people of God had been ‘passed over’ from death, and brought out free from their state of slavery into freedom and new life, as God brought them into the land which He has promised to them and their ancestors.

And in case we do not realise or fully appreciate it, this is a prefigurement of what the Lord will do with all of us and also what He had done, as He sent us all His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, just as He has sent Moses to the Israelites, so that through His Son, He might proclaim His saving grace and the desire to see all of us freed and liberated from our enslavement to sin and evil. God has gathered all of us to Himself, and called on us to follow Him, and by sending to us His Son, He has also given us the perfect means to our salvation, that as the Paschal Lamb, the Lamb of God, Christ has obediently embraced His role, in being the Mediator of the New Covenant, together with being our Eternal High Priest, in offering Himself as the perfect and worthy offering for the atonement of our many sins and wickedness.

Just as the Israelites had been delivered from the Egyptians by the hand of God, and marked by the blood of the unblemished lamb, to be spared from the death and destruction, and as mark of the Covenant that God would establish with them, thus, all of us in a similar way, had been marked by the Most Precious Blood of the Lord, freely outpoured and given for us. Christ Himself has willingly offered Himself to be slaughtered and slain, on the Altar of His Cross, and through Him, all of us who believe in Him and partake in the Most Holy Eucharist, receiving His own Most Precious Body and Blood, has become part of the New and Eternal Covenant which God has established with each and every one of us, by which all of us have been assured salvation and grace. Just like in the past, God having rescued His people Israel, thus He has now endeavoured to save all of us from eternal death because of our sins.

This is what the Lord has always intended with us, out of His ever present and most generous love, overflowing from Him and unto each and every one of us. All of His Law and commandments have always been intended with the purpose of guiding us all to Him and to show us the way to righteousness and how we can love Him better through our way of life and actions. Each and every one of us are blessed to have been so beloved by God, and today’s Gospel passage reminds us yet again of this fact. The reason why the Lord criticised the Pharisees for their uncharitable comment and criticism was because they failed to understand the true meaning and purpose of the Law of the Sabbath. The Sabbath day was meant by the Lord to be a day dedicated to the Lord, so that amidst their busy lives and schedules, God’s people may find some time to reconnect with Him and keep themselves focused on Him. But this does not mean that it must be taken so literally like what was done by the Pharisees, who forbid any kind of activities or actions on the Sabbath, even when it is for the common good and benefit of man.

Today, that is why we are reminded again that we should be truly faithful to God and be filled with love for Him as always. We should do our best so that in all things, we will continue to grow ever stronger in faith and love for the Lord, in our commitment and dedication to Him, as His beloved people. That is why today we all should also model ourselves upon the good and inspiring examples set by St. Lawrence of Brindisi, a great servant of God whose life and commitment to Him can inspire us in how we all also should live our own lives, with faith. St. Lawrence of Brindisi was a priest and member of the Capuchin religious order, remembered for his piety and fluency in many languages, who had also fought in part of a conflict and war against the forces of the oppressors of the Church, according to tradition, being armed with only a crucifix. He committed his whole life to serve the Lord, in ministering his fellow Capuchin brothers and sisters as its vicar general and highest office holder, among other works among the people of God, right up to his last days.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, can we follow the great examples of St. Lawrence of Brindisi and discern carefully how we can carry out our lives ever more worthily for the sake of the Lord? Can we listen to the Lord, obey His Law and commandments more and more, growing in our love and faith in Him, remembering ever always just how great His love is for us, that He did so much for us, on our behalf, in order to deliver us from destruction due to sin and death. May the Lord, our most loving God, be with us all His Church, that we may always be faithful to Him at all times. Amen.

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Thursday, 20 July 2023 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Apollinaris, Bishop and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the love and kindness of God, Who has always loved us all, His beloved ones. Through the examples highlighted in our reading passages today, and by the Lord’s own words, we are reminded of God’s ever gracious kindness and love, in caring for the needs of His people, and in delivering them out of the hardships and challenges that they are all facing in this world. We heard from the Book of Exodus of the sending of Moses to the Israelites in Egypt, in order to deliver them all out of the hands of the Egyptians and their Pharaoh, while the Gospel today reminded us of the love of God Who wanted us all to come to Him and receive rest in Him, to share our burdens and sufferings together.

In our first reading today, from the Book of Exodus as mentioned, we heard of the moment when God reassured Moses, His servant, as He called him at Mount Horeb through the miraculous burning bush. God introduced Himself clearly as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Whose Name is I AM WHO AM (YHVH), the God of Israel and God of all mankind, the Creator and Master of all the whole universe. Moses believed in the Lord and wanted to do what he has been asked to do, but he was still uncertain as he was afraid that he would not be well-received among the Israelites, and that he was not eloquent in speech or charism. But God reassured Moses and told him that He would guide him in everything that he would be doing for the sake of His people, and told him how He has endeavoured to bring all of His people, the Israelites, out of the land of Egypt.

Back then, the Israelites, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, had been living in Egypt for about four centuries, where they had spent many generations building their lives and grew rapidly in numbers, being blessed bountifully by God, which brought about fear, jealousy and opposition from the Egyptians and their Pharaoh, the one reigning then who did not know of the great deeds of Joseph, who had once led Egypt as Regent in avoiding great disasters due to the extensive famine that happened during his time. The Lord has blessed Joseph and his whole family, keeping in mind what He has promised to his father Jacob and his ancestors, in blessing them and providing for them, and thus in the land of Egypt, the Israelites prospered and multiplied greatly in numbers, which led to the persecution and oppression of God’s people by the Pharaoh and the Egyptians who enslaved them.

God did not forget about His people, and through Moses, God was delivering them all from their darkness and suffering into the new light and hope that He reassured all those who have kept their faith in Him. God did not wish to see the suffering of His faithful, which was caused by the wickedness of man’s evil desires, their jealousy, greed and fears, which manifested in such acts of tyranny and evil, in how the Egyptians and their Pharaoh treated the Israelites, as slaves and less than human beings. Therefore, God reassured Moses and sent him into Egypt so that He might rescue the Israelites through him, and bringing them all out of the land of Egypt by His great power, God proved ever true and faithful to the Covenant that He had made and renewed again and again with us, showing us just how patient and enduring His love for us has been.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the Lord Jesus speaking to His disciples telling all of them and all the people to come to Him, all those who are heavily burdened, troubled and are in suffering, and that He will give them all rest in Him because His yoke is light and He is truly filled with love for each and every one of His beloved ones, whom He was willing to gather from all the far corners of the whole world. Through all of these words, just as the Lord reassured Moses and His people Israel of His salvation, thus, the Lord Jesus manifested God’s love and compassion towards us in an even more perfect manner, being the Love of God manifested in the flesh, as God Himself came into our midst, descending from His heavenly Throne, to come and dwell with us. He gathers us all to Himself and reminds us all of the love He has for us, through which He willingly leads us to freedom from our sins, which has enslaved us all.

Yes, this means that just as the Israelites had been freed from their enslavement by the Egyptians and their Pharaoh, thus all of us in the similar manner have also been liberated and made free from the tyranny of sin and the evil one and his forces seeking our destruction and damnation. At the same time, if we pay more attention to what we have heard from the Lord’s words, He is also reminding us all that to follow Him does not mean that we will immediately be freed from all sufferings and that we will immediately enjoy eternal bliss and joy. Much like the Israelites who have endured forty years of journey in the desert after their Exodus from Egypt, due to their stubbornness and continuous failures to resist the temptations of sin, thus all of us in our own lives, we are also called to be prepared for what may be an arduous journey of faith and life, in striving for the glory of God and His salvation.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Apollinaris, a great saint and man of God whose life and works, whose actions, words and more things about him may hopefully inspire more and more amongst us to be ever more faithful to the Lord and to be more worthy of Him. St. Apollinaris, also known as St. Apollinaris of Ravenna was the Bishop of Ravenna and one of the earliest Church fathers being according to the sacred traditions, a contemporary of the Holy Apostles. St. Apollinaris was probably also one of the disciples of the Lord, and at least was a disciple of St. Peter the Apostle, the first Pope. According to Church traditions and martyrology, St. Apollinaris was a dedicated bishop and servant of God, who devoted his life to the care of his flock, much like how the Lord Himself has sought His lost sheep as we heard in our Scriptures today.

Consequently, he cared for them and remained firm in his faith and dedication to God despite the challenges that he had to face throughout his ministry, amidst the many persecutions and oppressions against the early Christian communities, the Church of God by the Roman authorities. St. Apollinaris did what he could to protect those under his care, hid many of the Christians including those who have been banished, exiled and punished for their faith in God. Eventually, he himself was persecuted and martyred for everything that he had faithfully done for the Lord’s sake and in defiance against the orders from the Roman state itself, and to the very end, he remained firmly faithful, and prophesied that eventually the Church would triumph against all of its oppressors, which indeed did come true.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all hence follow the examples of St. Apollinaris of Ravenna and remind ourselves of all of his dedications and works for the glory of God and for others, just as we also recall the great love and kindness that God has shown us. Let us all remember that each one of us as Christians have important duties and responsibilities, in proclaiming the truth and Good News of God to the whole world. May the Lord continue to guide us in our path, and empower us so that we may continue to strive to do our best in faith, in persevering strongly despite the many trials and challenges we may have to face in our path. May God bless us all and our every good efforts and endeavours. Amen.

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Wednesday, 19 July 2023 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scripture passages, all of us are reminded that each one of us have been given the revelation of God’s wonders and His truth, His Good News and the fullness of His love, just as He has done through His prophets and messengers, and ultimately through none other than His own Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the One through Whom God has revealed the fullness of His love and compassion, His care and attention to each and every one of us, His beloved children, whom He has cared and shown attention on every single moments, whether in good or terrible times. God has done so much for us that all of us should be cognisant of His generosity and love, which He has patiently showed us all these while.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Exodus, we heard of the moment when Moses was called by God in the land of the Midianites, where he spent his days in exile away from Egypt, where he committed a crime against an Egyptian. Moses was called by God at Mount Horeb, where he went up and saw a miraculous burning bush, where God spoke to him and revealed to him His intentions. God told Moses that he would be sent to the Egyptians and their ruler, the Pharaoh so that He might deliver all of His beloved people from their predicament and slavery, and that God would proclaim His glory and greatness to those who had persecuted and oppressed His chosen ones. Moses listened to the Lord and heard of everything that He would do for the sake of His people, of how He would finally set the things in motion for the salvation and liberation of His beloved ones.

That was therefore how God called Moses to be His servant, and how He would eventually do great deeds amidst His people and among all the Egyptians and many others, who have seen the great might of God displayed in the signs and wonders, and the Ten Great Plagues He sent against the Egyptians, among other great deeds. The Lord revealed to us His love, His patient and compassionate nature, His attention and His great commitment to His beloved ones. And this is what He has also revealed to us through His Son, just as we heard from our Gospel passage today, in which we heard the Lord Jesus speaking to the people and to His followers about how He has been sent into this world to reveal to everyone the love of the Father, and how He, as the Son, revealed the Father’s will and love to all of His beloved people.

As Christians, all of us have received and been entrusted with this same revelation and truth, and we have been called and chosen from among the world to be the receivers and the bearers of God’s great love and truth, His Good News and wonders. That is why, like Moses, all of us have been called to do His will, and to carry out whatever works and to do whatever it is that right in His Presence. All of us are called and entrusted with the gift of our Christian faith and truth, that as those who have believed in these same truths, hopefully we may proclaim them in all of the opportunities that had been provided to us. Each and every one of us are the beacons of God’s light, the bearers of His love and His salvation into this world. It is through us that many others may come to know of the Lord and seek His love and salvation.

Just like Moses had been sent into the land of Egypt to liberate the people of Israel from the slavery to the Egyptians, hence, the Lord Jesus Himself, the Son of God, was sent into our midst so that He might deliver us from the slavery to our many sins and wickedness. And through Him, God established His Church, His Presence and Body in this world, calling upon every one of His beloved children to come to Him and to embrace once again the love which He has always lavished upon them. And all of us as Christians are the members of this same Church and Body of Christ, entrusted with the works of evangelisation and the proclamation of God’s Good News and love, which we should indeed embrace wholeheartedly, in our every day living and in every moments, for it is within our power and reach to touch the lives of many others with the love and truth of God.

The question now therefore is, are we willing to commit ourselves to this calling and ministry? Too often many of us Christians are too focused on our own selfish desires and ambitions, our pursuits in life and many other things that can be serious obstacles in our path, in our journey of faith towards the Lord. That is why today we are all reminded of this calling and mission we have, so that amidst our busy lives, actions and works, and among all the things that we are busy and often preoccupied in seeking, we may remember that in whatever we do, we should do it for the sake of the Lord and out of love and faith in Him. We should not spend so much time in seeking worldly things and all the satisfactions of the flesh. Those things do not last forever, and will not bring us true satisfaction and happiness in life, which God alone can give us.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, that is why today we should discern our path forward in life and consider carefully how we should continue living our lives with faith. We are truly so fortunate that God has given us so many wonderful blessings, and having loved us so generously all these while. Now, let us all consider and discern what we can do, in our own lives and in whatever areas we are working or living in, so that by our actions and works, by our every words and interactions with one another, we will always be exemplary and ever faithful in every one of our way of living. Let us do our best so that more and more people may come to know the Lord through us, and that more may be persuaded to believe in the Lord and His Good News, His salvation and ways. It is through us that God can call more and more of His lost ones to Him, and we should make good use of the opportunities given to us to reach out to our fellow brothers and sisters.

May the Lord continue to help and guide us in our journey in life, and empower each and every one of us so that we may indeed grow ever stronger in our faith and trust in Him, and may He continue to bless us and our many works so that by our ever faithful commitment to Him, we will always be filled with His grace and blessings, His love and compassion, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 18 July 2023 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we continued with the discourse from the Book of Exodus in our first reading, we are reminded that we should believe in the Lord and trust in His providence, in His guidance and path at all times. That is how we can better walk through this life and the path that He has shown and led us into. Each and every one of us should continue to allow God to help and lead us down the right path in life, listening to Him calling upon us deep within our hearts and minds. Each one of us should listen to the Lord Who has shown us His love and kindness, and Who has constantly reached out to us, seeking to be truly and genuinely reconciled with us, that we, though sinners, may be redeemed and restored to the graceful existence and lives that we have been created for by the Lord from the very beginning.

In our first reading today, we heard about the story of the birth of Moses, the one through whom God would rescue His people, the Israelites, from their enslavement and suffering in the land of Egypt. Back then, the Egyptians had been persecuting and oppressing the Israelites for many years and decades as they feared the great multitude and the growing power of the Israelites, who first came into Egypt during the time of Joseph, who became Regent of all Egypt and safeguarded his family from famine and harm during those years. According to Jewish tradition, by the time Moses was born, the people of Israel had been living in Egypt for around four centuries, and the time was nigh then, in God’s time, to bring His beloved people back to the land which He has promised to them and to their ancestors.

As mentioned in yesterday’s reading from the Book of Exodus, the Pharaoh of Egypt sought to destroy and eradicate the Israelites as a people, by ordering the destruction of all the sons of the Israelite slaves, decreeing that all of those sons of the Israelites had to be cast into the Nile River and therefore killed. But God was with His people, providing for them, and some Egyptians, two midwives according to the tradition, were sympathetic to the Israelites and rescued many Israelite young male children from their fated destruction. Moses himself was spared from the River Nile and destruction as no less than Pharaoh’s own daughter noticed him and took and treated him as her own son. Thus, this was how the Lord began to put the things in motion for the salvation and liberation of His people, that would be fulfilled when Moses grew up and eventually led the Israelites back to their Promised Land.

This of course did not come easy, as we heard in today’s first reading passage, Moses had to flee to the land of the Midianites for a while as he killed an Egyptian when that person oppressed one of his fellow Israelites. Moses had to toil in foreign lands, and when he later on came back to Egypt at the behest of God’s call and mission, he had to struggle against Egypt and its Pharaoh, who adamantly refused to let the Israelites go free. He had to face a lot of struggles and trials, difficulties and challenges amidst his ministry, and even later on during the Exodus and journey from Egypt, he had to contend with the disobedience, lack of faith and stubbornness from the people that he led patiently to the land of their ancestors. Moses did not have it easy, and neither did the Lord Himself, when He came into this world, in His Son, Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour.

As we also heard then from our Gospel passage today, the Lord Himself was frustrated with the lack of faith, stubbornness and disobedience of His people, that He proclaimed those words against Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum. If we are familiar with these places’ names, that is because those were exactly the places where the Lord performed many of His miracles and works. Yet, despite the Lord’s miracles and wonders, the Wisdom and authority of His teachings and words, many among the people, especially the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law among them, who have constantly and stubbornly refused to listen to the Lord’s continuous effort to reach out to them and to all the other people, even to the point of purposefully finding ways to put obstacles and hardships in the path of the Lord and His disciples.

In the face of all these stubborn refusals and resistance, the Lord therefore expressed His sadness and frustrations, and reminded all of His disciples and followers, and everyone else that unless they listen to Him and His truth, then they may end up falling deeper and deeper into the path of sin and rebellion against God, which will lead them into their downfall and destruction. The righteous ones will gain entry into God’s everlasting kingdom and gain true joy from the Lord while those who are wicked and unfaithful will have nothing in the end but damnation and destruction in hell because of their disobedience and refusal to believe in God. As we heard from our Scripture passages today, we are reminded of just how fortunate and blessed we are that God has sent us His deliverance through His Son, that He has endeavoured to deliver us all from the tyranny and enslavement by sin, just as Moses, by the hand of God, delivered the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt.

That is why all of us should do our best today so that we may once again turn towards the Lord with renewed faith and zeal, and be filled with the strong desire to love Him and to serve Him in all occasions. All of us are reminded to walk ever more faithfully in His presence, and to do what we can so that we may indeed be truly faithful and dedicated to Him in all things. All of us should not abandon the Lord for other things in life, for all the worldly pursuits and ambitions, all the greed and human desires that can lead us astray in our path. Each one of us should do what we can in order to commit ourselves to the Lord in the same manner that He Himself has committed Himself to us through the Covenant that He has made with each one of us. All of us have been blessed and are so fortunate for having received this grace.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be renewed and strengthened in faith, at all times. May the Lord continue to guide us in our journey and lives, so that in everything we say and do, we will always do our best to glorify Him by our lives, through our every words, actions and deeds. May God be with us all, His beloved people, so that just as He has rescued the Israelites from the slavery under the Pharaoh and the Egyptians, thus He may also rescue us all from our predicament and our enslavement by sin and evil. May God bless our every good works and efforts, now and always. Amen.

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Monday, 17 July 2023 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us heard from the Scriptures the beginning of the discourse on the story of the Exodus of the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt, we are all reminded that as God’s beloved people, each and every one of us are ultimately beloved and precious to the Lord, and no matter what challenges or trials that we may encounter in our lives, we will still receive the fullness of His providence and help, and we have nothing to fear about if we remain faithful to Him. Of course this also reminds us that at the same time, we are also called to remember that we cannot expect that sufferings and hardships will not be part and parcel of our lives if we are faithful to the Lord, contrary to the beliefs of some amongst us. Following the Lord requires great commitment, and there will likely be time when we may need to make sacrifices and to endure hardships for the Lord’s sake.

In our first reading today, we heard, as mentioned, the story of the moment when the Israelites, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who had stayed in Egypt, were persecuted and oppressed by the Egyptians and their ruler, the Pharaoh, who did not know of the great deeds that Joseph had done for the sake of the Egyptians. The Pharaoh and the Egyptians became fearful of the great numbers and the power of the Israelites, who were living in their midst, and hence, enslaved them and put them to harsh works, treating them as less than human beings, mistreated and exploited, and as we heard, that the Pharaoh even attempted to eradicate all of them eventually by trying to kill off all the sons born to the Israelites, throwing them into the Nile, hoping that eventually, no Israelites would be left, and the remnants of those people might be assimilated among the Egyptians.

The people of Israel then truly suffered and had to endure a lot of humiliations and hardships, as they had to borne a lot of hard work and tough moments in the midst of them being enslaved and forced to build many monuments, cities and other projects of the Egyptians. They were not, however, forgotten by the Lord, their God and Master, Who has always remembered the Covenant which He has made with His servants Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He remembered His people, His beloved chosen ones, who have struggled and toiled in foreign lands, and in His momentous time, He sent unto them Moses, His servant, to lead them out of the land of their enslavement, and to bring them all, free from all bondage and slavery, into the land promised to their ancestors and forefathers.

In our Gospel passage today, the Lord Jesus Himself mentioned something similar in His words and revelations to His disciples, as He told them that His coming into this world, was not meant to bring about an era of peace and joy, without conflict and without suffering. His coming into this world would instead bring about divisions and hardships for all those who endeavoured to follow Him and commit themselves to walk in His ways. This is contrary to the popular belief at that time regarding the Messiah and His coming, in which many of the people believed that the Messiah, the Son of David, would come to restore the kingdom of Israel and become a King over all of them, liberating them from their oppressors and bringing them into an era of glory and peace, much like during the great era of the reigns of King David and King Solomon.

But the Lord told all of His disciples that His coming into this world in fact would bring about opposition and rejection even from among those whom the Lord had entrusted the guardianship over the people, as well as others, who refused to believe in Him and in His truth. The Lord came into this world bringing with Him revelation of truth which would bring about great change and even discomfort for all those who have been accustomed to the ways of the world, and that was precisely why those same religious leaders and elders, such as the chief priests, the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees, opposed the Lord and refused to believe in Him, despite having listened to His wisdom and truth and despite having experienced and witnessed His many signs, miracles and wonders.

All that the Lord had predicted would indeed come true as He Himself was to be persecuted, and put to death for the sins of the people, to die on His Cross for us, betrayed and abandoned, humiliated and persecuted by those very same ones that He had come into this world to save. And just as the Lord had been persecuted and oppressed, hence the same things would happen to His disciples and followers as well. They encountered many challenges and trials throughout their works and ministries, and not few among the disciples of the Lord, such as most of the Apostles and many Church fathers, saints, holy men and women of God faced persecution and oppression, at times even from their own families and close relatives, as many of the tales of the martyrs and their lives could attest to us.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, what is the significance of all these therefore to us? They remind us that each and every one of us as Christians must always be ready to give it all to God, and we have to be strong in case sufferings and hardships were to come our way. We should not blame the Lord or ourselves, and neither should we blame others for our predicaments and sufferings. Instead, we should continue to be faithful to the Lord and trust in Him and His love and providence, and we should do our best to be great role models, sources of inspiration and strength for one another, and be the support and help for each other, especially for those who are suffering and without means of help and support from anyone, so that we may indeed be there for them, helping them and journeying together with them, as fellow children of the same God.

May the Lord, our most loving God and Father, our Creator and Master, continue to strengthen us all in faith, and guide us in our journey of faith through life. May He empower each and every one of us so that we may indeed proclaim His truth and Good News at all times, and glorify Him always by our exemplary lives. May our faith in Him remain strong and vibrant, undimmed by the challenges and trials in life that we may have to face. Amen.