preparation for Easter

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Friday, 23 March 2018 : 5th Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Turibius de Mogrovejo, Bishop (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Jeremiah 20 : 10-13

I hear many people whispering, “Terror is all around! Denounce him! Yes, denounce him!” All my friends watch me to see if I will slip : “Perhaps he can be deceived,” they say; “then we can get the better of him and have our revenge.”

But YHVH, a mighty Warrior, is with me. My persecutors will stumble and not prevail; that failure will be their shame and their disgrace will never be forgotten. YHVH, God of hosts, You test the just and probe the heart and mind.

Let me see Your revenge on them, for to You I have entrusted my cause. Sing to YHVH! Praise YHVH and say : He has rescued the poor from the clutches of the wicked!

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Thursday, 22 March 2018 : 5th Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we listened to the Lord Who made a covenant with His servant Abraham, as recorded in the Old Testament, saying that He would establish His descendants and bless them forever, because of the great faith which Abraham had shown to the Lord, by obeying Him and following Him at every moments of his life.

But in the Gospel passage today, we see how the Lord Jesus was angry at those people who called themselves the descendants of Abraham and Israel. They claimed to be the descendants of those who were good and faithful servants of God, but in their actions and deeds, and in their lack of faith in God, and in what the Lord Jesus had delivered to them, they were nothing like that of their illustrious predecessors.

As we heard in the Gospel passage today, the people accused Jesus of having colluded with Satan and worked with him in His teachings among the people, just because He told them the plain truth and reality, which they refused to listen to and to believe in, as those plain truth and reality were difficult to be accepted. Yet, that was what had afflicted them, the reality that the people had sinned and erred against God.

But God was truly a patient and compassionate God, Who does not let Himself be angered unnecessarily because of His people’s constant disobedience and waywardness. Indeed, they had erred many, many times, and despite constant reminders and messages sent to them through the prophets, they continued to disobey because they have hardened their hearts and closed off their ears and minds from receiving God’s truth.

They claimed that they were faithful to the Lord and that they have preserved His laws. However, in reality, they were only paying lip service to Him and did not truly love Him as they should have. They were only obeying the laws and the rules because they were following the traditions of their predecessors, without truly understanding and appreciating why they did all that they had done.

This is not what God wanted from them. What He wanted from them was true dedication and love, that they turn themselves completely towards Him, abandoning their sinful ways and all of their wayward behaviour. He wanted them all to be like their forefather, Abraham, in his faith and dedication, and in how they lived their lives, trusting in God and being good and righteous towards one another.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, that is what the Lord is also calling us to, during this season of Lent, that we turn away from all of our past bad and wicked habits, to embrace His ways and to repent from our sins wholeheartedly. Are we able to commit to this change in our way of life? This is surely not something that is too difficult for us to do? After all, let us think about it, that God Himself had done so much for us, so as to send us all His own beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to save us by His death on the cross.

And that cross, which Christ bore willingly in great suffering and pain towards Calvary, and on which He was hung above for all of the people to see, is the source of our salvation, and it is where all of the combined weight and consequences of our sins have been gathered and taken by Christ, that He suffered and died in our place. If we believe in Him and put ourselves completely in Him, entrusting our fate to Him, He will give us the succour from all of our sins, and we will be worthy of the grace of eternal life.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore, as we approach the coming celebration of the Holy Week and the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, let us all draw closer to God and deepen our relationship by spending our time in prayer, in contemplation and deeper understanding of our own sins, and by being more charitable and generous in our love for our fellow brothers and sisters. Let us turn towards God and turn our back away from our sins.

May the Lord bless us all, and may He be with us all throughout our journey of faith, that we may find our way into the eternal glory promised to us by the Lord. Amen.

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Thursday, 22 March 2018 : 5th Week of Lent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

John 8 : 51-59

At that time, Jesus said to the Jews, “Truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word, he will never experience death.” The Jews replied, “Now we know that You have a demon. Abraham died and the prophets as well, but You say, ‘Whoever keeps My word will never experience death.’ Who do You claim to be? Do You claim to be greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets also died.”

Then Jesus said, “If I were to praise Myself, it would count for nothing. But He Who gives glory to Me is the Father, the very One you claim as your God, although you do not know Him. I know Him, and if I were to say that I do not know Him, I would be a liar like you. But I know Him and I keep His word. As for Abraham, your ancestor, he looked forward to the day when I would come; and he rejoiced when he saw it.”

The Jews then said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old and You have seen Abraham?” And Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” They then picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and left the Temple.

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Thursday, 22 March 2018 : 5th Week of Lent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 104 : 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

Look to the Lord and be strong; seek His face always. Remember His wonderful works, His miracles and His judgments.

You descendants of His servant Abraham, you sons of Jacob, His chosen ones! He is the Lord our God; His judgments reach the whole world.

He remembers His covenant forever, His promise to a thousand generations, the covenant He made with Abraham, the promise He swore to Isaac.

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Thursday, 22 March 2018 : 5th Week of Lent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Genesis 17 : 3-9

Abram fell face down and God said to him, “This is My covenant with you : you will be the father of a multitude of nations. No longer will you be called Abram, but Abraham, because I will make you the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you more and more famous; I will multiply your descendants; nations shall spring from you, kings shall be among your descendants.”

“And I will establish a covenant, an everlasting covenant between Myself and you and your descendants after you; from now on I will be your God and the God of your descendants after you, for generations to come. I will give to you and your descendants after you the land you are living in, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession and I will be the God of your race.”

God said to Abraham, “For your part, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you, generation after generation.”

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Wednesday, 21 March 2018 : 5th Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we listened about the story of how three devout servants of God, the friends and contemporaries of the prophet Daniel, endured great suffering and difficulty in the land of Babylon, where many of God’s people had been exiled to. The king of Babylon enforced the people living in his dominion to worship a great golden statue he had built in his own image. But the three devout servants of God refused to do so.

As such, they were subjected to great persecution from the king, a fate that befell all those who refused to obey the king’s orders to worship the golden statue. They were thrown into a blazing furnace made so hot, especially because the three of them rebuked the king for his efforts to make them to worship something that is against the commandments given to them by the Lord, their God.

They stood by their faith even though they knew that by doing so, and by saying their testimony of faith, they risked a certain death. But they rather suffer a worldly death, suffering and end, rather than to save themselves in this world by obeying the king’s orders. Had they abandoned the Lord for the obedience of the king’s orders, they would have saved themselves and be happy for the rest of their earthly existence, but then, they would face the consequences of their betrayal and abandonment in hell.

The three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego knew that God would be with them, no matter what, either at that moment, or even when they suffer and perish, their faith and commitment to God would certainly not be forgotten or ignored by God. The good and faithful God would reward them with the grace of eternal life, glory and happiness as part of their inheritance, promised to all those who keep their faith in Him.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, that is exactly what the Lord Jesus had done, before His accusers and all those who disagreed with Him. In our Gospel passage today, the Lord Jesus spoke of the truth to the people who heard Him, and they were incensed and angry at His rebuke for their behaviours, which were not in accordance to God and His ways. They claimed to be counted among the sons and daughters of Abraham, the descendants of Israel, and yet, they did not truly obey the laws and commandments as they should have.

Instead, even though many of them observed the many laws, rules and regulations pertaining to the Jewish customs, especially the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, but the Lord condemned them as hypocrites and self-serving leaders who did all that they had done, not for the right purpose or reasons, that is for the greater glory of God, but for their own desires and selfish wants.

As such, they chose worldly concerns and safety over their obligations to God, unlike what the three courageous men did in the first reading today, against the commands of the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar. The Lord wanted them to know that if they continue to walk in the path of sin, then they will have no part in God’s kingdom, despite being the descendants of Abraham, to whom God had made a Covenant with.

But God made it clear to them, that those who obey the Lord will be the ones to receive God’s promise and not those who disobey the Lord. Even the Gentiles and the ones formerly dismissed by the Jewish people and its leaders as pagans and non-believers were ahead of them in the path towards God’s salvation and grace. And thus, the same will also apply to us all, if we are to be faithful and true in our dedication towards Him.

Are we able to commit ourselves to the Lord in the same manner as the three courageous servants of God in the time of the Old Testament had done? This is a calling for us to be true Christians, to devote ourselves to God’s ways, imitating the examples of our holy predecessors who have done so much in their faith towards their Lord and Master. This is what we should do, as we continue to walk down the path of faith as shown to us by Our Lord.

There will indeed be difficulties and challenges that we will face, should we choose to dedicate ourselves to God. However, it is a choice and a risk that we have to take, and which we have to endure, should we decide to follow God. Let us all carry up our crosses in life, and dedicate ourselves anew to God, our loving Lord, Master and Creator, He Who have saved us all and blessed us, His faithful ones. Amen.

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Wednesday, 21 March 2018 : 5th Week of Lent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

John 8 : 31-42

At that time, Jesus went on to say to the Jews who believed in Him, “You will be My true disciples, if you keep My word. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered Him, “We are the descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves of anyone. What do you mean by saying : You will be free?”

Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave. But the slave does not stay in the house forever; the son stays forever. So, if the Son makes you free, you will be really free. I know that you are the descendants of Abraham; yet you want to kill Me because My word finds no place in you. For My part, I speak of what I have seen in My Father’s presence, but you do what you have learnt from your father.”

They answered Him, “Our father is Abraham.” Then Jesus said, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do as Abraham did. But now you want to kill Me, the One Who tells you the truth – the truth that I have learnt from God. That is not what Abraham did; what you are doing are the works of your father.”

The Jews said to Him, “We are not illegitimate children; we have one Father, God.” Jesus replied, “If God were your Father you would love Me, for I came forth from God, and I am here. And I did not come by My own decision, but it was He Himself Who sent Me.”

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Wednesday, 21 March 2018 : 5th Week of Lent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Daniel 3 : 52, 53, 54, 55, 56

Blessed are You, Lord, God of our fathers, be praised and exalted forever. Blessed is Your holy and glorious Name, celebrated and exalted forever.

Blessed are You in the Temple of Your sacred glory, Your praises are sung forever.

Blessed are You on the throne of Your kingdom, honoured and glorified forever.

Blessed are You Who fathom the depths, who are enthroned on the Cherubim, praised and exalted forever.

Blessed are You in the firmament of heaven, praised and glorified forever.

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Wednesday, 21 March 2018 : 5th Week of Lent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Daniel 3 : 14-20, 91-92, 95

King Nebuchadnezzar questioned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden statue I have set up? If you hear now the sound of horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and other instruments, will you fall down and worship the statue I made? If you will not, you know the punishment : you will immediately be thrown into a burning furnace. And then what god can deliver you out of my hands?”

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego answered, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we need not defend ourselves before you on this matter. If you order us to be thrown into the furnace, the God we serve will rescue us. But even if He will not, we would like you to know, o king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden statue you have set up.”

Nebuchadnezzar’s face reddened with fury as he looked at Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. He ordered the furnace to heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded some of his strongest soldiers to bind Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the burning furnace.

Then king Nebuchadnezzar suddenly rose up in great amazement and asked his counsellors, “Did we not throw three men bound into the fire?” They answered, “Certainly.” The king said, “But I can see four men walking about freely through the fire, without suffering any harm; and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, Who sent His Angel to free His servants, who, trusting in Him, disobeyed the king’s order; and preferred to give their bodies to the fire rather than serve and worship any other god but their God.”

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Tuesday, 20 March 2018 : 5th Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we listened to the Scripture readings in which we heard about the sins of Israel from our first reading today, telling us about how God sent fiery serpents to strike at the people because of their disobedience, and those who were bitten, were doomed to die. There was no cure for the serpent bites, no medicine could cure the affliction.

But in the end, as we see in the story, God had mercy on His people as they begged Him for forgiveness and mercy. They regretted all the sins and wicked deeds they had committed, and God gave them rescue from the fiery serpents through His servant Moses, who commissioned a bronze serpent to be built and lifted up high in the midst of the people, so that all who were bitten by the serpents and gazed on the bronze serpent would not die.

Then we heard from our Gospel today, what the Lord Jesus plainly told the people, about His upcoming Passion and death, when He would be betrayed to His enemies and abandoned by His disciples, suffering contempt and rejection by His accusers who levelled false charges and all sorts of lies against Him. What we heard today in the Gospel is in fact a parallel of what we heard in the Old Testament reading.

How is that so? First of all, the Lord Himself in another occasion in the Gospels mentioned to Nicodemus, a Pharisee who was interested in His teachings, the comparison between Himself and the bronze serpent which Moses once wielded and raised before the sight of many for their salvation from their troubles. He said that just as the bronze serpent was lifted up high for all to see, so the Son of Man, Jesus Himself would also be lifted up high, high on the cross.

Surely we are all familiar with all the events surrounding the crucifixion, suffering and death of Our Lord Jesus. He was condemned to die on the cross, given over to the Romans who punished Him for mistakes and sins He did not commit. Yet He willingly accepted that suffering and being lifted up on the cross, so that through that act of singular and ultimate sacrifice, He can save us from our fated destruction.

For our sins and our wickedness are what had driven the people of Israel to sin as well. In their greed and desire for things of this world, they grumbled without end when they journeyed through the desert, complaining of hunger and thirst, and not satisfied even though God has given them and provided for them more than sufficient food, manna from heaven and good quality water flowing from the rocks in the middle of a dry desert.

How about us? Do we realise that we ourselves often have done the same to God? We have often forgotten God and put Him aside in our daily pursuits for worldly material goods, worldly concerns for power, for prestige, for honour, for adoration and human praise, for comfort and pleasures of the flesh, and many more. We often only remember God when we are in trouble, and when we do so, we demand Him to do things for us in accordance with what we want, and when we do not get what we want, we become angry at God.

When God is not the foremost and first in our minds and in our hearts, it is easy for us to turn to sinful ways and to disobey God’s commandments. It is our ego and greed that led us astray, and when we allow those things to distract us from our attention towards God, that is when we fall into sin. And because of sin, we are supposed to perish and die, because of our disobedience that led us to be corrupt and unworthy of God, just as the Israelites were bitten by the serpents and perished.

But God had mercy on us, and He gave us the best source of help and salvation, through none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, His own Beloved Son, to bear all the burdens of our sins, which He took up willingly on His cross. And as He was lifted up on that cross, all those who saw Him, and even though who did not see Him, but believed in Him and His sacrifice on the cross, would be saved from damnation, and receive a new life from Him.

Then, do we truly believe in His saving grace, which He has offered for us so generously from the cross? When we look at Him Who is on the cross, do we see in Him our salvation and promised Saviour, or do we fail to realise this reality presented before us? Now, I invite all of us to spend some time to reflect before the Lord on the crucifix, looking up towards Him by Whose death we have been reconciled, and through Whose suffering and pain we have been saved from eternal damnation.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day as we approach the Holy Week of the Passion of Our Lord, let us all look at Him, Our Crucified Messiah, by Whose sacrifice and death we have been saved. Let us all remember His love for us, and all that He had done for our sake. Shall we commit ourselves to love Him more and more, and devote ourselves more wholeheartedly from now on?

May the Lord be with us always, and may He continue to guide us in our journey of faith, that we may find our eternal rest and true joy in Him. May He bless us each and every one of us all to live faithfully and with greater commitment to love Him and to love one another, living a true and blessed Christian life with zeal. May God continue to watch over us, His people, now and always. Amen.