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Friday, 15 July 2016 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard about the Lord Who reminded all of us that He is the Lord over all things, over the matters of life and death, and that we live at His behest and pleasure. But yet, at the same time, God Who is loving and merciful towards us has given us so much in this life, that especially this very life is the boon and the grace He has granted to all of us.

In the first reading today from the book of the prophet Isaiah, we heard how the faithful king Hezekiah of Judah laid in pain and dying from his ailment, and he begged the Lord to remember all the good and faithful things which he had done before Him, all the efforts he had put into place to return the people of God back to the ways of the Lord, after many generations of unfaithful people and kings.

He was a mortal after all, even after all the great deeds which he had done, and after all the good things that he had committed in his life. In the fear and the despair which Hezekiah felt, the attachment which he has to life made him to beg the Lord and to humble himself before his God, trying to seek His mercy and the chance to life and enjoy more years of his earthly existence.

And God granted him that desire, and indeed, not only that he was healed from his afflictions, but he was granted several more years of blessed life on earth as the reward of God for the faith and dedication which he had shown. But if we are to read on, we should see the part where king Hezekiah after he had been blessed with new life and grace, he boasted about his wealth to the envoys of the Babylonian king, despite the warning given to him about what was to come by the prophets.

Hezekiah grew proud of his human and worldly achievements and he forgot that all that he has obtained he has gained because of the Lord and His kindness and love alone. The same is often what is happening to many of us who are unable to let go of our pride, our human greed and desires. And that is why we tend to put our trust in our own human achievements and sense of greatness, without acknowledging God Who is behind of all of them.

In the Gospel, we heard one of the common confrontations between Jesus and the Pharisees, as well as with the teachers of the Law. The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law were very particular in their observation of the Law, especially the laws and rules regarding the Sabbath day, when the people of God were not supposed to have any activities and keep that day holy for the Lord.

That Law was intended for a good purpose, that is to help the people of God in finding their way to Him, but in the implementation, it had been twisted beyond recognition by the wrong purposes of the leaders of the people who cared only for their own personal gain and for their own human pride, greed and desire, exactly what had also affected the king Hezekiah of Judah.

What does this mean brothers and sisters in Christ? It means that we mankind should learn to restrain ourselves and to forgo those pride, those greed and desires that are exactly what have become hindrances and obstacles on our way as we journey on towards the Lord our God. And indeed we should not fall victim to those things, or else that is why we will be like those whom God had condemned for their lack of faith.

Let us all look at the example of St. Bonaventure, the holy servant of God whose feast we are celebrating on this day. St. Bonaventure was an Italian Franciscan monk, who was renowned for his great piety and for his dedication to the Lord. He preached to the people and cared for them, leading them by the example of his piety. He was also involved in the process of the reform of the Church at the time, leading the Church as well as the Franciscan order whom he led, into a path of piety and commitment to God.

St. Bonaventure was eventually appointed to high positions in the Church, becoming a Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, and the leader of the Cardinals himself. He was influential in the reforming of the Church and his initiatives helped to strengthen the Church and save many more souls. However, he remained humble and committed to the mission which had been entrusted to him. He did not allow ego or human greed to overcome him.

The disciplined life of St. Bonaventure is a great example and he is indeed a good role model for us all. St. Bonaventure has shown us how to be good in our deeds and actions, be examples for one another and yet remain humble and remain true to our calling. It is indeed not easy to resist those temptations of power, fame and glory, as our human frailty and imperfections have allowed us to seek all of them, and many have fallen along the way because of those things.

Let us all heed that good example, and let us hope that through whatever we have done, we may become ever closer to the Lord and become more and more like Him, that He Who loves us all may recognise us as His own when He comes again to bring all of His beloved ones to His eternal glory. God bless us all. Amen.

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Thursday, 14 July 2016 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Camillus de Lellis, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard a message of hope from the Gospel and the other passages from the Holy Scriptures. If for the past few days we have been warned and shown how those who lacked faith in the Lord will eventually fall and face destruction, but those who put their trust in the Lord shall not be disappointed.

God will eventually bring His peace, the everlasting peace and rest for all of His faithful ones, just as the prophet Isaiah had mentioned. The sufferings and pains of the people of God had reached the attention of our Lord Who loves us all, and certainly, He will not abandon us to our own fate. But it does not mean that we will immediately enjoy the fruits of peace and can enjoy all the things promised to us immediately.

For to be followers of the Lord means that we are likely to encounter resistance and opposition from all those who do not wish to see us receive the salvation from God, and those who wished to keep us chained to the enthralment and slavery to our sinfulness. And these are those who will be the most vocal in their opposition to us, causing us troubles and challenges ahead of us.

Yet this does not mean that we should give up our struggle or be fearful of what is to come. God Himself told us that His yoke is light and bearable, in the Gospel where He reassured His people that He will help them on their way to Him. He did not mention that there will be no yoke, and indeed, challenges and suffering will still be part of us and our lives when we choose to follow Him but what differentiates that with the alternative is that, He promised us all the promise of eternal life and eternal liberation from suffering and harm.

It is that promise which is our hope, the strength and guiding light which has been provided to us in order to help guide us on our journey to the Lord. We have to learn to put our trust in God, for it is in Him alone that we can truly find true support and strength. To trust in God is like building our houses on solid foundation while to trust in our own strength is like building upon shaky and untrustworthy foundations that is likely to fail and topple.

Today, let us all look at the example of St. Camillus de Lellis, a holy priest and saint of God, whose feast we commemorate today. He was an Italian priest who was thoroughly committed to the care of the sick and the less privileged among those who were in his society and community at the time. He helped establish the religious order dedicated to the care of the sick, and he devoted himself and his time to their care all the time.

He placed his faith completely in God, and while he lived a difficult and challenging life, resisting temptations and the challenges he faced in such a difficult life. But he was not always faithful to the Lord since the beginning. While he was young, St. Camillus de Lellis was just like the many other people of his time, as he pursued many worldly things, and joined the military in the pursuit of worldly glory and achievements.

But all these things eventually did not satisfy him, and he found emptiness in whatever he had been doing. And as a result, he had a profound change of heart and found his refuge in God. And from there, we came to what we have just discussed about him, his devotions and works to those who were sick and dying, those who were less privileged and living in great disadvantage.

Let us all, brothers and sisters in Christ, learn from the examples of St. Camillus de Lellis. Let us learn how to give of ourselves to the Lord in the same manner as that holy saint and the many other holy servants of God had done. May God help us in this endeavour, and may He bless us on our journey, and keep us faithful in His path for now and forevermore. Amen.

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Wednesday, 13 July 2016 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Henry (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard from the Scriptures speaking to us about trusting in the power of God and trusting in our own power, intellect and capabilities. In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah spoke against the pride of the king of Assyria, likely to be the king Sennacherib who came to besiege Jerusalem and boasted his might before the people of Judah.

As a context to what he was speaking about, the king of Assyria conquered many nations and peoples, and these people were sold into slavery and brought under the heels of the Assyrian Empire. However, there is one people whom he was unable to subjugate, that is the people of Judah, as God was standing with them and supported them against their enemies.

The king of Assyria boasted about his might and power before the people of Judah and before their king. He boasted about how many other nations had tried to go up against the Assyrians and those had been crushed, and their gods were unable to stop those things from happening. And thus, he blasphemed against God, thinking that nothing could have prevented him from achieving what he wanted, even against the power of God.

But he was completely humbled when God struck him and his forces down, sending His Angel to destroy a hundred and eighty-five thousand among the Assyrians’ mighty host. And thus, the Assyrian king was forced to retreat in great humiliation, and he would no longer trouble the people of God in Judah. And in the aftermath, the bickering and manoeuvring for power led to the very own sons of Sennacherib to kill their own father.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, that short story about what happened during the time when the proud and the mighty went against the people of God is a reminder for all of us, that the power of men is feeble and untrustworthy. All the wealth, fame, influences and glory which we have in this world are not permanent, and without warning, we may lose them at any time, and having all of them does not necessarily free us from troubles to come.

And of course we do not bring them with us when we die. Whatever we have accumulated in this life will not follow us to the afterlife. In the Gospel today, we heard about our Lord Jesus Who revealed that those who place their trust in the wisdom and intellect of men do not know the truth which God brought into the world. It is likely because they were so self-absorbed by their great deeds that they ended up ignoring God and what He was trying to tell them.

We often place our trust in perishable treasures, things that can easily perish by fire, by thievery or by any worldly deeds and causes. But if we learn to look beyond all these, then perhaps we may be able to find that true treasure which all of us should strive for, that is for the kingdom of God, and for the reward of the just and the faithful ones. These are the treasures that will last forever and will not rot or be lost.

Let us all look at the example of St. Henry, the saint whose feast we are celebrating today. St. Henry was also known as the Holy Roman Emperor Henry II, the secular leader of Christendom at the time. St. Henry although he was one of the most powerful and influential person living at that time, having enormous wealth and influence, but he remained a simple and humble person.

St. Henry reigned wisely and built a great relationship with the Church, supporting its numerous good and charitable and evangelising work with zeal, while stabilising his Empire and devoting his time for the good of his people. St. Henry devoted himself to the state and to the betterment of his people, and he was a great role model to all of them.

He helped the establishment of the Church in many places and sincerely supported the Church in many matters. He was a very devout and committed person, and helped to enforce many of the rules of Christian celibacy to both the religious and the populace in general, avoiding all forms of impropriety and wickedness. In this manner, he showed the people how to be truly faithful to God in all of their actions.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all heed the examples of St. Henry, the faithful and devoted ruler. Let us all learn to be humble and to be receptive to God’s transforming love in our midst, that we will no longer be subjected to our greed and human desires, and from now on, may all of us be able to commit ourselves, all our lives to the Lord our God without hesitation. God bless us all. Amen.

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Tuesday, 12 July 2016 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard about the plotting of the enemies of God in the first reading, the forces of the king of Aram and the northern kingdom of Israel which came together against the forces of the southern kingdom of Judah, the kingdom of the rightful king of Israel, David and his descendants. The enemies of the Lord came together to destroy the faithful, and many were fearful.

But God consoled His people and gave them great hope, as He promised to stand by them, but they must have faith in Him. If they themselves did not have faith in Him, how would then He help them? They must trust in the divine providence of God, believe in them and sincerely turn away from their rebellious and disobedient ways. The people of God faltered because they have long been distracted by the many temptations of this world, and as a result, they have drifted away and forgotten their roots in God.

But He was willing to forgive them and to overlook their transgressions, if they are willing to listen to Him and to be thoroughly converted to His cause, repenting all of their previous sins. And to that end, He had sent them His only beloved Son, Jesus Christ, Saviour of the world, to be their Lord and Saviour. And yet, when He performed many miraculous deeds before them, their hearts were closed against Him, and they refused to get up and change their old ways of sin.

That was why in the Gospel today, Jesus was cursing several cities in which He had performed those miracles. Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida, and these were cities and towns in Galilee where Jesus did much of His works and ministries in, and these were cities which were predominantly inhabited by the Jews, the descendants of the people of Israel of old.

In order to understand this matter fully, we have to understand the animosity that existed between the Jews and those others who were their neighbours, the Canaanites, Samaritans, Phoenicians who lived in Tyre and Sidon, the Greeks and the Romans. At that time, the region was profoundly multi-racial with peoples from different origins and cultures living together among each other.

As those who belonged to the race and group which God had once chosen to be His people, they felt great pride in that heritage, and over time, that led to contempt against all the others who did not belong to their group, alleging that those people, the pagans and non-Jewish people were unworthy of redemption and salvation.

And yet these people were incapable of showing the dedication and faith as was required of them, and they did not show repentance required for them to be forgiven from their sins. Some of them ignored Jesus, although many accepted and welcomed Him. But there were others like the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who rejected Him and cast doubt on His teachings, challenging Him and His disciples wherever they went.

God lamented this lack of faith among His people, even as He had shown them directly His might and power before them. It was just the same after the people of Israel had been brought out of the land of Egypt, when God liberated them through His great power, striking at the Pharaoh and the Egyptians for refusing to let the Israelites go. But then, it was the same as how it was at the time of Jesus. No sooner that He had made them free, they began to wander, and surely we are all familiar with how they had made for themselves the golden calf soon after the Exodus from Egypt.

All these, brothers and sisters in Christ, are reminders for all of us. Temptations are always around us, and they always seek to distract us from our path, trying to turn us into other ways that do not lead to God. And our faith in the Lord is surely not always perfect, as there are certainly times and moments when we face difficulties and we feel that we have no one to turn to.

And surely we also have that feeling that we have been abandoned and no one, even God cared for us. However, we really have to learn to resist those thoughts, and instead of dwelling in fear and uncertainty, we should learn to give our trust to the One and only Being Who can save us from all distress, and to the One Who is always forever faithful even though we have constantly been unfaithful.

Let us all reflect on this, and let us all change our way of life, so that from those who are wayward and unfaithful, we may become faithful once again, not just in appearances and words alone, but also through our actions and in all things that embody who we are. May God help us in this endeavour and may He guide us in our journey to reach out to Him. Amen.

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Monday, 11 July 2016 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Benedict, Abbot (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we celebrate the great feast day of one of the most renowned holy saints of Christendom, one known for his great piety and discipline in faith, the one who made religious life to be such a devout and popular profession in his days. St. Benedict of Nursia, the founder and first Abbot of the Benedictine religious order had a great role in the history of the Church, in helping many to find their calling and vocations in God, and advance the cause of the Lord.

St. Benedict of Nursia was born five centuries after the birth of Christ at a time when Christianity has become the majority faith for the people in the then known world. The Christian faith has become the faith followed by the people from the lowest to the greatest in the society, and the Church was still growing rapidly and developing its structure and practices. However, it was very often that heresies and all other false teachings arose in the Church, and people were also often lukewarm about their faith.

They have become complacent about their faith, just as what we heard in the Scriptures today, in the Book of the prophet Isaiah, where God rebuked His people for their empty offerings and sacrifices which were not made in real and genuine faith and devotion for Him. The people had come to see those sacrifices as obligations and as merely a process, and they had no real love for the Lord.

And in the Gospel Jesus also rebuked the people who followed Him, all those thinking that His coming into the world would usher an era of eternal peace where there would be no more suffering or difficulties, where being a follower of the Lord would entail one to a life of complacency and enjoyment, and where no more work is needed. Being a Christian in fact means a life of challenges and difficulties, as the world of darkness from which we have been rescued from would not remain silent even as we approach the salvation in our God.

Jesus Himself warned that His coming would bring about conflict and struggle, even among the closest of friends, among the inner circles of the families themselves, where one member of the family, being a Christian might be pitted against the other members of the family and even be persecuted. There had been many examples in the history of our Faith and the Church, where the faithful had been torn between their families and the faith, their friends and the Lord. And those who chose the Lord often faced suffering and even martyrdom.

And thus, St. Benedict who founded several communities of the faithful who chose to devote themselves and their whole lives to God in a life of seclusion and prayer. St. Benedict was renowned for his famous Rule of St. Benedict, which became the foundation of the order which he helped to establish, as those communities which he had established eventually grew to become what we know as the Benedictine order.

The Rule of St. Benedict encompassed the rules put in place to ensure that the lives of those who chose to join the religious order of St. Benedict are filled with devotions and prayers, and filled with hard work to cultivate their faith in the Lord. They lived together and worked together in harmony, and in the challenges and the difficulties that they faced, they have nothing better and greater than God Himself Who stood by them.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, it does not mean that all of us should abandon our current lives and devote ourselves to become monks and religious like St. Benedict and his followers had done. Of course if there are some among us who had been called and chosen, and if they had chosen to follow the fullness of the examples of St. Benedict, then it is in fact a great thing, and we should give our support and encouragement to them.

But for the rest of us, each and every one of us have also been called to give our best effort to live as true and devout Christians, as those who do not just profess the faith on paper or with mere words alone, but also through hard work and dedication. Indeed, the path forward for us will be challenging, but at least then if we remain faithful to the end, then our way forward is clear, and God rewards all those who keep their faith in Him despite all the difficulties and the challenges faced.

Let us all therefore imitate the examples of St. Benedict of Nursia and his Benedictine followers, devoting ourselves in each of our own way, but most importantly be sincere in our faith and devotion, and commit ourselves wholly to God, not just with our mouth or gestures, but from the deepest depths inside our hearts and our minds. May God help us and strengthen us. Amen.

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Sunday, 10 July 2016 : 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Bible Sunday (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard the story of the Good Samaritan from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who told this story to His disciples and to the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who were following them on their journey. This story is the perfect story to tell us about how not to be prejudiced and be bigoted in our life, and it also showed us all what we all need to do as Christians.

The story of the Good Samaritan need to be understood in the context of the historical and the socio-political situation at the time, when the people of Israel, the descendants of the kingdom of Judah lived in the southern portion of Israel known then as Judea, centred around Jerusalem, and the northern approaches and regions known as Samaria, inspired from the ancient capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, which had been destroyed by the Assyrians, and had been repopulated by the Canaanites who were the neighbours of the Israelites.

Thus, the Jews always looked at the Samaritans with suspicion and contempt, as they deemed those Samaritans to be pagans and unworthy of God’s salvation. It was such that if we read the story of how Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman by the well, that the Jews commonly did not speak or communicate at all with the Samaritans, and less still to deal with them in any matter.

But they too are rightful children of God, and just as all of us the Gentiles, to whom the word of the Lord in the Gospel should also be preached to. They too believed in God, but they had no guide or prophets to help them, until the Lord Himself came to them and showed them the way forward. And when He came to tell them the truth about the salvation which He offered for all those who were willing to listen to Him and to follow Him, they did as what the Lord had asked them to do.

Even when the Lord called, they responded with faith and embarked on the journey to salvation. They followed the Law, even though their own way, and they repented with sincerity, opening their hearts and welcoming the Lord to their homes, even as the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law rejected Jesus and His teachings, opposed Him and made His works and ministry very difficult.

The prejudice against the Samaritans by the Jews is something which we ourselves often have done in our own lives, in our own communities and societies, and even within our own families and within our own circle of friends. Let us all ask ourselves, how many of us have not ever been biased against another person? It is our innate human nature that we tend to compare, and we compare many things indeed, from our appearances, and then to our money, wealth and possessions, and then many more.

We compare against each other, and when we do not have something, then we become jealous and we have that tendency to also desire what we do not have. And when we have something which others do not have, then we start to be proud and gloat at others who do not have them. And that is when we start looking down on others and then ostracise them or treat them badly as what the Jews had done when they looked down on the Samaritans.

What Jesus our Lord showed in that story of the Good Samaritan is not a case example to discredit or to shame the Jews, and neither was it an example used to praise the Samaritans without reason. It is a story to show us all the example of Christian love which each and every one of us should be doing, and the fact that a Samaritan showed that kind of love to the man who was robbed and left to die, while the supposedly pious Levite and priest just walked past the man, told us volumes that we should not judge a book by its cover.

All of us should not just profess an external faith in God without true love and commitment for Him. For us to truly be able to commit to Him, we need to give our all, to love Him as the commandment said, that we ought to love our God with all our heart, with all our might, and without any hesitation so that in all things we say and do, we will always show that love and devotion for Him, and be able to commit ourselves thoroughly to Him with all sincerity.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, in the Scriptures today, we have also heard the words of encouragement from God that all those who devote themselves to His cause will receive empowerment and strength, and God will be their strength amidst the challenges and troubles of this world. He will stand by our side through all of those challenges. If we are faithful to His Law, obey them with our heart and sincerely commit ourselves, then we will be blessed and we will receive grace from the Lord.

God has given us so much love, that He even has given us His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ our Lord to be our Saviour and salvation. Is it not right that we should return the same love to Him? Is it not right then that we should also love all those whom He had loved without reservation? God did not discriminate with His love, and His love was given equally to all, Jews and Samaritans alike, Jews and Gentiles alike.

Today we celebrate the occasion of Bible Sunday, the commemoration of the Book of the word of our Lord, through which we have received the Good News of God’s salvation, the call for us all to be redeemed from the darkness and the sins that have enthralled us for many ages. And we are the messengers and heralds of that same Gospel which the Apostles and the disciples of Christ had persevered so hard for during those trying times, preaching the word of God to the nations.

And we have therefore the obligation and duty to reach out to all the peoples of all the nations. Jesus our Lord gave one last and the most important commandment of all when He was about to depart from this world into His heavenly glory. And that command is for all of us Christians to become the messenger of His Good News, the bearers of the truth of His Gospels, and bring all the peoples of all the nations into the loving embrace of God through baptism in the Holy Name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.

Are we all able to commit ourselves to love both God and our fellow brethren? Are we all able to devote ourselves anew to God in all of our actions and dealings? Let us all reflect on this, and seek to change ourselves for the better. We have to help each other in our journey to the Lord, and we have to keep one another in mind, even as we go forth in this journey of our faith. Let us not leave anybody in the darkness, but endeavour as much as possible that all of us may find justification in God through our living devotion.

May God enlighten our minds and our hearts through the regular reading and understanding of the Holy Scriptures, and let us all also seek greater understanding by seeking more guidance from the Church, and drawing from the traditions of our Faith, so that having the word of God inside each and every one of us, we may be awakened to the reality of the state of our souls, and therefore do our best to attain salvation in God, by practicing what the Lord our God had given us in His laws and commandments. May God help us and preserve us, give us courage to live our lives with full faith, from now on and till forevermore. Amen.

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Saturday, 9 July 2016 : 14th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Augustine Zhao Rong, Priest and Companions, Martyr Saints of China, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Saturday Mass of our Lady)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day, the theme of today’s readings are clear, and they all spoke to us, encouraging us and empowering us to do more for the sake of the Lord and His Church, that is to fulfil our calling and mission as those whom God has chosen out of the people in the whole world as those called Christians.

We may think that being a Christian is easy, but we are in fact mistaken if we think in such a manner. If we think that being a Christian is easy and does not require much effort, that is because we ourselves have not done what is expected of us as Christians, as those who truly heard the call of God, understood His laws and precepts, and followed Him with all of our heart’s might.

As it was in Jesus’ time, opposition and challenges are likely to await all of us if we follow the path of the Lord faithfully. Many of the people to whom Jesus was sent to, was adamant in their refusal to obey and listen to the words which the Lord had revealed to them through Jesus His Son. And they persecuted Him and His followers, trying to undermine them and even harm them in all opportunities given to them. The same or more can be expected of us as well.

But should we all then be afraid or be hesitant in answering God’s call? Shall we all be passive and no longer respond to God’s call? No, that is exactly what we should not do at all. To reject God’s calling out of fear and indecisiveness, as well as the desire to preserve ourselves, avoiding danger and trouble is selfishness, and selfishness has no place before God.

In the first reading today, we heard how the prophet Isaiah was called by God to be His servant and to be His messenger to the people of the kingdom of Judah, preaching to them the truth of His anger at their sins, and what they should be doing to repent from their sins and their wickedness, that they might be saved. Such a task was not easy, and indeed, it would lead to persecution and many troubles for him, as it was not easy to turn the heart of the people who had been accustomed to their sinful ways.

But God calmed him down and gave him the courage to do so. In the vision that he saw, he saw the great glory of God which surpasses everything else. He saw the throne of God in heaven, and the glory of the Angels and all that essentially will be the promise of his salvation and faith in God. And God purified him and made him worthy to be His servant through the blazing fire of the Temple of God in heaven, and from that moment on, he spoke only the truth and the will of God.

And we knew how the prophet Isaiah spoke many things about God, and from him we knew the hope of our salvation, as he also spoke about Christ our Lord, the One Who was promised to bring us out of our sufferings and misery, to bring us into the eternal life which has been promised to all those who are faithful to God. And Isaiah spoke of all this, while berating the people for their sins, even the king of Judea, Ahaz, without fear for his life.

Jesus told His disciples in the Gospel passage today, that we must not be afraid of the one who is only able to harm the body, that is Satan, all of his allies and all of the forces of the world. Instead, we must be wary and fear the One Who is able to harm the eternal soul, that is the Lord our God, our great Judge, He Who will judge all the peoples without exception, on their eternal fate.

And if we are faithful to Him, God will take care of us all, as He loved us all as His beloved children. And Jesus represented this with how much God cared for even the animals and the plants we can find around us, and how much more He therefore would love us and care for us, as we are the most beloved of all His creations? Therefore we do not need to worry, since worry will only distract us from the true goal, that is to be with our God.

Let us all draw the example from the holy martyrs and saints whose feast we celebrate on this day. St. Augustine Zhao Rong and his many fellow compatriots in faith all have tasted great sufferings and pains in their lives as Christians. They were all together beatified and later were canonised as saints, as the Holy Martyr Saints of China. They have endured challenges and persecution, torture and ridicule, and even had to bare their lives before their accusers, all those who resented and rejected the one true Faith.

The Faith has been brought to China by the brave and courageous missionaries who braved the long journey from Europe to Asia, the hostile conditions on the way and the opposition they faced during their journeys. And when they arrived in China, they found a sophisticated and cultured people who have not yet heard of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And thus, they began to preach about Him to them, and slowly but gradually there were more and more who believed and the Church there steadily grew.

But the rulers and the officials viewed the Church and its activities in China with suspicion if not with open contempt and disdain. And they even openly tried to discourage the faith, just as how it had been under the early and middle years of the Roman Empire, when many of the faithful were persecuted and even killed for the reason of their faith in Jesus Christ.

Yet, despite all these, the courageous holy servants of God did not give up and persevered on, continuing to devote themselves to God and committing themselves to the mission which had been entrusted to them. And even when they were cornered and offers were made to them to abandon their faith and reject the Lord in exchange for safety and assurance that they would be treated well from then on, they did not do so.

They remained true to the Lord and continued to defend their faith and their Lord to the very end. And God rewarded them with the glory of Heaven, which He had promised to all those who remain true to Him and keep their faith even though they had been pressured to do otherwise. God does not abandon those who have been faithful to Him, but He gave them the joy of His presence and grace.

Let us all heed the examples of these holy saints, and commit ourselves anew to God. Let us no longer be hesitant but instead be filled with courage for all of us as Christians have been called as the prophet Isaiah had once been called, to be the beacons of light to all the nations, bringing forth the word, the will and the truth of God to all the nations. May God bless us all, now and forever. Amen.

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Monday, 4 July 2016 : 14th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Elizabeth of Portugal (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard firstly the prophecy of the prophet Hosea, who came to pronounce the words and the will of God at a time of great turbulence. At that time, the kingdom of Israel had been divided into the northern kingdom also called Israel, and the southern kingdom of Judah. And the people of the northern kingdom, to whom the prophet Hosea had been sent to, had become corrupt and wicked, revelling in the pleasures and the goods of the world, as they lived in prosperity and wealth.

The prophet Hosea often rebuked the people for their debauchery and wicked ways, but at the same time, as what we have heard in today’s first reading, he also spoke of the coming of the time of God’s forgiveness and redemption of His people, as a hope for those who chose to keep their faith in their one and only true Lord and Master. Those who would abandon their past obstinate attitude and embrace fully God’s love and mercy would receive the rich fruits of God’s mercy and love.

And this has been proven in what we have heard in the Gospel today, the well known story of how Jesus healed the woman with bleeding issues, and how He raised the daughter of the synagogue official from death and back into life. We saw through these examples, that if we have faith in God, everything will be made possible for us. And God will not abandon all of His faithful ones to despair and hopelessness.

Because the woman had faith in Jesus, and she dared to seek Him to heal her from her afflictions, God saw her faith and praised her for the faith which she had, and healed her from the sickness that had troubled her for so many years. And because the synagogue official believed in Him, and sought for Him when his daughter was in trouble, and in fact had died, because of this Jesus healed the daughter and returned her to life.

From all these, we heard that faith in God is what saves us all. If we do not have faith in Him, then there is no way that we would achieve salvation. After all, Jesus Himself had said that only through Him that salvation can be achieved, and beyond Him there is no hope for salvation, for He is the Bridge, the Way to the Lord our God, the One Who linked us between ourselves and God our Father.

Let us then look at the example of the holy and faithful St. Elizabeth of Portugal, whose feast we are celebrating today. St. Elizabeth of Portugal was once a Spanish princess who married the King of Portugal and hence became the Queen of Portugal. As Queen, she was devoted to her people, and committed many charitable works that made the people’s livelihood better.

She was a pious person, and she devoted her life to God. She was a great servant of God and tried her best to show the people how they ought to live as the people of God, by having true faith in Him, by loving one another. And she was indeed leading by example, doing as much charity as she was able to. And after her husband, the King of Portugal passed away, she left behind her life as queen, and devoted herself to God by entering the religious life.

And yet, even so, she still committed herself to many good works, including to broker peace among the kingdoms at the time which were rife with rivalry and warfare. She made peace among the fighters and warmongers, and won for the people of God the peace and harmony through which more good works of God’s salvation could be done.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, St. Elizabeth of Portugal had great faith in God, and for that great faith she was rewarded with the glory of heaven. And even after she passed away, her examples and works in life still continued to inspire many others, and indeed, became a source of courage for many of those who were unsure and uncertain about following God.

Shall we too do the same as those people had done? Shall we also follow in the footsteps of the holy saints of God, the woman whose faith healed her from her bleeding affliction, and the synagogue official whose faith restored her daughter back to life, even from death? It is our choice now, brothers and sisters, and we must now choose, whether we are going to be faithful to God, or whether we are going to abandon Him for some other things.

Just as at the time of the prophet Hosea, there are many temptations in this world. And as we progress on, there are going to just be more and more temptations along our path, be it wealth, possessions, fame, human glory and praise, as well as many others.let us ask ourselves, are we able to resist these temptations? Are we able to be truly faithful to our God without being overly attached to all the things I had just mentioned?

May God strengthen our faith for Him, and enkindle in our hearts the fire of His love, that through them, we may draw ever closer to Him and find salvation and succour in His presence, and be worthy to receive the promise of eternal glory and praise He had promised to all those who believe in Him and keep their faith in Him. God bless us all. Amen.

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Tuesday, 28 June 2016 : 13th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Irenaeus, Bishop and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day, we heard again about the wrath of God, which He showed to all those who were wicked and who have not been obedient to His ways. He destroyed the wicked and those who refused to repent, as how it was in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah, where the sins of those two cities had been such that God destroyed and wiped them off the face of the earth.

It is a reminder yet once again for us all that the Lord, while He loves us all, but if we refuse His love and constantly disobey Him by our sins and by all the wicked things which we do, then the Lord Himself will not be lenient upon us when the time of judgment comes. And that is exactly the problem which many of us had, that is the lack of faith and commitment to God, because we do not put our complete trust in God.

They have placed their trust in the powers of men, their own power and might, and did not put their trust and faith in God. And that was why as what we heard in the Gospel today, that the disciples of Jesus were wrecked with fear and anguish when the great storm struck their ship and made them to wander amidst great waves and strong winds in the middle of the lake.

The boat is the Church, and Jesus Who is the Head of the Church guides that boat to its destination, to the safety and the eternal joy of heaven. And all who belong in the boat, all of them are the members of the Church, that is all of us. And they all had a choice. In the fear of the great waves that were about to engulf them, and the strong winds that were about to overturn their boat, would they stay or would they jump into the water?

It was a choice which they had, to save themselves from an uncertain future and what was seemingly a certain destruction, or to put their trust in the Lord their God. Mankind for many generations had proven that they would rather jump off the boat and save themselves, trusting in their own power rather than to trust in the Lord. And that is the way through which they had sinned and disobeyed the Lord.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all ask ourselves and look deep into our hearts. Do we act like those people, or do we trust in the power of God to protect us from all harm and to lead us into the eternal life and joy He had promised all of us? Have we been faithful to Him in the same manner as how He had been faithful to us first? He has not withheld His love even though our sins and wickedness had earned us His wrath.

Let us all look at the examples of St. Irenaeus, the holy bishop and holy martyr of the Faith, whose feast day we are celebrating today. St. Irenaeus was a bishop of the Church in the province of Gaul, an area that is now known as France in the early third century after the birth of Christ our Lord. He was a faithful servant of God. And despite the challenges and difficulties he faced, he persevered on and through his works, he brought much good to the people and the flock he had been entrusted with.

St. Irenaeus was particularly renowned for his works against the heretical Gnostics, those who confused and blurred the truth of the faith with their own brand and version of falsehoods and lies. These people misled the faithful people of God into sin and darkness, and St. Irenaeus struggled against them in various ways, and succeeded in calling back the people of God from falling into irrecoverable state of sin.

The actions of St. Irenaeus is what we should all follow and emulate, for what he has done, despite all the challenges and difficulties he faced, is the way forward for us as Christians. Do we stand with the Church in moments and times of trouble? Or do we rather jump ship when we find ourselves in trouble and abandoned both God and His Church?

Brothers and sisters in Christ, God never abandoned us, no matter how naughty and disobedient we had been, as He always offered us His love and grace. However, there is a limit to everything, including God’s mercy and love. If we continue to disregard His mercy and love, then eventually, God Himself will also reject us and disregard us when He comes to call all of His faithful ones to enter into the eternal kingdom of His glory.

Let us all therefore now find in ourselves a new faith and a new light, that we may draw ever closer to God and find our way to Him and return to His love. May the examples of St. Irenaeus and the other holy saints of God be inspirations for us all to follow as we embark on this journey of faith. God bless us all. Amen.

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Monday, 27 June 2016 : 13th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cyril of Alexandria, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard about the great anger of God which He had raised against His own people, all because of their disloyalty, their insubordination and extremely rebellious attitude, refusing to listen to the Lord their God and preferring to walk on their own decided paths. They sold themselves to debauchery and to the pagan idols of their neighbours, and turned a deaf ear to the Lord and to His prophets.

God had done so much for their sake, destroying their enemies before them and protecting them from all those who desired for their destruction, and He also brought them to deliverance from their suffering and slavery in the land of Egypt, giving them land to stay and dwell in, showing His great power and majesty in carrying them out into freedom.

And yet, through the generations, they had been unfaithful. They complained when God brought them out of Egypt into the desert, raising up a golden calf for themselves to worship as a god. And they disobeyed and complained on the harsh laws and rules which the Lord gave to them, because they were themselves lazy, poisoned by the laziness of this world, and the complacency which led to the raise of temptations of the flesh.

Thus, that was why even many of the people of God eventually slid down the slippery slope of sin and disobedience, abandoning the Lord their God, because they found the world and its temptations to be more appealing and attractive to them rather than what the Lord offered them in the discipline of the faith. They found that following the Lord was too difficult and too demanding for them, and thus, they faltered.

And that is the same reality which our Lord Jesus mentioned to the teacher of the Law and to His disciples about following Him and His ways. When two of them came up to Him and said that they needed to do so and so first before following Him, and saying that they would follow Him wherever He went, He mentioned to them that to follow the Lord, one cannot be divided or to be distracted in his or her heart.

It was those distractions and temptations which had led the people of Israel in the past to wander and to drift away from the Lord into wickedness and sin, and that was what Jesus had warned His disciples about, that following Him is a difficult matter, and challenges and oppression would come upon all those who professed their faith in Him, for He was taking them out of the world, and the world controlled by Satan does not like that.

It is a reminder to us all that being a Christian is not a part-time job, and neither should it be a mere formality. To be a Christian means for us to commit ourselves, body, heart, mind and soul in obeying the Lord and His commandments, and to devote ourselves, our time and our commitment to transform ourselves and others around us by righteousness and through our devotion to the ways of God.

It is a reminder also that we have to be the bearers of the truth of Christ, by showing love to one another and by showing that we truly belong to the Lord through our ways. We should no longer say things or act in the way which would identify us as those who do not belong to God. We have to persevere and stand by our faith even though it will indeed be difficult for us, and we will be ridiculed, rejected and even persecuted for doing so. But great is our reward in the Lord.

Let us all see the example of St. Cyril of Alexandria, the holy saint whose feast we are celebrating today. St. Cyril of Alexandria was the Bishop and Patriarch of Alexandria, one of the greatest early centres of Christianity. St. Cyril of Alexandria lived and served the Lord and His people at a time of great turmoil and trouble for the faithful, a truly difficult time to live in.

St. Cyril lived at the time when the faithful and the Church in Alexandria were divided among the different groups, where several of these were in open heresy against the true faith. He was in constant struggle over the supporters of the heretic Nestorius and his false teachings, known to us as the Nestorians. Those people alleged that the divine and the human nature of Jesus was separate as two distinct beings, which were false and untrue.

And thus St. Cyril of Alexandria worked hard through his works, writings and preachings to condemn the false teachings of the heretics and convinced the people of God to remain faithful to God and His truth, even though his enemies made his life difficult and challenged him wherever he went. He endured persecutions and oppositions, and to the very end, he remained faithful and committed to save the people of God from the falsehoods of Satan.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, St. Cyril of Alexandria remained faithful and true to the Lord even though he suffered rejection, ridicule and even persecution for his faithfulness. Are we able to do the same as well? Are we all able to commit ourselves to God just as he had committed himself fully to the Lord his God and Saviour? Let us all discern and ponder all these deep in our hearts.

May God our Lord and Master help us to find the courage to stand up for Him and for the Church, that we will not tolerate or be complacent in our faith, that in all things, we may always remain true to He Who loves us all and Who will bless us the faithful ones with the eternal glory and joy of heaven. God bless us all. Amen.