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Monday, 4 December 2023 : 1st Week of Advent, Memorial of St. John Damascene, Priest and Doctors of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet or White (Bishops)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded of the salvation and deliverance which the Lord our God has shown us all, and which He wants to remind us today that as we enter into this season of Advent, preparing for the coming celebration and joy of Christmas, we may always keep in mind what it is that we are really celebrating and rejoicing about. The Lord and His providence to us, His love and kindness, are all that we are rejoicing about as we celebrate and commemorate the moment when He came to us all in this world, in the form of a Child, the Child Jesus, the Saviour of the world and Son of God Most High.

In our first reading today, we heard the passage from the Book of the prophet Isaiah in which the prophet spoke about his vision that he has received from the Lord, concerning the end of times, when the Lord will gather all the whole world, all people from various places and origins, and make them to be His own people. Contextually, back then, during the time of the prophet Isaiah and the period when the people of Israel still lived in the Promised Land prior to the destruction of Jerusalem, it was believed that the Israelites were God’s only chosen people, as they were chosen by God to be His people, as He led them out of their slavery in the land of Egypt and made a Covenant with them and their descendants at Mount Sinai.

Hence, under the days of Moses and his successors, Joshua and the Judges, and then the kings of Israel and Judah, it was held that the Lord is the God of Israel, while all the other pagan peoples living all around them had their gods and idols, their deities and various divinities. Thus, it was seen also by others living around the Israelites that the Lord YHVH is merely just God over Israel, as was commonly perceived at the time, that each nation and states have their own gods and divinities. However, this is not what the Lord intended, as when He called the Israelites and made them to be His own people, He did not intend to keep His grace and love to be exclusive only to those who are directly descended from Jacob, or Israel.

This is because, ultimately, each and every one of us, the children and descendants of Adam and Eve, whom God had created at the beginning of time, are beloved by God regardless of our race, background, character and whatever divisions and categories we tend to use to differentiate ourselves. All of us are beloved by the Lord and He wants us all to be reconciled with Him, forgiven from our many sins and wickedness, which had caused us to be separated and sundered from His love and grace. The descendants of Abraham and Israel were the first ones that God had called to follow Him, much like how the Lord called some Apostles and disciples earlier than others. Some like St. Paul did not even become a disciple of the Lord until after His death and Resurrection, and yet, this does not mean that those who come after are less important than those who have been called earlier.

The prophet Isaiah clearly mentioned that the Lord will become the Lord and Master over all the nations, over the whole entire world. He will call all men and women to Himself, and this prophecy of what was to come, all have been fulfilled and accomplished through Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. All these have been made evident to us throughout the Gospels in which we heard everything that the Lord Himself had done in our midst. And in our Gospel passage today, we heard of how the Lord healed the sick servant of an army centurion or captain who asked Him to heal the servant from the ailment. That army captain had such a great faith and trust in the Lord that he told the Lord, that he did not need to see the proof of the healing, as even just by the commands and words of the Lord, it would be done as He said it.

The Lord used this example to highlight to His followers and disciples how even those who did not belong or were not counted among the Jewish people, the descendants of the Israelites, could also have great faith in God, and thus will be blessed and filled with God’s grace. At that time, it was likely that this army captain was a Roman, as was common at the time when the Romans were establishing and consolidating their hold over the region, and an army personnel of such rank was typically held by a Roman citizen. Therefore, as was the norm then, for a Jew to visit the house of a Gentile or a non-Jew was considered to be a taboo as it was deemed to make a person unclean in doing so. Hence, the army captain, likely aware of this and having such a great faith in God, believed that everything would be well if the Lord just commanded it to be.

This is a revelation and reminder from the Lord to all of His people, to all of us mankind, that He is not distinguishing or being prejudiced against anyone because of their race and beliefs. Instead, what matters is for the person to have true and genuine faith in the Lord, and for him or her to be virtuous and righteous in the way that the Lord has shown and taught us all, and through this faith, all of us shall be made worthy and righteous, and all called to be disciples and followers of His. God wants all of us to be reunited and reconciled with Him, loving us as He has always done from the very beginning, and to this extent He has sent us the Saviour, Whose coming into this world is the centre of our Advent commemorations and our upcoming Christmas celebrations.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of St. John Damascene, also known as St. John of Damascus, a renowned monk, priest and theologian, who is honoured as one of the esteemed Doctors of the Church for his may works and contributions. St. John of Damascus was born in a prominent Christian Arab family in part of what is Syria today, which then was under the rule of the Umayyad Caliphate. As he came from a family of officials who were involved in the earlier Byzantine bureaucracy, and then later on the Arabic Umayyad government, St. John was raised up and educated well, and became a well-educated man, serving in the court of the Umayyad Caliph before he became a priest and monk.

St. John of Damascus dedicated his life thereafter to the study of the Christian faith, its theology and mysteries, which he discussed and touched upon in his many writings and works. St. John was also notedly involved in the controversies surrounding the matter of iconoclasm that was then widespread through the Byzantine or the Eastern Roman Empire and the other parts of Christendom. At that time, there were parties and members of the Church and the clergy, with support even from some of the Emperors, who wished to ban the veneration of icons and images, considering them to be un-Christian in nature. This iconoclastic practices were opposed by the Pope and many other members of the clergy and the Church, including that of St. John of Damascus.

St. John of Damascus worked hard against all those who took part and sided in the iconoclastic heresy, and he had to face a lot of hardships in doing so, even to the point of being persecuted, falsely implicated in crimes and suffering from plots against him, that he even had his hand cut off. Miraculously, before the icon of the Theotokos, the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Mother of God through his fervent prayers, his hand was restored. St. John remained firm and courageous in his defence of the true faith, despite the trials and challenges against him, and he persevered throughout his life, finally being vindicated and exonerated from all the false accusations against him when the iconoclast heresy was finally overthrown and defeated.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be inspired by the examples of St. John of Damascus, that of the army captain mentioned in our Gospel today, and also be reminded by the love which God has extended to every single one of us, that we all as Christians may always strive to seek the Lord with all our heart and might, and be reminded of all the love that He has shown us so that we may love Him and commit ourselves ever more to His path. Let us all hence make sure that our Advent observances and actions be truly centred on the Lord, and also all of our preparations and celebrations for the upcoming Christmas season. Let us all be the bearers of God’s truth, hope and love to all those whom we encounter in our daily living, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 3 December 2023 : First Sunday of Advent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday we mark the beginning of the Advent season and the new liturgical year cycle, and therefore we are all called to prepare ourselves in heart, body, mind and soul, in our whole being to welcome the Lord as we enter into this solemn time of reflection and preparation for the upcoming glorious season and time of Christmas. In this time of Advent, all of us are called to be vigilant and prepared in our lives, to be truly good and worthy in all things so that we may indeed be worthy and ready to celebrate the true joy of Christmas, and to make full use of the opportunities which God has given to us, in providing us the time and chances for us to make good use of the talents, abilities and other things and blessings He has bestowed on us.

In the first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, we heard of the words of remorse said by the prophet Isaiah representing the people of Israel and Judah, showing regret and awareness of their wickedness and sinful ways which had caused them to be separated and torn away from the fullness of God’s love and grace. The prophet Isaiah used this opportunity to remind the people of how wayward they had been, in failing to follow God’s path and in disobeying His Law and commandments, which have led them into the path of sin and evil. Contextually, by the time of the ministry of the prophet Isaiah, the people of God had committed a lot of sins and wickedness that they had fallen into dire straits, humiliated by their neighbours and enemies. All of those were signs and reminders for them, what they would have to endure and suffer from, if they chose to disobey God.

But as we all heard from the prophet Isaiah, the Lord did not give up on His people, and He continued to love them all despite all the rebelliousness and difficult attitudes that they had presented to Him. The Lord kept on showing His Fatherly love to all of them, chastising them for their sins and wickedness, disciplining them and reminding them of their obligations, teaching and guiding them in the right paths, through the leaders, guides and messengers that He had sent to them, including the prophet Isaiah himself. He reached out to them with ever patient and enduring love, and promised unto us our deliverance, leading and guiding us all while chastising and scolding us for our sins, so that hopefully, through all of the trials and tribulations, we may be stirred and reminded to walk faithfully once again in His path.

In our second reading passage today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians, the Apostle reminded and encouraged the faithful people of God in Corinth to hold fast to their faith in the Lord, encouraging them to continue to live their lives worthily of the Lord because of everything that they have received, the assurance, strength and providence in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, through Whom the fullness of God’s grace and love, His compassionate mercy and kindness have been revealed in all of its fullness, becoming tangible and approachable by all of us. Through Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the One Whom we are expecting in this season of Advent, and the One Whom we are going to celebrate later on in the glorious and most joyful Christmas season, we have seen and witnessed that everything that God had said and promised to us are real, and not mere illusions or mere promises.

In our Gospel passage today, we are then reminded of the nature of our Advent preparation and commemoration, as we heard from the Lord Jesus Himself, Who reminded His disciples and followers, that they all should not be ignorant of the sign of the times, as the coming of the time of reckoning and judgment will come at a time least expected by everyone, and no one knows exactly except the Lord Himself, when this moment will come. Thus, He reminded all of His disciples and followers that all of them ought to be ever vigilant, ready and prepared all the time, by living their lives with commitment and dedication to God, in being righteous, virtuous and just at all times. This is also therefore a reminder to each and every one of us that we should always strive to be good and worthy in each and every one of our words, actions and deeds throughout our lives, so that by our lives we may be good role models and inspirations for one another.

This Advent, we are preparing not only for the coming celebration of Christmas, and in commemorating the events that had happened more than two thousand years ago, when the Lord, our Saviour and King, came down upon us and descended to us in the flesh, born of His Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and revealed the love of God fully manifested to us. Advent is also a time of preparation for the Second Coming of Christ, or also known as Parousia. Like that of the people at the time of the prophet Isaiah, who was promised the coming of the Messiah, therefore all of us are also expecting the moment when the Lord will come again, and this time, He will bring us all into the eternal kingdom and true bliss that He has promised everyone who believes in Him. This is why, all of us have to be truly prepared at all times, because certainly we do not want to be caught unprepared when the Lord, at the time of His choice, comes again to judge the world.

This Sunday as we begin this Season of Advent, we are all brought into the spiritual journey and preparation of our lives, so that we can better live through the true joy and meaning of our upcoming Christmas celebrations. There are four Sundays in the season of Advent, and each one of them are focused on a particular theme, namely in order, Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. This Sunday, being the First Sunday of Advent, we focus on the theme of ‘Hope’, which is exactly what we have heard in our Scripture passages today, and which is what we are looking forward to in celebrating Christmas. In our world, filled with the darkness of sin and evil, the Light of Christ, His salvation and grace, and the promise of everlasting life and happiness with God, all these are truly Hope for each and every one of us. For without Hope, and without the assurance of God’s love, is there truly any reason for us to exist at all?

That is why, on this First Sunday of Advent, each and every one of us are reminded of the fundamental nature of our observances this Advent, as we focus ourselves and our lives once again on the Lord, our God. It is too often that in our lives, we are so busy and preoccupied with the many concerns, attachments and distractions present all around us, that we end up forgetting and disregarding the Lord, His Presence in our midst, and what we are all called to do as Christians in our daily living. Too many of us are distracted with all sorts of worldly desires, ambitions, attachments and all the things which mislead us down the path of greed and ego, wickedness and sin. That is why, this time of Advent is a time of reflection and reorientation of our lives, that we may truly find our true focus in life, that is in the Lord, in His love, truth and hope.

As we are all surely well aware of, during this time and period, the secular world is abuzz and filled with all sorts of Christmas celebrations, rejoicing and revelry. However, we need to ask ourselves, if the celebrations and festivities are truly rightly and properly focused? Most of the time, all the celebrations are about merrymaking and pleasantries, and for some, it is even about comparing who can do better celebrations, parties and rejoicing, and who can splurge more on the feasts, gifts and all the other usual Christmas glitzes and paraphernalia. Yet, amidst all of these celebrations and festivities, it is often that one very important and major thing is missing. What is that, brothers and sisters in Christ? It is none other than the very reason why we celebrate Christmas itself in the first place, and which at the beginning of this season of Advent, we really ought to remind ourselves and one another of this truth and fact.

Can we imagine having a birthday party and celebration, only for the birthday person to be ignored and left out completely from his or her own party and celebration? Yet, that is exactly what most of our secular Christmas celebrations, festivities and merrymaking are all about. We are so busy with preparing all the celebrations, gifts, all the shopping and chasing after the best promotions and discounts, that we end up forgetting about the One we are all celebrating in Christmas, that is Christ Himself. There can be no Christmas without Christ, Our Lord and Saviour. It is because of His coming into this world, in the flesh, that He has shown us all a new Hope amidst all the darkness and sin surrounding us, and because of His Love for us all, bringing unto us Peace and Joy that endures, all of us can celebrate and be hopeful, happy and truly joyful. This is what Christmas is all about, and something that many of us need to be reminded of.

That is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, as we embark on this Advent journey for the next few weeks, let us all make sure that our preparations for the celebration of Christmas are all truly Christ-centric. Besides decking our houses, halls and places with all sorts of decorations and festive atmosphere, what is even more important is that we should truly prepare our hearts and minds, our souls and our whole beings as well. This Advent is a perfect time and occasion for us to reorientate ourselves and our lives once again towards the Lord, turning ourselves once again to the path towards God. This is why, we should spend more time in reflecting upon our lives, and reconnecting ourselves spiritually with God, by spending more time in quiet and contemplative time in prayer, rather than being busy and preoccupied with all the festivities, forgetting what Christmas is truly all about.

And in our Christmas joy and festivities, let us also not forget to bring the Hope of Christ to others as well. Lest we are not aware of it, there are others around us who may not be so fortunate like us, to be able to celebrate and to be merry and joyful. Amidst the challenges and trials we encounter in life, there are people who have difficulties making ends meet each day, and there are people out there who simply do not have the means, time and opportunities to rejoice and to celebrate. Let us all share whatever joy and blessings we have received this Advent and the upcoming Christmas season. Let us be ever more generous in loving and caring for one another, and do whatever we can so that the Hope of Christ may be shown and known by more and more all around the world, and we can begin it through our own lives, truly attuned and aligned with Christ, the Hope and the true reason for our Christmas joy.

May the Lord our God, the One Whom we are celebrating and keep our Hope in, continue to bless and guide us all in everything we do in our respective lives. May He bless our every good efforts and endeavours, and may He give us the strength, courage and faith, so that we may draw ever closer to Him, and will grow to love and know Him more and more. May our Advent journey be truly blessed and fruitful, brothers and sisters in Christ! Amen.

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Saturday, 2 December 2023 : 34th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

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

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we conclude the current liturgical year and will be beginning the new liturgical year cycle with the season of Advent tomorrow on the First Sunday of Advent, let us all reflect upon all the words of the Sacred Scriptures that we have listened to on this day, reminding each and every one of us of our obligations as Christians to be truly faithful, committed and devoted to the Lord our God, at all times. We must always be vigilant and keep our lives worthy of the Lord, in doing His commandments and Law, and in walking down the path and following the things that He has shown and taught us to do. We should not be easily swayed by temptations and pressures from this world, the challenges, trials and difficulties that may be present in our path as we live our lives in Christian manner.

In our first reading passage today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Daniel in which we continue with the details of the apocalyptic vision that Daniel received from the Lord regarding the coming of the end of times and the salvation promised from God. In that reading, we heard of the coming of the four great beasts that will ravage the world, oppress the faithful and the people of God, and cause great destruction. These are the same beasts that a few centuries later, St. John the Apostle would also witness in his series of apocalyptic visions in the island of Patmos. Those beasts represent the forces of the Devil, the great enemy, who would try to crush all those who oppose him and those who are faithful to God.

We heard from that same passage how those beasts dominated over the world and persecuted the holy people of God, namely those who have held on firmly to their faith in God and remained virtuous and worthy of Him despite the struggles and challenges that they would have to face in the midst of their lives. Those beasts represent the dominion and power of Satan and all of his wicked allies, all the forces of evil who are always ready to strike upon us, bringing us to our downfall and destruction. And they manifested all their power and projections upon us, their efforts and strikes through the worldly domains and powers, by whom they persecuted and made lives difficult for those who continue to keep the commandments of the Lord faithfully and courageously.

But the Lord reassured us all, His beloved ones, that through Daniel, He showed us all that no matter how powerful and mighty those wicked forces may be, and how overpowering and dominating they all may seem to be to us, but in the end, even the mightiest of their forces, in their greatest triumphs and moments of pride, in the end, none of these shall remain and hold up against the might and power of the One true Lord and Master of all, Our King and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the One through Whom God has revealed His salvation and love, His truth and presence to all of us. In the end, even the devil and all of his mighty forces have to bend their knee and submit to the commands and the judgment of the one and only True God and King.

And as we heard from that same vision, the dominion of Satan and all of his forces, no matter how powerful and mighty they may be, ultimately all of them have been doomed from the start, for they rose up against the Lord, their Master, and they shall be utterly defeated and crushed in the end, never to harm any one of us ever again. There are of course those who have sided with them and chose to rebel against the Lord through sin and corruption of evil, but in the end, only those who are faithful to the Lord will be saved and will enjoy forever the rich bounties of God’s divine providence and inheritance, while those who did not keep their faith in Him will go to eternal damnation, suffering and destruction.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard the Lord Jesus reminding His disciples and followers, and hence all of us, that we should all be ever vigilant and prepared in each and every moments of our lives so that we do not end up being caught unprepared amidst the temptations, pressures, coercions and other things all around us that may cause us to lose our focus and attention on the Lord. Many of us have fallen into the temptations and corruptions of the worldly ways and wickedness present all around us. This is why many people have faltered and fallen into the wrong paths in life. This is why we are constantly being reminded by the Lord, especially as we are about to enter into the new liturgical year cycle, and the season of Advent, that we must not allow all those wickedness to affect and mislead us.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all hence examine and reevaluate our paths in life. Let us all look into how we have lived our lives so far, and ask ourselves if we truly have devoted our lives to the Lord and been true to His path. Are we willing to walk ever more faithfully in the path that God has shown us? Or are we more interested in satisfying ourselves with the temptations and desires, pleasures and attachments of this world? The choice is ours to make, whether we want to allow the Lord to lead us down the right path and whether we want to walk on this path, or whether we allow our desires and attachments to drag us down the path towards our downfall and damnation. The choice is ours to make because God has given us all the freedom to choose our course of action.

May the Lord, our most loving God and Father, continue to guide and strengthen each and every one of us. Let us all continue to persevere in our struggle daily in faith, and do whatever we can, so that we may always ever be worthy and committed in our dedication and commitment to the Lord at all times. Let us all enter into this Season of Advent with renewed heart and faith, with greater commitment and love for the Lord. Let us all be true and faithful disciples and followers of the Lord, and strive to be the worthy beacons of God’s light, truth and love, now and always. Amen.

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Friday, 1 December 2023 : 34th 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 Scriptures, we are all reminded that the coming of the kingdom of God and the end times is something that will happen with certainty, as we are constantly being told these past few days as we approach the end of this current liturgical year cycle and as we are about to enter into the season of Advent. We are all called to be good and faithful Christians, in obeying God’s will, doing His Law and commandments, and in adhering ourselves to His path, to everything that He has shown and taught us all to do in our respective lives. We must always hold fast to our faith in the Lord despite the challenges, trials and difficulties that we may encounter in our lives.

In our first reading today, we heard of the apocalyptic account of the end times in the vision which the prophet Daniel had received from the Lord, a revelation which would be clarified and affirmed many centuries later by the similar apocalyptic visions received by St. John the Apostle. In that vision, Daniel saw the rise of the great and terrible beasts rising upon the world, with its power and might subjugating many nations and the world, only for all those wicked beasts to be eventually subjugated, overthrown and destroyed by the Lord when He comes again in the end of time, through the Son of Man Whom Daniel had witnessed, the One to Whom, the One of Great Age had passed and entrusted dominion, power and glory forevermore.

This vision of the prophet Daniel was indeed prophetic and revolutionary, as it showed the people of God that God has always remembered His people despite the trials, tribulations and the many challenges and trials that they might have to face amidst their lives in this world. Those wicked beasts, which later on St. John the Apostle would also see in his visions, represented the forces of Satan, the great enemy, the Devil, and all of his allies, which had been manifested in this world, and in all the forces of evils and destruction present all around us, in those tyrants and warmongers, exploiters and all those who sought worldly glory, power, fame and satisfaction at the expense of many others all around them.

Yet, as we have heard in that same reading, God revealed Himself and showed that He is greater than any one of those wicked beasts and the powers of evil. He showed that He is indeed the true Master and Lord of all, with might and glory surpassing anything that the devil and all the whole world could muster, and through His coming into this world, which Daniel foretold through these visions, by the way of the Son of Man, He has brought unto us the promise and the assurance of our liberation and salvation, which Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, that same Son of Man shown to the prophet Daniel, has revealed to us, shown us and affirmed to us, through His works, His ministry, His death and ultimately His Resurrection.

Yes, brothers and sisters in Christ, by His coming into this world, Christ Himself has conquered and destroyed death, and broke free the chains of original sin and the tyranny of evil over us. He has shown us the direct and sure path towards eternal life and redemption through Him, and His Light has pierced through the veil of darkness and sin which has long kept us from realising and understanding God’s love and truth, and delivering unto us the warmth of God’s love and kindness, mercy and grace, manifested in the flesh. Through Christ, all of us have seen the perfect manifestation of God’s love and truth, which has become tangible and approachable to us, and we have been given the direct assurance that God is truly with us, by our side, at all times.

In our Gospel passage today, the Lord Jesus told His disciples to be vigilant, reminding them that the signs of the times and the things happening around them are proofs and evidences that everything will happen just as He has revealed it, through the prophets like Daniel and through what He Himself has delivered and proclaimed unto their midst. That is yet another reminder and calling for each and every one of us as God’s followers and disciples, that we are all called to be genuine and faithful Christians at all times, so that in everything that we say and do, we will never be idle, ignorant or fail to recognise and understand the importance of obeying God and His commandments and Law, His precepts and ways, in all the things we say and do in our lives.

We cannot call ourselves as Christians unless we truly commit ourselves in not just words and formality, but also in genuine actions, and even in the smallest and least significant things that we do, in our daily lives, showing that we truly embody our faith in the Lord and not merely just having external faith and expressions of piety, but also a thorough and wholehearted desire to love and serve the Lord our God with all of our strength and might, as we all should have done. Each and every one of us as Christians have been called and entrusted with the mission to follow the path that the Lord Himself has shown and taught us, to walk in the path of His truth, righteousness and love. All of us should always be truly committed to the Lord therefore in all of our whole lives, in our every moments.

Let us all therefore do our best, brothers and sisters in Christ, so that in all and everything that we say and do in our lives, we will always be exemplary and be inspirational, so that everyone who witness our works and deeds, our words and everything, we will be truly faithful, committed and good. Let us strive that in each and every moments of our lives, we will always be truly worthy of the Lord, in all of our dealings, works and efforts, in all things. Amen.

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Thursday, 30 November 2023 : Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle, one of the Twelve Apostles of the Lord, the brother of St. Peter the Apostle, a truly great man of God and a most faithful servant of our Lord and Saviour. St. Andrew the Apostle is also known as St. Andrew the First-Called or Protocletos, because he was among the first of the Lord’s disciples, and was the one to introduce the Lord to his brother St. Peter the Apostle, then named Simon, and the two sons of Zebedee, St. James the Greater and St. John the Evangelist, both of whom are also part of the Twelve Apostles. On this day we recall the memory of this great saint, whose life, works and actions should serve as great inspiration for all of us Christians.

St. Andrew was a fisherman working by the Lake of Galilee, where he worked alongside his brother Simon, later known as St. Peter, and the two aforementioned sons of Zebedee. They were most likely poor and illiterate, and their profession was not exactly well-respected at that time. Yet, it was to them that the Lord first reached out to, in calling out His disciples and followers. According to tradition, St. Andrew was a disciple of St. John the Baptist, and he was one of the two disciples of St. John the Baptist mentioned in the Gospels, who followed the Lord Jesus after He was baptised by St. John the Baptist at the River Jordan. Hence, St. Andrew then introduced the Lord to his fellow fishermen, and the Lord began His ministry with those first disciples including St. Andrew.

As highlighted in parts of the Gospels, such as the feeding of the five thousand men, St. Andrew took part closely in many of the works and ministries of the Lord. He helped the Lord and His other Apostles in serving the people of God, and eventually, after His Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven, St. Andrew travelled from places to places in proclaiming the Good News of God just like the other Apostles. Various Apostolic and Church traditions highlighted that St. Andrew ministered in many places such as what is today Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Asia Minor, Greece and many others. He spread the Gospels and the truth about Jesus Christ, and the salvation of God that has come into this world, to the many people and communities who have not yet heard and known of Him.

He founded the beginnings of the Church and its communities in many of the places he had visited during his missionary travels and works. Thus this is why he is highly regarded and respected, venerated and honoured in the places mentioned above, and especially amongst our brethren in the Eastern Orthodox Communion, many of whose bishops can trace the origin of their dioceses and sees to St. Andrew and to the churches and communities that he had established all throughout his missionary journeys. St. Andrew eventually was arrested, tortured and martyred in Patras, in what is today parts of modern Greece, where he was persecuted for his faith and then crucified on an X-shaped cross, which henceforth became known as the ‘St. Andrew’s Cross’.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the story of the life and the works of St. Andrew the Apostle, let us all reflect on our own lives and works as well, on whether we have been faithful to the Lord in the same way as St. Andrew the Apostle and other saints and holy men and women of God had done in their own lives. It is important that each and every one of us are aware that we all should also live our lives and commit ourselves to the Lord in each and every moments with great faith and trust in the Lord. We should do our part in living our lives worthily as Christians, in doing what the Lord has shown and taught us, so that by our examples and good words, deeds and actions, we may truly exemplify our faith in God, and be the true and genuine missionaries that we have all been called to be.

Yes, brothers and sisters in Christ, as parts and members of the Church of God, it is part of our responsibilities and calling for all of us to be missionary and evangelistic in all things. We cannot be idle in how we live our lives, but we must always reach out to others all around us, spreading the truth and love of God, His Good News and salvation to more and more people. And how we do this, is not always by merely proclaiming and preaching to others, and we also should not think that just because we seemingly did not have the opportunities, the means and the wisdom or tools to do what the Apostles, the saints and other great men and women of the Church had done, then we cannot do what they had done for the greater glory of God.

Rather, in our own ordinary and unique ways, in every circumstances, and in all that we have in our lives, we should always strive to do what the Lord has shown and taught us, in His Law and commandments, in all of the things that He has asked us to carry out in accordance with His will. It means that in even the smallest and the seemingly least significant things that we do, we should always strive to be ever more faithful and committed, in doing what is right and just in God’s presence, and in proclaiming His truth amidst our every words, actions and deeds. We should always remember that in everything we say and do, we must truly be honest and genuine Christians, or else we will be like hypocrites who profess or claim to believe in something and yet, his or her way of life show completely otherwise.

Let us all be reminded that St. Andrew himself was also a poor and illiterate fisherman of the Lake of Galilee, who was not expected to do great things in life. Yet, God made him to be a great servant and man, whose contributions and works led to the salvation of so many souls. We must always be reminded that each and every one of us, be it rich or poor, strong or weak, famous or not, all of us are called to be disciples and followers of the Lord, and in each and every opportunities that God has given us, we must always make good use of all the graces and blessings which God has granted to us. We must never take what we have been blessed for granted, and we must do our part as Christians, so that by our lives, the Lord may be glorified at all times. Let us allow the Lord to lead our path in life, and transform our works to be truly worthy of those whom He has called and chosen.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all ask St. Andrew the Apostle, whom the Lord had called to be His disciple and Apostle to intercede for us always, and may all of us continue to be inspired by his good and worthy examples in life, and also those of the other innumerable other saints and martyrs, holy men and women, whose examples and lives have been great beacons of inspiration and help for us. Let us all be encouraged, strengthened and be empowered to do our best in living a most worthy, genuine and committed Christian life at all times. May God bless our every good works, efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 29 November 2023 : 34th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we are all reminded by our reading passages from the Sacred Scriptures that each and every one of us must always hold fast to our faith in the Lord, and we must not be easily swayed and tempted to do otherwise just because it seemed that things are going against us, or that we may have to suffer in the midst of our obedience and following of the Lord. It is a fact and reality that to be true and genuine Christians, often times we may have to encounter difficulties and challenges, trials and tribulations in life. There are many things that we may have to suffer from in life as we continue to walk faithfully in God’s path, but as long as we remain firmly faithful in Him, we will be strengthened and empowered in our efforts and works, and in our perseverance in faith.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Daniel of the account of what happened during the end of the kingdom of Babylon, which was then under the rule of Belshazzar, few decades after the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple. And we heard how at that time, the king was having a grand banquet with his nobles and officials, where he disrespected the Lord and did great profanity by using the golden and silver vessels that had been taken from the Temple of Jerusalem, consecrated and sanctified for divine worship, for his hedonistic banquet and worldly pleasures. According to history, this same King Belshazzar was also hated by the people because he often disrespected local customs and even his own Babylonian deities.

Therefore, we then heard how there appeared writings on the wall, ‘Mene’, ‘Tekel’ and ‘Pharsin’, which were in fact God’s warnings and reminders to Belshazzar of the imminent end of his reign because of his wickedness and evils. His attitudes and wickedness had sealed his fate because not only that he had not glorified the Lord but he also even profaned what the Lord and His people had held to be sacred. His pride and ego became his downfall and doom, his pride and ego becoming his defeat. Everything that the Lord proclaimed and predicted would happen did indeed happen, as the forces of the Persians under King Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon and overthrew Belshazzar, who was defeated and killed.

This was the moment when the sufferings and humiliations of the people of God came to an end, as the coming to power of Cyrus the Great over the land of Babylon brought with it the emancipation and liberation of the people of God from the tyranny and dominion of the Babylonians. The Israelites have been brought low and punished for their disobedience against God, and they had been scattered among the nations by first the Assyrians and then the Babylonians, who have destroyed their cities and uprooted many of the people from the lands that they had possessed from the time of their ancestors. They had been humbled and brought low by the Lord, Who has therefore also brought low the pride of king Belshazzar and the Babylonians, who had also committed great sins against God.

This is a reminder for all of us that God is always good and just in all of His actions, and He always remembers those who are dear and beloved to Him. Those who have committed evils and wickedness, acted with pride, arrogance and ego shall be punished and put down, while those who have persevered in faith like the Israelites and their descendants during their exile in Babylon, like that of Daniel and his friends, would be rewarded and blessed for their faith and commitment to God. The Lord never forgets and never abandons those who have kept His Law and commandments, even when we have often been delinquent and ignorant of His Law and commandments, and even when we have fallen again and again into sin.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the Lord telling His disciples about the coming of hardships and persecutions which they would have to face amidst their lives as they lived their lives with faith in Him. The Lord reminded and warned them of the challenges, trials and difficulties which they might have to endure amidst all the persecutions, oppressions and rejections from the world. But the Lord encouraged His disciples and followers, reminding them and reassuring them of the guidance, strength and the Wisdom that He would grant them, and bestow upon them through the gift of the Holy Spirit, Who would come down upon the Church and all the faithful people of God. That is why we really have to put our faith and trust in God, at all times.

The faithful people of God have indeed faced a lot of challenges and trials just as the Lord Himself had forewarned and predicted. They had to face a lot of persecutions and oppressions, especially in the early Church where first of all the Jewish authorities, and then later on the Roman state, were against the propagation of the faith and the growth of the Church. Yet, many of them persevered firmly in their faith despite all those difficulties and challenges. They did not let their fears from affecting them or allow those obstacles and distractions from dissuading them in walking down the path of virtue, the path of obedience and faith in God. Many saints and martyrs of the Church throughout history have shown us examples of great courage and faith, and have become great role models to us.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore do our best so that in our daily lives and at every moments, we will always strive to do what is right, just and worthy in the presence of God. Let us all keep our faith in the Lord strong and alive, encouraging one another, supporting our fellow brothers and sisters, so that despite the trials and challenges that we may face in life, we may always be resolute in our commitment and dedication to follow the Lord at all times throughout our lives. May God bless us all, our every good efforts and endeavours, for His greater glory, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 28 November 2023 : 34th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today after we have listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are reminded that all kinds of worldly glory and earthly fame, possessions and all the attachments we have to this world’s bounties and good things, all those things are temporary. We should always keep our faith and trust in the Lord, and be always careful and vigilant, not to allow ourselves to be easily swayed and tempted to follow the many temptations and distractions present all around us in this world. We have to avoid the temptations of following the false paths provided by the false prophets and others who may try to subvert the messages of God’s truth and Good News for their own personal benefits.

In our first reading today, we heard of the interactions between king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and Daniel, the servant of God hailing from the land of Judea, who was brought to Babylon with many other young men, and made to be one of the servants of the king of Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar, who had conquered much of the old empire of the Assyrians, subjugated many kingdoms and countries, and having made Babylon to be the greatest among the regional powers back then, received a dream from the Lord, in which he saw a great statue made of several different parts and materials. No one could interpret the king’s dream save for that of Daniel, to whom the Lord has bestowed great knowledge and wisdom, and we heard today of both the dream and the interpretation by Daniel.

Daniel’s explanation of the details of the dream to king Nebuchadnezzar essentially highlighted the fact that no matter how great his kingdom and dominion were, the glory and power of Nebuchadnezzar were things that would be merely a footnote in the history of the world, as kingdoms would come and go, rise and fall. He also predicted the kingdoms that would come after the kingdom of Babylon, namely that of Persia, the kingdom of Alexander the Great, and potentially that of Rome, which came to power around the same time as the time of the coming of Christ. Then, as we heard in the explanation of the dream, Daniel was actually also predicting the coming of God’s Kingdom, which had been foretold by the prophets, and which would overturn the order of the world.

This is why, we are all reminded that regardless of all the glory and the wonders of the world, all those things are fleeting and not permanent. Eventually, kingdoms that rise will fall and new kingdoms and states would rise in their place. However, just as the Lord Himself had said, the kingdom of God is something that will last forever, and He will reign over all of us, for all eternity, just as He has always intended. We should always focus our attention and focus on the Lord, and strive to do what we can in order to follow HIs ways, His Law and commandments. The Lord has taught us and revealed to us His intentions, teachings and love, His kindness and grace. We are truly very blessed to have been beloved as such by the Lord, but unfortunately, more often than not, we allow ourselves to be distracted by the many temptations of the world.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the Lord telling the people of the folly of admiring earthly beauty and wonders, as He foretold the downfall and destruction of the great and amazing Temple which king Herod the Great had built in Jerusalem, in vastly expanding and rebuilding the Second Temple into a large worship complex and establishment, which unfortunately became the epicentre of the religious elitism that was prevalent at that time. The Sadducees and the Pharisees, two main powerful groups of religious and societal elites at the time were centred upon the great Temple, and they were swayed by the worldly power, glory, fame and the influence that they held over the people. Unfortunately, this made them to be corrupt and proud, arrogant and failing to carry out their duties and obligations.

They placed themselves above that of their mission, and made it difficult for many people to return to the Lord. They imposed rules and ways that made it tough for many of the people to come and approach the Lord, while they paraded their piety and way of living their faith, to gain fame and praise from the people of God. All of these made it difficult for all those who have been separated from God to return to Him, as they ended up being ostracised and persecuted against. But the Lord made it clear through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, that this is not the way that things should be like. He called all of His people, all of us to turn away from our various worldly attachments and to restore our focus and attention towards the Lord.

That is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, each and every one of us should keep in mind that our lives are meant to glorify God and we ought to do His will, and not be swayed by the temptations of our worldly desires, our attachments to worldly matters and our desires for comfort and pleasures present all around us. We should not allow all those things from preventing us in our path towards the Lord, in our striving towards sanctification and salvation in the Lord. We should always do our best in rejecting and resisting those temptations and desires, and instead, help one another in remaining faithful to the Lord and everything that He has shown and taught us to do. As Christians, it is imperative for all of us to be good examples, role models and inspirations to everyone around us, in showing God’s truth to all.

May the Lord continue to empower and strengthen each and every one of us, so that in everything that we say and do, we will always be truly worthy and good, in being inspirational and exemplary in our Christian living, being constantly reminded that we live for the Lord and everything we say and do, are for His greater glory. May all of us be ever more committed and dedicated to the Lord in all things, and may He bless us all in our every good efforts, works and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Monday, 27 November 2023 : 34th 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 Scriptures, we are all reminded that all of us should continue to commit ourselves to the Lord, be faithful to Him, obey His Law and commandments as we all should have done, despite and regardless of the circumstances, challenges, trials and difficulties that we may be facing in our respective lives. We must always be steadfast in faith, and do not easily succumb to temptations, pressures and coercions to abandon our faith in God, or to seek alternative sources of satisfaction.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Daniel, we heard of the beginning of the story of Daniel and his friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, the Israelite exiles in Babylon, who became famed wise men in the court of the then king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar. Contextually, at that time, the Babylonians had just subdued the kingdom of Judah, and conquered it, bringing many of its people, especially the younger ones to the land of Babylon, as exiles and slaves. Daniel and his friends were uprooted from the lands of their forefathers and brought to the distant land of Babylon, where they were chosen to be the servants of the king of Babylon.

They were, according to the account of the Scriptures, under the pressure to conform to the ways of the Babylonians, which was likely meaning that they were told to eat ritually unclean food and also follow the practices that were contrary to their beliefs. But as we heard, Daniel and his friends remained steadfast and courageous in remaining firm and committed in their faith, in doing what is right and just according to their beliefs in God. They did so, and God was with them, and in the end, God provided for them and protected them from harm, making them wise beyond their years, and such that even the king respected and honoured them greatly. In this and later occasions, Daniel and his friends remained resolute in faith despite the odds and challenges against them, and they showed us all that we must remain firm in our faith in God as well.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the account of the moment when the Lord Jesus and His disciples were at the Temple of Jerusalem, and saw how the rich people were giving their donations and offerings, and how a poor widow who was also there, also offered two small copper coins. The Lord praised the deep faith of the old widow, and how she had entrusted so much to the Lord, that she gave even from her own poverty. This is a reminder for each and every one of us that we all should truly be filled with faith in God, and persevere as always in the path that God has shown us. Like those of Daniel and his friends, the poor old widow trusted in the Lord and entrusted herself completely to Him despite the challenges that she must have faced in life.

Then, the Lord was also not against the rich or being biased against those who have been blessed with more, lest we misunderstand His intentions. He wanted to highlight that regardless how much we have been blessed with, we should always put our focus and emphasis on the Lord, and the more we have been given and blessed with, we should be even more generous in giving and sharing with others all around us the blessings and joys that we have enjoyed and received. However, more often than not, we end up spending much of our time in trying to gain more for ourselves the comforts, pleasures and the wonders of this world, as we become attached to many temptations and pursuits present in this world.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we continue to live our lives each day as Christians, in our world today, we are all reminded by what we have listened from the Scripture passages today, of the importance and the need for us all to redirect once again our focus and attention on the Lord, rather than being distracted and tempted by the many temptations, comforts and misdirections from the world. There are plenty of distractions and temptations present all over us, and unless we are careful and vigilant, we may easily be swayed and tempted by them, and in the end, we may end up falling down into the wrong paths in life.

This is why, all of us should remind ourselves and help one another in our journey of seeking the Lord, His love and truth. Let us all do our best so that in each and every moments of our lives, we will always strive to do what is good, worthy and just in accordance with the Lord’s ways, with what He has shown and taught us all. Let us all not be turned and swayed by the many evils and wickedness which the devil, our great enemy and all of his fellow evil and fallen forces are constantly trying to tempt and mislead us with. We have to be more vigilant and committed in our faith, and we can only do so if we make the conscious effort to deepen our relationship and connection with God.

May the Lord our loving God and Master continue to help and guide us in our journey throughout our lives, so that by His strength and encouragement, all of us may continue to do our best to be great examples and role models, in how we should live our daily living, at every moment, to be great inspirations and shining beacons of God’s light, truth and salvation to all the whole world. Amen.

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Sunday, 26 November 2023 : Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Thirty-Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday is the last Sunday in our current liturgical year, which therefore marks the occasion of the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. On this day, we celebrate the Kingship of Jesus Christ, Who is the Son of God and Our Lord, and hence, is also our King. He is the Lord and Master of all Creation, of the whole Universe and everything that we can see and perceive, and even things that are supernatural and beyond our comprehension. He is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings, and no one is greater than Him. On this day, we celebrate and rejoice in the Lord Jesus, our Lord and King, and we honour Him greatly today, as we remind ourselves of what our Lord and King has done for us, and how we should therefore live our lives to be truly worthy of Him, for all the love and kindness that He has always shown us.

In our first reading passage today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Ezekiel in which the Lord told all of His people, the Israelites and their descendants that He is their Lord and Shepherd, and He would guide and lead them all through to the right path, gathering all of them, scattered throughout the world, finding out and reaching to the lost ones, so that every one of them would once again be gathered in His loving presence. These words came to the people of God at the time when many of them were indeed scattered, away from the lands promised to them and their ancestors. At that time, many of the people of the former northern kingdom of Israel had been uprooted from their homeland and exiled to the far regions of Assyria and Mesopotamia, when the Assyrians destroyed that kingdom and their cities.

Similarly for the people of the former southern kingdom of Judah, which was destroyed just around the time of the ministry of Ezekiel, many of them had been exiled to Babylon and other places too. Some of them fled to Egypt, while others went to other areas, beginning the period of the extensive diaspora of the Jewish people and their relatives. All of these words that the Lord sent to them through His prophet, Ezekiel, were reminders to all of them that ultimately, He is their Lord and King, the One true Master that they all had, and not the lords and kings that had once ruled over them and misled them into the path of corruption and downfall, destruction and humiliation. He is a just and loving God and Master to all of His beloved people, not a tyrant or autocrat who oppressed and extorted the weak and the feeble for His own benefits.

That is why, He presented Himself as a loving Shepherd to all of them, which is why, the famous Psalm of David, Psalm 22 that is used today, is a reminder for us of the Lord our God, Who is our Good Shepherd. He is always loving towards each and every one of us, caring for us and providing for us all of our needs, just like that of a shepherd who loves all of his sheep. He will not spare any efforts to try to find any of the sheep that has been lost to Him, and that was exactly what the Lord had done for our sake. God has always been insistent in sending His guidance, help and providence to us, and in patiently leading and guiding us down the right path. He has sent numerous prophets, messengers, servants and guides in order to help His beloved people, His flock, to come back to Him.

Now, then as we heard from our Gospel passage today, we heard about the Lord Jesus explained and detailing to His disciples about the Last Judgment, the moment when the Lord, as the King of Kings and the Lord and Master of all will judge all the living and the dead, and everyone shall be judged based on their actions and deeds, with those who are righteous and good rewarded and blessed, as those who are considered worthy to be enjoying forever the fullness of God’s grace and love. We also heard of how the wicked and those who have committed evil deeds, or failed to do what the Lord had told them to do, will be condemned and punished for their wickedness and failures. It is a reminder therefore for all of us that just as the Lord is loving and kind towards us, but He is also a God Who is just and expecting.

What does this mean, brothers and sisters in Christ? It means that while our Lord and King loves each and every one of us and while He has done everything that He could in order to reach out to us and to be reconciled with us, there are also many obligations and requirements that we have to fulfil as the subjects and parts of this Kingdom ruled by our Lord and King. Just as how the states and kingdoms of this world work, we cannot be good and worthy citizens unless we obey the laws and the rules of the realm, and do what we are supposed to do in obeying those rules and following the demands and expectations that are required of us to be good and law-abiding citizens of our respective states and countries. Thus, the same logic applies to how we live our lives in following our Lord and King, Jesus Christ, as well.

To be true and genuine Christians, and to be good, worthy and beloved flock of our Lord, our Good Shepherd and our King, each and every one of us must always remind ourselves to do what the Lord has commanded us to do, in fulfilling our Christian obligations and in living our lives in the manner that truly shows our true and genuine faith in God. We cannot be true and genuine Christians unless we follow the Law of God and obey the rules and the ways which His Church has set before us. But even more importantly, we also cannot just merely be blind followers of the Law and commandments of God, as it is indeed possible for us to do what is required of us by the Church and the Law of God, but we do not truly and genuinely do them because of the faith and love we have for God.

That is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, as we approach the end of this current liturgical year with this glorious and most joyful celebration of Jesus Christ, Our Lord and King, King of the whole Universe, let us all remind ourselves of what we can and should do in our lives, in each and every moments to glorify Him by our good, worthy and exemplary lives. Then we must also truly enthrone the Lord as the King over our lives, over our families and our whole existence. This means that He should be at the centre and as the focus of our lives, and not our many preoccupations in life, our career, ambitions, desire for worldly glory and fame, worldly pleasures and possessions, and other things that we often put as our focus instead of the Lord, our God and King.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, are we therefore able to commit ourselves anew to the Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour, our Good Shepherd and our King? Are we able to do our best in doing what is right and just in our lives, in accordance with what He Himself had told us in our Gospel passage today? That in His own words He told us to feed those who are hungry, serve those who are thirsty and seeking for a drink, in welcoming strangers and those who need our help, love and attention into our care, for those who are sick and ostracised by the society, and those who have been neglected and oppressed, among others. Are we able to do what the Lord had told and taught us to do, and in following His own examples, and the examples of the many other holy men and women that had gone before us? Let us be loving, compassionate and merciful, just as the Lord Himself has shown us such great love, compassion and mercy, all these while.

Let us all therefore do our best, in every way we can, to do what the Lord has told and commanded us to do, so that we may truly be faithful and worthy followers and disciples of His, in all circumstances and opportunities that He has provided us with. Let us all renew our commitment to do our best in being exemplary and faithful Christians, in everything that we say and do, and strive to be the inspirations and role models for our fellow Christians, and even also to any others, strangers and acquaintances, all those whom we encounter and interact with, at each and every moments of our lives. May the Lord continue to bless us all in our every good efforts and deeds, and may He, Our Lord and King, the King of all Creation and Universe, be with us always throughout this journey of life, so that in the end, when our lives in this world are over, we may come to Him worthily, to enjoy forever the fullness of His love and grace. Amen.

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Saturday, 25 November 2023 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

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

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded that each and every one of us are destined to a life and existence that is beyond this world, to be with the Lord our God, Master and Creator, in an eternity of bliss and joy, free from sufferings and hardships. This is why, despite of the challenges and trials we may have to face in our lives, it is important that we must remain firm in our faith and trust in the Lord, and we must not be easily swayed by the pressures, coercions, temptations and all the things which are laid in our path, attempting to derail our journey towards the Lord and preventing us from attaining true grace and salvation in God.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the Maccabees about the campaigns and efforts which the Seleucid King, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, had done in trying to restore the kingdom of his ancestors, and how he failed in doing that, and hearing all the failures of the policies he had implemented and enforced in Judea, where the Jewish people rose up in great rebellion against his rule. At that time, King Antiochus IV Epiphanes, as highlighted in most of this previous week or so of readings from the Book of the Maccabees, enforced Greek ways and customs, religious practices and beliefs on all the people throughout his vast empire. This was likely done in order to enforce unity and in trying to regain the power and glory of his predecessors, considering that the Seleucid Empire was made up of many very different groups of peoples with great variation in their cultures and beliefs.

However, on top of that, King Antiochus IV Epiphanes was also known in history for his megalomania and great desire for power and glory, as prior to his enforcement of Greek ways and customs on his subjects, he invaded Egypt and was almost successful in conquering that kingdom if not for intervention from the Romans, who opposed the efforts of the Seleucid king. This same king in our first reading passage today went on another campaign to the eastern reaches of his empire and dominion, trying to exert his control and power there, in what was ultimately a failed effort and venture, and we heard how he received the bad news about his failed policies and how the Jewish people had overthrown whatever idols and corruptions he had placed in Jerusalem, reversing his efforts, and all those crushed him and made him to lie dying.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the encounter and disagreements that happened between the Lord Jesus and some of the Sadducees who were trying to question and test Him because of their diverging and incompatible beliefs with His teachings. Back then, the Sadducees represented one of the major and very influential segment of the Jewish community, consisting of the Temple authorities and members of the priesthood, and in this case, it represented those who were not adhering to the concept of spirituality and the afterlife, but preferring to hold onto the current life and to live life in the world the best they could. The Sadducees believed that there is no life after death, and that there is no resurrection of the dead, and hence, they were a truly worldly bunch of people.

The Lord then responded to their queries of who would be the wife of the seven brothers, after the woman married each and every one of them when the latter died one by one without having any child with the woman. The Lord told the Sadducees the folly of their worldly way of thinking, in focusing only on worldly desires, for money, wealth, partner in life, and other things. The Lord told them that in the end, what truly matters is for us to be with God and to enjoy forever the bliss in His presence, where nothing of this world, of all the worldly desires, ambitions and attachments we often have, will exist any longer. This is related to the futility of everything that King Antiochus IV Epiphanes had done, in trying to stabilise his realm and gaining more power and glory, only to have everything collapsing before him at the end of his life.

This is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, all of us are reminded of all these so that we do not end up being obsessed and attached too much to the worldly matters and pursuits, for worldly pleasures, fame, power, glory and all other things that we often look for in this world, and then ending up forgetting our purpose and intention in following and serving the Lord our God. We are all reminded that all the glory and power, wealth and possessions we have in this world are temporary and do not last forever. Hence, we should focus and redirect our attention to the Lord, turn towards Him and commit ourselves to His cause, instead of being distracted by the many temptations of the world that are usually present all around us.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of a great martyr and servant of God, a great woman whose faith and dedication to Him served as great inspirations and strength for many Christians during and even long after her time. According to Church tradition, St. Catherine of Alexandria was the daughter of the Roman governor of Alexandria, who lived during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian and his successors. At that time, Christians were treated with disdain and contempt, and a particularly intense and bitter persecution was carried out against them. Many Christians had to suffer and die amidst that brutal persecution, and many of them had to choose between remaining faithful in God and suffer, or to betray and abandon the Lord and live.

St. Catherine of Alexandria courageously went to the Emperor himself, the Emperor Maxentius who ruled in Rome and Italy, during one of these episodes of brutal persecutions, rebuking him for his actions and evil deeds. St. Catherine won over the fifty over philosophers that the Emperor set up against her to debate her on her faith and other matters, so much so that some of them converted to the Christian faith and were martyred. St. Catherine also convinced many others to become Christians, including even the Emperor’s own wife, when they visited her during her time in prison. The Lord Himself visited her, and Angels tended her wounds during her incarceration and period of suffering. The Emperor, who grew increasingly desperate in trying to subdue St. Catherine, tried to woo her by proposing marriage to her, which was also rejected by the saint. In the end, she was martyred by beheading, after other methods had failed.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, the examples of St. Catherine of Alexandria and what we heard from our Scripture readings earlier today should serve as good examples and inspirations for each and every one of us, in how we should live our lives, so that we may always be courageous in doing what we can, to glorify the Lord by our lives, and to put Him as the centre and the focus of our whole lives and existence. We should not allow ourselves to be easily swayed by the temptations of pleasures of the world, and all the other temptations and attachments that may mislead us down the path to our downfall and damnation. May the Lord continue to guide, help and strengthen us in our lives, that in each and every moments of our lives, we will always seek the Lord and live our lives faithfully and worthily of Him rather than following the whims of our worldly desires and temptations. Amen.