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Tuesday, 14 November 2023 : 32nd 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 of the nature of our human existence in this world, as those whose mortal bodies will eventually be subjected to death, while our souls are eternal and everlasting. God created each and every one of us out of His overflowing and ever enduring love, which He has most generously shared with us, in love that He has always shown us from the very beginning of time. We are all reminded that ultimately we all belong to the Lord, and we have to do whatever we can, such that we continue to live our lives worthily of God, by living righteously and virtuously, according to His Law and commandments, as much as we are able to.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Wisdom, of the exhortation regarding the nature of our creation, and how we are all also reminded that we were actually never intended to suffer in this world or to experience any kind of suffering or death. Instead, God had created us out of His pure love for us, and He has always intended for each and every one of us to to live our lives filled with His grace and love, ever always in His loving Presence, to be holy just as He is Holy, and to be righteous, virtuous and just, in all of our ways, in all of our dealings, actions and works throughout our lives. This is what God has always intended for us all, His beloved people, whom He has called from the whole world, to come once again to His loving Presence.

Unfortunately, because we disobeyed God and did not listen to His words and commandments, hence, we end up falling into the path of sin. Since the time of our earliest forefathers, many of us chose to follow the temptations of evil, the allures of worldly pleasures and all the desires which had led many of us astray, down the wrong path away from the Lord. And this was why we have to endure and suffer the consequences of our disobedience, which is death. In truth, we were always meant to live our lives in the presence of God, harmoniously and joyfully enjoying the fullness of His love and grace. Unfortunately, disobedience led to sin, and sin brought us to suffering and death, because sin corrupted our bodies and mind, our hearts and souls, separating us from God.

Yet, God did not intend to destroy us, or to cast us out from His Presence forever, because His love for each and every one of us is far greater than how much He despises our sins and wickedness. Thus, He gave us many opportunities, again and again, to find our way back to Him, through His numerous reminders and help, all those messengers and helpers He had provided to us, through the help of the Angels and the saints, all those who lives have been good, worthy and exemplary, and hence became great role models, inspirations and encouragement for all of us coming after them. And to those of us who have embraced God once again with love and faith, while our bodies may succumb to the temporary effects of death and destruction, but our eternal soul persists and will be reunited with God in due time.

This is also where the Church’s teachings and beliefs in the afterlife is yet again highlighted on this month of November, as we remember in particular the holy souls in Purgatory. After we die, there are three states that may happen to us, at the moment called the Particular Judgment, which separated the righteous from the wicked. Those who had rejected God and continued to persist in sin had condemned themselves to an eternity of suffering and despair, cast out forever in Hell. Meanwhile, some of the very righteous and worthy ones had lived their lives most virtuously, and hence, merited immediately the entry into the eternal bliss and true joy of Heaven. These are the saints, those who have been officially recognised by the Church for their virtues, as well as the many others whose lives and deeds may not yet been recognised, and yet, whose virtues are known to God, and merit Heaven.

Meanwhile, for many others, they were fairly righteous and good, but because of their residual sins and unrepented faults, they cannot enter into Heaven yet, because no sin can be present before God, unforgiven and unrepented. Hence, they are the ones known as the holy souls in Purgatory, as a state between this world and Heaven, where the ones who still have to endure some sufferings and wait, in the moments when they were being purified and brought free from the remnants of their sins, lay in wait, until the moment when they are finally ready to move on into the Holy Presence of God in Heaven as they are intended for. The passage from the Book of Wisdom today spoke of this, of the souls being tested by fire, which is not exactly a kind of fire that we are familiar with, but spiritual fire that cleanses the corruptions of sin in the souls of the faithful.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the Lord speaking to His disciples and followers, regarding the nature of a servant and the relationship that servant has to his or her master. The master has a very clear supremacy and dominion over the servants, who have to obey everything that the master commanded the servant to do. This was meant to represent the relationship between God and us mankind, because we are truly God’s servants, and the Lord did not have anything that He owes to us, because He is our Lord and Master, and we naturally ought to follow Him and obey His every will and whim. Yet, at the same time, the Lord also wants us to know that, unlike the traditional master-servant relationship highlighted in His exhortation, the Lord is a loving Master, Who truly cares for us all, even though we are undeserving of Him, His love and attention.

Why is this so? That is because we must ask ourselves, which Lord and Master chose to come down upon us, humble Himself and live among us, walking in our midst, communicating and contacting us, dwelling among us and having meal with us, even with the ones whom some deemed to be sinful and unworthy, like the tax collectors. And yet, the Lord Jesus came into our midst, bringing forth towards us the love of God manifested fully in the flesh, making God to be perceptible, tangible and reachable for all of us, that He is no longer distant or intangible for us. He reached out to us with love, reminding all of us that His nature, truly first and foremost is one of love, and this love has always been directed towards all of us, without exception.

Therefore, having been reminded of God’s love and generous kindness, let us all as Christians embrace the Lord once again with sincerity and commitment at all times, reminding ourselves ever always that God has always wanted each one of us to be fully reconciled with Him. Let us all no longer be separated from God’s love and grace, and do our best in each and every moments of our lives, that we will always be exemplary and worthy in everything that we say and do, in our every interactions and efforts, our collaborations and works. Let us also pray for one another, and also for the holy souls in Purgatory, our beloved brothers and sisters. May the Lord be with us always, His love and kindness, and may He strengthen each and every one of us that all of us may always be strong and resilient, dedicated and faithful in each and every moments of our lives. Amen.

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Monday, 13 November 2023 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, each and every one of us are reminded of the importance for all of us as Christians to be truly attuned to God and His ways, and to trust in His Wisdom and path, and do whatever we can, in every opportunities and time which we have been given, so that we may always cherish all the truth, love and the wonders that God has shown each and every one of us. All of us should always strive to be faithful to God, and to hold strong and firmly upon all the truth and revelations which He has shown us, the teachings which He has passed down unto us through His Apostles and His Church, right up to this very day, the Wisdom that He has imparted upon all of us.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Wisdom, we heard of the revelation of God’s Wisdom, and how His Wisdom has been imparted upon each and every one of us. Through God’s Wisdom, all of us have been given the revelation of truth, and the knowledge of God’s righteousness and the virtues of our Christian faith. However, as the author of the Book of Wisdom mentioned, we cannot be truly filled with God’s Wisdom if our hearts and minds are corrupted by sin, because sin severs our connection with God and turns us away from Him. If we allow sin to lead us in our lives and to corrupt us, then in the end, the Wisdom of God and His truth will have no place in our hearts and minds, and we will likely end up walking down the wrong path, one that may lead us down to damnation.

God’s Wisdom has been freely imparted and given to us, and He has also given us a lot of guidance and help, through His many servants and messengers, through which He has passed unto us the revelation of His love, all that He wants us to know so that we may indeed find our path towards Him, and be fully reconciled once again with Him. God has revealed to us His love and truth so that His light may shine forth and dispel the darkness that engulfed us and kept us from His path, and He has given us His help again and again, so that by the efforts He had made, more and more of us may find our way to Him, and thus, be saved and be gathered once again as His beloved flock, back into His loving presence, no longer separated and severed from Him because of our sins. This is why each and every one of us should always trust in the Wisdom of God and not in our own limited wisdom and understanding.

Then in our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Lord Jesus speaking to His disciples warning them all from doing what is wicked and evil in the sight of God, and from misleading others down the wrong path, as all those wickedness and evils will likely lead to scandals that may cause the faith of those who wavered in faith to weaken, and eventually they themselves will end up in the wrong path as well. The Lord told His disciples and therefore all of us to live our lives worthily, and to do what He Himself has taught His disciples and asked them all to follow and to propagate, which they had indeed done through the Church that the Lord Himself established, and through which He has gathered us all together as one flock, and one holy, beloved and worthy people of God.

The Lord reminded His disciples and followers that they must always be filled with love, compassion and mercy in all of their ways and actions. They have to be forgiving and merciful, and they must not allow their anger and hatred to mislead them down the path of evil and sin. They should always be ready to forgive and to let bygone be bygones, just as the Lord Himself has most generously loved us and forgiven us our many sins, even when we were still sinners and acted in ways that were rebellious and ungrateful towards His love. The Lord has taught us all His path, so that we may follow Him, and have faith in Him. And if only we can have true and genuine faith in Him, then we would have been able to walk righteously in His presence, and do everything that needs to be done for us to follow Him.

Today, as we listened to all these words from the Sacred Scriptures, we are all therefore reminded that we must always strive to put God above all else, resisting the temptations and the pressures, the pull and the allures of sin, of the worldly vices, evils and wickedness, all of which are trying to turn us away from the path of God and His righteousness. We must always remember that as Christians, we cannot be idle in living our lives and our faith, and we have to continue to be good role models, inspirations and strength for one another, in inspiring more and more of our fellow brethren in how we live our lives and in how we do our part as Christians, in ensuring that our actions, words and our whole entire way of life are truly compatible with God’s path.

Now, let us ask ourselves if we have the courage and commitment to do what the Lord has told and commanded us to do, and if we are courageous and committed enough to live our lives worthily in the manner that God Himself has shown and taught us all.

May the Lord continue to bless us with His Wisdom and love, and may He empower each one of us so that by the guidance of His Wisdom and by the strength and perseverance that He has shown us, each one of us may indeed be truly worthy in all of our words, actions and deeds. May all of us be exemplary and inspirational in our every way of life, and may God bless our every good works and efforts, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 12 November 2023 : Thirty-Second Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday all of us are reminded of God’s Wisdom that has been given and shared with all of us, God’s beloved people, which He has imparted upon all of us, who live in this world. Through His beloved Son, Our Lord and Savior Jeus Christ, the Wisdom of God has come upon all of us, dwelling in us, through the words of His revelation, the Word of God Himself in the flesh, and then also through the sending and the imparting of the Holy Spirit, coming down upon us from the Father Himself, through the Son, and thus, the Wisdom of God and the Holy Spirit came upon us all. And why we all focus our attention on the matter of Wisdom and knowledge of God? That is because as we approach towards the end of this current liturgical year, we are all reminded that while the cycle of time continues unabated, the time will come indeed when everything comes to an end in a reckoning, when we shall come to account for our lives and actions before God.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Wisdom, the explanation and revelation of Divine Wisdom, of what is the nature of the Wisdom of God and how the Wisdom of God comes upon this world, seeking those who are worthy and willing to embrace it. There are those who seek for the Wisdom of God, but at the same time, there are also many of those who have desired and sought for other forms of alternative ‘wisdom’ instead. They sought for the wisdom of the world, the ways and the customs of this world familiar to us. However, this ‘wisdom’ of the world, all of the corrupt ways of worldliness, all these do not lead to true satisfaction and fulfilment, and yet, we are all still easily tempted and persuaded by their allures and distractions, which ended up causing us to falter and fall away from the path of righteousness and truth. The Wisdom of God has been given to us, and yet, in our folly, we allow ourselves to be swayed by the temptations to sin instead.

Then, in our second reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Thessalonians, in which the Apostle exhorted the faithful people of God and the Church in Thessalonica regarding the matter of what woul happen at the end of time, when God will come and make everything right and perfect once again. St. Paul was comforting the faithful there of the assurance of the life that is to come, the eternal life which the Lord Jesus Himself has promised to all of us through His coming and revelation. This is one of the core tenets and teachings of the Christian faith, which the Lord and His disciples, the Christian missionaries have proclaimed, as the Good News to all. This is the promise of the life and existence after death, and that death is not the end of everything, or of our existence, because our time and existence in this world is one that is just temporary, and eventually, all of us should remember that we are destined and bound for Heaven, to be once again with God.

And through that assurance which St. Paul mentioned to the faithful in Thessalonica, we are all reminded that our labours and efforts in this world will not go to waste. For all those who are faithful to God and have been keeping true to His Covenant and providence, God will not abandon them and will always be with them. And while they might suffer and endure trials and tribulations in this world, and face death, but death will have no hold and power over us, because the Lord Himself has come into our midst, bearing upon Himself the punishment for our sins and purchased by the power of His own Most Precious Blood, the price for our redemption and liberation from the dominion and tyranny of sin. Hence, that is why when we die, while our physical bodies go to sleep, our souls will not perish but will go either to the Lord’s Presence, or to the preparation in Purgatory, except for all those who have rejected God, the ones who have been condemned by their sins.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the parable which the Lord Jesus told to His disciples and followers, the parable of the five wise women and the five foolish women. In that parable, the five wise women or bridemaids were fully prepared for the event that they attended, as they were supposed to welcome the bridegroom to the wedding banquet, which happened at night time and they were the ones to bear the lanterns to brighten the place and the festive occasion. They brought extra oil with them so that if the bridegroom were to be delayed, they still had enough oil for their lamps. Meanwhile, the five foolish women, as we heard, did not bring any extra oil with them, and they ran out of oil soon after the bridegroom was delayed. Thus, as the parable mentioned, the five foolish women failed to obtain the oil in time, and they only arrived back after the festivities have started, and thus, were excluded from the banquet.

The meaning of this parable is indeed very clear, and tied with whatever we have discussed earlier regarding the Wisdom of God and the matter of the afterlife, we are all reminded that we have to be ever vigilant and ready, and to entrust ourselves unto the Wisdom of God, in following His path and having faith in His providence. We should always keep in mind that everything which we say and do, and even whatever it is that we have not done and failed to do, when it has been within our power and calling as Christians to do so, all these will be asked of us, and they shall weigh either for us or against us on the day of the Last Judgement. Now, the question is, if we are going to trust in the Wisdom of God, entrusting ourselves in what the Lord has taught and shown us, or whether we are going to trust in worldly wisdom and paths instead.

Each one of us living in this world today have been given the great opportunity to make best use of our lives, and to do what the Lord has told and taught us to do. The choice is really ours to make, as God has given us all the freedom to choose what our next step in life will be. The path of the world may seem to be easier and more logical or more comfortable for us, since after all this is what we normally are accustomed to having in our lives, but in the end, we must have that discerning mind and the wisdom to see that the path of the Lord is the only one that will lead us all to true and everlasting happiness, joy and fulfilment. All the other paths and ways are merely distractions and temptations, which may lead us the path to our downfall if we are not careful and wise in our decisions, like those of the five foolish women. We should make good use of the time and opportunities presented to us, that we may strive to be ever always prepared in our lives, to be accountable for them to God.

May the Lord continue to help and guide us all in our journey of faith throughout our lives, and may He continue to impart His Wisdom upon each and every one of us that through His Wisdom, all of us may be better able to discern carefully our choice of path in life, and be more careful and vigilant in our choice of actions, words and deeds so that we do not end up falling into the wrong path, into the temptations to sin by disobedience against God. Let us all turn towards the Lord and focus once again upon His Wisdom, truth and love. May the Lord, in His infinite Wisdom and ever enduring love for each one of us, continue to bless us and strengthen us at all times, that we may grow ever stronger in faith and be ever more devoted and closer to Him. Amen.

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Saturday, 11 November 2023 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Martin of Tours, Bishop (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

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 as Christians must always be filled with commitment and true devotion and love for the Lord, our God. We must not be easily swayed, tempted and led astray by the falsehoods and the temptations of the evil ones, all those who have desired and wanted for our destruction and doom. There are always challenges, trials and temptations facing us on our way, and we must always remain strong, remembering and reminding ourselves that there are many of our fellow brothers and sisters around us, all of us, believers in Christ, who have also been facing challenges, trials and difficulties at all times for God’s sake.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans, of the Apostle highlighting and introducing everyone who had been working and ministering to the people of God with him, and this shows us how following the Lord is truly one of a collective effort, and our faith is not merely just a personal one between each one of us and God, but rather, we are all part of a community of believers, living and vibrantly growing in faith together in God. All of us as Christians are part of the same Church, the same united Body of Christ, and we are all called to holiness together in God, sharing in the same truth and Good News of God, receiving the fullness of His love and grace together as a community of believers.

Then, in our Gospel passage, we heard of the continuation of the story yesterday in which the Lord spoke using the parable of the dishonest steward to His disciples and followers. In that parable, the Lord mentioned about a steward who had been dishonest and wicked in his actions, in amassing wealth and money for himself, and hence, this steward was dismissed from his work, only for him to carry out more dishonesty and fraud in order to safeguard himself, and to ensure that he had a means of living, by tricking his master of the debts that his debtors were owing him. The master in that parable praised the dishonest steward, not for his wicked deeds and dishonesty, but rather for his astuteness and for the efforts he made in securing a future for himself.

Thus, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the continuation of this discourse, in which the Lord explained to all of the people listening to Him the meaning of the parable and its significance. He told them all that ultimately, we must not allow ourselves to be swayed by the temptations of money, wealth and worldly possessions. All those things will likely pull us away from the path of God and His salvation. The Lord Jesus also said it plainly that one cannot be servant of both God and money, as in the end, one will grow more in love with one of them, and despise the other. This is why, the actions of the dishonest steward was highlighted in reminding everyone that the love for money and worldly possessions is bound to lead one to do what is evil and wicked in the sight of God.

And at the same time, the Lord wants everyone to take note that we all should always be ready and be prepared for what is to come for us, and therefore, we have to be astute and mindful, of everything that we do in life, so that we do not end up doing what is wicked, unworthy and sinful before God. Instead, we are all called to live our lives ever more worthily, dedicating ourselves in each and every moments, in the path that God has shown and taught us all, in doing His will, obeying His Law and commandments. All of us have been given the opportunities, the gifts and blessings, the graces in this life to do what we can, in walking down the path of righteousness, or we can choose to disobey Him and walk down the path of evil instead. The choice is truly ours to make.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of a great saint of God, a great and dedicated servant of God whose righteous deeds and works, outstanding and exemplary life can become great examples and inspirations for us all to follow in how we live our own lives with faith in God. St. Martin of Tours was a soldier turned man of God, who was renowned for his commitment and faith in God, his virtuous life and actions, from even before he gave everything to the Lord. St. Martin of Tours was once a soldier in the Roman army during the late period of the Roman Empire, and it was told that he was called by God during his time as soldier, and one of that unique experiences is when he encountered the Lord Himself disguised as an old man in a blizzard.

At that time, according to the story, St. Martin of Tours was travelling on horseback in his centurion’s armour, and he encountered an old man in the midst of a blizzard or cold weather, who was naked and had nothing to protect him against the cold. It was there and then that St. Martin of Tours cut half of his cloak with his own sword, and then used that half of the cloak to cover the old man’s body. Later on, as he was sleeping, St. Martin of Tours encountered a vision of the Lord appearing to him, and revealing to him that the old man was after all, the Lord Himself in disguise. Through this experience and others, St. Martin of Tours eventually left his life as an army centurion behind, and thereafter, he dedicated himself to God, following the teachings and examples of another great saint, St. Hilary of Poitiers.

Eventually, he became a hermit and preacher, committing himself to preach the word of God and to evangelise to the people, in which many people were convinced and became believers in Christ. Later on, he was chosen by acclamation by the people to become the Bishop of Tours, in which capacity, St. Martin continued to do his best in caring for the needs of the flock entrusted to him. He cared for their spiritual needs and served them well, and established good administration and missionary works in his Diocese, while protecting his flock from the effects of various heresies and falsehoods running rampant at that time. Right up to the end of his life, St. Martin of Tours dedicated himself completely to God and to the people whom He had been entrusted with, truly a great example and role model for us.

May the Lord continue to strengthen us in our faith and give us the courage and the power to endure the many challenges and trials present all around us, that hopefully we will continue to live righteously and worthily in the path that God has shown and taught us, and following in the examples of the holy saints and martyrs, particularly that of St. Martin of Tours, whose feast we celebrate and whose memory we venerate and remember today. May the Lord bless us all in our every good deeds, efforts and endeavours, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

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Friday, 10 November 2023 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded of the need for all of us to be faithful to God in all things and to do His will at all times. We must always strive to be truthful, virtuous and righteous in our ways and in our dealings so that we can truly be good and worthy in all of our actions, words and deeds so that we may not end up falling into the path of sin and evil, which may lead us to our downfall and destruction in the end. God has shown and taught us all how we should live in accordance with His ways, and we must always therefore seek to carry out God’s will, be obedient to His Law and commandments, in everything that we say and do so that we may always be exemplary and worthy of Him, at all times.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Romans, we heard of the Apostle St. Paul who wrote to the faithful there in Rome of everything that he had done in the service of God, in spreading the Good News and the truth of the Lord in Rome and in many other places, in serving the cause of the Lord and in seeking to bring about His greater glory. He elaborated on some of his works and ministry, in spreading the Good News to more and more places, bringing the knowledge of God to those who have not yet heard of them, and at the same time, also spoke of how everything were done for the greater glory of God and not for his own pride and ambitions.

St. Paul also highlighted how he did not go to those places where the other Apostles and missionaries had gone before, so that his efforts and works would not overlap those who had come earlier. This was a reminder yet again, that everything that St. Paul and the other Apostles and missionaries had done, were not for their own personal ambition, achievements and renown, but instead for the advancement of the cause of the Lord, and the spread of the Good News, the Gospels of the Lord, which He had entrusted to all of them, to His Church, to be propagated and spread to all the whole entire world, so that more and more people may come to know about His salvation and grace, and that many more souls will be saved because of the revelation of truth and God’s love that they all had received.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the Lord teaching His disciples and followers, and all those who were present using the parable of the dishonest steward. In that parable, the Lord highlighted the actions of a steward who had been dishonest with his dealings and works, and when he was discovered in his deeds by his master, he was dismissed from his work and employment, and we heard how this dishonest steward began making arrangements quickly to ensure that he had a means to survive despite him having about to lose his employment with the master. He made use of whatever tricks he knew, and told the others who owed his master some money and materials to change the amounts they owed, so that by doing so, he might gain favour with those people, and thus allowed him to survive somehow.

Then, in that same parable, the master seemed to be praising the dishonest servant for his astuteness and actions, for having done what he did, in ensuring his own safety and well-being before he was about to be unemployed. It is the reason why this passage from the Gospels is one of the most controversial among them all, as it might seem to some people that the Lord was condoning the behaviour of the dishonest steward, or might even be praising his dishonesty. However, this is where we need to realise that what the Lord Jesus referred to in His parable, in the master praising the dishonest steward, was rather that the master praised the astuteness and the calculative actions and efforts that his dishonest steward had done, not so much his dishonesty and wickedness.

It was a reference to the astuteness, awareness and efforts which the master praised the dishonest steward for, that all of us should take heed of. Neither the master or the Lord Jesus were condoning the wicked and dishonest acts of the steward, as those deeds were still vile, wicked and unworthy of those who call themselves God’s faithful people. But it was the planning and preparation, and all the efforts and the thinking that the steward made to safeguard for himself a living afterwards that we are all called to take note and follow. What does this mean, brothers and sisters in Christ? It means that each and every one of us should follow in being prepared and ready for whatever it is to come, at the time of our reckoning, when God will call on us to account for our lives and our efforts, or for our failure to do what He has asked us to do.

All of us will face death in the end, the moment when our earthly existence comes to an end, and we shall have to account for our lives, for each and every things we have done, and for what we have also failed to do in our everyday living and moments. God had given us many opportunities, talents, gifts and abilities, blessings and chances, which we should have made good use of in our lives, in how we interact with others all around us, and in how we carry out our actions and live in accordance to everything that God had taught and shown us. All of us should therefore be inspired, not by the evils and the dishonesty of the steward, but rather by his astute mind, his preparedness and preparations, for what was to come. Thus, in our own lives, we should also always be prepared for the end, and do our best at every moment, to live our lives ever worthily of God.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of Pope St. Leo the Great, one of the great leaders of the Church and a renowned Pope, whose contributions and deeds were so great that he was indeed one of the very few Popes known with the epithet, ‘the Great’. Pope St. Leo the Great was one of the longest reigning Popes in the Church, reigning over the whole Church over a period of over two decades, during an important and tumultuous time both for Christendom and in the secular world. His efforts, works and deeds had inspired many and helped many people to remain firmly faithful to the Lord despite the many trials and challenges facing them at that time. Pope St. Leo the Great helped to lead the Church through those difficult times, and his leadership, actions and numerous writings, which made him to be honoured as a Doctor of the Church, should inspire us all to be ever more faithful to God as well.

Pope St. Leo the Great led the Church through a divisive time in Christendom, as there were numerous heresies and disagreements which had not been completely resolved and settled by the preceding Ecumenical Councils, such as the ones at Nicaea, Constantinople and Ephesus. Pope St. Leo the Great wrote extensively and sent his ambassadors and legates to the Ecumenical Council at Chalcedon in the Year of Our Lord 450, ten years into the reign of Pope St. Leo the Great, condemning the heresies of monophysitism that were rampant in the eastern parts of the Roman Empire. Then, in the secular side, Pope St. Leo the Great was also well-renowned for having led the Church and the city of Rome through two difficult time periods, first was when the King of the Huns, Attila, came to the city, and the Pope came to see him personally, and managed to make the Hunnic king to turn away back to his lands, sparing Rome from destruction. He was less successful with the Vandals that came few years afterwards and sacked Rome, but he managed to reduce the extent of the destructions.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore strive to live our lives to the best, in obedience and adherence to God, at all times. Let us all be inspired by Pope St. Leo the Great and his examples, and do our very best so that we may indeed live our lives worthily, in seeking not our own glory and ambition, but instead, as St. Paul reminded us all earlier on, to live our lives for the greater glory of God. Let us all turn away from the path of sin and evil, and do our best to inspire others by our good, worthy and holy lives and examples, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 9 November 2023 : Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the joyful occasion of the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, which is the most important of all the churches in the whole entire world, being the Cathedral of the Diocese of Rome and hence is the seat of the Pope as its Bishop and leader of the whole Universal Church. This Lateran Basilica is the place where the Cathedra or the seat of the bishop, in this case, for the Pope, is placed at, and hence, why the Lateran Basilica is the Cathedral of the Pope. Since the Cathedral of the diocese is Mother Church of the whole diocese, and Rome is the seat of the Pope as the leader of the Universal Church as the Vicar of Christ, hence, this Basilica is the Mother Church of the whole entire world and is consequently also the most important and preeminent of all the world’s churches.

The Lateran Basilica, also known as the Basilica of St. John Lateran, or by its proper full name of The Archbasilica Cathedral of the Most Holy Savior and of Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist in the Lateran, as the only Archbasilica in the world, the most important and mother of all churches in the city and Diocese of Rome and the whole entire world, dedicated to the Most Holy Saviour, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and the two saints, St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist, is one of the earliest and longest-enduring historical church buildings from the early days of the Church, having been built and consecrated about a thousand and seven hundred years ago during the reign of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great.

Back then, the Church and the Christian communities had just emerged out of long period of constant but intermittent episodes of persecution of Christians by the Roman and local authorities, that under the same Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, had ended officially with the famous Edict of Milan. The Edict of Milan extended toleration to all Christians, ending the persecution of Christians by the state, and with the Emperor Constantine increasingly becoming favourable and supportive to the Christian faith and Church, the Church began to flourish, and with the Emperor’s support, extensive building programs of various churches began in the city of Rome and elsewhere. Within the city of Rome, the Lateran Basilica was one of the first to be built, intended as the Cathedral for the Pope, as well as the Old St. Peter’s Basilica built atop the tomb of St. Peter in the Vatican Hill, among other churches and Basilicas.

Many people mistook the St. Peter’s Basilica, or the Papal Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican as the place of the Pope’s Cathedral, because of its frequent use in the Papal Masses and liturgies. This was because St. Peter’s Basilica, which current building dated from about five centuries ago and replaced the Old St. Peter’s Basilica, was the place where the Popes resided after their temporal and worldly authority were no more when the Papal States ceased to exist about one and a half centuries ago. Prior to that, for a long time the Pope often resided at the Lateran Palace located just adjacent to the Lateran Basilica itself, as the seat of his temporal and spiritual power, as both the ruler of the Papal States or the States of the Church, as well as the Vicar of Christ and Supreme Pontiff.

Thus, on this day, we are reminded of this less well-known but not less important Basilica and church, upon which the whole entire Christendom revolved around. It was founded in the Year of Our Lord (Anno Domini) 324, almost a thousand and seven hundred years ago, during the reign of Pope St. Silvester I, who reigned during the pivotal twenty-one years during which the fate of Christianity and the Church was evolving and changing rapidly, from a faith that was just recently being tolerated and emerging from the very intense persecution by Emperor Diocletian and Galerius, to a Church that was growing rapidly and gaining many support and followers not just from the Emperor himself, but also from many segments of the Roman society. It was truly a time of great transformation in the Church and the community of God’s faithful people.

Many people mistook St. Peter’s Basilica as the Pope’s Cathedral and principal church because in the recent decades and centuries, that is where the Pope usually carried out most of his functions and celebrated the Mass, and that is where he also dwelled, historically because of the establishment of the Vatican City State as an independent and sovereign country, with the Pope as the Head of State, which is centred upon the Basilica of St. Peter and the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican. The Papal Basilica of St. Peter is indeed a very important church, the second in importance and precedence after the Lateran Basilica itself, but the fact remains that the Cathedral and hence the Mother Church of all Christendom, is the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, which dedication we celebrate today.

In today’s readings, we heard Scripture passages related to the dedication of a church, and reminded of the importance of these places consecrated and set aside to be House of God, the place of God’s dwelling, His Holy Presence, and a House of Prayer for all. In our first reading today from the Book of the prophet Ezekiel, we heard of the heavenly vision of Ezekiel, who saw a great vision of a Heavenly Temple and Sanctuary, in God’s Holy Presence, from which a great torrent and flood of water came forth, purifying and blessing all that came within its path. This water is a life-giving water and spring which came from the Lord Himself, and is a reminder for us of another part of the Gospel, when the Lord Jesus met a Samaritan woman who was collecting water from Jacob’s well, and told her that He is the Life-giving Spring, in Whom she will no longer thirst or seek for anything else.

In the second reading, from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the Christian community in Corinth, we heard of the famous passage in which the Apostle reminded the faithful there, and hence also all of us, that we are all God’s Temple, the Temple of the Holy Presence of God, and how the Church has been built upon the foundation of the Apostles, and we are all the parts of this Church, as parts of the one and same Body of Christ, the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. This is a reminder that just as we celebrate and commemorate this anniversary of the Dedication of this great Basilica and House of God, we must not neglect the Temple, the House of God, that is each and every one of us, because God dwells in us too, and not just in the churches and Basilicas.

In the ceremony and parts of the Dedication of a church and Basilica, there are many components that if we examine closely, resembles and are similar to the rite of Baptism, done either on Easter Vigil or at the adult and infant baptisms. In the Dedication of a church, holy water is sprinkled upon the Altar and the whole Church, which is just as how the catechumens are baptised with holy water in the Sacrament of Baptism. Then, the Altar is also anointed with holy oils, the sacred chrism, to mark and consecrate it to God, together with the twelve consecration crosses throughout the church building, just as how the newly baptised are anointed with sacred chrism as well, anointing and consecrating us to God, as His holy and beloved people.

The church that is being dedicated is also lighted with the light from the blessed fire which ultimately originated from the holy fire blessed on Easter Vigil, symbolising Christ’s light, the Altar candles and all the other candles throughout the church, just as how the newly baptised Christians receive the light of Christ symbolised through their lighted baptismal candles. The Altar is then covered with pure white ‘garments’ that is the Altar cloths, just as we don our white baptismal garments at the time of our baptism. Then both are also incensed, just as the Altar and the church are incensed with the fragrant aroma pleasing to God, as we all, the whole living Church of God are incensed, marking us to be holy and dedicated to God.

Now, I hope we can already see very clearly how each and every one of us as Christians are also God’s Temples, where His Holy Presence dwells. He has also given us His Holy Spirit to dwell in us, and hence we, as the Temples of the Holy Spirit, in the words of St. Paul the Apostle, are all called to be holy and worthy, all the more because we also receive Him in the flesh and in His Real Presence, through the Most Holy Eucharist we partake, that the Lord Himself, in His Body, Soul and Divinity, has entered into our beings, not just spiritually but also physically, and hence, it is imperative that each and every one of us recognise the importance and the gravity of the matter, in ensuring that all of us remain vigilant in how we live our lives as Christians, that we always strive to do what is right and just according to God’s will, His Law and commandments.

In our Gospel passage today, this is alluded in the famous occasion of the Lord Jesus clearing the Temple from the many merchants, money changers and all others peddling their businesses in the courtyard of the Temple. Contextually, those merchants, money changers and others serve practical purpose providing the pilgrims and all those who came to the Temple to worship the Lord, the sacrificial offerings and animals to be offered and burnt to God. And at that time, since many Jewish people and believers lived in faraway places in the diaspora that spanned the entire Roman Empire and even in distant places like Persia and Ethiopia, they would have used different coins and currencies that might need to be exchanged first. Hence, this was why those merchants and money changers carried out their works and businesses there at the Temple.

What the Lord was against, was their practice in cheating and being dishonest in the way they carried their businesses and works, as they likely overcharged the worshippers by a lot, taking advantage of the fact that most if not all worshippers and other pilgrims needed their services. They treated the people of God and the sanctity of His holy place, His own House, the Temple of Jerusalem, with disdain, committing grievous sins in His very Presence. This was what angered the Lord very much, Who struck them all with a whip and chased those corrupt merchants and money changers out of the Temple courtyard. This is also a reminder therefore for us, that we must always keep our own Temples, that is our own beings, truly holy and worthy, just as we also should keep our churches, that had been dedicated to God for sacred worship, holy and worthy of God’s Holy Presence.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, can we therefore ensure that we always strive to uphold the sanctity and holiness of our places and worship, as well as our own beings, our bodies, minds, hearts and souls as well? As we rejoice today in the memory of the Dedication of the Mother Church of all Christendom today, let us all do what is tangible and possible for us, that is to keep ourselves truly holy and worthy of the Lord, by striving to be always obedient to His Law and commandments at all times. May the Lord continue to bless us all and guide us in our respective journeys in life, in all the things we say and do, and in our every interactions all the time. Amen.

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Wednesday, 8 November 2023 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures in which all of us are reminded that we must be always full of the most important of all Christian virtues, that is love. Without love, we cannot really call ourselves as Christians, as to follow the Lord our God, it is imperative that we must always be filled by His love and grace at all times. The fundamental reality and truth is that God is Love, and His love permeates through all of creation, since He has created each one of us by His love, ever enduring since the beginning of time. Therefore, if God has loved us so much, so generously all these while, then we should also be filled with the love for God and also for our fellow brothers and sisters, which is our primary missions in life.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in Rome, in which he exhorted all of the faithful there to be always filled with God’s love and compassion, to have no debt between them except that of the debt of love. This means that as God’s people, Christians should always be filled with God’s love in all things, and they all should be obedient to the Law of God, which in essence is showing all of the people of God how to love, loving both their Lord and God first and foremost, and then loving their fellow brothers and sisters in the same way, and just also as much as they love themselves. This is the most important benchmark and sign of what a Christian should be like, as without love, we cannot be true and genuine Christians.

This is a reminder from St. Paul that Christians must always be filled with love, true and generous love for others, or else, they would not have obeyed the Law of God in its fullness. This is contrasted to the attitudes of many of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, who at the time of the Lord Jesus and His Apostles in the early Church, followed a very strict and rigid interpretation of the Law and forced them upon the people of God, that they must follow the Law according to their interpretation or else they would be unworthy of God. But ironically, in their pursuit and obsession with the Law and all of its tenets and practices, rites and actions, they had failed to follow the Law in its most fundamental nature, that is Love. They obeyed the letter of the Law to perfection, but failed to understand and appreciate its spirit.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Lord teaching His disciples and followers about the matter of following Him and committing themselves to Him, and how following God may require one to make sacrifices, which in this case means that, there may be time when one may need to choose between loving God and loving their brethren, and just as the early history of the Church showed us, many of the saints and martyrs faced challenges from even among their own families and friends, and they had the challenge of remaining faithful to God while still at the same time, being charitable and caring, forgiving and loving towards those who have persecuted and hated them, or made their lives difficult and challenging.

Then the Lord spoke on using a parable in which He compared the actions of people who wanted to build and establish their houses, and a king who would want to go on and wage war with a neighbouring kingdom, and how they ought to prepare in advance whatever plans they might have for themselves, for their houses or for the war that they were planning to wage. This is a reference to our own lives in this world, as each and every one of us have been called and entrusted with unique and distinct gifts, missions and purposes in life by the Lord. We have been taught and shown by the Lord on how we ought to obey His commandments and Law, and as we have just discussed earlier, these Law and commandments are all about Love.

This means that as Christians, all of us must always strive to be loving in all things, in all of our words and actions. We should do our best to put the Lord our God at the forefront and at the centre focus of our whole lives. We should always do what we can in order to walk in the path that the Lord has shown us. This also entails us doing and showing that same love to our fellow brothers and sisters all around us, be it those whom we love and are precious to us, our family and friends, but also even to our acquaintances and strangers. And as mentioned earlier and which the Lord had also told His disciples to do, all of us should continue to show love, mercy and compassion even for those who have hated and persecuted us, just like how the Lord Himself had prayed and died for the sake of even those who persecuted Hin, and how many among the saints and martyrs had done the same as well.

All of us are called to show genuine and true love, even in the smallest things we do, by showing care and concern to everyone around us, and most importantly, we should do it without expecting anything in return. This is the kind of love that we all should have, and not the kind of superficial and transactional love that many of us may have engaged in or practiced in our world so far. We should instead aspire to the kind of love which the Lord has shown us, in His most selfless and pure love that He has shown us despite our stubborn refusal to believe in Him or embrace His love, and despite us still being antagonistic against Him, being unworthy as sinners who are still corrupted by the various vices and evils of this world.

Let us all therefore continue to strive to be good, worthy and loving disciples of the Lord at all times, and let us all be great role models and examples for one another. Let us all no longer be swayed and tempted by the temptations of worldly glory and pleasures, but strive from now on to do God’s will in all things, and to show good examples of our Christian love and actions, so that we may inspire many others all around us to do the same as well in their lives, and so that they may continue to experience God’s love in all things, and therefore may come ever closer to God and His salvation, embracing together with us, the love and mercy of God, ever generously presented and given to us. Let us all strive to get ourselves rid and cleansed of sin, and be truly worthy of God, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 7 November 2023 : 31st 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, all of us are called as Christians to be always ever full of love and compassion towards others, and most importantly, all of us need to be fully attuned to God, and be focused on Him in all opportunities and moments. This means that our whole lives and existence should always be centred on God, and we should always strive to do what God has taught and shown us to do, or otherwise how can we call or consider ourselves as Christians? It is important that we are all truly Christians not just in name or formality only, but that we are all truly Christians in hearts and minds, in all of our whole beings, as God’s beloved children and people, those whom He had called and chosen.

In our first reading today, we heard of the continuation of the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Romans, in which the Apostle reminded the faithful people in Rome that they are all recipients of God’s various gifts and blessings, and of all the opportunities which He has presented to us. God has blessed us with many wonderful things and we should be appreciative of whatever it is that He has granted to us. We must always strive to be faithful to Him and to do what we can do so that we can use those gifts, blessings and opportunities which God has freely given to us. This is because ultimately, we will be judged and held accountable based on what we have been given and what we can do for our fellow brethren and for our communities.

This means that we must not be idle in living our faith and life, and we have to do what we can so that we may impact the lives of other persons around us in a good and faithful way. We should always act in ways that are in accordance to God and His path, and obey His Law and commandments in all things, not just only the letter but also appreciating, understanding and implementing the spirit of the Law. However, this is easier said than done, as many of us tend to do things that are against the Law, or merely doing things of our faith without appreciating their importance and significance for us. Our faith is one that requires us to be truly immersed in the Lord’s teachings and ways, and to follow Him wholeheartedly, and not just paying Him lip service.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard from the story of Lord Jesus Who was teaching His disciples and followers using a parable, in order to tell them how everyone has been called to the banquet of the Lord, to enjoy everything that the Lord has prepared for them, the joy and happiness meant for them from the beginning. However, as we heard in that parable, those who had been invited to the banquet of the master refused to come to the banquet and made excuses as of why they could not come, and refused to do what the master had told them to do. Hence, that was why those people had no place at all in the banquet which had actually been prepared for them. Instead, their places were given to all those gathered from the streets and other places.

This parable represented and symbolised how God had called everyone to His kingdom, welcoming all of them into His presence. God did not exclude anyone, but welcomes all to come to Him. Those who had already had place in the banquet were representing the Israelites, the ones whom God had first called among the nations, to be His disciples and followers. But some among those people refused to obey Him and disregarded His Law and commandments, and the Lord wanted to make a point that everyone, and not just the Jewish people, all of them have the chance to enter into the kingdom of God, provided that they all are willing to embrace the Lord and His path. God has always been kind and loving towards all of us, and He wants all of us to be reunited with Him. But in the end, it is our choice whether we want to embrace His love or not.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all reflect carefully on what we have heard in today’s Scripture passages. Let us all consider carefully what we have been presented with, and let us do what we can so that in our every actions and efforts, we will always put the Lord as the focus and emphasis of our lives, and do our very best at every moments so that we may truly serve Him by following what He has shown and taught us, in our every efforts and good deeds, all the time. As Christians, we should be worthy examples of our faith and beliefs in God, and we should help to lead others towards the Lord, by our own good inspirations and actions that may encourage others to come closer to God and His righteousness.

Let us all therefore first of all give thanks to God for having called and brought us all close to Him. Let us thank Him for having shown us His love and mercy even when we have not deserved them. Let us all be reminded of everything that He has done for us, what He has taught and shown us to do, so that we will draw ever closer to His path, and follow Him ever more courageously, fervently and sincerely in each and every moments of our daily lives. We are all called to be good examples, in all of our words and actions, in our every interactions with one another so that our lives may truly be life-giving and full of love, both for God and for our fellow brethren, all around us. Are we able to do this, brothers and sisters? To do what God has asked and commanded us to do? And not only obeying Him externally and for show only?

May the Lord be with us always, and may He empower each one of us to live ever more worthily in His Presence. May He encourage and strengthen each one of us so that by His guidance, wisdom and providence, all of us may always continue to walk down the path of righteousness and virtue, in obeying His Law and commandments, despite the trials and challenges that we may have to face amidst our journey in life. May God bless our every efforts and good works, and may He guide us all that we will always strive to follow Him and His loving examples, in being good and faithful Christians, as His disciples and followers, and as shining beacons of His light and truth to our darkened world. Amen.

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Monday, 6 November 2023 : 31st 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 of what we, as Christians should do in our lives, in each and every moments and in everything we encounter daily so that we may always be truly faithful in all things and have a genuine faith that is strong and vibrant, full of love for God and for our fellow brothers and sisters, in following the examples that the Lord Himself had set before us. Through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, God has shown us all what it truly means for us to love Him and to love our fellow brethren. Without love, compassion and mercy, none of us can truly be called or considered as Christians, as after all, if we are God’s beloved children and people, how can we act contrary to the ways that He has shown and taught us?

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Romans, in which the Apostle how God has shown all of His people His mercy, love and kindness, which as St. Paul mentioned, many among the Jewish people had rejected, and the same love was offered and shown to the Gentiles, or the non-Jewish people as well. This has to be understood in the context that most Jewish people at the time of the Lord’s ministry and St. Paul considered that only the Jewish people were God’s chosen people and hence were deserving of salvation and grace from God, while the pagans, all the non-Jewish people who did not obey the Law and commandments of God in its entirety, as how the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law enforced them, were unworthy of God.

This could be seen in the Gospels and the other parts of the New Testament, where the attitude among the Jewish people, their prejudices and biases could be seen, in how the Jews would not enter into the house of Romans, Greeks and other Gentiles, most of whom were pagans, as according to their customs, practices and traditions, this would make them unclean and impure. That was why the chief priests and the elders during the time when they arrested and accused the Lord Jesus before Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judea, did not step into the Praetorium, the governor’s house, for that according to them would make them unclean according to the Law and hence they would be unable to partake in the Passover celebrations that was about to happen then.

But they have forgotten that external purity and appearances do not equate true purity and cleanliness, as the Lord pointed out that while the Pharisees focused on the externals and appearances, and thought that they knew better about God and His ways, their hearts and minds were still closed off to Him, and they did not let Him to enter their hearts, as they were too full of themselves, their prejudices and pride, which closed themselves off from the grace and love of God, His wisdom and truth. Instead, they chose to trust in their own power and intellect, and hardened their hearts against Him. This was why they remained away and far from the salvation which God has offered His people freely, and how those the same Pharisees had condemned and treated as unworthy, like prostitutes and tax collectors, were ahead of them on the way to God.

The truth and reality is that God loves everyone equally, and what He wants from all of us is not just obedience for formality and appearances only, but for us all to have true love and commitment towards Him, from the depth of our hearts. He does not want us to have a faith that is merely superficial, and like in the case of many among the Pharisees, a faith that is used to advance their own ambitions, pride and greed, which is not something that they should have done, and which the Lord rightfully criticised them for, as not only that they had not done what they had been entrusted to do, in caring for the well-being of the people of God, especially in spiritual matters, but they had also prevented many from coming closer towards God because of their heavy-handed imposition of an extremely strict version of the Law of God, as well as their treatment of those whom they should have reached out to, in showing them the love of God.

This is what is echoed in our Gospel passage today, as the Lord told His disciples, followers and all those who listened to Him, that each and every one of them as His followers ought to show love, care and concern for everyone, and not just to those who are dear to us, or those who can bring us the most benefits. We must always show God’s love to all, including even to those who might have hurt us, or been uncharitable to us. The Lord Himself has taught us this, and the show of that ultimate love is when He has chosen willingly to suffer, to take up His Cross and all the burdens of the punishments due for our sins, and then to die for our sake, when we are all still sinners, unworthy and wicked, so that, by loving us this way and showing us the perfect love of God, He might indeed bring us all closer to Him, and to help us to be reconciled completely with the Lord, our God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore today commit ourselves anew to the Lord, reminding ourselves of whatever it is we have just discussed and reflected upon. We should allow the Lord to show us how we can be truly faithful and committed to Him in all things. We must allow the Lord to lead us in the path of virtue, and in the path of compassion and love, which is what He has shown us, and which He has called us to walk through. We must be always ever vigilant that we do not allow the temptations of our human pride, worldly desires and pleasures to distract us from God and His grace, His path and commandments. We must resist the temptations to sin against God, and learn from Him humbly how we can indeed be good and faithful Christians in all things.

May the Lord continue to bless each and every one of us that we may always grow ever stronger in faith in God, and be ever more loving, both towards Him and to our fellow brothers and sisters, just as He Himself has loved us all so wonderfully all these while. Let us all entrust ourselves to the Lord and let us all allow Him to guide us in the path of His love and grace. May all of us draw ever closer to Him, and be ever filled with His light and truth, His love and compassion at all times, that our lives may truly shine with perfect examples of our faith, focused on God and glorifying Him, and not upon ourselves. May God bless each and every one of us, in our every good efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 5 November 2023 : Thirty-First Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday all of us are all called to be truly faithful to the Lord, and to be wholly committed to Him in all the things we do in our lives. We must not allow ourselves to be swayed by the many temptations all around the world, which may lead us down the wrong path towards sin and our downfall. We must always be firm in our commitment and dedication to God, and we must always remember that everything we say and do, and all of our works, all of them should be done for the glory of God, with the focus and centre on the Lord, rather than for our own glory and achievements, ambitions and desires. These are what we are reminded as Christians, that we know how to live our lives worthily of the Lord.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Malachi, the words of the Lord warning His people, and in particular His priests, those from the tribe of Levi who had been appointed to be the priests over the people of God. The prophet Malachi was one of the last prophets of the Lord to come before the advent of the Messiah, and he gave this warning in relation to the sinful and wicked actions that the people of God had done in the previous moments, in their numerous rebellions and disobedience against Him, in all the wickedness that they had committed throughout their lives. God has always been patient in helping and guiding them all so that they might find their way back to Him, and once again be filled with His grace and love.

The priests mentioned by the Lord in that passage today, had been responsible for the spiritual well-being of the people and becoming the intermediary between the Lord and His beloved ones. The priests, who were chosen and appointed from among the tribe of the Levites, were supposed to be the ones to offer on behalf of the people, the offerings and sacrifices meant for the absolution and forgiveness of their sins. However, as it had frequently happened before, such as if we read in the other parts of the Old Testament, like in the Book of the prophet Samuel, the sons of Eli the High Priest, named Hophni and Phinehas, who belonged to the Levites, were corrupt in their practices, wicked and abused their positions for their own benefits.

They did not obey the Lord and they took from the fattest and best portion of the meat and the offerings presented to them, even though the Law stated that those had to be offered to God and reserved for Him. But those two sons of Eli instead appropriated those for themselves, and in other instances of wickedness and sinful deeds, they did whatever the corrupt priests had done throughout time, while theirs were the ones most well-documented in the Scriptures. And in this case, the Lord’s warning and action against those wicked priests came true, as those who were wicked faced their just fate, like the sons of Eli who were slain in battle against the Philistines, and the Ark of the Covenant that they brought to the battle with them were seized by the Philistines.

Similar fates faced those other people of God, their kings and nobles, and also the priests and the common folks, who had not obeyed the Lord and His commandments and Law, and instead preferring to follow the wicked ways of the world, and all the corruptions of sin. Many among the people and their wicked kings have chosen to abandon God and worship the pagan gods and false idols instead, and lived in the state of sin, which caused many to fall further and deeper into the wrong paths. They also persecuted the prophets and messengers that God had sent to them in order to help and remind them to return to the path of righteousness. In the end, they faced the just consequences of their wickedness and sins, as they were crushed, defeated and had their country and cities destroyed, by the Assyrians and the Babylonians.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard something that is rather similar, as the Lord Jesus criticised the actions of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law in their refusal to obey the Lord and His Law in the right way. They chose to follow their own interpretation and understanding of the Law, which was flawed, and they focused so much on external appearances and pious expressions, that they forgot what it truly meant to be obedient to God, to His Law and commandments. They spent their time and effort to make themselves look good and pious before the others, and they became enamoured by their own vanity and pride, which resulted in them doing things and works not for the greater glory of God, but rather for their own fame and glory.

This was why the Lord criticised them much, as they misled the people of God into the wrong path by their lack of appreciation and understanding of the true nature of God’s Law and commandments. They paraded their piety and actions, proudly thinking that they were league ahead of others around them, in being better and more worthy, more righteous and religious than others. But they deluded themselves because this attitude made them haughty, ambitious and proud, and forgot that they themselves were sinners, imperfect and in need for God’s mercy and healing as well. They had not just acted unjustly towards others, but they had also neglected their responsibilities and duties in showing the path towards God to those who have been entrusted under their care. Not only that, but they had also closed off the path towards God’s grace and salvation by their attitude, in ostracising and being prejudiced against those whom they deemed to be less than worthy.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this is why as Christians, all of us should always strive to be exemplary in our actions and way of life, and most importantly, place the Lord ever always at the centre of our lives and existence. We must not allow the temptations and allures of worldly glory and pleasures to distract us from our calling to serve the Lord in all things and to be full of our faith and obedience to God’s Law and precepts. As we have discussed and talked about earlier on, those priests, elders and the Pharisees who had not obeyed the Lord wholeheartedly, and allowed themselves instead to be misled and swayed by worldly temptations, ambitions and pleasures, which brought them deeper and deeper into the path of wickedness and sin, by which they will be judged against, and found wanting. This is why, all of us, in our own respective areas of life, we must always strive to overcome the temptations and the pressures of worldly desires that may tempt us to follow the path of sin and evil.

In our second reading today, St. Paul in his Epistle to the Church and the faithful in the city of Thessalonica, the Thessalonians, wrote about how the Apostles and the missionaries of the faith cared for them all and shown them the true nature of the Christian faith, that is full of love and compassion, care and attention to others. He spoke to them of the hard work and efforts that they had done for the sake of God’s people, and all of those in the end showed us that true nature of our Christian faith is one of dedication to God, as well as our commitment to love one another just as much as we have loved God and ourselves. We must not put our selfish desires and wants above that of our love for others, and we must not let our personal ambitions and selfish attitudes to prevent us from reaching out to the Lord, our God and Saviour.

Instead, as we continue to labour and walk through this life that we have been blessed and given opportunities in, all of us should continue to resist the corruptions of sin, and the temptations to do things for our own personal benefits at the cost of others around us, who may suffer because of our selfishness, greed and ambitions. Otherwise, as the Scriptures had already clearly shown us, and the Lord’s own words to add on to that, those who are wicked shall be held accountable for their actions, and the greater our position of responsibilities are, the more heavily this burden shall be on our shoulders, as the Lord will judge every single deeds we have done, and what we have also failed to do in our lives, even when we have been given the opportunities to do so. We should not forget that in our every moments in life, we should always be exemplary in faith, and we must always show our Christian faith in our actions at every step of our lives.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us hence strive to put God above all other things in our lives, and commit ourselves anew with faith to whatever that He has commanded and told us to do. Each and every one of us have been entrusted with the particular missions to contribute to the works of the Church, in various different parts and areas of the world. We do not have to do great things in life in order to do this. Rather, what matters is for us to do what we can in the small things we do each day and at every moments, in our various areas of responsibilities, so that we may indeed be good role models and inspirations for one another, in everything that we say and do, and we may be the shining examples of Christian virtues and love to all the people, that more and more may come to believe in God through us.

May the Lord be with us all and may He empower each one of us so that we may indeed be strengthened and inspired to live our lives ever more worthily as Christians, in each and every occasions throughout our lives, that we may come ever closer to righteousness and grace of God. May God bless us and our good efforts, now and always. Amen.