Quadragesima

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Friday, 15 March 2024 : 4th Week of Lent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Wisdom 2 : 1a, 12-22

Led by mistaken reasons they think, “Let us set a trap for the Righteous, for He annoys us and opposes our way of life; He reproaches us for our breaches of the Law and accuses us of being false to our upbringing. He claims knowledge of God and calls Himself Son of the Lord. He has become a reproach to our way of thinking; even to meet Him is burdensome to us. He does not live like others and behaves strangely.”

“According to Him we have low standards, so He keeps aloof from us as if we were unclean. He emphasises the happy end of the righteous and boasts of having God as Father. Let us see the truth of what He says and find out what His end will be. If the Righteous is a Son of God, God will defend Him and deliver Him from His adversaries.”

“Let us humble and torture Him to prove His self-control and test His patience. When we have condemned Him to a shameful death, we may test His words.” This is the way they reason, but they are mistaken, blinded by their malice. They do not know the mysteries of God nor do they hope for the reward of a holy life; they do not believe that the blameless will be recompensed.

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Thursday, 14 March 2024 : 4th Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that we must all be truly faithful and committed to God, in following and obeying His Law and commandments, and not just merely paying lip service to the Lord. We must always be truly genuine in what we believe in, in all of our every words, actions and deeds, or otherwise we are no better than hypocrites and unbelievers who do not truly have faith in them. We have heard from the Scriptures and from past examples of our history how many people, our predecessors have disobeyed the Lord, refused to obey and follow His Law and commandments, and consequently fell into the path of sin, wickedness and evil. If our lives are not strongly anchored and rooted in Christ, then it will be very easy for us to fall deeper and deeper into the darkness of sin.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Exodus in which the story of the disgraceful moment when the Israelites, the people of God rebelled against God was told to us. At that moment, which was just very recently after the Israelites themselves had been led out of the land of Egypt by God Himself, from their slavery at the hands of the Egyptians and their Pharaoh, they had quickly turned away from the path of the Lord, abandoning Him for a false god and idol, making a fool of themselves and a mockery of their faith in God. They made for themselves an idol from molten gold, crafted ironically in the image of the gods of the Egyptians, a calf like that of a popular Egyptian deity, calling that idol the God Who had saved them from the land of Egypt, when it was the Lord Who had done so, and had been with them throughout the journey.

At that time, as we all should already well know, the Lord was giving to His people His Law and commandments, which He passed down to them through Moses, His servant and leader of the Israelites. Moses went up the mountain of God, Mount Sinai, after God had established His Covenant anew with His people, renewing the Covenant that He had made with their ancestors. God gave His Law and commandments, the rules and all matters that can help the people to remain firmly attached to the path of righteousness, only for those same people to quickly lose faith in Him, and thinking that Moses was already dead. Despite having witnessed God’s power and all the things He had done for them, in so many occasions, but they still failed to trust Him and did not truly have faith in Him. They hardened their hearts and minds against God, and rebelled against Him.

This is a reminder for all of us that each and every one of us must not merely be superficial in our faith in God. Unless we develop the genuine relationship and connection with God, deepening our trust and faith in Him, then there will be no way and path forward for all of us in our journey towards God and our salvation in Him. Moses had faith not only in God but also in all the people whom he cared and loved for, despite their stubbornness and wickedness, and interceded for them, pleading on their behalf before God, when God wanted to wipe them all out and destroy them for their wickedness, disobedience and unfaithfulness. But God also revealed that despite the anger He had towards the sins and wickedness which those people had committed against Him, He still loved them all nonetheless, and wanted them to return to Him with repentant and contrite hearts.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the same kind of stubbornness and wicked attitudes that the people of God had exhibited as they all refused to believe in the Lord Jesus, in everything that God had done for them through His Son, Who is Our Lord and Saviour. The Lord had brought to them His truth, His Law and commandments personified in Him, the very essence of the Law and the Word of God manifested to us in the flesh, and He has performed many wonders and miracles, fulfilling the many prophecies and predictions that the prophets and messengers of God in the past had all spoken about. Yet, it was those very people who were supposed to be most knowledgeable and understanding of the Law and commandments of God, the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who were the most stubborn in opposing God’s Saviour.

Why was that so? That was because they were prideful and arrogant, thinking that they were better than anyone else, that their way of observing the Law, their intellect and understanding of those laws and rules of the Lord could not be wrong, mistaken or superseded by the truth of God. That was why they hardened their hearts and minds against God, persecuting Him and rejecting His Saviour, doubting Him and making it difficult for Him to carry out His works and ministry among the people of God, saying that He had been acting and going against the Law when it was actually their stubbornness which made them to be unable to see the truth and accept that. It is why the Lord told them off very clearly that it would be Moses himself and the Law that would judge them, for their lack of understanding and appreciation of God’s Law and His true intentions.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we continue to live our lives well throughout this time and season of Lent, let us all continue to spend good and quality time to deepen our relationship with God. We have been given the time and opportunity to fix our mistakes and faults, and to reflect upon the wickedness and sins we have committed in our lives thus far. God has always been kind, merciful and compassionate, and He has always ever patiently reached out to us, showing His willingness to be reconciled with us, to forgive us all our sins and mistakes, and to lead us all patiently and lovingly to His Presence once again. Now, the question is, are we all willing to embrace His mercy, compassion and love? Are we willing to commit ourselves to the path of forgiveness and grace, and enduring the sufferings and challenges that we may have to encounter in this journey?

May the Lord our loving God and Master continue to love and guide us all in our journey in life, and may He empower each and every one of us in our path, so that we may continue to remain faithful to the calling, mission and vocations which He has entrusted to us. May God be with us all and may He bless us all with His guidance and strength, and bless our every good efforts, deeds and works, in all circumstances and things, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 14 March 2024 : 4th Week of Lent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

John 5 : 31-47

At that time, Jesus said to the Jews, “If I bore witness to Myself, My testimony would be worthless. But Another One is bearing witness to Me, and I know that His testimony is true when He bears witness to Me. John also bore witness to the truth when you sent messengers to him, but I do not seek such human testimony; I recall this for you, so that you may be saved.”

“John was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were willing to enjoy his light. But I have greater evidence than that of John – the works which the Father entrusted to Me to carry out. The very works I do bear witness : The Father has sent Me. Thus He Who bears witness to Me is the Father Who sent Me. You have never heard His voice and have never seen His likeness; therefore, as long as you do not believe His messenger, His word is not in you.”

“You search in the Scriptures, thinking that in them you will find life; yet Scripture bears witness to Me. But you refuse to come to Me, that you may live. I am not seeking human praise; but I have known that love of God is not within you, for I have come in My Father’s Name and you do not accept Me. If another comes in his own name, you will accept him. As long as you seek praise from one another, instead of seeking the glory which comes from the only God, how can you believe?”

“Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father. Moses himself, in whom you placed your hope, accuses you. If you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote of Me. But if you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?”

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Thursday, 14 March 2024 : 4th Week of Lent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 105 : 19-20, 21-22, 23

They made a calf at Horeb and worshipped the molten image. They exchanged the glory of God for the image of a bull that eats grass.

They forgot their Saviour God, Who had done great things in Egypt, wonderful works in the land of Ham, and awesome deeds by the Sea of Reeds.

So He spoke of destroying them, but Moses, His chosen one, stood in the breach before Him to shield them from destruction.

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Thursday, 14 March 2024 : 4th Week of Lent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Exodus 32 : 7-14

Then YHVH said to Moses, “Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have quickly turned from the way I commanded them and have made for themselves a molten calf; they have bowed down before it and sacrificed to it and said : ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you out of Egypt.'”

And YHVH said to Moses, “I see that these people are a stiff-necked people. Now just leave Me that My anger may blaze against them. I will destroy them, but of you I will make a great nation.” But Moses calmed the anger of YHVH, his God, and said, “Why, o YHVH, should Your anger burst against Your people whom You brought out of the land of Egypt with such great power and with a mighty hand?”

“Let not the Egyptians say : ‘YHVH brought them out with evil intent, for He wanted to kill them in the mountains and wipe them from the face of the earth.’ Turn away from the heat of Your anger and do not bring disaster on Your people. Remember Your servants, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the promise You Yourself swore : I will multiply Your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land I spoke about I will give to them as an everlasting inheritance.”

YHVH then changed His mind and would not yet harm His people.

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Wednesday, 13 March 2024 : 4th Week of Lent, Eleventh Anniversary of the Pontificate of Pope Francis (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we are all reminded through the readings of the Sacred Scriptures, we are presented with the important reminders of God’s salvation to all of us mankind, as He reached out to us with love, showing us all His compassion and mercy, the desire to forgive us all our many sins and wickedness, and His efforts in calling us all out of the darkness so that we may turn away from this path of evil and sin, embracing His ever generous mercy, compassion and love. During this time and season of Lent that we are currently progressing through, we should put a good and conscious effort to draw ever closer to God, renewing our commitment to follow Him and in doing our best to live out our lives ever more worthily in His path.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, we heard of the words of the Lord reassuring His people, the people of Israel, of the love and kindness, the mercy and compassion which He has always had for them, and which He will continue to show, despite their sins and rebelliousness, their refusal to obey His Law and commandments. God has always been patient in caring for those people He loved, and He has always reached out to them, sending unto them His prophets and messengers, reminding them to turn away from the path of sin, evil and wickedness, and calling upon all of them to embrace once again the fullness of His love and grace. The Lord has always loved all of us, and despite our fallen state and corruption by sin, He loves us all equally and if not even greater.

At that time, the people of Israel had been long rebellious and disobedient against God, and they had long chosen to follow the path of evil and sin. They have ignored the messages of the Lord, His reminders and calls which He had made to them through those same prophets and messengers. They rebelled against Him, chose to put their lot and side with the pagan gods and idols of their neighbours and enemies instead. They took for granted all the love, kindness and compassion which God has given to each and every one of them, all the generous blessings that they have received. God despised their sins and wickedness, but that cannot erase the fact that He still loved them all regardless. His love for us endured and is far greater than the power of our sins and wickedness.

Why is that so, brothers and sisters in Christ? That is because God created us all out of love, and He wanted to love us all, and sharing that love with us, and He still loves us so even after we have betrayed and abandoned Him, preferring to listen to and believe in the evil ones rather than to believe in and trust in Him. God does not want us all to be separated from Him, and His love endured through all time. If He had hated us personally, He could have erased us from existence easily by the mere will of His thought alone, as easily as He had created us, and yet, He did not do that, because He saw in us, the ability and the potential to seek forgiveness and to attain full reconciliation in Him.

That is why, He gave us all the opportunities, help, guidance and the many other means through which He hoped that many of us will come to see reason and His truth, and be called to enter once again into His grace and love, and to walk and journey towards His salvation. He has opened wide the doors of Heaven, His path of mercy to us, so that through His most wonderful love and mercy, He would continue to bring us ever closer to Him, and cleanse from us our corruptions and wickedness, that hopefully one day, upon the time of reckoning, we may all be found worthy and just, and can enter into the everlasting kingdom of true happiness and joy with Him, which we shall enjoy forever.

In our Gospel passage today, we continue to be reminded of this through the words of the Lord Himself, Who affirmed His status to His disciples, the truth about Himself as the Son of God, Who has been sent into this world to come into our midst, to dwell amongst us, and to gather each and every one of us so that through Him all of us may be saved and be reunited wholly with God. The Lord highlighted to the people how He as the Son had to obey the Father’s will, in doing everything that He had been entrusted to do. He had done everything so that He can be the perfect example of faith and obedience for all of us, as the role model for us to follow in how we live our own lives with faith.

In that same occasion, the Lord also made it clear to everyone that the time is coming when the moment of reckoning will come for everyone, be it living or dead, for them to render an account of their lives before the great Judge, the Lord Himself, the One Who will mark if a person is either worthy or unworthy of eternity in Heaven, at the Last and Final Judgment. This reminder is also important for us because of the consequences that our sins and wickedness, all those corruptions and evils can do to us, if we let them to continue ruining our lives and refusing to accept God’s forgiveness and mercy right up to the very last moments. We must not be ignorant of this same reminder and call that the Lord has given us all, firstly through the prophets and messengers, and finally through His own Son.

We must remember that ultimately, while God has always been full of love, mercy and compassion upon us, and while He has always readily extended His love and care for us, calling us ever more to follow Him and to come to His embrace, but we must not take all these for granted, as it is by our own stubbornness and foolish rejection of God’s generous love and compassion that many among us and our predecessors have ended up in Hell and eternal damnation. It is by our own conscious choice in choosing sin over God, evil over righteousness that we have ended up in the fallen state and damnation. We must remember this so that we will not continue to walk down this wrong path. We should also make use of this time and opportunity given to us to deepen our relationship with God and to help others to come closer to God as well.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore seek the Lord with renewed faith and contrite hearts, making best use of the opportunities that He has provided to us, especially during this time and season of Lent, so that we may be able to find our way back towards Him. May God continue to love us and help us in our journey of faith back to Him, lead and guide us ever always in the right path, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Wednesday, 13 March 2024 : 4th Week of Lent, Eleventh Anniversary of the Pontificate of Pope Francis (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

John 5 : 17-30

At that time, Jesus replied to the Jews, “My Father goes on working and so do I.” And the Jews tried all the harder to kill Him, for Jesus not only broke the Sabbath observance, but also made Himself equal with God, calling God His own Father.

Jesus said to them, “Truly, I assure you, the Son cannot do anything by Himself, but only what He sees the Father do. And whatever He does, the Son also does. The Father loves the Son and shows Him everything He does; and He will show Him even greater things than these, so that you will be amazed.”

“As the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son gives life to whom He wills. In the same way the Father judges no one, for He has entrusted all judgment to the Son, and He wants all to honour the Son as they honour the Father. Whoever ignores the Son, ignores as well the Father Who sent Him.”

“Truly, I say to you, anyone who hears My word and believes Him Who sent Me, has eternal life; and there is no judgment for him, because he has passed from death to life. Truly, the hour is coming and has indeed come, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and, on hearing it, will live. For the Father has life in Himself, and He has given to the Son also to have life in Himself. And He has empowered Him as well to carry out Judgment, for He is Son of Man.”

“Do not be surprised at this : the hour is coming when all those lying in tombs will hear My voice and come out; those who have done good shall rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. I can do nothing of Myself, and I need to hear Another One to judge; and My judgment is just, because I seek not My own will, but the will of Him Who sent Me.”

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Wednesday, 13 March 2024 : 4th Week of Lent, Eleventh Anniversary of the Pontificate of Pope Francis (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 144 : 8-9, 13cd-14, 17-18

Compassionate and gracious is the Lord, slow to anger and abounding in love. The Lord is good to everyone; His mercy embraces all His creation.

The Lord is true to His promises and lets His mercy show in all He does. The Lord lifts up those who are falling and raises those who are beaten down.

Righteous is the Lord in all His ways, His mercy shows in all His deeds. He is near those who call on Him, who call trustfully upon His Name.

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Wednesday, 13 March 2024 : 4th Week of Lent, Eleventh Anniversary of the Pontificate of Pope Francis (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Isaiah 49 : 8-15

This is what YHVH says : “At a favourable time I have answered you, on the day of salvation I have been your help; I have formed you and made you to be My covenant with the people. You will restore the land, and allot its abandoned farms. You will say to the captives : Come out; and to those in darkness : Show yourselves.”

“They will feed along the road; they will find pasture on barren hills. They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the scorching wind or the sun beat upon them; for He Who has mercy on them will guide them and lead them to springs of water. I will turn all My mountains into roads and raise up My highways. See, they come from afar, some from the north and west, others from the land of Sinim.”

Sing, o heavens and rejoice, o earth; break forth into song, o mountains : for YHVH has comforted His people and taken pity on those who are afflicted. But Zion said : “YHVH has forsaken me, my Lord has forgotten me.” Can a woman forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child of her womb? Yet though she forget, I will never forget you.

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Tuesday, 12 March 2024 : 4th Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, in what we have heard in our Scripture readings today, we are all reminded of God’s ever present love, compassion and mercy towards each and every one of us. God has called us all to holiness and to leave behind our many wickedness and sins, so that we may be reconciled with Him, just as He has always been so generous in loving us and extending His mercy and compassion towards us. What matters it therefore for us to embrace God’s love and mercy, which He has extended to us through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. God has given us all His Son as a clear sign and perfect example of His love for us, and through this perfect Love He has manifested for us, He has gathered us all to Himself.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Ezekiel, in which the famous vision of Ezekiel of Heaven and its Temple was highlighted to us. In that vision, the prophet Ezekiel saw God’s Heavenly Temple in all of its glory, seeing the Son of Man bringing him around the place and measuring its dimensions. He witnessed the Holy Presence of God residing in that Temple and how a great stream came forth from the House of God to give life to whichever places and sites that it touched. The great river of life coming out from the Temple of God, that gave life to all things and purified the foul-smelling water, is a representation of Christ, Whose Body is the Church of God, and through His actions, His suffering and death, salvation came to all of us, through the gift of Baptism, that all of us may enter into a new life and existence in God.

This Lenten season, all of us are reminded to reflect more on our lives and actions, and consider carefully our path forward so that we may better know how we can progress in our lives to come ever closer to God. As we draw now ever closer to the beginning of the Holy Week, we are constantly and progressively being reminded more and more of everything that God had done for us, for the sake of our salvation and liberation. God has given us the means to new life and freedom from the tyranny of sin and evil, by sending down His Son, to lead us all through the darkness and guide us into the Light of His salvation, like how He led the Israelites through the Red Sea in the past, out of the land of their slavery in Egypt and into freedom, to the land promised to them. Thus, God has also led us all into our intended destination, that is eternal life with Him.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the miraculous healing done by the Lord Jesus on a paralysed man who had been lying in wait for a long time at the Pool of Bethzatha, as no one was willing to help him to reach the water of the pool when the Angel of God came to touch it, which according to tradition brought healing to whoever that managed to touch the water first. The Lord Jesus saw that poor man lying down by the poolside, and showed His love and compassion, healing the man from his condition and restoring him to good health. In a parallel to the story of the vision of Ezekiel from the Old Testament, we heard of God’s healing that had come upon the one who had faith in Him, believing in His love and mercy. While no one helped the man for a whole period of thirty-eight years, the fact that he remained there must also be caused by his unwavering faith and trust in the Lord.

This brought us to remember that as Christians, that is God’s beloved people, we must always have faith in the Lord, believing that God is with us, guiding us and journeying with us. He never leaves us alone, and He has always been by our side, providing for us and giving us the necessary strength and encouragement to follow Him with faith. While sufferings, challenges and difficulties may indeed come in our path, disturbing and making our way towards God difficult, but we must not lose heart, as the Lord Himself has reassured us of His continued guidance, help and presence in our midst. We have nothing to fear and we should continue to put our trust in God, regardless of the many challenges, trials and hardships that we may have to face in our lives.

All of us should come towards the Lord, seeking His help, kindness, guidance and help. Through His strength and providence, God will help us to remain firmly committed to His path, and strengthen us so that we may be strong in our endurance and persistence despite the many challenges present all around us. Despite the difficulties and trials we may have to face, but if we truly believe in the Lord and walk in His path, in the end, He will reward us all for our commitment and willingness to stay with Him and in living our lives worthily as Christians, in being good and worthy examples for our fellow brothers and sisters, for everyone all around us. Through our good actions and deeds, we should be the light and beacon for others to follow, to guide them on the path back towards God.

In this season and time of Lent, we should be more attuned with ourselves and with God. In this world where we often faced a lot of temptations, distractions and challenges, we should always keep in mind that God’s love for us and His Presence in our midst can help and strengthen us to face all those difficulties and challenges which we cannot resolve on our own alone. This is why we must keep our focus, attention and emphasis on following the Lord, in centering ourselves on Him. We should continue to be good role models and inspirations for our fellow brothers and sisters, to everyone whom we encounter in each and every moments of our lives. It is by our faithful Lenten actions and observances that we can be better disciples and followers of Christ.

May the Lord continue to guide and bless us in this journey of faith through life, and may He empower each and every one of us so that hopefully through our dedicated and faithful Lenten observances, by deepening ourselves in a life of prayer, in our fasting and abstinence to control our worldly desires and all the temptations in life, and by our ever more generous almsgiving, may all of us continue to draw ever closer to God and to His truth. May He bless our every good efforts, works and endeavours, and strengthen us in all things, now and forevermore. Amen.