Reflection of the Bible

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Saturday, 19 June 2021 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Philip Minh, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, the words of the Lord which reminded us of the need for us to trust in the Lord and to put our faith in Him, and not to worry about too many things, and not to be tempted by worldly temptations and desires, by all sorts of things that we are often tempted with, that we ended up losing our way and fall into the trap of sin.

In our first reading today, we heard the words of St. Paul in his Epistle to the Church and the faithful in the city of Corinth, in which the Apostle spoke about his own experiences in ministering to the faithful and in proclaiming the truth of God and His Good News to the people, in how he encountered wonderful things and visions, signs and omens throughout his ministry, and that if he needed to boast, then he ought to boast of all the wonders that he had seen and witnessed, and not of himself.

And St. Paul also reminded the faithful that they should not allow themselves to be swayed by their pride and their ambitions, their desires and other considerations, lest they fall into sin. He reminded the faithful that the flesh is weak, and is always full of temptations by Satan, which he mentioned in our first reading passage today as a thorn in his flesh, which St. Paul instead used as a reminder for himself not to be swayed by worldly desires and temptations.

Then in our Gospel passage today, we heard the Lord speaking to His disciples first of all that they ought to make a stand and choose firmly between serving and following God or that of money, and they cannot serve both God and money, for sooner or later they will love one more than the other and despise the other one. He also reminded them all not to worry about their lives, or of any other worldly concerns and desires, for the Lord shall provide all that they need.

This is addressed to all of us, His beloved ones, who have often strayed from His path because we are too distracted by our personal ambitions and desires, our various preoccupations and all the temptations of worldly pleasures and achievements surrounding us. All these are serious obstacles that can prevent us from reaching the Lord and His salvation, and will cause us to end up falling deeper and further into the path of sin.

That is why, all of us today are called to reflect on our lives and our attitudes towards our faith, and whether we have been faithful to the Lord and trust Him with our lives and existence, or whether we have instead depended on our own strength and worldly means so far in life? We should not allow ourselves be deluded by the lies and deceptions of the devil who want to mislead us down the path of indulgence in our desires and all the concerns we have, in worldly things and matters.

Remember, brothers and sisters in Christ, we are all called to turn towards the Lord wholeheartedly, and we should focus ourselves on Him and not on the false treasures and false leads we have in life. We should learn to resist the many temptations present all around us that we do not end up walking down the wrong path. And today therefore, we should look upon the examples of St. Philip Minh and his companions in martyrdom, the saints whose memories we venerate and celebrate today.

St. Philip Minh is one of the many martyrs of the faith in Vietnam, who went through the period of harsh persecution from the state and the government, as the Vietnamese state at that time were highly suspicious of the Christian faith and its missionaries, and all those who were suspected and found to be Christians had to endure great difficulties and trials, as they were tortured and treated with worst sufferings to induce them to give up their faith.

Despite all these, St. Philip Minh and his fellow companions in martyrdom did not give up their faith and remained faithful to the end. They chose to remain true to their faith despite the sufferings that they had to face. They would rather remain firm in their belief in God rather than to give it up for the false assurances of worldly pleasures and satisfaction, one that does not last. They chose instead the promise and assurance of eternal glory and true joy with God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, are we all willing to follow the examples of those holy saints and martyrs, our holy predecessors, in how they lived their lives, so that we too may be exemplary in our own way of life and that we may become inspiration to our fellow brethren? Let us all help one another to grow ever closer to God and to learn to trust Him more and more, dedicating ourselves to Him wholeheartedly, from now on. May the Lord be with us all and may He strengthen each and every one of us in faith, always. Amen.

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Friday, 18 June 2021 : 11th 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 Scripture, we are all called to remind ourselves just how much we ought to treasure this faith we have received, the truth that we have been granted with, and all that we have been blessed by God, all these while. We have been so fortunate to be blessed in such a way, and yet many of us are still unaware of this fact, and many of us are ignorant, and instead, we take it all for granted.

In our first reading today, we heard the words of St. Paul in his Epistle to the Church and the faithful in the city of Corinth, speaking about his experiences and all that he had gone through in order to proclaim the truth of God, all of his labours for the greater glory of God among other things. He shared all the trials, difficulties and challenges that he had to suffer as he went around the Mediterranean, going from places to places preaching the word of God and spreading the truth of His salvation.

He endured all the ridicule, sufferings and torment, all these because he truly loved God and knew that in the Lord alone true joy and hope can come from. St. Paul himself was a famous young Pharisee, who since his youth had firmly believed in the ways of the Pharisees up to the moment of his conversion. As Saul, the young Pharisee, he could have been famous and powerful, influential and respected, as a prospective member of the Sanhedrin no less. And yet, he abandoned all that as he listened to the Lord’s call and walked in His path instead.

This is related to what we have then heard from our Gospel passage today, as we heard the Lord speaking to His disciples with regards to the matter of the treasures that one should seek in life. The Lord told all of them not to seek the treasures of the earth, all the things that can be destroyed by earthly means, by fire and moth and others, and which is not permanent and not the true treasures and joy that we should be seeking for. He told them to seek instead the true treasure that can be found in the Lord alone, and as such, all of those who believe in Him should strive to seek this true treasure of faith.

St. Paul abandoned the false treasures of worldly pride and desires, of worldly fame and glory, of human ambition and greed, which had often misled so many men throughout history, including many of the members of the Pharisees who were swayed by their desire of worldly power and influence, and ended up opposing the Lord and His good works. St. Paul made a conscious and firm decision, entrusting himself in the Lord’s providence and care, and hence, became one of His most ardent and faithful defenders, His champion in the face of the world’s opposition.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, now that we have heard all of these, each and every one of us have been called to reflect on our own way of life. Have we really been truly faithful to the Lord and have we truly entrusted ourselves to Him? Or have we instead allowed the temptations of worldly concerns and desires to dissuade us, distract us and prevent us from reaching the Lord and His salvation? The Lord has called us to follow Him, and yet, there are many obstacles in our journey towards Him, and by remembering what He and His disciple, St. Paul had said, we ought to keep in mind that we should always focus ourselves on the Lord and not be easily dissuaded by those temptations.

Let us all not be easily swayed by our desires or misled by our pride and ambitions, and we should also deepen our relationship with God, that we may be Christians who are truly in communion and united with God, and not just merely Christians in name or formality only. We should answer the Lord’s call with commitment and faith, as St. Paul and the other Apostles once did, and as so many other holy men and women, our holy saints and martyrs who had gone before us, had also done. They all had shown us the way forward as faithful Christians, as those whom God had called and chosen.

Are we all able and willing to follow the Lord wholeheartedly, brothers and sisters in Christ? Let us respond to His call with faith, and let us all seek Him with all of our might, that in all things, we may prioritise Him and seek in Him the true joy, the true treasure of our lives, and not be easily swayed or distracted by the false treasures of worldly temptations and pleasures, the temptations and lies of the devil, among many others. May the Lord be with us always, and may He strengthen each and every one of us in faith. Amen.

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Thursday, 17 June 2021 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Scripture we are reminded of the need for all of us as Christians to be vigilant against the attempts by the devil and all those who oppose the Lord, in trying to subvert us and turn us away from Him through lies and deception. We have to remain faithful to the Lord and focus on Him, and the best way for us to do this is to deepen our relationship with God through prayer, as we heard in our Scripture passages today.

In our first reading today, we heard St. Paul the Apostle in his Epistle to the Church and the faithful in the city of Corinth, reminding all of them to be focused on the truth of God and not to give in to the efforts of those who tried to bring about our downfall through falsehoods and heretical teachings, by which even that early in the history of the Church, the Church and the faithful had been badly affected by the false prophets and teachers who claimed to know the truth and yet spread false teachings and ideas against the true faith.

When St. Paul mentioned that he has the jealousy of God seeing the faithful agreeing and following the teachings of the false preachers and heretics, and ranted on regarding how while he was perhaps not as good as the other Apostles, but he still laboured among them, preached the faith in their midst and others that he had done. And he said all these because he was indeed frustrated at how easy the people had been swayed by the false truth, and how, despite all that the Lord had done for their sake, they readily abandoned Him for the falsehood of the devil.

This is because mankind is often too easily swayed by the temptations of their desires, their ambitions and pride, which often became obstacle in the path they walk towards God and His salvation. There are often too many distractions and also attempts by those who sought to lure us into paths that seemed to be easier and more profitable and enjoyable for us, and yet, which will lead us into the path of downfall and eternal regret. And all these are possible because our faith in the Lord is not strong and we do not have strong relationship with Him.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, how can we build up a genuine and strong relationship if we cannot even spend quality time and put the effort to build that relationship? And the first and best way that we should do is to pray and spend our time to pray sincerely and fervently, for it is through prayer that we communicate with the Lord and come to know His will. And through prayer, we can attune ourselves better to Him, and learn to trust Him better and to treat Him as our true Lord and Master, as One Whom we truly know.

That is why in our Gospel passage today, we heard the Lord’s Prayer, the most ideal form of prayer, one that is not centred on ourselves and on our own selfish desires and wants, unlike what many of our prayers are like, but rather, centred and focused on God, with the emphasis on listening rather than speaking, for after all, God knows everything that is inside our hearts and minds. He is all-knowing and all-powerful, and we do not need to tell Him what we need. In fact He knows better than us what we truly need.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all turn towards the Lord now with a renewed faith and zeal, and endeavour to follow the Lord wholeheartedly and faithfully, at all times. We should spend more time and effort in prayer, reaching out to the Lord and allowing Him to speak to us in the depth of our hearts. This is why we need to do what we can to live a most prayerful life, where we spend quality time with the Lord and seek Him with all of our might and sincerely strive to walk in His path at all times.

May the Lord be with us all and may He strengthen our faith, and may through our prayers, we will get ever closer to Him, and endeavour to do His will, at all times, and following in the footsteps of the Apostles, like that of St. Paul and others who have given their all for the glory of God. Amen.

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Wednesday, 16 June 2021 : 11th 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 Scriptures, we are presented with what we are expected to do as Christians, that is to be genuine in our faith and way of life, and to dedicate ourselves to the Lord with sincere heart and devotion, not because we want to be praised or adored for our actions. We are all called today to reexamine our path in life, and consider carefully what each and every one of us can do as those who believe in Christ and as those who walk in His path.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard the Lord speaking to His disciples with regards to the matter of prayer and fasting, and how they ought to be doing it and how they should not follow the way that the Pharisees were doing their prayers and fasting. The contrast was drawn between the way that the Pharisees conducted their prayers and other deeds in public so that everyone could see them and praise them, and how true believers ought to avoid doing that. This is because praying, fasting and any other actions of faith we do, should all be done with the intention of glorifying God and focusing ourselves on God rather than anything else.

That is why it is important that when we fast, we do it for the right purpose. Fasting is not so that people praise us for our piety, righteousness or holiness, but fasting is rather meant for us to restrain ourselves and our desires, to resist against the many temptations that are attempting to pull against us and drag us into disobedience and therefore sin against God. If we treat fasting as a show of faith, then does it not actually defeat the purpose of fasting? That is because we end up indulging in the desires and our pride instead of regretting our sins and wickedness in life, as we should.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, it is also the same with prayer as well. Prayer is not just for show or for entertaining our human desires for praise and honour, acknowledgement or glory. And we should also stop entertaining our ego and pride in doing so. Prayer is not about ourselves and indeed, is much less about what we want or what our desires are. Many of us may not have realised that we have been praying the wrong way, when we spend our prayers praising ourselves or in launching a litany of wants and desires, in asking God to fulfil what we wanted.

That, brothers and sisters in Christ, is the wrong way of praying, just as fasting for appearances and praise is also the wrong way for fasting. Prayer is an intimate way of communication between us and God, and therefore, we should make sure that we make our prayer as one that is filled with our love for the Lord and with our sincere desire to communicate with Him, to know His will and to deepen our relationship with Him. If we are able to do this, then we have prayed in the right manner, and if we know how to do so, we should also know how to do the other acts of faith in the right way.

And as Christians it is important that we ‘walk the talk’, that is we have to be good role models for our fellow brothers and sisters, in each and every one of our dealings, in our actions and interactions with one another, so that we may inspire each other and help one another to remain faithful to the Lord, as well as in building a genuine and healthy relationship with the Lord. This is why our Christian faith must not be just for show, or just a mere front to satisfy our personal ego and desires, but rather, we have to seek the Lord with all of our hearts and with all of our might.

We should remember well what St. Paul the Apostle wrote in his Epistle to the Church and the faithful in Corinth, in our first reading today, that all those who sow meagrely shall also reap meagrely, while those who labour hard and do their best, in being faithful, then they shall all be rewarded for their great faith, not because they sought for the reward, but rather because through that genuine effort and faith, they enter blissfully into God’s grace and are bestowed blessings and wonders by God, Who is ever faithful to His people and beloved ones.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today let us all reaffirm our faith in the Lord and let us all commit ourselves anew to Him, so that in all things, we may always glorify Him through our actions, words and deeds, and that we may grow ever closer to Him, in each and every days of our lives. May all of us have the courage and the strong, sincere desire to love the Lord, to be with Him and to communicate with Him regularly, that we will truly be attuned to Him and may be faithful in walking down the path that He has shown us. May God be with us always, and may He bless us all in our every good works and endeavours. Amen.

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Tuesday, 15 June 2021 : 11th 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 Lord speaking to us and reminding us all again and again what it truly means for us to be Christians, as those whom God had chosen and called to follow Him, and to be His witnesses among the people of this world. He has taught and shown us His love, and how He has loved us sincerely and tenderly, and therefore, we are expected to show this love through our lives and actions, at all times and in all places and occasions.

In our Gospel passage today, we are all reminded that as Christians we are all entrusted to be able to love one another, that is to learn to forgive those who have sinned against us and to reach out and care even for those who despised and hated us. This is what the Lord has taught and shown us to do, to be exemplary in our faith and in our way of life, that we may be walking in the same path that the Lord has walked before us, as He showed us all what it truly means to love.

Many of us love only ourselves and those whom we love or those who are dear to us, and we are biased against those whom we disagree with or whom we find to be different from us or incompatible. That is why we have not truly been wholehearted in our obedience to the Lord and His path. We are often too blinded by our selfishness and pride, our human desires and many other emotions and distractions that led us astray and keep us away from the true path of Christian love and charity.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, it is easier said than done for us to love others, especially more so for those whom we despise and who consequently also mutually despised us. It is difficult for us to let go of the anger and the negativities, the bitterness and pain that exist between us. But this is exactly where we should then model ourselves upon the Lord and His own example of love, as He has shown us what is meant by true and most unconditional and selfless love, love that is genuine, sincere and vast beyond all things.

How is it not so, brothers and sisters, when the Lord has given so much for our sake, loved us so wonderfully and patiently even when we have already caused Him so much pain and anger, and after we have betrayed, abandoned and wronged Him time and again, from the moment that we first fell into sin. Through our disobedience and our wickedness, we have been sundered from the true grace and happiness in Eden and in heavenly glory, and yet, God still loved us all, even when we are dirty, corrupted and wicked.

He ceaselessly reached out to us and sent to us His messengers and servants, to call on all of us to return to Him and to be reconciled with Him. He reached out to us with love, hoping that we will change our hearts and minds, and be willing to open the doors of our hearts to allow Him to enter and transform us, freeing us from the chains of our sins and from the tyranny of evil and death. And last of all, He fulfilled all that He has promised us by sending us His own Beloved Son, the same Christ, Our Lord, to be our Saviour.

He endured all the worst of sufferings and pains, the worst of humiliations out of love for us. He bore the blows and insults from His enemies and all those who hated Him, and even still, He prayed for them all and asked His Father not to hold anything against those who had condemned Him to death and made Him to suffer. And when He referred to this, we need to realise that He was in fact also referring to each and every one of us. It was our burdens and punishments that He bore, and yet, He bore them faithfully with love, for us, that we will not have to suffer that damnation.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, can we see now just how fortunate we are to be so beloved by the Lord? And therefore, can we grow to appreciate His love more, day after day, by welcoming Him into our hearts, embracing His love and mercy, and allow Him to transform us into His beloved children, a people of the true Light? And in this same manner, we should also imitate Him in all things including love, and it means that we should be the wonderful beacons of His love and light in our world today.

May all of us as Christians, in our every works, efforts and endeavours, in our interactions and outreach will always be filled with true love, love that is pure and selfless, in being concerned and caring towards each other. May God be with us all and may He guide us in our path, that we will always be faithful to Him. Amen.

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Monday, 14 June 2021 : 11th 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 Lord speaking to us about the nature of what being Christians is all about. We are all God’s chosen people, whom He has called from among all the nations to follow Him and to live in His presence. As such, we are expected to live our lives in the manner that is in accordance to our Christian faith. It means that we should do what the Lord has taught and commanded us to do.

In essence, the Lord has revealed to us what we ought to be doing as Christians, as we heard in our Gospel passage today. He calls on us to be someone who loves our fellow brethren sincerely and as people who can give ourselves for the benefit of all those whom we encounter in life, and as those who are filled with grace and righteousness in all things. The Lord said this using the example of someone who was asked to walk for a mile, and as Christians we ought to walk even the extra mile, and give more than what we are asked for.

This is not because by giving more that we will be rewarded better or benefit more. On the contrary, as Christians, such things should be the last things to be in our mind. We can be better Christians by getting rid from ourselves the corruption of worldly desires and our human pride. These are things that often distract us from the Lord and our focus on Him. We are often too burdened by the weight of our human desires and worldly concerns that we forgot what it means to become God’s chosen and beloved people.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today we are called to be different from the norms and ways of the world, to challenge the customs and standards of this world we live in, and to be the true and faithful bearers of our Christian faith and to be witnesses of Our Lord’s truth, His Passion and Resurrection, and His salvation among all the people of all the nations. As Christians we have to give ourselves and our very best to contribute to the good works and efforts of the Church in evangelisation and in the salvation of many more souls.

Are we able and willing to commit ourselves to the cause of the Lord, brothers and sisters in Christ? It will not be an easy path forward for us if we want to remain faithful and true as Christians, and as those whom God had called and chosen. Yet, if we remain faithful to Him and entrust ourselves to His care, through Him we shall do wonderful and great many deeds, which we may not even realise that we can do. For indeed, through God, everything is possible, and what may seem to be impossible for man, is possible for God.

And we do not have to do great and impressive things, brethren. What matters is that we do our best in our every actions and endeavours, giving our best in our respective capacity and abilities, even in the smallest things we do, in our own families and among our friends and acquaintances, in our community and when we are interacting with the strangers and all those whom we encounter throughout our lives. Through our small and yet significant, genuine and faithful actions, we truly bring glory to God and help to bring so many others to be closer to Him.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, throughout this dark period and moments, as we are still suffering the various trials and tribulations, not least from the effects of the pandemic and economic uncertainty, growing inequality, racism and prejudice, increasing conflict and divisions both within our societies and among nations and peoples, we are all challenged to be the ones to break the chain of evil and the cycle of suffering and hatred. We are all called to be the light of the world, to be the beacons of Christ’s Light, sharing with all the hope that we have received from Him.

That is why, in each and every moments of our lives, let us all bear witness to His truth and love, by dedicating our every moments, our time and effort, and doing whatever we can to serve Him, even in the smallest of our contributions and works. Are we willing and able to commit ourselves in this, brothers and sisters in Christ? Let us all pray for strength, for courage, patience and perseverance, to remain faithful to the Lord, to be courageous to walk down the path that God has led us to, and that our love for one another will help us to lead others to the love of God, and to His salvation and eternal life. May God be with us all, and may God bless our every good works and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 13 June 2021 : Eleventh Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we heard the very obvious reference to the kingdom of God, or the kingdom of Heaven throughout today’s Scripture readings, that try to give us a glimpse and understanding of what the Kingdom of God is all about. God had made it known and revealed to all of us the truth about His kingdom, where all of His beloved people are truly welcome.

In our first reading today we heard of the vision of the prophet Ezekiel who received the Lord’s message of hope and encouragement for His people, that He would restore them and bless them again, with the example of the cedar used to represent the people of God, restored and allowed to prosper once again. This message of hope and encouragement must be understood especially given the context that the prophet Ezekiel lived during the period of great humiliation and trials for the people of God, who have been scattered, crushed and driven away from their homeland.

And all these were caused by their own disobedience against God, their sinful and wicked ways, disregarding the Law and the commandments that God had given them, and instead, giving themselves to the worship of pagan idols and gods, and committing acts that were in violation of the Law and the Covenant that God has established with them. As a result, they had to suffer the consequences of their lack of faith and disobedience, and they were humiliated and uprooted from their ancestral lands, their cities destroyed and the Temple overturned.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, through the vision of the prophet Ezekiel, God wanted us all to see and know that He wants us to be reconciled with us, although we may have been sundered and separated from Him through sin. God’s love ultimately will overcome even the darkest sin and the greatest of obstacles and challenges, as long as we are willing to embrace the Lord and accept His love and compassionate mercy. Unfortunately, more frequently than not, we close ourselves off to the Lord and refuse to accept His generous love and mercy.

St. Paul mentioned this same truth when he spoke in his Epistle to the Church and the faithful in Corinth, our second reading passage today, reiterating how all of us although living in the body but we are separated from the Lord. And as long as we are separated and distant from Him, we will not be able to gain true joy, happiness and satisfaction that we can gain in the Lord alone. He also reminded us all the faithful that our every actions and deeds will be held against us if they have been contrary to the will of God, and these will determine our fate on the day of judgment.

That is why through today’s Scripture readings, God revealed to us just how wretched and pitiful our situation is being separated from Him and His love. That is why, just like the Israelites of old, who had suffered the consequences of their disobedience and sins, He reminded us all that ultimately, He still loves each and every one of us and wants us to be fully reconciled to Him, and to be restored to the graceful life that we all have been intended to enjoy and which is part of our assured inheritance.

Hence, He gave us all His own Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be His best and most perfect gift to all of us, to be the source of all of our Hope and to be our guiding Light in this world darkened by sin. Through Him, God has brought His kingdom into this world, to be ruled by His own Son, Our Lord and King, Who brought and gathered all of us together to Himself, and Who has united all of us to Himself by assuming our own human nature. That is why He has also established God’s kingdom in this world, by establishing the Church, that manifestation of the kingdom of God on Earth.

Yes, brothers and sisters in Christ, what the prophet Ezekiel heard from the Lord regarding the cedar that the Lord picked to grow on a high mountain is fulfilled through Christ in His Church, our very own One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, the one and only true Church that God Himself has established in this world, as the real and tangible representation of His reign and kingdom, as what the Lord explained in our Gospel today through the parable, of a great tree with its vast branches, upon which many animals and birds perched and made as its home.

The Church blessed and sanctified by Christ, has been established as the symbol of unity among all of us, God’s beloved people, who share through Him and with Him a bond of unity and love, by our shared faith and love for God, and by our partaking of the New Covenant that God Himself has established with us. All of us are members of His Body, the visible Body of Christ, the kingdom of God manifested in this world as the proof of God’s reign and His love for the whole entire world, and His desire to see all of us mankind reunited and reconciled with Him.

That is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, as we listened to the words of the Scripture today, we have to remind ourselves the important aspects of the Church, that is we are all One Church, all united in a common faith and love for God, a Holy Church that is always focused on the Lord and always obeying His will, His Law and commandments, a Catholic Church that is Universal in our reach and coverage, in welcoming all peoples regardless of their background, their race and origin, to come towards the Lord just as the great tree in the parable became a haven for all living beings.

And lastly, we have to be an Apostolic Church, that means we have to be a Church that is always reaching out and speaking up the truth of God, in being missionary and faithful, in being genuine in our way of life and faith, so that all those who see us, hear us and witness our actions and works will then come to know the Lord through us, and they may then also come to believe in Him through us. This is a calling and mission that all of us as Christians have, as part of our shared, common baptism, that as members of God’s Church, His kingdom on earth, we ought to glorify Him and made Him known to all.

Let us all not forget the Great Commission that the Lord has given to all of His Apostles and disciples in the end of His earthly journey, that we all ought to go forth to the nations, proclaiming His truth and love, and make all to be believers and faithful just as we believe in Him, to make disciples of all the peoples of all the nations and to baptise them in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This is so that more and more people may come to be part of the ever growing and ever expanding Church, God’s kingdom on Earth.

Let us ask ourselves then, brothers and sisters in Christ, whether we have done our part and done as we should as members of this wonderful kingdom of God? Or have we instead turned people away from the Lord and His Church by our own actions, filled with sin and wickedness, with selfishness and evil? These are the things that we really need to question ourselves and discern as we consider our path going forward in life. Are we going to continue living our lives walking in the path of sin and evil? Or are we going to allow the Lord to transform our lives to be His faithful servants and disciples?

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all renew our faith to the Lord and commit ourselves wholeheartedly from now on, that we may be ever closer to Him and be ever more devoted and faithful to Him in all things. And as part of His One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, let us all do whatever we can as part of His kingdom in this world, to call and bring ever more and more of our other brothers and sisters, to come to the Lord and be reconciled with Him, that everyone may come to know of God’s love and embrace Him as their Lord and Saviour, and be worthy together with all of us, to share in the divine and eternal banquet in Heaven.

May God bless us all and our every good works and endeavours, and may He strengthen each and every one of us with the courage and resolve to live ever more faithfully from now on, being good role models and inspirations of faith to one another. Amen.

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Saturday, 12 June 2021 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is always celebrated on the day after the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. We remember therefore the loving heart of the Mother of the Lord just after we remember and celebrate the love of our Lord, Who has poured out His love for us from His wounded and bleeding Heart, as He lay dying on the Cross.

Mary was there at the moment of the death of her Son, and she witnessed so many events that had happened throughout her whole life and as she journeyed and followed her Son’s path and ministry. She has always patiently followed Him and kept everything in her heart, all that she had heard and witnessed, including what we have heard in our Gospel passage today, regarding the moment when Jesus was lost to her and St. Joseph, at the age of Twelve as He remained behind in the Temple of Jerusalem.

Again in that occasion we heard how Mary patiently listened and kept everything in her heart, as she heard the Lord Jesus speaking even as a Child, that the Temple of Jerusalem is the House of His Father, His true Father in Heaven. Mary knew in her heart just as she remembered the words of the Archangel Gabriel and all the other signs and words given to her, that her Son Jesus was meant for very great things, and as the old servant of God Simeon spoke to her at the moment of the Presentation of the Lord, that a sword would pierce her own heart, and all secret then shall be revealed.

Mary truly loved her Son, and seeing Him suffering on the Cross must truly be heartbreaking for her, as after all, who would not be in pain to see one’s own child suffer and die? Yet, Mary endured it all with love and faith, knowing that everything is part of God’s plan. Yes, brothers and sisters in Christ, Mary’s Immaculate Heart is truly so pure and filled with so much love for God, for her Son, and from there also, for all of us. This is because from the Cross, Jesus has entrusted all of us to her, and at the same time, He has also entrusted her to all of us.

That is why, just as much as Our Lord has constantly reached out to us with love, Mary, His beloved mother and our mother, has also constantly reached out to us, asking us and pleading with us to turn away from our path of sin, and be reconciled with God and be forgiven from those sins we have committed. She knew what suffering her Son had gone through for our sake, and the punishment that is due for our sins. And as her own adopted children, certainly she does not want us to fall into an eternity of suffering in hell.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, do we realise just how fortunate and how beloved we are to be loved not only by Our Lord, Who poured out for us His loved from His Most Sacred Heart, bleeding, bruised and broken, but also by His mother, Mary, from whose Immaculate Heart pours forth the most wonderful motherly love? Have we realised this and have we been grateful for such great love that we have received? And yet, so many of us still live in the path of sin, in the way of disobedience against God that made Him and His beloved mother, our mother, so sorrowful?

Let us all discern carefully our path in life, brothers and sisters in Christ, that each and every one of us may find consolation and forgiveness through the guidance of our blessed and loving mother Mary, to her Son’s most wonderful mercy and compassionate Heart. Let us all imitate the faith and commitment that Mary had, in obeying the Lord and in loving Him so thoroughly and completely in our own lives, resisting the many temptations to sin and to disobey against His Law and commandments.

May the Lord continue to be with us and bless us in all things, and may He strengthen us and give us the courage to live virtuously and faithfully in accordance to His will. May He guide us towards His path, and may His Blessed Mother, Mary continue to show us the way, through her most loving Immaculate Heart. O, Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us sinners! Amen.

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Friday, 11 June 2021 : Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate the great Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, celebrating the most wonderful love that God has shown to all of us, to each and every one of us from His Most Sacred Heart, the heart being the representative of one’s love and emotions, feelings and thoughts. Thus, we remember today the great love that God has for each and every one of us, the love that comes outpouring from His most loving heart.

In our first reading today, we heard of the passage from the Book of the prophet Hosea, in which we heard the Lord speaking to His people through Hosea, referring to Ephraim as the son whom God had brought up and led out of Egypt. This was a reference to the Israelites in the northern kingdom of Israel, which capital of Samaria is in the land of the tribe of Ephraim. The prophet Hosea has been sent to the people of the northern kingdom, to remind them of God and to repent from their wicked ways.

However, the people of the northern kingdom continued to sin against God as they had done multiple times previously, and this is what was referred by the prophet Hosea as ‘Ephraim’ having forgotten about God Who had done so much wonders for them and Who had cared for them all those while. And yet, God would not destroy them, as He truly loved them more than He despised their sins and wickedness. He still loved them, and the fact that He sent them the prophet Hosea, it was proof that He still wanted them to be saved.

God loves every single one of us, and He created us all because He loves us all and wants us to share in this love. Unfortunately, due to our disobedience we fell into sin, as we listened to the falsehood and lies of the devil rather than to trust in the Lord. The Lord could have annihilated us and crushed us there and then, willing us out of existence just as easily as He willed creation into being. Yet, He did not do that, and why? That is because He loves us, from His heart.

It is this same love that St. Paul referred to in his Epistle to the Church and the faithful in Ephesus, our second reading today, how God has revealed to all of us, His most generous and wonderful love. And He revealed this love in the person of Jesus Christ, His own Beloved Son, sent into this world to reveal before all of us the full extent of that love, and it was that same love which St. Paul and the other Apostles and disciples had preached about, and testified, for all the wonderful love He has shown to everyone.

They themselves had witnessed and seen the Lord’s ultimate expression of true love for each and every one of us, as He picked up His Cross and bore it upon His own shoulders, bearing upon them all of the punishments and the sufferings that are due for our sins and disobedience. He willingly laid down His own life, and was tortured and suffered for us that all of us may live. This action of Our Lord’s Most Holy Passion reminds us all that His love for us is truly vast and boundless, and enduring even despite our constant disobedience and refusal to believe in Him.

God’s most loving Heart continue to ache because of all of us being distanced from Him, separated by the chasm of sin. He wants to reach out to us and to embrace us with His mercy and compassion. However, unless we embrace that same mercy and compassion, by turning wholeheartedly towards Him, then we will still remain sundered from Him. That is why, He has always sent us reminders and His servants to call us to embrace Him and His loving Heart, to repent from our faults and sins, and to be forgiven from those sins.

As He lay dying on the Cross, He showed us all the most compassionate and loving face of God, a reminder of just how blessed and fortunate each and every one of us are. Through Him, we have received the assurance of eternal life and true joy, and we are all called to devote ourselves to this most loving aspect of Our Lord, His love being outpoured from His wounded and bleeding Heart, a vision seen by one of the most famous visionaries of the Church, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque.

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque saw a vision of the Lord and His Most Sacred Heart, calling on all mankind to turn towards Him and to seek Him, to be forgiven their sins and to find refuge in Him. Through this, the Lord wants us all to know just how wonderful His love for us is, and how blessed we are to be so beloved in such a manner by the Lord, Who generously showered us with His love and kindness despite us having betrayed Him, abandoned Him and refused to listen to Him and obey Him all these while.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, are we still going to be stubborn and refuse to believe in Him, although He has shown us all of His love? Do not forget that He has died for all of us, the testimony of which has been made by the pouring of blood and water from His pierced heart at the moment of His death, as mentioned in our Gospel passage today. Scientifically and medically, that is the sign that someone has truly died, and hence, the soldier who pierced the side of the Lord showed that the Lord died, on the Cross, all for our sake.

And through His Precious Blood, we have been washed clean from the taints of our sins and evils. We have been cleansed and purified from those wickedness and impurities that tainted our hearts, the taints of our sins. Yet, many of us remain in the stranglehold of sin, because we still allow sin reign over us, and we allow ourselves to be swayed by its many temptations. This is why we are all called to put our trust in the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, to come to Him and to open our own hearts, and to find Him that we may enjoy the fullness of His love and mercy.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today we also celebrate the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests. As all of our priests have been called to be in the person of Christ ‘Alter Christus – in persona Christi’ in the celebration of the Eucharist and the Sacraments, they have been called to model themselves after the one Eternal High Priest, Christ Himself. We therefore pray that just as we all trust in the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, they too shall always trust in the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and model themselves and their hearts after Him.

We pray for holy and dedicated priests, who is as enthusiastic and passionate in reaching out to the people of God as the Lord has tirelessly sought each and every one of us for such a very long time. We pray that they will all be as patient and loving as the Lord has been patient and loving towards us. And last of all, we pray that we ourselves may be ever more faithful to the Lord and that we may be ever closer to His Most Holy and Sacred Heart, to be forgiven by Him and to be filled with His love and grace.

May God be with us all, and may He strengthen each and every one of us to live faithfully in love, and may He empower all of us to remain faithful despite the challenges and trials we may encounter in life. May God bless us all in each and every one of our good endeavours, in our every good works and efforts, for the love of His Most Sacred Heart. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us! Amen.

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Thursday, 10 June 2021 : 10th 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 Lord reminding us to be faithful to Him, to His Law and commandments, that we will truly be faithful to the Lord not just in name only but also in spirit, and truly appreciate and understand the meaning, intention and the purpose of the Law and the commandments of God. The Lord has called us all to follow Him, and we ought to walk in His path sincerely and with genuine love and commitment for Him.

This means that we should not just obey the Law for the sake of obeying it, or doing so without understanding the true meaning and intention of the Law. Or else, we will end up like the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, many of whom enforced a strict interpretation and obedience to the Law, its rules and regulations, and yet, failed to understand and appreciate that the Law of God was meant to lead God’s people to Him and to teach them all to love Him and to be filled with love, to know love and to practice love in their lives.

In our first reading today we heard the words of St. Paul in his Epistle to the Church and the faithful in the city of Corinth, reminding them and all of us that we have received the truth of the Lord from none other than Christ Himself, and through the Holy Spirit as passed down to us through the Apostles and the Church. What was unknown to the people of the past, as highlighted by the figurative ‘veil of Moses’ has been made known and revealed by the revelation of Christ, the Saviour of the world. The Lord is no longer hidden from us and He has made Himself known to us.

And therefore, all of us as Christians we have been blessed to know the Lord much more personally, to recognise His truth and to know His love, to be at the receiving end of that love. Do we realised then just how blessed and beloved we are, brothers and sisters in Christ? Or do we still take it for granted that we have been so fortunate? This is what each and every one of us need to reflect as we discern our path in life. We have to be faithful ever more in our every actions and deeds, in our every interactions with one another, that we truly embody our Christian faith and truth.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard the Lord speaking to the people and to His disciples that they ought to be faithful and to follow the Lord more faithfully than the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, for those people only applied and understood the Law superficially and did not truly love the Lord from their heart. Their actions and obedience to the Law came about because they were swayed by their pride and desire for worldly glory and praise, their influential and powerful position in the community among others.

The Lord told them all that to be faithful, one must really understand that the Law is truly about love, showing and teaching us how to love one another just as we also ought to love the Lord wholeheartedly, more so than we love ourselves. If we love ourselves too much, like that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, then we will realise that we may have no place for God and for others in our hearts and minds. That is why we need to get rid from ourselves the excesses of our human pride and desires, that we may come to realise God’s love and what we all need to do to be faithful to Him.

Let us all therefore be true Christians in all of our words, actions, dealings and interactions, showing love and concern for one another, and be willing to forgive one another our faults and mistakes towards each other, just as the Lord Himself has loved us and is willing to forgive us our sins despite our numerous faults, mistakes and trespasses. This is why, brothers and sisters, if we do not know how to live our lives as Christians, then we do not need to look further than the Lord Himself as our example, and also we have the amazing saints, our holy predecessors, whose lives can be inspiration for us to follow.

May the Lord be with us all and may He strengthen us that we may always be faithful and may grow ever more in love towards Him. May He guide us and give us the encouragement and the energy to persevere through the many trials and challenges that we may have to face in our respective journeys of faith. May God bless us all, now and always, forevermore. Amen.