Saint Popes

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Thursday, 30 April 2015 : 4th Week of Easter, Memorial of Pope St. Pius V, Pope (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 88 : 2-3, 21-22, 25 and 27

I will sing forever, o Lord, of Your love and proclaim Your faithfulness from age to age. I will declare how steadfast is Your love, how firm Your faithfulness.

I have found David My servant, and with My holy oil I have anointed him. My hand will be ever with him and My arm will sustain him.

My faithfulness and love will be with him, and by My help he will be strong. He will call on Me, ‘You are my Father, my God, my Rock, my Saviour.’

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Thursday, 30 April 2015 : 4th Week of Easter, Memorial of Pope St. Pius V, Pope (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 13 : 13-25

From Paphos, Paul and his companions set sail and came to Perga in Pamphylia. There John left them and returned to Jerusalem while they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. On the Sabbath day they entered the synagogue and sat down.

After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the officials of the synagogue sent this message to them, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the assembly, please speak up.”

So Paul arose, motioned to them for silence and began, “Fellow Israelites and also all you who fear God, listen. The God of our people Israel chose our ancestors, and after He had made them increase during their stay in Egypt, He led them out by powerful deeds.”

“For forty years He fed them in the desert, and after He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He gave them their land as an inheritance. All this took four hundred and fifty years. After that, He gave them Judges until Samuel the prophet. Then they asked for a king and God gave them Saul, son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, and he was king for forty years. After that time, God removed him and raised up David as king, to whom He bore witness saying : ‘I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all I want him to do.'”

“It is from the descendants of David that God has now raised up the promised Saviour of Israel, Jesus. Before He appeared, John proclaimed a baptism of repentance for all the people of Israel. As John was ending his life’s work, he said : ‘I am not what you think I am, for after me another One is coming whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.'”

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Wednesday, 31 December 2014 : Seventh Day within the Octave of Christmas, Memorial of Pope St. Silvester I, Pope (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard yet again about the incarnation of the Divine into Flesh, the assumption of the Divine Word of God of the mortal flesh of Man. In it we continue to reflect and celebrate in this blessed season of Christmas, the commemoration of the birth and entry of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ into this world.

The Christmas season is a time for us all to rejoice, but even more so, that we have to take a step back and realise the very reason why the Lord had done this, while He truly had no reason to do so. He is perfect in everything and He is perfectly fine by Himself, and yet He decided that He wants to share the love He has with those whom He had created in His own image, that is all of us mankind.

He came so that through what He taught His disciples, He might deliver the wisdom and truth of God unto mankind, so that, realising the truth about God and His love, they may find their way towards Him. That is because if we are not able to find our way to Him, we are likely to be lost in the darkness of the world, becoming tempted and failing to sin just as our ancestors had been tempted by Satan.

St. John in his letter which is our First Reading today warned of the presence and rise of antichrists, those whom Satan had charged with the corruption and subversion of the world and all the people of God, so that instead of following the true Word, our Lord Jesus Christ, we will follow the lies of Satan instead, spread through the wicked antichrists.

Do not think that antichrists will come only with the coming of the end times, as they are already here. We have many antichrists around us, those who pretend to speak for the truth, but instead subverting the truth into lies, while making people to believe in what they said as true. A simple and common example would be how the world, how the media perceived what the Church and its teachings mean, and how they twisted them and corrupt the people against God’s Church.

It is also similar with how the media and the people often misrepresented the Pope and his teachings, especially with our current Pope, Pope Francis. Pope Francis is an orthodox defender of the faith, who merely pushed for a more loving and meaningful application of our Faith in the world, but with no intention whatsoever to dismantle or destroy even a single iota or piece of the sacred teachings and Traditions of the Faith which we faithfully kept.

We too, brothers and sisters in Christ, are often distracted with the many lies and goodness of this world, the temptations of the evil one designed to bring us away from the salvation in God through Jesus Christ. We often find the ways of this world, and the various offers made by Satan and his agents in this world to be much more attractive than what our Lord offers us. Yet, what Satan offers us bring just temporary satisfaction and the end result in eternal death and condemnation.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, it is important that we should help one another in the Faith, committing ourselves to help one another defending ourselves from the lies of Satan, from the traps of the antichrists, and help each other to remain firmly faithful to the teachings of the Faith. Today we also celebrate the feast of Pope St. Silvester I or Pope St. Sylvester I, the Pope who lived during the time when Christianity, our Faith had been accepted by the Roman Empire by the Emperor Constantine the Great.

Although the Faith had been accepted and was no longer persecuted then as it had been in the previous decades and centuries, but it did not mean that Pope St. Silvester I had an easy time as the Vicar of Christ. Instead, he had to deal with various heresies and false teachings of the Faith by various people trying to lead the people away from the truth of Christ and the true Faith.

Most prominent among the false prophets was Arius, who spread his teachings of Arianism, rejecting the divinity of Christ, proclaiming that Jesus was a mere Man and not God. Thus, if we look at this false prophet, it is very obvious that he was repudiating the very core of our faith, that is the belief in Jesus, the Logos or the Word of God, who is God and is with God, as the Gospel of John today proclaims, and who descended unto us, incarnate into Flesh by the means of His mother, Mary. Pope St. Silvester I and the other bishops condemned this falsehood and heresy through the now famous Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, reaffirming true Christian Faith and teachings.

Do not let Satan and his antichrists deceive us, but let us instead firmly believe in our Lord, who is the Word made Flesh, Jesus Christ, who out of His eternal love for us, was willing to descend upon us and dwell among us, so that we may be saved. God bless us all. Amen.

First Reading :

Wednesday, 31 December 2014 : Seventh Day within the Octave of Christmas, Memorial of Pope St. Silvester I, Pope (First Reading)



Psalm :

Wednesday, 31 December 2014 : Seventh Day within the Octave of Christmas, Memorial of Pope St. Silvester I, Pope (Psalm)



Gospel Reading :
https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/12/30/wednesday-31-december-2014-seventh-day-within-the-octave-of-christmas-memorial-of-pope-st-silvester-i-pope-gospel-reading/

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Wednesday, 31 December 2014 : Seventh Day within the Octave of Christmas, Memorial of Pope St. Silvester I, Pope (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 1 : 1-18

In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God and the Word was God; He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing came to be. Whatever has come to be, found life in Him; Life, which for human beings, was also Light, Light that shines in darkness, Light that darkness could not overcome.

A man came, sent by God; his name was John. He came to bear witness, as a witness to introduce the Light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light, but a witness to introduce the Light; for the Light was coming into the world, the true Light that enlightens everyone.

He was in the world, and through Him the world was made, the very world that did not know Him. He came to His own, yet His own people did not receive Him; but to all who received Him, He empowers to become children of God, for they believe in His Name.

These are born, but not by seed, or carnal desire, nor by the will of man : they are born of God. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us; and we have seen His glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father : fullness of truth and loving kindness.

John bore witness to Him openly, saying, “This is the One who comes after me, but He is already ahead of me, for He was before me.” From His fullness we have all received, favour upon favour. For God had given us the Law through Moses, but Truth and Loving Kindness came through Jesus Christ.

No one has ever seen God, but God the only Son made Him known : the One, who is in and with the Father.

Homily and Reflection :
https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/12/31/wednesday-31-december-2014-seventh-day-within-the-octave-of-christmas-memorial-of-pope-st-silvester-i-pope-homily-and-scripture-reflections/

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Wednesday, 31 December 2014 : Seventh Day within the Octave of Christmas, Memorial of Pope St. Silvester I, Pope (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 95 : 1-2, 11-12a, 12b-13

Sing to the Lord a new song, sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless His Name; proclaim His salvation day after day.

Let the heavens be glad, the earth rejoice; let the sea and all that fills it resound; let the fields exult and everything in them.

Let the forest, all the trees, sing for joy. Let them sing before the Lord who comes to judge the earth. He will rule the world with justice and the peoples with fairness.

Homily and Reflection :
https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/12/31/wednesday-31-december-2014-seventh-day-within-the-octave-of-christmas-memorial-of-pope-st-silvester-i-pope-homily-and-scripture-reflections/

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Wednesday, 31 December 2014 : Seventh Day within the Octave of Christmas, Memorial of Pope St. Silvester I, Pope (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

1 John 2 : 18-21

My dear children, it is the last hour. You were told that an antichrist would come; but several antichrists have already come, by which we know that it is now the last hour. They went out from us though they did not really belong to us, they would have remained with us. So it became clear that not all of us were really ours.

But you have the anointing from the Holy One, so that all of you have true wisdom. I write to you, not because you lack knowledge of the truth, but because you already know it, and lies have nothing in common with the truth.

Homily and Reflection :
https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/12/31/wednesday-31-december-2014-seventh-day-within-the-octave-of-christmas-memorial-of-pope-st-silvester-i-pope-homily-and-scripture-reflections/

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Thursday, 11 December 2014 : Second Week of Advent, Memorial of Pope St. Damasus I, Pope (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet or White (Popes)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today it was told to us about the great help and grace that we can gain in the Lord our God, who is our Help and our Saviour. He is willing to make us great and give us much blessings, provided that we allow Him to come into ourselves and transform our lives for the better. If we allow Him to make a difference in our lives, then all that we do will be great and successful, for no one that does the will of God shall go unrewarded.

In the Gospel today, our Lord Jesus told His disciples about John the Baptist, who is the messenger sent by God, the prophet and servant who would prepare the way for His own entry into the world. John was indeed Elijah the prophet, who was taken up into heaven by God at the end of his first ministry, on flaming chariots as witnessed by Elisha, his disciple and successor. The same Elijah then, as prophesied, came again into the world in John the Baptist.

Elijah was a great prophet, and in him the grace and power of God was truly evident. He healed many people from their afflictions, performed many miracles, feeding and providing for the widow of Zarephath, and even brought dead people back to life. He made flames to fall down from the Lord onto his sacrifice when the pagans and the Baal worshippers contested him at the mount Carmel.

All these miracles and wonders were the sign of divine favour and blessing, which He bestowed on all those whom He had sent into the world to be His servants and messengers, and also to all those who live uprightly and justly in the presence of our God. The same spirit and power bestowed upon Elijah, was therefore also bestowed on John the Baptist, who then called the people of God to repentance, much as Elijah had once laboured to bring the people of God back from their past sinfulness.

That was why Jesus mentioned John in such a way, that he is indeed greater than any who came before him, and yet, at the same time, he as the servant, is not greater than his own Master, who would come after him, in Jesus Christ. But the readings today, particularly the Gospel, are indeed not about comparing one to the other, not about comparing John the Baptist and Jesus our Lord, for it is truly a lesson of who we should be and how we should act, as the disciples of Christ.

It is a lesson and reminder of humility, the humility of both John the Baptist and ultimately, of Jesus Himself. John the Baptist was bestowed with great power and authority, and yet, he humbled himself before God greatly, proclaiming publicly that he is not the Messiah, and how he would not even be worthy to untie the straps of the sandals of His Lord. When more and more people flocked to Jesus and followed Him instead of John, he was happy, and truly pleased, that with the words we should indeed reflect on, ‘He shall increase, while I shall decrease.’

And Jesus, we knew that He is God, and being the Son, He is equal with God the Father and Almighty in all things. However, as St. Paul mentioned in his letter to the Philippians, that He does not dwell on that equality as something to be grasped. But rather, He lowered Himself and assumed the nature of a servant, and in that humility, He was exalted and His Name is glorified above every other names (Philippians 2 : 6-11).

As we can see, that our Lord is good and great, and He has done so much in order to help us attain our freedom from the slavery of sin and to gain the eternal life promised to us. However, many of us are unable to obtain this, because our pride often stands in our way. Pride prevents us from acknowledging our sinfulness and our corruption, and that is why we are often reluctant to seek the Lord, because we either think that we do not need Him, or that we are thinking to highly of ourselves to stoop down to acknowledge our shortcomings.

Today we celebrate the feast of Pope St. Damasus I, Pope of Rome and Leader of the entire Universal Church. Pope St. Damasus I was born at a time just after the ending of the persecution of the Faith, and grow during a time when the Faith increasingly become accepted as the norm in the late Roman Empire, until it eventually became the official and only Faith of the Empire.

Pope St. Damasus I was elected Pope at a time of great turbulance. Although the Faith has become increasingly firm and rooted in the world, and more and more accepted the Faith, but conflict and divisions arose more and more frequently, endangering the unity and the works of the Church. Clashes and riots accompanied the papal election that elected Pope St. Damasus I, because of rival candidates and infighting in the Church, which caused great pain to the faithful.

Pope St. Damasus I was not elected as the Successor of St. Peter without opposition or difficulty, but nevertheless, he carried out faithfully the duties and responsibilities which had been given to him. He was very firm against heresies and all the aberrations of the Faith, and he stood to condemn all those who had misled the people of God for their own benefits.

He worked hard in conjunction with many other great saints and fathers of the Church, including St. Jerome and St. Basil of Cappadocia. Pope St. Damasus I continued to dedicate himself faithfully in the service of God and His Church, and despite his position, he remained always humble and devoted to the cause which he had been called in service to. Through his dedication, he brought forth much good for the people of God, and helped the works of so many other saints at the time, building up further the foundation of the Church of God.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, shall we not walk in the footsteps of Pope St. Damasus I? Shall we humbly go our way and seek the Lord in all things, and especially seek Him for His forgiveness for our transgressions? Let us no longer be stubborn and put our pride aside, so that our Lord may come into us, and transform us into peoples of goodness. May Almighty God, our Lord, be with us all, and make us to be like His faithful servant, Pope St. Damasus I and bring goodness to one another, the people of God, His Church. Amen.

 

First Reading :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/12/10/thursday-11-december-2014-second-week-of-advent-memorial-of-pope-st-damasus-i-pope-first-reading/

 

Psalm :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/12/10/thursday-11-december-2014-second-week-of-advent-memorial-of-pope-st-damasus-i-pope-psalm/

 

Gospel Reading :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/12/10/thursday-11-december-2014-second-week-of-advent-memorial-of-pope-st-damasus-i-pope-gospel-reading/

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Thursday, 11 December 2014 : Second Week of Advent, Memorial of Pope St. Damasus I, Pope (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet or White (Popes)

Matthew 11 : 11-15

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “I tell you this : no one greater than John the Baptist has come forward from among the sons of women, and yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven is something to be conquered, and violent men seize it.”

“Up to the time of John, there was only prophesy : all the prophets and the Law. And if you believe Me, John is that Elijah, whose coming was predicted. Let anyone with ears listen!”

 

Homily and Reflection :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/12/10/thursday-11-december-2014-second-week-of-advent-memorial-of-pope-st-damasus-i-pope-homily-and-scripture-reflections/

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Thursday, 11 December 2014 : Second Week of Advent, Memorial of Pope St. Damasus I, Pope (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet or White (Popes)

Psalm 144 : 1 and 9, 10-11, 12-13ab

I will extol You, my God and King; I will bless Your Name forever. The Lord is good to everyone; His mercy embraces all His creation.

All Your works will give You thanks; all Your saints, o Lord, will praise You. They will tell of the glory of Your kingdom and speak of Your power.

That all may know of Your mighty deeds, Your reign and its glorious splendour. Your reign is from age to age; Your dominion endures from generation to generation.

 

Homily and Reflection :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/12/10/thursday-11-december-2014-second-week-of-advent-memorial-of-pope-st-damasus-i-pope-homily-and-scripture-reflections/

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Thursday, 11 December 2014 : Second Week of Advent, Memorial of Pope St. Damasus I, Pope (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet or White (Popes)

Isaiah 41 : 13-20

For I, YHVH, your God, take hold of your right hand and say to you : “Fear not, I am your assistance.” Fear not, Jacob, poor worm, and you, people of Israel, so frail. I am your Redeemer, says YHVH, the Holy One of Israel, your Helper.

I will make you a thresher, new and with sharp double teeth : you will thresh hills and mountains, crushing them and reducing them to chaff. You will winnow them, the wind will carry them off and the storm will scatter them. But you will rejoice in YHVH and glory in the Holy One of Israel.

The poor and the afflicted seek water, and find none. Their tongues are parched with thirst. But I, YHVH, will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will open up streams over the barren heights and let the rivers flow through all the valleys; I will turn the desert into lakes and brooks and the thirsty earth into a land of springs.

I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle and the olive; I will plant in the wasteland fir, cypress and pine – that all may see and know, consider and understand, that the hand of YHVH has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it.

 

Homily and Reflection :

https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/12/10/thursday-11-december-2014-second-week-of-advent-memorial-of-pope-st-damasus-i-pope-homily-and-scripture-reflections/