Saints of Assisi

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Saturday, 11 August 2018 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Clare, Virgin (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day all of us heard the readings of the Scriptures beginning with the Book of the prophet Habakkuk, in which we listened to God speaking to Habakkuk about how everything will happen just as the Lord wills it, in His own time and not in our time. It is God’s will that will be done and not ours, as God alone has the power and authority over the fate of all of us, and also over time and workings of this world.

The prophet Habakkuk pointed out something that many among us also often to question in our own hearts and minds, especially when we see injustice and wicked things happening around us. We may come to wonder why the Lord seems to be doing nothing when an injustice occurs to us, and when especially the poor and the weak are oppressed, ostracised and being persecuted, while the rich and the powerful had their way as they wanted.

Some of us even come to doubt that God is really actually present in our midst, or if He is present, whether He cares for us at all, if we see these kind of injustices and wicked deeds being performed in our midst. But what the Lord told the prophet Habakkuk is a reminder to each one of us is that, when we make this kind of question and statement on the Lord’s presence and action in our lives, we are actually putting a condition and demand on what we want to have in Our God.

God works in His own time and acts according to His own will, and not subject to our demands and desires. On the other hand, as a loving God and Father to all of us, He also hears our prayers and all of our requests that we made in those prayers. He is not ignorant or unaware of them at all, but in fact, He wants to help us and provide us with as much as He could give us.

But in the end of the day, we cannot put restrain or demand on what we want God to do for us. It is simply not right for us as the creature to demand what we want from our Creator. Rather, what we must have, is trust, and with trust, comes faith in the Lord, Our God. This is what the Lord Himself told the people, and also all of us, in our Gospel passage today.

At that occasion, the Lord told the people off because of their lack of faith. They were saying that they came to His disciples with the intention of having their sick ones healed from their diseases and bodily complaints such as epilepsy and paralysis, but the disciples were not able to do so. Why is that so? That is likely because they came to the disciples expecting them to heal their sick ones, but they did not have faith.

It was not the disciples who had the power and ability to heal the sick people, but rather God working through them, performing His work and miracles, that made those who were sick to be whole again. Probably the disciples themselves did not have enough faith and doubted the Lord, as St. Thomas, one of the Twelve Apostles had shown on several occasions in how he doubted the Lord’s truth and resurrection from the dead.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, the Lord Jesus used the example of a mustard seed in comparing the faith that the people had in God’s power and in His truth. Why is that so? That is because a mustard seed is a very small seed, which is very insignificant in size, but it can grow into a very large tree once grown. The Lord Jesus used this as a comparison to show how even a small amount of genuine faith that we have in Him, is sufficient, and with enough encouragement and guidance, this faith can grow greatly into one that is vibrant and exemplary.

But many of us are often lacking in faith, and we do not have trust in God. Instead, we trust in our own human abilities, powers, in our wealth and worldly possessions. We place a lot of focus on worldly achievements and prestige, that many of us end up putting God aside and sidelining Him in our pursuit for worldly achievements and glories. And that is also why we often judge things based on how successful they are in terms of worldly matters, rather than to see them from the eyes of faith.

That is why we end up being angry with God for apparently not answering our pleas or giving us what we desires and wants. That is because we are limiting God into our criteria of worldly success and achievements, and we judge things based on our perception of affluence and success. But this is not how God works, and He did what He had done, not because He wanted to please our desires and wants, but rather because it is His will to do so.

Now, let us all look at the example of St. Clare of Assisi, the saint whose feast we commemorate today. St. Clare of Assisi was remembered for her great piety and dedication to the Lord, giving her whole life to God and to the service of others through prayer and charitable works. She was particularly remembered for one miraculous occasion, when the place she was living in was under attack by the marauding forces of an army that came to invade that region.

The armies ransacked the whole place, looting and causing destruction everywhere, and they did not want to spare even the convent where St. Clare of Assisi was in. She was without any weapons or any means to defend herself, but she entrusted herself completely to the Lord, reaching out to the Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament, and as the enemies came barging into the place St. Clare was in, she lifted up the monstrance in which the Lord’s Real Presence was contained, up high, and immediately, all the enemy forces were brought to their knees.

They were brought to a great fear of the Lord’s Presence, and immediately left the whole place and town, one of the many proofs of God’s divine providence and the protection which He gives to all those who have been faithful to Him. Now, having heard of such a wondrous story of faith, are we able to do the same in our lives, brothers and sisters in Christ? Are we able to show the same kind of complete trust and faith as St. Clare of Assisi had done?

May the Lord continue to strengthen our faith in our hearts, and may He continue to inspire us all to live with ever more commitment to walk in His path and to do His will, in every actions and deeds we do in life. May God bless us always, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Saturday, 11 August 2018 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Clare, Virgin (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 17 : 14-20

At that time, when Jesus and His disciples came to the crowd, a man approached Him, knelt before Him and said, “Sir, have pity on my son, who is an epileptic and suffers terribly. He has often fallen into the fire, and at other times into the water. I brought him to Your disciples but they could not heal him.”

Jesus replied, “O you people, faithless and misled! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.” And Jesus commanded the evil spirit to leave the boy, and the boy was immediately healed. Later, the disciples approached Jesus and asked Him privately, “Why could we not drive out the spirit?”

Jesus said to them, “Because you have little faith. I say to you : if only you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could tell that mountain to move from here to there, and the mountain would obey. Nothing would be impossible for you.”

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Saturday, 11 August 2018 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Clare, Virgin (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 9 : 8-9, 10-11, 12-13

But YHVH reigns forever, having set up His throne for judgment. He will judge the nations with justice and govern the peoples in righteousness.

YHVH is a rampart for the oppressed, a refuge in times of distress. Those who cherish Your Name, o YHVH, can rely on You, for You have never forsaken those who look to You.

Sing praises to YHVH, enthroned in Zion; proclaim His deeds among the nations. For He Who avenges blood remembers, He does not ignore the cry of the lowly.

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Saturday, 11 August 2018 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Clare, Virgin (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Habakkuk 1 : 12 – Habakkuk 2 : 4

But You, are You not YHVH from past ages? You, my holy God, You cannot die. You have set these people to serve Your justice and You have made them firm as a rock, to fulfil Your punishment. YHVH, Your eyes are too pure to tolerate wickedness and You cannot look on oppression. Why, then, do You look on treacherous people and watch in silence while the evildoer swallows up one better than himself?

You treat human beings like the fish in the sea, like reptiles who are nobody’s concern. This nation catches all on its hook, pulls them out with its net and piles them up in its dragnet. Pleased and delighted at their catch, they offer sacrifices to their net and burn incense to their dragnets, since these supplied them with fish in plenty and provided them with food in abundance. Will they continue, then, to constantly empty their nets, slaughtering nations without mercy?

I will stand in my watchtower and take up position on my battlements; I will see what He replies, if there is an answer to my question. Then YHVH answered me and said, “Write down the vision, inscribe it on tablets so it can be easily read, since this is a vision for an appointed time; it will not fail but will be fulfilled in due time. If it delays, wait for it, for it will come, and will not be deferred. Look : I do not look with favour on the one who gives way; the upright, on the other hand, will live by his faithfulness.”

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Wednesday, 4 October 2017 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we celebrate the feast day of the famous religious and holy man, St. Francis of Assisi. St. Francis of Assisi is the founder of the Franciscan order or the Order of Friars Minor. He was born in the family of a rich silk merchant, Pietro Bernardone as Francesco Bernardone. He was destined to succeed in the family business and inherit the wealth as the eldest son. Yet, God had a very different plan for him.

It was just as the Scripture readings today mentioned, beginning from the first reading from the Book of the prophet Nehemiah. In that passage, we saw how the prophet Nehemiah, who was once the cupbearer and favourite servant of the Persian Emperor, sought the permission of the king to return to his homeland, the ancestral land of the people of Israel, for a number of years in order to supervise the rebuilding of the land and Jerusalem.

Nehemiah had a comfortable life as the king’s court member, and surely he had nothing to worry about in life, as certainly everything has been taken care of, all worldly needs and all that he would ever required. Yet, God called Nehemiah to a higher purpose, to serve Him, Who is the One true King above all the other kings, even far greater than the Persian ruler, the mighty ruler of the then superpower.

In the Gospel today, Jesus also called His disciples and all those who desired to be His followers. His message to them was simple, “Follow Me!” and that was all that was required. He called them, and they followed Him. The followers of Jesus came from various backgrounds. Some of them were rich and influential, while some others were poor. But, all of them were called to the same vocation, that is to serve God and to be wholehearted in their devotion to Him.

However, as seen in the Gospel, when the Lord called them, the people who were called came up with many excuses. Some of them wanted to settle their family matters first, while others wanted to tend to their properties and worldly issues first. And therefore the Lord rebuked them, for they did not place their priorities in God, but in their own worldly and selfish desires and needs.

Perhaps the examples of St. Francis of Assisi will be able to show us the way for us as Christians, in how we ought to commit ourselves to God, and answer His call with a willing heart. To each and every one of us, God has given many different kinds of gifts, and He has called us to different vocations in life. Yet, all of these vocations and callings bring greater glory to God. The calling to religious and priestly life is the greatest of all, for it entails surrendering everything to God’s will.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, in his youth, St. Francis of Assisi, Francesco Bernardone, was endowed with great riches and all that a person could have wished for, as his wealthy and influential family was able to afford anything he would have desired, just as the prophet Nehemiah had nothing lacking as the servant of the ruler of Persia. Yet, God called St. Francis of Assisi to a new life, and he heeded the call.

While he was hedonistic and materialistic during his younger days, spending his father’s money in a life of luxury and filled with parties and revelries, he had a complete turnaround after he was affected personally during a war, in which he was taken hostage and having to endure the sufferings in prison for about a year. Ever since then he began to question the meaning of his life and his calling.

Eventually, having heard God’s call, St. Francis of Assisi decided to leave behind everything, all the money, wealth and possessions, the status and inheritance he was to receive from his father and family. This infuriated his father, who went to reclaim St. Francis of Assisi, who had committed himself to a lifetime of service to God. He complained to the local bishop to whom St. Francis of Assisi had fled to, about all the investments and money he had spent on the education and upbringing of St. Francis as his heir.

Therefore, St. Francis left behind everything, and took off all of his clothings, as a symbol of total rejection of worldliness and all the privileges he had once been entitled to, renouncing all the temptations of life, and giving his all out of pure love and devotion for God. Ever since then, he left behind the world, and became a completely new person, a person totally devoted to the service of God.

He founded the Franciscan order, calling and inspiring many other men who were also called to the same vocation, to serve the Lord and His people in poverty, and to spread the Word of God and His truth to all those who have not yet heard of them or those who have been lukewarm in their faith. Through their works, and their dedication to the Lord, many souls have been saved from damnation.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, reflecting on what we have heard from the Sacred Scriptures, as well as from the life and experiences of St. Francis of Assisi, all of us should also do the same in our lives, by listening attentively to the Lord Who calls us in the depths of our hearts. And having heard His call, we should respond in kind, answering the call with our own response, just as courageously as St. Francis had answered his own.

Let us all no longer be lukewarm or passive in our faith, but instead, from now on let us be active in living a holy life devoted to God, in each of our own ways. God has called us to various vocations in life, and as long as we follow His will and obey His commandments, we shall bring greater glory to God. May the Lord continue to guide us on our path, and let us all renew our devotion to the Lord by doing what He wants us to do, day by day, ever growing more faithful to Him. Amen.

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Wednesday, 4 October 2017 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 9 : 57-62

At that time, as Jesus and His disciples went on their way, a man said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.” Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

To another, Jesus said, “Follow Me!” But he answered, “Let me go back now, for, first, I want to bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their dead; as for you, leave them, and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

Another said to Him, “I will follow You, Lord, but first let me say goodbye to my family.” And Jesus said to him, “Whoever has put his hand to the plow, and looks back, is not fit for the kingdom of God.”

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Wednesday, 4 October 2017 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 136 : 1-2, 3, 4-5, 6

By the streams of Babylon, we sat; and then wept, as we remembered Zion. When, on the poplars, we hung our harps.

Our captors asked for song. Our tormentors wanted songs of joy : “Sing to us one of the songs of Zion!”

How could we sing YHVH’s song in a strange and alien land? If I forget you, o Jerusalem, may my right hand fall useless!

May my tongue cleave to my palate if I remember you not, if Jerusalem is not the first of my joys.

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Wednesday, 4 October 2017 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Nehemiah 2 : 1-8

In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of king Artaxerxes, I was doing my duty as cupbearer. I took up the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad before the king in the past. So, the king said to me, “Why do you look sad? You do not look sick. Is there something that bothers you?”

I became hesitant. And I said, “May the king live forever! How could I afford not to be sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins and its gates are burnt down?” The king said to me, “What do you want, then?” I asked help of God from heaven and said to the king, “If it seems good to the king and if he is pleased with my work, then may he send me to the land of Judah, to the city where my ancestors are buried, that I may rebuild it.”

The queen was sitting beside the king, and the king asked me, “How long will you be gone? When will you be back?” I told him the date and he allowed me to leave. And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, may you give me letters for the governors of the province of the other side of the River that I may travel to Judah; and also a letter to Asaph, the caretaker of the king’s forest, for I will need wood for the gates of the citadel near the Temple, for the walls of the city and for the house where I shall live.”

The good hand of God was supporting me, so that the king gave me what I asked.