Liturgical Colour : White
Psalm 95 : 1-2a, 2b-3, 7-8a, 10
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. Recall His glory among the nations, tell all the peoples His wonderful deeds.
Give to the Lord, you families of nations, give to the Lord glory and strength. Give to the Lord the glory due His Name.
Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!” He will judge the peoples with justice.
Liturgical Colour : Green
1 Corinthians 7 : 29-31
I say this, brothers and sisters : time is running out, and those who are married must live as if not married; those who weep as if not weeping; those who are happy as if they were not happy; those buying something as if they had not bought it, and those enjoying the present life as if they were not enjoying it.
For the order of this world is vanishing.
Liturgical Colour : Green
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard two main things in the readings from the Holy Scriptures. The first, from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Hebrews spoke about the new covenant which Christ brought with Him and sealed with mankind, superseding the old covenant of God with Abraham and the people of God. And them the second, from the Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, is the calling of the Twelve Apostles, whom Jesus made as the chiefs of His disciples.
Today’s readings talk about the change brought about by Christ, to establish at last the promises which He had made to His people over the millennia. After long ages and years of difficulty, conflict and disobedience by the people of God, finally He came to straighten things out and remade things anew. And this is to remind us also that while we are ever disobedient and unfaithful, but our Lord is ever faithful to us, to the point of coming down Himself to seal the covenant, the new covenant with all of us.
The old covenant of Abraham and God was set after he obeyed the Lord’s call, who called him from his ancestral lands, to follow where the Lord instructed him to go to. Abraham was faithful, and he followed the Lord throughout his life, and he was even willing to sacrifice his own son, as a sign of that undying and ultimate faith which he had to the Lord. And for that faith, God rewarded him and promised him the great and rich inheritance and blessings which He would provide him and his descendants if they remained true to their part of the promise and the covenant.
The covenant which God established with Abraham and His descendants had been broken many, many times, and just as their ancestors had done, they disobeyed the Lord and broke their part of the covenant. They forgot about the Lord, abandoned Him, found and worshipped other gods instead of the one true God. The people of God had been rescued and protected from various harm and liberated even from the Egyptians, and yet still they had the nerve to complain against God and rebel against Him.
That was why the wrath of God was against them, and He scattered them over the nations. But this does not mean that He wanted their destruction or annihilation, but rather that they may return to Him and turn back on the evils that they have committed. And that covenant, having been broken by the disobedience of the people of God, had become a useful and empty covenant, without use or benefit, and that is why He sent us our Lord Jesus Christ, to be the Mediator and the bearer of the New Covenant.
And what is this new covenant? If we look at the first covenant, God established that covenant following the faithfulness of Abraham in following His will, and upon the sacrifices of animals, lambs and goats, the blood of those animals, He established the first covenant, but being based on imperfect offering of animal blood, it is not a steady and firm covenant, and it is dependent on both sides of those involved in the covenant, and if one party does not fulfill their part of the covenant, then it would be null and void.
That is why our Lord Jesus Christ established the new covenant with us all, which was sealed not by a mere offering of bull’s blood and lamb’s blood, but by the very blood of the Lamb of God, Christ Himself, who let Himself to be led to the slaughterhouse by His enemies, and allowed Himself to be humiliated and scourged, to be wounded for our sins, and thus to die for the sins we have committed, for all the rebelliousness and disobedience which we have committed through all time.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, today we have to realise that we have all been given a second chance by our loving God. He has given us this new chance through the sacrifice of His Son, who died on the cross for us. Are we grateful for the wonderful gifts which He had given us? Have we been thankful for all the love and mercy He had shown us all?
If our answers for all these are no, then we should really rethink our lives and reflect deep in our lives. Do we see the Lord as our loving Father, and as the One who has provided us with all that we need? Do we see the Lord as our Saviour who had freed us from the debts of sin which weighed us down and prevented us from being liberated from the bonds of Satan?
Therefore, brethren, let us all from today on, renew our commitment to the Lord our God, be faithful to Him and no longer commit anything that is wicked in the eyes of the Lord. Let us all realise that with every sin we committed, we brought great pain and sorrow for our Lord who desires nothing else but our salvation and liberation from death, which is caused by our sins.
Let us all change our ways for the better, sinning no more and following what our Lord had shown us. May Almighty God be with us all, and may He guide us all to life eternal, through the loving sacrifice which He had shown to all of us. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)
Psalm 110 : 1-2, 4-5, 9 and 10c
Alleluia! I thank the Lord with all my heart in the council of the just, in the assembly. The works of the Lord are great and pondered by all who delight in them.
He lets us remember His wondrous deeds; the Lord is merciful and kind. Always mindful of His covenant, He provides food for those who fear Him.
He has sent His people deliverances and made with them a covenant forever. His Holy Name is to be revered! To Him belongs everlasting praise.
Liturgical Colour : Green
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate the Second Sunday after Epiphany, the beginning of the Sundays after Epiphany and we are still in the middle of the season of Christmas, when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord. And as we proceed towards the upcoming season of the Lent, Holy Week and Easter, we move on from the birth and youth of Christ, and we began to hear His works and ministry in the readings which we heard today.
Our Lord Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist in the Jordan and that baptism marked the beginning of His ministry in this world. He called His disciples, the Apostles, and they followed Him. But He had not immediately started His works and miracles yet as He would later show to the world. He was tempted by Satan during His forty days sojourn in the desert and triumphed, and after He had called His first disciples, He likely returned to His home and His mother, Mary in Nazareth.
And it was to the wedding in Cana that His mother brought Him along, together with His disciples, and there He performed His first miracle, even though He did not intend to do it in the beginning. The couple met a big trouble on their wedding day, as they ran out of wine in the midst of that important occasion. This is truly a potentially very embarrassing event for the wedding couple, one that could have brought them shame forever.
For we have to understand that a wedding ceremony was a very important event and celebration in the society of the people of God, and it was written in the laws and the customs of the people, that such an event should be properly and thoroughly prepared. Many guests were to be invited and many people usually took part in such celebrations. Therefore, it is very important that the host, that is the couple celebrating their wedding, to provide as best as they could for their guests.
And wine is central to the celebrations of the wedding, just as it is central to the feasts and celebrations of the people of God. Wine is a symbol of joy, of celebration and of happiness, which also symbolise the happiness and joy the couple would have in their wedded life as husband and wife. To run out of wine on such an important occasion would be indeed the ultimate embarrassment and taboo as it would be seen as a very bad omen and a shame on the couple and their families.
Fortunately, as we heard in the Gospel, Mary intervened for their sake, and asking for the help of her Son, she sought to alleviate their problem. And even though Jesus was reluctant to help, as it was not yet His time to come to reveal His divinity to the people, but He listened to His mother’s request nonetheless. And we know the rest of the story. The water was turned into wine, and from having no wine at all, the couple received great praise and accolades for keeping the best quality wine until the end, the water turned to wine by Jesus.
From all these, we have two main things that we should learn and treasure from. The first one is the value and importance of marriage between man and woman. This is an institution and indeed the holy Sacrament that had been under constant attack and defilement in the recent years and decades, and as a result, our community and society begin to also lose their faith, because marriage is no longer viewed as sacred and as a result, the institution of the family is weakening too.
The wedding at Cana is a reminder for us all, that as Jesus chose to do His first miracle there, that we have to treasure married life for those of us who are already married, and we have to stay faithful to one another. We cannot overlook the importance of the family, and thus, all of us the faithful have to preserve the fullness of truth, our faith in our families, and this is the foundation of the strong faith we ought to have in all of us.
And secondly, that we have our Mother Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus, and the mother of us all as the guide, helper, and protector for us all. She is the mother of God, for she is the mother of Jesus, God made Man, and thus she sits now closest to the throne of her Son in heaven, the Almighty God and King of kings. And as she is the closest to our Lord, just as at Cana, whatever she requests to her Son is likely to be heard.
Therefore, it is good for us to deepen our devotion to Mary our mother, and through that the devotion we should have for our Lord Jesus Himself. We should ask for the protection and the prayers from our Blessed Mother, for if we, who like the wedding couple, encounter problems in this world, and if we ask her with the fullness of faith in God, then surely Mary will not hesitate to seek the help of Jesus her Son, and intercede for our sake on our behalf.
May Almighty God therefore bless all of us, and through Mary His mother, may He show us the path to salvation in Him. Let us all strengthen and renew our commitment to Him, and renew the love and faith in our families, treasuring the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony we have among us, and keeping our families ever strong and faithful, under the watchful eyes of our mother Mary and her Son, our Lord and God. Amen.
Epistle :
Gospel :
Liturgical Colour : Green
Psalm 39 : 2 and 4ab, 7-8a, 8b-9, 10
With resolve I waited for the Lord; He listened and heard me beg. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.
Sacrifice and oblation You did not desire; this You had me understand. Burnt offering and sin offering You do not require. Then I said, “Here I come!”
As the scroll says of me, to do Your will is my delight, o God, for Your Law is within my heart.
In the great assembly I have proclaimed Your saving help. My lips, o Lord, I did not seal – You know that very well.
Homily and Reflection :
Liturgical Colour : Green
1 Samuel 3 : 3b-10, 19
And Samuel also lay in the house of YHVH near the Ark of God. Then YHVH called, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel answered, “I am here!” and ran to Eli saying, “I am here, did you not call me?” But Eli said, “I did not call, go back to sleep.” So he went and lay down.
Then YHVH called again, “Samuel!” and Samuel stood up and went to Eli saying, “You called me; I am here.” But Eli answered, “I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep.”
Samuel did not yet know YHVH and the word of YHVH had not yet been revealed to him. But YHVH called Samuel for the third time and, as he went again to Eli saying, “I am here for you have called me,” Eli realised that it was YHVH calling the boy.
So he said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if He calls you again, answer : ‘Speak, YHVH, Your servant listens.'” Then YHVH came and stood there calling as He did before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant listens.”
Samuel grew; YHVH was with him and made all his words become true.
Homily and Reflection :
Liturgical Colour : Green
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard how Jesus cleansed a leper and made him whole and clean once again. The Gospel today from the Gospel of St. Mark showed the manifestation of God’s love and mercy through Jesus, who healed many people from the troubles of their flesh as well as their spirit. What we heard today was the healing of the flesh, the freedom from the diseases of the body.
Brethren, what we witnessed on this day through the Gospel is to show us that our Lord and God, Jesus Christ, is superior to all other things, and all things have been subsumed under His power and authority. Christ alone has the authority to heal diseases and sickness, and in Him alone ultimately lies the authority to heal also the diseases and sickness of our soul and spirit, that is our sinfulness.
This day’s readings had a clear theme, that is sin and rebellion against the will of God. Both of them are related, as indeed sin is in fact what is happening when we disobey the will of God and the Laws which He had set upon this world when He created us all. Just as our first ancestors chose to listen to Satan and eat the forbidden fruit, and thus disobeyed God and sinned.
Sin is the sickness of our soul, of our very spirit, which permeates deep within us and affect every part of our being. And it is indeed harmful, for sin causes the separation between us and our Lord. We cannot survive without God, and without God we are nothing. And death would have been our eternal fate, had God not intervened and prevented us from suffering such a fate.
Those who have sinned and did not repent, including the people of Israel, at the place known as Massah and Meribah, go directly into hell for their disobedience and refusal to listen to the Lord and also for their rejection of God’s grace and abundant love. Despite what the Lord had done for them, liberating them from the forces of the Pharaoh and from their slavery in Egypt, and despite Him having given them the bread from heaven, the manna, and even large birds for them to eat and sweet, crystal-clear water from the rocks to drink.
They constantly complained and complained, bringing shame indeed to the Lord, for this ungrateful chosen people, whom He had brought out of their slavery and suffering. They contended that their lives back in Egypt was much better, and they protested against what they saw as a restraint on their desires. They did not want it difficult and wanted to have it easy. And they were so caught up in it, that they failed to recognise and to appreciate what God had done for them.
They were blessed beyond measure and they received such great graces from God as never seen before in this universe. And yet they were so ungrateful, cursing and complaining against God, profaning the Holy Name of God. As such, their portion was destruction and eternal damnation, and they were cast down into hell. Do we want to share their fate? If we continue to be ungrateful ourselves for His love and care, then we will share their fate too.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, today let us all abandon all forms of sins and commit ourselves to a life without sin and corruption. Instead, let us all embrace the love which God has for us, and let us all seek the Lord with renewed strength and commitment. Let us all recognise the love with which God had shown us through Christ, and accept the rich graces He had bestowed us with and thank Him for all of them. Be not proud nor be filled with desires, but instead put on humility in our hearts.
Therefore, shall we all truly practice our faith in our own respective lives? Let our faith be no longer empty and dead, and let it no longer be meaningless. Let our faith be true and genuine, filled with love and actions showing that we truly are faithful servants and children of our Lord and God. May Almighty God give us His blessings, protect us and strengthen us always in this life, so that we may be courageous in living the Faith we have, and bear witness to His goodness all the days of our life. Amen.
First Reading :
Psalm :
Gospel Reading :
Liturgical Colour : Green
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard about the great act of God’s love again, the love which He had for us mankind, so much so that He took up our human form and by what He did, He sanctified the whole human race because He sanctified His very humanity and that essence of humanity by the mingling of His divinity with the Flesh and Blood that He offered for our salvation on the cross.
Yes, God had made us all sanctified and justified by Jesus, the Word of God made flesh and incarnate through Mary. As Christ is both God and Man at the same time, fully human and fully divine, He shares with us our human nature and our human body with all of its properties, and yet for He is without sin and pure, through His selfless offering of Himself as the sacrificial victim in place for our sins, thus He made all of us pure, just as the priests of Israel of old offered lambs and their blood for the purification of sins.
But while the priests of old offered the sacrifices for the people and also for themselves, for they were also sinners, and therefore having to offer the gifts and sacrifices again and again for the people continued to sin and deny the Lord, meanwhile the sacrifice of Christ is the sacrifice of the pure and blameless condemned to death, but one that was done out of great and infinite love. That sincere and selfless offering was accepted by God and became the source of our salvation.
And this salvation that God offered through Jesus Christ was the proof of His love and care for us. He cannot even bear to witness us falling into damnation and annihilation, the consequences of our rebelliousness and sinfulness. He wants us to be rescued from our great predicament, and thus He went forth showing that love through His healing of the sick, as what He had done with the mother-in-law of St. Peter.
By those miracles and healings, He became the sign of hope for many who saw in Him the salvation of God, and it gave them the hope of the liberation from the shackles of sin. Many flocked and thronged to see Him, and they brought many of the sick people to Him, so that He might heal them and make them whole once again. And many others also sought Him to hear Him and listen to His teachings, which dispelled the confusion and mystery of the Law of God, and revealed the Law in all of its full truth and reality.
And how is this relevant to us all, brothers and sisters in Christ? It is because we often forget the fact that we are sinners and we have been afflicted with that sickness of our soul. Sin taints our beings, and it separates us from the Lord, as long as we live in that sin and embrace the ways of sin as the way of life we adopt. We have to realise how we need to seek the Lord and ask Him to heal us and liberate us from our sins.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, just as the disciples told Jesus that everyone was looking for Him, and He responded by going forth to those people who sought Him, thus we too should seek out our Lord, who loves us very much, and who had given us the sanctification and purification by His death on the cross. He had given us so much, so what we should do is indeed to appreciate that love and has respect for our Lord’s sacrifice.
Therefore, as children of God, we should behave like what is expected from us, that is to live faithfully and keep love in our hearts always. If our actions, deeds and words reflect who we are supposed to be, then we have lived our faith quite well and in the end, not only we will be saved, but also others who see our faith, and through that they are saved as well together with us.
May Almighty God bless us all, grant us strength and perseverance to continue living this life we have with zeal and love, with the same love that God had given us, so that we may love one another and inspire each other in faith that all may be saved. God bless us all. Amen.
First Reading :
Psalm :
Gospel Reading :
Liturgical Colour : White
Isaiah 55 : 1-11
YHVH said, “Come here, all you who are thirsty, come to the water! All who have no money, come! Yes, without money and at no cost, buy and drink wine and milk. Why spend money on what is not food and labour for what does not satisfy? Listen to Me, and you will eat well; you will enjoy the richest of fare.”
“Incline your ear and come to Me; listen, that your soul may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, I will fulfill in you My promises to David. See, I have given him for a witness to the nations, a leader and commander of the people. Likewise you will summon a nation unknown to you, and nations that do not know you will come hurrying to you for the sake of YHVH your God, the Holy One of Israel, for He has promoted you.”
Seek YHVH while He may be found; call to Him while He is near. Let the wicked abandon his way, let him forsake his thoughts, let him turn to YHVH for He will have mercy, for our God is generous in forgiving. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, My ways are not your ways,” says YHVH.
“For as the heavens are above the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts above your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from the heavens and do not return till they have watered the earth, making it yield seed for the sower and food for others to eat, so is My Word that goes forth out of My mouth : It will not return to Me idle, but It shall accomplish My will, the purpose for which It has been sent.”
Alternative reading (from the Readings of Year A)
Isaiah 42 : 1-4, 6-7
Here is My servant whom I uphold, My Chosen One in whom I delight. I have put My Spirit upon Him, and He will bring justice to the nations. He does not shout or raise His voice, proclamations are not heard in the streets.
A broken reed He will not crush, nor will He snuff out the light of the wavering wick. He will make justice appear in truth. He will not waver or be broken until He has established justice on earth; the islands are waiting for His Law.
I, YHVH, have called You for the sake of justice; I will hold Your hand to make You firm; I will make You as a Covenant to the people, and as a Light to the nations, to open eyes that do not see, to free captives from prison, to bring out to light those who sit in darkness.
Homily and Reflection :
