Saturday

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Saturday, 3 August 2024 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Psalm 68 : 15-16, 30-31, 33-34

Rescue me, lest I sink in the mire; deliver me from the storm and the deep waters. Let not the flood engulf me, nor the deep suck me in, let not the pit close its mouth upon me.

But I myself, am humbled and wounded; Your salvation, o God, will lift me up. I will praise the Name of God in song; I will glorify Him with thanksgiving.

Let the lowly witness this, and be glad. You who seek God, may your hearts be revived. For YHVH hears the needy; and does not despise those in captivity.

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Saturday, 3 August 2024 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Jeremiah 26 : 11-16, 24

Then the priests and the prophets said to the leaders of the people : “This man must die for he has spoken against the city as you have heard with your own ears!”

Jeremiah replied, “I have been sent by YHVH to prophesy against this House and this city all that you have heard. Hence, reform your ways and your deeds and obey YHVH your God that He may change His mind and not bring upon you the destruction He had intended.”

“As for me I am in your hands; do with me whatever you consider just and right. But know that I am innocent; and if you take my life you commit a crime that is a curse on yourselves, on the city and the people. In truth it was YHVH Who sent me to say all that I said in your hearing.”

Then the leaders, backed by the people, said to the priests and the prophets, “This man does not deserve death; he spoke to us in the Name of YHVH.” As for Jeremiah, he was befriended by Ahikam, son of Shaphan, and was not handed over to those who wanted him put to death.

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Saturday, 27 July 2024 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the need for each and every one of us as those who believe in the Lord to contemplate our path in life, our actions and whatever it is that we have done, in all that we carry out in our lives so that our whole lives may always be truly exemplary and be faithful to God, and that we will strive to avoid falling into the temptations to sin, to disobey God and His Law and commandments. We must not allow the evil ones to persuade us otherwise and to mislead us down the path of darkness and ruin, by strengthening our own relationships with God, our Lord and Master, He Who has always loved us all these while.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah in which the prophet of God told the people the words of the Lord at the Temple of God in Jerusalem, which had long been profaned and corrupted by the wicked practices and actions of the people of the kingdom of Judah and Jerusalem. As the Lord Himself said to His people, telling them through Jeremiah how wicked their actions and deeds had been, in their lack of genuine faith in Him and in their many hypocritical actions and deeds, which angered the Lord and would lead them to their doom and downfall. They were to suffer the consequences of their actions, all their deeds in manipulating and persecuting their fellow brothers and sisters for their own selfish ambitions and desires.

God wanted His people at that time in the kingdom of Judah and hence all of us to realise that as His disciples and followers, all of us must realise that each and every one of our actions, words and deeds in life, our interactions and all our dealings with one another have to be accounted for, and we must understand that while God loves us all and does not despise us, all kinds of sins and wickedness are abhorrent to Him, and no sin and evil can stand before God’s Presence, or else we will be condemned and judged by those same sins which we have committed in our lives. That is why we need to turn away from all the wickedness that we ourselves had done in our lives, and embrace once again God’s love and mercy, seeking His forgiveness for our many sins.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the words of the Lord speaking to His disciples and the people using the parable of the good seeds and the weeds, in which the Lord spoke of the sower of the seeds, representing God Himself, and the enemy who sowed the seeds of weeds, which represents the devil, the evil one. In that parable, we heard how the seeds of the good seeds grew into good and fruitful plants that grew along the weeds that were competing with them for the nutrients, the space and all the resources needed for them to grow well. Weeds here often refer to those plants that are not useful or beneficial to us, and as competitors to the crop plants are therefore undesirable as they can make the good plants and crops unhealthy and lacking the resources they need to grow well.

However, as we heard, the master and sower of the seeds told his workers not to pluck out the weeds from the field as they were intertwined with the crops and good plants, and if they were to be plucked out, it might kill the good plants as well. This is related to what we have heard in our first reading passage today from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah, reminding all of us that God has always been patient in loving and caring for us, and within each and every one of us God has sowed the seeds of faith and love, all the blessings and graces He has bestowed upon us. However, at the same time, the devil and the other evil ones have also sowed in us the seeds of disobedience, doubt and evil, trying to compete with the love and truth that God has planted in each and every one of us.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, with regards to which among these seeds will grow and prosper within us, it depends on what kind of condition we are giving to them. If we live our lives in a manner that is truly worthy and committed to God, then within us the seeds that the Lord had sown in us will grow and prosper most bountifully. How can we do this, brothers and sisters in Christ? It is by doing what the Lord has taught us to do, by living our lives centred on Him and loving Him above all else, and ever growing deeper in our relationship with Him, as well as in our love for our fellow brothers and sisters, our fellow men around us. It is by truly embodying and living up to our faith in God that we can be truly worthy of God’s grace and salvation, and be brought into eternal glory and happiness that have been prepared for us.

On the other hand, if we allow ourselves to be swayed and tempted by the evil one and if we live our lives without following and obeying what God has commanded us all to do, and if we show injustice and selfish behaviours to others, causing hurt and sufferings for others in order to fuel and satisfy our own desires and personal ambitions, then all these will cause the seeds of disobedience, doubt and evil to grow within us, bringing us ever more distant and further away from God and His grace. We must realise that in the end, if we continue to walk down this path, although we may enjoy and find it more pleasurable and easier in life, but we will be judged and condemned by all the sins we committed, and in the end, what we may have is nothing less than eternal damnation.

Let us all therefore no longer be ignorant of what we need to urgently do in order to seek God’s forgiveness for our many sins, and for us to reorientate our lives so that we may once again live them in accordance with God’s will. Let us all be good role models, examples and inspiration for our fellow brothers and sisters, that in all the things we do and carry out in each and every moments, we will always strive to cultivate a life that is truly holy and worthy of God. May the Lord continue to strengthen and empower us all so that we may always be faithful to Him at all times, and may He grant us the strength and the courage to carry on living our lives ever more courageously and worthily as good and devout Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people, now and always. Amen.

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Saturday, 27 July 2024 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Matthew 13 : 24-30

At that time, Jesus told the people another parable, “The kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a man, who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep, his enemy came, and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the plants sprouted and produced grain, the weeds also appeared. Then, the servants of the owner came, and said to him, ‘Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed in your field? Where did the weeds come from?'”

“He answered them, ‘This is the work of an enemy.’ They asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull up the weeds?’ He told them, ‘No, when you pull up the weeds, you might uproot the wheat with them. Let them grow together, until harvest; and, at harvest time, I will say to the workers : Pull up the weeds first, tie them in bundles and burn them; then gather the wheat into my barn.'”

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Saturday, 27 July 2024 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Psalm 83 : 3, 4, 5-6a and 8a, 11

My soul yearns; pines, for the courts of YHVH. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest where she may lay her young, at Your altars, o YHVH of hosts, my King and my God!

Happy are those who live in Your house, continually singing Your praise! Happy, the pilgrims whom You strengthen, they go from strength to strength.

One day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be left at the threshold in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of the wicked.

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Saturday, 27 July 2024 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Jeremiah 7 : 1-11

These words were spoken by YHVH to Jeremiah, “Stand at the gate of YHVH’s House and proclaim this in a loud voice : Listen to what YHVH says, all you people of Judah (who enter these gates to worship YHVH). YHVH the God of Israel says this : Amend your ways and your deeds and I will stay with you in this place. Rely not on empty words such as : ‘Look, Temple of YHVH! Temple of YHVH! This is the Temple of YHVH!’”

“It is far better for you to amend your ways and act justly with all. Do not abuse the stranger, orphan or widow or shed innocent blood in this place or follow false gods to your own ruin. Then I will stay with you in this place, in the land I gave to your ancestors in times past and forever.”

“But you trust in deceptive and useless words. You steal, kill, take the wife of your neighbour; you swear falsely, worship Baal and follow foreign gods who are not yours. Then, after doing all these horrible things, you come and stand before Me in this Temple that bears My Name and say, ‘Now we are safe.’ Is this House on which rests My Name a den of thieves? I have seen this Myself – it is YHVH Who speaks.”

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Saturday, 20 July 2024 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Apollinaris, Bishop and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded to be ever more faithful to the Lord in all things, to do His will and not to give in to the temptations of worldly glory and power, all of which can lead us astray down the path of disobedience, evil and sin. We must always strive to be upright and good in all things, doing whatever we can so that by our good examples and actions grounded and anchored upon our firm foundation of faith in God, we will always be the worthy and faithful bearers of our Christian faith and truth in our world today. All of us should always be the guardians of the truth and of all that our Christian faith teaches us and shows us.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Micah in which the Lord told His people through Micah of His anger and the coming punishments and consequences awaiting His wicked and disobedient people, all of whom had chosen to disobey Him, walking down the path of rebellion and wickedness, choosing to obey the lies of the devil rather than to trust in the Lord, their God and Master. The prophet Micah was sent to the people of the southern kingdom of Judah, during the time of the downfall of the northern kingdom of Israel and the Assyrian invasion and domination of the kingdom of Judah by King Sennacherib. He was one of the prophets who were active at the time, and he brought God’s words to His people in Judah.

We heard about all the things that would soon happen to the people and kingdom of Judah, the downfall of those who have long disobeyed His commandments and preferring to follow the wicked paths of the false idols and pagan gods rather than to trust and have faith in their Lord and Master Who had taken care of them all, all throughout the years of their prosperous existence in Judah and Israel. The consequences for those sins have to be faced by the people themselves, and that was why the Lord gave them all this warning and premonition through Micah. Of course, He did so while also telling them of His love and mercy, and showing them the prophecy of the coming liberation and salvation that they would receive from God.

Through this, the Lord wanted to show His people that He truly loved each and every one of them, and He did not truly want to punish them or make their lives difficult, but it was rather their hardened hearts and minds, their stubbornness and their continued rebellion against God which had condemned them and led them to their predicaments. They did not trust in the Lord and refused to obey by His Law and commandments, and as a result, they suffered, they became lost and they were muddled in their paths and thoughts. But the Lord never gave up on them, and He continued to send His help and guidance through His prophets, and promised them the ultimate salvation that He ultimately fulfilled and accomplished through the sending of His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard from the passage taken from the Gospel of St. Matthew in which the Lord Jesus and how He was treated by the Pharisees and many of the religious elites of His time were highlighted to all of us. The Lord Jesus was indeed the One Whom God had sent into this world, the Son of God Incarnate in the flesh, the Son of Man, through Whom God would gather everyone to Himself, all of His beloved ones, showing them all His love manifested perfectly in the flesh. And yet, He was rejected and opposed by those who were supposedly the most knowledgeable about the Law and the teachings of the prophets, as they saw in Him a great Rival and even threat to their own power, influence and authority among the people of God.

Nonetheless, the Lord continued to do His best to reach out to those who are dear and beloved to Him, caring for them as best as He could, showing them His ever generous and patient love even when the people had disobeyed Him and refused to follow His path, through their stubbornness and disobedience. He still reached out to them, performing His works and miracles in their midst, sending His disciples to share with them all His truth, Good News, love and guidance. The Lord did everything just as the prophets had foretold of Him, loving all of them wonderfully and generously, reaching out to the greatest sinners and those deemed most unworthy in the midst of the people, like the prostitutes and tax collectors, those who were suffering from maladies and diseases, and those possessed by evil spirits.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Apollinaris, a great and holy servant of God whose life and commitment to the Lord is truly inspirational and a great example for all of us to follow in our own lives. He was also known as St. Apollinaris of Ravenna after the place of his ministry as bishop and his martyrdom in the early history of the Church. He was likely born in Antioch or in its surrounding region in Syria, and he was either one of the seventy-two disciples or a disciple of St. Peter according to Apostolic history and tradition. St. Apollinaris was appointed as the first Bishop of Ravenna, covering the region of northern and eastern parts of what is today Italy, as the early Church kept on growing rapidly and gaining more and more converts, expanding the reach of its works to the people who have not yet known the Lord and His salvation.

St. Apollinaris dedicated much of his life and ministry to proclaim the Good News of God to more and more people in his diocese, spreading the Christian faith and truth to those who still believed in the pagan faith of the Roman Empire. He managed to convince quite a number of people to embrace the Lord as their God and Saviour, establishing a vibrant Christian community in Ravenna and its surrounding regions. Despite all the challenges and persecutions that he had to endure and suffer, including being beaten and left half-dead at the seashore by the pagans, and being forced to walk on burning coals, St. Apollinaris continued to remain firmly faithful and committed to his mission, captured and beaten more times, only to miraculously survive and continuing on with his missions. In the end, he was persecuted and beaten again close to death, and before he died, he predicted that while the Church would continue to be persecuted, but it will eventually be triumphant with God.

From the examples shown by the great St. Apollinaris, his life and courageous martyrdom, all of us are reminded that as Christians we have been entrusted with the mission to proclaim the salvation of the Lord and His Good News which we have received and believed in, so that in all the things that we say and do, in our every moments in our respective lives, we will continue to be great role models and inspirations in faith for one another just like how St. Apollinaris and the many other saints, holy men and women of God have inspired us all as well. May all of us continue to be inspired and strengthened to do what God had taught, commanded and entrusted to us to do, now and always, and may He bless us in all of our every good works and deeds, in our every good efforts and endeavours. Amen.

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Saturday, 20 July 2024 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Apollinaris, Bishop and Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Matthew 12 : 14-21

At that time, the Pharisees went out, and made plans to get rid of Jesus. As Jesus was aware of their plans, He left that place. Many people followed Him, and He cured all who were sick. But He gave them strict orders not to make Him known.

In this way, Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled : Here is My Servant, Whom I have chosen; the One I love, and with Whom I am pleased. I will put My Spirit upon Him; and He will announce My judgment to the nations. He will not argue or shout, nor will His voice be heard in the streets. The bruised reed He will not crush, nor snuff out the smouldering wick until He brings justice to victory, and in Him, all the nations will put their hope.

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Saturday, 20 July 2024 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Apollinaris, Bishop and Martyr (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Psalm 9 : 22-23, 24-25, 28-29, 35

Why, o YHVH, do You stand afar? Why hide from us in times of distress? The wicked are in power; the weak suffer harassment; the poor become victims of evil schemes.

Exploiters boast in their power and greed; the covetous blasphemes and defies God. In their pride the wicked say, “There is no God.” They see no further.

Their mouths are filled with cursing, deceit and threats; spite and mischief are under their tongues. They lie in ambush near the villages, murdering the innocent and the unfortunate, spying upon their next victim.

But You see those in misery, o God, and You take it in hand. The unfortunate commits himself to You; the orphan turns to You for help.

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Saturday, 20 July 2024 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Apollinaris, Bishop and Martyr (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Micah 2 : 1-5

Woe to those who plot wickedness and plan evil even on their beds! When morning comes they do it, as soon as it is within their reach. If they covet fields, they seize them. Do they like houses? They take them. They seize the owner and his household; both, the man and his property.

This is why YHVH speaks, “I am plotting evil against this whole brood, from which your necks cannot escape. No more shall you walk with head held high, for it will be an evil time.” On that day, they will sing a taunting song against you; and a bitter lamentation will be heard, “We have been stripped of our property in our homeland. Who will free us from the wicked who allots our fields.”

Truly, no one will be found in the assembly of YHVH to keep a field for you.