Saturday

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Saturday, 16 March 2024 : 4th Week of Lent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

John 7 : 40-53

At that time, many who had been listening to these words began to say, “This is the Prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some wondered, “Would the Christ come from Galilee? Does Scripture not say that the Christ is a descendant of David and from Bethlehem, the city of David? The crowd was divided over Him. Some wanted to arrest Him, but no one laid hands on Him.

The officers of the Temple went back to the chief priests, who asked them, “Why did you not bring Him?” The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this Man.” The Pharisees then said, “So you, too, have been led astray! Have any of the rulers or any of the Pharisees believed in Him? Only those cursed people, who have no knowledge of the Law!”

Yet one of them, Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier, spoke out, “Does our law condemn people without first hearing them and knowing the facts?” They replied, “Do you, too, come from Galilee? Look it up and see for yourself that no prophet is to come from Galilee.” And they all went home.

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Saturday, 16 March 2024 : 4th Week of Lent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 7 : 2-3, 9bc-10, 11-12

O Lord, my God, in You I take shelter; deliver me and save me from all my pursuers, lest lions tear me to pieces with no one to rescue me.

O Lord, my righteousness; You see that I am blameless. Bring to an end the power of the wicked, but affirm the just, o righteous God, searcher of mind and heart.

You cover me as a shield. Oh God, for You protect the upright. A righteous judge is God, His anger ever awaiting those who refuse to repent.

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Saturday, 16 March 2024 : 4th Week of Lent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Jeremiah 11 : 18-20

YHVH made it known to me and so I know! And You let me see their scheming. But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. I did not know it was against me that they were plotting, “Let us feed him with trials and remove him from the land of the living and let his name never be mentioned again.”

YHVH, God of hosts, You Who judge with justice and know everyone’s heart and intentions, let me see Your vengeance on them, for to You I have entrusted my cause.

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Saturday, 9 March 2024 : 3rd Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Frances of Rome, Religious (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we continue being reminded of the need for us all to come towards the Lord and seek His mercy and love, as He is truly a loving, compassionate and merciful God, Who has always loved each and every one of us without cease from the very beginning. The Lord has given us many opportunities to come back towards Him, and He has also reminded us to seek His mercy and forgiveness. It is therefore up to us whether we want to embrace this generous offer of mercy and forgiveness or not. In particular, this Lent we should spend more time to come ever closer to God.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Hosea a reminder and calling that Hosea had made to the people of God living in the kingdoms of Israel and Judah for them to turn away from their sinful and wicked ways, to reject their evil and disobedient actions, embracing once again God’s path, His truth and love, and coming towards Him with contrite and sorrowful hearts and minds. Hosea was sent to a people who were rebellious and stubborn, who refused to listen to reason and to the words of the Lord that had been brought to them by His many prophets and messengers. God continued to send His prophets to them regardless, and through those like Hosea, He first warned them of the consequences and sufferings that they would have to suffer if they kept on walking down the path of sin, but at the same time, He also reassured them of His love and kindness.

The Lord has loved His people all the time since the very beginning, and while He despised their many sins and wickedness, He still wanted to call them all back to His loving embrace and Presence, and thus, He reminded them of their sinfulness and wickedness, turning themselves away from the path of sin and evil. Each and every one of us are called to do the same as well, as we should realise that if we continue to sin against God, then in the end, we will have to face the consequences of those sins we have committed. God gave us all His reassurances that if we are truly repentant and regretful for our sins and faults, then we shall be forgiven and reconciled with Him, and we shall enjoy once again the fullness of His love and grace.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel of St. Luke in which the Lord Jesus told His disciples and all those assembled about the story of how a Pharisee and a tax collector prayed in the House of God. In that story we heard how the Pharisee prayed with great pride and arrogance, praising himself and looking down on the tax collector who was there praying to the Lord as well. Meanwhile, the tax collector prayed with humility, bowing down low before the Lord, recognising his sins and wickedness. The Lord made it clear that it was the prayer of the humble tax collector that was heard by God and it was him who would be forgiven and be found more worthy than the prideful and arrogant Pharisee. treats us well, and we are all precious and beloved by Him, and we really should not take it for granted. He has given us all many opportunities and chances to reach out to Him for help and liberation from our many sins, and we should embrace His love and mercy.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of a great and holy woman, whose faith and dedication in serving others who are less fortunate, her piety, holiness and commitment to God should be good examples and inspirations for all of us to follow. St. Frances of Rome was born into a wealthy Roman family during the late Middle Ages, and while she wanted to be a religious nun early on, her wealthy family forced her to marry an influential and wealthy man. Regardless, this marriage proved to be a long-lasting and happy one. She was truly a virtuous and holy woman, an exemplary wife and servant of God in all things.

St. Frances of Rome dedicated herself in her own ways to contribute to the Church and to the people around her as best as she could. She involved herself very actively in her community, in reaching out to the poor and the sick, caring them and showing them gentle care, affection and love. In one occasion, during a period of flood and famine, it was recorded that she even opened her rich family’s large estate and turned part of it into a hospital to care for the sick and the dying. This led to opposition from her father-in-law, but the same man ceased his opposition when St. Frances miraculously caused the corn bins and wine barrels to be refilled after she prayed for them, showing clear signs of Divine favour.

St. Frances continued to involve herself in the many affairs of the Church and her community at the time, especially at the moment when there were lots of conflicts and divisions in the community. She continued to take care of the poor and the sick, using her blessings and other means within her reach to help those who had no one to help or care for them. She lived a very devout and holy life, and she inspired many other women to join her effort and cause, eventually leading to the foundation of the religious confraternity called the Olivetan Oblates of Mary, through which she continued to do her charitable works to the end of her life.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore strive to follow the good examples and inspiration shown to us by St. Frances of Rome, who have dedicated herself and her whole life to serve the Lord and the people around her, that we may also live our lives with great faith in God, and ever always filled with generous love for one another. In this time and season of Lent, let us all continue to live our lives with ever stronger desire to follow the Lord our God, to commit ourselves to Him and to do His will. Let us all continue to do what we can so that our whole lives may continue to be good examples for everyone around us. May God be with us all and may He empower us to be His faithful disciples and followers at all times. Amen.

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Saturday, 9 March 2024 : 3rd Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Frances of Rome, Religious (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Luke 18 : 9-14

At that time, Jesus told another parable to some people, fully convinced of their own righteousness, who looked down on others : “Two men went up to the Temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the other a tax collector.”

“The Pharisee stood by himself, and said, ‘I thank You, God, that I am not like other people, grasping, crooked, adulterous, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and give a tenth of all my income to the Temple.’ In the meantime the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.’”

“I tell you, when this man went back to his house, he had been reconciled with God, but not the other. For whoever makes himself out to be great will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be raised up.”

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Saturday, 9 March 2024 : 3rd Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Frances of Rome, Religious (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 50 : 3-4, 18-19, 20-21ab

Have mercy on me, o God, in Your love. In Your great compassion blot out my sin. Wash me thoroughly of my guilt; cleanse me of evil.

You take no pleasure in sacrifice; were I to give a burnt offering, You would not delight in it. O God, my sacrifice is a broken spirit; a contrite heart, You will not despise.

Shower Zion with Your favour : rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Then, You will delight in fitting sacrifices, in burnt offerings, and bulls, offered on Your altar.

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Saturday, 9 March 2024 : 3rd Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Frances of Rome, Religious (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Hosea 6 : 1-6

Come, let us return to YHVH. He Who shattered us to pieces, will heal us as well; He has struck us down, but He will bind up our wounds. Two days later He will bring us back to life; on the third day, He will raise us up, and we shall live in His presence.

Let us strive to know YHVH. His coming is as certain as the dawn; His judgment will burst forth like the light; He will come to us as showers come, like spring rain that waters the earth. O Ephraim, what shall I do with you? O Judah, how shall I deal with you?

This love of yours is like morning mist, like morning dew that quickly disappears. This is why I smote you through the prophets, and have slain you by the words of My mouth. For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice; it is knowledge of God, not burnt offerings.

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Saturday, 2 March 2024 : 2nd Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures presented to us, let us all be reminded of God’s great mercy, His desire to forgive us our many sins and wickedness, and His willingness to be reconciled with us and to embrace us once again, bringing us back into His loving embrace and Presence. Today’s readings remind us all that we are truly precious and beloved by the Lord our God, and He has always been patient in reaching out to us, calling us, helping and guiding us to return back to Him, despite our frequent disobedience, rebellions and stubbornness in refusing to accept and embrace His mercy and love which He has generously given to us.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Micah, we heard of the words of Micah speaking about God’s great love and mercy, and the prayers of the people which Micah made on behalf of them, asking the Lord to show them all His compassion, mercy and forgiveness, so that they might once again be His beloved people, guided, strengthened and led by His mighty hands, as He had done in the past. The prophet Micah was sent mainly to the people of the southern kingdom of Judah during and after the days of the destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel, which fell during the time of his ministry, as the Assyrians came to conquer that kingdom and destroyed its capital, Samaria.

Micah was entrusted with the message and warnings from God to His people, telling all of them that if they continued with their sinful and wicked ways, then they would have to face the consequences of their wicked actions and way of life. He foretold the destruction of both Samaria and Jerusalem, the capitals of both the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, with the destruction of the former happening during his lifetime and ministry as mentioned earlier. Judah and Jerusalem would also have to face the consequences of their sins, although their northern neighbours, who had been more rebellious and wicked, had to face their consequences first.

But Micah was also entrusted by God to pass on to the people the reminder that despite all the warnings and the premonitions of the sufferings and hardships that the people would have to face for their many sins, but the Lord was ultimately loving and caring towards all of them, and desired that every one of them should return to Him, repentant and full of regret over all of their wickedness and sins. If only that the people of God realised that what they had done in their lives were wicked, evil and unworthy of God, they could have opened their minds and hearts more to embrace God, His love and mercy, and thus, be reconciled with Him, and be forgiven from those sins, by their loving God, Who is also their loving Father and Creator.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard more about this aspect of God as a loving and forgiving Father, as we heard the famous parable of the prodigal son, a perfect parable for this time and season of Lent. In that parable of the prodigal son, which I am sure we are all quite familiar with, the father of two sons represents the Lord Himself, and the elder and ‘good’ son being a representative of those who have lived their lives virtuously and righteously in accordance with God’s ways, while the younger, ‘prodigal’ son is a representation of all those who have sinned against God by their disobedience and refusal to follow the Law and commandments of God, in doing what is evil and wicked in God’s sight.

That younger ‘prodigal’ son as we heard in the parable went to the father to ask him for his portion of his inheritance. Then, despite the father likely knowing his younger son’s character and how he would spend all that wealth and money, he gave it to the latter nonetheless. This is showing us just how much God loves everyone, be it good or evil, righteous or sinful. He gave His blessings to everyone, and He still loves everyone equally. Even the worst of sinners can still be reconciled with the Lord, and that is the message that this parable of the prodigal son wants to highlight to us. The prodigal son went off to the faraway country, squandered all of his wealth and possessions, and was left with nothing. He came back to his father eventually after gathering the courage to do so, overcoming his pride and willingly humbled himself to seek his father’s forgiveness.

There are indeed a lot of layers and very important meanings behind all of those details mentioned, first of which is that, just as all those wealth and properties ran out for the prodigal son, thus, none of our worldly means, power and glory can sustain and satisfy us completely, as eventually, they will fail us and be exhausted, no matter how many of them we actually possess. In the end, depending on all those things will lead us to nowhere but regret and sufferings, as the prodigal son had experienced. All his friends left him when he had nothing left with him, because they likely only came to him and were close to him because of what he had and what he could spend for them and with them. Then, when he had nothing, it is his father, which for us is the Lord our God, Who is our only hope left.

Now, just as the prodigal son went through some struggle and difficulties in deciding whether to return to his father or not, thinking of the shame and also likely still having some shred of pride in him, in not wanting to return and admit his mistakes, thus many of us also struggle in deciding to come back to our loving God and Father, to ask for His forgiveness and mercy. Why is that so? That is because we allow our pride, ego and all of the attachments we have to the worldly matters to influence our choice of actions and decision in life. God has always been generous with His love and mercy, and He is always welcoming towards us, willing to forgive us our many sins and evils, our wickedness and faults if we are willing to repent from them and turn away from this path of sin. He welcomes us all back to Him just as the father welcomed back his prodigal son to himself.

And we also remember the elder brother who became angry at the younger, prodigal brother and complained to the father because he had been good and righteous, and yet, he was not given the chance to celebrate in the manner that his younger brother had been given. This is a reminder for all of us that God loves us all equally, and we should never think that we are better or more worthy than others, or worse still think that we are entitled to discriminate or being judgmental against others whom we may deem to be less worthy than us. Instead of that, we should be concerned and showing care for our brethren who are still walking in the path of darkness and evil. We should do our best, in whatever way we can, so that our lives may always inspire others around us, and in whatever we do, we will always be ready and willing to help our brothers and sisters who need our help and guidance.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, having been reminded of God’s ever generous love and mercy, let us all hence be grateful and thankful that God has shown His great love, compassion and mercy. Let us all strive to commit ourselves ever more to Him and do our best especially during this time and season of Lent, to return to Him once again with repentance and contrite hearts. May the Lord, our most loving and forgiving Father, continue to be with us and guide us in our journey of faith towards Him, that we, His prodigal sons and daughters, may come back to Him with faith. Amen.

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Saturday, 2 March 2024 : 2nd Week of Lent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Luke 15 : 1-3, 11-32

At that time, tax collectors and sinners were seeking the company of Jesus, all of them eager to hear what He had to say. But the Pharisees and the scribes frowned at this, muttering, ‘This Man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

So Jesus told them this parable : “There was a man with two sons. The younger said to his father, ‘Give me my share of the estate.’ So the father divided his property between them. Some days later, the younger son gathered all his belongings and started off for a distant land, where he squandered his wealth in loose living.”

“Having spent everything, he was hard pressed when a severe famine broke out in that land. So he hired himself out to a well-to-do citizen of that place, and was sent to work on a pig farm. So famished was he, that he longed to fill his stomach even with the food given to the pigs, but no one offered him anything.”

“Finally coming to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will get up and go back to my father, and say to him, Father, I have sinned against God, and before you. I no longer deserve to be called your son. Treat me then as one of your hired servants.’ With that thought in mind, he set off for his father’s house.”

“He was still a long way off, when his father caught sight of him. His father was so deeply moved with compassion that he ran out to meet him, threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. The son said, ‘Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before you. I no longer deserve to be called your son.'”

“But the father turned to his servants : ‘Quick!’ he said. ‘Bring out the finest robe and put it on him! Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet! Take the fattened calf and kill it! We shall celebrate and have a feast, for this son of mine was dead, and has come back to life; he was lost, and is found!’ And the celebration began.”

“Meanwhile, the elder son had been working in the fields. As he returned and approached the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what it was all about. The servant answered, ‘Your brother has come home safe and sound, and your father is so happy about it that he has ordered this celebration, and killed the fattened calf.'”

“The elder son became angry, and refused to go in. His father came out and pleaded with him. The son, very indignant, said, ‘Look, I have slaved for you all these years. Never have I disobeyed your orders. Yet you have never given me even a young goat to celebrate with my friends. Then when this son of yours returns, after squandering your property with loose women, you kill the fattened calf for him.'”

“The father said, ‘My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But this brother of yours was dead, and has come back to life; he was lost, and is found. And for that we had to rejoice and be glad.'”

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Saturday, 2 March 2024 : 2nd Week of Lent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 102 : 1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12

Bless the Lord, my soul; all my being, bless His holy Name! Bless the Lord, my soul, and do not forget all His kindness.

He forgives all your sins and heals all your sickness; He redeems your life from destruction and crowns you with love and compassion.

He will not always scold nor will He be angry forever. He does not treat us according to our sins, nor does He punish us as we deserve.

As the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His love for those fearing Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove from us our sins.