Saturday

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Saturday, 4 November 2023 : 30th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Charles Borromeo, Bishop (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded that all of us as Christians, we should be good examples in our faith and way of life for one another, and we should always keep in mind what God has prepared for us, in a life blessed by His grace and love, and what He has taught us to do, in His Law and commandments. God has not abandoned us all sinners, and He has always loved us all regardless, and He wants each and every one of us to be reconciled and reunited with Him. He has shown us all these and taught us these so that hopefully we may come to realise the depth of our folly and wickedness, because of our sins, and hence be reunited once again with Him in embracing the love and forgiveness that He has offered us. However, it is often that in order to do this, we must first humble ourselves before God.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans in which St. Paul continued in his discourse, comparing the actions of the Jews who have persecuted him and how these oppositions and persecutions did not actually make them to be truly evil and wicked. They are still after all the chosen and beloved people of God, with whom God had made His Covenant, and confirmed in His love. Despite their many sins, God still cared for them and loved them all patiently, showing them His love and mercy, calling them to return to Him and reminding them of the Law He had given and revealed to them, and the Covenant He had made with them. God has always shown His salvation to all, and He intended it to be given to all mankind, and not just to the Israelites alone, unlike what some among the Jewish people at that time thought.

As St. Paul highlighted it in our first reading today, that as God revealed His salvation and grace to all the nations, to the pagan nations and the Gentiles, or the non-Jewish people, He was also calling the descendants of the Israelites, whom He had first called among the others, to be coming together with the other nations towards Him as well. That is what the Lord has always intended with all of us His beloved people, and He still loves all of His people, regardless whether they were called first or later, and as a sign that He truly loved all of them, was how He sent His Son, the Liberator mentioned by St. Paul through the Jewish people themselves, Whose truth, works and actions would purify not just the sons and daughters of Israel, but also the whole entire world, for all the children of mankind, whom God had created with great love and care.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the Lord Jesus Who was having a meal in the house of a Pharisee, with the other Pharisees closely watching over Him to see His actions and responses, and the Lord told the people assembled and the Pharisees themselves of a parable in which He subtly criticised the Pharisees for their self-righteous and disobedient attitude, in thinking that they were better than any others, and that they were more worthy than everyone around them. In their blind obedience to the Law and in their overly strict interpretation of the Law and the precepts of God, they had actually failed to do what they had been entrusted and called to do, in showing the love of God to more of His people through their examples and actions.

Instead, many among the Pharisees chose to parade their piety and faith practices, showing off their faith and how committed they were to others, making public their prayers and observances, and thus, behaving like those whom the Lord presented in the parable, as those who sought the front seats and premier places in an event or celebration, only to be put to shame by the more distinguished guests that came later. This was a reference to how the tax collectors and prostitutes, whom the Pharisees despised and looked down upon as unworthy sinners, were in fact closer to God’s salvation because they were fully aware of their sins, and humbly sought the Lord’s forgiveness and mercy, being healed through their humility and obedience to God, and their desire to change their way of life for better.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of the renowned St. Charles Borromeo, a great man of God and a great inspiration for many people all throughout the world, right up to this day. St. Charles Borromeo was born into a noble Italian family, and he was brought up well and eventually entered into Church career as a priest, studying Canon Law and other aspects, before rising greatly in prospects and achievements, as his uncle was elected as Pope Pius IV. The new Pope appointed St. Charles Borromeo to be a Cardinal, as a Cardinal-nephew entrusted with the governance of the Church and the Papal States. St. Charles Borromeo carried out his duties most responsibly and unlike many other senior Church leaders, and other important nobles of his time, he lived simply and with austerity, in contrast the great pursuits of hedonism and worldly pleasures of his time.

St. Charles Borromeo was instrumental in his role in managing and being involved in the Council of Trent, which stood at the forefront of the Church’s efforts in opposing the effects of the Protestant reformation, which had divided the Church and misled many of the faithful people of God down the wrong, sinful and erroneous paths. St. Charles Borromeo and many other Church leaders helped to reform the Church well, and established a strong foundation upon which the Counter-Reformation would spring and restore the Church to its past vigour. Then, St. Charles Borromeo also resisted the call by his family to abandon the clerical state and marry when his eldest brother passed away, and he became the eldest surviving son of his family, choosing to continue living righteously in accordance to what God had called him to do.

Later on, the Pope appointed St. Charles Borromeo as the administrator and eventually as Archbishop of Milan, leading one of the greatest and largest dioceses in the Church. He was ordained priest and bishop, and then launched himself into a very vigorous campaign of reform in the Milanese Church, which had drifted into corruption and wicked ways due to the absence of many of its past Archbishops and leaders. There were, according to past accounts, many corrupt practices like selling of indulgences, simony and inappropriate behaviour from both the priests and the laity alike, who have embraced worldly excesses and debauchery, in their pursuit of hedonism and worldly pleasures, instead of following the true path set before them by the Lord and His Church.

St. Charles Borromeo led by his great examples, pushing forth the reforms as agreed and decided in the Council of Trent, purifying the Church and the community from the perversion of evil and sin, from various worldly corruptions and distractions which have brought so much harm to the Church and the community of the faithful. He reformed the seminaries, emphasising on better education and training of future priests, and he also enforced greater discipline among the presbyterate, ensuring that the corruptions of worldly ways and matters no longer come to corrupt the Church and its ways. He remained humble and committed to God despite his high rank and status, and in a famous occasion, he was known for bearing a yoke on him, as he led the procession of the Blessed Sacrament through the streets of Milan during a pandemic. To the end of his life, St. Charles Borromeo remained dedicated to God and to the flock entrusted to him.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we all have seen and experienced from St. Charles Borromeo and his exemplary life, and also heeding whatever messages from the Scriptures that we have discussed just earlier on, let us all therefore commit ourselves anew to the Lord, and entrust ourselves to God and His providence from now on. May the Lord continue to help us and empower us, so that we may always ever be worthy of Him, in all of our deeds, actions and way of life. May He bless us all in our every good efforts and commitment, to live our lives worthily of Him at all times, and becoming good role models for one another. Amen.

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Saturday, 4 November 2023 : 30th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Charles Borromeo, Bishop (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 14 : 1, 7-11

At that time, one Sabbath Jesus had gone to eat a meal in the house of a leading Pharisee, and He was carefully watched. Jesus then told a parable to the guests, for He had noticed how they tried to take the places of honour.

And He said, “When you are invited to a wedding party, do not choose the best seat. It may happen that someone more important than you has been invited; and your host, who invited both of you, will come and say to you, ‘Please give this person your place.’ What shame is yours when you take the lowest seat!”

“Whenever you are invited, go rather to the lowest seat, so that you host may come and say to you, ‘Friend, you must come up higher.’ And this will be a great honour for you in the presence of all the other guests. For whoever makes himself out to be great will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

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Saturday, 4 November 2023 : 30th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Charles Borromeo, Bishop (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 93 : 12-13a, 14-15, 17-18

Fortunate the one You correct, o YHVH, the one You teach Your Law; You give them relief from distress.

YHVH will not reject His people, nor will He forsake His heritage. Justice will return to the just; and the upright will follow, in its wake.

Had YHVH not helped me, I would have fallen into the silence of death. No sooner did I say, “My foot is slipping,” Your kindness, o YHVH, held me up.

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Saturday, 4 November 2023 : 30th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Charles Borromeo, Bishop (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Romans 11 : 1-2a, 11-12, 25-29

And so I ask : Has God rejected His people? Of course not! I, myself, am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. No, God has not rejected the people He knew beforehand.

Again, I ask : Did they stumble so as to fall? Of course not. Their stumbling allowed salvation to come to the pagan nations, and, this, in turn, will stir up the jealousy of Israel. If Israel’s shortcoming made the world rich, if the pagan nations grew rich with what they lost, what will happen when Israel is restored?

I want you to understand the mysterious decree of God, lest you be too confident : a part of Israel will remain hardened, until the majority of pagans have entered. Then, the whole of Israel will be saved, as Scripture says : From Zion will come the Liberator, Who will purify the descendants of Jacob from all sin. And this is the Covenant I will make with them : I will take away from them their sins.

Regarding the Gospel, the Jews are opponents, but it is for your benefit. Regarding election, they are beloved, because of their ancestors; because the call of God, and His gifts, cannot be nullified.

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Saturday, 28 October 2023 : Feast of St. Simon and St. Jude, Apostles (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Universal Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Apostles, St. Simon and St. Jude. Both of them are parts of the Twelve Apostles, the innermost circle among all of the Lord’s followers and disciples, as those whom the Lord had called, chosen and appointed to be the principal assistants and supporters to His divine mission and works in this world. Both of them were ordinary men called by God to greatness, as they embarked on a new journey, mission and calling for then to be the ones through whom the Lord would be proclaimed and glorified. The Apostles St. Simon and St. Jude had dedicated themselves to the service of the Lord, and has done many great and wonderful things according to the various Apostolic traditions and histories, and they are truly our great role models and inspirations.

St. Simon the Apostle was also known as Simon the Zealot, as a member of the Zealots, which was then one of the political parties and forces present within the Jewish community. He was also sometimes known as Simon the Canaanite or Canaanean. As a former member of the Zealots, it was likely that he was involved in the sometimes violent struggles of the Zealots in opposing the occupation of Judea and Galilee by the Romans, who were then the rulers and overlords of the whole entire region. Previous rebellions and uprisings by the Zealots and other Messiah claimants had happened several times as they tried to liberate themselves from the Roman rule, and they waited and looked forward to the coming of the Messiah, the Son of David, Who was prophesied to be the leader of the Israelites, and Who would restore the old glorious Kingdom of Israel.

St. Simon the Apostle likely followed the Lord Jesus initially because he hoped that Jesus would be the Messiah that the people, especially the Zealots were awaiting for, and hoping that He would lead them in triumph in battle and struggle for freedom from the Romans. However, after having followed the Lord and remained as one of His closest disciples, as members of the Twelve, St. Simon eventually entrusted himself wholly in the Lord’s path and providence, and he spent his life in glorifying the Lord, and in doing whatever it is that God had sent and commissioned him to do, together with the other Apostles who had been sent out to proclaim the Good News and carry out His will and commandments. St. Simon went to evangelise in many places, such as Egypt and others, and eventually went to join St. Jude in his efforts in Persia and Armenia, where they were martyred together, that is why we celebrate their feasts together on this day.

Meanwhile, St. Jude the Apostle, also known as St. Jude Thaddeus or St. Judas Thaddeus, with the distinction from the traitor Judas Iscariot, was another one of the Twelve Apostles, called and chosen by the Lord to be the part of His innermost circle of disciples. St. Jude Thaddeus according to various traditions may refer to one of the ‘brothers’ of th Lord, possibly sons of St. Joseph from another marriage or relatives from His close family, or with the writer of the Epistle of St. Jude. Regardless of the details of his origins and background, it is certain that St. Jude Thaddeus was one of the Apostles and he carried out his mission and works with great zeal and commitment to God. He took up his duties and missions with great dedication, energy and perseverance, enduring a lot of challenges and trials during all of the efforts he had made for the sake and glory of the Lord.

St. Jude Thaddeus was also heavily involved in the works of evangelisation, spreading the Good News of the Gospels in the regions of Judea, Samaria and Idumea nearby Jerusalem, as well as further areas like Libya, Mesopotamia and others. Then, as mentioned, together with St. Simon the Apostle, St. Jude went to the regions of Persia and Armenia, continuing to proclaim the Good News of God to more and more people, attaining many great successes, believers and converts, but also plenty of opposition and challenges from those who refused to believe in God and His truth. In some tradition, he was martyred with St. Simon the Apostle in either the aforementioned Armenia or in what is today Beirut in Lebanon, with an axe that is often seen together with him. Regardless of the circumstances, both Apostles had shown their great faith and dedication to God, doing their best for His glory and sake, even to die for their faith.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all gather together to glorify these two great saints of God, His own Apostles, let us all remind ourselves of all the courageous deeds and efforts of both St. Simon the Apostle and St. Jude the Apostle. Both of them had done what they could in fulfilling the many commands and missions entrusted to them, in doing what they could, ministering to the faithful people of God and delivering God’s Good News to all those who have not yet heard or known of Him. In doing so, they have become for all of us as Christians, perfect role models and examples for each and every one of us to follow in our own lives. As Christians, we must always emulate the examples of St. Simon and St. Jude, the other Apostles, and many other saints, martyrs, and holy men and women of God in our own lives.

Let us all as Christians be exemplary and good in our way of life and actions. We have to commit ourselves in each and every moments to glorify God by our lives, and we should always strive to be worthy of God, by doing what is right and just, worthy and good in the sight of God and men alike. Otherwise, our Christian faith is one that is merely superficial and dead, and has no bearing or purpose for any one of us. We are all called to a greater responsibility, dedication and mission, in how we lead a holy and worthy life, that are truly exemplary and inspirational to one another, and we should always be encouraged and strengthened to help more and more people on their journey and path towards the Lord. We should follow and walk in the footsteps of St. Simon and St. Jude in each and every moments of our lives, continuing the works that the Apostles had started. Let us all remember that we too have been entrusted with specific and unique missions by the Lord in our own respective lives.

May the Lord continue to bless us all and guide us in our journey, and may He continue to empower and strengthen us in our path, so that we may always be strong regardless of the trials, challenges, hardships that may end up in our path. May all of us continue to live our lives worthily of the Lord, and continue to do what He has called us all to do, reminding ourselves that the works of the Apostles are far from done, and we, as the members of the Church, as parts of the same Body of Christ, we should do our best to proclaim God and His Good News to more and more people, not only by words but also through real action and commitment. May God bless our good efforts and works, in all things, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

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Saturday, 28 October 2023 : Feast of St. Simon and St. Jude, Apostles (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Luke 6 : 12-19

At that time, Jesus went out into the hills to pray, spending the whole night in prayer with God. When day came, He called His disciples to Him, and chose Twelve of them, whom He called ‘Apostles’ : Simon, whom He named Peter, and his brother Andrew; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James son of Alpheus and Simon called the Zealot; Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who would be the traitor.

Coming down the hill with them, Jesus stood in an open plain. Many of His disciples were there, and a large crowd of people, who had come from all parts of Judea and Jerusalem, and from the coastal cities of Tyre and Sidon. They gathered to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases. And people troubled by unclean spirits were cured.

The entire crowd tried to touch Him, because of the power that went out from Him and healed them all.

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Saturday, 28 October 2023 : Feast of St. Simon and St. Jude, Apostles (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 18 : 2-3, 4-5

The heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament proclaims the work of His hands. Day talks it over with day; night hands on the knowledge to night.

No speech, no words, no voice is heard – but the call goes on, throughout the universe, the message is felt to the ends of the earth.

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Saturday, 28 October 2023 : Feast of St. Simon and St. Jude, Apostles (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Ephesians 2 : 19-22

Now, you are no longer strangers or guests, but fellow citizens of the holy people : you are of the household of God. You are the house, whose foundations are the Apostles and prophets, and whose cornerstone is Christ Jesus. In Him, the whole structure is joined together, and rises, to be a holy Temple, in the Lord.

In Him, you, too, are being built, to become the spiritual Sanctuary of God.

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Saturday, 21 October 2023 : 28th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

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

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we listened to the words of the Scriptures today, and we reflect on their messages and meaning, importance and significance for us, we are all reminded that each and every one of us as Christians must always have faith and trust in the Lord, and we must dedicate ourselves and commit ourselves to His cause at all times. Unless we have true, genuine and living faith in the Lord, then we may not be able to follow Him wholeheartedly or commit ourselves thoroughly as we should have, in our way of life, in our every words, actions and deeds as we all should have done. We must always trust in the Lord and we must always believe that in Him alone there is hope and the path to eternal life, true joy and happiness for us.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful in the city of Rome, we heard of the words that the Apostle spoke to the faithful people of God there regarding the faith which Abraham had in the Lord, and this was directed both at the Jews and Gentiles alike among the people of God in Rome. For the Gentiles, he meant to show the example of what true and genuine faith is all about, and how one can be truly devoted and truly faithful to God in all things. And then for the Jews, the descendants of the Israelites and the descendants of Abraham, it was a reminder for all of them that whatever it is that the Lord has taught and revealed to them were compatible with the belief which Abraham himself once had in the Lord.

This must be understood by the context of that time, because back then many among the Jewish community subscribed to the ideology and the way of thinking of the Pharisees, who saw the Lord Jesus and His teachings as being not in tandem or not conforming to the Law of God as revealed through Moses. The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law in particular had a very strict interpretation of the Law of God and had a very rigid application of the Law of God, enforcing it upon all of the people, and persecuting all those who have not followed the Law of God in the same manner as they themselves had done. In the diaspora, such as the one in Rome, the community of the Jewish people were also equally divided, with some of them siding with the Pharisees on this regard.

Hence, St. Paul wanted to engage them and remind them that in the end, what matters for the Lord is not obedience to the Law, but rather, in the end, is for one to have faith and trust in God, to be genuine in their love and commitment to God as they all should have done. This is because it is perfectly possible for one to have no faith or trust in God and yet obey the tenets, precepts and details of the Law, in which case it would be tantamount to hypocrisy and blind obedience, as well as meaningless and superficial faith, as unfortunately shown by some of the Pharisees themselves. Those same Pharisees and teachers of the Law were criticised and rebuked by the Lord Himself for their lack of faith, their arrogance and ambitions, and their mistaken way of living and obeying the Law of God.

Then, in the Gospel passage today, we also heard of the Lord speaking to His disciples with regard to enduring persecutions, challenges and oppositions, and how they all should not lose their faith in God, but in fact they should continue to strive to be faithful to God. They must not lose faith just because of all those persecutions, but they should all hold fast and strong, resisting the temptations to give up their faith in God. Linking to what we have just discussed in our first reading earlier today, it is truly imperative for all of us to follow the Lord wholeheartedly and to hold on to this belief in the Lord, regardless of the opposition that we all may have to endure for the sake of the Lord, His teachings and truth, which is our Christian faith and way of life.

Earlier on the Lord also rebuked again all those who have slandered and opposed Him because of their stubbornness and lack of faith, and because of their pride, ego and greed, all of which led them to stubbornly resist the Lord and His love, kindness and grace. He was obviously referring to the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, about whom the Lord had warned the people against, to be careful not to make the same mistakes as those people had done, in disobeying the Law and commandments of God, by making show of their faith and by not having true and genuine commitment to God. Not only that, but as mentioned, they even slandered against the Lord and accused Him of blasphemy, collusions with the demons like Beelzebul among other things, which were truly sinful against God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore, as all of us have been reminded as such by the Lord, through what we have received in the Scriptures today, let us all hence do our very best so that we all may follow the Lord worthily and be full of faith and trust in Him. Let us all embark and continue on with the journey of our lives, with faith and devotion to God, and have all of our actions, words and deeds be filled with the sincerity to love and serve the Lord at all times. Each and every one of us have been entrusted by the Lord with various gifts, abilities, talents and opportunities, all of which should inspire and strengthen us in our resolve to follow and serve Him ever more courageously in each and every moments of our lives.

May the Lord be with us always, His beloved people, and may He empower and encourage all of us so that despite all the trials and challenges that we may face in this journey, we will always ever be faithful to Him in all things. May God bless us all and every one of our good efforts and endeavours, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

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Saturday, 21 October 2023 : 28th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

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

Luke 12 : 8-12

At that time, Jesus said to the people, “I tell you, whoever acknowledges Me before people, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the Angels of God. But the one who denies Me before others will be denied before the Angels of God. There will be pardon for the one who criticises the Son of Man, but there will be no pardon for the one who slanders the Holy Spirit.”

“When you are brought before the synagogues, and before governors and rulers, do not worry about how you will defend yourself, or what to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you have to say.”