Saturday

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Saturday, 11 November 2023 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Martin of Tours, 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 each and every one of us as Christians must always be filled with commitment and true devotion and love for the Lord, our God. We must not be easily swayed, tempted and led astray by the falsehoods and the temptations of the evil ones, all those who have desired and wanted for our destruction and doom. There are always challenges, trials and temptations facing us on our way, and we must always remain strong, remembering and reminding ourselves that there are many of our fellow brothers and sisters around us, all of us, believers in Christ, who have also been facing challenges, trials and difficulties at all times for God’s sake.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans, of the Apostle highlighting and introducing everyone who had been working and ministering to the people of God with him, and this shows us how following the Lord is truly one of a collective effort, and our faith is not merely just a personal one between each one of us and God, but rather, we are all part of a community of believers, living and vibrantly growing in faith together in God. All of us as Christians are part of the same Church, the same united Body of Christ, and we are all called to holiness together in God, sharing in the same truth and Good News of God, receiving the fullness of His love and grace together as a community of believers.

Then, in our Gospel passage, we heard of the continuation of the story yesterday in which the Lord spoke using the parable of the dishonest steward to His disciples and followers. In that parable, the Lord mentioned about a steward who had been dishonest and wicked in his actions, in amassing wealth and money for himself, and hence, this steward was dismissed from his work, only for him to carry out more dishonesty and fraud in order to safeguard himself, and to ensure that he had a means of living, by tricking his master of the debts that his debtors were owing him. The master in that parable praised the dishonest steward, not for his wicked deeds and dishonesty, but rather for his astuteness and for the efforts he made in securing a future for himself.

Thus, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the continuation of this discourse, in which the Lord explained to all of the people listening to Him the meaning of the parable and its significance. He told them all that ultimately, we must not allow ourselves to be swayed by the temptations of money, wealth and worldly possessions. All those things will likely pull us away from the path of God and His salvation. The Lord Jesus also said it plainly that one cannot be servant of both God and money, as in the end, one will grow more in love with one of them, and despise the other. This is why, the actions of the dishonest steward was highlighted in reminding everyone that the love for money and worldly possessions is bound to lead one to do what is evil and wicked in the sight of God.

And at the same time, the Lord wants everyone to take note that we all should always be ready and be prepared for what is to come for us, and therefore, we have to be astute and mindful, of everything that we do in life, so that we do not end up doing what is wicked, unworthy and sinful before God. Instead, we are all called to live our lives ever more worthily, dedicating ourselves in each and every moments, in the path that God has shown and taught us all, in doing His will, obeying His Law and commandments. All of us have been given the opportunities, the gifts and blessings, the graces in this life to do what we can, in walking down the path of righteousness, or we can choose to disobey Him and walk down the path of evil instead. The choice is truly ours to make.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of a great saint of God, a great and dedicated servant of God whose righteous deeds and works, outstanding and exemplary life can become great examples and inspirations for us all to follow in how we live our own lives with faith in God. St. Martin of Tours was a soldier turned man of God, who was renowned for his commitment and faith in God, his virtuous life and actions, from even before he gave everything to the Lord. St. Martin of Tours was once a soldier in the Roman army during the late period of the Roman Empire, and it was told that he was called by God during his time as soldier, and one of that unique experiences is when he encountered the Lord Himself disguised as an old man in a blizzard.

At that time, according to the story, St. Martin of Tours was travelling on horseback in his centurion’s armour, and he encountered an old man in the midst of a blizzard or cold weather, who was naked and had nothing to protect him against the cold. It was there and then that St. Martin of Tours cut half of his cloak with his own sword, and then used that half of the cloak to cover the old man’s body. Later on, as he was sleeping, St. Martin of Tours encountered a vision of the Lord appearing to him, and revealing to him that the old man was after all, the Lord Himself in disguise. Through this experience and others, St. Martin of Tours eventually left his life as an army centurion behind, and thereafter, he dedicated himself to God, following the teachings and examples of another great saint, St. Hilary of Poitiers.

Eventually, he became a hermit and preacher, committing himself to preach the word of God and to evangelise to the people, in which many people were convinced and became believers in Christ. Later on, he was chosen by acclamation by the people to become the Bishop of Tours, in which capacity, St. Martin continued to do his best in caring for the needs of the flock entrusted to him. He cared for their spiritual needs and served them well, and established good administration and missionary works in his Diocese, while protecting his flock from the effects of various heresies and falsehoods running rampant at that time. Right up to the end of his life, St. Martin of Tours dedicated himself completely to God and to the people whom He had been entrusted with, truly a great example and role model for us.

May the Lord continue to strengthen us in our faith and give us the courage and the power to endure the many challenges and trials present all around us, that hopefully we will continue to live righteously and worthily in the path that God has shown and taught us, and following in the examples of the holy saints and martyrs, particularly that of St. Martin of Tours, whose feast we celebrate and whose memory we venerate and remember today. May the Lord bless us all in our every good deeds, efforts and endeavours, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

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Saturday, 11 November 2023 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Martin of Tours, Bishop (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 16 : 9-15

At that time, Jesus said to the people, “And so I tell you : use filthy money to make friends for yourselves, so that, when it fails, these people may welcome you into the eternal homes.”

“Whoever can be trusted in little things can also be trusted in great ones; whoever is dishonest in slight matters will also be dishonest in greater ones. So if you have been dishonest in handling filthy money, who would entrust you with true wealth? And if you have been dishonest with things that are not really yours, who will give you that wealth which is truly your own?”

“No servant can serve two masters. Either he does not like the one and is fond of the other, or he regards one highly and the other with contempt. You cannot give yourself both to God and to Money.”

The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and sneered at Jesus. He said to them, “You do your best to be considered righteous by people. But God knows the heart, and what is highly esteemed by human beings is loathed by God.”

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Saturday, 11 November 2023 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Martin of Tours, Bishop (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 144 : 2-3, 4-5, 10-11

I will praise You, day after day; and exalt Your Name forever. Great is YHVH, most worthy of praise; and His deeds are beyond measure.

Parents commend Your works to their children and tell them Your feats. They proclaim the splendour of Your majesty and recall Your wondrous works.

All Your works will give You thanks; all Your saints, o YHVH, will praise You. They will tell of the glory of Your kingdom; and speak of Your power.

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Saturday, 11 November 2023 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Martin of Tours, Bishop (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Romans 16 : 3-9, 16, 22-27

Greetings to Prisca and Aquilas, my helpers in Christ Jesus. To save my life, they risked theirs; I am very grateful to them, as are all the churches of the pagan nations. Greetings also to the church that meets in their house. Greetings to my dear Epaenetus, the first in the province of Asia to believe in Christ. Greet Mary, who worked so much for you.

Greetings to Andronicus and Junias, my relatives and comparisons in prison; they are well known Apostles and served Christ before I did. Give greetings to Ampliatus, whom I love so much in the Lord. Greetings to Urbanus, our fellow worker, and to my dear Stachys. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send their greetings.

I, Tertius, the writer of this letter, send you greetings in the Lord. Greetings from Gaius, who has given me lodging and in whose house the church meets. Greetings from Erastus, treasurer of the city, and from our brother Quartus. Glory be to God! He is able to give you strength, according to the Good News I proclaim, announcing Christ Jesus.

Now is revealed the mysterious plan, kept hidden for long ages in the past. By the will of the eternal God it is brought to light, through the prophetic books, and all nations shall believe the faith proclaimed to them. Glory to God, Who alone is wise, through Christ Jesus, forever! Amen.

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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.