Second Sunday of Easter

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Monday, 28 April 2025 : 2nd Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Peter Chanel, Priest and Martyr, and St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scripture today we are all reminded that as Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people, we should always strive to take refuge in God and to believe wholeheartedly in Him. All of us should remember how in this world we often face a lot of challenges and hardships, trials and difficulties in living our lives faithfully as the disciples and followers of God. Yet, we must not lose faith in Him and we should continue to dedicate ourselves wholeheartedly to the Lord for it is in Him alone that we have the sure hope of salvation and true satisfaction, fulfilment and liberation from all the darkness around us that have kept us chained and shackled from true freedom that can be found in God alone.

In our first reading today, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, we heard of the moment when the two Apostles, St. Peter and St. John, was released from the custody and incarceration by the Sanhedrin or the Jewish High Council after they performed a miracle at the gate of the Temple of Jerusalem. They also spoke courageously among the people of God about the Messiah, Jesus Christ, Who had just risen from the dead. Such things had been expressly forbidden by the Jewish elders and leaders, as they did not want the disciples to be preaching, teaching or performing miracles in the Name of Jesus, Whom the Sanhedrin had labelled as a False Messiah and blasphemer, and which by their actions and machinations had managed to condemn to death through the Romans, only for Him to rise gloriously from the dead on the third day after, and continuing His works through His disciples.

But despite the many threats and oppositions against them, the two Apostles, St. Peter and St. John did not let those to deter them from doing what the Lord had entrusted to them. They stood courageously before the whole Sanhedrin and spoke fearlessly in the truth of the Risen Lord, and as we heard in our first reading passage, they went forth free and back to the Christian community with the great joy and courage from the Lord, as they strengthened each other and prayed for God’s guidance and protection, for His providence and the strength to persevere through the many challenges and difficulties that had surrounded them, to persevere against the oppressions and difficulties which they had faced as God’s people, in being oppressed for their faith in the Lord and His truth. The Apostles prayed as a reminder to all of the people of God, and hence to all of us that we are all not alone in our struggles in this world as God’s followers and disciples.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, we listened from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist in which the interaction between the Lord Jesus and Nicodemus was recounted to us, where Nicodemus, a member of the Pharisee and the Sanhedrin, one of the few that were favourable and friendly to the Lord, came to the Lord at night in order to avoid being found out by the other Pharisees and Sanhedrin member. And Nicodemus asked the Lord with regards to His teachings and what He had brought into the midst of the people of God. The Lord told him about the matter of being ‘born again in the Spirit’ which confused Nicodemus at first because he was thinking of the natural birth that every humans went through, and how could man be born again in that manner. But the Lord was truly speaking about the rebirth that all the people of God experienced when they received the grace of the Sacrament of Baptism.

Yes, brothers and sisters in Christ, all of us who have been baptised in the Lord and become members of His Church have truly been born again in the Spirit, and have received the grace of God in us, and therefore, by this great gift of grace and salvation from God, all of us are reminded to remain firm in our faith in God and not to be easily swayed and tempted by the ways of the world around us. We should not give in to the pressures and the threats of the world around us to conform to worldly ways and attachments. Instead, we should always strive to live lives that are truly worthy of God, doing our very best to be good and worthy role models for our fellow brothers and sisters around us, and also for all those whom we encounter daily in life, in our workplaces and others. This is how we proclaim the Risen Lord and His truth to the world, just as He has commanded us to do.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Peter Chanel, and also St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort, and both of these holy men of God lived their lives in the manner that were truly extraordinary, in their dedication to God and to the people of God. St. Peter Chanel was a French priest and missionary who received the calling to become a missionary, proclaiming God’s Word and Good News to the people in distant lands after having read the inspiring stories shared by the letters sent by the missionaries working in America, in the New World among the natives there. St. Peter Chanel joined the seminary and was eventually ordained as a priest, becoming a missionary just as he has always wished. Initially however, he was assigned a role as a parish priest in France, which he did wonderfully before he was able to go for his mission.

Then, St. Peter Chanel eventually joined the missionary Society of Mary, where he was sent with some other missionaries to the region of southwestern Pacific, where after a very long journey from France, eventually reached Tahiti, then Tonga and Futuna. It was at Futuna where St. Peter Chanel would carry out the rest of his mission, as he preached to the local people. And when quite a number of the locals began to embrace the Catholic faith, including that of Futuna’s king’s son, therefore the initially warm welcome the king extended to St. Peter Chanel and the other missionaries became hostile, and it ended up with St. Peter Chanel being martyred by the king’s son-in-law and others who were hostile to the Christian faith.

Meanwhile, St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort was another renowned French priest who was particularly noted for his great influence and writings on Mariology, emphasising a lot on various Marian devotions and practices as ways for the faithful to reach the Lord. Like St. Peter Chanel, he was also inspired since his youth to be a missionary, and for him, he was called to minister to the poor and the less fortunate, and after having joined the seminary, with his great devotion to Mary in particular, St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort grew in his faith and experience, eventually becoming a great priest and preacher, spending many years proclaiming the Word of God and the Good News to the people around him and in all the regions where he ministered in. He worked tirelessly for many years until he passed away after intense sixteen years of service to the Lord as a priest.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all hence be truly faithful Christians in all the things that we say and do, and follow in the footsteps of our holy predecessors, particularly that of St. Peter Chanel and St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort. We do not have to go far or do what they themselves had done, as each one of us were called by the Lord in our own unique ways, with the various gifts and talents that He had provided and presented to us. Let us all be the shining beacons of Christ’s Light and truth, the hope and the salvation that He has presented to the world and to all the people, and let us all, in our own small little ways in life, in our actions and deeds, in our every words and interactions, be good role models and examples for one another, now and always. Amen.

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Monday, 28 April 2025 : 2nd Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Peter Chanel, Priest and Martyr, and St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

John 3 : 1-8

At that time, among the Pharisees there was a ruler of the Jews named Nicodemus. He came to Jesus by night and said, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God to teach us, for no one can perform miraculous signs like Yours unless God is with Him.”

Jesus replied, “Truly, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again from above.” Nicodemus said, “How can there be rebirth for a grown man? Who could go back to his mother’s womb and be born again?” Jesus replied, “Truly, I say to you : No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

“Because of this, do not be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again from above.’ The wind blows where it pleases and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. It is like that with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

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Monday, 28 April 2025 : 2nd Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Peter Chanel, Priest and Martyr, and St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort, Priest (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

Psalm 2 : 1-3, 4-6, 7-9

Why do the nations conspire? Why do the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth brace themselves and the rulers together take their stand against the Lord and His Anointed. They say, “Let us break their bonds! Let us cast away their chains!”

The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord looks at them in derision. Then in anger He speaks to them, terrifying them in the fury of His wrath : “Behold the King I have installed, in Zion, upon My holy hill!”

I will proclaim the decree of the Lord. He said to Me : “You are My Son. This day I have begotten You. Ask of Me and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, the ends of the earth for Your possession. You shall rule them with iron sceptre and shatter them as a potter’s vase.”

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Monday, 28 April 2025 : 2nd Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Peter Chanel, Priest and Martyr, and St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort, Priest (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

Acts 4 : 23-31

As soon as Peter and John were set free, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and elders had said to them. When they heard it, they raised their voices as one and called upon God, “Sovereign Lord, Maker of heaven and earth, of the sea and everything in them, You have put these words in the mouth of David, our father and Your servant, through the Holy Spirit : Why did the pagan nations rage and the people conspire in folly? The kings of the were aligned and the princes gathered together against the Lord and against His Messiah.”

“For indeed in this very city Herod with Pontius Pilate, and the pagans together with the people of Israel conspired against Your holy Servant Jesus, Whom You anointed. Thus, indeed, they brought about whatever Your powerful will had decided from all time would happen. But now, Lord, see their threats against us and enable Your servants to speak Your word with all boldness. Stretch out Your hand to heal and to work signs and wonders through the Name of Jesus Your holy Servant.”

When they had prayed, the place where they were gathered together shook, and they were all filled with Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God boldly.

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Sunday, 27 April 2025 : Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday we mark the occasion of the Second Sunday of Easter, which is also known as the Octave Day of the Easter Octave, the eighth day since the glorious Easter Sunday. On this Sunday all of us are called to continue to keep in mind the core belief of our Christian faith in the suffering, death and Resurrection of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. We all believe that Jesus is truly the Son of God, the manifestation of God’s most wonderful and generous love in the flesh, through Whom God has made His will clear and evident, and by Whose victory and triumph over sin and death, all of us, the faithful and holy people of God, have been shown the clear and certain path to eternal glory and true happiness with God, our Lord and Master, our Mighty King and also our most Merciful and loving Father.

In our first reading passage this Sunday, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, we heard of the account of the works of the Apostles, who continued to carry out the missions and works which the Lord Himself has entrusted to them, and we heard how they had performed many miracles and signs before the people much as how the Lord Jesus had done when He was still carrying out His ministry in this world. The fact that those miracles and signs, wonders and great works were performed by the Apostles even after the Lord had died and then risen in glory, and ascended into Heaven, is a clear evidence that God was still with His disciples and Church, and He still performed His many good works through the hands of His Apostles and other disciples, the missionaries of the Kingdom of God.

Through their works, the Apostles and the other disciples of the Lord showed to all of God’s people, primarily and at first the Israelites and then the non-Jewish people or the Gentiles, the great love and compassion that God has for all of them, without exception. To the Jewish people, the descendants of the people of God, the Lord wanted to show them that He has fulfilled and accomplished all the promises that He had once made in the Covenant sealed with their forefathers, with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and renewed again and again throughout history. And then, to the Gentiles, God shows that His salvation, His love and kindness are not reserved only for the Jewish people only, as everyone, through God’s Church have been made partakers of the same New and Eternal Covenant that the Lord Himself has established through His Son.

Then from our second reading passage taken from the Book of Revelations of St. John the Apostle, we heard of the vision that St. John had received while he was exiled in the Isle of Patmos at his old age, during one of the episodes of persecutions against Christians by the Roman Empire. St. John saw the vision of the Lord, in all of His glory, appearing before Him in Heaven, the appearance of the Son of Man, that is Jesus Himself, in His heavenly glory, with His glorified Resurrected Body. The seven lampstands in the vision marked the seven Angels that always stand before the Holy Presence of God, and therefore, highlighting the Divinity of Christ, Who is truly fully Man and fully God alike. And in that vision, the Lord told St. John to record everything that he had seen so that he could propagate them to the Church communities then, and therefore to help the faithful to come to know God more.

Through what St. John experienced in that amazing heavenly vision, he saw the Lord Who proclaimed Himself as the Almighty God, Who has triumphed and conquered sin and death, overcoming the fetters and shackles keeping us mankind from reaching out to Him, by the incarnation of His Son in the flesh, and by Whose death and Resurrection all of us have been made partakers of the New and Eternal Covenant of God, sealed by the Most Precious Blood of the Son of God Himself. And the Lord did all of these because of His ever enduring and ever present love for each one of us, the love which He desires to share with us, and which He has manifested clearly before us through Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, the manifestation of God’s love and mercy in this world, making this love and mercy tangible and reachable to us.

Lastly, from our Gospel passage this Sunday taken from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the moment when the Risen Lord appeared before His disciples, and gave them the gift of His Holy Spirit, revealing at the same time that He has truly risen from the dead and was not merely a spirit. He was truly indeed Risen in the Body and Spirit, and He gave them all the authority and power to forgive sins, to perform the many miracles and signs, just as we have heard in our first reading today. Then we also heard about how St. Thomas the Apostle, the one who often doubted the Lord was not there when the Risen Lord first made His appearance, and how he challenged the Risen Lord to appear before him so that he could ascertain whether he was truly Risen or not.

That was just precisely what the Lord did, as He appeared before all the disciples including that of St. Thomas, and asked the latter to do as he had wanted to do, to put his fingers and touch the marks of the nails and the wound at His side. We heard how St. Thomas finally believed and made the public profession of faith, ‘My Lord and my God’ before everyone. Through this event, we are yet again reminded that our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the Son of God had truly risen from the dead and triumphed over sin and death. And through Him all of us shall receive the assurance of eternal life, which has been provided to us through what He had gone through on the Cross, and as He triumphantly rose from the dead, the manifestation of the Divine Love and Mercy of God, having been made accessible for all of us.

This is why on this Sunday as we celebrate the Second Sunday of Easter and also the Divine Mercy Sunday, we are reminded of this Aspect of the Lord in His most generous and rich mercy towards all of us. The Divine Mercy has revealed Himself to us through one St. Faustina Kowalska about a century ago, who made known the revelations through her diary, which went through many hurdles and struggles before finally being accepted by the Church as part of its official teachings. Today, the devotion to the Divine Mercy is one of the most popular devotions in the Church, with millions praying the devotion daily and more. This is truly a very heartening matter as through this particular devotion to the Divine Mercy, the Merciful Aspect of God, many people are coming towards the Lord seeking His forgiveness and healing.

For all of us members of the Christian faithful, we are reminded that if we seek God sincerely with a repentant and contrite heart, God, the Divine Mercy, in His infinite and boundless mercy will show us His compassion and love, and will heal us from all of our afflictions, our sins and wickedness, our corruptions and evils. And this is why as we commit ourselves anew to the Lord, the Divine Mercy, we should continue to do our best in this world to be truly faithful to Him in all things, becoming good role models and inspirations for one another and for others around us, to show the love and mercy of God to the world. And we are constantly reminded this Easter season that through God’s most wonderful love and mercy, we have been brought into the path towards eternal life and true happiness with God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore put our trust and faith in the Divine Mercy of God and continue to live our lives most faithfully in the manner that we all should do as Christians, that is as the disciples and followers of Christ. All of us are reminded that we should not remain idle in our faith and lives, but we must embody God’s love and mercy in our daily lives, in doing our very best to show love and compassion to our fellow brothers and sisters around us. We must always practice love and charity in our everyday actions, in everything that we say and do, in our every interactions with one another, to our brethren around us and even strangers in our midst. May the Lord, the Divine Mercy continue to bless us all and guide us with His compassion and love, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 27 April 2025 : Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 20 : 19-31

At that time, on the evening of the day when Jesus rose from the dead, the first day after the Sabbath, the doors were locked where the disciples were, because of their fear of the Jews. But Jesus came, and stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you!” Then He showed them His hands and His side. The disciples kept looking at the Lord and were full of joy.

Again Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent Me, so I send you.” After saying this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit! Those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; those whose sins you retain, they are retained.”

Thomas, the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he replied, “Until I have seen in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in His side, I will not believe.”

Eight days later, the disciples were inside again and Thomas was with them. Despite the locked doors Jesus came and stood in the their midst and said, “Peace be with you!” Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see My hands; stretch out your hand, and put it into My side. Do not be an unbeliever! Believe!”

Thomas then said, “You are my Lord and my God.” Jesus replied, “You believe because you see Me, do you not? Happy are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

There were many other signs that Jesus gave in the presence of His disciples, but they are not recorded in this book. These are recorded, so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Believe, and you will have life through His Name!

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Sunday, 27 April 2025 : Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Revelations 1 : 9-11a, 12-13, 17-19

I, John, your brother, who shares with you, in Jesus, the sufferings, the kingdom and the patient endurance, was on the island of Patmos, because of the word of God and witnessing to Jesus. On the Lord’s day, the Spirit took possession of me and I heard a voice behind me, which sounded like a trumpet, “Write down all that you see, in a book, and send it to the seven churches.”

I turned to see who was speaking to me; behind me were seven golden lamp stands and, in the middle of these, I saw Someone, like a Son of Man, dressed in a long robe, tied with a golden girdle. Seeing Him, I fell at His feet, like one dead; but He touched me with His right hand and said, “Do not be afraid. It is I, the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead; and now I am alive, for ever and ever; and Mine are the keys of death and the netherworld.”

“Now write what you have seen, both what it is and what is yet to come.”

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Sunday, 27 April 2025 : Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 117 : 2-4, 22-24, 25-27a

Let Israel say, “His loving kindness endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron say, “His loving kindness endures forever.” Let those who fear YHVH say, “His loving kindness endures forever.”

The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone. This was YHVH’s doing and we marvel at it. This is the day YHVH has made; so let us rejoice and be glad.

Save us, o YHVH, deliver us, o YHVH! Blessed is He who comes in YHVH’s Name! We praise You from the house of YHVH. YHVH is God; may His light shine upon us.

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Sunday, 27 April 2025 : Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 5 : 12-16

Many miraculous signs and wonders were done among the people, through the hands of the Apostles. The believers, of one accord, used to meet in Solomon’s Porch. None of the others dared to join them, but the people held them in high esteem. So, and ever-increasing number of men and women, believed in the Lord.

The people carried the sick into the streets, and laid them on cots and on mats, so, that, when Peter passed by, at least his shadow might fall on some of them. The people gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those who were troubled by unclean spirits; and all of them were healed.

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Saturday, 13 April 2024 : 2nd Week of Easter, Memorial of Pope St. Martin I, Pope and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

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 all of us to continue to put our trust and faith in the Lord, focusing our efforts and attention on the Lord, doing whatever we can so that in each and every moments of our lives we will always continue to walk in the path that the Lord has shown us and staying faithful to Him. This is because during our journey in life we may encounter many moments when our faith and trust in the Lord may be tested and put on trial, as we face the challenges and difficulties present in our path and the many obstacles we may have to face as we journey together in proclaiming the Good News and truth of the Lord in our daily lives.

In our first reading today, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, we heard of the moment when the order of deacons were instituted in the Church because there were discrepancies in the distribution of the resources and goods for the faithful especially among those who came from non-Jewish or Gentile origins. At that time, we must understand the situation and the context such that the earliest Christian communities lived communally and pooled together their resources just as described by the same Acts of the Apostles. At the time, there were some expectations that the Lord would return again soon, and hence, many among the community of the believers chose to live their lives in shared existence and means, abandoning private ownership and goods, sharing them with one another instead.

However, this system was not sustainable and was ultimately no longer used as the Christian community kept gaining large number of converts to the faith, which resulted in many more resources needed to sustain them all. And while it lasted, this system was also biased as many among the early Christians belonged to the Jewish converts, some of them from the Pharisees who held firmly to the Jewish traditions and customs, and had inherent prejudices against those who did not fully subscribe to their way of observing the Law of God and also against the non-Jewish people or the Gentiles. They favoured their own Jewish background, practices and customs, and it was likely that those entrusted to share the resources shared them more with their own fellow Jewish converts rather than with those converts originating from among the Gentiles.

That was why the Apostles decided to institute the order of deacons, appointing first of all seven men who were deemed worthy from among the faithful, to be the ones to minister to the people of God as the first deacons of the Church. This was how the Lord guided His Church and faithful ones amidst the many challenges that they had to endure as they navigated the intricacies of living amidst the rule of the Romans and having the Jewish authorities harassing and oppressing them at every possible turns. Many of those faithful servants of God, including those deacons had to bear the brunt of the sufferings and persecutions, like that of St. Stephen, who was the very first martyr or protomartyr of the Church, killed because he was oppressed for his faith in God.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the moment when the Lord appeared to His disciples at the Lake of Galilee where a storm with strong waves and wind were battering at their boat, and they were all very afraid that the boat would sink and then they perished in that lake. But it was at that time the Lord appeared to them and walked on the water, and He told them all not to be afraid, calming the waves and the wind, bringing them all to safety at the shore where they were going to. This was very symbolic and important reminder for all of us that no matter whatever hardships and dangers, trials and tribulations that we may face amidst our struggles in faith, in our commitment to the Lord, He will always be there by our side, guiding and strengthening us, leading us all to the right path.

This is because the boat with the disciples inside it is a representation of the Church of God, which is often represented as a boat, like that of Noah’s Ark that saved Noah and his family, with the other living things inside it, from the Great Flood. The waves and the wind represented the challenges and trials that the Church of God would be facing, the sufferings, persecutions and hardships that the Christian faithful would have to suffer in the path of their lives and ministry as God’s faithful people and missionaries. But all of us must not be afraid, as the Lord, Who is the Head of the Church is with us, and with Him as the Guide and the Leader of all of us, not even the greatest challenges and trials can overcome us, the Church of God, which He has built in this world. This is why we must always keep our focus firmly directed towards God at all times.

Today, the Church also celebrates the feast of Pope St. Martin I, a great leader of the Universal Church and the last among the Popes who died as a martyr for his faith and commitment to God. Pope St. Martin I is a good example of a great leader of the faithful and a role model for all of us in how we should continue to persevere in faith despite the challenges and trials that we may be facing in life. He was an abbot earlier on in life, and eventually becoming the Apostolic Legate of several Popes at the court of the Roman Emperor in Constantinople before being elected as Pope and Successor of St. Peter the Apostle, as leader of the whole Universal Church. And as Pope, he stood firm amidst the heresies and challenges that were rampant among the Imperial court at the time.

At that time, the heresy of Monothelitism was widespread, in which this heresy believed falsely that Christ, Our Lord and Saviour has only one single will, as contrary to the accepted truth and teaching of the Church that Christ has two wills, that corresponds to the two distinct natures He has, that is Divine and Human, though inseparable due to perfect union of love in the Person of Jesus Christ. Yet, this Monothelite heresy brought many people to abandon the true Church teachings, and had the support of even the then Roman Emperor in Constantinople and other powerful members of the court and society. Pope St. Martin I strongly condemned the Monothelite heresy, and convened the Lateran Council in the year of Our Lord 649 to address this heresy. As a result, he was arrested by the Emperor with false accusation of treason, was imprisoned and eventually banished, where he died as a martyr of the Church.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, the Scripture readings today and the examples of the life and ministry of Pope St. Martin I showed and reminded us all that we are likely to face sufferings, difficulties and hardships amidst our lives and journey of faith as Christians, and unless we remain focused on the Lord, Our Hope and Guide, then it may be easy for us to be swayed and to be tempted to abandon the Church, where we may then end up being swept away by the currents of worldly temptations into our downfall and destruction. Instead, all of these should remind us to keep firmly faithful in our commitment to the Lord, to proclaim Him ever more faithfully at all times. May the Lord be with us always, and may He continue to help and lead us in our journey of faith, and in our respective missions as Christians, now and always. Amen.