Second Week of Ordinary Time

by

Monday, 18 January 2016 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Mark 2 : 18-22

At that time, one day, when the Pharisees and the disciples of John the Baptist were fasting, some people asked Jesus, “Why is it that both the Pharisees and the disciples of John fast, but yours did not?”

Jesus answered, “How can the wedding guests fast while the Bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the Bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. But the day will come when the Bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.”

“No one sews a piece of new cloth on an old coat, because the new patch will shrink and tear away from the old cloth, making a worse tear. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins, for the wine would burst the skins, and then both the wine and the skins would be lost. But new wine, new skins!”

by

Monday, 18 January 2016 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 49 : 8-9, 16bc-17, 21 and 23

Not for your sacrifices do I reprove you, for your burnt offerings are ever before Me. I need no bull from your stalls, nor he-goat from your pens.

What right have you to mouth My laws, or to talk about My covenant? You hate My commands and cast My words behind you.

Because I was silent while you did these things, you thought I was like you. But now I rebuke you and make this charge against you. Those who give with thanks offerings honour Me, but the one who walks blamelessly, I will show him the salvation of God.

by

Monday, 18 January 2016 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

1 Samuel 15 : 16-23

Samuel then told Saul, “Enough! Let me tell you what YHVH said to me last night.” Saul replied, “Please tell me.” So Samuel went on and said, “Though you had no confidence in yourself, you became chief of the tribes of Israel, for YHVH wanted to anoint you king over Israel. Then He sent you with this command, ‘Go. Completely crush the Amalekite offenders, engaging them in battle until they are destroyed.'”

“Why then did you not obey the voice of YHVH but instead swooped down on the spoil, doing what was evil in His sight?” To this, Saul replied, “I have obeyed the voice of YHVH and have carried out the mission for which He sent me. I have captured Agag, king of Amalek and completely destroyed the Amalekites. If my men spared the best sheep and oxen from among those to be destroyed, it was in order to sacrifice them to YHVH, your God, in Gilgal.”

Samuel then said, “Does YHVH take as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obedience to His command? Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission better than the fat of rams. Rebellion is like the sin of divination, and stubbornness like holding onto idols. Since you have rejected the word of YHVH, He too has rejected you as king.”

by

Sunday, 17 January 2016 : Second (2nd) Sunday of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Anthony, Abbot and World Day of Migrants and Refugees (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard about the Lord and how His providence had given His people a new hope in Him, by His promise of glory and redemption that He would give them if they would repent and change their ways, following Him and obeying Him, and they would receive the fullness of His grace and blessings, which He had made real and concrete through Jesus.

Through Jesus, our glory in the Lord has been made clear and transparent, and all of us have a knowledge of what is to come for us if we keep our faith in Him and walk in His ways faithfully. The Lord Himself made it clear on many occasions, that His disciples and all those who believe in Him will receive the gift of the Lord and the Holy Spirit, receiving the power and the authority from the Lord Himself.

Jesus Himself said that His disciples would possess the gifts of wisdom and knowledge, the ability to preach the Word of God, and the ability to perform miracles and many good deeds. Then, some of us may wonder why all of us today who live in faith in Him, are seemingly unable to perform those miracles, the great feats as what the Apostles and the disciples have done in the Name of Jesus, such as healing the sick and casting out of evil spirits.

The reason for this, is what St. Paul elaborated in the second reading today, where he wrote to the faithful and the Church in the city of Corinth, of the nature of the gifts of the Lord through the Holy Spirit, and how different people receive different gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit. It was mentioned by St. Paul how some people were given the gift of healing and miracles, while others were given the gift of speaking in tongues and wisdom, and yet more are given various other gifts such as caring, loving for the people of God, and the teaching of the faith.

In all these, we should really look into our own lives, and see how we fit in the whole grand scheme and structure that is our Church, the Church of the Lord our God. It is natural that many of us would want to be those who are gifted with the healing touch of the Apostles, healing people who are sick, casting out demons and evil spirits, as after all, those were what the Apostles did, were they not?

But the Church cannot exist solely and entirely of healers and miracle workers. Neither can the Church exist entirely of preachers and teachers of the faith. No, and this is should be in our realisation that the Church is composed of many different peoples, of different backgrounds and origins, of abilities and gifts, that came together as one people, and working together to bring greater glory to God.

We have to just ask ourselves, and compare it to the running of a country, or an institution. If an organisation consists entirely of managers and CEOs, then it will not be able to function at all, as everyone will want to manage and want others to do the work for them, and yet no one is available to do the work, and the managers themselves by their nature would be unwilling to dirty their hands doing the menial work necessary.

Similarly, a nation cannot be run if everyone wants to be the leader. There must be those who are gifted with leadership and charisma, and yet there must also be those who are gifted with good works and service, and there must be many departments of state in a country, handling different areas such as education, social services, economy, defence, and many others.

This is why in the Church we see people who have received the gifts of priesthood, heeding God’s call to service, dedicating their whole lives to the Lord, those whose duties are to preach the word of God, and in acting in the person of Christ, in persona Christi, representing Christ Himself, offer the same sacrifice of Calvary and transform the bread and wine into the Most Holy and Precious Body and Blood of our Lord Himself in the Eucharist.

And there are of course those among them who have been entrusted with leadership, the bishops who lead the people of God as shepherds, leading the priests in giving guidance to the people of God. They have their own responsibilities in making sure that the whole Church runs smoothly and they were tasked with keeping the faith in the Church, that the faithful will not lose sight of the path which they are to walk on.

And of course, many in the Church are the laity, those who continue to live their own lives in this world, doing about their daily business, and yet giving themselves also to the service of the Lord, believing in Him and walking in His ways. And many of us belong to the laity, who have their own specific roles to play in the works of the Church, in the works of the salvation of God’s people.

If the priests are the leaders and the brains of God’s Church, then the laity are the muscles, through which the Church can move and be run efficiently, if they are working together in harmony. It is therefore necessary for us all to know what roles we are able to play in the Church and how we can contribute to the good works of the Church in this world.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all go forth and make use of the gifts which our Lord had given us, that in the gifts which we have received, we may make use of them to the fullest, and thus fulfilling what is required from us as a member of God’s Church. If we do not work together in harmony, then surely the Church itself in its activities will not be able to perform them properly.

And in all these, we have our Lord Who is backing all of us with all of His might and power. In the Gospel today, as we heard about the story of the well-known wedding at Cana in Galilee, we see how God allowed Himself to perform an act of mercy and love, helping the poor couple in distress when they ran out of wine, and similarly therefore, if we are in need and in trouble, we only need to look for the Lord and seek for His help, and surely He will, in His own way, deliver us from our troubles.

And it is important to note how Mary has an important role in all of these, as we see how Jesus was initially reluctant to help the couple, as it was then not yet the time which Jesus wanted to reveal Himself, but after His mother Mary persistently in a way, asking for His help, to the extent of telling the servants to follow whatever Jesus said, our Lord allowed Himself to perform the miracle through which He helped the couple to escape their great predicament.

Therefore, all of us in the Church should also be devoted to Mary, the mother of our Lord, for she is indeed the closest one to her Son Jesus in heaven, at His side in a place of honour, and indeed thus having the special privilege of directly interceding for our sake through prayers. Each of us indeed have our own unique roles to play in the Church, but we have to remember that in all things we have to base all of our works in Christ and through His mother Mary.

Thus, on this day, let us pray for our Church, that each and every one of us will be able to perform our own respective obligations and works as members of God’s Church, and like the wedding at Cana, may our works be beneficial and good for the sake of our brethren in need, particularly the destitute and those without love, the homeless and those who have been ostracised because of various reasons.

Let us all commit ourselves anew to the Lord, and let us all through all of our actions, priests and laity alike, work together as one body, that through our works in harmony, we may bring greater glory to God, and bring the saving works of grace further and more to all the whole world, that the light of Christ may be seen and be followed by all the peoples. God bless us all. Amen.

by

Sunday, 17 January 2016 : Second (2nd) Sunday of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Anthony, Abbot and World Day of Migrants and Refugees (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

John 2 : 1-11

At that time, three days later there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus was also invited to the wedding with His disciples. When all the wine provided for the celebration had been served, and they had run out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”

Jesus replied, “Woman, what concern is that to you and Me? My hour has not yet come.” However His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.” Nearby were six stone water jars, set there for ritual washing as prescribed by the Jews; each jar could hold twenty or thirty gallons.

Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them to the brim. Then Jesus said, “Now draw some out and take it to the steward.” So they did. The steward tasted the water that has become wine, without knowing from where it had come, for only the servants who had drawn the water knew.

So he called the bridegroom to tell him, “Everyone serves the best wine first, and when people have drunk enough, he serves that which is ordinary. Instead you have kept the best wine until the end.”

This miraculous sign was the first, and Jesus performed it at Cana in Galilee. In this way He let His glory appear, and His disciples believed in Him.

by

Sunday, 17 January 2016 : Second (2nd) Sunday of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Anthony, Abbot and World Day of Migrants and Refugees (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

1 Corinthians 12 : 4-11

There is diversity of gifts, but the Spirit is the same. There is diversity of ministries, but the Lord is the same. There is diversity of works, but the same God works in all.

The Spirit reveals His presence in each one with a gift that is also a service. One is to speak with wisdom, through the Spirit. Another teaches according to the same Spirit. To another is given faith, in which the Spirit acts; to another the gift of healing, and it is the same Spirit.

Another works miracles, another is a prophet, another recognises what comes from the good or evil spirit; another speaks in tongues, and still another interprets what has been said in tongues. And all of this is the work of the one and only Spirit, Who gives to each one as He so desires.

by

Sunday, 17 January 2016 : Second (2nd) Sunday of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Anthony, Abbot and World Day of Migrants and Refugees (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 95 : 1-2a, 2b-3, 7-8a, 9-10a and 10c

Sing to the Lord a new song, sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless His Name.

Proclaim His salvation day after day. Recall His glory among the nations, tell all the peoples His wonderful deeds.

Give to the Lord, you families of nations, give to the Lord glory and strength. Give to the Lord the glory due His Name

Worship the Lord with holy celebrations; stand in awe of Him, all the earth. Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!” He will judge the peoples with justice.

by

Sunday, 17 January 2016 : Second (2nd) Sunday of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Anthony, Abbot and World Day of Migrants and Refugees (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Isaiah 62 : 1-5

For Zion’s sake I will not hold My peace, for Jerusalem I will not keep silent, until her holiness shines like the dawn and her salvation flames like a burning torch. The nations will see your holiness and all the kings your glory. You will be called by a new name which the mouth of YHVH will reveal.

You will be a crown of glory in the hand of YHVH, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. No longer will you be named Forsaken; no longer will your land be called Abandoned; but you will be called My Delight and your land Espoused. For YHVH delights in you and will make your land His spouse.

As a young man marries a virgin, so will your Builder marry you; and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride, so will your God rejoice in you.

by

Saturday, 24 January 2015 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard about the works of Jesus which had brought about redemption and salvation to mankind. Many people did not understand at first what He had done. Even those among His own family thought that He was not right in His mind, as the Gospel today would show. But all this just show us how little mankind could comprehend the minds of the Lord.

While mankind were still by their earthly and worldly desires, while the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law were still obsessed by the worldly laws and human laws they have made, our Lord Jesus Christ had brought the truth of God into the world, dispelling all of the lies of the devil, who tried to mislead us away from the truth of the Lord in Jesus.

What we have to realise, brothers and sisters in Christ, is that we have to know what our Lord had done for our sake, to liberate us from the clutches of Satan, from the chains of sin that binds us to suffering and death. The devil, Satan, by nature will definitely not want to let us to be released from our bonds to him, that is the bonds of everlasting suffering and eternal death, that is the fate of Satan.

For Satan had rebelled against God in his vanity and pride, and as he was cast down and condemned, together with many of his fellow rebel angels, thus, he wanted to bring us down as well, God’s most beloved and most perfect creations, the race of mankind. And that was why he brought down our first ancestors, by tempting them and luring them into sin, and to disobey the Lord, our God.

It is the love of our God, our loving Father which had made Him to send His Son, Jesus Christ, a part of Himself in the Holy Trinity, the Word made Flesh, for our salvation and liberation. Yes, it is to liberate us from the chains of sin, from the bonds that bound us to the rebellion of Satan, that is the sins of pride, greed, jealousy, wrath, sloth and many other vices we committed in this life.

And by the shedding of His Blood and the scourging of His own Body, Christ our Lord brought new life to us all, by His perfect and selfless sacrifice, bearing the sins which we should have borne, up the hills of Calvary, bearing that cross of sin and shame, and transformed it into the cross of victory and triumph against evil. This is our faith, and this is what we believe in. The world may not believe in us and it may ridicule us just as they had done to Jesus, but the truth remains, that the love of our Lord had saved us.

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Francis de Sales, a holy bishop and the renowned founder of the Salesian religious order, and also a Doctor of the Church for his many and various works that helped to anchor the truth of God among the faithful ones of God in His Church. St. Francis de Sales was a brave and courageous defender of the faith, as the Bishop of Geneva, during the greatly turbulent times of the false Protestant ‘reformation’, the heresy brought by the confusion of Satan, designed to tempt and misled mankind to follow the path of sin.

St. Francis de Sales was a humble and hardworking servant of God and of His Church, humbly taking on the responsibilities which had been given to him, and carried them out with great patience and zeal. He preached the truth of God to the countless multitudes of people who had been misled by Satan, and managed to bring many back to the one true Faith and reconciled them to the Church.

Despite of the difficulties and the ridicules he faced, as well as the numerous threats against his life, St. Francis de Sales persevered, and through his many works, devotions, and writings, he became a great inspiration for many, as the light in the darkness for countless souls lost in the lies of Satan, bearing the Light of Christ to them, in order to guide them to return to the truth of Christ.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, inspired by the examples of St. Francis de Sales, we should be walking in his footsteps, to live our faith faithfully and devotedly, through real actions and commitment to God. We should no longer be afraid to proclaim the truth of the Lord, for He had given Himself, selflessly sacrificing Himself on the cross for our sake, that we may receive salvation through Him. Let us all be glad, for the love of God is with us, and let us ensure that many more souls can be brought back to the Lord, through our works. God bless us all. Amen.

by

Saturday, 24 January 2015 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Mark 3 : 20-21

At that time, Jesus and His disciples went home. The crowd began to gather again and they could not even have a meal. Knowing what was happening, His relatives came to take charge of Him. “He is out of His mind,” they said.