seeking God

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Monday, 28 March 2016 : First Week of Easter, Monday within Easter Octave (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 15 : 1-2a and 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11

Keep me safe, o God, for in You I take refuge. I say to the Lord, “O Lord, my inheritance and my cup, my chosen portion – hold secure my lot.”

I bless the Lord Who counsels me; even at night my inmost self instructs me. I keep the Lord always before me; for with Him at my right hand, I will never be shaken.

My heart, therefore, exults, my soul rejoices; my body too will rest assured. For You will not abandon my soul to the grave, nor will You suffer Your Holy One to see decay in the land of the dead.

You will show me the path of life, in Your presence the fullness of joy, at Your right hand happiness forever.

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Thursday, 24 March 2016 : Holy Thursday, Mass of the Lord’s Supper (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 115 : 12-13, 15-16bc, 17-18

The Lord remembers us and will bless us; He will bless the family of Israel; He will bless the family of Aaron; He will bless those who fear the Lord, both the small and the great.

May you be blessed by the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth. Heaven belongs to the Lord, but the earth He has given to humans.

It is not the dead who praise the Lord, for they have gone down to silence; but it is we, the living, who bless the Lord, from now on and forever.

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Wednesday, 23 March 2016 : Wednesday of the Holy Week, Memorial of St. Turibius de Mogrovejo, Bishop (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 68 : 8-10, 21-22, 31 and 33-34

Since I am held in contempt for Your sake, and shame has covered My face. I have become a stranger to My kindred, an alien to My mother’s sons. Zeal for Your house consumes Me as fire and those who insult You insult me as well.

Dishonour has driven Me to despair; I looked for sympathy and there was none, for comforters and there was no one. They gave Me poison for food and vinegar to drink.

I will praise the Name of God in song; I will glorify Him with thanksgiving. Let the lowly witness this and be glad. You who seek God, may your hearts be revived. For the Lord hears the needy and does not despise those in captivity.

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Wednesday, 23 March 2016 : Wednesday of the Holy Week, Memorial of St. Turibius de Mogrovejo, Bishop (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Isaiah 50 : 4-9a

The Lord YHVH has taught Me, so I speak as His disciple and I know how to sustain the weary. Morning after morning He wakes Me up to hear, to listen like a disciple.

The Lord YHVH has opened My ear. I have not rebelled, nor have I withdrawn. I offered My back to those who strike Me, My cheeks to those who pulled My beard; neither did I shield My face from blows, spittle and disgrace.

I have not despaired, for the Lord YHVH comes to My help. So, like a flint I set My face, knowing that I will not be disgraced. He Who avenges Me is near. Who then will accuse Me? Let us confront each other. Who is now My accuser? Let Him approach. If the Lord is My help, who will condemn Me?

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Tuesday, 22 March 2016 : Tuesday of the Holy Week (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

John 13 : 21-33, 36-38

At that time, after speaking to His disciples at the Last Supper, Jesus was distressed in Spirit, and said plainly, “Truly, one of you will betray Me.” The disciples then looked at one another, wondering whom He meant. One of the disciples, the one Jesus loved, was reclining near Jesus; so Simon Peter signalled him to ask Jesus whom He meant.

And the disciple, who was reclining near Jesus, asked Him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus answered, “I shall dip a piece of bread in the dish, and he to whom I give it, is the one.” So Jesus dipped the bread and gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. And as Judas took the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus then said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.”

None of the others, reclining at the table, understood why Jesus said this to Judas. As Judas had the common purse, they may have thought that Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or, “Give something to the poor.” Judas left as soon as he had eaten the bread. It was night.

When Judas had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him. God will glorify Him, and He will glorify Him very soon. My children, I am with you for only a little while; you will look for Me, but as I already told the Jews, so now I tell you : where I am going you cannot come.”

Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered, “Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but afterwards you will.” Peter said, “Lord, why can I not follow You now? I am ready to give my life for You.”

“To give your life for Me?” Jesus asked Peter. “Truly, I tell you, the cock will not crow, before you have denied Me three times.”

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Tuesday, 22 March 2016 : Tuesday of the Holy Week (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 70 : 1-2, 3-4a, 5-6ab, 15ab and 17

In You, o Lord, I seek refuge; let me not be disgraced. In Your justice help me and deliver me, turn Your ear to me and save me!

Be my Rock of refuge, a Stronghold to give me safety, for You are my Rock and my Fortress. Rescue me, o my God, from the hand of the wicked.

For You, o Lord, have been my Hope, my Trust, o God, from my youth. I have relied on You from birth : from my mother’s womb You brought me forth.

My lips will proclaim Your intervention and tell of Your salvation all day. You have taught me from my youth and until now I proclaim Your marvels.

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Monday, 21 March 2016 : Monday of the Holy Week (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

John 12 : 1-11

At that time, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where He had raised Lazarus, the dead man, to life. Now they gave a dinner to Him, and while Martha waited on them, Lazarus sat at the table with Jesus.

Then Mary took a pound of costly perfume, made from genuine spikenard and anointed the feet of Jesus, wiping them with her hair. And the whole house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

Judas Iscariot – the disciple who was to betray Jesus – remarked, “This perfume could have been sold for three hundred silver coins, and the money given to the poor.” Judas, indeed, had no concern for the poor; he was a thief, and as he held the common purse, he used to help himself to the funds.

But Jesus spoke up, “Leave her alone. Was she not keeping it for the day of My burial? (The poor you always have with you, but you will not always have Me.)”

Many Jews heard that Jesus was there and they came, not only because of Jesus, but also to see Lazarus whom He had raised from the dead. So the chief priests thought about killing Lazarus as well, for many of the Jews were drifting away because of Him, and believing in Jesus.

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Monday, 21 March 2016 : Monday of the Holy Week (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 26 : 1, 2, 3, 13-14

The Lord is my Light and my Salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the Rampart of my life; I will not be afraid.

When the wicked rush at me to devour my flesh, it is my foes who stumble, my enemies fall.

Though an army encamp against me, my heart will not fail; though war break out against me, I will still be confident.

I hope, I am sure, that I will se the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Trust in the Lord, be strong and courageous. Yes, put your hope in the Lord!

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Monday, 21 March 2016 : Monday of the Holy Week (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Isaiah 42 : 1-7

Here is My Servant Whom I uphold, My Chosen One in Whom I delight. I have put My Spirit upon Him, and He will bring justice to the nations. He does not shout or raise His voice, proclamations are not heard in the streets. A broken reed He will not crush, nor will He snuff out the light of the wavering wick. He will make justice appear in truth.

He will not waver or be broken until He has established justice on earth; the islands are waiting for His Law. Thus says God, YHVH, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spreads the earth and all that comes from it, Who gives life and breath to those who walk on it :

I, YHVH, have called You for the sake of justice; I will hold Your hand to make You firm; I will make You as a covenant to the people, and as a light to the nations, to open eyes that do not see, to free captives from prison, to bring out to light those who sit in darkness.

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Sunday, 20 March 2016 : Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, Holy Week (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we celebrate the great beginning of the Holy Week, the very important week of celebrations of the core tenets of our faith, of the very crucial events surrounding the history of our salvation in God through Jesus Christ, His Son. For it was through Christ that we were all saved from destruction and damnation guaranteed for our sins.

Today we begin the celebration of the Holy Week with the celebration of the Palm Sunday, where we all know that it celebrates the triumphal entry of Jesus our Lord into Jerusalem, the Holy City of God. Then, certainly, one may ask, what is the significance of such an entry? Did Christ not enter the city of Jerusalem on other occasions as well? After all the Gospels did say about how Christ went to the Temple of Jerusalem for a few times throughout His journeys, and surely He had entered the city a lot of times, even when He was still young and was only twelve years old.

But no, brothers and sisters in Christ, for this entry into Jerusalem is different from the other entries and visits by Jesus and His disciples to Jerusalem. For this entry marked the beginning of the end, that is the end of the earthly ministry of Jesus our Lord in this world, and yet also the beginning of God’s final phase of the plan to save us all mankind.

For it was what happened in that Sunday, a week before the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, which set up the stage for the whole culmination of the work of our Lord, that began in Bethlehem on the day of His birth into this world, which came to His baptism, His ministry, and then His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and then how the people who had proclaimed Him as King would then turn on Him, and demanded the Romans to crucify Him instead.

Jesus knew that going into Jerusalem at such a time would mean that He would have to face rejection, suffering, punishment and death, and death by the hanging on the cross, by the Romans. But even knowing this, and knowing all of the persecutions, torture, the pain that He would have to endure, He still pressed on, and entered Jerusalem regardless, going forth to face whatever it was that those who were opposed to Him were trying to do to Him.

And why is this so, brothers and sisters in Christ? That is because of His love for all of us, which transcended everything else. If God did not love us the way He had done, then He would not have bothered even to rescue us from our seemingly hopeless situation. After all, we mankind have proven ourselves throughout history to be very stubborn and resistant to the love and mercy which God is showing us.

We continued in our rebellious ways, not listening to God reminding us and constantly trying to pull us away from our fallen ways. And we resist even those whom He had sent to call us back into righteousness, the messengers, the prophets and the other holy men and women. God fully knew how His rebellious people would treat Him if He Himself were to come into their midst and call them to do the same thing, that is to repent.

But He did so regardless, just as at the mountain where He was transfigured, at Mount Tabor, where He did not remain forever, but continued to descend down the mountain, knowing that in order to save mankind from their fate, there is something that must be done, and it is to offer a worthy sacrifice as the means to absolve them from their sins.

And in order to absolve the whole multitude of mankind, all the billions and countless billions of them, and all the sins each had accumulated or will accumulate in their respective lives, which is really a gargantuan, a humongous amount of sins, nothing is worthy save if the Lord offers Himself, the one sole, perfect sacrifice, worthy to absolve us all. Just imagine all the sins, big and small that we have committed in life, and we should realise just how many sins we have committed.

And then imagine how that many sins being committed by all mankind who have ever lived, past, present and future, and all their sins, our sins are placed firmly on the shoulders of our Lord, Who willingly bore them all the way to the cross, and die for the sake of all of us criminals through our sins, so that our punishment may not be ours, but our lot becomes that of eternal life with God Who loves us.

And as we think and reflect about the love which our God has for us, let us also reflect on our own lives, our actions, words, deeds and all the things we have done in our lives. Have we been like the people of Jerusalem in their deeds, in how they treated the Lord Jesus? They welcomed the Lord with great pomp and celebrations, hailing Him as the Son of David, the Messiah and King, and yet, just less than a week later, they were the same ones who chose Barabbas over Jesus, and cried out, “Crucify Him!” when Pilate asked them what he should do with Jesus.

That means, have we proclaimed ourselves as Christians, saying that we are faithful to the Lord, and yet, have we been truly faithful to God? Are we faithful in our actions and in all our dealings with one another? If we say that we are faithful to God and yet our actions are detestable to Him, then we are no better than those people in Jerusalem, who proclaimed Jesus as King and Messiah on one day, and on the other day, called for Him to be crucified.

But remember, Jesus forgave them all, and He prayed for them. And He also died for them all, for He gave Himself up to be crucified, to suffer and die for all mankind, and not just for all those who are good to Him. Ultimately, it is our acceptance to His offer of mercy, and our commitment to make our own lives a better one that will make a difference in our lives.

As we proceed into the Holy Week celebrations beginning from today, and as we rejoice in God, crying out aloud, “Hosanna!” Let us also remember that we today also celebrate the Holy Passion of our Lord, He Who suffers for our sins and Who were tortured and wounded because of our trespasses. Let us be thoroughly and completely changed in body, mind and heart, so that we may become more devoted and faithful in all things, and be worthy of God’s promise of everlasting life. God bless us all. Amen.