Seventh Week of Easter

by

Tuesday, 3 June 2025 : 7th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Acts 20 : 17-27

From Miletus Paul sent word to Ephesus, summoning the elders of the Church. When they came to him, he addressed them, “You know how I lived among you from the first day I set foot in the province of Asia, how I served the Lord in humility through the sorrows and trials that the Jews caused me.”

“You know that I never held back from doing anything that could be useful for you; I spoke publicly and in your homes, and I urged Jews and non-Jews alike to turn to God and believe in our Lord Jesus.”

“But now I am going to Jerusalem, chained by the Spirit, without knowing what will happen to me there. Yet in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that imprisonment and troubles await me. Indeed I put no value on my life, if only I can finish my race and complete the service to which I have been assigned by the Lord Jesus, to announce the Good News of God’s grace.”

“I now feel sure that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom of God will ever see me again. Therefore I declare to you this day that my conscience is clear with regard to all of you. For I have spared no effort in fully declaring to you God’s will.”

by

Monday, 2 June 2025 : 7th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Marcellinus and St. Peter, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we are reminded that we must have strong faith and trust in the Lord, believing in the great and ever enduring love which He has always had for us, without exception and without limit. God has indeed always loved us all so generously, without any conditions and without any boundaries. And we should indeed consider ourselves truly fortunate to have been beloved in such a manner, and to have the Lord by our side at all times. We must not lose faith in Him and we should always strive to be faithful because it is in Him alone that we can find true assurance and strength, consolation and freedom. There is nothing that is impossible for us as long as we continue to have faith in the Lord, entrusting ourselves to Him and His will.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles of the ministry and works of St. Paul the Apostle and his companions in the work of evangelisation, as they continued on their missionary journeys across the known world, spreading the Word of God and the Good News of His salvation to all the people of all the nations. St. Paul in particular was known for his great outreach to the Gentiles, or the non-Jewish people that he has always championed and sought to lead towards God despite the opposition and resistance from some of the more hardline ones among the early Christians, particularly those belonging to the Pharisees that joined the Church. St. Paul kept on ministering faithfully to the Gentiles, and as we heard in today’s reading, he achieved great success in them.

We heard how St. Paul went to Ephesus and found some disciples there that had been baptised according to the way that St. John the Baptist did it, likely due to the works of the disciples gathered by St. John the Baptist that went to the diaspora communities. However, they had not yet known of the fullness of truth and the teachings of Christ, which St. Paul therefore told to them, which eventually led to them agreeing to be baptised in the Name of the Lord, and we heard how they all received the Holy Spirit, and became the disciples of the Lord. And through this we know that God truly calls on all the people to become His disciples and followers, and His grace, blessings and inheritance are to be shared by everyone without exception.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, we heard of the words of the Lord to His disciples who commented that He had finally revealed to them in plain words Who He was and what He was doing, and then the Lord told them a premonition of what would soon happen, in how they would all lose faith in Him and be overcome with doubt at the moment when He was facing His Passion, when all of the disciples would abandon Him and choose to safeguard themselves. And yet, He also told them all that He Himself remained steadfast in His mission, as the Father was with Him regardless, and He also prayed for the disciples that they would also be strengthened in their faith, and that they would not lose their faith going forward.

This is an important reminder for all of us that as Christians, we are all likely to encounter and face challenges, trials and difficulties in our path forward, and we must not easily lose faith and trust in the Lord, as the Lord Himself will indeed always be with us, guiding and providing for us, ensuring that we are all taken care of, and that we will never have to face all the challenges alone by ourselves. We have to trust in the Lord and have faith in Him so that we do not end up being easily distracted and swayed by the many temptations and pressures found all around us in this world. We have to remain strong, firm and resolute in our faith and trust in God, no matter what circumstances, and we should always have that conviction to continue moving forward with God as our Guide, at all times.

Today, the Church also celebrates the feast of two great and holy martyrs of the Church, namely that of St. Marcellinus and St. Peter. Both of these holy servants of God were not known much beyond some hagiographical stories about them, but they were greatly venerated by many generations of Christians after their time, for their great faith and courage in defending their faith in God. According to that hagiographical story, St. Marcellinus was a priest while St. Peter was an exorcist who lived and ministered to the faithful people of God during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian and his fellow co-Emperors. That time was a time of great challenge and difficulty for the Church of God, as intense persecutions against Christians was carried out by the state.

Many among the faithful people of God suffered, were arrested and tortured, and not few were martyred for their faith, including those of St. Marcellinus and St. Peter themselves. They refused to give up their faith in the Lord, and they continued to keep their trust in God to the very end, and they were executed for their Christian faith as example for many others. But the courageous examples that they had shown, together with the great inspirations they had made, the miracles associated to them strengthened many other fellow Christians both of their generations and those who came after them. And hopefully this also strengthens our own faith in the Lord, that we may not easily give up our own faith in the face of the many struggles and hardships we may have to face in our own paths and journeys towards God.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all hence continue to be ever more faithful and dedicated in proclaiming the Word of God, His Good News and love to all those whom we encounter in this world, in each and every moments of our lives, inspired by the great examples of all those who have gone before us. Let us all not be discouraged by fear and doubt, but instead be strengthened ever more by our faith and trust in the Lord. Let us also encourage and strengthen one another as well, now and always. Amen.

by

Monday, 2 June 2025 : 7th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Marcellinus and St. Peter, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

John 16 : 29-33

At that time, the disciples said to Jesus, “Now You are speaking plainly and not in veiled language! Now we see that You know all things, even before we question You. Because of this we believe that You came from God.”

Jesus answered them, “You say that you believe? The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each one to his home, and you will leave Me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with Me. I have told you all this, so that in Me you may have peace. You will have trouble in the world; but courage! I have overcome the world.”

by

Monday, 2 June 2025 : 7th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Marcellinus and St. Peter, Martyrs (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

Psalm 67 : 2-3, 4-5ac, 6-7ab

Arise, o God, scatter Your enemies; let Your foes flee before You. As smoke is blown by the wind, so blow them away; as wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish before You.

But let the righteous be glad and exult before God; let them sing to God and shout for joy. Sing to God, sing praises to His Name; the Lord is His Name. Rejoice in His presence.

Father of orphans and Protector of widows – such is our God is His holy dwelling. He gives shelter to the homeless, sets the prisoners free.

by

Monday, 2 June 2025 : 7th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Marcellinus and St. Peter, Martyrs (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

Acts 19 : 1-8

While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul travelled through the interior of the country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples whom he asked, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” They answered, “We have not even heard that anyone may receive the Holy Spirit.” Paul then asked, “What kind of baptism have you received?” And they answered, “The baptism of John.”

Paul then explained, “John’s baptism was for conversion, but he himself said they should believe in the One Who was to come, and that One is Jesus.” Upon hearing this, they were baptised in the Name of the Lord Jesus. Then Paul laid his hands on them and the Holy Spirit came down upon them; and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy. There were about twelve of them in all.

Paul went into the synagogue and for three months he preached and discussed there boldly, trying to convince them about the Kingdom of God.

by

Sunday, 1 June 2025 : Seventh Sunday of Easter, World Social Communications Sunday (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday is the seventh Sunday of Easter, on which day we also commemorate the occasion of the World Social Communications Sunday. On this Sunday we are reminded that it is important for us to make good use of the social communications, the social media and other means in our world today to elevate the Good News and the truths of the Gospels, the teachings of Our Lord and the Christian truths in a world where many did not know the Lord and where many, even those within the Church, do not really know, understand and appreciate what they all believe in, our faith in the One, True God. That is why we are being reminded again of the great opportunities and the many wonderful things that we have been given through this mission we have in our capabilities to communicate about the Lord and His truth in our society today.

In our first reading this Sunday, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, we heard of the account of the time when St. Stephen, one of the first seven Deacons of the Church was persecuted and martyred by the mob gathered in the presence of the Sanhedrin or the Jewish High Council. At that time, the Sanhedrin had been intensifying their efforts to silence the disciples and followers of the Risen Lord, Whom they had condemned to suffer and die on the Cross, and yet, Whose Resurrection and the great courage shown by His disciples threw their plans and ideas into disarray. Hence, they resorted to using dirty tactics if we read through the earlier part of the account from the Acts of the Apostles, by using false witnesses and lies to try to implicate and accuse St. Stephen of wrongdoing.

However, if we continue to read on the same account, St. Stephen, strengthened and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, firmly stood up for his faith in the Lord, and proclaimed the salvation of God throughout history and how everything had been accomplished perfectly in the same Jesus Christ that had come into this world and which many of the members Sanhedrin had rejected and persecuted, and crucified on the Cross. St. Stephen was facing many of those who were against him and wanted to see him silenced, and yet, he still courageously spoke out for his faith in the Lord, and he did not let his fears to overcome him. Instead, he fully trusted in the Lord and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit and courageously proclaimed the Lord and His salvation.

And that was how St. Stephen was martyred, in the midst of his courageous preaching and ministry, as he remained true to his commitment to the very end, standing up to his beliefs and doing his best, even amidst all those who rose up in anger against him. And even in suffering and death, St. Stephen continued to proclaim the Lord, as he showed those who persecuted him the true face of God’s love and mercy, as he forgave them all that they had inflicted upon him, asking the Lord not to hold those sins and wrongdoings against those who have attacked and persecuted him, just as the Lord Himself had done from His Cross. Thus, the examples showed to us by St. Stephen should indeed serve as a good example for ourselves to follow in our own lives as Christians, in how we communicate our faith in this world to one another.

Then, from our second reading today, taken from the Book of Revelations, we heard of the great vision of St. John the Apostle which had come to its conclusion in what we heard from the passage. After the many visions on sufferings and tribulations that the faithful had to experience, the Lord also then showed St. John, who personally had to suffer many decades of suffering and hardships, that glimpse of reassuring hope by revealing to him what he and all the other faithful disciples and followers will enjoy in the end. And St. John saw all the true joy that will be found in the Lord, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, all the comfort and true happiness that will be found in Him alone, in the satisfaction of eternal life that surpass anything that can be found in this world.

And St. John was told by the Lord to record everything that he had seen and witnessed so that everyone else can also believe and be strengthened in their faith, and that was exactly what he had done, communicating all that he had seen and compiled them all in his Book of Revelations, with the help of all those who have listened to his visions and accounts. Again, this is how all of us should communicate our faith as Christians, in proclaiming the truth of God, His revelations and ways to more and more people we encounter so that we may be encouraged in facing the trials, hardships and obstacles that may be found in our path. We must not lose sight on what is truly important, that is God and His assurance, and we who know this fact ought to communicate it well to everyone around us.

Then, from our Gospel passage this Sunday, we heard of the prayer that the Lord Jesus made on behalf of His disciples and followers to His heavenly Father, praying for them that they all may be one and united with each other just as He Himself and the Father are One, and that they may be strengthened amidst the challenges and trials that they all may have to face in carrying out their faith and actions to fulfil what the Lord has entrusted to them. He prayed for all of them that they may have perfection in unity, and that none of them may be lost from Him, as He truly loves them all very much. And whatever the Lord has prayed for at that time still very much ring true to this day, to all of us who continue to follow Christ our Lord and continue to carry out His good works in our respective communities today.

But more importantly, again linking to the same theme of the communication and social communication that is one of the focus of today’s celebrations, we see that the Lord Jesus Himself constantly prayed to the Father, as mentioned here in today’s Gospel and also in other occasions throughout the Gospels, and this highlights to us the importance of prayer in our faith life as Christians. For without prayer we will easily be swayed and pulled away from the path towards God, falling prey to temptations and all other pressures that may keep us away from God. But with prayer and especially a good and healthy prayer life, as the Lord Himself has shown us, we will be firmly rooted in faith and we will not lose sight on what is truly important in our lives. We will find that with God by our side, whatever challenges and trials we may have to face, all will be possible for us.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all ponder upon these readings from the Sacred Scriptures and reflect upon our faith and relationship with the Lord, especially in how we have communicated with Him through prayer and other means. It is imperative that we should be constantly connected with God and be attuned to Him and His will. At the same time, it is important that we should also communicate our faith and belief to others around us, to fulfil what the Lord has commanded us to do, in all the things that He has entrusted to us, in proclaiming the truth and salvation in God to all the people of all the nations. We should be courageous and faithful like that of St. Stephen and our many other holy predecessors, in faithfully proclaiming God’s Word and truth to all.

May the Risen Lord continue to be with us always and may He strengthen and empower us all with the resolve and courage to walk ever more faithfully in God’s Presence and in proclaiming His truth and Good News in our world today, amongst our communities and all those whom we encounter daily in life. May God bless our good efforts and endeavours, all the works we have done in His Name. May He grant us the wisdom and eloquence to proclaim His truth with sincerity and love, now and always. Amen.

by

Sunday, 1 June 2025 : Seventh Sunday of Easter, World Social Communications Sunday (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 17 : 20-26

At that time, Jesus prayed to God His Father, “I pray not only for these, but also for those who through their word will believe in Me. May they all be one, as You Father are in Me and I am in You. May they be one in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.”

“I have given them the glory You have given Me, that they may be one as We are One : I in them and You in Me. Thus they shall reach perfection in unity; and the world shall know that You have sent Me, and that I have loved them, just as You loved Me.”

“Father, since You have given them to Me, I want them to be with Me where I am, and see the glory You gave Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father, the world has not known You, but I have known You, and these have known that You have sent Me.”

“As I revealed Your Name to them, so will I continue to reveal it, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and also may be in them.”

by

Sunday, 1 June 2025 : Seventh Sunday of Easter, World Social Communications Sunday (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Revelations 22 : 12-14, 16-17, 20

I am coming soon, bringing with Me the recompense I will pay to each one, according to his deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Happy are those who wash their robes, for they will have free access to the tree of life, and enter the city through the gates.

I, Jesus, sent My Angel, to make known to you these revelations concerning the churches. I am the Shoot, and Offspring of David, the radiant Morning Star. The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come!” Whoever hears, let him say, “Come!” Whoever thirsts, let him approach, and whoever desires, let him freely take the water of life.

He Who has declared all this says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus.

by

Sunday, 1 June 2025 : Seventh Sunday of Easter, World Social Communications Sunday (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 96 : 1 and 2b, 6 and 7c, 9

YHVH reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the distant islands be glad. Justice and right, are His throne.

The heavens proclaim His justice, all peoples see His glory. Let all spirits bow before Him.

For You are the Master of the universe, exalted far above all gods.

by

Sunday, 1 June 2025 : Seventh Sunday of Easter, World Social Communications Sunday (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 7 : 55-60

But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, fixed his eyes on heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus at God’s right hand, so he declared : “I see the heavens open and the Son of Man at the right hand of God.”

But they shouted and covered their ears with their hands and rushed together upon him. They brought him out of the city and stoned him, and the witnesses laid down their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. As they were stoning him, Stephen prayed saying : “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

Then he knelt down and said in a loud voice : “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he died.