sin

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Sunday, 23 June 2013 : 12th Sunday of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Zechariah 12 : 10-11 and Zechariah 13 : 1

I will pour out on the family of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of love and supplication. They will look at the One who was pierced and mourn for Him as for an only child, weeping bitterly as for a firstborn. The mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning of Haddadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo.

On that day a spring will well up for the family of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem to cleanse themselves of sin and defilement. YHVH, God of hosts says.

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Saturday, 22 June 2013 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorials of St. Paulinus of Nola, Bishop, Saints John Fisher, Bishop and Thomas More, Martyrs (Scripture Reflection)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard the words of the Gospel, in which we are told not to worry about our needs and our desires in this world. Christ had taught His disciples that the Lord takes care of the needs of His people, and He will protect those whom He considers as His own. Therefore, as long as we belong to Christ, to the Lord, we will be safe and we will always be provided, with all the things that we need.

Worry is a natural part of a human being, and worry cannot be separated from our own selves, from our own insecurities and our own natural predisposition to the desire for things, material or otherwise, in order to secure our own survival. Such is also the law of nature according to those who study it, that we are always concerned with our own survival, and therefore would do all that we can in our own power, in order to maintain our survival.

That is why we grow increasingly concerned with our own human needs, of food, of material goods, and even of relationships and love. We worry about things that may happen to us in the future, especially if those things may affect us in a negative manner. Fuelled by these insecurities, we end up becoming selfish and overprotective of ourselves and those precious to us, that end up in numerous causes for sorrow and anguish.

Many problems of this world can be traced to our own worries, our own insecurities. The reason that many nations maintain powerful armies and forces is because they are always ever insecure about their own future, with often endless probabilities and possible scenarios of ‘enemy’ attacks on them, so that they, in their insecurity, end up building that tool of destruction, in order to protect themselves, but inadvertently, when the violence does come, that tool is often used to cause great destruction and mayhem in our world.

One of the most important reasons why countries become embroiled in long-drawn conflicts is because of conflict over resources and material wealth of the earth, with well-known examples of crude oil, gas, and other precious metals, which become a source of contention between states, and led to the build-up of enmity and mutual hostility between nations.

That was why Christ told us that we should not worry, and indeed that we should put a complete trust in God, for God who loves and cares for us will take care of us and provide us all that we need. Let us take note that it is very often that what we want is not what we truly need. Many items that we want are merely the product of our own desires and greed, driven by this world, which had brought upon us countless lucrative deals that entice us to want to have more and more of such goods.

Commercialism and materialism are rampant in our world today, brothers and sisters in Christ. One can just imagine its extent from the insatiable human desire for things that bring wealth and prestige to their owners. Our media is filled with advertisements and channels that promote decadent lifestyles. A lifestyle of great excesses and waste. A lifestyle that is apathetic to the needs of others, and a lifestyle that is often lived in ignorance of the reality of life in this world.

Today we commemorate the feast day of St. Paulinus of Nola, a bishop who lived in the later years of the Roman Empire, and also the feast day of St. John Fisher, a bishop in the late Renaissance England, in the times of the English Reformation, and his fellow saint, with whom he was also martyred, St. Thomas More, who is also known as the patron saint of lawyers.

St. Paulinus of Nola was a bishop who renounced his privileged early life as an influential senator of the Roman Empire, and chose to follow the ways of the ascetics, to give himself fully to the Lord, and eventually became a priest and bishop of Nola. He was also a well-known writer and poet, with many of his writings influencing later people and saints of the Church.

The example of St. Paulinus of Nola, who disavowed wealth and did not pursue human glory and possessions. He looked for what is more valuable to him, and indeed should be truly valuable to all of us, that is the Lord Himself, our real and true treasure. He did not find it shameful to abandon all the worldly pursuit of wealth, and all the fame and affluence he had while he was an influential senator of Rome.

It does not mean that all of us should then become monks though, and follow ascetic lifestyle. But certainly the examplary life of St. Paulinus of Nola, whose writings inspired many in the faith, and whose pursuit of the true richness in Christ, can become a powerful driving engine behind our own personal journey in the faith. And equally, just as St. Paulinus of Nola had shown all of us, the examples of Saints John Fisher and Thomas More too, cannot be ignored.

Saints John Fisher and Thomas More lived in a difficult time, a difficult and troubled time to be a follower of the Lord, and to be the faithful ones in the Church of God. For they lived at the time when the English Reformation begun, under the persona of King Henry VIII, whose greatest sin was to break away from the Apostolic authority of Rome just because he did not get his second marriage approved, in his crazed and ultimately fruitless pursuit for an heir, a son to inherit the throne of England.

St. John Fisher was the bishop of Rochester, and a closer advisor to the king, while St. Thomas More was a laity, the powerful chancellor for the king of England. When the king began his upstart new ‘church’, naturally, he wanted all of his subjects to follow him into his rebellion against the authority of the Church, especially those nearest to him in confidence and power.

Those who followed the king into his disobedience and rebellion gained prestige with the king and much material wealth and affluence, which was also the reason why many followed the king into his disobedience against Rome. Yet, St. Thomas More, and also St. John Fisher, despite the offers made by the king, particularly St. Thomas More’s lucrative chancellorship, they remained steadfast to their faith in the Lord, and remained firmly within the Church, against all attempts and temptations for them to leave the Church of God.

In refusing the order of the king, they faced suffering, persecution, prison, and eventually death in martyrdom, in their defense of the faith. They remained faithful and true to the Lord to the end, and they received their eternal reward and glory in heaven, having shedding their blood for the sake of their faith.

The lesson to be learnt here is of course not that we must shed our blood and our life like what the two martyrs of the faith had done, but just like St. Paulinus of Nola, we must value our faith and the Lord our God as the much more valuable and priceless treasure, the true treasure of our life, over any kind of worldly and material wealth, that is offered by our world, and especially in our present day world, becoming ever more tempting in their approach to all of us.

Do not give up our faith in God and our righteousness for moments of pleasure and false happiness, through the means of material goods of this world. Not that we cannot enjoy what this world can offer and neither should we restrain from gaining any material possession or money, but all of these must be done in moderation, so that it would not end up in these shutting out the Lord from our hearts, because remember that the Lord Himself said that wherever the treasure is, the our hearts lie.

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us today renew our commitment to strengthen our faith in the Lord, that we will ever keep Him in our hearts, that He will know that we belong to Him, and will reward us greatly when He comes again as our King. God bless us all. Amen.

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Wednesday, 19 June 2013 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Romuald, Abbot (Scripture Reflection)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard about how we should love God and do things for the sake of the Lord, but we must do it because we truly love Him, with the full sincerity of the heart, and not with any hidden intentions or desires. It is natural for us to have those kind of desires, to be glorified and praised ourselves, as it is part of our human nature. We are naturally attracted to glory and power, and that is why, even in the things that we do, we would certainly want to be praised and glorified for the successes we achieved.

When we pray, when we fast, and when we do things that the Lord told us to do, do it in secret and in our own private space, although it is not wrong indeed to do it in the open. That is because when we do things in secret, we are safe from the presence of others who can look at what we are doing. In doing that, it will remove that obstacle of pride from our hearts, because when someone is with us, we no longer focus on ourselves when we pray, and because we subconsciously know that someone is looking at us, and we are certainly tempted to exaggerate things so that people would praise us.

When we closed off ourselves from the world, in our prayer, our fasting, and our almsgiving, we can then focus solely on the Lord, and to whom we give the alms to. So that we will not be led astray and instead believe in our own personal human glory instead of bringing glory to God. Remember that prayer is a conversation between ourselves and the Lord, not a means through which we should glorify ourselves by showing our piety to others.

It does not mean then we should never pray in public or do something pious in view of others. Indeed, doing it at the right moment, and especially with the right intentions and understandings would enable us to be tools of evangelisation, as these also may bring light and understanding to others who had no understanding about the faith in the Lord. Through our prayers, our actions, which we share to them, we will be able to bring a new light to them, and may even bring them to salvation through their acceptance of Christ as their Lord and Saviour.

Yes, whenever we pray, fast, or do something according to our faith, be it in public, or in private, do it for the right intentions, and for the right state of our heart and mind. That we do these all for the glory of God, and God alone, and for the sanctification and purification of our sinful self and the salvation of our soul, and not to accumulate and gather human glories and human praises.

If we know then how to pray sincerely with our heart, and use that chance to truly communicate with the Lord who loves us, and wants to speak with us, we will then find the true meaning of our faith in God, and we will be enriched in our own lives, by the love that God gives us and through His grace, that He grants to those who truly loves Him, and not merely loving themselves in the guise of loving God.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us be sincere in all our actions, and do not place ourselves before the Lord in all things. Do not place our desires and our greed to take over us and make us fall into sin, yes, into the sin of pride, because we glorify ourselves rather than God. Be truthful in all our actions, and do them because we truly love the Lord in all the things that we do. Do not seek personal glory, but glorify the Lord at all times.

For human glory is fleeting, and human achievements are temporary in nature. But great is the glory and the reward that await us in heaven, if we remain faithful, truthful, and steadfast in our faith in God, and remain in His love. Remain always in God’s grace, and He will grant us the eternal reward of glory in heaven. Seek not what will not last, but seek what will last forever.

Today, we also commemorate the feast of St. Romuald, a well known religious and abbot, whose life was truly exemplary to us. St. Romuald was once a sinful man, who indulged in all things evil in his youth, and led a debauched life. But after a life-changing experience and revelation of the faith, he changed his ways, and became a truly holy and dedicated person for the Lord. He founded many monasteries and established a strong monastic practice in the society at the time.

St. Romuald in particular placed a great importance on the understanding on the faith, and the serenity of oneself in prayer, that one can be truly be united with God, and truly focus themselves to the Lord their God, avoiding any kind of distractions that may lead them astray from the path of salvation. St. Romuald’s life also shows the kind of prayer that the Lord wants from us, a prayer made out of pure love and dedication for the Lord, in the silence of our hearts. It does not mean that all of us should become monks or join the religious orders in order to do so, but even a simple act of taking a time in silence, in the midst of the business of our lives, we can achieve this, that through a well-conceived prayer, our faith in God will grow ever stronger, and we will be ever closer to Him.

May God strengthen us, strengthen the edge of our humility, and remind us at all times to bring glory to Him, and not to strive for our own personal glory. May He bless us at all times in all the things that we do, that in all that we do, we bring life and love to all around us, that in whatever things that we do, God will be praised and glorified, forever and ever. Amen.

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Sunday, 16 June 2013 : 11th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Luke 7 : 36 – Luke 8 : 3

One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to share His meal, so He went to the Pharisee’s home, and as usual reclined at the table to eat. And it happened that a woman of this town, who was known as a sinner, heard that He was in the Pharisee’s house. She brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and stood behind Him, at His feet, weeping. She wet His feet with tears, she dried them with her hair, she kissed His feet and poured the perfume on them.

The Pharisee who had invited Jesus was watching, and thought, “If this Man were a prophet, He would know what sort of person is touching Him; isn’t this woman a sinner?”

Then Jesus spoke to the Pharisee and said, “Simon, I have something to ask you.” He answered, “Speak, master.” And Jesus said, “Two people were in debt to the same creditor. One owed him five hundred silver coins, and the other fifty. As they were unable to pay him back, he graciously canceled the debts of both. Now, which of them will love him more?”

Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, who was forgiven more.” And Jesus said, “You are right.” And turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? You gave Me no water for My feet when I entered your house, but she has washed My feet with her tears and dried them with her hair.”

“You did not welcome Me with a kiss, but she has not stopped kissing My feet since she came in. You provided no oil for My head, but she has poured perfume on My feet. This is why, I tell you, her sins, her many sins, are forgiven, because of her great love. But the one who is forgiven little, has little love.”

Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” The others reclining with Him at the table began to wonder, “Now this Man claims to forgive sins!” But Jesus again spoke to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace!”

Jesus walked through towns and countryside, preaching and giving the Good News of the kingdom of God. The Twelve followed Him, and also some women, who had been healed of evil spirits and diseases. Mary called Magdalene, who had been freed of seven demons; Joanna, wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward; Suzanna, and others who provided for them out of their own funds.

Alternative Reading (Shorter version)

 

Luke 7 : 36-50

One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to share His meal, so He went to the Pharisee’s home, and as usual reclined at the table to eat. And it happened that a woman of this town, who was known as a sinner, heard that He was in the Pharisee’s house. She brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and stood behind Him, at His feet, weeping. She wet His feet with tears, she dried them with her hair, she kissed His feet and poured the perfume on them.

The Pharisee who had invited Jesus was watching, and thought, “If this Man were a prophet, He would know what sort of person is touching Him; isn’t this woman a sinner?”

Then Jesus spoke to the Pharisee and said, “Simon, I have something to ask you.” He answered, “Speak, master.” And Jesus said, “Two people were in debt to the same creditor. One owed him five hundred silver coins, and the other fifty. As they were unable to pay him back, he graciously cancelled the debts of both. Now, which of them will love him more?”

Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, who was forgiven more.” And Jesus said, “You are right.” And turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? You gave Me no water for My feet when I entered your house, but she has washed My feet with her tears and dried them with her hair.”

“You did not welcome Me with a kiss, but she has not stopped kissing My feet since she came in. You provided no oil for My head, but she has poured perfume on My feet. This is why, I tell you, her sins, her many sins, are forgiven, because of her great love. But the one who is forgiven little, has little love.”

Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” The others reclining with Him at the table began to wonder, “Now this Man claims to forgive sins!” But Jesus again spoke to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace!”

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Sunday, 16 June 2013 : 11th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Psalm 31 : 1-2, 5, 7, 11

Blessed is the one whose sin is forgiven, whose iniquity is wiped away. Blessed are those in whom the Lord sees no guilt and in whose spirit is found no deceit.

Then I made known to You my sin and uncovered before You my fault, saying to myself : “To the Lord I will now confess my wrong.” And You, You forgave my sin, You removed my guilt.

You are my refuge; You protect me from distress and surround me with songs of deliverance.

Rejoice in the Lord, and be glad, you who are upright; sing and shout for joy, you who are clean of heart.

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Sunday, 16 June 2013 : 11th Sunday of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

2 Samuel 12 : 7-10, 13

Nathan said to David, “You are this man! It is YHVH, God of Israel, who speaks : ‘I anointed you king over Israel and saved you from Saul’s hands; I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives; I also gave you the nations of Israel and Judah. But if these were not enough, I would have given you even more.'”

“‘Why did you despise YHVH by doing what displeases Him? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife for yourself. Yes, you killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now the sword will never be far from your family because you have despised Me and taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite for yourself.'”

David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against YHVH.” Nathan answered him, “YHVH has forgiven your sin; you shall not die.”

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Saturday, 15 June 2013 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

2 Corinthians 5 : 14-21

Indeed the love of Christ holds us and we realise that if He died for all, all have died. He died for all so that those who live may live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again for them. And so from now on, we do not regard anyone from a human point of view; and even if we once knew Christ personally, we should now regard Him in another way.

For that same reason, the one who is in Christ is a new creature. For him the old things have passed away; a new world has come. All this is the work of God who in Christ reconciled us to Himself, and who entrusted to us the ministry of reconciliation. Because in Christ, God reconciled the world with Himself, no longer taking into account their trespasses and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

So, we present ourselves as ambassadors in the Name of Christ, as if God Himself makes an appeal to you through us. Let God reconcile you; this we ask you in the Name of Christ. He had no sin, but God made Him bear our sin, so that in Him we might share the holiness of God.

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Friday, 14 June 2013 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time (Scripture Reflection)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we listened again to the words of the Scripture, in which Christ told His disciples that they should keep themselves pure in all things, so that they will not fall into sin. Brethren, sin is our weakness, and our body is our weakness, ever since Adam and Eve our ancestors disobeyed the Lord and ate from the fruits of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Ever since humankind was exposed to that knowledge of things good and evil, we have been prone to the corruption of sin, particularly in our body, through our being, our minds, and our hearts. Mankind has done things evil in the eyes of the Lord ever since the day of our rebellion, until God once had wanted to destroy all but Noah in the Great Flood, such great was the extent of our forefather’s sins.

God loves us very much, brothers and sisters, for all of us are His children, His most beloved children, the greatest and most precious to Him of all creation, so much that He had entrusted this world to our care, that we become its stewards. But as much as our God is a loving God, He is also a jealous and a just God, and He cannot let sin stand in His presence, because He is good and perfect, and no sinner can stand worthy in front of Him in heaven. That was why He sent His only Son, that through Him salvation of mankind may happen, and those who repent and believe in Him, may become worthy of Him once again.

Brothers and sisters, Christ did not mean that we should literally cut off our appendages and our limbs because it caused us to sin. Yes, without these limbs indeed we cannot do what is bad, and therefore can sin no longer, but what Christ truly meant was that we should cut us off from sin itself, from all attachments to sin, especially from our hearts. If our hearts is pure, our hands and legs, and our mouths and eyes will not ever cause us to sin.

In addition, yes, indeed, if we cut away these limbs, we cannot do what is evil, but then it will also similarly hinder us from doing what is good, because certainly our limbs can be used for either good or evil. It is entirely within our choice whether we want to use it for good or for evil. It is also to note that no sinner is beyond redemption, and even the greatest of sinners, were he or she to repent, he or she can become the greatest of saints if God so desires of them.

Yes, brethren, there are hope for sinners. All of us are sinners, and even the greatest of the saints, who were also sinners. But what differentiates the saints from the condemned are that those who were condemned did not turn away from their sins and their vices, and continued to do things abhorrent in the eyes of the Lord. That was why they were thrown into hell, all and whole, because their heart and their bodies remained in darkness.

But saints did not remain in darkness. Yes, they had much faults and past sins, but all these drove them to approach the throne of God for mercy. Full in knowledge of their iniquity and unworthiness, they surrendered themselves to God and opened themselves to His love and mercy. They did not elevate themselves nor did they become arrogant and haughty, one of our greatest weaknesses that is pride. They lowered themselves and repented truly in their hearts, and a new light was born in them, and consequently, they were purified and made whole and worthy once again before the Lord. The Lord is pleased with them, and joyfully welcomed them back, like a father welcoming a long-lost prodigal son.

Our hearts are important, brothers and sisters in Christ, because within our hearts lie the Holy Spirit that dwells within us, and it is the most important part of our beings. If our hearts are pure, and we keep the Holy Spirit strong within us, and with a powerful anchor of faith in God, we will be able to resist any temptations of the devil and the world’s evils. It is within our hearts that lies the key to defeating evil and keeping strong the faith we have in God.

That was why Christ told His disciples and the people who were with Him that even if they had already had evil thoughts with the opposite sex, they had already committed adultery, even though they had not actually done the deed itself. That is because our hearts are the start of everything, whether things good or evil, is ultimately decided by the state of our hearts. If our hearts are evil and filthy with sin, we will definitely be more inclined to do things that displease the Lord, and vice versa, that we will be more predisposed to do things that please the Lord if we keep our hearts pure and filled with light.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us not fear evil, but face it with courage and faith. Let the Holy Spirit come and dwell within all of us, and keep ourselves firmly anchored in God, and in our faith in Christ Jesus, our Lord. That the Spirit will become the Treasure that St. Paul mentioned in the first reading today, encased within our unworthy bodies, but when unveiled through our actions and our words, the Spirit will proclaim the glory of God, for all to see, that they too may believe and repent! Amen.

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Friday, 14 June 2013 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Matthew 5 : 27-32

You have heard that it was said : ‘Do not commit adultery’. But I tell you this : anyone who looks at a woman too lustfully has in fact already committed adultery with her in his heart.

So, if your right eye causes you to sin, pull it out and throw it away! It is much better for you to lose a part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into hell. If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away! It is better for you to lose a part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into hell.

It was also said : ‘Anyone who divorces his wife, must give her a written notice of divorce.’ But what I tell you is this : If a man divorces his wife, except in the case of unlawful union, he causes her to commit adultery. And the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

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Wednesday, 12 June 2013 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Psalm 98 : 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Extol the Lord, our God; worship at His footstool. Holy is He! And mighty!

Among His priests were Moses and Aaron, and Samuel among those who called on His Name. They called to the Lord, and He answered them.

In the pillar of cloud He spoke to them, and they kept His statutes and the decrees He gave them.

O Lord our God, You responded to them; You were a patient God for them, but You punished their wrongs.

Extol the Lord our God; worship at His holy mountain. Holy is the Lord our God!