Singapore

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(Singapore) Friday, 14 February 2025 : Feast of the Anniversary of the Dedication of the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today, the fourteenth day of February marks the anniversary of the Dedication or Consecration of the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, the Mother Church of the Archdiocese of Singapore, which was dedicated in the Year of Our Lord 1897, about five decades after it was originally built and established as the first church in the land of Singapore. This year, it has been a hundred and twenty-eight years since its original Consecration as mentioned, and also eight years since it has been rededicated in the Year of Our Lord 2017 after the latest round of major restoration and renovation, bringing back the glory and the glamour in this great House of God, restored and renovated for the glory of God and for the good of the flock of the Lord in Singapore.

Now, as we all rejoice in the anniversary of the dedication of our Mother Church in Singapore, let us all spend some time to reflect upon the messages of the Sacred Scriptures that we have received today, which reminds us all of the significance of this Dedication of the Cathedral, as with the dedication of any other churches, the places which had been set aside for the purpose of sacred use and the worship of the Divine. All of us have to be aware that the celebration of the Holy Mass has to be done in a place that has been blessed and also dedicated to God, upon the Altar that had been dedicated and reserved for the sole use of Sacred and Divine Worship, which happened during the Dedication of this great House of God.

In our first reading today, we heard the customary reading from the Book of the prophet Ezekiel used for the dedication of churches, detailing the heavenly vision of the prophet Ezekiel who saw the great Temple in Heaven, the Temple of the Lord’s Holy Presence, from which came forth the spring of life-giving water, and the figure of a Son of Man Who guided him throughout the Temple, which was a prefigurement of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus, the Son of Man. This Holy and great Temple of God in Heaven is the model upon which all of our churches, God’s House in this world have been modelled upon, all consecrated and dedicated to the Lord, to be the same representation of the perfect Temple of God’s Holy Presence in Heaven, which has come into our midst, as God came to dwell among us.

As we all come to the churches, to come to worship and glorify the Lord, it reminds us all to come forth to God’s Holy Presence, seeking His love, kindness and mercy, while distancing ourselves from all sorts of wickedness and evils, keeping ourselves holy and worthy in all things. That is why each and every one of us are reminded to keep the sanctity of God’s House, to be at our best whenever we come to the Holy Mass and any other celebrations and liturgical events taking place in our churches, including in this Cathedral which dedication anniversary we are celebrating today. If we profane the sanctity of the Lord’s Holy Temple, then we will be made accountable for this act, and we will be judged and found wanting for this action that is unbecoming of us all as Christians.

Then, in our second reading passage today, we listened to the words of St. Paul the Apostle in his Epistle to the Church and the faithful in the city and region of Corinth where he spoke of the nature of all of us, the faithful people of God, as God’s Holy Temples, how our bodies and our whole beings are truly the Temples of His Holy Presence, the Temples of His Holy Spirit, and therefore all of us must always strive to keep ourselves holy and free from sin, or else, again, the sin of us having defiled the sanctity of this Temple of God, that is our own body, heart, mind and soul, our whole beings, will eventually fall upon us and we will have to account for our failure to keep this sanctity and purity of our bodies, our minds, hearts and souls, which God had graced upon and dwelled within.

Each and every one of us have received God Himself in the flesh, first of all through the life that God has given to each and every one of us, the Holy Spirit that He has given to us, dwelling within us, and the gift of the Holy Spirit through the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, where the gifts of the Holy Spirit were affirmed in us, and through which we have been strengthened by God’s Spirit and Presence. And then, not only that, but through the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, and as we all believe firmly that the Lord is truly and really present in the Eucharist, in our faith in the Real Presence and the Dogma of Transubstantiation, we believe that the Lord Himself, Who has made Himself available in His Most Precious Body and Blood, has come into us, through the Holy Eucharist that we have received and partaken at the Holy Mass.

Therefore, it is important that each and every one of us as Christians must realise that we have to keep ourselves truly holy and worthy in everything that we say and do, or else, we have to account for our failures to do so. In our Gospel passage today, the Lord Jesus showed this by example, as He angrily cast out all those merchants, money changers and others peddling their businesses at the courtyard of the Temple of God in Jerusalem. First of all, the context of this event and the presence of those businesses were made necessary due to the many Jewish people which at that time had been living far away from the land of Israel, and since they would come to visit Jerusalem during festivals like the Passover, they would have to exchange the money and coins they brought from the lands they dwelled in for the coins issued by the local Temple authority, as foreign coins were considered unclean. And they would have to use those good and worthy Temple coins to buy the sacrifices to be offered to God.

However, what the Lord Jesus found issue with was the rampant practice of corruption and overcharging, where the pilgrims and many others coming to the Temple were overcharged for the services that those money changers and merchants did, and those people earned a lot from this practice. It was those immoral actions and behaviours, which were not allowed even according to the Law of God revealed through Moses, that led to the Lord Jesus to drive away all those merchants and money changers. The Temple officials and the chief priests had been turning a blind eye to those wicked actions because they themselves likely profitted from such activities as well, and therefore, the Lord also told them all as we heard, that the magnificent Temple which they had at that time, none of that would remain standing in just another few decades, as it would be destroyed by the Romans approximately four decades later.

What the Lord also wanted us all to remember is that this Temple of God is truly not just limited to any particular building. Yes, we designate and honour certain places and also this Cathedral of the Good Shepherd as God’s Holy House in this world, but even more importantly, the whole Church itself, the Body of Christ, the unity of all Christian believers are also where God is present and where He dwells in amongst us. Hence, as Christians, it is important that all of us strive to continue living our lives worthily and to continue to do our best in being the ‘living stones’ of God’s Holy Temple, to be good and faithful stewards and caretakers of this world that God has entrusted to us. Let us all also be active in our participation in the Holy Mass and in other events of the Church, and maintain always the sanctity of our churches and also our bodies, hearts, minds and souls as God’s Holy Temple in this world.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore as God’s faithful people in the Archdiocese of Singapore continue to do our best in all the things that we do in our everyday living, so that we may truly be evangelistic, missionary and faithful disciples of the Lord at every moments, doing our best to proclaim the Lord and His truth in everything that we say and do in our lives. Let us all be good examples and inspirations for the brothers and sisters in our midst so that together we may build the Living Church of God with Jesus Christ our Lord as its Head and founded upon the faith of the Apostles, and also our faith, which are the stones making up this Living Church of God. May God be with us always, and may He bless us all and all the churches in the world, particularly the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, the great Mother Church of the Archdiocese of Singapore. Amen.

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(Singapore) Friday, 14 February 2025 : Feast of the Anniversary of the Dedication of the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 2 : 13-22

At that time, as the Passover of the Jews was at hand, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the Temple court He found merchants selling oxen, sheep and doves, and money-changers seated at their tables.

Making a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the Temple court, together with the oxen and sheep. He knocked over the tables of the money-changers, scattering the coins, and ordered the people selling doves, “Take all this away, and stop making a marketplace of My Father’s house!” His disciples recalled the words of Scripture : Zeal for Your house devours me like fire.

The Jews then questioned Jesus, “Where are the miraculous signs which give You the right to do this?” And Jesus said, “Destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then replied, “The building of this Temple has already taken forty-six years, and will You raise it up in three days?”

Actually, Jesus was referring to the Temple of His Body. Only when He had risen from the dead did His disciples remember these words; then they believed both the Scripture and the words Jesus had spoken.

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(Singapore) Friday, 14 February 2025 : Feast of the Anniversary of the Dedication of the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

1 Corinthians 3 : 9-13, 16-17

But you are God’s field and building. I, as good architect, according to the capacity given to me, I laid the foundation, and another is to build upon it. Each one must be careful how to build upon it. No one can lay a foundation other than the One which is already laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Do you not know that you are God’s Temple, and that God’s Spirit abides within you? If anyone destroys the Temple of God, God will destroy him. God’s Temple is holy, and you are this Temple.

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(Singapore) Friday, 14 February 2025 : Feast of the Anniversary of the Dedication of the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 45 : 2-3, 4-6, 8-9

God is our strength and protection, an ever-present help in affliction. We will not fear, therefore; though the earth be shaken and the mountains plunge into the seas.

There is a river whose streams bring joy to the City of God, the holy place, where the Most High dwells. God is within, the city cannot quake, for God’s help is upon it at the break of day.

For with us is YHVH of hosts, the God of Jacob, our refuge. Come, see the works of YHVH – the marvellous things He has done in the world.

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(Singapore) Friday, 14 February 2025 : Feast of the Anniversary of the Dedication of the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Ezekiel 47 : 1-2, 8-9, 12

The Man brought me back to the entrance of the Temple and I saw water coming out from the threshold of the Temple and flowing eastward. The Temple faced the east and the water flowed from the south side of the Temple, from the south side of the Altar. He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside, to the outer gate facing the east; and there I saw the stream coming from the south side.

He said to me, “This water goes to the east, down to the Arabah, and when it flows into the sea of foul-smelling water, the water will become wholesome. Wherever the river flows, swarms of creatures will live in it; fish will be plentiful; and the seawater will become fresh. Wherever it flows, life will abound.”

“Near the river on both banks, there will be all kinds of fruit trees, with foliage that will not wither; and fruit that will never fail; each month they will bear a fresh crop, because the water comes from the Temple. The fruit will be good to eat and the leaves will be used for healing.”

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Funeral Mass for the late Archbishop Emeritus of Singapore, Archbishop Nicholas Chia Yeck Joo (Saturday, 21 December 2024) – Livestream

The Funeral Mass of the late Archbishop Emeritus of Singapore, Archbishop Nicholas Chia Yeck Joo is scheduled for Saturday, 21 December 2024 at 2 pm at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd.

Livestream Video from Official Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore YouTube Account
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Passing of the Archbishop Emeritus of Singapore, Archbishop Nicholas Chia Yeck Joo at the age of 86

Archbishop Emeritus of Singapore, Archbishop Nicholas Chia Yeck Joo (謝益裕) has passed away peacefully this evening (17 December 2024) at the age of 86.

(Archbishop Emeritus Nicholas Chia pictured with his successor, the current Archbishop of Singapore, His Eminence Cardinal William Goh

More details will be published by the Archdiocese of Singapore regarding the details of the Funeral Mass and the paying of respects to the late Archbishop Nicholas Chia.

Rest in Peace, Your Grace.

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(Singapore) Friday, 9 August 2024 : Singapore National Day (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate the National Day of Singapore, the day when our country became an independent and sovereign nation, at the time when Singapore has to stand on its own as a country, determining our own fate and managing our own affairs. Today fifty-nine years ago all these happened, and this day we recall everything that had happened on that day, our history together as a nation, and more importantly the journey that has passed since then. All these years, the fifty-nine years that we have grown together as a nation is a very important journey to every one of us living in Singapore, both for Singaporeans and all the others who call this country home as well.

On this day, we rejoice together as a nation, but as always, we must never forget to give thanks to God for everything that He has blessed us and our nation with. We always recall whatever the Lord had said, including what He has told His disciples and the Pharisees, ‘Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.’ This means that each and every one of us as Christians are also called to be good, dutiful and responsible citizens of our respective countries, and in our case, it means our obligations, duties to Singapore, our beloved country that we are all living in, just as we give our best to the Lord as His holy and beloved people. We have to do what is right and just, worthy and appropriate for us all as Christians, as those whom God has called and chosen from this world.

As Christians and the residents of Singapore, we have to live our lives in a way that is truly worthy and exemplary, showing everyone how our Christian and Singaporean values stand out amidst the many wickedness and vile things around us in this world. As Christians, we are reminded of the virtue of faith, hope and love that we must have in us, the righteousness and justice that God has shown and taught us all so that we may truly be committed and faithful to Him in all things. And as Singaporeans and other residents of Singapore, we uphold the great values of meritocracy, tolerance and harmony, respecting people from different backgrounds, different religions, races and culture, treating everyone equally and accepting our differences in a society that is very highly diverse.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Kings, we heard of the passage that happened right after the young King Solomon of Israel, shortly after he succeeded to the kingship and rule over Israel from his father King David, prayed to the Lord asking for His help, strength and guidance so that he might be a good and wise king to rule over God’s people. He asked for wisdom and not for earthly glory, power or wealth, as what most people would usually have asked of the Lord. And for that the Lord granted him not only what he had asked for, giving his a great wisdom that would make him truly wise beyond compare, but also great wealth, power and glory during his reign, all of which made King Solomon truly famous and well-renowned even right up to this day.

And as we heard this today, we are all reminded that our country and all of us as citizens and residents of Singapore should also ask the Lord for His wisdom and guidance, so that each and every one of us may be truly wise in our choice of actions and paths in life, in whatever we decide to do, so that our every actions, words and deeds, our every interactions and contributions may truly be exemplary and worthy, not just as Singaporeans and Singapore residents, but also as good and faithful, holy and devoted people of God. We should also not allow the temptations of worldly glory and power to distract us and to mislead us into the wrong path, leading us to disobey the Lord, His Law and commandments. We should always strive to be obedient to God and to follow the rules and laws of the state as far as we are able to.

Then, we have also heard in our Gospel passage today the Eight Beatitudes, also known as the Sermon on the Mount, in which the Lord told His disciples a series of eight blessings for those people who have lived virtuously and righteously, those who sought not the glory of the world but rather the betterment and the prosperity of their fellow brethren, for the common good of people, which are universal virtues and values not only for us as Christians, but also in our responsibilities and duties as the citizens and residents of this country we love, Singapore. Each and every one of us should heed the Lord’s reminders and message, His calls to us to embrace His path and to do whatever He has shown and taught us to do.

Each and every one of us should continue to do our best to contribute to our country, to our community and our fellow brothers and sisters around us. And even as we celebrate and commemorate this joyful day with all the festivities and all of our National Day songs, all the fireworks and other events we enjoy, we have to remember that there are our fellow brothers and sisters around us who are not as fortunate as we are in our midst. We should always continue to do whatever we can to be more charitable and generous in giving, helping all those in our communities and societies, in our neighbourhoods and amongst us, so that no one will be left out to survive on their own. After all, a strong country is a country where its people are concerned and caring towards each other, following what the Lord has told us in the Beatitudes.

May the Lord continue to bless us all and our nation Singapore. May He continue to strengthen and guide especially our leaders and those who have been entrusted with the power and governance over us, so that they will continue to exercise their power with responsibility, with virtue and justice at all times. May God also bless each and every one of us so that we will continue to grow in love and charity, and do our best to help one another that no one is left out, and we may truly celebrate together this important event of our National Day, as one united people. May God bless Singapore, now and always. Amen.

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(Singapore) Friday, 9 August 2024 : Singapore National Day (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Matthew 5 : 1-12a

At that time, when Jesus saw the crowds, He went up the mountain. He sat down and His disciples gathered around Him. Then He spoke and began to teach them :

“Fortunate are those who are poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Fortunate are those who mourn, they shall be comforted.”

“Fortunate are the gentle, they shall possess the land. Fortunate are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be satisfied.”

“Fortunate are the merciful, for they shall find mercy. Fortunate are those with a pure heart, for they shall see God.”

“Fortunate are those who work for peace, they shall be called children of God. Fortunate are those who are persecuted for the cause of justice, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

“Fortunate are you, when people insult you and persecute you and speak all kinds of evil against you because you are My followers. Be glad and joyful, for a great reward is kept for you in God.”

Alternative reading

Matthew 5 : 38-48

At that time, the Lord said to His disciples, “You have heard, that it was said : An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I tell you this : do not oppose evil with evil.”

“If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn and offer the other. If someone sues you in court for your shirt, give him your coat as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go two miles with him. Give when asked, and do not turn your back on anyone who wants to borrow from you.”

“You have heard, that it was said : Love your neighbour and do not do good to your enemy. But this I tell you : love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in Heaven. For He makes His Sun rise on both the wicked and the good, and He gives rain to both the just and the unjust.”

“If you love those who love you, what is special about that? Do even the tax collectors not do as much? And if you are friendly only to your friends, what is so exceptional about that? Do even the pagans not do as much? As for you, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

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(Singapore) Friday, 9 August 2024 : Singapore National Day (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

2 Corinthians 9 : 6b-15

The one who sows meagerly will reap meagerly, and there shall be generous harvests for the one who sows generously. Each of you should give as you decided personally, and not reluctantly, as if obliged. God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to fill you with every good thing, so that you have enough of everything, at all times, and may give abundantly for any good work.

Scripture says : He distributed, He gave to the poor, His good works last forever. God, Who provides the sower with seed, will also provide him with the bread he eats. He will multiply the seed for you and also increase the interest on your good works.

Become rich in every way, and give abundantly. What you give will become, through us, a thanksgiving to God. For this sacred relief, after providing the saints with what they need, will result in much thanksgiving to God.

This will be a test for them, they will give thanks, because you obey the requirements of Christ’s Gospel and share generously with them, and with all. They shall pray to God for you, and feel affection for you, because the grace of God overflows in you. Yes, thanks be to God, for His indescribable gift!

Alternative reading

Colossians 3 : 9b-17

You have been stripped of the old self and its way of thinking, to put on the new, which is being renewed, and is to reach perfect knowledge, and the likeness or its Creator.

There is no room for distinction between Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, foreigner, slave or free, but Christ is all, and in all.

Clothe yourselves, then, as is fitting for God’s chosen people, holy and beloved of Him. Put on compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience to bear with one another and forgive whenever there is any occasion to do so. As the Lord has forgiven you, forgive one another.

Above all, clothe yourselves with love which binds everything together in perfect harmony. May the peace of Christ overflow in your hearts; for this end you were called to be one body. And be thankful. Let the Word of God dwell in you in all its richness. Teach and admonish one another with words of wisdom. With thankful hearts sing to God psalms, hymns and spontaneous praise.

And whatever you do or say, do it in the Name of Jesus, the Lord, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.