St. Vincent the Deacon

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Sunday, 22 January 2017 : Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Vincent, Deacon and Martyr, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green
1 Corinthians 1 : 10-13, 17

I beg of you, brothers, in the Name of Christ Jesus, our Lord, to agree among yourselves and do away with divisions; please be perfectly united, with one mind and one judgment.

For I heard from people of Cloe’s house about your rivalries. What I mean is this : “I am for Paul,” and others, “I am for Apollo,” or “I am for Peter,” or “I am for Christ.” Is Christ divided or have I, Paul, been crucified for you? Have you been baptised in the name of Paul?

For Christ did not send me to baptise, but to proclaim His Gospel. And not with beautiful words! That would be like getting rid of the cross of Christ.

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Sunday, 22 January 2017 : Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Vincent, Deacon and Martyr, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green
Psalm 26 : 1, 4, 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.

One thing I ask of the Lord, one thing I seek – that I may dwell in His house all the days of my life, to gaze at His jewel and to visit His sanctuary.

I hope, I am sure, that I will see 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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Sunday, 22 January 2017 : Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Vincent, Deacon and Martyr, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green
Isaiah 8 : 23b – Isaiah 9 : 3

YHVH has just afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; but in the future He will confer glory on the way of the sea, on the land beyond the Jordan – the pagan’s Galilee.

The people who walk in darkness have seen a great light. A light has dawned on those who live in the land of the shadow of death. You have enlarged the nation; You have increased their joy. They rejoice before You, as people rejoice at harvest time as they rejoice in dividing the spoil.

For the yoke of their burden, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressors, You have broken it as on the day of Midian.

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Friday, 22 January 2016 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Vincent, Deacon and Martyr, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard about the rivalry between Saul, the first king of Israel, and David, the one whom God had chosen to become king after Saul, after Saul had disobeyed the Lord’s commandments and refused to follow His ways. And this rivalry had quickly become bad and the relationship between the two of them quickly soured.

And Saul tried his best to kill David to remove that great threat to his legitimacy and his reign, and in many occasions, he attempted to harm him and brought him to death, but by the grace and the will of God, David managed to escape from all those attempts. And the more that David escaped and survived those attempts, the more desperate that Saul became.

But today, we saw how David reacted to all these in the first reading we have from the Book of the prophet Samuel. In it we can see the good qualities that David had, which truly marked him as one who was really worthy to become the leader and king over all of Israel. It was not his might or greater charisma or other factors that made him great, but it was his devotion to God and the goodness in his heart that made him such a great choice to be a king over all Israel.

In the Gospel we saw how our Lord Jesus Christ picked the choice for His principal disciples, those whom He called the Apostles, which numbered twelve in all. The Apostles were not chosen from among great men or great figures and personages in the world at that time. Instead, they were just ordinary people leading simple lives, having diverse backgrounds, from tax collectors, to fishermen and criminals, those who were not famous or great in the eyes of the world.

But God did not choose His servants based on how great they were in the eyes of the world, but instead, He saw deep inside the heart, looking at what are their potentials in bringing about the good works of the Lord to their completion on earth. And indeed, except for Judas Iscariot, all of the other Twelve Apostles did their best to bring the Good News of God’s salvation to all the peoples in the four corners of the world.

And out of their great love and dedication for the Lord, they gave everything for Him, leaving everything els behind them, and they went forth to proclaim the truth of God, bringing salvation to many people, but at the same time, they also suffered persecution and suffering from those who refused to believe in God and those who adamantly rejected their message.

Today, we commemorate also the feast of St. Vincent, a renowned saint of the past, whose life and dedication to the Lord was truly exemplary, and indeed should have inspired all of us to be more like him in our faith. He was a deacon and a faithful servant of the Church, who lived during turbulent times in the history of the Church, when many of the faithful lived under fear from the persecution by the Roman Empire, particularly under the rule of the Emperor Diocletian.

He served the faithful with great zeal and devotion in his role as a deacon, who was particularly involved in serving the poor and the destitute and in ensuring that the loving hands of the Church’s good works reached out to those who need help the most. He was therefore among those who were first to be captured and tortured by those who sought the destruction of the Church and the Faith during the great persecution of the Emperor Diocletian against the Christians.

He was outspoken in his defence of the faith and of the Church, and not only that he showed no fear of death or any hesitation, but he also refused any offer for release and good conduct if he would just abandon his faith and burn the Holy Scriptures. He was thus tortured and made to suffer grievously, but to the very end, he never gave up and continued to persevere, inspiring so many other people with his dedication and exemplary faith.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today we have all heard the amazing stories of God’s good works through His servants and therefore, all of us should also be inspired to do the same as well. All of us should seek to follow our Lord ever more diligently and faithfully, and in all of our words, deeds and actions, we should conform to the Lord more and more, and dedicate ourselves ever more to His teachings.

May Almighty God, our Lord, bless us and keep us in His love. And may His grace continue to shine upon us that we who are sinners may draw closer to the fountain of His mercy. May God be with us all, now and forever. Amen.

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Friday, 22 January 2016 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Vincent, Deacon and Martyr, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Mark 3 : 13-19

At that time, Jesus went up into the hill country, and called those He wanted, and they came to Him. He appointed twelve to be with Him, and He called them Apostles. He wanted to send them out to preach, and He gave them authority to drive out demons.

These are the Twelve : Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James, son of Zebedee, and John his brother, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, which means men of thunder; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alpheus, Thaddeus, Simon the Canaanean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him.

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Friday, 22 January 2016 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Vincent, Deacon and Martyr, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Psalm 56 : 2, 3-4, 6 and 11

Have mercy on me, o God, have mercy, for my soul takes refuge in You; I will find shelter in the shadow of Your wings till the disaster has passed.

I call on God the Most High, on God Who has done everything for me : may He send from Heaven a Saviour and put my oppressors to shame. May God send me His love and faithfulness.

Be exalted, o God, above the heavens! Your glory be over all the earth! For Your love reaches to the heavens, and Your faithfulness, to the clouds.

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Friday, 22 January 2016 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Vincent, Deacon and Martyr, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

1 Samuel 24 : 3-21

So Saul took three thousand picked men from all Israel and went in search of David and his men to the east of the Wild Goat crags. When he came to the sheepfolds along the way, he entered a cave to relieve himself.

Now David and his men were far back in the cave. David’s men said to him, “This is the day which YHVH spoke of : Look I will deliver your enemy into your hands and you will do with him as you see fit.” So David moved up and stealthily cut off an end of Saul’s robe.

But afterward, David regretted having cut off an end of Saul’s robe, and he said to his men, “Let me not lay my hands on my master, for he is YHVH’s anointed.” With these words, David restrained his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. Saul then left the cave and went on his way.

Then David himself stepped out of the cave and called after Saul, “My master, the king!” When Saul looked back, David knelt and then bowed to the ground in homage and asked him, “Why do you listen to those who say that I want to harm you?”

“Look, today you have seen that YHVH delivered you into my hands in the cave, and I was told to kill you but I held myself back and I said : ‘I will not lift my hands against my master who is YHVH’s anointed. My father, look at this end of your robe which I am holding! I cut off the end of your robe, but did not kill you. Now you may know that I mean you no harm or treason. I have done you no wrong, and yet you are hunting me down to kill me.”

May YHVH be judge between you and me and may He exact justice from you in my case, but I shall do you no harm. As the saying goes, ‘From the wicked comes wickedness’; as for me, My hand shall not harm you. But who is it you are after, o king of Israel? Are you pursuing a dead dog? A flea? May YHVH be Judge between you and me. May He see and uphold my cause and deliver me from your hands.”

After David had spoken these words, Saul asked, “Is that your voice, my son David?” He wept aloud and said to David, “You are right and I am wrong, for you have repaid with kindness the harm I have inflicted on you. This day you have shown your righteousness to me by not taking my life when YHVH put me into your hands.”

“For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go unharmed? May YHVH reward you for what you have done for me today. Now I know for certain that you shall reign and the kingdom of Israel will be firm in your hand.”

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Thursday, 22 January 2015 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Vincent, Deacon and Martyr, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we hear about Jesus, who healed the people from their sickness, cast out demons from them and teach them about the laws of God, and about what God desires from them. In the first reading from the Letter to the Hebrews, as is the theme of the most of that letter which we have repeated yet again and again, is the nature of our Lord Jesus Christ as our High Priest, the One who offered the perfect sacrifice which liberated us from the hands and clutches of sin and Satan.

The Lord had done this out of His love for us, which He showed perfectly through Jesus, by whose action He had made the whole mankind, the entire people of God being justified and made righteous, as long as they profess Him as their Lord and their Saviour. Through His works in the world, by the healing of the sick, the casting out of demons and other works, He had shown us all, what the love of God for us is truly about.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, our Lord is worried about us all, as to Him, we are all about to be lost forever, due to our inability to appreciate the love and commitment which He had shown us all. Since the days of the first man, Adam, we have been rebellious and wayward in our ways. And we know that from that moment on, we have sinned and sin separates us from our Lord.

He wants us back, and that was why He gave us and sent us Jesus, His Son, that through Him, we may receive salvation and new life. For Christ is indeed our High Priest, who offers for our sake, the perfect offering of Himself, and through that sacrifice which He Himself made, He made us whole, cleanse us from our afflictions and corruptions, and brought us closer once again to our Lord, our loving God.

And by that action, He also nullified the need for the priests of old, who offered the daily and regular sacrifices of the lambs, goats, turtledoves, wheat and other offerings which they offered as sin and burnt offerings to temporarily resolve and forgive one’s sins through God’s grace. For through Christ, He had once and for all, absolved all the sins of all mankind, and carried with Him the burden of our sins as He went on His passion to the cross at Calvary.

Then, we may be asking, how come then, our priests today celebrate the Holy Mass and the offering of the gifts of bread and wine? Did Jesus not nullify the works of the priests of Israel of old? It was mentioned in the first reading today, that their sacrifices and offerings were just shadows and imitations of the true heavenly sanctuary and its celebrations?

That is because, brothers and sisters in Christ, the Holy Mass is the real, one and only celebration that is indeed the heavenly celebration, and the sanctuary of our churches where we celebrate the Holy Mass are truly transformed to the real heavenly sanctuary, and our celebration is real and concrete celebration.

For the Holy Mass is the one and same sacrifice which our Lord Jesus had made on the cross at Calvary, and the bread and wine which we offer are transformed completely in the matter and spirit to become the same Body and Blood which our Lord shed and poured down upon us to be our redemption. This is our faith, and this is what we fully believe in. Doubt no more and believe with all of our heart!

Today we also celebrate the feast of St. Vincent, a deacon of the Holy Church of God and also a holy martyr of the faith. St. Vincent was also known as St. Vincent of Saragossa, who was martyred during the height of the great persecution of the faithful by the Roman Emperor Diocletian. St. Vincent was a great and dedicated servant of the Lord, who was a faithful deacon that ministered courageously to the people of God despite the difficulties he faced.

And it is in the defense of that Faith he had in the salvation that Christ had given us all, that he stood up and defended his faith, and he spoke up so courageously for his faith, that while the bishop he defended before the governor was only exiled, and St. Vincent was martyred for his faith. Even though we do not have to go to the extent of martyrdom, but it is this kind of faith for the Lord which we need to have, and we should give the Lord the best love we can give.

For I have mentioned that He had done so much for us, offering and sacrificing Himself in our stead, that we all may have eternal life through Him. The world clearly does not like Him, for He brought us the truth that dispels the falsehoods of the world, the myriads of lies of Satan, with which he tried to deceive the people of God. Therefore, let us all be inspired by the example of St. Vincent of Saragossa, holy martyr of the faith, and be exemplary in all of our actions, founded in faith. God bless us all. Amen.

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Thursday, 22 January 2015 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Vincent, Deacon and Martyr, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Mark 3 : 7-12

At that time, Jesus and His disciples withdrew to the lakeside, and a large crowd from Galilee followed Him. A great number of people also came from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, Transjordan, and from the region of Tyre and Sidon, for they had heard of all that He was doing.

Because of the crowd, Jesus told His disciples to have a boat ready for Him, to prevent the people from crushing Him. He healed so many, that all who had diseases kept pressing towards Him to touch Him. Even the people who had evil spirits, whenever they saw Him, they would fall down before Him and cry out, “You are the Son of God.”

But He warned them sternly not to tell anyone who He was.

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Thursday, 22 January 2015 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Vincent, Deacon and Martyr, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Psalm 39 : 7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 17

Sacrifice and oblation You did not desire; this You had me understand. Burnt offering and sin offering You do not require. Then I said, “Here I come!”

As the scroll says of me, to do Your will is my delight, o God, for Your Law is within my heart.

In the great assembly I have proclaimed Your saving help. My lips, o Lord, I did not seal – You know that very well.

But may all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; and may all who love Your saving grace continually say, “The Lord is great.”