Sunday Mass homily

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Sunday, 11 February 2024 : Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday each and every one of us are reminded first of all that we have to seek the Lord and put Him at the centre and as the focus of our lives, as it is in Him alone that we can find liberation and freedom from all of our troubles, sufferings and pains, which is represented by the problem of leprosy highlighted in our Scripture readings today. That leprosy is a representation of all of the things which have kept us from the fullness of grace in God, and it is in the Lord alone that we can find total and complete freedom from all these taints and corruptions, and find true satisfaction and joy.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Leviticus in which the matter of leprosy and how it should he handled and treated are presented to us. However, first of all, we must understand that the kind of disease now known as leprosy, is probably different from what was indicated and known in the time of the Exodus and in the historic Israel. The skin diseases that are infectious and showing external signs easily visible to others at that time were generally all called leprosy, and this kind of infection was greatly feared at the time especially because during the time of the Exodus and the journey from the land of Egypt to the Promised Land of Canaan, many of the people were living together in close and cramped quarters, in which any disease outbreak would have been deadly.

That was why, as part of the laws and customs established then by the Law of God and Moses, it was settled that those who suffered from leprosy ought to distance themselves from others, and they were to be sent out from the community for the good of the whole community. At the same time, those who suffered from the leprosy could eventually return once they have recovered and been cured from the leprosy, which is yet another sign that this kind of leprosy is not exactly the same as the leprosy we commonly know today, which is mostly incurable. Nonetheless, it has always been the intention of the Lord to help manage, safeguard and protect His people through the Law that He has given to them, so that they could remain safe and healthy throughout their long journey.

However, this Law in time became a source of prejudice and discrimination against those who suffered from leprosy and other diseases, as those who suffered from them became ostracised and were treated badly against, as they were deemed to be unclean and even treated as if they had committed bad things and deeds in life, in which the leprosy became some sorts of Divine retribution or punishment for their wickedness and sins. This was where the Lord came in and showed that this attitude was not helpful and charitable, and is something that they should not be doing, as ultimately, everyone who suffered from those diseases and afflictions, are also equally beloved by God, and are our own brothers and sisters in the same Lord and Father.

In our second reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians, we heard the Apostle exhorting the faithful people of God in the city of Corinth reminding that they all should be following the examples of the Lord, in doing what He had taught and commanded them to do, not to seek their own interests or to offend anyone. This also implied that they should also not differentiate anyone by their background or origins, as what St. Paul had often championed, in highlighting the equality between the Jewish people and the non-Jewish people or the Gentiles, how everyone ought to be treated equally, and not be prejudiced or biased against each other.

To understand this better, once again we have to understand the context of what happened at that time, and the dynamics of the community of the faithful then. At that time, the Jewish people, who were directly descended from the people of Israel and Judah, had considered themselves to be better and more privileged than others by virtue of them and their ancestors being the chosen people, the ones descended from Abraham and Israel, God’s first chosen people. However, some among them like the Pharisees, took this to the extreme, by considering that any association or contact with the Gentiles or pagans would have made them to be unclean and unworthy, stained and corrupted in some form.

This is why the Lord reached out to the leper in our Gospel passage today, as He showed His mercy and compassion on him as the leper begged the Lord to heal him and to make him healthy once again. No one among the Jewish people, especially the Pharisees would have even come close to the leper, less still to help and heal him. The Gospel passage was also very clear in pointing out that the Lord stretched out His hand and touched the leper, which caused the leprosy to be healed immediately. The Lord wanted the leper, His disciples and all of us to know that, nothing came separate or come in between us and the love of God, no matter what. He came to heal us and to gather us all back to His loving Presence, and to liberate us from all of our trials and troubles.

Now, in today’s Scripture readings, there is one more topic and important point highlighted in them, that is the matter of obedience. In the same Gospel passage today, we heard how the Lord told the healed leper that he ought to show himself to the priest in the manner prescribed by the Law, and not to tell anyone else how he had been healed. Yet, that same leper disobeyed Him and did the exact opposite. It was likely that the Lord knew that the leper was going to disobey Him and therefore He gave him a reminder that he should not do so. The healed leper chose to disobey the Lord anyway, and that brought difficulties to the Lord and His works. Why is that so? That is because if everyone found out that the Lord had been touching a leper, although He did heal the latter from his leprosy, but some would have considered the Lord to be unclean and hence ought to be ostracised like the leper himself.

Another possibility was that when everyone found out about the miraculous healing, all the people would have wanted to seek the Lord and be healed by Him as well, and this would have made it really difficult for Him to go into any towns because of the immense crowds that would have sought Him. But regardless of the reasons why the Lord had to stay in the wilderness, the reality is that, despite knowing that the leper was going to disobey Him, the risks involved in doing His works and all, the Lord still chose to heal the leper anyway, showing the great love and compassion which He has always had for every one of us, regardless of who we are and what kind of conditions we have, and He patiently reached out to us sinners, to gather us all and to bring us all back to Him.

And this is also a reminder for us that God alone has the power to heal and save us from our own ‘leprosy’ that is our sins. Yes, sin is the leprosy of our souls, which afflicts and corrupts our body, mind, heart and soul, essentially our whole being. And unlike other kinds of diseases and afflictions, which can be cured and settled by doctors and medicines, by the technology and advancements in this world, even that of the usual leprosy, but the leprosy of our sins cannot be cured and healed save that of by God’s grace and healing. Yes, the Lord alone has the power and authority to free us all from our many sins and evils, from our wickedness and corruptions. He can forgive and heal us from the power of darkness, and bring us all into the Light of salvation and grace.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore spend some time to reflect on these readings from the Scriptures and see in what way that we can be better disciples and followers of Our Lord and God. Let us all restrain ourselves from the path of sin and evil, and do our part so that we may always continue to grow in faith in Him, and come to be good role models and examples in faith at all times. Let us all be humble and seek the Lord’s forgiveness and healing, liberating us from the shackles and slavery to sin. May the Lord in His great love and compassion for all of us continue to love us and bless us in each and every moments of our lives, and may He guide us in our journey of faith and life, and be with us always, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Sunday, 4 February 2024 : Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday’s Scripture readings are clear reminders for each and every one of us of the fickleness of our human nature and existence, and of everything which we have and which we are currently experiencing in this world. All that we have enjoyed and all the wonderful and marvellous things we possess, all these are ultimately illusory in nature, and they may even distract us from our true path and progress in life, from our true focus and commitment, which is none other than the Lord, our God Himself. We must remember that we have been entrusted by the Lord with many things, with blessings and opportunities that we may glorify Him by our lives, and we should therefore make good use of them for the greater glory of God at all times.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Job, of the lamentations and sorrows which the man of God, Job uttered as he was reflecting upon the sufferings and hardships that he had been enduring and experiencing at that time. Job was a great and rich man, greatly blessed by God in all things on account of his great faith and righteousness, his commitment and dedication to Him. However, Job encountered great moment of trial and tribulation, hardship and difficulty when he was attacked by the devil, who struck him, his possessions and loved ones to test him and his faith in God. But Job remained firm in his faith and did not allow the devil and his machinations to dissuade him and to take him away from the faith that he had in the Lord.

Despite suffering greatly and being ridiculed, rejected and ostracised by those whom he knew, even those who were near to him, Job remained faithful to the Lord, and trusted in Him regardless of what he had experienced. While his heart was filled with sorrow and pain, despair and regret of what happened to him, and blaming himself on occasions that everything happened because of his fault, but he still held on firmly to his faith in the Lord no matter what. And this is what all of us should be inspired to follow in our own lives, as we should also do whatever we can such that we may truly live our lives most worthily as best as we are able to, and despite the challenges and trials that we may have to encounter and face along our journey, we can always continue to persevere in righteousness and virtue, to be always ever worthy of God.

In our second reading today, St. Paul in his Epistle to the Corinthians spoke about how he cannot boast for whatever he had done in preaching the Gospel, in doing God’s works and in carrying out everything that had been entrusted to him by the Lord, all the missions and miracles he had performed. All these are reminders that in everything that we do as Christians, and as God’s people in this world should not be seeking personal glory and ambition, worldly attachments and matters, and we should not revel in worldly praise and jubilation, or to be proud and haughty because we have done great deeds in our lives. Instead, like St. Paul himself, we should always remain rooted in the Lord and continue to live our lives with Him as the centre and focus, and not the many worldly matters and attachments we have.

That was also how Job managed to remain strong in faith despite having suffered many personal losses, of property, wealth and loved ones. If Job had placed his trust and immersed himself in those things, then losing all of them would have made him to despair and lose all hope. But he remained faithful to God and did not blame the Lord for his losses. He was also able to let go of his losses and accepted what he had suffered as his fate. St. Paul similarly endured many things throughout the period of his work and ministry, which he could do precisely because he trusted in the Lord, and he did not let himself to be misled and swayed by the temptations of worldly glory and ambitions. He trusted the Lord in everything that he has been entrusted to do, and followed the Lord wherever He led him to.

In our Gospel passage this Sunday, we then heard of the moment when the Lord Jesus healed and ministered to the mother-in-law of one of His disciples, that is St. Peter, whose mother-in-law was very sick. The Lord miraculously healed her, and made her well again, and we heard then how the whole neighbourhood found out about what happened, and many people came to the Lord bearing their sick ones, so that the Lord might hopefully heal all of them as well. He cared for those who had been brought to Him and healed them all. Then, curiously, we heard how the Lord went off in the very early morning to pray, disappearing from the place, to the consternation from His disciples and the people. That was when He told the disciples that there were still many people that He had to minister to, and they all ought to move on to other places as well.

The Lord Jesus could have stayed on in that place, well-liked and adored by all the people who have witnessed and believed in His miracles. He could very well have gained a large following and popularity without much effort, and lead a rather comfortable and convenient work, instead of having to go from places to places, without proper accommodations and encountering oppositions and challenges throughout His efforts and journeys. Yet, the Lord obeyed the will of His Heavenly Father, Who had sent Him, the Son, into this world to proclaim the Good News and the salvation of God to more and more people. Hence, this is why the Lord carried out His mission faithfully and did everything not for worldly comfort or glory, but to fulfil the will of God, and to glorify Him.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore, having heard of all these readings and reminders from the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded that as God’s faithful disciples and followers, we too should be filled with faith and trust in the Lord, and we should always continue to put God as the centre and the focus of our whole lives. We should not allow worldly temptations, attachments, glory, ambitions and our pride and greed, our desires and all other obstacles to prevent us from reaching ever closer to God, to His grace and salvation. Like Job, let us all detach ourselves from worldly matters and attachments, and remind ourselves that all the wealth and glory of the world are not lasting or permanent. Instead of seeking for worldly glory and greatness, we should seek the true joy and satisfaction which we can find in the Lord alone.

Let us all hence be good role models and inspirations, and be the worthy bearers of the light of God, His grace and love for us all. May all of us be blessed in our every good works, efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 28 January 2024 : Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday all of us are reminded that in the Lord lies our hope and salvation, and He is our God and Master, and we are all His people, His beloved ones who are always cared for by Him, ever always precious in His sight. The Lord has shown His love to us, and fulfilled everything that He has promised to us since the very beginning, and He would not let harm come to us, His beloved ones. This is what He had done and reaffirmed to us again and again throughout time and history, and which we have also heard in our Scripture readings today. All of us should always therefore commit ourselves to the Lord and remain firmly focused on Him at all times, and not be swayed or tempted by worldly desires and evils.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Deuteronomy, we heard how Moses proclaimed to the people of Israel, that the Lord their God would raise up a great Prophet like himself from among them, and how in this Prophet, the Word of God would be revealed and brought into the midst of this world, among God’s people, which is in fact a prophecy and prediction of the coming of the Messiah, the Holy One of God, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Through Christ, the salvation of God and His love has been made clear and evident to us, and He has brought unto us all the reassurances that as long as we all remain faithful to Him, obeying the Law and commandments of God, all of us shall remain in God’s grace and be saved.

In that same reading, we also heard how the Lord warned against all those false prophets and leaders, messengers and all those who sought to misappropriate and misuse the word of God and the truth for their own benefits and advantages. He told the people how all those so-called prophets who would speak differently from what He has shown, taught and revealed, would be crushed, destroyed and they would meet their end, because of the wicked deeds that they would do among the people of God. This is also a reminder for all the people of God, and hence to all of us as well, that we must be careful not to be easily swayed by the lies and falsehoods which the evil one would definitely attempt to plant in our midst, spreading the seeds of discord and doubt among us.

Then, in our second reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians, in which the Apostle St. Paul reminded all the people and the faithful in Corinth not to be anxious and not to be overly concerned with their various worldly matters and attachments, and that was why, he told all of them that they should all be focused on the Lord and how to do His will, and to do their respective parts, whether as husbands or wives, which he used as examples, in living their lives worthily in accordance to God’s will, and not to follow the whim of their desires and any other worldly temptations and attachments, which would easily lead them astray down the wrong path of sin and evil.

St. Paul reminded the faithful in Corinth of all these things because at that time, there were strife and division among the Christians in Corinth, as there were oppositions to the teachings and works of St. Paul among a segment of the faithful there, especially from among the Christians recently converted from the Jewish diaspora community. This issue and other disagreements among the faithful in the region of Corinth had caused divisions and conflicts to break out among the members of the Body of Christ, and this led to the disruption in the works and efforts of the Lord’s Apostles and disciples in proclaiming the Good News and the truth, and hence, the faithful were exhorted to remain faithful to the teachings and truth of Christ, and not be easily swayed by all sorts of worldly temptations and desires.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the time when the Lord Jesus performed an exorcism on a possessed man who was afflicted and possessed by evil spirits who attempted to disturb the teaching session which the Lord was having at that time in the synagogue. The evil spirits tried to reveal before the people that the Lord is the Holy One of God, the One Whom the Lord had promised to send unto us His people, as He has promised throughout time and history, such as the one He had promised through Moses. The irony was indeed such that, while many of the people to whom God had sent His Son to refused to believe in the One Whom God had sent, it was the evil spirits who acknowledged and recognised the Lord, and proclaimed Him regardless of their ulterior motives.

The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who then often obstructed the Lord’s works and ministry were often against the Lord because they refused to accept the fact that their way of believing in things and practicing the Law could have been wrong. They took great pride in their intelligence and sense of superiority over all others, that they became enamoured and corrupted by those, and ended up rejecting the truth and the salvation of God, when they should have been the first to realise Who the Lord Jesus was, and what He has represented and taught among the people. Their pride, ego and greed were great barriers and obstacles which prevented them from opening their hearts and minds to God and His love, His truth and Good News.

This is why through the Scripture passages we have heard this Sunday, all of us are reminded to be always focused on the Lord and centre our lives and existence on Him. We are all reminded that the various temptations present all around us in this world, the falsehoods of the devil and all those seeking our ruin and destruction can bring us to our downfall, and we have to be ever vigilant lest all those distractions and temptations mislead us down this wrong path. We have to put our faith and trust as always in the Lord, and allow Him to lead and guide us down the path of righteousness and grace. This is why we should remind ourselves to grow ever more in our relationship with God, embracing His love and truth, His mercy and kindness at all times, and rejecting the wickedness of the world.

Let us all commit ourselves ever more wholeheartedly to the Lord, and let us do our best so that in each and every moments of our lives, we will always strive to be exemplary and inspirational in our way of life, that through our dedication and good examples, many others may also be helped and inspired to turn away from the path of wickedness and sin, and instead embracing the Lord as their Master and Saviour as all of us had done. May the Lord bless us all in our every good efforts and endeavours, and inspire us all that we may truly be His worthy disciples and followers, and be the shining beacons of His Light in this darkened world today. Amen.

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Sunday, 21 January 2024 : Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, Sunday of the Word of God, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, all of us have been presented with the reminders from the Lord that each and every one of us as Christians are called to live our lives with faith and Christian virtues, that in each and every moments of our lives, we will always be ready and vigilant, strong and resilient against the tide and endless assault of the evil ones, the many temptations and challenges we may encounter throughout our lives. We must always be careful lest the snares of evil and the temptations of the flesh, of worldly glory and ambitions lead us astray into the path towards our downfall and destruction. We have to resist them all and remain strong in the faith, heeding God’s call for us to follow Him, striving to live our lives to the fullest with faith and dedication to Him at all times.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jonah, in which the prophet Jonah proclaimed to the people of the great city of Nineveh in Assyria that their city would be destroyed in forty days’ time. At that time, Nineveh was the capital of the great Assyrian Empire, a proud and powerful empire that had conquered many of their neighbouring peoples and states, including that of the northern kingdom of Israel, exiling many of the people of Israel in that kingdom to distant lands including Assyria itself. As a proud and powerful kingdom at that time, Assyria did not have any rival or equal in their power and might, and they often carried out their actions with great impunity, not fearing any retribution or consequences. They pillaged and destroyed cities and towns, causing deaths and sufferings to countless peoples.

It was there and then that the Lord decided to proclaim His judgments against Nineveh and the Assyrians, for all the sins which they had committed, much as how He had done similarly to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah in a separate and much earlier instance as recorded in the Book of Genesis. The inhabitants of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah had also committed grievous sins and terrible actions against the Lord and His ways, and hence, He also moved against them, to bring them their just fate of destruction unless they were to repent from their sins. In that case, Abraham was beseeching God on behalf of his cousin Lot and his family living in the area of Sodom and Gomorrah, that God might show His mercy and spared them all should some righteous people be found there.

Yet, there were none to be found, and the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with great fire and brimstone, and levelled everything to the ground, while rescuing Lot and his family through His Angels. Yet, for the case of Nineveh, as we all heard, God spared the city from destruction and did not carry out what He had intended to do with them. Why the difference, brothers and sisters in Christ? The same passage from the Sacred Scriptures remind us all that what the people of Nineveh did, was the reason behind it all, that they genuinely and truly repented before God and everyone else, as they all as one people all showed great remorse and regret for their many sins and wickedness, and sought the mercy and compassion of God, which He gladly gave to all of them.

Thus, the same thing applies to each and every one of us as well, brothers and sisters in Christ. To all of us who have sinned and disobeyed the Lord and His commandments, we have been given the chance by God to turn away from our sins and to repent from them. God truly did not desire our destruction, but rather our sanctification and liberation from sin. Yet, many of us are still trapped by all those sins and the wickedness, the temptations and all the obstacles surrounding us. This is why we need to take the initiative and remind ourselves and each other that we should keep ourselves free from those temptations, coercions and pressures to disobey the Lord and to walk down the path of worldliness and sin. We have to remain vigilant and strong in persevering to walk down the path of righteousness and faith in God instead.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard from the account of the Lord calling His disciples and telling them that the time is at hand, and how the Kingdom of God is about to come. This is yet an echo of the same reminders we have just discussed, reminding us all that while God is truly generous and kind, compassionate and filled with the desire to forgive us all and to welcome us back to His loving embrace, but unless we change our way of life and turn away from sin and evil, then we shall be judged and we have to face the consequences for everything that we have committed, out of sin and disobedience against the Lord. And then, we also need to answer God’s call and follow Him, just as the disciples had done. We all need to follow the Lord wholeheartedly and do what He has taught and shown us to do.

This Sunday we also mark the occasion of the Sunday of the Word of God, which was instituted by our current Supreme Pontiff, Pope Francis, because of the need for all of us as Christians to deepen our knowledge and understanding, appreciation and immersion in the Word of God found in the Scriptures. It was often said that Catholics do not have a good grasp, knowledge or understanding of the Scriptures, and hence, it is easy for us to be led astray by those who claimed to know the meaning of the Scriptures, and those who twisted and changed the meaning of the Word of God to satisfy their own aim and ambitions, their wicked and unholy purposes, drawing us away from the righteous and holy path of God. This is why we all need to deepen our knowledge and understanding of God’s Words in the Scriptures.

How do we then know the Lord better through His Word? There are many things that we can do, but first of all, we must have with us, the Sacred Scriptures, all the Word of God and His revelations as compiled and written by those whom He had inspired, and which the Church and the Church fathers had authoritatively determined to be genuine and true, beneficial and truly the Word of God, as contained in the Holy Bible. Then, we should spend quality time to examine and explore the Word of God with proper guidance through the Church, and find good references that are now easily and readily available, from reliable and good sources that can help us understand and appreciate the meaning of the Scriptures and the Word of God much better. Nonetheless, unless we spend good amount of quality time to focus on the Lord and His Word, then it is unlikely that His Word will have good and firm roots in us.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us always place the Lord and His Word ever at the first and foremost place in our lives, and amongst our families and circles of friends. Let us all be ever committed to live our lives worthily at all times, in all circumstances and anywhere, so that by our words, actions and deeds, everyone who witness our lives may know that God is present in our midst, and His Word may be known to more and more people, so that more may come to God’s grace and salvation. May the Lord be with us always and may He empower all of us so that by our lives we may be great role models and inspirations for one another. May God bless us in all our lives and in everything we do. Amen.

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Sunday, 14 January 2024 : Second Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday all of us are reminded of what each and every one of us as Christians have been called to do what God has called and told us to do, in each and every missions and works that He has entrusted to us. All of us have the been called to follow the Lord and walk in His path, to be good and faithful Christians, as examples, role models and inspirations for everyone all around us. We are reminded that our lives and our actions throughout every moments must be truly good and worthy of God, because each one of us are called to be holy just as the Lord our God is all Holy and Perfect.

In our first reading today, we heard of the reading from the Book of the prophet Samuel in which the young Samuel was called by God in the night, and how the young Samuel thought that it was his mentor, the priest and Judge Eli who was calling him. At that time, the young Samuel had been entrusted and offered by his mother Hannah to be priest and servant of God, as she had promised to the Lord Himself for his miraculous conception and birth. The young Samuel was blessed by God and was filled with his grace, and God was with him, and hence, this was when the Lord first called him and speak to him. Eli realised that it was God Who was calling the young Samuel, and he told Samuel to respond to the Lord.

Samuel had been called by God to do great things among His people, to lead and guide them all back towards Him. Unlike the the sons of Eli, who had been appointed as priests and guides over the people, which the Scriptures highlighted that they were wicked and corrupt in their ways and actions, Samuel was upright and just, and he obeyed the Lord in His commands and all that He has entrusted to him to do. We heard from the first reading today how the Lord was with him, and everything that he said became true, as a sign of Divine providence and favour, as he continued to labour hard for the glory of God and for the well-being and salvation of the people of God, which he led out of the darkness and corruption of the world, and into the light of God’s truth and love.

In our second reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in the city of Corinth, the Apostle reminded all of the faithful, and hence all of us that we are all the holy people of God, consecrated and dedicated to Him, and our whole beings, our bodies, hearts, minds and souls are all sacred, having been dedicated to God. Through baptism, all of us have been made members of the Church of God, partakers of the Most Holy Eucharist, the Most Holy and Precious Body and Blood of Christ, and hence, we are all truly the Temples of the Lord’s Holy Presence just as St. Paul the Apostle had reminded all of us. This is because God Himself dwells in us and amongst us, and all of us are truly like His holy Tabernacles, the Living Church.

Therefore, just as St. Paul mentioned in his Epistle, all of us should strive to keep ourselves away from all sorts of evil, fornications and sin. We must always do our best that our every words, actions and deeds, our every interactions and our way of life should always be filled with righteousness, virtue and justice, living our lives in the manner that the Lord has taught us to do, with faith and dedication to Him, and with courage in living our lives at each moment with the desire and the commitment to walk in the path that the Lord has shown and taught us. Each and every one of us must make ourselves truly worthy of God’s presence and love, as He Himself has come into our midst and dwelled in our midst. Hence, we must not allow ourselves to fall into sin and evil, and we have to strive to live our lives to the fullest with faith.

In our Gospel passage today, the Lord Jesus called His disciples, who came to Him firstly through the testimony of St. John the Baptist who told two of his own disciples that the Lord Jesus is the Lamb of God, the One Whom St. John the Baptist himself has been proclaiming and labouring about. Those disciples therefore followed the Lord and sought Him, and they walked with Him, calling upon their relatives to the Lord as well. They left behind everything, listened to the Lord and embarked on the journey with Him, to wherever He led them towards. We heard how the fishermen of Lake of Galilee, Simon son of John and the sons of Zebedee followed our Lord, and He entrusted them with the works and missions to evangelise to the world, giving the name Peter, meaning Rock to Simon, signifying this new beginning in his life and that of the others whom He had called.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we all have heard from the passages of the Sacred Scriptures today, let us all be reminded of what each and every one of us as Christians have been called to do in our respective lives so that our lives and actions, our every words and interactions may indeed be truly worthy of our identity as Christians, as God’s beloved people and children, those who belong to Him. All of us have been called and gathered from this world by the Lord, and He has entrusted to us His Church and the various missions which He gave to us, in bringing His light and truth, His Good News and the manifestation of His love to more and more people. Each and every one of us are the ones through whom God’s love and truth are made manifest in this world, spread and known to more and more people.

Let us all therefore renew our faith and commitment to the Lord. Let us all strive to do what is right, virtuous and just according to God’s will at every possible opportunities. Let us all be like the young Samuel and the disciples of the Lord, who put their full trust and faith in God, leaving behind everything and following Him. Let us all do what God has called us to do in our respective lives, in whatever areas and parts of life, in our various vocations and calling in life, so that our lives may truly be exemplary and good, and be the shining beacons of God’s truth and love, proclaiming Him to everyone all around us at all times. May God bless us all in our every good works, efforts and endeavours, in all that we say and do, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 31 December 2023 : Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday which is the Sunday after Christmas during the Christmas Octave, we celebrate the occasion of the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, marking that most holy and blessed of all families, through which the Lord and Saviour of all has come into our midst. On this Feast of the Holy Family, we are reminded of that family into which the Lord had been born into, into the loving care of His mother Mary, as well as His foster father, St. Joseph. The Holy Family is also the role model and example for all of our Christian families, which we are all reminded of the need for us to lead holy and devout lives aligned to the Lord, in our every Christian families, which are the important building blocks of the Church of God.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Genesis, we heard of the interaction between Abram and the Lord, in which God reassured Abram of everything that He had promised him, that He would grant him a son to be the legal heir and continue his family, rather than one of his own servants, named Eliezer. God reassured Abram that everything would happen as He had told to him, and renewed His promises, stating that Abram, to be known as Abraham henceforth, would become the father of many nations. Abraham believed in God and trusted in Him, and God established His Covenant with Abraham and his descendants. And in the same reading, we then heard from the later part in the Book of Genesis, where Sarah, Abraham’s wife, miraculously gave birth to Isaac, in her old age.

This is referred to in our second reading today from the Epistle to the Hebrews, in which the author of this Epistle spoke of how the faith of Abraham led him to righteousness and to receive the fullness of the bounty and grace of the Lord. The author of the Epistle also mentioned that Abraham and Sarah had received the son that they had longed for because of their faith and trust in the Lord, and this faith was shown once again as the account of the moment when God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac was highlighted to us. As we all should know of, Isaac was the beloved son of Abraham, the promised son whom he had received from God, and yet, God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac at Mount Moria, which according to tradition, is at the site of where Jerusalem now stands.

Abraham obeyed the Lord and did not spare even his most beloved son, definitely his most loved among everything he had, surpassing even all his other properties and wealth. He led Isaac faithfully to Mount Moria and resolved to offer him to God, and as the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews explained, that Abraham had great faith in God, knowing that everything is possible for God, and even if he had to offer up Isaac to Him, God might restore Isaac unto him in His own way. Abraham did not ask God or question His decision, and entrusted everything to God. This is actually very deeply symbolic and related to what the Lord Himself would do, when He sent to us His own Beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Just as Abraham gave his son willingly to God to be offered and sacrificed, thus the Lord gave us all His Son, that He may offer on our behalf, upon Himself as the Lamb of sacrifice, the worthy offering in atonement for all of our sins.

All in all, we have seen and heard just how important a role that God has played in the family of Abraham, Sarah and Isaac, and how Abraham obeyed the Lord perfectly, and entrusted him and his family to Him, in all things. This is related then to the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph that we heard in our Gospel passage today, as we all heard the account of how Mary and her husband St. Joseph offered the Lord Jesus, the Holy Child, at the Temple of Jerusalem in accordance with the Law and customs of the people of God. We heard how they were welcomed and greeted by the old man and prophet Simeon, and also the prophetess Anna, both of whom rejoiced because they had seen and witnessed the Saviour of the world Himself in the flesh, before their very own eyes.

Simeon and Anna told Mary and St. Joseph of what that Holy Child, the Lord Jesus would do, how He would become a great Sign for all, and fulfil everything that God had promised to all of us. Mary and St. Joseph trusted in the Lord, and they did everything that the Lord had commanded them to do, returning to the small town of Nazareth in Galilee where they lived, especially after King Herod was no more, and it was told that the Lord grew in stature and wisdom under their guidance, no doubt through the loving care of both Mary and St. Joseph, who both raised the Lord to be a good and righteous person, obeying the Law and commandments of God as they had done. In all these, again, we have seen the example of a great, holy and loving family that is always centred on God, and thus, a reminder for all of us in our own families as well.

This reminds us all that every members and parts of the family need to be centred and focused on the Lord, and they should be filled with love and care for one another, and they should always be united in purpose and love at all times. Most importantly, each members of the family should always strive to spend more quality time with each other, and united in prayer and thanksgiving to God whenever they can. In our world today, too often we heard of families breaking down and falling apart, and all of these were often caused by the lack of quality and proper interactions between the members of the family, and when our attentions have been divided by our many distractions in life, such as our many attractions to money and material goods, our worldly concerns and other forms of distractions such as our smartphones and other things that keep us away from spending time well with our families.

It is also very important that families, as far as possible, try to spend time together, to eat together and to do things together, as much as they can. And even more importantly, they should also pray together, as the saying goes rightly, that a family that prays together, stays together. By doing that, not only that it reminds us of the centrality of God in our families, but we also bring God into our families, inviting Him to bless us in our families and helping us to unite our fellow family members together. This is why our families should indeed be ‘holy’ just as the Holy Family of the Lord Jesus, His mother Mary, and His foster father St. Joseph has shown us all by their examples. The Christian family is indeed also the foundation and the building block of the Church.

The devil and all the enemies of the Lord, all the fallen angels and demons all clearly know this well, and hence, they are always ever busy in trying to destroy the Church, and one of the best ways is to destroy and to unravel our Christian families. It is in our families that our younger generations are first exposed to the Lord and His teachings, and if our families become disrupted and dysfunctional, it is likely that many of the members of our families may end up losing their faith and their path in life. This is why we have to strive to keep our families united in the Lord, and do our part to make sure that every members of our families are always focused on what is right and on God, and that each and every one of us realise the roles that we all ought to play in each and every one of our families. We should do our part, be it as fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, children, or any combination of these.

Let us all therefore do all that we can so that our Christian families may truly be like that of the Holy Family, and the Lord may always reign over our families and loved ones. Let us all be ever more faithful to the Lord, and do our part to live our lives ever more worthily as Christians, making our families to be the strong bedrock of our Christian faith. May all of us continue to be inspired by the great examples of the Holy Family of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, His mother Mary and His foster father St. Joseph, in all that we do and in how we become great examples and role models ourselves for others. May God bless our families and may He bless each and every one of us, now and always. Amen.

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Monday, 25 December 2023 : Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, finally after a long period of few weeks during the Advent season that we have spent in preparation for today’s glorious and most joyful celebration, we can finally sing in great joy and jubilation, ‘Gloria in Excelsis Deo!’, ‘Glory to God in the Highest!’ because His salvation has come into our midst and we recall the moment when this very important event in the history of our salvation and existence, happened more than two thousand years ago in the small town of Bethlehem in Judea. At that time, in the small town where David, the famous King of Israel hailed from, in a manger within a stable where animals were kept, a young Child was born, the firstborn of His Mother Mary, an unassuming young woman who had come with her husband St. Joseph from Nazareth in Galilee.

Yet, this seemingly ordinary occasion, of just another birth happening in this world, and all the more happening in a small and ordinary town, not even something that is supposed to be memorable, and yet, it is one of the most important moments in our faith which allows us to hope once again in the Lord, His love and compassion for us, that by this same, ever enduring and patient love, He has manifested this love in a tangible and real way, by making Himself approachable to us, through His beloved Son, Our Saviour, Lord and King, Jesus Christ, the Son of God Most High. His coming was welcomed not with great fanfare that usually accompanied the birth of royalty and great personages of this world, and yet, His birth is the singular most important birth that has happened and will ever happen.

He is the One Whom all the prophets and messengers of God had spoken about, prophesied and predicted, and His coming would herald a new era for the world. Before He came and reveal God’s love and truth to us, we were still all lost amidst all the darkness and evils of this world. We were tempted by the temptations of worldly pleasures to seek these things and our many attachments to worldly goods and pursuits that we often forgot about the Lord and failed to recognise Him being the One Whom we should focus our attention on in our lives. But God sent to us His Son, so that He can gather us all, His lost sheep who have been wandering all over the world. And His entry into this world, His Nativity or birth, is what we all rejoice for this day and throughout the Christmas season.

We must realise that without Christ and His Incarnation, His entry into this world and later on with everything that He had done for our sake, in willingly embracing and taking upon Himself our sins and the punishments due for those sins, we would have been doomed by those same sins and wickedness, and we should have suffered for eternity in Hell away from God and His perpetual love and grace. There is indeed a massive chasm separating us from God’s love, again due to our sins and refusal to obey the Law and commandments of God. No one could cross this chasm and be reconciled, reunited to God on His own, but through His coming, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ had brought about the reassurance of our reconciliation with God, as He became for us the Bridge connecting between us and God, our loving Father and Creator.

Yet, brothers and sisters in Christ, despite all these, we can easily notice all around us how this time and celebration of Christmas had lost its meaning, purpose and significance in many of the occasions when we celebrate Christmas. Christmas has become yet just another celebration and festivities, with all of its glamour, glitz and parties, where many focused on the celebratory aspects, all the activities, feasting and rejoicing, but the heart and core significance of what Christmas is all about has often been lost, even to many amongst us Christians. How many of us Christians actually carry out our celebrations of Christmas with the Lord Jesus Christ, Our Saviour and God at the centre of everything we do this Christmas?

How many of us treated Christmas as merely a time for another celebration or holiday, or think of Christmas as the time and occasion to be merry and to celebrate with lots of festivities and parties? How many among us are looking forward to all the food and the good things that we are all going to have, to the gifts and presents that we are all going to exchange and receive, and to all the bling associated with the way how the world usually celebrate Christmas? How many of us have forgotten that Christmas is truly about Christ our Lord, and how He has brought into our midst the love of God, being made present among us, and therefore all of our rejoicing and celebration ought to be centred on Him and not on ourselves?

Christmas is definitely a time to be happy and to celebrate, brothers and sisters in Christ. However, if we allow ourselves to be deluded, fooled and swayed by all the temptations and the false ideas being presented to us, and if we forget the true nature and significance of Christmas, then I am afraid that we have not celebrated it in the right way and in the right spirit. Without Christ, there can be no Christmas and there can be no true joy and hope for us. It is precisely because of Christ that we can truly rejoice today, as His coming into this world and His birth shows us that God was not just making empty promises and He is truly loving all of us all these while. Through Christ, all of us can experience and we have become witnesses of God’s ever enduring and ever present love, just as we can also experience His Presence in our midst.

That is why, this Christmas, let us all turn away from all the excesses of the worldly and secular Christmas, that we do not end up celebrating and rejoicing in the wrong way. We should not be celebrating excessively, focusing our attention on all the glamour, parties and all the excessive attention on the festivities without remembering or putting Christ at the centre of all that rejoicing and celebrations. We must not allow the temptations and false pleasures of this world from distracting us away from the true reason and joy of Christmas, that is Christ our Lord. We should lead by example in how we all centre ourselves on Christ and do whatever we can so that our whole lives and how we celebrate Christmas will truly be filled with Christ in all things, and we may be the good and faithful bearers of our Christian truth and Good News to all the people around us.

Let us also share our joy and happiness with everyone around us especially if we have been blessed with more, and granted the opportunities and chances to do more good things in our lives and particularly during this Christmas celebrations and time. Let us also remember that not everyone has the opportunity to celebrate Christmas, either because of the circumstances or because of certain misfortunes and difficulties. Our brothers and sisters in the Middle East, particularly in the Holy Land are now facing hardships and conflicts, ongoing warfare and constant threats to their lives and properties. They cannot celebrate in the same manner as us, especially when death and sufferings are all around them daily and at every moments. The same is also still happening to our brethren in Ukraine and parts of Russia as well, where conflict is still raging on almost two years now.

There are also many of our brothers and sisters who have been persecuted for their faith across the world, just like in the days of the early Church, and as it had happened throughout the history of our faith. Many of these brethren of ours cannot openly celebrate Christmas and cannot even let it be known that they are followers of Christ on the threat and pain of suffering and death. There are many others still who are facing financial difficulties and challenges in their lives, from losing their loved ones and their livelihood, from all the injustice and hardships of this world. Many are not able to even afford basic needs and basic welfare, and they are definitely not in the position to celebrate the way that many of us do for Christmas. Yet, we may be surprised to find out that in their hearts and minds, they know well the message and the hope of Christmas, and they look to Christ as their Hope and their focus as they endure all these crosses and sufferings with Him.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore help our needy brothers and sisters whenever and wherever we can, and keep in mind those who are not able to rejoice as much as we do that our celebrations do not become lavish and excessive, or lose its focus on Christ. Let our Christmas celebrations and joy be shared with all, and let us all show that through Christ, a new Hope has descended into this world, illuminating a world steeped in darkness, raising us all from our wretched state and existence, allowing us all to have hope again, and His Peace has come into our world, and we hope that the Peace of Christ may reign in all hearts and in all the world, that all conflicts may cease and everyone may live once again in peace, and His Joy brought about a new smile and cheer to all of us, reminding us all that all these are possible because of His everlasting and ever patient Love.

May the Lord Jesus Christ, Our God, Saviour and King, born on Christmas Day, continue to bless us all and watch over all of us. May He bless our every Christmas joy and celebrations and help us to remain focused and centred on Him in all things. May He empower us all, particularly those among us who are facing hardships and troubles in life, and may He give us the courage and strength to continue to persevere in faith and life, at all times. Wishing everyone a happy, holy and blessed Christmas! Amen.

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Sunday, 24 December 2023 : Vigil Mass of the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord, Christmas Eve (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, finally after a long period of few weeks during the Advent season that we have spent in preparation for today’s glorious and most joyful celebration, we can finally sing in great joy and jubilation, ‘Gloria in Excelsis Deo!’, ‘Glory to God in the Highest!’ because His salvation has come into our midst and we recall the moment when this very important event in the history of our salvation and existence, happened more than two thousand years ago in the small town of Bethlehem in Judea. At that time, in the small town where David, the famous King of Israel hailed from, in a manger within a stable where animals were kept, a young Child was born, the firstborn of His Mother Mary, an unassuming young woman who had come with her husband St. Joseph from Nazareth in Galilee.

Yet, this seemingly ordinary occasion, of just another birth happening in this world, and all the more happening in a small and ordinary town, not even something that is supposed to be memorable, and yet, it is one of the most important moments in our faith which allows us to hope once again in the Lord, His love and compassion for us, that by this same, ever enduring and patient love, He has manifested this love in a tangible and real way, by making Himself approachable to us, through His beloved Son, Our Saviour, Lord and King, Jesus Christ, the Son of God Most High. His coming was welcomed not with great fanfare that usually accompanied the birth of royalty and great personages of this world, and yet, His birth is the singular most important birth that has happened and will ever happen.

He is the One Whom all the prophets and messengers of God had spoken about, prophesied and predicted, and His coming would herald a new era for the world. Before He came and reveal God’s love and truth to us, we were still all lost amidst all the darkness and evils of this world. We were tempted by the temptations of worldly pleasures to seek these things and our many attachments to worldly goods and pursuits that we often forgot about the Lord and failed to recognise Him being the One Whom we should focus our attention on in our lives. But God sent to us His Son, so that He can gather us all, His lost sheep who have been wandering all over the world. And His entry into this world, His Nativity or birth, is what we all rejoice for this day and throughout the Christmas season.

We must realise that without Christ and His Incarnation, His entry into this world and later on with everything that He had done for our sake, in willingly embracing and taking upon Himself our sins and the punishments due for those sins, we would have been doomed by those same sins and wickedness, and we should have suffered for eternity in Hell away from God and His perpetual love and grace. There is indeed a massive chasm separating us from God’s love, again due to our sins and refusal to obey the Law and commandments of God. No one could cross this chasm and be reconciled, reunited to God on His own, but through His coming, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ had brought about the reassurance of our reconciliation with God, as He became for us the Bridge connecting between us and God, our loving Father and Creator.

Yet, brothers and sisters in Christ, despite all these, we can easily notice all around us how this time and celebration of Christmas had lost its meaning, purpose and significance in many of the occasions when we celebrate Christmas. Christmas has become yet just another celebration and festivities, with all of its glamour, glitz and parties, where many focused on the celebratory aspects, all the activities, feasting and rejoicing, but the heart and core significance of what Christmas is all about has often been lost, even to many amongst us Christians. How many of us Christians actually carry out our celebrations of Christmas with the Lord Jesus Christ, Our Saviour and God at the centre of everything we do this Christmas?

How many of us treated Christmas as merely a time for another celebration or holiday, or think of Christmas as the time and occasion to be merry and to celebrate with lots of festivities and parties? How many among us are looking forward to all the food and the good things that we are all going to have, to the gifts and presents that we are all going to exchange and receive, and to all the bling associated with the way how the world usually celebrate Christmas? How many of us have forgotten that Christmas is truly about Christ our Lord, and how He has brought into our midst the love of God, being made present among us, and therefore all of our rejoicing and celebration ought to be centred on Him and not on ourselves?

Christmas is definitely a time to be happy and to celebrate, brothers and sisters in Christ. However, if we allow ourselves to be deluded, fooled and swayed by all the temptations and the false ideas being presented to us, and if we forget the true nature and significance of Christmas, then I am afraid that we have not celebrated it in the right way and in the right spirit. Without Christ, there can be no Christmas and there can be no true joy and hope for us. It is precisely because of Christ that we can truly rejoice today, as His coming into this world and His birth shows us that God was not just making empty promises and He is truly loving all of us all these while. Through Christ, all of us can experience and we have become witnesses of God’s ever enduring and ever present love, just as we can also experience His Presence in our midst.

That is why, this Christmas, let us all turn away from all the excesses of the worldly and secular Christmas, that we do not end up celebrating and rejoicing in the wrong way. We should not be celebrating excessively, focusing our attention on all the glamour, parties and all the excessive attention on the festivities without remembering or putting Christ at the centre of all that rejoicing and celebrations. We must not allow the temptations and false pleasures of this world from distracting us away from the true reason and joy of Christmas, that is Christ our Lord. We should lead by example in how we all centre ourselves on Christ and do whatever we can so that our whole lives and how we celebrate Christmas will truly be filled with Christ in all things, and we may be the good and faithful bearers of our Christian truth and Good News to all the people around us.

Let us also share our joy and happiness with everyone around us especially if we have been blessed with more, and granted the opportunities and chances to do more good things in our lives and particularly during this Christmas celebrations and time. Let us also remember that not everyone has the opportunity to celebrate Christmas, either because of the circumstances or because of certain misfortunes and difficulties. Our brothers and sisters in the Middle East, particularly in the Holy Land are now facing hardships and conflicts, ongoing warfare and constant threats to their lives and properties. They cannot celebrate in the same manner as us, especially when death and sufferings are all around them daily and at every moments. The same is also still happening to our brethren in Ukraine and parts of Russia as well, where conflict is still raging on almost two years now.

There are also many of our brothers and sisters who have been persecuted for their faith across the world, just like in the days of the early Church, and as it had happened throughout the history of our faith. Many of these brethren of ours cannot openly celebrate Christmas and cannot even let it be known that they are followers of Christ on the threat and pain of suffering and death. There are many others still who are facing financial difficulties and challenges in their lives, from losing their loved ones and their livelihood, from all the injustice and hardships of this world. Many are not able to even afford basic needs and basic welfare, and they are definitely not in the position to celebrate the way that many of us do for Christmas. Yet, we may be surprised to find out that in their hearts and minds, they know well the message and the hope of Christmas, and they look to Christ as their Hope and their focus as they endure all these crosses and sufferings with Him.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore help our needy brothers and sisters whenever and wherever we can, and keep in mind those who are not able to rejoice as much as we do that our celebrations do not become lavish and excessive, or lose its focus on Christ. Let our Christmas celebrations and joy be shared with all, and let us all show that through Christ, a new Hope has descended into this world, illuminating a world steeped in darkness, raising us all from our wretched state and existence, allowing us all to have hope again, and His Peace has come into our world, and we hope that the Peace of Christ may reign in all hearts and in all the world, that all conflicts may cease and everyone may live once again in peace, and His Joy brought about a new smile and cheer to all of us, reminding us all that all these are possible because of His everlasting and ever patient Love.

May the Lord Jesus Christ, Our God, Saviour and King, born on Christmas Day, continue to bless us all and watch over all of us. May He bless our every Christmas joy and celebrations and help us to remain focused and centred on Him in all things. May He empower us all, particularly those among us who are facing hardships and troubles in life, and may He give us the courage and strength to continue to persevere in faith and life, at all times. Wishing everyone a happy, holy and blessed Christmas! Amen.

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Sunday, 24 December 2023 : Fourth Sunday of Advent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday is the fourth and last Sunday in the season of Advent, and this year, due to the nature of the liturgical year cycles, Advent is at its shortest, hence, this Fourth Sunday of Advent is immediately followed by Christmas, which begins just this evening with the Christmas Vigil Mass. Yet, this does not diminish the importance of this last Sunday of Advent, as it acts for us as a very crucial reminder of what Christmas is all about, and that is about Love, the Love which God has shown to each and every one of us, and which has been manifested to us in the person of none other than Jesus Christ Himself, the Holy Child born unto us and which we celebrate about in Christmas.

This is why, after having reflected on the Aspects of Hope, Peace and Joy in the previous three Sundays of Advent, today we all focus on the Aspect of Love, reminding us that everything that we are about to celebrate in Christmas beginning with tonight is all possible now because of the Love of God that has always endured all these while for us. For without God’s Love, there would have been no hope for any one of us, and we would have ended up in damnation and destruction because of our sins caused by our disobedience against God. It was God’s ever patient and enduring love which brought us all from the depth of this darkness and despair, into the light of His salvation and grace, again through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, the reason for our Christmas joy.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard of how the Lord told His servant, King David of Israel who ruled over the whole people of God, through the prophet Nathan that He would make his reign secure and He would provide for him and his house, that the reign of David and his successors would be everlasting, and the House of David would indeed rule forever over the whole people of God. God also reassured David that He would take care and look after His people Israel, guiding and shepherding them down the right path. This came about when King David told Nathan how he wanted to build a House of God for the Lord because he felt that it was inappropriate that he lived in a house and palace of cedar and fine wood and yet the Lord was housed in a tent, referring to the Ark of the Covenant.

The Lord instead pointed out to David that while it may seem that He was present through the Ark of the Covenant among the people, His Holy Presence resting on the Ark itself as the proof of His existence and love for His beloved people, but it does not mean that He could be contained within the Ark or the Holy Tent of Meeting, or any House that King David or anyone else would want to build and establish for Him. God reminded David that He has been with His people and with David himself, at all times and at every occasions and places, and His Presence amongst them transcended time and space, and He would always be with them all, caring for them and being with them forever.

Now, as the Lord also told David that it would not be him who would be the one to build the House of God, but his son, this was a reference to King Solomon, who succeeded David as King of Israel, and was known for his efforts and works in building the first great Temple dedicated to the Lord, that is Solomon’s Temple. However, there is actually also a deeper and hidden symbolism amidst what the Lord had told King David, in that the ‘Son of David’ mentioned by the prophet Nathan was also a premonition and hidden prophecy about the coming of God’s salvation through Christ, Who is indeed David’s Heir, and also considered and known as the Son of David, the One sitting on David’s Throne as the rightful Ruler over all of God’s people.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the moment when the Archangel Gabriel revealed to Mary, the Annunciation of the Lord, that is when the Good News of God’s salvation was finally revealed to us through Mary, who was to become the Mother and bearer of the Saviour of the world. In fact, Mary became the New Ark of the New Covenant and the Temple and House of God because in her, the Lord Himself, the Divine Word and Son of God had been incarnate in the flesh, and dwelling within her blessed womb, free from any taint of sin, hallowed and sanctified by God, to be worthy to hold the Divine and perfect essence of the Almighty Himself in her. The love of God for us all had made it possible, because God endeavoured and did all things to ensure that we can be reconciled and reunited to Him.

That was why He willingly chose to embrace our humanity, becoming incarnate and one with our human flesh and existence, and thus, becoming tangible and real to us, making the love of God manifested in this world, no longer far and apart from us. He wants to lead us all by hand, and as our Shepherd and King, He wants to bring us all close to Himself, gathering us all from all the ends of earth. And this is echoing what the Lord had spoken to King David through His prophet Nathan in our first reading today. God has come into our midst to lead us and guide us all to Himself, and He did all these because He has truly loved each and every one of us, for even though we are sinners, but we are still precious and beloved by the Lord.

We must understand and keep reminding ourselves that what the Lord despises is not us, but instead our many sins and disobedient actions and attitudes which had caused us to be separated from Him in the first place. He always cares about us and through His Son, He has shown us that perfect love manifested completely and in a tangible manner before us, that we may have hope and rejoice once again because of Him and His love. That is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, shall we renew our commitment to the Lord from now on, and do our best that we may always love the Lord and remember the most perfect and wonderful love that He has shown us, that He did not hesitate to suffer a most painful and humiliating death for our sake and our salvation?

Let us all prepare ourselves well for the beginning of the joyous Christmas season that begins tonight, with a renewed faith and zeal, with greater love and devotion to God, and the willingness to do whatever we need so that we may always embody the love of God in our every moments in life. If God has loved us so much that He was willing to come into our midst and even adopting our humble human existence, and even to suffer and die for us, then should we not love Him in the same manner too? May the Lord be with us all and may He bestow His love and kindness to us, so that our Christmas celebrations and festivities will always be full of His love, in us loving Him more and more devotedly, and in our love for one another, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 17 December 2023 : Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Rose (Gaudete Sunday) or Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday is the Third Sunday of Advent, also known popularly as Gaudete Sunday. This is known as such because of the Introit of the Mass which goes as ‘Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete.’ and this means ‘Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice.’ The word Gaudete having the meaning ‘Rejoice’ and ‘Joy’ and hence which is why this Sunday we are focusing and contemplating upon the aspect of ‘Joy’ in Advent, after that of ‘Hope’ and ‘Peace’ in the earlier two Sundays of Advent and ‘Love’ in the next and last Sunday of Advent. This Sunday, much like its Lenten counterpart, the Laetare Sunday, marks a short and temporary break from the penitential and more sombre nature of the rest of the Advent season, as we prepare ourselves and anticipate the coming true Joy of Christmas.

This is why it is very important that this Sunday we should ask ourselves well why is it that we are celebrating the upcoming joyful and festive Christmas season in the first place. Christmas is the time when we all tend to gather together and celebrate together as families and with our friends and loved ones. It is a time full of joy and festivities, and something that generally many if not most people are looking forward to each year. However, let us ask ourselves, what is Christmas and its joy is to all of us? Is it about all the glitters and festivities, all the food and revelries, all the gifts and exchanging of wishes, all the merrymaking and parties? Or is it about the One Whom we ought to be truly rejoicing in, the One because of Whom Christmas is there in the first place?

This Sunday, we remind ourselves that the Joy of Christmas is truly not about all the gifts, parties, celebrations, merrymaking and all the things that we usually associate with Christmas, all the lights and the revelries, but rather, the very essence and focus of Christmas and our joy should always be on Christ, our Lord, through Whom, the world and all of us have received the sure hope, assurance and hence, being able to rejoice wholeheartedly because all of us, who have once been destined to damnation and destruction, have been saved by the saving power and the works of Our Lord, Who humbled Himself, and willingly embraced us all sinners, by being Incarnate in the flesh, and born of His mother Mary, coming into our midst, God Who is with us, Emmanuel.

Through Christ and His coming into this world, as He came to walk amongst us, He has shown us all the true nature of God, which is Love and kindness, compassion and mercy. He has always loved us from the very beginning, and He has always been patient in showing us all His kindness and compassion despite all of us having constantly and stubbornly disobeying Him and betraying Him with the wicked idols of this world, as we chose to follow the path of our desires, wealth and all the other temptations around us rather than to follow the path of the Lord. Essentially, we choose to seek the joy that is in the world rather than to seek the true joy that is found in Christ, our Lord alone.

That is why today we are all reminded of what is the true joy of Christmas, that is Christ our Lord. The Scripture readings today all allude to this, reminding us that the Lord has sent us all His salvation through His Son so that we may rejoice once again, as He gathered us all, reached out to us and helped us to get out from the depth of our sins and wickedness, leading us from the path of our downfall and damnation, into the Light of His truth and love. Like from our first reading today taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, we heard of the prophecy of Isaiah regarding the coming of the Lord’s Saviour, in which His coming would be heralded with the occurrences of miracles, signs and wonders, which the Lord Jesus did perform, fulfilling all that God had promised to us, His beloved ones.

He came into this world to gather us all from the darkness and the evils surrounding us, and to lead us into His Light and Hope once again. He has come to us to make us holy and perfect once again just as St. Paul mentioned in his Epistle to the Church and the faithful in Thessalonica in our second reading today. The Lord our God has given us His Son and bestowed upon us the Holy Spirit so that we all may have the wisdom, courage and grace to continue living our lives with faith and dedication to Him despite the many trials and challenges which we may have to face amidst our journey of life, our faith life and struggles each day. That is why, we are reminded to continue to direct our focus and attention on Him, and not on the other, false sources of joy and satisfaction present all around us.

The Gospel passage today also reminded us off this, as we heard about St. John the Baptist, the one who is the Herald of the Lord, in how he revealed and directed each and every one of us to the salvation in God, in pointing us to the One in Whom we ought to be rejoicing and celebrating. And as we heard from the Gospel passage, he also showed great humility that despite the fame and the great following he had at that time, he remained humble and consistent in his message, and in leading everyone to the one true Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. As we come ever closer to the time of Christmas, that is less than a week from now, this passage reminds us yet again of why we rejoice and celebrate this Christmas, that because our Lord Himself has come, hope and joy have been restored to us, and we rejoice because through the Lord, there is indeed plentiful redemption, strength and joy.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, just as we have been repeatedly reminded today of why we ought to celebrate this upcoming Christmas time and season, and how we should be celebrating and rejoicing in that moment, let us all therefore be renewed in our commitment to follow the Lord, our true Hope and Joy, the One Who has brought us all ever closer to Himself, reaching out to us with His everlasting and ever-enduring Light and love, so that all of us who are still wandering in this world full of darkness and evil may find our way to Him, and enter into the glorious and joyful Kingdom that He has prepared, designed and intended for all of us. This is why, this Third Sunday of Advent, as we reflect on the joyful nature of our Advent expectation and looking up upon the True Joy of Christmas, let us all make sure that our preparations and our whole way of life may indeed be truly aligned and attuned with God’s path.

Let us all remind ourselves and one another that Christmas is truly not about comparing who among us can celebrate more beautifully or wonderfully, or whether we will get more presents and gifts than last year, and what kind of presents, gifts and good things we may gain. Instead, Christmas is about us sharing the joy which we have received from Christ our Lord Himself, the fountain of our joy and hope, Who has given us His everlasting love and peace. Let us all be the joyful bearers of God’s love to all the whole world, and beginning from ourselves, let us all truly, in all things, properly and worthily welcome the Lord into our midst, as we come to His Presence, seeking Him, our true Joy and Hope, now and always. May the Lord be with us all, and may the expectation of His Joy continue to strengthen us for the rest of this Advent season and thereafter. Amen.