Sunday Mass sermon

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Saturday, 25 December 2021 : Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord, Christmas Midnight Mass (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all rejoice together as after the long wait and expectation during the Advent season, we finally mark the beginning of the Christmas season, the time for us to celebrate in the glorious coming of Our Lord in the flesh, the Divine Word Incarnate, Son of God born into this world as the Son of Man through His mother, the Blessed ever Virgin Mary. He was born in Bethlehem in Judea, in the city of David, as the fulfilment of the long awaited promise and assurance of God, Who has come to dwell among His people and to deliver them from their enslavement by the evil one and from the tyranny of sin and death.

In our first reading today, the Lord through His prophet Isaiah has spoken to the people, revealing how He would send them a Child, to be born of Man to them, in a great prophecy proclaiming the coming of God’s Saviour or Messiah. In that prophecy, God spoke of the coming of the time of salvation and liberation for His people, the Israelites, as He would gather them from among the nations and break the yoke of their oppressors and all of their enemies. He would send them a Child, the One prophesied to come, and His Name as proclaimed, would be Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

While the people of God back then could not have foreseen or known what these things truly meant, but to them it must have been strange for the words of the prophet Isaiah to have mentioned a Child born into this world and named such as Mighty God and Everlasting Father, for these were the titles that ought to be reserved to God alone. How could God descend and come down into this world as a Child, born of Man no less? How can the Almighty and Infinite God of the entire Universe and existence be contained in the Child or Son of Man?

Such is indeed the mystery of the Lord’s Incarnation, as He willingly came down to us, being Incarnate in His Aspect as the Son and the Word of God, incarnate in the flesh, willing into existence by the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ the Son of Man, the Child born two millennia ago in Bethlehem of Judea, Who was truly Man, but also truly God at the same time, the Eternal God and King of us all. That Child born in Bethlehem is the King of all the whole entire Universe, Who has entered this world by His own will and by His enduring and amazing love for each and every one of us.

As St. Paul mentioned in our second reading today, in his Epistle to St. Titus, the Lord has given us all His grace and love through Jesus Christ, His Son born to us and which we celebrate this night at Christmas. He has entered our world, sharing with us our human nature and experiencing what we ourselves have experienced, so that we may be reconciled and reunited with Him, and this is all that the Lord had intended to do from the very beginning. Just as if we remember from the Book of Genesis, God said to Satan, the deceiver, that while he may have dominion over the sons and daughters of man, but through Woman, a reference to Mary, he would be conquered and defeated.

The Lord wants us to be reconciled to Him, but this will not happen unless we have been forgiven and cleansed from our sins. Sin is caused by our disobedience against God, and it sundered us off from Him, and as a result, we should have ended up falling into eternal damnation and suffering in hell. The Lord could very well have destroyed us from the very beginning, as creatures that had been defiled and corrupted by sin. But that was never His intention. His love for us is greater than His disgust for our sins and wickedness. To that extent, He committed Himself to us, by coming down to us, to be with us and to save all of us.

He Who is the Almighty Lord and King over all things willingly embraced our human nature to show us the way out of the darkness, reminding all of us of our true nature of being holy and perfect in God’s grace. This had been interrupted by the appearance of sin in our lives, and by the temptations that we face daily, and how we fell again and again to those temptations and ended up sinning against God. But God made Himself to be like us, to unite Himself to us and to act as a Bridge spanning the once uncrossable chasm that existed between us and God due to sin.

Christ is that Bridge, the One Who bears the Light of God’s grace and salvation into our midst. His coming into this world revealed to all of us just how beloved we are to the Lord, so much so that He was willing to make Himself small, to be born an Infant, a small little Child in Bethlehem just as we heard in the account of our Gospel passage today. He made Himself that little Child in Bethlehem, to show us what is meant for us to be beloved by God, and at the same time, also His desire to be loved by us. This Christmas is a great celebration of God’s most generous love for us, a love that overcomes sin and death.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we gather together in this celebration of the Christmas Midnight Mass, we are all called to reflect on the true nature of Christmas and why we rejoice so greatly and wonderfully not just tonight but also this entire Christmas season. The Lord has entered into the world and revealed to us His love in the tangible form of the little Baby Jesus in the manger, to be our Lord and King, gathering all of us to Himself. And in time, that same Child would also come to bear His Cross with the weight of our innumerable sins, which by His perfect obedience to His Father’s will and by His infinite love for us, He offered on our behalf the worthy sacrifice for the atonement of our sins.

That is why, it is sad that we have seen so many occasions in our Christmas preparations and celebrations, when Christ Himself has been sidelined and even forgotten as we have become accustomed to the more secularised way that Christmas has been celebrated. If we see all around us, in all the Christmas rejoicing and festivities, we rarely even see the Lord being part of any of the celebrations. Instead of the Child Jesus, we saw figures like Santa Claus, the elves and many other secular characters depicted throughout our Christmas parties and revelries.

It is like the birthday boy has been excluded and forgotten from his own birthday celebration, as Christmas rightfully is the celebration of our Lord’s Nativity or birth into this world. As we all know that in any birthdays, the most prominent person must be the person whose birthday we are celebrating, then the same should apply to Christmas as well. Have we prepared and celebrated our Christmas celebrations with Christ as the focus and the centre of our efforts? Have we placed Him at the heart of our merrymaking and rejoicing?

Or instead have we allowed the excesses of worldly pleasures, desires for satisfaction and even ego and pride to guide us in our Christmas celebrations? If we have done all these, then we really need to ask ourselves, what is Christmas and its meaning to all of us. We cannot treat Christmas just like any other holidays or festivities, and certainly it is not just a time for us to be merry and happy without knowing its true importance and reason. We rejoice especially because God has loved us so much, that as I mentioned earlier, He manifested His love to us in the Child Jesus.

God’s love made all of our rejoicing possible and we can rejoice because we know that through Christ, we have been assured the salvation and eternal life, and have been freed from the bondage and power of sin. Through our baptism we have been made sons and daughters of God Himself, through adoption by exactly Christ’s birth and incarnation in our human nature, as we all share with Him our humanity, and since He is the Son of God, we too therefore share with Him in becoming the adopted children of God, as members of His one Church, the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, if we have lapsed and failed to prepare ourselves to understand the true nature and meaning of Christmas, and if we have not prepared ourselves to celebrate Christmas worthily, then it is still not too late for us to do so. This night’s Scripture readings serve as important reminders for all of us that we have to make our Christmas celebrations and joy a truly meaningful one. Let us all not waste this opportunity and instead do whatever we can in order to bring the light of Christ into this world, and be the witnesses of His love present in our midst.

Let us share the joy we have and all the blessings and wonders that we have received from God, especially with our fellow brothers and sisters who are unable to celebrate Christmas, as well as to those who are encountering hardships and sorrow in life. Let us bear the true light and hope of Christmas to them, and share with them the wonders of God’s love. May God bless us always and may His Son, Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, born and celebrated this Christmas day, guide us to the glory of everlasting life and grace. Wishing all of us here and everyone a most blessed Christmas! Amen.

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Friday, 24 December 2021 : 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, after a long time of preparation and expectation we have experienced and journeyed through in the season of Advent, we have finally arrived at the beginning of the Christmas season with this Christmas Vigil Mass. This night we gather together as one community and one Church in celebrating the moment of the great appearance of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the whole world, as He was born of His Mother Mary in Bethlehem, the city of David over two millennia ago.

This night we remember that most beautiful and wonderful night when light and hope are restored to all of us who have lived in a world filled with darkness and sin. That was the night when God’s long awaited salvation has finally come, the moment when God revealed before the people the extent of His most magnificent and enduring love, as He showed His love to us manifested in the flesh, in Christ Jesus, the Son of Man and Son of God alike, the Divine Word Incarnate, fully God and fully Man. Through Him, the love of God has been made concrete and manifest, and He became tangible, approachable and reachable to us.

The Lord reassured all of His people in our first reading tonight taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, as He told them of the coming of the time of renewal for Jerusalem and for the nation of God’s people. They would be renewed and enlightened, redeemed and made whole once again. These were significant words of hope, encouragement and love for a people who at that time had been troubled with the continuing downwards fortunes of their nation. For by the time of the prophet Isaiah, the old glory of Israel under King David and King Solomon were long gone, their kingdom divided and the northern half of which had been destroyed earlier on by the Assyrians.

For a people who were then beset with many troubles and worries, persecuted and oppressed by their neighbours, and for the faithful who remained true to their faith in God despite the evils and wickedness of even many among the people of God themselves who chose to abandon the Lord for the various pagan idols, those words spoken by the Lord must have been a great consolation and encouragement, a gift of new hope and light that God has always been with His people, and He will send to them His salvation, as prophesied by the prophet Isaiah, who also mentioned how the Saviour would be born of a Virgin, and the mention of the Builder marrying the metaphorical Jerusalem, representing the people of God.

It means that God would indeed come to dwell among His people, and He would come to deliver them from their troubles and sufferings. He would reveal to them the path to follow towards eternal life and true happiness through Him. All these happened as foretold as Mary, the one whom God had prepared to be the Mother of God and Saviour, wedded St. Joseph, the heir of King David. She also bore within her womb, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Son of God Most High. As such, the Saviour that was born that day in Bethlehem was truly the Heir of David, as prophesied by the prophets.

For St. Paul himself in our second reading, in the Acts of the Apostles, spoke of how God guided His people and how He had promised King David, His faithful servants that the Saviour of all would come from among His descendants. Thus, on that day in Bethlehem two millennia ago, what so many people had awaited for a very long time, awaiting for the salvation of God, had come to fruition at last. A people who had long laboured and waited in the darkness have seen a great light, the Light of God’s salvation and truth.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we enter into this Christmas season and begin our joyous Christmas celebrations, let us all continue to constantly ask ourselves, what is Christmas and its meaning to all of us? What is the significance of Christmas and how we are going to celebrate Christmas joyfully and with proper understanding and appreciation of what it is all about. Otherwise, it will be very easy for us to lose focus and end up celebrating Christmas with a lot of festivities and merrymaking, and yet, all those joy and celebrations were superficial and meaningless.

We all know how commercialised Christmas has become in the recent years and decades. Christmas has become so commercialised and secularised that many had mostly ignored its true meaning and purpose, and instead of celebrating Christ and His coming into our world, the Love of God made Man, we are celebrating our own vain desires and wishes for pleasures, comforts and worldly joy. Instead of remembering how much beloved we are by God and all that He has done for our sake and our salvation, we end up being distracted by the many temptations of worldly grandeur and pleasures.

What is Christmas, brothers and sisters in Christ? It is the time for us to celebrate and remember the most wonderful love of God, given to us so generously and unconditionally. And having received that great and amazing love, it is then just right and proper for us to show the same love for our fellow brothers and sisters, to pass on the love that God has given us and to remind ourselves that we are truly fortunate to be so beloved by God and also by one another. This is how we should celebrate Christmas, with genuine love for God and for our fellow men, and not for our own vainglory.

Let us also remember that there are many of our brothers and sisters out there who may not be able to celebrate Christmas in the way we do. There are many out there who are unable to celebrate Christmas because they are not even free to express themselves and their Christian faith, and are persecuted daily for their faith. And there are also others who are too poor and marginalised to be able to celebrate Christmas in the manner that many of us are familiar with. Many of these brothers and sisters of ours are even struggling to make ends meet each day, and struggle to have enough food to sustain themselves everyday.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all make our Christmas celebration tonight and beyond a more meaningful one by refocusing our celebrations on Christ and not on ourselves. Let us all moderate our festivities and merrymaking and not forgetting all others who may not be so fortunate as us in being able to celebrate the Lord’s coming. And if we are able to, let us share our joy and love with those who have little or none, and bear to them, our own brethren, the light of God’s hope and the warmth of His love, that they all too may share in the true joy of Christmas together with us.

May the Lord, our God and Saviour, born and celebrated this Christmas day, be with us always and bless our Christmas celebrations, that they may be fruitful and wholesome. May God empower each and every one of us with His love and with the Hope that He has brought into our midst, that we may become the beacons of His light and hope in our daily lives and always. May all of us have a most blessed Christmas season ahead, Merry Christmas and God bless! Amen.

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Sunday, 19 December 2021 : Fourth Sunday of Advent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday is the last Sunday in the season of Advent, and on this Sunday we focus our attention to the last of the four Advent themes. After going through the theme of Hope, Peace and Joy in the previous three Sundays of Advent, today finally we focus on the theme of Love. As we prepare ourselves for the great celebration of Christmas in just a few days’ time, we are all called to remember why Christmas is there in the first place. That reason is because of God’s love for each and every one of us.

Christmas is not just about having festivities and celebrations, and not just about parties, merrymaking and all the paraphernalia often associated with it. Instead, as Christians all of us should fully know and realise that first and foremost, Christmas is a celebration of love, of the love that is always enduring and pure, that has been given to us from God, from His heavenly abode. God loves us all so much that He has given us His only beloved Son, the Divine Word Incarnate, Whose coming and appearance into this world is what we celebrate at Christmas.

Why love, brothers and sisters in Christ? That is because God Himself is Love, and by His incarnation, in taking up the humble existence of our human flesh and by lowering Himself to be born into this world, He has shown us what true love is all about. His love is what made Him to create all of us, because He wanted to share with all of us, with all of creation, the perfect love that He Himself has, in the perfect love of the Holy Trinity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. That overflowing love has always been intended for us, to be filled with every grace and blessings.

However, it was because of our disobedience and the weakness of our flesh that our ancestors chose to listen to the devil instead of holding on to the truth of God and keeping their faith in Him. They chose to listen to his lies, and allowed themselves to be persuaded and convinced to disobey God’s direct commandments. As a result, we have been found guilty and corrupted by sin. We were made perfect, blameless and without fault, and should have shared in the everlasting joy and true happiness in God’s presence. Unfortunately, our sins and the corruptions in us sundered us from His grace and love.

But God did not give up on us, and His love for us yet endured. He has devised for so great a plan and prepared everything for us, waiting for the time this plan would be revealed to all of us. He has given assurances and glimpses of this truth and the Good News through His prophets and messengers, and eventually, as we heard in our first reading taken from the Book of the prophet Micah, God revealed how He would come to His people, through the small town of Bethlehem Ephrata, the small town of David, where the great king of Israel hailed from, from his humble origins as a shepherd, the youngest son of Jesse of Judah.

God sent His Saviour, His own Son, born into this world in that town, on that day which we celebrate as Christmas, which therefore is the full and perfect manifestation of His love in the flesh. God’s love has become tangible and accessible to us, since no longer that God is One that we cannot see and perceive. Having shown Himself through His Son, God has shown us just how much He loves us and just how amazing His commitment has been to the Covenant that He has established with us.

He came into this world through Mary His mother, dwelling in her hallowed womb for nine whole months before being born into this world. And as we heard in our Gospel passage today, even the mother of St. John the Baptist, Elizabeth, who was Mary’s relative, recognised the Lord present in Mary’s womb, and both of them praised God for everything that God had done for them. The miraculous nature of the pregnancy for Elizabeth, which happened in her advanced age, and for Mary, whose pregnancy happened before she consummated her marriage with St. Joseph her husband were proof of God’s intervention and the fulfilment for the plan of His salvation for all of us.

But even more than that, the Lord through that action of becoming Incarnate in the flesh, to be born as a Man, was an act of supreme love and compassion, which He generously showed towards all of us sinners. And why is that so, brothers and sisters in Christ? That is because the Lord came to us in the human form and existence in order to share with us our humanity, to be the New Adam that would overturn the past sins and mistakes committee by the first Adam which led us all into sin.

And in the most important action He did for our salvation, done out of His ever generous and enduring love for us, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, willingly took upon Himself the punishments and the consequences of our sins. He took up His Cross and endured the most humiliating conditions and punishments, suffering for us on our behalf, in perfectly obeying the will of His Father, showing us what God’s love is all about, and how we ought to love God as well. As we heard in our second reading today, from the Epistle to the Hebrews, that is all that God wants from us as well.

He does not require from us offerings and sacrifices, referring to the ritual sacrifices done up to that time according to the Mosaic Law. It truly means that He does not require from us mere formality of faith and worship, and neither did He desire lip service from us His people. Instead, what He wants is a total commitment made with love and real genuine love we have for Him, as Christ Himself, in bearing His Cross has shown us. In that supreme act of self-sacrifice and selflessness, God Himself, the Son of God and Son of Man, the Divine Word Incarnate in the flesh, the One born on Christmas Day, showed His love for us, and His love for His heavenly Father, as part of the Holy Trinity of perfect Love with the Holy Spirit.

And that is what we ought to recall today, brothers and sisters in Christ, remembering the great love and the ever enduring patient love and compassion that God has always ever lavished on us, all these while. That is why this Sunday, we focus our attention on the what is arguably the most important of all the four Advent themes, that is Love. For without love, the love that God has for us, then we could never have been saved, and there could have been no hope for us at all. It was God’s Love for us that made all these possible.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, having come to realise God’s most amazing love for us, are we going to show Him the same kind of genuine love? Or are we going to continue to be stubborn in shutting Him out from our lives and in ignoring His loving presence in our midst? And most importantly, are we going to continue sidelining and forgetting about Him in our festivities and celebrations in and throughout the entire season of Christmas? We have to reflect and remember on what Christmas is truly all about.

Today, as we recall God’s loving presence in our midst, let us all strive to do our best to love the Lord with new hearts full of devotion and dedication to Him. If we have once ignored and abandoned Him for other idols and distractions in the world, let us now seek Him again with ever greater zeal and commitment. Let us all rediscover that love that each and every one of us ought to have for the Lord. And may the Lord, our ever loving God continue to love us and bless us, and may His love continue to be poured upon us, most generously, that we may also grow in our love for Him.

May all of us strive to celebrate Christmas worthily and remind one another what Christmas is truly all about, of a celebration of God’s most amazing love for His beloved ones, all of us, His children and His people, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 12 December 2021 : Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

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

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this Sunday we celebrate the occasion of the Third Sunday of Advent, also known as Gaudete Sunday. On this day we may have noticed that the vestments used are rose in colour instead of the usual purple or violet. This colour is only used twice in the entire liturgical year, one of which is today and the other one at Laetare Sunday on the Fourth Sunday of Lent. This Gaudete Sunday is named as such because of the words of its Introit at the start of the Mass, ‘Gaudete in Domino semper…’ which means ‘Rejoice in the Lord forever…’

Just as the previous two Sundays of Advent we focus on the aspects of Hope and Peace in Advent. Today therefore we focus on the aspect of Joy in this Advent season. That aspect of Joy is why we have a more cheerful tone as compared to the more restrained and sombre nature of our Christmas preparations throughout this season of Advent. This focus on Joy is a reminder for all of us that we are preparing ourselves this Advent for the coming of the True Joy of Christmas, that is the salvation that has come to us through Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Salvation.

In our first reading today, all of us heard from the Book of the prophet Zechariah, in which the Lord reassured all of His people through Zechariah that He has always watched over them and He will always love them and care for them. God will bless them all and He will not abandon them to their fate. We must understand the context of what happened during the time of the prophet Zechariah. The prophet Zechariah lived and worked during the time of the early Persian Empire, likely according to historical evidence, during the reign of King Darius the Great.

At that time, the people of Israel, descendants of those who have lived in the old lands of Israel, the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, had just returned from their long exile in Babylon and other far-off lands, after God had redeemed them and liberated them through the Great King of Persia, Cyrus the Great. They and their ancestors had faced great humiliation and sufferings due to their own infidelities and stubbornness, their abandonment of God, His laws and commandments. They had been brought low and defeated, their lands and cities laid to waste, Jerusalem destroyed with its Temple cast down.

Therefore, the words of the Lord through the prophet Zechariah were reminder for God’s own people that even as they endured trials and sufferings, God was still with them, and as they themselves experienced their emancipation and liberation, they ought to be joyful for the Lord’s providence and love. Having been allowed to return to their own homeland and once again gathering as a people and community, no longer scattered among the nations, and even having their Temple of God rebuilt with the support of the Persian King, all these were more than enough reasons for them to rejoice.

The prophet Isaiah as we heard in our Psalm today also reiterated this, as he spoke words of rejoicing in God’s salvation and providence, in all that He had done for His people. God has blessed us all His people and He has done many wonderful things for us, and hence, all of us ought to rejoice and to be glad because God and His presence among us, in His coming to this world through Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, has guaranteed us that eternal life and salvation, if we have faith in Him and believe in Him wholeheartedly.

Today, in our second reading, taken from the Epistle that St. Paul wrote to the Church and the faithful in Philippi, we also heard the same exhortation to the faithful to rejoice because God is by our side, and He has always remained by our side through good times and bad times, and He has always guided us and patiently showed us His love all these while. We have been so fortunate to have been favoured by God in such a way, that He even gave us all the perfect gift, the best of all, that is the gift of His salvation through Christ.

We rejoice and should no longer be fearful or afraid, as God’s words are trustworthy and He has always fulfilled His promises, no matter what. He sent us St. John the Baptist as we heard in our Gospel passage today, to be the Herald proclaiming His coming to the world and also to prepare the way for Him in this world. St. John the Baptist proclaimed God’s Good News and truth, revealing to all of the people what God was going to do in order to save them. He also revealed to them, when He came, the Messiah of God, Jesus Christ.

All of us have been reminded throughout all these readings from the Sacred Scriptures today, of the wonderful love of God made manifest through Christ, His Son, Whom He had sent to us, and Whose coming we celebrate this Christmas. That is why this Sunday we focus on the aspect of Joy in Advent, the anticipation if the great Joy that we are going to celebrate in Christmas, for having received God’s grace and salvation, and for having been blessed by this opportunity we have to know God and His ever generous love.

And it is timely and proper today that we spend some time to reflect on the nature of the Joy that we are expecting this Christmas. Is this joy referring to the festivities and celebrations that we are planning and hoping to do this Christmas? Are we looking ahead to the merrymaking and bling of our Christmas parties, and yet forgetting about what Christmas is truly about and why we celebrate it? This is the time for us to reflect on how we should focus our Christmas joy and celebrations that we may better appreciate what its true importance and meaning are to us.

Is Christ the true Joy of our lives? And are we joyful because He has come to us and having loved and cared for us so much, despite of our stubbornness and sinfulness? Or are we joyful because we are merely looking for pleasure and gratification in all the festivities and merrymaking? Have we prepared ourselves well that we may truly know what it is that bring joy to our lives and existence? Christmas is a time for us to rejoice indeed, and this Sunday we have a glimpse and preview of that joy, but we must constantly remind ourselves lest we are distracted by the many temptations offered by the secular celebrations of Christmas that are focused not on God but on ourselves and our worldly desires.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we gather together to celebrate this Gaudete Sunday, the Joy in the season of Advent, our joyful expectation of the coming of Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, let us all remind ourselves that we celebrate because we are happy for the hope that Christ has brought us, and we are grateful for the assurance and peace that He has brought us all by His coming into this world. Let us not be distracted and be overtaken by the excesses of the pleasures and merrymaking of the secular Christmas celebrations, and instead let us be the role model and example in how each and every one of us can celebrate Christmas worthily in a meaningful way.

How do we do so? It is by sharing the Joy of Christmas with one another, especially with those who have no such privilege to celebrate Christmas the way that many of us do every year. There are many out there who cannot celebrate Christmas because they were not allowed to do so, and even were oppressed and persecuted for being Christians. Many therefore had to celebrate Christmas in secret, while holding on to that Joy that they also anticipate for the coming of the day of their liberation and freedom, for the day of their emancipation much like how the Israelites once longed for theirs.

Let us therefore do whatever we can to bear the joy of Christ to the world, by our actions and by whatever we can do to help our brethren who are lacking in joy and who have yet to appreciate and understand the true Joy of Christmas, that is Christ, Our Lord. Let us be the ones to bring forth joy, happiness and smile to our brethren, especially as we know so many people who are still suffering, sorrowful and in terrible state after the troubles and challenges many of us have been facing in the past two years.

May the Lord, our true source of Joy, the true Joy and the reason for our Christmas celebrations be with us always. May He bless us all and may He strengthen each and every one of us in faith, so that we may always, by our exemplary Christian living, faith and joy, bring forth the true joy of Christ into this world, to restore the joy to a world drowning in sorrow and darkness. May God bless us all and be with us, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

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Sunday, 5 December 2021 : Second Sunday of Advent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this Second Sunday of Advent, all of us are called to serve the Lord and be His faithful servants, committing ourselves to be good Christians that are exemplary in our actions and be good role models for one another. All of us as we enter into this blessed season of Advent, we are all reminded to refocus our attention to the Lord so that our lives may once again be aligned with God, His path and His truth. All of us should trust in the Lord and the hope that He has brought upon us.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Baruch, we heard the words of the Lord spoken through the prophet Baruch regarding Jerusalem and the people of God. The prophet Baruch was a friend and contemporary of the prophet Jeremiah, a renowned prophet who lived during the last years of the kingdom of Judah, the southern half of the kingdom of Israel, which by that time was about to be swallowed and destroyed by the powerful Babylonians. It was truly a difficult time for the people of God, beset by various troubles and hardships.

At that time, the fortune of the people of God was reaching its lowest point, and it seemed that God had abandoned His people, but in truth, He had not. Why so? That was precisely why the prophets Jeremiah, Baruch and many other prophets were sent to the Israelites, to remind the people that the Lord has always been with them and He has always so faithfully and patiently been journeying with them even though they had often disobeyed Him and wandered off on their own path, not listening to those prophets and messengers that had been sent to them.

God had always been patient in seeking for His people, as He never ceased to seek for them and held on to the hope that they would come to see the errors of their ways and be reconciled with Him, that at least some of them would eventually be reconciled with Him and be saved. After all, He still loved them as much and cared for them nonetheless. Each and every one of us are precious in the sight of God, without exception, and all of us must be grateful that God has always had His sight on us and never abandoned us, even in our darkest and most difficult moments.

Through the prophet Baruch, God revealed to His beloved ones His faithfulness to the Covenant which He had made with them, and He also showed them a glimpse of the glory that all of His faithful ones shall receive, all of us included, at the end of days, when He shall gather all of us and lead us triumphant into the eternal life of true happiness and glory that He has promised to us all, and which He has assured all of us, despite the trials and challenges, the opposition, oppressions and hardships that we often had to endure.

We must not forget how God rescued His beloved people from the land of Egypt, when they were enslaved and made to suffer there by the Egyptians and their Pharaoh, who humiliated and oppressed them, and even made a pointed attempt to try to eliminate them all as a nation. God led His people out of that slavery, sending forth His servant Moses and punishing Egypt with ten great plagues and destroying their armies and chariots, through wonders after wonders, by which God rescued His people and led them to the land He has promised to them. This was what God also reminded His people through His prophets, Baruch included.

In our Gospel today, we heard the words about the reign of the Roman Emperor Tiberius, during whose reign the Lord’s salvation for His people finally came into being as He sent His servant St. John the Baptist, who began his ministry among the people of God, calling on all of them to repent and turn away from their sinful ways, and reminding them all that the Lord’s kingdom was already close at hand. He essentially reiterated word by word what the prophet Baruch spoke of regarding of the coming of God and His salvation, renewing God’s promises to His people. This happened when the people at that time were becoming increasingly worried over the encroaching Roman influence and dominance over the land.

And not only just that, but this time, God Himself walked on this world, coming down in the fulfilment of His long awaited promise, as prophesied by the many prophets and messengers that He had earlier sent among His people, and as heralded by St. John the Baptist as mentioned. The Lord manifested His ultimate and perfect love for each and every one of us by His coming into this world, in assuming His human existence in Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, the Holy One of God, proclaimed by the prophets, and the One to save us all, the Son of God and Son of Man.

And in our second reading today, as St. Paul wrote in his Epistle to the Church and the faithful in the city of Philippi in Greece, he reminded us all of the assurance of God’s love that He has shown through Christ, and which He shall fulfil in all perfection at the end of days, exhorting all of us the faithful to live our lives in a most virtuous Christian manner, in obeying God’s will, His laws and commandments, in doing our best to be exemplary and inspirational in how we live our lives with utmost faith in God.

Just as we heard and reflected today how God had repeatedly shown His love for us, and showed with many concrete examples, even manifesting His love in the flesh, and dedicating His love to us by suffering and dying on the Cross for us, that is why all of us as Christians, we have to reflect on this love that God has most generously given us, and think of how we can live our lives such that we may indeed be truly worthy of God’s love and grace. We do this by appreciating His love, welcoming His kindness and compassion towards us, and seeking Him with all our hearts and strength.

Today, on this Second Sunday of Advent, we focus on the aspect of Peace in Advent, in Our Lord as the Prince of Peace and the Bearer of the everlasting peace and harmony. Just as last Sunday we reflect on the aspect of God’s Hope that came through Christ, this Sunday we reflect on the Peace that God has bestowed on us through His coming into this world. Why this Peace, brothers and sisters in Christ? And what does it mean by us having God’s Peace? What is peace all about? How is it significant for us?

It is the true Peace that God alone can bring us because in God alone we shall find consolation and fulfilment, help and true redemption. Through Him alone we shall be freed in the end from all troubles and from all pain and sorrow. Just as the people at the time of Baruch were very worried about their fate and the fate of their kingdom and just as the people at the time of St. John the Baptist were increasingly worried over their subjugation by the Romans and the threat of the destruction of their nation and way of life, we too are often worried because we worry that we may not get what we desired and wanted in life.

Through Christ, God has revealed that we should not and we must not be worried, because God has revealed to us His Peace and assurance, and there is nothing else more assuring and more promising to us than the Lord and His salvation. The world may betray us and fail us, our wealth, possessions, power, fame, friends and relationships may fail us and abandon us, but God will always be by our side, no matter what happens. If only that we have more faith and trust in the Lord and allow Him to guide us, and if only more people had learnt to appreciate more His truth and love.

Unfortunately, many people have not realised this, and they all still worry all the time about their lives, their appearances and worldly concerns, their desires and ambitions among many others. And this is why many could not truly find real peace in their lives. As long as our faith in God is non-existent or is not strong and firm, we can easily be swayed by the many hardships, temptations and pressure for us to give up our faith and commitment to God. That is certainly not something that we should be doing in our lives.

In our world today, as we are still reeling from the terrible effects of the currently ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and as many people have yet to recover and some are still even suffering more and more from the direct and indirect effects from this terrible event, all of us are reminded that all is not lost for us. I am sure that many among us are worried about our livelihood and what is to come for us, especially if we have lost our jobs and occupations, our ‘rice bowl’ that provided sustenance and support to us and our beloved ones. However, we must not give in to fear and anxiety, and instead, we should hold on all the firmer to the Lord and His promised salvation. In Him, we can find true peace and freedom from our many worries, fears and uncertainties.

That is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, how we act and do things in our lives, especially with so many tragedies and hardships happening all around us, is very, very important indeed. As Christians, we have all received the truth about God’s love and the hope, peace and joy that He has brought into this world. If we ourselves are lukewarm in our faith and did not have full trust in the Lord, then how can we expect more people to believe in the Lord and His truth? How can we be the bearers of peace, God’s Peace to all our fellow brethren, when we ourselves are in constant state of turmoil in our hearts and minds?

All of us are the beacons of God’s light, brothers and sisters in Christ, and we are the bearers of God’s true Peace, called to be His witnesses among the nations. In our every day living actions, words and deeds, in our every interactions, works and efforts, we have to reveal more and more about the Lord to our fellow brethren, especially those who have yet to receive His truth and those who had lapsed from the Christian faith. Through us and our actions, all of us are called to be the messengers of Peace, to be the ones to spread this true peace of God throughout this world.

Are we willing and able to do so, brothers and sisters in Christ? And how are we going to spend the rest of this season of Advent and even further on to the season of Christmas and even beyond? Is our Christmas going to be one of excessive merrymaking and partying, of us competing with one another who can make the better Christmas celebrations? Is our Christmas going to be filled with a lot of festive mood and grand celebrations, and yet we do not find peace through them?

Instead, are we going to make our Christmas more about the One Whom Christmas is truly about, He Whose Name gave Christmas its meaning? Are we going to make Christmas truly about Christ, the Prince of Peace, Who has brought the Lord’s peace and harmony into this world? Let us ponder these questions carefully and discern in our hearts how each and every one of us will prepare ourselves throughout the remaining days of Advent, so that our Christmas joy and celebration will be a truly blessed and meaningful one.

There are many out there who are in need of our help, our encouragement and companionship. Whenever we see someone else suffering, we should sympathise with them and try to help us as best as we can. God has also given many among us the time, opportunity and talents to help us out in these good works and endeavours. Amidst the uncertainties and fears that we face all around us, especially recently, can we be that source of consolation and the bearers of God’s peace to those who are worried, uncertain and suffering?

May the Lord, the Prince of Peace, the Peace that comes at Christmas, be with us always so that we may also find this true peace and love that exists in God alone. May God bless our many actions and deeds, our works and efforts to spread the Good News and the truth that He has revealed to us. May He bestow on us, our loved ones and all, one day, in His presence, the gift of true and everlasting peace. Amen.

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Sunday, 28 November 2021 : First Sunday of Advent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday we mark the beginning of a new liturgical year and more significantly, the beginning of the season of Advent, the time of preparation for the celebration of Christmas, which we are going to celebrate in about four weeks’ time. This season of Advent is a blessed and great time for all of us to reflect, take a step back and see how our lives have been, and how ready we are to welcome the Lord into our hearts and families, into our lives this Christmas.

If we all walk around and see the shopping malls and many other places, we would have seen the Christmas decorations are already up in full force, in some places even as early as from September onwards. We surely have heard the usual Christmas songs and the festive mood being all around us, with Christmas sales and shopping on the upswing literally everywhere. But before we jump into the craze and start to be swallowed by that Christmas festivities, let us all remind ourselves brothers and sisters in Christ, what Christmas is truly all about.

Christmas is not about all the bling and the festivities, all the glamour, food and drinks, all the merrymaking and songs. What is Christmas, brothers and sisters in Christ? It is, just as its name says, something about Christ, Our Lord and Saviour. It is a celebration that is about and should be focused on Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man, Saviour of the world, Our Lord and King, Who unfortunately have often been sidelined and even excluded from His own celebration. It is the celebration of His birth into this world, the moment when He revealed Himself in the flesh to all, after having spent nine months in His mother’s womb.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah, we heard of the words of the Lord spoken through Jeremiah regarding the salvation that God would send His people Israel, a liberation and redemption for the people of Judah and the descendant of the Israelites coming from the House of David, the Shoot of Righteousness and the Shoot of Jesse. This was the same prophecy and revelation that the Lord had given through His other prophets, especially Isaiah, Jeremiah’s predecessor.

Contextually, at that time the prophet Jeremiah lived in the last years of the kingdom of Judah when it was about to be destroyed and conquered by the Babylonians. For many years, the kingdom and the people of Judah had been beset by various troubles and crushed by their neighbours and enemies. They had not been faithful to the Lord and did what were wicked in the sight of the Lord and men alike. Thus, the Lord meted out His justice and punished their wrongdoing, and they had to endure those sufferings and humiliation as a result of their infidelities.

However, at the same time, God still loved them all wholeheartedly, and ever since the beginning, just as all of us mankind had fallen into sin, He had never given up on us. He has always reached out to us, calling on us to return to Him, sending to us prophets and messengers to reveal His message of truth and love, calling on all of us, His beloved people, to turn away from our wicked and sinful ways, embracing His mercy and compassionate love, and find reconciliation through Him. In that same way, God sent Jeremiah to the people of Judah to deliver the message of Hope.

Christ is the fulfilment of this prophecy that the Lord has given His people through all the ages, the perfect fulfilment of God’s promises and the manifestation of His Love. Through Christ, a world in darkness has seen a great light, that is the true Light of Christ, the Light of His Hope and salvation. And it is this Hope that we are focusing at on this First Sunday of Advent today. Each of the Sundays of Advent has a specific theme to prepare us for the coming of Christmas, which in order is Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. Thus, we open this season of Advent with a firm reminder of the Hope in Our Lord and His salvation.

Just as Jeremiah was sent to the people of Judah at the time of their darkest moments to remind them of God’s light, truth and hope, thus all of us are reminded that in Christ lies our true Hope and He is the One that all of us should be heading towards and focusing on, and not on the glamours and excessive celebrations that are not focused on Christ but rather on ourselves and our greedy desires. We must ask ourselves, when we celebrate and rejoice this Christmas, do we rejoice because of Christ and the Hope and Salvation that He brings, or is it because of our own desire for self-indulgence and pleasure?

Today we listened in our Gospel passage today the words of the Lord Jesus Himself to His disciples from the Gospel of St. Luke, which spoke of the end of times and the coming of sufferings for those who are faithful to God, which we have heard in the past week at the end of our previous liturgical year. It is a reminder for us that just as we prepare for the celebration of Christmas, which marks the moment of the Lord’s first coming and appearance in this world, two millennia ago, we are also called to prepare ourselves for the Lord’s Second Coming, which will happen at the end of days.

The Lord has told His disciples and all of us to be prepared for the coming trials and challenges, to be ready for His coming whenever it will be. No one knows the time of His coming and no one has any idea when everything will happen as the Lord has told us, but it will surely happen and we have to be prepared for it. Otherwise, we may realise that we are caught unaware and unprepared, and have an eternity of regret when we are judged to be lacking in faith and are cast to the eternal damnation and darkness. And it is not because God did not love us, but rather because we ourselves have rejected Him and His generous offer of love and forgiveness.

The Lord has reminded us of this so that we may prepare ourselves well and be ready to welcome Him when He comes again. This Advent, all of us are reminded of this reality and that Christmas is not all about merrymaking, partying and excesses in our feasting, jolly making and the gifts and other things we usually associate with Christmas. Instead, it is a time for us to be truly joyful knowing that the Lord has loved us so much that He has given us our Hope and Salvation in Christ, Who was incarnate in the flesh and born the Son of Mary in Bethlehem.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we prepare ourselves this First Sunday of Advent let us all reflect deeply on the Hope that Christ has brought to us by His coming into this world. Let us rediscover the true Spirit of Christmas, not one of excesses and greed, not one of unbridled feasting and desire to outdo one another in opulence, but rather a renewed faith in Christ, Our Lord and Saviour. And it is important that as we prepare ourselves this Advent, we also begin a journey of self-rediscovery, to rediscover our faith in God and to realise that newfound Hope that we have in Him, that no matter how difficult and challenging our lives may be now, the Lord will always be by our side and will provide for us.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all make good use of this season of Advent to prepare ourselves well, in heart, body and mind so that we will be ready to welcome the Lord in our hearts, into our families and houses, and make Him truly the King of our entire existence. Let us all be the bearers of His Hope and Light, His Truth and His Love to our fellow brothers and sisters all around us. Let us be the witnesses of His loving kindness by showing that same love and generosity to our fellow men, especially to those who are lacking in love and ostracised, the poor and the needy.

May our Advent journey be meaningful and fruitful, and may God be our guide and strength, our compass and light, our hope and courage in the midst of the darkness and trials in this world. May God bless us all and strengthen us, that our Advent preparation and our upcoming Christmas celebrations will be truly wonderful. Amen.

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Sunday, 21 November 2021 : Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, Thirty-Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday is the last Sunday of the current liturgical year, as next Sunday will mark the beginning of the new liturgical year with the First Sunday of Advent and the beginning of the Advent season leading towards Christmas. This Sunday every year we mark the occasion of the great Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, also known as the Solemnity of Christ the King. This great celebration marks the end of every liturgical years reminding us of Our one true Lord and King, Our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and of all Creation.

As we listened to the words of the Scriptures we are called to reflect on the Kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ, for He is Our True King, the One Who lords over us all and the font and source of all authority in this world. He is the One to Whom we ultimately give our obedience and commitment to, even as we all obey the laws and the customs of the land, of our own respective states and countries. We reflect on the Lord our Saviour and King, Who willingly came down to dwell in our midst and to walk among us, taking up upon Himself our humble human forms, that He may share with us our humanity.

And by His sharing of our humanity, He became the One to lead us out of the darkness and into in the light. Through Him we have received the assurances of salvation and eternal life, as by His most loving sacrifice on the Cross, He gave us the perfect gift of His love and the gift of everlasting life through His sacrifice for our sake. In Him, Our Lord and King, enthroned upon His Cross, lifted up high between Heaven and earth, all of us have shared in His death, dying to our past wickedness, disobedience and sins, and sharing with Him the glorious Resurrection and new life through His own Resurrection on Easter.

Let us now spend some time to discern the readings of the Scripture we have just heard earlier on, beginning with our first reading taken from the Book of the prophet Daniel. In that passage we heard of the heavenly vision of the prophet Daniel, who received the vision of Heaven, seeing a Son of Man together with One of Great Age, which was in fact the manifestation of the Lord and His Holy Trinity, as the Son of Man was none other than Jesus, also the Son of God, while the One of Great Age referred to God the Father, the Creator of all.

In that vision, we were told that the One of Great Age, the Father, granted dominion, power and authority, of kingship over all creation and the whole universe to the Son of Man, which is symbolic of what we are celebrating on this day. In that action, the Lord revealed to Daniel and also to all of us that He is the One true Lord, Master and King of all, the One and only One Who has authority and power over all things, over all beings and over all creation. All kings, lords and rulers, all beings in Heaven, on earth and even in hell are all subjects of the Lord Jesus Christ, One God, One True King of all.

And as we heard in that passage from the prophet Daniel, he mentioned that the Kingship of Christ our Lord is clear and true, a true dominion that is for all time and for all things, unchanging and eternal. It is not merely just a symbolic kingship or rule that Our Lord’s Kingship us about, but a true Kingship, the King over all of us regardless of our national allegiance and regardless of our obedience to any worldly entities and states. The Lord’s kingship transcends the boundary of states and nations, and His kingship transcends any definition of race, or political affiliation and any other categories or groupings that we often divide ourselves into.

And in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the Lord Jesus speaking to Pontius Pilate, the Governor of Judea during the time of His Passion and suffering, when He was about to be condemned to death by the same Pontius Pilate. I am sure all of us are familiar with what happened at that time, as the Lord had been falsely charged and accused by the chief priests, the elders and the Pharisees of the attempt to rebel against the Emperor in Rome, while also charging Him of blasphemy against God.

In the claim that the enemies of the Lord made, they claimed that Jesus used the title of the ‘King of the Jews’ in referring to Himself and therefore, together with His large and popular following, He was a great threat to the Romans. To the Romans, who were overlords and masters of the land at the time, there was no greater crime than to rebel against the state and the Emperor, by claiming kingship or leading a rebellion for freedom against the Empire. Such a crime was punishable by death, and not just that, but those guilty were often punished by crucifixion, reserved for the worst of offenders.

Thus Pilate asked the Lord for clarification, whether He was truly the King of the Jews, and the Lord then asked him back where he had heard it from, which Pilate replied in amusement because it was those chief priests who had said so. When Pilate said that he had the power to release Him or to crucify Him, he was actually referring to the fact that if the Lord could prove that He was actually slandered by the chief priests and that they falsely accused Him, Pilate could very well have freed Him. But the Lord spoke the truth then when He did say that, yes, He is indeed a King, although His kingdom is not of this world.

The Lord Jesus did speak the truth, that His Kingdom is not of this world and is unlike anything that this world has ever seen. His kingdom was not built on earthly glory or material wealth, power or any other things that became the foundation of other kingdoms and dominions of the world. Instead, His Kingdom is built on His own authority, true authority and power that surpasses anything else. He did not depend on those things that sustained kings and lords, like money, wealth, power, fame amongst other things. He has no need for such things.

And unlike other kings and rulers who always tried to vindicate and prove themselves, and many of them seeking glory and greatness, with some even seeking to be regarded as divine and to be worshipped, where man wanted and aspired to become like God, to be gods and deities, in their hopeless and meaningless pursuits for these purposes, the Lord Jesus Christ was unique. How is that so? That is because He Who is the personification of all glory and power, full of power and full of glory, fully Divine and Almighty, has willingly laid down His glory and majesty, emptying Himself and taking up the condition of a criminal and a slave, exactly at the moment when He was crucified.

Yet, it was by humbling Himself so completely and perfectly, that Our Lord and King won His greatest victory, in delivering all of us, His beloved people from the clutches of sin and death. The Lord has triumphed and delivered us from the certainty of death and destruction, and fulfilled everything that He has promised to us and to our ancestors from the very beginning of time. The Lord our King has laid down His own life, like a Good Shepherd laying down his life for his sheep, all because He truly loves us and cares for each one of us. All of us are precious to Him and He knows all of us by our names.

And as we heard in the Book of Revelations in our second reading today, the Lord Jesus, our King will come again triumphant at the end of time, He Who has conquered evil, sin and death. He shall come again at the end of all things, to gather all of us, His beloved people and He will bring us into the kingdom prepared for all of us, the kingdom of everlasting life, filled with true joy, peace and love. The Lord, Our King and Saviour will bring us all together and deliver us the final triumph and victory.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all spend some time to reflect on what we have just heard and discussed. Are we thankful that we have Jesus as Our Lord and King, not as a distant person or being, but as One Whom we can always depend on, One Who knows our sufferings and have gone through the same sufferings as we have endured, One Who loves us most deeply from His heart and had endured with that love despite of our infidelities and stubbornness in rejecting His love and betraying Him.

But if Christ is truly our King, then why is it that so many of us are still living our lives and acted in ways that are contrary to the teachings and the ways of the Lord? Why is it that so many of us disregarded Him, betrayed Him and preferred to walk in the path of sin rather than to follow Him wholeheartedly and obeying Him as we should as our Lord and King. These are important questions that we should ask ourselves as we ponder on our own lives and actions thus far in life.

Let us all as we rejoice in this great Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, remember that Christ is our one and only true Lord, Master and King. And let this not be mere empty commitment and dedication, but one of true love for our King, of true and living dedication in each and every moments of our lives. Let us renew our commitment to Him, obey Him from now on in His Law, commandments and will. Let us follow Him wholeheartedly from now on and have no more doubts in our hearts.

May the Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour and King continue to reign in our hearts, and let us always remember His love for us, as He gave His life and suffered for our sake. May He empower us all and strengthen us with the faith that we may glorify Him and proclaim Him courageously in our respective lives, to the best of our ability. May Christ, Our Lord and King reign forever and evermore, in our hearts and in the whole world. Amen.

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Sunday, 14 November 2021 : Thirty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, Fifth World Day of the Poor (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we are approaching the end of the current liturgical year, as usual, this Sunday’s readings are on the theme of the upcoming end of times, the Apocalypse and time of the Final Judgment of the whole creation. All of us heard of these reminders from the readings of today’s Scriptures so that we may discern carefully how we are to live our lives from now on and strive to be more faithful and genuine in following the Lord as Christians, those who believe in Him.

In our first reading today, all of us heard from the Book of the prophet Daniel the revelation of God to Daniel how the end of times will come, and St. Michael the Archangel, the great Prince of Heavenly Host and leader of the Angels of God was also mentioned. Echoing what would later on be revealed further in the Book of Revelations by St. John the Apostle, we heard how trials and tribulations will come for those who are faithful to God, and how they, all of us will suffer because of our faith and commitment to God.

Yet, at the same time, the Lord reassured all of us that He will not leave us all alone without any help or protection, for He will send unto us the great Heavenly Host, His Angels, led by St. Michael the Archangel himself, to guide and protect us. God will not abandon us to total destruction and annihilation, and while we may suffer persecution and oppression, enduring hardships and trials, but in the end, we will be triumphant together with God.

That is the sentiment presented to us by the Gospel passage today taken from the Gospel of St. Mark, as we heard how God will send His Angels to gather all His faithful ones from all over the world, and will provide for them on the end of days, when the Son of Man comes again in His glory, as He Himself has promised. Christ, the Son of Man, will come again at the end of time, the time of the Final Judgment, to destroy sin and evil, winning a final triumph against them while gathering all the faithful, the living and the dead into the eternal glory and joy of the kingdom of God.

All of these messages and reminders, as well as what we know from the Book of Revelations are evidence for us to follow the Lord wholeheartedly and not to be distracted by the temptations to sin and to follow the path of evil in this world. And we have also heard that the coming of this time of reckoning, of the Final Judgment and the end of times is something that will be most unpredictable and unknown to us, as no one but the Lord Himself knows the exact time of His second coming into this world.

This means that we must not be complacent in living our lives, thinking that we have the time to repent and change our ways. Certainly none of us want to be caught unprepared, when the time comes, and even more so, closer to us, we know that all of us will die one day, and do we want to wait until death claims us before we repent and change our sinful ways? Some are fortunate enough to have the opportunity and time for conversion and change, but many others did not and will not have that privilege.

As we listened to these words of the Scriptures presented to us at the end of each liturgical year cycle, we are all constantly being reminded of the fragile nature of our human existence and lives, and how close we can be to either Heaven or Hell, just by our choice of actions in life. And this month of November, as we dedicate it to the holy souls in Purgatory, we are constantly being reminded of what will happen to us after death. Those in Purgatory are still the lucky ones, as they will all eventually go to Heaven. However, what if we end up in Hell instead?

Then, we may be wondering based on what we heard in our second reading today from the Epistle to the Hebrews, in which the author highlighted in today’s segment in particular, of how the Lord Jesus Christ, frequently presented as the High Priest to all mankind in that Epistle, has already offered the perfect and everlasting sacrifice that surpassed any other sacrifices of animals of the old times. His own Sacrifice was His own Most Precious Body and Blood which He offered Himself from the Cross at Calvary.

Indeed, the Lord has already made that Sacrifice once and for all, which is the same Sacrifice that we celebrate at every Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the same Sacrifice at Calvary. And every time we receive the Eucharist, we receive the very same Most Precious Body and Blood that the Lord has given us from the Cross, that He has willingly done for us, to provide for us and to free and redeem us from our innumerable sins, faults and trespasses. And we have received salvation through our faith in Him.

However, if that makes us think that we have been saved and then we can do whatever we want in our lives, in indulging ourselves in worldly desires and sinful things, then we will have no part in the Lord’s promise and inheritance. And that is because as St. James mentioned in his Epistle, that faith without good works is the same as dead. This is the opinion shared by the other Apostles and the Lord Himself, as faith alone without us living genuinely according to that faith we have in God is meaningless and empty.

That is why many of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law were often criticised by the Lord for their lack of real and genuine faith, as they were outwardly faithful and pious, and yet they did not have true love for the Lord. Many of them showed their piety in action to gain more fame and prestige for themselves, and to satisfy their own ego and pride. As such, they had not been truly faithful to the Lord and ended up doing things that in fact brought about obstacles and challenges to the Lord and His mission.

In the same way therefore, all of us are called to follow the Lord faithfully not just in mere words and formality only, but also through genuine actions and deeds, through real and growing love that we have for Him, and not just that, but also for our fellow brothers and sisters whom the Lord also loves as much as He loves each and every one of us. And we must also distance ourselves from sin and wicked things in life, striving our best to turn away from those unworthy things that have often kept many away from the Lord and His salvation.

Today, we also celebrate the World Day of the Poor, in which all of us are reminded of the poor and all those who are suffering from neglect and lack of care in our various communities. The poor are all around us, and often we may not realise that there are poverty present in our midst, even ironically from those who are close to us. Why is that so? That is because we are often too self-centred and often think only about ourselves without much regards to others around us.

Then, we often hear this, that if God is so kind and loving, then why would He have allowed people to be poor and to suffer from poverty? Should He not have cared for everyone and all those people so that they would not have to suffer? This is where we must understand that poverty and suffering in this world happen because of the abuse of our free will and freedom of actions, in which we misused the opportunities and time given to us to advance our own selfish desires and ambitions, and as a result, caused suffering on others, whether directly or indirectly, and whether unintended or deliberate.

Poverty is often caused by the culture of exploitation and the unbridled desires of man who sought more of what they already had aplenty. And when man acted in this manner, that ended up causing those who already have plenty to amass even more of what they already had, while those who were poor became even poorer. Note however that I am not saying that God is against the rich and powerful or that those who are rich, powerful, famous and privileged are evil and wicked. That is not the case.

As a matter of fact, in many countries, there are many cases even of those who are poor who oppressed and made life difficult, exploiting those who are poorer, weaker and less capable than they are. Again, they did this for many reasons, but all these are reminders for all of us that all of us have to be grateful with the blessings that we have received and be generous if we have extra and are given the opportunity to help others who are not as fortunate as us. Let us remember that everything we have are gifts and blessings from God, and not something that we should hoard or boast about.

And let us also be reminded of the Beatitudes, or the Sermon on the Mount, in which the Lord Jesus spoke of those who are poor in spirit and how blessed they are. All of us are called to be poor in spirit, and that means for us to abandon our pride and arrogance, all of our stubbornness and greed, all the things that prevented us from seeking God’s mercy and forgiveness for our many sins. Let us all be humble before the Lord, allowing the Lord to guide us in our path through life, and let us allow the Lord to fill our hearts with love and generosity, so that we may be more generous in giving and loving others, especially those who are poorer and less fortunate than us.

Therefore, through our genuine deeds and actions, our generosity in love and care for our fellow brothers and sisters, let us all live our lives as Christians to the best of our abilities so that all of us may be worthy of the Lord and when He comes again at the end of time, all of us will not be found wanting and lacking in true faith. May God, our loving Lord and Master, continue to bless us and love us all, especially the poor in our midst, and may He help them through our generous hands and deeds. Amen.

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Sunday, 7 November 2021 : Thirty-Second Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday as we all heard the words of the Lord in the Scriptures, each and every one of us are reminded of the love and dedication that each and every one of us should have for the Lord, the faith and trust that we must have in Him so that in everything we do, we always put Him first and foremost in our minds and hearts. As Christians, all of us have to be thoroughly committed to God and not just paying lip service or lacking in genuine devotion and love for Him. That is what all of us are challenged to do as Christians.

In our first reading today, taken from the First Book of Kings, we heard about the story of the prophet Elijah who went to Zarephath following the instruction of the Lord. Zarephath was a place in Sidon, in the region of the Phoenicians beyond the traditional boundary of the land of Israel, and this fact was mentioned in the Scriptures. The prophet Elijah back then had just delivered his warning against King Ahab of Israel and the people that their sins and wickedness would lead them to suffer a period of drought and famine for the next few years.

That drought and famine struck hard on the land of Israel and its neighbouring countries, including Zarephath where Elijah visited during his trip. The widow whom Elijah encountered had also suffered from the effects of the drought and famine, and at that time, she herself admitted that she was about to cook the last meal for herself and for her son, as they had nothing left, no more food to sustain themselves, just a little flour and oil enough for their last meal.

It was then that the prophet Elijah came by and asked for a little food for himself, and the widow told him about her own predicament, and how she could not spare anything for him, whom she recognised as a man of God. But the prophet Elijah reassured the widow of the Lord’s kindness and providence, and the widow, despite her hesitation and doubts, chose to make the food, making a bread for the prophet. She gave from her poverty, from the very little that she had, to the servant of God.

Elijah promised the widow that the Lord would provide for her, and that her containers of flour and jugs of oil would not run out while the period of hardships last, and everything did happen as Elijah had foretold, and the widow’s flour and oil remained, to feed her and her son, throughout the difficult times. The widow of Zarephath, although she was likely not even one of the Israelites, had faith in the Lord and chose to be generous even in her moment of suffering and misery, and gave from whatever little she had left. God provided for her and cared for her.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard the story of yet another woman, a poor widow who came to the Temple and made her offering to the Temple treasury, a very small amount of two copper that when compared to the offerings made by some of the rich were totally insignificant. Yet, the poor widow truly gave from her heart, and from her poverty just like that of the widow of Zarephath. She gave those coins even when she had not enough for herself, and although those coins might have had a very small value, but they could have helped her, and yet, she still chose to offer it to the Lord.

And the Lord earlier on also highlighted to His disciples and the people the warning for them not to follow the examples of those who liked to flaunt their wealth, power, possessions and piety before others. It is not that wealth or worldly possessions and things themselves are bad, but it is our attachment to them and our desires to gain them, all of which end up leading us down the path of selfishness and self-indulgence, which then gradually can mislead us into the wrong path of sin and evil.

The Lord was also indirectly making comparison between the poor widow and those who made big donations and offerings, as well as with the attitudes of the self-righteous and pompous Pharisees and the teachers of the Law. It is not that it is bad to give large donations, but rather, we must understand that the context is easily lost when we read a story recorded in the Scriptures, as it was likely that at that time, linking to what the Lord just said earlier regarding those with long robes and those publicly flaunting their wealth and faith, those rich who gave the offerings made the offerings to be seen and praised by others.

Essentially, the important point that the Lord wants us to know is that we are all called to be generous in giving, in the giving of our blessings that we have received, and even more importantly in the giving of our love. No matter how great or significant the amount that we give, and no matter how large or small, in whatever form we give, as long as we give it with sincerity from the heart, out of love, then that is what matters in the end. On the contrary, if one were to give a large amount, but did so out of vanity and desire for his or her own selfish benefits, or worse still, desiring return for the investment, then it is not a sincere and true giving or generosity.

The widow of Zarephath gave generously to the servant of God, the prophet Elijah despite her earlier doubts, and that poor widow who gave the two copper coins at the Temple also gave generously from her heart. Both of them gave even from their poverty, and they did not seek acclaim, fame or expecting what they had given to be returned to them. As such, God blessed them and remembers their generosity. They may not receive any rewards in this world, but their rewards in Heaven shall be great, and that is what we can also be sure of if we are generous in the giving of ourselves.

The Lord Himself did so by His own example, in giving most generously and selflessly, as we heard in our second reading taken from the Epistle to the Hebrews. The author of that Epistle prominently represented the Lord Jesus Christ as the Saviour of all mankind, and also as a High Priest. And not just like any other High Priest appointed by God to lead the people of Israel in their offerings of sacrifices, for this High Priest is the One that is True and Eternal, and One Who offered, once and for all, the sacrifice worthy for all of us, for all mankind and our sins, by His most loving sacrifice on the Cross.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, in the Crucifixion, the Lord showed us what true generosity is all about. He gave us all everything when He had everything. He is the Lord, the Almighty, far and infinitely above all other things in this Universe, above all of us and everything is His. He is Divine, All-Powerful and All-Knowing, and yet, for our sake, out of His equally infinite love for each and every one of us, He emptied Himself, humbled Himself so low and so despicable, all so that by sharing in our Humanity and in His perfect obedience, He may save us all and reunite us with Himself.

He was willing to strip Himself of all power and dignity so that by His offering of His own life, His Most Precious Body and Blood, as the Paschal Lamb of sacrifice, He, the Eternal High Priest of all of us, representing every single one of us, may deliver us from our fated destruction because of our sins, caused by our disobedience to God. He selflessly took all of our sins and their consequences upon Himself, and generously gave us a new lease of life, one that promises upon us true happiness and glory for eternity.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, through what we have just discussed and heard from the Scriptures, as Christians we are therefore reminded to be generous in our love and giving, in reaching out to God, Who has loved us so much that He gave us His only Son, to suffer and die in our stead, so that we may live and have eternal life. And we also have to love our fellow brothers and sisters just as much as we love God and just as much as God loves all of us. How can we hate anyone if God Himself does not? God does not despise the sinners, but instead the sins that we committed before Him.

Let us all therefore carefully discern our path in life, our actions and way of life, so that we may learn to live our lives with genuine faith and with generosity of love, in loving God and dedicating ourselves and our time and effort to serve Him, and as well as in loving our fellow men, and not just those who have loved us, but even strangers and those who despise us. Let us learn to forgive and to love one another unconditionally, remembering how the Lord Himself had died for us sinners, with the perfect, most selfless, unconditional love.

May our ever loving God and Father continue to watch over us and strengthen us that we may walk ever more faithfully in His presence with faith, and that we may dedicate more and more of our time, effort and attention to be good and dedicated Christians, from now on and always. Amen.

by

Sunday, 31 October 2021 : Thirty-First Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday we are reminded through the readings of the Sacred Scriptures of the Law of God, the commandments and tenets that we have received from God Himself, Who passed down the Ten Commandments through Moses, His servant and then revealed in its fullness through Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Saviour of the world, Who brought the fullness of truth into our midst, completing and making perfect the Law and commandments of God. Today, we are called to reflect on our attitude towards the Law of God, and whether we have lived our lives faithfully in following God’s Law and commandments.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Deuteronomy, we heard the exhortation which Moses made to the people of Israel, as he presented before them God’s Law and commandments, how they, as the people with whom God had made His Covenant, were supposed to follow and obey, as part of this Covenant. Just as God is faithful to the Covenant and the promises that He had made to His people, thus the people also had to be faithful and committed to the same Covenant, and put their hearts and minds wholly focused and centred on God, and God alone, as Moses told them.

Contextually, what we heard in today’s readings must be understood in terms of how the Law of God and the Commandments, the Ten Commandments and the other rules and regulations were practiced and applied by the people of Israel and their descendants. The Law of God had been passed down from one generation to another, and went through various modifications and reinterpretations to adjust to the changing conditions of the time and also because there were many different people in charge of preserving the Law, and the fact that the Law and the commandments were not really written down until later in history.

Unfortunately, over time this led to the change in the meaning and the intention of the Law and the commandments. The Law became more and more divergent from its original intention, purpose and meaning, as after the destruction of Israel and Judah, and the return of the remnants of the Israelites from their exile in Babylon, the laws and regulations had been made much more strict and rigorous. Then, the people experienced the struggle against Hellenism during the years of their subjugation under the Seleucids, as we heard in the Book of Maccabeus, where the people under the Maccabees family rose up in revolt, and overthrew those who sought to destroy the Jewish traditions and culture.

After the Jews regained their independence, it is natural that they would become much more zealous and stricter in enforcing their traditions and way of life against those who sought to live in ways of the Gentiles or in any other ways incompatible with the Jewish traditions and customs. However, this led to the rise of the group known later as the Pharisees by the time of Jesus, over a century later, representing those who zealously guarded the laws and customs of the Jewish people, bloated and exaggerated they were by centuries of changes and in reaction to the sins and waywardness of the people.

However, what made it an issue for the Lord, which He often addressed before the people, was that the Law had not been used properly, and ended up becoming tool for those same Pharisees, members of the teachers of the Law and elders who subscribed to a very strict interpretation of the Law, burdening the people of God with very difficult expectations of the Law, and even more troublesome was their attitude with regards to the Law and their faith in God. Instead of having the Law to help them and others to place their focus on the Lord, they instead used the Law, either consciously or unconsciously, to advance their own status and influence in the community.

That was why the Lord often rebuked and criticised many of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law for the manner that they had observed the Law, in their mistaken focus and intention, and in the way that they carried themselves, in how they pridefully paraded their piety and supposedly better observance of the Law as compared to the others, whom they then looked down on, and even despised, in the case of prostitutes, tax collectors and others whom they deemed to be sinners, unworthy of God and unredeemable, while ignoring their own sins and faults.

The Lord wanted everyone, including those Pharisees and the teachers of the Law that this is not what the Law is all about, and as we heard in our Gospel passage today, one of those teachers of the Law realised through his interaction with the Lord Jesus, what the Law is truly all about. The Law of God is ultimately all about love, the love that God first and foremost has for each and every one of us, and therefore, naturally, which we should also have for Him, and then, just as we love the Lord, then we should also love one another in the same way.

God revealed to us His Law not to oppress us, or to make it to become a tool of discrimination against one another, or as something to be prideful of in our way of observing it. Otherwise, like many of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, their focus were no longer on the Lord but on themselves, on the glory, fame and influence that they accrued from their way of living the Law, rather than using the Law for the benefit of all and for the conversion of all to the path of God. And by condemning others and looking down on those deemed unworthy, as well as by imposing the very strict observance of the Law, they had in fact prevented many from coming to the Lord and turned people away from Him.

In this manner therefore, they had failed in their duty as the custodians of the Law, in that they had not been dutiful in their efforts to lead others to righteousness in God. Instead, they sought self-righteousness and self-justification, and even condemning others who disagreed with them, or those whom they disliked and opposed, like that of the Lord Himself and His disciples, whom they feared as rivals and threats to their influence and position within the Jewish community and the people of God.

How are all these then relevant to us, brothers and sisters in Christ? All these serve as an important reminder to all of us in God’s Church, that we cannot follow the same misguided path as those who had misinterpreted, misunderstood and misused the Law for their own selfish benefits, or in justifying themselves over others. Instead, we have to follow the Lord’s own examples, as we all know, that the Lord Jesus Christ, as the Son of Man, joined to us in His humanity, just as He is fully Divine as the Son of God, loved His heavenly Father totally and completely, obeying His will perfectly.

And it is also by that act of supreme love, both of His Father and also for each and every one of us, His brothers and sisters, that He, as our True and Eternal High Priest, offered Himself as a loving and worthy Sacrifice, the Lamb of God, made to suffer and was slain for us on the Altar of the Cross, as mentioned in our second reading from the Epistle to the Hebrews. The author of that Epistle, aimed at the Jewish converts to Christianity and other Jewish people in general, wanted to remind all of them that the Law of God in its true essence, is what the Lord Himself had done, in His supreme act of love in His Passion, suffering and death for us.

Hence, all of us are all called to reflect on our own attitudes in life and our actions. Have we, as God’s faithful and Church, acted in ways that are uncharitable and lacking in love, being exclusivist and elitist in our attitude, thinking that we are better than others, and condemning others who do not share our opinion or whom we dislike or deem to be less holy and worthy than us? Have we made use of our own Church teachings and traditions as an excuse to attack others and to mislead others in justifying ourselves and trying to promote our own ideals and interpretations rather than understanding what our faith is truly about?

This is exactly what some segments in our Church today are doing, on both extremes of ideas and ideologies. On one side, you have those who were very adamant in living their faith in a most Pharisaical manner, rigidly attaching themselves to the traditions and teachings of the Church but not allowing the Holy Spirit to guide them in discerning the truth about God’s will and intentions, in their self-justification and self-righteous attitude, thinking that their version of the faith is better than others, and that those who do not subscribe to their way of living the Christian faith, are unworthy or even damnable.

On the other hand, on the other side of the spectrum, we also have those that sought to radically alter every teachings, traditions and all the ways of how our Christian faith are practised, to suit our own interpretation and agenda, and most importantly to suit our own selfish needs as well. These are those that the Popes past and present had warned against, especially that of Pope St. John Paul II as the relativistic attitudes of some Christians who sought to align Church teachings with worldly ways and to accept things that are not in accordance to the truth of God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, these are the forces arrayed against the Church, and which sadly happened even from within the Church and in our own faithful communities, just as it happened two millennia ago in the Jewish community, and which also had happened throughout all of our Christian history, in the history of the Church and its past developments. However, this cannot be a reason for us to give up, as the devil is all the happier to try to divide us and to mislead us further by his temptations and lies, and instead of being angry against each other or being divided, let us return our focus to the Lord.

This Sunday, as we recall the Law of God, the Ten Commandments and are reminded of what God’s Law and His teachings are all about, let us all be willing to listen to God, and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us, to guide the Church and its leaders, that we may journey together with Him in faith, and not allow our own selfish desires and individual preferences, ideologies and prejudices to mislead us down the wrong path. And most importantly, let us stay united against the efforts of those who tried to divide the Church and our communities, so that, united as we are, we shall not fall and remain firm and resolute in our struggles against sin and evil.

Let us all discern carefully our path in life, as one people of God united in His one Church, the united Body of Christ. Let us all learn to love God with all of our hearts and with all of our strength and capacity, by deepening our relationship with Him and by spending more important and precious time with Him, and then, also learning to love one another, as our own fellow brothers and sisters, just as much as we ought to love the Lord and ourselves. Let us all learn to forgive one another’s wrongdoings and learn to live together with harmony and faith, and as one united people, let us all seek the Lord together and be saved in Him.

May God bless us all and may He remain with His Church, that no matter what challenges and trials we may encounter, the gates of hell will not prevail against God’s Church, against our faith, truly genuine and full of love, a love that we all profess and show in our every daily moments and interactions, as we grow together as a community of God’s faithful, ever directed and journeying towards God, always. Amen.