Sunday Mass

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Sunday, 5 January 2025 : Second Sunday after Christmas (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 147 : 12-20

Exalt YHVH, o Jerusalem; praise your God, o Zion! For He strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses your children within you.

He grants peace on your borders and feeds you with the finest grain. He sends His command to the earth and swiftly runs His word.

He spreads snow like wool; He scatters frost like ashes. He hurls down hail like pebbles; who will stand before His icy blasts? But He sends His word and melts the snow; He makes His breeze blow, and again the waters flow.

It is He, Who tells Jacob His words; His laws and decrees, to Israel. This, He has not done for other nations, so His laws remain unknown to them. Alleluia!

Alternative Psalm

Wisdom 10 : 15-21

It was she who rescued an innocent and holy people from a nation of oppressors. She entered the soul of God’s servant and through him withstood terrible kings with signs and wonders.

To the holy people she gave the wages of their labour, leading them in a wonderful way, giving them shade during the day and the light of the stars at night.

She brought them across the Red Sea, but drowned their enemies and later washed them ashore from the depth of the abyss. So the righteous looted the godless, singing hymns, Lord, to Your holy Name, and one in heart, they gave thanks for Your saving hand.

Wisdom gives speech to the dumb and makes infants speak clearly.

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Sunday, 5 January 2025 : Second Sunday after Christmas (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Jeremiah 31 : 7-14

For YHVH says this, “Shout with joy for Jacob; rejoice for the greatest of nations. Proclaim your praise and say : ‘YHVH has saved His people, the remnant of Israel!’”

“Look, I will bring them back from the land of the north, gather them from the ends of the earth, the lame and the blind, mothers and women in labour – a great throng will return. They went away weeping, they will return in joy. I will lead them by the streams of water, on a level path so that no one will stumble, for I am Israel’s Father and Ephraim is My firstborn.”

Hear the word of YHVH, o nations, proclaim it on distant coast lands : He Who scattered Israel will gather them and guard them as a shepherd guards his flock. For YHVH has ransomed Jacob and redeemed him from the hand of his conqueror.”

“They shall come shouting for joy, while ascending Zion; they will come streaming to YHVH’s blessings – the grain, the new wine and the oil, the young of the flocks and herds. They will be like a well-watered garden; no more will they be afflicted. Maidens will make merry and dance, young men and old as well.”

“I will turn their mourning into gladness, I will give them comfort and joy for sorrow. I will fill the priests with abundance, and satisfy My people with My bounty – this is YHVH’s word.”

Alternative reading

Sirach 24 : 1-12

Listen to Wisdom singing her own praises and extolling herself in the midst of her people. See, she opens her mouth in the assembly of the Most High, she glories in herself before the Almighty.

I came out from the mouth of God and covered the face of the earth like a mist; although My dwelling place is in the highest heavens, My throne is within a pillar of cloud. I alone have seen and understood the vault of the skies and strolled through the depths of the abyss, taking possession of the raging sea and of the earth as well, with all its people and nations.

In all of these, I looked for a place to rest; in which territory would I set up My abode? Then the Creator of the Universe commanded Me, He Who created Me assigned the place of My rest, “Pitch Your tent in Jacob; Israel will be Your homeland.”

He created Me from the beginning, before time began, and I will never cease to be, I celebrate in His presence the liturgy of His Holy Dwelling and this is why I settled in Zion. The Lord let Me rest in His beloved city and Jerusalem is the heart of My Kingdom. I took root in the people God has favoured, in the land of the Lord, in their inheritance.

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Sunday, 22 December 2024 : Fourth Sunday of Advent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday is the fourth and last of the Sundays of Advent, on which occasion we focus ourselves on the aspect and theme of Love, the last one among the themes of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love that we reflect upon each Sundays in this time and season of Advent. On this Sunday we focus on the Love of God which has been manifested to us in His Son, incarnate in the flesh, to become the perfect manifestation of His love in our midst. Yes, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, Whose coming into this world we celebrate this Christmas, is the One Who showed us all what God’s love is all about, love that is always ever enduring, love that never ceases, ever generous and which He has always lavished on each and every one of us, His precious and beloved ones.

And this emphasis on the theme of Love at the very last Sunday of Advent also has its significance as Love is also the most important one amongst the all the Christian virtues and values, the most important of all the fruits of the Holy Spirit and the manifestation of all that is good from God. Without Love then there can be neither Hope, nor Peace, nor Joy. True Hope, Peace and Joy have been shown and given to us most generously by the Lord Himself through His Beloved Son, Whom He sent into our midst, because God so loved the world that He gave us His only Begotten Son, so that all those who believe in Him may not perish but has eternal life, and that was what St. John wrote in his Gospel in the famous quote from the third chapter of the Gospel of St. John, verse sixteen. It is thanks to God’s Love, that all of us have Hope, the Hope for eternal Peace and true Joy.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Book of the prophet Micah in which God spoke to His people, the Israelites of the coming of His salvation from the land of Judah, at Bethlehem Ephrata, a small town where David once hailed from before he became the King of all Israel. It was from that city that the Saviour would also be born at, and everything indeed came true several centuries after the Lord had promised it to the people through the prophet Micah. The Lord would send His Son to this world to manifest His love, not through great and loud rejoicing, acclamation or proclamations, but rather through a small, little and vulnerable Child, born in a stable at Bethlehem over two millennia ago, the Holy Child that would be the Saviour of all mankind.

By making Himself small and vulnerable, He has shown us just how much He desire to love all of us. He wants to embrace us so much that He willingly took up our human nature and existence, being incarnate in the flesh, Love Himself manifested in the Christ-Child, being shown to all of us, that God truly cared for all of us, and He has never abandoned us to the darkness and sin. And we heard of His purpose of coming into this world through the second reading passage from the Epistle to the Hebrews in which the author of this Epistle spoke of the sacrifice and offering which Christ Our Lord and Saviour has offered on our behalf, as the one perfect sacrificial offering that is the only one worthy enough for the atonement of all of our many sins, faults and wickedness, to redeem us from all of those.

And even more importantly, Christ obeyed His Father’s will perfectly, that He as the new Man, the new Adam, as contrasted to the old and first Adam, rejected the temptations of disobedience and sin, of any worldly comforts and pleasures which we have often fallen to and embraced, instead of God’s love, truth and mercy. The author also spoke of the obedience of Christ and His sacrifice which has overridden the original interpretation of the commandments and Law of God as practiced by the Jewish people and their ancestors, which required them to offer sin offerings and sacrifices regularly at the Temple, for the one ultimate Sacrifice of Our Lord on His Cross is all that is sufficient to redeem all of us, all mankind past, present and future from our innumerable sins, something that no animal offerings or blood can offer us.

That is because Christ, out of His Love for His heavenly Father and for each and every one of us, being the manifestation of God’s Love in our midst have offered His own Most Precious Blood, the Blood of the Lamb of God, and at the same time acting as our One and Eternal High Priest, offering all these, His broken Precious Body and outpoured Precious Blood for the salvation of all. Through this perfect act of selfless and ultimate love, obedience and faith, Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour, the incarnate Son of God has opened for us the path to eternal life and to full reconciliation with God, our loving Father and Creator. None of this would have been possible without the Love of God, the love that He has always had for us, ever enduring even despite our frequent disobedience and rebellions against Him.

In our Gospel passage this Sunday, we then heard of the moment when Mary visited Elizabeth when both of them were pregnant, Mary with the Holy Child and Saviour in her womb, while Elizabeth was bearing St. John the Baptist, the Herald of the Saviour in her. Through their interaction and exchanges, we can see the great joy and happiness that they had shown, representing all the joy and happiness that all of us should have in God as well because of everything that He had done for us, His beloved ones. God has never stopped loving us, and He has always fulfilled His promises, and He watched over every one of us and listened to the plight of the needy. The miraculous occasions of the pregnancy of both Mary and Elizabeth were the confirmation of this great love that God has for all of us.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have heard and discussed from our Scripture passages this Sunday, therefore we are all reminded that Christmas is truly all about Love, the Love that God has never ceased to show us all, and which He has manifested to us through His Son, and reaffirmed fully at the moment of the Passion of the Lord, the time when He offered His life in exchange for ours, laying down His life for us all sinners, showing the greatest and most generous love. That is why as we all prepare ourselves for the celebrations and joyful occasion of Christmas season and time, let us all remind ourselves constantly that everything that we are rejoicing for, all of these are only possible thanks to the most generous and selfless love from God.

It means that we should also show this love in our Christmas celebrations and festivities, remembering to share the joy we have to one another, to everyone around us especially to those who are suffering and enduring challenges and difficulties, and also all those who may not be so fortunate and blessed, and may not be able to rejoice much this coming Christmas season. We must remember everyone around us, all those who are in need of our love and attention, our help and care so that we may indeed be able to share the joy and blessings that God has given us most generously. May all of us grow ever stronger in our love for both God and for one another just as God Himself has loved us all and shown us how we can love everyone around us, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 22 December 2024 : Fourth Sunday of Advent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Luke 1 : 39-45

Mary then set out for a town in the hill country of Judah. She entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leapt in her womb.

Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and, giving a loud cry, said, “You are most blessed among women; and blessed is the Fruit of your womb! How is it, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? The moment your greeting sounded in my ears, the baby within me suddenly leapt for joy. Blessed are you, who believed that the Lord’s word would come true!”

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Sunday, 22 December 2024 : Fourth Sunday of Advent (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Hebrews 10 : 5-10

This is why, on entering the world, Christ says : You did not desire sacrifice and offering; You were not pleased with burnt offerings and sin offerings. Then I said : “Here I am. It was written of me in the scroll. I will do Your will, o God.”

First he says : Sacrifice, offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not desire nor were You pleased with them – although they were required by the Law. Then he says : Here I am to do Your will. This is enough to nullify the first will and establish the new. Now, by this will of God, we are sanctified, once, and for all, by the sacrifice of the Body of Christ Jesus.

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Sunday, 22 December 2024 : Fourth Sunday of Advent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 79 : 2ac and 3bc, 15-16, 18-19

Listen, o Shepherd of Israel, You, Who sit enthroned between the Cherubim. Stir up Your might and come to save us.

Turn again, o YHVH of hosts, look down from heaven and see; care for this vine, and protect the stock Your hand has planted.

But lay Your hand on Your instrument, on the Son of Man Whom You make strong for Yourself. Then we will never turn away from You; give us life, and we will call on Your Name.

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Sunday, 22 December 2024 : Fourth Sunday of Advent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Micah 5 : 1-4a

But you, Bethlehem Ephrata, so small that you are hardly named among the clans of Judah; from you shall I raise the One Who is to rule over Israel. For He comes forth from of old, from the ancient times.

YHVH, therefore, will abandon Israel until such time as she, who is to give birth, has given birth. Then the rest of His deported brothers will return to the people of Israel. He will stand, and shepherd His flock with the strength of YHVH, in the glorious Name of YHVH, His God.

They will live safely, while He wins renown to the ends of the earth. He shall be peace.

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Sunday, 15 December 2024 : 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, the third one in this time and season of Advent, we commemorate the occasion of the Gaudete Sunday, an occasion of joy and rejoicing during this mostly penitential and more sombre season of Advent as we remember that this Advent season is ultimately a time of preparation for the coming of our true joy in Christ which we will soon celebrate in Christmas. This Sunday we focus on the theme and aspect of Joy in Advent, continuing on from the themes of Hope and Peace that we have focused on in the previous Sundays of Advent. And the name for this Sunday, ‘Gaudete’ itself means ‘joy’ or ‘rejoice’, from the beginning of the Introit of this Sunday, ‘Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete.’ which means ‘Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice.’

On this Sunday we briefly enter a pause in the penitential and sombre nature of this time of Advent preparations to focus on the Joy that we are expecting to come in the soon to come time and season of Christmas. That is why we remind ourselves today of the great Joy that is found in Christmas and which we all celebrate most wonderfully, and the very reason for this great Joy is none other than Jesus Christ Himself, the Son of God and the One Whom God had sent into this world, Incarnate in the flesh, the Love of God manifested before us and making us all able to come towards Him, tangible and approachable, no longer distant and unimaginable for us. Through Christ His Son, Our Lord has given us all the One through Whom our Joy and Hope will be restored to us.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Book of the prophet Zephaniah in which the words of joy and the promise of God’s guidance and presence among His people, strengthening and reassuring them all that God has always loved them and cared for them despite their constant rebelliousness and stubborn attitudes. God has always watched over them, His beloved ones, ever so patiently, caring for their needs and guiding them patiently through His prophets and messengers. He chastised and disciplined them whenever they were wayward and wicked in their ways, but He also nurtured and cared for them along their journey, like that of a loving Father Who is both stern and loving to His children, wanting them all to turn out good and worthy, and not be corrupted by the evils around us.

Then, from our second reading passage this Sunday taken from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful in the city and region of Philippi, we are yet again reminded of God’s most generous love and how fortunate and blessed each and every one of us have been because our Lord and our Father has always loved us and how He has always had us all in His mind at all times, being ever present all around us, knowing all of our needs and wishes, and He has always been ready to walk this journey we have, each and every one of us, together with Him. Thus, it is imperative that all of us should respond to His love with gratitude and appreciation, and most importantly with love and rejoicing towards Him, to the Joy that He has brought upon us once again through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour.

Lastly, from the Gospel passage this Sunday, we are reminded by the words of St. John the Baptist who spoke clearly about the Messiah Who was to come at that time, and how that faithful servant of God proclaimed Him to all the people who had come to him to listen to him and to be baptised by him. St. John the Baptist was indeed very popular and he had a lot of following among the people, who came to him likely in their hundreds and even perhaps thousands, seeking his baptism and seeking in him the hope of God’s long awaited salvation. But St. John the Baptist made it clear to the people that he was not the one who would save Israel, as he was merely just the one to herald and prepare the coming of the true Messiah or Saviour, Jesus Christ.

St. John the Baptist had shown great humility in obeying the commands which He had received from the Lord, refusing to be swayed by the temptations of worldly glory and ambitions, all the things which had led so many people, our predecessors and we ourselves to our downfall. It is easy for one to be swayed and tempted by great popularity and acclamation, such as in the case of St. John the Baptist, but the man of God continued to have strong faith and commitment to God, and he remained focused on what he was tasked to do, that is to prepare the way for the Lord and His coming, and to direct all of us to Him, to the One Who is our Light, Hope and Salvation. And we all should be inspired by his great faith, humility and examples, his commitment and dedication  to his mission.

As Christians, it is important that we also show this true focus of Christmas in Our Lord and Saviour to everyone. Indeed, in our world today, Christmas is often no longer about Christ but rather about excesses of worldly comforts, pleasures and commercialisation which had made many people to forget about what Christmas is truly all about. In many cases, our Christmas celebrations end up becoming yet just another holiday time and season, a time for rejoicing and celebrations that is yet bereft of its true purpose and reason for celebration, because Christ is not in all those celebrations and rejoicing. Often we can see how people compete with one another in how glamorous they can celebrate their Christmas, or compare the gifts that they had received at Christmas. And no one remembered the greatest gift of Christmas they had received, that is Christ, Our Lord and Saviour.

Therefore, as Christians, we are all challenged to put Christ at the centre of our Christmas celebrations and rejoicing. We should not give in to the temptations and false pleasures of the world, all the excessive commercialisation of Christmas that do not lead us to Christ. Each one of us are called to proclaim Christ, Our Lord, the true reason for our rejoicing at Christmas, and let it show through our preparations and our constant focus on Christ as the One in Whom we rejoice, and in all the happiness that we share with one another, let it be the love of God and the genuine love for one another that we show in our Christmas joy and festivities, and be the beacons of God’s Light, Hope and Love for everyone around us. Let our joy be shared with everyone and let us all remember those who are not able to rejoice the way we do, and continue to direct all people to Christ, His Hope and salvation, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 15 December 2024 : Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday (Gospel Reading)

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

Luke 3 : 10-18

At that time, John said to the tax collectors, “Collect no more than your fixed rate.” Then some soldiers asked John, “What about us? What are we to do?” And he answered, “Do not take anything by force, or threaten the people by denouncing them falsely. Be content with your pay.”

The people were wondering about John’s identity, “Could he be the Messiah?” Then John answered them, “I baptise you with water, but the One Who is coming will do much more : He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. As for me, I am not worthy to untie His sandal. He comes with a winnowing fan, to clear His threshing floor, and gather the grain into His barn. But the chaff He will burn, with fire that never goes out.”

With these, and many other words, John announced the Good News to the people.

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Sunday, 15 December 2024 : Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday (Second Reading)

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

Philippians 4 : 4-7

Rejoice in the Lord, always! I say it again : rejoice, and may everyone experience your gentle and understanding heart. The Lord is near : do not be anxious about anything. In everything, resort to prayer and supplication, together, with thanksgiving, and bring your requests before God.

Then, the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.