Sunday of the Lord

by

Sunday, 17 December 2023 : Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday (Psalm)

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

Luke 1 : 46-48, 49-50, 53-54

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit exults in God, my Saviour! He has looked down upon His servant, in her lowliness, and people, forever, will call me blessed.

The Mighty One has done great things for me. Holy is His Name! From age to age, His mercy extends to those who live in His presence.

He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty. He held out His hand to Israel, His servant, for He remembered His mercy.

by

Sunday, 17 December 2023 : Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday (First Reading)

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

Isaiah 61 : 1-2a, 10-11

The Spirit of the Lord YHVH is upon Me, because YHVH has anointed Me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up broken hearts, to proclaim liberty to the captives, freedom to those languishing in prison; to announce the year of YHVH’s favour and the day of vengeance of our God.

I rejoice greatly in YHVH, My soul exults for joy in My God, for He has clothed Me in the garments of His salvation, He has covered Me with the robe of His righteousness, like a bridegroom wearing a garland, like a bride adorned with jewels. For as the earth brings forth its growth, and as a garden makes seeds spring up, so will the Lord YHVH make justice and praise spring up in the sight of all nations.

by

Sunday, 10 December 2023 : Second Sunday of Advent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday we mark the occasion of the Second Sunday of Advent, which reminds us all that we are all ever closer to the coming of the Christmas season, and hence we should also be reminded of the need for each and every one of us to be ever more focused on the Lord our God, Jesus Christ our Saviour, in Whom we should be celebrating and commemorating this upcoming Christmas for, and for Whom we have committed our Advent preparations for. If we have not done what we should in preparing ourselves well and properly for the coming of the Lord, then we have not done our Advent observances and actions in the right way. This is why we are constantly being reminded of these things so that we may truly focus ourselves more on the Lord and everything that He has done for us, through His coming into this world that we are going to celebrate this Christmas.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, and echoed by the other parts of the Scriptures we have heard this Sunday, we are all reminded of the salvation of God which He has promised to all of us, and our attention in particular are directed to the one whom the Lord had sent into this world as His messenger, Herald and as our guide so that all of us may truly find our way to Him, His salvation and grace. This Herald which He has sent into our midst was none other than St. John the Baptist, the one who prepared the way for the coming of the Lord just before His coming. St. John the Baptist was called by the Lord and prepared by Him from before he was even born, just in the manner how the prophet Isaiah had prophesied it all to be. He is the one whom Isaiah spoke as the voice that cried out in the wilderness, calling on everyone to make straight the way for the Lord.

These messages and prophecies of the prophet Isaiah came to the people of God just at the right time for them. Contextually, the people of God in Judah where Isaiah ministered at, had been beset by many hardships and difficulties, humiliations and challenges throughout many years, all of which were actually due to their lack of faith and trust in the Lord, as they chose to abandon Him, refuse to obey His path and ways, and failed to observe His Law and commandments. They persecuted God’s prophets and messengers, and yet, God in His ever enduring and wonderful love, continued to care for all of His wayward people, and sent them more reminders and help, and through Isaiah, He gave the most obvious and clearest prediction and prophecy, assurance and guarantees, of the coming of the time of grace and salvation through His Saviour.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the same message from the Gospel of St. Mark, in which we heard of the account of how St. John the Baptist, the one whom Isaiah prophesied about, began his ministry in proclaiming the coming of the Lord to all of God’s people, and how he performed his works in the wilderness, calling upon all of them to return to the Lord’s Presence, seeking Him with humility and desire to repent from their sins and wickedness. Through St. John the Baptist, the Lord has shown all of us, His beloved people, that He has always kept us first and foremost in His thoughts, and He has always wanted us to be reconciled and reunited to Him. Through St. John the Baptist, many people came to be touched by the Lord, and they came to Him, all seeking for forgiveness and mercy, through the baptism which St. John the Baptist had done at the River Jordan.

St. John the Baptist told all the people that the Lord was about to come very soon, and He would descend upon all of His loved ones, and hence, that was why those who listened to him, all of them ought to prepare themselves thoroughly and wholly so that they might be truly worthy and ready to welcome the Lord when He comes. St. John the Baptist kept on reminding the people of God’s grace and compassion, and how He would fulfil everything that He had promised to all of them. God would send His salvation to all of us through Jesus Christ, His one and only begotten Son, the Son of God Most High, incarnate in the flesh, that all of us may truly see the fullness of God’s love and grace, His compassion and mercy, becoming tangible and approachable to us.

Then, in our second reading today, we are also reminded by the Apostle St. Peter, whom in his Epistle spoke to the faithful regarding the matter of the coming of the Lord, and how each and every one of us as Christians should respond to it. St. Peter spoke of the fulfilment of God’s promises, in how He will come again just as He has told all of His disciples, and He will fulfil and accomplish all of that in due time, at a time of His own choosing. No one but the Lord Himself knows when this exact moment is, and this is why all of us as Christians, we are all always reminded to keep ourselves and our lives truly holy and worthy so that in all the things that we say and do, in our every interactions and in our way of life, we will always be truly righteous and just, good and dedicated as true and genuine Christians.

And this also brings our attention yet again to the nature of our Advent commemorations, and what the significance of the current Advent time and season is to us. In Advent, we prepare ourselves spiritually and wholly to welcome the Lord our God, commemorating with great joy His coming into this world which He had done and accomplished over two thousand years ago. However, in Advent, we are not merely just remembering what had historically happened two millennia ago in Bethlehem, when our Lord was born, but it also serves to remind and prepare us all for the Second Coming of Christ, which St. Peter had mentioned and touched upon in his Epistle today.

The word Advent itself came from the word ‘Adventus’ which means the onset, the coming and the appearance of something great, that is also in Greek as ‘Parousia’. Now both Adventus and Parousia also have that additional meaning and interpretation of the Second Coming of Christ, marking our expectation of the coming Kingdom of Our Lord. Therefore, this season of Advent, all of us need to keep well in mind and remember that we are also preparing ourselves not just to celebrate the joyful event of the past and history, but even more importantly, by reminding ourselves of what the Lord had done through His Son in saving us from destruction and damnation, thus, all of us should prepare for the time of His Second Coming, when He will come again to judge the whole world.

If our attitude and behaviour had been like those people of God in the past, the Israelites and the people of Judah who had not listened to the Lord, disobeyed Him and abandoned His Law and commandments, focusing more on the worldly temptations, pleasures and coercions, then unfortunately, we may be caught unprepared and unaware of when the Lord comes again in a sudden surprise, and we will have to account for our failures to obey Him, for our wrongdoings and wickedness in life. That is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, we should not take this time and season of Advent for granted, and we should make good use of this time and opportunities that had given to us such that we may truly prepare ourselves to be worthy of God, His love and compassionate kindness.

This Sunday, the Second Sunday of Advent we focus on the theme of ‘Peace’ after the theme of ‘Hope’ from the First Sunday of Advent last week. Today we are all reminded that Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, has brought God’s peace into our midst, bringing unto us all the peace that He has promised all of us, also His hope, joy and love. Many of us have not experienced true peace in life because we have often distanced ourselves from God and sought satisfaction and fulfilment from various worldly means and attachments we have, which cannot bring us true and lasting peace, or satisfaction and joy. It is in the Lord alone that we may find this true and lasting peace, and hence, this is why, on this Sunday, let us all reflect on our lives and how we have lived them, and also how we have journeyed through this season of Advent so far.

If our Christmas preparations have been mostly about ourselves and all the celebrations and festivities, then perhaps, we would want to refocus our attention once again on Christ, the very reason why we even celebrate Christmas itself in the first place. Without Christ, there can be no Christmas, and without Him and all that He has done for us, none of us can afford to rejoice, be happy or be at peace at all. If we follow the way how the secular world often celebrate Christmas, with all the excessive marketing and pursuits of pleasures and happiness, very soon we will realise that after all the celebrations had ended, then we will feel empty and cold inside us, and all of our celebrations done without proper focus and understanding may bring us more problems and worries rather than peace and joy.

That is why, each and every one of us should make good use of this time and period of Advent so that we may truly centre ourselves and our lives once again on the Lord, our God and Saviour. Let our every actions, words and deeds be filled with true faith and dedication to Him, and let all of us proclaim Him and His Good News through all of the ways we do in journeying and living through this blessed time and season of Advent properly, by witnessing to His love and grace, proclaiming His peace, hope, joy and love to all and everyone around us, to our families and even strangers and acquaintances we encounter in life. And let us all also pray to the Lord, that amidst our world darkened with many conflicts and wars, in various parts of the world, that He, the Prince of Peace, may bring about lasting peace and harmony in our world today. Amen.

by

Sunday, 10 December 2023 : Second Sunday of Advent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Mark 1 : 1-8

This is the beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is written in the book of Isaiah, the prophet, “I am sending My messenger ahead of You, to prepare Your way. Let the people hear the voice calling in the desert : Prepare the way of the Lord, level His paths.”

So John began to baptise in the desert; He preached a baptism of repentance, for the forgiveness of sins. All Judea and all the people from the city of Jerusalem went out to John to confess their sins, and to be baptised by him in the river Jordan. John was clothed in camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and honey.

He preached to the people, saying, “After me comes One Who is more powerful than I am; I have baptised you with water, but He will baptise you in the Holy Spirit.”

by

Sunday, 10 December 2023 : Second Sunday of Advent (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

2 Peter 3 : 8-14

Do not forget, beloved, that with the Lord, one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like one day. The Lord does not delay in fulfilling His promise, though some speak of delay; rather, He gives you time, because He does not want anyone to perish, but that all may come to conversion.

The Day of the Lord is to come like a thief. Then, the heavens will dissolve with a great noise; the elements will melt away by fire, and the earth, with all that is on it, will be burnt up. Since all things are to vanish, how holy and religious your way of life must be, as you wait for the day of God, and long for its coming, when the heavens will dissolve in fire, and the elements melt away in the heat.

We wait for a new heaven and a new earth, in which justice reigns, according to God’s promise. Therefore, beloved, as you wait in expectation of this, strive, that God may find you rooted in peace, without blemish or fault.

by

Sunday, 10 December 2023 : Second Sunday of Advent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 84 : 9ab and 10, 11-12, 13-14

Would, that I hear God’s proclamation, that He promise peace to His people, His saints. Yet, His salvation is near to those who fear Him, and His glory will dwell in our land.

Love and faithfulness have met; righteousness and peace have embraced. Faithfulness will reach up from the earth while justice bends down from heaven.

YHVH will give what is good, and our land will yield its fruit. Justice will go before Him, and peace will follow along His path.

by

Sunday, 10 December 2023 : Second Sunday of Advent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Isaiah 40 : 1-5, 9-11

Be comforted, My people, be strengthened, says your God. Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, proclaim to her that her time of bondage is at an end, that her guilt has been paid for, that from the hand of YHVH she has received double punishment for all her iniquity.

A voice cries, “In the wilderness prepare the way for YHVH. Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley will be raised up; every mountain and hill will be laid low. The stumbling blocks shall become level and the rugged places smooth. The glory of YHVH will be revealed, and all mortals together will see it; for the mouth of YHVH has spoken.”

Go up onto the high mountain, messenger of Good News to Zion, lift up your voice with strength, fear not to cry aloud when you tell Jerusalem and announce to the cities of Judah : Here is your God! Here comes YHVH Sabaoth with might; His strong arm rules for Him; His reward is with Him, and here before Him is His booty. Like a shepherd He tends His flock : He gathers the lambs in His arms, He carries them in His bosom, gently leading those that are with young.

by

Sunday, 3 December 2023 : 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 the Advent season and the new liturgical year cycle, and therefore we are all called to prepare ourselves in heart, body, mind and soul, in our whole being to welcome the Lord as we enter into this solemn time of reflection and preparation for the upcoming glorious season and time of Christmas. In this time of Advent, all of us are called to be vigilant and prepared in our lives, to be truly good and worthy in all things so that we may indeed be worthy and ready to celebrate the true joy of Christmas, and to make full use of the opportunities which God has given to us, in providing us the time and chances for us to make good use of the talents, abilities and other things and blessings He has bestowed on us.

In the first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, we heard of the words of remorse said by the prophet Isaiah representing the people of Israel and Judah, showing regret and awareness of their wickedness and sinful ways which had caused them to be separated and torn away from the fullness of God’s love and grace. The prophet Isaiah used this opportunity to remind the people of how wayward they had been, in failing to follow God’s path and in disobeying His Law and commandments, which have led them into the path of sin and evil. Contextually, by the time of the ministry of the prophet Isaiah, the people of God had committed a lot of sins and wickedness that they had fallen into dire straits, humiliated by their neighbours and enemies. All of those were signs and reminders for them, what they would have to endure and suffer from, if they chose to disobey God.

But as we all heard from the prophet Isaiah, the Lord did not give up on His people, and He continued to love them all despite all the rebelliousness and difficult attitudes that they had presented to Him. The Lord kept on showing His Fatherly love to all of them, chastising them for their sins and wickedness, disciplining them and reminding them of their obligations, teaching and guiding them in the right paths, through the leaders, guides and messengers that He had sent to them, including the prophet Isaiah himself. He reached out to them with ever patient and enduring love, and promised unto us our deliverance, leading and guiding us all while chastising and scolding us for our sins, so that hopefully, through all of the trials and tribulations, we may be stirred and reminded to walk faithfully once again in His path.

In our second reading passage today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians, the Apostle reminded and encouraged the faithful people of God in Corinth to hold fast to their faith in the Lord, encouraging them to continue to live their lives worthily of the Lord because of everything that they have received, the assurance, strength and providence in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, through Whom the fullness of God’s grace and love, His compassionate mercy and kindness have been revealed in all of its fullness, becoming tangible and approachable by all of us. Through Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the One Whom we are expecting in this season of Advent, and the One Whom we are going to celebrate later on in the glorious and most joyful Christmas season, we have seen and witnessed that everything that God had said and promised to us are real, and not mere illusions or mere promises.

In our Gospel passage today, we are then reminded of the nature of our Advent preparation and commemoration, as we heard from the Lord Jesus Himself, Who reminded His disciples and followers, that they all should not be ignorant of the sign of the times, as the coming of the time of reckoning and judgment will come at a time least expected by everyone, and no one knows exactly except the Lord Himself, when this moment will come. Thus, He reminded all of His disciples and followers that all of them ought to be ever vigilant, ready and prepared all the time, by living their lives with commitment and dedication to God, in being righteous, virtuous and just at all times. This is also therefore a reminder to each and every one of us that we should always strive to be good and worthy in each and every one of our words, actions and deeds throughout our lives, so that by our lives we may be good role models and inspirations for one another.

This Advent, we are preparing not only for the coming celebration of Christmas, and in commemorating the events that had happened more than two thousand years ago, when the Lord, our Saviour and King, came down upon us and descended to us in the flesh, born of His Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and revealed the love of God fully manifested to us. Advent is also a time of preparation for the Second Coming of Christ, or also known as Parousia. Like that of the people at the time of the prophet Isaiah, who was promised the coming of the Messiah, therefore all of us are also expecting the moment when the Lord will come again, and this time, He will bring us all into the eternal kingdom and true bliss that He has promised everyone who believes in Him. This is why, all of us have to be truly prepared at all times, because certainly we do not want to be caught unprepared when the Lord, at the time of His choice, comes again to judge the world.

This Sunday as we begin this Season of Advent, we are all brought into the spiritual journey and preparation of our lives, so that we can better live through the true joy and meaning of our upcoming Christmas celebrations. There are four Sundays in the season of Advent, and each one of them are focused on a particular theme, namely in order, Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. This Sunday, being the First Sunday of Advent, we focus on the theme of ‘Hope’, which is exactly what we have heard in our Scripture passages today, and which is what we are looking forward to in celebrating Christmas. In our world, filled with the darkness of sin and evil, the Light of Christ, His salvation and grace, and the promise of everlasting life and happiness with God, all these are truly Hope for each and every one of us. For without Hope, and without the assurance of God’s love, is there truly any reason for us to exist at all?

That is why, on this First Sunday of Advent, each and every one of us are reminded of the fundamental nature of our observances this Advent, as we focus ourselves and our lives once again on the Lord, our God. It is too often that in our lives, we are so busy and preoccupied with the many concerns, attachments and distractions present all around us, that we end up forgetting and disregarding the Lord, His Presence in our midst, and what we are all called to do as Christians in our daily living. Too many of us are distracted with all sorts of worldly desires, ambitions, attachments and all the things which mislead us down the path of greed and ego, wickedness and sin. That is why, this time of Advent is a time of reflection and reorientation of our lives, that we may truly find our true focus in life, that is in the Lord, in His love, truth and hope.

As we are all surely well aware of, during this time and period, the secular world is abuzz and filled with all sorts of Christmas celebrations, rejoicing and revelry. However, we need to ask ourselves, if the celebrations and festivities are truly rightly and properly focused? Most of the time, all the celebrations are about merrymaking and pleasantries, and for some, it is even about comparing who can do better celebrations, parties and rejoicing, and who can splurge more on the feasts, gifts and all the other usual Christmas glitzes and paraphernalia. Yet, amidst all of these celebrations and festivities, it is often that one very important and major thing is missing. What is that, brothers and sisters in Christ? It is none other than the very reason why we celebrate Christmas itself in the first place, and which at the beginning of this season of Advent, we really ought to remind ourselves and one another of this truth and fact.

Can we imagine having a birthday party and celebration, only for the birthday person to be ignored and left out completely from his or her own party and celebration? Yet, that is exactly what most of our secular Christmas celebrations, festivities and merrymaking are all about. We are so busy with preparing all the celebrations, gifts, all the shopping and chasing after the best promotions and discounts, that we end up forgetting about the One we are all celebrating in Christmas, that is Christ Himself. There can be no Christmas without Christ, Our Lord and Saviour. It is because of His coming into this world, in the flesh, that He has shown us all a new Hope amidst all the darkness and sin surrounding us, and because of His Love for us all, bringing unto us Peace and Joy that endures, all of us can celebrate and be hopeful, happy and truly joyful. This is what Christmas is all about, and something that many of us need to be reminded of.

That is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, as we embark on this Advent journey for the next few weeks, let us all make sure that our preparations for the celebration of Christmas are all truly Christ-centric. Besides decking our houses, halls and places with all sorts of decorations and festive atmosphere, what is even more important is that we should truly prepare our hearts and minds, our souls and our whole beings as well. This Advent is a perfect time and occasion for us to reorientate ourselves and our lives once again towards the Lord, turning ourselves once again to the path towards God. This is why, we should spend more time in reflecting upon our lives, and reconnecting ourselves spiritually with God, by spending more time in quiet and contemplative time in prayer, rather than being busy and preoccupied with all the festivities, forgetting what Christmas is truly all about.

And in our Christmas joy and festivities, let us also not forget to bring the Hope of Christ to others as well. Lest we are not aware of it, there are others around us who may not be so fortunate like us, to be able to celebrate and to be merry and joyful. Amidst the challenges and trials we encounter in life, there are people who have difficulties making ends meet each day, and there are people out there who simply do not have the means, time and opportunities to rejoice and to celebrate. Let us all share whatever joy and blessings we have received this Advent and the upcoming Christmas season. Let us be ever more generous in loving and caring for one another, and do whatever we can so that the Hope of Christ may be shown and known by more and more all around the world, and we can begin it through our own lives, truly attuned and aligned with Christ, the Hope and the true reason for our Christmas joy.

May the Lord our God, the One Whom we are celebrating and keep our Hope in, continue to bless and guide us all in everything we do in our respective lives. May He bless our every good efforts and endeavours, and may He give us the strength, courage and faith, so that we may draw ever closer to Him, and will grow to love and know Him more and more. May our Advent journey be truly blessed and fruitful, brothers and sisters in Christ! Amen.

by

Sunday, 3 December 2023 : First Sunday of Advent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Mark 13 : 33-37

At that time Jesus said to His disciples, “Be alert and watch, for you do not know when the time will come. When a man goes abroad and leaves his home, he puts his servants in charge, giving to each one some responsibility; and he orders the doorkeeper to stay awake.”

“So stay awake, for you do not know when the Lord of the house will come, in the evening or at midnight, when the cock crows or before dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him catch you asleep. And what I say to you, I say to all : Stay awake!”

by

Sunday, 3 December 2023 : First Sunday of Advent (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

1 Corinthians 1 : 3-9

Receive grace, and peace from God, our Father, and Christ Jesus, our Lord. I give thanks, constantly, to my God, fo you, and for the grace of God given to you, in Christ Jesus. For you have been fully enriched, in Him, with words, as well as with knowledge, even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you.

You do not lack any spiritual gift and only await the glorious coming of Christ Jesus, our Lord. He will keep you steadfast to the end, and you will be without reproach, on the day of the coming of our Lord Jesus. The faithful God will not fail you, after calling you to this fellowship with His Son, Christ Jesus, our Lord.