Sunday of the Word of God

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Sunday, 26 January 2025 : Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, Sunday of the Word of God (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday all of us are reminded through what we have heard from the Sacred Scriptures that we are all recipients of God’s great and wonderful love which He has manifested to us again and again throughout history, in how He has shown us all His faithfulness and commitment to the Covenant that He had made with each and every one of us, who are His beloved people and children. All of us are parts of the same Body of Christ, the Church of God, the people and flock that God had gathered together to be His one united flock and people, to be the ones to share in the glorious inheritance that He has promised to us, revealing to us all His most wonderful compassion and kindness, His ever enduring love that He has made evident through Christ, His Son, Our Lord and Saviour.

In our first reading this Sunday, we have heard from the Book of the prophet Nehemiah in which the account of the moment when the assembly of the Israelites gathered together in the ruins of Jerusalem, led by the prophet and priest Ezra, who was the contemporary of Nehemiah, at the time when the Israelites were allowed to return back to their homeland after many decades in exile in distant lands. The context of the event was that the disobedience of the Israelites, the sins of the predecessors and ancestors of those who were mentioned in today’s first reading passage, had led to the destruction of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, the kingdoms of the people of God by the Assyrians and the Babylonians. The people of Israel were scattered in distant lands away from their lands, while foreigners were settled in those lands that God had given to them and their ancestors.

But God has never abandoned or forgotten about His people, as He still loved them all and wanted to restore all of them to grace, despite their many sins, wickedness and disobedience. He did this through the Great King of Persia, Cyrus, who conquered Babylonia and issued an edict of emancipation and liberation to all the Israelites, freeing them from their bondage and allowing them to return once again back to their homeland. Not only that, but he also even authorised the rebuilding of the destroyed cities and towns and especially the Temple of God in Jerusalem, in a great show of compassion and tolerance to the people under his rule. Thus, the Israelites came back to Jerusalem and their homeland, led by the priest Ezra and the king’s scribe, Nehemiah.

It was therefore at that occasion Ezra proclaimed the Law of God and the words of the Scriptures to the assembly of the people of God who had finally returned to their homeland. The people were sorrowful and sad because of the many sins which they and their ancestors had committed against the Lord, which had caused their predicament in the first place, but as we heard, Ezra told them not to be sorrowful or mourn on that day, but instead to rejoice greatly because it was truly a joyful day and moment that the Lord had made, in continuing to provide for His people despite their sins and faults, their disobedience and wickedness, showing them His constant love and compassion, kindness and grace, restoring them to their lands and allowing them to rebuild their lives and cities.

Then, from our second reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians we heard of the words of the Apostle telling the people of God that they all belong to the same Body of Christ, the Church, and each and every one of them truly matters and are important. He exhorted them all using the analogy of the body and its many parts, and how each parts require one another to function properly and well, and therefore each and every one of us as Christians, as God’s people, are truly important in each and every one of our lives, efforts and for who we are, regardless of our status, background or wealth, our position, clout or any other things that we often differentiate ourselves with from each other. We must not think that we are better or more worthy than others, and let that bring about division and disunity among us.

Instead, what St. Paul the Apostle wanted to remind us all is that we have to strive to seek for unity amongst all of us Christians, and to do our best to work with one another, to support each other and the efforts of the Church in its many missions and works for the salvation of souls and for the benefit of everyone around us. We cannot and should not remain idle in our lives, and we have to do our best to work for the greater good of everyone, doing our part so that we may contribute our part to the mission and efforts of the Church. All of us share this mission which the Lord has entrusted to us His Church, and the responsibility is ours to do our part in reaching out to the world and living our lives worthily as Christians, at all times.

We must realise that the works of the Church are not limited just to those who are ordained, or members of the clergy and the religious orders. In fact, many of those who are laypeople have to contribute and be active part in the mission of the Church, as the Lord has given various, diverse gifts and talents, abilities and opportunities to each one of us, and we are entrusted with these different responsibilities, and we have to adapt as best as we can, to do our best in living our lives and carrying out our duties and responsibilities faithfully, be it as a member of the ordained, or those who have given themselves to consecrated and religious life, or those laypeople living in the world in their various capacities.

All of us are called to continue the Lord’s work of love and mercy among His people, which He has repeatedly shown us all as He had done with the Israelites in the past as we heard from the Book of the prophet Nehemiah earlier on. And He has reaffirmed that love in the greatest and ultimate way through His Son, Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, Who is the fulfilment of everything that the prophets and the messengers of God had spoken to us, His people, as we heard in our Gospel passage today from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist. The Lord Jesus Himself proclaimed that He was indeed the Messiah or the Saviour long awaited by the people of God, and through Him God would do great things to show His love for all of them.

This Sunday, the Church celebrates together the occasion of the Sunday of the Word of God, reminding ourselves that God Himself, His Divine Word, has become incarnate in the flesh and dwelled among us all, in the person of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world. It is a reminder for all of us that God did not just make empty words or promises, but manifested His love, His kindness and compassion towards all of us through His incarnation, the sending of His Son into this world, to be born of His Mother, the Blessed Mary ever Virgin, to show us all the perfect love that He has always had for each and every one of us, and which we should appreciate and realise as we all carry on living our lives as Christians in our world today.

We are all called as Christians to be the faithful and worthy bearers of our faith in the Lord, to be truly missionary, evangelising and active in how we proclaim the truth and Good News of God to everyone around us. We cannot and should not be ignorant of this calling which we have received from the Lord, and we should always be ready and prepared to go forth, revealing the Word of God that we have received and shared to the whole world. It is what we are called to do on this Sunday of the Word of God, to proclaim the salvation of God to all the nations, and to be the shining beacons of His light and truth, helping many of our fellow brothers and sisters in their journey towards the Lord.

Let us all commit ourselves anew from now on, with a new commitment and spirit, to follow the Lord ever more wholeheartedly in all things. Let us show the ever enduring love and mercy, compassion and kindness which God has for us all, His beloved ones, even to the greatest of sinners among us. No one is truly excluded or barred from the love and mercy of God, and we should be the ones to bear witness to His love and kindness. May God be with us always, and may He bless us in our every good efforts and endeavours, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Sunday, 26 January 2025 : Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, Sunday of the Word of God (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 1 : 1-4 and Luke 4 : 14-21

Several people have set themselves to relate the events that have taken place among us, as they were told by the first witnesses, who later became ministers of the word. After I, myself, had carefully gone over the whole story from the beginning, it seemed right for me to give you, Theophilus, an orderly account, so that your Excellency may know the truth of all you have been taught.

At that time, Jesus acted with the power of the Spirit; and on His return to Galilee, the news about Him spread throughout all that territory. He began teaching in the synagogue of the Jews and everyone praised Him.

When Jesus came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, as He usually did. He stood up to read, and they handed Him the book of the prophet Isaiah.

Jesus then unrolled the scroll and found the place where it is written : “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me. He has anointed Me, to bring good news to the poor; to proclaim liberty to captives; and new sight to the blind; to free the oppressed; and to announce the Lord’s year of mercy.”

Jesus then rolled up the scroll, gave it to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. Then He said to them, “Today, these prophetic words come true, even as you listen.”

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Sunday, 26 January 2025 : Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, Sunday of the Word of God (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

1 Corinthians 12 : 12-30

As the body is one, having many members, and all the members, while being many, form one body, so it is with Christ. All of us, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free, have been baptised in one Spirit, to form one Body, and all of us have been given, to drink from the one Spirit. The Body has not just one member, but many.

If the foot should say, “I do not belong to the body for I am not a hand,” it would be wrong : it is part of the body! Even though the ear says, “I do not belong to the body for I am not an eye,” it is part of the body. If all the body were eye, how would we hear? And if all the body were ear, how would we smell?

God has arranged all the members, placing each part of the body as He pleased. If all were the same part where would the body be? But there are many members and one body. The eye cannot tell the hand, “I do not need you,” nor the head tell the feet, “I do not need you.”

Still more, the parts of our body that we most need are those that seem to be the weakest; the parts that we consider lower are treated with much care, and we cover them with more modesty because they are less presentable, whereas the others do not need such attention. God, Himself, arranged the body in this way, giving more honour to those parts that need it, so that the body may not be divided, but, rather, each member may care for the others. When one suffers, all of them suffer, and when one receives honour, all rejoice together.

Now, you are the Body of Christ, and each of you, individually, is a member of it. So God has appointed us in the Church. First Apostles, second prophets, third teachers. Then come miracles, then the gift of healing, material help, administration in the Church and the gift of tongues.

Are all Apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Can all perform miracles, or cure the sick, or speak in tongues, or explain what was said in tongues?

Alternative reading (shorter version)

1 Corinthians 12 : 12-14, 27

As the body is one, having many members, and all the members, while being many, form one body, so it is with Christ. All of us, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free, have been baptised in one Spirit, to form one Body, and all of us have been given, to drink from the one Spirit. The Body has not just one member, but many.

Now, you are the Body of Christ, and each of you, individually, is a member of it.

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Sunday, 26 January 2025 : Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, Sunday of the Word of God (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 18 : 8, 9, 10, 15

The Law of the Lord is perfect : it gives life to the soul. The word of the Lord is trustworthy : it gives wisdom to the simple.

The precepts of the Lord are right : they give joy to the heart. The commandments  of the Lord are clear : they enlighten the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is pure, it endures forever; the judgements of the Lord are true, all of them just and right.

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart find favour in Your sight, o Lord – my Redeemer, my Rock!

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Sunday, 26 January 2025 : Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, Sunday of the Word of God (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Nehemiah 8 : 2-4a, 5-6, 8-10

Ezra brought the law before the assembly, both men, women and all the children who could understand what was being read. It was the first day of the seventh month.

So he read it before the plaza in front of the Water Gate from dawn till noon, before the men, women and those children who could understand. All the people were eager to hear the book of the law. Ezra, the teacher of the law, stood on a wooden platform built for that occasion.

Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was in a higher place; and when he opened it, all the people stood. Ezra praised YHVH the great God; and all the people lifted up their hands and answered, “Amen! Amen!” And they bowed their heads to the ground.

They read from the book of the law of God, clarifying and interpreting the meaning, so that everyone might understand what they were hearing. Then Ezra, the teacher of the law, said to the people, “This day is dedicated to YHVH, your God, so do not be sad or weep.”

He said this because all wept when they heard the reading of the law. Then he said to them, “Go and eat rich foods, drink sweet wine and share with him who has nothing prepared. This day is dedicated to the Lord, so do not be sad. The joy of YHVH is our strength.”

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

Liturgical Colour : Green

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Liturgical Colour : Green

Mark 1 : 14-20

At that time, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee and began preaching the Good News of God. He said, “The time has come; the kingdom of God is at hand. Change your ways and believe the Good News.”

As Jesus was walking along the shore of Lake Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fish for people.”

At once, they abandoned their nets and followed Him. Jesus went a little farther on, and saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee; they were in their boat mending their nets. Immediately, Jesus called them and they followed Him, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men.

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

Liturgical Colour : Green

1 Corinthians 7 : 29-31

I say this, brothers and sisters : time is running out, and those who are married must live as if not married; those who weep as if not weeping; those who are happy as if they were not happy; those buying something as if they had not bought it, and those enjoying the present life as if they were not enjoying it. For the order of this world is vanishing.

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

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 24 : 4-5ab, 6 and 7bc, 8-9

Teach me Your ways, o YHVH; make known to me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and instruct me, for You are my God, my Saviour.

Remember Your compassion, o YHVH, Your unfailing love from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth, but in Your love remember me.

Good and upright, YHVH teaches sinners His way. He teaches the humble of heart and guides them in what is right.

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

Liturgical Colour : Green

Jonah 3 : 1-5, 10

The word of YHVH came to Jonah a second time : “Go to Nineveh, the great city, and announce to them the message I give you.”

In obedience to the word of YHVH, Jonah went to Nineveh. It was a very large city, and it took three days just to cross it. So Jonah walked a single day’s journey and began proclaiming, “Forty days more and Nineveh will be destroyed.”

The people of the city believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, He had compassion and did not carry out the destruction He had threatened upon them.