Sunday

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Sunday, 26 April 2015 : Fourth Sunday of Easter, Good Shepherd Sunday, Vocation Sunday (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 4 : 8-12

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke up, “Leaders of the people! Elders! It is a fact that we are being examined today for a good deed done to a cripple. How was he healed? You and all the people of Israel must know that this man stands before you cured through the Name of Jesus Christ the Nazarean. You had Him crucified, but God raised Him from the dead.”

“Jesus is the stone rejected by you the builders which has become the cornerstone. There is no salvation in anyone else, for there is no other Name given to humankind all over the world by which we may be saved.”

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Sunday, 19 April 2015 : Third Sunday of Easter, Tenth Anniversary of the Pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI, Vicar of Christ and Supreme Pontiff (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate the occasion of the Third Sunday of Easter, and as we continue to progress through this joyous and great season of Easter, we are called by what we heard today from the Sacred Scriptures, to throw far, far away, our fears and our insecurities, our doubts and our sinfulness, our disobedience and our vanity, to embrace fully the fullness of God’s redemption which He had given us through the Risen Christ, Jesus our Lord and God.

The Apostles feared the Jews and feared their retribution, after they have apparently lost their Lord and Master when Jesus was condemned to death on the cross. Even though they have heard many times from Jesus Himself that He would suffer and die, and yet to be risen from the dead in glory, they still doubted and feared. They were like sheep that had just lost their shepherd, scattered and not knowing where to go, leaderless and without aim.

They trembled in their body, mind and heart, and yet, at that very moment, Jesus appeared in their midst, revealing Himself to them. The words which He said to them indeed have a profound impact and meaning. Peace be with you is the expression of God trying to calm the doubts and the fears in the hearts of the Apostles, and instead replace these with faith, trust and confidence in the Lord.

As in the first reading, St. Peter spoke to the people assembled about the ignorance with which they had condemned the Lord with, therefore, the Apostles also had once been infected with the same ignorance and the same lack of understanding, which came about from the reluctance of all of us to accept the fullness of truth, that Christ is Lord, is King, and is God, Almighty and Creator of the Universe, who have yet come down into this world as a humble Man, through whom we have been saved.

And it is this truth that the Apostles had been made aware of. Jesus Himself told them and revealed to them the fullness of the meaning of the Sacred Scriptures and the history of salvation, and their minds were opened. And later on as we know, they would be sent the Holy Spirit, the Advocate and the One who empowered them in their hearts and minds, that the knowledge and wisdom of the truth is with them.

And from all these rose the foundations of our Church as we know it now. The Apostles continued the works of Jesus, in bringing about the salvation and truth which Christ had brought, to the whole humanity, to the ends of the earth. And all these efforts were united together in the Church which God Himself had established, with the leadership of the Apostles united with Peter, the chief and first of the Apostles, whom God Himself put in charge over all of His faithful ones.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, there are still many people in this world today who are still in the darkness and in ignorance of the truth which Christ had brought us. There are many people who have yet to listen to the Good News of our Lord, and it is our duty and responsibility, as members of the Church to carry that message of truth to all of them. Yes, and we have to begin that with our own selves and all the things that we say and do.

In the second reading today, St. John in his epistle mentioned how if we truly know the Lord and profess to others that we know Him, then we have to show it in our own actions and deeds, or otherwise we would be liars and deceivers. No one will believe in us or in what we are preaching to them if we ourselves do not practice what we had preached. We must lead by example and put our faith into real action.

Today we commemorate a great and joyful day, as today marks the tenth anniversary, a decade since the election of the successor of St. Peter the Apostle as the Bishop of Rome, and thus as the Leader and Chief of all the faithful. As the successor of St. Peter, Pope Benedict XVI is the Vicar of Christ, or Christ’s sole representative on this world.

As we rejoice in God’s blessings which had blessed our Holy Father with this wonderful ten years of service to the Church and all of God’s holy people, we too have to remember that we must continue to support him and all the other leaders of the Church, by doing our best to contribute to the Church’s work to spread the Good News and the truth of Christ to all parts of the world.

Pope Benedict XVI had committed himself to many years of hard and great works to rejuvenate the faith in many people around the world. He had devoted much time to the works of charity and mercy of the Church, to help those who are less fortunate and in suffering, and standing up for those who have been persecuted for their faith and for various other reasons. His writings and publications had clearly spoken the truth of Christ for all to witness and believe.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we know that at this time and era, it is becoming more and more difficult to stay true to our faith, to our Lord and to stand up to all the truth and the teachings which we had received from the Lord Himself through the Church. This is why, we have to support each other, and do our best to help the efforts of the Church. Let us all support our Pope, bishops and all the others involved in the maintenance and governance of the faithful in the Church.

May Almighty God bless our Pope, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, the faithful and humble servant of our God, that he will continue to be a blessing to all of God’s Church, and continue to serve as our leader and shepherd, guiding us on the way to the Lord, against all the challenges and all the oppositions, so that we may truly get rid of our fear and doubts, and fully immerse ourselves in the love of God, and be truly faithful to Him in action and deeds. Let us all work together, to help the Church of God in its work for the salvation of all mankind! God bless us all. Amen.

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Sunday, 19 April 2015 : Third Sunday of Easter, Tenth Anniversary of the Pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI, Vicar of Christ and Supreme Pontiff (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 24 : 35-48

At that time, the two disciples from Emmaus told what had happened on the road to there, and how Jesus had made Himself known, when He broke bread with them.

While they were still talking about this, Jesus Himself stood in their midst. He said to them, “Peace to you.” In their panic and fright, they thought they were seeing a ghost, but He said to them, “Why are you upset, and how does such an idea cross your minds? Look at My hands and feet, and see that it is I Myself! Touch Me, and see for yourselves, for a ghost has no flesh and bones as I have!” As He said this, He showed His hands and feet.

In their joy they did not dare believe, and were still astonished; so He said to them, “Do you have anything to eat?” And they gave Him a piece of broiled fish. He took it, and ate it before them. Then Jesus said to them, “Remember the words I spoke to you when I was still with you : Everything written about Me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.

And He said, “So it was written : the Messiah had to suffer, and on the third day rise from the dead. Then repentance and forgiveness in His Name would be proclaimed to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things.”

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Sunday, 19 April 2015 : Third Sunday of Easter, Tenth Anniversary of the Pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI, Vicar of Christ and Supreme Pontiff (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

1 John 2 : 1-5a

My little children, I write to you that you may not sin. But if anyone sins, we have an Intercessor with the Father, Jesus Christ, the Just One. He is the sacrificial victim for our sins and the sins of the whole world.

How can we know that we know Him? If we fulfill His commands. If you say, “I know Him,” but do not fulfill His commands, you are a liar and the truth is not in you. But if you keep His word, God’s love is made complete in you.

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Sunday, 19 April 2015 : Third Sunday of Easter, Tenth Anniversary of the Pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI, Vicar of Christ and Supreme Pontiff (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 4 : 2, 4, 6b-7, 9

Answer when I call, o God, my Justice! When I was in distress, You gave me solace. Have compassion on me and hear my plea.

But you must know that the Lord has shown His kindness to me. When I call to Him, He hears me.

Put your trust in the Lord your God. Many ask, “Who will give us a happy time? Would that His favour shine upon us!”

I lie down and sleep in peace, for Your alone, o Lord, make me feel safe and secure.

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Sunday, 19 April 2015 : Third Sunday of Easter, Tenth Anniversary of the Pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI, Vicar of Christ and Supreme Pontiff (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 3 : 13-15, 17-19

Peter said to the people, “The God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you handed over to death and denied before Pilate, when even Pilate had decided to release Him. You rejected the Holy and Just One, and you insisted that a murderer be released to you. You killed the Master of Life, but God raised Him from the dead and we are witnesses to this.”

“Yet I know that you acted out of ignorance, as did your leaders. God has fulfilled in this way what He had foretold through all the prophets, that His Messiah would suffer. Repent, then, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out.”

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Sunday, 12 April 2015 : Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate the Second Sunday of Easter, which is also known since just over a decade ago as the Divine Mercy Sunday, the day and special occasion when we celebrate the Lord’s merciful love and forgiveness for us all. It is at the heart of our Easter celebrations to understand and appreciate the fullness of God’s mercy which He had shown to us all.

In Easter we rejoice because of the love that God had shown us through Jesus, which was so great such that He was willing to give Himself as the sacrificial offering and victim for the purification of our sins. Our sins and faults are the burdens which He bore, and the wounds which He received, were the iniquities and wickedness which we had committed in life.

Like the parable and story on the prodigal son, the story which Jesus told the people and which we all mostly know, we are the prodigal sons in the story. We are the prodigal sons and daughters of our Lord, by our disobedience against His will, and by the various acts of hatred, injustice, selfishness and other negativities which cast us apart from God and His love.

The father is our Lord and Father, God who is always concerned about us day and night, at all times, waiting for us to return from our waywardness, and for us to make that effort to turn back to Him, who is always waiting for our return, for our repentance from our sins. He is always available, and His arms are always open and ready to welcome us back, and this is His mercy.

But mercy alone is not complete and is not enough. God offers His mercy freely, but will we take that mercy and follow Him? Are we able to persuade ourselves enough and put enough effort to stop whatever wickedness we have committed and fully embrace God’s mercy and thus be genuinely and completely reconciled to Him? These are the questions which we really should ask ourselves as we reflect on the Most Divine Mercy of our Lord on this day.

God loves all of us and He wants us to be thoroughly converted, not just making empty promises and empty profession of faith. If we seek God’s mercy, then we must also change our ways and put in a great effort in order to do that. God loves us all, but He hates thoroughly the sins and wickedness which we performed in this world, in His sight and presence. If we do not change our ways, then what we are seeking is false mercy.

And it is this false mercy that some elements in our Church had been trying to force and administer to all those who have sinned and still live in that sin which had separated them from God. If we offer false mercy to others, not only that it would create the false impression that God does not mind that we continue to live in sin, but thus also make us to be lazy and complacent, in continuing to walk down our sinful path.

We must beware lest the temptations of the world and the lures of the devil get to us. It is the seeds of evil and rebellion, of disobedience and haughtiness, of pride and selfishness that he placed inside each one of us because of our sins. Do not let our minds and hearts be deceived because of what we think is the easier path in life. God wants His peace and mercy to be upon us, but this does not come about easily and without difficulty.

Temptations are abundant, and life will not be easy for us to resist all of them. The pull of money, of power, of fame and human praise, as well as many other worldliness separating us from the righteousness in God are challenges that we have to face. Indeed, this may seem to be difficult, but certainly not impossible for us. What we need is courage and the willpower to make a difference to ourselves.

Hence, brothers and sisters in Christ, what we need to do, is to change ourselves first. We have to commit ourselves to the new way of life, that is to walk upright in the presence of God. And we can begin that by learning to forgive one another, letting go of our anger and hatred to one another. We mankind are often bound by our emotions and our inability to let go of our grudge.

Let us ask ourselves this question then, are we able to be forgiven by God if we have not forgiven others around us first? If we hold grudge against others and refuse to forgive them, then what right do we have to demand or deserve mercy from the Lord? Forgive and you shall be forgiven too, and in the Lord’s Prayer, we also ask God to forgive our sins just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.

On this Divine Mercy Sunday let us all remind each other, that we have much to do. We have to begin with ourselves, practicing mercy and forgiveness in our own lives, but we also have to still be concerned about our sins. We cannot just forgive and let everything go on as if nothing had happened. When we forgive others, we too should remind them to change their ways and embrace repentance sincerely, and this too we should do, if we had harmed others in any way.

Let us all be proactive in our faith and grow in our devotion to Him. Let us look to His merciful heart and seek that mercy, all the while devoting ourselves to the path of righteousness in accordance with the way that our Lord had taught us to do. God’s mercy be upon us, and with our sincere repentance and turning away from sins, may all mankind receive His grace, love and salvation. God bless us all. Amen.

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Sunday, 12 April 2015 : Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 20 : 19-31

On the evening of that day, the first day after the Sabbath, the doors were locked where the disciples were, because of their fear of the Jews. But Jesus came, and stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you!” Then He showed them His hands and His side. The disciples kept looking at the Lord and were full of joy.

Again Jesus said to them, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent Me, so I send you.” After saying this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit! Those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; those whose sins you retain, they are retained.”

Thomas, the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he replied, “Until I have seen in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in His side, I will not believe.”

Eight days later, the disciples were inside again and Thomas was with them. Despite the locked doors Jesus came and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you!” Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see My hands; stretch out your hand, and put it into My side. Do not be an unbeliever! Believe!”

Thomas then said, “You are my Lord and my God.” Jesus replied, “You believe because you see Me, do you not? Happy are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

There were many other signs that Jesus gave in the presence of His disciples, but they are not recorded in this book. These are recorded, so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Believe, and you will have life through His Name!

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Sunday, 12 April 2015 : Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

1 John 5 : 1-6

All those who believe that Jesus is the Anointed, are born of God; whoever loves the Father, loves the Son. How may we know that we love the children of God? If we love God and fulfill His commands, for God’s love requires us to keep His commands. In fact, His commandments are not a burden.

Because all those born of God overcome the world. And the victory which overcomes the world is our faith. Who has overcome the world? The one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus Christ was acknowledged through water, but also through blood. Not only water but water and blood. And the Spirit, too, witness to Him for the Spirit is truth.

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Sunday, 12 April 2015 : Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 117 : 2-4, 16ab and 17-18, 22-24

Let Israel say, “The Lord’s loving kindness endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron say, “His loving kindness endures forever.” Let those who fear the Lord say, “His loving kindness endures forever.”

The right hand of the Lord is lifted high, the right hand of the Lord strikes mightily! I shall not die, but live to proclaim what the Lord has done. The Lord has stricken me severely, but He has saved me from death.

The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing and we marvel at it. This is the day the Lord has made; so let us rejoice and be glad.