Sunday

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Sunday, 6 August 2023 : Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this Sunday, we celebrate the occasion of the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, celebrating and rejoicing at the occasion when Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the whole entire world, Son of Man and Son of God, was transfigured, that is transformed in His being and appearance, to reveal to the three of His closest disciples at Mount Tabor, His true nature and His intentions to all of us. When the Lord revealed Himself in all of His glory that day, accompanied by Moses and Elijah, two very well renowned figures from the Old Testament, He laid bare everything that He had planned from the very beginning, the plan to save all of us mankind, His beloved ones, from the certain destruction and hardships, the sufferings due for us due to our wickedness, disobedience and sins.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Daniel, we heard of the account of the heavenly vision that Daniel received regarding two figures, One was named as the One of Great Age, while the other One was named as the Son of Man. This vision of Heaven and all of God’s glory clearly indicated and revealed to all of us of the true nature of the Messiah or the Saviour that had been long awaited by the people of God. Why is that so? That is because in the heavenly vision of Daniel, he saw not just God in all of His majesty, glory and power, but he also witnessed and saw the Son of God, the One Who would be sent into the world to be the One through Whom God would fulfil and exercise His plan to save all of His beloved ones, in Jesus Christ, His Son, Our Lord and Saviour.

Daniel saw how the One of Great Age, Who is the Father, granting dominion, power and authority to the Son of Man, His beloved and begotten Son, Jesus Christ, Son of God, to be the One to establish anew the Eternal and New Covenant with each and every one of us, and to bring forth unto us the long-awaited salvation and liberation from all the tyranny and dominion of sin and evil. Kingship and dominion have been granted to Him, the One to be born as the Son and Heir of David, so that God might indeed fulfil the promises He made to David, how the House of David and his throne would last forever. This is because Christ Himself, Who has embraced our humanity and being born into this world, is to become its King and Master, the Lord over all universe and Creation, to reign over us all forevermore.

In our second reading, we then heard from St. Peter the Apostle in his Epistle, who wrote about the experience of the Transfiguration, in which he himself and the other two of the Apostles, St. James and St. John, personally experienced at Mount Tabor. He spoke of the experiences that they had, when their Lord and Master was transformed before their very own eyes, revealing His divinity and power, that He was not just mere man like any others, or like any other prophets and servants of God in the past, but that He is a Being far greater than any others, even as compared to Moses and Elijah who had also made an appearance at the moment of the Transfiguration. Jesus Christ, the Transfigured Lord and Messiah, was indeed not just a mere Man, but also God Himself in the flesh.

This is exactly what our Christian faith truly believes in, in the central tenet of belief in the person of Jesus Christ, as our Lord and Saviour, He Who is both Son of God and Son of Man, having two distinct, unique and yet inseparable natures united in His one Person, with two Natures, both Divine and Human, being distinct and yet inseparably united in a perfect union of love in the Person of Jesus, the Transfigured Lord and Messiah. The Transfiguration of the Lord is therefore a revelation of Who the Lord Jesus truly is, and what His agenda and will is for us, what His ministry and works entailed for us, in all that He would do for the sake of our salvation and liberation from the tyranny of sin and death. And at the same time, His glorious Transfiguration is also a premonition and prefigurement of what will happen to us at the end of days, if we remain truly faithful to Him and stay on His path.

In our Gospel passage, detailing for us the events of the Transfiguration at Mount Tabor, we are brought to focus our attention on the moment when the Lord appeared in all of His Divine glory with Moses and Elijah, who as mentioned were very famous and important figures of the Old Testament. First of all, Moses was the leader of the Israelites during the time of the Exodus from Egypt and also the journey of the Israelites towards the land of Canaan, the Promised Land. Moses was the one who received the Ten Commandments and the Law of God, and hence he represented the Law of God, which God revealed and passed down to all of us, His people, to help lead and guide us all to the right path. His appearance before the Lord Jesus Christ at the moment of His glorious Transfiguration served to highlight that the Lord Jesus came to fulfil and perfect the Law which God has given us, to explain and to reveal the true meaning and intentions behind the Law that God has so generously provided for us.

Not only that, but Moses also represented the role that Christ Himself would do, in the former’s foreshadowing of the Latter by his leadership in bringing the whole people of Israel out of the land of their slavery in Egypt, and by whose works and hands, God led His people out of the land of their suffering and misery, and even brought them through the Red Sea, opening the very sea itself before them and crushing the forces of the Pharaoh and the Egyptians sent to chase after them. In the same manner, the Lord Jesus as the Saviour of all and as our Eternal High Priest has led us all mankind, God’s beloved ones, to go out from and leave behind the state of our enslavement and domination by sin. Through His Son, Whom He has sent into the world, God led us all by hand, to go out from the darkness and enter into the new Light of His Presence and truth.

He led us all by His suffering, death and Resurrection, and through the water of baptism, that just like the Israelites who have crossed the Red Sea from slavery in Egypt into their freedom, we may all pass from the darkness and slavery of sin and death, into the Light of God and His salvation and grace, to be reunited with Him and to be wholly reconciled through the forgiveness of our many sins, which Christ Himself had atoned for us through the outpouring and perfect offering of His Most Precious Body and Blood. Thus, God is leading all of us, His beloved ones, out of the darkness of sin, to enter once again into the great light and purity of heart, mind and soul which we have always been intended to be, and one that is represented and shown to us by our Lord’s own Transfiguration. That Transfiguration shows us what each and all of us mankind are always meant to be, to be glorified and worthy of God, full of God’s grace and light, and free from the darkness of sin and evil.

Then, the appearance of Elijah before the Lord highlighted the fact that Elijah was often considered both by his contemporaries and others in the later eras as the greatest and the most prominent of all of God’s prophets and messengers. Just as Moses represented the Law of God, thus Elijah represented the words of the prophets, all the prophecies and truths which God had revealed to His people through them. And therefore, the Lord Jesus is first of all the fulfilment of all those prophecies, affirmed by Elijah’s appearance at Mount Tabor, while at the same time, He is also the One to bring forth into this world the Good News, the news of God’s truth and salvation, revealing the true intentions and meanings of God’s Law and commandments, His plans for all of us, revealing all of these to us with the greatest clarity, through His teachings and words, and through the Holy Spirit and Wisdom that He imparted upon us and His Church.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, having heard and understood the significance and the symbolic importance of the events and things surrounding the Lord’s glorious Transfiguration, let us all realise that this Feast that we are celebrating and are rejoicing in this Sunday is a reminder and call for us to embrace once again the true nature of our beings, that is of the Light, as God’s beloved children and people. Each and every one of us have been created by God with the intention of the sharing of His everlasting love and grace, and we were meant to live in perfect bliss, harmony and joy with Him. However, all of these had been denied to us thanks to us and our own ancestors and predecessors own disobedience and rebellions against God, through which sin had defiled and corrupted us, and gained its dominion over us. This is something that our Lord’s Transfiguration is calling us to reflect, that we must remember our true nature, undefiled and uncorrupted by sin.

The Transfigured Lord is showing all of us, of what and who we all can be, if we truly embrace the Lord’s path and commit ourselves wholeheartedly to Him. The Lord is showing us what we should be, if we want to walk down the path that He has shown us and called us to walk in together with Him. And through His Transfiguration, He also showed us all that His love, His light and Holy Presence is no longer unreachable and unapproachable by us, because by His Incarnation, He has made us to be within reach of salvation and eternal life, through Him and with Him, as He restored us and our connection with God. By His indwelling in the flesh of man, His full Divine glory and majesty are now made accessible to us, as compared to how in the days of the Old Testament, when Moses and Elijah alone could have seen the glory of God to their faces and lived, as everyone else would have been struck dead and be destroyed on the account of their sins and wickedness.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore remind ourselves and one another this day, that as we rejoice and celebrate the glorious memory of the Transfiguration of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man, let us all commit ourselves once again anew in the path that the Lord has shown us, and obey Him, in all that He has told us and taught us to do in our lives. Let us all turn away from the wickedness of the world and from all the allures of sin and evil, and obey the Lord ever more wholeheartedly from now on. Let us all walk down this path of faith from now on, together with Christ, Who is journeying and walking with us, leading us down this path of faith, calling upon us to trust in Him. There will be hardships, challenges and trials likely facing us in our journey forward, but we must always remain firm in faith, reminding ourselves ever always, of the glory and true joy of our future Transfigured selves, in the hope and light of the Resurrection.

One day, with the Lord, we shall no longer suffer anymore, and everything will be all good and right again just as the Lord has always intended for us. In the meantime, let us all be exemplary, inspirational and great role models of our Christian faith and living in all of our words, actions and deeds, in our every interactions and efforts, good works and endeavours for the greater glory of God. May the Lord Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, Who has been Transfigured in glory at Mount Tabor, continue to shine His light upon us and help us in our journey and dedication towards Him, now and always, that we too may be the shining beacons of His light and truth, in every occasions and opportunities. Amen.

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Sunday, 6 August 2023 : Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 17 : 1-9

At that time, six days after Jesus predicted His own death, He took with Him Peter and James and his brother John, and led them up a high mountain, where they were alone. Jesus’ appearance was changed before them : His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became bright as light. Just then Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Jesus.

Peter spoke and said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. If You wish, I will make three tents : one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” Peter was still speaking, when a bright cloud covered them with its shadow, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My Son, the Beloved, My Chosen One. Listen to Him.”

On hearing the voice, the disciples fell to the ground, full of fear. But Jesus came, touched them and said, “Stand up, do not be afraid.” When they raised their eyes, they no longer saw anyone except Jesus. And as they came down the mountain, Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone what they had just seen, until the Son of Man be raised from the dead.

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Sunday, 6 August 2023 : Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

2 Peter 1 : 16-19

Indeed, what we taught you about the power, and the return of Christ Jesus our Lord, was not drawn from myths or formulated theories. We, ourselves, were eyewitnesses of His majesty, when He received glory and honour from God, the Father, when, from the magnificent glory, this most extraordinary word came upon Him : “This is My beloved Son, this is My Chosen One.”

We, ourselves, heard this voice from heaven, when we were with Him on the holy mountain. Therefore, we believe most firmly in the message of the prophets, which you should consider rightly, as a lamp shining in a dark place, until the break of day, when the Morning Star shines in your hearts.

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Sunday, 6 August 2023 : Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 96 : 1-2, 5-6, 9

YHVH reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the distant islands be glad. Clouds and darkness surround Him; justice and right, are His throne.

The mountains melt like wax before YHVH, the Lord of all the earth. The heavens proclaim His justice, all peoples see His glory.

For You are the Master of the universe, exalted far above all gods.

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Sunday, 6 August 2023 : Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Daniel 7 : 9-10, 13-14

I looked and saw the following : Some thrones were set in place and One of Great Age took His seat. His robe was white, as snow, His hair, white as washed wool. His throne was flames of fire with wheels of blazing fire. A river of fire sprang forth and flowed before Him. Thousands upon thousands served Him and a countless multitude stood before Him.

Those in the tribunal took their seats and opened the book. I continued watching the nocturnal vision : One like a Son of Man came on the clouds of heaven. He faced the One of Great Age and was brought into His presence. Dominion, honour and kingship were given Him, and all the peoples and nations of every language served Him. His dominion is eternal and shall never pass away; His kingdom will never be destroyed.

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Sunday, 30 July 2023 : Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday all of us are reminded by the passages of the Sacred Scriptures for us all to seek the true treasures of our lives that can be found in the Lord our God alone. Each and every one of us are reminded that as Christians, all of us have been called and chosen by the Lord to be His own beloved people, and we have also responded to this call through our baptism and initiation into the Church of God. All of us are brought into the presence of God, and have been blessed with the many gifts and blessings, rich graces and wonders, through the Wisdom that He has bestowed upon us, in the Holy Spirit that has come to dwell upon each one of us, as the members of His Church. The Wisdom of God has come to dwell in our midst, granting us the knowledge and understanding of truth, much as how God has blessed King Solomon with great wisdom and understanding unparalleled in his time.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Kings of Israel and Judah, the account of the moment from the youth and early days of the reign of King Solomon of Israel, just shortly he ascended to the throne following the death and passing of his father, King David of Israel. Both King David and King Solomon are remembered for their great and righteous rule, as great and noble kings, who ruled over great and golden era of the Kingdom of Israel, as righteous and just rulers over the people of God. King Solomon in particular was renowned for his great wisdom, his great riches and glorious rule over a vast kingdom, which were presented unto him by God, as we heard in that passage today. Solomon was initially still young and inexperienced, unsure about his rulership and uncertain about the challenges and other obstacles that he might have to face, and hence, he sought for God’s help, praying and asking Him for the gift of wisdom to help him in being a good and worthy ruler over God’s people.

And as we heard, that it was because of this request that God has blessed Solomon even more wonderfully and greatly, because he did not ask for any kind of worldly glory, greatness or material wealth, and all sorts of things that people may often be asking for. Instead, Solomon asked for the grace and the guidance to know what is right and just, the discerning and intuitive mind to do what is right and appropriate, the wisdom and intellect to do God’s will and to ability to govern the people of God well and with responsibility. Therefore, as Solomon was not asking for a selfish desire and want, and he was selflessly asking for a gift that was meant for the good of others, God granted him his wishes, and blessed him even far more than what he has ever asked. God blessed Solomon with such great wisdom and wealth, power and glory, that his name became famous throughout the world.

King Solomon was filled with God’s wisdom and grace, and his kingdom was great because of that. However, this does not mean that he was impervious to faults and mistakes, and he was neither perfect nor infallible. While mostly having reigned with great justice, wisdom and faith in the Lord, building up the great Temple dedicated to God in Jerusalem and leading God’s people and kingdom to its magnificent days, but later on in his life, King Solomon allowed himself to be swayed by the temptations and the attachments of worldly corruptions and pleasures. He had a large number of wives and concubines according to the later part of the Book of Kings, many hundreds of them, with many of them coming from the various peoples living in the lands surrounding the kingdom of Israel, and who brought pagan practices and wickedness into the king’s court.

Thus, while Solomon was guided by the Wisdom of God in the early and middle part of his reign, but later on, he allowed worldly glory, pride, wealth and all of his greatness to cloud his judgment and wisdom, and mislead him and the people into the wrong path, the path of evil and sin. That is why, linking to what we have heard in our Gospel passage today, in the Lord’s words to His disciples, speaking to them regarding what it means to come and seek the kingdom of God, to seek the true treasures that can be gained and found in the Lord alone. We should not allow ourselves to be deluded and tricked by the many false treasures present all around us, which offered us temporary and ultimately disappointing results and outcome, and which pleasure and joy do not truly lead to true satisfaction and happiness, unlike what is found in God.

For example, King Solomon himself, in his pursuit of power and glory, likely sought to gain alliances and worldly renown, as well as great prestige and fame from having so many marriages and concubines, as part of the customs of the world at that time. But instead of solidifying his rule and dominion, it led to the fracturing of his united kingdom shortly after his death, as the ten tribes of the Israelites broke free to form the northern kingdom of Israel, leaving just the tribes of Judah and Benjamin in the southern kingdom of Judah for the House of David, to Solomon’s descendants. And despite of his massive armies and huge armada of chariots according to the Scriptures, all of these came to naught, and the kingdoms after Solomon would fall apart due to civil wars, conflicts and would eventually be crushed and conquered by their enemies.

Through all of those examples and many other historical evidences in our world history, the Lord has shown us time and again how those who seek Him should commit themselves wholeheartedly to Him, and place Him at the centre and as the main focus of their lives. All of us are reminded of the limitations of our human power, abilities and intellect, all of which pale in comparison with the power and wisdom of God. The value and worth of following the Lord and His path, knowing and appreciating His truth and love are far beyond any treasures that this world can offer us, as while the treasures of this world can only offer us temporary joy in this world, and in accordance with what the Lord Himself told His disciples, that those could perish and be destroyed by fire and by the other forces of the world, there is nothing that can destroy or affect the true treasures that we can find in God alone.

Now, let us all ask ourselves what is our treasures in life and what it is that we are seeking for in our lives. Are these treasures referring to any kind of worldly glory, fame, wealth and other material goods and pleasures of this world? Are we looking for and being obsessed with all those desires and temptations being present all around us? Or do we rather seek the treasures of the Lord, the righteousness, justice and virtues in God? Do we rather seek the certainty and guarantee of God’s love and compassion, in everything that God has always been faithful and committed in providing to us, as He has proven yet again and again, in fulfilling the Covenant which He had made with each one of us. St. Paul in our second reading today, in his Epistle to the Romans also reassured us by reminding us of the ultimate gift of love from God, the gift of His own Firstborn Son, Jesus Christ, to be our Saviour and King, delivering us from the tyranny of sin and death, and into eternal life.

And nothing can truly separate us from the love of God, as not even sin and death can do that, less so even those worldly forces that can destroy any other false treasures of this world, but can never bring us apart from the Lord, Who willingly sought us out and did His best to reconcile us to Himself, by the most selfless sacrifice that His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, offered on the Altar of His Cross. All of us have been truly blessed to be beloved by the Lord in such a manner, and we have to be thankful for all that He has given and blessed us with, all these while. That is why we should strive from now on to live our lives no longer under the sway of any worldly temptations and desires, or influenced by the corrupt forces being present all around us. Let us all as Christians be exemplary in all of our actions, our way of life and our deeds that we may truly be worthy of the Lord and everything that He has assured and promised us all through His Son.

Let us all reject the path of sin and evil, and embrace anew the path of God’s righteousness and virtue, and entrusting ourselves anew to the Lord, like King Solomon of old, that God’s Wisdom may guide us and keep us firm in faith, and guard us against any forms of worldly excesses and wickedness that had brought about the downfall of many among our predecessors. May God be with us always and may He continue to show us His Wisdom, so that we may always be His most worthy and wise disciples and followers, whose actions and works, efforts and endeavours are for His greater glory alone. Let nothing deter us and stop us from seeking the Lord, our true Treasure in life. Amen.

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Sunday, 30 July 2023 : Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Matthew 13 : 44-52

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, hidden in a field. The one who finds it, buries it again; and so happy is he, that he goes and sells everything he has, in order to buy that field.”

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a trader, who is looking for fine pearls. Once he has found a pearl of exceptional quality, he goes away, sells everything he has and buys it.”

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a big fishing net, let down into the sea, in which every kind of fish has been caught. When the net is full, it is dragged ashore. Then they sit down and gather the good fish into buckets, but throw the bad away.”

“That is how it will be at the end of time; the Angels will go out to separate the wicked from the just, and to throw the wicked into the blazing furnace, where they will weep and gnash their teeth.”

Jesus asked, “Have you understood all these things?” “Yes,” they answered. So He said to them, “Therefore, every teacher of the Law, who becomes a disciple of the kingdom of heaven, is like a householder, who can produce from his store things both new and old.”

Alternative reading (shorter version)

Matthew 13 : 44-46

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, hidden in a field. The one who finds it, buries it again; and so happy is he, that he goes and sells everything he has, in order to buy that field.”

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a trader, who is looking for fine pearls. Once he has found a pearl of exceptional quality, he goes away, sells everything he has and buys it.”

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Sunday, 30 July 2023 : Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Romans 8 : 28-30

We know that in everything, God works for the good of those who love Him, whom He has called, according to His plan. Those whom He knew beforehand, He has also predestined, to be like His Son, similar to Him, so, that, He may be the Firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

And so, those whom God predestined, He called; and those whom He called, He makes righteous; and to those whom He makes righteous, He will give His glory.

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Sunday, 30 July 2023 : Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 118 : 57 and 72, 76-77, 127-128, 129-130

You are my portion, o YHVH; I have promised to obey Your word. Your law is more precious to me than heaps of silver and gold.

Comfort me then with Your unfailing love, as You promised Your servant. Let Your mercy come, to give me life; for Your law is my delight.

I love Your commandments more than gold – the finest gold. Because my steps are guided by Your precepts, I hate all false ways.

Wonderful are Your decrees; my soul cannot but keep them. As Your words unfold, light is shed, and the simple-hearted understand.

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Sunday, 30 July 2023 : Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

1 Kings 3 : 5, 7-12

It was in Gibeon, during the night, that YHVH appeared to Solomon in a dream and said, “Ask what you want Me to give you.”

Solomon said, “And now, o YHVH, my God, You have made Your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a young boy who does not know how to undertake anything. Meantime, Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen – a people so great that they can neither be numbered nor counted.”

“Give me, therefore, an understanding mind in governing Your people that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this multitude of people of Yours?”

YHVH was pleased that Solomon had made this request. And He told him, “Because you have requested this rather than long life or wealth or even vengeance on your enemies; indeed, because you have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, I shall grant you your request. I now give you a wise and discerning mind such as no one has had before you nor anyone after you shall ever have.”