Sundays after Epiphany

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Tuesday, 7 November 2023 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 14 : 15-24

At that time, upon hearing the words of Jesus, one of those at the table said to Him, “Happy are those who eat at the banquet in the kingdom of God!”

Jesus replied, “A man once gave a feast and invited many guests. When it was time for the feast, he sent his servant to tell those he had invited to come, for everything was ready. But all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘Please excuse me. I must go and see the piece of land I have just bought.'”

“Another said, ‘I am sorry, but I am on my way to try out the five yoke of oxen I have just bought.’ Still another said, ‘How can I come, when I have just got married?'”

“The servant returned alone, and reported this to his master. Upon hearing his account, the master of the house flew into a rage, and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly, into the streets and alleys of the town, and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.'”

“The servant reported after a while, ‘Sir, your orders have been carried out, but there is still room.’ The master said, ‘Go out to the highways and country lanes, and force people to come in, to ensure that my house is full. I tell you, none of those invited will have a morsel of my feast.'”

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Tuesday, 7 November 2023 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 130 : 1, 2, 3

O YHVH, my heart is not proud nor do I have arrogant eyes. I am not engrossed in ambitious matters, nor in things too great for me.

I have quieted and stilled my soul, like a weaned child, on its mother’s lap; like a contented child is my soul.

Hope in YHVH, o Israel, now and forever.

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Tuesday, 7 November 2023 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Romans 12 : 5-16a

The same with us; being many, we are one body in Christ, depending on one another. Let each one of us, therefore, serve, according to our different gifts. Are you a prophet? Then give the insights of faith. Let the minister fulfil his office; let the teacher teach, the one who encourages, convince.

You must, likewise, give, with an open hand, preside with dedication, and be cheerful in your works of charity. Let love be sincere. Hate what is evil and hold to whatever is good. Love one another and be considerate. Out do one another, in mutual respect. Be zealous in fulfilling your duties. Be fervent in the spirit, and serve God.

Have hope and be cheerful. Be patient in trials and pray constantly. Share with other Christians in need. With those passing by, be ready to receive them. Bless those who persecute you; bless, and do not wish evil on anyone. Rejoice with those who are joyful, and weep with those who weep. Live in peace with one another.

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Monday, 6 November 2023 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded of what we, as Christians should do in our lives, in each and every moments and in everything we encounter daily so that we may always be truly faithful in all things and have a genuine faith that is strong and vibrant, full of love for God and for our fellow brothers and sisters, in following the examples that the Lord Himself had set before us. Through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, God has shown us all what it truly means for us to love Him and to love our fellow brethren. Without love, compassion and mercy, none of us can truly be called or considered as Christians, as after all, if we are God’s beloved children and people, how can we act contrary to the ways that He has shown and taught us?

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Romans, in which the Apostle how God has shown all of His people His mercy, love and kindness, which as St. Paul mentioned, many among the Jewish people had rejected, and the same love was offered and shown to the Gentiles, or the non-Jewish people as well. This has to be understood in the context that most Jewish people at the time of the Lord’s ministry and St. Paul considered that only the Jewish people were God’s chosen people and hence were deserving of salvation and grace from God, while the pagans, all the non-Jewish people who did not obey the Law and commandments of God in its entirety, as how the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law enforced them, were unworthy of God.

This could be seen in the Gospels and the other parts of the New Testament, where the attitude among the Jewish people, their prejudices and biases could be seen, in how the Jews would not enter into the house of Romans, Greeks and other Gentiles, most of whom were pagans, as according to their customs, practices and traditions, this would make them unclean and impure. That was why the chief priests and the elders during the time when they arrested and accused the Lord Jesus before Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judea, did not step into the Praetorium, the governor’s house, for that according to them would make them unclean according to the Law and hence they would be unable to partake in the Passover celebrations that was about to happen then.

But they have forgotten that external purity and appearances do not equate true purity and cleanliness, as the Lord pointed out that while the Pharisees focused on the externals and appearances, and thought that they knew better about God and His ways, their hearts and minds were still closed off to Him, and they did not let Him to enter their hearts, as they were too full of themselves, their prejudices and pride, which closed themselves off from the grace and love of God, His wisdom and truth. Instead, they chose to trust in their own power and intellect, and hardened their hearts against Him. This was why they remained away and far from the salvation which God has offered His people freely, and how those the same Pharisees had condemned and treated as unworthy, like prostitutes and tax collectors, were ahead of them on the way to God.

The truth and reality is that God loves everyone equally, and what He wants from all of us is not just obedience for formality and appearances only, but for us all to have true love and commitment towards Him, from the depth of our hearts. He does not want us to have a faith that is merely superficial, and like in the case of many among the Pharisees, a faith that is used to advance their own ambitions, pride and greed, which is not something that they should have done, and which the Lord rightfully criticised them for, as not only that they had not done what they had been entrusted to do, in caring for the well-being of the people of God, especially in spiritual matters, but they had also prevented many from coming closer towards God because of their heavy-handed imposition of an extremely strict version of the Law of God, as well as their treatment of those whom they should have reached out to, in showing them the love of God.

This is what is echoed in our Gospel passage today, as the Lord told His disciples, followers and all those who listened to Him, that each and every one of them as His followers ought to show love, care and concern for everyone, and not just to those who are dear to us, or those who can bring us the most benefits. We must always show God’s love to all, including even to those who might have hurt us, or been uncharitable to us. The Lord Himself has taught us this, and the show of that ultimate love is when He has chosen willingly to suffer, to take up His Cross and all the burdens of the punishments due for our sins, and then to die for our sake, when we are all still sinners, unworthy and wicked, so that, by loving us this way and showing us the perfect love of God, He might indeed bring us all closer to Him, and to help us to be reconciled completely with the Lord, our God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore today commit ourselves anew to the Lord, reminding ourselves of whatever it is we have just discussed and reflected upon. We should allow the Lord to show us how we can be truly faithful and committed to Him in all things. We must allow the Lord to lead us in the path of virtue, and in the path of compassion and love, which is what He has shown us, and which He has called us to walk through. We must be always ever vigilant that we do not allow the temptations of our human pride, worldly desires and pleasures to distract us from God and His grace, His path and commandments. We must resist the temptations to sin against God, and learn from Him humbly how we can indeed be good and faithful Christians in all things.

May the Lord continue to bless each and every one of us that we may always grow ever stronger in faith in God, and be ever more loving, both towards Him and to our fellow brothers and sisters, just as He Himself has loved us all so wonderfully all these while. Let us all entrust ourselves to the Lord and let us all allow Him to guide us in the path of His love and grace. May all of us draw ever closer to Him, and be ever filled with His light and truth, His love and compassion at all times, that our lives may truly shine with perfect examples of our faith, focused on God and glorifying Him, and not upon ourselves. May God bless each and every one of us, in our every good efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Monday, 6 November 2023 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 14 : 12-14

At that time, Jesus also addressed the man who had invited Him, and said, “When you give a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends, or your brothers and relatives, or your wealthy neighbours. For surely they will also invite you in return, and you will be repaid.”

“When you give a feast, invite instead the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind. Fortunate are you then, because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the upright.”

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Monday, 6 November 2023 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 68 : 30-31, 33-34, 36-37

But I myself, am humbled and wounded; Your salvation, o God, will lift me up. I will praise the Name of God in song; I will glorify Him with thanksgiving.

Let the lowly witness this, and be glad. You who seek God, may your hearts be revived. For YHVH hears the needy; and does not despise those in captivity.

For God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah. His people shall dwell in the land and possess it. The children of His servants shall inherit it, and those who love His Name will dwell in it.

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Monday, 6 November 2023 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Romans 11 : 29-36

Because the call of God, and His gifts, cannot be nullified. Through the disobedience of the Jews, the mercy of God came to you who did not obey God. They, in turn, will receive mercy, in due time, after this disobedience, that brought God’s mercy to you. So, God has submitted all to disobedience, in order to show His mercy to all.

How deep are the riches, the wisdom and knowledge of God! His decisions cannot be explained, nor His ways understood! Who has ever known God’s thoughts? Who has ever been His adviser? Who has given Him something first, so that God had to repay him? For everything comes from Him, has been made by Him and has to return to Him. To Him be the glory forever! Amen.

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Sunday, 5 November 2023 : Thirty-First Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday all of us are all called to be truly faithful to the Lord, and to be wholly committed to Him in all the things we do in our lives. We must not allow ourselves to be swayed by the many temptations all around the world, which may lead us down the wrong path towards sin and our downfall. We must always be firm in our commitment and dedication to God, and we must always remember that everything we say and do, and all of our works, all of them should be done for the glory of God, with the focus and centre on the Lord, rather than for our own glory and achievements, ambitions and desires. These are what we are reminded as Christians, that we know how to live our lives worthily of the Lord.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Malachi, the words of the Lord warning His people, and in particular His priests, those from the tribe of Levi who had been appointed to be the priests over the people of God. The prophet Malachi was one of the last prophets of the Lord to come before the advent of the Messiah, and he gave this warning in relation to the sinful and wicked actions that the people of God had done in the previous moments, in their numerous rebellions and disobedience against Him, in all the wickedness that they had committed throughout their lives. God has always been patient in helping and guiding them all so that they might find their way back to Him, and once again be filled with His grace and love.

The priests mentioned by the Lord in that passage today, had been responsible for the spiritual well-being of the people and becoming the intermediary between the Lord and His beloved ones. The priests, who were chosen and appointed from among the tribe of the Levites, were supposed to be the ones to offer on behalf of the people, the offerings and sacrifices meant for the absolution and forgiveness of their sins. However, as it had frequently happened before, such as if we read in the other parts of the Old Testament, like in the Book of the prophet Samuel, the sons of Eli the High Priest, named Hophni and Phinehas, who belonged to the Levites, were corrupt in their practices, wicked and abused their positions for their own benefits.

They did not obey the Lord and they took from the fattest and best portion of the meat and the offerings presented to them, even though the Law stated that those had to be offered to God and reserved for Him. But those two sons of Eli instead appropriated those for themselves, and in other instances of wickedness and sinful deeds, they did whatever the corrupt priests had done throughout time, while theirs were the ones most well-documented in the Scriptures. And in this case, the Lord’s warning and action against those wicked priests came true, as those who were wicked faced their just fate, like the sons of Eli who were slain in battle against the Philistines, and the Ark of the Covenant that they brought to the battle with them were seized by the Philistines.

Similar fates faced those other people of God, their kings and nobles, and also the priests and the common folks, who had not obeyed the Lord and His commandments and Law, and instead preferring to follow the wicked ways of the world, and all the corruptions of sin. Many among the people and their wicked kings have chosen to abandon God and worship the pagan gods and false idols instead, and lived in the state of sin, which caused many to fall further and deeper into the wrong paths. They also persecuted the prophets and messengers that God had sent to them in order to help and remind them to return to the path of righteousness. In the end, they faced the just consequences of their wickedness and sins, as they were crushed, defeated and had their country and cities destroyed, by the Assyrians and the Babylonians.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard something that is rather similar, as the Lord Jesus criticised the actions of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law in their refusal to obey the Lord and His Law in the right way. They chose to follow their own interpretation and understanding of the Law, which was flawed, and they focused so much on external appearances and pious expressions, that they forgot what it truly meant to be obedient to God, to His Law and commandments. They spent their time and effort to make themselves look good and pious before the others, and they became enamoured by their own vanity and pride, which resulted in them doing things and works not for the greater glory of God, but rather for their own fame and glory.

This was why the Lord criticised them much, as they misled the people of God into the wrong path by their lack of appreciation and understanding of the true nature of God’s Law and commandments. They paraded their piety and actions, proudly thinking that they were league ahead of others around them, in being better and more worthy, more righteous and religious than others. But they deluded themselves because this attitude made them haughty, ambitious and proud, and forgot that they themselves were sinners, imperfect and in need for God’s mercy and healing as well. They had not just acted unjustly towards others, but they had also neglected their responsibilities and duties in showing the path towards God to those who have been entrusted under their care. Not only that, but they had also closed off the path towards God’s grace and salvation by their attitude, in ostracising and being prejudiced against those whom they deemed to be less than worthy.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this is why as Christians, all of us should always strive to be exemplary in our actions and way of life, and most importantly, place the Lord ever always at the centre of our lives and existence. We must not allow the temptations and allures of worldly glory and pleasures to distract us from our calling to serve the Lord in all things and to be full of our faith and obedience to God’s Law and precepts. As we have discussed and talked about earlier on, those priests, elders and the Pharisees who had not obeyed the Lord wholeheartedly, and allowed themselves instead to be misled and swayed by worldly temptations, ambitions and pleasures, which brought them deeper and deeper into the path of wickedness and sin, by which they will be judged against, and found wanting. This is why, all of us, in our own respective areas of life, we must always strive to overcome the temptations and the pressures of worldly desires that may tempt us to follow the path of sin and evil.

In our second reading today, St. Paul in his Epistle to the Church and the faithful in the city of Thessalonica, the Thessalonians, wrote about how the Apostles and the missionaries of the faith cared for them all and shown them the true nature of the Christian faith, that is full of love and compassion, care and attention to others. He spoke to them of the hard work and efforts that they had done for the sake of God’s people, and all of those in the end showed us that true nature of our Christian faith is one of dedication to God, as well as our commitment to love one another just as much as we have loved God and ourselves. We must not put our selfish desires and wants above that of our love for others, and we must not let our personal ambitions and selfish attitudes to prevent us from reaching out to the Lord, our God and Saviour.

Instead, as we continue to labour and walk through this life that we have been blessed and given opportunities in, all of us should continue to resist the corruptions of sin, and the temptations to do things for our own personal benefits at the cost of others around us, who may suffer because of our selfishness, greed and ambitions. Otherwise, as the Scriptures had already clearly shown us, and the Lord’s own words to add on to that, those who are wicked shall be held accountable for their actions, and the greater our position of responsibilities are, the more heavily this burden shall be on our shoulders, as the Lord will judge every single deeds we have done, and what we have also failed to do in our lives, even when we have been given the opportunities to do so. We should not forget that in our every moments in life, we should always be exemplary in faith, and we must always show our Christian faith in our actions at every step of our lives.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us hence strive to put God above all other things in our lives, and commit ourselves anew with faith to whatever that He has commanded and told us to do. Each and every one of us have been entrusted with the particular missions to contribute to the works of the Church, in various different parts and areas of the world. We do not have to do great things in life in order to do this. Rather, what matters is for us to do what we can in the small things we do each day and at every moments, in our various areas of responsibilities, so that we may indeed be good role models and inspirations for one another, in everything that we say and do, and we may be the shining examples of Christian virtues and love to all the people, that more and more may come to believe in God through us.

May the Lord be with us all and may He empower each one of us so that we may indeed be strengthened and inspired to live our lives ever more worthily as Christians, in each and every occasions throughout our lives, that we may come ever closer to righteousness and grace of God. May God bless us and our good efforts, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 5 November 2023 : Thirty-First Sunday of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Matthew 23 : 1-12

At that time, Jesus said to the crowds and to His disciples, “The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees have sat down on the chair of Moses. So you shall do and observe all they say; but do not do as they do, for they do not do what they say. They tie up heavy burdens and load them on the shoulders of the people, but they do not even lift a finger to move them.”

“They do everything in order to be seen by people : they wear very wide bands of the Law around their foreheads, and robes with large tassels. They enjoy the first places at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues, and they like being greeted in the marketplace, and being called ‘Master’ by the people.”

“But you, do not let yourselves be called Master, because you have only one Master, and all of you are brothers and sisters. Neither should you call anyone on earth Father, because you have only one Father, He Who is in heaven. Nor should you be called Leader, because Christ is the only Leader for you.”

“Let the greatest among you be the servant of all. For whoever makes himself great shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be made great.”

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Sunday, 5 November 2023 : Thirty-First Sunday of Ordinary Time (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

1 Thessalonians 2 : 7b-9, 13

We were gentle with you, as a nursing mother, who feeds and cuddles her baby. And so great is our concern, that we are ready to give you, as well as the Gospel, even our very lives, for you have become very dear to us.

Remember our labour and toil; when we preached the Gospel, we worked day and night, so as not to be a burden to you. This is why we never cease giving thanks to God for, on receiving our message, you accepted it, not as human teaching, but as the Word of God. That is what it really is, and, as such, it is at work in you who believe.