Sundays after Epiphany

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Sunday, 29 October 2023 : Thirtieth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

1 Thessalonians 1 : 5c-10

You, also, know how we dealt with you, for your sake. In return, you became followers of us, and of the Lord, when, on receiving the Word, you experienced the joy of the Holy Spirit, in the midst of great opposition. And you became a model for the faithful of Macedonia and Achaia, since, from you, the Word of the Lord spread to Macedonia and Achaia, and still farther.

The faith you have in God has become news in so many places, that we need say no more about it. Others tell, of how you welcomed us, and turned from idols, to the Lord. For you serve the living and true God, and you wait for His Son, from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, Jesus, Who frees us from impending trial.

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Sunday, 29 October 2023 : Thirtieth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 17 : 2-3a, 3b-4, 47 and 51ab

I love You, o YHVH, my strength. YHVH is my Rock, my Fortress, my Deliverer and my God.

He is the Rock in Whom I take refuge. He is my Shield, my powerful Saviour, my Stronghold. I call on YHVH, Who is worthy of praise : He saves me from my enemies!

YHVH lives! Praised be my Rock! Exalted be my Saviour God. He has given victories to His king; He has shown His love to His anointed ones.

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Sunday, 29 October 2023 : Thirtieth Sunday of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Exodus 22 : 20-26

You shall not wrong or oppress a stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. You shall not harm the widow or the orphan. If you do harm them and they cry out to Me, I will hear them and My anger will blaze and I will kill you with the sword, and your own wives will be widows and your own children orphans.

If you lend money to any of My people who are poor, do not act like a moneylender and do not charge him interest. If ever you take a person’s cloak as a pledge, you must give it back to him by sunset, for it is all the covering he has for his body. In what else will he sleep? And when he cries to Me I will hear hum, for I am full of pity.

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Saturday, 28 October 2023 : Feast of St. Simon and St. Jude, Apostles (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Universal Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Apostles, St. Simon and St. Jude. Both of them are parts of the Twelve Apostles, the innermost circle among all of the Lord’s followers and disciples, as those whom the Lord had called, chosen and appointed to be the principal assistants and supporters to His divine mission and works in this world. Both of them were ordinary men called by God to greatness, as they embarked on a new journey, mission and calling for then to be the ones through whom the Lord would be proclaimed and glorified. The Apostles St. Simon and St. Jude had dedicated themselves to the service of the Lord, and has done many great and wonderful things according to the various Apostolic traditions and histories, and they are truly our great role models and inspirations.

St. Simon the Apostle was also known as Simon the Zealot, as a member of the Zealots, which was then one of the political parties and forces present within the Jewish community. He was also sometimes known as Simon the Canaanite or Canaanean. As a former member of the Zealots, it was likely that he was involved in the sometimes violent struggles of the Zealots in opposing the occupation of Judea and Galilee by the Romans, who were then the rulers and overlords of the whole entire region. Previous rebellions and uprisings by the Zealots and other Messiah claimants had happened several times as they tried to liberate themselves from the Roman rule, and they waited and looked forward to the coming of the Messiah, the Son of David, Who was prophesied to be the leader of the Israelites, and Who would restore the old glorious Kingdom of Israel.

St. Simon the Apostle likely followed the Lord Jesus initially because he hoped that Jesus would be the Messiah that the people, especially the Zealots were awaiting for, and hoping that He would lead them in triumph in battle and struggle for freedom from the Romans. However, after having followed the Lord and remained as one of His closest disciples, as members of the Twelve, St. Simon eventually entrusted himself wholly in the Lord’s path and providence, and he spent his life in glorifying the Lord, and in doing whatever it is that God had sent and commissioned him to do, together with the other Apostles who had been sent out to proclaim the Good News and carry out His will and commandments. St. Simon went to evangelise in many places, such as Egypt and others, and eventually went to join St. Jude in his efforts in Persia and Armenia, where they were martyred together, that is why we celebrate their feasts together on this day.

Meanwhile, St. Jude the Apostle, also known as St. Jude Thaddeus or St. Judas Thaddeus, with the distinction from the traitor Judas Iscariot, was another one of the Twelve Apostles, called and chosen by the Lord to be the part of His innermost circle of disciples. St. Jude Thaddeus according to various traditions may refer to one of the ‘brothers’ of th Lord, possibly sons of St. Joseph from another marriage or relatives from His close family, or with the writer of the Epistle of St. Jude. Regardless of the details of his origins and background, it is certain that St. Jude Thaddeus was one of the Apostles and he carried out his mission and works with great zeal and commitment to God. He took up his duties and missions with great dedication, energy and perseverance, enduring a lot of challenges and trials during all of the efforts he had made for the sake and glory of the Lord.

St. Jude Thaddeus was also heavily involved in the works of evangelisation, spreading the Good News of the Gospels in the regions of Judea, Samaria and Idumea nearby Jerusalem, as well as further areas like Libya, Mesopotamia and others. Then, as mentioned, together with St. Simon the Apostle, St. Jude went to the regions of Persia and Armenia, continuing to proclaim the Good News of God to more and more people, attaining many great successes, believers and converts, but also plenty of opposition and challenges from those who refused to believe in God and His truth. In some tradition, he was martyred with St. Simon the Apostle in either the aforementioned Armenia or in what is today Beirut in Lebanon, with an axe that is often seen together with him. Regardless of the circumstances, both Apostles had shown their great faith and dedication to God, doing their best for His glory and sake, even to die for their faith.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all gather together to glorify these two great saints of God, His own Apostles, let us all remind ourselves of all the courageous deeds and efforts of both St. Simon the Apostle and St. Jude the Apostle. Both of them had done what they could in fulfilling the many commands and missions entrusted to them, in doing what they could, ministering to the faithful people of God and delivering God’s Good News to all those who have not yet heard or known of Him. In doing so, they have become for all of us as Christians, perfect role models and examples for each and every one of us to follow in our own lives. As Christians, we must always emulate the examples of St. Simon and St. Jude, the other Apostles, and many other saints, martyrs, and holy men and women of God in our own lives.

Let us all as Christians be exemplary and good in our way of life and actions. We have to commit ourselves in each and every moments to glorify God by our lives, and we should always strive to be worthy of God, by doing what is right and just, worthy and good in the sight of God and men alike. Otherwise, our Christian faith is one that is merely superficial and dead, and has no bearing or purpose for any one of us. We are all called to a greater responsibility, dedication and mission, in how we lead a holy and worthy life, that are truly exemplary and inspirational to one another, and we should always be encouraged and strengthened to help more and more people on their journey and path towards the Lord. We should follow and walk in the footsteps of St. Simon and St. Jude in each and every moments of our lives, continuing the works that the Apostles had started. Let us all remember that we too have been entrusted with specific and unique missions by the Lord in our own respective lives.

May the Lord continue to bless us all and guide us in our journey, and may He continue to empower and strengthen us in our path, so that we may always be strong regardless of the trials, challenges, hardships that may end up in our path. May all of us continue to live our lives worthily of the Lord, and continue to do what He has called us all to do, reminding ourselves that the works of the Apostles are far from done, and we, as the members of the Church, as parts of the same Body of Christ, we should do our best to proclaim God and His Good News to more and more people, not only by words but also through real action and commitment. May God bless our good efforts and works, in all things, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

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Saturday, 28 October 2023 : Feast of St. Simon and St. Jude, Apostles (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Luke 6 : 12-19

At that time, Jesus went out into the hills to pray, spending the whole night in prayer with God. When day came, He called His disciples to Him, and chose Twelve of them, whom He called ‘Apostles’ : Simon, whom He named Peter, and his brother Andrew; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James son of Alpheus and Simon called the Zealot; Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who would be the traitor.

Coming down the hill with them, Jesus stood in an open plain. Many of His disciples were there, and a large crowd of people, who had come from all parts of Judea and Jerusalem, and from the coastal cities of Tyre and Sidon. They gathered to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases. And people troubled by unclean spirits were cured.

The entire crowd tried to touch Him, because of the power that went out from Him and healed them all.

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Saturday, 28 October 2023 : Feast of St. Simon and St. Jude, Apostles (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 18 : 2-3, 4-5

The heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament proclaims the work of His hands. Day talks it over with day; night hands on the knowledge to night.

No speech, no words, no voice is heard – but the call goes on, throughout the universe, the message is felt to the ends of the earth.

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Saturday, 28 October 2023 : Feast of St. Simon and St. Jude, Apostles (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Ephesians 2 : 19-22

Now, you are no longer strangers or guests, but fellow citizens of the holy people : you are of the household of God. You are the house, whose foundations are the Apostles and prophets, and whose cornerstone is Christ Jesus. In Him, the whole structure is joined together, and rises, to be a holy Temple, in the Lord.

In Him, you, too, are being built, to become the spiritual Sanctuary of God.

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Friday, 27 October 2023 : 29th 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 by them to be ever vigilant and careful lest we may be swayed, tempted and misguided by the various temptations to sin and to disobey the Lord, because of the weaknesses and the vulnerabilities of our human physical selves and the weakness of our existence in the flesh, ever susceptible to corruption by sin and the wickedness of this world all around us. We must always remind ourselves that the wage and consequence of sin is death and destruction for us, while the reward for faith and obedience to God is eternal life and true joy with Him. The Lord has shown us all the path of righteousness and virtue worthy of Him, and laid before us what we all should do in obeying Him and His commandments. Ultimately, it is our choice to make, for us to choose either God’s path or the path of sin.

In our first reading today, we heard from the continuation of this past two weeks or so discourse from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans, in which the Apostle spoke to the faithful in Rome about how the nature of their human flesh and existence may bring about conflict and interference with their obligation in serving the Lord and following Him. St. Paul mentioned how he himself was also constantly tempted and persuaded by the desires of the flesh and the body, which was contradictory to the path of the Lord. He mentioned that while his inmost self and overall his whole being agreed with the Lord and obeyed Him, yet, there was indeed that part of him which kept on trying to drag him out of the path of righteousness and obedience to God, which is caused by the temptations and the weakness of our human flesh and existence.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this is a reference to the fact of how we are still susceptible to sin and evil, even after the Lord Himself has come to us, in saving us through His ultimate sacrifice on the Cross. He has indeed redeemed and liberated us from the tyranny and dominion of sin, which had ruled and reigned over us ever since the beginning of time, when our ancestors first fell into temptations, disobeyed God and sinned against Him. The Lord had liberated us all from the tyranny and dominion of this original sin of ours, but our human nature and existence remained bound to the world and as long as there is still evil in this world, the temptations to sin and all, we will still be vulnerable and susceptible to sin, and all of its corrupting influences.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the Lord Jesus speaking to His disciples and to the people regarding the matter of signs of nature and how He used that example and comparison to highlight how all of us must always be ever vigilant in keeping mind that at any time, any one of us can be called to be accountable for our lives, our every actions, works and deeds. When will this happen, brothers and sisters in Christ? It is at the end of our worldly existence, our earthly lives, which we absolutely have no idea of when this will exactly happen. This is something that we all must be mindful of, that there is nothing more certain than the certainty of death, that each and every one of us will certainly and definitely die one day, at the time of God’s own choosing. On the contrary, there is nothing more uncertain than the time of our passing from this world.

That is why we must always be prepared for any eventualities and we cannot assume that we still have the time and opportunities to fix whatever is wrong and improper in our lives. The Lord has given us ample time and opportunities to do what He has called, taught and shown us all to do, and we should always strive to do what is right and just in God’s eyes such that we can be truly exemplary in our faith and way of life, in inspiring our fellow brothers and sisters to do the same in their own lives as well. We should always do our best such that our every words, actions and deeds may always truly show our faith, our obedience and commitment to God. It means that we cannot be idle in living our lives as Christians, and we should not be ignorant in not realising what we are all supposed to do each day in our lives.

The Lord pointed out in our Gospel passage today, that we can discern things happening in our world or predict what will happen by observing our environment and all the signs that we can see and feel from the nature. Therefore, if we can do that, in the same way, we should have been capable in discerning how our lives are like as compared to what we are expected to do as Christians, that is as God’s followers and disciples. We all should have heeded God’s call and understood the urgency with which the Lord has always called and reminded us, that we may all live our lives with faith and virtues at all times. We should not allow ourselves to be easily swayed and misguided by sin and all of its allures, its falsehoods and wickedness.

We must also be ever vigilant lest we fall into the temptations and the coercions leading us into the path of sin. Often times, throughout our lives, there will likely be a lot of occasions when we will have to choose between obeying God and His Law, and to follow the path of worldly desires and ambitions, the path of conforming to the norms and habits of this world, which are often against the Lord and His truth. There will be a lot of times when our faith will likely be tested and we will be tempted to do what is against God and His path, but which is more convenient and comfortable for us. The choice is ours whether we want to conform to that easier path, or whether we want to stay faithful and committed to the Lord, although the latter path might be more difficult and challenging for us.

What is important is for each and every one of us to keep in mind and to remember at all times that the Lord has always given us the chance and the help, the guidance and encouragement that we may truly be courageous and strong in our journey of faith. Let us all now therefore be receptive and willing to embrace God and His truth, His love and guidance, so that in each and every moments of our lives, we may always strive to be righteous, just and worthy of Him, and resist all the temptations and the false paths of sin, evil and wickedness of this world, and instead continue to dedicate ourselves wholly to God at all times. May the Lord be with us always and may He empower each and every one of us, in our every moments in life, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Friday, 27 October 2023 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 12 : 54-59

At that time, Jesus said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming’; and so it happens. And when the wind blows from the south, you say, ‘It will be hot’; and so it is. You superficial people! You understand the signs of the earth and the sky, but you do not understand the present times.”

“And why do you not judge for yourselves what is fit? When you go with your accuser before the court, try to settle the case on the way, lest he drag you before the judge, and the judge deliver you to the jailer, and the jail throw you into prison. I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the very last penny.”

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Friday, 27 October 2023 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 118 : 66, 68, 76, 77, 93, 94

Give me knowledge and good judgment, for I trust in Your commands.

You are good, and Your works are good; teach me Your decrees.

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.

Never will I forget Your precepts; for with them, You give me life.

Save me, for I am Yours, since I seek Your statutes.