Supreme Pontiff

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Monday, 8 February 2016 : 5th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Jerome Emiliani, and St. Josephine Bakhita, Virgin (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Virgins)

1 Kings 8 : 1-7, 9-13

Then Solomon assembled before him in Jerusalem the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, as well as the leaders of the ancestral houses of the Israelites, to bring up the Ark of the Covenant of YHVH from the city of David, which is Zion.

All the Israelites assembled near king Solomon in the month of Ethanim, the seventh month. When all the elders of Israel arrived, the priests carried the Ark of YHVH and brought it up together with the Tent of Meeting and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent.

After the priests and Levites had brought them up, king Solomon with the entire congregation of Israel that had assembled before him and were with him before the Ark, sacrificed so many sheep and oxen that they could neither be counted nor numbered.

Then the priests laid the Ark of the Covenant of YHVH in its place in the inner sanctuary of the House – the Most Holy Place – underneath the wings of the Cherubim. The Cherubim had their wings spread out over the place of the Ark, providing a covering above the Ark and its poles.

There was nothing in the Ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses placed there at Horeb, where YHVH made a Covenant with the Israelites when they came out of the land of Egypt. And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, such a cloud filled YHVH’s House that the priests could not continue to minister. Indeed, the glory of YHVH filled His House.

Then Solomon said, “YHVH has said that He would dwell in thick darkness. So the House I have built You will be Your House, a place for You to dwell in forever.”

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Sunday, 7 February 2016 : Fifth (5th) Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard the urgings from the word of God in the Sacred Scripture, through which the Church had brought to our attention, of the need for us all to embrace the calling of the Lord, if He calls us to take up the cross and follow Him in the way that He had laid out for us. The words of the Scripture spoke of the examples of the faith of those whom God had called, and now they have responded in kind.

In the first reading, we heard about the vision which the prophet Isaiah saw at the beginning of his calling and ministry to be a servant and messenger of God, where He saw the glory of God Himself, enthroned on the Cherubim and guarded and served by the mighty Seraphim. And Isaiah felt unworthy to stand before the presence of God, for he was a sinner just like many others. But God purified him and made him worthy, and Isaiah answered God’s calling and accepted it.

Then in the second reading, we heard from the Apostle, St. Paul, who preached to the people of God, the testimony of his faith, just as what he had received through the Holy Spirit, and the knowledge which was passed down to him from the other Apostles and from the Lord Jesus Himself. He spoke of the Lord Jesus Who died and rose from the dead for our sake. And in doing so, he stood up for his faith and called many others to also follow in his footsteps.

If not for his dedication and commitment, and if not for his hard work for the sake of the Lord and for the spreading of His Good News, then the word of God would not have reached the ears, the minds and the hearts of countless souls, who would then remain in the darkness and lost to the Lord. But it was because of the faith and the devotion of St. Paul and of the other Apostles that the works of God were made evident.

In the Gospel, we heard how Jesus told Simon Peter to go out into the deep waters and spread his fishing net there. Despite a whole night of no fish being caught at all, he obeyed the commands of the Lord, and as a result, so many fishes were caught that even two fishing boats could not contain them. After that, Peter and many of his other fellow fishermen, future St. Andrew, St. James and St. John the Evangelist believed in Jesus and followed Him.

In this again we see the emphasis that is placed on God’s calling and how we ought to respond to that call. We remember in another passage from the Holy Gospels, when Jesus mentioned about the harvest of the field of the Lord, and how even though the harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few. The field represents the world, and the workers are all of us the faithful ones of the Lord.

This means that even though there are so many opportunities for many people and many souls to achieve salvation, but because there are so few of those who made themselves available to bring God’s salvation to them, in the end it means nothing, and nothing good came out of it, and many souls were still left to suffer in the darkness of ignorance and sin.

We have to remember that God did not call people who were great, talented or mighty in worldly deeds and power, or those who had great intellect, smart and excellent in their works. Instead, God called not because He saw the great abilities and talents that were in each of those people whom He had chosen, but because He saw the heart, and He knew those who truly love Him and were able to devote themselves to Him.

For to God, all of our worldly greatness and achievements mean nothing to Him, as all these pale in comparison to what one who love God with all of his or her strength and might could give. God desires not the hubris and the showcase of men’s pride and their achievements, but He desires the same love which we ought to give Him, just as He had loved us first.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, all of us today are called to think about our own lives, and reflect upon our actions and deeds, all the things that we have done in the past until now. Have we been faithful disciples and followers of our Lord? Or is our faith merely superficial and not real? Did we just profess our faith in mere words or did we attempt to mean what we say when we profess our faith for God by showing it through real work and real action?

Brothers and sisters in Christ, all of us have to realise that being a Christian is a calling and also a commitment. We cannot call ourselves Christians and yet our actions, words and deeds speak volumes in denying what we profess. If our actions show that even though we claimed to believe in God but our actions proved otherwise, then we are no Christians!

A true Christian, someone who profess themselves as those who belong to God and believing in His laws and obeying His commandments should have the courage in them to live out their lives in accordance to their Christian faith. This means that we ought to go and put out into the deep, just as Christ Himself had ordered Simon Peter to do.

If we remain idle and not doing whatever is within our capacity and responsibility to do, then the good works of God will remain dormant, and no good fruits will come from it. As members of the Church, all of us have to realise that each and every one of us must work together and contribute to the advancement of God’s mission and work to save mankind from sin, and to bring all back to the loving embrace of God.

And we do not have to look far or think that we need to do enormous tasks. Instead, through our own daily lives, through our own actions and dealings with one another, within our own families, neighbours to one another, within our community and society we should do our best to be faithful in how we say and do things, and we should inspire others to follow our footsteps and the footsteps of the faithful who had gone before us.

Let us all, the modern day disciples of our Lord be strengthened in our faith, and may courage grows in our hearts, that in all the things we do, we may be courageous to proclaim God’s Good News to the world, and to seek out lost souls in the darkness, our own brethren in the Lord, that all may receive God’s everlasting life and salvation in Him. God bless us all and all of our endeavours. Amen.

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Sunday, 7 February 2016 : Fifth (5th) Sunday of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 5 : 1-11

At that time, one day, as Jesus stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, with a crowd gathered around Him listening to the word of God, He caught sight of two boats, left at the water’s edge by fishermen, now washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to pull our a little from the shore. There He sat and continued to teach the crowd.

When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Simon replied, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing. But if You say so, I will lower the nets.” This they did, and caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.

They signalled their partners in their other boat to come and help them. They came, and they filled both boats almost to the point of sinking. Upon seeing this, Simon Peter fell at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Leave me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” For he and his companions were amazed at the catch they had made, and so were Simon’s partners, James and John, Zebedee’s sons.

Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. You will catch people from now on.” So they brought their boats to land and followed Him, leaving everything.

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Sunday, 7 February 2016 : Fifth (5th) Sunday of Ordinary Time (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

1 Corinthians 15 : 1-11

Let me remind you, brothers and sisters, of the Good News that I preached to you and which you received and on which you stand firm. By that Gospel you are saved, provided that you hold to it as I preached it. Otherwise, you will have believed in vain.

In the first place, I have passed on to you what I myself received : that Christ died for our sins, as Scripture says; that He was buried; that He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures; that He appeared to Cephas and then to the Twelve.

Afterwards He appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters together; most of them are still alive, although some have already gone to rest. Then He appeared to James and after that to all the Apostles. And last of all, He appeared to the most despicable of them, this is to me.

For I am the last of the Apostles, and I do not even deserve to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God. Nevertheless, by the grace of God, I am what I am, and His grace towards me has not been without fruit. Far from it, I have toiled more than all of them, although not I, rather the grace of God in me.

Now, whether it was I or they, this we preach and this you have believed.

Alternative reading (shorter version)

1 Corinthians 15 : 3-8, 11

In the first place, I have passed on to you what I myself received : that Christ died for our sins, as Scripture says; that He was buried; that He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures; that He appeared to Cephas and then to the Twelve.

Afterwards He appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters together; most of them are still alive, although some have already gone to rest. Then He appeared to James and after that to all the Apostles. And last of all, He appeared to the most despicable of them, this is to me.

Now, whether it was I or they, this we preach and this you have believed.

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Sunday, 7 February 2016 : Fifth (5th) Sunday of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 137 : 1-2a, 2bc-3, 4-5, 7c-8

I thank You, o Lord, with all my heart, for You have heard the word of my lips. I sing Your praise in the presence of the gods. I bow down towards Your holy Temple and give thanks to Your Name.

For Your love and faithfulness, for Your word which exceeds everything. You answered me when I called; You restored my soul and made me strong.

O Lord, all kings on earth will give You praise, when they have heard Your words. They will celebrate the ways of the Lord, “Great is the glory of God!”

You save me from the wrath of my foes, with Your right hand You deliver me. How the Lord cares for me! Your kindness, o Lord, endures forever. Forsake not the work of Your hands.

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Sunday, 7 February 2016 : Fifth (5th) Sunday of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Isaiah 6 : 1-2a, 3-8

In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted; the train of His robe filled the Temple. Above Him were Seraphs, each with six wings.

They were calling to one another : “Holy, Holy, Holy is YHVH Sabaoth. All the earth is filled with His Glory!” At the sound of their voices the foundations of the threshold shook and the Temple was filled with smoke.

I said, “Poor me! I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips living among a people of unclean lips, and yet I have seen the King, YHVH Sabaoth.” Then one of the Seraphs flew to me; in his hands was a live coal which he had taken with tongs from the altar. He touched my mouth with it and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin is forgiven.”

Then I heard the voice of the Lord, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for Us?” I answered, “Here I am. Send me!”

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Saturday, 6 February 2016 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard the words of the Sacred Scripture regarding firstly, in our first reading from the Book of the prophet Samuel, about the young king Solomon who had just inherited the throne and the kingdom from the king David, his father. As a young and inexperienced king, who had inherited all the great inheritance, wealth, renown and glory from his father, he was at a juncture when he was unsure of what he was to do in his reign.

And when God asked him for something to be granted to him due to the faith of his father and family, Solomon humbly submitted before God in great humility, and instead of asking for power, glory, wealth, affluence or any other worldly things and desires, he instead asked for wisdom, the wisdom to discern and the intellect to make good judgments and the wisdom of knowledge of the ways of the Lord.

His choice was a good one, since the choice of wisdom allowed him to deal good judgments and lead as a good and responsible king, as a righteous king who deal kindly and justly to his people. Instead of wealth and power that drive greed and desire, and corrupt the heart and mind, Solomon chose the humble gift of wisdom, the gift of understanding, so that his young mind and inexperience shall no longer be a hindrance.

He entrusted himself fully to the Lord, God Who in the Gospel today revealed Himself as a God of love, Who loves all of us, His beloved people. This was evident in how even though He and His disciples were tired and exhausted after long sessions of ministering and teaching to them, but as He saw many more people who sought to listen to Him and who were like sheep without a shepherd, He showed pity and mercy on them.

He loved them greatly and did not want them to be lost, and that was why He offered Himself as a great gift, the greatest gift of all, which even the gift that God had given to Solomon cannot compare. For wisdom is nothing compared to love, and the love of God is perfect love. And while Solomon and his wisdom failed as he grew old and his judgments clouded by the distractions and temptations of his many wives and his wealth, God’s love will never fail.

And today, we celebrate together the feast day of great saints and martyrs of the Church, who had given themselves totally to God, entrusting themselves, their fates and their lives to the Lord, even amidst harsh and torturous pains caused by the great persecution levelled against them. They were the Japanese martyrs and saints, St. Paul Miki and his companions.

St. Paul Miki was a convert to the Christian faith, who eventually became a renowned priest and preacher, whose efforts caused the conversion of literally thousands and more people who decided to become members of the Church. But at that time, the increasingly anti-Christian government grew ever more intolerant of the Faith, and persecutions against the faithful began and then proliferated.

St. Paul Miki and many other faithful were arrested and brought to the Imperial capital of Japan in Kyoto to be sentenced, and as they refused to recant their faith, they were sentenced to death, and were made to march the great distance from that city to Nagasaki, a distance of about a thousand kilometres, a forced march to their deaths. But they did not fear, and indeed, they became ever more resolute and committed in their faith.

The examples of St. Paul Miki and his companions who bravely welcomed their death in the midst of harsh persecution and torture should be examples enough for all of us to also act in the same manner as they had acted. All of us should put our trust in God and not to worry in anything, even if the whole world itself is against us, as God will always be with us at our side.

Let us all therefore not be disheartened, but have courage in the Lord, that our faith in Him will always remain strong amidst the persecutions of the world and amidst all the challenges and difficulties we encounter in life. Let us all recommit ourselves to God and be ever more faithful to Him. Let us leave behind our old life of sin, and begin a new life blessed by God. May God bless us all. Amen.

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Saturday, 6 February 2016 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Mark 6 : 30-34

At that time, the Apostles returned and reported to Jesus all they had done and taught. Then He said to them, “Go off by yourselves to a remote place and have some rest.” For there were so many people coming and going that the Apostles had no time, even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a secluded area by themselves.

But people saw them leaving, and many could guess where they were going. So, from all the towns, they hurried there on foot, arriving ahead of them. As Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He had compassion on them for they were like sheep without a shepherd. And He began a long teaching session with them.

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Saturday, 6 February 2016 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 118 : 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14

How can young people remain pure? By living according to Your word.

I seek You with my whole heart; let me not stray from Your commands.

In my heart I have kept Your word, that I may not sin against my Lord.

Praise to You, o Lord; instruct me in Your statutes.

That with my lips I may declare all Your spoken decrees.

I delight in following Your laws, more so than in all riches.

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Saturday, 6 February 2016 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

1 Kings 3 : 4-13

The king used to sacrifice at Gibeon, the great high place; on the altar there he had offered a thousand burnt offerings. 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 answered, “You have shown Your servant David my father a great and steadfast love because he served You faithfully and was righteous and sincere towards You. You have given him proof of Your steadfast love in making a son of his sit on his throne this day.”

“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.”

“I will also give you what you have not asked for, both wealth and fame; and no king shall be your equal during your lifetime.”