Te Deum

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Monday, 4 January 2016 : Monday after the Epiphany (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 4 : 12-17, 23-25

At that time, when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, He withdrew into Galilee. He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum, a town by the lake of Galilee, at the border of Zebulun and Naphtali.

In this way the word of the prophet Isaiah was fulfilled : Land od Zebulun and land of Naphtali, crossed by the Road of the Sea, and you who live beyond the Jordan, Galilee, land of pagans : The people who lived in darkness have seen a great Light; on those who live in the land of the shadow of death, a Light has shone.

From that time on, Jesus began to proclaim His message, “Change your ways : the kingdom of Heaven is near.”

Jesus went around all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom, and curing all kinds of sickness and disease among the people. The news about Him spread through the whole of Syria, and the people brought all their sick to Him, and all those who suffered : the possessed, the deranged, the paralysed, and He healed them all.

Large crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Ten Cities, from Jerusalem, Judea, and from across the Jordan.

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Monday, 4 January 2016 : Monday after the Epiphany (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 2 : 7-8, 10-11

I will proclaim the decree of the Lord. He said to Me : “You are My Son. This day I have begotten You. Ask of Me and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, the ends of the earth for Your possession.”

Now therefore, learn wisdom, o kings; be warned, o rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and fall at His feet; lest He be angry and you perish when His anger suddenly flares. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him!

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Monday, 4 January 2016 : Monday after the Epiphany (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

1 John 3 : 22 – 1 John 4 : 6

Then whatever we ask we shall receive, since we keep His commands and do what pleases Him. His command is that we believe in the Name of His Son Jesus Christ and that we love one another, as He has commanded us. Whoever keeps His commands remains in God and God in him. It is by the Spirit God has given us that we know He lives in us.

My beloved, do not trust every inspiration. Test the spirits to see whether they come from God, because many false prophets are now in the world. How will you recognise the Spirit of God? Any spirit recognising Jesus as the Christ Who has taken our flesh is of God. But any spirit that does not recognise Jesus is not from God. It is the spirit of the antichrist. You have heard of his coming and even now he is in the world.

You, my dear children, are of God and you have already overcome these people, because the One who is in you is more powerful than he who is in the world. They are of the world and the world inspires them and those of the world listen to them. We are of God and those who know God listen to us, but those who are not of God ignore us. This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error as well.

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Sunday, 3 January 2016 : Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we glorify God and praise Him together in the occasion of His glorious moment of Epiphany, the time when He revealed Himself to the people, the true nature of His coming and His birth through the Three Magi, or the Three Wise Kings of the east and their respective gifts, each of which bear very significant symbolism of His nature and truth.

Today, we heard the well-known story of how the three people, either learned and wise men or kings from the east, came to Bethlehem following the very bright star that appeared during about the time of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, and seeing that star, they knew that someone with great power and authority is coming into the world although they did not know who this One would be.

They came to Bethlehem from their faraway country, braving difficult conditions and tough travel, long journeys and arduous paths in order to seek the King Who was prophesied to come into the world. And this is why, the star in our Christian teachings and understanding, specifically the Star of Bethlehem is the symbol of faith, for it represented the faith of the Magi who was though not counted among the chosen people of God, the Israelites, but they believed and made the effort to come and pay obeisance to Him.

And the Magi came to Bethlehem, found the Baby Jesus in the manger with His mother Mary and with Joseph, His foster father. The Magi then paid Him homage and honour due to a King, and not just a King, for we see their offerings to Jesus, which gave us a revelation of Who Jesus really is. These are the gifts of gold, of frankincense, and of myrrh.

Gold is a precious metal which had been revered and treasured since the ancient times due to its beauty and lustre. The magnificent shine of gold and its incorruptibility had been the properties that many people had used to denote something that is great and precious, and over time, the use of gold denotes wealth, greatness, and then in particular, its use is regulated and sometimes reserved only for the king and the royalty.

Yes, the gift of gold by the Magi to the Baby Jesus revealed to us all, to all mankind that even though as a fragile Baby, the Son of Man, He was born among animals in the filth of a stable, in great poverty, but He was truly a King, King of all kings, Who did not choose to be born in pomp and grandeur, but to be born among His people, as all men were.

The gift of gold revealed Jesus to the world as a King, not as one of the kings of the world who flaunted their wealth and power to sustain their prestige and position, but as the true King Whose authority is absolute over the whole world. And yet, He chose to lower Himself and humble Himself, by being born in such a simple place and in such a circumstance, because He loves us all and He came into this world with a mission, which I will elaborate further in a while.

Then the three Magi also offered frankincense to the Baby Jesus, a curious gift indeed for a baby. But frankincense represented yet another aspect of Jesus that was revealed to the world through that gift. Incense were usually made from natural sources such as dried amber or tree secretions, and other sources such as fragrant wood materials that were then burnt as either perfume to remove bad odour or as offerings for the gods and the idols.

And frankincense is the finest quality incense that were around, and the gift of frankincense to the Baby Jesus revealed to all mankind, that He is God, a Divine being surpassing everything else. Yes, indeed, for He is the One Who created everything that ever existed, now exists and will exist. He is the one and only true God, to Whom only all honour, praise and glory should be directed to.

And just as incense is used in our worship, in the celebration of the Holy Mass and on other occasions, as the symbol of the offering of our prayer to God and as a way to honour the Lord our God, thus the Magi offered the finest frankincense to Jesus to worship Him, the one true King of all kings, and Who is also the Lord God of all the universe, Who had chosen to come into the world, again for a mission that is related to the last gift of the Magi.

The last gift is that of myrrh, a natural material used for preservation purposes, especially for burial in the preservation of the body of the dead before they were buried. This is certainly a gift that is completely out of place considered that it was given after a Baby was born, but this gift, just as that of the gold and the frankincense, was equally important, as this revealed to the whole world, just what Christ was to do in order to save it.

The gift of myrrh reminded us all about the mission which Jesus had taken upon Himself as He came into this world. It is a premonition of His suffering and death, which would take place at the very end of His earthly ministry, when He was rejected by His own people and were punished for the sins of the people, including the sins of those who have persecuted and rejected Him.

Yes, the gift of myrrh symbolised the death which Christ would pass through in order to save us and rescue us from our own fate of facing death, that is the eternal death and separation from the Lord. By His death which we share in our death in Him, had liberated all of us from the snares of death and gave us all a new hope, for now we know that through Jesus, death has no final say over us.

By His death, Christ had united all of us who share in His death and keep our faith in Him, and through His glorious resurrection from the dead, when He triumphantly destroyed and defeated death as well as all evils, He also brought all of His faithful ones into His victory and triumph, that we too will share in the joyous and bountiful graces of His promise of eternal life and blessings in heaven.

Therefore, today, on this Solemnity of the Epiphany, let us all reflect on our actions, so that in all the things that we do, we shall understand how much God has loved us that He had given us His own Son, Jesus to be our Saviour. It was because of His great love, that He, Who is King of all kings, King of the Universe and Almighty Creator God, had been willing and indeed willingly came down to us, assuming our humble human form, that as both Man and Divine, He ascended up the cross, and became our salvation.

Let us all therefore strive from now on, if we have not done so yet, to be good disciples and followers of our Lord in all the things we say and do, so that through us more and more people will come to believe in the Lord Jesus our Saviour and be saved through Him. May God be with all of us in this endeavour and strengthen our faith and devotion for Him always. Amen.

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Sunday, 3 January 2016 : Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 2 : 1-12

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in Judea, during the days of king Herod, wise men from the East arrived in Jerusalem. They asked, “Where is the newborn King of the Jews? We saw the rising of His star in the East and have come to honour Him.”

When Herod heard this he was greatly disturbed, and with him all Jerusalem. He immediately called a meeting of all high ranking priests and scribes, and asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In the town of Bethlehem in Judea,” they told him, “for this is what the prophet wrote : And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, you are by no means the least among the clans of Judah, for from you will come a Leader, the One Who is to shepherd My people Israel.”

Then Herod secretly called the wise men and asked them the precise time the star appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem with the instruction, “Go and get accurate information about the Child. As soon as you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may go and honour Him.”

After the meeting with the king, they set out. The star that they had seen in the East went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the Child was. The wise men were overjoyed on seeing the star again. They went into the house, and when they saw the Child with Mary His mother, they knelt and worshipped Him. They opened their bags and offered Him their gifts of gold, incense and myrrh.

In a dream they were warned not to go back to Herod, so they returned to their home country by another way.

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Sunday, 3 January 2016 : Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Ephesians 3 : 2-3a, 5-6

You may have heard of the graces God bestowed on me for your sake. By a revelation He gave me the knowledge of His mysterious design. This mystery was not made known to past generations but only now, through revelations given to holy Apostles and prophets.

Now the non-Jewish people share the inheritance; in Christ Jesus the non-Jews are incorporated and are to enjoy the Promise. This is the Good News.

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Sunday, 3 January 2016 : Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 71 : 1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13

O God, endow the King with Your justice, the Royal Son with Your righteousness. May He rule your people justly and defend the rights of the lowly.

Justice will flower in His days, and peace abound till the moon be no more. For He reigns from sea to sea, from the River to the ends of the earth.

The kings of Tarshish and the islands render Him tribute, the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts, all kings bow down to Him, and all nations serve Him.

He delivers the needy who call on Him, the afflicted with no one to help them. His mercy is upon the weak and the poor, He saves the life of the poor.

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Sunday, 3 January 2016 : Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Isaiah 60 : 1-6

Arise, shine, for your light has come. The Glory of YHVH rises upon you. Night still covers the earth and gloomy clouds veil the peoples, but YHVH now rises and over you His glory appears.

 Nations will come to Your light and kings to the brightness of Your dawn. Lift up your eyes round about and see : they are all gathered and come to You, Your sons from afar, Your daughters tenderly carried.

This sight will make Your face radiant, Your heart throbbing and full; the riches of the sea will be turned to you, the wealth of the nations will come to you. A flood of camels will cover you, caravans from Midian and Ephah. Those from Sheba will come, bringing with them gold and incense, all singing in praise of YHVH.

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Saturday, 2 January 2016 : Weekday of Christmas Time, Memorial of St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard about the humility of John the Baptist, the holy servant of God, the Herald of His Messiah, Who came into the world in order to save it and all of mankind. John the Baptist came before Jesus in order to prepare His way, and he baptised many people at the Jordan, calling them to repentance and to turn away from their sinful ways.

And even though many people listened to him and hearkened to his call for repentance, and although many people flocked to him and he was truly famous and respected by many, but in numerous occasions, as what we have also heard in the Gospel today, he denied that he was the Messiah, that is he denied that he was the Saviour that was to come into the world as prophesied.

He humbly revealed that he was merely the servant, the voice calling out in the wilderness to call the people of God to prepare themselves for the coming of the Lord and to prepare them to receive His salvation. He refused the temptation to be a great person himself, the temptation of power and worldly glory, and he preferred to remain faithful to the mission which he had come into this world for.

We can relate this to the first reading which we had today, the Epistle which St. John had written to the faithful to remind them to be true to their faith and reject all the falsehoods and lies, and to reject and resist all the false teachings of the false prophets and the antichrists, whose ways are not of the Lord but of the devil, and whose temptations on the faithful could cause these to lose their track on their way towards salvation and fall into damnation instead.

Just as Adam and Eve, these false prophets and antichrists were tempted by the devil with the false promises and the lies of worldly power and glory, if only that they would abandon their God and disobey Him, following rather the path of their own hearts’ desires and wants. And they succumbed to the temptation and followed the devil in his ways, and then they also preached the same falsehoods to mislead many others from among the faithful.

Throughout the ages, we have encountered many of them, the heretics such as Arius, Nestorius, and many others, including that of Martin Luther, Calvin and Zwingli in the more recent time. These people have turned the hearts of many of the faithful into the wrong paths, because instead of adhering to the teachings of the Lord as what had been kept faithfully by the Apostles and the Church fathers, they allowed their own judgments and ideas to supersede the truth.

And now, let us see the examples of the two very important saints whose feast we celebrate today, namely St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory Nazianzen. Both of these saints were widely honoured, especially in the eastern half of Christendom, where they were credited with the defence of the true faith against the dangerous heresies that threatened to divide and tear apart the Church of God.

St. Basil the Great was the Bishop of Caesarea who lived and worked at about the same time of his contemporary, St. Gregory Nazianzen or St. Gregory of Nazianzus, who was the Archbishop of the new capital city of the Roman Empire, Constantinople. Both of them worked together in the effort to counter the influence and the false teachings of the heretics such as the Arians and the many other sects which taught teachings contrary to the orthodox and true Church teachings.

Many of the faithful were divided against each other, with those who refused to leave behind the truth of God and join the heresies against those who have given themselves up to the false and twisted teachings. It fell to St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory Nazianzen and their fellow elders of the Church as well as the faithful among the laity to resist the advances of those seeking to destroy the Church and its truth.

It was not an easy journey, as many challenges awaited and faced them. All those who are opposed to the two saints made things difficult for them, the priests and bishops aligned with the heretical teachings constantly challenged them and made things difficult for the faithful people of God. Nevertheless, St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory Nazianzen never gave up, and with clarity of Christian teachings and truth in their hands, they worked hard and managed to turn many back to the true path towards the Lord.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we heard the examples of the faithful saints of God, and also that of John the Baptist who faithfully carried out his mission, rejecting the temptation of the evil one and the world, and humbly fulfilling what has been expected of him, let us all also reflect on these and walk in their footsteps, following their examples by doing the same in our own lives.

Let us all reject our human pride and desire for worldly glory, for these are the tools with which the devil will be able to easily manipulate us and tempt us to do what is sinful and wicked. We all have to stay together and to work together to maintain our faith life, and deepen our spiritual connection with the Lord by doing all that God had asked us to do, loving one another and serving each other with love.

Thus, after all that we have done, God Who rewards all who are faithful to Him will bless us and keep us in His grace, and He will not let us to suffer in the hands of the unfaithful, but He shall bless us with ever richer abundance of grace. God bless us all, now and forever. Amen.

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Saturday, 2 January 2016 : Weekday of Christmas Time, Memorial of St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 1 : 19-28

This was the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites to ask him, “Who are you?” John recognised the truth, and did not deny it. He said, “I am not the Messiah.”

And they asked him, “Then who are you? Elijah?” He answered, “I am not.” They said, “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Tell us who you are, so that we can give some answer to those who sent us. How do you see yourself?”

And John said, quoting from the prophet Isaiah, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness : Make straight the way of the Lord!” Those who had been sent were Pharisees; and they put a further question to John, “Then why are you baptising, if you are not the Messiah, or Elijah, or the Prophet?”

John answered, “I baptise you with water, but among you stands One Whom you do not know; although He comes after me, I am not worthy to untie the strap of His sandal.”

This happened in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptising.