teachings of the Church

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Monday, 2 September 2024 : 22nd Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are reminded not to dwell on worldly power and glory, or all the temptations of worldly desires, and not to be tempted by our pride, ego, ambition and arrogance. We must not allow ourselves to be easily swayed by our thinking that we are somehow better and superior than others around us. It is this mistaken sense of pride and superiority over others that often brought us down as we became proud and arrogant, thinking that we cannot be mistaken or wrong in our paths in life. This will likely end up leading us to shut our hearts and minds to the Lord, not being able or willing to listen to Him, or to embrace His truth and love.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in the region of Corinth in Greece, in which the Apostle spoke of the works which he had done in proclaiming to them the Christ, the Lord Jesus, the crucified Messiah Who has suffered and died for the sake of the whole world. St. Paul also mentioned to the people in Corinth that he did not do them all by his own power, eloquence or abilities, but rather through the guidance and strength of the Lord which He had given to him and the other disciples and missionaries through the Holy Spirit. By the power of God and by His guidance, St. Paul had performed many great things and spoke wonderfully of His truth and love, His Good News and the message of His salvation to the people, many of whom had listened and accepted the Lord to be their Saviour.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the reading from the Gospel according to St. John the Evangelist in which the account of the Lord’s time and occasion in His hometown of Nazareth was conveyed to us. At that time, the Lord Jesus returned to His hometown and proclaimed the words of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah from the Scriptures, which was also meant to fulfil everything that had been spoken and prophesied about Him by the prophets like Isaiah. However, as we all heard, the Lord’s words and proclamation was met with immediate skepticism and indignation by the people of His own hometown who wondered how this Man Whom they had known from His youth, the apparent Son of the local carpenter, St. Joseph, who was a hardworking and virtuous man, but a carpenter nonetheless.

At that time, carpenters were viewed as those who were doing menial work, and were considered as mostly uneducated and while a labourious and tiring work in its nature, it was seen as a job with low prestige and status. Thus, those people of Nazareth likely would have thought lowly of St. Joseph and his family, as although he was indeed righteous, hardworking and full of virtue, but because of his work and his profession, he and his foster Son, Our Lord Jesus Himself, they were both prejudiced against, as uneducated and poor, unlike those religious and societal elites like the members of the Sadducees, the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law. That was why they took offense at the Lord proclaiming that He is the One Whom the prophets like Isaiah were proclaiming and prophesying about.

In essence, what those people were doing was that they were being judgmental and prejudiced against the Lord and His background, pridefully thinking and assuming that they knew it better and that the One Who was speaking to them could not have been anyone but an upstart and liar because of His supposed humble background as a local carpenter’s Son. They proudly and arrogantly thought that their understanding, perception and bias could not have been wrong, and despite what the Lord had told them and performed before them, the miracles which He had done before their very own eyes and the many other signs, miracles and wonders that He had performed in the other towns and places in the region, none of these could have persuaded them and made them to listen to reason.

That is why we heard all of these today, as reminders for us not to be swayed and tempted by the temptations of our pride and ego, and make presumptions and judgments based on our own flawed and imperfect knowledge, understanding and appreciation of things around us. Many among us often fell into exactly this trap when we allowed ourselves to indulge in these thoughts, or indulge in our pride and ego, thinking that our judgments and knowledge are better than anything that can be told or shown to us. If we follow in the same path, we may end up being stubborn and refusing to follow the path that the Lord has shown us, as we close our hearts and minds to the Lord speaking to us, communicating with us in His attempts to reach out to us.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we have to realise just how much the Lord wants to lead us all to Himself, calling upon each and every one of us to follow Him. However, in order to do this, we need to be willing to listen to Him calling on us, and turn away from our path of wickedness and evil. We should not allow the many temptations and pleasures of the world from keeping us separated from our most loving God and Father, our Creator and Master. We have to allow Him to lead us in ou path and do not let ourselves be tempted into the wrong path because we sought for worldly pleasures, glory and satisfactions. As Christians, it is imperative that we strive and continue to remind ourselves to put our focus and emphasis always on the Lord, our loving God, so that He is always ever the centre and focus of our whole lives and existence.

May the Lord continue to bless and strengthen us in each and every endeavours, efforts and works we have done and which we will do for His greater glory. May He continue to empower and encourage us to walk through this path that He has shown us, so that we will continue to do what is right, worthy and just, and commit ourselves ever more thoroughly to His cause, at all times. May God be with us all, and may He continue to sow in us, His love and grace, His truth and Good News, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Sunday, 1 September 2024 : Twenty-Second Sunday of Ordinary Time, World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday as we all gather together to listen to the Word of God and reflect on what we have heard earlier on, we are all reminded first of all that as God’s holy and beloved people, we are all bound by His Law and commandments, and we have to not only know and understand them, but we also have to apply them consistently and thoroughly in each and every moments of our lives. Otherwise we cannot truly call ourselves as Christians if we do not truly embody and practice what we believe in, or if we do not walk in the path that the Lord has shown and taught us. Each and every one of us must always strive to do our part in embracing God and His path, so that we can be good examples and role models for each other in how we live our lives with faith.

In our first reading, we heard from the Book of Deuteronomy in which Moses, the leader of the people of Israel during the time of the Exodus and journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, reminded the Israelites that the Lord has given them all His Law and commandments, and they ought to abide by the precepts and details of that Law. They should heed whatever they had been told to do, to do what God has commanded them and shown them, and neither to take away or add anything to the Law, as changing those laws and commandments would mean that they would no longer truly obey the Lord in the right manner, and they would no longer be truly faithful to Him in their ways, actions, words and deeds. The Lord wants each and every one of His people to follow Him wholeheartedly and not be divided and swayed by false paths in life.

Moses also mentioned that the Israelites were truly blessed that God had chosen and called them to be His people, to be graced by His Law and Commandments, through which He showed them how to be truly be faithful to God at all times, and how they can be the shining beacons and examples of their faith and obedience to Him, so that everyone who witnessed their lives, works and actions, and interact with them would truly know that they all belong to the Lord, as God’s holy and beloved people, the shining beacons of God’s light, truth and love, bearing His salvation and righteousness into the world. On the other hand, if they did not do as the Lord had taught them to do, living their lives in a wicked and evil manner, then they would scandalise the good and Holy Name of God, and therefore, they would be judged and condemned by their lack of faith and virtue.

Then in the second reading this Sunday, taken from the Epistle of St. James the Apostle, we heard of the words of St. James, exhorting and reminding the faithful people of God that they all have received from the Lord Himself the gift of life, truth and also all the wonderful things that He has given and granted us, and which He had sowed and planted in us, entrusting to us many things which can help us to direct our attention towards the right path. But in that same passage taken as today’s second reading, we have also heard that St. James mentioned that we as the faithful people of God must be the ‘doers of the word’ and ‘not just hearers’, which complements nicely what he also mentioned in another part of his Epistle, that ‘faith without good works is dead’.

Essentially, this is a reminder to all of us that we have to be genuine followers and disciples of the Lord, not just as a formality and merely doing things for appearances. We have to be fundamentally faithful in all things, at all occasions and opportunities, doing our best to be the good and worthy in everything that we do throughout our whole lives. Otherwise then we are no better than hypocrites and unbelievers who do not have true and genuine faith in the Lord. There are many people who profess to be Christians and yet, they did not truly behave as those whom God had called and chosen to be His own people. We cannot be like those who only outwardly showed obedience to God and observance of His Law and commandments, and yet inside, they were without true love and desire to serve the Lord.

In our Gospel passage this Sunday, we heard exactly about this matter when the Lord told His disciples and rebuked the Pharisees who were there with Him, criticising His disciples on how they did not follow the prescribed manner of the Law in how they ought to wash their hands before they ate. The Lord criticised and rebuked those Pharisees precisely because they did not truly show genuine faith in the Lord, His Law and commandments, and were only making outward signs of obedience and fulfilment of the Law. Yet, their interior disposition and orientation in life were flawed and incorrect. They were more focused on worldly matters and all their preoccupations and obsessions with the rituals and details of the Law instead of truly obeying and following God in all things.

We heard the description of how the Pharisees were the group of religious and intellectual elites in the Jewish community at that time, who interpreted the Law of God and preserved it in a particularly strict and excessive manner, putting a lot of heavy burden on the people of God because they demanded a very rigorous and harsh observance of the Law of God, being overly obsessed with the details and the rituals associated with the Law of God, spending a lot of time and emphasis on those many rules and rituals, focusing on how much and how many times one washed one’s hands for example, which had to be done in a certain prescribed manner, and if the others do not follow as they had been told to do, then they would be criticised by the Pharisees.

This preoccupation and obsession with the rites and details of the Law is what the Lord criticised and rebuked the Pharisees for, as this led them to be empty in their hearts and minds, failing to truly appreciate and understand what the Lord had intended for us all through His Law and commandments. The Law of God has been given to us not to burden and make our lives difficult, and definitely not for a certain group of people to make themselves famous and glorious over others by gloating and thinking that they were superior and more worthy simply because they were obeying the Law and commandments in a more pious way. Instead, the Law of God was meant to help the people of God, all of us to love God and to follow His path, so that we may truly be able to embrace the righteousness of God.

Today, the Church also celebrates the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, the day when we are all reminded that the Lord has entrusted to us this world to be under our care and stewardship. Therefore, each and every one of us should always remember that we must be active in truly living our lives in the manner that God has told and shown us, and not to glorify ourselves or seek personal glory and ambition through this life. We certainly should not be like the Pharisees that twisted the Law of God for their own personal desires and ambitions. Instead, we must strive to do the things which the Lord has called us to do, to be true and genuine in our obedience and commitment to God, focusing our attention as always towards the Lord, our Master and Creator. We should take good care of this world, and responsibly play our roles as its steward that we do not end up ruining more of this world through our selfish actions and behaviours.

May the Lord continue to help us all to be ever more genuinely faithful and committed to Him. May He empower each and every one of us so that we will continue to do what is right and just which He has taught and shown us to do, and resist the temptations to disobey Him and to sin against Him. May God bless each and every one of us, bless our every good efforts, works and action, now and always. Amen.

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Saturday, 31 August 2024 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that each and every one of us as Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people, all the children of mankind all have received the various gifts, talents and blessings from God. All of us have been entrusted with those gifts with the intention of the Lord calling on us to share them and to make good use of them for the benefit of all those around us, for the good and benefit of everyone and not just for our own selfish needs and desires. We have been entrusted with all these so that we may be part of God’s Church and mission, to proclaim His truth and Good News to everyone around us.

In our first reading today, we heard of the continuation of the Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians in which the Apostle told the people of God there how they have been chosen by God to be His disciples and followers, and many among them were not important, powerful or influential in the eyes of the world. This does not mean that God was against the rich, powerful and influential ones in the world, but rather, He wanted to highlight to His beloved people, to all of us that He did not choose or judge us by our worldly qualities, possessions or by any other parameters which we often categorise ourselves into, as all those things are ultimately superficial and not what is truly important for all of us. Unfortunately, many of us often spent a lot of time and effort in trying to seek all those things instead of seeking what is truly important for us in our lives.

The Lord chose based on other qualities that often do not correspond with worldly standards of judgment, as this world often focuses on our material wealth, influence and fame, our physical appearances and other attributes which may prevent us from truly being able to follow the Lord faithfully, sincerely and with true commitment. That is because when we are obsessed with accumulating for ourselves those worldly things and matters, we often end up neglecting our responsibilities as Christians, in making good use of our gifts, talents and the guidance of God’s Wisdom, for the benefit of others around us. Instead, we often spend a lot of time and effort to try to garner for ourselves more of these worldly riches and possessions, all of which distract us from the true destination that we have in the Lord, as mentioned earlier.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Matthew in which the parable of the silver talents was told by the Lord to His disciples and to all those who were there listening to Him. In that parable we heard of how a master was going away overseas and chose to entrust three of his servants with some silver talents for them to make good use of and responsibly while he was away on his business. Then, we heard how the three servants acted differently with the silver which had been given to them. Each one of them were entrusted with different amounts of silver talents, with the one who were given five and two talents of silver investing and making good use of them and they gained the same amount in silver talents each, doubling what they had earlier from the master.

Meanwhile, the other servant who was only given one silver talent chose to hide it and not to use it at all, and because of that, by the time the master returns to ask for the results and reckoning the performance of his servants, that servant still had with him the same one silver talent. Those servants that had invested and doubled their investment were well-rewarded and entrusted by the master with great things, while the lazy and irresponsible servant faced the wrath of his master for his lack of action and irresponsibility. Instead of being rewarded, the lazy and irresponsible servant faced punishment and rebuke from the master, which is also a reminder for each and every one of us of what all of us are expected to do by God, our Lord and Master.

First of all, as we heard this, we must understand that as mentioned and discussed earlier in the first reading, God does not discriminate based on riches and wealth, or by how much He has blessed or gifted us with. We must not misunderstood that those who have received more, like those with five and two silver talents would be rewarded while the ones with less, like the servant with one silver talent would be punished. It was an analogy that the Lord used to show that what matters is our attitude and how we respond to what He has given and entrusted to us. More would be expected of those who have received more, and we should also make good use of these various gifts for everyone’s benefit and not just for ourselves.

It is important that we know and understanding this mission which we have been entrusted with by the Lord, to show love, care and concern towards one another, to our fellow brothers and sisters who may need our help and attention, particularly all those who have no one to care for them, those who have been neglected, abandoned and ignored by all others. As Christians, whatever we have been blessed with by God, and the many opportunities we have been given, they should be used for the greater good of those who are around us. We should not ignore the plight of those who are in need, and we must also realise that we have been given the opportunities to contribute our good works and actions to advance further the cause of the Lord and to fulfil the missions we have been entrusted with.

Let us all therefore renew our commitment to the Lord and do not allow ourselves to be led into inaction and ignorance of our responsibilities and missions as those whom God had called and chosen. Let us all be committed from now on to live lives that are truly worthy of the Lord, being good role models and inspiration for one another. May our lives as God’s holy and beloved people, as His faithful and committed disciples be inspiration and beacons of God’s light and truth to everyone. May God bless us all in our every actions, good works and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Friday, 30 August 2024 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today’s Scripture readings focus on one particular theme if we have paid close attention to what we have heard earlier on. The words of the Lord spoke to us regarding the matter of Wisdom, the Wisdom that He has imparted and bestowed upon us, but which we have often disregarded and refused to make good use of, and we often used the knowledge and intelligence of this world, our own abilities and thoughts instead of allowing God to perform His wonderful acts and Wisdom through us. We often closed our hearts and minds to the Lord speaking in the silence of our hearts and minds, as the Lord kept on patiently knocking on our hearts that we may come to know His truth and receive His Wisdom, and live our lives worthily according to what He has taught us to do.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful in the city and region of Corinth, we heard of how St. Paul spoke to the faithful regarding everything which the people of God had received from him and from the other Apostles and disciples, the missionaries sent to them to reveal to them the truth and Good News of God. He reminded all of them not to veer away from the words or truth and all the things which he had taught and shown them, the Wisdom of God revealed through none other than His own Son, Jesus Christ, the Saviour of all mankind and the whole world. And the Lord also gave His Wisdom through the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, Whom He had sent into His Church, through His Apostles, and which had encouraged and strengthened all those who believed in the Lord.

St. Paul spoke of how to the Jewish people and to the Greeks, which represented the main parts of the population at the time, referring to those who have not yet believed in the Lord, what he had taught the faithful were seen as folly and nonsense because they saw things from the eyes of the world and their limited understanding rather than through the eyes of faith and true Wisdom which God had imparted to His faithful ones. To the Jewish people, they considered the Lord Jesus Christ, the Crucified Messiah to be a blasphemy and erroneous teachings, as they refused the fact that the Almighty and All-Powerful God could have had a Son, and worse still, a Son Who had become incarnate in the flesh, to walk in their midst as the Son of Man, and then suffered and died a most humiliating and painful death on the Cross.

In the meanwhile, to the Greeks and the other pagans, many of them considered it folly that the Christians believed in just one God, as they commonly believed in many gods and beings that came from their inspiration from their surrounding natural world, using those elements and observations to create and invent gods and divinities such as the Greek pantheon of pagan gods that very much mimic the people in their own behaviours and actions. But St. Paul showed the faithful and all those who were willing to listen to him and accept God’s truth that whatever those Jewish and Greek pagans believed, were in fact the erroneous and folly ones, while the truth and the reality lies with the Lord and with Him alone, He Who is the one and only True God, the Master of all things.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the well-known parable of the Lord to His disciples and to the people listening to Him, the parable of the five wise handmaidens and five foolish handmaidens. In that parable we heard how ten handmaidens were waiting for the start of a wedding celebration, which was commonly celebrated at night. And in the past, before the advent and discovery of electricity, nights were very dark, unlike today’s light-filled environment. Therefore, it is crucial that the handmaidens brought their lamps with them to help to illuminate the place and also to make the celebration more festive. However, as we heard, the bridegroom was delayed, and therefore those handmaidens had to wait for the coming of the bridegroom to welcome him into the celebration as was what they were expected to do.

The five handmaidens who were wise brought their extra backup of oil supply to ensure that they had enough oil, while the other five, foolish ones did not bring any extra oil with them, resulting in them having their lamps low on oil before the bridegroom arrived, and when they went out to buy more oil for their lamps, the bridegroom came to the venue and the celebration started without the five foolish handmaidens, who were henceforth excluded from the celebrations. This parable is in fact a representation of how we should be prepared for the Lord and His coming, with the bridegroom representing the Lord Himself, and the handmaidens representing all of us. That the bridegroom came at a most unexpected time is a reminder for us all that the Lord will come again just as He said He would, but He may do so at a time that we least expect.

And we certainly do not want to be caught unprepared by the Lord’s coming, caught at the time when we are unfortunately unable to respond appropriately to His coming. We cannot and should not assume that we still have the time to prepare ourselves, as we do not want to be caught unprepared and then end up in eternity of regret. That is why, having been reminded and warned through our Scripture readings today, let us all continue to live our lives ever more worthily for the Lord, doing our very best so that we will always be exemplary in our lives and that we may inspire many others around us in how we all ought to live our lives with great faith and dedication to God. This is what we have been called to do, to be truly faithful to God in all things and to lead others towards Him.

May the Lord continue to strengthen us and bless us all with His Wisdom, so that in everything that we decide to do, and in the path we walk in this life we will continue to strive to follow what He has shown and taught us, and not to be easily swayed by the temptations of this world. May we continue to trust in the Lord’s guidance and in His Wisdom, and always strive to live lives that are truly worthy of God in all things. Amen.

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Thursday, 29 August 2024 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Passion of St. John the Baptist (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the feast of the Passion of St. John the Baptist, the Herald of the Messiah. This Passion refers to the moment when St. John the Baptist suffered for his faith and dedication to the Lord, similar to that of the Passion of the Lord Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, which we commemorate during the Holy Week in each liturgical year. On this day, we honour St. John the Baptist who had shared in the sufferings of the Lord, as the one who had prepared His path as His herald, and who therefore suffered and died before his own Lord and Master, courageously defending what he had believed in and everything that he had laboured for throughout his whole life.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah in which the Lord reassured His people in the kingdom of Judah, to whom the Lord had sent Jeremiah to, that they should not be afraid or fearful of all their enemies and all those who sought to destroy them because He would be with them and protected them much as how He had done so in the earlier ages and eras. The Lord had always been with His people despite their many insubordinations, rebellions and refusals to obey Him and His Law, His commandments and ways. He had built His protections and barriers around them, coming in between them and their enemies, destroying many of those who plotted against them and sought their destruction on many occasions.

And yet, they still hardened their hearts and minds against Him despite all these things which He had done for them. The Lord had patiently helped and showed them His messengers, His servants and more to help and lead them towards Him. Many of these were persecuted and oppressed by those who refused to listen to their words and reminders, which brought about God’s anger against them and their stubbornness. Yet, despite having shown them this displeasure and anger, warning them of the dangerous consequences should they continue in their rebellious paths, which was one of the major message theme that Jeremiah brought to the people of Judah, the Lord also reassured them at the same time that He would be willing to welcome them back should they choose to repent from their sins and trust in Him again.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard the account of the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist himself, as this faithful servant of God had been arrested when he criticised and rebuked King Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great, who had entered into an adulterous relationship and marriage with his own brother’s wife, Herodias. According to tradition this was because Herodias’ former husband, Philip who was Herod’s own brother, was still alive at the time, and according to both Jewish and Christian traditions and beliefs, this is an act of adultery as the bond of marriage is something that is sacred and indissoluble. Furthermore, the fact that the daughter of Herodias was exactly named as such, indicated that this daughter was from the union between Philip and Herodias. That union having thus been consummated, cannot and should not be broken.

Yet, Herod and Herodias both gave in to the temptations of worldliness and decided to live in a state of sin, falling into the corruption of evil. When St. John the Baptist rebuked both of them, Herodias took it particularly badly and she harboured great hatred towards the man of God, desiring to destroy him. St. John the Baptist was arrested and imprisoned for this courageous act of rebuking the king and queen for their immoral behaviour, and while Herod showed remorse for his actions, and willing to listen to St. John the Baptist, Herodias plotted for the death of this man of God which happened as detailed in our Gospel passage today, at the time of the celebration when she managed to trick the likely drunk and mesmerised Herod to order the execution of St. John the Baptist before his nobles and officials.

Through what we have discussed and heard today, we can see how living our lives and following the Lord is not something that is easily done, and we may often have to make plenty of sacrifices and face many challenges in our path as we continue to move forward as disciples and followers of our Lord. Like St. John the Baptist and many of the martyrs of the Church throughout its long history, many of whom had endured prison, tortures, all sorts of persecution and hardships, opposition even from those who were close and dear to them. Yet, they did not allow all those to dissuade them from following the Lord faithfully and courageously, just as what St. John the Baptist himself had done. As Christians, that is what we should be doing in obedience to God, to His Law and commandments.

Therefore, as we reflect on the life and actions of the most courageous and faithful servant of God, St. John the Baptist, particularly in his sufferings and martyrdom, the memory of his Passion which he had gone through for the sake of the Lord and all that he has been entrusted to do, let us all therefore reflect upon our own lives and ask ourselves what we can do to commit ourselves to the Lord with the same fervour, dedication, zeal and commitment, not fearing the hardships and persecutions of the world. We should not allow ourselves to be dissuaded by the opposition, challenges, troubles and difficulties that we may have to endure, and instead, like St. John the Baptist, we should strive so that our lives and examples may inspire those around us so that we may help others who are struggling in their faith in God to remain strong and firm in their faith and commitment.

May the Lord continue to strengthen our faith and may He encourage and empower us to persevere through the many challenges and trials that we may have to face in the midst of our journey in life, in our dedication and faith in Him, at all times. May St. John the Baptist, His herald and faithful servant continue to inspire us all and pray for each and every one of us, holy and beloved people of God as we keep on going with our daily struggles and perseverance in faith. May God bless us in our every endeavours, good works and efforts, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 28 August 2024 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we continue to be reminded through the words of the Lord contained in the Sacred Scriptures, in which we are all called again to be truly faithful to God in all things, in our every words, actions and deeds, in every moments throughout our whole lives so that we may indeed be fully committed in all of our ways, in everything that we carry out in life so that we may always inspire others around us to be ever more faithful and committed to the Lord. As Christians we have to be truly sincere in our faith, obedience and dedication to God, to do whatever we can so that by our lives we may truly proclaim the Lord our God to everyone whom we encounter in life, and be the shining beacons of His truth and Good News, at all times.

In our first reading today, we heard St. Paul the Apostle continuing with the exhortation to the people of God and the faithful Christians in the city and region of Thessalonica in what is now part of Greece. The Apostle exhorted the faithful people of God to obey the Lord and to do whatever they can so that they would do their part as members of the Church of God, to live their lives virtuously and righteously in the manner that the Lord has shown and taught us. At that time there were those who thought that since the Lord was coming soon, then they did not need to do anything and since they had been saved, then they could just enjoy and await the Lord’s coming, which is contrary to what the Lord had entrusted to them that is the mission to proclaim His truth and Good News, to evangelise to the whole world.

And there were also others who did not do their part as Christians because they were afraid of persecutions, trials and challenges that they were facing amidst their lives among the mainly still pagan populations of the Roman Empire. St. Paul strengthened them and reminded them and others that to be disciples of Christ, sufferings and hardships are part of the journey, and that they must not easily lose heart because the Lord would be with them throughout their journey, and they would not be alone. That is why, like St. Paul and the other Apostles themselves had shown them by example, they all should support one another, helping each other to remain firmly faithful in the Lord, resisting the temptations of worldly wickedness and sins, while living righteously as God’s holy and beloved people.

Then, in our Gospel passage today we still heard of the continuation of the same discourse on the woes and rebukes against the Pharisees by the Lord, Who has criticised the Pharisees for their elitist and discriminatory attitudes against those whom they looked down upon, those whom they disagreed with and considered to be less worthy than they themselves were. The Lord rebuked those Pharisees as they did not truly have genuine faith in the Lord, focusing more on their actions and ways which were meant mostly to glorify themselves and to gain more fame for themselves. They liked to parade themselves and their piety before everyone to see, but inside them, there was not much space for the Lord, because it is their own ego and pride that they were so full of.

And it is this same pride and ego which prevented them from truly being able to follow the Lord faithfully. This is because they hardened their hearts and minds, thinking that they could not have been wrong in their attitudes and approach in observing the Law of God. The Lord came telling them and all the other people that they had wrongly understood and interpreted the meaning, purpose and intention of God’s Law, and He revealed to them what the Lord truly wanted from them, and how they all should have practiced their lives with faith. Ironically, it was those whom the Pharisees were prejudiced against and condemned, who were closer to the Lord, as they were willing to listen to Him and embrace whatever it is that He had told them to do. It is therefore a reminder for us not to fall into the same trap of ego and pride as the Pharisees had experienced.

As Christians, it is important that all of us must be willing to listen to the Lord and to accept criticism and correction when it is due. We must not allow our pride, ego, hubris and desire to turn us away from the path of the Lord. We must realise that if we want to remain truly faithful to the Lord, we must always strive to put the Lord at the heart of our every actions and every parts of our lives. He should always be the focus of our lives and existence, and we should always remind ourselves not to lose sight on this focus. We must also not be idle in our faith and should do whatever we can, in each and every opportunities that God had provided to us, as St. Paul had exhorted and reminded the faithful people of God in Thessalonica.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Augustine of Hippo, the great and renowned Bishop of Hippo Regius in Roman Africa, one of the four original Doctors of the Church. Yesterday, we celebrated the Feast of his mother, St. Monica, whom I have mentioned as a great and devoted mother, who patiently cared and prayed for the conversion of her son and family. St. Augustine of Hippo grew up in an influential Roman noble family, and he had the best philosophical education. However, in his youth, St. Augustine was unfortunately led into the wrong path by his peers, giving in to the many temptations of the world, becoming a Manichaean, indulging himself in all sorts of wicked behaviours and even fathered a child out of wedlock. One can only imagine the frustrations that St. Monica might have to experience for her son’s misbehaviour.

And yet, St. Monica went through it all patiently, always there to pray and support her son, praying for his conversion and change of heart. Slowly but surely, this impacted the members of her family, beginning from her husband, a Roman pagan noble who converted to be a Christian before he passed away, and then St. Augustine of Hippo himself, who was called by God and then, under the tutelage of St. Ambrose of Milan, finally embraced the Christian faith and the Lord fully, abandoning his past wicked way of life. St. Augustine of Hippo henceforth became a great servant of God, committing himself thoroughly to the Lord and to His people. St. Augustine of Hippo was renowned for his many great theological and other works, which are still influential and important to this very day, such as ‘De Trinitate’, the great treatise on the Trinity, as well as the famous ‘City of God.’

Through the examples of St. Augustine of Hippo, we can see how we can truly change our lives when we have the right focus in mind. St. Augustine found his refuge and satisfaction in the Lord, which no worldly pleasures or philosophical discourses he sought for earlier in his life could afford to give him. Therefore, since we have heard of his examples, let us all therefore be inspired to follow in his footsteps and continue to do our part in contributing to the works and missions of the Church. Let us all put the Lord back at the centre of our lives, and let us all inspire many others to come ever closer to God, through our actions and efforts which hopefully become good inspiration for others around us. May the Lord continue to bless each and every one of us, and bless our every works, efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 27 August 2024 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Monica (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we listened to the words of the Scriptures where we heard about the continuation of the discourse on the woes of the Pharisees in our Gospel passage today as the Lord continued on His criticism and rebuke on the Pharisees, the religious elite of the Jewish community who often opposed the Lord in His ministry and works, as well as the exhortation by St. Paul to the faithful people of God in Thessalonica on how they ought to stand firm to their faith in God, not allowing themselves to be easily swayed by falsehoods and temptations around them, to prevent them from falling into sin. Through all these, we are all reminded that we should continue to be faithful as Christians in all of our lives and actions, to be truly faithful to God and not merely be outwardly pious but having no love for God in us.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful in Thessalonica, in what is now part of Greece, continuing from what we heard in yesterday’s passage, the Apostle reminded the people of God not to be easily swayed and tempted by various false messages and misleading details which might tempt them to give up their faith in God. That is why the people of God must have strong and enduring faith to persevere amidst the various challenges, trials and temptations surrounding them. There were a lot of misleading teachings and messages going around even since the very earliest days of the Church as evidenced in that Epistle that St. Paul wrote and sent to the Thessalonians. There were quite a few of those who tried to appropriate Church and Christian teachings to suit their own agenda.

That was why they mixed parts of the Christian teachings and truth with their own misinformation and ideas, which resulted in not few among the Christians to be swayed into their erroneous and heretical paths. St. Paul was working hard against all those heretics and all the false prophets and messengers, all those irresponsible and wicked people who sought to lead the people of God into the wrong paths for their own selfish agenda and benefits. He persevered through the challenges to slowly and patiently guide the people of God to return back once again to Him, and to return to the path of virtue and righteousness, abandoning whatever wrong and misguided ideas that they had been exposed to through those false leaders and heretics.

In our Gospel passage today, as mentioned earlier we heard from the we heard the continuation of the woes and criticism, rebuke and words that the Lord Jesus had against the Pharisees, who were the religious elites of the Jewish community at that time. The Pharisees often looked down on others around them and considered themselves as superior in matters of faith and piety, as the guardians of the Law and commandments of God. They also adopted a rather strict interpretation of God’s Law, the Law revealed through His servant Moses, and this brought great difficulties upon the people as many of them had to face tough challenges and hardships amidst obeying the many precepts and tenets of the Law of God.

What the Lord harshly criticised and rebuked the Pharisees for is their inconsistency in applying the rules of the Law, which were meant to advantage and benefit themselves. The Pharisees liked to parade their piety and obedience to God, their prayers and practices, but they themselves did not truly obey and follow the Law of God faithfully and sincerely as they should have done. Worse still, they also made it difficult for many others to follow the Lord and closed the doors to many of those whom they judged and deemed to be unworthy, being prejudiced and biased against those like the prostitutes and the tax collectors, those afflicted with diseases and possessed by evil spirits among others.

All these people were ostracised by the Pharisees and the rest of the Jewish community, but the irony is that they were the ones who were seeking the Lord the most earnestly and hence were closer to the Lord’s salvation than the Pharisees themselves. Those Pharisees were blinded and misguided by their own ego and pride, by their own mistaken knowledge and understanding of the Law, which is similar to what St. Paul had warned and advised the faithful in Thessalonica against, that they must not fall into this wrong path, to the path that does not lead towards God. This is why we are also reminded not to walk down this path, and we should indeed spend more time to connect ourselves well to the Lord and to renew our faith in Him. We should also help one another to remain true to our faith in God.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Monica, the mother of the well-known St. Augustine of Hippo, and who is the patron saint of mothers. St. Monica is a truly great saint who can be our great inspiration in how we should live our lives as faithful and holy people of God, in her tireless commitment to her son, her prayers and patience in guiding him towards the Lord. St. Monica was a Christian married to a Roman pagan influential man, and her son, St. Augustine of Hippo was a brilliant young man, but he was easily influenced by the many debauched and wicked influences of his time, and became a Manichaean, indulging himself in all sorts of wicked behaviours and even fathered a child out of wedlock. One can only imagine the frustrations that St. Monica might have to experience.

And yet, St. Monica went through it all patiently, always there to pray and support her son, praying for his conversion and change of heart. Slowly but surely, this impacted the members of her family, beginning from her husband, who converted to be a Christian before he passed away, and then St. Augustine of Hippo himself, who was called by God and then, under the tutelage of St. Ambrose of Milan, finally embraced the Christian faith and the Lord fully, abandoning his past wicked way of life. St. Monica was by her son’s side throughout the whole entire journey, and has always shown her love to him, reminding us all what it means for us to be a Christian and a disciple of Christ, in how we ought to love one another and to help one another in our path towards the Lord’s salvation.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore continue to do our best to proclaim the Lord ever more faithfully in our whole lives, and do our part as Christians to be good role models and inspirations for everyone around us. May the Lord, our most loving God and Father continue to bless and guide us in our journey, strengthening us all to walk ever more faithfully in His path, now and always. Amen.

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Monday, 26 August 2024 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded to be truly faithful to God and not to be merely paying lip service to Him, or to be like hypocrites and all those who did not truly have genuine faith and trust in the Lord. Each and every one of us as Christians must always be sincere and genuine in our faith and belief in the Lord, and we should not merely be living our lives without commitment and the desire to live them in accordance to the faith and belief which we have in God. In each and every moments of our lives, we should always strive to do our best, to be exemplary and role model for one another in all things, to be true Christians not just in name, but also in our every efforts, endeavours, our words, actions and deeds.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Thessalonians in which St. Paul greeted the faithful people of God in Thessalonica, in what is today part of Greece, praying for them and encouraging them amidst the many challenges and trials that they had to endure in their path and commitments as Christians, as those who have faith in the Lord and believed in Him. St. Paul reminded the faithful that the Lord would always be with them and they should not give up in enduring the many persecutions and challenges because rich would be their rewards in the Kingdom of God, the assurance that the Lord Himself has given to them, that they would be well taken care of, and no one who had made commitment and sacrifices for the Lord would be abandoned by Him.

This letter from St. Paul to the Thessalonians highlighted the reality of being a Christian, a follower and believer of Christ at that time, during the early years of the existence of the Church. At that time, the Christian faith was still a relatively new faith and faced many opposition and challenges from those who disagreed with the Lord’s teachings and from the pagans and also the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem. Being persecuted and enduring trials and tribulations were part and parcel of being Christians then, and many among the faithful had to face these difficulties on a daily basis. And yet, this did not discouraged many of them from continuing to follow the Lord faithfully as the persecutions in fact strengthened their desire to continue to serve and follow the Lord faithfully.

From the Gospel passage taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew today, we begin the next few days of discourses on the woes of the Pharisees, as the Lord launched a series of criticisms at the Pharisees for their lack of faith and genuine commitment to the Lord, for their many hypocrisies in enforcing very strict laws and regulations as according to their interpretation of the Law of Moses, and yet, they themselves did not practice those laws with sincere faith, true commitment and understanding of the Law of God, His precepts and rules. They made it difficult for the people of God by applying very strict laws and regulations, and yet they themselves did not obey them wholeheartedly, making excuses and exceptions that contradicted themselves.

Not only that, but the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law often took great pride in their supposed piety and obedience to the Law of God. They often showed off their faith and sought praise and glory from whatever they had done, taking great joy and satisfaction in being treated preferentially and respected by the others in the community. This attitude was also complemented by their exclusivist and elitist attitude as they often showed great prejudice and disdain against those whom they deemed to be less worthy than they were, those whom they condemned as sinners, like those tax collectors and prostitutes, those who were afflicted by diseases and possessed by evil spirits, as well as the pagans and non-Jewish people whom they deemed to be unworthy of God and His salvation.

It is all these attitudes and behaviours that the Lord had warned all of His disciples against, so that they would not adapt the same attitudes and ways. As His disciples and followers, the Lord expects each and every one of us to walk in His path, to be always humble in our disposition and our attitudes, not allowing ourselves to be swayed by worldly glory and pride. We should not allow ourselves to be taken over by the desire for greatness and superiority over others, like what the Pharisees had suffered from, and like the Lord Himself has shown and taught us, we should constantly remind ourselves that what God wants from us is not empty proclamations and hubris-filled piety. Instead, the greater and better we are, all the more we should be humble and be willing to help others around us.

As Christians, we should always lead by example in all of our actions, words and deeds, in each and every moments of our lives. We should always be centred on the Lord in all things, doing our best at all opportunities given to us to proclaim Him through our examples, even in the smallest things that we do. We should never underestimate the impact of what we are doing, as often we may not realise that our every actions have wider consequences and implications that we may not be aware of. Through our actions and deeds, even the smallest and seemingly least significant ones among them, we may either show many others the truth and love of God, calling many more towards Him and His salvation, or we may end up scandalising His Holy Name instead, turning many away from God and His grace.

The decision on which path we are to embark on is ours alone, brothers and sisters in Christ. God has given us all the free will to decide and choose our path, and we should consider carefully how we are to proceed from now on so that we do not end up falling into the wrong path. Let us all henceforth renew our commitments from now and beyond, to continue to glorify the Lord by our lives and to do our best so that in everything that we say and do, we will continue to be the faithful and committed disciples and followers of the Lord in all things. May the Lord be with us always, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Sunday, 25 August 2024 : Twenty-First Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this Sunday all of us are yet again reminded of our responsibilities as God’s people, as His disciples and followers and as all those who have been called to obey the Lord wholeheartedly and to trust in Him with all of our heart and might. Each and every one of us as Christians should always remained strong in our faith and trust in the Lord despite the many challenges, trials, difficulties and even oppressions which we may have to endure in our path and journey forward as faithful followers and disciples of the Lord. We must not allow ourselves to be easily dissuaded and discouraged by those obstacles that we may encounter or have to endure in our lives as faithful Christians, knowing that the Lord Himself is by our side, present with us all throughout the journey.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Book of Joshua in which the occasion when the Israelites gathered before Joshua, their leader and the successor of Moses, when Joshua was already very old and was about to pass away. Joshua reminded the people of Israel of their obligation and responsibility to serve the Lord, their Master and King. He told them all to remain faithful to the Lord and not to be swayed by the false gods of their ancestors and the people who lived around them, the Canaanites and their idols. Joshua reminded them all that God had made a Covenant with them and their descendants, bringing them all to live in the land which had been granted to them to settle in. The Israelites then responded with faith, proclaiming their faith, fealty and loyalty to the Lord.

Unfortunately, if we were to read up further about the lives of the Israelites after the passing of Joshua, we would realise just how fast they went back on their words, not following and obeying the Law and commandments of God. They did not remain firmly faithful and committed to what they had pledged before Joshua and God on what they would do. They quickly turned away from the Lord and embraced the wicked ways of the world, worshipping pagan idols and false gods, building up shrines and altars to honour those idols instead of worshipping and obeying their Lord and God, the One and only True God. They did not remain truly faithful to the Lord because they likely found obeying and following the laws and precepts of the Lord to be demanding and difficult, as opposed to following the wicked ways of the pagan idols that often suit their worldly desires.

Then, from our second reading taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in Ephesus, we heard of the words of St. Paul reminding the people of God there to be good and faithful to the Lord, as well as to be committed in their respective parts and roles in the community, exhorting husbands and wives to be devoted and faithful to one another because they are all parts of the same one Body of Christ, that is the Church of God. St. Paul kept on highlighting this fact and the unity that all the faithful had in the Lord, which all would be explained through the discourse of the Bread of Life in our Gospel passage this Sunday and previous Sundays. Through His giving of Himself, His most Precious Body and Blood, He has united us all to Himself and brought us all together into this unity in the Church, to become part of His Body.

And that is why, each and every one of us as Christians are expected and called to live our lives worthily of the Lord so that in everything that we say and do, as we ourselves are the bearers of God’s light and truth, and His Presence is within us through the Most Precious Body and Blood that He has given us, and which we partake, as well as through the Holy Spirit that He has bestowed and blessed us with, dwelling in each and every one of us. Therefore, we are all part of the same sacred and holy Body of Christ, the Church, the Temple and House of God’s Holy Presence, and as such, we are all expected to do our best to live our lives in the manner that is truly pleasing to God at all times. Each and every moments of our lives should indeed be filled with God’s grace and love, and we should always ever be faithful to Him at all times.

In our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. John, we heard the continuation of the discourse on the Bread of Life which we have covered in the past few Sundays. In this occasion we heard how the Jews who listened to the Lord speaking to them about Him giving them His own Body and Blood for them to share and partake, found it really difficult to accept as a truth and reality. He however did not shy away from telling them this truth, reminding them all that whatever He had told them was none other than the full truth, that He is indeed the Bread of Life, the Lamb of God, Who would soon lay down His own life on the Cross, breaking His own Precious Body and shedding His own Precious Blood so that all of us who share and partake in His Body and Blood may be saved and have new life in us.

We heard how many of the disciples of the Lord left Him after this occasion because they could not reconcile themselves with what they have heard from Him, with many of them probably disgusted upon hearing that the Lord would give them His own Body and Blood to consume and partake, not understanding and willing to open their hearts and minds to listen to Him, or to welcome the truth into their hearts. They prefer to follow their own judgments and thoughts rather than to believe and trust in the Lord, and despite everything that they themselves had witnessed and seen with their own eyes. But the Twelve remained faithful to their Lord and Master, trusting in Him and following Him regardless, and renewed their commitment to Him with the words spoken by St. Peter, who faithfully reaffirmed their faith and loyalty to Him before everyone. 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore as Christians do our part in reaffirming our own faith and trust in the Lord, not just with mere words only but also through concrete and real actions. We must not be like those Israelites in the past who professed to have faith in the Lord and yet, they quickly gave up their faith in God and followed the false path of the pagans and their false idols. We must not merely be paying lip service of our commitment and faith in the Lord, but we must always strive to do our best, to truly embody our faith and trust in the Lord through our firm belief in what the Lord Himself has shown and taught us. And this means that we should live our lives worthily of Him, knowing that He has given us all His own Precious Body and Blood to partake, gathering us all to be part of His one Body, the Church of God.

May the Lord, our most loving God and Father, continue to strengthen and guide us all in our journey through life, so that in everything that we say and do, in our every good efforts and commitments to Him, we will continue to do our best to glorify Him by our lives. May all of us be the shining beacons of Our Lord’s truth and Good News, and continue to inspire many others to come ever closer towards God and His salvation, all through our own worthy and exemplary actions, in each and every moments of our lives. May God bless us always in all things, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Saturday, 24 August 2024 : Feast of St. Bartholomew, Apostle (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the Feast of one of the Twelve Holy Apostles of the Lord, namely that of St. Bartholomew the Apostle. The name Bartholomew had its origin from the patronymic name, Bar-Tholomew, indicating that this St. Bartholomew was the son of someone named Tholomew, Tholomaios or Talmai. In the Scriptures and Apostolic tradition, he was also known and associated with Nathanael, as we all heard his story today from the Gospel according to St. John. Regardless of his actual name, on whether it is Bartholomew or Nathanael, or whether it is Nathanael bar Talmai/Ptolemy or Nathanael son of Talmai/Ptolemy as some Biblical scholars proposed, what matters is that this faithful servant of God has lived his life in commitment to God and has done many wonderful deeds in His service.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Revelations of St. John about the vision of St. John the Apostle who saw the vision of the great city of New Jerusalem, the City of God that has come down from Heaven. This vision of the heavenly and new Jerusalem is the symbol of the coming of the eternal Kingdom of God, the restoration of everything that had fallen into disarray by our disobedience and sins. Everything would be restored to how God had intended it to be at the beginning of time and creation. God had always meant for us all to enjoy the fullness of His love and grace, to share in everything that He had created and prepared for us, the eternal joy and happiness which He has meant for us to have with us. And St. John saw the vision of the twelve gates of the city decorated richly with precious stones, with the names of the Twelve Apostles written on them.

From what we have heard in this account of the heavenly vision of St. John the Apostle, we heard of the ultimate destination which we all have in our lives, that is to be reunited completely and fully with God, with our loving Father and Creator. The heavenly and new Jerusalem present at the end of time, after all the tribulations, trials and sufferings which St. John witnessed in his visions, showed us all the end of all of our journeys and hardships, as we endure all those in our path to seek God’s salvation and to be reunited with Him. We must not give up easily on this journey, as in the end, all of us will have a share in the eternal glory of God, and we are meant to live and exist with Him in an eternity of joy, free from all hardships and sufferings. The Apostles themselves have also received this same assurance, and they would indeed be the ones by the side of the Lord, honoured greatly as the pillars of His Church.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the moment when the Lord Jesus called the person named Nathanael to Him, and when He convinced this same Nathanael to join Him in His mission to the people of Israel. As mentioned earlier, this Nathanael is likely the same as Bartholomew, by his patronymic ‘son of Talmai or Ptolemy’, and this Nathanael was a rather wise and learned man, as someone who was knowledgeable in the Scriptures and the prophets. When it was mentioned that the Lord Jesus hailed from the area of Galilee, Nathanael knew that no prophet or great man would come from that region, showing his knowledge and understanding of the prophets and the Scriptures, but he did not know that the Lord Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea just as the prophets had prophesied about Him and His coming.

The Lord then told Nathanael that He knew of what he was doing and where he was, a truly supernatural experience and ability which convinced Nathanael that the Lord Jesus was truly the One Whom the prophets and the Scriptures had predicted, the Messiah or the Saviour of the whole world. He told them that he and the other Apostles would see even more great and wonderful things, all the signs and wonders that He would perform before them, and ultimately, in the end of their respective journeys, they would be among the first to experience the beatific vision of Heaven, of the Angels of God glorifying the Lord, the One Whom St. Bartholomew himself had seen, witnessed and interacted with. His faith and commitment to the Lord would truly be rewarded by the Lord, and they would share in the glory of their Lord and Master just as St. John had seen and shared with us.

St. Bartholomew according to the Apostolic traditions would go on to carry out the mission which had been entrusted to him by the Lord after He has accomplished His works, His Passion and death, and after He has risen from the dead and ascended into Heaven. St. Bartholomew went on missionary journeys to many places, such as Mesopotamia, Parthia, Armenia, Lycaonia, Ethiopia and even as far as India. He worked tirelessly to proclaim the word of God to those places, ministering to the people of God and proclaiming God and His truth to many more people who have not yet known Him. St. Bartholomew spent his life to do whatever he could to evangelise the truth of God to more people, committing himself to the service of God.

According to Apostolic tradition, St. Bartholomew went to Armenia where he managed to convert Polymius, the local Armenian king, who became a Christian. This resulted in the riot and rebellion from the local pagan population, which led to the king’s brother to order the arrest, torture and execution of St. Bartholomew. Yet another related and popular tradition stated that St. Bartholomew was martyred in the nearby region of what is today Azerbaijan, where he was skinned alive and then beheaded. Regardless of the details of the sufferings and martyrdom of St. Bartholomew, what was clear is that he has truly devoted himself to the service of God, proclaiming His truth and Good News to the far ends of the world, suffering many things amidst his efforts and works, not fearing the persecutions, oppressions and tribulations that he had to face in the midst of doing so.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be inspired by the examples of St. Bartholomew the Apostle and remember that each and every one of us as Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people, we have the shared responsibilities to continue the good works and ministry which the Apostles and disciples of the Lord, our predecessors have started. We should continue to do our best in whatever opportunities that have been given to us so that we may always be exemplary and good role models for our fellow brethren, and that our whole lives may truly shine with God’s ever present and wonderful light. May God continue to empower and bless us all in all of our endeavours, and may St. Bartholomew, Holy Apostle of the Lord continue to intercede and pray for us sinners still struggling and persevering daily in this world today. Amen.