Tempus Ordinaria

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Wednesday, 22 May 2024 : 7th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Rita of Cascia, Religious (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Religious)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures we are all reminded that as Christians, God’s people and followers, we must always strive to put our faith and trust in the Lord above all the other things, and we must not let ourselves to be swayed or distracted by the many temptations of worldly glory, ambitions and desires, all of which can lead us astray and bring us away from the path of God’s righteousness and grace. If we allow ourselves to be swayed by those temptations, we may end up falling into the path towards eternal damnation and destruction.

In our first reading today, we heard of the words from the Apostle St. James in his exhortation to the faithful people of God, in which he told them all that they must not be so busy worrying and preparing for their plans in the world, with all their preoccupations and all the busy things they carried out to prepare for the next day, for the next week, the next month, and even for the next few years. All these things can prevent us from truly following the Lord faithfully and wholeheartedly, as they may end up dragging us down the path of the pursuit of worldly ambitions, fame and glory.

When we focus so much on our lives in this world and our desires for all sorts of worldly goods and matters, it is easy for us to get distracted and to abandon our faith in God, as we may end up putting our trust more in those worldly things and attachments that we have, such as money, wealth, possessions, worldly pleasures, glory, fame among many other things. Throughout history, it has been proven that many in the Church and among the faithful fell into the path of evil and wickedness because they gave in to those temptations, even those high in position within the Church, corrupted by the worldly desires and temptations.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel of St. Mark in which an occasion when the Lord and His group encountered a person who was driving out demons by using His Name, and the disciples complained about the person to the Lord, Who told them that they should not go against the person, or make complaints, as in the end, if the person was doing good works of the Lord, in accordance to the manner that God had done and taught us all, then all those works are equally valid and worthy, and God may have indeed called the person to do His will too, without us knowing about it.

What is significant from this event is that the Lord made it clear that salvation is truly meant for everyone, even if not necessarily those belonging to the group, as there might be cases and occasions when there are people whom not by their fault or deliberate action, not fully belonging to the group of the Lord’s followers. Back then, the disciples of the Lord must have been jealous and unwilling to let the others to have the same gifts, abilities and opportunities to do what they themselves had been entrusted to do. Essentially, the attitude and actions of the disciples were based on worldly desires and jealousy, and that was wrong.

This is therefore a reminder to each and every one of us that we should not allow all sorts of worldly temptations, our ego and pride, our desires for pleasure and for worldly things to sway our decisions and distract us in our path towards God. We must always be resolute in our efforts to resist those temptations and pressures, which are usually always ever present around us, so that we may continue to walk faithfully in God’s path and be the worthy and ever faithful bearers of God’s truth and Good News at all times. Through our lives and examples, we should always strive to proclaim the Lord to everyone whom we encounter in our journey throughout life.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Rita of Cascia, who was a great and holy woman, dedicated in her efforts to live a worthy and good life that is in accordance to the path of the Lord. St. Rita of Cascia was married at a young age to a nobleman despite her desire to join a convent and become a religious sister. Her husband was also known to be immoral and ill-tempered, but despite all that, St. Rita of Cascia lived her life with virtue and zeal for the Lord, and became an exemplary wife and mother to her children, amidst the then challenging landscape of the political and inter-familial rivalries rampant at that time.

One such dispute led to the husband of St. Rita of Cascia to be stabbed to death, and his grieving family desired that the sons of St. Rita of Cascia ought to follow in their father’s footsteps and continue the feud, avenging their father’s murder by the rival family. St. Rita of Cascia tried to dissuade her sons from committing such actions, which would only perpetua and worsen the conflict ever further. When she could not do so, she earnestly prayed to the Lord to take her own sons away from her, as that would have been better than to have them falling into eternal damnation because of the sins that they would commit otherwise.

God listened to her prayers, and eventually in short succession, her sons were taken from her through disease and other means, and this widow and mother eventually entered a monastery, continuing to live her life with great piety and dedication to God, caring for the well-being of the people around her, and showing truly great faith and commitment to God as well as genuine love for her fellow brothers and sisters. Not only that, but through her continued and ceaseless efforts, eventually she also managed to help resolve the feud between the rival families that had led to the murder of her own husband earlier on.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, through the examples and commitment showed by St. Rita of Cascia, we can see how we can also commit ourselves so that we can continue to live worthily in the path that the Lord has shown us, by distancing ourselves from worldly ambitions and pursuits, and placing our focus in life on the Lord and on doing His will rather than pursuing glory and greatness, which as we have seen from the life of St. Rita of Cascia, to be rather pointless, meaningless and futile, and which often lead us only down the path of destruction and damnation instead of the path of righteousness and virtue.

May the Lord continue to help and strengthen us in our journey, and may He continue to bless us all, empowering us to live faithfully as His good and devout servants, proclaiming His Good News and salvation to everyone. May the Lord bless our every good efforts and endeavours, and may He guide us always in our paths through life, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 22 May 2024 : 7th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Rita of Cascia, Religious (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Religious)

Mark 9 : 38-40

At that time, John said to Jesus, “Master, we saw someone who drove out demons by calling upon Your Name, and we tried to forbid him, because he does not belong to our group.”

Jesus answered, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My Name can soon after speak evil of Me. For whoever is not against us is for us.”

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Wednesday, 22 May 2024 : 7th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Rita of Cascia, Religious (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Religious)

Psalm 48 : 2-3, 6-7, 8-10, 11

Hear this, all you peoples! Listen, all you inhabitants of the world, high and low together, rich and poor alike!

Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers ring me round – those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches?

For no ransom avails for one’s life; there is no price one can give to God for it. For redeeming one’s life demands too high a price, and all is lost forever. Who can remain forever alive and never see the grave?

For we see that the wise die, and pass away like the fool and the stupid, leaving to others their fortune and wealth.

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Wednesday, 22 May 2024 : 7th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Rita of Cascia, Religious (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Religious)

James 4 : 13-17

Listen now, you who speak like this, “Today or tomorrow we will go off to this city and spend a year there; we will do business and make money.”

You have no idea what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? No more than a mist, which appears for a moment and then disappears. Instead of this, you should say, “God willing, we will live and do this or that.”

But no! You boast of your plans : this brazen pride is wicked. Anyone who knows what is good, and does not do it, sins.

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Tuesday, 21 May 2024 : 7th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Christopher Magallanes, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we embark on the journey of faith, continuing on from our celebrations and festivities throughout the Easter season earlier on, and entering into this time of the Ordinary Season, we must remind ourselves that each and every one of us as Christians have been called to be good role models and inspirations for one another, in how we live our lives and in what we say and do, in how we interact with one another in our respective communities and places, so that by our lives, our actions, words and deeds we may indeed show that we truly belong to the Lord, at all times.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. James in which the Apostle in his exhortation to the faithful people of God reminded them all that as Christians they should always remember that they must always live their lives centred on God, and they should not allow themselves to be swayed by the desires, temptations, squabbles and conflicts of the world, which many of the faithful at that time fell prey to, causing the Apostles like St. James, St. Paul and others to grieve over how fellow Christian brothers and sisters were quarrelling with one another over worldly ambitions and matters, which they should not have done in the first place.

St. James reminded the faithful that they should be people of the Spirit, and not to follow the path of the flesh and the world, as their wrong motives, ambitions and desires are stumbling blocks that could prevent them from attaining true righteousness in God, and not only that, but their squabbles and quarrels were also unbecoming of them being Christians, who were supposed to be filled with God’s love, as Christ had taught all of them to love one another generously and tenderly, and not to be at each others’ throats over worldly matters, attachments and desires as they had done at that time.

St. James also reminded all of the faithful to distance themselves therefore from all sorts of vile things, impurities and corruptions from the world, from any sorts of wicked attachments and ambitions, the many temptations that could cause them to fall deeper and deeper into the path of sin and causing scandal for the Church and for their faith, besmirching the good and Holy Name of God in their pursuit for worldly glory and achievements. That is why St. James reminded all of the faithful, including all of us, to resist the temptations of worldly glory and ambition, to restrain our ego, pride and desires, and to be humble at all times, seeking to purify ourselves from all the corruptions of sin and evil.

In the Gospel passage today, this same theme and message are again repeated through what the Lord Jesus told to His disciples. He first of all told them the prediction and premonition of what He Himself would have to endure, betrayal, persecution, arrest and eventually suffering and death, which all happened during the time of His Passion and Crucifixion at Calvary. Back then, many of the disciples who followed the Lord Jesus thought that the Lord Who was considered widely as the Messiah or the Saviour. As per the common knowledge and considerations of the time, the Messiah was expected to restore the Kingdom of Israel, and as Son of David, to reign as King over Israel, and hence, overthrowing the yoke of the conquerors and rulers like the Romans and others who had put Israel under bondage.

Hence, some if not many of those disciples had ulterior motives in following the Lord, desiring power and glory, riches and ambitions, just as others who followed other worldly figures, kings and rulers throughout history. Many of these people sought power, fame, riches and influence, worldly goods and other satisfaction through association with the ones whom they were following. But the Lord told His disciples that to become His followers, it is not like becoming followers of all the other worldly rulers and figures. As He Himself showed by example, through the little children who were there, He told them all that to follow Him, they ought to be humble like the children, and not to allow themselves to be corrupted by worldly temptations and ambitions.

Like the ones to whom St. James addressed his Epistle to, the disciples of the Lord at that time also bickered and quarrelled with each other over who among them were the most important and influential ones, of who among them were more esteemed and honoured by the Lord, or who were closer to Him. But the Lord told them all that all those things were not what they should be seeking for in becoming His disciples. Instead, they should be like children in their faith and way of life, because those children, when they believe in something, they truly, sincerely and genuinely believe in them, not being sullied or corrupted by earthly desires and the ambitions of this world.

This is why, all of us today are also reminded by these readings from the Scriptures, that we should also reflect on our disposition in life in how we have lived our lives as Christians. If we have not put God at the centre and as the focus of our lives and existence, and allow the temptations and desires of this world, and the temptations of our ego and ambitions to lived our lives worthily in the manner that is expected of us, then how can we then help others to believe in God? Worse still, if our actions, behaviours and deeds contradict our beliefs and faith, it may even bring about scandal to our faith and to the Holy Name of God, and causing people to distance themselves from the Church and the Christian faith instead. All of us need to live our lives with genuine faith and commitment to God, and we must strive to do our best, to live each and every moments of our lives worthily so that we may be good examples and inspirations for one another.

Today, the Church also celebrates the feast of St. Christopher Magallanes, great priest and servant of God who dedicated himself to the mission entrusted to him, in proclaiming the Good News of the Lord and standing up for the Christian faith, teachings and truth, while facing trials and persecutions, which eventually led to his martyrdom. St. Christopher Magallanes lived and ministered as priest during a rather challenging time to be Christians in Mexico, about a hundred or so years ago, when the government, then dominated by those who were hostile to the Church and the faith, committed acts and enforced laws that sought to cripple and destroy the Catholic Church, and persecuted the faithful openly, especially the members of the clergy and priests like St. Christopher Magallanes.

Seminaries and other Church institutions were closed, and some priests like St. Christopher Magallanes continued carrying out priestly formation in clandestine seminaries to ensure the continued survival of the Church. All these harsh treatments against the Church led to open rebellions and conflicts between the supporters and the opponents of the Church, known as the Cristero War. Many members of the faithful were persecuted greatly and quite a few lost their lives, persecuted and tortured, and some even summarily executed without trial by those who were hostile to the Church. This was the fate faced by St. Christopher Magallanes, who risked his life in continuing to minister to the faithful despite the many threats and dangers facing his life as a Catholic priest working during the time of conflict and open persecution against the clergy and the other members of the faithful. When he was about to be executed, he forgave his persecutors and executors, even giving absolutions to them for what they were about to commit against him.

Through the examples of those holy martyrs and saints we have been shown how we all should live our lives as Christians, by putting emphasis and focus not on ourselves and our own selfish desires, but rather on the Lord and His will. Each and every one of us as Christians ought to do our best in our lives to be good role models and inspirations, in how we live, so that our lives truly showcase our faith in the Lord, to be full of love just as the Lord our God is ever full of love for us. We are all called to love our fellow brothers and sisters, to do what we can so that we can continue to touch the lives of others around us, reaching out especially to those who are suffering and facing difficulties and challenges in life.

May the Lord continue to help and strengthen us in our faith, and may He help us to walk ever more faithfully in His path, living our lives with genuine love and care for our fellow brothers and sisters, seeking not worldly glory, power, fame, riches and ambitions, but instead striving to do as best as we can to lead others to the path of the Lord, to proclaim His truth and Good News to more and more people we encounter in our respective lives. May the Lord bless us all in our every good efforts and endeavours, and encourage us through the good examples of his saints, like the courageous St. Christopher Magallanes and his companions in martyrdom. Amen.

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Tuesday, 21 May 2024 : 7th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Christopher Magallanes, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Mark 9 : 30-37

At that time, after leaving the place where He cast out evil spirit from a deaf and dumb boy, Jesus and His disciples made their way through Galilee, but He did not want people to know where He was because He was teaching His disciples. And He told them, “The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill Him, but three days after He has been killed, He will rise.”

The disciples, however, did not understand these words and they were afraid to ask Him what He meant. They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, Jesus asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they did not answer, because they had been arguing about who was the greatest.

Then He sat down, called the Twelve and said to them, “If someone wants to be first, let him be last of all and servant of all.” Then He took a little child, placed him in their midst, and putting His arms around him, He said to them, “Whoever welcomes a child such as this in My Name, welcomes Me; and whoever welcomes Me, welcomes not Me but the One Who sent Me.”

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Tuesday, 21 May 2024 : 7th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Christopher Magallanes, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Psalm 54 : 7-8, 9-10a, 10b-11a, 23

I said, “If I had wings, like a dove, I would fly away and be at rest; I would seek a home in the desert.”

“I would hurry to find a cave, for shelter from the tempest.” O YHVH, shatter their plans.

In the city, I see strife and violence; day and night, they prowl about its walls.

Place your burden on YHVH, and He will sustain you; for He never allows the upright to fall.

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Tuesday, 21 May 2024 : 7th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Christopher Magallanes, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

James 4 : 1-10

What causes these fights and quarrels among you? Is it not your cravings, that make war within your own selves? When you long for something you cannot have, you kill for it, and when you do not get what you desire, you squabble and fight. The fact is, you do not have what you want, because you do not pray for it.

You pray for something, and you do not get it, because you pray with the wrong motive, of indulging your pleasures. You adulterers! Do you not know, that making friends with the world makes you enemies of God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be the world’s friend becomes God’s enemy.

Can you not see the point of the saying in the Scripture : “The longing of the Spirit, He sent to dwell in us, is a jealous longing?” But God has something better to give, and Scripture also says, “God opposes the proud but He gives His favour to the humble.” Give in, then, to God; resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Draw close to God and He will come close to you. Clean your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you doubters. Recognise your distress, be miserable and weep. Turn your laughter into tears and your joy into sadness. Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will raise you up.

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Monday, 20 May 2024 : 7th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Our Lady, Mother of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today on the day after Pentecost Sunday, as we begin once again the second part of the Ordinary Time during this current liturgical year after the completion of the Easter season, we celebrate together as one whole Church the Feast of Mary, Our Lady, the Mother of the Church, or Mater Ecclesiae. On this day we remember the role which Mary, the Mother of God played in bringing together the Church of God through her Son, as well as her presence during the time when the Church of God was born, which happened on Good Friday, and how the Lord entrusted her to us, and vice versa, us to her, for her be our Mother and we to be her children. Mary was then also present at the moment when the Church was revealed to the world, and began its evangelising mission, which happened at the Pentecost.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Genesis detailing to us the moments right after mankind had fallen into sin at the beginning of Creation by disobeying God’s will and disregarding His warning not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Adam and Eve chose to eat from the fruits of that tree and they fell into sin as they did not listen to the Lord and chose to believe in the false lies of Satan and his temptations instead. But at that same time, as the Lord told them that they would have to wander off in the world and to suffer the consequences of their sins, He also reaffirmed that He still loved them all despite of their many sins and wickedness, and He revealed that one day, salvation would come to us all through a Woman, who would crush the machinations and the power of Satan, the great enemy who had brought about our downfall.

This revelation is a prediction of the role which Mary, the Woman mentioned by the Lord would play in the history and path of our salvation. Through Mary, who accepted her role entrusted to her by God to be the Mother of God, the Son of God incarnate in the flesh through her, and through Mary therefore the salvation of God had been made manifest in the world to us all, by the will of God the Father and through the power of the Holy Spirit. And as God later went on to establish His Church, it can be said that all these were made possible by Mary’s role in accepting the mission entrusted to her by the Lord, by embracing the Lord’s mission with faith and commitment, entrusting herself to her Lord and Master, and in committing herself thoroughly to this same mission.

In the alternative first reading today, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, we heard of the moment when the Lord Jesus had ascended into Heaven but before that of the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, where the Lord’s disciples were mentioned, the Twelve Apostles and the other disciples, and Mary, the Mother of Our Lord was also mentioned there being part of the group, praying together and gathering as one people, united in purpose and awaiting the coming of the Holy Advocate or Helper, that is the Holy Spirit. Mary being present at that moment signified her closeness and participation in the affairs of the early Church, being the Mother of the Lord and also the Mother of all the believers and the holy people of God. She cannot be separated from the Church as she herself is part of that Church and she truly occupies a very prominent place in it.

At the time of the Pentecost, Apostolic traditions state that Mary was present with all the other disciples, and the Holy Spirit descended on all of them. Mary, being full of grace and having the Holy Spirit worked through her before in the Incarnation of the Lord, the Holy Spirit that came upon Mary and all the disciples symbolises this presence of the Holy Spirit that has made the love of God manifest in this world, manifesting His Church to the whole world. And Mary being there as a rather central figure at the moment of Pentecost signified her closeness to the Church and her being the Mother of the Church, guiding all the faithful people of God, her own beloved children to her Son, Our Lord and Saviour of all.

The Pentecost itself is often misunderstood as the ‘Birthday of the Church’, while according to the Church fathers and Apostolic tradition, as written in the Catechism of the Catholic Church was ‘born’ and established from the side of the Lord, from the outpouring of the Blood and water that came from the Lord’s Body, lay broken and crushed on Good Friday, at the end of His Passion, His suffering and death. Through His earlier institution of the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist and the Ministerial Priesthood at the Last Supper, and through His completion of the perfect offering and sacrifice of the New and Eternal Passover, the New and Eternal Covenant, Christ has formed the Church that is His Body, uniting all of the believers with Himself.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard then of the account of the events during the culmination and height of the Passion of the Lord, on Good Friday, when the Lord Jesus lay dying on His Cross at Calvary, the birthday of the Church as mentioned actually happened on Good Friday itself, at that moment when the Lord gave His life for our salvation, and when He also entrusted all of us to His beloved Mother so that she can be our Mother, and we all can be her children. By this important symbolic act therefore, the Lord established His Church, which He entrusted to His Apostles and first of all also to His Mother Mary, who became the Mother of the Church, to be the loving Mother to love and care for all of us in the Church of God.

That is why today we all rejoice ever so greatly and wonderfully for our loving Mother, Mary, our Mother and the Mother of the Church. We give thanks for the great examples and inspirations which our loving Mother has shown us in being ever faithful and committed to her mission and calling, and in all that she had ever done for us all, in always praying and interceding for us by the side of her beloved Son in Heaven. Mary has repeatedly intervened and helped many of us throughout time and history, making appearances in various places, such as Lourdes, Fatima, among others, through which she has inspired and helped even more people, more of her beloved children in finding their way towards salvation in her Son, Our Lord and Saviour.

Having constantly witnessed and experienced the great maternal love which Mary, the Mother of the Church has to all of us, parts of the same Body of Christ, the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, all of us whom Mary has considered to be her own beloved ones, let us all therefore strive to follow her good examples and her faith in God, and also show the same love which she has shown us, in first of all loving her Son, Our Lord and God with all of our hearts and with all of our might, as well as loving our fellow brothers and sisters with all sincerity and genuine desire to care for one another, to be loving just as the Lord and His blessed Mother, who is also our Mother, have loved us. May the Lord continue to bless us all and may His loving Mother, the Mother of the Church, continue to help and guide us all in God’s Church, so that in our every efforts, good works and endeavours, we will continue to glorify God by our lives and proclaim His truth to more and more people. Amen.

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Monday, 20 May 2024 : 7th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Our Lady, Mother of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 19 : 25-34

At that time, near the cross of Jesus stood His mother, His mother’s sister Mary, who was the wife of Cleophas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw the mother, and the disciple whom He loved, He said to the mother, “Woman, this is your son.” Then He said to the disciple, “This is your mother.” And from that moment the disciple took her to his own home.

Jesus knew all was now finished and, in order to fulfil what was written in Scripture, He said, “I am thirsty.” A jar full of bitter wine stood there; so, putting a sponge soaked in the wine on a twig of hyssop, they raised it to His lips. Jesus took the wine and said, “It is accomplished.” Then He bowed His head and gave up the Spirit.

As it was Preparation Day, the Jews did not want the bodies to remain on the cross during the Sabbath, for this Sabbath was a very solemn day. They asked Pilate to have the legs of the condemned men broken, so that the bodies might be taken away. The soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man and of the other man, who had been crucified with Jesus.

When they came to Jesus, they saw that He was already dead, so they did not break His legs. One of the soldiers, however, pierced His side with a lance, and immediately there came out Blood and water.