Tempus post Epiphania

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Monday, 13 January 2025 : 1st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Hilary, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we mark the beginning of the Ordinary Time, the first of the two seasons of the Ordinary Time of the liturgical year, with this first season lasting from now until the beginning of the season of Lent. This Ordinary time and season is however by no means ‘ordinary’ lest we misunderstood the meaning of this period and time. The word Ordinary here comes from the word ‘Ordinal’ which means numbered, from the fact that the Sundays of this season are numbered in sequence.

That is why this period of time after the time of Christmas and before the beginning of the Lenten season should not be a period of inactivity and passivity, or a time when we ignore our obligations and calling to do what is right and appropriate for us to do as God’s holy and beloved people, as His disciples and followers, to whom God had entrusted His Church and His missions in our world today. All of us should instead be active in embracing the many opportunities that God has granted to us, the chances we have been given so that we may touch the lives of others in a good way.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle to the Hebrews in which the author of this Epistle spoke about the coming of the salvation of God which has been fulfilled and completely revealed through His Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, the One Who had been sent into this world to be the Redeemer of all mankind, restoring all of us back to the state of grace, and the author also revealed to us that this Saviour was truly the Son of God, Who has been incarnate into the flesh, assuming our humanity, human nature and existence, becoming the Son of Man, appearing in our midst to lead us all into salvation in God.

And as the title of this Epistle suggests to us, the words of the author of this Epistle, commonly attributed to St. Luke the Evangelist, they are directed to the Jewish people, to whom the Lord was first sent to, to fulfil everything which the Lord has promised to all of His people throughout history. The author spoke of the One Whom the Jewish people has encountered, Jesus Christ Himself, Who has come, showing the great Wisdom of God in His various words and teachings among them with authority, and the power which God has exercised through Him, in His various miracles and wonders.

Therefore, the author of this Epistle to the Hebrews proclaimed to the Jewish community, both to strengthen the faith of those who have believed in Christ, and also to convince and persuade those who have not yet believed in Him, that the Lord Jesus Christ, was indeed the Holy One Whom God had sent into this world to lead everyone into salvation and eternal life. It is also a reminder for all of us Who it is that we have served, and the One through Whom our salvation has come from, what we have celebrated earlier on in Christmas, and which we now need to proclaim courageously in our world today.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist in which the account about the time when the Lord Jesus called His first disciples, the four fishermen of the lake of Galilee, namely St. Peter and his brother St. Andrew, and also the two sons of Zebedee, St. James and St. John, were told to us, and we heard how God called them all to be the ones to lead mankind to Him and His salvation, to become the fishers of men. And that was what they would be doing henceforth, committing themselves to the good cause of the Lord.

Hence, all of us are reminded through what we have heard in that passage today that we are all called to the service of God, to do what the Lord has entrusted to us, His gifts, talents, abilities and all the opportunities that He has provided to each one of us. All of us as Christians have been tasked to proclaim the Lord and His truth in our communities today, and to live in a truly Christian manner, putting the Lord our God ever at the centre and heart of our whole lives and existence, so that we will always do our best in glorifying Him by our lives, and showing Him to many others around us.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Hilary, also known as St. Hilary of Poitiers, who was the Bishop of Poitiers during the late era of the Roman Empire. He was born from a pagan family who embraced Christianity, and was raised with good and comprehensive education in the classics and philosophy. At that time, the Church was bitterly divided by those who supported the then very popular and powerful Arian heresy which denied the equality of Christ the Son of God with the Father, and those who upheld the true, orthodox teaching of the faith.

St. Hilary of Poitiers was elected to be the new bishop of Poitiers during that time of division and confusion among the faithful, and immediately the new bishop committed himself to oppose the false teachings of Arianism, and he worked hard to restore order and unity to the faithful under his care in Poitiers, while also doing a lot of work in the wider Church to oppose the influence of Arianism and other heresies, as well as ministering to his flock to the best of his abilities. He faced a lot of hardships and difficulties, opposition from those who did not agree with him, and even exile by the authorities, but he remained firm in his courageous efforts and works for the good of the Church and the faithful.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore follow in the footsteps of St. Hilary and many other holy saints, holy men and women of God, all of whom had devoted themselves, their time and effort to proclaim the truth and Good News of God to others around them, like the Apostles before them. And all of us as Christians are entrusted with the same mission to evangelise and to spread the Good News of God to more and more people all around the world. May the Lord be with us always and may He continue to empower us all in our efforts and good works for His greater glory, and may all of us continue to inspire everyone around us in faith. Amen.

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Monday, 13 January 2025 : 1st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Hilary, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Mark 1 : 14-20

At that time, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee and began preaching the Good News of God. He said, “The time has come; the kingdom of God is at hand. Change your ways and believe the Good News.”

As Jesus was walking along the shore of Lake Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fish for people.” At once, they abandoned their nets and followed Him.

Jesus went a little farther on, and saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee; they were in their boat mending their nets. Immediately, Jesus called them and they followed Him, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men.

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Monday, 13 January 2025 : 1st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Hilary, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 96 : 1 and 2b, 6 and 7c, 9

YHVH reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the distant islands be glad. Justice and right, are His throne.

The heavens proclaim His justice, all peoples see His glory. Let all spirits bow before Him.

For You are the Master of the universe, exalted far above all gods.

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Monday, 13 January 2025 : 1st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Hilary, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Hebrews 1 : 1-6

God has spoken in the past to our ancestors through the prophets, in many different ways, although never completely; but in our times He has spoken definitively to us through His Son. He is the one God appointed Heir of all things, since through Him He unfolded the stages of the world.

He is the Radiance of God’s Glory and bears the stamp of God’s hidden being, so that His powerful Word upholds the universe. And after taking away sin, He took His place at the right hand of the Divine Majesty in heaven. So He is now far superior to Angels just as the Name He received sets Him apart from them.

To what Angel did God say : You are My Son, I have begotten You today? And to what Angel did He promise : I shall be a Father to Him and He will be a Son to Me? On sending His Firstborn to the world, God says : “Let all the Angels adore Him.”

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Tuesday, 13 February 2024 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us are reminded that as long as we have faith in the Lord and as long as we continue to hold on to the faith which we have in our loving God and Saviour, then we can be strong amidst the many challenges and obstacles in our path, as we continue living our lives as Christians with faith and commitment to God. We should not allow worldly distractions and temptations to distract and mislead us down the wrong path, and we must always remain strong in God, and in all the things that He has taught and shown us to do. We should always strive to be righteous and just, virtuous and full of grace from the Lord, in everything that we say and do, and in how we interact with our brothers and sisters around us.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. James in which the Apostle St. James the Greater exhorted the faithful people of God that all of them must always hold fast and firmly to their faith in the Lord, knowing that it is in Him alone that there is certainty and assurance of true happiness, joy and salvation, and of the other things that the world cannot provide. If we allow ourselves to be swayed by those temptations and distractions, then we may end up walking down the path of sin, and getting further and further away from the Lord and His salvation, which is something that we should not be doing. That is why St. James reminded us all that we should always do our best so that we may continue to draw ever closer to God and His salvation.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus as He spoke to His disciples regarding the matter of the Pharisees and the way that they had constantly opposed His works and their lack of faith, their doubts and refusal to believe in His truth, which He mentioned as the ‘yeast of the Pharisees’. He also mentioned the ‘yeast of Herod’ as a reminder to all of them that they should also not allow worldly matters and desires, all the comforts and pleasures present all around us from leading us down the path of ruin and evil. This was because the Pharisees were those who thought themselves as superior and better than others around them simply because they were better educated and had better knowledge of the Law and the Prophets. Meanwhile, Herod and his court were corrupt and worldly, filled with vices and sins of the world, as they enjoyed the pleasures of the world and the flesh.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this is why we are all reminded by these Scripture passages that we should not be easily swayed and tempted by those various worldly matters, attachments, temptations, desires and all the other things which may end up causing us to fall into the slippery path towards rebellion, disobedience and lack of faith in the Lord, from which it will be hard for us all to escape unless we make the conscious effort to turn ourselves away from all those sins and the temptations to sin, and embrace once again the Lord and all of His truth, love and grace. Each and every one of us are parts and members of His Church, and we have been blessed and given the great honour of being so beloved and dear in the sight of God, our loving Father and Creator.

However, many of us often disobeyed Him and turned away from Him, refusing to listen to Him and follow His Law and commandments, because we allow ourselves to be tempted by the various concerns and attachments in life, by the wickedness and desires of the world, by our pride, ego and arrogance, that we fail to realise just how mistaken and erroneous our path in life has become. We refused to listen to the words of truth and advice that God had given us, either directly or indirectly, and this leads to us getting further and further away from the path of righteousness and truth. All of us must always embrace God’s love and kindness, His ever consistent desire to reach out to us, to be reconciled with us and to redeem us from our sins.

Now, we are about to enter into the Season of Lent, which starts tomorrow with the Ash Wednesday. This reminder we have received today is therefore very apt and timely, as a reminder for all of us to turn away from all of our sinfulness and wicked ways, from all the temptations of the world. All of us should strive to get rid from ourselves the taint and corruption of sin, and all the other impurities and obstacles which have prevented us from coming closer towards the Lord. This upcoming Lenten season is the perfect opportunity for us to make a difference, and to find our way back once against towards the Lord, and we really should not squander the opportunities that have been presented and provided to us by the Lord.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore renew our commitment to the Lord, in doing what God has called us to do, to be faithful once again to Him and to follow Him in the path which He has shown us. Let us all turn away from the temptations of sin, resisting all those things that may bring us down towards this path of wickedness and evil, and help one another that we may always remain strong and firm in our faith and in our conviction and desire to live our lives wholeheartedly in the Lord. Let us all do our best so that our every moments and our every actions, words and deeds will truly be filled with righteousness and virtues, and with all that the Lord has shown and taught us to do, that we may show good examples of our Christian faith and beliefs to others.

May the Lord be with us all, and may He empower each and every one of us so that we may grow ever stronger in faith and persevere amidst the challenges and temptations, obstacles and trials facing us. May God bless our every efforts, our good works and actions so that in all things, and at all opportunities, we will always glorify Him, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Tuesday, 13 February 2024 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Mark 8 : 14-21

At that time, the disciples had forgotten to bring more bread, and had only one loaf with the in the boat. Then Jesus warned them, “Keep your eyes open, and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.” And they said of one another, “He saw that we have no bread.”

Aware of this, Jesus asked them, “Why are you talking about the loaves you are short of? Do you not see or understand? Are your minds closed? Have your eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear? And do you not remember when I broke the five loaves among five thousand? How many baskets full of letfovers did you collect?”

They answered, “Twelve.” “And having distributed seven loaves to the four thousand, how many wicker baskets of leftovers did you collect?” They answered, “Seven.” Then Jesus said to them, “Do you still not understand?”

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Tuesday, 13 February 2024 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 93 : 12-13a, 14-15, 18-19

Fortunate the one You correct, o YHVH, the one You teach Your Law; You give them relief from distress.

YHVH will not reject His people, nor will He forsake His heritage. Justice will return to the just; and the upright will follow, in its wake.

No sooner did I say, “My foot is slipping,” Your kindness, o YHVH, held me up. The more worries and trouble assailed me, the more You consoled me.

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Tuesday, 13 February 2024 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

James 1 : 12-18

Happy are those who patiently endure trials, because, afterward, they will receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to those who love Him. No one, when tempted, should say, “This temptation comes from God.” God is never tempted, and He can never tempt anyone. Instead, each of us is lured, and enticed, by our own evil desire. Once this desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin, when fully grown, gives birth to death.

Do not be deceived, my beloved. Every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of Light, in Whom there is no change, or a shadow of a change. By His own will, He gave us life, through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of offering to Him, among His creatures.

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Monday, 12 February 2024 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we are all presented with these readings from the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded that we should always be faithful and committed to the Lord at all times, and that we should not easily be tempted and swayed from the path that the Lord has shown us. Each and every one of us as Christians must always strive to do what God has shown and taught us to do, in each and every moments of our lives. We must not be misled by our pride, ego and greed, all of which can bring us down the path towards our downfall and destruction. We must always steady ourselves in faith, in the Lord so that by our steadfastness in following God, we can be good role models and examples for everyone else present around us.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. James in which the Apostle St. James the Greater told the faithful to put their faith and trust in the Lord, and whatever that they may be lacking, be it in wisdom or anything else, they should seek them in the Lord, Who would guide them and strengthen them in all things. They should not doubt or be filled with anxiety or uncertainty, as in the Lord there is true and real assurance of hope and redemption, help and recourse from our trials and troubles. Those who doubt and are divided in their minds will not have peace and happiness, because they cannot trust in God’s Providence, and will always try to seek for consolation and help in the various other means and assistance from the world.

In our Gospel passage today, we are all presented with the confrontation between the Lord Jesus and the Pharisees, who argued with Him and doubted His works and teachings. Those Pharisees and the teachers of the Law had witnessed the signs and wonders, miracles and all the glorious things which the Lord had done, and yet, they failed to believe in Him, and they still kept on pestering Him with many questions and queries, doubting His authenticity and authority, and even accusing Him of colluding with evil spirits. Ironically, those same Pharisees and the teachers of the Law were the ones who were most familiar and knowledgeable about the Law of God as well as the words and teachings of the Prophets, and hence they should have been the ones who should be the earliest to recognise the Lord by the signs and wonders He had done.

This was because of the words and promises of the Lord which He has sent through His prophets and messengers, and those same signs, the miraculous healings and works of the Lord Jesus should have immediately made Him recognisable as the One Whom the Lord had promised to His people, the Saviour or Messiah that He has promised to send into our midst. And this Messiah turned out to be no less than the Son of God Himself in the flesh, appearing before all of us bearing the love of God perfectly manifested to us, showing His compassion and kindness, and His desire to reach out to us and be reconciled with us so that all of us may be reunited with Him, and no longer lost from Him. He came to seek the last, the lost and the least among us, and to raise us up once again from the depth of the darkness of our sins.

But those Pharisees and the teachers of the Law refused to believe in God because they were proud and arrogant, thinking that just because they were all intelligent and knowledgeable about the Law of God and the teachings of the Prophets, then they could not be wrong on their understanding and perspective about the Law and the teachings of the prophets. Hence, despite having frequently followed and shadowed the Lord for much of His ministry, and witnessing many of His works and miracles. They hardened their hearts and minds against the Lord because they refused to humble themselves and be open-minded, to accept the truth and revelation of God’s Good News.

This is why today, as we listened and remembered the words of these passages from the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that we should not allow pride, ego, ambition, greed and other worldly matters from becoming obstacles in the path for us to come towards God and His salvation. We should be humble and be willing to allow the Lord to come into our midst, and to do what He will do in bringing us all towards His grace and truth. Otherwise we are likely to fall into the same trap of sin and faithlessness as the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, who did not allow the Lord’s truth and love to enter into their hearts and minds.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore do our part, in our own daily lives, at each and every moments so that we may be sources of inspiration and good role models for one another. Each and every one of us as Christians must always be the shining beacons of God’s Light, Good News and love, showing everyone all around us Who He is, and what He has promised and reassured us all with. Through us, our words and actions, all of our deeds and interactions, we can be good and faithful missionaries and disciples of the Lord just as all of us have been called to do.

May the Lord continue to strengthen our faith in Him, and give us all the courage and the hope, the perseverance and the power to carry out our lives with His grace, guided through His wisdom and love, that we may be true and genuine Christians in all things, and not just merely a formality only. May God bless our every efforts, good works and endeavours, all for His greater glory, now and always. Amen.

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Monday, 12 February 2024 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Mark 8 : 11-13

At that time, the Pharisees came and started to argue with Jesus. Hoping to embarrass Him, they asked for some heavenly sign. Then His Spirit was moved. He gave a deep sigh and said, “Why do the people of this present time ask for a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this people.”

Then He left them, got into the boat again and went to the other side of the lake.