Tempus post Epiphania

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Tuesday, 14 January 2025 : 1st 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 from the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded again of the salvation and great grace that we have received from God through His Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, Our Saviour and Redeemer. For through Him, all of us have been shown the sure and direct path towards eternal life and true joy with God, by all that He had done in offering Himself with the perfect sacrifice and offering of His own Most Precious Body and Blood, as the Paschal Lamb offered on the Altar of His Cross. And as Christians, this is the core tenet of our faith, our belief in the Lord’s ultimate sacrifice and love for all of us sinners, that He has willingly embraced each one of us and loved us all despite us having sinned against Him, disobeyed Him and betrayed Him.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle to the Hebrews, in which the author, likely St. Luke the Evangelist, wrote to the Jewish community of his time, both to the Jewish converts to the Christian faith and also those who have not yet believed in Christ, we heard of the continuation of the testimony about the truth and reality of the identity of the Messiah or the Saviour of the world, in Jesus Christ, the Divine Word of God and Son of God Incarnate in the flesh, having become the Son of Man. The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews spoke of the great power, dominion and sovereignty which God has given to His Son, born into this world through His mother, the ever Blessed Virgin Mary.

It was also mentioned how no power, no dominion or greatness can surpass the great things that have been entrusted to this same Man, the Saviour of the world, the Son of God made Man, in Whom all of us Christians believe in and put our trust into. In Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, God has revealed the fullness of His love and grace, made whole and complete, tangible, real and approachable to us through Christ, and by Whose suffering and death, in uniting His humanity to ours, made us all to also share and partake in His glorious Resurrection, overcoming forever the power and dominion of sin and death, fulfilling what God has promised to our ancestors since the very beginning, that Satan and all the wickedness of sin will eventually be defeated.

And this testimony is to highlight to the Jewish people how the One that their leaders had chosen to reject and persecute, oppress and handed over to the Romans to be crucified, was truly the Saviour of the world, and not the False Messiah unlike what those Jewish leaders tried to spread falsely among the people, including the attempt to give a false story regarding the Lord’s Resurrection by saying that the Lord’s disciples had stolen His Body and hid Him. It is also therefore a reminder for all of us Who it is that we truly believe in and put our faith and trust in, Whom we worship, honour and glorify by our lives, in each and every moments we have been given.

Then, in our Gospel passage today taken from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist, we heard of the moment when the Lord Jesus was teaching in the synagogue, proclaiming the truth of God to everyone listening to Him, and we heard how it was described that the Lord spoke with power and authority, with great wisdom unlike those leaders and other teachers who were there. This fact, accompanied by what happened afterwards, as the Lord cast out demons from a man who had been possessed, and such demons proclaiming the truth about this Man, truly the Holy One of God, the Son of God incarnate, are proofs for the people then and for all of us that the historical Jesus Christ is truly the Messiah, the Incarnate Word and Son of God.

For no one can have authority over the evil spirits unless given by God, and even if some of them wanted to prove otherwise or even insinuate that the Lord had done it by colluding with the evil spirits like some of the Pharisees and the leaders of the people did, all those false and baseless accusations cannot stand against the truth and wisdom of God, and even the evil spirits cannot lie about this fact, for even they are bound by their obedience to God and their submission to Him, their true Lord, Master and Creator. Even in their rebellion against Him, they could not speak untruths about Him, and the most that they did, was trying to sow discord using this truth by revealing this fact to the people, in trying to turn some of them against the Lord.

That was why the Lord told those evil spirits to remain quiet, and those evil spirits obeyed Him. All these again highlighted that our faith in Jesus Christ is important, and what we have heard today through the Sacred Scriptures are crucial reminders for us to understand more about Who it is that we are proclaiming about, the One Who has saved us all from certain destruction by His suffering and death on the Cross. Through His suffering, Christ our Lord has revealed the fullness of God’s love and compassionate mercy towards us, and He has shown us that He is truly the One through Whom and only Whom we can have hope in, for in no other Name or power or means that we can be saved from the multitudes of our sins.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore do our best in each and every moments of our lives so that we may truly be empowered to do what we should do as Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people to be the courageous and ever devoted missionaries and servants of God and His cause in our world today. Let us all no longer be hesitant but be more committed than ever to walk ever more faithfully in God’s Holy Presence, now and always. May God be with us all and may He continue to bless our every good works and efforts, all for His greater glory. Amen.

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Tuesday, 14 January 2025 : 1st Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Mark 1 : 21b-28

At that time, Jesus taught in the synagogue on the sabbath day. The people were astonished at the way He taught, for He spoke as One having authority and not like the teachers of the Law.

It happened that a man with an evil spirit was in their synagogue, and he shouted, “What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know Who You are : You are the Holy One of God.”

Then Jesus faced him and said with authority, “Be silent, and come out of this man!” The evil spirit shook the man violently and, with a loud shriek, came out of him. All the people were astonished, and they wondered, “What is this? With what authority He preaches! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey Him!” And Jesus’ fame spread throughout all the country of Galilee.

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Tuesday, 14 January 2025 : 1st Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 8 : 2a and 5, 6-7, 8-9

O Lord, our Lord, how great is Your Name throughout the earth! What is man that You be mindful of him, the Son of Man, that You should care for Him?

Yet You made Him a little lower than the Angels; You crowned Him with glory and honour and gave Him the works of Your hands; You have put all things under His feet.

Sheep and oxen without number and even the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, the fish of the sea, and all that swim the paths of the ocean.

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Tuesday, 14 January 2025 : 1st Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Hebrews 2 : 5-12

The Angels were not given dominion over the new world of which we are speaking. Instead someone declared in Scripture : What is man, that You should be mindful of him, what is the Son of Man that You should care for Him? For a while You placed Him a little lower than the Angels, but You crowned Him with glory and honour. You have given Him dominion over all things.

When it is said that God gave Him dominion over all things, nothing is excluded. As it is, we do not yet see His dominion over all things. But Jesus Who suffered death and for a little while was placed lower than the Angels has been crowned with honour and glory. For the merciful plan of God demanded that He experience death on behalf of everyone.

God, from Whom all come and by Whom all things exist, wanted to bring many children to glory, and He thought it fitting to make perfect through suffering the Initiator of their salvation. So He Who gives and those who receive holiness are one. He Himself is not ashamed of calling us brothers and sisters, as we read : Lord, I will proclaim Your Name to My brothers; I will praise You in the congregation.

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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?”