Liturgical Colour : Green
Psalm 150 : 1-2, 3-4, 5-6
Alleluia! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in the vault of heaven. Praise Him for His mighty deeds; praise Him for His own greatness.
Praise Him with trumpet blast; praise Him with lyre and harp. Praise Him with dance and tambourines; praise Him with pipe and strings.
Praise Him with clashing cymbals; praise Him with clanging cymbals. Let everything that breathes sing praise to the Lord. Alleluia!
Liturgical Colour : Green
Colossians 3 : 12-17
Clothe yourselves, then, as is fitting for God’s chosen people, holy and beloved of Him. Put on compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience to bear with one another and forgive whenever there is any occasion to do so. As the Lord has forgiven you, forgive one another.
Above all, clothe yourselves with love which binds everything together in perfect harmony. May the peace of Christ overflow in your hearts; for this end you were called to be one body. And be thankful. Let the Word of God dwell in you in all its richness. Teach and admonish one another with words of wisdom. With thankful hearts sing to God psalms, hymns and spontaneous praise.
And whatever you do or say, do it in the Name of Jesus, the Lord, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Liturgical Colour : Green
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded that we should always trust in the Lord at all times, doing our best to keep our faith in God even when we are unable to see where we are going, or what the outcome we will have in the end. We need to trust in the Lord and believe in His Providence and guidance whenever He leads us down the path that He has shown us, so that we will continue to faithfully follow Him and will not be easily distracted by whatever temptations, pressures and coercions which may try to pull us away from the Lord and from His path. We should always do our best to listen to the Lord speaking to us and calling on us to follow Him, so that we may find the best and surest path to His salvation.
In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in the city and region of Colossae, that is now part of Asia Minor, where St. Paul prayed for the faithful there in that region so that they all might remain committed and faithful to the missions and the ways which they had been walking through, and that they had been shown by the missionaries and the Apostles. The people in Colossae had been quite faithful to the Lord’s message and teachings, unlike some others around the region who had not listened to the Lord and refused to believe in the Apostles and the other missionaries. However, at that time there were indeed a lot of pressures and challenges that the faithful were facing, and in order to strengthen their resolve that was why St. Paul wrote this Epistle to them to encourage them.
At that time, the early Christians were facing oppositions and challenges firstly from the Jewish community and the members of the Jewish High Council, many of whom rejected the Lord Jesus as the Saviour or Messiah, but also persecuted openly the Apostles and the other Christians. There were indeed some members of the Jewish community who believed in the Lord and became Christians themselves, but there were many of those who were opposed to the Christian teachings and message. Then, in addition, the early Christians also faced persecutions and oppositions from the local pagans and the Roman state, for their refusal to offer sacrifices to the pagan gods and idols, and for their ideals of equality which also brought them opposition from the slaveowners, as slavery was very common at that time.
Amidst all of these, St. Paul prayed to the Lord that the faith and the good works of the Colossian Christians might be strengthened and preserved, and this is also in fact a reminder and call for us all to be faithful as well to the Lord despite the challenges and persecutions which we ourselves may be facing in our own lives. We must not be easily tempted and swayed to abandon the Lord for the more convenient ways and paths of the world, for the worldly desires, ambitions and other distractions in this world that may keep us away from being truly faithful to God. Instead, in all opportunities, we should continue to put the Lord at the centre of our lives, and in everything that we say and do in our respective lives, in each and every moments, we should always live up to our Christian faith in the most genuine way possible.
Then, from our Gospel passage today from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the miraculous occasion that happened when the Lord was at Galilee, in the beginning period of His ministry, when He encountered the fishermen working there at the Lake, that was the moment when He called His first disciples. He taught to the people there as we heard, and then we heard also how He told Simon, one of the fishermen, the one we would later know as St. Peter the Apostle, to go forth and follow His instruction in how he and the other fishermen ought to be catching the fish. Despite having captured no fish at all the entire earlier time, Simon and the other fishermen obeyed the Lord when He asked them to put out their net to the deep waters, and immediately and miraculously, they caught so many fishes.
It was at that occasion that Simon and some other fishermen, that is likely his brother Andrew, and the sons of Zebedee, James and John, came to follow the Lord, leaving behind their boat and profession as fishermen, and following the Lord wholeheartedly, they became His disciples full time from that moment henceforth. This show of commitment by those whom the Lord had called and chosen as His disciples and followers is an important reminder for all of us, to whom God Himself had entrusted various responsibilities and missions in our respective areas of life, so that we may truly live our lives with great faith, with great devotion and commitment to what He has called and entrusted to all of us to do, so that we may truly be worthy of Him and that we may also be good role models and examples for our fellow brothers and sisters around us.
Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, just as we have heard from our Scripture passages today, let us all hence continue to commit ourselves to the Lord and put our trust in Him, in living our lives to the best of our abilities as Christians, even when we may be facing lots of oppositions, pressures, coercions or encountering temptations and disappointments in life. We should continue to trust in the Lord even when we may face opposition from those close to us, so that we do not end up losing faith and focus on the Lord. In the past that was what many of our holy predecessors, the saints and martyrs had to go through, and they still remained true to their faith in God, trusting that the Lord would guide them to the right path.
May the Lord continue to strengthen our faith in us, and may He continue our every efforts and endeavours in life. May our faith continue to be empowered and growing through our ever stronger relationship with Him. Let us all go forth faithfully and courageously at all circumstances and opportunities, doing our best in every actions we do, to truly proclaim Him in our communities by our exemplary living and genuine faith, now and always. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : Green
Luke 5 : 1-11
At that time, one day, as Jesus stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, with a crowd gathered around Him listening to the word of God, He caught sight of two boats, left at the water’s edge by fishermen, now washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to pull out a little from the shore. There He sat, and continued to teach the crowd.
When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Simon replied, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing. But if You say so, I will lower the nets.” This they did, and caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. They signalled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They came, and they filled both almost to the point of sinking.
Upon seeing this, Simon Peter fell at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Leave me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” For he and his companions were amazed at the catch they had made, and so were Simon’s partners, James and John, Zebedee’s sons. Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. You will catch people from now on.” So they brought their boats to land and followed Him, leaving everything.
Liturgical Colour : Green
Psalm 97 : 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 5-6
YHVH has shown His salvation, revealing His justice to the nations. He has not forgotten His love, nor His faithfulness to Israel.
The farthest ends of the earth all have seen God’s saving power. All you, lands, make a joyful noise to YHVH, break into song and sing praise.
With melody of the lyre and with music of the harp. With trumpet blast and sound of the horn, rejoice before the King, YHVH!
Liturgical Colour : Green
Colossians 1 : 9-14
Because of this, from the day we received news of you, we have not ceased praying to God for you, that you may attain the full knowledge of His will, through all the gifts of wisdom and spiritual understanding.
May your lifestyle be worthy of the Lord and completely pleasing to Him. May you bear fruit in every good work and grow in the knowledge of God. May you become strong, in everything, by a sharing of the glory of God, so that you may have great endurance and perseverance in joy.
Constantly give thanks to the Father, Who has empowered us to receive our share in the inheritance of the saints, in His kingdom of light. He rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son. In Him, we are redeemed and forgiven.
Liturgical Colour : White
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded that we have to be always prepared and ready for the Lord at all times, because if we are asked to account for our lives and actions before Him, are we then ready to show that we have been truly faithful in all things and at all times? We should always strive to be good and faithful Christians, as good and worthy followers and disciples of the Lord at all circumstances, doing our very best to glorify God by all that we say and do, by our every interactions with one another so that everyone may come to know the Lord, His truth and love through us, through our love for Him and our love for one another, and by our righteousness and virtues in our daily lives.
In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in the city and region of Thessalonica, we heard of the continuation of the Apostle’s exhortation to the faithful people of God there, who had been faithful and true to the teachings of the Apostle and the other Christian missionaries. That is why St. Paul again expressed his gratitude for the great faith which the people of God in Thessalonica had shown, as contrasted to the many others whom at that time refused to believe in the Lord, in His Apostles and missionaries. The people and the faithful in Thessalonica did not just welcome the Christian missionaries but those who believed came to be good and faithful believers, remaining strong in their faith in God.
And St. Paul encouraged them all, strengthening their faith and commitment in God further, praying to God for them on their behalf, asking the Father to grant them strength and perseverance in their faith so that they may continue to remain firm and strong in their conviction and efforts to live their lives faithfully as God’s followers and disciples, as good and faithful Christians at all times. We must not easily give up the fight and struggle for the Lord just because we are facing lots of challenges and trials in life. Some among our predecessors had given up their faith because they thought that they were alone and that they were suffering in vain, but the reality is such that God is always with us, journeying with us and supporting us all throughout the way.
It is also important that as Christians, we should always support one another in faith, and we should never abandon or neglect our brothers and sisters around us in need, and especially more so those whom God had entrusted to us, those who are dear and precious, beloved and important to us. Each and every one of us are called to be good and loving brothers and sisters to one another, and to be truly full of love, the love that God Himself has shown us to all those who are dear and beloved to us, as well as to all the ones whom we have met in our journey and daily activities. That is how we can live our lives authentically and genuinely as Christians, to be full of God’s love in all the things that we say and do, in our every interactions with each other.
Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the Lord’s words to His disciples and all those who have followed Him, in which He highlighted the need for all of His disciples and followers to remain ready and vigilant for the coming of the Lord, their Master and their God. This was presented in the form of a parable, in which the Lord highlighted the contrast between the attitudes of the lazy and unworthy servants who delayed and refused to act upon their master’s orders, and those servants who were diligent and hardworking, doing their best to fulfil the works and missions which their master and lord had entrusted to them. The former would be found wanting and lacking, and hence punished upon the master’s sudden return, while the latter would be greatly honoured and praised.
Hence, in the same manner, that is how all of us as Christians, as those who have committed ourself to the Lord our God as our Master and King, would have to be vigilant and careful of, remembering that we have been called to heed God’s call and what He has wished us all to do in our respective lives and obligations. Each and every one of us should always be ready to commit ourselves to a life of virtue and righteousness, done in the service of God, in everything we say and do in this life, in our way of living so that we may always be truly genuine as Christian disciples and followers, and truly be the good role models and examples for one another in faith. This is what we have been called to do in our lives, brothers and sisters, and what we should commit each and every moments in our lives.
Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Augustine, also known as St. Augustine of Hippo, one of the most famous early Church fathers whose great story of faith, dedication and commitment to God are truly exemplary and inspirational for us all. St. Augustine of Hippo was born to a pagan Roman nobleman named Patricius in what is now part of Northern Africa, and to a devout Christian mother, St. Monica, whose feast we have just celebrated yesterday. St. Augustine led a rather dissolute and immoral early life, as he pursued a philosophical and rhetorical education, becoming a Manichaean and embracing all sorts of hedonistic and worldly lifestyle, even to the point of having a child out of wedlock, to the great distress of his mother.
But St. Monica continued to have faith in the Lord and in her son, as well as her husband. She kept on persistently praying and enduring lots of trials and challenges out of love for her beloved family members, and prayed for their conversion. Her persistence eventually paid off when first her husband repented and eventually agreed to be baptised as he was near the end of his life, and then her prodigal son, St. Augustine of Hippo followed suit, encountering God in his pursuit of knowledge and purpose in life, and eventually, through the guidance and mentorship from St. Ambrose of Milan, another great Church father of the time, St. Augustine went through a total change in his life and direction, committing himself henceforth to the service of God.
And as a great servant and disciple of the Lord, St. Augustine carried out his missions and works with great dedication and commitment to service, becoming a great teacher of the faith and a great bishop, caring for the need of his flock in the region of Hippo Regius in northern Africa, after which he was known with his epithet ‘of Hippo’. St. Augustine wrote extensively on many matters and treatises, his famous work, ‘The City of God’, ‘The Confessions of St. Augustine’ in which he wrote about the Church of God and his own experiences in conversion and following the will of God, and also other theological matters such as ‘De Trinitate’ on the Most Holy Trinity, for which he has been honoured as one of the original Doctors of the Church. He remained faithful to the very end, dying at the time when the Vandals attacked and besieged his city of Hippo Regius.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be inspired by the great faith which St. Augustine of Hippo, our holy predecessor had shown us all. And as we have reflected from the messages of the Sacred Scriptures, let us all continue to do our best to walk in the path that the Lord has shown before us, in loving Him most sincerely and wonderfully, and in showing the same love to our fellow brothers and sisters around us like how St. Augustine of Hippo and many other saints had done. If we truly live our lives faithfully in each and every moments, then certainly we shall be blessed and strengthened in our endeavours and efforts, and even when we face hardships and trials, we will be triumphant in the end. May God be with us always and may He continue to guide us in all things. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : White
Matthew 24 : 42-51
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Stay awake then, for you do not know on what day your Lord will come. Obviously, if the owner of the house knew at what time the thief was coming, he would certainly stay up and not allow his house to be broken into. So be alert, for the Son of Man will come at the hour you least expect.”
“Imagine a faithful and prudent servant, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give them food at the proper time. Fortunate, indeed, is that servant, whom his master will find at work when he comes. Truly I say to you, his lord will entrust him with everything he has.”
“Not so with the bad servant, who thinks, ‘My master is delayed.’ And he begins to ill-treat his fellow servants, while eating and drinking with drunkards. But his master will come on the day he does not know, and at the hour he least expects. He will punish that servant severely; and place him with the hypocrites. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Liturgical Colour : White
Psalm 89 : 3-4, 12-14, 17
You turn humans back to dust, saying, “Return, o mortals!” A thousand years in Your sight are like a day that has passed, or like a watch in the night.
So make us know the shortness of our life, that we may gain wisdom of heart. How long will You be angry, o YHVH? Have mercy on Your servant.
Fill us at daybreak with Your goodness, that we may be glad all our days. May the sweetness of YHVH be upon us; may He prosper the work of our hands.
Liturgical Colour : White
1 Thessalonians 3 : 7-13
What a consolation for us, brothers and sisters, in the midst of our troubles and trials, this faith of yours! It is a breath of life for us, when you stand firm in the Lord. How can we thank God enough, for all the joy that we feel before God, because of you? Day and night, we beg of Him, to let us see you again, that we may complete the instruction of the believers.
May God, our Father, and Jesus, our Lord, prepare the way for us to visit you. May the Lord increase, more and more, your love for each other and for all people, as He increases our love for you. May He strengthen you, internally, to be holy and blameless before God, our Father, on the day that Jesus, our Lord, will come with all His saints.
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