Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet
Psalm 105 : 19-20, 21-22, 23
They made a calf at Horeb and worshipped the molten image. They exchanged the glory of God for the image of a bull that eats grass.
They forgot their Saviour God, Who had done great things in Egypt, wonderful works in the land of Ham, and awesome deeds by the Sea of Reeds.
So He spoke of destroying them, but Moses, His chosen one, stood in the breach before Him to shield them from destruction.
Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet
Exodus 32 : 7-14
Then YHVH said to Moses, “Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have quickly turned from the way I commanded them and have made for themselves a molten calf; they have bowed down before it and sacrificed to it and said : ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you out of Egypt.'”
And YHVH said to Moses, “I see that these people are a stiff-necked people. Now just leave Me that My anger may blaze against them. I will destroy them, but of you I will make a great nation.” But Moses calmed the anger of YHVH, his God, and said, “Why, o YHVH, should Your anger burst against Your people whom You brought out of the land of Egypt with such great power and with a mighty hand?”
“Let not the Egyptians say : ‘YHVH brought them out with evil intent, for He wanted to kill them in the mountains and wipe them from the face of the earth.’ Turn away from the heat of Your anger and do not bring disaster on Your people. Remember Your servants, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the promise You Yourself swore : I will multiply Your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land I spoke about I will give to them as an everlasting inheritance.”
YHVH then changed His mind and would not yet harm His people.
Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard the Scripture passages that speak to us about the need for us to follow and obey the Lord, and not to harden our hearts and minds against Him, as what some of our predecessors had done, and exemplified by the examples of the Israelites and those who lived during the time of Jesus and His earthly ministry.
God had done so many good things for His people Israel, liberating them from the Pharaoh and from the Egyptians, allowing them to pass unharmed through the sea, and caring for them throughout their journey in the desert. He provided for them food and water, and all that they ever needed were taken care of. Such was the love which God had shown His people, and He wanted them to do only one thing.
And that thing is to obey His commandments and laws, to be righteous just as He is righteous, to be holy just as He is holy. But they were easily swayed by the temptations of their flesh, which caused them to fall into sin, and into disobedience against God. They hardened their hearts and minds against God, that even though He has loved them so tenderly and cared for them so graciously, they complained and grumbled against Him.
In the same manner, the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law were the elders and leaders of the people of God, who were entrusted with the leadership and guidance of the people, as they were supposedly the best educated and the ones most knowledgeable about the Law of God. Yet, in their pride and in their closed hearts and minds, they refused to believe in the One Whom God had sent into the world in order to bring His truth to them, Jesus.
They went so far as to accuse Jesus of colluding with the forces of the devil, through Beelzebul, one of the princes of demons, in His miraculous works and actions. That is when Jesus firmly rebuked them and chided them for their hard-hearted attitude, and in their refusal to open their minds to the Lord, even to the point of spreading and telling lies for the sake of trying to undermine the good works of our Lord, just because they were jealous of the influence and attention which Jesus was getting for His actions.
We may think that all of these things only happened to the groups of people we have mentioned, and will not happen to us. However, in reality, if we think about it again carefully, there are many occasions in our respective lives, when we shut ourselves from God, because we are too busy with our worldly dealings and works. Sometimes we do not realise it, but we can be too busy to know that God wants to come to us and enter into our lives.
We can shut our hearts and minds from God, because we are so self-centred and concerned so much about our own well being and worldly cares, that we end up shutting ourselves from our brethren as well. This is what we as Christians must not do, or else we will end up as those who call themselves as Christians, but are such in name only, and in their hearts, they do not have God inside them.
During this time of Lent, it is important that we use this opportunity to think about our lives, and reflect on how we have lived our lives thus far, through all of our actions and deeds, through our words and all that we have acted in this life, in how we approach and live with our fellow brethren, and how we have chosen our actions. We really need to ask ourselves, if we have allowed God to be the mover of our lives, or whether we have put Him aside, replaced by our attachment and obsession with worldliness.
Perhaps, in this matter we can also follow the examples of St. Turibius de Mogrovejo, a holy bishop and a devoted Spanish missionary, who became the Archbishop of Lima in what is now modern day Peru. He was thoroughly devoted to God, and gave himself completely to the mission to which he has been called. He preached among the natives and the people who have not yet heard the word of God, and he converted many people to the faith.
However, he did not have it easy at all. He had to go on very long journeys to go around his vast Archdiocese, visiting his people in various places, from the deepest parts of the jungle, with all of its associated risks and dangers, to the steep hills and mountains, to the deserts and dry lands, encountering hostile tribes and dangers along his way.
But St. Turibius de Mogrovejo did not give up despite all of those challenges. We may be wondering what is the reason for his strong resolve and commitment. St. Turibius de Mogrovejo had God as his source of strength and resolve. He put his trust in God, and that was how he was able to persevere through all the difficult times and through all the challenging moments.
Are we able to follow the Lord in the same way as St. Turibius de Mogrovejo had done? Are we able to commit our lives to Him, and to do good deeds as that holy saint had done? It is entirely up to us, if we want to allow God to be our foundation and our strength, putting our trust completely in Him. But, we really need to allow Him to come into our hearts and allow Him to transform our lives, that we may truly be His in heart, mind, body and soul.
Let us all renew our commitment to the Lord, devoting our effort and our time to serve Him, by loving one another, our fellow brethren, and commit ourselves to do what is good in the sight of God. In that way, we are loving God with sincerity and genuine intentions, and God will reward us with His grace and love in the end of it all. May the Lord strengthen our faith and empower us all in our faith. God bless us all. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet
Luke 11 : 14-23
At that time, one day Jesus was driving out a demon, which was mute. When the demon had been driven out, the mute person could speak, and the people were amazed. Yet some of them said, “He drives out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the chief of the demons.” Others wanted to put Him to the test, by asking Him for a heavenly sign.
But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them, “Every nation divided by civil war is on the road to ruin, and will fall. If Satan also is divided, his empire is coming to an end. How can you say that I drive out demons by calling upon Beelzebul? If I drive them out by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive out demons? They will be your judges, then.”
“But if I drive out demons by the finger of God; would not this mean that the kingdom of God, has come upon you? As long as a man, strong and well armed, guards his house, his goods are safe. But when a stronger man attacks and overcomes him, the challenger takes away all the weapons he relied on, and disposes of his spoils.”
“Whoever is not with Me is against Me, and whoever does not gather with Me, scatters.”
Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet
Psalm 94 : 1-2, 6-7, 8-9
Come, let us sing to the Lord, let us make a joyful sound to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before Him giving thanks, with music and songs of praise.
Come and worship; let us bow down, kneel before the Lord, our Maker. He is our God, and we His people; the flock He leads and pastures. Would that today you heard His voice!
Do not be stubborn, as at Meribah, in the desert, on that day at Massah, when your ancestors challenged Me, and they put Me to the test.
Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet
Jeremiah 7 : 23-28
YHVH says, “One thing I did command them : Listen to My voice and I will be your God and you will be My people. Walk in the way I command you and all will be well with you. But they did not listen and paid no attention; they followed the bad habits of their stubborn heart and turned away from Me.”
“From the time I brought their forebearers out of Egypt until this day I have continually sent them My servants, the prophets, but this stiff-necked people did not listen. They paid no attention and were worse than their forebearers. You may say all these things to them but they will not listen; you will call them but they will not answer.”
“This is a nation that did not obey YHVH and refused to be disciplined; truth has perished and is no longer heard from their lips.”
Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we are presented by the Scriptures the importance of being righteous in our ways, as shown by the story of Lazarus and the rich man as Jesus had told it to His disciples. Those who are righteous will be rewarded with great rewards by God, while those who are wicked and follow the path of sin will be rejected by God.
The story of Lazarus and the rich man apparently showed how the rich and the powerful oppressed the poor and the weak. But Jesus was not against the rich and the powerful because of what they have and what they possess. However, it was the actions and the deeds of those people that were denounced by Jesus through His story on Lazarus.
The rich man lived lavishly and partied day and night, as what many rich and powerful people at that time normally do. Meanwhile, Lazarus was the poor man who was always hungry and as he was jobless and without money, he was unable to provide for himself, and had to depend on begging for a living. But no one gave him anything or took pity on him, including the rich man who lived on as if nothing else matters other than his own happiness.
Lazarus therefore died in agony and pain, and according to the story of Jesus, he went to Paradise, where he enjoyed with Abraham and the saints. In contrast, the rich man when he died, he went to the depths of hell, where he suffered greatly and in constant agony, in some sorts of a reversal of roles. Lazarus suffered in this world, and he received the succour of happiness and eternal rest in heaven, and the rich man suffered for eternity though he lived in joy in the world.
In this story, which many of us are quite familiar with, as we have heard it from our catechism classes, or from our parents, or by our reading of the Scriptures, we have witnessed what both heaven and hell are like, what it is like for us to enjoy the eternal bliss and happiness in heaven, or for us to suffer eternally in hell. But many of us think of heaven and hell in terms of happiness and suffering, in worldly terms. We always think of hell as a very hot place with fire and the torture of flames.
But in reality, the suffering in hell is so great not because of flames or any other worldly forms of sufferings. It is the separation that we have to endure for eternity which leads to the suffering we have, the despair present in our hearts. And the suffering is so great because we know that there is absolutely no hope for escape and redemption, for then it will be too late for us, when there is no more turning back for us. And we will know true suffering when God Himself has been separated from us, God Who has created us, and Who is the reason for our very existence.
And that, brothers and sisters in Christ, will be our fate if we do not turn our back to sin and continue to commit whatever is wicked and sinful in the sight of God and men alike. God is ever loving and ever merciful, but His mercy will not have any impact on us if we do not act accordingly in order to accept that mercy into our own lives. Remember that we cannot be servant to two masters, meaning that we cannot be faithful to God and at the same time remaining a sinner without repentance.
In addition to this, we also need to realise that sin is not merely just caused by our actions, for those are the sins of action and wickedness. What we have heard in the Gospel today shows us the sin of omission, that is to ignore what we could have done when we are perfectly capable of doing something to help and contribute to those who need our help.
The rich man could have done something to help Lazarus with all that he had possessed in life, all the food and drink that he had consumed. But he did not lift his fingers to do anything to help him, and left him hungry, homeless and suffering at his doorsteps, even though inside his house, food and drink flowed on without stopping. He could have done something to alleviate the suffering of the poor ones like Lazarus, but he did not do so.
He therefore committed the sin of omission, which many of us certainly had done before as well, during some parts or moments in our life. We are often guilty of ignoring those brethren of ours who are in need, and who are looking for our help. We are often blind against the sufferings and the needs of those around us, because we have been accustomed with serving our own needs and wants first, at the detriment of our fellow brethren.
In this season of Lent therefore, it is time for us to reevaluate our lives, our actions and all the things we have done so far in our lives. It is time for us to see if we have brought about good things for each other, or whether by our actions or by our lack of actions we have caused sufferings for others around us, or by ignoring those who are in need. In this time of Lent, each and every one of us as Christians are called to restrain our human desires and greed, and to deepen the love, mercy and forgiveness we have for one another.
Let us all help one another and love tenderly and graciously just as the Lord our God has loved us first. Let us make use of this time of Lent to practice almsgiving and penance, being generous in our gifts and help for those who are less fortunate than us. Let us all share the joy and the blessings that God had given us, so that no one may ever suffer any more as Lazarus had, and helping one another, being reminded of the suffering of those who have sinned and refused to repent, let us all strive to seek for the heavenly glory promised by God to all those who remain true and faithful to Him.
Let us remember that Jesus did not condemn the rich, for the rich and those blessed by God with more worldly blessings have in fact been given the means by which they will be able to help their less fortunate brethren. Rather, what the Lord condemned, is the attitude which many of us often exhibited, clinging stubbornly and jealousy to our wealth and possession that we end up being greedy as well as ignorant to the plight of the poor and the less fortunate.
May the Lord bless us all and bless all of our endeavours during this season of Lent. May He empower each and every one of us to live faithfully in accordance with the ways which the Lord had shown us, that by walking in His path, we may find our way to eternal life and salvation. May God be with us all, now and forevermore. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet
Luke 16 : 19-31
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Once there was a rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen and feasted every day. At his gate lay Lazarus, a poor man covered with sores, who longed to eat just the scraps falling from the rich man’s table. Even dogs used to come and lick his sores.”
“It happened that the poor man died, and Angels carried him to take his place with Abraham. The rich man also died, and was buried. From hell where he was in torment, the rich man looked up and saw Abraham afar off, and with him Lazarus at rest. He called out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me, and send Lazarus, with the tip of his finger dipped in water, to cool my tongue, for I suffer so much in this fire.'”
“Abraham replied, ‘My son, remember that in your lifetime you were well-off, while the lot of Lazarus was misfortune. Now he is in comfort, and you are in agony. But that is not all. Between your place and ours a great chasm has been fixed, so that no one can cross over from here to you, or from your side to us.'”
“The rich man implored once more, ‘Then I beg you, Father Abraham, to send Lazarus to my father’s house, where my five brothers live, let him warn them, so that they may not end up in this place of torment.’ Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.'”
“But the rich man said, ‘No, Father Abraham; but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced, even if someone rises from the dead.'”
Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet
Psalm 1 : 1-2, 3, 4 and 6
Blessed is the one who does not go where the wicked gather, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit where the scoffers sit! Instead, he finds delight in the law of the Lord and meditates day and night on His commandments.
He is like a tree beside a brook producing its fruit in due season, its leaves never withering. Everything he does is a success.
But it is different with the wicked. They are like chaff driven away by the wind. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous but cuts off the way of the wicked.
Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet
Jeremiah 17 : 5-10
This is what YHVH says, “Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings and depends on a mortal for his life, while his heart is drawn away from YHVH! He is like a bunch of thistles in dry land, in parched desert places, in a salt land where no one lives and who never finds happiness.”
“Blessed is the man who puts his trust in YHVH and whose confidence is in Him! He is like a tree planted by the water, sending out its roots towards the stream. He has no fear when the heat comes, his leaves are always green; the year of drought is no problem and he can always bear fruit.”
“Most deceitful is the heart. What is there within man, who can understand him? I, YHVH, search the heart and penetrate the mind. I reward each one according to his ways and the fruit of his deeds.”
petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang 