Thursday

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Thursday, 29 February 2024 : 2nd Week of Lent (Gospel Reading)

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.'”

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Thursday, 29 February 2024 : 2nd Week of Lent (Psalm)

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.

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Thursday, 29 February 2024 : 2nd Week of Lent (First Reading)

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.”

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Thursday, 22 February 2024 : Feast of the Chair of St. Peter the Apostle (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this day we celebrate the glorious Feast of the Chair of St. Peter the Apostle, which commemorates the Chair of St. Peter, the seat of authority which is traditionally ascribed to St. Peter, the Prince and Chief of all the Apostles, the one whom the Lord had entrusted His Church to, as His Vicar in this world. In the Papal Basilica of St. Peter, where the tomb of St. Peter and the largest and one of the most important churches of all Christendom now stands, there is a wooden chair, gilded and covered partly in gold, which according to Church and Apostolic traditions had been used by St. Peter the Apostle himself while he was in Rome, as the seat of his authority as the first Pope and Bishop of Rome. This chair is now enshrined above the Altar of the Chair at one end of the Basilica of St. Peter.

We may then be wondering why we put so much important and matter to a mere chair? Is it not just like any other chairs out there that we also use? Now, brothers and sisters, this Chair of St. Peter is not merely just a chair like any other chair out there. As mentioned earlier, there is indeed a historic relic of the actual chair used by St. Peter the Apostle. However, regardless whether the chair has been authentic or complete, or been modified throughout all these years of the past two millennia since the time of St. Peter and the other Apostles, it does not matter, as this Feast of the Chair of St. Peter the Apostle is more than just celebrating the actual chair upon which our first Pope and Vicar of Christ had exercised his solemn God-given authority over the Church.

First of all, the chair of the bishop of a diocese, which is a structural and administrative division in the Church, is also known as a Cathedra, and this seat represents the Divine-granted authority, power and teaching of the bishop, his leadership, guidance and shepherdhood over the people of God entrusted under his care. This Cathedra is located in the church which is then considered as the Mother Church of the whole diocese, and this church is thus also known as a Cathedral. Just as the Cathedra is the seat and the symbol of the bishop’s authority and power, thus the Cathedral is the central hub and focus of the spiritual life and a symbol of unity of the whole diocese, and all the faithful there.

Now, Cathedrals all around the world have undergone a lot of changes over the years and throughout the history of the Church, with old Cathedrals have been destroyed and rebuilt, and many new churches were built and made to be the new Cathedrals of the dioceses all around the world. Thus, a particular chair or seat is not what determines the ‘Chair of the Bishop’ akin to today’s celebration of the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter the Apostle, but rather, that authority and power have been granted to each bishops through the Holy Spirit, from God, and by the power granted and authorised to the Church and its leadership, chief of which is the Pope, the Vicar of Christ and Successor of St. Peter, this power and authority have been passed down from the Apostles to the bishops of the Church today, in what is known as the Apostolic Succession.

Thus, the Cathedra is just symbolic of the Bishop’s authority and power to rule over the flock of the faithful people of God in his respective diocese, and usually when a new bishop is consecrated and ordained, during or soon after his ordination, he is led to take his place on this Cathedra or any other equivalent chairs, in the case of auxiliary bishops, to represent this Apostolic Succession of the episcopal duty and authority entrusted to them by the Lord. And above all the bishops of the whole world, the Bishop of Rome as the Successor of St. Peter the Apostle in his unique role as the Supreme Pontiff and Vicar of Christ, as the one whom the Lord had entrusted His Church to, from St. Peter to his successors, right down to Pope Francis, our current Pope, they all have been given the duty and responsibility over the whole entire Universal Church.

Thus, as we celebrate this great Feast of the Chair of St. Peter the Apostle today, we are all reminded of the nature of our faith and membership in this same One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, united under the same Head of the Church, Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, through His Vicar, our Pope, the Successor of St. Peter the Apostle. The successive Popes throughout history sits upon the Chair of St. Peter, not necessarily the actual chair that St. Peter had sat upon, but like that of many of the other rulers and monarchs in the world, and like all the other bishops, this Chair of St. Peter the Apostle represents the governing and leadership, the authority and power that God had bestowed upon the Pope as the leader of the whole Church.

To St. Peter, the Lord has entrusted His Church as we heard in our Gospel passage today, as He replied to the great testimony of faith which St. Peter had declared before all the other disciples, that he truly believed in the fact that Christ is the Son of God and Saviour sent into this world for our salvation. The Lord entrusted the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven to St. Peter, and established His Church upon the ‘Rock’ of St. Peter, which is symbolic not just because of the name Peter or Petros, or Cephas in the original Aramaic, which means ‘Rock’, but it is the establishment of the office of the Supreme Pontiff, the Pope and hence the Vicar of Christ, the one to whom the guardianship of the whole entire Church, in unity with the other bishops, the successors of the Apostles of the Lord, that all the faithful remain part of this One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

This is why today, as we celebrate this Feast of the Chair of St. Peter the Apostle, it is important that we all reaffirm our unity, obedience and adherence to the teachings and the rules and ways of the Church as contained within its laws and precepts, and as governed and guided by the Pope, united with all of his brother bishops all throughout the world, who as the successors of the Apostles, had been tasked with keeping faithfully the teachings of the Lord, His Good News and truth, and this important deposit of faith, all of our Christian beliefs and practices, through which, many of us can come ever closer to the Lord, to His grace and love. We must always support the good works of the Church, and pray for our Pope in particular, as well as for the other bishops who help to guide and steer the Church in often turbulent and difficult times.

Let us all continue to support the Church, especially to all those who have been entrusted with the leadership of the Church, like the Pope and the many bishops, our own diocesan bishops and others entrusted with the guidance of the flock of the faithful people of God. Let us all strive to do our part as the Christian faithful, holy people of God so that we may continue to glorify God by our lives, and contribute in whichever areas we have been called and entrusted to by the Lord. Let us all do our best that our every words, actions and deeds will continue to proclaim God’s truth and Good News, in all things. May the Lord continue to bless and guide us in our path, strengthening and encouraging us in our journey of faith and life, as part of the Universal Church, and may He continue to bless our Pope, the Successor of St. Peter. Amen.

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Thursday, 22 February 2024 : Feast of the Chair of St. Peter the Apostle (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 16 : 13-19

At that time, Jesus came to Caesarea Philippi. He asked His disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They said, “For some of them You are John the Baptist, for others Elijah, or Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”

Jesus asked them, “But you, who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “It is well for you, Simon Bar-Jona, for it is not flesh or blood that has revealed this to you, but My Father in heaven.”

“And now I say to you : You are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church; and never will the powers of death overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven : whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you unbind on earth shall be unbound in heaven.”

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Thursday, 22 February 2024 : Feast of the Chair of St. Peter the Apostle (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 22 : 1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul.

He guides me through the right paths for His Name’s sake. Although I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are beside me : Your rod and Your staff comfort me.

You spread a table before me in the presence of my foes. You anoint my head with oil; my cup is overflowing.

Goodness and kindness will follow me all the days of my life. I shall dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.

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Thursday, 22 February 2024 : Feast of the Chair of St. Peter the Apostle (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

1 Peter 5 : 1-4

I now address myself to those elders among you; I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ, hoping to share the Glory that is to be revealed.

Shepherd the flock which God has entrusted to you, guarding it not out of obligation but willingly for God’s sake; not as one looking for a reward but with a generous heart; do not lord it over those in your care, rather be an example to your flock.

Then, when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will be given a crown of unfading glory.

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Thursday, 15 February 2024 : Thursday after Ash Wednesday (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we are all reminded again by the readings of the Scriptures that we should always follow the commandments and the Law of God in all things, and we should not allow the many distractions and temptations present all around us from leading us astray and down the path of disobedience and rebellion against God. As we continue to progress through this current Season of Lent that began yesterday on Ash Wednesday, we are called and reminded many times on the need for each and every one of us to resist the temptations of the world and all the allures of worldly comfort, pleasure and ambitions, and all the other things which may prevent us from coming ever closer to God and His grace.

In our first reading today, we are all reminded from the passage of the Book of Deuteronomy of the things which God had presented to all of His people through His Law and commandments, and all the words and the teachings which He Himself had made clear through His servant Moses, that He has expected all of His followers and people to do, that they should always be holy just as He is holy, and to be righteous and just in all things, in how they interact with one another, in doing His works and commandments. God told His people clearly that if they were to follow and obey His Law and commandments, and are righteous, good and worthy in their actions and way of life, they will be blessed and empowered, strengthened and they would receive true joy and happiness, while if they chose what was evil and wicked instead, then they would be condemned and destroyed in the end.

At that time, the Israelites often disobeyed the Lord and refused to truly obey the Lord wholeheartedly, as they were easily swayed and tempted by all sorts of worldly glory and temptations, which led them to turn away from the path which God has shown them through Moses, Aaron and the elders that God had chosen and appointed to guide them and help them in their path. The Lord has patiently guided them, cared for them and remained patient with them despite all the stubborn attitudes and disobedience which they had constantly shown, in disobeying His Law and commandments, and in worshipping pagan and false gods and idols throughout their journey. That was why, the Lord made it clear before all of them what He expected of them, and thus, all of us as well, in what we all have to do as His disciples and followers.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard from the moment when the Lord told His disciples clearly what would happen to Him, and what is expected from all of them as His disciples and followers. The Lord Jesus told His disciples clearly that they should be prepared to face hardships, trials and challenges in life, because the Lord Himself has faced the same kind of rejection and opposition, and He Himself would be handed over to His enemies, who would persecute and make Him to suffer a most humiliating and painful death, as a premonition to His Crucifixion, when He would suffer for the whole world, for each and every one of us, to suffer and die for our sake that by His death, and then by His glorious Resurrection, He might bring all of us into the certainty of eternal life and true happiness with Him.

In that same passage, the Lord also told His disciples that they all cannot be His true disciples and followers unless they also pick up their crosses and follow Him. This is a reference to the commitment and faith required of all those who have committed themselves to the path which the Lord has shown them, to be true and genuine disciples and followers of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, that in all of our words, actions and deeds, in our every interactions, we have to be always ready to stand up for our faith and to endure hardships and challenges associated with this Christian faith of ours, for our beliefs and our dedication to God in all things, against all the temptations and pressures from the world.

This is a reminder for all of us that being Christians may not be as easy and smooth as what we may think it may be, as if we have not truly lived our lives in the manner that is truly faithful and true to our Christian faith, then indeed, our lives in this world may have been that much easier and better. However, this is not what we are all expected to do, as being Christians means that often we may be required to make sacrifices of time and materials, or any other means, and to put the efforts in order to live our lives faithfully as followers and disciples of Christ. But this does not mean that we are then suffering it all alone, or enduring all these trials by ourselves, for the Lord is going through them all with us.

Yes, brothers and sisters in Christ, when we pick up our crosses in life, we are all sharing it with Christ, and the Cross which He Himself has picked up and endured as a way to give us all the assurance of salvation, by bearing upon Himself all the consequences and punishments due for our sins, and being our Paschal Lamb, the Lamb of God slaughtered and sacrificed on the Altar of the Cross at Calvary, He offered for us on our behalf a perfect and most worthy offering for the atonement of our sins, that through Him all of us may be forgiven and reconciled wholly with the Lord, our most loving God and Father. Through Christ, all of us have received this great love and grace of God, and we really should realise just how blessed and fortunate we all are because of that.

Let us all therefore strive from now on to live our lives worthily of the Lord from now on, doing our very best so that our every actions and words, our deeds and interactions with one another may be truly filled with God’s grace and righteousness. Let us all make good use of this penitential time and season of Lent to prepare ourselves well, wholeheartedly and sincerely, so that we may continue to deepen our relationship with God, and continue to strive to reject the temptations of Satan, all his false promises and dealings, and let us all be good role models and examples for others, helping each other in our journey of faith, assisting one another in picking up and carrying our crosses in life, and to endure them all with the guidance and help from the Lord, Whose love and compassion for us have saved us all from certain damnation and destruction.

May all of us continue to grow ever deeper in our conviction and desire to live our lives most worthily as Christians from now on, and may God bless us all in everything that we say and do, in all of our dealings and interactions each day, and bless our Lenten observances and practices in all occasions. Amen.

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Thursday, 15 February 2024 : Thursday after Ash Wednesday (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Luke 9 : 22-25

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “The Son of Man must suffer many things. He will be rejected by the elders and chief priests and teachers of the Law, and be put to death. Then after three days He will be raised to life.”

Jesus also said to all the people, “If you wish to be a follower of Mine, deny yourself and take up your cross each day, and follow Me! For if you choose to save your life, you will lose it; but if you lose your life for My sake, you will save it. What does it profit you to gain the whole world, if you destroy or damage yourself?”

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Thursday, 15 February 2024 : Thursday after Ash Wednesday (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 1 : 1-2, 3, 4 and 6

Blessed is the man 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 YHVH 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 YHVH knows the way of the righteous but cuts off the way of the wicked.