Thursday

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

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Deuteronomy 30 : 15-20

See, I set before you on this day life and good, evil and death. I command you to love YHVH, your God and follow His ways. Observe His commandments, His norms and His laws, and you will live and increase, and YHVH will give you His blessing in the land you are going to possess.

But if your heart turns away and does not listen, if you are drawn away and bow before other gods to serve them, I declare on this day that you shall perish. You shall not last in the land you are going to occupy on the other side of the Jordan.

Let the heavens and the earth listen, that they may be witnesses against you. I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose life that you and your descendants may live, loving YHVH, listening to His voice, and being one with Him. In this life for you and length of days in the land which YHVH swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

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Thursday, 8 February 2024 : 5th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Jerome Emiliani, and St. Josephine Bakhita, Virgin (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints or Holy Virgins)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we are reminded this day by the readings from the Sacred Scriptures of the need for all of us to have true and genuine faith in the Lord. We must always ever be vigilant in obeying the Lord and in doing His will, resisting the temptations of the world, and all the coercions and the corruptions of worldly glory and greed, of all the wickedness and evils of this world, which can mislead us down the path of ruin and damnation. We must always hold fast to this faith and trust that we should have in the Lord, and put ourselves in His hands, having that strong and enduring conviction to follow the Lord no matter what, not being easily swayed by all kinds of worldly glory and attachments that had mare so many of our predecessors to fall into sin.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Kings of the account of the downfall of King Solomon of Israel, who had not remained faithful wholeheartedly to the Lord unlike that of his father, King David. As we heard from the Scriptural account, Solomon was swayed in his old age and tempted by his many wives and concubines, by his greatness, power and glory, that he fell into the path of disobedience and sin. Solomon had been faithful in the early years of his reign and had been blessed bountifully by the Lord for his family’s trust and faith in Him, that the Kingdom of Israel reached the zenith of its might and glorious days under his reign. Unfortunately, he was eventually misled by the many worldly glory and attachments he grew to have, and he was no longer completely faithful to God.

While we did not have much details beyond what was provided to us in the Scriptures, we can guess that it was likely because of his growing attachment to all the riches, wealth and fame he has attained over the years which made him to forget how he reached that height in the first place, and he became more stubborn and refused to obey the Lord. This showed to all of us how even a faithful man and great servant of God could be swayed by the temptations of sin if we allow ourselves to be swayed and tempted by the various temptations present all around us, and most importantly if our faith in the Lord is not strong and vibrant, we may likely be tempted the way how King Solomon had been tempted by his many sources of temptations and distractions in life, be it his wives and concubines, his wealth and possessions, power and glory, and other pleasures of the world.

In our Gospel passage today, we are reminded that faith can be as powerful and even more powerful than the temptations all around us. The Syro-Phoenician woman in the story with the Lord Jesus reminded us that great faith in the Lord is what truly matters for Him, and not one’s status or background. There is that marked irony highlighted in the comparison between what happened in our first reading account of the sin and downfall of King Solomon of Israel and then what was recorded in the Gospel of the interaction between the Lord and the Syro-Phoenician woman. This is because by the time of the ministry of the Lord Jesus, the division between the Jewish people, descendants of the Israelites who inhabited the lands of Judea and Galilee, and those who are not counted among the Jews, like the Samaritans and the Gentiles, had become crystallised and hardened.

At that time, the Jewish people, particularly among the members of the Pharisees, saw themselves as being superior and more worthy than the non-Jewish people, like the Samaritans in Samaria and the other non-Jewish people known as the Gentiles. They deemed themselves as the only ones who were worthy of God, and others were inferior and undeserving of God’s love and grace. This attitude was shown in how they deemed Samaritans and Gentiles with contempt, and did not mingle with them, avoiding them and their dwelling places because by their version and interpretation of the Law of God, that would have made them to be unclean and to sin against God. Yet, in today’s Gospel, as we heard, the Syro-Phoenician woman, who was considered as a Gentile, had more faith than many if not most of the Jews and the Pharisees among them.

Initially as we heard in that same Gospel passage, it might seem that the Lord was being very rude and harsh towards the woman, as He ignored her pleas and cries for help, as she begged the Lord to help her and her afflicted daughter. Not only that, but He even told her directly that He should not give what was meant for the children of God, referring to the Israelites and their descendants, to the dogs, which was an indirect reference to the Syro-Phoenician woman and the other Gentiles. Why did the Lord utter such a despicable set of words? It is truly uncharacteristic of His loving and forgiving nature. This is where we must understand that the Lord was making a point of the folly of the Jews and the Pharisees in particular for thinking that just because they were descended from the Israelites then they had the exclusive and automatic privilege of God’s grace.

That was why the Lord highlighted the absurdity of such way of thinking, and showcasing the great faith which the Syro-Phoenician woman had in Him, that she humbled herself and did not allow herself to be deterred by whatever obstacles in her trust and faith in God. Such faith in God was indeed rare, and the Lord commended the woman for having that kind of great and enduring faith. This is contrasted with the way how many of the Jewish people, especially among the Pharisees, who refused to believe in the Lord, rejected Him and persecuted Him and His disciples simply because what He had brought upon them in this world, were not in accordance to what they all believed and held to be true. Their pride and arrogance, ego and ambitions became serious obstacles in their path towards God.

Today, the Church commemorates the feast of two great saints, whose faith, dedication and commitment to God, piety and exemplary lives have become the source of great inspirations for many people throughout the world since their time up to now. First of all, St. Jerome Emiliani was a man who lost his father early in his teenage years, and eventually joining the army and was captured, and while imprisoned, he had a conversion experience, as he attributed his escape and well-being to the intercession of the Blessed Mother of God. Later on, as a local magistrate, he showed great care for the needy people under his care and custody, establishing orphanages for the orphans, as well as hospitals and care houses for the sick and the suffering. He also established hostels and other places to care for prostitutes and others who needed shelter.

This inspired two priests named Alessandro Besuzio and Agostino Bariso, who were touched and inspired by the examples and role model shown by this great man of God, and eventually with St. Jerome Emiliani, they would all go on to establish the Congregation of Regular Clerics as a religious society, gathering together all those who share in the passion and desire of St. Jerome Emiliani in reaching out to the less fortunate, to the orphans, the prostitutes, those who are sick and troubled. They are also known as the Somaschi Fathers after their first house and centre in the Italian town of Somasca. St. Jerome Emiliani himself continued to labour for the sake of the people of God for the rest of his life, inspiring many others to follow in his footsteps.

Meanwhile, St. Josephine Bakhita was the renowned freed slavewoman who had very difficult childhood and early years, as she was born in the region now known as Sudan, and was captured, separated from her family in a very young age, enslaved and sold from master to master. Some of those experiences saw her being treated unfairly and she suffered throughout those years, until eventually she was bought by an Italian Vice Consul, who relented to her begging to him to bring him out of Sudan. She then became a nanny to the children of an Italian familu, and eventually, when she returned to Sudan with that family, she had an encounter experience with God and the Christian faith through the Canossian Sisters in Venice, with whom she would eventually associate herself with.

Finally, after some time, when her master tried to bring his family permanently back to Sudan, St. Josephine Bakhita firmly refused to follow them. Eventually, through the help of the Church and the Patriarch of Venice, the courts ruled in her favour, declaring that her enslavement had been unlawful because it had been outlawed by the British who ruled Sudan before St. Josephine Bakhita was even born, and Italian law likewise did not recognise slavery. As a free woman, St. Josephine Bakhita continued to associate herself and live among the Canossian Sisters, where she would spend the rest of her life dedicating herself to God and to her community around her, living a holy and pious life.

For about five decades, a very long period of time, St. Josephine Bakhita dedicated herself to a life of service to help the Canossian Sisters community, as their cook, their sacristan and doorkeeper, and was also involved in caring for the local community for their needs. Her great faith in God, righteousness and piety inspired many people far and wide, and she was well-respected among the Canossian Sisters and in the community, and even when she was sick in her last years, she continued to do her best for the Lord and for her community. Her forgiveness and prayers for her captors and slavers early in her life also inspired many for her kindness, love and compassion.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, from what we have heard in the Sacred Scriptures today, as well as from the lives and works of St. Jerome Emiliani and St. Josephine Bakhita, let us all therefore renew our faith and commitment to God, resisting the temptations and wickedness of this world that can coerce and tempt even the righteous into sin, as what had happened to King Solomon and many among our predecessors. Let us all turn away from sin and evil, and let us all strive to be good, worthy and pure in all things like what St. Jerome Emiliani and St. Josephine Bakhita had done. Let our lives be great examples for others, and let us all be inspiration for them, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 8 February 2024 : 5th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Jerome Emiliani, and St. Josephine Bakhita, Virgin (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints or Holy Virgins)

Mark 7 : 24-30

At that time, when Jesus went to the border of the Tyrian country. There, He entered a house, and did not want anyone to know He was there; but He could not remain hidden. A woman, whose small daughter had an evil spirit, heard of Him, and came and fell at His feet.

Now this woman was a pagan, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she begged Him to drive the demon out of her daughter. Jesus told her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the puppies.”

But she replied, “Sir, even the puppies under the table eat the crumbs from the children’s bread.” Then Jesus said to her, “You may go your way; because of such a response, the demon has gone out of your daughter.”

And when the woman went home, she found her child lying in bed, and the demon gone.

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Thursday, 8 February 2024 : 5th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Jerome Emiliani, and St. Josephine Bakhita, Virgin (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints or Holy Virgins)

Psalm 105 : 3-4, 35-36, 37 and 40

Blessed are they who always do just and right. Remember me, o YHVH, when You show favour to Your people; rescue me when You deliver them.

They mingled with these nations and learnt to do as they did. In serving the idols of the pagans, they were trapped.

Into sacrificing children to demons. The anger of YHVH grew intense and He abhorred His inheritance.

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Thursday, 8 February 2024 : 5th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Jerome Emiliani, and St. Josephine Bakhita, Virgin (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints or Holy Virgins)

1 Kings 11 : 4-13

In Solomon’s old age, his wives led him astray to serve other gods and, unlike his father David, his heart was no longer wholly given to YHVH his God. For he served Astarte the goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom, the idol of the Ammonites.

He did what displeased YHVH and, unlike his father David, was unfaithful to Him. Solomon even built a high place for Chemosh, the idol of Moab, on the mountain east of Jerusalem and also for Molech, the idol of the Ammonites. He did the same for all his foreign wives who burnt incense and sacrificed to their gods.

YHVH became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from YHVH, the God of Israel. YHVH appeared to him twice and commanded him not to follow other gods. But he did not obey YHVH’s command. Therefore, YHVH said to Solomon, “Since this has been your choice and you have kept neither My Covenant nor the statutes I commanded you, I will take the kingdom from you and give it to your servant.”

“Nevertheless, I will not do this during your lifetime for the sake of your father David; I will take it from your son. But I will not take it all; I will reserve one tribe for your son for the sake of David My servant, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen.”

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Thursday, 1 February 2024 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we are all reminded that the Lord has entrusted to us many things and responsibilities which He has passed down unto us, giving us the means and the opportunities for all of us to do what He has called us to do, in doing our responsibilities and works for His greater glory. Each and every one of us have been entrusted with various missions in our respective lives, which God has given to us through His Church. Now, the choice is ours to make whether we want to follow His path and whether we want to commit ourselves to the missions and works which He has given to us. All of us have been called to embrace this calling and path, and be truly worthy and faithful in all of our actions and ways as Christians, as God’s beloved people.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Kings in which the moment when King David of Israel was about to die, and we heard how he passed over the kingship to his son, Solomon, who would become the King of Israel after him. King David reminded Solomon of what he should be doing as the king and ruler over the whole people of God, in doing what God has commanded him to do and in the responsibilities that he would be having as king. David reminded Solomon that he should always firmly hold onto the Law and commandments which God had entrusted to His people, and if he did so, then the Lord would continue to bless him and his descendants, and keep their reigns secure and strong as how it has been during the days of David’s reign.

Solomon took over from David as King of Israel and as we all should be familiar with, he was a truly mighty and wise king, whose reign was blessed by God in all things, and he was abundant in wealth and glory, and all of his works and designs were successful. Early in his reign, Solomon was faithful and obedient in following God’s commands and laws, and in doing what he has been entrusted to do. But, as the years gone by, and he grew ever more in wealth and power, gradually, he began to be swayed and tempted by power and corruptions, and he began to listen to his many wives and concubines instead of obeying God’s words, Law and commandments. That was how eventually Solomon fell into disobedience and sin against God, as he allowed pagan and idol worship to happen throughout the kingdom.

All of those things happened because Solomon became enamoured and misguided by all the power, glory and wealth which he had gained and accumulated, and he ended up falling deeper and deeper into the trap of the worldly desires and temptations, which led him and many others from the path of God’s righteousness and grace. And as a result, eventually after Solomon passed away, the kingdom of Israel was torn apart into two, the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah, which reminds us all that what God had told Solomon through David, were not just merely instructions, but they are reminders that God is always true to His words, and He also expects each and every one of us to do what we are supposed to do as His followers and people, or otherwise, we will have to suffer the consequences of our disobedience and sins, just as King Solomon and the Israelites had experienced.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the moment when the Lord Jesus sent out the Twelve disciples ahead of Him, for them to carry out their missions and works, in caring for the need of the people of God. They were told not to bring anything extra with them beyond just the minimum of what was necessary, except for a staff and the clothes that were on their bodies, with no food or money or bag on themselves. What this means is that, the disciples were told to trust in the Lord and in His providence, guiding them through the goodwill of all those to whom the disciples were sent to. There were bound to be those who would refuse to welcome them and rejected them, but there were also bound to be those who would accept them and embrace the truth and Good News which they brought with them.

Then, at the same time, the Lord wanted them all not to depend on their own strength and the worldly means to settle their troubles and issues. If the disciples had brought their money and possessions with them, then upon their success and moments of glory, they might instead put their trust in their own power, attributing their success to their own might, intellect and abilities. Like that of King Solomon mentioned in our first reading today, when one began to allow the temptations of worldly possessions, desires and attachments to overcome them, then, in the end, we will likely end up following the wrong path in life, and falling into the temptations to sin. This is why each and every one of us should also remind ourselves, that in all that we do, we must not allow worldly matters and means to mislead and corrupt us.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore as Christians, as those whom God had called and chosen to be His own beloved sons and daughters, we are all called to put our faith and trust in the Lord, and while carrying out what He has entrusted to us to do, like how He sent out His disciples, we should not depend on our own strength and might alone, but we must always have faith in the Lord, in all the things that we say and do, so that by our commitment and great efforts, works and actions, we will always glorify the Lord in all things, and remain firmly focused on Him. We should not allow ourselves to be so easily turned into the path of greed and desire, of ambition and vainglory. We have to resist these temptations that we will not end up being dragged down ever further into damnation and destruction.

May the Lord our most loving God and Father continue to help and guide us in our journey, so that in all the things that we do in this life, we will always strive to keep our faith in Him. May He empower each and every one of us and give us all the courage so that by our every commitment, works and deeds, by all of our whole lives and in each and every moments of our existence, we will continue to proclaim the truth and Good News of God, and remain truly in His grace and love, and continue to be faithful to Him, despite the many challenges and temptations present all around us. May God bless our every good efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 1 February 2024 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Mark 6 : 7-13

At that time, Jesus called the Twelve to Him, and began to send them out two by two, giving them authority over evil spirits, and He ordered them to take nothing for the journey, except a staff : no food, no bag, no money on their belts. They were to wear sandals and were not to take an extra tunic.

And He added, “In whatever house you are welcomed, stay there until you leave the place. If any place does not receive you, and the people refuse to listen to you, leave after shaking the dust off your feet. It will be a testimony against them.”

So they set out to proclaim that this was the time to repent. They drove out many demons and healed many sick people by anointing them.

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Thursday, 1 February 2024 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

1 Chronicles 29 : 10bc, 11abc, 11d-12a, 12bcd

May You be praised, YHVH God of Israel our ancestor, forever and ever!

Yours, YHVH, is the greatness, the power, splendour, length of days, glory; for all that is in the heavens and on the earth is Yours.

Yours is the sovereignty forever, o YHVH; You are supreme Ruler over all. Riches and honour go before You.

You are Ruler of all; in Your hand lie strength and power. You are the One Who gives greatness and strength to all.

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Thursday, 1 February 2024 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

1 Kings 2 : 1-4, 10-12

When David was about to die, he gave his son Solomon this instruction, “I am about to go the way of all creatures. Be strong and show yourself a man. Keep the commandments of YHVH your God and walk in His ways. Keep His statutes, His commands, His ordinances and declarations written in the law of Moses, that you may succeed in whatever you do and wherever you go.”

If you do so, YHVH will fulfil the promise He made to me : If your sons take care to walk before Me faithfully with their whole heart and their whole soul, you shall always have one of your descendants on the throne of Israel.”

Then David rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David. David reigned over Israel for forty years : seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. So Solomon sat on the throne of David his father and his reign was firmly established.

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Thursday, 25 January 2024 : Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle, marking the moment when one of the fiercest and most brutal enemies of the early Christians, Saul the young Pharisee, had a total and complete conversion of heart and mind, and turned into one of Christianity’s greatest champion and defender, as St. Paul the Apostle, Apostle to the Gentiles and a very important part of the early Church and its missions in spreading the Good News of God. Through what we have heard of the conversion and calling of St. Paul to be a disciple and follower of Christ, all of us are also reminded of the great compassion and mercy of God which have always been readily made available for everyone, that even the greatest of sinners can be great saints and servants of God.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles, in which the account of the moment of St. Paul’s conversion was told to us. St. Paul was known as Saul in his youth, as a fanatical and very passionate Pharisee, who spent a lot of his time in trying to persecute the early Church and the Christian communities in Judea, Galilee and even beyond. Saul was misguided by his youthful zeal and fanaticism, likely influenced by the extreme ideals even among the Pharisees, who zealously guarded the Law of God and their own interpretation of the Law, and who mostly saw anyone who preached in different manner as being unworthy and even sinful in their ways against the Lord.

That was how Saul came to be such a great persecutor and enemy of the earliest Christians and the Church, causing untold sufferings and grievances among the faithful, as he went on his many zealous campaigns and attacks against the early Christians in various places, striking fear and sorrow amongst so many of God’s beloved and faithful people. However, Saul was chosen by God to be His follower and disciple, and in His own words, to be His tool and to be the one to proclaim His Good News and truth to the nations. And that was how God came to Saul on the way to Damascus, as He revealed Himself to him, and told him that everything which he had believed and done up to that time, were wrong and misguided.

For Saul, who was such a great sinner, and who had committed so many atrocities against Christians, to be called by God to be His servant, and to do so many wonderful and great deeds henceforth, is a clear reminder for all of us, that God calls everyone, regardless whether they are good or evil, or whether they have committed great sins, or only small and venial sins. There is always place for all of us in the Kingdom of God, and all of us are in fact equally beloved by God. What matters is that, each and every one of us must embrace God’s love and mercy, and allow Him to transform us all from people of darkness into the people of His light, to enter once again into His Holy Presence and to be filled with His grace.

Saul repented from his many sins and turned away from all of his wickedness and evils, listening to God, opening his mind and heart to welcome the Lord, that through Him and the Holy Spirit that he had received, he might be empowered to walk ever more faithfully henceforth in the path of righteousness and grace. His conversion was shown to all, and everyone was indeed astonished and amazed, among Christians and the Jewish people alike, in how his attitudes and beliefs changed almost completely, from a great enemy of Christians to be the greatest defender of the Christian faith. His change of name from Saul to Paul, much like that of Abram to Abraham, and Jacob to Israel, among others, signified this adoption of a new way of life and calling.

St. Paul the Apostle was sent to be the one to reach out to the Gentiles, or the non-Jewish people, and he fervently believed, even against the opposition of some of the believers who thought otherwise, that God’s grace and salvation are extended to everyone, even to the non-Jewish people, who do not have to obey the numerous Jewish practices and customs. He tirelessly committed himself to the missions and causes entrusted to him, going on many missionary journeys and expeditions, from cities to cities, towns to towns, places to places to expand the reach of the Christian faith, and to proclaim God’s salvation to more and more people. His many Epistles or letters helped to inspire and guide many of the faithful throughout the various regions as well.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, the conversion of St. Paul the Apostle reminds us all that no one is beyond God’s grace and love, and His power and forgiveness can bring us out even from the darkest and deepest depth of our sins and waywardness, as long as we are willing to commit ourselves to this path of reconciliation and forgiveness. St. Paul showed us all that each and every one of us as Christians have the potential for great things in whatever we do, in the various areas of our lives and the commitments and responsibilities that we have in life. What matters is for us all to listen to the Lord and to respond to His call with faith.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the Lord Jesus telling all of His disciples that He was sending all of them to go forth and to proclaim the truth of God, and the Good News of His salvation, to the peoples of all the nations. He reminded them all of the responsibilities and the missions that they had been entrusted with, the commission to reach out to all the people of all the nations to call them to embrace God’s love and truth, and to baptise them all in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. At the same time, He also reassured them that they would be protected and guided throughout their journey, and they would be taken care of. In the end, even while they might have to suffer, being persecuted and even martyred, as what had happened to St. Paul himself, therefore, each and every one of us are also reminded that we should continue to trust in the Lord and put our faith in Him, while doing what He has commanded and entrusted to us to do.

Are we all therefore willing to follow the Lord and to entrust ourselves to the path which He has shown us, just like what St. Paul the Apostle had done with his whole life and ministry? Let us all do our part wherever and whenever possible, in all the things we say and do, so that we can always do our best in proclaiming God and His truth through our every words, actions and deeds. May the Lord be with us always, and may He empower each and every one of us in every opportunities, and our every good efforts and endeavours, that we too can be His great and worthy tools and missionaries like St. Paul the Apostle had been. Amen.