Thursday

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Thursday, 25 April 2024 : Feast of St. Mark, Evangelist (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Mark 16 : 15-20

At that time, Jesus told His disciples, “Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation. The one who believes and is baptised will be saved; the one who refuses to believe will be condemned.”

“Signs like these will accompany those who have believed : in My Name they will cast out demons and speak new languages; they will pick up snakes, and if they drink anything poisonous, they will be unharmed; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”

So then, after speaking to them, the Lord Jesus was taken up into heaven and took His place at the right hand of God. The Eleven went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it.

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Thursday, 25 April 2024 : Feast of St. Mark, Evangelist (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 88 : 2-3, 6-7, 16-17

I will sing forever, o Lord, of Your love and proclaim Your faithfulness from age to age. I will declare how steadfast is Your love, how firm Your faithfulness.

The heavens proclaim Your wonders, o Lord; the assembly of the holy ones recalls Your faithfulness. Who in the skies can compare with the Lord; who of the heaven-born is like Him?

Blessed is the people who know Your praise. They walk in the light of Your face. They celebrate all day Your Name and Your protection lifts them up.

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Thursday, 25 April 2024 : Feast of St. Mark, Evangelist (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

1 Peter 5 : 5b-14

All of you must clothe yourself with humility in your dealings with one another, because God opposes the proud but gives His grace to the humble. Bow down, then, before the power of God so that He will raise you up at the appointed time. Place all your worries on Him since He takes care of you.

Be sober and alert because your enemy the devil prowls about like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Stand your ground, firm in your faith, knowing that our brothers and sisters, scattered throughout the world, are confronting similar sufferings. God, the Giver of all grace, has called you to share in Christ’s eternal Glory and after you have suffered a little He will bring you to perfection : He will confirm, strengthen and establish You forever. Glory be to Him forever and ever. Amen.

I have had these few lines of encouragement written to you by Silvanus, our brother, whom I know to be trustworthy. For I wanted to remind you of the kindness of God really present in all this. Hold on to it. Greetings from the community in Babylon, gathered by God, and from my son, Mark. Greet one another with a friendly embrace. Peace to you all who are in Christ.

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Thursday, 18 April 2024 : 3rd Week of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all presented with the reminders that each and every one of us as Christians should continue to heed the Lord’s call as He sent us forth in our respective lives to go and proclaim His salvation and Good News to all the nations. Each and every one of us have been entrusted and empowered, in unique and diverse opportunities, blessings and gifts, by the Lord in our respective areas of responsibility and in our circles of relationships and friendships, so that through us and our every actions, words and deeds we may truly proclaim our Lord and His great and wonderful works among the whole world. In every small little things that we do, we should always seek to glorify the Lord at all times.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles of the moment when St. Philip the Apostle, one of the Twelve Apostles, went to the region between Jerusalem and Gaza, where he encountered the travelling party of an Ethiopian official who came to Jerusalem on a pilgrimage. Based on the Biblical and historical connections between Ethiopia and the land of Israel, it was likely that the Ethiopian official was a believer of God as a convert, or was a member of the Jewish diaspora in Ethiopia appointed by the Queen of Ethiopia as one of her officials. It was common at that time for the people in the Jewish diaspora to return back to Jerusalem especially for important festivals and celebrations, at which moment they reconnected with their ancestral roots and faith in God.

It was there then St. Philip the Apostle enlightened the Ethiopian official, as at the Divinely appointed time the latter was reading from the Book of the prophet Isaiah detailing about the sufferings and the works of the Messiah, the Holy One of God, all of which had been fulfilled completely and perfectly by the Lord Jesus Christ, the One Whom St. Philip was proclaiming and revealing about to the Ethiopian official. Through the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit, St. Philip explained everything that had happened and how the Scriptures and the words of the Prophets were all directing towards the Lord Jesus, Who had suffered, died and rose again just as the prophets like the prophet Isaiah had spoken and proclaimed. St. Philip convinced the Ethiopian official that the One he ought to put his faith and believe in is none other than the Risen Lord, the Saviour of all.

With the baptism of the Ethiopian official by St. Philip the Apostle and how that official likely brought the Christian faith and teachings back to his homeland in Ethiopia, this was one of the occasions highlighted in the Acts of the Apostles showing how although the Church and the early Christian community at that time had been facing great trials, sufferings and persecutions at the hands of their enemies, like the Jewish authorities, the Sanhedrin and the chief priests, and also from the actions of the overzealous and misguided Saul the Pharisee, the future St. Paul the Apostle, who at that time persecuted the Christian faithful quite brutally, leading to the deaths of many among the people of God. But this did not stop the growth and spread of the Church which continued on despite the persecutions and hardships facing the people of God.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the continuation of the discourse on the Bread of Life by the Lord to the assembled people, as He taught them all that He is indeed the Bread of Life that He Himself mentioned, having come down from Heaven itself, as the Son of God incarnate in the flesh, revealing to everyone the love of God manifested and made accessible to us. Through Him everyone shall receive new life and rejuvenation, the promise of everlasting life unlike those who have eaten the heavenly bread or manna, also known as the bread of the Angels, which the Israelites had once eaten during their forty years sojourn in the desert on their way towards the Promised Land of Canaan. This gift of new life that Christ has revealed, has indeed been fulfilled through our baptism, by which we have been welcomed into the Church, and then later on becoming partakers of His Body and Blood in the Eucharist.

This is related to what we have heard in our first reading today, in which the story of the conversion of the Ethiopian official had been told to us. The Ethiopian official received the truth and Good News of God through the actions and words of St. Philip the Apostle, who shared with him the truth of God, His teachings and truth, and ultimately, opening his heart and mind to welcome the Lord Himself to come into them, transforming him through the gift of the Sacrament of Baptism, by which he received the Holy Spirit, and thus, becoming part of the same Body of Christ, the Church of God. All of us as Christians during this time and season of Easter, we are all reminded of our own baptism and membership in this same Body of Christ, as we have all partaken in the Holy Eucharist and received the Holy Spirit.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, what we are all then reminded to do is that of our missions and calling as Christians, just as we have been shown the examples of the labour of the Apostles through what St. Philip himself had done. Each and every one of us as Christians have to be truly committed in our various areas of responsibilities and in the many opportunities that God had given us, so that by everything that we say and do, we may help to bring more and more people ever closer to the Lord. Likewise, our actions and words, our deeds and interactions cannot and should not lead to scandal that can make others to be prevented from coming towards the Lord, as we have all well heard and seen happening in the Church and in our world today, within our own Christian communities and all.

This is why today we are all reminded that we should renew our focus and commitment to the Lord, to follow Him ever more wholeheartedly, rejecting the temptations and the pressures of sin and evil. We should strive to keep ourselves truly holy and worthy, in all things so that we may truly be good and holy people of God, His faithful disciples and followers, showcasing His light, hope and truth to our world, illuminating all those who are still living in the darkness of sin and in the ignorance of God’s love and compassionate mercy. Let us all continue to do our best so that our lives and our every efforts and endeavours will continue to glorify God and proclaim Him to our world today. Amen.

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Thursday, 18 April 2024 : 3rd Week of Easter (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 6 : 44-51

At that time, Jesus said to the Jews, “No one can come to Me unless he is drawn by the Father Who sent Me; and I will raise Him up on the last day. It has been written in the Prophets : They shall all be taught by God. So whoever listens and learns from the Father comes to Me.”

“For no one has seen the Father except the One Who comes from God; He has seen the Father. Truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the Bread of Life. Though your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, they died. But here you have the Bread which comes from heaven, so that you may eat of it, and not die.”

“I am the Living Bread which as come from heaven; whoever eats of this Bread will live forever. The Bread I shall give is My flesh, and I will give it for the life of the world.”

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Thursday, 18 April 2024 : 3rd Week of Easter (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 65 : 8-9, 16-17, 20

Praise our God, o nations, let the sound of His praise be heard, for He has preserved us among the living and kept our feet from stumbling.

All you who fear God, come and listen; let me tell you what He has done. I cried aloud to Him, extolling Him with my tongue.

May God be blessed! He has not rejected my prayer; nor withheld His love from me.

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Thursday, 18 April 2024 : 3rd Week of Easter (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 8 : 26-40

An Angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south towards the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert road.” So he set out and it happened that an Ethiopian was passing along that way. He was an official in charge of the treasury of the queen of the Ethiopians; he had come on pilgrimage to Jerusalem and was on his way home. He was sitting in his carriage and reading the prophet Isaiah.

The Spirit said to Philip, “Go and catch up with that carriage.” So Philip ran up and heard the man reading the prophet Isaiah; and he asked, “Do you really understand what you are reading?” The Ethiopian replied, “How can I, unless someone explains it to me?” He then invited Philip to get in and sit beside him.

This was the passage of Scripture he was reading : He was led like a sheep to be slaughtered; like a lamb that is dumb before the shearer, He did not open His mouth. He was humbled and deprived of His rights. Who can speak of His descendants? For He was uprooted from the earth.

The official asked Philip, “Tell me, please, does the prophet speak of himself or of Someone else?” Then Philip began to tell him the Good News of Jesus, using this text of Scripture as his starting point. As they travelled down the road they came to a place where there was some water. Then the Ethiopian official said, “Look, here is water; what is to keep me from being baptised?”

And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” Then he ordered the carriage to stop; both Philip and the Ethiopian went down into the water and Philip baptised him. When they came out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away. The Ethiopian saw him no more, but he continued on his way full of joy.

Philip found himself at Azotus, and he went about announcing the Good News in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

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Thursday, 11 April 2024 : 2nd Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Stanislas, Bishop and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Lord through the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded yet again of the need for all of us as Christians, as God’s disciples and followers, to be ever ready to proclaim His truth and Good News in our world today, at every opportunities and in every circumstances and places that we have found ourselves in. This is such that by our every words, actions and deeds, by our every way of life and commitments, our efforts, we may proclaim the Risen Lord faithfully and truthfully like how our holy predecessors had done, in their tireless and ceaseless efforts and hard work, in doing God’s will and in showing the truth through their whole beings.

In our first reading today, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, we heard of the continuation of the moment when the Apostles were arrested yet again after they continued to preach about the Risen Lord, the Saviour of all mankind, despite having been warned earlier on not to do so anymore, and despite having been arrested and made to suffer for the sake of the Risen Lord. They continued to preach courageously and fearlessly in public, in the grounds of the Temple of God in Jerusalem, where many people witnessed their good works and miracles, listening to the wisdom of God and the revelation of truth through those same Apostles, which had been revealed to them through Christ and the Holy Spirit Who had been sent to them to guide and strengthen them.

Those chief priests, the members of the Pharisees and the Sadducees that made up the Sanhedrin, or the Jewish High Council were angered at the continued persistence of the Apostles in proclaiming the Risen Lord, the same One Whom they had arrested, charged with blasphemy, surrendered to the Romans to be condemned to death on the Cross. Despite their many efforts, including spreading of fake information about what happened to the Lord’s Body and the Empty Tomb which were proofs of His Resurrection, they could not contain the truth from spreading out ever more quickly and vigorously, especially because of the great efforts and tireless works of those Apostles. They tried to threaten them, but as we heard, the Apostles led by St. Peter courageously refused to obey the demands made upon them.

They continued to proclaim the truth, and fearlessly spoke about the truth of everything that had happened, and professed as they had done before the people in Jerusalem and elsewhere, how the Risen Lord had indeed risen from the dead, and they had witnessed everything that happened, and they would not remain silent anymore, not even with the threats upon themselves and their own safety. They had been strengthened by the Lord Himself, and the Holy Spirit had given them the courage and power to carry on their ministry despite the tough challenges, trials, suffering and difficulties that they had to endure. They did not allow fear to mislead them down the path of inactivity anymore, but allowing the Lord to lead them in their path of faithfulness.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the words from the Gospel of St. John in which the words of St. John the Baptist, the one that the Lord had sent to prepare the way for the Lord, the Saviour of the world. St. John the Baptist, as the Herald of the Saviour, had spoken about Him and called upon all the people to come back to their Lord with contrite heart and the desire to be forgiven from all of their many sins and wickedness. St. John the Baptist told the people that the One Who would come after Him would come from Heaven itself, and would proclaim the salvation of God to all, and all of that would come true indeed with the coming of Christ, the Son of God Whose coming St. John the Baptist was preparing.

In his efforts and works, St. John the Baptist himself also faced a lot of hardships and struggles, as he faced the opposition and rejection even from the same Pharisees and all those who also opposed the Lord later on. He also had to face difficulties from the immoralities of the leaders of the people at the time, particularly that of King Herod, the ruler of Galilee at that time, who he criticised and rebuked for his immoral attitude, in his adulterous behaviour with his own brother’s wife Herodias, whom he had taken as his own wife despite his brother still likely being alive at the time. For that, St. John the Baptist arrested and eventually, through the mechanism and plotting of Herodias, he was martyred.

Once again, we have heard and witnessed how the servants of the Lord often faced a lot of hardships and difficulties in the conduct of their missions and ministry, and they had to endure those challenges amidst their fulfilment of the things and missions entrusted to them. Yet, they embraced those sufferings and hardships with joy as they knew that through their faith, obedience and commitment to God, they would receive their just rewards in the Lord, the promise of eternal life and glory with Him, that even though they might have to suffer persecutions and challenges, in the end, they shall all be triumphant together with the Lord. The Lord has strengthened and given them the courage to carry out their mission with faith, committing themselves wholeheartedly to God.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of a great saint and martyr, whose life and dedication to God, and eventually whose martyrdom echoed what we have heard in our Scripture readings today regarding the sufferings, challenges and trials that we may have to face amidst our lives and ministries as faithful and devoted Christians, as disciples and followers of the Lord. St. Stanislas was a renowned Bishop in Medieval Poland, who was martyred in defence of his faith by the Polish King himself, and whose commitment to the Lord and His Church inspired many people during his life and ministry, as well as after his martyrdom. He was one of the earliest native Polish bishops, as it was just a century or so after the conversion of Poland. He worked hard and was crucial in the establishment and the strengthening of the Church and its institutions throughout Poland at that time.

He ended up in disputes with the then King of Poland, Boleslaw II, over disagreements about certain matters such as Church land and property, which according to tradition led him to miraculously resurrect a dead man who had sold the land to the Church, only for the land to be claimed by his family, so that the man could testify before the king and his court, and everyone assembled, that the land had indeed been legally and rightfully sold to the Bishop, St. Stanislas himself. Then later on, he ended up in even bigger dispute over the treatment that the King gave to his own men during his wars, and their wives which were punished for their lack of faith in their husbands. St. Stanislas disagreed with the brutal nature of the King’s punishments and treatments, and these acts among others were seen by the King as being disobedient against royal authority and undermining his power, culminating in the King personally slaying the faithful Bishop as he said the Mass, when his servants were hesitant to act.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we can see very clearly how it can be challenging for us to embrace God’s path faithfully, living them with faith and dedication to Him. It can be difficult for us to follow the path of God because of all the difficulties, trials and oppressions that we may face in our journey. However, that should not discourage us from committing ourselves to the Lord, but instead it should strengthen and encourage us ever more, like how St. Stanislas and many others of our holy predecessors, the holy martyrs and saints, had done in their own lives and ministries. Let us all therefore ask them all to intercede for us so that God may bless us and strengthen us in our every good works, efforts and endeavours, all for His greater glory, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 11 April 2024 : 2nd Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Stanislas, Bishop and Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

John 3 : 31-36

At that time, John the Baptist said, “He Who comes from above is above all; he who comes from the earth belongs to the earth, and his words belong to the earth. He Who comes from heaven speaks of the things He has seen and heard; He bears witness to these things, but no one accepts His testimony. Whoever does receive His testimony acknowledges the truthfulness of God.”

“The One sent by God speaks God’s words, and gives the Spirit unstintingly. The Father loves the Son and has entrusted everything into His hands. Whoever believes in the Son lives with eternal life; but he who will not believe in the Son will never know life, and always faces the justice of God.”

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Thursday, 11 April 2024 : 2nd Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Stanislas, Bishop and Martyr (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 33 : 2 and 9, 17-18, 19-20

I will bless the Lord all my days; His praise will be ever on my lips. Oh, see and taste the goodness of the Lord! Blessed is the one who finds shelter in Him!

But His face is set against the wicked to destroy their memory from the earth. The Lord hears the cry of the righteous and rescues them from all their troubles.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves the distraught. Many are the troubles of the just, but the Lord delivers them from all.