Thursday

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Thursday, 7 September 2023 : 22nd Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, each and every one of us are reminded yet again of our calling and mission entrusted to us by the Lord, Who has given us all these so that through us many more people may come to know Him and that more people may come closer to God and His salvation. Each and every one of us, all of us as Christians, share this same responsibility to be evangelising and missionary in our approach and way of life, and we should make good use of the time and opportunities provided to us so that we may be the shining examples for many others, especially for those who have not yet known how how to live their lives in accordance to the Lord, to His teachings and truth. That is why, all of us as Christians, we must do our best so that our lives may truly be exemplary and worthy of God, as the reflections and examples of our Christian virtues and faith.

In our first reading today, from the continuation of the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in Corinth, we heard of the Apostle reminding the faithful people of God there to be ever faithful to Him and to do His will at all times. Each and every one of the faithful people of God in Corinth have been reminded to stay committed and true to their Christian mission and calling so that in everything that they say and do, they would always show the truth and the path of the Lord sincerely and courageously, in embodying what they have believed in so that everyone who witnessed their lives and actions, might also come to believe in God and learn to walk in His path. It is through their lives, way of life and action that many of the saints and martyrs in the past had inspired many to follow the Lord, even right up to this very day. All of us can do the same as well with our lives, and we truly should do our part as members of the Church.

In the Gospel passage today, we then heard of the story of the time when the Lord Jesus called His first disciples, the fishermen of the Lake of Galilee or Lake of Gennesaret, in which four of them would eventually become the members of the Twelve Apostles. Simon Peter, one of them, was mentioned, and together with the other fishermen there, they carried on their works while the Lord was teaching to the people who were assembled there by the shore of the lake. They had not been able to catch any fishes despite everything that they had done throughout the day. But when the Lord told them to do as He has instructed them, to put out into the deep waters and place their nets there, they immediately managed to catch so many fishes that their boats almost sank because of the combined weight of all the fishes that they managed to gather.

That was how Simon Peter and the others, his brother, St. Andrew the Apostle, and the brothers, sons of Zebedee, St. James the Greater and St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, all of them decided to leave everything behind, putting away their nets and leaving behind their boats in order to follow the Lord wholeheartedly henceforth. God called them all to greater purpose, to be the fishers of men, and not just merely fishers of the lake of Gennesaret. The fishes that they all gathered represented symbolically of what they would be gathering for the sake of the Lord, in gathering together the people from all over the world, people from all races and background, from all various origins and places, called and chosen to be the holy people of God, all gathered together by the works of the Apostles and the servants of God, to be part of His One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

Yes, brothers and sisters in Christ, through the Gospel passage today, we are all reminded that the Church of God, by the power and guidance of God has reached out to the whole world, through the ministry, works and efforts of its leaders, the servants of God, the Apostles and their successors, the bishops and the priests who helped them, in calling more and more of God’s faithful people from the darkness of this world, revealing the light and hope of God’s grace, His salvation and truth, so that they might no longer be lost in the void and the darkness of evil, but that they may once again enjoy the great favours of God’s great love and providence. Unless the Church goes forth and puts out into the ‘deep waters’ as the Lord had told the disciples to do, then the efforts and effects of the Church’s mission and ministry may not be far-reaching and many may have been unable to reach out to God’s salvation and love.

Then, the fact that the disciples had not been able to catch anything before the Lord told them what to do serves as a reminder for all of us that in all of our works and actions, in our every endeavours and efforts in part of our various Church ministries, institutions and organisations, all of us must always be centred and focused on God, and strive to do what He has commanded and called us to do, and not to serve our own selfish interests and desires. The Church and its members should always carry out its works and actions, being centred on God and on the desire to save more and more souls, our fellow brothers and sisters, many of whom have not yet seen the light of God’s grace and and have not yet heard His truth and Good News. It is through us and our efforts, in following God’s calling and doing His will that we can bring more and more of these to our fellow brethren who need them.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, are we all willing to do God’s will and to follow Him in what He has called us all to do? All of us have been entrusted with various responsibilities and missions, in our respective areas of life, and we all should embrace what God has given us, our talents and abilities, and all the opportunities and the various gifts that He has given to us. All of these should be put to good use, in how we ought to lead a worthy life truly committed to God in all things. We should not be ignorant of our calling and missions, and we should be more willing to walk ever more faithfully with God, in every possible moments and in all circumstances, remembering that it is because of Him that all of us have done great things, and through Him that the Church has managed to gather so many to be saved from destruction and damnation.

Let us all therefore do our very best so that we may no longer be idle in our lives, and that our every works and actions, our every words and interactions may truly be full of God’s grace, truth and love. Let us all ever be ready to go forth and ‘put into the deep waters’, in challenging ourselves that we may indeed reach out to our brethren in need of help, stepping out of our comfort zone if necessary. May God be with us always and may He empower us all, so that we may ever be faithful and committed to God in all things and at all times. May God bless our every good efforts and endeavours, and may He guide us in our actions and works, in doing His will, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

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Thursday, 7 September 2023 : 22nd Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 5 : 1-11

At that time, one day, as Jesus stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, with a crowd gathered around Him listening to the word of God, He caught sight of two boats, left at the water’s edge by fishermen, now washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to pull out a little from the shore. There He sat, and continued to teach the crowd.

When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Simon replied, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing. But if You say so, I will lower the nets.” This they did, and caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. They signalled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They came, and they filled both almost to the point of sinking.

Upon seeing this, Simon Peter fell at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Leave me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” For he and his companions were amazed at the catch they had made, and so were Simon’s partners, James and John, Zebedee’s sons. Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. You will catch people from now on.” So they brought their boats to land and followed Him, leaving everything.

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Thursday, 7 September 2023 : 22nd Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 97 : 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 5-6

YHVH has shown His salvation, revealing His justice to the nations. He has not forgotten His love, nor His faithfulness to Israel.

The farthest ends of the earth all have seen God’s saving power. All you, lands, make a joyful noise to YHVH, break into song and sing praise.

With melody of the lyre and with music of the harp. With trumpet blast and sound of the horn, rejoice before the King, YHVH!

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Thursday, 7 September 2023 : 22nd Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Colossians 1 : 9-14

Because of this, from the day we received news of you, we have not ceased praying to God for you, that you may attain the full knowledge of His will, through all the gifts of wisdom and spiritual understanding.

May your lifestyle be worthy of the Lord and completely pleasing to Him. May you bear fruit in every good work and grow in the knowledge of God. May you become strong, in everything, by a sharing of the glory of God, so that you may have great endurance and perseverance in joy.

Constantly give thanks to the Father, Who has empowered us to receive our share in the inheritance of the saints, in His kingdom of light. He rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son. In Him, we are redeemed and forgiven.

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Thursday, 31 August 2023 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded to be true to our faith and devotion to God, and not to be easily swayed by the temptations of worldly glory and attachments, all those things which may lead us down the path of sin and evil. We must not be easily swayed and tempted by worldly temptations and evils, by the vices and wickedness of the world, all of which could distract and prevent us from finding the path towards God. Each and every one of us are reminded that we are all God’s beloved people, who have all been called to holiness and greatness, and all of us are called to do God’s will and to follow Him wholeheartedly in all things, in everything we say and do, in our every interactions and efforts so that through us, more and more people may come to know the Lord and may receive the truth which God has intended for us and all mankind.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in Thessalonica, we heard of the Apostle speaking to the Thessalonians regarding their faith and good examples, and we heard in the past few days of readings, of how the faith and the obedience of those same Thessalonians have become great inspiration for many others all throughout the world, as many others were inspired by the actions and interactions shown by the Thessalonians, in following and committing themselves to the Law and commandments of God wholeheartedly, turning away from the evils and the vices of the world. These must be contrasted to those who have allowed themselves to be swayed and tempted by their desires, ego, pride and ambition, such as many of the Pharisees, elders and teachers of the Law from the time of the Lord and His ministry.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the parable of the faithful and prudent servant, versus that of faithless, lazy and wicked servant. Each of those servants had different attitudes towards what their lord and master had told and commanded them to do, as the latter went away to a far away place. The faithful and prudent servant did everything that he could in order to fulfil all of his master’s commands, doing his duties and works faithfully and obediently, diligently and properly while the wicked and lazy servant delayed in doing what he was supposed to do, neglected his obligations and works, and abused his authority and power granted to him by his lord and master. We then heard how each of the servants were correspondingly rewarded and punished, the faithful and prudent servant rewarded greatly for all the commitment and hard work that he had made, but the lazy and wicked servant punished and faced the consequences of his disobedience and laziness.

What all these passages from the Sacred Scriptures remind us is that each one of us are the servants and stewards entrusted by God with the care of this world, and with the well-being of our own fellow brothers and sisters. All of us are the people of God, His disciples and followers, entrusted with His truth and Good News, and everything which He has revealed to us, and therefore, we are expected to do what He has taught us to do and we are all called to follow in His footsteps, in how we should live our lives and in how we should do our best to glorify Him and proclaim His love to all the people whom we encounter in our own daily lives. And as each one of us are expected and called to live our lives wholeheartedly as Christians, we should therefore remind ourselves with this parable, that we cannot be idle and ignorant of what each one of us have been called to do by God, in our own respective areas in life.

Many of us have probably been idle in living our Christian faith in our lives, and we may have not realised that to be Christians is for us to be evangelising and missionary in our lives and actions, in our every works and indeed in our every moments in life. But lest we misunderstand, it does not mean that we preach the Gospels and the Scriptures to those people whom we meet, encounter and collaborate with in life. Rather, it is a genuine Christian living that each and every one of us are expected to do, so that even in the smallest and seemingly least significant things we say and do, we can truly proclaim the Lord in all the things we have, and through our exemplary lives and deeds, we may inspire many more people to come to know the Lord and to believe in Him. That is what we should be doing, brothers and sisters.

For example, in our own daily lives, within our families, circles of friends and relatives, we should be people who are filled with love for one another, for our families and friends, and for everyone whom we encounter. That means we should also be kind and cordial to strangers and acquaintances we meet, in each and every moment, that those whom we well know and all those who encounter us, may see God’s love and truth being manifested in even the smallest and least significant of our words and actions. And that is how we can best proclaim the Lord in the midst of our communities and societies, to be truly devoted and committed Christians, always ever focused and centred on God, and to be always charitable and filled with love for our fellow brothers and sisters, in whatever way we can do that.

That is why, all of us should remind one another to live our lives well and faithfully in accordance to our Christian faith and beliefs. We should not be idle any longer in our lives and definitely we should not do things that are contrary and against our beliefs and faith. That is how we can become good and faithful stewards of God’s creation, as responsible and dedicated disciples and followers of God, in doing His will and in obeying His Law and commandments at every possible opportunities. Each and every one of us are reminded that we need to do this or else, in the end, just like that of the wicked and lazy servant, when the time of reckoning comes, we will be made to account for our failures to do what God has commanded for us to do. We should do our best at every moment, so that our lives may truly reflect what we believe in.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all renew our commitment to the Lord, and let us do whatever we can so that we may glorify Him by our lives, and so that in all things, we may indeed be the shining examples and beacons of His light in the midst of our societies today. Let us all be the shining beacons of God’s light and truth in our darkened world today, helping more and more souls to find their way out of the darkness of sin and into the light of God’s grace and salvation. May God bless us all and may He empower each one of us so that our lives may truly be a reflection of our enduring and vibrant faith. Amen.

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Thursday, 31 August 2023 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Matthew 24 : 42-51

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Stay awake then, for you do not know on what day your Lord will come. Obviously, if the owner of the house knew at what time the thief was coming, he would certainly stay up and not allow his house to be broken into. So be alert, for the Son of Man will come at the hour you least expect.”

“Imagine a faithful and prudent servant, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give them food at the proper time. Fortunate, indeed, is that servant, whom his master will find at work when he comes. Truly I say to you, his lord will entrust him with everything he has.”

“Not so with the bad servant, who thinks, ‘My master is delayed.’ And he begins to ill-treat his fellow servants, while eating and drinking with drunkards. But his master will come on the day he does not know, and at the hour he least expects. He will punish that servant severely; and place him with the hypocrites. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

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Thursday, 31 August 2023 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 89 : 3-4, 12-13, 14 and 17

You turn humans back to dust, saying, “Return, o mortals!” A thousand years in Your sight are like a day that has passed, or like a watch in the night.

So make us know the shortness of our life, that we may gain wisdom of heart. How long will You be angry, o YHVH? Have mercy on Your servant.

Fill us at daybreak with Your goodness, that we may be glad all our days. May the sweetness of YHVH be upon us; may He prosper the work of our hands.

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Thursday, 31 August 2023 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

1 Thessalonians 3 : 7-13

What a consolation for us, brothers and sisters, in the midst of our troubles and trials, this faith of yours! It is a breath of life for us, when you stand firm in the Lord. How can we thank God enough, for all the joy that we feel before God, because of you? Day and night, we beg of Him, to let us see you again, that we may complete the instruction of the believers.

May God, our Father, and Jesus, our Lord, prepare the way for us to visit you. May the Lord increase, more and more, your love for each other and for all people, as He increases our love for you. May He strengthen you, internally, to be holy and blameless before God, our Father, on the day that Jesus, our Lord, will come with all His saints.

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Thursday, 24 August 2023 : Feast of St. Bartholomew, Apostle (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate the Feast of St. Bartholomew the Apostle, one of the Twelve Apostles of the Lord, and therefore one of the great pillars of the Church. St. Bartholomew was also likely known as Nathanael as according to today’s Gospel passage, one of the Lord’s Twelve Apostles was one named Nathanael, whom the Lord called in an amazing way, and known for his great intellect and wisdom. There was no one else among the known Twelve Apostles who can fit the description of Nathanael except for St. Bartholomew the Apostle. There was scant reference to him otherwise in the Scriptures, but Church and Apostolic traditions and histories had extensive details about the efforts and works of St. Bartholomew, including that of his ministry and his martyrdom, how he died in the face of opposition and persecution against Christians.

St. Bartholomew was likely named as such because he was the son of a man named Talmai or Ptolemy, with the ‘bar’ in Hebrew meaning ‘son of’. As Ptolemy or Ptolemeus at that time was a Greek name, it was likely that he was a Hellenised Jew, with the given name of Nathanael. He was a wise and learned man, who knew the Law and the Prophets well, just as we heard in our Gospel passage today. In what he said upon knowing that the Lord Jesus had come from the region of Nazareth in Galilee, with the words, ‘Can anything good come from Nazareth?’, it indicated to us his familiarity with the prophets and their prophecies about the coming of the Messiah or the Saviour of Israel. But the Lord convinced Nathanael and showed Him His power, wisdom and truth, as He told him that He saw him below the fig tree, revealing His ability to know the thoughts and the location of Nathanael, showing that He was truly the Messiah of God promised to the people that He loved. Thus, Nathanael or St. Bartholomew recognised the Lord Jesus as the Son of God and King of Israel, the Holy One of God.

Later on, after everything that happened with the Lord and His Passion, His suffering and death on the Cross, and the events surrounding His Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven, as well as the coming of the Holy Spirit, it was told according to the Apostolic traditions that St. Bartholomew went on missions to spread the Good News and truth of God to many distant places including India and Armenia among other places. In India, it was told that St. Bartholomew went to the ancient city of Kalyan and other places, spreading the word of God and His truth, complementing the works of St. Thomas who also went to that land. He also went to Armenia as mentioned, together with another Apostle, St. Jude Thaddeus, in proclaiming the Good News and in calling more and more people to come to know their Lord and Saviour. In his travels and works throughout that region, St. Bartholomew managed to gain converts to the true Faith, while facing opposition and hardships in the midst of his missions.

In Armenia, it was told that St. Bartholomew managed to convert the ruler or king of Armenia named Polymius, who embraced the Christian faith because of the preaching and the works of St. Bartholomew. This brought about a resistance from the pagans and the powerful nobles, led by the king’s brother, Astyages, who therefore ordered the arrest and then torture of St. Bartholomew. In what would become truly renowned about St. Bartholomew, the Apostle was flayed or skinned alive and then beheaded. Thus, that is why many of the portrayals of St. Bartholomew showed the Apostle holding onto his own flayed skin. Another tradition stated that St. Bartholomew was crucified upside-down in the manner just like another Apostle, St. Peter. In the end, regardless in what way St. Bartholomew was martyred, what matters is that he died defending his faith, and suffered just as the Lord Himself had suffered, for the glory of God and for the good of His people.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, as we celebrate this Feast of the Holy Apostle, St. Bartholomew, on this day, let us all therefore reflect upon the actions and dedication which St. Bartholomew had shown the Lord and all of us, in everything he had done, in all the works and missions he had gone to, in proclaiming the Good News of God courageously and fearlessly, and in living his life with great virtues and examples, that many were convinced by his words and actions, in accepting and embracing the Lord Jesus Christ as their own Lord and Master, and as their Saviour and King. For all that he had done, in doing God’s will to the very end, St. Bartholomew has been glorified and raised to the bliss and joy of Heaven, as the Lord had promised to all those who have been faithful to Him. As we heard in our first reading today, from the Revelation or Apocalypse of St. John, we heard how St. John saw the vision of the New Jerusalem, with the names of the Apostles inscribed upon its gates.

Thus, that is how the Lord will also treat all those who have been faithful and true to Him, all those who have given their lives to His cause, like all the Apostles and the holy saints and martyrs, and the innumerable other holy men and women, who have gone before us, and whose lives shone forth with great virtue and faith. Their works and examples should serve inspiration to all of us as Christians, God’s beloved people and disciples, on how each and every one of us should be living our own lives with faith. We should be inspired and strengthened by their examples, particularly that of St. Bartholomew, in how we should act and do our best to love one another, and to proclaim God’s truth and Good News by our faithful lives. This is our calling as Christians, and what each and every one of us should do, as those whom God had called and chosen to be His own.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore all of us are reminded today that we cannot be idle in the living of our faith in life. Each one of us have been blessed and given the grace of God’s love and kindness, His gifts, talents, abilities and the various opportunities that have been presented to us. If the Apostles and the other holy saints and martyrs had not done what they did for the sake of the Lord, in doing what the Lord had called and told them to do, in making the effort and in sacrificing time and their comfort for the spread of the Good News and the Light of God’s truth, in sharing His love and compassionate mercy, many souls including ours would have been doomed to damnation, and we might not have received His love and kindness, His truth and Good News, His salvation and grace. We are all called and inspired to do our best that our lives may truly reflect our Christian faith and all that the Lord had taught us to do, just as St. Bartholomew had done with his life.

May the Lord continue to guide and strengthen all of us, in our every works and actions, in every moments of our lives. May He inspire and empower all of us so that we may serve Him ever more faithfully and with greater courage, in the manner that St. Bartholomew, and the other Holy Apostles, saints and martyrs had done. All of us are part of the Lord’s Church and each one of us are integral part of the missions which God has entrusted to us. Let us all strive to commit our every time and effort to glorify God and to seek the betterment of all mankind. May God bless us all and bless our every works, and may He remain with us always, and strengthen us in all of our endeavours. St. Bartholomew, Holy Apostle of the Lord, pray for us all sinners. Amen.

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Thursday, 24 August 2023 : Feast of St. Bartholomew, Apostle (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

John 1 : 45-51

At that time, Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found the One Moses wrote about in the Law, and the prophets : He is Jesus, Son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”

Nathanael replied, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” When Jesus saw Nathanael coming, He said of him, “Here comes an Israelite, a true one; there is nothing false in him.” Nathanael asked Him, “How do You know me?” And Jesus said to him, “Before Philip called you, you were under the fig tree, and I saw you.”

Nathanael answered, “Master, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” But Jesus replied, “You believe because I said, ‘I saw you under the fig tree.’ But you will see greater things than that. Truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened, and the Angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”