Thursday

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Thursday, 21 September 2023 : Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the great Feast of one of the Twelve Apostles of the Lord, and who happens to be also one of the Four Evangelists, that is St. Matthew the Apostle, also once known as Levi, the tax collector. As Levi, St. Matthew was a tax collector likely collecting the taxes on behalf of the Roman overlords of the region, and perhaps also the local rulers like the Herodians. Regardless of the details, the tax collectors living and working at the time of the Lord Jesus were really reviled and hated by almost everyone, and the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law in particular despised them and portrayed them as evil and wicked, unworthy of God’s grace, unclean and sinful in their lives and actions.

Why was that so, brothers and sisters in Christ? That is because of the nature of their work, collecting the taxes on behalf of the state and rulers of the time, and by default, no one liked to be taxed or have part of their income and property to be subjected to tax. Then, historically, we must also understand that the Jewish people by the time of the Lord Jesus and His ministry were rather fiercely protective of their nation identity and freedom, as they were not that long ago put under rather intense persecution by the Greek rulers which eventually led to the well-known Maccabean revolts and uprisings, in which the Jewish people managed to free themselves from the tyranny of the Greek kings and overlords, establishing their own independent state, known as the Hasmonean Kingdom.

But this relative freedom and independence did not last long, as the Romans came into the region and became the new overlords of the realm, subjugating the Jewish people under their control, with some conflicts and divisions, some uneasy arrangements that were generally resented by the Jews. Not only that, as the Romans also arranged that another foreigner, from among the Idumeans, living as neighbours to the Jews, to be the ruler of the land, in the person of Herod the Great and his descendants. That was why the tax collectors were often reviled and hated, because they represented those overlords and rulers whom the people disliked, with the added fact that they had to shoulder the additional burden of paying taxes.

Yet, the Lord Jesus went to reach out to those same tax collectors, speaking with them and spending time among them, and even going so far as to have dinner at one of their houses. Such actions were frowned upon by the leaders of the Jewish people, like the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, and hence, the Lord was questioned and criticised for having done so. But the Lord made it clear that He came to this world, in order to seek those who have been lost to Him, all those who have fallen into the darkness and into the clutches of sin. He came to gather them all back, His lost sheep, heal them and reconcile them once again to His heavenly Father, our Lord and Creator. He did not forget about them, and wanted everyone to know that they were truly equally beloved by God.

And by calling Levi to be His disciple, and eventually as one of the Twelve Apostles, the Lord showed that everyone has the potential and capacity for greatness in God’s grace and love. The tax collectors had been reviled, hated and looked down upon by many of the people, and yet, they showed greater faith and desire to love God than that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, who stubbornly refused to believe in God despite having witnessed, heard and seen so many of the Lord’s works and wonderful teachings. Those tax collectors came to the Lord, seeking His mercy and forgiveness, wanting to listen to His words and desiring the grace of God, while the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, although they knew the Law and the Prophets well, refused to listen to the Lord or to believe in His truth.

St. Matthew, whose name change indicated his commitment to a new life and service to God, dedicating himself wholeheartedly to the cause of the Lord, eventually did many great and wonderful works for the sake of the Lord and His people. Not only that he wrote one of the Four Gospels, mainly aimed at the Jewish community at the time, in showing Who the Lord Jesus truly was, but he also ministered to the faithful and proclaimed the Lord and His Good News, to the Jewish people in Judea, and also further afield, in places such as Ethiopia, where according to Apostolic traditions, St. Matthew was martyred for his faith, having convinced the virgin daughter of the king of Ethiopia to be a Christian and to consecrate herself to the Lord. St. Matthew was martyred when the new King of Ethiopia, who lusted after the consecrated virgin and nun daughter of the previous king, was rejected and the latter was also rebuked by St. Matthew for his immoral attitude and behaviour.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, the examples set by St. Matthew the Apostle and many others of our holy predecessors should remind us all that we are all called to a life that is truly dedicated to God, in our every words, actions and deeds. Just as St. Paul had written in his Epistle to the Ephesians, our first reading passage today, that each and every one of us have been given distinct gifts by the Lord, the gifts, blessings and opportunities which may allow us to do His will in various ways and means, in whatever it is that we are called to do in our lives. And St. Matthew has shown us that even those who have been hated and reviled by the community, dismissed and ostracised as sinners and those deemed unworthy, can indeed do wonderful and great deeds, and can be fruitful in their lives and works, and be great saints and role models like St. Matthew himself, among many others.

Today, as we rejoice in memory of the faith, commitment and works of St. Matthew the Apostle, Holy Apostle of the Lord and Evangelist, let us all do our very best so that in our lives, we may always be ever faithful and be ever more committed in each and every one of our actions and works, so that in all that we say and do, we will always strive to do God’s will, and that we will always ever be filled with God’s grace in all things. Let us also not be judgmental or be biased upon others just because we think that we are better than them or that we deem others to be less worthy than us. May the Lord always be with us all, and may He empower us with the strength and grace to do His will at all times. May He bless our every good efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 21 September 2023 : Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Matthew 9 : 9-13

At that time, as Jesus moved on from the place where He cured a paralytic man, He saw a man named Matthew, at his seat in the custom house; and He said to him, “Follow Me!” And Matthew got up and followed Him.

Now it happened, while Jesus was at table in Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners joined Jesus and His disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is it, that your Master eats with sinners and tax collectors?”

When Jesus heard this, He said, “Healthy people do not need a doctor, but sick people do. Go, and find out what this means : What I want is mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

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Thursday, 21 September 2023 : Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 18 : 2-3, 4-5

The heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament proclaims the work of His hands. Day talks it over with day; night hands on the knowledge to night.

No speech, no words, no voice is heard – but the call goes on throughout the universe, the message is felt to the ends of the earth.

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Thursday, 21 September 2023 : Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Ephesians 4 : 1-7, 11-13

Therefore, I, the prisoner of Christ, invite you, to live the vocation you have received. Be humble, kind, patient and bear with one another in love. Make every effort to keep among you, the unity of spirit, through bonds of peace. Let there be one body, and one Spirit, just as one hope is the goal of your calling by God. One Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God, the Father of all, Who is above all, and works through all, and is in all.

But to each of us, divine grace is given, according to the measure of Christ’s gift. As for His gifts, to some, He gave to be Apostles; to others, prophets, or even evangelists; or pastors and teachers. So, He prepared those who belong to Him, for the ministry, in order to build up the Body of Christ, until we are all united, in the same faith and knowledge of the Son of God. Thus, we shall become the perfect Man, upon reaching maturity, and sharing the fullness of Christ.

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Thursday, 14 September 2023 : Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, marking the very significant moments when the Holy Cross of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is triumphant and glorious, over the enemies of the Lord and over all those who oppose Him, in three distinct events which are all commemorated together today on this great Feast. These events are first of all, the finding of the True Cross by St. Helena, the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, and then the Dedication of the churches that had been built and dedicated by the same Emperor Constantine the Great at Mount Calvary and the Holy Sepulchre, marking the site of the Lord’s Crucifixion, and lastly, the triumphant entry of the True Cross into Jerusalem, the Holy City, after it had been taken away by the Persians, during the reign of the Roman Emperor Heraclius, who managed to regain and restore the True Cross.

Regarding the first event, it was told according to history and traditions that St. Helena, the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, travelled to the Holy Land in search of the True Cross of the Lord, and managed to find this very important relic and historical artefact, when she discovered three crosses hidden and buried at the site of the Crucifixion outside Jerusalem, which had been hidden and forgotten for several centuries. St. Helena identified the right Cross by touching the crosses to a person suffering from sickness, and one of the three crosses made the person to be immediately healed, which identified that cross as the Cross on which Our Lord was crucified. The other two crosses belonged to the two thieves who were crucified besides the Lord.

That discovery of the True Cross also came about at a very important time in the history of the Church, as it happened just shortly after the victory and triumph of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great over all of his enemies and rivals, many of whom persecuted Christians, following that of the earlier Emperors and rulers of the Roman state. Emperor Constantine the Great was the first Roman ruler who extended official toleration of Christians, ending centuries of terrible and harsh persecutions and oppressions against them, with the famous Edict of Milan and then, after having defeated all of his rivals, extending the freedom for all Christians to believe in God to the whole Empire. Emperor Constantine the Great also supported many Church institutions and donated generously to build many churches and places of worship for Christians, among which as mentioned are the churches established on the Holy Sepulchre and Mount Calvary.

Therefore, symbolically, the discovery of the True Cross also signified the triumph that the Lord and His conquering Cross over that of those who opposed Him and oppressed His faithful ones. And we also cannot forget the famous story of how Emperor Constantine himself came to entrust himself and the Empire to Christ, that when it was the time of his pivotal battle and struggle against his great rival, Maxentius, at the Battle of Milvian Bridge shortly before the Edict of Milan, the Lord showed Emperor Constantine the great sign in the sky, which was either a Cross or the Chi-Ro symbol of Christ, and with the words in the Emperor’s vision, that ‘with this Sign, you shall win and conquer’, which came true with his great victory at the battle and in the ultimate triumph of Christianity against the pagan faith of Rome.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, now that we have discussed the historical events which led to this celebration of the Triumph and Exaltation of the Holy Cross, let us all now delve even deeper into the importance and significance of the Cross of Christ to all of us. The Cross of Christ is the symbol of our Hope and the Light that has pierced through the darkness surrounding us, giving us the strength and inspiration to break free from the tyranny and domination by the devil and from the depredations of sin. It is through the Cross that each and every one of us have been shown the path to glory and true joy in God, the assurance of eternal life and liberation from the chains that have shackled us due to our disobedience and sin against God. The Cross is the reminder of everything that God has done out of love for each and every one of us.

Symbolically, the Cross also marks the reversal of the disobedience of our ancestors, who have, in their moment of pride, eaten from the forbidden tree of knowledge of good and evil, listening to the falsehoods and lies of the devil rather than to trust in God and His providence. Thus, by another tree, the wood of the Cross, that God showed us the perfect obedience of His Son, as the Son of Man, Who offered Himself, stripped from all honour and glory, as we heard what St. Paul wrote in his Epistle to the Philippians. By the Cross, the Lord Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, brought us all from the darkness of sin, dispelling and reversing the effects of the downfall of man in the Gardens of Eden, and showing us all the path of righteousness and virtue, the path of grace towards the eternal life and full reconciliation with God, our Master and Creator.

And as we heard in our Gospel reading passage today, that very famous words of the Lord, ‘For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him may not be lost, but may have eternal life.’, through which we are reminded that God has always loved us and treated us all with great care and compassion despite our rebelliousness and stubbornness in disobeying Him and His Law, His commandments and ways. He sent unto us His Son, that by His coming into this world, the Divine Word of God incarnate in the flesh, God might show all of us His perfect love manifested and tangible to us, approachable and no longer impossible for us to attain. Through His Passion and then Crucifixion of the Holy and Triumphant Cross, the Lord then reaffirmed His ultimate and enduring love, fulfilling His own words, that ‘there is no greater love than this, for someone to lay down his life for a friend’ and ‘The Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep’.

As mentioned earlier, the Cross is also the symbol of Christ’s perfect obedience to His Father’s will, showing all of us what it truly means for us to be Christians, to be followers of the path of God and to believe in His truth and Good News. Every time we look upon the Cross upon which Our Lord and Saviour is hung, we should remember this great and most amazing love that we have received from Him, that He has poured out freely from His Cross, through the breaking of His Body and the outpouring of His Blood, by which His Triumphant Cross unlocked for us the gates of Heaven, and led us out of the depth of darkness and sin, from the threat of eternal damnation into the fullness of grace and eternal life in God. The Lord has shown us His perfect love in the Cross, and all of us should well remember this Love, as we go through this great celebration today. Hopefully, all of us will also be full of the same love, for both our Lord Himself and also for our fellow brothers and sisters, all around us, as is our calling and mission as Christians.

May all of us, God’s beloved people, continue to put our faith and trust in Him, as we look upon His Cross, the Cross that has conquered and triumphed, the symbol of humiliation and defeat that had been transformed by Christ’s death and ultimately His glorious Resurrection, into the most triumphant Cross by which sin and death had been crushed, and by which the devil and all of his wicked forces had been defeated and overcome. Let us always rejoice in the Holy Cross, and be the most courageous and faithful bearers of our own crosses, as we carry them with our Lord, ever being faithful and dedicated to the path which He has shown us. Let the Cross of Christ, the ever Triumphant and Victorious Cross illuminate our path, and help us to remain firm and faithful in our commitment to God, to be ever worthy of Him, at all times, and let us follow the Lord wholeheartedly always in our every moments in life. May God bless us all and may He guide us through this journey and faith in life, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 14 September 2023 : Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

John 3 : 13-17

At that time, Jesus said to Nicodemus, “No one has ever gone up to heaven except the One Who came from heaven, the Son of Man. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life.”

“Yes, God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him may not be lost, but may have eternal life. God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world; instead, through Him the world is to be saved.”

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Thursday, 14 September 2023 : Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 77 : 1-2, 34-35, 36-37, 38

Give heed, o My people, to My teaching; listen to the words of My mouth! I will speak in parables; I will talk of old mysteries.

When He slew them, they repented and sought Him earnestly. They remembered that God was their Rock, the Most High, their Redeemer.

But they flattered Him with their mouths; they lied to Him with their tongues, while their hearts were unfaithful; they were untrue to His Covenant.

Even then, in His compassion, He forgave their offences and did not destroy them. Many a time He restrained His anger, and did not fully stir up His wrath.

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Thursday, 14 September 2023 : Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Numbers 21 : 4b-9

The people were discouraged by the journey and began to complain against God and Moses, “Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is neither bread nor water here and we are disgusted with this tasteless manna.”

YHVH then sent fiery serpents against them. They bit the people and many of the Israelites died. Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, speaking against YHVH and against you. Plead with YHVH to take the serpents away.”

Moses pleaded for the people and YHVH said to him, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a standard; whoever has been bitten and then looks at it shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a standard. Whenever a man was bitten, he looked towards the bronze serpent and he lived.

Alternative reading (Second Reading if this Feast is celebrated as a Solemnity)

Philippians 2 : 6-11

Though He was in the form of God, He did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking on the nature of a servant, made in human likeness, and in His appearance found as a Man.

He humbled Himself by being obedient to death, death on the cross. That is why God exalted Him and gave Him the Name which outshines all names, so that at the Name of Jesus all knees should bend in heaven, on earth and among the dead, and all tongues proclaim that Christ Jesus is the Lord to the glory of God the Father.

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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.