Tuesday

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Tuesday, 25 June 2019 : 12th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we listened to the words of the Scripture speaking to us about the importance for us as Christians to live righteously and devote ourselves to serve God in everything that we do, so that we may be truly worthy to be called children of God and as His followers, heeding the examples of our holy predecessors as we heard in our Scripture passages today.

In our first reading today, we heard of the story of the conflict that occurred between Abraham and Lot, who are each others’ close relatives, and each of them possessed a lot of wealth and possessions, cattle and animals, servants and goods, that resulted in the conflict that happened between their servants and amongst their flocks and possessions. In the quarrels that ensued, Abraham decided to part ways with Lot amicably, knowing that if they have stayed in the same lands, even more conflicts would come to happen.

In this way, Abraham truly acted nobly and wonderfully even though he could have given in to the temptations of pride and desire. He could have made it such that he benefitted from the conflict, or claimed parts of the wealth, flocks and possessions of his own relative for his own, and many others things he could have done as how we mankind often behaved in this world. But he chose not to do all of that.

Instead, Abraham showed the best of his upright and good attitude, as someone whom the Lord had indeed chosen among all the people to be the one with whom He was pleased with and with whom He was about to make a great Covenant, as mentioned in the same passage, how God blessed Abraham and promised to him that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars and beyond.

In the Gospel passage today, the Lord Jesus spoke to His disciples mentioning just how difficult it is in reality for us all to pass through the gates of eternal life, that is for us to enter into the glory prepared for us by God, as we have to be righteous and good throughout our lives, and we have to be worthy to be recipients of what the Lord has promised all of us in the Covenant He had made with us.

This does not mean that we have to be perfect in our lives, as even Abraham himself was not perfect, he did sin just like any one of us. The holy saints of God were themselves not perfect and were sinners just like us, and yet, they made sure that they did not allow sin to rule over them or to have sway over their lives. They did what is righteous and just, good and acceptable to the Lord, and in their righteousness, God made them all worthy.

What matters is for us to do what the Lord has commanded us to do, and that means, instead of succumbing to the temptations of pride whenever we encounter others and having our desires within us, to be recognised, to be praised, to be acknowledged and to have achievements in our lives, we should instead be humble, knowing that no amount of pride can do us any good. If we let pride to have its way in our lives, and greed to lead us in our way, there will be endless conflict and unhappiness ahead of us.

Let us all learn to be more faithful like Abraham, to be more compassionate, loving and be more concerned about each other, just like our holy predecessors, Abraham and all those saints who have gone before us have shown us with their own righteous and worthy lives. The path to enter into the kingdom of God and eternal life is indeed a narrow one, but it does not mean it is necessarily difficult to enter. What we need is the will and the desire to truly love God first and foremost in our lives, and to love one another just as much as we love ourselves.

May the Lord guide us through this narrow path that all of us may be reconciled and reunited with Him, and so that we may be ever closer and be ever more worthy to be in His loving presence, by our faithfulness and our commitment to serve Him, each and every days of our lives. Amen.

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Tuesday, 25 June 2019 : 12th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Matthew 7 : 6, 12-14

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Do not give what is holy to the dogs, or throw your pearls before pigs. They might trample on them, and then turn on you and tear you to pieces.”

“So, do to others whatever you would that others do to you : there, you have the law and the prophets. Enter through the narrow gate : for wide is the gate, and broad is the road, that leads to destruction, and many go that way. How narrow is the gate that leads to life; and how rough, the road; few there are, who find it.”

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Tuesday, 25 June 2019 : 12th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 14 : 2-3ab, 3cd-4ab, 5

Those who walk blamelessly and do what is right, who speak truth from their heart and control their words, who do no harm to their neighbours.

Those who cast no discredit on their companions, who look down on evildoers but highly esteem God’s servants.

Those who do not lend money at interest and refuse a bribe against the innocent. Do this, and you will not be shaken.

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Tuesday, 25 June 2019 : 12th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Genesis 13 : 2, 5-18

Now Abram was very rich in flocks, silver and gold. Lot who went with Abram also had flocks, cattle and tents. The land was not sufficient to allow them to stay together, for their possessions were too great for them to live together.

A quarrel arose between the herdsmen of Abram’s flock and those of Lot. (The Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land at the time.) Abram said to Lot, “Do not let there be a dispute between you and me, nor between my herdsmen and yours, since we are brothers! Is not the whole land before you? Let us part company. If you go to the left, I will go to the right; if you go to the right, I will go to the left.”

Lot looked up and saw the whole valley of the Jordan : how well it was watered! Before YHVH destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, this was like one of YHVH’s gardens, like the country of Egypt, on coming to Zoar. Lot chose for himself all the Jordan valley and journeyed eastward. In this way they separated from each other.

Abram settled in the country of Canaan while Lot lived among the towns of the plain and moved his tent as far as Sodom. Now the people of Sodom were wicked, sinning greatly against YHVH. YHVH said to Abram after Lot had left him, “Raise your eyes and look from where you are, towards the north, the south, the east and the west; all the land you see I will give to you and your descendants forever.”

“I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; if the grains of the dust can be counted, then your descendants may be counted. Come, travel through the length and breadth of the land, for it is to you that I am giving it.” So Abram moved his tent and came to live by the oaks of Mamre at Hebron. There he built an altar to YHVH.

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Tuesday, 18 June 2019 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we listened to the words of the Scripture speaking to us about the need for all of us to be truly faithful in all the things we do, in being genuinely faithful through our dedication and love for the Lord. And being true in our faith requires us all to be filled with love, and not just any love, but love that is selfless and generous, to all people.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard the Lord Jesus saying that we all should love everyone, including even our enemies and all those who have persecuted us and rejected us. He called on us all to bring love to our fellow brethren, regardless of who they are and give our very best in love for others not counting for the love to be returned or reciprocated. This is indeed something that is easier said than done.

Why is that so, brothers and sisters in Christ? That is because loving an enemy is something that is not easily done, as when we love, we commonly love with the intention of being reciprocated and appreciated, to be loved back in the same way if not more than how we have loved another person. But to love an enemy seems to be like a folly, a giving of one’s love to someone whom in our minds may be unworthy and undeserving.

But that is where we really need to change our mentality and mindset, to redirect our thoughts and change our prejudices about others. For we must understand that love is not a transaction or something where we expect to gain things for our own benefit. If we think of love in that manner, then perhaps it is time for us to change our mindset and how we see love in our daily interactions and lives.

Love in truth is not of receiving but in fact of giving, the giving of oneself and even making sacrifices for another. That is in essence, what true love is all about. True love does not lead to jealousy, and neither does it lead to selfishness and desire, but rather, it leads to happiness in knowing that we have given of ourselves for the sake of another, and the other person is better because of the love which we have given.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we do not have to go far to see the example, other than what the Lord Jesus Himself had shown us all. The Lord Jesus had shown us all what it means by true love, love that is selfless, self-giving, in all that He had done for our sake, even to us all who have disobeyed and not listened to Him all these while. St. Paul himself said of how wonderful God’s love for us is, that even if it is possible for someone to love and to be willing to die for the sake of a very good person and friend, God did so for all of us who are wicked and sinners.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, each and every one of us are called to follow the examples of Our Lord in the generous and true love that He has shown to each and every one of us. He has loved us all so greatly that we should love Him in the same way as is only right for us to do so. It is indeed not easy for us to love everyone, especially those who have hurt us and caused us harm and pain.

May the Lord help us all to be more loving and to be more forgiving, to all our brothers and sisters just as He Himself has done it. May He strengthen in us this love that we have so that each and every moments in our lives we may draw ever closer to Him and be more faithful with every passing moment. May God bless us all, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Tuesday, 18 June 2019 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Matthew 5 : 43-48

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “You have heard, that it was said : Love your neighbour and do not do good to your enemy. But this I tell you : love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in Heaven. For He makes His sun rise on both the wicked and the good; and He gives rain to both the just and the unjust.”

“If you love those who love you, what is special about that? Do not even tax collectors do as much? And if you are friendly only to your friends, what is so exceptional about that? Do not even the pagans do as much? As for you, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

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Tuesday, 18 June 2019 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 145 : 1-2, 5-6ab, 6c-7, 8-9a

Alleluia! Praise YHVH, my soul! I will sing to YHVH all my life; I will sing praise to God while I live.

Blessed are they whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in YHVH their God, Maker of heaven and earth, the sea and all they contain.

YHVH is forever faithful; He gives justice to the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. YHVH sets the prisoners free.

YHVH gives sight to the blind; YHVH loves the virtuous; but He brings to ruin the way of the wicked. YHVH straightens the bent. YHVH protects the stranger.

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Tuesday, 18 June 2019 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

2 Corinthians 8 : 1-9

Now, I want you to know about a gift of divine grace among the Churches of Macedonia. While they were so afflicted and persecuted, their joy overflowed, and their extreme poverty turned into a wealth of generosity. According to their means – even beyond their means – they wanted to share, in helping the saints.

They asked us for this favour, spontaneously, and with much insistence, and, far beyond anything we expected, they put themselves at the disposal of the Lord, and of us by the will of God. Accordingly, I urged Titus to complete, among you, this work of grace, since he began it with you.

You excel in everything : in the gifts of faith, speech and knowledge; you feel concern for every cause and, besides, you are first in my heart. Excel, also, in this generous service. This is not a command; I make known to you the determination of others, to check the sincerity of your fraternal concern.

You know well, the generosity of Christ Jesus, our Lord. Although He was rich, He made Himself poor, to make you rich, through His poverty.

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Tuesday, 11 June 2019 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Barnabas, Apostle (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we celebrate the feast of one of the Apostles of the Church, namely that of St. Barnabas the Apostle, one of those who accompanied St. Paul the Apostle on his missionary journeys throughout the Eastern Mediterranean. St. Barnabas went from many places to places, often suffering rejections, ridicule and persecutions along the way.

Yet, he remained strong in his faith and dedication, giving his all to the service of God. He received the strength of the Holy Spirit, the same Holy Spirit that all the Apostles have received at Pentecost. Through the Holy Spirit, the Apostles performed wonderful works, reaching out to the people and speaking the truth of God in their midst, making many among them to believe in God despite there were also equally plenty of people who refused to believe.

St. Barnabas essentially did what the Lord had commanded His disciples to do, to proclaim the Good News as He has said in our Gospel passage today. He sent them forth to do His will, to bring healing to the sick and to liberate people from the possession of demons and their bondage to sin. And they were told not to bring many possessions but bring only the absolute minimum of what they needed, not even having extra things for themselves.

They were told to depend on the kindness of the people, some of whom would welcome them and take care of them. And that was what St. Barnabas and the other Apostles had done, throughout their missionary works, as they did not perform their works like that of conquering princes and warlords, or like mighty kings and lords, but rather as simple and humble servants of God Almighty.

And the Apostles like St. Barnabas performed their work with joy, despite the challenges and sorrows they had to endure, because they knew that God was with them, and whatever that they did, they did them because of their love not only for God but also for all those people to whom they had been sent to. They loved their fellow brethren and because of that, they rejoiced when the people came to believe in God because of them.

For they knew well what would happen should the people reject the Lord and continue to live in sin. To suffer for eternity in hellfire and eternal suffering is not something that anyone would have wanted or wished for someone whom they loved. God does not want that fate to happen to us, and therefore, neither did the Apostles and the courageous disciples of the Lord wanted that to happen to their brethren.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day all of us are reminded that the works of the Apostles are not yet completed, and there are still many things that need to be done for all of us as the members of God’s Church. All of us are in fact the successors and the inheritors to the works of the Apostles, as we need to continue the good works that they have started, in delivering the message of God’s truth to the people and in calling God’s people to conversion.

Let us all therefore be inspired by the courage and dedication which St. Barnabas had shown, in his perseverance through the difficult times and challenges he had to face in those years he spent ministering to the people of God and in preaching to the pagans. Let us all do our very best in our own efforts and in giving of our time to be the true and faithful witnesses of God’s truth among our communities.

May the Lord bless us in all of our endeavours and may He strengthen us in our resolve and commitment, to live our lives faithfully as Christians from now on, becoming good examples for one another in each and every moments of our lives. May God be with us always, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Tuesday, 11 June 2019 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Barnabas, Apostle (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Matthew 10 : 7-13

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Go, and proclaim this message : The kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, bring the dead back to life, cleanse the lepers, and drive out demons. Freely have you received, freely give. Do not carry any gold or silver or money in your purses. Do not take a travelling bag, or an extra shirt, or sandals, or a walking stick : workers deserve to be compensated.”

“When you come to a town or a village, look for a worthy person, and stay there until you leave. When you enter the house, wish it peace. If the people are worthy people, your peace will rest on them; if they are not worthy people, your blessing will come back to you.”