Liturgical Colour : Red
Psalm 67 : 10-11, 20-21
Then You gave a rain of blessings to comfort Your weary children. Your people found a dwelling and in Your mercy, o God, You provided for the needy.
Blessed be the Lord, God our Saviour, Who daily bears our burdens! Ours is a God Who saves; our Lord lets us escape from death.
Liturgical Colour : Red
Acts 20 : 17-27
From Miletus Paul sent word to Ephesus, summoning the elders of the Church. When they came to him, he addressed them, “You know how I lived among you from the first day I set foot in the province of Asia, how I served the Lord in humility through the sorrows and trials that the Jews caused me.”
“You know that I never held back from doing anything that could be useful for you; I spoke publicly and in your homes, and I urged Jews and non-Jews alike to turn to God and believe in our Lord Jesus.”
“But now I am going to Jerusalem, chained by the Spirit, without knowing what will happen to me there. Yet in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that imprisonment and troubles await me. Indeed I put no value on my life, if only I can finish my race and complete the service to which I have been assigned by the Lord Jesus, to announce the Good News of God’s grace.”
“I now feel sure that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom of God will ever see me again. Therefore I declare to you this day that my conscience is clear with regard to all of you. For I have spared no effort in fully declaring to you God’s will.”
Liturgical Colour : White
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Lord contained within the passages of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that we should continue to have hope in the Lord, believing that in His Providence, His presence and help, we will always find hope and strength, as well as the sure path out of our predicaments and sufferings, all the hardships and challenges that we have had to endure in our lives. We must never allow ourselves to be easily swayed and pressured by fear, indecision and doubt. We must continue to hold up firmly that faith in the Lord, that we should always have in our hearts and minds. That is why we are all called to reflect upon this hope which He has placed in us, so that we may continue to faithfully serve Him at all times.
In our first reading today, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles of the continuation of the account of the works of the Apostles in the ministry of the proclaiming of the Good News of God among the people, calling more and more towards the Lord and to His salvation. And even in the midst of their predicament and hardships, the Apostles continued to receive guidance, strength and encouragement from the Lord. God did not abandon those whom He had called and chosen to be His own, and He heard the prayers of those who have fervently prayed to Him and kept their faith in Him. We heard how a great earthquake struck when St. Paul and the other faithful disciples of the Lord were put in incarceration, and they were miraculously freed.
But what was even more wonderful was the fact that the Lord did not in fact just free St. Paul and the other disciples from their bondage and imprisonment, but He also made it such that the jailor and his family were also freed from their own bondage and slavery to sin, as St. Paul convinced the jailor not to take his own life out of guilt, but rather to put his trust in the Lord, and which led therefore to his conversion together with that of his own family members. Therefore, God did not just bring His servants to their safety, but was even adding to their numbers in such moments of darkness and suffering. All of these serve to remind us ever more of God’s greatness and His wonderful grace towards us, in how He has constantly and patiently guided us in our journey through faith and life.
Then, from our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, in which the Lord Jesus continued to speak to His disciples about what would happen to Him at the moment surrounding His Passion, His suffering and death on the Cross, all of which would soon happen, and He told these all to the disciples so that they would not fall into despair and fear, and that they would continue to put their trust and faith in Him even in difficult times. And as He had shared with the disciples in today’s passage, that everything had to happen as according to the will of the Father in Heaven, Who would send to them all the Helper or the Advocate, which refers to the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God that would strengthen all of the followers of the Lord.
And the Lord told them all that everything had to happen as it had been planned by God, or else, the Holy Spirit would not come into this world as He should have. Through the Holy Spirit that eventually came upon all the disciples, guiding the Church of God, the Lord would do wonderful things for His people, growing the reach of His works to the whole world through the works of evangelisation and mission, as the disciples of the Lord courageously went forth to proclaim the Good News and the truth about God and His salvation, strengthened and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, sent unto them by the Lord Himself, dwelling in their hearts. Through the tireless effoorts and works of these dedicated missionaries and many other holy and faithful people of God, countless people and souls have been saved from eternal damnation and brought into the light of God’s salvation.
Today, the Church also marks the occasion of the Feast of St. Augustine of Canterbu ry, the very first bishop of the restored Church hierarchy and structure in England, after the turmoil and destruction of the previous two centuries when civil upheavals and problems led to the loss of contact between the Church in England and that in the rest of the Christendom at the time. After the downfall of the Roman Empire in the Western Europe, as well as the invasion of England by the pagan Anglo-Saxons, the state of the Church in the formerly Christian England was dire, but this did not lead to total destruction of the Christian faith in the region as many still held onto their faith in God despite being separated from the hierarchy and administration of the Church.
And most importantly, at that time, Pope St. Gregory the Great initiated important efforts to reevangelise the many areas that had fallen back to paganism and where the faith had floundered, sending among others, St. Augustine of Canterbury to be the Papal representative and missionary in England. It was at Canterbury in southeastern England where he ministered and worked patiently for the Lord’s sake, eventually leading to the conversion of many to the Lord, and beginning a great period of rejuvenation of the Christian faith there, that in the end brought back the whole England to the faith, as the Anglo-Saxons eventually completely and entirely adopted the Christian faith and were baptised in the Lord. Thanks to the courageous and tireless efforts of St. Augustine of Canterbury and the many other missionaries, all these good things happened.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have heard today from our Scripture passages and also from the life and works of St. Augustine of Canterbury among others, let us all therefore be evangelising and missionary in our own actions, words and all the things that we do in our respective lives daily, in each and every moments, and in all of our encounters with those whom we meet in our lives. Let us all therefore be the faithful and worthy beacons of God’s light and truth, His Good News, love and hope to everyone around us. May the Lord bless our every good efforts, works and endeavours, and bring us all to be the great examples to all the people, now and always. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : White
John 16 : 5-11
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “But now I am going to the One Who sent Me, and none of you asks Me where I am going; instead you are overcome with grief, because of what I have said.”
“Believe Me, it is better for you that I go away, because as long as I do not leave, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go away, it is to send Him to you, and when He comes, He will vindicate the truth before a sinful world; and He will vindicate the paths of righteousness and justice.”
“What is the world’s sin, in regard to Me? Disbelief. What is the path of righteousness? It is the path I walk, by which I go to the Father; and you shall see Me no more. What is the path of justice? It is the path on which the prince of this world will always stand condemned.”
Liturgical Colour : White
Psalm 137 : 1-2a, 2bc-3, 7c-8
I thank You, o Lord with all my heart, for You have heard the word of my lips. I sing Your praise in the presence of the gods. I bow down towards Your holy Temple and give thanks to Your Name.
For Your love and faithfulness, for Your word which exceeds everything. You answered me when I called; You restored my soul and made me strong.
You save me from the wrath of my foes, with Your right hand You deliver me. How the Lord cares for me! Your kindness, o Lord, endures forever. Forsake not the work of Your hands.
Liturgical Colour : White
Acts 16 : 22-34
So the slave owners of Philippi set the crowd against Paul and Silas and the officials tore the clothes of them and ordered them to be flogged. And after inflicting many blows on them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to guard them safely. Upon receiving these instructions, he threw them into the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly a severe earthquake shook the place, rocking the prison to its foundations. Immediately all the doors flew open and the chains of all the prisoners fell off.
The jailer woke up to see the prison gates wide open. Thinking that the prisoners had escaped, he drew his sword to kill himself, but Paul shouted to him, “Do not harm yourself! We are all still here.” The jailer asked for a light, then rushed in, and fell at the feet of Paul and Silas. After he had secured the other prisoners, he led them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
They answered, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you and your household will be saved.” Then they spoke the word of God to him and to all his household. Even at that hour of the night, the jailer took care of them and washed their wounds; and he and his whole household were baptised at once. He led them to his house, spread a meal before them and joyfully celebrated with his whole household his newfound faith in God.
Liturgical Colour : White
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded of the reality of becoming disciples and followers of the Lord, which will likely involve some sorts of challenges and difficulties in our paths, and we must always be prepared that we may not have it easy and smooth in our journey, but we may encounter twists and turns in our way towards the Lord. As our predecessors in faith, the many Christians throughout the history of the Church had shown us, and the innumerable saints and martyrs had testified to us, there will likely be a lot of opposition to our commitment and faith in God, and to our works and efforts as the Lord’s disciples in this world. But this does not mean that we should easily give up on our faith in the Lord and our efforts to glorify Him by our actions in life. Instead, we should be even more resolute in committing ourselves to love and serve the Lord at all times, in whatever opportunities that He had provided to us.
In our first reading today, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles of what St. Paul and St. Barnabas encountered during their missionary journey in Asia Minor, in what is now part of Turkey, where they faced obstacles and hardships in proclaiming the words and Good News of God to both the Jewish diaspora communities and the Gentiles alike. They were attacked by the conspiracy of some of the Jewish people who opposed them in Lystra, causing the people who mistakenly worshipped St. Paul and St. Barnabas as the manifestations of their gods to go violent against the two of them and causing them to almost lose their lives after being stoned. Yet, all these did not dampen the spirits of the Apostles who picked up from where they were and then continuing their journey and ministry to other people in the other places.
St. Paul and St. Barnabas used all those experiences and sufferings to strengthen the other disciples and followers of the Lord, reminding them that they were not alone in suffering for the sake of the Lord. They also helped to establish the strong foundation of the Church in those areas they had visited appointing elders and leaders to guide the faithful, so that the Church and the body of the Christian faithful and community could continue to grow despite the many hardships and challenges that they had to face at that time. The Lord guided and strengthened the Apostles, and the other disciples and followers of the Lord such that they would not lose their faith amidst the trials and challenges that they had to face in their mission and journey.
In our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, we then heard of the moment not long before the Lord was to go and face His Passion, where He had to endure the worst of persecutions and sufferings for our sake, betrayed by one of His own closest disciples and abandoned by the rest, and condemned to death for sins that He did not commit. Hence, knowing all of these that were to happen to Him, the Lord reassured His disciples that despite everything that would happen to Him, they all should not lose hope but instead they should remain firm in their commitment to serve Him, because while He would be taken away from them, He would not truly go away, as He would still remain with them and would always guide them in each and every steps of their journeys.
Linking this to what we have heard in our first reading passage today, we can see indeed how true it would be, that the sufferings and hardships that Christ suffered would also be shared by many of His own Apostles, disciples and followers. And yet, the reassurances from the Lord Himself of His Presence and guidance strengthened many of these disciples and made them to joyfully and courageously continue their efforts and struggles in proclaiming the Good News of God despite the many challenges and hardships that they had to endure and go through, all the oppositions and persecutions that they faced, but at the same time also all the good things that they had done and the opportunities and successes that they had achieved in their respective missions and works.
And the Lord Jesus reminded His disciples as we heard in our Gospel passage today that He gave them His peace, and that His peace would be with them as they carried on with the missions and works that He had entrusted to them. This is a reminder for us that we should not be afraid or worried in doing what we have been tasked by the Lord through His Church, in contributing our efforts and works for the good of the Church and the faithful people of God. We must always trust in God in guiding and strengthening us in our journey and mission as Christians, in all the things that we do, even in the smallest and the seemingly least significant efforts and works that we do. With God, nothing is impossible, and He will grant us the strength, courage and power to carry out our works, missions and efforts and bring us to success, all for His greater glory.
Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Bernardine of Siena, a holy man and priest of God whose faith and examples in how he had committed his life and efforts should inspire all of us to be more committed towards God and be more righteous in our actions and ways of life. St. Bernardine of Siena was born into a noble Italian family, but was orphaned at a young age and was raised by his pious aunt, who eventually led to him joining the Franciscan order, firstly as a member and then eventually becoming a priest. He was a renowned preacher and missionary who spent a lot of effort working with the sick and the poor, as well as preaching against the corruption and worldly excesses practiced during that time among many of the people, especially among the nobility and even within the Church and the clergy.
He preached effectively as he used examples and connections to the daily lives and sufferings of the people, which could be easily related to many of them, and therefore, he drew many people who came to seek his preaching and works. People flocked to his sermons and he spent many hours in these sermons and works, touching the hearts and souls of countless people, and calling many to the conversion of their lives. Through his faith and dedication, St. Bernardine of Siena had indeed shown us all what it truly means for us to carry on our own mission with faith in God, and in being committed to live our lives worthily as Christians, to the best of our abilities, in our respective areas and vocations in life, each and every moments and each day.
Let us all therefore do our best from now on to live our lives as good and faithful Christians in all things, and do our best to be good role models and inspirations for one another in faith. May the Lord be with us always, and may He continue to inspire us all to live our lives most worthily in His Presence, now and always, forevermore. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : White
John 14 : 27-31a
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Peace be with you! I give you My peace; not as the world gives peace do I give it to you. Do not be troubled; do not be afraid. You heard Me say, ‘I am going away, but I am coming to you.’ If you loved Me, you would be glad that I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.”
“I have told you this now before it takes place, so that when it does happen you may believe. It is very little what I may still tell you, for the prince of this world is at hand, although there is nothing in Me that he can claim. But see, the world must know that I love the Father, and that I do what the Father has taught Me to do.”
Liturgical Colour : White
Psalm 144 : 10-11, 12-13ab, 21
All Your works will give You thanks; all Your saints, o Lord, will praise You. They will tell of the glory of Your kingdom and speak of Your power.
That all may know of Your mighty deeds, Your reign and its glorious splendour. Your reign is from age to age; Your dominion endures from generation to generation.
Let my mouth speak in praise of the Lord, let every creature bless His holy Name, forever and ever.
Liturgical Colour : White
Acts 14 : 19-28
Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and turned the people against Paul and Barnabas. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the town, leaving him for dead. But when his disciples gathered around him, he stood up and returned to the town. And the next day he left for Derbe with Barnabas.
After proclaiming the Gospel in that town and making many disciples, they returned to Lystra and Iconium and on to Antioch. They were strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain firm in the faith, for they said, “We must go through many trials to enter the Kingdom of God.”
In each Church they appointed elders and, after praying and fasting, they commended them to the Lord in Whom they had placed their faith. Then they travelled through Pisidia, and came to Pamphylia. They preached the Word in Perga and went down to Attalia. From there they sailed back to Antioch, where they had first been commended to God’s grace for the task they had now completed.
On their arrival they gathered the Church together and told them all that God had done through them and how He had opened the door of faith to the non-Jews. They spent a fairly long time there with the disciples.
petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang 