Tuesday

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Tuesday, 11 June 2024 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Barnabas, Apostle (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 97 : 1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 5-6

Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done wonders; His right hand, His holy arm, has won victory for Him.

The Lord 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 the Lord, 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, the Lord!

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Tuesday, 11 June 2024 : 10th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Barnabas, Apostle (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Acts 11 : 21b-26 and Acts 13 : 1-3

A great number believed and turned to the Lord. News of this reached the ears of the Church in Jerusalem, so they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the manifest signs of God’s favour, he rejoiced and urged them all to remain firmly faithful to the Lord; for he, himself, was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith. Thus large crowds came to know the Lord.

Then Barnabas went off to Tarsus, to look for Saul; and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year, they had meetings with the Church and instructed many people. It was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.

There were at Antioch – in the Church which was there – prophets and teachers : Barnabas, Symeon known as Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod, and Saul. On one occasion, while they were celebrating the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said to them, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul to do the work for which I have called them.”

So, after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

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Tuesday, 4 June 2024 : 9th 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 Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded that we have to always commit ourselves to the Lord wholeheartedly in each and every moments of our lives, in our daily living and in everything we do, while at the same time doing what we can to be good and dutiful citizens and members of our communities in this world. All of us must always be exemplary in our every lives and actions so that in whatever we do, we are both truly seen and witnessed as holy people of God, whose actions, words and deeds truly reflect His light, truth and love. At the same time,we must also be good and law-abiding in our world as best as we can, as long as the worldly laws are in accordance to Divine laws.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Peter in which the Apostle spoke to all the faithful regarding what they all must do in the meantime as they were awaiting the coming of the Lord. He reminded all of them to do what was right and just, in accordance to the things that the Lord had taught them and led them through the Church. They must still continue to carry on living their lives worthily in the Lord and not to be idle or ignorant of their missions in life, and at the same time also reminding them to be careful and vigilant that they might not be tempted and swayed by the false teachings and ideas by those who might attempt to mislead them down the wrong path in life.

We must understand the context of what the early Christians perceived and understood so that we may understand better of what we have heard in that passage today. At that time, there was a general understanding and anticipation that the Lord’s Second Coming, which He Himself had pronounced and proclaimed, would come really very soon, and that it might probably even happen within one’s lifetime. Consequently, some among the faithful people of God and the Church might have thought that they, who had been assured of salvation in the Lord, ought to withdraw from public and worldly life, awaiting for the Lord’s return.

But St. Peter clearly stated and explained that this was not what they were all supposed to do. Regardless when the Lord would indeed come again, each and every one of the people of God and the Church must still continue to carry out whatever missions that the Lord had entrusted to them. Indeed, the Lord had entrusted to them very important mission that is to reach out to the people of all the nations, and to go forth to the ends of the earth, proclaiming the Good News and salvation of God to everyone. That is why, each and every one of the people of God must still continue to do their best to live truly holy and worthy lives in all circumstances, as best as they could.

At the same time, withdrawing from the world would also not be a good idea as this would have resulted in even greater difficulties and challenges for the nascent Christian community at that time. There were persecutions and trials facing the Church even from its earliest days, from both the Jewish and the Roman authorities, and from other local government figures and systems that saw the early Christians with great suspicion and even hostility. Some of the accusations were that the Christians were not obeying the laws and rules as they should have done, and thus, they were persecuted. But many of them indeed suffered because they remained true to their faith against those laws, rules and regulations which went against their faith in God, such as the order to offer sacrifices to the pagan gods and to the Emperor.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the moment when the Lord and His disciples were faced with question from the Pharisees who wanted to test the Lord and potentially trap Him with the question regarding whether one should pay their taxes to Caesar or the Roman Emperor or not. At the time, this was indeed a very risky and politically charged issue which would have led to great trouble for the Lord and His disciples if that question was not answered in the right way. First of all, if the Lord had told the Pharisees that they all should pay the taxes to Caesar, then the latter could have assigned blame to the Lord as traitors to the people, as back then, Roman taxes were widely hated and despised by the people, who saw those taxes as sign of oppression.

On the other hand, should the Lord mention that the people do not need or should not pay the taxes to Caesar, then the Pharisees could then accuse Him to the Romans of wanting to incite rebellion against them, as they eventually did against Him during the time of His Passion, His suffering and death on Good Friday. The Romans took particular emphasis on all those who went against their authority and rule, oppressing and punishing harshly all those who attempted insurrection and rebellion against them. As such, we can see that the Lord was faced with problems no matter what he decided to do. But, He wisely and wonderfully settled it, by saying to the Pharisees that one ought to pay to Caesar what belonged to Caesar, and to God what belonged to God.

The coins that the people used to pay for their Roman taxes were minted by the Romans and were engraved with the image of the Roman Emperors, and hence, they indeed belonged to the Roman Emperors. Therefore, it is indeed lawful to pay what was due to the Caesars, just as one ought to pay what was due to God. And the latter was a reference and intention for the Lord to tell all of us to give our best to the Lord. Since all of us belong to the Lord, our Master and Creator, we must always strive to give Him the best of our lives, our every efforts to proclaim Him and His truth, to live worthily at all times, just as St. Peter had reminded the faithful earlier on as we heard in our first reading today. We must always strive to proclaim the Good News of God through our exemplary lives, and part of this is by our fulfilment of our obligations as citizens of our respective states in this world.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore do what we can so that in each and every one of our actions in life, we may always be truly committed and faithful to the Lord, to give our best to Him, just as we live our lives dutifully as the citizens and members of the states and countries of this world. Let our lives and examples be great inspirations and role models for everyone else all around us, so that we may show the path of righteousness and virtue to everyone whom we encounter, and that we may help one another to come ever closer to God and His salvation. May the Lord be with us always, and be with His Church, empower and strengthen us to live ever more worthily in His Presence, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 4 June 2024 : 9th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Mark 12 : 13-17

At that time, the chief priests, the teachers of the Law and the elders sent to Jesus some Pharisees with members of Herod’s party, with the purpose of trapping him by his own words. They came and said to Jesus, “Master, we know that You are truthful; You are not influenced by anyone, and Your answers do not vary according to who is listening to You, but You truly teach God’s way. Tell us, is it against the Law to pay taxes to Caesar? Should we pay them or not?”

But Jesus saw through their trick and answered, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a silver coin and let Me see it.” They brought Him one and Jesus asked, “Whose image is this, and whose name?” They answered, “Caesar’s.” Then Jesus said, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” And they were greatly astonished.

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Tuesday, 4 June 2024 : 9th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 89 : 2, 3-4, 10, 14 and 16

Before the mountains were formed, before You made the earth and the world, from eternity to eternity – You are God.

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.

Seventy years to our life, or eighty if we are strong; yet, most of them are sorrow and trouble; speeding by, they sweep us along.

Fill us at daybreak with Your goodness, that we may be glad all our days. Let Your work be seen by Your servants and Your glorious power by their children.

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Tuesday, 4 June 2024 : 9th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

2 Peter 3 : 12-15a, 17-18

As you wait for the day of God, and long for its coming, when the heavens will dissolve in fire, and the elements melt away in the heat. We wait for a new heaven and a new earth, in which justice reigns, according to God’s promise.

Therefore, beloved, as you wait in expectation of this, strive, that God may find you rooted in peace, without blemish or fault. And consider, that God’s patience is for our salvation. So then, dearly beloved, as you have been warned, be careful, lest those people who have gone astray, deceive you, in turn, and drag you along, making you stumble, and finally fall away.

Grow in the grace and knowledge of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ : to Him be glory, now, and to the day of eternity. Amen.

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Tuesday, 28 May 2024 : 8th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we are all reminded of the words of the Sacred Scriptures today of the need for us all as Christians to be always committed to God at all times, so that by our every efforts and endeavours, in our every words, actions and deeds throughout our lives, we will always be faithful to God. We are all also called to be holy as our Lord is Holy, and to be exemplary in all that we do that despite the challenges we may be facing in life, we will always inspire one another and strengthen our fellow brothers and sisters to persevere through those many challenges that we may have to face amidst those difficult moments. We are reminded that as Christians we may have to bear through difficulties and sufferings in our journey just as the Lord Himself had suffered.

In our first reading today, we heard from the First Epistle of St. Peter in which St. Peter the Apostle continued with his exhortation to all the faithful people of God in the Church to remind them all of everything which God had done through His Son, Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, and the Holy Spirit that He had sent into the world, to strengthen all of His beloved people despite the trials and challenges that they might have to face. St. Peter also quoted the prophets of the days past, who had foretold of the coming of the Lord and His salvation in Christ, who did not know of the full details and truth, and yet longed to see the salvation and light of God. Those prophets themselves also faced a lot of hardships and struggles as we all will know well if we read through the Old Testament.

St. Peter was preparing the faithful for the trials and tribulations that they might have to face and endure amidst those challenging moments, when their faith would be tested by those who seek the destruction of the Church and the Christian faith. He was telling them all not to give up on their faith and to remain true to their commitment and dedication to God, so that in everything that they say and do, they would continue to obey the Lord, following His path and being true to their Christian faith despite the challenges and trials that they might have to suffer from. This would indeed come true as the Church would face lots of hardships, persecutions and trials from not only the Jewish authorities, but also the Roman government and other organisations and figures that refused to believe in the Lord and His truth.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel of St. Mark, in which a similar theme was raised to us, as the Lord Jesus spoke to His disciples about the matter of following Him and committing themselves to Him and His path. As He has called them all to be His followers and disciples and at that time, they had to leave behind their families and professions, everything that they do so that they can commit themselves wholly and completely to the Lord’s missions and works, He told them all that each and every one of their sacrifices and what they had done for the Lord’s sake and for the salvation of many are known to the Lord and will not be forgotten. The Lord wanted to reassure them all that no matter what sufferings and hardships that they might encounter in their journey and ministry, He would always be with them to the very end.

This is the same hope and light that we also look forward to in our own respective lives, brothers and sisters in Christ, that is the light and hope of God’s salvation and grace, the eternal life and true joy that we all shall experience with Him at the end of it all. We believe that the Lord is always with us, His beloved Church, His people and flock, all of whom He had called and gathered from all over throughout the whole world to be His disciples and followers. We may indeed encounter hardships, challenges and trials in our path, but we must not easily be dissuaded or coerced to give up our struggle and faith in God, because ultimately, whatever sufferings we face and encounter, all of these will not be the end, but our end will be the ultimate joy and glory we will have in the Lord.

That is why we should look upon the inspiration and examples shown to us by our holy predecessors, the many holy men and women who had gone before us, the saints and martyrs of the Church. Many among them had to experience these challenges and hardships which had caused them lots of pains and inconveniences, tears and struggles, and even most painful deaths and humiliations, but they faced it all with grace and submission to God. Like the Apostles before them, and as St. Peter had said, God Himself was with His people, patiently guiding and helping them in their respective journeys and ministries. He has given them all His strength and encouragement so that they might continue to strive and persevere through the difficult moments in their lives.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore continue to put our faith and trust in the Lord despite the difficulties and challenges that we may be facing now in our lives. Let us all remember that God Himself has sent to us His only begotten Son, Our Lord and Saviour Himself, to be with us and to suffer for our sake. He has suffered the most grievous and most painful death for our salvation, to journey together with all of us and to carry His Cross together with the crosses that we carry in our own respective lives. Let us all be ever grateful and appreciative of everything that He had done for our sake, for the salvation of our souls and the liberation from the power of sin and death. And let us all be generous in helping one another to endure these various sufferings and burdens that each one of us have to endure as well.

May the Lord our most loving God and Master continue to be with us in our every efforts and endeavours, in all of our journeys and works, in everything that we do for the sake of His greater glory and for the salvation of many souls, our fellow brothers and sisters. May He continue to strengthen us all that we may continue to be good and worthy role models in every moments of our lives, that we may truly be the worthy beacons of God’s light, truth and Good News to all the people. Amen.

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Tuesday, 28 May 2024 : 8th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Mark 10 : 28-31

At that time, Peter spoke up and said, “We have given up everything to follow You.” Jesus answered, “Truly, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters, or father or mother, or children, or lands, for My sake and for the Gospel, who will not receive his reward.”

“I say to you : even in the midst of persecution, he will receive a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and lands in the present time, and in the world to come eternal life. Do pay attention : many who are now first will be last, and the last, first.”

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Tuesday, 28 May 2024 : 8th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 97 : 1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4

Sing to YHVH a new song, for He has done wonders; His right hand, His holy arm, has won victory for Him.

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.

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Tuesday, 28 May 2024 : 8th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

1 Peter 1 : 10-16

This was the salvation for which the prophets so eagerly looked when, in days past, they foretold the favour of God, with regard to you. But they could only investigate when the Spirit of Christ present within them, pointed out the time and the circumstances, of this – the sufferings of Christ, and the glories which would follow.

It was revealed to them, that they were working, not for themselves, but for you. Thus, in these days, after the Holy Spirit has been sent from heaven, the Gospel’s preachers have taught you these mysteries, which even the Angels long to see.

So, then, let your spirit be ready. Be alert, with confident trust, in the grace you will receive, when Jesus Christ appears. Like obedient children, do not return to your former life, given over to ignorance and passions. Imitate the One Who called you. As He is holy, so you, too, be holy, in all your conduct, since Scripture says : Be holy for I am holy.