Tuesday

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Tuesday, 3 October 2023 : 26th 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 that we should always listen to the Lord and obey His words and commandments, His Law and walk always in His path at all times. All of us should always strive to follow the Lord in everything we say and do, so that in our every actions, words and deeds, we will always be exemplary and be truly filled with faith, with inspirational examples and grace of God. Each and every one of us as Christians should be truly faithful not just in mere formality and appearances only, but we must also embody our faith truly in every aspects of our lives. We must not be idle in how we live our faith, and definitely, we cannot act in ways that are contrary to our faith and beliefs in God.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Zechariah, we heard of the words of the Lord being spoken to His people, the Israelites, who had earlier on been exiled by their defeat at the hands of the Assyrians and the Babylonians. The prophet Zechariah came to the people of God after they had been allowed to return to their homeland, and when they had begun to rebuild their livelihood and towns. And we heard how the prophet mentioned God’s words to His people, reminding them that He is calling on all the people, of all the whole world to come to Him, and that they, the Jewish people, was to become the examples and role models for all the others to follow, as the ones whom God had first chosen and called from among the nations.

This highlighted the fact that God does not just exclusively give His love, attention and grace upon the Israelites alone, contrary to the belief of some who thought that the Israelites and their descendants, the chosen people of God, were the only ones worthy of God and His salvation. On the contrary, God Himself had made it clear that everyone in this world who desire to seek Him and follow Him, all those who are willing to obey Him, His Law and commandments, will also be His people, and become part of the one flock and body of the believers that God would assemble, and all these had come to fruition and fulfilment through Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the whole world, through Whom everyone has been called, gathered and united as one people, as part of His one Body, the Church.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the Lord Jesus and how He was not welcomed by a village of the Samaritans, who refused to allow Him to enter because they knew that He was on His way to Jerusalem. In order to understand and appreciate the significance of this event better, we must first understand the dynamics of the often complicated relationship and interactions between the Samaritans and the Jewish people at that time. The Samaritans were the descendants of the Israelites who once lived in the territories of the northern kingdom of Israel, and who had intermingled with the other peoples that settled in the region after the destruction of that kingdom by the Assyrians. They still practiced the belief in God, and had their own Scriptures similar to the Jewish Scriptures, but with some differences emphasising that their version of belief and faith was superior than that of the Jews.

Meanwhile, the Jewish people, who were descended from the Israelites who lived in the southern kingdom of Judah, and were exiled in Babylon, and who have always centred their worship and community in Jerusalem, their Holy City and capital, contended that their faith and belief are the ones that are true, while the Samaritans were heretics, or even worse still, pagans and unbelievers. All of these differences, disagreements and misunderstandings eventually led to bitter discord and unresolved hatred between the two peoples. While the Samaritans were often welcoming and open to listening to the Lord, as shown in other parts of the Gospels, on this regard and example, when they found that the Lord was on His way to Jerusalem, they too hardened their hearts and minds like those of the Jews, in refusing to listen to the Lord and in refusing to welcome Him.

This is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, as we heard these Scripture readings today, all of us are reminded that we should not allow ourselves to be easily misled and misguided by our prejudices, biases and all the other things which often kept us away from the truth of God and His love. We should not allow the devil and all those who have often tempted us with falsehoods and lies to bring us to the wrong path in life, and we certainly should not allow ourselves to be easily swayed by those temptations and evils, that we end up being prejudiced and held up grudge or hatred against others, or comparing ourselves and looking down upon others simply because we think that we are somehow better than them or more worthy than they are.

Let us all instead heed God’s call faithfully once again in our hearts and minds, and be touched by His love and truth, His grace and goodness in all things. Let us all remind ourselves what it truly means for us to be Christians, that is to love the Lord our God with all of our strength, with all of our capacity and abilities, and to love in the same way to our neighbours and fellow brothers and sisters around us, not looking or focusing on our differences and disagreements, but instead striving to overcome them, and to rebuild genuine connections and fill ourselves once again with God’s generous love and kindness, with His goodness and grace. Each and every one of us as Christians should indeed be great role models of love and faith for our fellow mankind, in all of our works, actions, words and deeds.

May the Lord, our most loving God and Master continue to guide us in our journey of faith and live, and may He continue to empower and strengthen each and every one of us so that we may truly indeed glorify Him by our every efforts and actions, in all the things we do and act in our daily living. May God bless our efforts and works, and guide us all so that we may truly be worthy and good role models, and as shining beacons of His light and truth, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 3 October 2023 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 9 : 51-56

At that time, as the time drew near when Jesus would be taken up to heaven, He made up His mind to go to Jerusalem. He sent ahead of Him some messengers, who entered a Samaritan village to prepare a lodging for Him. But the people would not receive Him, because He was on His way to Jerusalem.

Seeing this, James and John, His disciples, said, “Lord, do You want us to call down fire from heaven to reduce them to ashes?” Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they went on to another village.

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Tuesday, 3 October 2023 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 86 : 1-3, 4-5, 6-7

He Himself has built in in His holy mountain; YHVH prefers the gates of Zion to all of Jacob’s towns. Great things have been foretold of you, o City of God.

Between friends, we speak of Egypt and Babylon; and also Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia : “Here so-and-so was born.” But of Zion, it shall be said, “More and more are being born in her.” For the Most High Himself has founded her.

And YHVH notes in the people’s register : “All these were also born in Zion.” And all will dance and sing joyfully for You.

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Tuesday, 3 October 2023 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Zechariah 8 : 20-23

YHVH, the God of hosts speaks, “Peoples will come from other nations, people from great cities. The inhabitants of one town will talk with those of another, and, say : ‘Come, let us go and implore the favour of YHVH, and I, too, will seek YHVH.’ Many great peoples and powerful nations will come, seeking YHVH, God of hosts, in Jerusalem and pray to Him.”

YHVH, the God of hosts assures you. “In those days, ten men of different languages spoken in various lands, will take hold of a Jew by the hem of his garment and say : We, too, want to go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”

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Tuesday, 26 September 2023 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded that we should be ever faithful to the Lord our God, in all of our lives, in all of our words and actions. We should always strive to be holy and to be faithful and committed to God, just as all of us have been expected to do as God’s holy and beloved people, whom He had called and chosen from this world to be His own. The Lord has shown all of us His ever patient and generous love, compassion and mercy, calling on all of us to turn once again towards Him, to turn our backs against our past sins and wickedness that had once separated all of us from His amazing love and kindness. He wants each and every one of us to be redeemed and to be reconciled fully with Him, so that through Him we may indeed have love and eternal life.

In our first reading today, in continuation from the reading of the Book of the prophet Ezra from yesterday, we heard of the continuing restoration of Israel, its people and fortunes after they had all been allowed to return from their exile in the distant lands of Babylon and beyond. Back then, the descendants of the people of Israel and Judah had been humiliated and made to suffer because of their own folly and disobedience, by their refusal to obey God’s will, Law and commandments, and by their wickedness and evils, in worshipping pagan gods and false idols, which made them to stumble and fall, and eventually had their cities destroyed, and the great Temple of God in Jerusalem, the House of God built by King Solomon, destroyed as well, and the Ark of the Covenant that had been with them since the time of the Exodus to disappear from their midst.

But as mentioned yesterday, God moved the heart and mind of King Cyrus of Persia, who conquered Babylon and then allowed the Israelites and their descendants to return back to their homeland and rebuild their Temple which had been destroyed decades earlier. And as we heard in today’s reading, King Darius of Persia, Cyrus’ successor, encouraged the people of God to rebuild the Temple, the House of God in Jerusalem, as the reconstruction of their homeland continued, with the reestablishment of order and the community, with the appointment of priests and those in charge of various events and festivals, as it was in the days of old when God’s Law and commandments, His festivals and events were still celebrated by the Israelites before their downfall and humiliation. This was a sign and proof of God’s continuing and enduring love and guidance for His people.

We heard of how the planning for the rebuilding of the Temple and the restoration of the community of the Israelites continued to go on, under the leadership of the priest and prophet Ezra, who have led the people of Israel from their exile with the other elders, reestablishing the festivals and celebrations of the Lord according to His Law, and how the people once again gathered in joy to celebrate their faith in accordance with God’s Law and commandments, with their priests and all the other functionaries and celebrants in tandem, showing that the people of God had truly been restored to the favour and grace of God, after they had once fallen from that favour by their own folly, by their wickedness, evils and disobedience against God, by their refusal of God’s ever generous love and compassionate mercy in all things.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the words of the Lord speaking to the people, about the matter of obeying and following God, when His disciples and family reminded Him that His mother and others were waiting on Him as He was busy teaching and ministering to the people of God. At a glance, it might seem that the Lord had been rude to His own mother, but in fact, He was highlighting that His mother, Mary herself, was and is still the perfect example of that obedience and righteousness in God, that all of us as God’s people should follow in our own lives, in doing what He had told and taught us to do, and abandoning our past sinful and wicked ways of life, just as our predecessors had done.

That is why, as we are all reminded by the Sacred Scriptures today, each and every one of us as Christians ought to be ever faithful and committed to God, exemplary and worthy in all of our lives and actions, so that in our every words and actions, we should always embody our faith in God, which should truly shine through our lives, our every words and actions in life, that then should become inspirations for everyone all around us to follow, in their own lives and actions, that all of us may indeed be genuine and faithful people of God in all things, not just in mere name and formality only. This is what we have been reminded to do, to be like the people of Israel who had been restored to God’s favour and grace, that we may also experience the same as well.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of two great saints, St. Cosmas and St. Damian, whose faith and devotion to God, and whose actions and contributions to their fellow brothers and sisters, fellow faithful people of God, should inspire all of us to live our own lives faithfully and worthily of the Lord. St. Cosmas and St. Damian were known to be a pair of twin brothers who were both physicians, renowned for their care for the sick and the needy in their community, as they provided care for the physical ailments of the people, and gave the care for free to the poor and those who could not afford to be healed. Miracles were attributed to them, and many came to them seeking for help.

Their faith and dedication to God also became inspiration to many people, as they lived virtuously and with great dedication to God. And as they were arrested and persecuted by the local governor for being Christians, then being the height of the intense persecutions of Christians under the Diocletianic Persecution, they remained firm to their faith in God to the very end, as they gave up their lives in honouring God, in refusing to bend to the demands of the pagan authorities to obey the Emperor’s orders and to abandon their Lord, God and Master. They chose to live worthily and die in faith and obedience, showing every members of the Christian faithful what it truly means to be Christians.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, can we all therefore be inspired by these great examples as well, that each and every one of us should be great role models and inspirations ourselves to our fellow brothers and sisters, in all of our lives, actions and deeds. Let us all be the bearers of the light of God to our fellow brethren, especially all those who have not known God and His love, His truth and Good News. Let us all do our very best to glorify God by our lives and actions, and be with Him, doing our part to serve Him all the days of our lives, as we should have done. Amen.

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Tuesday, 26 September 2023 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Luke 8 : 19-21

At that time, the mother of Jesus and His relatives came to Him; but they could not get to Him because of the crowd. Someone told Him, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside and wish to meet You.”

Then Jesus answered, “My mother and My brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”

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Tuesday, 26 September 2023 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, Martyrs (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Psalm 121 : 1-2, 3-4a, 4b-5

I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the House of YHVH!” And now we have set foot within your gates, o Jerusalem!

Jerusalem, just like a city, where everything falls into place! There, the tribes go up, the tribes of YHVH, the assembly of Israel.

To give thanks to YHVH’s Name. There stand the courts of justice, the offices of the house of David.

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Tuesday, 26 September 2023 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, Martyrs (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Ezra 6 : 7-8, 12b, 14-20

Let the governor of the Jews together with their leaders build the House of God on its former site. This is the command I give as to what you should do to help those Jewish leaders rebuild the House of God : pay the expenses in full and without delay, with the income from taxes of the province at the other side of the River which is allotted to the king. I, Darius, give this command. Let it be carried out at once.

And the leaders of the Jews continued to make progress in building, encouraged by what Haggai, the prophet, and Zechariah, the son of Iddo, had said; and they finished the work according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus and Darius. The House was finished on the third day of the month of Adar in the sixth year of the reign of Darius.

The children of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of those who had returned from exile celebrated the consecration of this House of God with rejoicing, offering on this solemnity one hundred young bulls, two hundred rams and four hundred lambs; and twelve he-goats as a sin-offering for all Israel, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.

Then they installed the priests according to their ranks, and the Levites according to their classes, for the service of the House of God in Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses. Those who had returned from exile celebrated the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month, for the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together, and all of them were clean. So, they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all who had returned from exile, for their fellow-priests and for themselves.

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Tuesday, 19 September 2023 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Januarius, Bishop and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, all of us are reminded that as Christians we must always be faithful to God and put our trust in Him at all times, believing that in Him alone that we shall have an everlasting and true joy that will last forever, and not merely just a temporary attraction or satisfaction that lasts just a moment, and then fails us when it has run its course or when it is gone. We must also be good role models and examples for one another, inspiring our fellow brothers and sisters through our exemplary and holy lives, so that we may help many more people around us to come ever closer to God and to His grace, as we should have done as faithful and devoted, holy people of God.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to St. Timothy, we heard of the Apostle laying out the rules, expectations and the criteria for the selection of those who would become bishops and deacons in the Church, which by extension also included the priests, and essentially laying out the expectations of what it truly means for one to be chosen as the shepherds of God’s flock, in their respective ministries. Back then, the office of bishop, priest and deacon were not yet clear cut in their proper functions and works, unlike today, but as the Church grew rapidly in size and numbers, therefore, the demand and need grew for the Church to have proper leaders and shepherds, ministers and all those who were involved in the management of the Church and the people of God.

And as St. Paul had mentioned to St. Timothy, all of those who were considered and chosen to be those important parts of the mission and works of the Church should be exemplary and faithful in their lives, and they should be worthy, righteous and virtuous in their way of life and actions. St. Paul mentioned and explained how they should be respectable and good in their lives so as to become good examples and inspiration for others, and to be good and worthy managers of the Lord’s Church. This was indeed important because good and dedicated servants of God and the leaders of the Church in the history of the Church had led so many people closer to God and inspired many to come to righteousness through their works and examples, but there were those wicked and unworthy leaders and ministers who scandalised and turned away many people from the Lord through their wickedness and evil deeds.

Then in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the great miracle which the Lord Jesus performed in the small town of Naim, in which He raised the dead son of a widow who lived in that area. Through this well-known and great miracle, the Lord showed us all that He is truly the Lord, our God, the One with the power over all things, over the living and the dead. Each and every one of us in this world are called to be part of His flock, and He showed us all that death has no power against Him and His love for us. He raised the widow’s dead son to show us all that if we have faith and trust in Him, then we shall be led into the eternal and true joy in Him, to enjoy the fullness of God’s grace and love, forevermore. He is our Lord and Shepherd, Whose life, ministry and examples in our midst became example and inspiration to all of the faithful, to those whom He had called to lead the Church that He has established in this world.

The Lord cared for the needy and all those who have the great need for His love and compassion, His mercy and forgiveness. Throughout the Gospels we can see just how much effort and works that the Lord had put into reaching out to all of us, especially the ones among us who have fallen into the darkness and have been away from Him. He did not shun the wicked and the sinful ones, but instead reached out to them with love and compassion, even those who have resisted and stubbornly refused and opposed Him. The Lord did His works in perfect obedience to the will of His heavenly Father, and showed us all the meaning of true and genuine love and faith that all of us as Christians, as God’s people should always have to the Lord, our God and Master.

Through these readings of the Sacred Scriptures and what we have discussed, let us all discern carefully therefore our path in life, and our works and missions in doing God’s will and in following the path that He has shown to us. Let us all ourselves be good and worthy of being called as Christians, just as St. Paul had elaborated it to St. Timothy. His criteria for the selection of the faithful ministers of the Lord should also be seen as a guide for all of us, in how we ourselves should carry out our own lives. That is because what St. Paul had told St. Timothy, is also how all of us as Christians should live our lives and carry out our words, actions and deeds in our daily moments, so that we may become good and worthy inspirations for one another in our communities this day.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Januarius, a great and holy servant of God, whose life and commitment to God should serve as a great example and inspiration for all of us to follow in our lives. St. Januarius was the Bishop of Benevento in what is part of southern Italy today. He is famously today the patron saint of the great southern Italian city of Naples, where his blood relic miraculously undergoes liquefaction at important events especially on his feast day such as today. He was known for his dedication and commitment to his people, as the shepherd of the Lord’s flock, who were then suffering under the great persecution by the Roman state during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. It was told by Church traditions and contemporary accounts that he helped to hide and protect Christians from being persecuted and arrested, and eventually he himself was arrested, persecuted and martyred for his faith, ever faithful to the Lord, to the very end.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore follow the great examples of the saints and martyrs, and that of our Lord Himself, so that each and every one of us, in every opportunities and at every occasions, may always guide and strengthen us all in our resolve and desire to serve and follow Him ever more faithfully in all things. May all of us also be great inspiration and examples for one another, that we may truly show God’s righteousness and truth to all the whole world. May God bless our every efforts and endeavours, and help us to live our lives worthily at all times. Amen.

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Tuesday, 19 September 2023 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Januarius, Bishop and Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Luke 7 : 11-17

At that time, a little later, Jesus went to a town called Naim. He was accompanied by His disciples and a great number of people. As He reached the gate of the town, a dead man was being carried out. He was the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; there followed a large crowd of townspeople.

On seeing her, the Lord had pity on her and said, “Do not cry.” Then He came up and touched the stretcher, and the men who carried it stopped. Jesus then said, “Young man, I say to you, wake up!” And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.

A holy fear came over them all, and they praised God saying, “A great Prophet has appeared among us. God has visited His people.” The news spread throughout Judea and the surrounding places.