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Thursday, 31 August 2023 : 21st 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, we are all reminded to be true to our faith and devotion to God, and not to be easily swayed by the temptations of worldly glory and attachments, all those things which may lead us down the path of sin and evil. We must not be easily swayed and tempted by worldly temptations and evils, by the vices and wickedness of the world, all of which could distract and prevent us from finding the path towards God. Each and every one of us are reminded that we are all God’s beloved people, who have all been called to holiness and greatness, and all of us are called to do God’s will and to follow Him wholeheartedly in all things, in everything we say and do, in our every interactions and efforts so that through us, more and more people may come to know the Lord and may receive the truth which God has intended for us and all mankind.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in Thessalonica, we heard of the Apostle speaking to the Thessalonians regarding their faith and good examples, and we heard in the past few days of readings, of how the faith and the obedience of those same Thessalonians have become great inspiration for many others all throughout the world, as many others were inspired by the actions and interactions shown by the Thessalonians, in following and committing themselves to the Law and commandments of God wholeheartedly, turning away from the evils and the vices of the world. These must be contrasted to those who have allowed themselves to be swayed and tempted by their desires, ego, pride and ambition, such as many of the Pharisees, elders and teachers of the Law from the time of the Lord and His ministry.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the parable of the faithful and prudent servant, versus that of faithless, lazy and wicked servant. Each of those servants had different attitudes towards what their lord and master had told and commanded them to do, as the latter went away to a far away place. The faithful and prudent servant did everything that he could in order to fulfil all of his master’s commands, doing his duties and works faithfully and obediently, diligently and properly while the wicked and lazy servant delayed in doing what he was supposed to do, neglected his obligations and works, and abused his authority and power granted to him by his lord and master. We then heard how each of the servants were correspondingly rewarded and punished, the faithful and prudent servant rewarded greatly for all the commitment and hard work that he had made, but the lazy and wicked servant punished and faced the consequences of his disobedience and laziness.

What all these passages from the Sacred Scriptures remind us is that each one of us are the servants and stewards entrusted by God with the care of this world, and with the well-being of our own fellow brothers and sisters. All of us are the people of God, His disciples and followers, entrusted with His truth and Good News, and everything which He has revealed to us, and therefore, we are expected to do what He has taught us to do and we are all called to follow in His footsteps, in how we should live our lives and in how we should do our best to glorify Him and proclaim His love to all the people whom we encounter in our own daily lives. And as each one of us are expected and called to live our lives wholeheartedly as Christians, we should therefore remind ourselves with this parable, that we cannot be idle and ignorant of what each one of us have been called to do by God, in our own respective areas in life.

Many of us have probably been idle in living our Christian faith in our lives, and we may have not realised that to be Christians is for us to be evangelising and missionary in our lives and actions, in our every works and indeed in our every moments in life. But lest we misunderstand, it does not mean that we preach the Gospels and the Scriptures to those people whom we meet, encounter and collaborate with in life. Rather, it is a genuine Christian living that each and every one of us are expected to do, so that even in the smallest and seemingly least significant things we say and do, we can truly proclaim the Lord in all the things we have, and through our exemplary lives and deeds, we may inspire many more people to come to know the Lord and to believe in Him. That is what we should be doing, brothers and sisters.

For example, in our own daily lives, within our families, circles of friends and relatives, we should be people who are filled with love for one another, for our families and friends, and for everyone whom we encounter. That means we should also be kind and cordial to strangers and acquaintances we meet, in each and every moment, that those whom we well know and all those who encounter us, may see God’s love and truth being manifested in even the smallest and least significant of our words and actions. And that is how we can best proclaim the Lord in the midst of our communities and societies, to be truly devoted and committed Christians, always ever focused and centred on God, and to be always charitable and filled with love for our fellow brothers and sisters, in whatever way we can do that.

That is why, all of us should remind one another to live our lives well and faithfully in accordance to our Christian faith and beliefs. We should not be idle any longer in our lives and definitely we should not do things that are contrary and against our beliefs and faith. That is how we can become good and faithful stewards of God’s creation, as responsible and dedicated disciples and followers of God, in doing His will and in obeying His Law and commandments at every possible opportunities. Each and every one of us are reminded that we need to do this or else, in the end, just like that of the wicked and lazy servant, when the time of reckoning comes, we will be made to account for our failures to do what God has commanded for us to do. We should do our best at every moment, so that our lives may truly reflect what we believe in.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all renew our commitment to the Lord, and let us do whatever we can so that we may glorify Him by our lives, and so that in all things, we may indeed be the shining examples and beacons of His light in the midst of our societies today. Let us all be the shining beacons of God’s light and truth in our darkened world today, helping more and more souls to find their way out of the darkness of sin and into the light of God’s grace and salvation. May God bless us all and may He empower each one of us so that our lives may truly be a reflection of our enduring and vibrant faith. Amen.

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Thursday, 31 August 2023 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Matthew 24 : 42-51

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Stay awake then, for you do not know on what day your Lord will come. Obviously, if the owner of the house knew at what time the thief was coming, he would certainly stay up and not allow his house to be broken into. So be alert, for the Son of Man will come at the hour you least expect.”

“Imagine a faithful and prudent servant, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give them food at the proper time. Fortunate, indeed, is that servant, whom his master will find at work when he comes. Truly I say to you, his lord will entrust him with everything he has.”

“Not so with the bad servant, who thinks, ‘My master is delayed.’ And he begins to ill-treat his fellow servants, while eating and drinking with drunkards. But his master will come on the day he does not know, and at the hour he least expects. He will punish that servant severely; and place him with the hypocrites. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

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Thursday, 31 August 2023 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 89 : 3-4, 12-13, 14 and 17

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.

So make us know the shortness of our life, that we may gain wisdom of heart. How long will You be angry, o YHVH? Have mercy on Your servant.

Fill us at daybreak with Your goodness, that we may be glad all our days. May the sweetness of YHVH be upon us; may He prosper the work of our hands.

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Thursday, 31 August 2023 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

1 Thessalonians 3 : 7-13

What a consolation for us, brothers and sisters, in the midst of our troubles and trials, this faith of yours! It is a breath of life for us, when you stand firm in the Lord. How can we thank God enough, for all the joy that we feel before God, because of you? Day and night, we beg of Him, to let us see you again, that we may complete the instruction of the believers.

May God, our Father, and Jesus, our Lord, prepare the way for us to visit you. May the Lord increase, more and more, your love for each other and for all people, as He increases our love for you. May He strengthen you, internally, to be holy and blameless before God, our Father, on the day that Jesus, our Lord, will come with all His saints.

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Wednesday, 30 August 2023 : 21st 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, we are all reminded of the need for all of us to truly be faithful and be obedient to God in all things, as well as having the proper understanding, appreciation and knowledge of the Law and commandments of God, so that we may indeed be fully and completely attuned to the ways of the Lord, walking ever more faithfully in His path and obeying His Law and commandments with all our heart and with all of our abilities, and not merely just having an outward expression of the faith and being merely focused on doing what we are expected to do as a member of the Church, as one of the Christian faithful, but without properly understanding and appreciating our faith as all of us should have done. Unless we live in such a manner, we cannot truly call ourselves as Christians.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in Thessalonica, St. Paul the Apostle spoke to the people of God there and reminded all of them, of the need for all of them to remain faithful to God and to follow Him in all of His ways. He also gave thanks to God for the faith and the commitment which the faithful Thessalonians had shown and their willingness to accept the truth of God, in listening and embracing openly the words of God’s truth and Good News, and in following the examples that St. Paul and the other Apostles and missionaries had shown them. The faithful in Thessalonica had therefore lived their lives worthily of the Lord and truly worthy of being called as Christians, as the people that God had called and chosen to be His own beloved people.

Therefore, by extension, these are the attitudes that all of us as Christians, as God’s chosen people will have to show in our own lives as well. And in fact, as mentioned, we should not merely show it through our external observances and actions, but in all of our whole lives and disposition, our whole beings and our entire existence, we should really show this faith in God and the love that we have for Him, by genuinely carrying out ourselves and our way of life, filled with the desire to serve the Lord and to follow Him at all times, undeterred by the many temptations and distractions present all around us. As long as we remain truly focused on the Lord and have the right attitude and disposition in life, like what the Thessalonians had done, it is likely that our actions, words and deeds all will truly be worthy and good, righteous and exemplary.

Then, contrast this with the behaviour and attitude of many of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law which the Lord Jesus continued to highlight and criticise in our Gospel passage today. Those Pharisees and the teachers of the Law were often swayed by the temptations of worldly glory and ambitions, by their privileges and fame, the glory and honour which they received from their positions and respected place among the Jewish community, among the people of God. However, many of them allowed those worldly attachments, temptations and allures to distract and mislead them down the path of corruption and evil, pride, ego and ambition, in which they forgot the true significance and importance of their faith and commitment to God.

This is because their overly zealous and rigid attachments and emphasis on following and obeying the Law of God as revealed through Moses and passed down through the Jewish community over history, had led to them being misguided by their own short-sighted focus on obeying and observing the Law according to their strict criteria and overemphasis on the rituals and details. They ended up being empty in their faith and life, being only outwardly faithful and pious, and yet, losing the focus and sight on what truly matters, that is to be filled with true faith and love for God. Instead, they placed the emphasis and focus on their own preoccupation and obsession with the numerous steps, rituals, details and the unnecessary and excessively rigorous way of practicing their faith, which distracted them from their true obligation to love and serve the Lord.

Not only that, but they were also swayed by all those things and obsessions, leading to them becoming haughty, proud and ambitious, elitist and having the tendency to exclude and ostracise those whom they deemed to be less worthy than they were, and whom they looked down upon, thinking highly about themselves and having high regards for their own selves and actions, way of life and piety. It was all those things which led to the Lord criticising those to whom had been entrusted with the leadership of the people and the guardianship of the Law and the commandments of God, as instead of helping more and more people to come closer to God, they closed off the path to salvation to many people, who became discouraged and disillusioned by the actions carried out against them by those who were supposed to be entrusted with God’s Law and commandments.

That is why today, all of us are reminded yet again by the Scripture readings that each and every one of us have to be filled with genuine faith in God, and not one that seeks glory or human ambition, or in seeking the goal of worldly fame, satisfaction and other things, that are not compatible with the calling for us to be a truly holy and devoted people. We must not allow pride, ego, greed and ambition to fill up our hearts, minds and our whole being so much that there is no place for God and others inside us. Too many times, people had fallen into the temptations of sin and evil, and the allures of the various vices and wickedness in the world because they allowed themselves to be guided and misled by their own weakness in the flesh, by their own sense of self-righteousness and by their excessive attachments to worldly matters, and therefore, forgetting the true path that they have to follow in the Lord.

May the Lord therefore help each and every one of us so that we may find the right path in life, resisting and rejecting all the things which may hinder us from truly being able to follow Him wholeheartedly. May God be with us always and may He empower and strengthen us so that we may be able to remain ever true and faithful to His true path, the path of His love and justice. May He bless our every works, deeds, actions, words and interactions, so that every one of us will truly be worthy of Him, and be great examples and inspirations to one another, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 30 August 2023 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Matthew 23 : 27-32

At that time, Jesus said to the people and to His disciples, “Woe to you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, beautiful in appearance; but, inside, there are only dead bones and uncleanness. In the same way, you appear religious to others, but you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness within.”

“Woe to you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets, and decorate the monuments of the righteous. You say : Had we lived in the time of our ancestors, we would not have joined them in shedding thr blood of the prophets. So, you, yourselves, confess to be the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.”

“And now, finish off what your ancestors began!”

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Wednesday, 30 August 2023 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 138 : 7-8, 9-10, 11-12ab

Where else could I go from Your Spirit? Where could I flee from Your presence? You are there, if I ascend the heavens; You are there, if I descend to the depths.

If I ride on the wings of the dawn, and settle on the far side of the sea, even there, Your hand shall guide me, and Your right hand shall hold me safely.

Shall I say, “Let darkness hide me, I prefer the night as my light?” But darkness, for You, is not dark.

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Wednesday, 30 August 2023 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

1 Thessalonians 2 : 9-13

Remember our labour and toil; when we preached the Gospel, we worked day and night, so as not to be a burden to you. You are witnesses, with God, that we are holy, just and blameless toward all of you who now believe. We warned each of you, as a father warns his children; we encouraged you, and urged you to adopt a way of life worthy of God, Who calls you to share His own glory and kingdom.

This is why we never cease giving thanks to God for, on receiving our message, you accepted it, not as human teaching, but as the word of God. That is what it really is, and, as such, it is at work in you who believe.

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Tuesday, 29 August 2023 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Passion of St. John the Baptist (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the occasion of the Feast of the Passion of St. John the Baptist, in which we remember the courageous faith and dedication that St. John the Baptist, the Herald of the Lord and Messiah had given to his Lord and Master, in all the things he had done, and in his whole life until even facing persecution, hardships in prison and eventually martyrdom for his righteous life and commitment to God, and his refusal to bend to the forces of the world, the forces of wickedness and evil. Through his courageous proclamation of the Lord’s coming and by calling on everyone to seek the Lord once again, turning away from their wickedness and sins, St. John the Baptist had brought more and more people closer to the Lord’s Presence and had done much in preparing the path for the Lord’s coming, which was indeed his mission in life.

At that time, St. John the Baptist, whom God had called and chosen since before he was even conceived and born, and whose miraculous birth and life had surprised many, went on with his mission, calling on the people of God to return to the Lord and to embrace His mercy, baptising countless thousands and more as a symbolic commitment that they would make for the Lord, in cleansing themselves from the corruption and taint of their past wicked and sinful lives. St. John the Baptist brought the words of God’s consolation and the assurance that the Messiah, that is the Saviour long promised by God would come very soon. He did not hold his tongue or words against those who were wicked, unjust and proud, like that of the Pharisees and the elders who were corrupt and wicked in their ways, calling them brood of vipers when they questioned him and doubted his authority in teaching and doing his mission.

Then, which led directly to today’s Gospel passage events, St. John the Baptist also spoke up courageously against the wickedness and evils of King Herod Antipas, the King and ruler of Galilee, who had taken the wife of his own brother Philip, who was likely still alive at that time according to historical records and evidence, as his own wife. Herodias, who was Philip’s wife, was therefore Herod’s own sister-in-law, and as we heard of one daughter of Herodias being mentioned in that Gospel passage today, it means that daughter was likely the child of Philip and Herodias, which according to the laws and customs of God’s Law and commandments, meant that the marriage had been consummated and could not be legally dissolved or annulled in any way. This also means that Herod committed the sin of adultery with Herodias, a fact that St. John the Baptist fearlessly criticised both of them for.

This was why Herodias held a grudge against St. John the Baptist, and wanted his death, which was only stopped by Herod’s admiration for the holy man of God. While Herod arrested St. John the Baptist and placed him in prison, he did not harm him any further otherwise as mentioned in today’s Gospel. But then we heard of Herodias’ machinations and wicked plans through which she brought about the death and martyrdom of St. John the Baptist. It was Herod’s own weakness of the flesh, which led him to commit the sin of adultery and then the sin of lust, by lusting for his own sister-in-law’s daughter that led him to his downfall, in becoming complicit in the murder and killing of the holy servant of God, because of his inability in resisting worldly temptations and the allures of worldly pleasures and vices.

That is why, all of us today are reminded on this celebration in the memory of the glorious and most courageous martyrdom of this great servant of God, St. John the Baptist, that each and every one of us must first of all be inspired by the great examples of this holy servant of God, in giving our best effort and time, our attention and focus so that we may truly serve the Lord faithfully in all things, and that we may be great examples and inspiration for one another as well. Living our lives as Christians, in following God in our world today may be a challenge for us, as we may encounter rejection and even persecution, hardships and challenges, obstacles and all sorts of things that may discourage us from continuing our path in following God. But we must not easily allow the temptations of the world, the allures of worldly pleasures and desires to mislead us down the path of evil and vice, as it had done to King Herod, Herodias, many among the Pharisees and many others.

Instead, we have to continue to dedicate ourselves to the path that the Lord has shown and guided us into. Just as St. John the Baptist, who had devoted his whole life to the service of God, and who walked faithfully in the path of righteousness without any reservations, and with all of his might, hence, that is how we should also live our lives, that is with great faith and commitment to God. We should always be strong in our desire to follow the Lord wholeheartedly and in leading a life that is truly worthy and good, upright and exemplary, so that others who see us, hear us and witness our actions and works may come to believe in God as well through us, just as St. John the Baptist in all of the commitments and works he had done, showed us what it truly should be like for us to be one of God’s faithful disciples and followers.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all remember therefore the courageous and faithful life of St. John the Baptist, and follow him in his courage and examples. At the same time, let us also be vigilant and careful so that we do not end up falling into the same trap of sin, evil and worldly vices that King Herod and Herodias had fallen into, the temptations of worldly pleasures, lust and desires, as well as the temptations of worldly pride, ego and ambition that many among the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law had fallen into. Let us all help one another to remain truly faithful to God so that we do not end up falling into the wrong path, and let us all remind one another so that we may help to encourage our fellow brethren whenever they are downtrodden and are facing hardships and challenges in life. Let us be the shining beacons of God’s hope, love and light in the midst of our darkened world today.

May the Lord continue to bless us all in our every good efforts, works and endeavours, and may He empower all of us in our every dealings and interactions, and in our commitments and lives, so that we may truly be His faithful disciples at all occasions, and be the beacons of light through which many others may come to find God and His salvation, just as St. John the Baptist had done to us, through his life, works and martyrdom. St. John the Baptist, Herald of the Messiah, Holy Man of God, pray for us all sinners. Amen.

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Tuesday, 29 August 2023 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Passion of St. John the Baptist (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Mark 6 : 17-29

At that time, this is what had happened : Herod had ordered John to be arrested; and had had him bound and put in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. Herod had married her; and John had told him, “It is not right for you to live with your brother’s wife.”

So Herodias held a grudge against John and wanted to kill him; but she could not, because Herod respected John. He knew John to be an upright and holy man, and kept him safe. And he liked listening to him; although he became very disturbed whenever he heard him.

Herodias had her chance on Herod’s birthday, when he gave a dinner for all the senior government officials, military chiefs, and the leaders of Galilee. On that occasion, the daughter of Herodias came in and danced; and she delighted Herod and his guests.

The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want and I will give it to you.” And he went so far as to say with many oaths, “I will give you anything you ask, even half my kingdom.” She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” The mother replied, “The head of John the Baptist.”

The girl hurried to the king and made her request, “I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist, here and now, on a dish.” The king was very displeased, but he would not refuse in front of his guests because of his oaths. So he sent one of the bodyguards, with orders to bring John’s head.

He went and beheaded John in prison; then he brought the head on a dish and gave it to the girl. And the girl gave it to her mother. When John’s disciples heard of this, they came and took his body and buried it.