way of the Lord

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Friday, 25 December 2015 : Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord, Christmas Day (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today is a very special occasion in the whole liturgical year of the Church, one of the two most important events in our faith life, as well as in the reckoning of the celebration of the Church, that is the Solemnity of our Lord’s Nativity, His birth into this world, into this earth, or what we also knew more commonly as Christmas.

On this day, which we have been spending the whole season of Advent, a whole four weeks of it in order to prepare ourselves for its celebrations, we celebrate together and rejoice together as one people and as one Church for the love of God made Man, that by His perfect and infinite love for us all mankind, He had manifested that love through Jesus Christ, the Word of God made Flesh and into Man.

To many of us, Christmas is just another holiday and merrymaking season, the time much needed for us to take a break after a long and tiring year, especially with the long holidays and the New Year celebrations just around the corner. However, many of us missed the essence of Christmas and why we are celebrating it year after year, and even today, to the point that we became engulfed with the ever increasingly commercialised Christmas.

Just imagine, brothers and sisters in Christ, if we ask our brethren, both young and old around us, how many of them really understand what Christmas is and how it is so meaningful to them? Many of us might have known that Christmas is the celebration of the birthday of our Lord Jesus Christ, but to many of us, that is all that we know about, and many of us did not bother to go even further to understand its meaning.

Yes, this is the danger of making Christmas so superficial and worldly to the point that it lost its importance and significance. And to many of us, after having celebrated Christmas many times since the time when we could remember it, many of us had treated it just as other occasions in their lives, happening again and again year after year, as a mere formality and routine in the reckoning of time.

And combine this with the amount of materialism and commercialism that surround Christmas now, and we should realise how grave the problem is, and how bad it will be in the future as well. How many of our young ones when we ask them about Christmas remember about Santa Claus and his elves, the gifts and the parties, the glamour and the revelries more than what they remember and know about Christ our Lord?

Indeed, today is a time of great joy and celebration, but on the other hand, all of us should also be aware lest the devil uses the opportunity to bring harm to us, by snatching away from us the knowledge and the understanding of how important Christmas is for us, as without Christmas, there could be no hope for us, and we all would have lived our lives in despair, knowing that we are heading to a certain disaster in the end.

Why is this so? That is because all of us men have tasted the bitterness of sin, and sin had entered into all of us, because of our disobedience, not just that of our first ancestors, but also men throughout the ages, tempted by the lies and the guiles of Satan and his fellow fallen angels, the tempters and all the temptations they could muster to make us all disobey the Lord.

And as a result, as we could see in the Book of Genesis, mankind who were not created to endure sufferings, pain and death. All these were the consequences of our disobedience and our sins against God. It was because of our bondage to sin and evil which separated us from the love and grace of God, for God Who is all good and perfect can have no evil and wickedness to coexist in His presence.

That was why, ever since the day when mankind were cast out of Eden for their disobedience, we have wandered in this world and we have awaited for the day of the coming of our redemption and liberation from the tyranny of evil and sin, for the day when the Lord’s promise would be made complete and perfectly fulfilled. Yes, this is because, in the Book of Genesis too, when God punished men for their disobedience, He also provided them with a hope amidst the darkness, that He Who loved them would not abandon them forever.

In particular, God spoke of how tension and rivalry would come in between the devil, that is the old snake and his forces, with the children of men, and how the devil and his angels would harm the sons and daughters of men, tempting them as they had done against their ancestors, that the children of men too would sin and therefore fall into disobedience and damnation.

But, God spoke of the Woman through whom He would bring about His salvation, when the chains of sin and the tyranny of evil would be broken forever, when the Child would crush the head of the snake, representing the final and total defeat of the devil and all of his dark forces. And God maintained His promise of salvation and liberation throughout the ages, through His servants and prophets.

And He even gave His people a foretaste of the true salvation of all mankind, that is when the Israelites, the children of Abraham were enslaved by the Egyptians in Egypt, He raised up Moses His servant, through whom He did great wonders, and through His own mighty hand, by the intermediary acts of Moses, He led His people out of Egypt and crushed the Egyptians and their Pharaoh.

But all these are nothing compared to what the Lord has done for us in Christmas, and by extension, eventually to Easter which we shall celebrate again later next year. This is because for all the sufferings that we mankind suffer in the flesh, the persecution by the world, the scourges on the flesh, the torture of the body, none of these could harm us all for eternity except for one thing, that is sin.

Yes, sin is a very dangerous ailment that had afflicted every single one of us, and it had penetrated deep into our entire being, in our hearts, our minds, our souls and our flesh, corrupting our entire being. And it is dangerous because it inflicted suffering and pain not just on the flesh, but also on our eternal soul. It was because of sin that we have been sundered away from the love and grace of God, and it is also because of sin that the souls of those who have not repented their sins are in danger of eternal damnation.

And it was through Christmas that God fulfilled the promises which He had made to us throughout the generations. Many people have long awaited for the coming of the Lord’s Messiah, and indeed, on Christmas Day, we celebrate that Saviour, or Messiah Who came into the world. And He is none other than the Lord Himself, the Word of God, or the Logos, the Word Incarnate into Flesh.

We heard in the Scriptures where it was spoken how God so loved the world, that He gave us the perfect gift of His own Son, that as He assumed the flesh of Man, by being one of us, He might bring unto us the salvation and eternal life promised to us. This is the true meaning and the essence of Christmas, not the joys and the pleasures of the world, not all the glamours, the gifts and the merrymaking, but it is truly about God’s love for us, a celebration of His Eternal Love.

And today we celebrate, we rejoice and we honour God, exalting Him exceedingly and greatly for the Love which God had showered us, and which had manifested itself perfectly in Jesus Christ. It is His birthday that we celebrate today, and today we glory in the Lord and we thank Him because God Who was once invisible had decided to make Himself visible and tangible to us, and not just that, as He had given us His own Flesh and Blood to share and to eat, so that He dwells in us just as we dwell in Him!

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, as we rejoice in this Christmas Day, and as no doubt our joy we will continue to rejoice in the several days to come, let us all learn to put Christ our Lord at the heart of our Christmas celebrations, and just as we should understand that Christmas is about the love of God made Man, and how God loved us so much that He sent us His own Son to save us, let us all also imitate His examples.

How do we do this? It is by sharing this joy that we have, the Christmas joy with those who have less or none. It is important that we do not keep the joy for ourselves, as we have to remember that God sent His Son to everyone without exception, even to the greatest sinners! And it is the Good News of His salvation, His desire that all of us should repent our sins and be reunited with Him that we too need to share with the world.

Therefore, let this Christmas be a meaningful one for us, where we celebrate it with true joy and with true understanding of God’s love, and let us all by our actions and deeds, and by our sharing of this Christmas joy and blessings, bring forth the Good News of our Lord’s salvation to the nations, and bring ever more souls to the salvation that only can be found in Jesus Christ, our Lord, born on Christmas Day. May He bless us all in all of our endeavours. Merry Christmas and may God bless your day with eternal joy! Amen.

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Friday, 25 December 2015 : Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord, Christmas Day Mass (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

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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Friday, 25 December 2015 : Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord, Christmas Mass at Dawn (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 96 : 1 and 6, 11-12

The Lord reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the distant islands be glad. The heavens proclaim His justice, all peoples see His glory.

He sheds light upon the upright, and gladness upon the just. Rejoice in the Lord, you who are blameless, and give praise to His holy Name.

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Friday, 25 December 2015 : Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord, Christmas Midnight Mass (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Titus 2 : 11-14

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, teaching us to reject an irreligious way of life and worldly greed, and to live in this world as responsible persons, upright and serving God, while we await our blessed hope – the glorious manifestation of our great God and Saviour Christ Jesus.

He gave Himself for us, to redeem us from every evil and to purify a people He wanted to be His own and dedicated to what is good.

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Thursday, 24 December 2015 : Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord, Christmas Vigil Mass (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 88 : 4-5, 16-17, 27 and 29

I have made a covenant with David, My chosen one; I have made a pledge to My servant. I establish His descendants forever; I build his throne for all generations.

Blessed is the people who know Your praise. They walk in the light of Your face. They celebrate all day Your Name and Your protection lifts them up.

He will call on Me, ‘You are my Father, my God, my Rock, my Saviour.’ I will keep My covenant firm forever, and My love for him will endure.

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Thursday, 24 December 2015 : Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord, Christmas Vigil Mass (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Isaiah 62 : 1-5

For Zion’s sake I will not hold my peace, for Jerusalem I will not keep silent, until her holiness shines like the dawn and her salvation flames like a burning torch. The nations will see Your holiness and all the kings your glory. You will be called by a new name which the mouth of YHVH will reveal.

You will be a crown of glory in the hand of YHVH, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. No longer will you be named Forsaken; no longer will your land be called Abandoned; but you will be called My Delight and your land Espoused. For YHVH delights in you and will make your land His spouse.

As a young man marries a virgin, so will your Builder marry you; and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride, so will your God rejoice in you.

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Thursday, 24 December 2015 : 4th Week of Advent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the season of Advent ends today as tomorrow we joyfully celebrate the great solemnity of our Lord’s Nativity, Christmas, the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, into this world, the Lord and the Divine Master of all, Who assumed the humble flesh of ours, and became a Man like ourselves. This is the essence of Christmas, and this is what we celebrate together.

And appropriately, the readings from the Sacred Scriptures today in the first reading from the Second Book of the prophet Samuel spoke about the king of Israel, David, the faithful servant of God, who wanted to build a house for the Lord, as he thought that it was improper for him to dwell in a majestic palace made from cedar and gold, while the Lord Who was present in the Ark of the Covenant remained under a Tent, the Holy Tent of Meeting.

And it was told how God refused David’s offer to build a house for Him, and He told him how his son, Solomon would be the one to build the magnificent House, the Temple of God in Jerusalem. And we know how that great Temple was built with the best quality wood and stones, with abundance of gold and silver, and such a great gathering of worldly precious goods that may have never been surpassed ever since.

Such was indeed the attempt of men to glorify God from time immemorial, as both kings David and Solomon tried their best to glorify God in the best way they could give and provide, by honouring Him with the best sacrifices and with thrones and dwellings made from gold, silver and many precious stones, so that all who gaze upon that great House of God would be awed and would bow down before the one and only True God.

And how is this relevant for us, brothers and sisters in Christ? What is its relevance to our celebration of Christmas? That is because that magnificent Temple of Solomon was destroyed and razed to the ground by the Babylonians. Nothing was left of that Temple, and the Ark of the Covenant too disappeared without a trace, likely destroyed in the midst of the carnage as well.

That catastrophic event marked the symbolic rupture in the Covenant which God had established with His people, because that people refused to listen to Him and obey His commandments, and instead, they followed their own rebellious paths, and they served and worshipped pagan gods and idols. They were unfaithful to their part of the Covenant and consequently they suffered the consequences of having broken the covenant of the Lord.

Then, even though the Temple of Jerusalem was rebuilt and made even greater in size and majesty by the king Herod the Great during the time of Jesus, but the Lord Himself revealed through Jesus Christ that He had transcended the physical Temple where the people worshipped and offered sacrifices, for He no longer just spiritually dwelled among His people, but in the very matter of the world, in His own Flesh and Blood, in Christ, He dwelled and is now still dwelling among all of us His people.

Yes, just as on one occasion Jesus spoke of how He would tear down the Temple of God and rebuild it in just three days, when the people and the Pharisees misunderstood Him thinking that He referred to that magnificent stone edifice that is the Temple built after the return of the Israelites from exile and then enlarged by king Herod. Instead, He was referring to Himself, to His own Body.

Christ is the very Presence of God, for He Himself is God, the Divine Word incarnate into the flesh, that by assuming our form, He made Himself real and tangible to us all, and dwells completely among us in physical form and in spirit. And this happened from that moment of His conception and then birth into this world, which is Christmas! God Who was once invisible to us have made Himself visible and tangible, that we all would know that He is with us as He has always been ever since the beginning.

And He did not just stop at that, for He Himself came into this world in order to save us all, and He did just that by raising Himself up as the Lamb of the perfect offering and sacrifice in atonement for all of our sins and rebelliousness against God. And He gave us His own Body and His own Precious Blood, so that all of us who share in His Body and Blood, that is the Eucharist we receive worthily, will also share in the eternal life He has promised us.

Yes, this is because God Himself dwells within each and every one of us. Just as St. Paul rightly put it, when he said of each one of us as the Temples of God’s Most Holy Presence, the Temples of His Holy Spirit, for God Himself is within us, as we share His Precious Body and Blood, and as we too have received the Holy Spirit that He had sent to all who believe in Him and remain faithful to Him.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us reflect on all this, as we approach the day of Christmas tomorrow. Let us know and understand, and realise that Christmas is not just a joyous celebration of our Lord’s coming and birth into the world, but it should also be a moment when we give thanks to God and strive to do our best in order to make ourselves ever worthy to be the dwellings of our Lord Most High.

May God continue to bless us all in everything and in all of our endeavours, so that we may grow ever stronger in our love and dedication for Him. May He continue to guide us on our path, and may this Christmas be a moment for us to understand even deeper how much God has loved us that He was willing to suffer for us and to be one like us, and to be united with us by the giving of His own Precious Body and Blood for our salvation. God be with us all, now and forever. Amen.

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Thursday, 24 December 2015 : 4th Week of Advent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 88 : 2-3, 4-5, 27 and 29

I will sing forever, o Lord, of Your love and proclaim Your faithfulness from age to age. I will declare how steadfast is Your love, how firm Your faithfulness.

You said, “I have made a covenant with David, My chosen one; I have made a pledge to My servant. I establish his descendants forever; I build his throne for all generations.”

He will call on Me, “You are my Father, my God, my Rock, my Saviour.” I will keep My covenant firm forever, and My love for him will endure.

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Wednesday, 23 December 2015 : 4th Week of Advent, Memorial of St. John of Kanty, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day, as we are approaching Christmas in two days’ time, we heard about St. John the Baptist, whose role was truly great but many of us did not realise how crucial he was to the plan of salvation. Indeed his role was less than that of our Lord Himself, the Saviour, and that of His blessed mother Mary, the Ark of the New Covenant. Yet, through the acts of this faithful, holy and devoted servant of God, the world which had for long lost its hope, heard the beautiful news of the coming of God’s salvation.

For John the Baptist was what God had promised to His people through the prophets, as He spoke of him to the prophet Isaiah as a voice proclaiming in the wilderness of the coming of God’s kingdom and His salvation, and as the messenger which God had promised who would make straight His paths when He came into this world, as the one who would initiate the beginnings of God’s work of mercy in this world.

And even though his role as the Herald of the Messiah and the King of the Universe was truly great, prestigious and incomparable in some way, but he remained humble and committed to his mission as a servant, and he refused to give in to human pride and desire, as whenever people asked him whether he was the Messiah, he rejected it and said that he was not the Messiah, but the one who would precede Him and who would proclaim Him to the world when He revealed Himself.

And in another occasion, St. John the Baptist also humbly proclaiming that he was not even worthy to untie the straps of the sandals of the Lord, and how when his disciples complained about the growing popularity of Jesus, he proclaimed openly that while He increased in might, power and popularity, he as the servant who had done what he had been tasked to do, should decrease and become less important.

From this we can learn very important lesson about ourselves, as St. John Baptist had shown us the way of the servant of God, faithful, committed and devoted to the truth that God had brought into this world. This Christmas and all of its celebrations is not about us, and it is not about how much wealth, glamour and bling that we can showcase to one another, and not about the rich foods and drinks, and all the other worldly things that we share with one another. It is truly about the Lord.

Yes, it is rather about the joy that our Lord had brought into the world, to all of us, because we who were once destined to be damned and destroyed, to suffer forever the torment and the torture of our eternal soul in hell because of our disobedience and our sins against Him, had been given a new hope of salvation and a new life which He promised to all of those who are willing to change themselves and follow Him.

Let us today, as we reflect on the examples of humility and obedience of St. John the Baptist, also reflect on what St. John of Kanty, a priest and saint whose feast we celebrate today, in what he has done in his own earthly life. St. John of Kanty was a Polish priest known also as St. John Cantius, who was renowned for his dedication and commitment to the Lord, and how he served and helped the poor around him by his many works and his charities.

He was thoroughly dedicated to the advancement of the knowledge of the divine truth, and by his long years of studies and by the many works and many manuscripts that he had written, he had inspired many people to live their lives faithfully to the Lord and to accept the fullness of truth as espoused by the Church and its teachings.

The same thing St. John Baptist had also done as what St. John of Kanty had done in his life, in proclaiming the truth of the Lord, as He was coming into the world in Jesus Christ, and thus these two devoted servants of the Lord preached the true joy of Christmas that is to come, that is our Lord, our True and only Joy. And in doing so, they remained humble and unassuming, fulfilling what had been tasked to them to do, and not taking credit upon themselves.

This is what all of us Christians should do as well, and in how we celebrate the feast of Christmas, let us all share the joy that can be found in our Lord Jesus Christ with all the peoples, especially to all those who are still living in ignorance against Him and those who have yet to hear of the Good News of His salvation. Let us all through our words, actions and deeds be the bearers of the Lord’s salvation to all of His peoples.

May Almighty God bless us all, and may He strengthen our faith always, so that this Christmas will be ever more meaningful to us, and that we may be able to celebrate it with full and complete understanding of its importance, and what it means to us and to our brethren, especially to those who did not yet know Christ our Saviour. May God be with us all, now and forever. Amen.

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Wednesday, 23 December 2015 : 4th Week of Advent, Memorial of St. John of Kanty, Priest (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 24 : 4-5ab, 8-9, 10 and 14

Teach me Your ways, o Lord; make known to me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and instruct me, for You are my God, my Saviour.

Good and upright, the Lord teaches sinners His way. He teaches the humble of heart and guides them in what is right.

The ways of the Lord are love and faithfulness for those who keep His covenant and precepts. The Lord gives advice to those who revere Him and makes His covenant known to them.