way of the Lord

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Sunday, 15 March 2015 : Fourth Sunday of Lent, Laetare Sunday (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet or Rose (Laetare Sunday)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today is the fourth Sunday of Lent, and by tradition, it is also called Laetare Sunday, from the first word in the Introit or the opening theme of the Mass, ‘Laetare, Jerusalem’ or ‘Rejoice, o Jerusalem’. Thus, just as during the season of Advent we celebrate the Gaudete Sunday, in this season of Lent, we also have this short intermezzo or ‘break’ from the penitential nature of this season, and we reflect for a while on the theme of ‘joy’.

That is why, today the vestments used are of rose colour, similar as that of Gaudete Sunday, to represent the more uplifting and cheerful nature of this celebration as compared to the much more sombre and humble nature of the rest of this Lenten season. And from this, we should indeed ask ourselves, what is this joy that we are celebrating today, and why now, in the middle of this season of penitence and preparation for Easter?

That is because it is part of the preparation of our minds, hearts and bodies for the coming of the celebration of the greatest mysteries of our Faith, that we should know of the outcome of our penitence and repentance, that is the joy of the liberation from all the harms and the threats that await us as long as we remain in the state of sin. And this has been aptly summarised and shown through the readings of the Holy Scriptures chosen for this day.

In the first reading we have from different years the readings that represent hope that triumphed over despair, and the dawn of a new hope for the people of God afflicted and living in darkness and in lives filled with troubles. They told of how the people of Israel, who have been destroyed and defeated by their enemies, and with the Babylonians razing even Jerusalem, destroying its Holy Temple, have been succoured by God who never forgot about them.

God sent them salvation through the person of Cyrus, the first King and ruler of the Persian Empire who defeated the Babylonians and liberated the people of Israel after having spent many years and decades in bitter exile away from their homeland.  They were sent back and led back to their ancestral land, and they were reestablished there in great joy and happiness.

Them we also heard how the prophet Samuel, the prophet and judge of Israel anointed David to be the king over all of Israel, to replace the first king, Saul, who had erred from his ways and who did not keep faithful the commandments of the Lord, and who had led the people in error as well, causing them to sin. Thus, God also sent a deliverance to His people through David, liberating them from their troubles and suffering into joy and happiness.

With the anointing of David, the golden era of Israel would come, where after the Israelites had often been troubled and even enslaved by their enemies around them, and after Saul the first king himself was slain by the Philistines, David would lead Israel to defeat all of their enemies and rule over them, and peace and prosperity would last throughout the rest of his reign and that of Solomon, his son.

And all these led to the ultimate help and rescue which our Lord had given us, the true joy and happiness that surpass any other joy and happiness. For there is no greater joy than for us to be reunited with our loving God and Father. We have been long separated from Him because of our sins and wickedness, and because of that we too have been doomed to destruction and despair, but because God loves us so much that He was willing to come Himself to help us overcome that sin and despair, and because of that hope and joy arise within us, not to be quelled by despair anymore.

Christ Himself mentioned to Nicodemus, the righteous and faithful Pharisee, that just as Moses once lifted up the bronze serpent high on a staff to save those people who had been bitten by fiery serpents, that all who have seen it would not not die and live, then the same was also done by our loving Lord, who allowed Himself to be raised up on the cross, hung between heaven and earth, surrendering it all, so that all of us who believe in Him will not die but receive everlasting life, as well as true joy and happiness.

Such indeed is the great love that our Lord has for us, that He was willing to endure so many things and so great a suffering, mockery and torture, even unto a humiliating death on the cross, in order to save all of us, unworthy and rebellious as we are. Therefore, it is imperative that we all understand God’s love for us, and we have to know what is true joy, and what our aim should be in this life.

In this season of Lent, it is a perfect time for us to stop our hectic life schedules for a moment, that we will be able to find a time to look deep into our own lives, and reflect upon our actions and deeds. It is a time for us to reevaluate our lives’ priorities and focus. What is true joy and happiness for us? What is it that all of us should aim for in life? Is it power, wealth, worldly happiness and pleasures? Or is it true and genuine love, that is the same love which our Lord had shown us?

Many of us are not happy in our lives. We are not able to attain true happiness because we do not know what it is really. Many of us think that money can bring us happiness and good life, and so we slaved ourselves to working many hours and pushing ourselves so hard in order to earn more money, but at the end of the day, can we buy love and attention with money? Most likely not, and even if we manage to get these, it is likely that these would not last.

Thus, as we reflect on the joy that we ought to celebrate today, we have to realise that our true joy come with our salvation by God, who had devoted Himself so much for our sake, so that we are given a new hope in our great despair. While once it has looked very bleak for us, that we have been condemned because of our sins, but now we know that through Christ, there is hope for a new life that is what God intended for us.

Let us all therefore dedicate ourselves to change our way of life, changing the focus we have in life, that instead of seeking for temporal joy, and happiness that would not last, we instead seek eternal joy and happiness. Money, fame and all worldly things cannot give us real joy, but real joy is when we love one another, helping those who are in need of something, be it basic needs of life, or even love, care and attention.

As we continue to prepare ourselves during this Lenten season, let us pray that our loving God may help us to find our way in this life, so that we may endeavour to seek our joy in the Lord. Let us focus our attention on the Lord and not be distracted by the concerns of this world, and by all the temptations of the flesh and of the world, all of which promise us temporary joy but risk us everlasting despair and sorrow. Do not seek what does not bring us true satisfaction, which only God can give. God bless us all. Amen.

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Saturday, 14 March 2015 : 3rd Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard of the attitude of the Pharisee versus the tax collector in their respective prayers and interactions with God. The Pharisee was very proud of all his achievements and piety, and he looked down on the supposedly very sinful tax collector, who on the other hand, so humbled himself before God that he did not even dare to look up to Him.

At that time, being a tax collector is considered to be a great sin and a great dishonour and stain on the person’s character, much as the prostitutes and lepers were also reviled. They were seen as traitors to their fellow countrymen and considered as servants and slaves of the Roman overlords, which at that time ruled Judea where the descendants of Israel lived.

On the other hand, being a Pharisee endowed the person with great prestige and honour, and they were greatly respected if not feared by the society, for they wielded influential positions of power both in state and in terms of the religious leadership at the time. They were the ones who strictly observed the commandments and the entirety of the religious laws crafted since the days of Moses.

They were supposed to be the guardians and the shepherds of the people of God in order to lead them to the right paths. But they themselves did not act righteously before the Lord and committed all forms of wickedness and vices, and thus were not good examples for the faithful people of God. They misled the people to also disobey God’s will and they thought they were righteous while they were actually not.

They missed the point of God’s repeated efforts to call them and turn them back to the path of righteousness. They were unable to comprehend that what God wanted from them was not external obedience and show of faith, but instead true devotion and love which comes from the heart. That was what the tax collector had shown but not the Pharisee. The tax collector truly loved the Lord and because of that he was ashamed of the sins which he had committed, while the Pharisee loved and cared only about himself.

At the end of the day, the one who will be judged good and righteous will be the tax collector who was humble for his sinfulness. He recognised his faults and sins, and he repented from all of them, committing himself to change his ways and do good from then on. Meanwhile, the Pharisee continued in his own ways, and he in his pride certainly would not come to realise the extent of his own sins. He was blinded to his own sin by his pride and arrogance.

He will be cast down in his pride and brought down low. Pride is often the undoing of many of us, as pride and arrogance prevent us from recognising our faults. In the end, we enter a state of denial, where we refuse to recognise that we have sinned. And when we do so, we are often desensitised from our sins, and end up committing even more sin. We no longer feel the shame and guilt from sin.

This season of Lent, we are all called to conversion and change. We should all change our ways so that while once we were sinners and adulterers, we can change all into worthy children and followers of our Lord, justified and blessed with much grace. Shall we all take heed of this and be changed, in all of our actions and deeds? It is an opportunity which had been given to us, and we should not waste it.

May Almighty God therefore give us a heart filled with humility and love for Him, and also for us to be able to love our fellow men. May He guide us on our path and help us to reach our destination, that is His everlasting glory and happiness in Him. Be like the tax collector who humbled himself and was forgiven so that our sins removed from us, we may truly shine as the children of the Light and be glorified. God bless us all. Amen.

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Friday, 13 March 2015 : 3rd Week of Lent, 2nd Anniversary of the Election of Pope Francis, Vicar of Christ and Supreme Pontiff (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard about the Law of God, and what the Law is according to the explanations of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Law and Commandments of God may seem to be complex and numerous, the chief of which are the Ten Commandments, but these ten can indeed be summarised as what Jesus had said, that they are about love. The love which we mankind ought to first show and devote to our Lord and God, and finally the same love which we ought to show to our brethren, our fellow men.

God does not want it to be difficult for us, and He does not need us to offer Him many things, sacrifices and oblations and many other things, for if all these are given to Him and yet the most important of all is forgotten, then it is truly meaningless. What He really wants from us is our love and dedication, that is our undivided attention and dedication, that we are truly devoted and faithful to Him, without being half-corrupted and taken in by the world’s pleasures and temptations.

The words of Jesus make even more sense if we look at them in the context of what had happened up to the time of Jesus itself. The people of God had not been faithful to the commandments repeatedly and frequently since the institution of the Law. They have erred in their way of life and they also refused to listen to the reminders which God had sent to them through the prophets.

And in time, not only that they committed all the sins and wickedness before God and men, but they even also subverted and changed the understanding of the Law, to suit their own purposes and selfishness. And these were the hypocrites, who claimed that they served God and their fellow people, but in reality, they served only themselves and their ego.

The Law became a means to subdue and suppress the people, and it became for many the source of difficulty and hardships, not because that is what the Lord wanted, but rather because the wicked had misused that Law for their own gain, namely to advance their own position and prestige in the society and to marginalise all of those whom they did not approve.

They thought of God as a distant and wrathful God, whom they thought that He could be appeased by sacrifices and external applications of the Law, and they thought that He would not look at what they had committed in their lives. But they understood wrongly, for God saw what they had done, in misleading the people of God into sin, and in their own ignorance and obstinate heart against the true meaning of the Law, which is love.

That was why, God finally revealed the fullness of His truth and love through Jesus, who came to fulfill the Law and the words of the prophets to the fullest and most perfect completion in Him. He came to show and embody the entirety of the Law to its fullest. He is perfectly and completely faithful to His Father in heaven, obeying the will of God the Father to the fullest and to the smallest details.

And even when in His humanity He was tempted to abandon the mission which He was sent for, He continued on, suffered and died for us, and through His obedience He obtained for us the grace of God’s forgiveness and eternal life. He obeyed His parents, and loved especially His mother Mary, who had given birth to Him and listened to her words. He cared for all of us, and He often showed compassion, mercy and pity to His beloved people, caring for them, healing them and feeding them until satisfied.

This is the kind of love which God wants to show us and teach us. He wants us to replicate the same love which Christ had shown us, the love of God, which should also become our love too. If we truly obey the commandments of God, we will not walk the same path as the hypocrites, who did not understand God’s intention and His love and who were too busy with their own ego and desires.

Let us make this Lent meaningful, brothers and sisters, that we all should practice our faith, all that we believe in, by loving one another with all of our strength, letting go of all the pride, the ego, the desire and greed and many other things that have prevented us from showing love, either to God or to our fellow men. May we grow ever more in love, and may we be able to show that love ever more genuinely and care for one another, giving the best from us to our God, that is our complete love and dedication. God bless us all. Amen.

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Friday, 13 March 2015 : 3rd Week of Lent, 2nd Anniversary of the Election of Pope Francis, Vicar of Christ and Supreme Pontiff (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 80 : 6c-8a, 8bc-9, 10-11ab, 14 and 17

Open wide your mouth and I will fill it. I relieved your shoulder from burden; I freed your hands. You called in distress, and I saved you.

Unseen, I answered you in thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Hear My people, as I admonish you. If only you would listen, o Israel!

There shall be no strange god among you, you shall not worship any alien god. For I the Lord am your God, who led you forth from the land of Egypt.

If only My people would listen, if only Israel would walk in My ways. I would feed you with the finest wheat and satisfy you with honey from the rock.

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Thursday, 12 March 2015 : 3rd Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard about how Jesus cast out demons from a person who was mute, and yet some of the people accused Jesus of using a demon’s power in order to cast out another. That was indeed such a heinous and terrible accusation which was against the truth which Christ had revealed to the world through His actions and deeds.

It is pointed out to us that in our hearts we should not follow in the rebellion of the people of God, who were so adamant in their rebellious ways so as to fail to notice what they have to change about themselves and what they have to do right in their lives. They were so blinded by their human and worldly desires, by the prejudice, greed and pride in their hearts that they are unable to look beyond themselves, and they were indeed selfish, thinking only about satisfying their needs and wants above anything else.

They doubted because in their hearts they did not have the faith. Their faith is only apparent, superficial and without substance. The moment difficulties come, they would be swaying and unfaithful to their obedience to God. They were not able to comprehend the Lord’s actions because in their hearts they refused to believe in Christ, and they refused to allow the Lord to explain and speak in their hearts. They were too caught up in their worldly concerns and things so that they failed to see the truth in Christ.

This is also what many of us may suffer from, namely to succumb to our human wickedness and vulnerabilities. We do not realise that if we allow these to cloud our judgments, then we are opening ourselves to the influences of the devil, who is always trying to snatch us away from the loving hands and care of the Lord our God. That is truly the objective and aim of Satan, who are like wolves and predators trying to snatch us, the sheep of the flock of Christ.

And what we are doing is often the action of rebellious sheep, who refused to listen to the words and guidance of our shepherd, namely our Lord the Shepherd of all. We like to follow our own way and path, following our own volition and decision, thinking that we know the best way for us. But, it is our Shepherd who knows the best way for us, and we often ignore them. He tried to lead us on the right path, safe from danger and harm, but we, in our impatience and inability to listen, we walked as we like, and we were scattered when the times of trouble come.

All sheep who keep themselves close to their shepherd will not be lost when dangers or troubles came. It is just like people clinging to a strong anchor or a ship clinging to the same anchor when the waves and the storm come. Those with such strong anchor will not be lost when troubles come. They will be safe while those who did not cling to that anchor will be lost. Similarly therefore with those who have been wayward in their ways, they too shall be lost.

The Lord is our Shepherd, and He wants to lead and guide us into a life filled with much goodness and blessings. He showed us the path to grace and righteousness, but only if we have the humility and willingness to open up our hearts and listen to Him. We have to get rid of the obstacles in our hearts and minds which prevented us from appreciating the fullness of God’s love and care for us.

It is hence a homework which all of us should take heed of during this Lenten season. This is the great time for us to reevaluate our actions and our path in life. Let us all find a way to grow stronger in faith to Jesus our Lord and our Shepherd. Let us grow greater in our humility and in our desire to seek the Lord. Turn our hearts to Him and be genuinely converted and changed, so that we may in the end be found worthy and able to therefore receive the fullness of God’s promise of inheritance and blessings upon us.

May we always remember the words of Jesus in our hearts, that all those who do not cling themselves to Him will scatter and be destroyed. Let us cling to our Lord ever more as we continue to walk in this earthly life. God bless us all. Amen.

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Thursday, 12 March 2015 : 3rd Week of Lent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Luke 11 : 14-23

At that time, one day Jesus was driving out a demon, which was mute. When the demon had been driven out, the mute person could speak, and the people were amazed. Yet some of them said, “He drives out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the chief of the demons.” Others wanted to put Him to the test, by asking Him for a heavenly sign.

But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them, “Every nation divided by civil war is on the road to ruin, and will fall. If Satan also is divided, his empire is coming to an end. How can you say that I drive out demons by calling upon Beelzebul? If I drive them out by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive out demons? They will be your judges, then.”

“But if I drive out demons by the finger of God; would not this mean that the kingdom of God has come upon you? As long as a man, strong and well armed, guards his house, his goods are safe. But when a stronger man attacks and overcomes him, the challenger takes away all the weapons he relied on, and disposes of his spoils.”

“Whoever is not with Me is against Me, and whoever does not gather with Me, scatters.”

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Thursday, 12 March 2015 : 3rd Week of Lent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 94 : 1-2, 6-7, 8-9

Come, let us sing to the Lord, let us make a joyful sound to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before Him giving thanks, with music and songs of praise.

Come and worship, let us bow down, kneel before the Lord, our Maker. He is our God, and we His people; the flock He leads and pastures. Would that today you heard His voice!

Do not be stubborn, as at Meribah, in the desert, on that day at Massah, when your ancestors challenged Me, and they put Me to the test.

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Thursday, 12 March 2015 : 3rd Week of Lent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Jeremiah 7 : 23-28

YHVH said, “One thing I did command them : Listen to My voice and I will be your God and you will be My people. Walk in the way I command you and all will be well with you. But they did not listen and paid no attention; they followed the bad habits of their stubborn heart and turned away from Me.”

“From the time I brought their forebearers out of Egypt until this day I have continually sent them My servants, the prophets, but this stiff-necked people did not listen. They paid no attention and were worse than their forebearers.”

“You may say all these things to them but they will not listen; you will call them but they will not answer. This is a nation that did not obey YHVH and refused to be disciplined; truth has perished and is no longer heard from their lips.”

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Wednesday, 11 March 2015 : 3rd Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard about the Law and commandments which God had given us all His people. The Law and the commandments are meant to be guides on how we should live our lives, and show the people the way to reach salvation in the Lord. He had given us these in order to lead us in our way, so that we will not be lost in the forest of temptations and falsehoods that are aplenty in this world.

It is however still up to us, and we all have a choice whether to follow and obey God’s laws or to follow our own path towards destruction and sin. We have been given free will by the Lord, but more often than not, this free will have been misused or corrupted by the temptations and allure of this world which threaten to lead us away from the path towards salvation and into annihilation.

He has reminded His people with many reminders and warnings, which He made clear through the succession of many prophets and messengers, and many servants who have come one after another to call back the people of God back into His loving embrace, that is to abandon their sinful ways and to turn their back on those sins and embrace instead the way of love of the Lord.

But the people refused to listen and they continued in their sinfulness. They rejected the Lord’s prophets and messengers, persecuting them, torturing them, casting them out of their cities and places, and eventually even killed them. And yet the Lord continued to provide them with opportunities and chances, to the point of fulfilling the promise which He had given them so many years before, in the sending of the Saviour who would save all of the world.

Jesus came as the fulfillment of all God’s promises made to us all throughout the ages. In Him lies the perfect fulfillment of the Law and the prophets. The Law spoke about Him, and the prophets were proclaiming His entry into the world. But by the time of Jesus, the Law and the teachings of the prophets had been so greatly misinterpreted and misappropriated by worldly things that they no longer recognised this fact in Jesus their Lord.

In fact, many of them would refuse the Lord their God when He came, thinking of themselves as better and more reliable arbiters and judges of the fate of the faithful, and of their own fate. They were blinded and deafened by their own pride and human desires which prevented them from seeing their own faults and flaws. As a result, they did not change but instead committed ever more sins in the presence of God and men alike.

Yet, God still wants us all to be saved, despite our rebellions and disobedience against Him. He continues to pour forth His heart and His love to us, but we also have to play our part in this. We have to accept the love and grace of God which He had so generously provided us with. Let us not waste this opportunity given by God to us to repent and change.

Therefore, in this holy season of Lent, we are all called to be better disciples and followers of our God, that is disciples who know how to restrain ourselves, our desires and our wants, our pride and our haughtiness, our human emotions and other things that prevented us from truly expressing our genuine and sincere love for our Lord and God, as well as for our fellow men.

This period of Lent, let us all reaffirm our faith for the Lord, and change our ways profoundly, so that while we were once sinful and disobedient against the Lord, from now on we may walk righteously in the path of the Lord. We hope that we may be justified through our actions, and become righteous and worthy of His salvation. God will reward all those who are faithful to Him, and He will grant them everlasting life. God bless us all. Amen.

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Wednesday, 11 March 2015 : 3rd Week of Lent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Deuteronomy 4 : 1, 5-9

And now, Israel, listen to the norms and laws which I teach that you may put them into practice. And you will live and enter and take possession of the land which YHVH, the God of your fathers, gives you.

See, as YHVH, my God, ordered me, I am teaching you the norms and the laws that you may put them into practice in the land you are going to enter and have as your own. If you observe and practice them, other peoples will regard you as wise and intelligent. When they come to know of all these laws, they will say, “There is no people as wise and as intelligent as this great nation.”

For in truth, is there a nation as great as ours, whose gods are as near to it as YHVH,  our God, is to us whenever we call upon Him? And is there a nation as great as ours whose norms and laws are as just as this Law which I give you today? But be careful and be on your guard.

Do not forget this these things which your own eyes have seen nor let them depart from your heart as long as you live. But on the contrary, teach them to your children and to your children’s children.