Wednesday

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Wednesday, 5 October 2016 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today’s Scripture readings show to us the works of the Apostles, who in St. Paul and the Twelve Apostles had brought the Good News of the Lord and preached it to the many peoples in the various cities that they have visited. They have revealed the goodness of God to those people and called them out of the darkness and into the light.

And what did they tell these people, brethren? It is that God is their loving God and Creator, He Who have crafted them and gave life to them, and therefore, instead of a faraway and distant God, He is the Lord Who is also our Father, loving and caring, compassionate and willing to forgive us His children, all those who have erred in our ways.

This has become even more special for the Lord Himself after taking up the flesh of our own humanity, becoming one of us, through Jesus Christ His Son, the Divine Word Incarnate, that as He calls His Father, God, as His Father, now we all who share in the same flesh of Man He had, we too may also call God our Father. And that is the very essence of His prayer, which now we all know as the Pater Noster, our Father, or the Lord’s Prayer.

That prayer is the essence of pure prayer and the perfect way of communicating with the Lord our Father. And Jesus showed us all how to pray, that we know how to talk to the Father Who cares for us and shows His gentle love to us, that we may be able to find the way to understand what He wants us to do, and that we may be able to open our hearts and minds to listen to Him speaking to us in the depth of our our hearts.

Many of us may think that we know how to pray, but in reality, if we think about it, how did we pray to God? Did we pray to God only when we are in need of help and thus heaped upon God a litany of wishes or even demands? Did we only seek to turn to the Lord at our times of need and wants? If we have done all these, then we ought to know then that our prayer and spiritual life is weak, and the foundation of our faith is likely also weak.

Many of us think that prayer is a human’s way to get help from God, as if God is our servant to begin with, and that we can ask Him and order Him to do as we wanted. And that is where many of us are often mistaken on the nature of prayer. We think of prayer as some kind of wonder path for us, a magical path for God to come in and help in our lives, and thus that is why when our wants and wishes are not met and fulfilled, we tend to become angry and reject the Lord.

The truth is that, prayer is a way for us to communicate with the Lord, our God and Father. And as all forms of communication are, prayers should be a two-way conversation between us and God. However, it is too often that we drown out God’s voice in our own loud voice and insistence that God should listen to our demands and wishes. And more often than not, we are also often too busy in noticing just how much our Father wants to speak with us and talk to us.

Jesus offered a simple and yet powerful prayer, a model for all other forms of prayers to follow. It contains glorification, petition and humility all in one prayer. As God has been so loving and caring towards us, it is indeed only right and just for us to thank Him and to glorify Him for all of His wonderful grace. God has loved us so much, and if we only would open our hearts and minds to Him, He would have blessed us abundantly. He will not abandon us to destruction or ruin on purpose.

Therefore, as we all reflect on today’s Scripture readings, let us all look upon our relationship with God our Father. Are we even close to Him? Are we able to truly look upon Him and call Him our Father? Have we given Him the love of our heart just as He has given His love for us? These are the things that we have to ponder as we live our lives in this world today, that we may not lose the sight of our true focus and attention, that is the Lord our loving God.

Despite whatever challenges and difficulties we face, and even while others and all our strengths falter, but God alone will remain true and faithful, and in Him alone we shall find true love and salvation. God will not abandon us for He Who is all good cannot possibly deny His own love for us. Let us all therefore draw closer to God our Father and ask Him to bless us always and to grace us with His love, and let us open our hearts to communicate with Him through sincere prayer. God bless us all. Amen.

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Wednesday, 5 October 2016 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green
Luke 11 : 1-4

At that time, one day Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”

And Jesus said to them, “When you pray, say this : Father, may Your Name be held holy, may Your kingdom come; give us each day the kind of bread we need, and forgive us our sins, for we also forgive all who do us wrong; and do not bring us to the test.”

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Wednesday, 5 October 2016 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green
Psalm 116 : 1, 2

Alleluia! Praise the Lord, all you nations; all you peoples, praise Him.

How great is His love for us! His faithfulness lasts forever.

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Wednesday, 5 October 2016 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green
Galatians 2 : 1-2, 7-14

After fourteen years I again went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and Titus came with us. Following a revelation, I went to lay before them the Gospel that I am preaching to the pagans. I had a private meeting with the leaders – lest I should be working or have worked in a wrong way.

They recognised that I have been entrusted to give the Good News to the pagan nations, just as Peter has been entrusted to give it to the Jews. In the same way that God made Peter the Apostle of the Jews, He made me the Apostle of the pagans.

James, Cephas and John acknowledged the graces God gave me. Those men who were regarded as the pillars of the Church stretched out their hand to me and Barnabas as a sign of fellowship; we would go to the pagans and they to the Jews. We should only keep in mind the poor among them. I have taken care to do this.

When later Cephas came to Antioch, I confronted him since he deserved to be blamed. Before some of James’ people arrived, he used to eat with non-Jewish people. But when they arrived, he withdrew and did not mingle anymore with them, for fear of the Jewish group.

The rest of the Jews followed him in this pretence, and even Barnabas was part of this insincerity. When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the Gospel, I said to Cephas publicly : If you who are Jewish agreed to live like the non-Jews, setting aside the Jewish customs, why do you now compel the non-Jews to live like Jews?

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Wednesday, 28 September 2016 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Wenceslaus, Martyr and St. Lawrence Ruiz and Companions, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard from the Holy Scriptures the calling of Jesus our Lord to all of us. Yes, He Who had created us calls us to follow Him and to walk in His path. He called His disciples, His Apostles and all those who were willing to listen to Him and wanted to follow Him, and He called them to abandon their past lives and follow Him to where He is leading them to, the salvation in God.

Many followed Him and left behind their past lives, but there were also many who were reluctant to do so, as shown in today’s Gospel, when some of those who wanted to follow Jesus made excuses that they wanted to settle their worldly matters first before they would follow Him. Jesus rebuked them and reminded them that those who were not fully committed and not fully sincere in their dedication to Him will not be able to follow Him as they have not placed their faith fully in God.

And the path to the kingdom of God will be closed for them because they have themselves closed it by their own doubts, their own lack of faith, their own ignorance and lack of commitment, and not by the action of God. God wants us all to be saved, and that is why He made calls after calls, constantly urging and calling us to follow Him. Yet, we hesitate because of the many temptations and hurdles present in our life, in this world that prevented us from truly finding our way to God.

We are all called to reflect on this even as we proceed to continue our lives in this world, even as we continue to live as how we used to live everyday. Let us all ask ourselves, how have we lived our lives in faith? Have we truly been faithful to the Lord our God? Have we devoted ourselves to the ways of the Lord? Or are we distracted by our many distractions in this life? Are we distracted by all the allures and the pleasures of this life, the busy schedules of our work life that we are not able to devote ourselves?

That is why sometimes it is important for us to take a step back and find some time even amidst our busy lives and works, that we should look at our actions and see how they have been shaped either by our faith or by our lack of faith. Are we Christians in name only? Or are we true Christians ready to take up our crosses in this life and follow the lead of our Lord? These are the questions that we ought to ask ourselves.

And thus, now, let us all look at the example of the holy saints and martyrs who have followed in the footsteps of the Lord, going all out in their devotion and commitment, even to give their lives for the sake of the Lord. St. Wenceslaus the martyr was a renowned saint from the land of Bohemia in central Europe, once the Duke and ruler of Bohemia, who helped to propagate the faith in his lands, despite the opposition of the pagans and all those who still refused to believe in God.

He ruled fairly and with justice, caring for the poor and the sick, the weak and the less fortunate in his domains, and he promoted the Christian faith wherever and whenever he could. Rightly, his many enemies and opposers gathered and resisted him and his rule wherever and whenever they could, but he prevailed and pushed harder for reform and for the faith in God to be in the hearts of all his people.

Thus, those enemies of the Lord plotted against St. Wenceslaus and murdered him, a martyr of the faith, dying defending the truth that he had believed in and worked so hard for. Yet, many followed in his footsteps, and he was revered immediately as a saint after his death, as a role model to many of the faithful who came after him.

Meanwhile, St. Lawrence Ruiz was a Filipino who lived a few hundred years ago, who due to a false accusation, was accused of murder and thus had to flee his homeland, and eventually reached the land of Japan. At that time, the government was launching a particularly vicious oppression and attack on the Christian faith and all those who professed their faith in God.

Many of the faithful were arrested, tortured and forced to choose between abandoning their faith and living, or to keep their faith in God and perish in terrible suffering and pain. Many refused to let go of their faith and thus remained true to their faith in God, including St. Lawrence Ruiz and his fellow companions in faith. They were tortured and made to go through various torture forms and sufferings unimaginable to the human mind.

They were eventually martyred, refusing to give up to the very end, calling for others to remain strong in their faith and persevere despite of the difficulties facing them. It was told that St. Lawrence Ruiz said that when he was about to die, he proclaimed, “I am a Catholic and wholeheartedly do accept death for God. Had I a thousand lives, all these to Him shall I offer.”

In all the examples of the holy saints and martyrs we have heard, and all others whom we are familiar with, we can see that they devoted their whole lives, their whole beings to serve the Lord, to serve His purpose and His will, and to give their whole heart, mind and soul in bringing forth the good works of God to the whole world, to all the peoples by example, by action and good deed.

We can also follow their examples and good deeds, by practicing them in our own lives. Let us all reflect on how we live our lives, and whether we have been truly faithful to God or not. Let us all walk from now on, in the path of the Lord, devoting our time and efforts for the Lord, and committing ourselves wholly to Him alone. May God help us in this endeavour. Amen.

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Wednesday, 28 September 2016 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Wenceslaus, Martyr and St. Lawrence Ruiz and Companions, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)
Luke 9 : 57-62

At that time, as Jesus and His disciples went on their way, a man said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.” Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

To another Jesus said, “Follow Me!” But he answered, “Let me go back now, for first I want to bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their dead; as for you, leave them, and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

Another said to Him, “I will follow You, Lord, but first let me say goodbye to my family.” And Jesus said to him, “Whoever has put his hand to the plow, and looks back, is not fit for the kingdom of God.”

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Wednesday, 28 September 2016 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Wenceslaus, Martyr and St. Lawrence Ruiz and Companions, Martyrs (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)
Psalm 87 : 10bc-11, 12-13, 14-15

Spreading out my hands to You, I call upon You every day, o Lord. Are Your wonders meant for the dead? Will ghosts rise to give You thanks?

Is Your live and faithfulness remembered among those gone to the netherworld? Are Your wonders known in the dark, Your salvation in the land of oblivion?

But to You, o Lord, I cry for help; every morning I pray to You. O Lord, why do You reject me, why do You hide Your face?

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Wednesday, 28 September 2016 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Wenceslaus, Martyr and St. Lawrence Ruiz and Companions, Martyrs (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)
Job 9 : 1-12, 14-16

Then Job answered, “Very well I know that it is so. But how can a mortal be just before God? If one were to contend with Him, not once in a thousand times would He answer. His power is vast, His wisdom profound. Who has resisted Him and come out unharmed?”

“He moves mountains before they are aware; He overturns them in His rage. He makes the earth tremble and its pillars quake. He commands the sun, and it does not shine; He seals off the light of the stars. He alone stretches out the skies and treads on the waves of the seas.”

“He made the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and every constellation. His wonders are past all reckoning, His miracles beyond all counting. He passes by, but I do not see Him; He moves on, but I do not notice Him. If He snatches away, who can stop Him? Who can say to Him, ‘What are You doing?'”

“How then can I answer Him and find words to argue with Him? If He does not answer when I am right, shall I plead with my Judge for mercy? Even if I appealed and He answered, I do not believe that He would have heard.”

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Wednesday, 21 September 2016 : Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we celebrate together the feast day of St. Matthew the Apostle, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ our Lord, His principal disciples, who was also one of the four writers of the Holy Gospels as St. Matthew the Evangelist. Today we glorify the memory of this holy Apostle of God, who have worked hard and contributed so much to the advancement of the cause of the Lord, and through whom many souls have been saved.

But as we all should notice in the Scripture readings and in what we knew of the history of St. Matthew, which he wrote himself in his own Gospel, is that he was once a great sinner and even was rejected by his own people. He was known also as Levi, a tax collector, whose task in those times was to collect the taxes on behalf of the Romans, who have come to rule over the land of Judea and Israel. And many resented him and his fellow tax collectors for this very reason.

The tax collectors were seen as people of greed and money, and they were resented and despised by many because they were seen as collaborators and even traitors to the nation of the Jews, as they served the needs and wishes of the Roman conquerors, and even collected taxes on their behalf. No one certainly like to pay taxes, and not least to those who have been seen as pagan overlords by the Jews who that time had strong desire to be free.

And the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law in particular resented them and looked down on them because they saw these tax collectors as sinners beyond the mercy of God. They scorned and treated these tax collectors with contempt, thinking that they alone deserve salvation from God because of their piety and faith in observing all the commandments of God in the laws of Moses.

And yet, God through His Apostle St. Matthew and his other disciples, including St. Mary Magdalene wanted to show these people, that His salvation is extended to all peoples, and all who desire to be forgiven and to be redeemed from their sins have equal chance in gaining the eternal life and grace promised to mankind by God. He wanted to let us know that as long as we are willing to change ourselves, the way will always be open for us.

We have to realise, brothers and sisters in Christ, that even great saints were once great sinners too. There is no man who has been born without sin, save for our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, for He is God ever perfect and good, and His mother Mary, whom the Lord had prepared specially to be the bearer and Ark of the New Covenant in Christ our Lord. All others have sinned in their lives, be it small or major.

What matters is that they, that is all of us as well, have to change our ways, that we sin no more and commit no more abhorrent and wicked things in the sight of God. St. Matthew was once a tax collector named Levi, but once the Lord called him as He passed by his booth, he left everything behind, his workplace, his work, his money, possessions, and even his old name, taking up for himself the greater reward found in the Lord alone.

We too can follow in his footsteps, and in our own way, dedicate ourselves to help the Lord and His cause in His Church. St. Matthew used his great intellect and the gift given to him by the Lord, the guidance of the Holy Spirit in order to write the account of the life and the works of Jesus and His Apostles, which we now know as the Gospel of St. Matthew, through which many have been saved and brought to the justification in God.

We ourselves can devote our time, effort and attention to serve the Lord and His people, evangelising His Good News to the whole world, through our own words, actions and deeds. And in this, it is imperative that all of us take heed that our own actions and deeds matter a lot, since how else would people believe in what we are preaching and teaching to them about the Lord, if we ourselves do not practice and do what the Lord had asked us to do?

Therefore, brethren, as we rejoice in the glory of St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, and in all of God’s holy saints and people, let us all follow the Lord with all of our heart and minds, following the example of St. Matthew who left everything in order to follow the Lord his God, giving his all to the new cause to which he has been called.

Let us all renew our faith and commitment to God, and devote ourselves ever more to help the works of the Church, caring for the less fortunate and the needy, loving those who have been ostracised and hated, and showing mercy on our brethren, forgiving those who have brought us pain, misery and suffering. May the Lord help us in these endeavours. Amen.

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Wednesday, 21 September 2016 : Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red
Matthew 9 : 9-13

At that time, as Jesus moved on from where He cured a paralytic man, He saw a man named Matthew at his seat in the custom house, and He said to him, “Follow Me!” And Matthew got up and followed Him.

Now it happened, while Jesus was at table in Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners joined Jesus and His disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is it that your Master eats with sinners and tax collectors?”

When Jesus heard this, He said, “Healthy people do not need a doctor, but sick people do. Go and find out what this means : What I want is mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”