Weekday Homily

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Tuesday, 17 May 2022 : 5th Week of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are called to remain faithful to God and to uphold His peace in our hearts and minds at all times. We are also called to trust in the Lord and not be disheartened by the challenges and trials that we may have to encounter in our path of faith. We have to remain true and firm in our commitment to serve the Lord in each and every actions we do, in all of our dealings and interactions, and be the good role models and inspirations through whom many others may come to believe in God as well.

In our first reading today, we heard of the account from the Acts of the Apostles in which the works of the Apostles especially that of St. Paul and St. Barnabas were highlighted. They had been rejected from Lystra due to the machinations of the Lord’s opponents, and had almost even died because of the persecution afflicted on them. But that did not dampen the spirits of the Apostles. On the contrary, that encouraged them to be even more committed and fervent in carrying out their mission and in preaching the truth of the Gospels and in revealing the love of God. They would not be deterred by the opposition or hardships that they faced.

They continued to travel from town to town throughout Asia Minor and beyond, proclaiming the Christian faith and truth courageously, not afraid of the trials and hardships they faced. St. Paul, St. Barnabas, and the many other Apostles whose various actions and works were too many and varied to be listed and detailed in the Acts of the Apostles, continued to glorify God by their dedication and faith. They inspired many of the faithful to do the same, raising up many missionaries and faithful disciples who have spent a lot of time and effort to do the will of God and bring the teachings and way of Christ to more and more people all around the world.

They all had strong faith and trust in God, believing that God is truly always with them, guiding them and being with them, even through their toughest and hardest moments. They helped and supported each other, and the courage showed by those same Apostles and disciples of the Lord inspired many among the faithful not to give up on their faith in God. They would not allow the temptations and pressures of the world, their community and others to make them abandon the Lord and their faith in Him. Many of them were indeed conflicted and troubled by their experiences, but most remained truly faithful to God, to the very end.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the Lord Jesus speaking to His disciples at the Last Supper, speaking to them to reassure them and to ask them to remain faithful to the path He has shown them despite the trials and challenges that they might have to endure, and despite what He Himself would have to suffer and go through, for the salvation of the whole world. The Lord reminded His disciples that He would always be with them, and His peace would always be with them if they trust in Him, and not to give in to their worries and fears. He would guide them and strengthen them, through the challenging days of their future.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, it was that reassurance and the providence that the Lord has constantly given His people that made them to be firm in their faith. They themselves had seen and witnessed how the Lord triumphed over death itself, and rose gloriously from the dead, and all the other wonders and miracles which He had performed before them, which made them to believe in Him and His truth. They passed on this faith through the Church, all that they had seen and witnessed, to all of us, with all of their inspiring life stories and examples, which should be inspiring for us as well, and should empower us to follow the Lord more wholeheartedly as well.

All of us are reminded that we are all called to walk in the same path that the Apostles themselves had walked in, and we are expected to follow their examples, in showing the world what the truth about the Lord, our Christian faith and beliefs are all about. If we do not truly believe in all of these ourselves, then how can we believe in the Lord or make others to believe in Him through us? We have to believe in God and live our lives with faith as well, as is expected to us as Christians. We cannot and should not be idle in living our lives because as Christians, we are called to evangelise and to lead by example.

Now, are we willing and able to commit ourselves, our time and effort to be good role models just like how the Apostles, the saints and martyrs are our good examples and role models? Let us all pass on our faith and transmit this burning flame of love we have for God to others, so that many more may come to be saved through us, and come ever closer to God and His grace. May the Lord be glorified through us and our actions, and may He be with us always and guide us in our lives, from now and henceforth, leading ever more souls to Himself. Amen.

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Monday, 16 May 2022 : 5th Week of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are reminded that we are God’s people, His beloved ones who are therefore expected to follow Him, and we are expected to walk in His path, doing what He Himself had done for us, to show us love and compassion, kindness and mercy. And therefore each and every one of us as Christians are challenged to live a life filled with love and God’s compassion, that all of those who see us and witness our works and actions may come to realise that we are truly God’s chosen and beloved ones.

In our Gospel passage today, that is the essence of what the Lord has told us, in the conversation that He was having with His disciples at the Last Supper. He was revealing Himself and what He was about to do to all of them, saying to them how He has been sent from the Father to the world, to show them the love of God manifested in the flesh, and to show them the truth that He wants to give to us, so that we may find the way to eternal life through Him. When the disciples asked Him to show them the Father, the Lord was kind of disappointed as they still failed to realise that He and the Father were truly One, and as He Himself said, that knowing Him is already equal to knowing the Father.

Most importantly, the Lord also called on all of His followers and disciples to love one another just as He has loved them. He entrusted to them the commandment of love, the new commandment that He has revealed and brought into our midst, in order to rectify and make perfect the ancient laws and commandments, which at that time had been misunderstood and misinterpreted by many among the people of God. That was why the Lord told them all the truth of what the Law was all about, as He had actually told them many times previously, that the Law was truly all about love.

One ought to love the Lord with all of their strength, with all of their heart and mind, and then the same love ought to be shown as well to the others all around us, which is the essence of what the Ten Commandments and the many laws of Moses were. The Lord told His disciples to do as He has commanded them to do, and showed them by example, what He Himself was about to do for them and all of us, so that they might understand truly what it means to be His followers and disciples. And He would also send His Holy Spirit to guide them and to give them the wisdom to find their path in life, which He has given to all of us through His Church.

The Lord Himself showed us His infinite and most amazing love by His willingness to take up the Cross, to suffer on it and to endure the worst humiliation and pain, so that we may all be saved through Him. Our Lord did all these things because He truly loved us, and He wants to embrace us all back, and be reconciled with us. His love for us is greater than even the combined wickedness of our sins, which He wants to forgive and which He wants to help us to overcome, through His love and by showing us the path to repentance through His Cross. The Lord has loved us all so tenderly, that by His love all of us have received the assurance and hope of eternal life.

That is the message that all of us have received today, as we listened to the words of truth from the Scriptures, reminding us of the great love that God has shown us, and how we as His disciples ought to show Him the same love as well. We have to commit ourselves to the path of God’s love and testify His love to all the people whom we encounter, just as the Apostles and disciples had done, and which served as inspiration for all of us. In our first reading today, we heard how St. Paul and St. Barnabas preached about the Lord in Lystra, to the people who thought that they were their pagan gods when they saw the miraculous signs that the Apostles performed.

St. Paul and St. Barnabas were not swayed or distracted when the people were hailing them and treating them like gods, bringing them offerings and sacrifices, and instead, they courageously and wholeheartedly tried to tell them that what they were doing was wrong. They told the townspeople that they were not gods and that they were proclaiming Christ, as Lord and Saviour of the whole world, and they were merely the messengers of His truth and love. It was their love and compassion for their brethren, which allowed them to share so courageously their faith amidst a people who were not really willing to listen to them.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore go forth and be courageous like that of the Apostles and the other disciples of the Lord, like the saints and martyrs of ages past, in their wholehearted dedication to God, everything that they had done and all that they had endured for the sake of the Lord, their obedience to God and the love which they had shown their fellow men, the compassion, care and concern that they had for those who had not yet known the Lord, and the patience by which they had carried our their ministry and vocation. Each one of us are also called to be the same courageous and faithful disciples, and are we able to do that, brothers and sisters?

Let us all therefore do our best to follow the Lord from now on, in all of our lives, to devote our time, effort and attention to serve the Lord with all of our actions and deeds, to be His faithful witnesses and disciples in our respective communities, showing the love of God to all the people, to all those whom we encounter in life, through our every words, actions and deeds. May God bless us all in our every good works and endeavours, for His greater glory, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 15 May 2022 : Fifth Sunday of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday we mark the Fifth Sunday of Easter, which means that we have passed the mid-point of this blessed and joyful season of Easter, and we continue to progress through this time and season of Easter, we are constantly again being reminded of our calling as Christians, as those who have placed our faith and trust in Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, Whom we believe to have risen from the dead and had been triumphant in the struggle and battle against evil, sin and death. All of us as Christians are called to be sharers in the Church’s mission to evangelise and to spread the Good News to more and more people.

In our first reading today, we heard of the ministry and works of St. Paul and St. Barnabas as they were sent to evangelise to the people in many places, travelling throughout the breadth and length of Asia Minor, visiting the population centres and other areas, proclaiming the truth of God and the message of His Good News and salvation to more and more people. They also encouraged the faithful there to keep their faith despite the trials and challenges that they had to endure in being the followers of Christ. The Christian faithful were then persecuted by the Jewish authorities, the Sanhedrin and the chief priests, the Pharisees and Sadducees and their supporters.

Yet, all these did not dampen the spirit of the Apostles and the other missionaries who continued to labour hard for the sake of the Lord and His faithful people, as they continued to speak up for the Lord’s truth amidst all the opposition and challenges that they encountered. They faithfully committed themselves to spread the words of God’s salvation to more people throughout the world, and while they suffered, their faith and love for God in fact inspired many more people to believe in God as well. The faith and the love that each of those Christians showed to one another, and their hope in God encouraged many to remain firmly faithful in God.

In our second reading today, taken from the Book of Revelations, we heard of the words of St. John the Apostle speaking at the end of his account of the revelations he had received from God. St. John received the visions from God of what would happen in the end of time, and he saw in the end, a vision of a new heaven and a new earth, and a new Jerusalem descending from God in Heaven, in which all the faithful people of God will dwell in, free from sorrow and suffering, free from tyranny and oppression. All the faithful will live and reign forever with God, Who will be with them and dwell among them, and everyone will enjoy an everlasting peace and happiness with Him.

It is this firm assurance of the world that is to come, the love of God and all that the faithful ones of God will have in the end, which encouraged the faithful further. St. John wrote of his experiences and his visions as such, to reveal to the people of God, that while indeed there will be sufferings to come, the persecutions and oppressions against the faithful as detailed in that same Book of Revelations, but those who keep their faith in God and do not give up their obedience to Him, will enjoy the fullness of happiness and grace, the ultimate triumph that they will enjoy together as God conquers evil, sin and death for all eternity.

That was the same encouragement that St. Paul, St. Barnabas, the other Apostles and disciples of the Lord had proclaimed to the people, and the assurances that they had given to their fellow brothers and sisters in faith. God will not abandon His beloved people, and while they may have to suffer just as He has suffered, rejected and humiliated just as He has been rejected and humiliated, and even having to die a most painful death just as the Lord Himself had died a terrible death on the Cross, but they will be triumphant with God in the end, and what matters is that, God knows everything that His faithful ones had done for His sake, and they shall be rewarded for that faith.

In our Gospel passage today, the Lord gave His commandment to His disciples at the moment of the Last Supper, after Judas Iscariot the betrayer had left. The Lord told all of the disciples assembled to do as He had told them to do, to love one another just as He had loved them, and to continue doing what He had taught them to do, in obeying God’s will and commandments. And He also said that it is by their obedience and adherence to this way of life that everyone would come to know that they were the followers of God, and therefore, some among them, if not many, may be persuaded and convinced to follow the Lord as well.

It is there that we are once again reminded of our calling as Christians. Each one of us are called to practice our faith actively in our daily lives, to be exemplary in how we live our lives, in carrying out the Lord’s commandment of love faithfully in each and every moments we have. We do this by showing care and concern, love and compassion for one another, caring for our fellow brothers and sisters just as much as we care for ourselves. This is actually easier said than done, because we mankind are selfish by nature, and we tend to think of ourselves first, and the common ways of this world and the actions of many out there showed us how men were often willing even to sacrifice others for their own benefits and satisfaction.

But that is not what our Christian faith and way of life is all about, brothers and sisters in Christ. As Christians, we are called and challenged to live a way of life that is often fundamentally different from what we are often familiar with in our world. Instead of being selfish and self-serving, we are all called to think of others first, and to show love to others, much as how the Lord has shown His care for us, not minding Himself and what He had to endure, so that by loving us, and caring for us, He might open for us all the path to eternal life. That He had done so through His most loving sacrifice on the Cross.

The Apostles were clearly inspired by the Lord, His examples and unconditional love for all of us sinners. They gave themselves to their ministry and calling, enduring bitter rejection and persecution, all because they loved the Lord very much, and they also loved their fellow brothers and sisters, even those who had persecuted them, much as the Lord Himself had done the same thing earlier on. They followed the Lord’s own examples, and from there, they gave us even more concrete examples of true and genuine faith, faith that is not selfish or inward looking, but rather is life-giving and nurturing, as they ventured forth in proclaiming the Word of God to more and more people, for the salvation of all.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we listened to these words from the Scriptures and reflect on their meaning, significance and importance to us once again, we all ought to discern how we can be better and more worthy Christians in our daily living. Are we living our lives as how faithful and selfless Christians should live? And are we doing what the Lord had told us to do, to love our fellow brethren just as much as we have loved ourselves? The Lord had called us to action, and to embrace faithfully and wholeheartedly the mission of evangelisation that He has entrusted to each one of us.

The responsibility and calling to evangelise is not just the responsibility carried by some in the Church. It is not just the clergy, priests and missionaries who need to labour for the sake of the Lord and His Church, and for the people who had not yet known God. On the other hand, it is the responsibility shared by all the faithful, and which is why our roles as various parts and members of the Church are even more important, and each one of us, be it clergy or laity, whether married or single, or in whichever stage of life we are in, all of us have this calling and obligation to glorify God by our lives.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, in this Sunday’s readings, and through them, all of us as Christians are reminded as we have been many times throughout this season of Easter, that our rejoicing and celebration cannot just be inward looking and focused. On the contrary, we have to be an evangelising, missionary and active Church, full of vibrancy and faith, with dedication and commitment to live our lives daily with faith, fulfilling what the Lord had commanded us to do, to love one another just as He has loved us, and to love others just as much as we love ourselves.

Are we all willing and able to commit ourselves to this calling, brothers and sisters? The choice is in our hands whether we want to follow Christ our Lord wholeheartedly or not. The temptation indeed will be great for us to succumb to the temptations and allures of worldly pleasures, but we must not let those things distract us from our path towards the Lord. Let us all help one another in our journey of faith and be sources of inspiration for each other in how we live our lives with faith. Let us all commit ourselves anew to the Lord, and devote more of our time, effort and attention to be the faithful disciples and witnesses of Our Lord in our world today, that more and more people may be saved through us. May God bless us and our every endeavours, our every good works. Amen.

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Saturday, 14 May 2022 : Feast of St. Matthias, Apostle (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate the great Feast of St. Matthias the Apostle, one of the Twelve Apostles of Our Lord, one of those great servants whom God had called and chosen to be His followers and to be the chief ones among His disciples. St. Matthias and his examples, his dedication to the Lord together with that of the other Apostles and disciples of the Lord, should be our source of inspiration in how we live our lives with faith, and in inspiring us all to proclaim the truth of God in the same manner to our fellow brothers and sisters.

St. Matthias was not originally one of the Twelve Apostles, but he was chosen by all the assembled Apostles and disciples to replace the betrayer Judas Iscariot, who had betrayed the Lord and sold Him off to the chief priests, which led to His Passion, suffering and death. Judas Iscariot was one of the chosen twelve disciples of the Lord, and his death as he decided to take his own life marked an empty spot among the Twelve. As mentioned in our first reading today, the Apostles and the other disciples led by St. Peter the Apostle decided to choose from among those who had been with the Lord since the beginning, to be the one to replace Judas Iscariot.

St. Matthias was chosen after prayer and deliberation by the disciples, and he became one of the Twelve Apostles. According to Apostolic traditions, St. Matthias was indeed among the first disciples of the Lord, who had followed Him right from the beginning of His ministry that began with the Lord’s baptism and followed Him through to the end and beyond. And just like the other Apostles, St. Matthias went to many distant places proclaiming the Good News of God, the Gospel of salvation to all whom he encountered. According to traditions, St. Matthias went to the region of Cappadocia in Asia Minor, region of Colchis in Georgia in the Caucasus, and as far as Ethiopia.

St. Matthias dedicated himself for many years to serve the people of God and in calling more and more people to believe in God. St. Matthias gave himself like the other Apostles and disciples of the Lord, spending a lot of time and effort to reach out to those who have not yet known the Lord. He endured persecutions and challenges, trials and sufferings in the midst of his ministry, and yet he remained firmly faithful to the end. Entrusting himself to the Lord and empowered by the Holy Spirit, St. Matthias persevered on in his ministry until he was finally martyred for his faith, which some traditions placed as happening at Sebastopolis in the Caucasus.

As we listened to the Scripture readings today and recalling the courage and faith showed by St. Matthias, all of us are reminded that each and every one of us are also called to the same mission that we share with the Apostles like St. Matthias, with the saints and martyrs, all those who had gone before us and performed many great deeds for the sake of the Lord. The story of St. Matthias should serve as an inspiration to us on how each one of us ought to be faithful in how we all live our lives that we may truly glorify God by our actions and deeds, by our words and interactions with one another.

In today’s Gospel we are reminded of how we can be truly good disciples of the Lord, by following the Lord’s commandment which He has entrusted to us all. He told us to love one another just as He has loved us. The Lord has told His disciples and followers to be His witnesses as He has shown them His love and truth, all that love that He has presented to us. By His love, we are all as His disciples, called to show the same love to our fellow brothers and sisters. We are all called to love one another, and not just loving ourselves only. This is not something easily done, as we tend to be selfish more than selfless, but this is exactly why we need to challenge our ego and selfishness.

That is also why, brothers and sisters in Christ, we have this obligation and calling to be exemplary in how we conduct ourselves as Christians, and we cannot believe in God in one hand, and yet not showing love to our fellow men, our fellow brothers and sisters. If we do so, then we are no better than hypocrites who claim to believe in God and yet, in us, there is no real faith and real commitment to the path that the Lord has shown us. If we truly call ourselves as Christians, as God’s people, then we ought to begin doing what God has called us to do.

Brothers and sisters, let us all hence walk in the footsteps of the Apostles, inspired by the examples of St. Matthias and all the other holy men and women of God, that we too may become the bearers and beacons of God’s light to the people still living in the darkness of this world, in ignorance of God and His truth. May all of us be able to do our best and strive to be courageous and good Christians in all of our actions and works, so that through us and our works, we may endeavour to bring many more souls to the salvation and eternal life in God. St. Matthias, Holy Apostle of Our Lord, pray for us all sinners. Amen.

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Friday, 13 May 2022 : 4th Week of Easter, Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are yet constantly being reminded of the salvation which has come to us through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, Who has come into our midst bearing the truth and love of God. We are reminded of this fact as we continue to progress through the season of Easter because as Christians we cannot just remain idle in our faith. Instead, all of us are called to evangelise in our own ways and within the opportunities and capacities presented to us. All of us have to embrace this calling to be faithful witnesses of the Lord’s truth and love in our respective communities, in today’s world.

As we heard from our first reading today, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, we heard of how St. Paul proclaimed all the works of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of all, Who had come amidst the Jewish people and as one of their own, in proclaiming the Good News of salvation. St. Paul spoke of all the wonders and works the Lord had done, and how although many of the people had rejected Him and condemned Him to death, but the Lord had risen from the dead, and how the Apostles including St. Paul himself had been preaching of all these truth and witnesses they had to all the people, calling on them to have faith in the Lord and to believe in Him.

St. Paul and the many other disciples of the Lord faced all the dangers and challenges faithfully and with dedication, knowing that God is with them, and that they were not labouring in vain, as the Lord Who knew all of their actions, would bless them and remember them, and though they might suffer and perish, but they would not face defeat as the Lord would lead them into the ultimate victory in the end. The sufferings of the Apostles and the many other disciples, the saints and many of the martyrs all remind us of just how difficult it is to follow the Lord, and how complicated it may be for us to commit ourselves as Christians, even in our own day as well. And yet, we must not lose heart because the Lord has reassured us of His providence and love.

As we heard in our Gospel passage today, the Lord Himself spoke to His disciples, reassuring them of the bounty and true joy that each one of them would enjoy in the end, despite the challenges and trials that they might have to endure for the sake of the Lord. The Lord told all of them that He would go before them to a place where they could and would not yet be able to go, a revelation of what would happen to Him afterwards, when He would be arrested, accused of wrongdoing, and punished to die a most humiliating death, dying and eventually rose from the dead as how everything had happened back then. And then the Lord would ascend to Heaven, to prepare everything for His disciples and beloved ones, preparing the places for all of them.

The disciples who had listened to the Lord and then witnessed everything coming to fruition and having seen what had happened, the Lord’s death and resurrection, and His ascension into glory, they all believed in Him and His truth. And with the strength and courage bestowed on them through the Holy Spirit, the disciples and followers of the Lord like St. Paul committed their whole efforts and lives to serve the Lord and to proclaim this same truth and love to more and more people. They went up against all those who refused to believe in the Lord and all those who persecuted the Lord and His followers, the Jewish authorities and the Roman government among many others.

The Lord’s disciples did not fear those persecution, trials and challenges, because they trusted in the Lord, and they knew that in the end, as I mentioned, they would be triumphant with God. The Lord would lead them all to the ultimate victory, and this same assurance had been given to us all as well. We have to put our faith in God and devote ourselves to the Lord in our lives and in our every opportunities. All of us must follow in the footsteps of the Apostles and continue to follow the Lord, and to devote ourselves to the many works and efforts of the Church, which had been done for the salvation of many more souls.

Today, we also celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, commemorating the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, at Fatima in Portugal, where Mary appeared to the three little shepherd children, Jacinta, Francisco and Lucia. Over a hundred years ago, during the height of the First World War in Europe, and during a time of intense persecution against the Church in Portugal, and just before the ascent of Communism throughout Russia and Eastern Europe, the three young shepherd children saw Mary, Our Lady of Fatima, appearing to them and asking them to spread her messages, a reminder to the world and all of the children of God, that they ought to return to the Lord and offend the Lord no more by their sins.

That is why, she, Our Lady of Fatima made appearances to the three shepherd children, through whom her messages were made clear to all of us through the Church. Her call for us is a reminder that all of us have been called to follow the Lord faithfully and to do His will. We are reminded not to veer away from the path that God has shown us, and to repent from our many sins that had led us astray from God. As the Mother of God and our own mother, as we have been entrusted to her by the Lord Himself, naturally she would be concerned with us and our fate, and having seen how her Son, Our same Lord Jesus Christ, had suffered for our sake, for our salvation, she would not want any of us to suffer eternal damnation due to our actions.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures and are reminded of what Our Lady of Fatima had said to the three shepherd children of Fatima that day and in her various apparitions afterwards, each one of us are called and reminded to turn towards the Lord anew with faith, and to face the many challenges and trials with confidence and trust in God. We must not let our fears to overcome us or to hinder us in any way in our path towards serving the Lord and in fulfilling the mission entrusted to us. Let us do our best to commit ourselves to the Lord’s mission, and may all of us be encouraged and strengthened at all times, and may God bless each one of us in our every endeavours and good works, now and always. Blessed Mary, Mother of God, Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us all sinners too. Amen.

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Thursday, 12 May 2022 : 4th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Nereus and St. Achilleus, Martyrs, and St. Pancras, Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are shown again of more of the works of the Apostles who had gone to proclaim the truth of God in more and more places in their long years and periods of ministry, reaching out to the people who have not yet known the Lord and speaking of the history of God’s salvation among His people, which He had fulfilled and made whole through Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, Whose coming into this world heralded the coming of the time of grace, the time when the Lord came to gather His beloved people and reconciling all of us to Himself.

In our first reading today, we heard of the account of the works of St. Paul in evangelising amongst the Jewish people in Antioch in Pisidia in Asia Minor, where he went among the local Jewish diaspora community and spoke up about the Lord in the synagogue. He spoke courageously and at length about the works of God’s salvation among His people, on how He had led them out of Egypt, guiding them and protecting them all the way, appointing judges and kings, and also prophets to help them to remain on the right path, and sending them reminders and help whenever they faltered and fell into the wrong paths.

St. Paul also then spoke of the more recent events back then, regarding the works of St. John the Baptist that was quite well-known and popular among the Jewish people, even in the diaspora, and how he was the precursor and the one to prepare the path for the coming of the one true Messiah or Saviour for all the people, namely Christ Himself, the Son of God and the Holy One, Who has called and sent St. Paul and the other Apostles and disciples to become His witnesses and missionaries among the people. St. Paul courageously spoke up about God’s truth and emphatically encouraging the people to come to believe in Christ and His teachings, and to accept Him as their Lord and Saviour.

However, this calling and mission was truly a difficult one, and there were plenty of obstacles and trials that the Apostles like St. Paul would have to endure, as they strive to minister to the people and proclaim the Good News of God, recalling what the Lord Himself had suffered and experienced at the hands of His enemies and even from one of His own closest collaborators, as highlighted in our Gospel passage today. The Lord was betrayed even by one of His own members of the Twelve, namely by Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him and handed Him over to the chief priests for a meagre sum of thirty pieces of silver.

That reality was why the followers of Christ will likely go through the same challenges, trials and sufferings as the Lord Himself had experienced, as after all, if they had rejected their Master’s teachings, and the Gospel today spoke of how the servants are not greater than their master, then all those who follow the Lord and work to proclaim His truth would therefore likely suffer similar kind of rejection, persecution and suffering. But they must not be afraid because God Himself will be with them and will be by their side, no matter what. This is the same truth that all of us have to believe in just as we also continue to carry out the works of evangelisation in the Name of the Lord.

We should be inspired by the examples set by some of our holy predecessors, the holy martyrs, St. Nereus and St. Achilleus, as well as St. Pancras. All of them had devoted their lives and works to the Lord and for His glory, and in their own ways, they had endured many sufferings and tribulations, and were eventually martyred for the sake of their faith, and they faced those sufferings and ultimately their martyrdom, full of faith and trust in the Lord, believing that what they had done for the Lord’s sake, will be justified and worthy of God in the end, and they will be by the Lord’s side in triumph. They did not give up their struggles for their faith, to the very end.

St. Nereus and St. Achilleus were chamberlains or servants of the niece of the Roman Emperor Domitian according to the Christian tradition, whose name was Flavia Domitilla. According to tradition, they were martyred together with Flavia Domitilla, as they were Christians and the niece of the Emperor had also converted to the Christian faith, during the persecution of Christians by Emperor Domitian himself, which was one of the more vicious ones in the series of persecutions against the Church, and it was told that both St. Nereus and St. Achilleus joyfully welcomed their suffering and martyrdom, in defending their faith.

Meanwhile, St. Pancras, also known as St. Pancratius of Rome, was a young man who lived through during yet another vicious moment of persecution against Christians, this time under the Roman Emperor Diocletian, who was infamous for his particularly harsh persecution of all Christians. It was told that he was forced to offer sacrifices to the traditional Roman pagan gods, and he refused. The Emperor, impressed by St. Pancras’ bravery and courage, tried to persuade and coerce him through wealth and other means, to abandon his faith, but he would not be moved or persuaded. He remained faithful to the end and accepted his martyrdom with grace.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all follow the great examples of our predecessors in faith, and do whatever we can to proclaim the Lord and His truth by our faithful lives, at every moments and opportunities. Let us all be great inspiration and examples for one another in faith, and endeavour to bring even more people to the Lord and His salvation through our exemplary life. May God bless us always, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Wednesday, 11 May 2022 : 4th Week of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are reminded of the mission entrusted to us by God, the mission to evangelise and proclaim the word of God in our respective communities, in our lives and to all those whom we encounter in life, that we may faithfully proclaim our Lord, His truth and love in our best ability, dedicating our time and effort to reach out to those who have not yet known or understood the salvation that God has presented before us. Each and every one of us share the same mission that God has entrusted to His Church, and as the members of the Church, we are charged with the works that God had made us sharers in.

In our first reading today, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, we are all presented with the works that St. Paul and St. Barnabas did among the people of God, and their missionary efforts and works, as they were entrusted by the Twelve Apostles and leaders of the Church with the mission of evangelisation, building up the Church communities all across the Mediterranean. The Twelve Apostles laid their hands on both St. Paul and St. Barnabas, praying over them and granting them the guidance of the Holy Spirit, entrusting to them the ministry of preaching and spreading the Good News to the people who have not yet heard of the Lord.

They were sent to continue the good works of the Lord, much as how the Lord Himself had been sent into this world and entrusted with the mission to reconcile the whole world and all mankind to their loving Father. In our Gospel passage today, we heard the Lord Himself speaking of this mission which He has embarked on, as He was sent by His Father to reveal the truth and love of God to everyone. God has given us His Son, that He will become our Saviour and lead us to the eternal life and true happiness that He has promised all those who believed in Him and placed their trust in Him.

The Lord Jesus reiterated again that He was sent into this world to call all the lost sheep of the Lord, all those who have sinned, which is all of us mankind, and have been separated from God, to bring us back to His loving embrace and to reunite us with Him by His infinite and enduring love. He has willingly embraced us all sinners, that by His compassion, mercy and love, all of us may find our way back to Him, and be saved from our fated destruction. For God’s love for each one of us surpasses even the anger He has for our sins and wickedness. But we cannot remain in that sin as if we remain in the state of sin, we will eventually be judged for those sins and be found wanting and unworthy.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as Christians all of us are called to follow in the footsteps of the Apostles and the other disciples of the Lord, like what St. Paul and St. Barnabas had done in the past, in doing their best and committing their whole lives glorifying the Lord and proclaiming His truth among the people of God. They showed many people the truth of the Lord and called on many to follow the Lord, and many became believers because of what they had done, the love and concern that they had shown to the people longing for the truth, the patience that they showed and the kindness they exhibited even against those who have rejected their message and persecuted them for their faith.

It is these faithful Apostles and disciples whom we ought to emulate in our own lives and actions. All of us are called to be God’s missionaries in every possible opportunity, to be the bearers and beacons of His light to the people of all the nations. And we should not think that missionaries are only limited to those who dedicated themselves as missionaries, in serving the people and in proclaiming the faith in far-off and distant lands. While there are indeed those who have been called and responded with the willingness to do such a vocation in life, but each and every Christians also share the same mission through the Church which I had mentioned earlier.

Each one of us as Christians share this same responsibility to be good role models for each other, so that we may inspire others around us, our own fellow brothers and sisters, to walk in the same path that we have walked and therefore become God’s followers as well. The Apostles, saints and martyrs had done that, and we therefore should commit ourselves to this same mission that God had given us. We ought to do our best, even in the smallest and simplest matters, to be exemplary in our words, actions and deeds so that others who see us and witness our works and actions may be touched by God through us, and may become believers as well.

May the Lord continue to guide us in our journey of faith, and may He empower each one of us to be committed disciples and followers, to be good Christians by our good and faithful lives. May more and more people and souls be called ever closer to God from now on, always and evermore, following in the leadership and guidance from our Good Shepherd. Amen.

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Tuesday, 10 May 2022 : 4th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. John of Avila, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scripture, we are reminded of the works of the Lord and His Apostles, through which many people had been saved from the threat of eternal damnation and hell. Through the many works that God has done through His Son, His saving works and through the Church that He has established in this world, the Lord has gathered many of His beloved ones back to Himself, as a Good Shepherd Who truly loves His sheep. He has entrusted to us His Church, to be the shining beacon of His light and truth to the nations.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard the Lord Jesus speaking to the Jewish people who questioned and doubted Him, and whom despite having seen His many miracles and having heard His teachings, wisdom and words still refused to believe and acknowledge that the Lord Jesus is truly the Messiah and Holy One of God. They had seen and witnessed everything the Lord had done, and yet they failed to realise the truth behind all that they had seen and heard. The Lord told them all that His sheep and flock knew Him and would answer His call, Him being the Good Shepherd of all, and all those whom the Lord had called and believed in Him would come to His presence.

This means that as long as those people refused to accept the truth and open their hearts and minds to the Lord, His love and truth, no matter how the Lord had done, how many miracles He performed and all the truths and wisdom that He has spoken about, all these would not mean anything to them unless they were willing to let go of their pride and ego, turning away from their worldly desires and attachments, and all of their stubbornness, then they cannot be those counted among the people of God, as they voluntarily and knowingly rejected Him despite Him having reached out patiently to them out of love.

Those who believe in God on the other hand will find solace and salvation in God, and as long as they have their faith in God and love for Him in their hearts and minds, they will not be falling into damnation and the Lord will always be with them. He reached out to all the people nonetheless, even those who remained stubborn and had hardened their hearts against Him. The Lord would not abandon any of His beloved children to the very last moment. However, the Lord will also judge us all at the same time at the end, and we will have to answer with either our faith and dedication, or with our sins and wickedness.

In our first reading passage today, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, we heard of the works of the Apostles in spreading the words of God’s truth, His Good News and the message of His salvation to more and more people, establishing Christian communities throughout the places that they had visited. We heard how the disciples of the Lord went to the various places throughout the region, serving the Lord and the mission entrusted to them. They carried on the works that the Lord had begun, following in the footsteps of the Lord, Who as the Good Shepherd has willed to gather us all, the lost sheep of His flock.

The Apostles like St. Paul and St. Barnabas, and the Twelve Apostles all dedicated their time and effort to proclaim God’s truth and calling on more and more people to believe in Him. They built up vibrant and expanding community and family of believers which as mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles passage today, were called as Christians, those who believed in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, just as exactly who we are today. We are all Christians because we believe in Christ, in all of His truth and love, in the message of His Good News and the eternal life that He has promised all of us.

And we are called to continue the great works that had been done, as there are still many opportunities and areas where there are still in need of the work of evangelisation, with many people, many souls, the lost sheep of the Lord who are still in need of reconciliation with their Shepherd and Guide, our Lord Jesus, the Good Shepherd. We have to continue the works of the Apostles, in proclaiming the truth of God to more and more people all around the world. And we should be inspired by the examples set by St. John of Avila, whose feast we are celebrating today.

St. John of Avila was a great missionary and priest who had dedicated much of his life to the evangelisation to the people in southern regions of what is today Spain, the region of Andalusia, preaching to those who have not truly known God and all those who have followed the false faith and heresies of the past. The great saint spent a lot of time building vibrant communities of the faithful much as how the Apostles had done earlier, and his many writings and works influenced even many more people after his time, calling on them to follow the Lord, their Good Shepherd.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, inspired by the examples of St. John of Avila, the Apostles and many other saints of God, let us all therefore dedicate ourselves to walk faithfully in the path of God and His love. Let us all seek the Lord and be good role models and examples in our way of life, and may the Lord guide us and strengthen us always, that we may lead others towards Him. May the Lord be with us all, and may He empower us to be great Christians, as those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Good Shepherd, wholeheartedly, at all times. Amen.

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Monday, 9 May 2022 : 4th Week of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scripture, we are all called to remember that each and every one of us are members of this same one Church, the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, belonging to the one Body of Christ, with Christ Himself as the Head, Who is also our Good Shepherd. We are the lambs of the Lord’s flock and we have been called from the world by the Lord and been reunited into this one flock by His guidance and help. And all that are made possible because of His ever enduring love for each one of us, without exception, that even the least of us, and the worst sinners amongst us are called by God to return to Him.

Brothers and sisters, all of us have been separated from God due to sin, and sin is caused by our refusal to obey the Lord and His will. We trust instead in our own human desires and judgments, and we tend to deviate from the path that God has set before us and hence, ended up falling deeper and deeper into the wrong path in life. Yet, God has always ever been patient in reaching out to us, in patiently calling upon us to embrace Him, His compassionate love and mercy, and to be reconciled once again with Him. He, our ever loving Good Shepherd has looked upon each and every one of us, the members of His flock, with love and compassion, with the desire to be reunited with us, as He does not want us to be lost to Him.

That is what we have heard in our Gospel passage today, in the account of the Lord’s discourse to His disciples on the Good Shepherd. We heard the Lord referring to Himself as the Good Shepherd, and how He presaged what He would do Himself to save His flock, that by laying down His life, He has opened for us the path to salvation and eternal life with Him. He revealed to His disciples and hence also to all of us, through the Scriptures, how His love for each one of us is truly ever encompassing, ever present, and He would dedicate Himself to the Covenant He had made with all of us, protecting us and caring for us.

The Lord told all of us that as the Good Shepherd, He is not like that of the other hired men who were paid to look after the sheep, and did not know the sheep well. He made a comparison between what He would do and what those hired men did, as those hired men did not give themselves totally and wholeheartedly to the flock they were entrusted with, fleeing at the first sign of danger. Meanwhile, the Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep, and that was what the Lord had done, our of His love for us, when He willingly accepted and shouldered upon Himself the many punishments due for our sins, and lead us all to Himself through His Cross.

For God so loved the world, that He gave us His only begotten Son, so that all those who believe in Him may not perish but have eternal life. Such was the other words the Lord had spoken in another occasion in the Gospels. He came into our midst through His Son, so that by His actions, in gathering us, scattered throughout the world, and He has also reached out to the lost ones, like those who had been branded as sinners and unworthy of God, people like the tax collectors, prostitutes and adulterers, as well as those who had been crippled or afflicted by many diseases, and those possessed by the evil spirits.

Through this, God as our Good Shepherd leads everyone, all sinners back to Himself. He was patient and welcoming even to the Pharisees and many of the teachers of the Law who had constantly disagreed with Him and refused to listen to Him or believe in His truth. The Good Shepherd was patient in going forth, in looking out for His lost sheep, that they may be found once again, and be reconciled fully with Him, and that they all will be worthy to enter into the kingdom of eternal glory and true happiness together with Him. However, as we are also reminded today, the works of the Lord are far from being completed.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, in our first reading today from the Acts of the Apostles, we heard of how St. Peter spoke to the Jewish Christian converts regarding the matter of the outreach and approach in evangelisation to the Gentiles or the non-Jewish people. Quite a few of those Jewish Christians had once belonged to the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who were very particular in terms of their adherence to the Jewish customs and laws, such as the enforcement of circumcision, the food and dietary prohibitions of the Jewish laws and customs, which would have made it very difficult for the Gentiles to accept the Christian faith or to live as Christians meaningfully.

Hence, St. Peter enlightened those hard-hearted Jewish Christians with the revelation of how God Himself had made known His desire to him, through a vision that he had received regarding the matter, as he saw the vision of a great many food and animals that are considered unclean according to the Jewish laws and customs. Naturally St. Peter refused to eat when the Lord asked him to eat from those food, but God showed and asked him to listen to him three times, and saying that he should not consider what God had deemed to be clean as unclean. This vision, coupled with what St. Peter himself experienced in meeting Cornelius and the other non-Jewish people who were interested in the Christian faith and truth remind us that God truly calls everyone to be His followers, to be gathered and reconciled to Him.

As our Good Shepherd, the Lord wants each and every one of us to find our way back to Him, and He called us all to return to Him and tasked His Church, disciples and servants to bring His salvation to all of the lost sheep of His flock. St. Peter and the other Apostles hence worked hard to spread the word of God and His salvation among the Gentiles just as much as they were labouring amongst the Jewish community. Through them and their successors, many people had managed to find their way back to the Lord, returning to the Holy Mother Church, to God’s loving embrace and forgiving mercy.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, all of us have also been called to do the same in our own lives. We are all called to be the ones to lead others to the Lord and His salvation, and in order to do that, we are challenged to live our lives in the most worthy way we can, so that in all things, our lives will reflect the light of God’s truth and love, and inspire many more people to follow Him. Let us all reflect the love and compassion that Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Good Shepherd has shown us. May God be with us always, and may He continue to guide us all through our journey of faith in life, now and always, leading us to the right path. Amen.

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Sunday, 8 May 2022 : Fourth Sunday of Easter, Good Shepherd Sunday and Vocation Sunday (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday, the fourth Sunday in the season of Easter marks the occasion of Good Shepherd Sunday, or also known as the Vocation Sunday. This Sunday is called as such because the Gospel reading was taken from the Gospel of St. John, in which the Lord referred to Himself as the Good Shepherd and we, the people of God as His sheep and flock. Through Him, our Good Shepherd, the Lord has called on all of us to follow Him and return to Him, to no longer be lost and separated from Him, but be reunited with Him and becoming once again part of that one flock of God in His Church.

In our first reading today, all of us heard from the Acts of the Apostles the works of two of the Apostles, St. Paul and St. Barnabas who were travelling to Antioch in Pisidia in Asia Minor, where they preached about the Lord and His truth in the synagogue. The two Apostles spoke to a large gathering of both Jewish people and the non-Jewish people, the Gentiles. But their efforts in attracting so many people especially the Gentiles caused some among the Jews to be jealous and hostile to their popularity. It was likely that those Jewish people mentioned had belonged to the Pharisees or at least those who were sympathetic of the position of the Pharisees and their opposition against Jesus.

Hence, as we heard, while the Apostles managed to gain great support and following even from among the Gentiles, who were happy to hear the Good News presented to them, but those people who refused to believe in them were offended and angry at the popularity that St. Paul and St. Barnabas managed to get, and considered them as a threat to the way of life and the beliefs of those who held and clung on to the traditions of the Jewish customs as promoted and preserved by the Pharisees and the elders. As such, they did whatever they could to oppose the two Apostles, persecuting them and evicting them from their region.

Yet, the Apostles, St. Paul, St. Barnabas and the Twelve Apostles led by St. Peter all continued to labour hard for the Lord and His Church, going forth to many places and spreading the Good News passed onto them as the shepherds of the Lord’s flock, the servants of the one and true Good Shepherd of all. They proclaimed the Lord’s truth to all the people, to the Jewish people and the Gentiles alike, and although they encountered many opposition and rejection from those who refused to believe in God and His truth, persecuted and having to endure arrest, prison, torture and even martyrdom, they continued to proclaim the word of God faithfully and many others did flock to follow the Lord through them.

In our second reading today, we heard of the vision of St. John the Apostle from the Book of Revelations that he wrote, detailing what he had seen in the series of visions he received at the island of Patmos during his exile there. St. John saw the vision of innumerable holy men and women from across all time and places, all gathered together to proclaim the Lord and glorify Him, to praise Him on His Throne, as St. John saw Him, the victorious Lamb of God, Who has won the ultimate victory over sin, evil and death, and by His sacrifice on the Cross, He has gathered all of us as our Good Shepherd, leading us all to the path towards eternal life.

What victory is it about, brothers and sisters in Christ? It is the great triumph that God had won for us over the forces of evil and sin. We have been corrupted by sin ever since the beginning of time, when we succumbed to the temptations of the devil and allowed sin to enter into our hearts. Because of that, we have been scattered throughout the world and fell into darkness, becoming lost from the Lord, our Good Shepherd. But what is important is that, God’s love for us far surpasses His disgust and anger for our sins. He loves us all beyond anything else, and He created us in the first place because He loved us all. If He did not love us at all, He would not even have created us or given us a chance at all.

Therefore, in coming upon us Himself, through His Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Divine Word Incarnate, the Lord came to us to show just how much He loved us all and how precious we truly are to Him. The Lord has come to gather us all from the far ends of the world, and to lead us all back to Himself just as He has long promised to us. And to this end, He has established His Church, and called us all to be part of that one flock that He has gathered together in His Name, and entrusted all of us to those whom He had called and dedicated to be shepherds modelled after Himself, the Good Shepherd.

St. Paul, St. Barnabas, the other Apostles and many other holy men and women of God, the saints all showed us what they had done in following the examples set by the Good Shepherd in helping many more lost souls, the lost sheep of the Lord to return to Him. Just as the Lord Himself also said in another occasion, that the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep, hence, He Who laid down His own life for our salvation inspired His own servants, like St. Paul, St. Barnabas and many more to be willing to lay down their lives and to suffer for the sake of the Lord and His people. Through their courage and determination, countless souls had been saved, and many had been brought to reconciliation with God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we commemorate this Good Shepherd Sunday, what we have just discussed earlier highlighted why we also mark the occasion of Vocation Sunday today. That is because while we remember the Lord, our Good Shepherd in all that He had done for us, we must not forget that He has called all of us to follow Him, and for all of us to embrace our respective calling in life and dedicate ourselves, in whichever capacity and ability we are able to commit, to embrace a good Christian vocation in life. And we must not think or misunderstand that vocation means only vocations to priesthood only.

That is because there are many vocations for us as Christians in the Church. Most prominent indeed are those whom God had called to serve Him wholeheartedly and completely as those who embrace the call to the priesthood as well as religious life. They have been called to serve the Lord and His people, following in the footsteps of the Apostles, in continuing their works of evangelisation and in ministering to the people of God. However, this does not mean that all the others who have not followed this same path then do not have any role to play in the works of the evangelisation or as part in the Lord’s mission entrusted to His Church.

On the contrary, as members of God’s Church, each and every one of us have very important roles to play, and the laity have immense role that all of them have to play and take part in faithfully and with commitment in order to make sure that the Church’s efforts and its missions will be successful. The responsibility for evangelisation and spreading the Good News of God is not that of the priests and religious, or missionaries alone. All the faithful people of God share in the same mission, inspired by the Good Shepherd, Our Lord’s own examples, His love and dedication for us, His lost sheep, in gathering all of them to His loving embrace.

That is why, all of us have to live our lives worthily of the Lord and doing whatever we can to contribute to the mission of the Church in reaching out to the lost sheep of the Lord’s flock, all those who have not yet known the Lord and His salvation, and all those who have fallen astray in the path towards God. Each one of us can help one another, and even the priests and missionaries need the constant support from every members of the Church so that they may be able to do their works effectively. It is indeed not easy to be priests, especially in our world today, and we need to support the priests, our shepherds, that they may be inspired to follow the path of their predecessors, the Apostles and their successors, and the Lord Himself, the Good Shepherd.

That is why all of us have to pray for our priests, for more vocations to the priesthood. But at the same time, should any of us are called to the priesthood, then we should not ignore that call either. A most common thing in the Church is that we do not mind if others are called to the priesthood, but when some parents encounter the fact that it is their own children who are called to the priesthood, or religious life, or other vocations that are not according to what they wanted, they became defensive or even putting objections to that vocation or desire of their own children. It is truly hypocritical if we want others to embrace their vocation but not those in our own families. Yet, sadly, this is one of the main reason why it is truly difficult for some to embrace their vocation to priesthood and religious life.

Now, at the same time, we must also not forget to reflect on our vocation as married people, as those who have been called to a life in matrimonial bond and in growing up faithful Christian families. As mentioned, that is also a very important vocation, and one that cannot be ignored. For faithful and committed Christian families are truly the bedrock of the Church, and the first places where our children will learn about the faith. If our Christian families are not founded upon firm faith and the strong desire to serve and follow God, then sooner or later, not only that we may lose a lot of our children to indifference to their faith, to apostasy and more, but the whole entire Church community will also be negatively affected.

There are also of course those among us called to other purposes in life, even those who are called to remain single and devote themselves to the Lord. Many of them are not even members of any religious orders, but they dedicated themselves to a particular purpose or some missions to do things for the good of others, and to advance the cause of the Lord, to proclaim His Good News and more. Those are also wonderful vocations that each one of us, should we be called, have to embrace as well. We are all called to different purposes in life and we really should do our best to follow Him, and commit ourselves to God as best as we can.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, on this Good Shepherd and Vocation Sunday, let us ask the Lord, our Good Shepherd, to guide us all and to give us the strength and courage so that we all can be faithful shepherds, role models and examples for one another in faith. Let our actions, words and deeds be inspiration at all times, and let more and more people come to believe in God through us. May each one of us devote more of our time and effort to follow our vocations in life, and may God, our loving Good Shepherd be with us always, now and forevermore. Amen.