Weekday Homily

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Thursday, 27 March 2025 : 3rd Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us are reminded of our sins and evils, all caused by our disobedience against God and our refusal to listen to Him and our persistence in doing things that are contrary to His will and teachings. We must not allow our stubbornness and all the wicked desires and temptations in us and around us to distract us from the Lord and from the path that He has guided us through in this life. We must not allow ourselves to be divided easily one against another because of the instigation and the efforts of those wicked forces of evil which will often play on our insecurities, desires, ambitions and all the means they have in their disposal to bring us to our ruin and downfall. That is why during this time of Lent, each and every one of us should reevaluate our paths and choices in life through these reminders.

In our first reading passage today, taken from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah, we heard of the words of the Lord to His people, showing the frustrations that the Lord had in guiding all of them, despite having shown them and their forebears, all of their ancestors, a lot of loving care and patience in guiding and helping all of them, in reassuring them constantly and defending them from all of their enemies, and in being always true to the Covenant which He had made with them and their ancestors. The people of Israel however were unfaithful, and they were stubborn in their consistent refusal to obey Him wholeheartedly, falling ever constantly into the temptations to sin, being swayed by the many desires and ambitions they were tempted with, that they ended up disobeying Him and walking down the path of rebellion, getting further and further away from their loving God and Master.

That was why the Lord put those words of warning through the prophet Jeremiah, whom He had sent to the people and the kingdom of Judah in order to remind them all of their waywardness and their lack of faith in Him, all of which had led them all deeper and deeper into the path of darkness and sin. And through these warnings and reminders, God wanted to tell them all to stop from going down this path of rebellion so that they would not continue to suffer the effects of their disobedience. This came at the important juncture of the history of the people of God, many of whom had suffered the effects of their sins, with those who used to live in the northern kingdom of Israel had been conquered and had their kingdom destroyed by the Assyrians, and brought into exile in the distant and far-off lands.

And those in the kingdom of Judah, while they had seen for themselves and witnessed how their northern brethren had suffered because of the wickedness and sins that they had committed, that were relatively greater than their own ones, but they still did not repent from their own sins and wickedness. And while their sins were perhaps less severe due to some of the kings of Judah being faithful and devout followers of God that periodically led the people back to the true path of God, but nonetheless, they too would suffer a similar fate. They would also be conquered by the Babylonians in a short while from the time that those words of the Lord were pronounced to them, their cities destroyed and the Temple that was in Jerusalem, the House of God would be destroyed, as the clear sign of the Divine displeasure over the sins and wickedness of His people.

But God was not all full of anger and without compassion, for He ultimately still loved His people despite of their many sins and evils. He gave them opportunities, reminders and help throughout their history, their journey and existence, sending the prophets like Jeremiah among many others to assist them. He reassured them all of His salvation, and He gathered them all back from the lands of their exile, allowing them to return back to their homeland and settle back in the lands promised to them and their ancestors. He still showed them all His compassion and love, giving them the means to reach out to Him, to overcome the temptations and all the other obstacles which had prevented them all from coming back to Him. And ultimately, He gave us all the ultimate gift in His only Begotten Son, Whom He sent to us to find, gather and bring us all back to Him.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of how the people of the time of the Lord treated this same Saviour and Son of God Who had been sent into our midst in order to save us all. The elders and the religious, intellectual elites of the people, namely many of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law doubted the Lord and sowed dissension amongst the people by accusing the Lord falsely of collusion with the prince of demons in the performance of His miracles and works. They attributed His miracles to the works of Beelzebul, a known prince of demons, besmirching the Lord’s good reputation and directly spreading doubt on the authenticity and authority of the Lord’s works and miracles. And the Lord quickly went to rebuke those people for saying such false and baseless accusations by pointing out the utter folly in their arguments.

The Lord pointed out that if a kingdom had its members divided against each other, plotting and attacking one another, then that kingdom would quickly and readily be destroyed. In the same manner therefore, it does not make sense for the forces of evil to be divided against each other. In fact, they are more united than ever as always in their desire and efforts to see us all destroyed and dragged in damnation together with them. It was likely that all the accusations and the efforts of those Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who were jealous of the great successes of the Lord were instigated by those same wicked spirits and evil forces who worked really hard to divide us one against another, in their attempts to prevent the Lord from accomplishing His missions and works.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore let us all keep in mind all these things that we have heard and discussed earlier through the Sacred Scriptures. Let us remember that God’s love is so great and indeed is and has always been so great that it surpasses all evil and all those who have placed themselves in between us and God’s offer of salvation and eternal life. It is now up to us to embrace His love and mercy wholeheartedly, as we dedicate ourselves anew to His cause, doing our very best to live our lives from now on in the manner that is truly worthy of God. We are called to come to the Lord with a contrite heart full of sorrow and regret for our many sins. May the Lord be with us always during this time and season of Lent, and may He continue to bless and empower us with the courage and strength to be good examples, inspirations and role models for one another. May all of us continue to have a blessed and fruitful Lenten season and observance, and come ever closer to the Lord and His salvation. Amen.

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Wednesday, 26 March 2025 : 3rd Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Lord in the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the Law which the Lord has presented and given to all of us through the Scriptures and His Church, which has revealed and taught us this Law and the various commandments that we ought to follow and obey in our lives. Each and every one of us as Christians are bound to follow and obey these Law and commandments that God had given to us, as part of the Covenant which He had established and made with all of us. And what we heard today in our Scripture readings are reminders for us to follow these laws and commandments with appreciation and understanding of their importance and significance for us.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Deuteronomy in which Moses, the leader of the Israelites told all the people to be obedient to the Law of God and to follow His commandments, instead of being rebellious and hardened in heart as they had often done during their Exodus from Egypt and the journey through the desert. Moses told the people the reason why God gave His Law and commandments to them, and everything ultimately pointed towards the desire that God had in ensuring that His people would be forgiven from all of their many sins, to be guided in their paths and ways so that they would no longer be lost to Him and be condemned to the eternity of suffering and damnation like what the evil ones will be suffering from.

This is something which we need to be acutely aware of, realising that our sins like those sins of the people of Israel can lead us all into certain destruction, which God wants to prevent us from suffering such a fate. And this was why He gave us His Law and commandments just as He had once revealed it to the Israelites through Moses. They were meant to serve as a guide and assistance to the people of God so that they would live worthily and be strengthened in their desire to follow God wholeheartedly amidst the many temptations and coercions of worldly desires, pleasures and ambitions found all around them. Thus, unless we ourselves also obey the Law and commandments of God wholeheartedly and with true understanding of God’s love and will, then we may find it difficult to remain faithful to Him.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Evangelist, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus speaking to His disciples and all those who were following Him in which He made it clear that He did not mean to change or abolish the Law of God, contrary to the perception and misconception that many among the Israelites, particularly among the religious and intellectual elites, had in Him, His teachings and actions. Those leaders often assumed that Jesus and His works and teachings were contrary to the Law of God revealed through Moses, particularly in their frequent clashes on the matter of the Sabbath Law. To the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, the Sabbath Law was sacrosanct in the manner that they observed it, refusing to allow any kinds of activities on that day.

However, the Lord told the people the true intention of the Lord when He instituted the Sabbath Law, and that was to help all of His people to come to Him and to remember the need to focus their lives on Him, and not on their various other pursuits and desires in life, in this world present around us. We may easily be tempted and swayed by our many attachments and desires, in all of our works and activities in this world that we forget our obligation and relationship with God. And that is why God instituted this Day of Rest, the Sabbath Day such that the people of Israel might have the time to take a break from their busy daily activities and works, and dedicate this time to worship the Lord and to strengthen their relationships with Him.

But, unfortunately, by the time of the Lord and His ministry, the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law had misunderstood the intention and purpose of the Law of God, using them instead to impose unrealistic expectations and observances on the people of God. In the matter of the Sabbath Law, it was so strictly enforced that the people were not allowed to do anything even good and virtuous deeds that may benefit the people around them. And this was what the Lord highlighted to those hypocrites, those Pharisees and teachers of the Law, who have misled the people through their wrong teachings and interpretations of the Law, and their elitist attitudes in claiming to be better, more pious and holier than everyone else, and in their judgmental and biased attitudes against those they deemed to be unredeemable sinners like the tax collectors and prostitutes.

And what we are being reminded of today is the love of God manifested through His Son, Our Lord Jesus Himself, Who has renewed the Covenant that God had made with His people, the love which He has shown us all again and again in many occasions, and which He has constantly reminded us through His Son and through the Law that He has taught and shown to us. What He wants us all to know is that He has given us all those Law and commandments to help and guide us in our path so that we may truly come to Him and embrace His great love and compassion without falling into the wrong path or be distracted by the many temptations and coercions found all around us. God, as our most loving Father and Creator wants us all to be reconciled and reunited with Him.

That is why, let us all make the conscious effort during this time and season of Lent so that in everything we do, in all of our Lenten observances, and in how we obey the Law and commandments of God that had been given to us through the Church, we may all continue to obey them with the right understanding and mindset, knowing that we do all them out of the sincere love for God and from the desire to be reconciled and reunited with the Lord, our loving Father and Creator. May He continue to bless and guide us in our journey so that by our examples and obedience, we may be good role models and inspirations to everyone else around us, to lead more and more people towards God and His mercy. Amen.

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Tuesday, 25 March 2025 : Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we mark the great occasion of the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, the moment when we celebrate the time that the Lord Jesus Christ, Our Saviour and King, Our God and Lord of all the Universe, was incarnate in the flesh, and was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary, His mother. This must not be confused with the moment of the Lord’s birth into this world, His Nativity, which we celebrate at Christmas, exactly nine months from today. And it is precisely because today is nine months away from Christmas and it marks the beginning of the Lord’s nine months period spent in the womb of His mother Mary, that we celebrate this Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord.

On this day, the Lord sent one of His great Archangels, the Archangel Gabriel to proclaim the Good News long awaited by His people, who have long awaited the fulfilment of God’s promise of salvation, the sending of the deliverance and Saviour, which had been given to us through this Incarnation of the Son of God, Who embraced our human nature and existence, becoming Man and therefore manifesting perfectly the love of God, which had thus been made tangible, real and approachable to us. No longer God is merely a concept or myth, or a Being far removed from us by His Almighty transcendence. Yes, God remains all-powerful and transcendent, far beyond us in might and glory, infinite in majesty and power, but at the same time, by the mystery of His Incarnation, God has made Himself close to us, approachable and real.

The Annunciation of the Lord marks this moment when the long awaited Hope and Salvation of the world has finally come into a reality, and the Light of Hope is restored to the world, long slumbering in darkness, and what is significant is that the Lord chose not to come in glory and majesty, or as a conquering and mighty King, but instead, He chose to be incarnate and born of a humble, unknown Virgin, Mary, who was merely a peasant girl in the totally unimportant and small town or even village of Nazareth, at the fringe of the Jewish world at that time. Yet, from what we have heard in the accounts of the Annunciation today, we are reminded of exactly why the Lord chose to do this, to bring about our salvation.

The Lord chose to become one of us because it is by this action that He can undo the harm and damage which our ancestors had done in disobeying God, in embracing the falsehoods and lies of Satan. By His coming into this world, He would unite us all mankind through His own humanity, and show to us the ultimate love and compassion through His Son, Who would lay down His life for our sake, freeing us from the domination and tyranny of sin. By His perfect obedience, Christ as the Son of Man would bear the many burdens of our sins, our trespasses and mistakes, which He bore on His Cross, and through this perfect obedience and ultimate sacrifice of love, He made for us a New and Eternal Covenant between God and us, giving us the sure path to eternal life through Him.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we continue to journey through this time and season of Lent, we are all reminded of why we observe this penitential season of Lent in the first place. We are preparing ourselves to celebrate the most important events in the story of our salvation, which the Lord had made possible through the Incarnation of His Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, Our Saviour, into this world. Therefore today, as we all remember the moment of His Incarnation at this Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, we should remember the great love and compassion which God has manifested before us all in His Son, and be filled with the same love towards Him just as He has shown us all first. We should be grateful that the Lord has been so patient in loving us all despite all of our faults and transgressions so far.

By offering Himself willingly and selflessly for us, just as the second reading from the Epistle to the Hebrews had highlighted, the Lord by His enduring love for us has fashioned for us the means of our salvation, to purify and sanctify us all by His grace, cleansing us all from the corruptions of our innumerable sins. And by this most wonderful and generous love of God, we have been healed and made whole once again, shown the compassionate and most loving Heart of God, full of love for us as always. Therefore, we too should be filled with love and devotion towards Him, and do our very best during this time and season of Lent to seek His forgiveness and mercy, and strive to distance ourselves from all sorts of corruptions, evils and sins that can lead us all further away from God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today we should also look upon the great example of faith and obedience which Mary, the Mother of Our Lord and Saviour, the Mother of God, has shown each and every one of us. Despite her uncertainties and her inexperience, Mary chose to entrust herself to the Lord and His plans, devoting herself thoroughly to the mission which has been entrusted to her through the words of the Archangel Gabriel. Mary is our perfect role model and example, and just as Christ her Son is the New Adam that led us all by His perfect obedience to His heavenly Father, thus Mary, as the New Eve also directs us all towards her Son, towards the salvation that He has generously offered to each and every one of us. We should follow Mary’s examples in our own lives, in each and every moments.

Let us all therefore renew our commitment to the Lord this Lent, and strive to do our best in living our daily lives as good and faithful Christians in all the things we say and do. Through prayer, fasting and almsgiving, let us all continue to draw closer to the Lord and devote our time and attention to Him, so that by each and every moments of our lives, by our every actions, ever devoted to Him, we may draw ever closer to Him and His grace, and be truly worthy to receive the pardon and forgiveness for our many mistakes and faults. Through our humility and obedience, which we should deepen ever more during this time and season of Lent, we should follow the examples of Christ Himself and His blessed Mother Mary, our own beloved Mother so that we may continue to humble ourselves before God, sinners in need of God’s mercy and healing.

May the Lord, our most loving God and Father continue to show us all His love, and help us in this journey of life, as we come ever closer to His Presence this Lent. May He welcome us back through His generous mercy and compassion, forgiving us our sins when we come to Him with truly humble and contrite hearts. May God bless us all, and bless our Lenten journey and observances. Amen.

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Monday, 24 March 2025 : 3rd Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded of the power of God’s healing and mercy, as He forgives us all our sins and faults, our trespasses and mistakes. And we are also reminded of the importance of humility in our lives and actions so that we will not allow ourselves to be swayed and tempted by pride, which is one of the greatest obstacles that may lead us to our downfall and destruction. We are reminded that we are all sinners in need of God’s mercy, and if we come towards Him with contrite hearts, with genuine intention and desire to be forgiven from our many sins, and to be reconciled to Him, God will surely show us His love and kindness, granting us all the pardon and reconciliation that we seek from Him.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah in which the story of Naaman, the famous general of the Kingdom of Aram, the neighbour of the northern kingdom of Israel, went to seek healing and resolution for his issue of leprosy, which had affected him greatly due to it being seen as a sign of curse and Divine displeasure. That was why Naaman came to the land of Israel, seeking the king of Israel to ask for the favour from the famous prophet Elisha, whose miracles were well known even to Naaman’s own homeland. And we heard how Naaman came to Elisha seeking this healing, in which the prophet told him to immerse seven times in the River Jordan in order to be healed from his leprosy.

Naaman was initially angered at the instruction, proudly declaring how he expected the prophet ought to have come out and heal him in the manner that he wanted it, and how he could have done it as well in the rivers of his own homeland. Naaman was unhappy because of the expectations that he had in his mind on how he ought to be healed, being a person of high status and well-respected, and hence likely he was unused to being told what to do, and instead of being healed by the service of the prophet as he had expected it, he was told to do a menial task, at least in his perception, to get himself healed. But Naaman’s servant shook Naaman out of his pride and arrogance, and told him that what the prophet Elisha asked of him was not something unreasonable or difficult to do, and hence, Naaman obeyed, and was healed of his leprosy.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this healing of Naaman is a reminder for all of us of our own ‘leprosy’, that is sin, the leprosy of the soul. Our own souls, and hence, our whole bodies, hearts, minds and indeed our whole beings have been corrupted by sin, and hence tainted, we have been made unworthy of God and His grace, and sundered therefore from His love and grace, we have been forced to wander off in the darkness of the world, to suffer the consequences of our disobedience and sins. But God loves each and every one of us as well, and He does not want us to be lost or separated from Him, and that is why He gave us all the means to reach out to Him and to return to Him, by giving us all the promise and assurance of salvation through none other than His own only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.

Like Naaman who came seeking the prophet Elisha, all of us especially during this time of Lent are reminded to seek God’s healing and forgiveness for our sins, to be healed of our ‘leprosy’ of sin, which can be done through the Sacrament of Reconciliation which the Lord has readily made available for all of us. The Lord has given His Church and disciples the power and authority to forgive sins, which they then passed on to us today through their successors, the Popes, the bishops and priests who tirelessly minister to us the faithful and holy people of God. The problem is that, many of us are unaware of the need for all of us to seek this healing from our corruption by sin, and as a result, we continue to live in the state of sin, and are in danger of falling into the path towards eternal damnation and destruction.

Many of us are perhaps also too proud to admit that we are wrong, and we, like Naaman before us, expect that we are forgiven without effort or contrition. But as Naaman had been kindly reminded by his servant to be humble and obedient, therefore, we too should be obedient and humble in allowing ourselves to be forgiven by God by showing a contrite and truly sorrowful heart to the Lord. Pride is one of the greatest vices that led so many people to their downfall, including Satan himself, and in a similar manner pride is also a crucial reason why so many people failed to come and seek God’s healing and mercy, which He has offered us all so generously and lovingly. Unless we humble ourselves and be willing to rid ourselves of our sins, we may find it difficult to come back towards God.

Then, in our Gospel passage today we all heard of the story of the time when the Lord Jesus was in His hometown of Nazareth, as He came there bearing the Good News of God’s salvation, which had come to fruition and its perfect fulfilment with the arrival of Jesus Himself, the One Who was born into this world, the Divine Word Incarnate, Son of God born into our midst as the Son of Man, showing unto us the love of God manifested in the flesh. However, when the people of Nazareth listened to the words of the Lord and His proclamation of the fulfilment of the prophets, they were all filled with amazement and disbelief, because to them, Jesus was merely the Son of the town or village carpenter, St. Joseph. And at that time, carpenters were not highly regarded by the people as a profession.

Therefore, when the Lord claimed to have fulfilled the prophecies about the Messiah, many among them likely thought that He was being preposterous in doing so, and this was when the Lord them that unfortunately the reality is such that the prophets, messengers and servants of God are treated badly in their own homeland and countries, those places where they had hailed from. This is again because the people’s pride and arrogance, thinking that they know it better, and that they could not be wrong or no one whom they knew all ought to tell them what to do. As I mentioned earlier, this is one of the greatest challenges that we face in seeking God’s forgiveness and mercy, in our attempts to be reconciled to God, our loving Father and Master.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore resist the temptations of pride and desire in our daily lives, especially during this time and season of Lent when God has renewed His assurance and promises to us, His assurance that His mercy and compassion have been extended most generously to us. Like Naaman, let us all be humble and be willing to rid ourselves of our pride, ego, arrogance and ambitions, and instead be willing to walk down the path of repentance and reconciliation with God. Are we willing to make this commitment, brothers and sisters? Let our Lenten observance and journey be truly fruitful and blessed, and may God empower each one of us to walk ever more courageously in His path, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 23 March 2025 : Third Sunday of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday being the Third Sunday of Lent, all of us are called to examine our lives and actions, especially in how we have observed this Lenten season, this time provided for us to reorientate our lives so that we may once again be attuned to God, our most loving Father. We are all reminded that sin is something that can truly harm us and bring us into destruction unless we distance ourselves from those sins and wickedness. We must resist the temptations to sin against God, not allowing ourselves to be easily swayed by the devil’s lies and false promises, all of the things which may lead us into the path towards our downfall and destruction. This is something that the devil desires to do with us, and we must not let him easily has his way.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard of the passage taken from the Book of Exodus in which the moment when the Lord appeared for the first time to Moses was recounted to us, the moment when God went to call Moses to be His servant and to be the one to lead the Israelites, the people of God out of their slavery in the land of Egypt. And at that time, Moses had been in exile in the land of the Midianites away from Egypt because though he was raised as an Egyptian prince, but by his act of murdering an Egyptian that persecuted an Israelite slave, Moses feared the Pharaoh’s anger and hence fled to the land of the Midianites, where he established a family with the daughter of Jethro who took him in and cared for him. It was at that time when the Lord appeared before Moses at Mount Horeb as we heard today.

In that apparition of the Lord in the miraculous burning bush, we heard of God telling Moses to go to Egypt, to confront Pharaoh and to tell him that he must let the Israelites go. He also told Moses that He knew and was fully aware of the sufferings and challenges that His people had faced in their lives in Egypt, persecuted and enslaved by the Egyptians, denied their basic rights and exploited, and even had attempts at genocide made against them when the earlier Pharaoh feared that the Israelites were continuing to flourish and grow in number despite their enslavement and persecution. And the Lord told Moses that this was why He sent Moses to set into motion everything that He has foretold and promised His people to do, to lead them out of the land of their sufferings and slavery into the land promised to them and their forefathers.

Through this reading we have received, we are reminded that just as the Israelites were shown mercy of God and led through the guidance of Moses by the hands and power of God, out of the land of their slavery through the desert where they journeyed for forty years before they finally reached their promised land, therefore each and every one of us, the beloved people of God are also called to remember God’s generous love and mercy, which He has shown to us constantly and persistently despite our sins and disobedience against Him. But at the same time, whole He showed His love and compassion towards us, the examples of the Israelites and their journey in the desert should serve as an important reminder for us that this journey which we are going through in our own respective lives’ journey is not going to be an easy and smooth one.

This was mentioned in our second reading passage this Sunday, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful people of God in the city and region of Corinth, we heard of the words of the Apostle to the faithful regarding the reference that St. Paul made to the time of the Exodus of the Israelites as well. This reference to the time of the Exodus and how the Israelites stumbled and disobeyed God repeatedly during the Exodus, and how many of them perished on the way because of their sins is an important reminder for us that while God is truly loving and merciful, but He also abhors sin and evil, wickedness and disobedience against His Law and commandments. And that means, in our own lives, if we are to allow the temptations of sin to lead us astray, then we will have to account for them before the Lord at the time of the Final Judgment.

This means that we cannot presume that we can continue on living in the state of sin without repentance and forgiveness for our many sins, wickedness and evil actions. Yes, God is indeed ever loving and merciful towards us, His beloved children, but at the same time, as mentioned, God is also a holy and just Lord, in Whose Presence no sin or evil can exist or remain. Therefore, we must make sure that we rid ourselves of all sorts of sin and impurities in us, repenting from our wicked ways and manners which are unbecoming of us as Christians, as God’s holy, chosen and beloved people. Each and every one of us ought to live our lives in the manner that is truly pleasing to God, committing ourselves to follow Him in His Law and commandment, obeying Him wholeheartedly and removing from ourselves the corruption of sin.

We must remember how God’s love and compassion had made it possible for us to have hope today, the hope that we have received from the most loving and selfless sacrifice which Christ our Lord had offered on the Altar of His Cross at Calvary. Through this loving sacrifice, and the perfect offering He has offered for our sake, Christ Our Lord and Saviour has provided all of us the path out of the darkness and tyranny of sin, opening for us the gates of Heaven itself, giving us the straight path to salvation, should we be willing to commit ourselves to the path of repentance and embrace God’s mercy and forgiveness. We must be thankful that God our most loving and patient Father has always loved us so patiently and wonderfully all these while, and we truly should not take His love for granted.

From our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we have heard of the words of the Lord reminding His disciples and all those people who were listening to Him, that all of them ought to be vigilant in their lives against sin, and pointed out the fact that everyone is a sinner, all in need of God’s mercy, forgiveness and healing. The Lord pointed out that just because some people suffered from certain tragedies and events, that does not mean they were greater in their sins or faults, and most importantly, there should be no prejudice, bias or attitudes that lead to elitist and exclusivist actions like what the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law had done against their fellow brethren, in thinking that they were better than those whom they considered to be unworthy and unclean, priding themselves in their own pious actions and observances of thr Law.

We are also reminded that we have been given this opportunity in this life to be truly fruitful in our every actions and moments, to be fruitful with the fruits of our faith and the gifts of the Holy Spirit that have been given to each one of us. We must therefore remember our ultimate destination that is Heaven, God’s mercy and love, His promise of salvation and eternal life to all of us, distancing ourselves from all the wickedness and evils of this world, all those things that may lead us astray in our path towards the grace and love of God. Each and every one of us should do our very best to inspire and to be good and worthy role models to our fellow brothers and sisters. During this time and season of Lent, we are reminded to humble ourselves and to rend our hearts and our whole beings from pride, from all sorts of arrogance and wickedness, to distance ourselves from the path of evil, and wholeheartedly embracing the love and mercy of God.

May the Lord, our most loving God and Father, continue to strengthen our faith within us, empowering each one of us with the courage to continue glorifying Him by our lives, by our every moments and actions, through our devotion and commitment to His cause, now and always. May our Lenten observances and journey be blessed by God, and may they be truly blessed and fruitful. Amen.

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Saturday, 22 March 2025 : 2nd Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us are reminded through the readings of the Sacred Scriptures, of the great love and mercy of God which He has willingly shown to us, through His compassion and the desire which He has for us, in leading us all into the path towards our reconciliation with Him. All of us as Christians are reminded that God, our ever loving Father and Creator has always been full of mercy towards us, full of compassion and love, ever kind and ever committed to the Covenant which He has made with us all, His beloved children and people, who have often erred against Him, disobeying His Law and commandments, refusing to walk in the path that He has shown us. And yet, God is still willing to embrace us all with the love of a loving Father, while chastising us for our sins, with the ultimate aim and goal to be reconciled with us.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Micah in which the prophet Micah spoke to God on behalf of the people of Israel, the people of God, asking and beseeching God to shepherd and guide them all as He has always done in the days and years past, reminding the people at the same time of the great love and mercy that God has shown to His people throughout history, as He cared for them when they were in trouble, protecting them all from their enemies and guiding them through the right path, showing them all His power and glory, fulfilling all those things that He has promised them, and making the path before them smooth. God has done all these to His people out of His great love and compassion towards them, wanting them to live worthily in His path, so that they might be reunited with Him and be found worthy of Him.

At that time, during the time of the ministry of the prophet Micah which happened during the later parts of the history of the kingdom of Judah, many among the people of God in Judah had not obeyed the Law and commandments of God, preferring to follow their own paths and preferences in life. As such, God has warned them all that should they continue in their rebellious attitude, then in the end, they will be judged by their wicked and dishonourable actions that had kept them all away from the path of righteousness. And yet, at the same time, God also reassured His people that He truly loved all of them, and should they seek Him for His mercy and forgiveness, repenting their wicked and wayward paths, then He would willingly welcome them all back to His holy and loving Presence. It all ultimately depended on what the people would choose to do with their lives.

Essentially, we are all reminded that we have the freedom to choose our path in life, whether we want to continue to live our lives in disobedience of God and His ways, or whether we want to return to Him, asking and begging for Him to forgive us all our trespasses, mistakes and faults. And this is what we are being reminded again through our Gospel passage today from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist. In that Gospel passage, we heard the famous parable of the prodigal son, detailing to us the story of the younger of two sons of a rich man who sought his part of the inheritance early on, and when he was given the inheritance, he went away on a journey to distant lands where he spent all of his inheritance, money and possessions on wayward living and hedonistic lifestyle with his friends and others around him.

In this very well-known parable, we heard of how the prodigal younger son eventually realised his mistake and foolishness when he had run out of his money, wealth and inheritance, and all of his so-called friends and all those who were around him disappeared and left him when he had nothing else left on him. He tried to survive for a while in a very despondent state, working in a pig farm, and as we heard, no one would give him even the pig food to eat. That was when the prodigal younger son realised and decided to return back to his father, to beg him to make him one of his servants instead, as he could choose to remain there in the distant lands and die of hunger, or to swallow his pride and seek the father’s mercy and forgiveness instead, and remain alive, as those servants of his father were all living in plenty and happiness.

Through this parable, the Lord wanted to show us all the love that He has for each and every one of us, the constant and persistent love and compassionate care which He has given generously to us, with the father in the story representing the Lord Himself, the elder son being those who have followed the commandments of the Lord and His Law, and was also in a way a representation of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law at that time, while the prodigal younger son represents those sinners who have decided to come back to the Lord, seeking the mercy of their Heavenly Father just like the prodigal son seeking the reconciliation with his father after having committed such a grievous mistake and error of living in debauchery and squandering his inheritance.

We heard of how the father in the parable was so joyful upon hearing that his younger son has finally returned to him, that he had returned despite probably being thought of having been lost or dead. And thus, the father threw a great feast and celebration to welcome his return, only for the elder brother to be angered by such a reception. And we heard the Lord Himself explaining how what happened to the prodigal son is something that we ourselves ought to be experiencing in our own lives. This is because each and every one of us are also sinners who are seeking God’s forgiveness and mercy. And through the figure of the elder brother, the Lord was also criticising the actions of those Pharisees and teachers of the Law who often prided themselves for their righteousness and being biased, judgmental and prejudiced against their own fellow brothers and sisters.

This means that those people behaved just like the elder brother who thought that he was more worthy of the father’s love just because he seemed to be the more righteous one and the one who had been by the side of the father all the while. But the father’s love is given to both of his sons equally, and both of them were equally precious to him, just as the Lord loves each and every one of us equally, all His beloved children, though sinners. Even the greatest sinners, should they be willing to embrace God’s mercy and forgiveness, will be given the fullness of His grace and kindness. And this is why we should never lose hope in the mercy, compassion and kindness of God. If we allow ourselves to be misguided in thinking that we are unworthy of God’s love, or if we are too proud to admit that we are sinners in need of healing, then we will never receive the forgiveness of God.

That prodigal, younger son could have perished in the distant lands, all alone and in poverty if he did not swallow his pride and chose to be humble, begging and seeking his father’s forgiveness and mercy. It was his conscious choice to return to his father with a regretful and contrite heart that the prodigal son has been forgiven and received once again the fullness of the father’s generous love. Therefore, in the same manner, all of us, who are sinners, will receive the fullness of the Lord, our Heavenly Father’s most generous love and kindness, mercy and compassion if we choose to obey Him and come back to Him with sorrowful and repentant hearts. Are we then willing to make the commitment to this path, brothers and sisters in Christ? Are we willing to acknowledge our sinfulness and our imperfections, flaws and mistakes that had kept us away from God?

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we continue to journey through this blessed time and opportunity this Lenten season, let us all realise how fortunate we are to have been given such a wonderful opportunity for reconciliation with our loving God and Father, and make good use of the great opportunity given to us to seek His love and mercy once again. Let us all not harden our hearts and close our minds anymore to Him, but do our best instead to glorify Him by our lives, by our humble obedience and desire to be forgiven and to be fully loved again by God, our loving Father, Who loves each and every one of us equally without exception. And as those who have received this faith and blessing from God, we, as the elder children, should also be welcoming to our fellow brethren, especially all those who have not known God and His mercy, reaching out to them and sharing God’s love with them instead of judging them and being prejudiced against them, or being jealous of God’s love and mercy which have been shown to them too.

May the Lord, our heavenly and most loving and compassionate Father continue to bless each and every one of us, and bless our Lenten journey and observance, our practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving among others. May God be with us always, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Friday, 21 March 2025 : 2nd Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Lord contained within the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded that desire, jealousy and ambition, among other things can really be very dangerous and harmful for us as they can easily mislead us all into the path towards our downfall and destruction. We must always remind ourselves that worldly desires, attachments and ambitions of all sorts would only lead to division and from there on to suffering, and ultimately into sin and therefore destruction. The examples highlighted in our Scripture passages today served to remind us about these facts so that we will not go further in our erroneous ways and repent from all of our sins, returning back to the Lord with contrite hearts, seeking His forgiveness and mercy.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Genesis, we heard of the story of the time when the sons of Jacob or also known as Israel, struggled among themselves because of the favour which Jacob gave to one of his sons, Joseph, one of his youngest sons, born of his beloved wife, Rachel. For the context of this event, we must first understand the dynamics of Jacob’s life and family relationships, which began when he went into self-exile away from his homeland in Canaan after he had taken away the blessings meant for his elder brother Esau. He went to the land of his relative Laban in Mesopotamia, and while labouring for him, gained two of Laban’s daughters as wife, the elder daughter Leah and the younger one, Rachel. Jacob loved Rachel and only wanted to marry her, but had to take Leah as wife as well.

As a result, when they and their servants bore children to Jacob, eventually it was inevitable that Jacob treasured the sons born to him by Rachel more than the other sons. In addition, if we read on more in the Scriptures, Rachel died while giving birth to Joseph’s younger brother Benjamin, which is yet another reason why Jacob treated Joseph with such favour as described in our first reading today. However, just as we have also heard there, this naturally brought about resentment from the other sons of Jacob, who saw their brother’s special treatment with jealousy and even disgust. This was exacerbated by the dreams which Joseph had received, which he shared with his brothers, which were actually premonitions of what would happen in the future, foreseeing the moment when everyone including his parents, would bow before Joseph, in his later role as the Regent of Egypt.

This eventually led to them plotting their own brother’s demise, even thinking of killing him. Fortunately, Reuben, the eldest son of Jacob managed to dissuade them from such an act, and instead, they sold Joseph off to Midianite slavers who eventually brought Joseph to Egypt, while they lied to their father saying that Joseph had been killed by wild animals. Joseph had to struggle in his early years in Egypt, enduring slavery and then prison, before rising up to the position of the Regent of Egypt by God’s guidance and grace. And as mentioned, he would eventually be reunited with his brothers and family after many years, and they forgave one another their mistakes and faults. This is truly a reminder for all of us as Christians not to do the same injustice and mistreatment to our fellow brothers and sisters ourselves.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the parable told by the Lord Jesus to His disciples from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist regarding the evil tenants in a land that refused to pay and obey their dues, the fees that they were supposed to give to the landowner as part of their rent and obligations. This led to the master or landowner to send his servants to collect the rents from those tenants and to remind them to fulfil their obligations, only for those evil and wicked tenants to mistreat the servants sent by the landowner, persecuting and even killing them. And we heard how last of all, the landowner or master sent his own son to the field, thinking that those tenants would at least respect his son, which ended up with the evil tenants plotting and causing the death of the landowner’s son, with the wicked intention of desiring the ownership of the lands that they had been renting.

This parable was in fact a representation of the people of God of the time of the Lord Jesus and previously, such as during the time of the prophet Jeremiah mentioned earlier on. Those evil and wicked tenants refer to the people of God themselves, with the lands they had rented on being a representation of this world that we are all living in. Meanwhile, the master or the landowner is a representation of the Lord Himself, the Lord of the world and all Creation, and those servants that were sent to the tenants to remind them represent the prophets and the messengers that God had sent to His people. And of course the son of the master represents the Son of God Himself, the Lord and Saviour of all, Whom had been sent into this world, and then later on was rejected and condemned to death by those who refused to believe in Him, much as how those wicked tenants treated the master’s son.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, that is how our desires for worldly things, riches, possessions and other sorts of ambitions can lead us into the slippery slope of sin and disobedience against God, corrupting us and turning us away from God’s grace and love into the path towards our downfall. We must not allow ourselves to be easily taken in by our ambitions and desires such as what the sons of Jacob had exhibited, and which the evil and wicked tenants in the parable of the Lord had shown us. As Christians all of us should resist the temptations of worldly glory and desires, all the obstacles keeping us away from the Lord and His righteous path. We should resist all the false pleasures offered and provided by the evil ones seeking our downfall and destruction, and strive to be good role models in our own lives, in how we live up to our faith each day, putting God at the centre of our lives and existence, and not our own pride, ego and desires for glory and worldly pleasures.

May all of us continue to draw ever closer to God and to His most generous mercy as we continue to progress through this time and season of Lent, so that by our commitment to live our daily lives in the manner that is acceptable to God, obeying His Law and commandments, all of these would be helpful in leading us closer to the Lord’s salvation, allowing us to throw away the yoke of sin and evil, and with contrite and sorrowful hearts, fully realising the depth and gravity of our sins, we may enter into God’s rich embrace of mercy and love, and be healed from all of our predicaments and corruptions of sin. May God be with us always, and may He empower each one of us with His love and grace, that we may give Him our very best and commit ourselves wholeheartedly to Him, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 20 March 2025 : 2nd Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded that trusting in the Lord, following His Law and commandments, all these are far more important and crucial than following the ways of the world. In particular, during this penitential time and season of Lent, we must remember to be careful of the temptations of sin which may lead us astray in the path of our journey towards God. We must always be vigilant of the efforts of those who seek our destruction and downfall, so that we do not end up falling into those temptations and lose our path towards the Lord. We must not let the comforts, pleasures and all the good things in this world around us to lead us into destruction, and we should be good role models of our faith, devoting our time and effort to lead others to God by our charity, love and kindness towards everyone around us.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah, we heard of the words of the Lord to His people in the kingdom of Judah in which He chided, rebuked and warned against all those people who have abandoned His ways, refused to believe in Him and to put their trust in Him. This was brought against many among the people of Judah who had abandoned the path of the Lord, persecuted the prophets and messengers that God had sent to remind and help them, including that of Jeremiah himself. Those people chose to trust in the ways and means of the world rather than to trust in God and in His Providence, and hence, God warned them that they would all perish and be destroyed if they kept on putting their trust in the world.

For the context, at that time, during the time of the ministry of the prophet Jeremiah, the people of the kingdom of Judah had ignored the Lord and His prophets in many occasions, and as mentioned, persecuted those who had been sent to guide and help them like Jeremiah himself. False prophets and servants of God were aplenty, as those who sought to subvert the people to their own agenda and ideas clashed with Jeremiah on the course of action for the king and the people to follow. Jeremiah warned the people of God of their sins and how their disobedience would lead to their destruction, the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple of God, which all would be destroyed and razed by the Babylonians just as the other prophets had also prophesied before. For all of these, Jeremiah was hated and despised, and labelled as a traitor and fearmonger.

On the other hand, the false prophets and messengers convinced the king and the nobles of the kingdom of Judah, as well as the people to side with the powers of the world at the time, either to submit to the King of Babylon, or as what the more common political agenda of the time dictated, to side with the Pharaoh and King of Egypt instead, using the power and protection of the Egyptian army and nation to balance the power of the Babylonians. Essentially, it was this action which the Lord warned His people about, that they trusted in the powers, means and providence of the world rather than to trust in Him. All of their plots and works would eventually be laid bare, and they would be meaningless and useless, and would in fact bring the people and the kingdom to their doom, as the prophet Jeremiah had prophesied and tried to warn them all.

The Lord at the same time also reassured His people that those who have held on to their faith in Him and remained righteous and just in their ways would be blessed and saved. God’s wrath and anger are reserved indeed only on those who constantly and repeatedly refused to listen to Him or obey Him. But ultimately, He loves all of His beloved people, His children, all those whom He had chosen to be His own. He wanted all of them to walk in the path of righteousness, to be holy, good and just, to be worthy of Him just as He has always intended. However, it was our disobedience and refusal to obey Him and His Law, our errors and mistakes, all of which had led to us ending up on this path towards damnation and destruction, in which case, God still wants to rescue us all from this path.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the story of the parable of Lazarus and the rich man told by the Lord Jesus to His disciples in the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist. In that well-known parable, we heard of the story of how Lazarus, a very poor man and beggar, was sitting daily at the side of the door of a rich man’s house or mansion, and while he was there begging for food, the rich man, who hosted parties and celebrations on daily basis, did not even give him anything from this table, from all the excesses of his celebrations, and Lazarus could only hope that some of the scraps of the bread and food from the rich man’s table could be his sustenance, but no one would give even those to him. And we heard how eventually both Lazarus and the rich man passed away.

In that parable, we heard how the actions of the rich man, his ignorance of the plight and sufferings of Lazarus led to him being cast into Hell for his lack of empathy and love for his fellow men, while Lazarus received his right rewards and was raised to the bosom of Abraham in Heaven, to enjoy forever the happiness and joy that he had been lacking in life. Through this example and story, the Lord wanted to let us all, His disciples and followers, know that as Christians, all of us must not be ignorant of the plight and sufferings of the poor and those others who are in need of help around us. We are reminded that should we follow the path of the rich man, then we may end up in the same fate as him, where an eternity of regret and suffering awaits us.

This is also an important reminder for us that just as we continue to progress through this time and season of Lent, we do not just keep ourselves away from the corruption of sins that may lead us into the damnation of Hell, but we must also remind ourselves not to commit the sin of omission. What is the sin of omission exactly, brothers and sisters in Christ? It refers to the sin that is caused by our own conscious neglect of our duties and responsibilities as Christians, where we could have done something for the benefit of those others present around us, but we have chosen not to do so, just as the rich man had consciously ignored the poor beggar Lazarus, while he could have stepped in to help and take care of Lazarus with the excessive wealth that he had. He had chosen not to do so, and hence, committed the sin of omission that led him down into Hell.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore strive to be more generous in loving and sharing our blessings with one another during this time and period of Lent. One of the important practices commonly practiced this Lent is that of almsgiving, which we should do willingly and generously, so that we may be able to help those who may not be as fortunate as us in life. But let us remember not to give because we want to be rewarded or to be praised for doing so. Instead, let us all give generously from our heart and out of the sincere desire to care for the less fortunate brethren around us. May God be with us always and may He continue to give us His guidance in life, so that we do not depend so much on worldly things but on Him and His Providence instead, and be generous in sharing our blessings with one another. Amen.

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Wednesday, 19 March 2025 : Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church marks the occasion of the Solemnity of St. Joseph, the Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as the husband of the Mother of God, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. St. Joseph therefore is the foster-father and legal guardian of the Lord, Who was born into his family. St. Joseph is the Protector and titular head of the Holy Family centred on Jesus, the Son of God and Saviour of all. On this day we honour this great figure of the story of our salvation, the one who has devoted himself thoroughly to the mission that has been entrusted to him, in protecting and guiding the Son of God which has been put in his guardianship. St. Joseph was this great example and role model for his foster and legal Son, and his righteousness and actions are themselves examples for us to follow.

In our first reading today, we heard from the second Book of the prophet Samuel in which the Lord told David, the then King of Israel, through His prophet Nathan regarding His response about the plan that King David had in wanting to build a great Temple and House of God in Jerusalem. The Lord told David that it would not be him that build the Temple and House for the Lord, but his son, the next king, King Solomon, who eventually built this great edifice and House of God. But more importantly in the same words of the Lord through the prophet Nathan, God assured David that He would bless him and his house forever, and his house would reign forever on the Throne of Israel. While this was seen immediately as the Lord’s promise of blessings for David’s son, Solomon, who would be the king after him, but it was in fact also the premonition of what God would do through David’s House.

This is because the kingdom that David and his son Solomon ruled in great glory did not in fact last long after their passing, and the kingdom of Israelites split into two barely moments after King Solomon passed away. And the descendants of David and Solomon were eventually bereft of kingship as the kingdom of Judah, on which throne the heirs of David ruled for another few hundred years, was destroyed and conquered by the Babylonians. But the descendants of King David remained and existed, and after many more generations, eventually it came to St. Joseph himself, who was the senior and rightful heir of David by descent. While keeping a low profile and was relatively unknown by the people of God at that time, by the legal rights and rules of the Law, it is right and just that St. Joseph was indeed the one to continue David’s legacy, and from him to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

And therefore this passage from the Book of the prophet Samuel is highlighted today for us because it provides us with the link between what God had promised to David, His servant, and its fulfilment in Jesus Christ, the Son and Heir of David through His foster and legal father, St. Joseph. Jesus our Lord is the perfect fulfilment of God’s promises and assurances for His people, and this was shown to us through the Gospel passage today taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, which detailed to us the genealogy of Our Lord from that of the House of David. Thus, it was not without basis that the Lord Jesus came bearing forth the Good News of God’s salvation, as it was His right heritage as the Heir of David, the One Whom God has promised to both David himself and to the people of Israel, as the One to fulfil all of the prophecies that He had sent through His many prophets and messengers.

And St. Joseph was a great role model indeed as a father and guide for the young Messiah, dedicating himself thoroughly to the role which had been entrusted to him. He obeyed the Lord when He told him through his Angels and the dream he had received, taking Mary as his wife, guiding and protecting her as they made their way to Bethlehem for the census of the Roman Emperor Augustus, and then after the Child has been born, he led the Holy Family to safety when the life of the Holy Child was in danger due to the actions of King Herod. He patiently guided and protected both Mary, his wife and the child Jesus, taking shelter in Egypt during the dangerous times, and then leading them back to Nazareth where he stayed, and brought up the Child faithfully and taught Him well all that he knew of the world, the Law and the ways of the Lord.

Through these actions and great faith, righteousness and virtues that St. Joseph have shown us, we are reminded of the words of the Apostle St. Paul in our second reading today, taken from the Epistle that he had written and intended for the Church and the faithful people of God in Rome. In that Epistle, St. Paul spoke of how Abraham had received righteousness and blessings, and also the assurance for his descendants through the Covenant that God had made with him, not because of his obedience to the Law of God, but more due to the faith and true love and commitment that he had in the Lord. And since the Lord knew this faith and great love that Abraham had for him, this is why He blessed him and his descendants. This was the same as well for St. Joseph, our great Patron whom we celebrate today. His righteousness, virtue and faith in the Lord is a major reason why we commemorate and honour him such, even more than the fact that he is the foster-father of Our Lord and Saviour.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore look upon the great faith, virtue and obedience shown by St. Joseph, his great perseverance and commitment to the missions entrusted to him by the Lord as great inspiration and model for all of us to follow in our own lives. Each and every one of us should not allow ourselves to be easily swayed by worldly temptations or fears, or any kind of worldly distractions from keeping us away from God. We have often fallen into those temptations and as a result, we became distracted, separated and distanced away from our Lord and His grace. And this is why the examples and inspiration shown by St. Joseph, his righteousness and love for those whom he had been entrusted with, his Spouse Mary, the Mother of God, and his foster-Son, our Lord Himself, in the Holy Family should be good examples to all of us, in our own families and among ourselves.

Let us all continue to walk in the path which the Lord has shown and taught us, and following the good role model and examples of St. Joseph, Holy Patron, the foster-father of Our Lord and Saviour, the Spouse of Mary, the Blessed ever Virgin Mother of God, let us all be ever more faithful and committed to be good and worthy Christians, as those whom God had called and chosen from this world to be His own beloved and holy people. Let us all be good example and role models ourselves to our fellow brothers and sisters around us. We are all called to be devoted to the Lord, to be righteous and just in all of our ways and actions, our every moments in life, and be the worthy bearers of God’s truth, now and always. May our Lenten observance continue to bear good and rich fruits, and may we draw ever closer to God. Amen.

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Tuesday, 18 March 2025 : 2nd Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us are reminded through the readings of the Sacred Scriptures during this time and season of Lent that all of our actions and practices during this time of repentance and reorientation towards God should always be based and founded upon the desire for us to return towards our loving God and Father, ever being mindful of our fallen and wicked nature, having been tempted and corrupted by those sins and wickedness present all around us. During this time of Lent, all of us are made more aware of all the obstacles that prevented us from coming back towards God and His love, to our loving Father and Creator, Who has always desired for us to return to Him and to be reunited with Him, no longer separated from Him due to our sins.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, we heard of the words of the Lord warning His people, the Israelites of the dangers of sin, reminding them of what had happened in the past to the two cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, which in history had been destroyed because of their grievous and terrible sins, and most importantly, because they refused to listen to God’s words and reminders, ignoring the opportunities given to them to repent and turn away from their sins. For the context, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were where Lot, the nephew and relative of Abraham settled in after they parted ways from each other. God first revealed to Abraham His plan of destroying the two cities for their wickedness and sins, but Abraham pleaded with the Lord a few times, asking Him to spare the cities if some righteous ones could be found in them, likely also for the sake of Lot, his relative.

Unfortunately, despite the pleading from Abraham, not even few righteous in those cities could be found save that of Lot himself and his immediate family. And when God sent His Angels to those cities, the wicked people of Sodom and Gomorrah, who according to tradition involved themselves in perverse sins and corruption of the flesh, demanded that the guests of Lot, who were the Angels in disguise, were to be surrendered to them. This was the last straw that sealed their fate, as the Angels led Lot and his family out of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, which ended up being destroyed by fire and brimstone from Heaven. God told the people through the prophet Isaiah about this reference to Sodom and Gomorrah to remind and warn them of the dangers of the sins that they had committed, in disobeying His Law and commandments, which could eventually lead them into the same path towards destruction.

The lesson from this story of Sodom and Gomorrah, and what the Lord Himself has told His people, the Israelites through the prophet Isaiah is that, while God is truly loving and merciful towards us, His beloved ones, but we must not take this love and mercy for granted, as in the end, at the time of reckoning and judgment, we will be condemned by whatever sins and wickedness that we have committed, if we do not repent from them. God did remind His people of His mercy and love as well, giving them reassurance and hope that if they were to change their ways and embrace His love and mercy, then they would be fully forgiven from their faults, mistakes and sins. But if they were to persist in their sins, then they would eventually face destruction and damnation.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist in which the Lord Jesus told His disciples regarding the behaviour and attitude of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, many of whom liked to showcase their piety and actions among the people around them, praying visibly in public places and wearing long and wide bands of prayer tassels and cloaks that the Jewish elders and intellectuals often wore, so that they would be praised by the people who saw them and their pious behaviour and actions. The Lord was warning His disciples and therefore also all of us against following this kind of behaviour so that we will not end up being tempted by pride, ambition and desire, all of which may lead to us into this same path of arrogance and egoistic behaviour that will likely lead us away from God.

Instead, the Lord said that to be His faithful and true followers, we must be humble and we must always keep our focus on the Lord, our one and only true Master. We must not let ourselves to be deluded into thinking that we are the master of our lives and our fates, or that we can gain the riches and glory of the world that will last forever. None of these worldly things, attachments and pursuits will last forever, and they will not avail us on the time and moment of reckoning and judgment of our lives. And if we spend so much time in trying to gain all these at the expense of our relationship with God, then in the end there may be nothing left for us except regret because we have spent so much time and effort to gain all these in vain, because none of those things will last for us. All of them are ultimately fleeting and impermanent.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, a holy man and servant of God who had devoted himself thoroughly to the service of God. St. Cyril of Jerusalem was born in Jerusalem in the early fourth century, and was ordained as a deacon, priest and eventually became the Bishop of Jerusalem, which was why he was known as St. Cyril of Jerusalem. St. Cyril as the Bishop of Jerusalem became one of the most steadfast defenders of the true and orthodox Christian faith against those who sought to change and twist the teachings of the Church to suit their own agenda and ambitions. He met a lot of opposition from those who embraced the heretical Arian teachings and ways, and such as from one Arian bishop Acacius, he had to face stubborn resistance which led to him being banished by those in power who were favourable to the Arian cause.

St. Cyril endured patiently all these challenges and hardships, giving his all in the struggles for the souls of the faithful people of God. He embraced the fullness of the orthodox teachings after having been influenced by Arian teachings and ideas himself in his youth. During those turbulent years when he was exiled from his See of Jerusalem, and after, when he returned in favour and power, he wrote extensively about the faith, which is the basis for his later elevation as one of the Doctors of the Church, a rare privilege among the saints of God. His great series of catechises on various matters and aspects of the Christian faith still inspired many people long after his passing, much as his great faith and piety are truly examples for all of us to follow in our own lives.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us have discussed from the words of the Sacred Scriptures that we have received regarding the need for us to repent and turn away from our sins, and on the need for us all to be humble in all things, to seek the Lord, His love and mercy at all times in our lives. We have also listened to the life and ministry of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, the faithful servant of God whose life should serve as a good inspiration for all of us so that we may know how to move forward in life, striving to distance ourselves away from the corruptions and temptations of sin. Let us all therefore be good role models and examples for one another, and do our part as good, holy and devoted Christians, as God’s holy people, to be the ones to glorify the Lord by our lives and examples. May our Lenten journey continue to bear rich fruits of faith, and help us to draw ever closer to the Lord, our God and His salvation. Amen.