Weekday Homily

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Thursday, 27 February 2025 : 7th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Gregory of Narek, Abbot and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Abbots)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the need for us to distance ourselves from the corruption of sin and evil, resisting the temptations of worldly desires, pleasures and ambitions, all the things that can lead us astray in the journey towards the Lord and His salvation. We are called to remain vigilant and be constantly on guard so that we do not end up being easily tempted or persuaded to abandon our faith in the Lord and embracing instead the wickedness of worldly vices and evils, all of which may indeed be very tempting and convincing in making us think twice about following the Lord and His path. As Christians, we should be good role models in leading the path, showing the way for others to follow in focusing our lives in God.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Sirach we heard the words of the prophet reminding the people of God of the dangers and all the harm caused by sin and all the temptations to sin, and also for the people not to test God’s patience and mercy. The prophet Sirach reminded the faithful that while God is indeed loving, compassionate and full of mercy, but at the same time He is also a good and just God Who despises the corruption and wickedness of sin and evil in our actions and waywardness. Therefore, we must not take for granted the love and mercy which God has generously given to us, and we must make good use of the opportunities and chances that He has given us to repent and to turn away from our path of sin and wickedness, and to embrace His mercy and love wholeheartedly.

The prophet Sirach was preaching especially to a population of the descendants of the Israelites, which during his time, at the height of the Hellenistic era, about two centuries before the coming of Christ, was increasingly influenced by the Greek ways and pagan ideals, a society of God’s people being torn between the Law and traditions of the Israelites and the innovations and ways of the Greeks that were becoming increasingly popular among them at the time. That was why the prophet Sirach reminded the people of God not to test God and His patience and mercy, and exhorting them all to turn once again to the way of the Lord, abandoning their wickedness and sins, which their ancestors had been punished for, and which the Lord wanted His people to stay away from.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist in which the Lord told His disciples with rather blunt language telling them to avoid committing sins and wickedness in their lives or else they might end up being condemned in the eternal damnation in Hell because of their sins and what they had done. The Lord made it clear with those vivid representations that sin is truly something dangerous and what we must be careful with or else, we may end up falling down the path towards damnation. But we must not misunderstand what the Lord said as literally meaning that we should chop off our hands and legs, or tear off our eyes if they were to lead us to sin. Rather, what the Lord wanted to highlight is the severity of sin such that it is really important that we take the necessary steps to keep ourselves free from it, or else, we may indeed fall into eternal damnation.

Our body itself, our hands, legs and eyes, and our other body parts are themselves neutral and not evil in nature. It is our thoughts, minds and hearts that can either bring these body parts to be used for good purposes or for evil. That is why we are all reminded that we should keep ourselves free from sin by resisting the temptations to do so, and to do whatever we can to perform good deeds and actions in accordance to God’s will, obeying His Law and commandments in everything that we do, so that by our lives and examples, we may truly be good role models and inspiration for everyone to follow, to be the shining beacons of God’s light and truth in our world today, bringing forth His righteousness and truth to everyone around us, and hopefully through our good and faithful lives, we may touch the lives of many others in the good way.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Gregory of Narek, a renowned holy man and Abbot from the Armenian Church, also known as Gregor Narekatsi, as he was stationed in the region of Lake Van in historical Armenia, a place known as Narekavank. He was born as the son of a local bishop, who was suspected of Chalcedonian beliefs and was persecuted for that faith. The young St. Gregory of Narek and his brother was sent to Narekavank for his education and upbringing, and eventually was ordained a priest and became a monk and abbot of that institution in Narekavank, which was why he was later on known famously as St. Gregory of Narek. This holy man of God devoted his whole life in teaching theology at the area and also wrote extensively many theological works and other books related to the Christian faith.

The many writings of St. Gregory of Narek in various areas and philosophical discourses, as well as the works on theology and other commentaries on the Scriptures are very influential in the Armenian Church and beyond, and after he passed away, many people venerated this holy man of God who devoted his life to the study of the faith, and who was also personally full of faith and piety in God. He also showed all of us Christians what it truly means for us to walk in the path of God’s grace and righteousness, rejecting the temptations of worldly glory, ambitions and fame, the allures of sin and evil. All of us can learn well to follow the good examples that St. Gregory of Narek has shown us through his life and works, and we should follow in his footsteps in our own daily living as Christians.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all as Christians be good role models of our faith in how we live our lives in each and every moments, even in the smallest and least significant things that we do, so that by our every good actions and examples we may inspire many more people to come and believe in God as well. Let us all therefore commit ourselves to a life of virtue and righteousness, doing our best so that our every actions, words and deeds will be truly worthy for us as Christians, like that of St. Gregory of Narek before us, and our many other holy predecessors. May the Lord be with us always and may He continue to guide us all in our lives so that we may always be full of faith and virtues in all things. Amen.

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Wednesday, 26 February 2025 : 7th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are being reminded of the need for us to continue obeying the will of God and to do whatever it is that the Lord has entrusted to us to do in our respective lives, through the good use of whatever talents, opportunities and other blessings that we have received from Him. Each and every one of us as Christians are expected to do our best such that we will continue to glorify Him by our lives, and be the good and worthy bearers of His truth, Good News and love to everyone whom we encounter and interact with in life. As Christians, all of us are called and expected to be the faithful bearers of God’s Good News, to be truly evangelising and missionary in our everyday moments.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Sirach, we heard of the Wisdom of God and how through this Wisdom all of us are led and guided through the right path, with God guiding us through the words that His Wisdom speaks in the depths of our hearts and minds, helping us all to make the good choices and judgments in each and every turns of our lives. If we can trust in His Wisdom, His guidance and truth, then we will truly be assured of the path towards God and His salvation, as the prophet Sirach had mentioned. There will be difficult and tough moments in which we have to endure and persevere through, but with the guidance from God, eventually everything will be fine for us, as long as we continue to put our trust and faith in Him. But if we wander off and detach ourselves from His Wisdom, then we shall end up being lost and cast away from God.

This is an important reminder for us that our lives as Christians will not necessarily be an easy and smooth-sailing one, as there will likely be many obstacles, hardships and challenges facing us in our path. There will be twists and turns in our journey where we may be hard pressed to follow the path of the world, where we need to remember to trust in the Lord and His Wisdom. We must not allow ourselves to be swayed easily by these pressures, and we must always trust in the Wisdom of God guiding us in our path. And as Christians, it is important for us to be the role models for others around us, in showing everyone how our lives and actions are shaped and guided by the Wisdom of God and not by the whim of our own desires or by worldly ambitions.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist in which we heard of the moment when the Lord Jesus told His disciples not to stop a man who was performing good works in His Name, even though he did not belong to their group. The context of this exchange is that those disciples witnessed the man who drove out demons from others using the Name of the Lord, invoking Him in the process. And those disciples were likely uncomfortable with the fact that there were those who were working miracles and wonders that were not connected to their group. And the Lord told His disciples that His gifts and wonders were not meant to be exclusive or discriminatory.

It means that there should be no exclusivity in the gifts of the Lord, or that those who do work in the Name of the Lord ought to belong to a certain caste or group, without which they are not authorised to do the works of the Lord. This is also shown in other occasions in how even the Gentiles received the same gifts from the Lord, and the power of the Holy Spirit, both during the time of the Lord’s ministry and the works of the Apostles later on. This shows the Universality of the Church, how the Lord’s calling and the missions He has entrusted to all of us mankind, are truly universal in nature, given to all the whole world, and to all the children of man, without exception. And this was the reminder that the Lord gave to His disciples, that they should not think that they were above the others because of the gifts and the blessings which He has given to them.

Many among the disciples of the Lord at that time thought that the Lord came as the Messiah to liberate the people of God, the Israelites from their enemies and those who have ruled over them, and many among them likely thought that they would receive rich rewards of the world, becoming the important members and parts of the reestablished Kingdom of Israel with Christ as its King, and hence, naturally, they would not suffer any rivals to their position. This was further supported by the evidence of rivalry and bickering among them as frequently recorded in the Gospels, where those disciples bickered with each other on who among them was the most important and better one as compared to the others. All these attitudes are not what the Lord desired from His disciples and followers.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, just as we all have heard from the first reading passage taken from the Book of the prophet Sirach, about the Wisdom of God and how we should put our trust and faith in this Wisdom, instead of in our own power, might and intelligence, therefore, linking to what we have heard from the exchange between the Lord and His disciples in our Gospel passage today, we are reminded that we should distance ourselves from the corruption of worldly desires and glory, all the attachments we may have towards worldly ambitions and pleasures, all the things that can lead us astray from the path of righteousness towards God. That is why we are reminded that we should listen to the Lord and His Wisdom, and not to allow our own ego, pride and desires from leading us astray in life.

May the Lord, our most loving God and Father, continue to be with us, guiding us and strengthening us in our journey throughout life. May He empower all of us with the resolve and the courage to continue walking down this journey of faith, and bless us all with His Wisdom so that we may perceive the right path in life, and that we may continue to remain faithful to Him, doing His will and obeying His Law and commandments at all times. May all of us as Christians be committed and faithful disciples of the Lord, and be the good examples and inspiration for everyone around us, and may all of us continue to do our best to glorify the Lord as always by our exemplary lives. Amen.

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Tuesday, 25 February 2025 : 7th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, through what we have heard in our Scripture readings today, we are all reminded that as the followers and disciples of the Lord, we may be facing a lot of struggles, hardships, trials and difficulties in our path, and we have to be prepared and ready for this eventuality. We should not be ignorant of the responsibilities and all the aspects of our Christian living and calling, in each and every unique missions and vocations that the Lord has entrusted to each one of us in this world. We must live our lives worthily as those who belong to the Lord, as His beloved and holy people, such that everyone who witness us and our works may come to know of God’s truth and love, manifested through our actions and every parts of our lives.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Sirach in which the prophet reminded the faithful people of God of the difficulties that they might have to endure as part of their journey as God’s people, and yet, at the same time, he also exhorted them to remain true to their faith and trust in God, that they would not abandon Him or seek other avenues of help amidst the challenges and hardships they might be enduring from. The prophet Sirach reminded the people of God to remain steadfast and committed to the Lord regardless of what they had to encounter, to be confident in their Lord and Master, and how He would protect them and provide for them all that they needed. In the end, despite the hardships and challenges that they had to endure, those who remain faithful will enjoy the rich rewards from the Lord for their faith.

The prophet Sirach also mentioned the historic examples of how God had been with His people, patiently guiding them and taking good care of them such that despite their sufferings and the many tribulations they faced, and despite the stubbornness that those people had shown against their loving God and Master, the Lord still cared for them nonetheless, showing them His mercy and kindness, sending them His messengers and servants, the many prophets that He had sent for centuries up to the time of the prophet Sirach, who was active about two centuries or so prior to the coming of Christ into this world. God has always been with the people whom He loved and had chosen, and He repeatedly guided them, prodding them from time to time so that they would return to the path of righteousness, and He gathered them back again and again whenever they had erred and wandered off from His path.

Then, in our Gospel passage today taken from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist, we heard of the words of the Lord telling His disciples after He had miraculously healed a boy that was possessed by evil spirits, that He, as the Son of Man and the Saviour of all, would have to suffer greatly for the sake of the world and all mankind, and He would have to face persecution and rejection from even those elders and leaders of the people, to be mocked and reviled, made to endure the worst of humiliation and pain for our sake, His beloved people, whom He has painstakingly called towards Him, to be punished instead of us so that by His wounds, by His outpoured Precious Blood, all of us may gain healing and reconciliation with our loving God and Father, all of which he had intended for us from the very beginning.

Through this revelation, the Lord wants each and every one of us to realise that we are really called to be obedient to God and to be humble, just as the Lord went on to chide His disciples for arguing amongst themselves on who among them were the greatest of the disciples. He told them all that in order for them to be truly great in the eyes of the Lord, they should be like those little children, who came to the Lord sincerely and because they truly loved Him and wanted to devote themselves to Him. Those children were used by the Lord as examples and comparisons for their faith because for those who know how children behave, those little children are truly sincere in their faith and beliefs, and they are truly pure in their intentions, still not corrupted yet by the temptations and desires of the world.

The Lord Himself, as the Son of Man, as the Son of God the Father showed the perfect example of obedience to the Father’s will, as mentioned, how He was tasked to be the One to liberate the whole world and to redeem everyone through the bearing of the burdens of our sins on the Cross. The Lord, Who was without any blame or sin, was forced to bear the burden and punishments of the sins of everyone else, but He did this willingly and obediently, to show us all what it truly means to be a disciple and follower of God, and what it means to be truly faithful in our lives. He also showed us all the perfect example of love, manifesting before each one of us the perfect love that God has always had for us, a love that is ever enduring and strong despite the disobedience and stubborn attitudes that we often showed to Him.

Therefore, as Christians, as God’s followers and disciples, all of us are expected to follow in the good examples that our Lord and Master Himself has shown us, in His ever patient and wonderful love, and in how we should continue to devote ourselves thoroughly to His cause, resisting the temptations of this world, the desires for worldly pleasures, ambitions and attachments that can lead us astray from the path towards righteousness in God. God has given us the perfect means for us to reach out to Him and that is through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour Himself, Whose loving and most selfless sacrifice on the Cross has opened for us the path to the salvation in God, the reconciliation and reunion with our loving God and Father. And just as the Lord Himself has shown us the example of faith, love and obedience, then we should also do the same in our lives as well.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all hence be good and exemplary Christians in all things, not just in mere words but also in our everyday living and actions. Let us all be ever more committed and courageous in doing God’s will and in carrying out whatever it is that He has entrusted to us to do, so that by our good examples and actions, we may grow ever stronger in our faith and conviction to follow and serve Him at every moments in our lives, and be more strengthened and encouraged despite the trials and challenges that we may have to face in our journey of life. May the Lord be with us always, and may He continue to bless our every good efforts, works and endeavours, all for His greater glory. Amen.

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Monday, 24 February 2025 : 7th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded of the need for us all to put our trust and faith in God and His Wisdom, His guidance and help. We cannot think that we alone has the power to make all things work for us, as it is by God’s grace, help and guidance that we have become successful in this life. Through the Wisdom that He has imparted to us all, God has revealed the path for all of us to follow in life so that we may come to the path of righteousness and remain firm in the conviction to follow Him in each and every moments of our lives. The Wisdom of God has been manifested to us through His Son, Who revealed to us the truth about God’s love, and He has also imparted this same Wisdom to us through His Holy Spirit that He sent into this world.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Sirach, we heard the prophet speaking about the Lord and the Wisdom that has come from Him, and which had been imparted on us mankind in order to make us understand and appreciate parts of the mystery of Creation, of all things that we have experienced around us, in our perception of the world and all that is in it. And the prophet Sirach also mentioned how God is the source of all Wisdom, of all truth and revelations, and He generously offers His Wisdom and truth to all of His beloved ones, wanting all of us to share in His love and truth, so that we may know how much we have been loved by Him, and how precious all of us truly are in His Presence.

However, how come is then that we mankind cannot perceive this Wisdom, even though the Lord has been so generous in giving unto us this great grace of the Wisdom He has imparted to us? That is because we have likely allowed the veil of ignorance and the corruption of sin to prevent them from accessing the great riches of the Wisdom which they had been blessed with, and therefore we continue to live our lives with ignorance of the truth and Wisdom of God, which we could have easily accessed should we embrace God and His truth willingly and commit ourselves wholeheartedly to His cause. We should allow God’s Wisdom to endow us with the understanding and appreciation of the truth, and for Him to lead us all down the right path in life. This is why we cannot let our pride and ego, our greed and ambitions to lead us astray and to move away from the path towards God.

Then, from our Gospel passage today taken from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist, we heard of the Lord speaking to His disciples who were arguing with some of the teachers of the Law because they were unable to cast out evil spirits that were afflicting a boy who was deaf and mute. The Lord told the boy’s father that everything is truly possible if one has faith in God and trust in Him. And the Lord proved this by showing His power, casting out the evil spirit that was afflicting the boy, and made him to be whole and healthy again. The evil spirit went out shrieking from the boy, having to obey the command from the Lord, revealing that not even the power of the evil spirits can prevail against that of the power and wisdom of God. God’s Wisdom and power far surpass that of man’s, and as long as we put our faith and trust in God, then we will be fine.

The Lord also told His disciples that they were unable to cast out the demons from within the boy because only prayer can drive out that kind of demon, and nothing else, a reminder that without prayer, that is connection to God, and the power from the Lord, whatever things we do, all of them may not avail against the forces of the diabolical, the wicked forces of evil that cannot be countered by physical or worldly means. While the details were not listed in the Gospel passage today, but it can be inferred that the disciples did not have enough faith in the Lord and did not put their trust fully in God through prayer, or that they were too confident with themselves, thinking with pride that since the Lord had granted them with the power and authority over the evil spirits then they could easily cast out those demons and spirits with ease.

That was why they probably began to act in manner that were not truly attuned with the Lord, thinking that it was by their own greatness and power that they had performed those miracles and signs. And amidst this wavering faith and connection to God, those evil spirits could challenge them and refuse to obey them. This is hence a reminder for all of us not to be easily swayed by the evil one, and all of his wicked forces, but to remain firm in our conviction to follow the Lord ever more faithfully and to attune ourselves well to His will, strengthening our connection to Him through regular and constant prayerful lives, devoting good quality time with our loving God and Father as we all should have done in each and every days of our lives.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore reflect carefully upon what we have just listened to from our Scripture passages today, especially with regards to how each and every one of us as Christians, as God’s people should always strive to draw our inspiration in life from God and focus our whole effort and attention on Him. All of us should not seek the glory of the world and all of its temptations and pleasures, resisting the many pressures, coercion and all the other things that often become obstacles in our path towards God and His salvation. Each and every one of us as Christians need to show the path forward towards the Lord, becoming the beacons of God’s light and truth to all the whole world, to everyone whom we encounter in our journey of life.

May the Lord, our ever loving and compassionate God, Who has given us all His most wonderful and impressive Wisdom to help and guide us in our journey throughout life continue to bring us all ever closer to His Holy Presence. And may by the power and guidance of His Wisdom, ever present in our midst, in our hearts and minds, we will grow to be ever more faithful disciples and followers of God, becoming good role models and inspirations for everyone else to follow. May God be with us in our every good works and endeavours, and may He bless our every good efforts made in His Name, all for His greater glory. Amen.

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Sunday, 23 February 2025 : Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday all of us are reminded of the need for all of us to embody in ourselves the most important virtue of love, one that denotes our Christian identity, because God Himself is Love, and as His people and children, it is imperative therefore that we have love in us, love that is truly genuine, generous and overflowing, just as God’s Love has always been shown towards us, without cease and without prejudice. God Himself has also shown us His love manifested perfectly in the flesh, in the person of Jesus Christ, His only Begotten Son, Our Lord and Saviour. Through Him and everything that we have heard in our Scripture passages this Sunday, we are all reminded to be generous in our love, first of all for the Lord, and then for our fellow brothers and sisters around us.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the First Book of the prophet Samuel in which the moment when David, the chosen King of Israel, who was on the run from the efforts of Saul, his predecessor as King of Israel, had a great and perfect chance to destroy the latter and seize the kingship for himself. As we heard in that passage, David and Abishai, his commander encountered Saul and his entourage in his camp in deep sleep, and David could indeed have struck Saul down there and then, and then easily seize the kingship over all of Israel which God had promised to him as the chosen new King to replace Saul. But David refused to do such a thing, and he resisted the temptations and the pressure from his commander Abishai, who encouraged him to strike Saul down. David showed mercy and love towards Saul, and let him to go unharmed, and told Saul that he would not strike at him, even when Saul had repeatedly sought his death.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this example of love which King David showed to all of us is one of selfless love and love that endures even through difficulties, challenges and temptations. David chose to love even his enemies, those who have made his life difficult, persecuting him and chasing him away from the comfort of his life in Israel, where he had to wander off in the wilderness as an outlaw with his supporters. And yet, David remained full of love, compassion and mercy to those who have wronged him and attacked him. And this is the exact same kind of love that Christ Himself has also shown us, which He alluded in our Gospel passage this Sunday, as He spoke of how all of us as Christians ought to show love to everyone and not just to those who have loved us back. Our love should be truly unconditional and generous, and be shown to everyone we encounter in our lives.

This is of course much easier said than done, and it is indeed difficult for us to love those who have made our lives difficult, those who despised us and hated us. But if we do not show the first step to love them, and grew to hate and despise them instead, then there will be no end to this cycle of hatred and evil, as our hatred will only lead to even more hatred and negativities, which then lead to even more hatred and so on. As Christians, we are all challenged to be loving, compassionate and caring even to those who ignored us, those who refused our love and hated us, those who considered us to be their enemies and those who did not see eye to eye with us. As the Lord Himself had said, that if we only love those who love us back, then what difference that would make us as compared to those unbelievers, and even those who are evil and wicked in their ways, as they also do the same as well in their own lives.

Instead, as Christians, we are all challenged to show selfless and universal love, to everyone around us without any exception, much as the Lord Himself had done in His own life and ministry. Christ Himself has shown love and mercy to all, forgiving those who have rejected and hurt Him, those who have persecuted and oppressed Him. Despite having been betrayed and rejected by the very people to whom He had been sent to save, He still carried the Cross willingly for their sake, and when He suffered and died on that same Cross at Calvary, He died to save everyone, including those who have wronged Him and punished Him. He did not mean for His salvation to be kept only for those who are on His side or those who have favoured Him back, but to everyone, especially the last, the lost and the least, and this included those who have made Him to suffer as well.

And through this most loving and selfless sacrifice, our Lord has become the perfect offering for the atonement of our sins, and just as St. Paul in our second reading this Sunday, from the Epistle that he wrote to the Church and the faithful in Corinth, Christ has become the New Adam that negated the old sins of the old Adam, the disobedience and sins that have corrupted our human nature and existence. By His own perfect obedience and perfect love, the most generous, selfless and exemplary love that He has shown especially through His sacrifice and offering on the Cross, by bearing all of our sins and their consequences upon Himself, shouldering the burden and punishments that should have been ours to suffer, so that by His suffering and death all of us may be assured of the eternal life and salvation that God has promised to us from the very beginning.

The devil wants us to hate one another and to be angry at our fellow brethren, because if we are divided amongst ourselves due to this, it will be easy for him to strike at us and to drag us down into the path towards damnation. He does not want us to be filled with love, because love will lead us away from this path of darkness, and instead, the evil one is always ever busy in trying to tempt us with all sorts of temptations of the world, with the greed, ego and pride, all of which are the very reasons why we tend to be angry and be at conflict with each other, due to our conflicting wants and desires, and if we do not manage this carefully, we may end up losing our struggle against evil and sin, and fall into the path towards damnation and destruction, away from God, His love and salvation.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be good and loving Christians at all times, to be filled with great love and kindness, compassion and mercy towards our fellow brothers and sisters, much as the Lord Himself, King David and many others among our holy predecessors, the holy saints and martyrs had done in their own lives and examples. We too should be truly filled with love in all things, and be generous in sharing our blessings with each other. We should strive to love everyone around us, all whom we encounter in life in each and every moments so that truly by our love and examples, more will come to know the Lord, and also know that we are indeed Christians, by our deeds and actions filled with this same love that God has shown us all. Let us all as His beloved people, continue to love most generously, showing one another how we can be better disciples and followers of God, Who is Love.

May the Lord, our most loving God and Creator, our most loving and generous Father and Lord, continue to bless us all and remain with us, guiding us in our every journey and in our every steps. May He continue to empower and support us all so that we may be ever stronger in our faith in Him and that we will grow ever more worthy in our lives and actions, to be His holy and beloved people, to be those whom He has called and chosen to be His own. May God be with us always, and may He bless our every good efforts, works and endeavours, and fill them with His most wonderful love, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Sunday, 23 February 2025 : Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday all of us are reminded of the need for all of us to embody in ourselves the most important virtue of love, one that denotes our Christian identity, because God Himself is Love, and as His people and children, it is imperative therefore that we have love in us, love that is truly genuine, generous and overflowing, just as God’s Love has always been shown towards us, without cease and without prejudice. God Himself has also shown us His love manifested perfectly in the flesh, in the person of Jesus Christ, His only Begotten Son, Our Lord and Saviour. Through Him and everything that we have heard in our Scripture passages this Sunday, we are all reminded to be generous in our love, first of all for the Lord, and then for our fellow brothers and sisters around us.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the First Book of the prophet Samuel in which the moment when David, the chosen King of Israel, who was on the run from the efforts of Saul, his predecessor as King of Israel, had a great and perfect chance to destroy the latter and seize the kingship for himself. As we heard in that passage, David and Abishai, his commander encountered Saul and his entourage in his camp in deep sleep, and David could indeed have struck Saul down there and then, and then easily seize the kingship over all of Israel which God had promised to him as the chosen new King to replace Saul. But David refused to do such a thing, and he resisted the temptations and the pressure from his commander Abishai, who encouraged him to strike Saul down. David showed mercy and love towards Saul, and let him to go unharmed, and told Saul that he would not strike at him, even when Saul had repeatedly sought his death.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this example of love which King David showed to all of us is one of selfless love and love that endures even through difficulties, challenges and temptations. David chose to love even his enemies, those who have made his life difficult, persecuting him and chasing him away from the comfort of his life in Israel, where he had to wander off in the wilderness as an outlaw with his supporters. And yet, David remained full of love, compassion and mercy to those who have wronged him and attacked him. And this is the exact same kind of love that Christ Himself has also shown us, which He alluded in our Gospel passage this Sunday, as He spoke of how all of us as Christians ought to show love to everyone and not just to those who have loved us back. Our love should be truly unconditional and generous, and be shown to everyone we encounter in our lives.

This is of course much easier said than done, and it is indeed difficult for us to love those who have made our lives difficult, those who despised us and hated us. But if we do not show the first step to love them, and grew to hate and despise them instead, then there will be no end to this cycle of hatred and evil, as our hatred will only lead to even more hatred and negativities, which then lead to even more hatred and so on. As Christians, we are all challenged to be loving, compassionate and caring even to those who ignored us, those who refused our love and hated us, those who considered us to be their enemies and those who did not see eye to eye with us. As the Lord Himself had said, that if we only love those who love us back, then what difference that would make us as compared to those unbelievers, and even those who are evil and wicked in their ways, as they also do the same as well in their own lives.

Instead, as Christians, we are all challenged to show selfless and universal love, to everyone around us without any exception, much as the Lord Himself had done in His own life and ministry. Christ Himself has shown love and mercy to all, forgiving those who have rejected and hurt Him, those who have persecuted and oppressed Him. Despite having been betrayed and rejected by the very people to whom He had been sent to save, He still carried the Cross willingly for their sake, and when He suffered and died on that same Cross at Calvary, He died to save everyone, including those who have wronged Him and punished Him. He did not mean for His salvation to be kept only for those who are on His side or those who have favoured Him back, but to everyone, especially the last, the lost and the least, and this included those who have made Him to suffer as well.

And through this most loving and selfless sacrifice, our Lord has become the perfect offering for the atonement of our sins, and just as St. Paul in our second reading this Sunday, from the Epistle that he wrote to the Church and the faithful in Corinth, Christ has become the New Adam that negated the old sins of the old Adam, the disobedience and sins that have corrupted our human nature and existence. By His own perfect obedience and perfect love, the most generous, selfless and exemplary love that He has shown especially through His sacrifice and offering on the Cross, by bearing all of our sins and their consequences upon Himself, shouldering the burden and punishments that should have been ours to suffer, so that by His suffering and death all of us may be assured of the eternal life and salvation that God has promised to us from the very beginning.

The devil wants us to hate one another and to be angry at our fellow brethren, because if we are divided amongst ourselves due to this, it will be easy for him to strike at us and to drag us down into the path towards damnation. He does not want us to be filled with love, because love will lead us away from this path of darkness, and instead, the evil one is always ever busy in trying to tempt us with all sorts of temptations of the world, with the greed, ego and pride, all of which are the very reasons why we tend to be angry and be at conflict with each other, due to our conflicting wants and desires, and if we do not manage this carefully, we may end up losing our struggle against evil and sin, and fall into the path towards damnation and destruction, away from God, His love and salvation.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be good and loving Christians at all times, to be filled with great love and kindness, compassion and mercy towards our fellow brothers and sisters, much as the Lord Himself, King David and many others among our holy predecessors, the holy saints and martyrs had done in their own lives and examples. We too should be truly filled with love in all things, and be generous in sharing our blessings with each other. We should strive to love everyone around us, all whom we encounter in life in each and every moments so that truly by our love and examples, more will come to know the Lord, and also know that we are indeed Christians, by our deeds and actions filled with this same love that God has shown us all. Let us all as His beloved people, continue to love most generously, showing one another how we can be better disciples and followers of God, Who is Love.

May the Lord, our most loving God and Creator, our most loving and generous Father and Lord, continue to bless us all and remain with us, guiding us in our every journey and in our every steps. May He continue to empower and support us all so that we may be ever stronger in our faith in Him and that we will grow ever more worthy in our lives and actions, to be His holy and beloved people, to be those whom He has called and chosen to be His own. May God be with us always, and may He bless our every good efforts, works and endeavours, and fill them with His most wonderful love, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Saturday, 22 February 2025 : Feast of the Chair of St. Peter the Apostle (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter the Apostle, marking this occasion when we honour the Apostolic and leadership authority of St. Peter as the chief and leader of the Apostles and also as the Vicar of Christ, the one to whom the Lord had entrusted His whole entire Church. If we are wondering why we are celebrating the Feast over a Chair, this is an important reminder for all of us that this Chair is not just representing the physical Chair that St. Peter had been sitting on as the Bishop of Rome and Christ’s Vicar on earth, but also the Chair representing his authority which had been given by God, to be the one through whom the Lord would exercise His power and governance over His Church, together with the other Apostles.

The first representation of the Chair mentioned has its physical embodiment in the actual Chair that St. Peter had been using, an antique Roman chair made from wood, known as the ‘Cathedra Sancti Petri’ dating from the earliest days of the Church, and which is now housed within the Altar of the Chair at the great Basilica of St. Peter in Vatican City. But as mentioned, this ‘Cathedra Sancti Petri’ is also a representation of the God-given authority and power which God has granted to St. Peter the Apostle and his successors as Bishop of Rome and leader of the Universal Church, the Popes, right up to the present Pope, Pope Francis. And therefore this Feast celebrates this unity that the whole entire Church has under the leadership of the Pope, the Vicar of Christ, as the successor of St. Peter the Apostle.

In our first reading today, taken from the First Epistle of St. Peter, we heard of the words of St. Peter, the chief of the Apostles and leader of the Church to the elders of the Christian communities equivalent of the present days bishops of the Church, reminding them that as shepherds of the flock of God’s people, all of them are responsible for the well-being of the people of God, and they were reminded as shepherds and leaders that they should be good and faithful in the exercise of their ministry so that in everything that they do and carry out, in their works and efforts they would always be good role models and inspirations for others around them all to follow in their own lives. They should not seek glory and fame for themselves, but rather they should strive to be the faithful servants of the Lord’s will, so that in the end, they shall all share in the glory of God.

This set of reminders is an important one for all of us as Christians, especially so for those who have been entrusted with the responsibility over the faithful but at the same time is also applicable for everyone else who call themselves as Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people. This is because all of us as Christians must also live our lives worthily in the Lord’s path such that we may become the shining beacons of God’s light and truth, His Good News and salvation to everyone else around us. After all, how can we expect others to believe in the Lord as well, if we ourselves have not shown good examples in our own lives and in how we ourselves live our lives as Christians, or worse still, if we cause scandal to our faith and the Church due to the wickedness and sins that we have committed?

Then from the Gospel passage taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle, we heard that classic account of the moment when the Lord established His Church and entrusted all of His faithful and people to St. Peter the Apostle, the ‘Rock’ of faith upon which He had founded His Church, and also to the other Apostles who were the important pillars supporting the Church. In that passage the Lord first asked the disciples on His identity, and they spoke first about the identity that many of the people at that time attributed to the Lord, either as one of the past prophets being sent back, or as a new great Prophet and Teacher sent into the world. But St. Peter spoke firmly and courageously when the Lord asked of the disciples again, ‘but you, Who do you say I am?’, saying that He is truly the Messiah, the Holy One and Son of God.

In this great profession of faith, we can see the shining qualities of St. Peter, which the Lord could see and know within his heart and mind. We can see the great love and commitment which St. Peter had for the Lord, which made him to be chosen as the one to lead all the whole Church. He was not perfect himself, as he was just as flawed as any one of us are. If we know the character of St. Peter from the evidences throughout the Gospels and other sources, we can see clearly how he was just a sinner like any of us. He was illiterate, brash and hot-headed, and easily gave in to anger and temptations, and was once chided by the Lord for striking the servant of the High Priest with a sword, cutting of that servant’s ear. St. Peter was also well-known for his thrice denial of the Lord around the same time, when he fearfully denied knowing the Lord at the time of His arrest.

But God chose this imperfect man, this sinner to be the great instrument of His works, His desire to see us all reconciled and reunited with Him. He knew that despite all of St. Peter’s imperfections, faults and problems, within him there lies a heart full of love and obedience towards Him, that despite the doubts, fears and other things he had with him, ultimately, he was willing to give it all to the Lord and devote himself thoroughly to His cause, as St. Peter himself proved with his many decades of service in glorifying God through the extensive and intensive efforts at evangelisation and conversion of many to the Lord’s path. To the very end, St. Peter the Apostle committed himself to God and to His Church, carrying out what he himself told the other elders of the Church, ultimately suffering and dying for the Lord, being crucified upside-down at the site where the great Basilica of St. Peter now stands.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today therefore as we celebrate together this occasion of the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter the Apostle, let us all reaffirm our faith in the Lord and the unity which all of us the faithful people of God have in Him through His Church, and affirm our unity as one flock of the faithful, under the leadership of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, successor of St. Peter the Apostle, who is now sitting on the Chair of St. Peter, the ‘Cathedra Sancti Petri’ as God’s holy Vicar in this world. Let us all continue to strive to live our lives each day with dedication and commitment to God so that our examples may help many more people to come ever closer to God’s Presence, as how St. Peter the Apostle himself, the other Apostles and our other holy predecessors had been good role models and examples for us as Christians.

May all of us continue to do our best in living our lives each day that even in the smallest and seemingly least significant things that we do, we will embody our Christian faith, our love for the Lord and our faith in Him at all times. May we continue to persevere through the challenges, trials and sufferings that we may have to endure as part of our Christian journey in this life, so that we may grow ever stronger in our commitment as those whom God had called and chosen to be His own, His faithful and holy people, now and always. Holy Apostle, St. Peter, Holy Vicar of Christ, pray for us all. Amen.

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Friday, 21 February 2025 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Peter Damian, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded that each and every one of us should not allow the temptations of the world, the temptations of our pride, desire and any other obstacles from preventing us to reach the Lord and His salvation. The reality is such that many of us are often distracted by the temptations of our worldly ambitions, desires and by the many attachments we have to the things around us in this world. This is why we suffer from the consequences of our disobedience, our immersion in the actions that have led us into the path of sin. And unless we repent from those sins, then we may end up losing everything in eternal damnation in Hell.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Genesis of the story of the Tower of Babel, that well-known story of how God confused the language of mankind, resulting in the numerous languages that we have today. In the past, all mankind spoke a common language, which made sense as we all came from the same origin, but our hubris, ambition, pride and greed all had led to us thinking that we can surpass God and have the ambition to reach up to Heaven itself, by building that great Tower of Babel. As such, God punished us and our hubris, ambition and pride by confusing the unity of our language, that gift of unity and understanding which He had given us all through His Holy Spirit, and which, once withdrawn, therefore, we are no longer united in our wicked purpose to attain what is not ours.

Through this incident, God wants us all to know that there is nothing that we do that can be possible without God being part of the equation, and without God, we are truly nothing. It is because of God that we have the power, ability and the means to achieve whatever it is we have accomplished throughout history and throughout our human existence and all the civilisation we have all around us. But this punishment is not something that is meant to last forever, as God showed how He can reverse this as He did in sending His Holy Spirit upon His disciples at the event of Pentecost Sunday, fifty years after the Lord’s Resurrection. And as we all know from the Pentecost, the exact reverse of what happened at the Tower of Babel occurred, with the disciples being given the gift of tongues, able to perceive, understand and speak various languages even when many of them were uneducated and illiterate prior to this.

Then, in our Gospel passage taken from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist, we heard the Lord Jesus speaking to His disciples and indirectly also to all of us as His disciples and followers, reminding us that if we want to truly follow Him and commit ourselves to His path, then all of us must make the effort to abandon our worldly attachments, desires and all the other ambitions, desires for pleasures, fame and glory, all the things of the world which can distract and prevent us from truly being able to commit ourselves to God. After all, if we are divided in our focus and attention, between the Lord and our worldly ambitions and desires, how can we truly follow and obey the Lord faithfully as we all should have done?

That is why the Lord reminded each and every one of us that we have to make a choice and stand in our faith, to be committed wholeheartedly to Him, and not to allow any kinds of worldly temptations to pull us away from the path of righteousness. It is easy for us to fall into the wrong path otherwise, and the Lord succinctly put it with His words, ‘What good is it to gain the whole world, while destroying your soul?’ reminding us through His disciples at that time that we should always be ready to deny ourselves and our ambitions and desires while making the effort to follow Him, and the fact that no earthly treasures, glory or riches can match the true treasures that we will find only in the Lord alone. There is nothing in this world that can truly satisfy us, or which will last us forever.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Peter Damian, a renowned servant of God who has lived his life in great dedication to God and who has contributed immensely to the Church and to the benefit of the faithful and holy people of God. Although he was born into a noble family, but his family was poor and he initially had a rather terrible life in his younger years because his relatives mistreated him. Eventually, the young St. Peter Damian managed to be sponsored for his education and he advanced rapidly in his academics, that according to history, he already became a famous canon lawyer and teacher in his early twenties. He then devoted himself to religious life, becoming a Benedictine monk and priest, committing himself thoroughly to God and His Church.

St. Peter Damian would then go on to serve the Church firstly as an exemplary religious and then as a dedicated reformer, helping the Church in the process of its reforms especially against the corrupt practices and influences that had crept in and affected many, both the clergy and the laity alike at the time. He was closely involved in the process of reforms, encouraging the Pope and the other church leaders to take action against those who brought scandal to the Church so that they would no longer bring about confusion and division in the Church and among the faithful. He was made a Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church by Pope Stephen IX, and as Papal envoy and legate, was actively involved in some of those reform processes. Through his commitment and works which lasted to the end of his life, many decades of faithful service to God, St. Peter Damian truly showed us all how we should follow the Lord wholeheartedly as His disciples and followers.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have heard from our Scripture readings today and from the life and inspiration of St. Peter Damian, our holy predecessor, we are all reminded to be focused on the Lord at all times, distancing ourselves from worldly ambitions, temptations and all the things that can lead us astray into the wrong path in life. Let us all learn to be humble as our predecessors, especially that of St. Peter Damian and how he had shown this through his life and examples, and be truly committed to the Lord, in doing whatever we can to contribute to the good works of the Church in everything we do. Let us all always be active in contributing our time and effort as always, and do our part to glorify the Lord by our lives. Amen.

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Thursday, 20 February 2025 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the need for us to actively live the part of the Covenant which God has lovingly made with each and every one of us, His beloved children and people, and we have to be courageous in standing up for our faith, in resisting the temptations of the evil one who has always been ever active in trying to lead us all into our downfall and destruction by tempting us with all sorts of falsehoods and lies, all sorts of worldly pleasures, desires and glory, all the things which had prevented so many of us and our predecessors from coming close towards the Lord, towards His love and the eternal life that He has promised to all of us.

In our first reading passage today, taken from the continuation of the Book of Genesis on the account of the Great Flood during the time of Noah and its aftermath, we heard of the moment when the Lord made a Covenant with Noah and his descendants, that is all of us living today in this world. This is because the Great Flood had wiped out all of mankind in the whole world and many other living things save those that took refuge in Noah’s Ark, the great ship that God had commanded Noah to build. Noah and his family were in that ship, as well as two each of the different kinds of animals, and all of them were spared the destruction of the Great Flood by God’s grace and mercy. God therefore made a new Covenant with the people whom He loved and had created, establishing with them that firm link and connection through that same Covenant.

A Covenant is a solemn pact between two parties and in such a pact, both of those who are involved are expected to fulfil their obligations and duties to the Covenant that had been established between them. And since God had made this Covenant between Himself and all of us mankind, we heard in that passage from the Book of Genesis today of exactly what these obligations, details and other things about this Covenant are. The Lord entrusted this world and all of the things He had created to us, and He will also continue to bless us all and guide us all, giving us all the means to carry out our lives and to enjoy the wonderful graces and blessings that He had granted us, which He has always intended for all of us. After all, God created us all not to suffer hardships or trials in this world but to enjoy the bounty and the fruits of His labours.

However, as a Covenant is a two-way process and commitment, we are required to commit ourselves to follow the Law and commandments which God had provided to us, and which God mentioned to Noah as a precursor to this Law that He would later reveal to his descendants. He reminded from Noah and his family, and all of their descendants the respect for the rules and laws He had set, and to obey the manners which He had provided and taught them, respecting the lives of one’s fellow mankind, and how to keep themselves free from corruption, sin and evil. This is important as it was the sins of mankind that had led to the destruction by the Great Flood in the first place, and it was God’s love and mercy that had made Him to spare the righteous ones amongst them.

Unfortunately, due to our refusal to obey the words of the Lord, our stubbornness and obstinate behaviour in rejecting God’s most generous love and kindness, His compassion and mercy, love and all the things He has provided us with freely, we have often fallen away from the path of righteousness and ended up in the path of sin again and again. We have not done what is right and proper according to what the Lord had commanded us to do. We frequently kept allowing the temptations of this world, the temptations of worldly pleasures and desires to lead us all astray, embracing our greed and desires, and all the attachments that we may have to the pleasures and comforts of life around us. And that may prevent us from fulfilling our part of the Covenant with God.

Now, in our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist, we heard of the interactions between the Lord Jesus Christ and His disciples, as He asked them all about His identity and what they all believed about Him. We heard about all the manners of things which people at that time often believed about Him, that they considered the Lord as the Prophet or the Man of God, promised to bring salvation to the people, or that of Elijah or any other earlier prophets returning back. But St. Peter, the leader of the Apostles, spoke courageously and firmly that he and the others believed that the Lord was truly the Messiah, the Saviour of the world, the One Whom all the prophets and many others had spoken about.

This was then immediately followed by a curious exchange between the Lord and the same St. Peter, who protested when the Lord revealed to him and the other disciples that He would face lots of hardships and persecutions from the Jewish leaders and authorities, stating how He would face sufferings and eventually even to die because of the rejection by all those leaders. St. Peter likely gave in to fear and doubt, and hence, allowed Satan to make use of him to try to dissuade the Lord from doing what He had said He would be doing. But the Lord Jesus would not allow this to happen, and He rebuked Satan acting through St. Peter, and through this, He showed all of us an important reminder that we must always have strong faith in Him, not allowing the evil one to manipulate and mislead us down the wrong path. And it was by obeying His Father’s will, that our Lord had renewed the Covenant between us and God into one new and eternal Covenant.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore remind ourselves today that we should strive to live our lives in each and every moments with faith and trust in the Lord, and following His Law, obeying all His commandments and all the things that He had taught and shown us, fulfilling the part of the responsibilities and obligations required in the Covenant which God had made, established and renewed constantly with us. God has always been faithful to this Covenant that He made with us, and He has always loved us patiently despite our rebelliousness and disobedience. Let us all therefore not take this love and generosity for granted, and instead, appreciate all the opportunities which we have been given. May the Lord continue to help and strengthen us in our journey towards Him, and may He bless us all in our every good works, efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 19 February 2025 : 6th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all called to remember the love and kindness, the grace and mercy which God has generously given to us all throughout history, by saving us from certain death and sparing the righteous ones amongst us from destruction. He also provided us all with the means to seek Him and His forgiveness, His mercy and compassion above all else. That He has done all these for our sake proved to us beyond any doubt that we are truly beloved and precious to God, and if we come to seek Him and His mercy, God will surely welcome us all most joyfully, leading us away from the precipice of darkness and destruction into a new life filled with His love and grace.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Genesis in which the Lord ended the Great Flood that He had sent into the world at the time of Noah, allowing him and his family, and all the animals taking shelter in his Ark to gain reprieve from the Flood. Noah obeyed God’s commands and built the Ark over a period of many decades, providing the means by which to survive the great catastrophe sent by the Lord to cleanse the whole world from all the wickedness due to the sins which had come about from the children of Cain and other mankind, who had been totally bereft of good conduct and moral, and which had led to the corruption of the whole world. God truly loved all of His people, as He had created us all out of love, and yet, at the same time, He also despised the sins and the corruption of evil that we have allowed ourselves to be corrupted with.

And that was why the Great Flood happened at that time, because in all the whole world, there was no longer any good or virtue among all of mankind, save that which was found in Noah and his family. That was why God chose Noah and his family to save them all from the cleansing Flood that He would send into the world. He did not wish for the righteous to share in the fate of the wicked, those who have consistently and constantly refused to listen to Him and follow His path. He guided and protected them through that storm and flood, which lasted for a whole period of over a year, including the period of rain and when the flood covered the whole world. And we heard in today’s first reading of the account of the time when the Flood finally receded and all the occupants of the Ark could finally walk on the dry land safely once again.

After the Flood, as we heard from the Book of Genesis, Noah made an offering to God on the Altar at Mount Ararat where the Ark landed at, making a Covenant with God between Him and his descendants. God made a solemn vow and promise not to destroy mankind again with the Great Flood, after that Flood had cleansed away the whole world and wiped out all those who were wicked and evil, sparing only Noah and his immediate family. The rainbow, which usually appears after the rain as mentioned, is a reminder of God’s promise to man, that He would remember not to send another world destroying Flood again, a reminder that ultimately, we are all beloved and dear, precious and important to God. Nonetheless, this does not mean that we can then act and live with impunity, disobeying God’s commandments and Law, as it was our wickedness and sins that led to the Great Flood in the first place.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist in which the Lord Jesus performed a miracle at the town of Bethsaida where a blind man was, and we heard how the Lord made the blind man to be able to see again. He healed the man from his affliction, and showed the love that God has always had for each and every one of us, His desire to be reconciled and reunited with all of us. At the same time, He also showed His power and might, His authority over all things, over life and death, diseases and all, in opening the eyes of the blind, something that no one even up to today can truly do, as even there is something that our medicine and technology can do, showing the limit of our human intelligence or power, which were ultimately derived from the power of God.

No one for example could bring anyone back from death into life, as this is something that the Lord alone can do, and He Himself has shown this on several occasions, with the dead daughter of the synagogue official Jairus, with the dead son of the widow of Nain, and with His own deceased good friend Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha. With the Great Flood and the Covenant that God had made with Noah afterwards, the Lord wanted to show and remind us all that He alone is the Lord and Master over all things, over life and death, and over our whole lives, our fates and existence. Therefore, it is important that we remind ourselves of how small, insignificant and weak we are, despite our many achievements, glory, fame and all the other things that we often boasted about in our lives.

At the same time, we are reminded of how fortunate we are that God, Who is our Lord and Master, great beyond our imagination, is also our loving Father, Who is always ever concerned about us, seeking to be reconciled and reunited with us, ever being patient in leading and guiding us all towards His eternal Kingdom and the salvation which He has repeatedly promised and reassured us. He has given us so many opportunities and paths for us to reach Him, and it is indeed sad to see how many people spurned these opportunities and chances that the Lord has generously provided to them, preferring instead to remain in the state of corruption, in wickedness, darkness and sin. Many among us had fallen into the temptations of worldly pleasures and desires, all of which had distracted us from God and His love, and from everything that He had done for us.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore continue to do our best in living our lives in each and every moments most faithfully and strive to be righteous, worthy and good in our every words, actions and deeds so that we may truly be worthy to be called as Christians, as God’s own beloved and holy people. May the Lord bless us in our every good works and endeavours, in our every efforts so that by His blessings and guidance, we may continue to grow ever stronger in our love, faith and dedication to God, and be ever closer to the eternal kingdom of glory, everlasting life and true happiness that God Himself has promised us, distancing ourselves from the taint and corruption of sin that can lead us astray into our downfall and destruction. May God be with us always in our respective journeys. Amen.