Weekday Homily

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Monday, 9 September 2024 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Peter Claver, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Scriptures we are reminded that we should have true and genuine faith in the Lord, and not to allow ourselves to be tempted by the distractions and temptations present all around us in this world. Each and every one of us must always be committed to the Lord, our loving God and Master, and keep ourselves firmly rooted in our faith in Him, entrusting ourselves to Him in all things. We should not allow our pride and ego to be hurdles and stumbling blocks in our path, preventing us from coming closer to God and His salvation. Instead, we should continue to resist the temptations of the world, the temptations and allures of pride and ego so that we may truly come faithfully to the Lord’s Presence.

In our first reading today, from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians, we heard how St. Paul chastised the Corinthians and the faithful people of God there for their immoral and improper behaviour in how they carried out actions such as taking one’s own stepmother as a wife, and other scandals which were truly unbecoming of the Lord’s holy and beloved people. This together with other immoral actions and behaviours which St. Paul highlighted to the Christians in Corinth that they should not be doing those actions and that they should turn back once again towards the righteous and virtuous path of the Lord, throwing away the corruptions of worldliness and immorality, and all the things which may become stumbling blocks and obstacles in their path towards God and His salvation.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the occasion in the Gospel according to St. Luke in which the Lord Jesus healed a man with paralysed right hand before the eyes of the people and some of the Pharisees who were there watching and observing Him. Those Pharisees were very rigid in their interpretation of the Law of God, and they especially frowned upon any disobedience and improper following of the Law in accordance to their strict interpretation. In this regard, those Pharisees saw the Lord’s actions in carrying out His ministry and performing miracles and healing works on the day of the Sabbath as erroneous and even blasphemous. They criticised Him and saying that He should not have done that action, and the Lord rebuked them for their stubborn attitude and mistaken understanding of the true purpose of the Sabbath.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have heard from those passages in the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that we should not allow ourselves to be swayed by our pride and ego, just as how those Pharisees thought that they knew it better and that they were superior than any others around them. When we allow these temptations to sway us, that is when we may end up disobeying the Lord and falling into the wrong path, falling ever deeper into sin and away from God and His salvation. As Christians, all of us should always be humble, and be willing to listen to God and His words, as He calls upon us to follow Him and to do His will. Each and every one of us have to adhere faithfully to the path that the Lord has shown us and guided us to, and we should seek inspiration from our holy predecessors who have shown us how we can be truly faithful to the Lord.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Peter Claver, a holy man and dedicated servant of God who as a priest and missionary was remembered for his great contributions in bringing many people closer to God, in spreading God’s truth and Good News to many more people who have not yet received these. St. Peter Claver was born in Spain to a devout and prosperous family of farmers, who eventually went to join the Society of Jesus or the Jesuits after he completed his studies. Through his interactions with another great saint, St. Alphonsus Rodriguez, a Jesuit porter and laybrother during his formation years, who told him of God’s calling for him to go to New Spain, the territories of what is now the American continent, eventually St. Peter Claver embraced that call and volunteered himself to go there as a missionary.

St. Peter Claver was renowned in the region of New Spain as a courageous and fervent defender of the rights of the African slaves and others who have been marginalised, discriminated against and oppressed, standing by them and championing their rights. He also ministered among many of them, and spent a lot of time going to visit the various communities of people, and even visiting the filthy conditions of the ships carrying the slaves, and many of them accepted the Lord as their Saviour and Master, especially touched by the kindness and generosity which St. Peter Claver had shown them. He treated them as fellow Christians and urged them to consider one another as brethren to each other, showing respect and care for their fellow men.

According to Church tradition and history, St. Peter Claver personally baptised no less than three hundred thousand people and many others were impacted by his efforts and ministry. He showed great love and care for all people regardless of their background, and cared for the least, the lost and those who have suffered and faced terrible challenges and trials in life. He laboured and worked hard not minding his own needs and desires, and gave his all for many decades for the sake of God’s beloved people. To the very end of his life, St. Peter Claver committed himself to God’s missions, and in the end, after his passing, his reputation and holiness were widely known and he was revered for his great contributions and dedication to God’s people and His Church.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all hence be inspired by the great examples showed by St. Peter Claver, who has shown us how we all can also live our lives worthily as a disciple and follower of the Lord. Each and every one of us as part of God’s Church have the shared responsibility, mission and calling to do what He has entrusted to us to do, that is to proclaim God’s truth and love, His Good News and salvation to everyone, and we should do this while showing the same love which God has generously showered us with. Let us all continue to love one another and be gracious to all of our fellow brethren, especially those who are less fortunate and have no one to care for them. May God be with us all and may He bless each and every one of our good works and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 8 September 2024 : Twenty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday all of us are reminded by the Lord through the readings of the Sacred Scriptures of the need for each and every one of us to turn towards the Lord, to trust in Him and to follow Him wholeheartedly all the days of our lives. Each and every one of us are called to open our hearts and minds, to welcome the Lord into our beings so that by embracing Him, we may truly be reunited to Him, reconciled and brought back from the depth of the darkness surrounding us. God wants us to be healed from our affliction and maladies, the troubles facing us in our bodies and hearts, our minds and souls, and He has reached out to us through HIs Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, through Whom He has manifested His love and compassionate mercy towards us.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Book of the prophet Isaiah in which the Lord spoke to His people through the prophet regarding how He would send them His deliverance and salvation, which He would indeed made manifest through the same Christ, His beloved Son, Whom He had promised to us all through His many prophets and messengers. By His Presence and love, all of us would be saved, strengthened and restored, and we should no longer be afraid or fearful of what we have suffered and endured, and instead, we should deepen our trust and faith in God, believing that we truly will be rescued, redeemed and brought to true happiness and joy by our faith in the most loving and merciful God Who is always by our side, at all times.

The people of Judah, to whom the prophet Isaiah had been sent to at the time, had faced a lot of challenges and trials, and they had experienced having their northern neighbours, the ten tribes of the Israelites, their own brothers and sisters, having been defeated and conquered, their kingdom destroyed and they themselves being taken out and exiled from their homeland. The people of Judah themselves were facing hardships and challenges from their enemies and they brought all of these upon themselves, just like their northern neighbours, out of their own disobedience against God and their refusal to obey the Lord and their unwillingness to follow His path. And yet, God Who has always loved them and cared for them, continued to reach out to them and reassured them of His love.

In our second reading today, we heard of the passage from the Epistle of St. James, in which the Apostle spoke about the need for us all as Christian believers to stop carrying out biased and judgmental attitudes against each other. All of us must not distinguish one another based on appearances and status, as ultimately, each and every one of us are beloved and precious to God, and all of us are equally blessed by Him, Who wants each one of us to come to Him, loving us regardless of our status and past. As Christians, it is important that we do not put importance and emphasis on worldliness and glory, as all those things are actually just temporary and illusory in nature. Instead, we should always seek to love one another equally just as the Lord Himself has done.

The challenge is of course how we should overcome the temptations present all around us, tempting us with all sorts of worldly glory, ambitions, and all the things which may become serious obstacles in our path and journey through life. We must not let our ego and pride to distract and mislead us down the wrong path in life, making us think that we are in any way superior or better than others around us. Instead, as Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people, each and every one of us must strive to live our lives worthily of Him, and we should always be humble and be willing to listen to Him speaking to us and teaching us His truth. We must always be open-minded and be willing to let God guide our path, and we should also deepen our faith and trust in Him, following whatever He has called us to do through His Church.

Then, in our Gospel passage this Sunday from the Gospel according to St. Mark, we heard of the Lord Jesus and His ministry in the region of Decapolis, as He went about from place to place, carrying out the missions and works which God has entrusted to Him. The Lord met a man who was deaf and mute, and He healed him in a miraculous occasion as He touched the man’s ears and tongue, and speaking the words, ‘Ephphata!’ which means ‘Be opened!’. Through this occasion and miracle, the Lord fulfilled everything that the prophets had spoken about Him, reassuring us all of the love of God and everything that He has promised us. Through His coming into our midst, not only that God showed us His love, but He also wants to make us all whole once again, united perfectly to Him in love.

Each and every one of us have also suffered from the torments and sufferings due to our many sins, our wickedness and evils. All these things prevented us from coming towards God and distracted us from our true focus and attention in Him. But God has offered us all His healing and redemption through His Son, and each and every one of us have been given this opportunity. What remains is for us to embrace this loving care and compassion which the Lord has freely and most generously shown us. We should not take God’s love and generous mercy for granted, and we should indeed appreciate His ever enduring love for each and every one of us. We need to be thankful for everything that He has done for us, in caring for us and being attentive to us, all these while, trusting in His providence and love.

Let us all therefore respond to God’s love and mercy with faith, and entrust ourselves to His care. We should no longer oppose Him and His desire to be reunited with us, but answer His call upon us and follow Him wholeheartedly from now on. May God bless each and every one of us, and may He give us the strength and courage to walk through this journey of faith towards Him, so that we may devote ourselves ever more to Him, in each and every moments of our lives. Amen.

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Saturday, 7 September 2024 : 22nd Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that we should be humble as Christians and followers of the Lord. We should not be proud in our hearts and minds lest we may be tempted to think that we are better than all others and look down on others around us whom we disagree with. We should not allow hubris, pride and ego to be great stumbling blocks in our path, keeping us away from falling down into the wrong path in life and helping us to remain firm in our faith and commitment towards the Lord. If we remain humble and committed to the Lord, resisting the temptations and allures of pride and ego, we will eventually triumph with the Lord, and share in His eternal joy and glory in the end.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful in the city and region of Corinth in which he spoke to the people of God about how they should not look upon themselves with an air and sense of superiority, thinking that they were better than others around them as they lived their lives with comfort and full of blessings in this world. On the contrary, St. Paul said that to be Christians, they ought to be more humble and more focused on the Lord, seeking to glorify God by their lives and not to allow themselves to be swayed by worldly ambitions and temptations, all of which could lead us all down the path towards our downfall and destruction. If we allow ourselves to be swayed and tempted by those allures of glory, fame and power, then we may end up losing sight on our true destination and purpose in life, that is to seek the path towards the Lord our God.

In our world today, we often face this issue of being tempted by our own pride and ego, our preoccupation with status and the privileges we have and enjoy in life, as we may find it hard to be told that what we are doing is not right and proper, or that there are others who know it better than us. That is why as Christians we must always cultivate the virtue of humility and obedience, to be humble in all things and to be willing to listen to others, especially to be willing to listen to the Lord and His words, embracing His truth and love, doing whatever it is that He has told us to do, and not to harden our hearts and minds against Him. It was pride that had led the devil himself to fall into sin, the pride and ambition of thinking that he could surpass God and became the ruler of all of Creation.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist in which we heard of how the Lord Jesus was confronted by the Pharisees who were following Him as He went about His ministry and works, and they criticised the actions of His disciples and followers who were picking the grains of wheat from the fields on the day of the Sabbath as they were very hungry, an activity which according to the interpretation and ideas of the Pharisees was forbidden as for the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, absolutely no action or activity could be carried out on the day of the Sabbath, a day in the week when the Israelites were told to stop their usual activities and spend their time to worship the Lord and to do what He has commanded to do, to focus their lives and attention once again to the Lord.

The intention of this Law of the Sabbath was actually very clear, and it was meant to help the people of God to remember that they are ultimately God’s holy and beloved people, and that the Lord should always be the centre and focus of their lives. It was meant to help them all to set aside a day to be spent with the Lord and not to be used for their usual worldly pursuits and businesses, so that they would not lose touch and contact with their Lord and God. However, many among the people misunderstood it, especially those Pharisees and teachers of the Law who interpreted the Law of the Sabbath without truly understanding the intention and purpose of this Law which the Lord had presented to us all to help us to find our way towards Him, and instead, they understood it in manner that is contrary to what the Lord had intended.

Essentially, they spent a lot more time bothering about the details and unnecessary emphasis on how the people ought to observe the Sabbath rules and laws rather than helping the people to appreciate the day of the Sabbath more. Not only that, but they have even also judged against all those who needed to live their lives and to do certain good and worthy actions on that day sacred to the Lord. The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law were essentially putting too much focus on the letter of the Law and not appreciating the spirit of the Law, as they judged that any kind of actions done on the day of the Sabbath as improper and unlawful, when the purpose of the Sabbath was to actually help the people of God to live their lives more in accordance with God’s ways and to do His will. Thus, criticising those who did good deeds on the Sabbath and making it inconvenient on those who were hungry and facing difficulties are not what they should have done.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, all of these are reminders for all of us that we should not merely be outwardly faithful to the Lord, and we are reminded that we should not be like the Pharisees whose pride and ego, in their thinking and ambitions, claiming that they were superior and better than others because of their ways of observing the Law and obeying the Law like those of the rules of the Sabbath, which they thought were appropriate and better than those done by others. As Christians, we must always remind ourselves not to be easily swayed and tempted by those temptations, and continue to keep ourselves humble and open-minded in receiving advice and guidance from others around us, and in learning how we can better live in a more appropriate and genuine way in being faithful to God, not just merely by outward appearances but also through wholehearted devotion and orientation towards Him in all things.

May the Lord, our ever patient and loving God and Father continue to help and guide us in our journey, strengthening us in our desire and commitment to walk in His path and to love Him, ever reminding ourselves and one another to put our focus and emphasis in our lives in the Lord, our Master and Creator. May God bless our every good efforts, works and deeds, in our every contributions and commitments so that we may always glorify Him by our every moments in life, by our exemplary inspirations in each and every moments, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Friday, 6 September 2024 : 22nd 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, each and every one of us who have accepted Him as our Lord and Saviour, as Christian believers, and as those whom God had called and chosen, we have to commit ourselves to the teachings and to the path that the Lord has shown us, that each and every one of us adhere to the truth which the Lord our God has been showing us, that we are all truly His disciples and followers in all things and at all circumstances. We must not be merely obeying the Lord outwardly and as formalities, paying lip service to Him while our hearts and minds are not focused or aligned to Him and His ways.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in the city and region of Corinth in what is today part of Greece, in which the Apostle exhorted the people of God there to live their lives faithfully as the disciples and followers of the Lord in all things, because each and every one of them had been entrusted as stewards of this world and all that God had created. And as the stewards of the Lord’s creation and this world, all of us should do our best to be exemplary in how we carry out ourselves and our actions, words and deeds at every possible moments and opportunities so that in each and every things that we do, we will proclaim the Lord our God faithfully and worthily through even the smallest things that we say and do.

We are all reminded that as Christians, we cannot and should not be idle in how we live our lives with faith and with the conviction as well as desire to love and serve the Lord, and also His beloved people, our fellow brothers and sisters in our midst and in our community. We should always be committed to have a good and worthy faith in the Lord, to be righteous and just in each and every actions and deeds, in our every words and interactions with one another. As Christians we must be truly the beacons of God’s light and grace, be illuminated with His truth and filled with His generous and compassionate love. We should be inspiration, strength and examples for our fellow brethren so that we can help each other to remain true and firmly faithful to the path that the Lord has shown and led us through in life. We cannot conform to the ways of the world or live in manner or ways that contradict our beliefs in God.

Then in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the parable which the Lord Jesus used to teach His disciples and followers about the compatibility between His Law and commandments, His teachings and ways to the way and interpretations that were done before His revelation of truth. In that parable we heard how the Lord spoke about the incompatibility of old wineskin and new wine, as well as new wineskin and old wine, adding on the examples of new patch of cloth being used to fix a hole or damage on an old cloth, and vice versa. All of these incompatible combinations eventually would lead to friction and problems, and which the Lord highlighted through the parable to make the people understand that following His path and ways would often mean that they might have to abandon the ways and paths commonly known or acceptable to the world.

It was a subtle rebuke made by the Lord against the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, as well as the chief priests and the Sadducees, all those people who had not truly obeyed the Lord in the right way, and who had chosen to believe in the Lord according to their own flawed and incomplete interpretations and understanding. The Lord told the people and all those who followed Him that to be His disciples and followers, they cannot remain faithful and obedient to God in the manner that the Pharisees and those teachers of the Law, the chief priests and the Sadducees had obeyed the Law. They had to listen to Him and what He had revealed and spoken before them so that they could truly be faithful to the Lord in the right manner, or else, that would lead to conflict and obstacles in their path.

This is also a reminder for us all as Christians that being a follower of Christ often requires us to commit ourselves beyond just the externals and appearances. To be true Christians, we may often be required to commit ourselves in making the changes and realignments needed so that our lives may truly be centred in the Lord, and no longer be against or in opposition against His path and ways. Each and every one of us as Christians are called and expected to resist the temptations of the world to sin and to disobey the Lord. With the revelation of God’s truth which we have received from His own Son, and which He has told and passed down to us through His Church, we are all called to adopt His new path and embrace wholeheartedly this way, rejecting the old ways of sin and worldliness.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this is why we are challenged and reminded that as the followers and disciples of the Lord, we cannot remain idle or forget our calling to be missionary and evangelising, to be truly active in walking down the path of righteousness, obeying Him and entrusting to Him all of our actions and efforts, in each and every moments of our lives.  As Christians, we should continue to strive to embrace God’s ways and be ever more committed to live our lives worthily and inspire one another, fellow brothers and sisters in doing the same as well. We should keep up our efforts to glorify the Lord by each and every one of our lives’ moments and actions.

May the Lord continue to guide each and every one of us, strengthening and empowering all of us so that in our every efforts and endeavours, in each and every moments of our lives, we will always strive to do what God has taught and shown us to do. May He continue to encourage us all to embrace His love and compassion, His patient guidance and help, so that we will be good and faithful stewards of His creation, to be exemplary in all things at all times. May God bless us all in our every good works, efforts and endeavours, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Thursday, 5 September 2024 : 22nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Teresa of Kolkata, Religious (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Religious)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded that we should not put our trust only in human power and abilities, only in our own wisdom and intellect, as there would be a time and opportunity when those things may eventually fail us, while if we put our faith and trust in the Lord, we will be strengthened and while our paths and journeys may still be difficult and challenging, but in the end, it is with the Lord alone that we shall be able to gain true satisfaction, joy and happiness, glory and liberation from all of our troubles and difficulties. If we follow the Lord, then He will guide us all to His Presence, and we have to commit ourselves to walk in this path He has shown and led us through.

In our first reading today, 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 how the Apostle was speaking about the matter of human and worldly wisdom, and how those who are members of the faithful and holy people, the Church of God ought to be always seek to be filled with God’s Wisdom and grace, to be filled with His love and kindness, and not be swayed by the foolish paths taken by those who depended and walked in the path shown by their worldly wisdom and understanding alone. Those who sought worldliness and its satisfaction will be brought low while those who sought the Lord to be with them, all of them would be protected and reassured in their lives and existence before God and man alike.

As Christians, it is important that all of us must embody our faith and beliefs in each and every one of our actions, words and deeds, or else we are no better than hypocrites and unbelievers. Worse still, we may even scandalise our faith and the Lord’s good and holy Name if we allow ourselves and our actions to be swayed by the falsehoods and evils of this world around us. We should not allow our pride, ego and ambition, our greatness, abilities and other things from leading us astray from the Lord and His righteousness. Many people, our predecessors and our fellow brothers and sisters have fallen into this same trap as they allowed the temptations of pride and desire to mislead them and to tempt them away from the path and wisdom of God.

In our Gospel passage today, we are all reminded through the Gospel according to St. Luke in which we heard the account of the moment when the Lord was with His disciples at the Lake of Galilee or Gennesaret, where some of His disciples who were fishermen, were in the water, seeking for fish while their Master was on the land, teaching all the people who had come to Him to listen to Him. And we heard how the Lord then asked Simon Peter, one of His disciples to put out his boat and net into the deep waters, so that they could get fishes for themselves. Simon Peter, who was a fisherman and was an experienced one in his area of expertise immediately told the Lord that he and the other fishermen had worked hard all night long and they did not manage to get any fish.

But at the same time, we then heard of how Simon Peter obeyed the Lord’s commands, and he did just exactly as the Lord had told him to do, putting out his boat into the deep waters and lowering his net, which almost immediately and miraculously led to a huge and vast number of fishes being caught in the net, causing the boats that the disciples were in to be almost capsized by the huge haul. This miracle and event showed that the power and wisdom of God, His power and might are truly far greater than anything that the world can provide or give us. And this is why by entrusting himself to the Lord and by obeying Him, St. Peter and the other disciples could gain such a great catch, at which moment the Lord then told them to follow Him and that He would make them ‘fishers of men’.

This is a reminder how each and every one of us as the members of the Church and as part of the efforts and missions to reach out to our fellow brothers and sisters all around us in this world. All of us are like those fishermen, St. Peter and the other disciples of the Lord, who were labouring for the Lord, gathering and reaching out to more and more of those who have not yet seen the Lord’s truth and wonders. We are all parts of God’s Church and we all share the same mission, calling and responsibility to reach out to everyone of all the nations, to all those to whom we have been sent to, proclaiming the Good News of God and His salvation to them, and it is by our obedience to God and by the path that God has shown us that we will have great success in this endeavour, and not by our own power and might.

Today, the Church also celebrates the feast of the famous St. Teresa of Kolkata, also known as St. Teresa of Calcutta, or as Mother Teresa, renowned for her great charitable works and efforts through the congregation of Missionaries of Charity that she founded, in caring for the needy and the poor, the sick and the dying, and especially in giving dignified treatment for those who were suffering and dying, showing them the love of God manifested and shown through the actions of St. Teresa of Kolkata and her fellow sisters and other collaborators in the Missionaries of Charity. She was born in Albania as Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu to a Catholic Albanian family in the year 1910, and since young she has been fascinated and inspired to be a missionary in distant lands. This eventually led to her joining the Sisters of Loreto congregation and went to India to continue her formation.

St. Teresa of Kolkata became involved in the education of young children in Kolkata, India during her many years in the congreagtion of the Sisters of Loreto, and eventually becoming the headmistress of the mission school there. However, she was continually disturbed by the great and abject poverty which many of the people in Kolkata and other parts of India suffered from. Through this calling that she embraced wholeheartedly, she eventually decided to leave her profession as a Sister of Loreto and role in the school, founding a new congregation, the Missionaries of Charity dedicated to the care and attention towards the poor, the needy and those who were sick and dying. She gathered many other like-minded women who sought to serve the needs of the people, giving care and compassionate love for those who needed them.

She gave dignity to those who have been abandoned, neglected and ostracised, caring for them in the poorest and most despicable conditions, in the slums and in the streets. She was well-known for her outreach to everyone who were poor and suffering regardless of their religious beliefs and background. She opened and operated hospices and houses like the famous Nirmala Hriday of Kolkata, where the poor and the dying can be cared with love and given the dignity due to them as human beings. Throughout the rest of her life, St. Teresa of Kolkata continued to do her best to serve the Lord and His people, following Him to whichever path that He wanted her to go, and famously mentioning at the time when she was given the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts, that she was just ‘an instrument in the hands of the Lord.’

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all be inspired by the great examples of St. Teresa of Kolkata and the many other saints, holy men and women of God, so that our lives and efforts will truly be centred on God and that we will not be swayed by the temptations of worldly ambitions, power and glory. Instead, let us all humbly seek the Lord and strive to be always guided by Him and His Wisdom in all things. Let us all be the instruments of the Lord’s works, and be the ones through whom God would bring His many good works to fruition. May the Lord bless each and every one of us, in our every good effort, works and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 4 September 2024 : 22nd 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 Scriptures, we are all reminded that each and every one of us as Christians are the ones whom the Lord had been calling to follow His path, to do what He has entrusted and shown us to do so that by our lives and actions, by our every commitments and contributions, we may truly embody what we believe in and proclaim the Lord and His truth to everyone who interacts with us and encounters us in our daily moments in life. Each and every one of us must always be committed to do the various missions which our Lord has given us. All of us must continue to walk this path of righteousness that the Lord has shown us, to be the ones proclaiming the Good News of God to all the people of all the nations.

In our first reading today, we heard from the continuation of the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful in the city and region of Corinth in which he spoke to them about certain occurrences and events that happened in that region which showed that they were still not yet mature and strong in their faith, and how they were still afflicted by the temptations of the flesh and the world, as they bickered over who they wanted to follow, whether they followed St. Paul the Apostle or Apollos, or St. Apollos, a charismatic Hellenised Jew preacher from Alexandria who had become very popular in many parts of the Eastern Mediterranean region where he courageously and enthusiastically proclaimed the Word of God to many among the people.

Some of those people claimed that one of them was better than the other, and bickered with the other group on how they ought to be faithful to the Lord. They therefore had forgotten on what it truly means for them to be disciples and followers of Christ, as they placed their own prejudices, biases and also preferences, differences in thinking and ways of observing and practicing the Law on top of their part and membership of the Church of God, and their pride and ego instead of their part and responsibility towards their fellow brothers and sisters, fellow Christians and believers, all believing in and following the same Lord and God. Therefore, St. Paul was telling the faithful in Corinth not to give in to these temptations and not to allow factionalism and differences to divide them and break the unity in the Church of God.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the account from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, in which the Lord Jesus was ministering to the people in the region of Galilee, at where some of His disciples like Simon, or Simon Peter, the future St. Peter the Apostle resided in. At that time, Simon’s mother-in-law was very sick and the Lord miraculously healed her, and this led to many people bringing many of their sick to Him, and He healed all of them all day and night long. But as the night ended, He went up and brought His disciples to go to another place, and when He was asked about this, He told the disciples how there were still many other places where He was needed, and He still needed to continue to do the many works entrusted to Him by His Father.

Through what we have heard in our Gospel passage today we are reminded that like the Lord Himself Who has humbled Himself and did not allow the temptations of power and glory to sway Him from His mission, therefore each and every one of us as God’s holy and faithful disciples, His beloved people should also follow in His examples and footsteps, in doing whatever He has done. At that time, the Lord could have remained at that place where He had miraculously healed the mother-in-law of St. Peter, where He was very popular and many people came to Him bringing all their sick ones. He and His disciples would not have to suffer difficulties and challenges, and they could be hailed as great and holy servants of God at that place. But that was not what the Lord had done.

He chose to obey His Father’s will, following to wherever He had been sent to do the many wonderful works and missions He has been entrusted, to shepherd the people of Israel and leading them all back towards the Lord, their most loving God and Father. The Lord Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, endured the greatest of trials and challenges, persecutions and difficulties so that by His loving efforts and sacrifice, He could bring all of us to the salvation that He has assured us all through His loving actions and words. Each and every one of us are called to follow the Lord and everything that He has shown us to do, to be ever more faithful to Him and to embrace His path, resisting the temptations of worldly glory and ambitions, so that we do not end up falling ever deeper into the wrong path in life.

Let us all continue to remind ourselves that as Christians, our lives are truly meant to be lived in obedience to God and His commandments, and we should always strive to put the Lord at the very centre of our lives and existence so that we may be good and worthy role models for our fellow brothers and sisters around us. Let us all continue to embrace God’s Law, His commandments and teachings, striving to do what He has shown and taught us to do, and not to be swayed easily by our many desires, wants and temptations, which may lead us astray and into the path of evil and damnation. We must resist those who seek to divide us and remain firmly ever more faithful at all times to the Lord in all things, doing whatever we can so that we may be the beacons of God’s light to everyone around us, guiding one another to the right path.

May the Lord continue to bless and guide us in our journey so that by His Presence and blessings, He may continue to encourage and empower us to remain firm in our commitments to Him, and to be His good and worthy servants in all things. May the Lord bless our every good efforts and endeavours, all the things which we do for His greater glory, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 3 September 2024 : 22nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded that we should always put our trust in the Wisdom of God which He has imparted to us through His Holy Spirit, the Advocate, Whom He has sent to us to dwell within us and to empower us all, through His Church and Apostles, through their successors, our bishops and the priests whom He has called and chosen to serve Him and His people, that is all of us. Through the Holy Spirit, the Lord has sent His guidance to us all so that all of us may come towards Him, embracing Him and His love, His path and His truth, that we are no longer lost from Him, and are worthy to receive from Him the assurance of eternal life and glory. We should always allow ourselves to be guided and led by Him, and not by our earthly desires.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful in the city and region of Corinth, continuing the series of discourses by the Apostle to the Corinthians which we have heard in the past few days. We heard of how the Lord had sent His Spirit into our midst, revealing to us His Wisdom, and through this Wisdom, showing us all the things that we need to do in order to follow the Lord most faithfully and genuinely. However, many of the people chose to trust in their own power and judgment and hence, they remained oblivious and unwilling to accept the truth, the reality and the teachings which the Lord Himself has presented before each and every one of them. That is because they chose to depend on their own wisdom and power instead of trusting in God.

The Lord has shown us all His Wisdom, and passed them to us through His Church, and as Christians, each and every one of us as God’s holy and beloved people like that of the Corinthians are reminded again and again that we should not allow ourselves to be swayed by the temptations of worldly glory and ambitions, by our pride and ego, especially if we think that we know it better than others. We must not let the temptations of our worldly knowledge and wisdom to lead us astray, bringing us down the wrong path in life as we choose to side with the flawed and mistaken ways of the world rather than to trust in the Lord and His ever patient guidance and help. All of us should strive to continue to be open-minded and to be willing to listen to the Lord speaking to us, giving us His Wisdom and guidance in all things.

Then in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the account from the Gospel according to St. Luke in which the Lord was teaching to the people in Capernaum in Galilee when a man possessed by evil spirits came to Him and disturbed His session, proclaiming loudly before everyone that he knew Who the Lord Jesus truly was, that is the Holy One of God, the Son of God and the Messiah. As manipulative and dangerous the evil spirits were in harming us and in possessing that man, and as malicious as the evil spirits’ intent might have been, they could not lie but speak the truth about the One Who was before them, the One Whom God Himself has sent into this world to save each and every one of us.

It was indeed a great irony that while many of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who were there and witnessed the many miracles and wonderful deeds that the Lord had done, and all the wisdom and words which He had spoken, and doubting Him and His truth, questioning His authority and authenticity, yet, it was the evil spirits that proclaimed the Lord and spoke the truth about Him, albeit with some malicious intents in doing so. Those evil spirits still tried to disturb the Lord’s works, as knowing that the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law were against the Lord and His claim to the Divinity of the Son of God, by doing so, they could disturb His works and made Him to face opposition from the Pharisees and the other enemies of the Lord.

But the fact remains that they acknowledged the Lord and spoke the truth about Him while those Pharisees and teachers of the Law, who took great pride in their knowledge and sense of superiority over others around them, refused to listen to Him or to acknowledge His truth. Their pride and ego, their worldly knowledge and wisdom which they depended on very much prevented them from accepting the truth with humility and grace, and thus was why they continued to oppose the Lord despite having witnessed for themselves again and again, what wonders and miracles the Lord had done, and hearing all the wisdom and great teachings that the Lord had spoken and taught before all of them. This is what we must not do ourselves as Christians, brothers and sisters in Christ.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of Pope St. Gregory the Great, a great Pope and leader of the Universal Church, who dedicated himself to the Lord and to His people, carrying out many great and wonderful works for the benefit of the people of God. Pope St. Gregory the Great was born as the son of a Roman senator during the years when the Roman Empire just restored their rule over Rome after several decades of rule by the Germanic kingdoms. He lived in a monastery that he established within his Roman estate and was quite involved in the Roman matters and governance, and his grandfather was also elected as an earlier Pope. He was well-educated and became a government official, and then ordained as a deacon and becoming the Roman ambassador to the Imperial court in Constantinople.

After his years of experience as the ambassador of Rome to the Imperial court, eventually Pope St. Gregory the Great was elected as the successor of St. Peter, and immediately he began to embark on a great campaign to reform the Roman Church and also participate in the leadership over the Universal Church. Pope St. Gregory the Great was deeply involved in many theological disputes and matters of that time, and he also actively contributed to the works of the evangelisation, as he was well-known for sending many missionaries to many parts of the world where there were still no established existence of Christianity and its beliefs, such as parts of Germania and also Britain and Ireland, where he sent St. Augustine of Canterbury and other saints and missionaries to work the rich vineyard of the Lord.

Pope St. Gregory the Great was also well-renowned for his contributions to the reform of the Church liturgy and worship practices, known well for the origins of the Gregorian liturgy and chants, among others. Through his tireless efforts and works, Western Christianity as we are all familiar with today began to come to be, uniting the various divided factions and diverse practices of the early Christian Church, and helping the faithful to overcome the temptations of worldly pride and glory, trusting completely in the Lord and following Him, as this truly great Pope and servant of God helped to lead so many people back towards the Lord, to His love and truth, to His salvation and eternal life that He has promised, committing himself thoroughly to the end of his life.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, having heard and hopefully been inspired by the great story and examples showed by Pope St. Gregory the Great and having discussed and discerned the message of the Sacred Scriptures earlier on, let us all therefore do our best to live our lives with full trust in the Lord and His Wisdom just as Pope St. Gregory the Great and many other holy men and women, saints of God had done before us. Let our lives be truly faithful and committed to the Lord in all things, and let us continue to do God’s will as much as possible in our daily living and actions, now and always, being good and worthy inspiration to one another. Amen.

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Monday, 2 September 2024 : 22nd 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 Scriptures, we are reminded not to dwell on worldly power and glory, or all the temptations of worldly desires, and not to be tempted by our pride, ego, ambition and arrogance. We must not allow ourselves to be easily swayed by our thinking that we are somehow better and superior than others around us. It is this mistaken sense of pride and superiority over others that often brought us down as we became proud and arrogant, thinking that we cannot be mistaken or wrong in our paths in life. This will likely end up leading us to shut our hearts and minds to the Lord, not being able or willing to listen to Him, or to embrace His truth and love.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in the region of Corinth in Greece, in which the Apostle spoke of the works which he had done in proclaiming to them the Christ, the Lord Jesus, the crucified Messiah Who has suffered and died for the sake of the whole world. St. Paul also mentioned to the people in Corinth that he did not do them all by his own power, eloquence or abilities, but rather through the guidance and strength of the Lord which He had given to him and the other disciples and missionaries through the Holy Spirit. By the power of God and by His guidance, St. Paul had performed many great things and spoke wonderfully of His truth and love, His Good News and the message of His salvation to the people, many of whom had listened and accepted the Lord to be their Saviour.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the reading from the Gospel according to St. John the Evangelist in which the account of the Lord’s time and occasion in His hometown of Nazareth was conveyed to us. At that time, the Lord Jesus returned to His hometown and proclaimed the words of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah from the Scriptures, which was also meant to fulfil everything that had been spoken and prophesied about Him by the prophets like Isaiah. However, as we all heard, the Lord’s words and proclamation was met with immediate skepticism and indignation by the people of His own hometown who wondered how this Man Whom they had known from His youth, the apparent Son of the local carpenter, St. Joseph, who was a hardworking and virtuous man, but a carpenter nonetheless.

At that time, carpenters were viewed as those who were doing menial work, and were considered as mostly uneducated and while a labourious and tiring work in its nature, it was seen as a job with low prestige and status. Thus, those people of Nazareth likely would have thought lowly of St. Joseph and his family, as although he was indeed righteous, hardworking and full of virtue, but because of his work and his profession, he and his foster Son, Our Lord Jesus Himself, they were both prejudiced against, as uneducated and poor, unlike those religious and societal elites like the members of the Sadducees, the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law. That was why they took offense at the Lord proclaiming that He is the One Whom the prophets like Isaiah were proclaiming and prophesying about.

In essence, what those people were doing was that they were being judgmental and prejudiced against the Lord and His background, pridefully thinking and assuming that they knew it better and that the One Who was speaking to them could not have been anyone but an upstart and liar because of His supposed humble background as a local carpenter’s Son. They proudly and arrogantly thought that their understanding, perception and bias could not have been wrong, and despite what the Lord had told them and performed before them, the miracles which He had done before their very own eyes and the many other signs, miracles and wonders that He had performed in the other towns and places in the region, none of these could have persuaded them and made them to listen to reason.

That is why we heard all of these today, as reminders for us not to be swayed and tempted by the temptations of our pride and ego, and make presumptions and judgments based on our own flawed and imperfect knowledge, understanding and appreciation of things around us. Many among us often fell into exactly this trap when we allowed ourselves to indulge in these thoughts, or indulge in our pride and ego, thinking that our judgments and knowledge are better than anything that can be told or shown to us. If we follow in the same path, we may end up being stubborn and refusing to follow the path that the Lord has shown us, as we close our hearts and minds to the Lord speaking to us, communicating with us in His attempts to reach out to us.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we have to realise just how much the Lord wants to lead us all to Himself, calling upon each and every one of us to follow Him. However, in order to do this, we need to be willing to listen to Him calling on us, and turn away from our path of wickedness and evil. We should not allow the many temptations and pleasures of the world from keeping us separated from our most loving God and Father, our Creator and Master. We have to allow Him to lead us in ou path and do not let ourselves be tempted into the wrong path because we sought for worldly pleasures, glory and satisfactions. As Christians, it is imperative that we strive and continue to remind ourselves to put our focus and emphasis always on the Lord, our loving God, so that He is always ever the centre and focus of our whole lives and existence.

May the Lord continue to bless and strengthen us in each and every endeavours, efforts and works we have done and which we will do for His greater glory. May He continue to empower and encourage us to walk through this path that He has shown us, so that we will continue to do what is right, worthy and just, and commit ourselves ever more thoroughly to His cause, at all times. May God be with us all, and may He continue to sow in us, His love and grace, His truth and Good News, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Sunday, 1 September 2024 : Twenty-Second Sunday of Ordinary Time, World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday as we all gather together to listen to the Word of God and reflect on what we have heard earlier on, we are all reminded first of all that as God’s holy and beloved people, we are all bound by His Law and commandments, and we have to not only know and understand them, but we also have to apply them consistently and thoroughly in each and every moments of our lives. Otherwise we cannot truly call ourselves as Christians if we do not truly embody and practice what we believe in, or if we do not walk in the path that the Lord has shown and taught us. Each and every one of us must always strive to do our part in embracing God and His path, so that we can be good examples and role models for each other in how we live our lives with faith.

In our first reading, we heard from the Book of Deuteronomy in which Moses, the leader of the people of Israel during the time of the Exodus and journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, reminded the Israelites that the Lord has given them all His Law and commandments, and they ought to abide by the precepts and details of that Law. They should heed whatever they had been told to do, to do what God has commanded them and shown them, and neither to take away or add anything to the Law, as changing those laws and commandments would mean that they would no longer truly obey the Lord in the right manner, and they would no longer be truly faithful to Him in their ways, actions, words and deeds. The Lord wants each and every one of His people to follow Him wholeheartedly and not be divided and swayed by false paths in life.

Moses also mentioned that the Israelites were truly blessed that God had chosen and called them to be His people, to be graced by His Law and Commandments, through which He showed them how to be truly be faithful to God at all times, and how they can be the shining beacons and examples of their faith and obedience to Him, so that everyone who witnessed their lives, works and actions, and interact with them would truly know that they all belong to the Lord, as God’s holy and beloved people, the shining beacons of God’s light, truth and love, bearing His salvation and righteousness into the world. On the other hand, if they did not do as the Lord had taught them to do, living their lives in a wicked and evil manner, then they would scandalise the good and Holy Name of God, and therefore, they would be judged and condemned by their lack of faith and virtue.

Then in the second reading this Sunday, taken from the Epistle of St. James the Apostle, we heard of the words of St. James, exhorting and reminding the faithful people of God that they all have received from the Lord Himself the gift of life, truth and also all the wonderful things that He has given and granted us, and which He had sowed and planted in us, entrusting to us many things which can help us to direct our attention towards the right path. But in that same passage taken as today’s second reading, we have also heard that St. James mentioned that we as the faithful people of God must be the ‘doers of the word’ and ‘not just hearers’, which complements nicely what he also mentioned in another part of his Epistle, that ‘faith without good works is dead’.

Essentially, this is a reminder to all of us that we have to be genuine followers and disciples of the Lord, not just as a formality and merely doing things for appearances. We have to be fundamentally faithful in all things, at all occasions and opportunities, doing our best to be the good and worthy in everything that we do throughout our whole lives. Otherwise then we are no better than hypocrites and unbelievers who do not have true and genuine faith in the Lord. There are many people who profess to be Christians and yet, they did not truly behave as those whom God had called and chosen to be His own people. We cannot be like those who only outwardly showed obedience to God and observance of His Law and commandments, and yet inside, they were without true love and desire to serve the Lord.

In our Gospel passage this Sunday, we heard exactly about this matter when the Lord told His disciples and rebuked the Pharisees who were there with Him, criticising His disciples on how they did not follow the prescribed manner of the Law in how they ought to wash their hands before they ate. The Lord criticised and rebuked those Pharisees precisely because they did not truly show genuine faith in the Lord, His Law and commandments, and were only making outward signs of obedience and fulfilment of the Law. Yet, their interior disposition and orientation in life were flawed and incorrect. They were more focused on worldly matters and all their preoccupations and obsessions with the rituals and details of the Law instead of truly obeying and following God in all things.

We heard the description of how the Pharisees were the group of religious and intellectual elites in the Jewish community at that time, who interpreted the Law of God and preserved it in a particularly strict and excessive manner, putting a lot of heavy burden on the people of God because they demanded a very rigorous and harsh observance of the Law of God, being overly obsessed with the details and the rituals associated with the Law of God, spending a lot of time and emphasis on those many rules and rituals, focusing on how much and how many times one washed one’s hands for example, which had to be done in a certain prescribed manner, and if the others do not follow as they had been told to do, then they would be criticised by the Pharisees.

This preoccupation and obsession with the rites and details of the Law is what the Lord criticised and rebuked the Pharisees for, as this led them to be empty in their hearts and minds, failing to truly appreciate and understand what the Lord had intended for us all through His Law and commandments. The Law of God has been given to us not to burden and make our lives difficult, and definitely not for a certain group of people to make themselves famous and glorious over others by gloating and thinking that they were superior and more worthy simply because they were obeying the Law and commandments in a more pious way. Instead, the Law of God was meant to help the people of God, all of us to love God and to follow His path, so that we may truly be able to embrace the righteousness of God.

Today, the Church also celebrates the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, the day when we are all reminded that the Lord has entrusted to us this world to be under our care and stewardship. Therefore, each and every one of us should always remember that we must be active in truly living our lives in the manner that God has told and shown us, and not to glorify ourselves or seek personal glory and ambition through this life. We certainly should not be like the Pharisees that twisted the Law of God for their own personal desires and ambitions. Instead, we must strive to do the things which the Lord has called us to do, to be true and genuine in our obedience and commitment to God, focusing our attention as always towards the Lord, our Master and Creator. We should take good care of this world, and responsibly play our roles as its steward that we do not end up ruining more of this world through our selfish actions and behaviours.

May the Lord continue to help us all to be ever more genuinely faithful and committed to Him. May He empower each and every one of us so that we will continue to do what is right and just which He has taught and shown us to do, and resist the temptations to disobey Him and to sin against Him. May God bless each and every one of us, bless our every good efforts, works and action, now and always. Amen.

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Saturday, 31 August 2024 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that each and every one of us as Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people, all the children of mankind all have received the various gifts, talents and blessings from God. All of us have been entrusted with those gifts with the intention of the Lord calling on us to share them and to make good use of them for the benefit of all those around us, for the good and benefit of everyone and not just for our own selfish needs and desires. We have been entrusted with all these so that we may be part of God’s Church and mission, to proclaim His truth and Good News to everyone around us.

In our first reading today, we heard of the continuation of the Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians in which the Apostle told the people of God there how they have been chosen by God to be His disciples and followers, and many among them were not important, powerful or influential in the eyes of the world. This does not mean that God was against the rich, powerful and influential ones in the world, but rather, He wanted to highlight to His beloved people, to all of us that He did not choose or judge us by our worldly qualities, possessions or by any other parameters which we often categorise ourselves into, as all those things are ultimately superficial and not what is truly important for all of us. Unfortunately, many of us often spent a lot of time and effort in trying to seek all those things instead of seeking what is truly important for us in our lives.

The Lord chose based on other qualities that often do not correspond with worldly standards of judgment, as this world often focuses on our material wealth, influence and fame, our physical appearances and other attributes which may prevent us from truly being able to follow the Lord faithfully, sincerely and with true commitment. That is because when we are obsessed with accumulating for ourselves those worldly things and matters, we often end up neglecting our responsibilities as Christians, in making good use of our gifts, talents and the guidance of God’s Wisdom, for the benefit of others around us. Instead, we often spend a lot of time and effort to try to garner for ourselves more of these worldly riches and possessions, all of which distract us from the true destination that we have in the Lord, as mentioned earlier.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Matthew in which the parable of the silver talents was told by the Lord to His disciples and to all those who were there listening to Him. In that parable we heard of how a master was going away overseas and chose to entrust three of his servants with some silver talents for them to make good use of and responsibly while he was away on his business. Then, we heard how the three servants acted differently with the silver which had been given to them. Each one of them were entrusted with different amounts of silver talents, with the one who were given five and two talents of silver investing and making good use of them and they gained the same amount in silver talents each, doubling what they had earlier from the master.

Meanwhile, the other servant who was only given one silver talent chose to hide it and not to use it at all, and because of that, by the time the master returns to ask for the results and reckoning the performance of his servants, that servant still had with him the same one silver talent. Those servants that had invested and doubled their investment were well-rewarded and entrusted by the master with great things, while the lazy and irresponsible servant faced the wrath of his master for his lack of action and irresponsibility. Instead of being rewarded, the lazy and irresponsible servant faced punishment and rebuke from the master, which is also a reminder for each and every one of us of what all of us are expected to do by God, our Lord and Master.

First of all, as we heard this, we must understand that as mentioned and discussed earlier in the first reading, God does not discriminate based on riches and wealth, or by how much He has blessed or gifted us with. We must not misunderstood that those who have received more, like those with five and two silver talents would be rewarded while the ones with less, like the servant with one silver talent would be punished. It was an analogy that the Lord used to show that what matters is our attitude and how we respond to what He has given and entrusted to us. More would be expected of those who have received more, and we should also make good use of these various gifts for everyone’s benefit and not just for ourselves.

It is important that we know and understanding this mission which we have been entrusted with by the Lord, to show love, care and concern towards one another, to our fellow brothers and sisters who may need our help and attention, particularly all those who have no one to care for them, those who have been neglected, abandoned and ignored by all others. As Christians, whatever we have been blessed with by God, and the many opportunities we have been given, they should be used for the greater good of those who are around us. We should not ignore the plight of those who are in need, and we must also realise that we have been given the opportunities to contribute our good works and actions to advance further the cause of the Lord and to fulfil the missions we have been entrusted with.

Let us all therefore renew our commitment to the Lord and do not allow ourselves to be led into inaction and ignorance of our responsibilities and missions as those whom God had called and chosen. Let us all be committed from now on to live lives that are truly worthy of the Lord, being good role models and inspiration for one another. May our lives as God’s holy and beloved people, as His faithful and committed disciples be inspiration and beacons of God’s light and truth to everyone. May God bless us all in our every actions, good works and endeavours, now and always. Amen.